Mystery
of
The Woman
By Arlen L. Chitwood
{ON BACK OF BOOK
}
This book MYSTERY OF THE
WOMAN, identifies and deals with the harlot in Rev. 17: 1 - 19: 6 solely from
the standpoint of that which Scripture has to say about this woman - both from
the text and from related Scripture in both Testaments. This woman can be quite
easily identified from that stated in the text itself. The text though, allowing it to be properly
understood, is dependent on related Scripture - passages in earlier parts of
the Book of Revelation and other parts of Scripture. That is to say, the things identifying the
woman in the text would be meaningless apart from connecting Scriptures from
passages earlier in the book and related Old and New Testament Scriptures upon
which the different statements are based.
In the preceding respect there is the inseparability related matter of the
woman seen as “a mystery.” This is dealt with extensively in the Foreword and parts of
Chapter I in this book. Suffice it to
say, the fact that the woman is seen as “a mystery”
necessitates commentary from corresponding Scripture if one is to arrive at a
proper identification and understanding of this harlot woman - comparing
Scripture with Scripture, particularly going back to the Old Testament
Scriptures. As previously stated, the
woman in Rev. 17: 1 - 19: 6 can easily be identified; and this can be done
apart from any question whatsoever, through several
different means various places in the passage.
-------
{Page II}
“And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel?
I will tell thee the mystery of the woman…” (Rev. 17: 7a).
{Page IV}
By the Same Author -
HAD YE BELIEVED MOSES
COMING IN HIS KINGDOM
WE ARE ALMOST THERE
THE MOST HIGH RULETH
FROM ACTS TO THE EPISTLES
IN THE LORD’S DAY
FROM
LET US GO ON
REDEEMED FOR A PURPOSE
JUDGMENT SEAT OF CHRIST
PROPHECY ON
MYSTERIES OF THE KINGDOM
THE BRIDE IN GENESIS
SEARCH FOR THE BRIDE
SEVEN, TEN GENERATIONS
THE TIME OF JACOB’S TROUBLE
THE TIME OF THE END
DISTANT HOOFBEATS
MIDDLE EAST PEACE - HOW? WHEN?
SALVATION BY GRACE THROUGH FAITH
SALVATION OF THE SOUL
SO GREAT SALVATION
THE SPIRITUAL WARFARE
BROUGHT FORTH FROM ABOVE
THE STUDY OF SCRIPTURE
SIGNS IN JOHN’S GOSPEL
MOSES AND JOHN
RUN TO WIN
GOD’S FIRSTBORN SONS
BY FAITH
JUDE
RUTH
ESTHER
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{Page v}
CONTENTS
FOREWORD {Page v}
I. MYSTERY,
THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH
II. THAT
POSSESSING REGAL AUTHORITY OVER THE KINGS OF THE EARTH
III. THAT MIGHTY CITY, BURNING [Page 37]
THROWN DOWN, FOUND NO MORE AT ALL
IV. BURNED IN FIRE, GROUND TO
POWDER [Page 59]
SCATTERED IN THE WATERS, THE PEOPLE MADE TO DRINK
V. AN ANGEL STANDING IN THE SUN [Page 83]
ANNOUNCING THE GREAT SUPPER OF GOD
-------
APPENDIXES, I, II, III, IV [Pages 99-122]
I. THE WOMAN IN REVELATION [Page 99]
III. O SLEEPER, ARISE, CALL [Page 111]
IV. WITH A ROD OF IRON
[Page 117]
SCRIPTURE INDEX [Pages 123-126]*
[* Not included]
-------
{Page VII}
FOREWORD
This
book has to do with the Harlot Woman seen in the midst of the kingdom of the Beast (Rev. 17: 1 - 19: 6) during that future time covered by Daniel’s
unfulfilled Seventieth Week, “the time of Jacob’s trouble” (Jer.
30: 7; Dan. 9: 24-27).
The key to properly understanding all the various things
revealed about the woman in Rev. 17: 1 - 19: 6 could be
succinctly stated in a very simple, two-part manner; and, as well, this is the
necessary two-fold key to properly understanding any passage of Scripture:
1) Find out,
pay attention to, exactly what the passage states.
2) Then, let
Scripture interpret the passage for you, referencing both the immediate
context and related Scripture elsewhere.
First Part
On the first part of the preceding, the text singles out one thing about the woman
which MUST be understood. If this
one thing is understood, the remainder of that stated about the woman will more
naturally fall into place. However, if
this one thing is not understood, an individual will likely find
himself/herself lost in a sea of misinterpretation in which so many seem to
find themselves today when it comes to this section of Scripture.
And this one thing which MUST be understood at the outset is the
word “mystery.”
The woman is referred to twice through the use of this word, both times
in the introductory part of chapter seventeen:
“And upon her forehead was a name
written, MYSTERY, BABYLON
THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH...
And the angel said unto me, Wherefore
didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that
carried her, which hath the seven heads and ten
horns” (vv. 5, 7).
{Page VIII}
The word “mystery”
is used in connection with the woman, not as a part of her name or title, but
to associate the woman with that dealt with through the meaning of and the way
this word is used in the New Testament.
The word “mystery”
is used twenty-seven times in the New Testament.
It is used one time in each of the three synoptic gospels, for
the same event - the mysteries of the kingdom (Matt. 13: 11; Mark 4: 11; Luke 8: 10).
It is used twenty times in the Pauline epistles.
Paul used the word numerous times to reference the gospel which he had been called to
proclaim throughout the Gentile world (Rom.
16: 25; Eph. 3: 3, 4, 9; 6: 19; Col. 1: 26, 27).
He used the word to reference
And, among several other usages, Paul used the word to
reference the coming resurrection of Christians and the corresponding removal of
the living at the end of the present dispensation (1 Cor.
15: 51ff).
The word is not used in Hebrews or the general epistles, but
it is used four times in the Book of Revelation. It is used of the seven stars (1: 20), of God (10: 7), and of the Woman and the Beast (17:
5, 7).
The word “mystery”
is an Anglicized form of the Greek word musterion. The word has
to do with something hidden, a secret. It has to do with something beyond human comprehension, something which cannot be explained by
human endeavours, human ingenuity.
In the light of the exact meaning of this word, note R. C. H. Lenski’s comments in his New Testament Greek word studies
on the use of musterion in Matt. 13: 11:
“These are ‘mysteries’ [the mysteries of
the kingdom] because men by nature and by their own abilities are unable to
discover and to know them. It must ‘be given’ to a man ‘to know’ them. This divine giving is done by means of
revelation...”
In this respect, remaining within the first part of the
two-fold key {Page IX} to proper Scriptural interpretation - first, finding
out exactly what the text
states - understand that
the word “mystery” is used of the woman. Then, understanding the meaning of this word
and how it is used in the New Testament, one can proceed from that point and
know that matters concerning things dealt with through the use of this word cannot be explained through human
comprehension. Divine intervention must
be involved.
God must make things pertaining to a mystery known to an
individual; and God makes things known today through one means alone - through His Word.
Thus, understanding what is involved in the use of the word “mystery” and that this word is used to
reference the woman, one can know that the only possible way to identify the
woman is through Divine revelation, i.e., through the Word of God, through
comparing Scripture with Scripture.
Second Part
And, this is where the second part of the two-fold key to
proper Scriptural interpretation comes into the picture. After an individual has found out exactly what
the text has to say, then the only proper way to proceed is to compare
Scripture with Scripture, both in the light of that stated in the immediate
context and related Scripture elsewhere.
Allow Scripture to interpret the passage for you.
Allow Scripture to deal with that designated as “a mystery” for you.
And, doing it this way, you won’t go wrong, for you will have a base upon which to
work; doing
it any other way, you probably will go wrong, for you will have no base upon which to work.
“A mystery” in the New Testament relies wholly upon other Scripture to
explain the mystery. And the “other Scripture” necessary to help explain the
mystery could be other New Testament Scripture, though, of necessity, it would have to extend into Old
Testament Scripture as well.
There is nothing in the New
Testament that is not seen after some fashion in the Old Testament,
necessitating that anything dealt with through the use of the word “mystery” in the New Testament have an Old
Testament connection.
{Page X}
To illustrate the preceding, note the mystery of
And Old Testament revelation pertaining to the mystery of the
woman in Rev. 17:
1 - 19: 6, as well, is seen numerous places throughout
Moses, the Psalms, and the Prophets.
Then, different Old Testament passages could be referenced
relative to the manner in which the word “mystery” is used other places in the New Testament.
And that is what this book is about. It is about interpreting and understanding the mystery of the woman through the only means possible to understand “a mystery,” or anything else in Scripture - through Divine revelation, through comparing Scripture with Scripture.
* *
*
[Page 1]
CHAPTER I
Mystery,
THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH
And there came
one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the
great whore that sitteth upon many waters:
With whom the
kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with
the wine of her fornication.
So he carried
me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of
blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.
And the woman
was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden
cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication:
And upon her
forehead was a name written, MYSTERY,
The Book
of Revelation is where many expositors and Bible students commit mayhem in
Biblical interpretation, and that is especially true beginning with chapter
seventeen and continuing through the first six verses of chapter nineteen.
These are chapters where interpretation, for the most part,
has remained unchanged over the years, with expositors seemingly being unable
to break away from an erroneous view which has been held by individuals in one
form or another for at least the lost five hundred years, since the time of the
Reformation.
[Page 2]
Among those expositors viewing the book in some semblance of
the correct manner - referred to as “futurist,”
understanding events in the book, particularly in chs. 6-19, as future and having to do with events during and immediately following
Daniel’s unfulfilled seventieth week - almost all, when
coming to chapter seventeen, seem to forget what the book is about and begin dealing with material completely
foreign to the subject matter of the book.
And this foreign subject matter, more often than not, is the Church of Rome (or this
Church as the centre into which numerous false religions will be drawn in that
future day). Individuals seek to
understand and present “the harlot” in these chapters in this manner.
Then, if the preceding manner of mishandling Rev. 17: lff wasn’t enough in and
of itself - i.e., attempting to see
God dealing with the Roman Catholic Church during “the time of “Jacob’s trouble” (Jer. 30:
7), the seven-year Tribulation - there is
still more.
The “harlot”
in Rev. 17:
1 - 19: 6 is clearly identified in these chapters in several unmistakable ways (as other
than the Roman Catholic Church), in complete keeping with the subject matter being dealt with in this
section of the book (chs.
6-19).
Christians will be removed [i.e., those who are “accounted
worthy to escape” (Lk.
21: 36, A.V..)
cf. Rev. 3: 10] from
the earth, and dealt with at the end of the present dispensation, prior to “the time of Jacob’s trouble” (chs.
1-3). And it is completely outside the scope of anything taught in Scripture to attempt to
see God dealing with anyone or any group of individuals associated with
Christianity (either true Christianity or a so-called false Church) during the
Tribulation.
Misguided interpretation of the book of the preceding nature
(which is not really interpretation at all) results in two things:
1) People are misled, causing them to believe that which is “not according to this Word” (Isa. 8: 20).
2) Proclaimed error at any point in Scripture invariably
closes the door to a correct understanding of the passage being dealt with,
which, many times will close the door to correctly understanding related
passages of Scripture as well.
Thus, mishandling Scripture after this fashion is a serious matter. The end result can and often does have far-reaching
ramifications, moving far beyond one passage dealt with in an erroneous manner.
[Page 3]
Again, beginning with Rev. 6: 1, this book
is dealing with “the time of Jacob’s trouble,” not the time of the [disobedient
and unrepentant members (Rev. 2: 20-22) of the apostate] Church’s trouble (either the true
Church or a so-called false Church).
God, at this time, will have completed His dealings with the
Church during Man’s Day. And beginning
with Revelation chapter six, God is seen turning back to Israel and completing
His dealings with the Jewish people during the last seven years of Man’s Day,
fulfilling events which will occur during the final week of Daniel’s
Seventy-Week prophecy (along with the nations to be dealt with through Israel
at this time, with the Messianic Era to follow).
Subject and Structure of the Book
Note the subject matter of the Book of Revelation and how the book has been structured,
given in the opening verse of the book.
“The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave
unto him, to shew unto his servants things which
must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified
it by his angel unto his
servant John.”
Then, with these things in view, the time element - “the time of Jacob’s trouble,” beginning in chapter six - can be
dealt with and understood within its proper context and the manner in which the
material has been put together in this book.
The first five chapters of the book deal with events which
will occur immediately preceding “the time of Jacob’s trouble” - the Church removed and dealt with
at Christ’s judgment seat (chs.
1-3), the twenty-four elders cast their
crowns before God’s throne (ch.
4), and the search for One worthy to break
the seals of the seven-sealed scroll (ch. 5).
And, beginning with chapter six and continuing through the
first six verses of chapter nineteen, events are dealt with which will occur
during or immediately beyond “the time of Jacob’s trouble,” a time when the
seven seals of the scroll are broken - a period dealt with time after time throughout Moses, the Psalms, and the Prophets.
1) Subject
The word “Revelation” in the opening verse of this book is a [Page 4] translation of
the Greek word apokalupsis, which
means to “disclose,” “reveal,”
“uncover.”
And this word, along with its verb form (apokalupto), are together used forty-five times in
the New Testament in passages such as Rom. 16: 25; 1 Cor. 2: 10; Gal. 1: 12; Eph. 3: 3, 5; 1 Peter 1: 7, 13; 4: 13.
The Book of Revelation, the Apokalupsis, the “Apocalypse,” is about a disclosure, an uncovering, an unveiling of that which
the Father had previously given to and would accomplish through His Son (cf.
John 3: 34,
35; 5: 20-22; 7: 16; 8: 28). And that which the Father had previously
given to and would accomplish through His Son is seen in both Old and New
Testament Scripture as “all things” (cf. Gen. 24: 36; 25: 5; John 16: 15; Col. 1: 16-18; Heb. 1: 2-13).
Then, more directly, in the words of the book itself, that
being made known pertains to a revelation of the Son Himself. This book is an opening up of that which relates all that the Father has given to and
would accomplish through His Son, revealed through a revelation of the Son
Himself.
And the revelation of the Son, according to this opening
verse, is going to be accomplished through a specific, revealed means - through
revealing “things
which must shortly [Gk., tachos, ‘quickly,’ ‘speedily’] come to pass.”
That is to say, once this revelation of the Son begins through an
unfolding of future events, the revelation will occur in a quick or speedy
fashion - actually over time covering little more than seven years.
(On the translation of tachos in the opening verse as “quickly” or “speedily,”
refer to a cognate word, fachu, used seven times in this book,
translated “quickly” each time [2: 5, 16; 3: 11; 11: 14; 22: 7, 12, 20])
According to John 1: 1, 14, the
incarnation was simply the Word (the Old Testament Scriptures) becoming
flesh. There is the written Word (which is living
[Heb. 4: 12]), and there is the living Word (which is the written Word,
inseparably connected with the Father, made flesh).
The Book of Revelation is thus an opening up of the Old
Testament Scriptures through a Person,
through the Word which became flesh. And any thought of an opening up of the Old Testament
Scriptures extending to and including an opening up [Page 5] of the New Testament Scriptures as well could only be completely out of place, for there is
nothing in the New that cannot be found, after some fashion, in the Old. If there were, there could not be the necessary corresponding
completeness between the written Word and the living Word at a time
before the New Testament even began to be penned.
The New Testament, at any point, of
necessity, can only have to do with revelation
which can be seen as having an Old Testament base. Revelation in the New Testament must bear the same
inseparable connection with the Word made flesh as revelation in the Old
Testament bears.
Thus, the existence of the Word made flesh preceding the existence of
the New Testament clearly relates the truth of the matter concerning the
content of the New Testament. The New
can only be an opening up and
revealing of that previously seen in the Old. To state or think otherwise is to connect the Word made flesh
with one Testament and disconnect Him from the other - an impossibility.
In short, the Old Testament is complete in and of itself;
the Word made flesh incorporates this same completeness, and the New
Testament adds nothing per se to this completeness.
Any supposed subsequent addition would be impossible, for this would be adding to that which God
had already deemed complete through the incarnation, the Word made flesh.
The preceding is why Christ, shortly after His resurrection,
began at “Moses
and all the prophets” (an
expression covering the whole of the O.T.) when He appeared to and began making Himself known to two disciples travelling from
Through this means, those being addressed would be able to see
one (the word picture) alongside the other (the Word made flesh). And, comparing the two, they would be able to
come into an understanding of not only the identity of the One in their midst but an understanding of that which had occurred in
[Page 6]
This is the manner in which God has
put matters together in His Word, making Himself, His plans, and His purposes
known to man. And this is why the Son -
God manifest in the flesh, the Word made flesh - undertook matters after
exactly the same fashion when making Himself, His plans, and His purposes known
to two disciples walking from
Then, the same thing is seen when He appeared to ten of the
eleven remaining disciples (with Thomas absent) in
And this is the manner in which the Book of Revelation must be studied. Since it is an unveiling of the living Word,
it is equally an unveiling of the inseparable Old Testament Scriptures, which,
throughout, have to do with both of God’s firstborn Sons - Christ and Israel (Ex. 4: 22, 23; Heb. 1: 6), with one Son seen inseparable from the other
Son (cf.
Ex. 12: 1ff [John 4: 22; Acts 4: 12]; Jonah 1: 17 [Matt. 12: 39, 40]; Hosea 11: 1 [Matt. 2:15]).
Then, another person is seen throughout the Old Testament as
well - the Beast, introduced in Gen. 3: 15 and dealt with throughout Moses, the Psalms,
and the Prophets. And he, accordingly,
is seen and dealt with extensively in Revelation chapters six through twenty.
Thus, understanding the Book of Revelation after the preceding
fashion is the only way a person
can come into a proper and correct understanding of the various things opened
up and revealed in this book, which, of course, would be equally true of any
other portion of Scripture.
2) Structure
The word “signified” in the opening verse of this book is a translation of the Greek word semaino, which is the
verb form of the word for “sign” (semeion). The Apostle John introduced, opened up,
and developed matters in his gospel account through signs.
And in the
Book of Revelation, matters are introduced, opened up, and developed in a similar manner.
God, throughout His revelation to man, shows an affinity for
the use of types, numbers, signs, and metaphors to make Himself, His plans, and His
purposes known. And this must be
recognized, else man will find himself failing to go beyond the simple letter
of Scripture (cf. 2 Cor.
3: 6 - 4: 6).
[Page 7]
Man, for example, will find himself understanding Biblical history but failing to
understand the God-designed typical significance of that history. Or if numbers, signs, or metaphors are used - which they often are - he will fail to
understand the God-designed significance of these as well.
At the very outset, God makes it clear that the Book of
Revelation has been structured in a particular manner, closely related to the manner in which John was led by the [Holy] Spirit to structure his gospel.
The Gospel of John was built around eight signs which Jesus
had previously performed during His earthly ministry, and these signs were
recorded and directed to the Jewish people during the time of the re-offer of
the kingdom to
And the Book of Revelation - dealing largely with the Jewish
people once again (exclusively, along with God’s dealings with the nations through
Israel, in chs. 6-19, covering time and events during and
immediately following Daniel’s Seventieth Week) - uses the verb form of the
word for “sign” at the very outset in order to
reveal the manner in which this book has been structured.
To understand how the word semaino, translated “signified,” is used introducing the Book of Revelation, note how John
uses this same word three times in his gospel, in John
12: 33; 18:
32; 21: 19. The context leading into each verse
provides an illustrative
statement which allows that stated in the verse to be understood.
Note the first of these three usages, within context:
“And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw
all men unto me. This he said, signifying
[from semaino] what death he should die” (vv.
32, 33).
Aside from Rev. 1: 1 and the
three verses in John’s gospel, the only other usages of the word semaino in the New
Testament are in Acts 11: 28; 25: 27. And
the same thought is set forth through the use of the word in these two
passages, though the illustrative statement is inferred in the first usage.
Thus, “signified,” a translation of semaino, has
to do with making something known through a manner which carries the [Page 8] reader from a somewhat
indirect means to a direct means, using an illustrative statement as a means of explaining a matter. And this is seen accomplished in the Book of Revelation
centrally through the use of numerous numbers and metaphors, though other illustrative means are used as well.
In the preceding respect, all illustrative means of this
nature in the book are, they would have to be, in line with the meaning of the word semaino and the manner in
which this word is used elsewhere in the New Testament.
“Mystery,
Note that the identification of the “harlot” in Rev. 17: 1ff with “
1) A Mystery
The word, “mystery,”
is not part of the harlot’s name - such as mystical, etc. Rather, the
word, “mystery,” states something about the harlot,
aiding in the identification of the harlot.
And this would be equally true of the Beast as well.
“A mystery” in the New
Testament does not have to do with something completely new, something not
dealt with at all or unknown in the Old Testament (a common misconception which
is often taught concerning the meaning of the word). This, of course, couldn’t be true, for, as
previously seen, there is nothing in the New that cannot be found after some
form in the Old.
Rather, “a mystery” in the New Testament has to do with an opening up and an unveiling of something previously
introduced and dealt within the Old Testament. “A mystery” has to do with additional
revelation, commentary, on that already seen
in the Old Testament, allowing the Old Testament revelation to be fully opened
up and revealed (e.g., note
that a full revelation of the Son in the Book of Revelation allows the “mystery of God” [Rev. 10: 7] to be correspondingly fully opened up as well,
for Christ is God manifested in the flesh).
[Page 9]
And the preceding is exactly what is in view through referring
to “the woman” and “the beast” by the use of the word mystery.
There is an
opening up, an unveiling of that previously revealed concerning the woman and
the Beast, which, of course, would necessitate prior revelation on the subject.
This alone would tell a person that foundational material for both can, and must, be found in the Old Testament, for,
again, there is nothing in the New that does not have its roots someplace in
the Old.
And, as previously seen, a relationship of this nature between
the two Testaments can be seen in the opening verse of the last book of
Scripture, the Book of Revelation, stating at the outset the nature of the
book’s contents.
The entirety of the Old Testament is about the person and work of Jesus Christ (Luke 24: 25-27; John 5: 39-47). And the
New Testament, continuing from the Old - with “the Word” (the Old Testament Scriptures) becoming “flesh” (John 1: 1, 2, 14) - must
be viewed in exactly the same
light.
The New is an opening up and unveiling of the Old; and the
Book of Revelation, forming the capstone to all previous revelation (both the
Old and New Testaments), completes the unveiling.
The Book of
Revelation, by its own introductory statement - an introductory statement
peculiar to this book alone - forms the one book in Scripture which brings all previous revelation to its proper
climax.
2)
Thus, “the harlot” being inseparably identified with Babylon is not
something which suddenly appears in chapter seventeen, apart from prior
revelation - revelation which would allow one to know who is being referenced and why an
identification of this nature is being used.
