Progressive Revelation

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The Earth in The Revelation

All the earth is Rome! Well, at least it was to the Empire. 

One must carefully consider how the words were used in the first century in Asia Minor. The Revelation is a letter written to them and not us. It was preserved for our benefit but, it is at its core someone else’s mail.

The Revelation is a continuation of the book of Daniel. In Daniel chapter 2 and chapter 7 Daniel was told that the earth would be ruled by four consecutive empires; Babylon Medo-Persia, Greece, and finally Rome. When John wrote the book of The Revelation the first three had come and gone from the stage of History all that was left was The Roman Empire. The judgments pronounced in this book are concerned with that final empire, The Roman Empire, and its final form The Roman Church.

In the English language, the words earth, world, or globe are all interchangeable — most of the time.  At times, the word earth only means rocks and soil as opposed to water. Then there are odd uses as a globe can mean artichoke. The same is true in Greek, oikoumene, in the Bible refers to a sphere of influence. But we often assume that it means the whole planet.

There are several different Greek words that are translated to “world,” oikoumene, get, and kosmos.

In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world (oikoumene) should be enrolled. Luke 2:1

In Luke, the Greek word is oikoumene, which can be used as the surface of the earth as opposed to the heaven above. However here it means the people who inhabit the Roman empire and specifically excludes the barbarians outside the Empire from the enrollment tax. 

In the book of The Revelation, it becomes clear that once we leave the grand visions of the Throne room, where the whole of the cosmos is nothing but a footstool, the earth is the Roman Earth. 

The book of The Revelation is mostly concerned with the Roman earth or Empire. Everything in the book is Roman. The animal symbol of Rome was a battle horse, the color of the Empire was scarlet, and the capital city of Rome famously sit on seven hills.

Kosmos from which we get our word cosmos, or the whole universe, is usually translated a ‘world.’ It can mean just the planet but, it can also mean all the whole of creation. 

Here are some New Testament references that demonstrate the different uses of earth or world. The green indicates ge, and the red indicates kosmos.

Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and the glory of them; Matt. 4:8

And he said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to the whole creation. Mark 16:15

They said to the woman, “It is no longer because of your words that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Savior of the world.” John 4:42

. . . and saw the heaven opened, and something descending, like a great sheet, let down by four corners upon the earth. Acts 10:11

Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign for ever and ever.” Rev. 11:15 

. . . and all who dwell on earth will worship it, every one whose name has not been written before the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb that was slain. Rev. 13:8 

The beast that you saw was, and is not, and is to ascend from the bottomless pit and go to perdition; and the dwellers on earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, will marvel to behold the beast, because it was and is not and is to come. Rev. 17:8

Conclusion

When The Revelation says earth it means the Roman Earth. This book is about the judgment on the Roman Earth. All those nations were at one point part of the Roman Empire. Because we by our very natures tend to be egocentric we assume these judgments and curses are about us. Now don’t get me wrong, when Europe is ground to dust other nations will take a tremendous hit in our economies. But the judgments are not immediately directed at other parts of the earth.

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Bozrah / The Final Battle

When I was young and first started studying prophecy back in the year one, two very confusing teachings were making the rounds. One, the final battle would be at the valley of Megiddo and, two, the final battle would be in Bozrah. Being an avid reader of the Encyclopedia Britannica, I found out that there is no valley of Megiddo; but rather, the area is called the valley of Jezreel. I further found out that Bozrah was out in the middle of nowhere-in present day Jordan. Why would a future battle be out there?

There are also many hymns and many sermons on how it will be when our Lord returns, all different from each other. However, when all the passages that seem to be concerned with this event are put together it all seems a bit muddled. Are they all the same event? Or are we missing something? There is a natural tendency to interpret unfulfilled prophecy very literally. However, when we compare fulfilled prophecy to the fulfillment it is never very literal. Are our hermeneutics too literal? Should we perhaps look to a more symbolic interpretation?

The Great White Horse

11   Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! He who sat upon it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war.  12 His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems; and he has a name inscribed which no one knows but himself.  13 He is clad in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God.  14 And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, followed him on white horses.  15 From his mouth issues a sharp sword with which to smite the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron; he will tread the wine press of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty.  16 On his robe and on his thigh he has a name inscribed, King of kings and Lord of lords. Rev. 19:11-15

That does not sound very violent and is rather unremarkable.

