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Introduction

In our studies on chapters 19-20 of this revelation of Jesus Christ who Saul of Tarsus persecuted (Act 22:8), we saw that the supper of the great God, which we must all “read, hear, and keep” (Rev 1:3), brings us all to “the marriage supper of the Lamb”, which is also read, heard and kept by us all “in our own order”.

Act 22:8 And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said unto me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest.

Rev 1:3 Blessed [ is] he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time [ is] at hand.

1Co 15:22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
1Co 15:23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.

In our studies in Rev 19-20 we have seen that the “horses and them that ride them” comprise the flesh which is offered to the fowls of heaven at the supper of the great God. In both Ezekiel and Revelation we are told these horses and those who ride them are the men and horses of “Gog and Magog” as the spiritual symbol of “the flesh of all men”.

Rev 19:17 And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God;
Rev 19:18 That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great.
Rev 19:19 And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army.
Rev 19:20 And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.
Rev 19:21 And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.

The flesh being offered to the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven is “the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great”. This is the same flesh of “all men that are upon the face of the earth” in these verses of Eze 38:

Eze 38:18 And it shall come to pass at the same time when Gog shall come against the land of Israel, saith the Lord GOD, [that] my fury shall come up in my face.
Eze 38:19 For in my jealousy [and] in the fire of my wrath have I spoken, Surely in that day there shall be a great shaking in the land of Israel;
Eze 38:20 So that the fishes of the sea, and the fowls of the heaven, and the beasts of the field, and all creeping things that creep upon the earth, and all the men that are upon the face of the earth, shall shake at my presence, and the mountains shall be thrown down, and the steep places shall fall, and every wall shall fall to the ground.

The flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great” and “all men that are upon the face of the earth” is the same wording used to describe all who worship the beast and his image and who receive the number of his name. Even the saints are overcome by this beast.

Rev 13:7 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.
Rev 13:8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
Rev 13:9 If any man have an ear, let him hear.

Rev 13:16 And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:
Rev 13:17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.

The point is that this supper includes the flesh of the saints as a part of “all men… both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond”.

Here now is the last verse of Rev 13:

Rev 13:18 Here is wisdom. Let him who has a mind calculate the number of the wild beast, for it is the number of mankind, and its number is six hundred sixty- six.”

This is the number which signifies all of mankind from birth. You and I cannot take these words out of this prophecy and put them only onto others. It is our flesh which must be the first flesh to be given to the fowls of the heaven at the supper of the great God. Until that part of this prophecy is accomplished and the seven vials of the seven angels is accomplished within us, we will not partake of the marriage supper of the Lamb. But by the grace of God, our flesh will be consumed and destroyed by the devil, and we will be found worthy to partake of that marriage supper, which is the first resurrection. All of this must first be accomplished in all to whom it is given to overcome their flesh and to rule with Christ a symbolic thousand years.

Our study today will show us that Gog and Magog are the spiritual sign and symbol of “the flesh of all men”. We will see this to be the case by discovering that the events described in Rev 19-20 are first revealed to us in Ezekiel 38-39, where Gog and Magog are in this chapter, the symbol of “all the men that are upon the face of the earth”.

Our study today will only be on Eze 38.

“The supper of the great God” revealed in Ezekiel 38-39

Eze 38:1 And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
Eze 38:2 Son of man, set thy face against Gog, the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him,

The only place in scripture that the names Gog and Magog are found together is here in Ezekiel 38-39 and in Rev 20. They are not mentioned together before these two chapters in Ezekiel even though, as we will see below, these names are used as the symbol of all preceding prophecies against the seed of the serpent:

Eze 38:17 Thus saith the Lord GOD; Art thou he of whom I have spoken in old time by my servants the prophets of Israel, which prophesied in those days many years that I would bring thee against them?

“Many years” are all the years that the seed of the woman has been strugglin against the seed of the serpent, both in type and shadow, in the Old Testament and in spiritual reality in the New Testament.

Gen 3:15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

Eph 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high [ places].

Rev 12:1 And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars:
Rev 12:2 And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered.
Rev 12:3 And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads.
Rev 12:4 And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born.
Rev 12:5 And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and [to] his throne.

This is the war ” spoken [of] in old time by my servants the prophets of Israel, which prophesied in those days many years that I would bring thee [Gog and Magog] against them”.

Eze 38:3 And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I [am] against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal:
Eze 38:4 And I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws, and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts [of armour, even] a great company [with] bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords:

The false doctrine of mankind having a free will is refuted when we see that Gog and Magog are the spiritual, Biblical symbol of “the flesh of all men”. It is “the flesh of all men” which God plainly tells us He will “ put hooks into thy jaws, and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts of armour, even a great company [with] bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords:

It is our flesh which is the hooks in our jaws” which drags us to do all the things we don’t even want to do. This is demonstrated for us in the story of Joseph and his brothers, and it is plainly stated as such in Rom 7.

Gen 45:4 And Joseph said unto his brethren, Come near to me, I pray you. And they came near. And he said, I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt.
Gen 45:5 Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life.
Gen 45:6 For these two years hath the famine been in the land: and yet [there are] five years, in the which [there shall] neither [ be] earing nor harvest.
Gen 45:7 And God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance.
Gen 45:8 So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God: and he hath made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt.

While Joseph twice causes his brothers to give an accounting of what they had done to him, “You sold me into Egypt”, he does not hold them accountable or responsible. Instead he reveals to them and to us, that “It was not you but God that sent me here”.

comes the holy spirit through the apostle Paul to reiterate this incredible truth concerning “the flesh of all men” to us all in Rom 7.

Rom 7:17 Now then it is no more I that do i t, but sin that dwelleth in me.
Rom 7:18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.
Rom 7:19 For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.
Rom 7:20 Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
Rom 7:21 I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.

