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Symbols and Figures In Revelation: Spiritual Versus Physical

Posted September 21, 2003

To answer your question, yes, I do have the beginnings of just such a project. You will find it on my web page at http://www.iswasandwillbe.com/. On the left side of the page after 'General Articles' is a section entitled 'Messages On Studying The Bible'. The first heading under this section is Scriptural meaning of words commonly used in scripture. You will also want to read Who Are The 144,000? and The Two Witnesses.

I will be updating this 'words' list as I find the time. If you have any questions about any particular word or prophecy in Revelation, please feel free to ask. If I can help, I will. If I don't know, I'll say so. [Editor's Note: Since this email was received an entire series on Revelation has been added to the web site with both video and study notes. Just click on 'Revelation' in the upper left corner of the home page to begin.]

I am gratified that you enjoyed the article on 'Rightly Dividing'. I have posted an article on this subject of understanding the words of scripture. It is at the top of the page and it is entitled 'Will God's Strong Delusion Deceive You?'

Take a look at that, too, when you get the time.

God bless you and 'give you eyes to see '(Mat 13:11) the 'demonstration of the Spirit' (1Co 2:4) in His Word as He opens His Word up to you.

All truth is only by divine revelation (Mat 16:17). I know of no writings which deal with the questions you ask here in a scriptural manner. Every teacher I know professes to believe that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God (1Co 15: 50). Yet, when questioned, it turns out that they take the scriptures concerning Christ's physical appearances immediately following His resurrection, put them together with the scripture that says that when we see Him, we shall be as He is, and voila! 1Co 15:50 becomes 'corruptible flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God but incorruptible flesh and bone can.'

So in the final analysis, orthodoxy teaches that flesh does inherit the kingdom. Flesh simply cannot accept its own demise. But the words of Christ to Nicodemus still stand sure, and 1 Corinthians 15:50 confirms Christ's words: That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of spirit is spirit…[and how does 'that which is born of the spirit' appear?]…You cannot tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth [Why not? Because they appear as…] the wind [which] bloweth where it listeth…SO IS EVERYONE THAT IS BORN OF THE SPIRIT (Joh 3:6-8).

There is no such thing as 'incorruptible flesh.' That is a scriptural oxymoron; a contradiction in terms. The same goes for the commonly used phrase 'spiritual bodies of glorified eternal flesh and bone.' There can be no such thing. That which is born of the spirit IS SPIRIT, and that which is born of the flesh is flesh. Christ came to 'reveal the Father.' If 'when we see Him we will be as He is,' then we will be as the Father, because Christ told Phillip: He that hath seen the Son hath seen the Father.

Now, if that is a physical statement, then I submit that none but a few of that generation have any hope of salvation, for they were the only ones who ever saw Christ in the flesh. But of course that is not a physical statement, any more than any of the words of Christ: The words that I have spoken ARE SPIRIT (Joh 6:63). He is an "invisible God:" Who [Christ] is the image of the invisible God (Col 1:15 and 1Ti 1:17). How do we 'see' an 'invisible God?' The invisible things of Him from the creation of the world ARE CLEARLY SEEN, being UNDERSTOOD BY THE THINGS THAT ARE MADE, EVEN HIS ETERNAL POWER AND GODHEAD; so that they are without excuse (Rom 1:20).

Who is it that is "without excuse?" It is people who "know God" (Rom 1: 21). And what is it that they are guilty of doing? "Changing the glory of the uncorruptible [invisible] God into an image [that's Christ; Col 1;15] made like corruptible man [with a 'glorified fleshly body'] (Rom 1:23).

Just add 'invisible to the physical eye,' and you will have a scriptural statement: 'glorified' - Rom 8:17 and 30; 2Th 1:10; 'transfigured' - 1Co 15:51-54 and 1Th 4:17; ' resurrected' - same scriptures; But we must add 'invisible' to the physical eye because of Joh 3:8 - 'Every one born of the spirit is as the wind, you hear the sound but do not see it'. I will point out that Christ did appear fleshly for the sake of His doubting disciples. Will the world be any less doubting? How was Pharaoh persuaded to turn the government of Egypt, typifying the whole world, over to Joseph, typifying Christ???: "His spirit was troubled" (Gen 41:8). The word for 'troubled' is 'paam' - Strongs # 6470. It appears only five times in the O.T. The first time it appears is right here in Genesis 41:8. The 'spirit of Pharaoh is troubled' and as a result of this Joseph is told: "Thou shalt be over all my house, and according unto all thy word shall all my people be ruled: only in the throne will I be greater than thee" (Gen 41:40).