Coming from Bozrah

The first thing to note here is something I learned from the Amillennialist; that is, this passage is in a book of symbols, it has among its pages many weird things; a seven-eyed Lamb, a seven-headed ten-horned sea serpent, a lamb-horned beast from the earth, and so forth. So the Faithful and True guy on the white horse must be symbolic of our Lord’s judgment. . . But maybe not the literal way he returns. The historical passages’ description of our Lord’s return said that it would be in the same manner as He left.

. . . and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.” Acts 1:11

1   Who is this that comes from Edom, in crimsoned garments from Bozrah, he that is glorious in his apparel, marching in the greatness of his strength? “It is I, announcing vindication, mighty to save.”  2 Why is thy apparel red, and thy garments like his that treads in the wine press?  3 “I have trodden the wine press alone, and from the peoples no one was with me; I trod them in my anger and trampled them in my wrath; their lifeblood is sprinkled upon my garments, and I have stained all my raiment.  4 For the day of vengeance was in my heart, and my year of redemption has come.  5 I looked, but there was no one to help; I was appalled, but there was no one to uphold; so my own arm brought me victory, and my wrath upheld me.  6 I trod down the peoples in my anger, I made them drunk in my wrath, and I poured out their lifeblood on the earth.” Is. 63:1-6

Here we have the same robs dipped in blood. The difference is that here He is alone. There is no army on white horses. When there is this kind of problem we must fall back on the historical-grammatical contexts of the passage.

Some History

So was there ever a time when Bozrah was destroyed? Why yes, there was, when the Babylonians took the area about the same time they took Judea and Jerusalem. Before that, Bozrah was the capital city of Edom; i.e., the homeland of Jacob’s twin brother Esau. The nation of Edom disappeared during the Babylonian invasion of the area in the 6th century BC, they reappeared as the Idumeans under the Greeks. They were then forcibly converted by the Hasmoneans and later incorporated into the Roman province of Judea. (King Herod was an Idumeanian.) Today Bozrah is a small isolated town out in the middle of the nation of Jordan, just east of present-day Israel. The population in 2015 was 25,245. 

The historical interpretation of this passage is that the battle refers to the Babylonian destruction. But there are many interpreters who feel it may be a type of the Revelation 19:11-19., the white horse passage.

The Grammar

When looking at “types,” the grammar becomes paramount. Bozrah means “sheepfold,” a place where there was water for the sheep, and it’s not the only passage that is about destroying Edom.

Other Passages

5   For my sword has drunk its fill in the heavens; behold, it descends for judgment upon Edom, upon thepeople I have doomed.  6 The LORD has a sword; it is sated with blood, it is gorged with fat, with the blood of lambs and goats, with the fat of the kidneys of rams. For the LORD has a sacrifice in Bozrah, a great slaughter in the land of Edom.  7 Wild oxen shall fall with them, and young steers with the mighty bulls. Their land shall be soaked with blood, and their soil made rich with fat. Is. 34:5-7

The prophets Amos, Isaiah, and Jeremiah predicted Bozrah’s destruction:

12   For thus says the LORD: “If those who did not deserve to drink the cup must drink it, will you go unpunished? You shall not go unpunished, but you must drink.  13 For I have sworn by myself, says the LORD, that Bozrah shall become a horror, a taunt, a waste, and a curse; and all her cities shall be perpetual wastes.”  14 I have heard tidings from the LORD, and a messenger has been sent among the nations: “Gather yourselves together and come against her, and rise up for battle!”  15 For behold, I will make you small among the nations, despised among men.  16 The horror you inspire has deceived you, and the pride of your heart, you who live in the clefts of the rock, who hold the height of the hill. Though you make your nest as high as the eagles, I will bring you down from there, says the LORD. Jer. 49:-16

11   Thus says the LORD: “For three transgressions of Edom, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment; because he pursued his brother with the sword, and cast off all pity, and his anger tore perpetually, and he kept his wrath for ever.  12 So I will send a fire upon Teman, and it shall devour the strongholds of Bozrah.” Amos 1:11-12

12   I will surely gather all of you, O Jacob, I will gather the remnant of Israel; I will set them together like sheep in a fold, like a flock in its pasture, a noisy multitude of men.  13 He who opens the breach will go up before them; they will break through and pass the gate, going out by it. Their king will pass on before them, the LORD at their head. Mic. 2:12—13

Then Outlier

Then there is Micah 2: 12-13 where Jacob will be assembled. However, there are no distinctions in Hebrew between nouns and proper nouns, so the sheepfold here may just be a sheepfold and not the town of Bozrah. When Bozrah the town is meant, it is always mentioned that it is in Edom. That clarification is not here.