So it is “the flesh of all men… [in whom] no good thing dwells”. Therefore, it is “the flesh of all men” which must be destroyed by “the fowls that fly in the heavens. So Gog and Magog are simply the spiritual, Biblical sign and symbol of “the nations in the four quarters of the earth… the flesh of all men… [in whom] dwells no good thing”.

Rev 20:8 And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom [ is] as the sand of the sea

Here is how the holy spirit inspired Ezekiel to make this point concerning who are “the nations in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog”.

Eze 38:5 Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet:
Eze 38:6 Gomer, and all his bands; the house of Togarmah of the north quarters, and all his bands: [ and] many people with thee.
Eze 38:7 Be thou prepared, and prepare for thyself, thou, and all thy company that are assembled unto thee, and be thou a guard unto them.

That is the meaning of “Gog and Magog”. Here now is the function of Gog and Magog in our lives as well as in the dispensational sense.

Eze 38:8 After many days thou shalt be visited: in the latter years thou shalt come into the land that is brought back from the sword, and is gathered out of many people, against the mountains of Israel, which have been always waste: but it is brought forth out of the nations, and they shall dwell safely all of them.
Eze 38:9 Thou shalt ascend and come like a storm, thou shalt be like a cloud to cover the land, thou, and all thy bands, and many people with thee.

Here is how this time of great trial and of attempting to destroy the seed of the woman is described in the book of Revelation:

Rev 9:1 And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit.
Rev 9:2 And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit.

“You shall be like a cloud to cover the land, you and all your bands, and many people with you”. The fact that we are told that all of Gog and Magog handle swords, tells us that these are those who all believe and repeat the lies told against Christ’s words, and against those who live by Christ’s words. We are told that those lies are appreciated and believed by “many people with you” when we are part of Gog and Magog, and we are believing those lies which “cover the land [ and] darken the Sun and the air”.

Eze 38:10 Thus saith the Lord GOD; It shall also come to pass, that at the same time shall things come into thy mind, and thou shalt think an evil thought:
Eze 38:11 And thou shalt say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates,
Eze 38:12 To take a spoil, and to take a prey; to turn thine hand upon the desolate places that are now inhabited, and upon the people that are gathered out of the nations, which have gotten cattle and goods, that dwell in the midst of the land.

These “unwalled villages”, and these people who “dwell safely, all of them without walls… upon the desolate places that are now inhabited” are “the people who are gathered out of the nations”. They are God’s elect; they are “the camp of the saints” against whom the seed of the serpent has always been encamped.

Act 10:35 But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him.

Rev 5:9 And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;

Eze 38:13 Sheba, and Dedan, and the merchants of Tarshish, with all the young lions thereof, shall say unto thee, Art thou come to take a spoil? hast thou gathered thy company to take a prey? to carry away silver and gold, to take away cattle and goods, to take a great spoil?
Eze 38:14 Therefore, son of man, prophesy and say unto Gog, Thus saith the Lord GOD; In that day when my people of Israel dwelleth safely, shalt thou not know [it]?
Eze 38:15 And thou shalt come from thy place out of the north parts, thou, and many people with thee, all of them riding upon horses, a great company, and a mighty army:
Eze 38:16 And thou shalt come up against my people of Israel, as a cloud to cover the land; it shall be in the latter days, and I will bring thee against my land, that the heathen may know me, when I shall be sanctified in thee, O Gog, before their eyes.

“It shall be in the latter days”. These are not the lies which cause us all to “leave our first love” as “carnal babes in Christ”. These are the trials we endure in our ‘Garden of Gethsemane” experience “in the latter days”. Gog and Magog are the symbol of this event which is also the symbol of the “judgment which is now on the house of God” (1Pe 4:17):

Act 4:25 Who by the mouth of thy servant David hast said, Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things?
Act 4:26 The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ.
Act 4:27 For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together,
Act 4:28 For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done.

It is “God’s hand and counsel” which which puts “hooks in the jaws” of Gog and Magog, the Biblical and spiritual symbol of “all flesh”, which causes “the kings of the earth… and the rulers to gather to gather against the Lord and against His Christ”.

Rev 16:16 And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.

Rev 20:7 And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,
Rev 20:8 And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.

“You shall come from your place out of the north parts, you and many people with you” tells us that these fiery trials reveal that “judgment is now upon the house of God”, and “the day of our redemption is nearer than when we believed”.

1Pe 4:12 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:
1Pe 4:13 But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.
1Pe 4:14 If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy [ are ye]; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified.
1Pe 4:15 But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men’s matters.
1Pe 4:16 Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf.
1Pe 4:17 For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?

Our Armageddon is the day in which we gather with all that is in our fleshly arsenal to do battle with the Truth. We are destroyed in that battle, to become those who handle the truth, the words and doctrines of our “new man” and our new Father. With these we are now fighting against the doctrines of our old “father the devil”, and we are now that angel in the sun inviting the fowls of the heaven to come to the supper of the great God. Here are the Words of our Lord which are then in our mouths:

Eze 38:17 Thus saith the Lord GOD; Art thou he of whom I have spoken in old time by my servants the prophets of Israel, which prophesied in those days many years that I would bring thee against them?
Eze 38:18 And it shall come to pass at the same time when Gog shall come against the land of Israel, saith the Lord GOD, that my fury shall come up in my face.
Eze 38:19 For in my jealousy and in the fire of my wrath have I spoken, Surely in that day there shall be a great shaking in the land of Israel;

Who is “the land of Israel” against whom God has “of old time” prophesied to bring Gog and Magog”? Are any of these prophecies to be understood as being made against the modern Christ- rejecting state of Israel? Or are all of these prophecies to be understood as being made against the seed of the serpent in all ages, and his seed bruises the heel of the seed of the woman, of all ages. Who, once again, is “the Israel of God”?

