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Revelation
Chapter 11:
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Overview to the
Two Witnesses: I'm
presenting here some of the key points and symbols regarding The Two
Witnesses that I've discovered through prayer and the inspiration of
the Holy Spirit. Please test them in your own studies:
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See the Prophetic
Time Chart for an explanation of the interpretation of prophetic
time in this chapter, ie. 1,260 days, 42 months, 3 1/2 years. |
"And
there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood,
saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and
them that worship therein." (Revelation
11:1 KJV)
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The
temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein:
The only permanant 'worshippers' in God's Temple are what Stephen
called the 'lively oracles', the Spiritual Law of God written upon the
two tables of stone with the Ten Commandments, engraved by the
finger of God, and stored in the Ark of the Testimony (Exodus
40:5).
The Ark was kept
in the Most Holy place of the Temple Sanctuary, behind the
veil that separated the Most Holy from the Holy, and before which the altar stood:
"And
I turned myself and came down from the mount, and put
the tables in the ark which I had made;
and there they be, as the LORD commanded me."
(Deuteronomy 10:5 KJV)
The Temple
was, of course, modelled on the "Tabernacle of Witness",
whose design Moses received from God on Mount Sinai.
"But
the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure
it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy
city shall they tread under foot forty and two months." (Revelation
11:2 KJV)
"And
I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a
thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth." (Revelation
11:3 KJV)
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Measure
it not:
Instructing John to 'measure' would indicate that units of linear
measurement should be involved here. But the only numbers we are
given in these these two verses are lengths of time, not of
space. John has presented us with a riddle:
The
Two Witnesses Measuring Riddle: Forty-two prophetic
months is the same as 1260 prophetic days, which in prophetic time is 1260
years. The periods in verses 2 and 3 refer to time periods of
the same length, yet John differentiates between them. Why?
Verse
2: During the first period mentioned John tells us that
the Gentiles will be treading the holy city (Jerusalem) underfoot. We
know that before Jesus' ministry, any Gentiles treading in
Jerusalem did so only during periods when the Israelites had been
subjegated by another nation. Thus the 1260-year
time period of verse 2 must be referencing the time
period after the ministry of Jesus, when Gentiles roamed
Jerusalem freely.
We can say this
because there was no 1260-year period during which the
Gentiles trod Jerusalem underfoot before the ministry of Jesus.
Verse
3: On the other hand, the 1260-year time period of verse
3, during which the Two Witnesses were to prophesy, can be 'measured' differently:
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First, since the
witnesses are described as clothed in sackcloth rather than
the 'white raimant' of Jesus' salvation, we have a hint that this
second 1260 years took place before Jesus' ministry. All other
raimant described in Revelation is the white raimant of Jesus' righteousness.
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Secondly, when the
witnesses finish their prophesying, verse 9 below tells us they will
lie 'dead' before the people of the nations for 'three days and an half'
(3 1/2 prophetic years). This third time period introduced into the
story of the Two Witnesses is the 3 1/2 years of Jesus' ministry,
which took place before His crucifixion.
If the 3 1/2 years
in verse 9 is referring to Jesus' ministry, then that 3 1/2 year
period took place after the Two Witnesses had prophesied for 1,260
years. So the Two Witnesses began prophesying 1,260 years before
Jesus was baptized.
It is estimated by
many Bible scholars that Moses received the tables of stone from God
on Mount Sinai during the 13th century BC.
While we haven't
known the exact date up until now, John in Revelation pinpoints it
for us as the date of Jesus baptism (usually placed near the
year 27 AD) minus 1,260 years - or approximately 1232 BC.
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My
two witnesses: The two tables of stone were placed in the
'Ark of the Testimony' (Exodus 26:34),
thus they were to testify to the sins of Israel, and as such
are 'witnesses' of man's rebellion against the Law of God.
Consider the follwing verse from Exodus where the two tables
themselves are shown as containing God's 'testimony':
"And
he gave unto Moses, when he had made an end of communing with him
upon mount Sinai, two tables of testimony, tables of stone,
written with the finger of God."