The word “mystery”
alone would tell a person that prior revelation exists, allowing the referenced identification to be easily understood.
Most of the prior revelation is in the Old Testament, but some
can be found in the immediately preceding chapters of the Book of
Revelation. And, even without these
immediately preceding chapters - knowing
that these are central entities dealt with during “the time of Jacob’s trouble” - plain common sense would seemingly
tell any individual with a good grasp of the Old [Page 10] Testament Scriptures what and who is being dealt with, for that seen throughout Rev. 17: 1 - 19: 6 is a major subject of Old Testament Scripture.
Metaphors and other forms of figurative language are used
extensively in these chapters, not only relative to “the harlot” and “the beast,” but numerous other places as well (e.g., the descriptive destruction of the harlot, “with fire,” the harlot referred to as “that great
city, Babylon,” or the “great riches” enjoyed by the nations at the
harlot’s expense). And the use of
metaphors or other forms of figurative language is seen throughout the book, in
line with “signified [semaino]” in the opening verse of the book.
And, with the preceding in mind, relative to the inseparable
association of the harlot with
In the first verse (11:
8), where the first of nine references in
the book to “the [or, ‘that’]
great city” is found, this city is associated
with both
“And their dead bodies [the two witnesses] shall lie in the street of the great city, which
spiritually is called
In the second verse (14:
8), where the second reference to “that great city” is found in the book, the
destruction of the harlot is seen (detailed more fully in chs. 17-19a); and the harlot, previously associated with
“And there followed another angel,
saying,
(The inclusion of “that great city”
in this verse is often questioned on the basis of manuscript evidence. But the question, in reality is mute. Note Rev. 16: 19; 18: 10, 21, where no manuscript variance exists, with “
In the third verse (16:
19), where the third reference to “the great city” is found in the book, the end of the harlot is seen
again. But in this verse, additional
explanatory material is given. “The great
city ...
“And the great city was divided into
three parts, and the cities of the nations fell:
and great
(The identification of “the great city”
[or, “that great city” (same structure in the
Greek text throughout)] with
Note also that “
Thus, to see “Babylon”
used as a metaphor for Jerusalem - i.e., referring to the Jewish people - in the Book of Revelation, one could only
expect to find a prior Jerusalem-Babylon association in the Old Testament, for, again, there is nothing in the New Testament
that does not have its roots somewhere in the Old Testament.
In this respect, not only should a Jerusalem-Babylon
association be found in the Old Testament, one which would allow “
Note again that “
(Note how the preceding would negatively reflect on the false
teaching that “the harlot” in Rev. 17-19a is a reference to the Roman Catholic Church.
“The harlot” is a
mystery, necessitating that the harlot be found in the Old Testament. And to carry such a teaching pertaining
to the harlot and the Roman Catholic Church through to its logical conclusion, this
Church, of necessity, would have to be found in the Old Testament,
which, of course, it isn’t.)
[Page 12]
Dealing with
The kingdom of Babylon is brought into full view in this book,
Daniel deals with Israel and the nations in relation to this Babylonian
kingdom, and Daniel places a particular emphasis on details pertaining to the
latter days - details having to do with Babylon’s end-time ruler, the Beast,
exactly as seen in the Book of Revelation (though this man had previously been
introduced in different ways and places in the Old Testament, beginning in
Genesis, then quite extensively in Exodus).
The complete period of the Times of the Gentiles is depicted
through two main means in the Book of Daniel - through a four-part great image
in chapter two (revealed through a dream) and through four great beasts in
chapter seven (revealed through a vision).
That depicted by the great image in chapter two is Babylonian in its entirety (from the head of gold
to the feet part of iron and part of clay), as is that depicted by the four
great beasts in chapter seven (from the lion to the dreadful, terrible, and
exceedingly strong beast). The great
image and great beasts present exactly the same picture, though from two
different perspectives.
That seen through the great image and the great beasts centers
around and sets forth Gentile world rule during the Times of the Gentiles, from its beginning to its end, as
this period relates to
God used the first king of Babylon (Nebuchadnezzar [the first
king during time covered by the great image, or the great beasts]) to complete
the removal of the Jewish people from their land - because of their prior,
continued disobedience, extending over centuries of time - resulting in an end
to the Old Testament theocracy.
And God will use the last king of Babylon (Antichrist) to
complete the reason for the removal
of His people under the first king of Babylon - to effect repentance, resulting in a reestablishment of [Page 13] the theocracy at a future time.
The former theocracy was established under the old covenant,
and the latter theocracy will be established under a new covenant (cf.
Ex. 19: 5, 6; Jer. 31: 31-33).
The Visions of Zechariah
With these things in mind, note the eight visions in the first
six chapters of Zechariah, for these visions deal with exactly the same sequence of events seen in both the
Books of Daniel and Revelation, though from a different perspective yet. These are visions revealed to and recorded by
Zechariah following the return of a remnant from the Babylonian captivity. And it is within these visions that possibly
the best Old Testament basis for an association of “
1) Understanding the Visions
These eight visions are introduced by the Lord’s statement
surrounding
Disobedience resulted in the Times of the Gentiles, and repentance would ultimately
be effected through Gentile persecution during this period.
Then, following the six introductory verses, the eight visions
begin with verse seven and continue uninterrupted until part way through
chapter six of the book.
These visions have to be understood in the light of the manner in which
they are introduced.
They have to
be understood in the light of Israel’s past disobedience, which has resulted in the Times of the
Gentiles; and they have to be understood in the light of the reason for the
Times of the Gentiles - Israel not only reaping the consequences of her
actions, but ultimately bringing the nation to the place of repentance - and
that which will occur once God’s purpose for this period is realized.
The visions, understood contextually, must be looked upon as having to do
with
[Page 14]
(Note that one of the laws of the harvest has to do with the
fact that a person not only reaps what he sows but he always reaps more than he sows.
Thus, with
Though God drove His people out among the nations, to effect
repentance, the principles set forth in Gen.
12: 3
remain. God will not only use Gentile persecution to bring about
repentance but He will also subsequently judge the Gentiles because of this persecution.
Summarily, these visions bridge the centuries of time between the first and last kings
of
Only then will
That, in short, is how the eight visions in Zechariah must be
understood. Each presents a different facet of the matter, and all of the visions together form a composite
picture of that which God revealed concerning
Then, immediately after the last vision (6: 1-8, dealing
with the destruction of Gentile world power), Zechariah calls attention to the
crowning of Joshua, the high priest, with reference then made to “the man whose name is The BRANCH,” which is followed by a reference to
the building of the Temple (6: 11-13).
The name “Joshua”
(Heb., Jehoshua) is an Anglicized form of the Hebrew name for “Jesus” (Gk., Iesous).
The Septuagint (Greek translation of the O.T.) uses Iesous in Zech. 6: 11, and
this is the reason that the KJV translators erroneously translated Iesous as “Jesus” instead of “Joshua” in Acts 7: 45 and Heb. 4: 8. They are the same name, whether Jehoshua in Hebrew or Iesous in Greek. [Page 15] And the
name, “The BRANCH,” in Zech. 6: 12 is a Messianic title applied to Christ
elsewhere in the Old Testament (Isa.
4: 2; 11: 1; Jer. 23: 5; 33: 15; Zech. 3: 8).
Thus, note that which is in view immediately following the
visions in Zechariah, immediately following the Times of the Gentiles, when
Events surrounding the crowning of Joshua (at the termination of the visions), the high priest
during Zechariah’s day, foreshadow future events surrounding the crowning of
Jesus (at the termination of that set forth in the visions), Who will then be
the great King-Priest.
And the building of the
2) The Woman in the Ephah
Now, with all that in mind, note the seventh of the eight
visions - a woman seated in the midst of an ephah (5:
5-11) -
immediately before the vision having to do with the destruction of Gentile
world power (6: 1-8). This
vision of the woman seated in the ephah has a direct bearing upon a proper
understanding and interpretation of Revelation chapter seventeen through the
opening six verses of chapter nineteen, paralleling, in a number of instances,
that seen in these three chapters.
The destruction of Gentile world power then follows in both
Zechariah’s visions and that revealed to John in the Book of Revelation. And the crowning of Joshua and the reference
to “The BRANCH” building the Temple foreshadow and
have to do with that which follows in the Book of Revelation - Christ appearing
as “King of kings, and Lord of
lords” (ch. 19b), with certain events then occurring both
preparatory to and during His millennial reign (ch. 20a).
Thus, there is a parallel between the seventh and eighth
visions and that which immediately follows in Zechariah with that seen in
Revelation chapter seventeen through the first part of chapter twenty. Both sections of Scripture deal with exactly the [Page 16] same thing, from two different perspectives. They deal with
And similar parallels can be seen between a number of other
things in Zechariah’s first six visions and other parts of the book of
Revelation as well.
“Then the angel that talked with me went forth, and said unto me, Lift up now thine eyes, and
see what is this that goeth forth.
And I said, What is it? And he said, This is an ephah that goeth forth. He said moreover, This is their resemblance through all the earth.
And, behold, there was
lifted up a talent of lead: and this is a woman
that sitteth in the midst of the ephah.
And he said, This is wickedness. And he cast it into
the midst of the ephah; and he cast the weight
of lead upon the mouth thereof.
Then lifted I up mine eyes, and looked, and, behold, there came out two women, and
the wind was in their wings; for they had wings
like the wings of a stork: and they lifted up
the ephah between the earth and the heaven.
Then said I to the angel that talked with me, Whither do
these bear the ephah?
And he said unto me, To build it an house in the
There are numerous metaphors throughout Zechariah’s visions,
and the vision of the woman in the ephah is no different. Metaphors are used for practically everything
in this vision, including “an house in the
However, metaphors, as used in these visions, or elsewhere in
Scripture, do not lend themselves to fanciful interpretation. Scripture uses metaphors after a consistent
fashion (e.g., “a mountain” always has to do with a kingdom, “the sea” always has to do with the Gentiles or the place of death,
“a fig tree” always has to do with Israel or showing a connection with Israel, etc.). Metaphors found any place in Scripture are to
be understood and explained contextually and/or through comparing Scripture
with Scripture, in accordance with how Scripture deals with the metaphors being
used.
[Page 17]
For example, three women are in view in this vision - one in the ephah, and two who transport the ephah (with a woman
inside). Since the manner in which the
visions are introduced at the beginning of Zechariah has to do with Israel and the nations, ascertaining who these three women
represent is quite simple, for “a woman” is sometimes used in Scripture, in a metaphorical way, to
represent a nation (Isa.
47: 1-7; 62: 1-5; Rev. 12: 1; 17: 3ff).
Remaining with the subject matter of the visions and the metaphorical use of women
elsewhere in Scripture, the “woman”
in the ephah can only represent
And though the matter has its roots in history, where exactly
the same thing occurred, the vision must be understood relative to the end times,
for the destruction of Gentile world power follows in the next and last
vision.
That is to say, the same thing occurred through the Assyrian
and Babylonian captivities, bringing about the Times of the Gentiles following
the Babylonian captivity; and the same thing will occur yet future, bringing a
close to the Times of the Gentiles.
During the end times, the Babylonian kingdom of the man of sin
will encompass all the Gentile nations; and “the land of Shinar,” used in a metaphorical sense (in
keeping with all the other metaphors used in the vision), would refer, not to
one tract of land in the Mesopotamian Valley but to the origin (the land of Shinar) of a Babylonian
kingdom which will then exist worldwide.
Thus, since the woman is moved to “the
As previously stated, this occurred in history when the Jews
were transported to the actual land of Shinar by the first king of Babylon (the
first king as seen in Daniel’s image), and this will occur yet future, once
again, when the Jewish people are uprooted from their land and scattered
throughout a Babylonian kingdom which will then exist worldwide (though
evidently with a Middle [Page 18] Eastern capital). This disbursement
of the Jewish people throughout the Gentile world, both past and future, is
exactly what is seen in Rev. 17: 1, 15 - the woman, referred to as “the great whore” both here and in numerous Old
Testament passages, seated in the midst of the nations, scattered throughout
Antichrist’s kingdom (cf.
Isa. 1: 21-24; Jer.
3: 1-14; Ezek. 16: 26-39; Hosea 2: 1ff).
The woman in the ephah is described by the word “wickedness [or, ‘unrighteousness’]” (v. 8), which would be in perfect keeping with
her harlotry as she courts
lovers among the nations, particularly as she continues to court the Gentile nations in the final
form of the kingdom of Babylon.
The “ephah”
was the largest measure for dry goods used by the Jews, though of Egyptian
origin. And the “ephah,” when used in a symbolic sense,
would invariably be thought of as referring to trade or commerce. This was simply the manner in which
the “ephah” was used, allowing it to be a
natural emblem for merchandising.
The woman seated in the midst of the ephah, in this respect,
would point to one characteristic of the Jewish people after being removed from
their land - transformed from a nation primarily involved in agriculture to a nation
primarily involved in merchandising.
Note that merchandising is a main realm
in which the woman is seen involved throughout a large section of Revelation
chapter eighteen (vv. 3, 9-23).
The vision of the woman seated in the midst of the ephah
though could refer to something else as well.
As previously pointed out, the “ephah” was the largest of the measures used by the Jews for dry
goods, though of Egyptian origin. “
The woman in the vision sought to escape from the ephah (ref. v.
8, NASB,
NIV), probably realizing the fate about to befall her should she remain in the
ephah. But she was prevented from [Page 19] escaping, and she was cast back into
the ephah and kept inside by a lead covering placed over the top, weighing a
talent. The woman was to realize her own inevitable fate, in the midst
of the ephah in the
This is where the harlot would be destroyed,
as seen in Revelation chapters seventeen through the first part of nineteen.
A talent of lead placed over the opening of the ephah kept the
woman inside. A “talent” was the largest weight used among the Jewish people, and “lead” was one of the heaviest of metals. Such a covering showed that there was no escape from that which must occur, for her sins had “reached unto heaven,” and God had “remembered her iniquities” (Rev.
18: 5).
The heaviest of weights (a talent of lead) was placed over the
opening of the largest of measures (the ephah) to keep the woman (
Two women (which could only represent other nations, Gentile
nations), with stork-like wings (the stork, an unclean bird [Lev. 11: 13, 19; Deut. 14: 12, 18]), lifted
the ephah up from the
And there, among her Gentile lovers, the woman,
(The vision of the ephah could only span the centuries of time
covering the entire Times of the Gentiles [some twenty-six centuries] as seen
in Daniel’s great image or the four great beasts, though with a particular
emphasis upon the latter days.
With
Note, according to Zechariah’s vision of the woman in the
ephah, that which must ultimately occur relative to the remnant of Jews
presently in the
[Page 20]
They must be removed from their land and driven back out among
the Gentile nations once again. And
among the nations [in the sea] the Jewish people will be viewed as dead [as Lazarus in the seventh sign in John’s gospel, John chapter
eleven], awaiting God’s breath to bring about life [Ezek. 37:
1-14]. Then, and only then [after life has been
restored], can they be removed from the sea, from the nations.
God drove His people out among the nations to deal with them
there relative to repentance, and that is exactly where He will deal with them at
the end of Man’s Day. If for no other
reason than this, the Jewish people presently in the land must be uprooted and
driven back out among the nations.
That is not only the place where God has decreed that He will
deal with them but that is also the place from whence God will regather them
when He brings them back into the land, following repentance,
belief, and the restoration of life.)
The Jewish people were carried away into
In the latter days, when the final form of Daniel’s image
appears - the final form of the
These are the things forming the Old
Testament connection which allow “Babylon” to be used as a metaphor for Jerusalem in the Book of Revelation - as previously seen, a
reference used more directly for the people of the city, the Jewish people (cf. Ps. 122: 6;
Jer. 44: 13; Lam. 1: 7, 8, 17; Matt. 23: 37; Rev. 21: 9, 10).
* *
*
[Page 21]
CHAPTER II
That
POSSESSING REGAL AUTHORITY OVER THE KINGS OF THE EARTH
And there came
one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto
thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters:
With whom the
kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with
the wine of her fornication.
So he carried
me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet colored
beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns...
And the ten
horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her
flesh, and burn her with fire.
For God hath
put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of
God shall be fulfilled.
And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over [lit., ‘which possesses
kingly authority over’] the kings of the earth (Rev.
17: 1-3, 16-18).
Revelation chapters seventeen through the first part of
chapter twenty provide a climactic sequence of events which brings about the
only possible proper end to Daniel’s Seventy-Week prophecy - the conclusion
seen in the prophecy itself, as laid out in a six-fold manner in the
introductory verse of the prophecy, in Dan. 9:24:
[Page 22]
“Seventy Weeks [lit., ‘Seventy
sevens’ (contextually, sevens of years - 490 years)l are determined upon thy
people [the Jewish
people] and
upon thy holy city [the
City of
1) “To finish
the transgression.”
2) “To make an
end of sins.”
3) “To make
reconciliation for iniquity.”
4) “To bring
in everlasting righteousness.”
5) “To seal up
the vision and prophecy.”
6) “To anoint
the most Holy.”
Four hundred and eighty-three years of Daniel’s prophecy have
been fulfilled. They were fulfilled
during the years preceding and leading into the time of Christ’s crucifixion
(beginning with the decree referenced in the prophecy [issued in 444 B.C.] and
ending with the crucifixion [in 33 A.D.], also referenced in the prophecy).
Time being fulfilled in the prophecy though stopped in 33
A.D. On the day that God’s Son was
crucified (fulfilling that set forth in the type in Genesis chapter twenty-two
[Abraham offering his son
at a particular place which God had revealed to him]),
God, so to speak, stopped the clock marking off time in the prophecy.
God then set
And, anticipating that set forth in the type in Genesis
chapter twenty-four (Abraham’s eldest servant sent to another land to acquire a bride for Isaac),
fifty-three days later, on the day of Pentecost, God brought into existence
the one new man “in Christ.”
At this point in time, God began an entirely new dispensation,
with the Spirit of God given the specific task of calling out a bride for God’s Son from among those
comprising this new man (fulfilling that set forth in the type in Genesis
chapter twenty-four).
But, seven years yet remain to be fulfilled in the prophecy,
which MUST come to pass. Once the
Spirit has acquired the bride, God will remove the one new man “in Christ” (all Christians, as seen in the
latter part of Gen. 24),
turn back to Israel, begin the clock marking off time once again in Daniel’s
Seventy-Week prophecy, and complete the last seven years of the previous
dispensation.
And once this time has been completed (the full seventy [Page 23] weeks, 490 years), the six things listed in the opening verse of the
prophecy, pertaining to
In short, Israel will be brought to the place of repentance, a
nation will be born in a day, Israel’s sins - all types of disobedience,
including harlotry, resulting in and climaxed by the crucifixion of the
nation’s Messiah when He came the first time - will be done away with,
everlasting righteousness will be brought in, the mystery of God will be
finished through a full revelation of the Son (sealing up [nothing more to be
added, a bringing to completion] of the vision and prophecy), and the Glory
will be restored to Israel within a Temple which Messiah Himself will build
(anointing the most Holy).
This is what Revelation chapters six through the first part of
chapter twenty are about. They are about
God completing His dealings with
(For additional information on Daniel’s Seventy-Week prophecy,
refer to Chapter
XII, “Daniel's Seventy Weeks,” in
the author’s book, THE TIME OF THE END.
For additional information on the typology of Gen. 22-25, refer to Chapter II, “Isaac
and Rebekah,” in the author’s book, THE BRIDE IN GENESIS, or in the author’s book, SEARCH FOR THE
BRIDE.)
And, as well, all the various facets of this same end (that
seen occurring at the completion of the time in Daniel’s Seventy-Week prophecy)
are seen time after time in the Old Testament.
A corresponding parallel, as illustrated in the preceding paragraphs (a
sequence of events foreshadowed in Gen. 22-25), can only be expected, for the structure of later revelation must
always be in complete keeping with the structure of earlier revelation.
Later revelation must always be completely in line with and
rest on the foundation set forth in earlier revelation.
This climax, seen in both Testaments - stated in a broad but
succinct manner - has to do with:
[Page 24]
1) The realization of God’s purpose
for driving the Jewish people out among the nations over 2,600 years ago
(bringing all six things seen in Dan. 9: 24 to
pass).
2) The corresponding destruction of
Gentile world power.
3) The corresponding ushering in of
the long-awaited Messianic Era.
Through the judgments and different events brought to pass
during the Tribulation, seen in Revelation chapters six through sixteen,
everything is set in place for these climactic events to be revealed and occur.
Then, beginning in chapter seventeen and continuing into the
first part of chapter twenty, numerous details are given concerning these
climactic events, with three individuals occupying centre-stage:
1)
2)
3) Israel, the nation itself, around which everything revolves - seen as the harlot woman - brought to
repentance, cleansed, never to be defiled again (Rev.
17: lff).
Most of this closing section of the Book of Revelation,
leading into Christ’s return (19: 1lff), the destruction of Gentile world power (19: 17-21), and the Messianic Era which follows (20: 1-6), is taken up with detailed information
pertaining to the Beast, his
kingdom, and a harlot woman occupying a central place in this kingdom (chs. 17-19a).
This is the subject matter seen in this climactic part of the
book immediately preceding Christ’s return, climactic dealings with
“The Beast” and “the woman” are both referenced in metaphorical respects. And that being referenced through the use of
both metaphors is made clear in the numerous Old Testament passages dealing with the
subject, in earlier parts of the Book of Revelation, and in chapter seventeen
through the first part of chapter nineteen as well.
[Page 25]
Then, through the use of the word “mystery,” any teaching surrounding that being dealt with can only be
seen as inseparably connected with the Old Testament Scriptures, drawing from these Scriptures. And both the Beast and the woman are referred to by this word (17:
5, 7).
(As previously seen in Chapter I of this book [pp. 8, 9], “a mystery” in the
New Testament refers to something made known in the Old Testament
which has yet to be fully opened up and revealed. And the opening up and
complete unveiling of that referred to as “a mystery”
in the New Testament, referring back to something in the Old Testament, awaited
the additional revelation seen in the New Testament.
Dealing with events foreshadowed in Gen.
22-25 in
connection with
And, as seen in Romans chapter eleven [vv. 1-26], one mystery is inseparably linked to the
other mystery.
There are numerous other places in the Old Testament which
deal with things having to do with the mystery of
In the preceding respect, note the folly of individuals having
one Testament without the other, particularly the New without the Old [which
would be somewhat akin to viewing a house without its foundation]. One Testament is to be understood in the
light of the other - the Old in the light of the New, and the New in the light
of the Old.)
Thus, not only must material in these chapters in the Book of
Revelation (chs. 17-19) be in complete keeping with the manner [Page
26] in which matters are set forth in the Old Testament but this material must also be seen
as a climactic opening up
and unveiling of that previously presented in the Old Testament.
These chapters in the closing part of the Book of Revelation, leading
into the Messianic Era, remove any remaining wrappings and present the Beast and the Harlot in full
exposure for all to behold.