Before we go on, let’s remember who it is being spoken of here.

Rom 2:28 For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither [is that] circumcision, which is outward in the flesh:
Rom 2:29 But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.

Gal 6:16 All who walk by this standard are the true Israel of God— his chosen people. Peace and mercy on them! (MSG)

Eph 2:11 Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands;
Eph 2:12 That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:
Eph 2:13 But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.
Eph 2:14 For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition [between us];
Eph 2:15 Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;
Eph 2:16 And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:
Eph 2:17 And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh.
Eph 2:18 For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.
Eph 2:19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;

The “Israel” of this prophecy is “the true Israel” and the true Jew of the spirit and of scripture.

Here is that “fury and wrath of God” of Eze 38:18-19 which we must all endure before we can “enter into the temple of God in heaven… which temple we are”… if indeed we are that temple and if we are granted to enter therein. Here is that “great shakinng in the land of Israel, we will all endure if we are counted worthy to do so.

Rev 15:1 And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvellous, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God.
Rev 15:2 And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, [and] over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God.
Rev 15:3 And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous [are] thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true [are] thy ways, thou King of saints.
Rev 15:4 Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for [ thou] only [ art] holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest.
Rev 15:5 And after that I looked, and, behold, the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened:
Rev 15:6 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 15:7 And one of the four beasts gave unto the seven angels seven golden vials full of the wrath of God, who liveth for ever and ever.
Rev 15:8 And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from his power; and no man was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled.

If it is true that we all “must live by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God, that all things are ours, that we must keep the things written therein and that all things come alike to all”, then it is also true that “no man will be able to enter into the temple till” the supper of the great God and the battle of Armageddon and the destruction of Gog and Magog by the fowls that fly in the heavens has also all been fulfilled.

Eze 38:20 So that the fishes of the sea, and the fowls of the heaven, and the beasts of the field, and all creeping things that creep upon the earth, and all the men that are upon the face of the earth, shall shake at my presence, and the mountains shall be thrown down, and the steep places shall fall, and every wall shall fall to the ground.
Eze 38:21 And I will call for a sword against him throughout all my mountains, saith the Lord GOD: every man’s sword shall be against his brother.

“The fishes of the sea, and the fowls of the heaven, and the beasts of the field, and all creeping things that creep upon the earth, are one and all the Biblical, spiritual symbols of the heaven themselves which must yet be cleansed, and they are all the spiritual, and Biblical signs and types of “the flesh of all men [in which] is no good thing”. These are all one and the same thing as “the nations that are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog”. Here is this very same event as it is described to us in the opening of the sixth seal:

Rev 6:12 And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood;
Rev 6:13 And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind.
Rev 6:14 And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.
Rev 6:15 And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains;
Rev 6:16 And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:
Rev 6:17 For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?

So let us take careful note of what is said to be “the day of His wrath”:

Job 21:30 That the wicked is reserved to the day of destruction? they shall be brought forth to the day of wrath.

Pro 11:4 Riches profit not in the day of wrath: but righteousness delivereth from death.

Eze 38:19 For in my jealousy and in the fire of my wrath have I spoken, Surely in that day there shall be a great shaking in the land of Israel;

Zep 1:15 That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of wasteness and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness,

Rom 2:5 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;

Rev 6:15 And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains;
Rev 6:16 And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:
Rev 6:17 For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?

Rev 15:1 And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvellous, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God.

So “the day of destruction of the wicked” is “the day of wrath”. The destruction “the flesh of all men in the destruction of Gog and Magog”… “in my jealousy and in the fire of my wrath” is also “in that day”. The wrath of the Lamb in Rev 6 is that day, and the seven last plagues which fill up the wrath of God” is the day of God’s wrath against the wickedness of all flesh. “The dream is one, and there is only one day of God’s wrath, which is “revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of man”.

Rom 1:18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;

Here now are the last two verses of this chapter. Here is the purpose for the day of God’s wrath:

Eze 38:22 And I will plead against him with pestilence and with blood; and I will rain upon him, and upon his bands, and upon the many people that [are] with him, an overflowing rain, and great hailstones, fire, and brimstone.
Eze 38:23 Thus will I magnify myself, and sanctify myself; and I will be known in the eyes of many nations, and they shall know that I am the LORD.

The natural man will wonder if the rain and hail might not put out the fire and brimstone, but the man of the spirit knows that the rain and the hailstones, the fire and the brimstone, are one and all the Biblical symbols of the Word of God, and the rain and the hailstones only serve to magnify the heat and the devouring fire that is the Word of God. This is the very same “fire” we find throughout the Word of God. It is God’s own fiery words which torment us all at our own appointed time, and burn up and burn out all that will burn.

1Co 3:12 Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;
1Co 3:13 Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.
1Co 3:14 If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.
1Co 3:15 If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.

So Gog and Magog are the spiritual and Biblical symbols of the flesh of all men. In our study next week we will see how the destruction of Gog and Magog is revealed in Ezekiel 39, to demonstrate for us the destruction of death in the lake of fire. Here is Ezekiel 39:

Eze 39:1 Therefore, thou son of man, prophesy against Gog, and say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I [am] against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal:
Eze 39:2 And I will turn thee back, and leave but the sixth part of thee, and will cause thee to come up from the north parts, and will bring thee upon the mountains of Israel:
Eze 39:3 And I will smite thy bow out of thy left hand, and will cause thine arrows to fall out of thy right hand.
Eze 39:4 Thou shalt fall upon the mountains of Israel, thou, and all thy bands, and the people that [is] with thee: I will give thee unto the ravenous birds of every sort, and [to] the beasts of the field to be devoured.
Eze 39:5 Thou shalt fall upon the open field: for I have spoken [it], saith the Lord GOD.
Eze 39:6 And I will send a fire on Magog, and among them that dwell carelessly in the isles: and they shall know that I [am] the LORD.
Eze 39:7 So will I make my holy name known in the midst of my people Israel; and I will not [let them] pollute my holy name any more: and the heathen shall know that I [am] the LORD, the Holy One in Israel.
Eze 39:8 Behold, it is come, and it is done, saith the Lord GOD; this [is] the day whereof I have spoken.
Eze 39:9 And they that dwell in the cities of Israel shall go forth, and shall set on fire and burn the weapons, both the shields and the bucklers, the bows and the arrows, and the handstaves, and the spears, and they shall burn them with fire seven years:
Eze 39:10 So that they shall take no wood out of the field, neither cut down [any] out of the forests; for they shall burn the weapons with fire: and they shall spoil those that spoiled them, and rob those that robbed them, saith the Lord GOD.
Eze 39:11 And it shall come to pass in that day [that] I will give unto Gog a place there of graves in Israel, the valley of the passengers on the east of the sea: and it shall stop the [noses] of the passengers: and there shall they bury Gog and all his multitude: and they shall call [it] The valley of Hamongog.
Eze 39:12 And seven months shall the house of Israel be burying of them, that they may cleanse the land.
Eze 39:13 Yea, all the people of the land shall bury [them]; and it shall be to them a renown the day that I shall be glorified, saith the Lord GOD.
Eze 39:14 And they shall sever out men of continual employment, passing through the land to bury with the passengers those that remain upon the face of the earth, to cleanse it: after the end of seven months shall they search.
Eze 39:15 And the passengers [that] pass through the land, when [any] seeth a man’s bone, then shall he set up a sign by it, till the buriers have buried it in the valley of Hamongog.
Eze 39:16 And also the name of the city [shall be] Hamonah. Thus shall they cleanse the land.
Eze 39:17 And, thou son of man, thus saith the Lord GOD; Speak unto every feathered fowl, and to every beast of the field, Assemble yourselves, and come; gather yourselves on every side to my sacrifice that I do sacrifice for you, [even] a great sacrifice upon the mountains of Israel, that ye may eat flesh, and drink blood.
Eze 39:18 Ye shall eat the flesh of the mighty, and drink the blood of the princes of the earth, of rams, of lambs, and of goats, of bullocks, all of them fatlings of Bashan.
Eze 39:19 And ye shall eat fat till ye be full, and drink blood till ye be drunken, of my sacrifice which I have sacrificed for you.
Eze 39:20 Thus ye shall be filled at my table with horses and chariots, with mighty men, and with all men of war, saith the Lord GOD.
Eze 39:21 And I will set my glory among the heathen, and all the heathen shall see my judgment that I have executed, and my hand that I have laid upon them.
Eze 39:22 So the house of Israel shall know that I [am] the LORD their God from that day and forward.
Eze 39:23 And the heathen shall know that the house of Israel went into captivity for their iniquity: because they trespassed against me, therefore hid I my face from them, and gave them into the hand of their enemies: so fell they all by the sword.
Eze 39:24 According to their uncleanness and according to their transgressions have I done unto them, and hid my face from them.
Eze 39:25 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Now will I bring again the captivity of Jacob, and have mercy upon the whole house of Israel, and will be jealous for my holy name;
Eze 39:26 After that they have borne their shame, and all their trespasses whereby they have trespassed against me, when they dwelt safely in their land, and none made [them] afraid.
Eze 39:27 When I have brought them again from the people, and gathered them out of their enemies’ lands, and am sanctified in them in the sight of many nations;
Eze 39:28 Then shall they know that I [am] the LORD their God, which caused them to be led into captivity among the heathen: but I have gathered them unto their own land, and have left none of them any more there.
Eze 39:29 Neither will I hide my face any more from them: for I have poured out my spirit upon the house of Israel, saith the Lord GOD.

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Introduction

As we saw last week, Gog and Magog are the Biblical and spiritual symbols of the flesh of all men, of all nations, of all time.

Rev 20:8 And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.

We saw that this is the very same battle which was “spoken of by the prophets from the beginning”.

Eze 38:17 Thus saith the Lord GOD; Art thou he of whom I have spoken in old time by my servants the prophets of Israel, which prophesied in those days many years that I would bring thee against them?

It was “many years” that Gog and Magog were prophesied to be brought against Israel as “the seed of the serpent” warring against “the seed of the woman”. This is what was prophesied from the very beginning.

Gen 3:15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

Is there anyone who thinks this prophecy concerning Gog and Magog coming up against “the Israel of God… the camp of the saints” is not this very same struggle between the seed of the woman who brings forth a manchild who is to rule all nations with a rod of iron, and the seed of the serpent, whose very function and purpose in being is to withstand our Lord and His Christ?

Rev 11:15 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.
Rev 11:16 And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God,
Rev 11:17 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.
Rev 11:18 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.

“The nations”, just like the kingdom of God which destroys and replaces those nations, are all within those who “read, hear and keep the things written in this book”.

Dan 2:35 Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.

Those who read, hear and keep these things written in this book are those who are in “the body of this death” and those upon whom “judgment must begin” and whose “old man” is at this time being being destroyed for their abuse and destruction of their very own ‘earth’ (Rev 1:3; Rom 7:24; 1Pe 4:17).

1Co 7:31 And they that use this world, as not abusing it: for the fashion of this world passeth away.

What is the diffrence between the book and the books? The answer can be found here.

These two chapters, Ezekiel 38 and 39, are the foundation on which Rev 19 and 20 stand. The details of these two chapters give us a much deeper understanding of who it is who “abuses this world, [and] withstands the camp of the saints” in every generation since Adam and Eve, in which the seed of the serpent expresses his enmity against the seed of the woman.