(Exodus 31:18 KJV)
Who gives
testimony? Witnesses give testimony. This verse from
Exodus identifies the two tables of stone as God's Two Witnesses.
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They
shall prophesy: The Law on the two tables of stone did
"prophesy" until Jesus began His ministry, according to
Jesus Himself:
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A
thousand two hundred and threescore days:
The two physical tables of stone were to be God's witness against
Israel for 1260 prophetic years, which would be near the
confirmable time period between
the tables of stone being given to Moses,
and Jesus beginning His ministry.
Example of the
Law bearing witness:
"...Moses
commanded the Levites, which bare the ark of the covenant of the
LORD, saying, Take this book of the
law, and put it in the side of the ark of the covenant of the LORD
your God, that it may be there for a witness against thee.
For I know thy rebellion, and thy stiff neck: behold, while I am yet
alive with you this day, ye have been rebellious against the LORD;
and how much more after my death?" (Deuteronomy
31:25-27 KJV)
See also
Deuteronomy 19:15; Joshua 8:32; also Exodus 24:5-8 for Israel's
Covenent being witnessed.
"These
are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks
standing before the God of the earth." (Revelation
11:4 KJV)
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The
two olive trees, and the two candlesticks: Olive trees
produced oil for lamps, candlesticks were lamps. Both are used in
prophecy throughout the Bible to indicate the Spirit.
This verse recalls
to us the Spiritual nature of the Law written on the two
tables of stone:
The
Spiritual Nature of God's Law: The Ten Commandments are
the Spiritual Law of Heaven written on cold, earthly stone. In
the book of Acts, Steven referred to the two tables containing the
Law of God, written with God's own finger, as the "lively
oracles" (Acts 7:37-40),
meaning that the Laws written on them are spiritual indeed.
The Apostle Paul wrote:
"For
we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold
under sin." (Romans 7:14)
When Jesus was
crucified, the Spiritual Law, represented in earthly, fleshly form by
the Law on the tables of stone, became part of Him:
"For
the law of the Spirit of life in
Christ Jesus hath made me free from
the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do, in that it
was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness
of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: That the
righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not
after the flesh, but after the Spirit." (Romans
8:2-4)
The Old Covenant
was the Ten Commandment Law. The New
Covenant is the same Law, though it is now spiritual
and is now written on our hearts since Jesus' sacrifice for our sins:
"But
this [shall be] the covenant that I will make with the house of
Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in
their inward parts, and write it in their hearts... I
will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more."
(Jeremiah
31:31-34 KJV)
See also: Ezekiel
36:26-27; Zechariah 4:1-14.
"And
if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth,
and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must
in this manner be killed." (Revelation
11:5 KJV)
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Spiritually
speaking: Breaking (hurting) a commandment
is sin, and the fire
of repentence and sanctification within, initiated by the Holy
Spirit, should soon follow.
"Who
also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the
letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the
spirit giveth life." (2
Corinthians 3:6 KJV)
"Therefore
as the fire devoureth the stubble, and the flame consumeth
the chaff, so their root shall be as rottenness, and their
blossom shall go up as dust: because they have cast away the law
of the LORD of hosts, and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel." (Isaiah
5:24 KJV)
The Law itself
described as fire:
"And
he said, The LORD came from Sinai, and rose up from Seir unto them;
he shined forth from mount Paran, and he came with ten thousands of
saints: from his right hand went a fiery law for them." (Deuteronomy
33:2 KJV)
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Physically
speaking: A reference to what happens to those who
investigate the Ark of the Covenant, which contains the tables of
stone, unbidden by God:
"And
He smiteth among the men of Beth-Shemesh, for they looked into
the ark of Jehovah, yea, He smiteth among the people seventy
men--fifty chief men; and the people mourn, because Jehovah smote
among the people--a great smiting." (1
Samuel 6:19)
"These
have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of
their prophecy: and have power over waters to turn them to blood,
and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will." (Revelation
11:6 KJV)
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These
have power to shut heaven, that
it rain not in the days of their prophecy:
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Spiritually Speaking:
It was impossible for people to keep God's Ten Commandment Law
perfectly. Disobeying the Law causes discouragement, and our joy and
power to witness and resist temptation through the Holy Spirit is restrained.