This is, of course, the embryonic, Genesis, shadow fulfillment of 1Co 15:27-28. The last place this word, 'paam,' is used is very similar to the first time. It is in Dan 2:3. King Nebuchadnezzar also has a dream which 'troubles' him. And what does this dream concern?: "There is a God in heaven that... maketh known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days" (Dan 2:28). Daniel then tells the king about his dream of the great image with the head of gold and feet of part iron and part clay. The ten toes, just as all the other parts of the image, represent the world ruling government of the 'time of the end.' They most certainly do not represent simply ten nations of Europe. They represent a very fragile 'unified' world ruling government, just as all the previous parts of the image. It will be very short-lived because iron does not mix with clay, any more than oil mixes with water. The whole world will turn on the hypocritical whore and "murder" her (Jer 4:30-31), "and shall eat her flesh and shall burn her with fire" (Rev 17: 16). This 'whore' includes all three of the world's great religions: Judaism, Christianity and Islam. "Every man's hand will be against his brother" Isa 3:4-5; 9:18-21; 13: 10-12; 19:2; 24:6; Zec 8:10; 14:3 and a hundred other scriptures.

The world's leaders will be brought to the point of 'being troubled in their spirit' because of some impending disaster which 'the powers and principalities in the heavens' will impress upon them as they impressed it upon Pharaoh and Nebuchadnezzar. It will be an easy thing for Our Father to effectuate these things. One thing that we are specifically told will bring "great fear... upon them" is the resurrection itself (Rev 11:7-12). The 'two witnesses' are simply a symbol of those who are "my witnesses" (Luk 24:48 and Act 5:32). The 'two witnesses' are the people of God. "And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations..." will witness their resurrection "and great fear will fall upon them." It will be through these resurrected saints that the seven last plagues will be poured out upon a rebellious mankind in judgment (1Co 6:2).

This one is easy if only we can relinquish the flesh and believe what we are told: How are the dead raised up? and with what body do they come?…It is sown in corruption [flesh]; it is raised in incorruption [spiritual]: It is sown in dishonour; it is it is raised in glory [though that glory may be as dim as the earth itself, vs. 40]: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power [simply because]: it is sown a natural body; IT IS RAISED A SPIRITUAL BODY (1Co 15:35 and 42-44). Just turn to Heb 9:27-28 - And AS it is appointed unto man ONCE to die, but after this the judgement [either 'NOW on the house of God' or the 'great white throne']. SO [same # of times] Christ was ONCE offered for the sins of many; and unto them that LOOK FOR HIM [a spiritual searching] shall He appear the second time without sin ["He was made to be sin for us" the first time] unto salvation. The 'second death' is not a second dying, it is the second, much larger, group of people who, as resurrected spirits, now must be judged, and learn to 'die daily' just as those 'in Christ' learned while they were still in the flesh. It is raised a spiritual body. ALL RAISED BODIES ARE SPIRITUAL BODIES (1Co 15:44).

This is symbolism until after the symbolic millennium. As long as babies are being born 'in Adam,' death can never be destroyed. Releasing Satan from his prison to deceive the nations is God 'seeking an occasion against the Philistine flesh of all nations' (Jdg 14:1-4). All nations will follow him to the destruction of all flesh. This is immediately followed by the second (in order) resurrection and the 'great white throne judgement,' where 'Satan and his angels, along with all mankind whose names are not in the book of Life (Christ)' will be judged in the 'lake of fire' (Isa 33:14-15). Know ye not that ye shall judge angels (1Co 6:3). Those 'in Christ' do not need physical (therefore temporary) planets, They are spirit, that 'substance from which the 'things that are seen are made' (Heb 11:3).

The whole book is "SIGNified." If 1000 years is not symbolic then neither is 'the Lamb.'

Your promised land is the same as your rest (Hebrews 4). It is being in Christ. When he shall come to be glorified IN HIS SAINTS and to be admired IN ALL THEM THAT BELIEVE… (2Th 1:10)