Eze 39:1 Therefore, thou son of man, prophesy against Gog, and say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal:

When we go back to Genesis, we see that it is Magog who is the only son of Japheth who could be called “the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal”.

Gen 10:2 The sons of Japheth; Gomer, and Magog, and Madai, and Javan, and Tubal, and Meshech, and Tiras.

Yet Gog is called “the land of Magog”:

Eze 38:2 Son of man, set thy face against Gog, the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him,
Eze 38:3 And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal:

The name ‘Gog’ is not found in scripture until we are given the genealogy of Ruben in 1Ch 5:

1Ch 5:4 The sons of Joel; Shemaiah his son, Gog his son, Shimei his son,

So “Gog and Magog” of Rev 20 are “the land of Magog”, whose “chief prince” was Gog and who, as “Gog [and] the land of Magog”, are the Biblical symbol of “the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth”.

Rev 20:7 And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,
Rev 20:8 And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.

“The number… as the sand of the sea” is Biblical and spiritual language for “the world”, the whole world. These are the words used by the holy spirit to tell us who would become “Abraham’s seed”. Paul tells us this means the whole world.

Gen 22:16 And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the LORD, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son:
Gen 22:17 That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore: and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies;
Gen 22:18 And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.

Paul tells us this means the whole world.

Rom 4:13 For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.

So the holy spirit tells us in Rev 20 that “the nations in the four quarters of the earth [are] Gog and Magog”, and Daniel tells us these nations must all be destroyed by, and then replaced by, “the stone which was cut out of the mountain without hands”.

Dan 2:34 Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces.

This has always been so:

Eze 38:17 Thus saith the Lord GOD; Art thou he of whom I have spoken in old time by my servants the prophets of Israel, which prophesied in those days many years that I would bring thee against them?

So we find “Gog, of the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal”, as the leader of the “many peoples” of this earth” here in Ezekiel.

Eze 38:9 Thou shalt ascend and come like a storm, thou shalt be like a cloud to cover the land, thou, and all thy bands, and many people with thee.

This same symbol is expressed in this way in the book of the revelation of Jesus Christ:

Rev 20:8 And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.

Here is how God is dealing with these “many people… the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth”, both within us at this time and to the end of the ages. This is the fate of all flesh, only after it has been brought with hooks in its mouth, to face its own corruptible condition.

Eze 39:2 And I will turn thee back, and leave but the sixth part of thee, and will cause thee to come up from the north parts, and will bring thee upon the mountains of Israel:

The words “and leave but a sixth part of thee” is all translated from the one primitive root Hebrew word which actually means “to annihilate.” Here is what Mr. Strong has to say about this word:

H8338

sha sha’
shaw- shaw’

A primitive root; apparently to annihilate. (Translated by confusion with H8341.): – leave but the sixth part [by confusion with H8341].

It was by confusion with the Hebrew word ‘shashah’ which is very similar, except for the first letter.

H8341

sha sha h
shaw- shaw’

A denominative from H8337; to sixth or divide into sixths: – give the sixth part.

So the root word that should have been translated ‘annihilate thee’ was instead translated ‘and leave but a sixth part of thee’. But the sum of God’s Word makes clear that all flesh will one day be annihilated and through that annihilation of all flesh, all who have ever lived in bodies of flesh, will be given spiritual bodies which will never again “come up against the camp of the saints”.

Here is more of what it means to bring all flesh to its well deserved end.

Eze 39:3 And I will smite thy bow out of thy left hand, and will cause thine arrows to fall out of thy right hand.
Eze 39:4 Thou shalt fall upon the mountains of Israel, thou, and all thy bands, and the people that is with thee: I will give thee unto the ravenous birds of every sort, and to the beasts of the field to be devoured.
Eze 39:5 Thou shalt fall upon the open field: for I have spoken it, saith the Lord GOD.

The bow and arrows of the adversary are his words and doctrines. Both will be destroyed in the heat of the light of the Truth which will then, over time, be made known to all things in heaven and in the earth. The only hints to how long the lake of fire will last are right here in this 39th chapter of Ezekiel, which we will cover as we come to those verses.

If Satan and his angels are in the lake of fire, then who are these “ravenous birds of every sort and these beasts of the field” which will devour Gog and Magog? Here is Christ’s own answer to that question.

Psa 18:26 With the pure thou wilt shew thyself pure; and with the froward thou wilt shew thyself froward.

Luk 19:22 And he saith unto him, Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee, thou wicked servant. Thou knewest that I was an austere man, taking up that I laid not down, and reaping that I did not sow:

So the “ravenous beasts of every sort, and the beasts of the field” which will be the instruments of the destruction of Gog and Magog, will be their own false doctrines. It will be the lies which Gog and Magog believe when they relinquish the flesh which will torment them until those very doctrines are burned up and destroyed within “all flesh”, of which Gog and Magog are the Biblical symbol.

Isa 66:16 For by fire and by his sword will the LORD plead with all flesh: and the slain of the LORD shall be many.

Joh 12:48 He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.

Rev 20:7 And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,
Rev 20:8 And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.

“The mountains of Israel” are “the camp of the saints… and the beloved city”. These are one and all Biblical symbols for God’s elect, in whom His Words dwell, and who will judge both this world now within, later in the millennium, and finally angels, “the devil and his angels” in the lake of fire.

Mat 25:41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:

1Co 6:2 Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters?
1Co 6:3 Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?

Rev 20:8 And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.
Rev 20:9 And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.

Here is how this is repeated in Ezekiel 39.

Eze 39:6 And I will send a fire on Magog, and among them that dwell carelessly in the isles: and they shall know that I am the LORD.
Eze 39:7 So will I make my holy name known in the midst of my people Israel; and I will not let them pollute my holy name any more: and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, the Holy One in Israel.
Eze 39:8 Behold, it is come, and it is done, saith the Lord GOD; this is the day whereof I have spoken.