In Both Testaments
Again, the two central individuals seen throughout Revelation chapter seventeen and continuing through the
first six verses of chapter nineteen are the Beast and the Harlot. And both of these individuals are dealt with
extensively in these chapters immediately prior to a third individual appearing, coming through an opened heaven on a white charger to take care of
matters as they will exist on the earth at this time.
And conditions on the earth when this third individual appears -
Resulting from famine, various plaques and diseases, and the
sword, one-fourth of the earth’s population will have died, or will shortly die
(over one and one-half billion, by today’s count), which will include
two-thirds of the earth’s Jewish population (some nine million, by today’s
count). And conditions in general at
this time will be of such a nature that “except those days should be shortened, there should
no flesh be saved” (Matt. 24:
22).
This is where things are headed for our so-called enlightened
society of today, with all of its changing mores, political correctness,
etc. And that fast-approaching Day cannot be far removed from the
present day.
(For more information in this realm, refer to the author's
books, WE ARE
ALMOST THERE, DISTANT HOOFBEATS, and ISRAEL - FROM DEATH TO LIFE.)
1) The Beast, Seen in Both Testaments
The Beast - the name used in the Book of Revelation for the [Page 27] man of sin, the Antichrist (Rev. 13: 1ff; 17: 8-14) - is presented a number of different ways
throughout a large section of Scripture in both the Old and New
Testaments. Revelation concerning this
man (first mentioned in Gen. 3: 15) begins
with Nimrod, the first king of
However, throughout Scripture, revelation concerning the Beast
is NEVER solely about this man alone. Revelation concerning “the Beast” is ALWAYS seen in conjunction with revelation concerning Abraham
and his lineage through Isaac, Jacob, and Jacob’s twelve sons, - the
nation of
This is the manner in which revelation about the Beast begins
in Genesis, continues throughout the Old Testament, continues into the New
Testament, and concludes in the Book of Revelation. When the Beast appears in
The preceding is an axiom in Biblical studies surrounding the
Beast - unchangeably set in Gen. 3: 15 - which
cannot be ignored.
Thus, when an individual arrives at Revelation chapter
seventeen and sees the Beast and a harlot woman (both spoken of in the same metaphorical
fashion) extensively dealt with together at the close of Man’s Day, at the
close of that part of the Book of Revelation having to do with Daniel’s
Seventy-Week prophecy - knowing that both are referred to as a “mystery,” and knowing that the Beast never appears in Old
Testament Scripture apart from Israel and / or Israel’s Messiah - only one thing concerning the identity
of the woman could possibly be uppermost in one’s mind.
2) The Harlot, Seen in Both
Testaments
In Old Testament history, because of the Jewish people’s
continued disobedience over centuries of time, God uprooted His people from
their land and drove them out among the nations. And the major part of this disobedience was harlotry,
which caused God to divorce
[Page 28]
Revelation chapter seventeen through the first part of chapter
nineteen presents, in detail, the end of the matter.
The preceding though, as will be shown, is far from the only
means of identifying the harlot woman.
Attention has been called to this means of identification first in order
to show the unity of all
Scripture surrounding revelation concerning the Beast and
In this respect, note a number of Old Testament references
having to do with
“How is the faithful city become an
harlot!” (Isa. 1: 21a).
“Thou hast played the harlot with many lovers... Thou hadst a whore’s
forehead, thou refusedst to be ashamed” (Jer. 3: 1b, 3b; cf.
vv. 6-14).
“Son of man, cause
“And the Babylonians came to her into
the bed of love, and they defiled her with their
whoredom... So she discovered her whoredoms,
and discovered her nakedness...” (Ezek.
23: 17a, 18a; cf. vv.
35-37).
“And now will I discover her lewdness
in the sight of her lovers, and none shall
deliver her out of mine hand” (Hosea 2: 10; cf. vv.
2ff).
[Page 29]
Then, viewing the end of the matter in the Book of Revelation,
chapter seventeen through the first part of chapter nineteen has to do with
If “the great whore” in
these chapters is other than
Apart from understanding that the “woman” represents
Apart from seeing
But, as previously stated, the preceding is just one way in
which the woman can be identified. As
will be shown, this chapter goes on to state, in so many words, that “the woman” is
The Woman Which Thou Sawest Is...
In that part of the
Book of Revelation covering events on the earth occurring during and
immediately following the last seven years in Daniel’s Seventy-Week prophecy (chs. 6-19), a woman is used in a
metaphorical respect in two different places - in chapter twelve, and in
chapters seventeen and eighteen, continuing into the first six verses of
chapter nineteen. And, in either
instance, as previously seen in the latter section, one is not left to his own
imagination to identify the woman. In both instances the woman is clearly
identified.
The woman in chapter twelve is easily identified through that
stated in the first verse - “clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and
upon her head a crown of twelve stars,” along with events dealt with in subsequent verses.
[Page 30]
Metaphors are used extensively in this “great wonder [‘sign’],” with the entire matter seen as regal. The “sun,” “moon,” and “stars” have to do with governmental powers, from the greater (the sun) to the lesser (the stars),
with the woman seen as crowned.
In short, the woman is seen in possession of all power, though not yet exercising
this power (the latter - yet to exercise this power - is seen in
the type crown which the woman has on her head, something discussed later in
this chapter [ref.
pp. 33-36]).
“The woman” in the
chapter is clearly seen to be
In the type in Genesis, the reference to the sun, moon, and stars making “obeisance” to Joseph had to do with Joseph and
his immediate family (v. 10). And
that being foreshadowed by this type has to do with Christ and His immediate family -
But in Revelation chapter twelve, material drawn from this
type has to do with
“Christ” is presently King, for He was born
King (Matt. 2:
2); but He has yet to exercise His
kingly office. That awaits the Messianic Era, when Christ exercises the rights
of the firstborn.
“
And
In the Genesis account, the complete story extending from
[Page 31]
Then chapter thirty-nine picks up at the exact place where
chapter thirty-seven left off, leaving the chapter on harlotry to seemingly be
out of place. But not so! This chapter is exactly where it should be,
the subject is correct, and the right brother among the eleven,
The reason why
In chapter forty-four, Joseph’s brothers, though not knowing
Joseph’s identity, were brought to the place where they had no choice but to
acknowledge to Joseph, in his presence, that which they had done years before -
their rejection of him, followed by their selling him to the Ishmaelites.
And
1) The one involved in harlotry between the two times in the type
(between the time of the nation’s rejection [ch. 37]
and the time of the nation’s acceptance [ch. 45]).
2) And the one driven to the place where there was no choice left other
than to confess that which had been done years before to the very one to whom
it was done (rejection, crucifixion).
And the preceding is exactly what is seen beginning in Revelation chapter twelve
and continuing through the first six verses of chapter nineteen. The woman in chapter twelve is the same woman seen in chapters
seventeen through the first part of nineteen.
Regality is seen in
connection with the woman in both sections.
This has
already been shown in connection with the woman in chapter twelve (ref. pp. 29, 30), and it will be shown later in this
chapter in connection with the woman in chapters seventeen through the first
part of nineteen (ref. pp. 33-36).
As well, these chapters in the Book of Revelation are in exact accord with teachings
pertaining to
[Page 32]
With all of this information staring a Bible student in the
face, one often wonders how so many people can go astray when it comes to a correct interpretation of the harlot
woman beginning in Revelation chapter seventeen. Possibly thoughts from what Andrew Jukes had to say
over one hundred years ago about the neglect of the study of types by Bible
students in his day might apply:
“The real
secret of the neglect of the types, I cannot but think may, in part, be traced
to this - that they require more spiritual intelligence than many Christians
can bring to them.”
1) The Woman Is That
As the Beast is identified in chapter seventeen (vv. 8-14), the woman is identified in this chapter as
well. The woman is identified in a direct and clear statement after a
manner which,
contextually, no one could possibly question. The last verse in chapter seventeen provides, beyond any question whatsoever, in so many words, the
identity of the woman:
“And ‘the
woman’ which thou sawest is that great city,
which reigneth over [lit., ‘which possesses kingly authority over’] the kings of the earth” (v. 18).
The expression “the [or ‘that’] great city” is used nine times in chapters eleven through eighteen, with
six of these usages seen in chapters seventeen and eighteen. The first usage in 11:
8 identifies the city as
Note how Rev. 11: 8 reads:
“And their dead bodies [the two witnesses] shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called
[Page 33]
Over one hundred years earlier (about 722 B.C.), the northern
ten tribes had been taken captive by the Assyrians (the world power of that
previous day). But between these two
times, the Babylonians had conquered the Assyrian kingdom, shifting the centre
of world power from Assyria to
Babylon is out in the world, typified by Egypt;
and God allowed the Jewish people to be uprooted from their land and taken
captive to Babylon because of their numerous transgressions occurring over
centuries of time, with sexual perversion, associated with Sodom, among sins heading the list (cf.
Jer. 22: 8, 9, 25).
And this is exactly where “the woman” finds herself in Revelation chapters seventeen through the
opening verses of nineteen - enmeshed in the kingdom of the last king of Babylon, out in the world (scattered
among the nations), and viewed as a harlot - exactly as
portrayed in previous verses (11: 8; 14:
8; 16: 19).
Thus, according to Rev. 17: 18, the
harlot, seen throughout these chapters, is identified as “
(“
The Jewish people, their land, and their capital city are looked upon and referred to in an
inseparable sense in Scripture. Thus, in an
interpretative respect, Rev. 17: 18 would have to read, “And
‘the woman’ which thou
sawest is
2) The Woman Possessing Regal
Authority
Then, Rev. 17: 18 also
presents another means of identification.
This verse doesn’t stop with the identification of the woman as “that great city.”
Rather, the verse goes on to provide a second means of identification,
which is in complete keeping with the first
part of the verse.
[Page 34]
The verse continues by adding the words, “which reigneth over the kings of the earth.”
A better translation of these words from the Greek text would be, “which possesses kingly authority over the kings of the earth”
(ref. Wuest’s Expanded Translation -
“which possesses [imperial] power over...”), limiting matters in the light of Ex.
4: 22, 23 to
Thus, the woman is identified as possessing regal authority over the Gentile nations (17: 18b). This identifying statement reflects back upon
and draws from a similar statement about the woman earlier in the book:
“...a woman clothed with the sun [
“Twelve” is the number
of governmental
perfection; and this verse from chapter twelve
forms part of the contextual foundational material in the book upon which the
identity of the woman in 17: 18 rests.
The word used for “crown” in the Greek text of Rev. 12: 1 is stephanos,
not diadema,
indicating that the woman, though possessing regal power and authority, was
not exercising that power and authority at the time seen in the text (which is
a time yet future, near the middle of the Tribulation, with the woman wearing a diadem and exercising
regal power and authority following the Tribulation).
An individual presently exercising regal power and authority
would wear a crown depicted by the word diadema, not a crown
depicted by the word stephanos.
This is seen
two verses later (v. 3), where the Greek
word diadema is used -
showing an exercise of regal power and authority in the kingdom of Antichrist by the one to
whom Satan will one day give “his power, and his
seat [‘his throne’], and great authority” (Rev. 13: 2).
(Regarding Israel in possession of regal power and
authority over the Gentile nations,
note that which Moses was instructed to make known to the Egyptian Pharaoh
when God sent him to deliver the Israelites [an Assyrian ruler in Egypt,
typifying the coming Assyrian who will rule the world (cf. Isa. 52:
4; Micah 5:
5)].
Moses was instructed to say unto Pharaoh, “Thus
saith the Lord,
[Page 35]
“Sonship” implies rulership. Only
sons can rule in God’s kingdom [past, present, or future], and in the human
realm, only firstborn sons can rule [only firstborn sons find themselves in a
position to exercise the rights of primogeniture within a family, with regality
being one of these rights]. In
short, Moses, announcing to Pharaoh that
And this recognition was made known while
Then, following certain events occurring while enroute to
Kadesh-Barnea - the old covenant given through Moses at Mt. Sinai, the Magna
Charta for the kingdom, containing all of the rules and regulations governing
the people of God within the kingdom, along with the construction of the
Tabernacle, the dwelling place of God among His people within the theocracy -
Israel was to enter into and occupy the land previously covenanted to Abraham,
Isaac, and Jacob; and once the Jewish people had become established in this
land, they were to rule the nations as God’s firstborn son, within a theocracy.
Again, note the latter part of Rev.
17: 18. There is only one nation on the face of the
earth that this can be referencing - the nation which is not to be “reckoned among
the nations” [Num. 23: 9]. Only
one nation on the face of the earth possesses a
position of regal authority over the kings of the earth [over all the Gentile nations]. This
nation was identified in Ex. 4: 22, 23, immediately prior to Moses leading the
Israelites out of Egypt; and this nation is identified in Rev. 17: 18, after exactly the same fashion [previously introduced after this
fashion in Rev. 12:
1], immediately prior to Jesus leading the
Israelites out from a worldwide dispersion yet future.
Dating from Moses’ day,
This is why, for the past 3,500 years, since the time this announcement
was made, that
the one who has held the sceptre since prior to the creation of Adam [Satan]
has done everything within his power to destroy
Also, note that
And exactly the same thing, for exactly the same reasons, is seen relative to the bride of Christ. The
one who will rule as consort queen with the Son is spoken of in Scripture in
both masculine and feminine respects, with both having regal
implications [cf. Rom. 8: 14, 15, 19; Gal. 4: 5; Eph. 5: 22-23; Heb. 12: 23; Rev. 19: 7-10].)
3) The Woman Guilty of Blood
Further, if Scripture is compared with Scripture,
“...it cannot be [lit .. .... ‘it is not possible’] that a prophet perish out of
And it is clear from the subsequent verse (v. 34) that “Jerusalem” is used in verse thirty-three referring to the entire nation - the Jewish people - exactly as it
is used in Rev. 17:
18.
“O Jerusalem,
Thus, according to
Thus, Scripture is quite clear on the identity of the harlot in Rev. 17: 1 - 19: 6, and
the next chapter in this book will deal with the future cleansing of the
nation, as seen in these same three chapters.
* *
*
[Page 37]
CHAPTER
III
That Mighty City, Burning
THROWN DOWN, FOUND NO MORE AT ALL
And after
these things I saw another angel come down from heaven having great power, and the earth was lightened with his glory.
And he cried
mightily with a strong voice, saying,
For all
nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with
her,
and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her
delicacies.
For her sins
have reached unto heaven, and God
hath remembered her iniquities...
How much she
hath glorified herself, and lived
deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in
her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no
sorrow.
Therefore
shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the
Lord God who judgeth her.
And the kings
of the earth, who have committed
fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall
see the smoke of her burning.
Standing afar
off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas, that great city
And a mighty
angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city
[Page 38]
The main
thrust of Scripture seen throughout Revelation chapter seventeen into the first
part of chapter twenty has to do with God’s plans and purposes regarding the Jewish people, the Gentile nations, and
the Church of God being brought to fruition, leading into the
Messianic Era (cf. 1 Cor. 10: 32).
In a larger sense, the working out of
God’s plans and purposes for all three creations - Jew,
Gentile, and Christian - has to do with ruined man and involves 6,000
years of restorative work, followed by the 1,000-year Messianic Era, a Sabbath rest awaiting the
people of God. And this is patterned
after God’s previous restorative work surrounding the ruined material creation - occurring over
six days time, with God resting on the seventh day (a Sabbath rest) - in
Genesis chapters one and two (Heb. 4: 4, 9; cf. Ex.
31: 13-17; 2 Peter 1: 15-18; 3: 3-8).
In a narrower sense, regarding
And in a narrower sense yet, regarding Christians, the working
out of God’s plans and purposes in this respect dates back 2,000 years to the
inception of the Church on the day of Pentecost in 33 A.D.
The complete scope of God’s plans and purposes is dealt with
numerous places throughout Moses, the Psalms, and the Prophets “line upon line, line upon line;
here a little, and there
a little” (Isa.
28: 9, 10), with
different facets of the matter being dealt with different ways in different
places. Each facet provides a different
part of one complete overall
word picture, with the complete picture presenting
the matter exactly as God would
have man view the whole of His plans and purposes regarding
And, regardless of how or where these things are dealt with in
the Old Testament, there is always a particular emphasis on concluding events - events which bring the whole of the matter to
fruition, as seen beginning in Revelation chapter seventeen and continuing
through the first part of chapter twenty.
Thus, when one arrives at this closing part of the Book of
Revelation and begins reading extensively about a Beast and a harlot woman, he is not left to his own
imagination and [Page 39] interpretation concerning that which is in view. Scripture will reveal and interpret the matter
for him.
All one has to do is go back to the Old Testament and see how
God has previously laid the whole of the matter out, beginning in Genesis.
In this respect, through comparing that which is spiritual with that which is spiritual (1 Cor. 2: 9-13) - in this case, comparing numerous sections
of the Old Testament with that seen beginning in Revelation chapter seventeen -
the Old Testament will
interpret the matter for the reader.
(Two Anglicized Greek words are sometimes used to call
attention to correct and incorrect methods of Biblical study and interpretation
- exegesis
and eisegesis. The Greek prepositions ek [meaning, “out of”]
and eis [meaning, “into”] are prefixed to the same word, which,
without the prepositions, means “to guide” or “to lead.”
Exegesis has to do with deriving out of a passage that which is within the passage. In Rev. 17-19a, exegesis allows Scripture to comment upon and
identify the harlot woman. And, at every turn, Scripture [O.T. or
N.T.], reveals that “the great whore” is a
metaphor for
Eisegesis, on the other hand, has to do with reading into a passage that which is not in the passage. Eisegesis, rather than allowing Scripture to
identify the harlot woman in Rev. 17-19a, reads a
foreign meaning into the passage, usually attempting to see “the great whore” used as a metaphor for a false religious
system, often seen as the
Roman Catholic Church.
And this type mishandling of the passage is no small thing. Not only does such a teaching do away with the correct
understanding of the passage but such a teaching has the Times of the Gentiles
ending in the Book of Revelation after a fashion which is completely out of line with the
way in which the Times of the Gentiles is seen being brought to a close
throughout Moses, the Psalms, and the Prophets.)
The Old Testament has already dealt extensively, in minute
detail, with the whole of that
seen beginning with Revelation chapter seventeen and continuing into the first
part of chapter twenty. A complete word picture has already been
presented, for all to see. And this part
of the Book of Revelation, dealing with the [Page 40] same thing as previously seen in the Old Testament, places
the emphasis exactly where Moses, the Psalms, and the Prophets had previously
placed the emphasis, which could only be expected.
The Emphasis and
Divisions in Revelation 17:
1 -
20:
6
The emphasis beginning in chapter seventeen and continuing
through chapter nineteen, preceding the Messianic Era in chapter twenty, is
placed on
Beginning with chapter seventeen and continuing through the
opening six verses of chapter twenty, this section of Scripture could be
divided into four parts:
1) In Rev. 17:
1 - 19: 6, though both the Beast and the harlot occupy centre-stage, the harlot alone, residing in the
kingdom of the Beast, is the one centrally being dealt with throughout.
The subject matter of this section of Scripture is stated, in
so many words, in the opening verse:
“And there came one of the seven
angels which had the seven vials, and talked
with me, saying unto me, Come hither; and I will shew
unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters.”
The harlot is dealt with
at length pertaining to her identity and where she resides (leaving no possible room for anyone to question that
being pictured [if Scripture is compared with Scripture]).
And then the harlot, within the scope of this section of
Scripture, is seen being completely destroyed (again, leaving no possible room for anyone to question
that being pictured [again, if Scripture is compared with Scripture]).
The Beast and his kingdom,
on the other hand, are dealt with in this section of Scripture only with
respect to identity [Page
41] and an impending destruction. The harlot is the one dealt with in detail throughout, not the
Beast.
2) In Rev. 19:
7-10, after dealing with various things
concerning the harlot and her relationship to the nations, followed by the
harlot’s destruction, attention is called to the bride and the marriage supper of the Lamb, occurring in heaven, prior to Christ’s return to the earth.
This is the first mention of anything having to do with the
bride since chapters one through three of the book, anticipating the
relinquishment of crowns (ch.
4) and the redemption of the inheritance (chs. 5ff - with the
redemption of the inheritance being completed following Christ's return (ch. 19b), allowing the bride to then become the Lamb’s
wife (cf. Ruth 4: 1ff).
3) In Rev.
19: 11-21, the heavens are
opened, and Christ is seen returning back to the earth “with his mighty angels” - i.e.,
the armies of heaven - accompanying and following Him at this time (cf.
1 Thess. 1: 7; Rev. 19: 14).
Accompanying Christ, as well, will be Moses and Elijah (cf.
Matt. 16: 28 - 17: 5; Luke 9: 27-32), who
will evidently be instrumental in His dealings with both
(For details on Moses and Elijah accompanying Christ at this
time, refer to the author’s book, COMING IN HIS KINGDOM, particularly Chapters III,
IV.)
The bride, from verses seven through ten, is not seen among
those accompanying Christ back to the earth at this time. In fact, Scripture is quite clear that the
bride will not accompany Christ back to the earth when He returns.
Christ will be returning to complete His dealings with
Note that Joseph’s wife, Asenath, was in another part of the
palace when he dealt with his brethren at the time he revealed himself to them.
And note that Moses’ wife, Zipporah, only went part way with
him when he returned to
Moses and Zipporah were reunited only after he had dealt with the Jewish people in
And the
same sequence will, of necessity,
be followed in the antitype. The bride, as Zipporah, may very well
accompany Christ part way and remain in the New Jerusalem above the earth while
He deals with
(At the time of the destruction of Gentile world power, all
the judgments seen within the breaking of the seals of the seven-sealed scroll
in Revelation chapter five will have come to pass.
This will complete God’s terms for the redemption of
the inheritance - with the marriage of Christ to His
bride and the re-marriage of God to Israel
seen as part and parcel with the redemption of the inheritance [cf.
Ruth 4:1ff]).
The preceding succinctly covers, in a somewhat general
respect, the sequence of events which will occur when Christ returns to the
earth, as seen in Rev. 19: 11-21. Very few of these events are seen and dealt with in this brief section
in the Book of Revelation, but all are seen and dealt with in prior Scripture,
beginning in Genesis.
[Page 43]
Scripture must be compared with Scripture in order to put the
complete word picture together, exactly as God has outlined and provided this information in His Word (1 Cor. 2: 9-13).
4) In Rev. 20:
1-6,
all is brought to completion and fruition.
Satan is bound, cast into the abyss,
individuals are assigned positions of power and authority in Christ’s kingdom,
and the millennial reign - that toward which everything in Scripture moves - will then occur.
I Sit a Queen, and Am No Widow, and Shall See No Sorrow
There is only one possible way that a person could expect the Tribulation to draw to a
close and end in the Book of Revelation.
