"As we approach chapter seventeen of the Revelation the visions of John move rapidly toward a double climax. We are in the ascending foothills beyond which are the towering twin peaks of the Revelation — the fall of Mystery Babylon and the ascendancy of New Jerusalem. This seventeenth chapter has sometimes been called a "twisted rope" or a "tangled web," for there are many ambiguous, puzzling, and somewhat perplexing and bewildering scenes which seem beyond comprehension or understanding. However, we will not find the chapter too difficult if we proceed with patience and holy waiting upon the Spirit of Truth to quicken our hearts and enlighten our minds with that wisdom which is from above. Let us pray for the spirit of understanding to understand that which is written for our blessing and edification!"
"No word given to a prophet from the Lord by the Holy Spirit can be truthfully understood or interpreted unless the same spiritual understanding is given to the reader by the Holy Spirit that gave it originally to the prophet. God’s elect in this hour is being given the ability to "Hear what the Spirit saith," and it is the same anointing wherein it was spoken and written. The book of Revelation, like any other part of the scriptures and prophecies, must be "spiritually" understood. Understanding came to the disciples of Jesus when He "opened unto them the scriptures." Before that their natural understanding was unfruitful. They didn’t have a clue! They read all the scriptures and never saw Jesus there until He "opened" the scriptures to them. And it wasn’t a doctrine that He shared with them, it was spiritual illumination that burst forth within their hearts!"
"We must remember that what John is writing is prophecy, and prophecy is not merely history written beforehand. The prophet’s distinguishing characteristic is not foresight but insight. He peers behind the appearance of things to the spiritual realities they represent and he announces the things that he sees in the most vivid and arresting ways as they are communicated to him in signs and symbols. This does often involve prediction as to the future yet the vindication of the truth of his message does not lie in the exact correspondence of event with prediction but in the true apprehension of the eternal principles and spiritual realities revealed therein. O that the saints of the Lord might see that the value of any prophecy of scripture does not lie in the ability of the prophet to forecast the future, but in the insight it shows into the purposes of God and the power it has to quicken discernment and understanding in the spiritual realities of the kingdom of God."
Much more in the link:
"The ministry of the symbolic "seven messengers" streams forth from the precincts of the ark within the temple — from the very throne of God — from the very heart of God — the heart-throne of mercy and judgment. The seven last plagues come out of the temple!"
"The ministry of the symbolic "seven messengers" streams forth from the precincts of the ark within the temple — from the very throne of God — from the very heart of God — the heart-throne of mercy and judgment. The seven last plagues come out of the temple!"
Boy, is your crank gonna be surprised.
"And the seven angels came out of the temple, having the seven plagues, clothed in pure and white linen, and having their breasts girded with golden girdles" (Rev. 15:6).
"The vials are indeed judgment vials — and is it not the saints who shall judge the world! Judgment is coming out of God’s temple, but keep in mind, my beloved, that nothing breaks forth out of the temple of God that has not been first inworked into that temple!"
Romans 2:5 KJV But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God;
God just bursts forth and gives them big hug, eh?
"The book of Revelation is about YOU! It’s about the revelation of Jesus Christ in His body with all the forces and powers and instruments and workings and dealings and warfares and purgings and purifications and victories that are involved in the process!"
The book of Revelation is about YOU!
God couldn't care less about YOU! Man in his best condition is altogether vanity. Revelation is about Him setting up His Kingdom of Heaven and His Kingdom of Heaven. Him taking back, with force, dominion over His creation.
If you think God loves unrepentant sinners, like sovereign son does, you are an apostate.
Yes, Romans tells you that you're washed clean of your sins in the blood of Christ. Unless you reject Christ. Then God's wrath abides on you. Do you know what wrath means?
Deuteronomy 7:10 KJV And repayeth them that hate him to their face, to destroy them: he will not be slack to him that hateth him, he will repay him to his face.
1 Corinthians 6 KJV 6 9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, 10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.
"The book of Revelation is the revelation of Jesus Christ. It is the Christ of God revealed!"
Wow!
Blows me away too, enjoy :)
"These words take on new depth of meaning when we understand that in the book of Revelation the word "come" always signifies an invitation to revelation; the whore and the bride are two women; the invitation goes forth to come and see by the spirit how they are related and what they mean; and I do not hesitate to tell you that it requires A REVELATION FROM GOD TO SEE EITHER! Of the harlot it is written, "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" (Rev. 17:3). Of the bride it is written, "And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God" (Rev. 21:10). Of the harlot it was said, "And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet color, 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 BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH" (Rev. 17:4-5). In contrast of which it was said of the bride, "And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints" (Rev. 19:8). The bride is described as, "…the holy Jerusalem, descending out of lineheaven from God, having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious" (Rev. 21:10-11)."