When we are given the victory over the beast and his image, number, mark and name, it is not and it will not be by our choice but by the fact that “I will not let them pollute my holy name any more…”

Rev 13:16 And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:
Rev 13:17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
Rev 13:18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number [is] Six hundred threescore [and] six.

Rev 15:2 And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, [and] over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God.

It is those who “will not be permitted to pollute our Lord’s name” who will be that work of grace known as the lake of fire. They are also called “the cities of Israel”. It is these who are known as ‘the cities of Israel’ who “shall set on fire, and burn the weapons” of false doctrines and lies known as the “weapons, both the shields and the bucklers, the bows and the arrows, and the handstaves, and the spears” believed by those of all flesh who followed Satan’s lies. These are known in scripture as Gog and Magog.

Eze 39:9 And they that dwell in the cities of Israel shall go forth, and shall set on fire and burn the weapons, both the shields and the bucklers, the bows and the arrows, and the handstaves, and the spears, and they shall burn them with fire seven years:
Eze 39:10 So that they shall take no wood out of the field, neither cut down [any] out of the forests; for they shall burn the weapons with fire: and they shall spoil those that spoiled them, and rob those that robbed them, saith the Lord GOD.
Eze 39:11 And it shall come to pass in that day, [that] I will give unto Gog a place there of graves in Israel, the valley of the passengers on the east of the sea: and it shall stop the noses of the passengers: and there shall they bury Gog and all his multitude: and they shall call [it] The valley of Hamongog.

According to Revelation, the destruction of Gog and Magog follows the thousand year reign of those who are overcomers in this life. That millennial period is what is called the judging of the nations of this world by the overcomers of the first resurrection (1Co 6:2 and Rev 2:25-27, and 11:15). So this is all symbolism for the destruction of death and hades. “Hamongog” means “the multitude of Gog” and is once again the Biblical symbol for the flesh of all men of all time who are to be judged in the fire of the lake of fire, known as the second death.

This is the smell of death which will be endured by those overcomers, the house of Israel”, who are given to dispose of death and hades.

Rev 20:14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.

Here is the only symbol we have of how long the process of the destruction of Gog and Magog will take. It is the symbol of “seven months” and it is said to be done by “all the people of the land”, and it is called “a day of renown”.

Eze 39:12 And seven months shall the house of Israel be burying of them, that they may cleanse the land.
Eze 39:13 Yea, all the people of the land shall bury [them]; and it shall be to them a renown the day that I shall be glorified, saith the Lord GOD.
Eze 39:14 And they shall sever out men of continual employment, passing through the land to bury with the passengers those that remain upon the face of the earth, to cleanse it: after the end of seven months shall they search.
Eze 39:15 And the passengers that pass through the land, when any seeth a man’s bone, then shall he set up a sign by it, till the buriers have buried it in the valley of Hamongog.
Eze 39:16 And also the name of the city [shall be] Hamonah. Thus shall they cleanse the land.

These verses explain just how thorough will be the destruction of Gog and Magog, and just how thorough will be the resurrection from the dead of all who have ever lived. The degree of the destruction of all flesh is the same degree to which life will be given to “all in Adam”. That is the degree to which “the land is cleansed, so that not one body fails to be buried. Being burned up and being buried are not different ways of disposing of the multitudes of Gog and Magog, they are merely different symbols of the destruction of all flesh of all time.

1Co 15:22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
1Co 15:23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.
1Co 15:24 Then cometh the end [harvest of souls], when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.
1Co 15:25 For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.
1Co 15:26 The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.

As long as sinful flesh and blood babies in Adam are being procreated on this earth, death cannot be destroyed. But by means of a first resurrection, in which the overcomers of the ages will be prepared to become the saviors of all men of all ages, and by means of a millennium followed by a second rebellion, followed by a second resurrection and a lake of fire, we are made to understand that our Lord will bring all flesh to its necessary destruction and end.

It is in the first Adam that all men partake of the corruptible flesh which is “Gog and Magog”. And it is through the destruction of that same corruptible flesh that life is given to “all in Adam”.

Eze 39:17 And, thou son of man, thus saith the Lord GOD; Speak unto every feathered fowl, and to every beast of the field, Assemble yourselves, and come; gather yourselves on every side to my sacrifice that I do sacrifice for you, [even] a great sacrifice upon the mountains of Israel, that ye may eat flesh, and drink blood.
Eze 39:18 Ye shall eat the flesh of the mighty, and drink the blood of the princes of the earth, of rams, of lambs, and of goats, of bullocks, all of them fatlings of Bashan.
Eze 39:19 And ye shall eat fat till ye be full, and drink blood till ye be drunken, of my sacrifice which I have sacrificed for you.
Eze 39:20 Thus ye shall be filled at my table with horses and chariots, with mighty men, and with all men of war, saith the Lord GOD.
Eze 39:21 And I will set my glory among the heathen, and all the heathen shall see my judgment that I have executed, and my hand that I have laid upon them.

These beasts and fowls are all the false doctrines with which Gog and Magog were seduced into following Satan. Just as we are all guilty of the death and crucifixion of our Lord and of drinking His blood and eating His flesh, by living every word that proceeds out of His mouth, so must all Gog and Magog live by every word of God. It is all being worked by the Great Potter, who is “seeking an occasion” for the destruction of all flesh, and the destruction of death via the “lake of fire… raising of the dead from the sea, from death and from hades”, to be cast into the lake of fire, which is the second death.