And that would be exactly the same way it is seen drawing to a close and ending time after
time in Moses, the
Psalms, and the Prophets.
Whether in the Old Testament or in the New Testament,
This will then be followed by
Though the nation will have paid a heavy price, one beyond human comprehension,
And a cleansed nation in that day will realize the rights of the firstborn,
fulfilling the purpose for the nation’s existence (cf. Rev. 17:
16, 17; 18: 8-21; 19: 2, 3).
1) Material Wealth,
Spiritual Wealth
The heavy price paid by
But, though the nations throughout this time have found
themselves separated from spiritual
blessings, they
have, at the same time, found themselves in a position of power and involved with materialism, becoming wealthy (18: 3, 9-19). And
During the Times of the Gentiles (over 2,600 years), the nations have held the sceptre and
have become wealthy at the expense of
Or, viewing the matter from another perspective, as long as
But once
The Times of the Gentiles will end, the sceptre will change
hands, and the wealth of the Gentiles will be given to
The preceding is what a large part of Revelation chapter
eighteen is about (through the use of the type language specified in the
opening verse of the book, in Rev. 1: 1 [ref. pp.
6-8 in Chapter I
of this book, where this is explained]).
(When seeking to understand the book of Revelation, a major
problem results from not understanding and interpreting material in the book
after the manner in which God has structured this material - again, [Page 45] something stated in the opening verse
of the book, though largely ignored.
Thus, when individuals attempt to understand things in this book from a
western mindset, or through any other means different than the way that it was
set forth in this opening verse, is it any wonder that they have trouble?)
Note particularly verses nine through nineteen in this
eighteenth chapter. The nations will
have become rich, and these nations will be quite distraught when all of this
is suddenly taken from them. And it will
all be taken from them through the loss of the harlot in their midst (again, note the
symbolism and type language being used).
The nations can continue in their present fashion only as long as the harlot remains in
their midst, for, the fact that
(God will use the Beast to do exactly the opposite of that which the Beast will set out to
accomplish.
The Beast will set out to accomplish something wherein utter
failure has always marked the
path of any and all who have tried - the destruction of and doing away with the
nation of
And, in line with that which has happened to all of his
predecessors as well, the Beast himself will suffer that which he will set
about to inflict upon the Jewish people -
his own utter destruction instead. Because of God’s unchanging promises to
and regarding
God, turning matters around, will use the Beast to destroy the
harlot [exactly as he used the Pharaoh of Egypt during Moses’ day to bring
about His plans and purposes regarding Israel], with the nation of Israel subsequently existing apart from her harlotry
and God’s complete purpose for calling this nation into existence then being
realized [cf.
Ex. 9: 15, 16; Ezek. 16: 37-42; Rev. 17: 16, 17].)
In that day, Gentile headship will be over, their wealth will
be gone, but they will find that they will possess something far greater. Spiritual blessings / spiritual wealth, which will be theirs through [Page 46] restored
2) The Harlot Destroyed, The Nation Cleansed
“The great whore” in
Revelation chapter seventeen through the first part of chapter nineteen is seen
being burned with fire (17: 16; 18: 8, 9, 17-21; 19: 2, 3). This is the picture which Scripture
provides of
Note how Rev. 19: 1-3 is worded:
“After these things I heard a great
voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia, Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our
God:
For true and righteous are his judgments: for he hath
judged the great whore, which did corrupt the
earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the
blood of his servants at her hand.
And again they said, Alleluia. And her smoke rose up
forever and ever.”
(The words, “forever and ever,”
in v. 3
are a translation of the Greek words, eis tons
aionas ton aionon, and should literally be rendered, “unto [or, ‘with respect to’]
the ages of the ages.”
The Greek language, as the Hebrew language, does not have a
word for “eternal” per se. And this is one of two different ways that
the Greek text can express “eternal,” apart from
textual and contextual considerations.
The other way is through using a
plural form of the word aion, meaning “age,” as the word is used
in Heb. 13:
8, where Christ is said to be “the same yesterday, and today,
and forever [Gk., eis tons
aionas (a
plural, articular use of aion preceded by the preposition [Page 47] eis, meaning ‘into,’
‘unto,’ or ‘with
respect to’); lit., ‘unto
(or, ‘with respect to’) the ages’,’ i.e., throughout the endless
ages, forever].”
The thought set forth in Rev.
19: 3 by
the smoke of the burned harlot continuing to rise up throughout the endless
ages has to do with
This picture of the harlot being burned with fire was introduced in chapter seventeen (v. 16) and is
dealt with extensively throughout chapter eighteen. In fact, this entire chapter, one way or another,
is taken up with the harlot’s destruction, with attention
called to this destruction occurring through a burning with fire several places (vv. 8, 9, 18).
“Fire” is seen in
Scripture as a purifying agent (Zech. 13: 8, 9; Mark 9:
49, 50). “Fire” is seen as a separating agent, separating that which is of value from that which is
worthless - by burning the latter, with the former enduring the fire (Matt. 3: 11, 12; 1 Cor. 3: 11-15; 1 Peter 1: 7).
Thus, the picture of the harlot being burned throughout these
chapters has to do with the harlot -
Once this separation occurs,
Nebuchadnezzar tried to use fire in the latter respect in
Daniel chapter three - in relation to three Israelites, foreshadowing the
entire nation - and failed completely.
With an oven heated seven times hotter than normal and three
Israelites thrown into the midst of this fire (“seven,” a complete number, showing the completion of that in view,
probably indicating that the furnace was heated as hot as possible without
destroying the furnace), not a single hair on the head of any one of the three
was even singed.
Nor could Darius in the succeeding Medo-Persian kingdom get
the lions to eat Daniel (Dan. 6).
[Page 48]
But still,
That is the picture which Scripture provides of God’s dealings
with
Then, and ONLY then, can God complete His dealings with
Israel and the nations -
Past, Present, and Future
The definition of and thoughts surrounding the use of the word
“mystery” in the New Testament have been dealt
with at length in the two previous chapters of this book (Chs.
I, II).
And that which follows in this section - in both of the two main parts
to the section - will deal once again with matters set forth by the use of this
word, from different perspectives than previously seen.
The first will show the same statements used of Israel in
Jeremiah’s prophecy that are used in the chapter under discussion of the harlot
in the Book of Revelation, presenting matters from two different vantage points
in these two books.
Then, the other will show sharp distinctions between Israel at
two different times, before and after the nation passes through the fire, as
seen in an Old Testament passage from Judges, foreshadowing and shedding light
upon that under discussion in Rev. 17: 1 - 19: 6.
When these sections from these three books are looked upon and
studied in the light of one another, the word picture - seen [Page 49] exactly as God has set it forth in His Word - begins to take
shape in a far clearer manner than if only two of these sections were used. And a grave problem can only arise if only one
of the three sections is used and the person tries to figure matters out
himself instead of letting Scripture do it for him.
Scripture must be compared with Scripture, allowing Scripture
to interpret itself.
1) Jeremiah
and John
Note that which is stated about
“Moreover I will take from them the
voice of mirth, and the voice of gladness,
the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride, the
sound of the millstones, and the light of the
candle.
And this whole land shall be a desolation, and an
astonishment; and these nations [
Then note that which is stated about the harlot in Rev. 18: 22, 23:
“And the voice of harpers, and musicians, and of pipers,
and trumpeters, shall be
heard no more at all in thee; and no craftsman,
of whatsoever craft he be, shall be found anymore in thee; and the sound of a millstone shall be heard no more at all in
thee;
And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all
in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be
heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants
were the great men of the earth; for by thy
sorceries were all nations deceived.”
Exactly the same thing is stated about
In the Book of Jeremiah, the statement had to do with the Jewish people in relation to the
[Page 50]
Then, in the Book of Revelation, the whole of that seen in
Jeremiah is turned around and used in a completely opposite
respect at the end of the Times
of the Gentiles, over
2,600 years later.
In this book the some statement has to do with
Once restored to the land,
Then, at that time, God will restore these things to her, in her own land, in
connection with the restoration of the theocracy.
That taken from the nation in Jer. 25: 10, 11 will be restored to the Jewish people.
2) Judges and John
The five books of Moses, the Pentateuch, end with the account
of Moses’ death and Joshua assuming the mantle (Deut.
34: 1-12).
The Book of Joshua then begins with a reference to Moses’
death and continues with a history of the Israelites entering and beginning to
take possession of the land, slaying and / or driving out the inhabitants,
under Joshua’s leadership. And the book
ends about twenty-five years later with a reference to Joshua’s death and the
Israelites burying the bones of Joseph, who had died about two centuries prior
to that time in Egypt (Josh. 24: 29ff; cf.
Gen. 50: 25, 26; Ex. 13: 19).
The next book, the Book of Judges, continuing from Joshua,
begins with a reference to Joshua’s death, beginning a period of time lasting
over three centuries (some 320 or so years) when the Israelites resided in the
land apart from leadership of a nature previously experienced - extending from
the death of Joshua to Soul being anointed the nation’s first king.
a) A Brief Summation of
Judges
Two things marked the period of the judges:
[Page 51]
1) Disobedience on the part of the Jewish people.
2) God’s reaction to their disobedience (which had to do
with anger, followed by a chastisement of the Jewish people to bring about
repentance; and their repentance was followed each time by God raising up one
or more individuals [one or more judges] to deliver His people).
During Moses and Joshua’s day, God had commanded His people to utterly slay, destroy, or drive out all of the Gentile
nations inhabiting the land.
But, following
Joshua’s death, the Israelites gradually began to cease destroying or driving these nations out (cf.
Deut. 7: 1, 2, 16, 22-24; Josh. 23: 13; Judg. 1: 19, 21, 27-33).
Then, disobedience at this point resulted in other forms of disobedience - something
which the Lord had previously called to the people’s attention and had warned
them about (cf. Ex. 23: 33; Deut. 7: 4, 16; 12: 30).
God, through Moses, had laid down the rules and regulations
(the Law, the Magna Charta for the kingdom) which His people were to follow
within the theocracy. But, after failing
to drive the Gentile nations out of the land, that which God had warned His
people about began to occur.
The Jewish people, over time, found themselves gradually being
influenced by and conforming more and more to the ways and practices of the
pagan Gentile nations dwelling in the land with them. And, as a result, rather than the Jewish
people following that which God had stated in His Word, this period is marked
by a departure from the
Word.
With the absence of the type leadership previously provided by
Moses, and then Joshua, Scripture reveals one central manner of living on the part of
God’s people during the time of the judges, lasting for over three centuries:
“In those days
there was no king in
And God reacted accordingly.
God reacted in exact accordance with that which
He had previously revealed in His Word through Moses.
[Page 52]
There is a repeated sequence in the Book of judges relative to
the Jewish people’s disobedience and God’s reaction to their disobedience. In chapter two, this sequence is introduced
(resulting from the people’s previous actions, seen in chapter one), setting
the stage for that seen throughout the remainder of the book:
1)
“And the children of
And they forsook the God of their fathers ... and
followed other gods...” (vv. 11,
12a).
2) The Lord’s reaction:
“And the anger of the Lord was hot
against
Whithersoever they went out, the hand of
the Lord was against them for evil, as the Lord
had said, and as the Lord had sworn unto them...” (vv.
14a, 15a).
3)
“...and they were greatly distressed [which would lead to repentance]” (v.
15b).
4) That which the Lord then did:
“Nevertheless the Lord raised up
judges, which delivered them out of the hands of
those that spoiled them” (v. 16).
When the Israelites fell into sin, God reacted
through using that which had resulted from His people’s previous failure -
Gentile nations remaining in the land, contrary to His command - as a means to
bring about their repentance. He delivered the disobedient Israelites
into the hands of the same pagan nations which they had previously failed to
drive out (2: 21-23).
And, following His people being
brought to the place of repentance through a judgment of this nature,
God then raised up one or more individuals to deliver them out of the
hands of the Gentiles.
Beginning in chapter three, when God raised up the first judge
to deliver His people, repentance on
Then, following the death of the eleventh judge (12: 15), though
the same sequence is seen beginning again (with
“And the children of
For the first time there was a forty-year period in which the Israelites found themselves
in subjection to the Gentiles. “Forty” is one of several numbers used in
Scripture to show completeness, and the number appears numerous times in Scripture in
this respect (e.g., Moses’ life is
divided into three separate and distinct forty-year periods, Moses was on Mount
Sinai forty days and nights, the disobedient Israelites under Moses wandered in
the wilderness for forty years, each of Israel’s first three kings reigned for
forty years, Christ was tempted by Satan for forty days and nights, and Christ
had a forty-day post-resurrection ministry prior to His ascension).
In this respect, because of
However, there is no record of the Israelites repenting and
crying out for deliverance during these forty years. Nevertheless, God raised
up Samson during this time as the twelfth judge, stating that he would “begin to deliver
The Book of judges, in the preceding respect, sets forth, in a
repeated manner, the complete history of
[Page 54]
And the nation is nearing the end of the final period of their
disobedience, with the Jewish people about to find themselves in the hands of
Gentile nations which will render such intense persecution that repentance,
after millenniums of time, will be forthcoming.
And God, true to His Word, will then send the Deliverer.
b) The Epilogue to Judges (Chapters 17-21)
Judges chapters seventeen through twenty-one form somewhat of
an epilogue to the book, taking the reader back several centuries to near the
beginning of the period of the judges (note the mention of Moses’ and Aaron’s
grandsons in this section [18: 30; 20: 28], which
would place events back during the early years of this period of time).
And this would account for the summary statement concerning the absence of a king in
As previously stated, this period covering the time of the
judges follows the death of Joshua and ends with the inauguration of
The names translated “Joshua” and “Jesus”
in the Hebrew and Greek texts of the Old and New Testaments are the same word in their
respective languages, both meaning “Salvation.” This is why the KJV
translators misused “Jesus” instead of “Joshua” in both Acts
7: 45 and Heb. 4: 8. Rather
than a mistranslation, there is a misuse of names, for, again, both are the same word in their
respective languages.
(Note
how the eight visions in Zech. 1: 7 - 6: 8 terminate
in the verses immediately following the last vision - with the crowning of “Joshua” in connection with “the
man whose name is the BRANCH,”
Who will [after His return] “build the temple of the Lord” [Zech. 6: 11-13].
“The BRANCH” is a Messianic title, used of Israel’s Messiah, Whose
name is Joshua / Jesus [cf. Zech.
2: 8-10; 6: 11-13]. Note
the Messianic nature of both of the referenced passages, along with the name “Joshua” used with the title “the BRANCH” in both passages.)
[Page 55]
The Jewish people are living today between these same two
times - between the death of Jesus (rather than Joshua) and the Jewish people possessing their King (their great
King-Priest after the order of Melchizedek rather than Saul).
That is to say, the Jewish people are living today between the time when they crucified
their Messiah and the time when their Messiah will return as the great
King-Priest after the order of Melchizedek.
As well, in the preceding respect, the Jewish people today are
also living during a time when they are not only without a King, but a time when everyone is doing that
which is right in his own eyes.
1) Judges Chapter Nineteen
But, as has been shown earlier in this chapter from Rev. 17: 1ff, things are about to change. The
harlot is about to be destroyed.
And exactly the same thing is seen toward the end of the Book
of Judges, during the period of time between the death of Joshua / Jesus and
the appearance of
There is an account part way through the epilogue section of
Judges which foreshadows exactly the same thing as seen by the harlot woman
being burned with fire in Rev. 17: 1 - 19: 6.
In Judges chapter nineteen there is an account of a Levite and
his concubine, his wife. The Levite had
taken her as his wife and moved her from
This was followed four months later by the man taking a hired
servant and travelling to
Enroute from
After sitting in the streets of the city for awhile, waiting
for someone in the city to befriend them and offer lodging for the night, an
old man came in from his work in the fields, saw them, and offered them a place
where both their animals (donkeys) and [Page 56] the three of them could spend the night (vv. 10-21).
Then, after all had been properly taken care of (the animals
and the three travellers), “the men of the city, certain sons of Belial” (a reference to worthless men of the city), came to the house, and began to beat on the door,
demanding that “the man” inside the
house (evidently the husband of the adulterous concubine) be brought out so
that they could have homosexual relations with him.
It is the same picture seen back in Genesis chapter nineteen
after
In keeping with Eastern hospitality, protecting guests inside
one’s home at all costs, in Genesis chapter nineteen, Lot had offered his two
virgin daughters instead (v. 8); and the man in Judges chapter nineteen, did
the same thing, offering his own virgin daughter, along with the man’s
concubine.
The men of the city took only the man’s concubine, and they “abused her all the night
until morning.” And, when they had finished with her and the
night was almost over, they let her go.
She made her way back to the house where her husband resided,
and, at the dawning of the day, fell at the door of the house and evidently
died (vv. 22-26).
At this point in the story, there are two women. One was a harlot who had been sexually abused
throughout the night by the men of the city; and the other was a virgin whom
the men of the city had left at the house, untouched.
When the concubine’s husband came out and found his wife
unresponsive, he loaded her upon one of the animals and continued the journey
to his home on
Once there, he took a knife, cut the harlot into twelve
pieces, and sent the pieces “into all the coasts of
And the account closes with this statement:
“And it was so that all that saw it [a piece of the dead
harlot] said, There was no such deed done
nor seen from that day that the children of Israel came up out of the land of
Egypt unto this day...” (v.
30a).
[Page 57]
2) Parallel Accounts, Judges and Revelation
Scripture presents exactly the same picture, from two
different perspectives, in both Judg. 19: 1-30 and Rev. 12: 1 - 20: 6. In both
passages you have:
1)
2) An account of both a harlot and a virtuous woman.
In Judges, the men of the
city, seen as base men, took and abused the Levite’s wife, a harlot,
throughout the night, bringing about
her death as a new day
dawned.
But the host’s virgin daughter remained untouched by the men of the city.
Then, the husband of the dead harlot cut her body into twelve parts, “together with her bones,” and sent one piece of the dead
harlot’s body to each of the twelve tribes of
The harlot was gone, the virtuous woman lived, and the complete matter had to do with the entire nation (Judg. 20: 4-6).
Now, note how this is presented in Rev.
12: 1 - 20: 6. Two women are
seen. In chapter twelve, a woman, clothed with the sun, in
possession of regality is seen. Then, beginning in chapter seventeen and
continuing through the first six verses of chapter nineteen, the same woman
from chapter twelve reappears, though now presented as a harlot, associated with the world, but
in possession of regality, exactly as previously seen in Rev. 12: 1 (17:
18).
And, as in the account in Judges, the
harlot is seen being abused throughout the night - throughout the time of “the darkness of this world,” prior to the time that “the Sun of righteousness” arises “with healing in his wings” (cf. Mal. 4: 2; Eph. 6: 12).
The harlot has been, is being, and will be abused at the hands of those to
whom she was given - the Gentile nations.
God gave a nation already in the throws of harlotry over to
the Gentile nations; He drove His people out among the nations, among her lovers, to
effect repentance through persecution at the hands of her lovers.
Then, note how the nations have abused the harlot throughout the night in Rev. 18: 3:
[Page 58]
“For all nations have drunk of the
wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the
kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the
abundance of her delicacies.”
As
But all of this is about to change.
The men of the city killed the harlot in Judges. And the complete picture has to do with a slain harlot subsequently cut into
twelve pieces, with one piece sent to each of the twelve tribes of
In Revelation, the corresponding picture has to do with God
using the Gentile power of that coming day to slay the harlot. In this future instance, foreshadowed by events in judges
chapter nineteen, the harlot will be burned with fire, the smoke of her burning will ascend
up throughout the endless ages (i.e., the harlot will never live again; Israel’s harlotry will forever be a thing
of the past), and this will have to do with the whole
house of Israel, all twelve tribes (seen by pieces of the harlot sent to all
twelve tribes in Judges, implicating the entire nation).
And, exactly as in the account in Judges, the Gentile nations,
into whose hands the harlot has been delivered, cannot touch the virtuous woman (
And in that coming day, because of that which will then ensue,
Judg. 19:
30 can only, once again, be seen applying to
all throughout the twelve tribes who witness that to which these two sections
of Scripture apply. That stated in this
verse, projected out into that coming day, would read something like this:
“And all that see it in that day [the dissected harlot/the burned
harlot - the destroyed harlot, with only
the virtuous, untouched woman then existing] will only be
able to say, There has been no such deed done nor seen from the
day that the children of Israel came up out of the land of Egypt unto this day [throughout 3,500 years of Jewish history, with nothing like this ever seen during all
that time; nor will it ever be seen again, for Israel’s harlotry will never
exist again].”
* *
*
[Page 59]
CHAPTER IV
Burned in Fire, Ground to Powder
SCATTERED IN THE WATERS, THE PEOPLE MADE TO DRINK
And when the
people saw that Moses delayed to come down out of the mount, the people gathered themselves together unto
Aaron, and said unto him, Up, make us gods, which shall go
before us; for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of
Egypt, we wot not what is become of him.
And Aaron said
unto them, Break off the
golden earrings, which are in the ears of your wives, of your sons, and of your
daughters, and bring them unto me.
And all the
people brake off the golden earrings which were in their ears and brought them
unto Aaron.
And he
received them at their hand, and
fashioned it with a graving tool, after he had made it a molten calf: and they said,
These be thy
gods,
O
And when Aaron
saw it, he built an altar
before it; and Aaron made proclamation, and said, Tomorrow is a feast to the Lord.
And they rose
up early on the morrow, and
offered burnt-offerings, and brought
peace-offerings: and the people sat
down to eat and to drink, and rose up to
play (Ex. 32: 1-6).
An
equally graphic picture of
[Page 60]
Moses had previously dealt with the subject matter at some
length in Genesis chapter thirty-eight, somewhat introducing that subsequently
seen in a more graphic and fuller respect in Exodus (refer to Chapter II,
pp. 30, 31 in this book).
And, because of the overall subject matter in Exodus - dealing with
The foundation was laid in Genesis, and additional detail was then given in Exodus. This was then followed by information on the subject in
numerous parts of the Old Testament (e.g.,
Judges 19: 1ff;
Isa. 1: 21ff; Jer. 3: 1ff; Ezek. 16: 1ff; Hosea 1: 2ff), culminating in three chapters in the closing
book of Scripture, the Book of Revelation (17-19a).
The subject matter in Moses’ writings and the subject matter
in John’s writings parallel one another.
Both form a Pentateuch, though John’s writings are not set together in
the New Testament as Moses’ are in the Old Testament.
Genesis and the Gospel of John parallel one another.
Exodus and Revelation parallel one another. Leviticus and I John parallel
one another. Numbers and II John
parallel one another. Deuteronomy and
III John parallel one another.
(For information on the preceding, refer to the author’s book,
MOSES AND JOHN.)
