Monday, December 23,
2013, 8:25 a.m. – As I was waking up this morning, the Lord Jesus put the
song “Songs in the Night” in my mind.
Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Revelation 11 (NIV).
Preface: I am no
Biblical scholar when it comes to deciphering the symbology contained within
this book. I have studied it many times, and have found there are numerous and
varied interpretations of what God/Jesus Christ meant when he gave these words
to John to write. So, I must rely upon the witness of the Holy Spirit within
me, as should we all, to give me what understanding he wants me to have from
these writings, and to trust the Lord Jesus, by his Spirit, to teach me what he
wants me to learn and to share with others. I will say upfront that my
understanding of the timing of these events, although I make no claims here to
having all the answers, is of a post-tribulation rapture belief. Yet, I see no
value in debating that particular subject, because Christ will come when he
will come, and I’m ok with whatever he has planned. The reality is that he will
do what he has planned no matter how good our arguments may be to the contrary.
A Measuring Rod
I
was given a reed like a measuring rod and was told, “Go and measure the temple
of God and the altar, with its worshipers. But exclude the outer court; do not
measure it, because it has been given to the Gentiles. They will trample on the
holy city for 42 months. And I will appoint my two witnesses, and they will
prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth.” They are “the two olive trees”
and the two lampstands, and “they stand before the Lord of the earth.” If
anyone tries to harm them, fire comes from their mouths and devours their
enemies. This is how anyone who wants to harm them must die. They have power to
shut up the heavens so that it will not rain during the time they are
prophesying; and they have power to turn the waters into blood and to strike
the earth with every kind of plague as often as they want. ~ vv. 1-6
I see no Biblical basis for the teaching that says that
before these events take place, that the church will be raptured, and that God will
go back to the old covenant relationship with his people, or that he will
institute a third covenant, and/or that he will once again inhabit a physical
temple in a singular physical location. I see total congruity in scripture from
the birth of Christ to his second coming, meaning that Jesus Christ is the
temple of God, and as his followers we are his body, so we are his temple, and
the Spirit of God dwells within us. All people must be born of the Spirit of
God if they want to have eternal life, so the saints of God living at this time
must also be born of the Spirit and have the Spirit of God dwelling within
them, and thus the temple existing at this time, which is also the Holy City,
the city of God (the city on a hill), is the true church, the body of Christ. The
physical city of Jerusalem is no longer the Holy City, but is of Hagar, the
slave woman (See Gal. 4:22-31). Those who are of the promise, i.e. those who
are true followers of Christ, are the New Jerusalem. This also fits with
chapter 12 where it says that the Dragon (Satan) is after “those who keep God’s
commands and hold fast their testimony about Jesus.”
So, I believe John was to measure (examine) the true church,
the body of Christ. We are given a picture, perhaps, of that examination
(measurement) in Revelation 2-3 in the letters to the seven churches (or to the
complete church – the church as a whole for all generations). He was to exclude
the outer court, because that was given over to the Gentiles. Now, since Jesus
Christ died, rose, and ascended to heaven and sent his Holy Spirit to indwell
his followers, the temple of God has been a spiritual temple, not a physical
one, so the outer court thus must represent the world, which includes the
institutional church, i.e. that of man and not of God, i.e. the outer court
represents all those who do not have true faith in Jesus Christ, which includes
both Jew and Gentile. Jesus made Jew and Gentile one in Christ. He thus
incorporated Gentile believers into true (spiritual) Israel along with
believing Jews. All others are of Hagar, the slave woman, which includes Jews
who have not accepted Jesus Christ as their Messiah and Lord, and thus they are
the ones in the outer court, and the ones trampling on God’s holy people, the
bride of Christ.
Concerning the two witnesses, I definitely see the Old and
New Testaments as strong possibilities here. Yet, I will make no attempt to try
to identify who these two witnesses are, or will be, yet what I do understand
is that they represent God’s Holy Word, for truly it is the Word of God that is
hated, and thus the messengers are only hated because they speak the words of
God. These two witnesses represent the gospel of Jesus Christ; of salvation. They
most certainly confront and address sin in sinful man, and call for repentance
and holy living via faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. They apparently
also speak words of judgment against all who refuse Jesus Christ as Lord and
Savior of their lives and against all those who would come against Christ, his
messages and his messengers. The people will hate these witnesses, because they
hate the truth and they don’t want to be confronted with their sins or told
they must turn from their sin and follow Jesus Christ in surrender to his will.
This is, thus, why they trample on (crush; squash; walk or tread on) God’s holy
people, because their goal is to stop the spreading of the gospel message,
which is their true object of hate. They want the gospel to be snuffed out so
they are no longer confronted with their sins and thus can live how they want.
And, this is happening in our world today.
The Seventh Angel
The
seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, which
said:
“The
kingdom of the world has become
the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah,
and he will reign for ever and ever.”