Rev 20:11 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat upon it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.
Rev 20:12 And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne; and books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of the things which were written in the books, according to their works.
Rev 20:13 And the sea gave up the dead that were in it; and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
Rev 20:14 And death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death, even the lake of fire.
Rev 20:15 And if any was not found written in the book of life, he was cast into the lake of fire. (ASV)

Why must most men be cast into the lake of fire? Why must Gog and Magog be destroyed in the supper of the great God? The last verses of Ezekiel 39 give us our answer:

Eze 39:22 So the house of Israel shall know that I am the LORD their God from that day and forward.
Eze 39:23 And the heathen shall know that the house of Israel went into captivity for their iniquity: because they trespassed against me, therefore hid I my face from them, and gave them into the hand of their enemies: so fell they all by the sword.
Eze 39:24 According to their uncleanness and according to their transgressions have I done unto them, and hid my face from them.
Eze 39:25 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Now will I bring again the captivity of Jacob, and have mercy upon the whole house of Israel, and will be jealous for my holy name;
Eze 39:26 After that they have borne their shame, and all their trespasses whereby they have trespassed against me, when they dwelt safely in their land, and none made [ them] afraid.
Eze 39:27 When I have brought them again from the people, and gathered them out of their enemies’ lands, and am sanctified in them in the sight of many nations;
Eze 39:28 Then shall they know that I am the LORD their God, which caused them to be led into captivity among the heathen: but I have gathered them unto their own land, and have left none of them any more there.
Eze 39:29 Neither will I hide my face any more from them: for I have poured out my spirit upon the house of Israel, saith the Lord GOD.

God will especially have His elect to know that they are no exception to the “one event” which is “common to all men”. These are His word to the whole house of Israel:

Jer 25:17 Then took I the cup at the LORD’S hand, and made all the nations to drink, unto whom the LORD had sent me:
Jer 25:18 To wit, Jerusalem, and the cities of Judah, and the kings thereof, and the princes thereof, to make them a desolation, an astonishment, an hissing, and a curse; as [it is] this day;

Ecc 9:2 All things come alike to all: there is one event to the righteous, and to the wicked; to the good and to the clean, and to the unclean; to him that sacrificeth, and to him that sacrificeth not: as is the good, so is the sinner; and he that sweareth, as he that feareth an oath.

That “one event” is the judgment of God upon the unrighteousness and ungodliness of all men”.

Rom 1:18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;

“Judgment must begin at the house of God” (1Pe 4:17), but in the end, it must also come to all men, to Gog and Magog. All men must drink of the same cup of “the wrath of God against all unrighteousness and ungodliness of men…”

Jer 25:28 And it shall be, if they refuse to take the cup at thine hand to drink, then shalt thou say unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Ye shall certainly drink.
Jer 25:29 For, lo, I begin to bring evil on the city which is called by my name, and should ye be utterly unpunished? Ye shall not be unpunished: for I will call for a sword upon all the inhabitants of the earth, saith the LORD of hosts.

It is all done for our sakes. It is all done for the sake of “the Israel of God”. But it is first done for us so that we can be used as the channel for their salvation :

2Co 4:15 For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God.

Rom 11:30 For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief:

Gog and Magog are made unbelievers for our sakes. It is through their unbelief that you and I are God’s believing elect. But we are not saved for our own sake any more that Gog and Magog are unbelievers by their own choice. It is all of God, and it is all for His purpose of saving all mankind.

Rom 11:31 Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.
Rom 11:32 For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.
Rom 11:33 O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable [are] his judgments, and his ways past finding out!
Rom 11:34 For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor?
Rom 11:35 Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again?
Rom 11:36 For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.

Oba 1:21 And saviours shall come up on mount Zion to judge the mount of Esau; and the kingdom shall be the LORD’S.

“The mount of Esau” is just a part of Gog and Magog, and the destruction of Gog and Magog is part of “all things” which are being done “fo Him, and through Him, and to Him… that He might have mercy upon all”.

In our next study we will consider the meaning of these verses of Rev 21, and we will see what is the product of the devouring flames of “the lake of fire”:

Rev 21:1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
Rev 21:2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
Rev 21:3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.
Rev 21:4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

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Rev 22:16 I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.
Rev 22:17 And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.
Rev 22:18 For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:
Rev 22:19 And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.
Rev 22:20 He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.
Rev 22:21 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

Introduction

It is by divine design that this book of the revelation of Jesus Christ, opens with the instructions to “keep the things which are written therein…” and it closes with the same message, “keep the sayings of the prophecy of this book”.

Rev 1:3 Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.

Rev 22:6 And he said unto me, These sayings are faithful and true: and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to shew unto his servants the things which must shortly be done.
Rev 22:7 Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book.

Both emphasize the imminent nature of this prophecy. It was never intended to be taken dispensationally. This book of the revelation of Jesus Christ is just Matthew 24 with many more details provided. It was always meant to be understood that “this generation shall not pass till all these things be fulfilled” in every generation which ‘reads and understands’ the need for “keeping the things written therein”.

Mat 24:15 When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)

Mat 24:33 So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.
Mat 24:34 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.
Mat 24:35 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

“Who reads, let him understand” tells us that the Word of God is not to be understood by but a few. How very few believe we are intended to keep the sayings of the prophecy of this book?

Is it really true that the person who keeps the things written in this prophecy is blessed? If that is so, then just how much of what is written in this prophecy must be kept? Are the conditions afflicting the seven churches of chapters two and three, part of our blessed experience? Only two of the seven are not reprimanded and admonished for very serious sins. Nevertheless we are told:

Rev 2:29 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto [all] the churches.

Are all seven addresses for each of us, or are the kind words for the churches of Smyrna and Philadelphia the only words for you and me? Do the first four horses of the first four seals have any personal application for each of us? The first is the white horse who comes conquering and to conquer. The second is the red horse which takes peace from the earth causing its inhabitants to kill one another. The third is the black horse, which makes the oil and the wine in short supply. Do the souls under the altar of the fifth seal or the great earthquake of the sixth seal play any part in our lives.