And not only should it be quite natural to see Israel’s
harlotry dealt with in a full and graphic respect in Exodus, as it is in
Revelation, but something additional is seen as well.
In Exodus, attention is called to
In Revelation, attention is called to
(Thus, comparing Scripture with Scripture, in both Exodus and
Revelation,
Note that “a mountain” is used
in Scripture, in a metaphorical respect, to depict a kingdom [cf. Isa. 2: 14; Dan. 2: 35, 44, 45]. Christ is today in the Mount, in
heaven, seated with His Father on a throne from whence a universal kingdom is
governed [Ps. 110:
1; Rev. 3: 21].)
As well, though the matter in Exodus has to do first and
foremost with
Thus, after dealing with Israel, as seen in both Moses and John, a section of this
chapter will then be given over to how the Church can be seen in all of this as well - prostituting her heavenly calling just like Israel is prostituting her
earthly calling, And the Church is presently doing it exactly like Israel is
presently doing it.
Overall scope of Exodus, Revelation
As previously seen, events in the Book of Exodus and events in [Page 62] John’s Book of Revelation parallel one another. And, in this respect, “Exodus” could be called the Apocalypse of the Old Testament.
The complete Book of Exodus (minus the opening seven verses
[connecting events in the book with those in the latter part of Genesis] and
most of chapter two [an aside in the book, relating Moses’ birth and the first
eighty years of his life]) parallels events which begin in Revelation chapter
six and continue into the first part of chapter twenty. However, as will be shown, each book provides
an abundance of detailed information not seen in the other book.
1) The Assyrian, Post and Future
Following the introductory seven verses of the book, Exodus
begins, from a typical standpoint, where Revelation chapter six begins - with
In the historical setting in Exodus, the Assyrians had
previously conquered
Then, the coming world ruler in the Book of Revelation is
referred to a number of times in the Old Testament as “an Assyrian,” in complete keeping with the type
in Exodus (Isa. 10: 5; 14: 25; 23: 13; 30: 31; 31: 8; Hosea 11: 5; Micah 5: 5, 6).
And there is a reason why this man is referred to as “an Assyrian” in this manner. According to Daniel’s prophecy, he will arise
out of the territory covered by the northern part of Alexander the Great’s kingdom,
which was
Territory covered during modern times by this division of the
kingdom would include parts of northern
(Reference to the preceding is seen in
Dan. 7: 23-25; 8: 8-14, 21-25; 11: 3, 4, 21-45 [cf.
Ps. 83: 1ff; Rev. 13: 1ff, 17: 8ff]. The future Assyrian, [Page 63] coming out of
the northern division of this kingdom, must control the complete kingdom -
not just the northern division - in order to become the world ruler seen in the
fourth part of Daniel’s image [ch.
2] or the fourth great beast [ch. 7].
Thus, of necessity, he must conquer the other three parts
of the kingdom, taking control of the complete empire that had existed under
Alexander the Great. This is the only way that he
can become world ruler. He must control the
complete Babylonian kingdom depicted
by the third part of the great image and the third great beast.
[In that coming day, when this is fulfilled, these three kings
will be seen as still present, for
the entire first three parts of the image will be seen as still existing (these three parts of the image have to
do with a Babylonian kingdom which has never been destroyed, only conquered). The
whole of that depicted by the image (all four parts) is seen living,
in a composite respect, at the time of its destruction (cf.
Dan. 2: 34, 35, 44, 45; 7: 11, 12).
Thus this man can conquer the remaining three parts of
Alexander the Great’s kingdom, for, as part of the complete image, they can
only be seen as still present when he
appears on the scene.]
The preceding is one of numerous reasons why
This future Assyrian’s kingdom begins at and continues from
this point in the sequence covered by the great image and the great beasts,
becoming the fourth and final part of the great image [the “legs of iron’ and the ‘feet
part of iron and part of clay”], the fourth and final great beast [the “dreadful and terrible” beast].
For additional information on the preceding, refer to the
author’s book, THE
TIME OF THE END, Chapter XXIV [“The
Beast - in Daniel”]; or refer to the author’s book, MIDDLE EAST PEACE ‑
HOW? WHEN?, Chs. IX, X [“The
Great Image, Great Beasts. I, II”].)
2) Structure of Exodus and Revelation
Though each book covers the complete panorama of events
occurring during the same time seen in the other book, each book [Page 64] covers these events in a different manner, with numerous events seen in one
book either more complete or less complete than in the other book. And, in this same respect, some events seen
in one book are not seen at all in the other book.
Thus, additions to a developing word picture from one book can be derived from the
other book, forming a more complete picture.
(None of the sixty-six books in Scripture can be overlooked
with respect to providing information of a similar nature to the preceding,
with everything moving toward that coming seventh day, the Messianic Era. Each book will provide some data not seen in
any of the other books. And only when
all of the revelation in the different books is seen together and understood
after the manner in which God structured the material can the complete picture be seen,
exactly as God has revealed it and desires man to see it.)
As previously seen, both Exodus (chs. 1ff
[following the first seven verses]) and Revelation (chs. 6ff)
begin at the same place - the Israelites subjected to an
Assyrian ruler.
In the type,
this subjugation has to do with the Israelites in “
The latter-day Assyrian in the Book of Revelation will rule a
worldwide kingdom. He is seen aspiring
to this position when the first seal of the seven-sealed scroll is broken in
the opening two verses of chapter six, and he is seen coming into this position
when the second seal is broken in the next two verses (vv.
3, 4). And at this time he will turn upon and seek to
destroy the Jewish people from off the face of the earth.
(For additional information on the preceding, refer to the
author’s book, THE
TIME OF THE END, Chapters X, XI.)
This section in the Book of Revelation (6: 1ff), after
beginning at the same point as the Book of Exodus (1:
8ff), provides detailed information about
Israel and the nations during the Tribulation (something dealt with in both
books with respect to Israel being brought to the place of repentance through
persecution at the hands of the nations).
[Page 65]
In Exodus though, this is dealt with very sparingly compared
to Revelation. Rather, Exodus, in its
type-antitype structure, in the latter part of chapter three, moves all the way
to events which will occur in connection with
These events will occur in connection with and following
Christ’s return, as they occurred in connection with and following Moses’ return
in Exodus. As well, in the type, they
occurred preceding the establishment of the theocracy (the kingdom) in the camp
of
It must also be understood that the Book of Revelation, rather
than being written in chronological order, is structured like much of the rest
of Scripture. A complete panorama of
events is often given, followed by commentary.
Scripture begins this way in Genesis, and it ends this way in
Revelation.
In the preceding respect, Christ’s return at the end of the
Tribulation is seen three different places in that section covering the
Tribulation and the time immediately following (6:
14-17; 14: 14-20; 19: 11-21).
(For more information on the preceding structure of
Revelation, refer to the author’s book, COMING IN HIS KINGDOM, Chapter IV.)
3) Moses’ Return, Christ’s Return
When Moses returned at the end of his time spent in Midian, Aaron met and accompanied him when he appeared
with signs before
Then Aaron accompanied Moses when he appeared in the Assyrian
Pharaoh’s presence with the message which God had commanded that he deliver (Ex. 5: 1ff):
“Thus saith the Lord,
And I say unto thee, Let my son go, that he may serve me; and if
thou refuse to let him go, behold, I will slay thy son, even thy firstborn” (Ex. 4: 22, 23).
[Page 66]
When Christ returns at the end of His time in heaven, He will
be accompanied by both Moses and Elijah (Matt.
16: 28 - 17: 5; again,
refer to the author’s book, COMING IN HIS KINGDOM). Both men will evidently be very instrumental
in events with Christ, having to do with
Elijah’s prophesied ministry to Israel (Mal. 11-3; 4: 5, 6) - having
to do with that seen over 2,800 years
ago on Mt. Carniel (1
Kings 18: 39), bringing about belief on the part of the entire
nation in that previously recorded by the prophets - can occur only at a time following Christ’s return (for belief of a nature which Elijah will
once again effect in the whole camp of Israel is not seen occurring in
Scripture until this time).
Then Moses, very likely, will accompany Christ into the
Assyrian ruler’s presence to announce exactly the same thing which he and Aaron
announced to the Assyrian Pharaoh in their day.
And when the future Assyrian refuses to heed this statement and warning,
God will possibly use Moses to execute judgments upon the Assyrian’s kingdom,
exactly as He did in history (Ex. 5: 1ff).
The end result of the matter can only be belief on
Once
(For information on the fulfilment of that foreshadowed by
these seven festivals, refer to the author’s book, COMING IN HIS KINGDOM, Appendix II,
“The Seven
Jewish Festivals.”)
The fulfilment of that foreshadowed in this first festival
will bring about two things:
1) The salvation of the
entire Jewish nation when they appropriate (through belief) the blood of the
Paschal Lamb which they slew 2,000 years ago.
[Page 67]
2) An ultimate end to
the Assyrian’s kingdom, seen in the national death of the firstborn in relation
to Satan’s governmental rule through the nations.
In one respect, this is where the transfer of power actually
occurs - Satan’s firstborn slain on the one hand, with the rebirth of a nation
relative to God’s firstborn on the other hand.
Then that which awaits God’s firstborn is a removal from a worldwide dispersion,
as occurred in a removal from
And that which awaits Satan’s firstborn is complete destruction,
as seen in the destruction of the Assyrian Pharaoh’s armed forces in the
Red Sea in the type (cf. Ex. 14: 13-31; Rev. 19: 17-21).
Beyond that, in the type, there was the giving of the Law (the
Old Covenant), the instructions pertaining to the tabernacle and its worship,
and the establishment of the theocracy (upon completion of the tabernacle, with
the Glory indwelling the Holy of Holies), all occurring at Sinai (Ex. 20-40).
And beyond that, in the antitype, there will be a New Covenant
made with Israel, along with a restoration of the theocracy - a restoration of the Glory in a temple which Messiah Himself will build (Jer. 31:
31-33; Ezek. 37: 26; 40; 1ff; Zech. 6: 11-13).
In the Mount, Then... (Moses and
The Book of Exodus, in its fuller scope, beginning with the
opening seven verses, covers a period of time in Jewish history lasting
slightly over two centuries - from the time that the Israelites came down into
The Israelites were in
(For information on these 210 years in relation to the
400-year or 430-year sojourn of Abraham’s seed in connection with the departure
of the Israelites from Egypt [Gen. 15: 13; Ex. 12: 40, 41; cf.
Gal. 3: 17], refer to Chapter VI, “The Selfsame Day,” in the author’s
book, WE ARE
ALMOST THERE. Refer also to pp. 84-89 in Chapter V of this book.)
[Page 68]
As also previously seen, the Book of Exodus, in its overall
type picking up in verse eight of chapter one - a new king arising over Egypt,
an Assyrian - deals with Israel, yet future, during and immediately following
the Tribulation. In this respect, the
complete book, save the opening seven verses and part of the second chapter,
has to do with
The Book forms one overall type dealing with
1) Arrival at
From Ex.
19: 1, when the Israelites under Moses arrived
at Mt. Sinai “in the third month,” following the departure from Egypt in the middle of
the first month, Moses, over time, is seen making at least seven ascents and
descents of Mt.
(The exact number of ascents and
descents is somewhat open to question, depending on how certain statements
relative to the matter are understood. Some interpreter's see as many as nine
ascents and descents.
In one respect, the exact number of ascents and descents Moses
made at
Whether all seven of these ascents of
As well, there are forty-day periods in connection with the
last three ascents and descents, with time involved in the first four
unrevealed.
With the arrival of the Israelites at Sinai sometime during
the third month following the Exodus from Egypt, followed by four unrevealed
periods of time when Moses ascended and descended [Page 69] Mt. Sinai, followed by three forty-day periods (120 days,
four months, showing three complete periods of time), the subsequent time involved in building the tabernacle (in
existence one year following the Exodus) could have been no more than several
months (a time less than five months).
The single type within the overall larger type, from which
material in the remainder of this chapter will be taken - for both
2) Moses in the Mount, Then...
At the time of Moses’ fifth ascent up
If the Israelites kept this covenant, they would dwell in a
land flowing with milk and honey, be elevated above all the notions, and the
notions would not only be reached by Israel with the message of the one true
and living God but be blessed through Israel as well (Lev.
26: 1-13; Num. 14: 8; Deut. 14: 1, 2; 28: 1-14; Isa.
43: 9, 10; Jonah 1: 1, 2; 3: 1, 2).
However, if the Israelites failed to keep this covenant, they
would be removed from a land left desolate, be placed at the tail of the
nations, and the nations would be left estranged from both the message of the
one true and living God and the blessings which God had reserved for them
through Israel (Lev. 26: 18-39; Deut. 28: 15-67).
[Page 70]
Nations rather than individuals were being dealt with in the
preceding respect - the nation of
And
The tabernacle formed the dwelling place of God within the
theocracy; the priests ministered on behalf of the people, representing them to
God; and the Law, the Magna Charta for the theocracy, formed the rules and
regulations governing the nation of
Thus, Moses was in God’s presence, in the Mount, making the
necessary preparations for God’s firstborn son down at the foot of the Mount to
realize the rights of primogeniture within the theocracy about to be
established.
a) The Nation of
But the people of
And their association with these gods was to subsequently be
realized through Action fashioning a golden calf for them to worship - an
image, associated with gods, which, again, they could only have known about through their prior association with
Thus, the eventual scene is that of a nation, having grown
tired of awaiting the return of their deliverer from the Mount, forsaking the God of their fathers,
turning back to a Gentile nation from which they had been delivered, and
involving themselves [Page 71] in the worship of other gods through a pagan image
which their religious leader (Aaron) fashioned and formed for them.
Through this means the people of
In a respect, they could not have sunk lower. And their spiritual leader, during the time
of Moses’ absence, not only acquiesced to their desires but took them down this
path himself by building the golden
calf for them to worship (Ex. 32: 2-6, 23-25).
(The calf which Aaron built was evidently formed through first
carving a calf from wood. Then the
wooden calf, once finished, was overlaid with gold plating.
That the calf was evidently designed and built in this manner
can be seen from the way Moses, upon his return, destroyed the calf [to be
dealt with later].)
Aaron used gold collected from the people to build the
calf. And once the work had been
completed, the people openly acknowledged this calf to be “thy gods,
O Israel, which brought
thee up out of the
The people of
They celebrated “a feast to the Lord” through pagan rituals and pagan gods, seen in the
words, “the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play” (vv. 4-6).
Thus, it is little wonder that the Lord, in His anger over the
[Page 72] matter, singled
Aaron out, sought to slay him along with the entire nation, and begin anew with
a nation which would emanate from the loins of Moses (Ex.
32: 7-10; Deut. 9: 20)!
And, the only thing which saved Aaron and the remainder of the
people was Moses’ intercession on their behalf (Ex.
32: 11-14; Deut. 9: 18-29). In a respect, God placed the fate of the
entire nation in Moses’ hands, which demonstrates how favourably God looked
upon Moses at this time.
(During the forty-day period that Moses spent in the Mount
following his fifth ascent of Sinai, evidently toward the end of this time, the
Lord revealed to Moses what was occurring in the camp of
Then, following his return and taking care of matters, he
ascended the Mount a sixth time and interceded with the Lord on the people's
behalf for a period of forty more days and nights [the reason for the sixth
ascent of the Mount].
Thus, there are at least two periods when Moses interceded for
the people in this respect - an unrevealed period of time before he left the
Mount with the Decalogue and a forty-day period after he ascended the Mount a
sixth time [cf. Ex. 32: 11-14; Deut. 9: 18-29].
And Moses’ seventh and last ascent of the Mount was to receive
once again the Decalogue on tables of stone which he had broken at the foot of
the Mount following his return to the camp at the end of the forty-day period
spent on the Mount during his fifth ascent.)
But, to see the complete account unfold exactly as Scripture
lays it out, one needs to begin with Moses’ descent from the Mount at the time
harlotry in the camp was seen running rampant, at an apex.
b) Moses’ Return, an End to
When Moses came down from the Mount following his fifth ascent
of Sinai, he carried the two tables of stone, engraved with the ten
commandments, the centrepiece for the Magna Charta governing the people within
the theocracy. And when Moses neared the
camp with Aaron who had gone out to meet him, he heard [Page 73] the
revelry among the people and then saw that which the Lord had told him about, concerning which he had previously prayed
about,
on behalf of the people, prior to
descending the Mount:
“And it came to pass, as soon as he came nigh to the camp, that he saw the calf, and the
dancing: and Moses’ anger waxed hot, and he cast the tables out of his hands, and brake them beneath the mount.
And he took the calf which they had made, and burnt it
in the fire, and ground it to powder, and strawed it upon the water, and made the children of
Note what
Their harlotry had brought about nakedness (v. 25), which
is explained in the verse. Nakedness in this verse has to do with what
their actions had caused to occur throughout the camp, with no one excluded.
Looking back to
This resulted in exposing them to “shame among their enemies” (which would be particularly the
nations dwelling in the land of their inheritance), leaving them “naked” in this respect (the word used in a
somewhat symbolic sense).
Seeing this, Moses in his anger, cast the two tables of stone
to the ground, breaking them and showing in the account that which
Then note the manner in which Moses destroyed the calf. He “burnt it with
fire, and stamped it, and ground it very small, even
until it was small as dust” (cf. Ex.
32: 20; Deut. 9: 18).
As previously seen, the inner core of the calf was evidently
wood, which was burned in the fire, leaving nothing but ash. Then the outer gold plating was stomped upon
and ground to fine powder, fine as dust.
[Page 74]
After the calf had been completely destroyed in this manner,
the remains of the calf - now gold dust, mixed with ash dust - was cast “into the brook that
descended out of the mount” (Ex. 32:
20; Deut.
9: 21). And the people were then made to drink of
their harlotry in connection with two things:
1) In connection with “peoples, and multitudes, and nations,
and tongues” (drinking the gold dust in the water of the brook [cf.
Rev. 17: 1, 15 in association with the harlot as seen
in the Book of Revelation]).
2) In connection with “the theocracy” (the brook descended out of the Mount).
That is to say, the nation of
This is what
The harlot,
In the type in Exodus, following the destruction of Israel’s
harlotry and things being set right in this respect, matters in the book move
toward the nation of Israel realizing why God had removed His people, His
firstborn son, from Egypt.
Moses once again, and for the last time, went back up into the
Mount. He went up to receive once again
the Decalogue on two tablets of stone.
After forty days and nights, he came down from the Mount [Page 75] and construction of the tabernacle
with its priestly worship began in earnest.
And, in the lost chapter of the book, chapter forty, the work had been
completed, the Glory indwelt the tabernacle, and a theocratic kingdom then existed
in the camp.
Then, with Israel’s harlotry a thing of the past, with the
people in possession of an existing theocracy and the Magna Charta for the
kingdom, the nation was ready to travel to the land to which the people of
Israel had been called - the land covenanted to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob - and
realize in that land all that the theocracy and their position therein
portended.
3) Christ in the Mount, Then...
That foreshadowed by the type in the Book of Exodus, seen in
all its fulness once again in the antitype in the Book of Revelation, deals,
not with just Moses’ day but with the days of the coming of the Son of Man as
well. That seen in the type under Moses
will find its ultimate and complete fulfilment under the One greater than
Moses, under Jesus the Christ.
The settings in both accounts, as previously seen, are
identical. The scene has both Men (Moses
and Christ) in the Mount at a time immediately prior to their descent from the
Mount and return to the camp of
In short, one can read about Christ’s return to deal with
Thus, the future account of that which will occur relative to
Moses came down with the Old Covenant; Christ is coming [Page 76] down with the
New Covenant. But the harlot who has
broken the Old Covenant will have to be destroyed, with the nation, which can’t be destroyed, rising like a phoenix from the ashes.
And, exactly as in the type, a theocracy in the land
covenanted to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob awaits the nation following the destruction of the
harlot.
In the preceding respect, if one wants to study about Christ
and
It’s all there, like a virgin forest, waiting to be
explored. It has been there for 3,500
years, and many over the years have passed this way, exploring and mining its
treasures. But no one has ever taken
anything away; nor can anyone take anything away. Everything is still there, exactly as it has
always been for countless centuries, awaiting any and all who desire to mine
its treasures.
In the Mount, Then... (Christ and the Church)
The preceding forms the primary interpretation seen in Exodus
chapter thirty-two, along with the recap seen in Deuteronomy chapter nine,
providing additional information. But
there is a secondary application which can be easily seen in that which
Scripture reveals about the Church.
The type in Exodus deals primarily with Israel at the end of
the Jewish dispensation and immediately beyond (at the end of Daniel’s
Seventy-Week prophecy [fulfilling the last seven years of the previous
dispensation, the Jewish dispensation] and immediately beyond), and a secondary
application would be seen in the type dealing with the Church at the end of the
present dispensation and immediately beyond.
Scripture presents the same bleak picture pertaining to both Israel and the Church at the end of
their respective dispensations - a condition in which Israel presently finds itself, which will continue on into and
through the Tribulation (Daniel’s Seventieth Week, ending the Jewish
dispensation); and a condition in which the Church as well
presently finds itself, which will, in
like manner, continue to the end of the present dispensation.
[Page 77]
1) Two Places in the New Testament
To depict the picture pertaining to the Church as it currently
exists, since Exodus chapter thirty-two is being dealt with, we’ll begin doing
it from that chapter first. Then we’ll
go to Matthew chapter thirteen and Revelation chapter three to provide some
complementary, additional information to help complete the picture.
Christ, following events seen at His first coming, resulting
in the necessity of the Church being brought into existence (a new entity
called into existence to be the recipient of that which Israel had rejected,
which had been taken from Israel - the proffered ‘kingdom of the heavens’), has gone back into the Mount, back
to heaven (cf. Matt. 21: 33-45; 25: 14ff; Luke 19:
12ff.
And He is going to remain in the Mount, for a complete period of time,
exactly as Moses remained in the Mount for a complete period of time in the
type (Ex. 24:
18; Deut.
9: 9).
Prior to the end of that complete period of time (forty days
in the type, 2,000 years in the antitype), when Christ returns for the Church,
exactly as in the type, the Church will be seen in the
same state as Israel before Moses came down from the Mount. And though this would not normally be seen
and recognized in today’s Christendom, the Church presently existing as
There are two places in the New Testament where a succinct,
overall history of the Church throughout the dispensation is seen. And this history is seen from God’s perspective, not from man’s.
One account was given during Christ’s earthly ministry in
Matthew chapter thirteen, and the other account was given by John, in the
second and third chapters of the Book of Revelation following Christ’s
ascension. And the two accounts present
matters from the some perspective, centering on that which would occur in
Christendom throughout the 2,000-year dispensation relative to the proclamation of ‘the Word of the Kingdom,’ along with why this would occur.