12   I will surely assemble, O Jacob, all of thee; I will surely gather the remnant of Israel; I will put them together as the sheep of Bozrah, as the flock in the midst of their fold: they shall make great noise by reason of the multitude of men. 13 The breaker is come up before them: they have broken up, and have passed through the gate, and are gone out by it: and their king shall pass before them, and the LORD on the head of them. Mic. 2:12-13 KJV

The Standard Historical Interpretation of the Micah passage is that the Jewish nation will be brought back into the sheepfold by Messiah Himself.

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Psalm 74 – The Leviathan

 A Maskil of Asaph.  

What is A Maskil?

There are 13 Psalms that are designated a maskil. They are 32, 42, 44, 45, 52-55, 74, 78, 88, 89 and 142.

The Hebrew word maskil means instruction and is either:

  1.  A psalm with something special to teach, like 32 and 78, or
  2.  A psalm that the Psalmist wrote in a very clever way.

Who was Asaph?

There are three different men with the name of Asaph.[Neh. 2:8; 1Chr. 6:39;  Is. 36:3] The Asaph identified with twelve Psalms; 50, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83,  is said to be the son of Berechiah who is said to be the pro-generator of the Asaphites. [1 Chronicles 6:39 ; 2 Chronicles 5:12]

FYI: When ever one runs into something in the Bible that makes little sense at first reading, it is important to look at all the passages that cover the same subject. As the theologians say “the Bible is its own best commentary.” So there is a list of other verses for your comparison at the end of the post of all Leviathans, sea monsters, and dragon passages that come to mind.

The Psalm

Now let us examine our clever psalm. It is a psalm of both typology and symbolism. The Psalmist asks Why?

A Maskil of Asaph.

1 O God, why dost thou cast us off for ever? Why does thy anger smoke against the sheep of thy pasture?  

2 Remember thy congregation, which thou hast gotten of old, which thou hast redeemed to be the tribe of thy heritage! Remember Mount Zion, where thou hast dwelt.  

3 Direct thy steps to the perpetual ruins; the enemy has destroyed everything in the sanctuary!  

The psalmist predicts a time of judgment by God on the sheep of Thy pasture. This is the first indication of symbology, as the people are called sheep. A time is coming when the sanctuary shall be in perpetual ruins. This is both about the (type) Babylonian Captivity of the Jews and the (antitype) Babylonian Corruption of the Church.

Sanctuary Burned

4 Thy foes have roared in the midst of thy holy place; they set up their own signs for signs.  

5 At the upper entrance they hacked the wooden trellis with axes.  

6 And then all its carved wood they broke down with hatchets and hammers.  

7 They set thy sanctuary on fire; to the ground they desecrated the dwelling place of thy name.  

8 They said to themselves, “We will utterly subdue them”; they burned all the meeting places of God in the land.  

9 We do not see our signs; there is no longer any prophet, and there is none among us who knows how long.  

Loudness in the holy place is always a sign that something is amiss. It is one thing for a preacher to be loud enough to be heard at the back of the crowd, it is another for the noice to be riotous and unruly.

The sanctuary is where one meets the Lord with humility and reverence. These fellows revel in their supposed victory over the true believers. They think that they are now the masters the King’s sanctuary.

Signs for signs is hard to get the meaning of. In Hebrew something double stated is a negative. As in Captivity captive, which means to be released. Signs for signs would mean no signs or false signs.

Verses five and six are completely inaccurate in translation. They merely state that the wood of the temple was cut down with axes and burned. There is no entrance or wooden trellis mentioned in the Hebrew. In life the temple had a wooden roof and door.

How Long?

10 How long, O God, is the foe to scoff? Is the enemy to revile thy name for ever?  

11 Why dost thou hold back thy hand, why dost thou keep thy right hand in thy bosom?  

The lament that there is no one who knows how long the captivity would last. This is not because the information was not given but because the people did not heed Jeremiah. Nor does the church seek out the numbers in Daniel and the Revelation, as to how long the corruption of the church is to last. Instead of reading the passages for what they said, they always sought the Second Coming. Turning their eyes from seeing their own judgment.

The great question of both Lamentations and the church of the Dark Ages. How long? The suffering went on and on, even though the Roman church was claiming victory as the true church suffered for over 400 years of the INQUISITION.

Leviathan

The Beast Comes Out of the Sea by Giusto De’ Menabuoi (c. 1320–1391)

12 Yet God my King is from of old, working salvation in the midst of the earth.  

13 Thou didst divide the sea by thy might; thou didst break the heads of the dragons on the waters.  

14 Thou didst crush the heads of Leviathan, thou didst give him as food for the creatures of the wilderness.  

15 Thou didst cleave open springs and brooks; thou didst dry up ever-flowing streams.  

16 Thine is the day, thine also the night; thou hast established the luminaries and the sun.  

17 Thou hast fixed all the bounds of the earth; thou hast made summer and winter.  

Job and the 104th Psalm refer to leviathan as a real sea creature. However here it is multi-headed. This cannot be a real animal. This animal is symbolic just like God calling His people, sheep.