And
the twenty-four elders, who were seated on their thrones before God, fell on
their faces and worshiped God, saying:
“We
give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty,
the One who is and who was,
because
you have taken your great power
and have begun to reign.
The
nations were angry,
and your wrath has come.
The
time has come for judging the dead,
and for rewarding your servants the
prophets
and
your people who revere your name,
both great and small—
and
for destroying those who destroy the earth.”
Then
God’s temple in heaven was opened, and within his temple was seen the ark of
his covenant. And there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder,
an earthquake and a severe hailstorm. ~ vv. 15-19
I don’t know the chronology of all this, but what I do know
is that in chapter 10 it said that in the days when the 7th angel is
about to sound his trumpet, the mystery of God will be accomplished (fulfilled;
completed). We do know that when Jesus Christ returns for his bride that our
salvation will be complete. Scripture says that a trumpet will sound, that those
who have died in Christ will be raised first, and then all those of us who are
alive and remaining will be caught up with our Lord in the air, and so shall we
ever be with the Lord (See 1 Thess. 4:13-18). This, I believe, takes place at
the end of the tribulation. This fits with what it says next here in chapter 11,
as well, for when the 7th angel sounded his trumpet, the loud voices
in heaven proclaimed that the kingdom of the world has now become the kingdom
of our Lord and he will reign for ever and ever. This, I believe, takes place
at the end of the tribulation period, because next it says that God has taken
his great power and he has begun to reign, and that now it was time to judge
the dead and to reward the Lord’s servants, the prophets, and the Lord’s people
who revere his name. As well, the time had come for destroying those who
destroy the earth.
Again, I will make no attempt here to try to analyze all of
this and to try to determine what happens when, only to say, at a high level,
that we know scripture teaches that we, as Christ’s followers and witnesses,
will be hated and persecuted and even killed for our testimony for Jesus
Christ. This trampling of the “Holy City” has been going on since Jesus Christ’s
ascension into heaven and his sending of the Holy Spirit to indwell his
followers. And, it is still going on today, only I believe it is much stronger
now, and that we are seeing a global effort now to squash the gospel of Jesus
Christ and to bring those who hold to the testimony of Christ and his gospel
into disrepute, or to try to force them into compliance with the one-world
ecumenical movement, or else to persecute, blaspheme and kill them. And, this
is beginning to work its way into America, too.
As well, we do know from scripture that a time of
tribulation is coming (or has already come) on the earth at which time the
saints of God will be severely persecuted, imprisoned and even killed for their
testimony for Christ, and that they will no longer be able to buy and to sell
unless they take the mark of the beast. Many of us believe the beast is already
forming and is in the process of conquering nations across the globe by the use
of intimidation and military force (both private and public); through the use
of false flag operations, falsely accusing the governments of the world of what
our government and their allies are doing, so that we can go into these
countries to conquer them (not to save them); and also is conquering them via
man-made disasters, including financial disasters. And, I believe, and many
others believe, and there appears to be evidence to support this, that our
government in the US and their allies in the New World Order Beast are also
targeting those followers of Christ who do hold strong to their faith and
beliefs and who do speak out concerning the gospel of salvation, and that this
N.W.O. beast is persecuting and murdering Christ’s followers across the globe –
U.S. sanctioned and supported.
No one knows the exact timing of when the actual reign of
this beast will take place, but we can know that it is near by the signs, and
there are many, many signs. I believe it won’t be long now before we see this
reign of the beast truly take hold globally and the church of Christ across the
globe trampled upon by those in the “outer court,” i.e. by those outside of
true faith in Jesus Christ. Much of this persecution will come, I believe,
through the institutional ecumenical church, and we can definitely see this
happening even now. Remember that Jesus’ greatest opposition and persecutors
did not come from the people out in the world, per se, but from those within
institutional religion, and especially from those in positions of religious and
political power. Yet, it is during these times of persecution, imprisonment, or
pressures from the outside world (or the worldly church) to conform to the
norms of society that we, like Paul and Silas, can sing praises to God.
Songs in the Night
/ An Original Work / December 18, 2013
“About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing
hymns to God,
And the other prisoners were listening to them.” Acts
16:25 NIV ‘84
Lord, I praise You forevermore.
You, my Savior, I now adore.
Hope in heaven awaiting me,
Because You died at Calvary.
I have been forgiven,
And I’m bound for heaven.
Jesus set me free from
All my sin, I say.
I will praise Him always!
Lord, I love You for all You’ve done:
Overcame death, my vict’ry won!
Jesus saved me, and now I’m free!
I rejoice in His love for me.
I will walk in vict’ry!
My sin is but hist’ry!
I am free to please Him
With my life today.
I will love Him always!
Lord, I thank You for giving me
A new life bought at Calvary.
Loving Jesus, I meet with Him.
Tender mercies now flow within.
Lord, I am so thankful;
Through my Lord, I’m able
To sit at His table;
Fellowship with Him.
I will thank Him always!
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