2) The Matthew Thirteen Parables
The first four parables in Matthew chapter thirteen, recording
[Page 78] the first of the
two accounts of the history of the Church in the New Testament, have their
setting in the previous chapter. In
chapter twelve, Christ had performed a number of supernatural signs, which had
been rejected by the religious leaders and consequently the people at
large. And this rejection had gone to
the point of ascribing the supernatural power through which these signs had
been performed to Satan (vv. 9-30).
Then after Christ stated a number of things pertaining to the
consequences of this rejection and blasphemy (vv.
31-45), a
rejection which had reached an apex in Christ’s ministry, matters move into
that seen in chapter thirteen, which begins:
“The same day went Jesus out of the
house and sat by the seaside. And great
multitudes were gathered togetherunto him...”
(vv. 1, 2a).
The picture is that of Jesus, because of the type rejection
which He had previously experienced, leaving the house (the house of
Then in chapter thirteen, the first four parables present the
complete history of this new entity throughout the dispensation relative to the
proclamation of that which had been rejected by Israel, taken from Israel, and
offered to this new entity.
And the parables carry the reader from the point of fruit-bearing at the beginning of the
dispensation to a
completely leavened Church at the end of the dispensation.
Both the fruit-bearing and the leavening process have to be
understood in relation to the subject matter at hand, ‘the Word of the
Kingdom’ - which is not
only the announced subject matter in the chapter but the subject matter seen
contextually as well. The work of Satan
and his angels, by sowing tares among the wheat (second parable) and eventually
taking Christendom into the very realm which Satan and his angels occupied
(world government [Page 79] among the nations [third parable]), not only stopped
fruit-bearing but ultimately brought matters into the state seen in the fourth
parable - a completely leavened
Church.
And note once again the subject matter in these first four
parables, along with who is being dealt with (the subject matter and identity of the one being
dealt with are seen both textually and contextually). The subject matter has to do with the work of Satan and his angels in
relation to the ‘Word of the Kingdom’, and this work is
seen being done among Christians throughout the [present and apostate] dispensation.
Thus, these four parables present a history of Christendom throughout the
dispensation, from God’s perspective, not man’s. And this history has to do with that which Satan and his angels would be allowed
to accomplish throughout 2,000 years of Church
history in relation to the
proclamation of ‘the Word of the
Kingdom’ among Christians - complete, total corruption.
(For additional information on the preceding, refer to the
author’s book, MYSTERIES
OF THE KINGDOM.)
3) Revelation Chapters Two and Three
These two chapters in the Book of Revelation present a dual word picture.
The central word picture presented is that of the removal of the Church and the appearance of Christians before Christ’s
judgment seat at the end of the dispensation, seen in chapter one (vv. 10-18). Then
the subsequent two chapters (two and three) simply continue with the same
subject matter from chapter one and present different facets of this judgment,
both negative and positive.
But, continuing on into chapter four, beginning at the same
place seen in chapter one (the removal of the Church at the end of the dispensation, the rapture), it
appears evident that there is a secondary word picture seen in chapters two and
three as well (ref. Chapter VII
in the author’s book, THE TIME OF THE END).
These two chapters not only present the Church before Christ’s judgment
seat but present a history of the Church throughout the dispensation,
beginning with the Church in Ephesus, which left its “first love” (2:
4), and ending with the Church in Laodicea,
which is seen as “wretched, and miserable,
and poor, and blind,
and naked” (3: 17).
[Page 80]
And all of this is relative to the same
thing previously seen in the Matthew thirteen parables -
relative to the proclamation of ‘the Word of the Kingdom’ among Christians throughout the dispensation.
It can be no other way, for the latter account of Church history
throughout the dispensation must be in complete agreement with the former
account.
And this can easily be seen throughout the account. There is an overcomer’s promise to each of the seven Churches in the seven
short epistles making up these two chapters, and it is evident that these overcomer’s promises are millennial in their scope of
fulfilment.
That is to say, though presented from a different perspective,
everything is exactly
the same as previously seen in the first four parables of Matthew chapter
thirteen, which
move toward the same goal.
The work of Satan and his angels attacking the proclamation of the ‘Word of the Kingdom’
is the subject matter throughout, whether in Matthew chapter
thirteen or in Revelation chapters two and three. And that which Satan and his angels are allowed to accomplish is the
same in both - taking matters in Christendom from fruit-bearing, to leaving one’s first love,
to seeing total and complete corruption existing in the
Churches of the land.
(For additional information on the preceding, refer to the
authors book, JUDGMENT
SEAT OF CHRIST.)
4) Satan and His Angels
The introduction of Satan in Scripture, in Gen. 3: 1ff, in association with the first man, the first
Adam, presents an individual well-versed in the ways of God and that which God had said. And exactly the same thing is seen in his interaction
with the second Man, the last Adam in Matt. 4: 1ff, or
anyplace else in Scripture where Satan’s activities are seen.
Satan uses the Word; and he knows full-well how to use the
Word in a deceptive manner, evident at the beginning in Gen. 3: 1ff, establishing a first-mention principle at
this early point in Scripture on how Satan will always appear. He will always appear in a deceptive
manner, and he will always, after some
fashion. use the Word of God in his deception.
[Page 81]
In this respect, God has His deep things, and Satan has his deep things (1 Cor. 2:
10; Rev. 2: 24). Satan uses the Word in this manner to counter
that which the Word actually has to say, centering his attack upon that
previously dealt with in the Books of 1, 2 Samuel (cf. 2 Cor. 4: 3-6). And, to accomplish his purpose through the
preceding means, Satan appears, as “an angel of light,” and his ministers “as the ministers of righteousness” (2 Cor. 11: 13-15).
Thus, if you want to find Satan and his ministers, don’t go to
the entertainment centers of the world. Go where the Word is being proclaimed. And don’t
look for Satan and his ministers the way that they are often depicted. Rather,
look for those advocating what may
appear to be messages associated with light and
righteousness, not with
messages associated with darkness and unrighteousness.
Look for Satan and his
ministers occupying the chair of Bible in colleges and seminaries; look for them occupying the pulpits of the Churches of the land on Sunday morning, Sunday
night.
They occupy these
places to make certain that the one message Satan doesn’t want
proclaimed is not proclaimed. And how well Satan and his ministers
have succeeded over time can easily be
seen from the almost universal absence
of this message [‘of the
kingdom’] from the Bible colleges, the seminaries, and
the pulpits of the Churches of the land today.
And because, over time, the deep things of God have become so
watered down with the deep things of Satan, the Churches have been left so
emasculated that they have had to invite the world into the Church to maintain
some semblance of attendance - their music, their message, their inclusion of
entertainment, etc. Conditions have
become so bad that one often doesn’t know what is
Christian and what is the world.
Thus, if an individual wants to see “the world” in which Satan and his angels dwell,
the best place to look
today would not be in the world’s entertainment centers but in the Churches. That seen out in the world in which we live is not
really the world in its true form, i.e., a
form with respect to that associated with the central work of Satan and his
angels.
And with that in mind, go back to the accounts of the golden calf in Exodus and the Church in Laodicea in Revelation, noting the words “naked” and “nakedness” in
both accounts (Ex. 32: 25; [Page 82] Rev.
3: 17, 18). Aaron,
through his actions, “had made them naked.” And it is no different in the Churches of the land today.
In the type, the naked condition of the Israeli people was caused by the actions of the people’s spiritual leader.
And the same thing can only
be seen among Christians
in the Churches of the land.
Their spiritual leaders, through their [false interpretations of unfulfilled prophecy and] actions, have
“made them
naked.”
The same picture of harlotry - a forbidden association with
the world - is seen in both instances.
And the end of the matter is then seen in Exodus chapter
thirty-two. There will be a future accounting in which
everything associated with the world will be burned. And the accounting for [all duped and kept in the dark] Christians in that coming [millennial] day will be completely in line
with the accounting which the Israelites experienced under Moses.
And the entire matter will be with a view
to exactly the same thing seen in the
type - the [messianic and millennial] kingdom [and lost ‘inheritance’ through the peoples’
disobedience (Gal. 5: 21; Eph. 5: 5)] which will follow.
Concluding Remarks:
As seen, Scripture does not present a pretty picture of
harlotry, particularly as it exists [within the God’s Churches and] among the [redeemed] people of God, whether existing in
The One Who will not tarry, when the time arrives for Him to
appear can only be at the door, for the time when He will appear is almost upon us.
That representing the people’s gods is about to be burned,
ground to fine dust, cast into the waters flowing from the Mount, and the
people made to drink.
Saul [together with all of his duped
followers] is about to be put down, with his
crown taken and given to David. And
David, with his faithful followers,
is about to ascend the throne.
In short, a complete change in the
government is about to occur, not just in
“Pray for the peace of
* *
*
[Page 83]
CHAPTER V
An Angel Standing in the Sun
ANNOUNCING THE GREAT SUPPER OF GOD
And I saw
heaven opened, and behold a white
horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in
righteousness he doth judge and make war...
And he hath on
his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.
And I saw an
angel standing in the sun; and he
cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather
yourselves unto the supper of the great God;
That ye may
eat the flesh of kings, and the
flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that
sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and
great.
And I saw the
beast, and the kings of
the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that
sat on the horse, and against his army.
And the beast
was taken, and with him the
false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received
the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were
cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.
And the
remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls
were filled with their flesh (Rev.
19: 11, 16-21).
[Page 84]
The first four chapters in this book have dealt principally
with the harlot in Rev. 17: 1 - 19: 6 residing
in the kingdom of the Beast, followed by the harlot’s destruction. The first part of this closing chapter in the
book will continue with a number of related thoughts on the same subject as the
previous four chapters, then move on to Christ’s return and the destruction of
the kingdom of the Beast.
God’s Two Firstborn Sons in the Old Testament
The introduction of the nation of
For example, in Ex. 12: 40, 41, Israel is seen sojourning in a land throughout the four hundred thirty
years leading up to the beginning of the nation’s existence - a sojourn which began at the time Abraham
left Ur of the Chaldees, thirty years prior to the birth of Isaac.
Or, in Heb. 7: 9, 10, Levi is seen as having paid tithes in the loins of Abraham (his great, great grandfather), at
the time Abraham met Melchizedek in Genesis chapter fourteen (vv. 17-24), again, prior to the birth of Isaac.
Thus, a nation which would not exist until four hundred thirty
years had passed is seen in the loins of Abraham at the time he left
(For additional information in the preceding realm, refer to Chapter V1,
“The Selfsame Day,” in the author’s book, WE ARE ALMOST
THERE.)
Information regarding the nation of
[Page 85]
References to or events pertaining to
the nation, centuries and millenniums prior to the existence of the nation, can
easily be seen in passages such as Gen. 3: 15 (the Seed
of the woman [Israel]), or the typology of Cain and Abel (Gen. 4: 1ff), or that of Noah and his family passing
through the Flood (Gen. 6: 1 - 8: 22), or that
stated about Shem in relation to Ham and Japheth. (Gen.
9: 25-27).
But how can things pertaining to
Note five verses of Scripture in four New Testament books:
“Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for
salvation is of the Jews” (John 4: 22).
“For by him were all things created,
that are in heaven, and that are in earth,
visible and invisible, whether
they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers:
all things were created by him, and for him:
And he is before all things, and by him
all things consist [‘all things have been established,’ ‘all things hold together’]” (Col.
1: 16, 17).
“Hath in these last days spoken unto us by [‘in the person of’] his Son,
whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds [‘brought
into existence (arranged) the ages’]” (Heb. 1: 2).
“And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him [the Beast], whose names are not written
in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world” (Rev.
13: 8).
In the first of the preceding references, “salvation” is clearly stated to be “of the Jews.”
This is the nation which brought forth the Saviour, Who, in the fourth
and last of the references, was “slain from the foundation of the world” (which takes one back to the time of
Gen. 1: 2bff [cf. 1
Peter 1: 19, 20]).
(How can one son [
Then, who slew Christ at the time seen in Rev. 13: 8 - “from the foundation
of the world” [i.e., from the
time of events in Gen. 1: 2bff]? Only one person could possibly be seen as the
slayer; only the other son could have committed this act, as
seen in the typology of Cain slaying his brother, Abel, in Gen.
4.
[Page 86]
Christ was the Paschal Lamb, the paschal lamb was given to
Israel [Ex. 12: 1ff], and only
Suffice it to say that “with God all things are possible” [Matt. 19: 26])
Then note the other two previously quoted references, the
second and third references, which have to do with God’s actions in relation to the whole of the matter, with nothing occurring apart from His Son.
Any time God’s work is seen in Scripture (e.g., His restorative work occurring over six days time in Gen. 1: 2bff), His Son, “slain from the foundation of the world,” has to be seen as well, for nothing has ever occurred or ever
will occur apart from the Son. And this is the One Whom the nation of
“Salvation” is not
only “of the
Jews,” but “Neither is there salvation
in any other [a reference
to the One Whom Israel brought forth]” (John 4:
22; Acts 4:
12) - inseparable references to both of God’s two firstborn Sons.
To separate God’s two firstborn Sons in Biblical studies (Ex. 4: 22, 23; Heb. 1: 6) - dealing with one apart from the other - is simply not possible. This is one reason that the same Scriptures are, at
times, used of both (e.g., Hos. 11: 1; Jonah 1: 17 [cf.
Matt. 2: 15; 12: 38-40]); and to
see one Son (Christ) apart from the other son (Israel) in the restoration
account, beginning in Gen. 1: 2b, can only
be a completely improper
way to view the matter.
Beginning revelation pertaining to
Then, note Genesis chapter two where details pertaining to
man’s creation in chapter one are given.
And these details have to do with the ‘bride’ being removed from
the ‘body’.
In the historical account, in the type, Adam was put to sleep,
[Page 87] his side opened, and God took from
his opened side a part of his body (a rib), from which he formed the woman,
Eve. Then God presented the woman back to the man as a helpmate; and, through
this act, the woman, formed from a part of the man, completed the man.
And the antitype is easy to see. The second Man, the last Adam, was put to
sleep on the Cross, His side was opened, and out of His opened side flowed the
two elements which God is presently using to form the bride - ‘blood and water’ - pointing to the present high
priestly work of the Son (a cleansing, on the basis of His shed blood on the mercy
seat in the heavenly sanctuary).
Then, once the bride has
been removed from the body (the Spirit’s work during the present dispensation),
and the bride subsequently revealed (through decisions and
determinations resulting from the judgment seat), the ‘bride’, formed from a part of the
Son’s ‘body’,
will be presented back to the Son as a ‘co-heir’,
a helpmate, helping the Son in His millennial rule; and, through this act, in line
with both the type and Heb. 2: 10, the
bride will complete the Son [during His millennial reign, in “the age to come”
upon and over this restored earth, (Luke 2:
32. cf.
Rev. 2: 25 with Heb. 6: 5ff. ; Rom. 8: 17-23, R.V.].
Now, note something about the preceding. None of this can exist apart from Israel. According to
Romans chapter eleven, Gentiles, who do not have a God (Eph. 2: 11-13), have
been grafted into the only nation with a God (through being “in Christ,” a Jewish Saviour [v. 24]), the
nation which brought forth the Saviour, the only nation which could do so, for
“salvation is
of the Jews.”
Thus,
Then the notion is seen throughout chapter three in the
account of man’s fall, necessitating salvation, with the account of
Then, none of the events in chapters five through eight could
have occurred apart from Israel being seen throughout - Enoch being removed
from the earth alive, with Noah and his family then passing through the Flood,
foreshadowing the Church being removed prior to Israel passing through the
Tribulation.
[Page 88]
As previously seen, nothing occurs apart from the Son, which,
in reality, as also previously seen, would have to include both Sons - both
Christ and
And this could be continued through subsequent chapters
leading to Abraham’s birth (chs.
9-11a),
but the preceding material should be sufficient to get the point across. God’s work through One of His firstborn Sons
simply cannot occur apart from the Other firstborn Son being seen as well.
(Note how this takes care of a quite-popular, erroneous
teaching in Christendom today - the teaching that the Church has supplanted
If something such as the preceding has occurred, after any
fashion, then Christians can forget about everything, including their very salvation.
God’s work through One Son is not seen, it cannot exist, apart
from the Other Son. Apart from a
connection with both Sons - a Jewish Saviour, brought forth by a Jewish
nation, with Christians seen grafted into a Jewish trunk - there can be no salvation, or anything else, aside from eternal ruin and
damnation [Rom. 11:
1-26].
And the truth of the preceding can be seen throughout the
first eleven chapters of Genesis, then continuing with the birth of Abraham in Gen. 11: 27 and progressively moving throughout the Old
Testament.
Note just one example - that of Shem, in relation to Ham and
Japheth in Gen. 9:
25-27. Shem was the only one of Noah’s three sons
possessing a God. The other two sons,
without a God, could only possess a connection with God one way - by going to the son in possession of
a God, by going to Shem and dwelling “in the tents of
Shem” [the words used
in Scripture to denote the only way of partaking of that possessed by Shem].
Shem’s lineage in this respect can be traced through Abraham
nine generations later, then through Isaac, Jacob, his twelve sons, and the
nation of
And, exactly the same conditions exist today in relation to
the descendants of Shem, Ham, and Japheth - conditions which can never change. “Israel” is
the only nation on the face of the earth with a God, all of the other nations are as described in Eph. 2: 11-13 [without
a God [Page
89] (cf.
Ps. 96: 5)], and the nations are left with only one choice
if they would have any connection with or access to God. They must go to the one nation with a God,
to a Jewish Saviour Who is God. There is
no alternative.
Now, note what would happen if Shem were removed from the
picture in Genesis chapter nine, or if the nation of
That needs to be thought through - thought about long and hard - before giving credence to what so many Christians are stating today about
God being through with
Now, keep the preceding thoughts pertaining to
Scripture specifically refers to the Tribulation as “the time of Jacob’s trouble” Jer. 30:
7). And the purpose for the Tribulation, in relation to this time of trouble, is
to bring Jacob (
In the Old Testament,
And, as well,
This is the complete story of
With that in mind, and with Scripture spending quite a bit of
time in the Book of Revelation dealing with a harlot woman during “the time of Jacob’s trouble” (Rev.
12: 1-17; 17: 1 - 19: 6) - completely
in line with God dealing with a harlot woman during the same time in the Old Testament (Lev. 26: 39-42; Isa. 1: 21 - 2: 5; Jer. 3: 1 - 4: 31; 30: 1 - 31: 40; Ezek. 16: 1-63) - the proper identity of the [Page 90] harlot woman in the latter
part of the Book of Revelation becomes a simple matter to ascertain.
In fact, as evident from the preceding, through comparing
Scripture with Scripture, the Scriptures will clearly identify the harlot, leaving no room
for anyone to question the harlot’s identity (refer to the previous four
chapters in this book).
Revelation 17: 1 - 19: 6 provides exactly the same picture seen
so many times in the Old Testament. And
apart from seeing this section of Scripture in the Book of Revelation dealing
with this subject - i.e., seeing this section dealing with
Israel relative to the nation’s harlotry [which is inseparably connected with God’s central purpose for having
Israel pass through this time - to effect Israel’s repentance] - then Israel’s
harlotry is not even seen being dealt with in this book.
This would put “the time of Jacob’s trouble” in the Book of Revelation completely
out of line with the
reason for the existence of this time. In short, as previously seen, this would put the Book of
Revelation out of line with Old
Testament revelation.
In this respect, a correct, proper understanding of Rev. 17: 1 - 19: 6 cannot
be overemphasized, which is why so much time has been spent in this book
dealing with this section of Scripture.
Error, particularly at this point in the book, can lead to
error elsewhere. And the whole thing can
end up causing a person to possess erroneous thoughts on other related passages
of Scripture, sometimes numerous related passages, literally closing the
Scriptures in this whole overall realm to one’s understanding.
Or, on the other hand, a correct handling of this section of
Scripture can lead to correctly understanding numerous related passages of
Scripture elsewhere, opening the Scriptures in this whole overall realm to
one’s understanding.
The Scene in Heaven, The Heavens Opened, Then...
The scene in heaven over the harlot’s destruction - burned
with fire - is one of rejoicing. Only
after this has occurred can matters continue to the point seen at the end of
the chapter - the destruction of Gentile world power, with God’s purpose for
bringing
[Page 91]
(Note that events in Rev. 17: 1 - 19: 6 present a
complete picture of the harlot in and of itself, which, time-wise in the text,
begins about the middle of the Tribulation [Israel residing in the kingdom of
the Beast after all seven heads have been crowned] and extends to that time
when Israel is cleansed of the nation’s harlotry.
And Israel being cleansed of her harlotry [the harlot woman
destroyed by fire, with the virtuous woman arising as a phoenix out of the
ashes] will not occur until after Christ returns and the
nation is dealt with in a final sense in this respect [probably by
Elijah, who, along with Moses, will accompany Christ back to the earth].
For additional information about Moses and Elijah accompanying
Christ when He returns, refer to the author’s book, COMING IN HIS KINGDOM, particularly
The order of events relative to
1.
2. Christ’s return [accompanied by Moses, Elijah, and the
armies of heaven (angels)].
3. Subsequent dealings with Israel then brought to pass [which
will include Israel’s salvation when they look upon the One Whom they pierced (Zech. 12: 10-14),
Israel’s harlotry becoming a thing of the past, never to exist again (Jer. 30: 14-17; Rev. 19: 3), the
restoration of the Jewish people to their land, and the theocracy restored to
the house of Israel under a new covenant (Jer. 30:
18-22; 31: 8, 9, 31-33)].
Thus, don’t attempt to read Rev.
19: 1-21 in a completely chronological fashion, for the
material has not been structured this way.
Nor has the whole of that seen in Rev. 6: 1 - 19: 21 been
structured in a chronological fashion, which is where so many go astray
in this book - trying to see a chronological sequence of events in places where
they don’t and can’t exist.
A proper chronological sequence of the events seen occurring
different places in the book is not necessarily seen in and ascertained from
the passages themselves. Rather, this
chronology of events can be seen by comparing Scripture with Scripture - seeing
a chronology of events as revealed elsewhere, allowing one to then know the
proper sequence of the different events in Rev.
6: lff.)
[Page 92]
Revelation chapter nineteen presents two suppers which will occur following the close of
the Tribulation (deipnon, the Greek word translated “supper” in both instances, refers to the
principle meal of the day, usually observed toward evening).
In the first part of the chapter, immediately following the
shouts of hallelujah and praise in heaven at the end of the Tribulation (vv.
1-6) - a
jubilation, mainly because of Israel’s repentance, the destruction of the
harlot, and the Son’s impending [Messianic] reign - the marriage supper of the Lamb is
seen (vv. 7-9).
Then, immediately afterwards the heavens are opened, and
Christ, as “King of kings, and Lord of
lords,” comes
forth with His armies to tread “the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of
Almighty God.” And this treading of the winepress on earth allows “the supper of the great God [lit.