"Arise until you ascend the mount of God from whose majestic peak you behold the Holy City, New Jerusalem coming down from God out of heaven, the city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God, the city of truth and life and reality built into a living form and expression through a people who live out of the heavens of the spirit. Ascend until you become conscious of THE TRUTH AS IT IS IN JESUS, THE ETERNAL AND GLORIOUS REALITY OF THE SPIRIT, THE OMNISCIENCE AND OMNIPOTENCE OF THE CHRIST WITHIN!"
"Then follows the wonderful truth pertaining to the true nature and character of both Mystery Babylon and the Holy City Jerusalem — IT TAKES A REVELATION TO SEE EITHER! "Come hither — and I will show thee…the great whore." "Come hither — and I will show thee the bride, the Lamb’s wife." It is the voice of the same messenger revealing to our hearts two diverse realities. It is the invitation to revelation!"
Oh, almost did not notice this is 17:1
Exposing Babylon!
I think chapter 17 is going to be an exposer of the workings of Babylon.
The prophet’s distinguishing characteristic is not foresight but insight. He peers behind the appearance of things to the spiritual realities they represent and he announces the things that he sees in the most vivid and arresting ways as they are communicated to him in signs and symbols.
Revelation 1 KJV 10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet,
Some would say that John was filled with the Spirit on Sunday, like your crank probably does. But what it really means is that the LORD took John's spirit out of his fleshly body and set him ahead in time to the when the tribulation is occurring, so he could see it with his own eyes. Make note the "sound of a trumpet behind me," signifying that the rapture has already happened.
That makes no sense at all. If nobody can understand a prophet's words without being gifted exactly like a prophet, what is the purpose of having prophets?
The Holy Spirit is the same gift given to the whole body of Christ. Spiritual truths are conveyed with words, concepts, communications, for the perfecting of the body of Christ, the prophets Job is to convey the message of God.
it is your job to prove it.
1 Thessalonians 5:20 Despise not prophesyings. 21 Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.
God works in you to help you prove what is in line with the Spirit of God. It's awesome stuff, but it does come back to experience, we grow in these things. Do you feel like you are growing? Do you feel like it is the Spirit of Jesus Christ that is leading you?
This does often involve prediction as to the future yet the vindication of the truth of his message does not lie in the exact correspondence of event with prediction but in the true apprehension of the eternal principles and spiritual realities revealed therein.
God kills prophets that do not say EXACTLY and LITERALLY what He tells them to say, hint, hint.
"The church of Christ is called a MYSTERY. She is presented as a virgin. She is called a bride. Finally, she is presented as a city, the New Jerusalem, the city of peace, righteousness, glory, and divine order. The scarlet-clad woman is called a MYSTERY. She is not a virgin, she is a harlot. She is not a wife, she is the paramour and mistress of the kings of the earth. Finally, she is that great city which is called Babylon, the city of confusion, filthiness, shame, and the denial of divine order. As to Babylon, John adds, "When I saw her, I wondered with great admiration. And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman…the seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth. The waters are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues…and the woman which thou sawest is that great city (a corporate people) which reigneth over the kings of the earth" (Rev. 17:7,8,15,19)."
"These prophecies present two broadly contrasted WOMEN, identified with two broadly contrasted CITIES, one reality being in each case, doubly represented, as a WOMAN, and as a CITY. The harlot and Babylon are one; the bride and the heavenly Jerusalem are one. My prayer is that the Spirit of the Living God will enlighten the eyes of all who read these lines and give understanding, shedding forth abundantly of the spirit of wisdom and revelation that each may be able to discern and easily differentiate between the virgin church without spot or wrinkle, which Jesus Christ is preparing for Himself, and that filthy harlot system, full of names of blasphemy, who with her multiplied sects and denominations, seduces the inhabitants of the world with the unspeakable lie that she is, herself, the bride of the Lamb. One would certainly think that God’s people would respond to the invitation to revelation whereby the Spirit says, "COME HITHER, and I will show you," and that they would look with anointed eyes and readily perceive the difference between the virgin and the harlot, but sadly such is not the case. Would God that all men could now see that this hidden mystery of the bride of Christ has nothing in common with that tradition-ridden system, that gaudy harlot, which all men everywhere believe to be THE CHURCH."
that they would look with anointed eyes and readily perceive the difference between the virgin and the harlot, but sadly such is not the case.
I have no idea how anyone could possibly confuse the two. What is this crank talking about?
"Of all the contrasts in this book of weird opposites the most remarkable one is that of the two women and the two cities. One thread of golden thought runs through the entire drama. The two women are contrasted in every particular that is mentioned about them; the one is pure as purity itself, "made ready," clothed in heaven’s unsullied holiness. The other, foul as corruption could make her, fit only for the burning fires of judgment. The one belongs to the Lamb, who loves her as the bridegroom loves his bride; the other is associated with a wild beast, and with the kings of the earth, who ultimately hate and destroy her. The one is clothed in fine linen, clean and white, and in another place is portrayed as clothed with the dazzling brilliance of the sun, and crowned with a coronet of stars, that is, robed in divine righteousness as her state of being, and resplendent with heavenly glory and power; the other is attired in scarlet and gold, in jewels and pearls, gorgeous indeed but with earthly splendor only, who, being increased with this world’s goods and having need of nothing has made herself drunk with the blood of the saints and thrust Christ Himself outside her doors."
