Let me piggy-back your post if you don't mind! God giving us the history of this earth through Revelation is one of many beautiful gifts.
Then they gathered the kings together to the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon. Revelation 16:16
The greek word for "place" used is "topos" which can also mean "a state of mind". We can see the actual battle in the valley of Har Megiddo as a battle of decision, if we consider what Elijah said on mount Carmel:
And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the Lord be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word.
1 Kings 18:21
This also leads us to a typology between Jehosphaphat and Jerusalem; the "small" physical battle (type) and the larger battle in time (antitype).
I will gather all nations and bring them down to the Valley of Jehosphaphat... Joel 3:2
Here is where God intervened and fought for His people. This is the type.
I will gather all the nations to Jerusalem to fight against it... Zechariah 14:2
Here is where God intervenes (again) and fights for His people. This is the antitype. This time again the battle is for your mind (as Q also mentions in Q#2900), where He destroys the followers of Baal with the brightness of the second coming of Christ.
Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4,7-8
It's all very beautiful and revealing of the truth of this earth.
You could talk all day about it huh? Let me offer some more to think about! I'd think you'd appreciate the perspective and thought.
And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory. 1 Timothy 3:16
Jesus Christ is God my fren. That's why I mention the lack of Washington's mention of Christ, which happens to be in contrast with Q#4379 that popped up when you searched "Jesus": it has mention of Lord, armor of God (his Word), Supreme Commander, Almighty One (as you mentioned), all culminating with Jesus.
So why did He appear as the Son, and not the Father, you might ask?
But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear. Isaiah 59:2
It really is all fascinating stuff and there's a looooooot of digging as you said.
I wonder what the spiritual or humanist or ecumenical or other similar movements might try to achieve by trying to demote Jesus Christ as "less-than". Are those movements part of the spiritual evil that Q mentions when quoting Ephesians? Take a peek at Q#197 too (sorry I don't yet know how to embed Q posts directly - https://qposts.online/post/197).
Also, since you mentioned Buddha and Krishna, have you read anything similar to:
Masonic & Occult Symbols Illustrated by Cathy Burns
I'm sure you know of their signs and symbol, and you can probably trace all of the symbolism back to pantheism and ancient pagan sun/moon worship. For Buddha in particular it's the hand signs representing the holy trinity (of what though?), for Hinduism most know of the red dot, or teeka, which looks like the sun doesn't it? All interesting stuff.
And he brought me into the inner court of the Lord's house, and, behold, at the door of the temple of the Lord, between the porch and the altar, were about five and twenty men, with their backs toward the temple of the Lord, and their faces toward the east; and they worshipped the sun toward the east. Ezekiel 8:16
They had their backs toward God and their eyes facing the sun.
Just as Q said, the depths of the division by religion goes veeerrrrryyyy deep.
Since you said you liked studying, have you read any prophecy?
Do you know that the hundreds of prophecies surrounding Jesus Christ have all been fulfilled?
Really fascinating read that I think would serve as an excellent bridge to explore all of the Bible and the Truth it tells.
The destruction of Tyre is a really fun one too:
Therefore thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I am against thee, O Tyrus, and will cause many nations to come up against thee, as the sea causeth his waves to come up. ...and they shall lay thy stones and thy timber and thy dust in the midst of the water. Ezekiel 26:3,12
God foretells of the destruction of Tyre in detail below, but taking stones and timber and soil and throwing it in the water? Sounds weird doesn't it?
For thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I will bring upon Tyrus Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, a king of kings, from the north, with horses, and with chariots, and with horsemen, and companies, and much people. He shall slay with the sword thy daughters in the field: and he shall make a fort against thee, and cast a mount against thee, and lift up the buckler against thee. And he shall set engines of war against thy walls, and with his axes he shall break down thy towers. By reason of the abundance of his horses their dust shall cover thee: thy walls shall shake at the noise of the horsemen, and of the wheels, and of the chariots, when he shall enter into thy gates, as men enter into a city wherein is made a breach. With the hoofs of his horses shall he tread down all thy streets: he shall slay thy people by the sword, and thy strong garrisons shall go down to the ground. And they shall make a spoil of thy riches, and make a prey of thy merchandise: and they shall break down thy walls, and destroy thy pleasant houses: and they shall lay thy stones and thy timber and thy dust in the midst of the water. And I will cause the noise of thy songs to cease; and the sound of thy harps shall be no more heard. Ezekiel 26:7-13
Notice how Ezekiel switches from "he" to "they" when God described the destruction. Was Tyre destroyed twice, by two different people, foretold up to ~220 years in advance? And again, what's with throwing stones and timber and dust into the water? If you're interested, take a quick 5 minute look at the siege of New Tyre:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-WkWy47ighY&t=97s&ab_channel=BazBattles
Prophecy is really fun stuff that stretches across the history of civilization! A lot of it even foretells what's happening today, answering a lot of questions that Q poses to us, then telling us what will happen in the future from now.
And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.
1 Timothy 3:16
This verse is changed in many Bibles written past ~1900. Makes one wonder what word they made ambiguous and why doesn't it?
And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world? And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. Matthew 24:3-4
If this speech was indeed written by Washington, I find the use of "illuminate" in the last sentence very peculiar. Is that a regular word to use in that context?
Why is there no mention of Jesus Christ? He is the Light after all.
Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. John 8:12
Wait a minute, but isn't Satan regarded as the luminous one? Helen Blavatsky, in her "Secret Doctrines" publication that masonry draws from, did describe him as such:
...who sprang from the depths of chaos, was called Lucifer, the "Luminous Son of the Morning"
But this was published almost 100 years later! I guess it's just a choice of words then; Washington had been through a lot after all.
His most significant Masonic activity, however, occurred on September 18, 1793. Acting as grand master pro tem, he presided at the Masonic ceremonial laying of the United States Capitol cornerstone.
So the cornerstone of the United States is "signed" by grand master Washington? Interesting. I wonder what it looks like.
During the time of the American Revolution, we also had:
From the jesuit college at Ingolstadt is said to have issued the sect known as 'the illuminato of bavaria' founded by Adam Weishaupt, ... also being founder of jacobinism...
The jacobines being the main instruments of the french revolution who:
cast off all religious Restraints, and then became fit for perpetrating every Act of Inhumanity. And, it is remarkable, that most of them are actually Scoffers at all religious Principles
Masons and jesuits and illumato and jacobines so many words I wonder if they're all related somehow maybe they sleep in the same bed who knows. It's all so interesting that these ideas are seemingly popping up one after the other around the same time and each leading to their own revolutions.
Also interesting is the following correspondence between Washington and G.W. Snyder.
https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/06-02-02-0435
Interesting how this back and forth lasted only two months and Washington was essentially "finished" after one month. I guess Washington, being former intelligence, he'd know right? Not worth the time investigating or anything, must already be a solved issue. Not like his intelligence network would have the same foundation of the intelligence networks today or anything. Must all be a coincidence but all interesting nonetheless.
Thanks for sharing this speech! I've never actually read it but that one word really did spark my interest.
Very nice post fren! Let me offer you a different perspective on your last paragraph though. I think you're missing something, but the prior symbolism and mentions of paganism are spot on!
Jerusalem as a typology, is the type. It was already destroyed by Babylon. So, what could Jerusalem mean, then?
Here we see the antitype part of the typology; Jerusalem is for those who seek God and seek salvation through the Lamb. So, in other words, it's not as if you live "in" Jerusalem (it was destroyed!), but "of" Jerusalem. Also, pretty interesting that it specifically comes down from heaven, isn't it?
I also think it's important to put the verse you mentioned with the verse before. This was written during the time of the first church of Revelation, Smyrna, greek for "myrrh", alluding to a cleansing of the church which was through persecution, lasting from 100-313 A.D. This was a time after the Gospel had been given to the gentiles. At this point, the word Jew refers to the antitype, it refers to those who seek God and seek Salvation through the Lamb, those who are all "of" Jerusalem.
You're right, we are living in the times of Revelation. But want to know what's even more beautiful than God spelling everything out for us? Him giving the entire history, so any generation could read the Bible and understand the times they were living in. For us, there is strong evidence of it being the time of the seventh trumpet; the time of judgement.