‘the great
supper of God’]” to occur
(vv. 11-21).
Thus, two successive suppers are seen in chapter nineteen - one in heaven preceding Christ’s return, and the other on earth following His return. And the two suppers are completely different in nature,
though both are inseparably connected with the Son’s impending [millennial] reign over the earth.
(The adjective, “great” [Gk., megas]
in Rev. 19:
17, describing a supper [describing God in the KJV] is used
eighty-two times in the Book of Revelation, describing numerous things [e.g., 1:
10; 2: 22; 5: 2,12; 6: 4, 10, 12, 13, 17]. The word megas though is never used to describe God in this book, unless this
verse in ch. 19 is the exception.
A couple of Greek manuscripts do have the word megas describing “God”
rather than “supper” in this verse [including
the Textus Receptus, the main Greek text used for the KJV, accounting for the
KJV translation]. However, the vast
majority of manuscripts have the word megas describing “supper,” accounting for
the translation, “the great supper of God,” in
almost any English translation since the 1901 ASV.
The word megas appears one-hundred
fourteen times throughout the rest of the N.T. [Matthew through Jude], and the
word is used only seven times throughout this part of the N.T. to describe Deity - three
times to describe Christ in Messianic passages [Matt.
5: 35; Luke 1: 32; Titus 2: 13], twice to describe Christ as High
Priest [Heb. 4: 14; 10: 21], once
to describe Christ as the great Shepherd of the sheep [Heb.
13: 20], and once [Page 93] by the Jewish people to describe Christ as a
great Prophet [Luke 7: 16].
The Septuagint [Greek translation of the O.T.] uses megas mainly for a translation of the Hebrew
word gadol. This
word is used some five hundred times in the O.T., but, as in the N.T., the word
is used only sparingly to describe Deity [e.g., Ex. 18: 11; Deut. 7: 21; 10: 17; Ps. 47: 2; 99: 2; 138: 5].)
In connection with Christ returning through an opened heaven
as “King of kings, and Lord of
lords” to tread the winepress,
an angel is seen standing in the sun (v. 17). And this angel cries out with a loud voice to
all the birds of the air (land animals as well in the same scene from Ezek. 39: 17) to come, gather together, and partake of “the great supper of God” - a supper which will consist of “the flesh of captains ... mighty men
... horses ...
all men, both free and bond, both small and great ... the
kings of the earth, and their armies” (vv.
18, 19a).
(In both Ezek. 39: 17 and Rev. 19: 17, the cry is to “all the
fowls that fly in the midst of heaven,” not just the carrion
birds. And the same is true of the land animals in Ezek.
39: 17 -
“every beast of the field.”
According to the scene presented when the third and fourth
seals have been broken in Rev. 6: 5-8, depicting conditions during the latter part of
the Tribulation, extending into the time of Christ’s return, hunger existing at
that time will evidently be such that even all types of non-carnivorous birds
and animals will be found partaking of this “great
supper.”)
The angel standing in the sun, uttering this cry, stands
within that used in a metaphorical sense in the Book of Revelation to symbolize
the centre of
governmental power (cf. Rev. 6: 12; 8: 12; 12: 1; 16: 8). And the
symbolism used in Rev. 19: 17 is
introduced by and reflects back on the previous six verses, depicting Christ
returning through an opened heaven as “King of kings, and Lord of lords.”
The right to take the sceptre and rule the earth at this time
will have previously been given to the Son by the Father (Dan. 7: 13, 14; Rev. 11: 15; cf. Dan. 4:
17, 25; 5: 18-21; Matt. 20: 23). And the angel standing in the sun - standing
in that symbolizing the central governing authority - is
seen announcing this fact.
(A similar scene occurring at the time of Christ’s return was
depicted earlier in the book, in Rev. 10: 1, 2 - the angel with the seventh [Page 94] trumpet, whose “face was as it were the sun, and
his feet as pillars of fire,” coming down from heaven and placing “his right foot upon the sea, and
his left foot on the earth.”)
Then, from this point, the call goes
out to all the birds of the air and the beasts of the field to come and feast
upon that which is about to remain of Gentile world power when it
comes against the King in Jerusalem, seeking to prevent
Him from taking the sceptre and assuming the throne, seeking to prevent
Him from assuming that which will then be rightfully His.*
[*All Anti-millennialists take note! This is precisely what your
false interpretations and demonic teachings
are seeking to do! Ps. 2:
8; 110: 1-3; Luke. 1: 32. cf. Ezek.
3: 17; Jer. 5: 30, 31, R.V. with Col.
2: 8; 3: 25; Acts 20: 30ff.
R.V.).]
Following this call, both the Beast and the False Prophet are
taken and cast alive into the lake of fire.
Then the Gentile armies of the earth - which will have dared to follow
the Beast, as he led them against the King in Jerusalem, along with restored
Israel in the land - will be trodden under foot as Christ treads the winepress
(vv. 19-21; cf. Rev.
14: 14-20; 16: 13-16).
These armies will consist of such vast numbers in that day -
myriads of myriads, referring to large indefinite numbers (Rev. 9: 16) -
that blood will either flow in places or be splattered to a depth or degree
coming up to a horse’s bridle. And this
slaughter will extend over a distance of about one hundred and eighty miles (Rev. 14: 20).
This is how the Times of the Gentiles will be brought to a
close when Christ returns - centrally because of the outworking of the principles set forth in Gen. 12: 1-3 and
Israel’s God-appointed position among the nations in Gen. 9: 26, 27; Ex. 4: 22, 23. And the manner in
which this will occur results in that which Scripture refers to as “the great supper of God,” with trampled Gentile world powers
left on the mountains and plains of
A Succinct Account,
A Previously Detailed Account
It may appear strange to some reading Rev.
19: 17-21 that
no more space or detail has been given at this point in the book to that which
will occur relative to Gentile world power when Christ returns. After all, this is the grand climax of some 2,600 years of Gentile rule with Israel about to take the sceptre and
realize her [Page 95] God-appointed position among the nations, which was made known through
Moses almost 3,500 years ago (Gen. 9: 26, 27; Ex. 4: 22, 23). But
the whole of the matter at this climactic place in the Book of Revelation is
stated in a very succinct manner - five verses, or a total of eleven verses if
one begins with Christ returning through the opened heavens in verse eleven.
Previously in this book, the same subject was dealt with
several times after somewhat the same succinct manner (ref. 9: 13-21; 14: 14-20; 16: 12-16). Just
the bare facts are given any place in the book, with very little added
detail. Again, the lack of space and
detail given to this climactic end of the Times of the Gentiles in a book which
brings Scripture to a close, completing God’s revelation to man, may appear
strange to some. But that should not be the case at all.
The space and detail concerning the matter has already been given throughout
numerous passages in the Old Testament, passages covering whole chapters at times. In fact, this is the direction toward which everything
moves throughout all ten chapters of the Book of Esther, or all twelve chapters
of the Book of Daniel, with
The whole of the matter is a major subject of Old Testament prophecy,
and everything about how the
Times of the Gentiles will end has already been covered by prophet after prophet in minute detail. If all the Scriptures written about this subject in the
Old Testament were brought together, one would have a word picture so complete
and detailed that it would defy description.
Thus, when arriving at this closing place in the Book of
Revelation - the book closing the complete canon of Scripture - nothing needs
to be given beyond a simple announcement and description, connecting that stated with the Old
Testament Scriptures.
The same thing could be said about the 1,000-year reign of
Christ in the following chapter. The
whole of the matter - from events which will occur following the binding of Satan
at the beginning of the Millennium to events which will occur preceding the
loosing of Satan at the end of the Millennium (vv.
1-3, 7ff) - is stated in three verses (vv. 4-6).
Why only three verses to cover events during 1,000 years of [Page 96] time which the whole of creation has
been moving toward since the restoration of the earth and man’s creation and
fall 6,000 years ago?
The answer is the same as that previously seen concerning the
lack of detail in this book surrounding the end of the Times of the
Gentiles. All of the events surrounding
the coming 1,000-year reign of Christ have already been covered by prophet after prophet in minute
detail throughout the Old Testament, beginning in the opening two chapters
of Genesis. And all that needs to be
stated in this closing book of Scripture is simply an announcement that the time which the prophets had
previously spoken about has now come.
And exactly the same thing could be said concerning a word
picture drawn from the Old Testament Scriptures pertaining to Christ’s
millennial reign that was previously said about a word picture drawn from the
Old Testament Scriptures pertaining to the end of the Times of the
Gentiles. If all the Scriptures in the
Old Testament bearing on Christ’s millennial reign were brought together, one
would, as well, have a word picture so complete and detailed that it would defy description.
Thus, if details are needed about the end of the Times of the
Gentiles, as well as Christ’s millennial reign, the Old Testament is the place to go, not the Book of
Revelation. By the time John wrote the
Book of Revelation, the prophets had already spoken and provided all of the details which God
wanted man to know.
And,
accordingly, the Spirit of God simply moved John to provide, in a very brief manner, comments on that
which had already been provided in great detail.
These comments would be comparable to placing a brief epitaph on a tombstone on the one hand
(the end of the Times of the Gentiles) and placing a brief caption on a picture of a sunrise on the other
hand (the beginning of the Son’s millennial reign).
The Old Testament closes in Malachi chapter four after a
manner covering the same subject in essentially the same succinct way that it is covered in the Book of
Revelation. And this would be for the same reason seen in the Book
of Revelation. When one arrives at this chapter in Malachi, the prophets have already spoken, [Page 97] and nothing further
needs to be added.
The first verse of this final chapter in Malachi reflects on
the end of Gentile world power, and the second verse reflects on Christ’s
subsequent reign, with the remaining four verses dealing with both, but ending
with the latter.
And that is exactly what is seen in chapters nineteen and
twenty of the Book of Revelation, preceding the eternal ages beginning in
chapter twenty-one.
The picture concerning
All of this was in the offing under Moses and Joshua as
And that which occurred over centuries of time (about eight
hundred years) - a refusal to be God’s witness (e.g., Jonah in the type, refusing to go to Nineveh), further
disobedience, harlotry - resulted in God eventually uprooting His people from
their land, driving them out among the nations to effect repentance, and
removing the sceptre from Israel’s hand and giving it to the Gentiles.
This is one major subject seen throughout
the Old Testament. But there is another
major subject seen throughout
the Old Testament as well, having to do with Israel’s repentance and
restoration, followed by a realization of the nation’s calling as set forth in
the beginning. And this, of course,
necessitates the end and destruction of Gentile world power, with the theocracy
being restored to
[Page 98] All of the different facets of this whole overall story -
past, present, and future - can be seen different places throughout Moses, the
Psalms, and the Prophets. Each writer
presents different things about different parts of a word picture which can be
seen in its completeness, exactly as God desires man to see it, only by
comparing Scripture with Scripture.
No one book presents the complete picture. This is seen only by bringing together that which the Spirit of God moved
all of the Old Testament writers to record (cf. 2 Peter 1: 20, 21).
This is what the Old Testament is about, and there is an emphasis throughout the
Old Testament on the latter part of the story -
This is seen in typology beginning as early as the Flood
during Noah’s day in Genesis chapters six through nine, or the destruction of
Nimrod’s Babylonian kingdom in Genesis chapter eleven, or the battle of the
kings during Abraham and Melchizedek’s day in Genesis chapter fourteen. That seen in later Scripture in Psalms
chapters two and eighty-three would be two other accounts, presented in a
different manner; and that seen in Isaiah chapter fourteen would be
another. Then there’s the Book of
Daniel, which presents different facets of the matter throughout, continuing
through the minor Prophets.
An almost endless list of other similar references could be
cited, and many are dealt with in earlier parts of this book.
The Old Testament, in this respect, is a treasure trove of
information revealing the mind of One with infinite wisdom and knowledge - the
One Who created and exercises sovereign control over all things - as He makes
known His plans and purposes regarding man, the earth, and ultimately the
universe.
It has all lain in the bosom of the Old Testament for millenniums,
and all who have mined its treasures throughout this time have taken nothing
away.
All is still exactly where Moses and
the Prophets left it after penning this Word, and all is still exactly where any and all
who have mined its treasures have left this Word as well.
* *
*
[Page 99]
APPENDIX I
The Woman in Revelation
A Regal-Clad Woman, a Harlot Woman
“And there appeared a great wonder [‘sign’] in heaven; a woman clothed
with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars...
And the woman
fled into the wilderness, where she
hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and
three score days” (Rev. 12: 1, 6).
“And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the
great whore that sitteth upon many waters:
With whom the
kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with
the wine of her fornication.
So he carried
me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of
blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns...
And the ten
horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her
flesh, and burn her with fire.
For God hath
put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of
God shall be fulfilled.
And the woman
which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over [lit., ‘which possesses
kingly authority over’] the kings of the earth” (Rev. 17: 1-3, 16-18).
[Page 100]
Revelation 6: 1 - 19: 21, a
section comprising most of the Book of Revelation, has to do with events surrounding
Events during and immediately following these seven years - having to do with events immediately
preceding Christ’s return (events during the seven years, during the Tribulation)
and with events
immediately following Christ’s return (events immediately following the
Tribulation but preceding the Millennium, evidently during a 75-day period [Dan. 12: 11-13]) - will bring matters to completion
during Man’s 6,000-year Day, ushering in the Lord’s 1,000-year Day.
These events, bringing Man’s Day to a close, had previously
been seen throughout Moses, the Psalms, and the Prophets; and these events dealt
centrally with a woman,
Israel, the wife of Jehovah, who was given regal authority over the
nations within a theocracy (Ex. 4: 22, 23; 19: 5, 6), with
this woman seen to have later departed from her exalted position, becoming involved in a forbidden, adulterous relationship with the nations (Isa. 1: 21; Jer. 3: 1-11).
The Old Testament is replete with information pertaining to
God dealing with this harlot woman, over centuries and millenniums of time,
with a view to the woman ultimately being cleansed of her harlotry and then realizing the
regal position to which she had been called (Isa. 1: 25 - 2: 4; Jer.
3: 12-25).
Then, in complete conformity with the preceding, the Book of
Revelation - dealing with events during and immediately beyond the last seven
years of Man’s Day, events toward which all Scripture regarding Israel and the nations move (whether O.T. or N.T) - this closing book of Scripture could only be seen dealing extensively
with the same woman
previously seen throughout the Old Testament.
No other central subject could possibly be in view and remain
in line with that previously set forth time and time again throughout the Old
Testament.
And, in complete conformity with the preceding, this woman in
Revelation - exactly as set forth in the Old Testament, for it can only be the same woman - could only be
one possessing a God-given regal authority over the nations,
though one not presently exercising that authority, but, instead, estranged from God and involved [Page 101] in harlotry, with cleansing ultimately occurring.
And the former part of the preceding is exactly what is seen in
chapter twelve (also in ch.
17), and the latter part of the preceding is
exactly what is seen
beginning in chapter seventeen and continuing through the first part of chapter
nineteen.
Placing the information in these four chapters together after
this fashion is, for it can only be, in complete conformity to any and all things in the Old
Testament having to do with this same subject matter.
The Woman in Revelation 12:
1-17
The woman in chapter twelve is identified several different
ways. One way is seen in the opening
verse, through ascribing to the
woman regality in relation to the nations (exactly as seen of
Another way is seen through the woman giving birth to the manchild (the 144,000
Jewish evangels in chs.
7, 14, who will proclaim “the gospel of the kingdom” to
the nations worldwide during the last half of the Tribulation [Matt. 24: 13, 14; Rev. 12: 17; 14: 1-7]).
And a third way is seen through the woman fleeing into the wilderness in the middle of the
Tribulation, shortly after giving birth to the man-child (in complete keeping with that seen
happening to Israel at this time in the three synoptic gospels [Matt. 24: 15ff; Mark 13: 14ff; Luke 21: 20ff]).
Metaphors are used extensively throughout Scripture, which is one of the
ways God has structured His Word, and Revelation chapter twelve is filled with
this type language.
Note the three central personages - the woman, the dragon, and the man-child. “The woman” is not a literal woman, but is used referring to
(“The man-child” is identified
far more often than not as Christ by expositors, but such an identification can
only be seen as erroneous by the use of metaphors throughout. Aside from that, textually, the man-child is
seen brought forth during the Tribulation, just before the [Page 102] middle, following Satan being cast
out of heaven but before the Jews in the land flee into the wilderness.)
Then note the use of heavenly bodies - the sun, moon, and stars - in this same metaphorical respect. The manner in which the woman appears in
verse one - clothed with the sun, the
moon under her feet, and a crown of twelve stars upon her head - forms an allusion back to Joseph’s second
dream in Gen. 37:
9, 10,
depicting regality in both Genesis
and Revelation.
The sun, moon, and stars are used in this same metaphorical
respect both places. In Genesis, they
are used relative to Joseph ruling over his family; in Revelation, they are
used relative to the woman,
Regality, as seen in the
preceding, is a position which
“For the gifts and calling of God are
without repentance [without a change of mind, irrevocable]” (Rom.
11: 29).
God will not, He cannot, change His mind concerning the reason
that He called Israel into existence - something which will be worked out and
realized in the immediate future, for we are almost at the end of Man’s Day.
In line with the preceding, Bible teachers who deal with the
Book of Revelation today, with few exceptions, correctly identify “the woman” in chapter twelve as
However, exactly the opposite is true when it comes to the
identity of the woman in Rev. 17: 1 - 19: 6. Almost without exception, not a single one of
these same Bible teachers will identify “the woman” in these chapters as
But, suppose we stay in line with Rom.
3: 4,
which, contextually, is about Israel - “yea, let God be true, but every man a
liar” and see what Scripture has to say instead!
The Woman in Revelation 17:
11 - 19: 6
The woman reappearing in chapter seventeen is, as back in
chapter twelve, identified several different ways. And, in one respect, this
identity is made even clearer when the woman reappears in this chapter.
Scripture does something in chapter seventeen concerning the
identity of the woman which is not seen in chapter twelve. In Rev. 17: 18, the
woman is clearly identified by name - “And the woman which thou
sawest is...” Then, the verse goes on to connect this woman
with the same regal authority
seen back in chapter twelve. The verse in this
respect states, “which reigneth over
[lit., ‘which
possesses kingly authority over’] the
kings of the earth.”
The woman is first clearly identified in a direct statement: “The woman which thou sawest
is that great city...” (v. 18a).
“That great city” is
used nine times in chapters eleven through eighteen; and the first usage
identifies the city as “Jerusalem” (11: 8),
with “Jerusalem,” seen inseparably related to its
people in Scripture and often used as a synonym for the Jewish people, for
Israel (cf. Isa. 1: 21; Lam. 1: 7-9; Matt. 23: 37-39; Luke 13: 33-35).
In short, in the light of related Scripture, Rev. 17: 18 should be understood as, “The woman
which thou sawest is
Then note another connection from chapter twelve, seen earlier
in that stated about the woman in chapter seventeen. In chapter twelve, the woman flees into “the wilderness” in the middle of the Tribulation (vv. 6, 14).
[Page 104]
But, where is “the wilderness” - from a Greek word (eremos) used in Scripture of places both in and out of the
In chapter seventeen, the woman is seen in “the wilderness,” the eremos (v. 3), which is identified with Gentile
nations in the kingdom of the Beast (vv. 1, 15).
And this is completely in line with the place where the woman
flees in Matt. 24:
16 (cf. Luke 21: 21) - “into the mountains”
- with “mountains” used in Scripture as a metaphor for
“kingdoms” (i.e.,
Gentile nations in this case [Isa. 2: 1-5; Matt. 16: 28 - 17: 5]).
Or this is completely in line with the type in Jonah - Jonah,
in the fish, out in the sea, with “the sea” used as a metaphor for the nations (Dan. 7: 2, 3; Matt. 13: 1; Rev. 13: 1).
And it is clear that the time element beginning chapter
seventeen is during the last half of the Tribulation. Thus, chapter seventeen
simply continues where chapter twelve left off.
And chapters seventeen through the first part of nineteen take
one to the end of the matter - the harlot ultimately burned with fire, bringing about a final and complete end to
Israel’s harlotry (17:16, 17; 18: 1 - 19: 3),
allowing the nation to realize her calling (12:
1; 17: 18), resulting in rejoicing in heaven (19 : 4-6).
(For more information on the preceding, refer to Chapters II,
III, and Appendix II in this book.)
* *
*
[Page 105]
Appendix II
The Place Where
“Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it
were for a little moment, until the indignation [the Tribulation] be overpast.
For, behold, the Lord cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants
of the earth for their iniquity...” (Isa. 26:
20, 21a).
“Now the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three
days and three nights” (Jonah 1: 17).
“When ye therefore see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by
Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)
Then let them
which be in
“And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule
all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.
And the woman
fled into the wilderness, where she
hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and
three score days...
And when the
dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child.
And to the
woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is
nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the
face of the serpent” (Rev. 12: 5, 6, 13, 14).
[Page 106]
The
preceding Scriptures - from four different books, two from the Old Testament
(Isaiah and Jonah) and two from the New Testament (Matthew and Revelation) -
are the main verses one would normally go to when dealing with that which will
happen to the Jews in the land of Israel (presently about 6,000,000) when events surrounding the man of sin,
the Beast, breaking his seven-year covenant with Israel begin to occur.
The Scriptures, or
That Often Taught?
First, it is important to understand that the Jewish people
are not back in the land in fulfilment of any type Old Testament restoration
promises. That is, they are not back in
the land through any type fulfilment of promises pertaining to God regathering
His people back to the land.
(The preceding would be contrary to much present popular
thought in Christian circles. Most Christians today, seeking to deal with and understand things
about Israel and the nations in the Middle East - many aligning themselves
after some fashion with what is often called “Christian Zionism” - see the
establishment of the Jewish nation May 14,1948 and the continuous migration of
Jews back to the land since that time as God restoring His people to the land in
accordance with His numerous promises in the O.T. to one day do so [Ezek.
39: 25-29; Amos 9: 11-15].
And many of these see a gradual reclamation of parts of the
land, mainly for agricultural purposes, as God also restoring the land as well,
again, in accordance with His promises to do so [Lev. 26:
42; 2 Chron.
7: 14].
A number of other Bible students though would somewhat draw
back from the all-inclusiveness of the preceding - because of the Jewish
people’s present unbelieving and unrepentant state - and see God restoring His people to
their land only in accordance with certain, particular O.T. promises to do so. They would see God restoring His people in
accordance with a handful of promises which they look upon as a restoration of
the people in unbelief, to then be dealt with by God in or near the land [e.g., in Petra] relative to
their salvation, with the Messianic Era in view [e.g., sections such as Isa. 11: 11, 12; Ezek. 20: 33-38; 22: 17-22; 36: 22-28; Zeph.
2: 1-3 are those usually referenced].