Isaiah called him the twisting serpent of the sea. [Is. 27:1] And later names it Rahab which in Hebrew means to be defiant, arrogant, boisterous or stormy. [Is. 51:9]

However we don’t get a real description of it until Revelation 13, where it is called the beast from the sea. It is described as having ten horns and seven heads and is made up of all the beasts from the sea in Daniel 7. It represents all the imperial powers that have ruled the Western World from the time of Babylon. It gets its authority from Satan [Rev. 13:4]

Now Satan is the ruler of this world, and he has ruled through these imperial powers for 2520 years. [John 12:; 14:30; 16:11; Eph. 6:12]

We know that we are of God, and the whole world is in the power of the evil one. 1John 5:19 

Satan is now out of time. Soon his heads will be crushed, and the imperial powers will blow away like chaff according to Daniel 2, on the day of our deliverance.

Deliverance

18 Remember this, O LORD, how the enemy scoffs, and an impious people reviles thy name.  

19 Do not deliver the soul of thy dove to the wild beasts; do not forget the life of thy poor for ever.  

20 Have regard for thy covenant; for the dark places of the land are full of the habitations of violence.  

21 Let not the downtrodden be put to shame; let the poor and needy praise thy name.  

22 Arise, O God, plead thy cause; remember how the impious scoff at thee all the day!  

23 Do not forget the clamor of thy foes, the uproar of thy adversaries which goes up continually! 

This is our prayer and our hope. Let Leviathan be no more. No king but Jesus/Yeshua.

Verses

Let those curse it who curse the day, who are skilled to rouse up Leviathan. Job 3:8

“Can you draw out Leviathan with a fishhook, or press down his tongue with a cord? Job 41:1 

There go the ships, and Leviathan which thou didst form to sport in it. Psa. 104:26

In that day the LORD with his hard and great and strong sword will punish Leviathan the fleeing serpent, Leviathan the twisting serpent, and he will slay the dragon that is in the sea. Is. 27:1 

 2 Daniel said, “I saw in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of heaven were stirring up the great sea.  3 And four great beasts came up out of the sea, different from one another. Dan 7:2-3

And I saw a beast rising out of the sea, with ten horns and seven heads, with ten diadems upon its horns and a blasphemous name upon its heads.  2 And the beast that I saw was like a leopard, its feet were like a bears, and its mouth was like a lion’s mouth. And to it the dragon gave his power and his throne and great authority.  Rev. 13:1 

And the beast that I saw was like a leopard, its feet were like a bears, and its mouth was like a lion’s mouth. And to it the dragon gave his power and his throne and great authority. Rev. 13:2

The sea or waters

And he said to me, “The waters that you saw, where the harlot is seated, are peoples and multitudes and nations and tongues. Rev. 17:15 

And the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who in its presence had worked the signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped its image. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulphur. Rev. 19:20

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The Veil

The VeilBy this the Holy Spirit indicates that the way into the sanctuary is not yet opened as long as the outer tent is still standing Heb. 9:8

The dispensationalists, with their carnal minded literal interpretation, see only the functional literal curtain that separated the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies. And at the present, they are all excited by the ultra-orthodox Jews in Israel weaving a new curtain.

However, they completely miss the typological meaning that was clearly intended from its very name in Hebrew. The veil, or parokhet in Hebrew, roots from the verb prkh for tearing, pulling apart, or separating. In its very name, there is the knowledge that it existed to be torn!

FYI: Tradition holds that the veil of Herod’s Temple was 60 feet long and 20 or 30 feet wide and the thickness of a man’s hand. (See Also: The Thickness of the Temple Veil)

The Instructions to make the Veil

Although the description here is of a truly magnificent weaving made by people traveling about a desert, the veil typologically represented the fleshly body of our Lord.