The 'rain' this
verse is referring to is the former and latter 'rains' of the Holy Spirit,
to take place after the Law was made one with Jesus and our sins
were forgiven through His sacrifice. These
rains are described below:
"Be
glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the LORD your God:
for he hath given you the former rain moderately, and he will
cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter
rain in the first month." (Joel
2:23 KJV)
The 'former rain'
is the rain of the Holy Spirit, as took place in upper room when the
disciples received the power of that Spirit. Study Revelation
elsewhere to find the spiritual meaning of turning water into blood
(whose blood? The blood of the Lamb) and the seven last plagues.
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Physically Speaking:
The prophet Elijah relied upon God, and the power the Law gave him,
to singlehandedly cause a drought for 3 1/2 years. The drought would
not end until Elijah himself said it would end:
"And
Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto
Ahab, As the LORD God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there
shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word."
(1 Kings 17:1 KJV)
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Have
power over waters to turn them to blood...
to smite the earth with all plagues:
A reference to the plagues that Pharaoh's obstinance before God
brought on Egypt. Another time reference, these plagues came just
before the two tables of stone were given to Moses. Turning waters to
blood is also included in the seven last plagues of Revelation.
"And
when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that
ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them,
and shall overcome them, and kill them." (Revelation
11:7 KJV)
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The
Beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit: The Bottomless
Pit that the
Beast ascends from is the sanctuary where the sacrificial
blood of sin offerings was sprinkled. Since man's sin is endless, the
sanctuary is represented as a pit that is bottomless. In some
translations the pit is rendered as the "abyss". The
sacrificial system was created to point forward to the Messiah,
"the Lamb of God". See the page on the sacrificial
system of Israel.
Thus the Beast of
Revelation is our portrayal to the world of the Messiah, a
Jesus who condones government by men of sin, and the oppression
and killing that results.
Because the Beast
represents the unholy alliance of church and government run by man,
and Jesus founded the church, He is indeed the basis of the first
Beast of Revelation because of the way we portray Him, and He
takes full responsibility as such.
See the page on
the fourth Beast Daniel Chapter Seven,
which also portrays the Messiah expected by the Jews as a Beast.
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Shall
overcome them, and kill them: Jesus during His life 'overcame'
the Ten Commandments by living them, proving that a brotherhood
of humanity is possible on the earth.
When Jesus'
ministry began, with God's approval indicated by the bestowal of the
Holy Spirit at His Baptism, righteousness by faith in His Grace
was instituted among mankind. The law written in stone that had
tormented and accused men so, was then symbolically 'killed',
as Paul wrote of the letter of the Law (not the Spirit)
"dying" of necessity.
For
where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death
of the testator." (Hebrews
9:15-16 KJV)
"But
now we are delivered from the law, that
being dead wherein we were held; that
we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter." (Romans
7:6)
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And
when they shall have finished their testimony: The Two
Witnesses "prophecied" until Jesus' baptism, when they
finished their testimony. Again, Jesus from the book of Matthew:
The apostle Paul
called the Law our "schoolmaster" that brought us to Christ:
"Wherefore
the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might
be justified by faith." (Galatians
3:24 KJV)
"And
their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city,
which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified."
(Revelation 11:8 KJV)
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In
the street of
the great city: Atheism and idolotry are regularly
represented by God in prophecy under the pseudonym of Egypt,
whereas Sodom represents a level of perversion reached
only by the most rebellious of God's people. The "great
city", then, is Spiritual Babylon.
This description
spiritually refers to where Jesus overcame the Law written on stone,
thus 'killing' it:
"And
for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by
means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions [that were]
under the first testament, they which are called might receive
the promise of eternal inheritance. For where a testament is,
there must also of necessity be the death of the testator." (Hebrews
9:15-16 KJV)
The Apostle Paul's description
of the necessity of the death of a testator in the book of
Hebrews is applicable to the Old Testament Covenant of the Law as well.