Thus, one might say that there are two groups within the one
larger group. Both though are making the
same basic mistake, for THERE ARE [Page 107] NO
SCRIPTURES having to do with God
restoring any of the Jewish people prior to the time of Christ’s return. Both groups take different Scriptures having to do with events
surrounding
[The verses previously cited, used by those seeing God
regathering a segment of the Jewish people in unbelief, are actually verses
pertaining to God dealing with the Jewish people either during or following the
Tribulation, mainly with activities following the Tribulation,
having to do with a fulfilment of the things depicted by the seven Jewish
festivals in Lev. 23.
These verses, in this respect, have to do mainly with the
national conversion and cleansing of the Jewish people, among other related
things, at the time of Christ’s return.
And these things will occur following Man’s Day, at
the beginning of the Lord’s Day].
All of this misunderstanding, misrepresentation of Scripture -
resulting in an erroneous teaching of Scripture - could have been prevented had
these individuals paid attention to the O.T. types, the Jewish festivals, and
the plain reading of Scripture in the light of that revealed by the Prophets
concerning the matter. But all has
seemingly been thrown to the winds, with the result in the matter where we are
today.
The heavens remain closed relative to God’s dealings with the Jewish people today, and they
will not again open until He has concluded His dealings with the Church during
the present dispensation and has removed the Church.
[Note, for example, the typology of Jacob and Laban, when the
heavens remained closed from Gen. 28: 15 to Gen. 31: 3, during
the entire time of Jacob’s exile - extending to a time when he had
acquired all of Laban’s wealth (cf. Isa. 60:
1-12). ONLY
THEN did God speak to Jacob
relative to a return to his land].
Thus, with the heavens closed, the return of Jews back to the land since the establishment of the
nation in the late ’40s can, of course, have NOTHING to do with any
type restoration of the people in accordance with any of the O.T.
Prophets. God simply is NOT dealing with [speaking to]
Rather, the present migration of Jews to the land has to do
with [Page 108] God allowing the Jewish people to rise up and seek to emancipate themselves -
apart from their Messiah, in their present unbelieving and unrepentant state -
and re-enter an “empty, swept,
and garnished” house. And God has allowed this to occur in order to
bring about end-time events relative to
But, seeking to relate all of this to any type O.T. prophecies
concerning God speaking to
[For additional information on the preceding, note the
author’s books, ISRAEL
- FROM DEATH TO LIFE and MIDDLE EAST PEACE -HOW? WHEN?].)
Now, dealing with the subject of the Jewish people being
uprooted from their land and fleeing into “the wilderness” in the middle of the Tribulation, when the man of sin turns
against them (i.e., the Jews
presently in the land, some 6,000,000 today),
why has so much time been spent on the way a large segment of Christendom looks
upon that which has been happening since 1948?
The answer is because of a major way that these individuals, on both sides of the issue, view
Scriptures pertaining to the woman fleeing into the wilderness,
along with the reason why they view them this way.
These individuals see the Jewish people presently in the land
- not necessarily all of those in the land, but large numbers - forming some
type remnant which will flee to a designated place in the land, there be
protected from harm, be furnished with the necessities of life, and be dealt
with by God during the last half of the Tribulation.
And they, in a respect, find themselves somewhat forced into
this position, for they see God having brought the Jewish people back into the
land in order to deal with them, after a particular fashion, in the land (or nearby, e.g., in
Petra) rather than out among the nations.
Then, beyond that, as previously stated, some see the present
returning Jews as a people who can never again be uprooted from their land.
Scenarios concerning any of the preceding though are built on
previous error and are as far removed from that which Scripture [Page 109] has to say about the matter as the
previous error - i.e., their prior
position concerning God speaking to the Jewish people today, when the heavens
are closed, restoring them to their land (whether in unbelief, or in any other
fashion).
And since the preceding is what so many [duped] Bible teachers believe and teach, and
what so many Christians are confronted with by these numerous Bible teachers
today, it has all been laid out before presenting the simple truth of the
matter.
So,
What Does Scripture Say?
The matter regarding
When the manner in which God has structured Old Testament
history is ignored (which is highly typical), leaving one ignoring a large
section of God’s Word, one reason is provided.
How God uses metaphors, which in this case are ignored as well, another
reason is provided. Then there is the
matter of comparing Scripture with Scripture, which, in this case, is also
ignored.
Thus, without using the means which God has provided in His
Word, what
can one expect but the error which has resulted?!
The truth of the matter is all very simple. Take the type in Jonah, the reference in
Matthew, the reference in Revelation, compare Scripture with Scripture, bring
in other related Scriptures, keep in mind how God uses metaphors, and Scripture sets forth the whole of the
matter for you.
In the middle of the Tribulation the Jewish people in the land
are said to flee into “the wilderness” in Rev. 12:
6, 14. The word “wilderness” is a translation of the Greek word eremos,
and “wilderness” is a good translation. The word is used in the New Testament
referring to desolate places both in and out of the land of Israel (John 1: 23; 3: 14).
And, aside from the two usages of the word in Revelation
chapter twelve, it is used only one other time in this book, referring to the same regal woman, though now seen as a harlot, out
among the [Page 110] Gentile nations (Rev. 17: 3; cf.
12: 1ff; 17: 1, 15, 18).
The scene presented in Rev.
17: 1ff
is clearly that of
And both Matthew and Jonah present exactly the same picture, seen from different perspectives.
In Matthew, instead of “the wilderness”
it is “the
mountains,” with “a mountain” used in Scripture to metaphorically
signify a kingdom (cf.
Isa. 2: 1-5; Matt. 16: 28 - 7: 5). And with “mountains” (plural) in view, the text can only point
to the Gentile nations.
And this is perfectly in line with Jonah, typifying
And, as Jonah, so
Thus, Scripture is quite clear. In the middle of the Tribulation when the
Beast breaks his covenant with
They will be driven back out where the remainder of world -
Jewry resides - some 7, 000, 000 to 8, 000, 000 more Jews, and there God will deal with all of them
together - the complete nation, in the kingdom of the Beast.
And it is here, out among the nations, in the Diaspora, that God will
bring His people through the fire,
providing for and protecting them, as seen in Rev. 12: 14 - not
necessarily as individuals, for over 9,000,000
(by today’s count) will perish - but as a nation.
For the
nation, with God residing in the nation’s midst, where He has always been, cannot
perish, else God Himself would have to perish as well (cf. Ex. 3: 1-7; Dan. 3: 19-27).
* *
*
[Page 111]
Appendix III
“O Sleeper, Arise, Call...”
Unrest in the
“The reason” for all of the
unrest in the
And “the solution” for what
appears to be an intractable problem existing in that part of the world, though
seen to some extent worldwide, is singular as well.
Then, there is something else.
This unrest, with all which it creates and fosters (fear, destruction,
death, etc.) is not going to somehow go away over time. In fact, exactly the opposite will
occur. Because of the reason that this unrest exists, it can only continue to get worse with time.
Then, beyond the preceding there is something else. No one can do anything about the existing unrest, except possibly make it worse by trying to
do something.
All of man’s best efforts (e.g.,
present peace efforts of the U.S. Secretary of State) can only go for naught, possibly even worsening the existing
situation (something which will become evident when one understands what is really
happening in the
Though the preceding is true, there is a solution to the
problem. And that solution was given
during a storm by the person in charge of a ship out on the
The solution - echoed by this mariner to a Jewish prophet, Jonah,
after being awakened from his sleep down in the hold of [Page 112] the ship - is made up of ten words in
the English text (KJV), seven words in the Hebrew text: “What Meanest thou,
O Sleeper?
Arise, Call upon thy God!” (1:
6b).
History, Non-Understanding of All the Unrest
The complete history of all the unrest centered in the Middle
East and extending out from there into the world at large - extending through
past centuries into millenniums and continuing down to the present time - was
told in a very succinct manner 2,800 years
ago by Jonah in the opening five verses of the small four-chapter book bearing
his name.
But, who pays; attention to a Jewish prophet who lived and
wrote almost three millenniums ago?
The world at large, of course, couldn’t be expected to read
and understand the Book of Jonah, for this book has not been written to or for
them. Scripture has been structured in a
particular manner; and, because of its origin and the manner in which it was
given, Scripture is spiritually discerned, written to and for those capable of
understanding it.
But, shouldn’t those capable of
spiritual understanding, particularly the Bible teachers, be seeing the truth
about the matter and at least be calling attention to what is really happening
in the world today?
They should, but, almost without exception, they’re not doing so. And
the reason that they are not doing so is very simple. Because of an existing problem, they, in
reality, know little more about what is actually happening than the world knows
about it.
In fact, many of today’s Bible teachers often, unknowingly,
teach things militating against any type correct understanding of the existing
problem by some of their false [prophetic] teachings in this realm.
This would particularly be true concerning their teachings
about present-day Zionism and the Jewish
people in the
Possibly no other teaching militates against and destroys the [Page 113] truth about the matter more so than
does this one false teaching, for it places the Jewish people in a completely
wrong light. And when this is done, one
might as well forget about correctly understanding numerous things having to do
with
And there is a reason why the situation exists in the
preceding manner. Numerous Bible
teachers today have little to no understanding of the different ways God has
structured His Word, particularly the Old Testament.
Old Testament history, for example, is highly typical. And this
structure of Old Testament history is often not understood at all, leaving one disdaining or ignoring the types.
And disdaining or ignoring this central way in which God has
structured His Word - revealing innumerable things concerning His plans and
purposes through this means - leaves one, in actuality, disdaining or ignoring
large parts of God’s revelation to man.
And any Bible teacher following suit does so not only to his
own detriment but to the detriment of any and all sitting under his ministry.
“Oh what blessed truths people deny
unto themselves by their refusal to
study the types of the Bible.”
- A. Edwin Wilson.
A Case in Point
Note the book at hand, the Book of Jonah, as a case in
point. This book, among certain other
books such as Ruth and Esther, is often used only as a source from which to
draw spiritual lessons. Drawing
spiritual lessons from Old Testament history is all good and well, for Old
Testament history lends itself to this type usage. But the problem is that drawing spiritual
lessons from these parts of Scripture is often as far as one takes the matter,
missing the real Meat of the Word in the way God has structured His revelation
to man.
With the preceding in mind, the remainder of this article will
be taken up mainly with the typology of parts of the Book of Jonah, noting particularly
what the previously mentioned words involve:
[Page 114]
“What meanest thou,
O Sleeper? Arise, call upon thy God!” (1:
6b).
And, within this account, it will be a simple matter to note
that anyone properly
understanding the typology of this book (along with related types) couldn’t
possibly be confused by the false teaching concerning Zionism and the Jewish
people which is rampant in Christian circles today.
As well, it will be a simple matter to note that the converse
of that is equally true. Anyone failing to properly understand
the typology of this book (along with related types) will find himself quite open to deception
concerning the previously mentioned false teaching.
Reason for All the Unrest
“So the shipmaster came to him [to Jonah,
asleep in the hold of the ship], and said
unto him, What meanest thou, O sleeper?
Arise, call upon thy God,
if so be that God will think upon us, that we perish not...
Then said they unto him, Tell us, we pray thee, for whose cause
this evil is upon us; what is thine occupation? And whence comest
thou?
What is thy country? And of what people art thou?
And he said unto them, I am an Hebrew; and I fear the Lord, the God
of heaven...
I know that for my sake this great tempest is upon
you” (Jonah 1:
6, 8, 9a, 12b).
The Book of Jonah forms a dual type of God’s two firstborn
Sons (
Jonah though, in its overall scope, has to do more centrally
with
Thus, to read Jonah is to read the complete history of Israel - from God’s
viewpoint, not man’s - from the time of the nation’s inception to that yet future time in the Messianic
Era when Israel fully realizes the reason God called the nation into existence.
[Page 115]
One reason God called
But
The preceding is what the first chapter of Jonah is
about. Jonah, a Jewish prophet,
typifying the entire nation, was commanded to go to a Gentile city with God’s
message. Jonah refused, went in an
opposite direction, and unlawfully affiliated himself with the Gentiles
(harlotry) rather than proclaiming God’s message to them. And Jonah eventually ended up in the sea
(“the sea,” used in Scripture as a metaphor for the nations), with a view to
repentance.
And with Jonah moving in this contrary direction - on board a
ship out on the Mediterranean Sea, headed in an opposite direction to where God
had commanded him to go - God sent a great storm on the sea, so tumultuous that
it was about to destroy the ship.
Then, it is plain from Jonah’s statement after he had been
awakened - “I am an Hebrew ... I know that
for my sake this great tempest is upon you” - that he knew exactly why this storm
existed and why it was so tumultuous.
Jonah, was a disobedient prophet, fleeing from the Lord’s
face, and asleep to his calling in the hold of the ship. He was out of the sea, on the ship (which could
only typify
Thus, here is the picture of
The sect is tumultuous in the type, the nations are raging
today in the antitype; and all of this is occurring for one reason alone - because of a disobedient
Jewish nation which has taken it upon herself to re-enter a house left desolate (Matt. 12: 43-45; 23: 37-39).
[Page 116]
Solution to All the Unrest
The solution to the existing problem is seen in the Book of
Jonah as well, a solution provided by a Jewish prophet (cf. Ps. 147: 19, 20). As long as Jonah remained on the ship
in a disobedient and unrepentant state, the tumultuous storm on the sea would
continue. And as long as
As Jonah was cast from the ship into the sea,
And, to bring the latter to pass, God is going to use the man
of sin in the middle of the coming Tribulation to effect His purpose in this
respect.
Until that time, the tumultuous state among the nations,
centered in the
Since God is the One Who has “torn,” He is the only One Who can “heal.” God clearly states
in His Word, “I will take away, and NONE shall rescue him.” GOD ALONE will rescue Israel, as he did
Jonah, from the sea, “after two days ... in the third day” (Hosea 5: 13 - 6: 2).
And Israel, while out among the nations, MUST heed the
words of and do EXACTLY as the shipmaster told Jonah 2,800 years ago: “What Meanest thou, O
Sleeper? ARISE, CALL upon thy God!” (cf.
Jonah 2: 1-9).
(For additional information on the typology of Jonah, Zionism,
and related teachings, note the author’s book,
* *
*
[Page 117]
Appendix IV
“...With a Rod of Iron”
God’s Three Firstborn Sons, to Exercise Regality
“Yet have I set my King upon my holy hill of Zion...
Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen [the Gentiles] for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of
the earth for thy possession.
Thou shalt
break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel” (Ps. 2: 6, 8, 9).
“...he shall smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth
the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God” (Rev. 19: 15b).
“And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give
power over the nations.
And he shall
rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received
of my Father” (Rev. 2: 26, 27).
“And there appeared a great wonder [sign] in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head
a crown of twelve stars:
And she being
with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be
delivered...
And she
brought forth a man child, who was to
rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne”
(Rev. 12:
1, 2, 5).
[Page 118]
God
presently has two firstborn Sons (Christ and Israel [Ex. 4: 22, 23; Heb. 1: 5, 6]), and He
will one day have a third firstborn son (the Church,
following the adoption [Rom. 8: 14-19, 29; Heb. 12: 23]).
“Sonship,” as seen in
Scripture, implies first and foremost rulership.
Scripture,
essentially, is a regal book. Scripture,
throughout, has to do with salvation; but salvation is for a revealed purpose, which has to do with regality.
The earth upon which man resides is a province in the
And these provinces are governed and ruled by Divinely
appointed angels who rule under fixed laws, allowing their actions to be viewed
as God’s actions.
This is the manner in which God, in a very personal manner - i.e., God Himself, personally - rules the
universe which He, in time past, brought into existence. And these angelic rulers, relative to this
rule, are referred to as “the sons of God” (referenced in this manner because of creation - each angel forming a separate and individual creation [Job 1: 6; 2: 1; 28: 7; Ezek. 28: 13, 14]).
Sons alone occupy regal
positions in God’s kingdom - past, present, and / or future.
Angels alone are seen holding these regal positions over provinces
during post and present time. But, this
is about to change, first relative to this earth, then relative to the universe at large.
Man is about to take the earth’s sceptre, ruling the earth
instead of angels (Satan and his angels) for 1,000 years.
Then, beyond this time, Man is seen moving out into the
physical universe, out into our galaxy and undoubtedly the numerous other
galaxies, occupying regal positions out in the universe itself.
However, when the matter is projected out into the future,
something beyond just the thought of “sonship” is seen. When Man is
brought into the picture, not just “sons” are in view (as seen in the present angelic world) but “firstborn Sons” come into view (as seen with
That is to say, all of God’s rulers in the angelic world, at any [Page 119] point in time, at any place in the universe (including Satan
and his angels presently ruling the earth), are referred to as “sons of God,”
ruling under God (Satan and his angels in a rebel capacity).
But, when Man is brought into the picture in this regal
respect, only firstborn Sons are seen, for only firstborn Sons can rule in the
human realm in the kingdom.
In the preceding respect, firstborn Sons are about to replace the present order
of sons ruling over this earth.
And beyond that, when the universe is in view, firstborn Sons will rule in the
realm beyond this earth, evidently among the present sons of God already ruling
throughout the universe and possibly under God over these sons of God.
(For detailed information on the preceding, refer to the
author’s two books, “God’s Firstborn Sons” and
“The Most High Ruleth.”)
Firstborn Sons in the Millennial Kingdom
There will be a triad of Rulers, a triad of firstborn Sons,
during the Messianic Era.
1) God’s firstborn son, the Church,
will rule from the heavens (Gen. 22: 17, 18; Eph. 1: 3-14; 3: 9-11; 6: 10-18).
2) God’s firstborn son,
3) And God’s firstborn Son, Jesus,
will rule both in the midst of his people
And the rule from each of these firstborn Sons will be after
exactly the same authoritarian
fashion - ruling with a rod of iron. And not only is this stated in so many words in Scripture
concerning each of these three Sons, but it would be untenable to think of one
Son not exercising the same authoritarian power as the other Sons, though the
exact function of each of the three Sons will be different.
[Page 120]
A converted Israeli nation, under a new covenant - the cleansed
and restored wife of Jehovah - will dwell in a healed land, the land covenanted
to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
And in this land, with the nation’s Messiah in their midst,
they will not only rule all of the Gentile nations but these same nations will
be blessed through the nation ruling over them.
The Church, seen in that day
as the
bride of Christ, will also
dwell in a healed land. The bride will
dwell in that heavenly land presently occupied by Satan and his angels.
And this land will evidently have to be cleansed / restored, exactly as the
Then, as [restored]
And Christ in that day will exercise a dual reign - seated on David’s throne in the midst of His
people on earth, and seated on His Own throne with His bride in the heavens.
Thus, the entire rule will be authoritarian - a rule with a rod of iron. This is stated concerning Christ in Rev.
19: 15; this is stated concerning Christ’s bride in Rev. 2: 26, 27; and this is stated concerning
(Little needs to be said about the first two in the preceding
paragraph [Christ and His bride, ruling in this manner from the heavens], but,
because of the prevalence of all the false teaching throughout Christendom
concerning the man-child in Rev. 12: 5, time
needs to be spent on this facet of the matter.
Revelation 12: 5 has to do with the
regal-clad woman [
The regal-clad woman in verse one is presented as an
individual [metaphorically depicting Israel] in possession of kingly authority
but not yet reigning [seen by the use of stephanos rather than diadema (as
in v. 3),
two different words used for “crown” in the
Greek text], which is completely in line with Israel’s position dating back
3,500 years to the days of Moses in Ex. 4: 22, 23.
[Page 121]
[For information on differences between the use of stephanos and diadema in Scripture refer to Chapter VII, Crowns Cast Before God's Throne, in the
author’s book, “The
Time of the End”].
And after 3,500 years [including some 2,600 years during which
the Gentiles have held the sceptre], Daniel’s full Seventy Weeks are about to be
fulfilled, with Israel then seen occupying the regal position which the nation
has held throughout all these centuries of time.
[The woman in Rev. 12: 1 is “clothed with the sun,” depicting supreme
regal authority, with “the moon under her feet” (cf. Ps.
110: 1; Isa. 2: 24), which would depict lesser regal authority and could
only refer to the Gentile nations.
The picture is that of
This is how Revelation chapter twelve opens, announcing who is
at hand and what is about to occur. And this woman brings forth “a man child,” contextually,
immediately before the middle of the Tribulation.
The woman gives birth following Satan and his angels being
cast out of their place in the heavens [which has yet to occur and is seen
occurring near, but before, the middle of the Tribulation] and immediately
before the woman flees into the wilderness [which occurs in the middle of the
Tribulation].
[The
man-child is clearly identified, both textually and contextually (ref. Chapters I-IV and Appendixes I, II
in this book, and Chapters XXI, XXVI in the author’s book, “The Time of the End”)].
But, regardless of this clear identification, the man-child is
often misidentified by Bible students as either a select group of Christians
being raptured yet future or as Christ being born 2,000 years before the events
in this chapter occur [the position held by most, mainly on the basis of the
man-child about to rule all nations with a rod of iron].
But, to hold either of the preceding views of the matter only
serves to destroy that which the text is actually dealing with. Such will only serve to close this part of
the Book of Revelation to one’s understanding, which closes the part relating
how
The man-child has to do with a first fruit of the nation - 144,000
Jews, 12,000 from each of twelve tribes, who will carry the gospel of the
kingdom [Page 122] to Gentiles worldwide during the last
half of the Tribulation - [Rev. 7:
1ff; 12: 17; 14: 1-7]. And this first fruit of the nation depicts
the position and activities of the entire nation during the Messianic Era,
carrying the message of the one true and living God to all of the Gentile
nations and, at the same time, ruling these nations “with
a rod of iron.”
Israel’s Messiah, in that day, will rule in the midst of the
Jewish people, allowing for both of God’s firstborn Sons, Christ and Israel, to
rule the Gentile nations after the same fashion - “with a rod of iron” [as His rule with His bride in the
heavens allows the same].)
Thus, the Resulting change in the Government
The world is living on borrowed time; Man’s Day is almost
over; major changes beyond almost anyone’s comprehension (unless, of course,
that person has read and understood the Book) are in the offing.
In that coming day, the present unrest in the
The political sphere will be totally void of any type
corruption. Perfect justice and righteousness will, instead, exist throughout the earth’s
government.
There will no longer be an LGBT segment of society, for there
will be no homosexuals, lesbians, same-sex marriages, or individuals seemingly
questioning their own sexual identity.
There will be no more crime, drugs, or need for the type law
enforcement that we have today.
And the preceding is to name only some of the central things
presently plaguing our society which will no longer exist.
Everything is about to change. The
world as we know it is about to end, with a new world dawning. And
this new world will see God’s firstborn Sons taking the sceptre and ruling the
nations in perfect justice and righteousness.
In that day:
“...kings shall shut their mouths at Him [at the presence of
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For this book, (and many others by Arlen L. Chitwood),
Contact Mervyn & Audrey McCabe at:
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