31   “And you shall make a veil of blue and purple and scarlet stuff and fine twined linen; in skilled work shall it be made, with cherubim;  32 and you shall hang it upon four pillars of acacia overlaid with gold, with hooks of gold, upon four bases of silver.  33 And you shall hang the veil from the clasps, and bring the ark of the testimony in thither within the veil; and the veil shall separate for you the holy place from the most holy.  34 You shall put the mercy seat upon the ark of the testimony in the most holy place.  35 And you shall set the table outside the veil, and the lampstand on the south side of the tabernacle opposite the table; and you shall put the table on the north side. Ex. 26:31-35

The Construction

35   And he made the veil of blue and purple and scarlet stuff and fine twined linen; with cherubim skillfully worked he made it.  36 And for it he made four pillars of acacia, and overlaid them with gold; their hooks were of gold, and he cast for them four bases of silver.  37 He also made a screen for the door of the tent, of blue and purple and scarlet stuff and fine twined linen, embroidered with needlework;  38 and its five pillars with their hooks. He overlaid their capitals, and their fillets were of gold, but their five bases were of bronze. Ex. 36:35-38

Linen

The veil was made of linen. Those who serve God are always represented as wearing linen. It represents righteous deeds.

7 Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready;  8 it was granted her to be clothed with fine linen, bright and pure” — for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints. Rev. 19:7-8

And the priest who is anointed and consecrated as priest in his father’s place shall make atonement, wearing the holy linen garments; Lev. 16:32

When they enter the gates of the inner court, they shall wear linen garments; they shall have nothing of wool on them, while they minister at the gates of the inner court, and within. Ezek. 44:17

And I said to the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the stream, “How long shall it be till the end of these wonders?” Dan. 12:6

I said to him, “Sir, you know.” And he said to me, “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Rev. 7:14

Blue 

The order of the colors in the Tabernacle, Temple or Veil, by importance never change. There is a hierarchy of the blue, purple, and scarlet; the blue always ranking first. Another way to look at the order is the substitutionary death comes first, the authority to pardon, and then the ransom.

In the Hebrew, the blue that binds the curtains is tekelet. It is the same blue that is in the priests garments, and the binding thread of the tzitzi or tassels, and is used to connect or bind the curtains to the gold clasps, and the golden ephod. It is the blue that holds all the holy things together.

“Speak to the people of Israel, and bid them to make tassels on the corners of their garments throughout their generations, and to put upon the tassel of each corner a cord of blue;” Num. 15:38

FYI: It is the shade of blue that is on the flag of the modern state of Israel.

There is much written as to what the blue represents. Lots of speculation points to the sky and heaven. But, the best explanation I found was a few years ago reading an article by a medical doctor explaining all the things that happen to a body during crucifixion. The actual cause of death is asphyxiation. The lungs fill with fluid and the body has no way of coughing it out. In this way the body dies of asphyxiation always presents as blue. Like the binding blue thread the death of our Lord binds us together.

Purple

In ancient times, purple was one of the hardest and therefore the most expensive dyes to obtain. It came from a sea snails (Bolinus brandaris) that only lived in a few areas of the Mediterranean. The dye was prized for its non-fading properties. The more a garment was exposed to sunlight, the darker the purple became.

FYI: Lydia was a seller of purple goods. [Acts 16:14]

And the soldiers plaited a crown of thorns, and put it on his head, and arrayed him in a purple robe; John 19:2

It is by it very expense, the color favored by royalty; and as such, represents Messiah as King of Kings.

Scarlet

The Hebrew word for scarlet is tola’ah and its’ root comes from the word for worm, tola. It is actually a specific scale insect. In the English language it is the Crimson Worm (Latin, Coccus Ilicus), from which red dye is extracted.

The adult lays its eggs on the branch of tree, as a dying act, covering them with red dye to hide them from predators. The crushed Crimson Worm contains an anti-bacterial agent, and was used in the purification compounds of the Law, where there has been plague (Lev 14:52) and in the ashes of the red heifer (Lev 19:6). So, the literal tola represents the spiritual cleansing blood of Messiah.

. . . how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify your conscience from dead works to serve the living God. Heb. 9:14 

Cherubim

Cherubim are used extensively to decorate the tabernacle and even more so in Solomon’s temple. (See Also: Eagles and Eagles Wings) As a decoration on the veil, they are said to be made of cunning work. The Hebrew is cheshev, which roots from word “to think, devise or plan.” Much thought was to be given to these decorations.

Cherubim are very curious creatures. This is the only time they are mentioned in historical narrative. They are usually in poetry or symbolic literature. They are described as having four heads and six wings. Their heads are made up of a lion, an ox, a vulture, and a man.

The cherubim are described as God’s chariot or holding up God’s Throne. [Gen 3:24; 2Sam. 22:11; Psa. 18:10; Psa. 80:1; Psa. 99:1; Is. 37:16; Ezek 1; Ezek 10; Rev. 4:7 ff]

FYI: Cherubim is the plural of cherub.