Which one was John referring to in JOHN 8:10-11 ?
Both are within us. Babylon is within, the new Jerusalem is within us.........and we are in them, We are to "go and sin no more", that is coming out of the flesh and into the Spirit.
Really that author writes on these things much better than I, that is why I am posting the Revelation series, it is outstanding for a Spiritual interpretation of Revelation. I started at the first one, and we are now on #189
Here is the index:
https://www.godfire.net/eby/
"Babylon is the aggregation or collection, the bringing together of everything that suits and appeals to man, while New Jerusalem is the exhibition of the divine beauty and the excellencies and virtues of Christ by the Spirit."
Finally, she is presented as a city, the New Jerusalem, the city of peace, righteousness, glory, and divine order.
False. New Jerusalem is a literal place, streets paved with gold, many mansions, etc. It is the ABODE of the bride of Christ. There is no temple therein because God is the Temple.
You are the Temple Andy, you are the New Jerusalem of Spirit.
Babylon and the whore are synonymous, and the bride and New Jerusalem are synonymous,
John Chapter 14 KJV 2 In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
Revelation 21 KJV 14 And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. 15 And he that talked with me had a golden reed to measure the city, and the gates thereof, and the wall thereof. 16 And the city lieth foursquare, and the length is as large as the breadth: and he measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs. The length and the breadth and the height of it are equal. 17 And he measured the wall thereof, an hundred and forty and four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of the angel. 18 And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass. 19 And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald; 20 The fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst.
Sounds like a physical city to me.
That is because you are reading it as physical. All the physical symbols point to spiritual realities. We are spiritual, the flesh, the physical is nothing to us, going deeper with your faith will bring you to spiritual realities, they are above the physical. I've been around Andy, right in the midst of some really crappy physical stuff, but the Spirit was my reality, the physical was simply not my reality. We are in the world, but not of the world, just Like our Lord Jesus Christ. We are of the kingdom of God, not the kingdoms of this world, we are spiritual.
Maybe you're not ready for this stuff yet, God is the only one that readies us, I can talk all day about this stuff, but if God is not moving you in that direction, you will not go.
Maybe you're not ready for this stuff yet
Same could be said about you. Do you think you will be just floating around on your cloud for eternity? God rests on the 7th day which is a type of the 7,000th year. While He rests, we minister, we rule. We are made kings and priests with the mind of Christ (and He knew their thoughts) with the resurrected body of Christ (thrust your hand in My side.) Mortal flesh survives the tribulation and lives life just like we do now. The church, along with God's angels, do His will amongst them.
Do you believe in physical angels, in the here and now?
Been there Andy, four decades of no good interpretation of Revelation. I was fine as a Christian, but I didn't get the book of Revelation, and certainly couldn't find an interpretation that worked with the Spirit of Christ that I followed. Four decades. God lets us go through much before we grow out of a certain thing. I like you Andy, but you’ve chosen a doctrine of a physical Jerusalem, you can't get past that until Jesus Christ shows it to you by way of the Spirit of God.
The why doesn't He just tell us that? You and the crank are taking literal physical kingdoms and making them into notions. I'm not.
And it wasn’t a doctrine that He shared with them, it was spiritual illumination that burst forth within their hearts!"
That's nice but there isn't one spiritual prophecy of Jesus Christ in the Old Testament, they are all literal. The apostles missed it because of two separate dispensations, the first coming of the Lamb, the second of the King.
Wrong. The Bible is much deeper than you give it credit for.
Perhaps you could explain?
Are you familiar with the story of David and Absalom?
Who does David and who does Absalom represent?
Yes, David is a type of Christ and Absalom is a type of antiChrist. But these are literal types.
Nope.
David is a physical representation of God and Absalom is a physical representation of Christ.
2 Samuel 14:25
But in all Israel there was none to be so much praised as Absalom for his beauty: from the sole of his foot even to the crown of his head there was no blemish in him.
Are you kidding me? You need to read on a little bit. Absalom was an imitation of Jesus Christ, same as the Antichrist will be. He wanted to replace David and even ran him off from his people. How? By flattery and a lying tongue just like the Antichrist.
No, I'm not kidding you.
Galatians 3:13
Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:
There are many more parallels in this story.
True, Absalom is an imperfect human being. David also committed the sin of adultery, even though he was a man after God's own heart.
Absalom became a curse as a fulfillment of prophecy, in this case the prophecy given by Nathan after David committed adultery.