"And
they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see
their dead bodies three days and an half, and shall not suffer
their dead bodies to be put in graves. And they that dwell upon the
earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send
gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented
them that dwelt on the earth."
(Revelation 11:9-10 KJV)
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Shall
see their dead bodies three days and an half: In prophetic
time: For the three and a half years of Jesus' active
ministry would the bodies of the Two Witnesses, those two tables of
stone containing the Ten Commandments that He overcame, be
symbolically left unburied "in the street".
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And
shall send gifts one to another: In the joy of the
Salvation of Jesus, a description of Christmas.
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Because
these two prophets tormented them: The torment
spoken of is the torment of living under the accusatory
nature of the Law
without Grace:
Speaking of the New
Covenant, God said:
"And
your covenant with death shall be disannulled, and your agreement
with hell shall not stand; when the overflowing scourge shall pass
through, then ye shall be trodden down by it... For
the bed is shorter than that a man can stretch himself on it: and
the covering narrower than that he can wrap himself in it."
(Isaiah 28:18, 20 KJV)
Examples of the
torment of the Law as opposed to Grace:
"The
sting of death is sin; and the
strength of sin is the law." (1
Corinthians 15:56 KJV)
"Do
not think that I will accuse you to the Father: there
is one that accuseth you, even Moses [to
whom the Ten Commandments were given], in whom
ye trust." (John
5:45 KJV)
"Because
the law worketh wrath: for where no
law is, there is no transgression. Therefore it is of faith, that it
might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the
seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which
is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all..." (Romans
4:15-16 KJV) |
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"And
after three days and an half the Spirit of life from God entered
into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great
fear fell upon them which saw them." (Revelation
11:11 KJV)
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The
Spirit of life from God entered into them:
With Jesus's crucifixion, after His three and one half year ministry,
the spiritual law of the Ten Commandments became one with Jesus:
"And
now, in Christ Jesus, ye being once afar off became nigh in the
blood of the Christ, for he is our peace, who did make both one, and
the middle wall of the enclosure did break down, the enmity in his
flesh, the law of the commands in ordinances having done away,
that the two he might create in himself into one new man, making
peace, and might reconcile both in one body to God through the cross,
having slain the enmity in it, and having come, he did proclaim good
news--peace to you--the far-off and the nigh, because through him we
have the access--we both--in one Spirit unto the Father." (Ephesians
2:13-18 YLT)
"And
you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh,
hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all
trespasses; Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was
against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way,
nailing it to his cross; And having spoiled principalities and
powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in
it." (Colossians 2:14-17 KJV)
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And
they stood upon their feet:
When Jesus was resurrected after His crucifixion, the spiritual Ten
Commandments stood on their feet because He stood on His feet.
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Great
fear fell upon them which saw them: At Jesus'
resurrection, when the angel of the Lord came and rolled back the
stone to Jesus' sepulchre, the Roman guards collapsed with fear:
"In
the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of
the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the
sepulchre. And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel
of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone
from the door, and sat upon it. His countenance was like lightning,
and his raiment white as snow: And for fear of him the keepers did
shake, and became as dead men." (Matthew
28:1-4 KJV)
"And
they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up
hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and
their enemies beheld them."
(Revelation 11:12 KJV)
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And
they ascended up to heaven in a cloud:
Jesus' ascension to heaven, described in the book of Acts:
"And
when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and
a cloud received him out of their sight. And while they looked
stedfastly toward heaven..." (Acts
1:9-11 KJV)
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And
their enemies beheld them: The word 'enemies' is
related In the spirit of verse 10, which described the effect of the
law as 'torment'.
Here in verse 12,
the 'enemies' of the old Law, the Law written on tables of stone, were
the apostles who watched them ascend, now spiritually one
with the King of Kings.
"Rejoice
exceedingly, O daughter of Zion, Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem, Lo,
thy King doth come to thee, Righteous--and saved is He,
Afflicted--and riding on an ass, And on a colt--a son of she-asses.