As a decoration, they were to represent the body of the coming Redeemer. A shadow of the coming Redeemer who by type was not just a man, but Deity. For He too, is symbolically held up by the cherubim.

The Veil, or His Flesh, Conceals His Glory

In the Greek, we are told that his dwelling with us was as temporary as the tent, or tabernacle.

And the Word became flesh and dwelt (tabernacled) among us, full of grace and truth; we have beheld his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father. John 1:14

This glory was the same as seen of old by Moses.

34 Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. 35 And Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting, because the cloud abode upon it, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. Ex. 40:34-35

The glory was hid from view by the veil. Just as our Lord’s true nature was hid in a fleshly body. He veiled that glory, taking the form of a man.

6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped,  7 but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.  8 And being found in human form he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross. Phil. 2:6-8

But we see Jesus, who for a little while was made lower than the angels, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for every one. Heb. 2:9

After the crucifixion, His friends were rushing to get Messiah’s body into the tomb. The veil having fulfilled its purpose, was torn. Because of the death of Messiah, all can now approach the real, or antitypical, Throne of God.

And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom; and the earth shook, and the rocks were split; Matt. 27:51 

And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. Mark 15:38

. . . while the sun’s light failed; and the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Luke 23:45

The old Mosaic Age was passing away as the New Kingdom age was growing out of it. (See Also: Dispensations)

. . . by the new and living way which he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, Heb. 10:20

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Types in the Tabernacle/Temple

temple2The Mishkan or Tabernacle also called the Tent of Meeting or Ohel Mo’ad was full of types of Messiah, His life and His work. The Dispensationalist  with their literal carnal minded interpretation lose the greater typological meaning by their insistence in a literal method of interpretation and clearly lose the intended typology. They are actually idolaters exalting Israel and its temple, priesthood, and sacrifices, while missing the mystical spiritual meaning of Messiah.

. . . because we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen; for the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. 2Cor. 4:18 

Seeking the Literal

The Dispensationalist see in Amos 9 a future rebuilt literal temple, while missing that James at the Jerusalem council, Acts 15 clearly states that the prophecy is fulfilled in the body of the Congregation. (See Also: The Third Temple)

They search for the Ark of the Covenant even though Jeremiah says it is gone forever and not to be remembered.

And when you have multiplied and increased in the land, in those days, says the LORD, they shall no more say, “The ark of the covenant of the LORD.” It shall not come to mind, or be remembered, or missed; it shall not be made again.  Jer. 3:16

The Dispensationalist get all excited become some group of Jews have built the lampstand. Forgetting that Messiah is the Light of the World. There is no need for anyone to walk in darkness.

Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world; he who follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12

FYI: The Greek word translated as world here is actually cosmos.

They seek the a red heifer to make ashes of, so the Jews can be cleansed. However all are made clean by the Word of Messiah.

You are already made clean by the word which I have spoken to you. John 15:3

False Foundation

Their dispensations have no foundation in the Bible, but are fabricated from their own imaginations, dependent on the belief that God is not immutable. (See Also: Dispensations and Immutable)

While claiming to be free of the Law themselves (because they live in a dispensation they have named Grace) they seek to impose the laws of sacrifice on a vague future. Somehow they have lost their way in their literal interpretation.

Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law. Rom. 3:31

They have missed that the ceremonial law is fulfilled but has not passed away, the temple is destroyed, and the moral law stands forever.

For truly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the law until all is accomplished. Matt. 5:18

Missing the Mark

What did the Law represent? It represented what was to be accomplished? The redemption of mankind. Which happened at the Cross. Of which the Temple was only a shadow.

While the Messianics study the Temple and its services are accused of being “under the Law” those that never study it, are ready to impose the  Law’s sacrificial system on others. Thereby missing the point.

. . . he entered once for all into the Holy Place, taking not the blood of goats and calves but his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption. Heb. 9:12

Messianics study the shadow to learn more about the spiritual, not to practice it. (See Also: Why We Keep the Feasts)

FYI: Dispensationalism with its Futurist interpretation of prophecy has infiltrated the Messianic Movement with this “literal” blunder. (See Also: Futurism and what it does to Faith)

Off the Track

All this dispensational nonsense started because they had to come up with some semi logical way of explaining their belief in a Rapture, as the Rapture has no Theological foundation. The Rapture’s true foundation is the ecstatic utterances of Margaret MacDonald and followers of John Darby and Edward Irving in the first half of the 1800s.

FYI: The oldest rule of hermeneutics is so old it is in Latin, “Quod non set Biblicum, non est Theologicum” translation, “If is ain’t in the Bible, it ain’t Theology.”

In their attempt to make sense of nonsense, the Dispensationalists make the make God too small. He is literally not omnipresent. They teach, that God lives in heaven, followed by a teaching that we will also live in heaven when we die, when the Bible says nothing of the kind. The creator God cannot be contain in any place whether it is called heaven or not, He fills all of creation. (See Also: Omnipresent and What Happens when We Die)

If you find that you have been taught by these Dispensationalist, and have no idea what is true and what is error. Please read our post on Hermeneutics, it is a short concise look at how prophecy is interpreted by protestants in general.

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David’s Victory a Type of Messiah’s Victory

headNow then bring it about; for the LORD has promised David, saying, ‘By the hand of my servant David I will save my people Israel from the hand of the Philistines, and from the hand of all their enemies.’” 2Sam. 3:18

The Philistines stand in typology as the enemies of David and the Israelites representing the antitype of the spirit enemies of Messiah and the Congregation.

For we are not contending against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Eph. 6:12  (c.f. Rom. 8:38; Eph. 3:10; Col. 1:16; Col. 2:15)

And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. Rev. 12:10

Messiah’s authority to win this battle is a given.

Behold, I have given you authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy; and nothing shall hurt you. Luke 10:19

. . . then the God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Rom. 16:20

. . . to the praise of his glorious grace which he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. Eph. 1:6

7  In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace 8 which he lavished upon us. Eph. 1:7

But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1Cor. 15:57

Although Satan was defeated at the cross, he still afflicts God’s people, just as David defeated the Philistines, yet they continued from time to time to afflict God’s people. It was not until Hezekiah that the Philistines were finally defeated. (See Also: Philistia Who?)

He smote the Philistines as far as Gaza and its territory, from watchtower to fortified city. 2Kings 18:8

So Satan will not be defeated till he is thrown into the lake of fire.

. . . and the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulphur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night for ever and ever. Rev. 20:10

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Anti christ is the 12th Imam?

wolf in sheep's clothing 2or so some Futurists Interpreters of the Bible have now begun to teach, (for they have an ever changing rule of interpretation that lets them imagine what ever they feel like is the meaning of the text.)

The 12th Imam

Muhammad ibn Hasan al-Mahdī was to the Twelver Shī‘a Muslims, a Mahdi or “guided one” born 869 and disappeared in 941. The twelfth Mahdi is supposed to be ultimate savior and is prophesied to emerge with Isa (Jesus) to bring world peace.

Sunni Islam and other minority Shias believe that the Mahdi has not yet been born.

A New False Teaching in the Church

There is a problem with this as with all other Futurists speculation, it ignores what the Bible actually says about the antichrist.

Children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come; therefore we know that it is the last hour. 1John 2:18 

For a full look at all the verses in the Bible about antichrist click here.

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The Lord’s Day

I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet Rev. 1:10 

right_handThe first commentary I ever read on The Revelation, went to great lengths to explain that, “The Lord’s Day” was Sunday the first day of the week. The second commentary I read went to equally great lengths to explain that it was the seventh day of the week or the Sabbath.

After many years of study it has occurred to me that these attitudes are born on both sides of anti-Jewish sentiment, and general ignorance of the Torah. For the rather obvious truth is that it is Yom Kippur/The Day of Atonement, which can fall on any day of the week. The reasons for this are plain as day.

First, the Lord presents Himself as the Ancient of Days with the right and power to judge. [Dan. 7:9; Rev. 1:14]

Second, the seven church’s for whom the letter was intended are warned of their short comings. [Rev 2-3]

Third, There are 24 elders all dressed as High Priests on Yom Kippur. They are wearing white and have golden crown and golden censors. [Lev. 8:9; Lev. 16:4, 12 Rev. 4:4; Rev. 5:8]

The rest of the book is about God’s judgements, on those who are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life and those who is not. [Deut. 29:20; Dan. 12:1; Rev. 20:15; 21:27]

The entire book is one great call to get right with God for today is the day of salvation, today is Yom Kippur/the Day or Atonement. Its point is, that it is always Yom Kippur before the throne. The final sacrifice has been made. The way to the throne is open to all on this day, and it is always this day before the throne.

However at the end of the day, the offer of Salvation will be withdrawn, the gates will be closed, and there will be those left outside. [Rev. 22:15]

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Psalm 22:26-28

second-coming226 The afflicted shall eat and be satisfied; 

those who seek him shall praise the LORD! May your hearts live for ever! 