And I have cut off the chariot from Ephraim, And the horse from
Jerusalem, Yea, cut off hath been the bow of battle, And he hath
spoken peace to nations, And his rule is from sea unto sea, And from
the river unto the ends of earth. Also
thou--by the blood of thy covenant, I have sent thy prisoners out of
the pit [the
sanctuary, the bottomless pit of blood from animal sacrifice],
There is no water in it." (Zechariah
9:9-11)
"And
the same hour was there a great earthquake, and the
tenth part of the city fell, and in the earthquake were slain
of men seven thousand: and the remnant were affrighted, and gave
glory to the God of heaven." (Revelation
11:13 KJV)
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A
great earthquake: Like the other earthquakes in
Revelation, the great earthquake referred to is a prophetic spiritual
earthquake of spiritual change, this one representing the anointing
of the apostles with the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost:
"And
suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind,
and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there
appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon
each of them." (Acts
2:2-3 KJV)
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The
same hour: Jesus was crucified on the Passover (Friday),
his body lying in a tomb over three days. He was then resurrected on
the first day of the week (Sunday). Then according to Acts 1:3, after
showing Himself to His disciples over a period of 40 days, He
ascended to heaven on a cloud.
So Jesus ascended
to heaven 43 days after His crucifixion.
The Day of
Pentecost is the 50th day of Passover, so the events described in
verse 13 took place within one prophetic hour (15 literal days),
of Jesus' ascension to heaven on the cloud.
Thus The Holy
Spirit was bestowed 7 literal days after Jesus' ascension.
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The
tenth part of the city fell: The
ninth commandment was broken in Peter's enthusiasm for preaching. An
example of exaggeration in preaching that has been passed down since
Peter. In his first speech in Acts, Peter is shown taking charge
among the disciples, and recounting the death of Judas Iscariot:
"Now
this man purchased a field with the reward of iniquity; and falling
headlong, he burst asunder in the
midst, and all his bowels gushed out.
And it was known unto all the dwellers at Jerusalem; insomuch as that
field is called in their proper tongue, Aceldama, that is to say, The
field of blood." (Acts
1:18-19 KJV)
Yet the Gospel of
Luke tells the story of the naming of 'The field of blood' differently:
"And
he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went
and hanged himself. And the chief
priests took the silver pieces, and said, It is not lawful for to put
them into the treasury, because it is the price of blood. And
they took counsel, and bought with them the potter's field,
to bury strangers in. Wherefore that field was called, The
field of blood, unto this day." (Matthew
27:5-8 KJV)
Peter, when He
preached here, broke the commandment "Thou shalt not bear false witness".
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In
the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand:
The King James translators left an important Greek word out of this
verse, no doubt thinking it made more sense as they related it.
However, the Greek word meaning "names" was properly
translated in the following translations:
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"...And
killed in the earthquake were names
of men--seven thousands, and the rest
became affrighted, and they gave glory to the God of the heaven." (Rev
11:13 Young's Literal Translation)
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"...And
seven thousand names of men
were slain in the earthquake. And the rest were frightened and gave
glory to the God of Heaven." (Rev
11:13 Modern King James Version)
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"...And
there were killed in the earthquake seven thousand names
of men. And the rest became
terrified, and gave glory to the God of Heaven." (Rev
11:13 Literal Translation of the Holy Bible)
What does John
mean when he writes that "seven thousand names of
men" were slain? Consider the following verses:
"Yet
I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which
have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him." (1
Kings 19:18 KJV)
"But
what saith the answer of God unto him? I have reserved to myself
seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal." (Rom
11:4 KJV)
When Judas hanged
himself after betraying Jesus, the number of Apostles went from
twelve to eleven. In the book of Acts we are told that Peter decided
Judas' place in the Apostles' ranks must be filled. So they selected
two whom they felt were worthy, and drew lots to decide who would
replace Judas:
"And
they appointed two, Joseph called Barsabas, who was surnamed
Justus, and Matthias." (Act
1:23 KJV)
"And
they gave forth their lots; and the lot fell upon Matthias;
and he was numbered with the eleven apostles." (Act
1:26 KJV)
By selecting
Judas' replacement themselves without waiting for Jesus to do so,
Peter and the Apostles usurped Jesus' Authority to select the
replacement Himself from the metaphorical "seven thousand"
righteous which God always has in reserve.