27 All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the LORD; 

and all the families of the nations shall worship before him. 

28 For dominion belongs to the LORD, 

and he rules over the nations. 

What a marvelous promise for those of faith. We forget in this land of abundance that for most of the world’s history, people have struggled to get enough to eat. Our Lord promises satisfaction for those that seek Him. There are those who make these blessing passages about physical wealth and health in the here and now. However in the here and now, it is meant as spiritual sustenance.

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. Matt. 5:6

The satisfaction is for the heart not the body. As we study and become closer to understand God’s plans and purposes, there is a satisfaction and peace that is hard to put in human words.

There will come a time when all will be brought into submission, and righteousness will be enforced with a rod of iron. Then everyone on the earth will remember. In order to remember something if must first be something that was forgotten or at least not brought to mind. The whole world has forgotten their creator. As a whole we have forgotten our willful sin of disobedience and the consequences of being out of fellowship or right relationship with our Creator. Because we do not remember our fall we forgot what it would take to make the relationship right.

I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.” Gen. 3:15

There is usually a small twisted memory of this in almost all peoples and cultures.  But it is so twisted that the truth was lost. But a time will come when they will remember that the Lord God who made heaven and earth would need to come and suffered for us. It is He and He alone who would restore the relationship between men and their God, as the beginning of this Psalm explained. He had to come and suffer, that was the only way.

All the nations belong to the Lord, even the ones that don’t know it. It is time to remember the forgotten truths of old.

. . . but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall die.” Gen. 2:17

We ate a piece of fruit, or perhaps the fruits is the only way we can understand what our infinite forbearers did, since we are now finite. The essence of the tail is that they were told not to do something and they then did that forbidden thing, bringing death to everything and everyone, somehow their actions caused the second law of thermodynamics to come into play. (The Second Law of Thermodynamics, where everything runs down, waist aways, or ceases to be).

We know that the whole creation has been groaning in travail together until now; Rom. 8:22

We sit here groaning for things we do not completely remember. But dominion belongs to the Lord, and what was will be again. For our souls know redemption, but our bodies still wait for the fulness of the promise.

18   I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.  19 For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God;  20 for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will but by the will of him who subjected it in hope;  21 because the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and obtain the glorious liberty of the children of God.  22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning in travail together until now;  23 and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.  24 For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees?  25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. Rom. 8:18+25

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Psalm 22:24-25

second-coming224 For he has not despised or abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; 

and he has not hid his face from him, but has heard, 

when he cried to him. 

25 From thee comes my praise in the great congregation; 

my vows I will pay before those who fear him. 

When the afflicted cry to Him, He heres their cry. We forget this because in general we no longer experience great affliction. True, loved ones die, jobs are lost, houses go into default, however we no longer face the fire, dungeons, and swords that the father’s of our faith were often exposed to. Our poverty is spiritual and not economic. Our afflictions are self inflicted.

For we do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, of the affliction we experienced in Asia; for we were so utterly, unbearably crushed that we despaired of life itself. 2Cor. 1:8 

For this slight momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, 2Cor. 4:17

. . . for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of liberality on their part. 2Cor. 8:2

. . . sometimes being publicly exposed to abuse and affliction, and sometimes being partners with those so treated. Heb. 10:33

We to are told to follow our Lord’s example and care for the afflicted. We can only meet physical needs He can meet spiritual , emotional and physical needs.

Religion that is pure and undefiled before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world. James 1:27 

From thee comes my praise, Our praises come from him because we are responding to His great work of removing our afflictions. This praise is to be made in the great congregation. In the New Testament the congregation or ekklesia was translated into church erroneously. We are not a building or a place, we are a congregation, free to move about and make disciples where ever we go. (See Also: Ekklesia)

Vows must be payed. We often forget that a true vow is made publicly before witnesses and paper work is signed. The only such vow many of us ever make is a marriage vow. Although there are preachers out there that encourage people to do such foolish things as make a vow to read the Bible everyday, unless there is signed papers with witnesses it is not considered a vow.

FYI: The only vow in the Bible that does not have such witnesses is the Vadar covenant in. [Gen 15 c.f. Jer. 34:18-19; Song 2:17] The blood of the animals was the witness. (See Also: The Vadar Covenant)

Those who fear him. Many today have lost their fear of God. The Spiritual Leaders  of the post modern church have made God into some kind of buddy or myth. There is no fear so there is no wisdom.

Teach me thy way, O LORD, that I may walk in thy truth; unite my heart to fear thy name. Psa. 86:11 

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; a good understanding have all those who practice it. His praise endures for ever! Psa. 111:10