Jesus later chose
the Apostle Paul to replace Judas. Thus Paul is the divinely
chosen twelfth Apostle, as he notes in the following
salutation from Galations:
"Paul,
an apostle, (not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ,
and God the Father, who raised him from the dead;) And all the
brethren which are with me, unto the churches of Galatia: Grace be to
you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ,
Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this
present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father: To
whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen." (Gal
1:2-5 KJV)
The Ten Commandments
The
Third Woe:
"The
second woe is past; and, behold, the third woe cometh quickly." (Revelation
11:14 KJV)
The "third
woe" is a placeholder for the Third Angel's Message of
Revelation Chapter Fourteen.
The
Seventh Trumpet:
See Also: Seventh
Church | Seventh Seal
| Seventh Plague
"And
the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven,
saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our
Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever. And
the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell
upon their faces, and worshipped God, Saying, We give thee thanks, O
Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because
thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned." (Revelation
11:15-17 KJV)
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And
hast reigned: Per the Plan of Salvation, the Seventh
Trumpet announcing the Church of Laodicea reminds us that Jesus'
ministry of instituting the Kingdom of Heaven on earth began when He
ascended and continues with Him as our King today - He has been
leading us until "that Wicked be revealed",
until we recognize that Lucifer's lies are exposed to the universe
for what they are.
The Church of
Laodicea is inclusive of all Christianity, all believers in
Jesus as Savior.
Lucifer's lies are
exposed the universe now, but most Laodiceans do not
see it yet. Many still harbor hatred for other peoples and religions,
many are just too separated from God and the issues He cares about to
see, and many are simply too comfortable in materialism to care. Many
are discouraged because of government and media persecution.
To Laodicea Jesus says:
"I
know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou
wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold
nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. Because thou
sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have
need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and
miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:
"I
counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest
be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the
shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve,
that thou mayest see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be
zealous therefore, and repent. Behold, I stand
at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the
door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me." (Revelation
3:15-20 KJV)
Through the ages,
Jesus has been our True King, directing all of the Good that has come
out of the evil of the last 2000 years.
"And
the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the
time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest
give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and
them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy
them which destroy the earth." (Revelation
11:18 KJV)
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"And
the nations were angry,
and thy wrath is come: The wrath is that of the world's
poor and oppressed, including the terrorists of September 11th
and beyond, who are fighting for the survival of their fundamentalist beliefs.
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The
time of the dead, that they should be judged: The time
for Jesus return has come, but it is up to us to make the first step
by repenting and living the teachings of Christ. And
then we must invite Him back:
"Even
from the days of your fathers ye are gone away from mine ordinances,
and have not kept them. Return unto me, and I will return
unto you, saith the LORD of hosts. But ye said, Wherein shall we return?"
(Malachi 3:7 KJV)
"For
I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall
say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord." (Matthew
23:39 KJV)
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And
shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth: Babylon
and the Beast, who refuse to treat environmental problems seriously,
in deference to greed. Air pollution, water pollution, global
warming, nuclear threats, etc...
"And
the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in
his temple the ark of his testament: and there were lightnings,
and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail." (Revelation
11:19 KJV)
-
There
was seen in his temple the ark of his testament:
In the Ark of the Testament of the earthly Temple were stored
the two tables of stone of the Ten Commandments.
-
I believe this
reference to the Ark may indicate that something may yet happen
regarding the Ark or the two tables of stone. Wouldn't it be
interesting if they were found in Iraq around ancient Babylon?
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Then again, this
verse may also indicate that something that happened to the Ten
Commandments that initiated the sounding of the Seventh Trumpet, like
the removal of the Ten Commandments from the courthouse in Alabama.
It's hard to imagine a greater insult to the God in whose name this
country was founded, and on whose commandments our rule of law is based.
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On the other hand,
this verse may just be indicating that we must get back to God's
Law of Brotherhood before Jesus returns.
The history of
the Church of Laodicea continues through Chapter Twelve and Thirteen:
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