Job 40:1 Moreover the LORD answered Job, and said,
Job 40:2 Shall he that contendeth with the Almighty instruct him? he that reproveth God, let him answer it.
Job 40:3 Then Job answered the LORD, and said,
Job 40:4 Behold, I am vile; what shall I answer thee? I will lay mine hand upon my mouth.
Job 40:5 Once have I spoken; but I will not answer: yea, twice; but I will proceed no further.
Job 40:6 Then answered the LORD unto Job out of the whirlwind, and said,
Job 40:7 Gird up thy loins now like a man: I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me.
Job 40:8 Wilt thou also disannul my judgment? wilt thou condemn me, that thou mayest be righteous?

When we deny that we are to keep any part of the things written therein, we are doing nothing less than “contending with the Almighty”.

Today’s verses have a very stern warning concerning this Truth.

Rev 22:16 I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.

What does “I Jesus have sent my angel to testify unto you these things in the churches” mean? We have seen that Christ’s angel is His own body. His ‘angel’ is all those who in every generation “have the testimony of Jesus Christ”, and that ‘testimony’ declares that these things are “in the churches”, just as chapters 2-3 demonstrate. This entire revelation of Jesus Christ is addressed “to the seven churches”, which is but Bible- speak for all churches of all time.

Rev 1:4 John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne;

Rev 19:10 And I fell at his feet to worship him [Christ’s angel]. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.

Christ, the Father’s anointed, has sent His Christ, His anointed, as His angel to testify these things in the churches. In this prophecy, John is the figure of all of us, if we are indeed his “fellowservants and of his brothers who have the testimony of Jesus”.

Luk 22:29 And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me;

Joh 20:21 Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.

Act 4:26 The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ.

Rev 11:15 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.

Rev 12:10 And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.

One of “these things” is the Truth that is very little understood by even those who confess to it. That Truth is the fact that while Christ was indeed conceived in the womb of His mother Mary by the holy spirit, He was still, by virtue of being “made of a woman, made under the law”, at the same time both “the root and the offspring of David”.

In the natural realm it is not possible to be both the root and the offspring of anyone, yet Christ claims to be both the root of David, as well as the offspring of King David. He goes even further by claiming to be both the first and the last, the beginning and the end. This seems to be contrary to all that Babylon teaches, simply because in effect, it is saying that Christ creates the evil as well as the good. How can that possibly be? Here is the answer to that question for all who are given to accept it:

Pro 16:4 The LORD hath made all things for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil.

Isa 45:5 I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me:
Isa 45:6 That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside me. I am the LORD, and there is none else.
Isa 45:7 I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.

Rev 1:11 Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea.

Rev 22:13 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.

The beginning and end of what? The first and the last of what? Here is that of which Christ is both the first and last, the beginning and the end.

1Co 15:45 And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.

But is the first Adam really ‘of Christ’? What say the scriptures?

Luk 3:38 Which was the son of Enos, which was the son of Seth, which was the son of Adam, which was the son of God.

Are both the first and the last Adam really sons of God? How is that possible? The Biblical answer to that question is, Yes, Christ is both the first and the last, and both are “in Him”.

Act 17:28 For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.
Act 17:29 Forasmuch then as we [including these Pagan Athenians] are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man’s device.

Rom 11:36 For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.

Christ is truly “the beginning and the end, the first and the last”.

At the end of this verse Christ informs us that He is also “the bright and morning star”. The bright and morning star, is the reward which is promised to all “overcomers”. What greater gift can be given. Christ gives us Himself, just as His Father gave His spirit to Christ.

Joh 16:13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.
Joh 16:14 He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.
Joh 16:15 All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you.

All things Christ has are ours. As He with His Father, “Only in the throne” is He greater than we are in Him, and we too, are given to rule all ‘Egypt’ within us “with a rod of iron” simply because ours is “the Morning Star”!

Rev 2:26 And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations:
Rev 2:27 And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father.
Rev 2:28 And I will give him the morning star.

Rev 22:17 And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.

“The bride” and “him that hears” are one and the same. They both are granted to say to all who thirst, “Come… take of the water of life freely”. All men of all time will come to God through the gates of the bride, and through the pillars of the temple. The gates of the city, are the gates of the bride, who is that city.

2Co 11:2 For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.

Rev 19:7 Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.
Rev 19:8 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 21:1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
Rev 21:2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

All men of all time will be made to know God “by the church”, through the pillars of the temple, through the gates of the New Jerusalem, both in this age and in the aions “to come”.

Eph 3:9 And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:
Eph 3:10 To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God,
Eph 3:11 According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord:

Rev 3:12 Him that overcometh will I make a pillar [The doors to the holy place and the door to the holy of holies] in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.

Rev 21:12 And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel:

Rev 21:21 And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass.

Rev 22:14 Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.

“All men… by the church… through the gates into the city”. The gates, the pearls, the angels, and the holy city New Jerusalem, are one and all, symbols of the same great spiritual revelation of Jesus Christ Himself, via the spirit of His Father, in all those who are to be His bride, “the holy Jerusalem”. It is given to us, if we are granted to be that virgin bride, to be the channel through which God will save all men. Here is what it means to be “a pillar in the temple of our God”.

Exo 26:30 And thou shalt rear up the tabernacle according to the fashion thereof which was shewed thee in the mount.
Exo 26:31 And thou shalt make a vail of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen of cunning work: with cherubims shall it be made:
Exo 26:32 And thou shalt hang it upon four pillars of shittim wood overlaid with gold: their hooks shall be of gold, upon the four sockets of silver.
Exo 26:33 And thou shalt hang up the vail under the taches, that thou mayest bring in thither within the vail the ark of the testimony: and the vail shall divide unto you between the holy place and the most holy.
Exo 26:34 And thou shalt put the mercy seat upon the ark of the testimony in the most holy place.
Exo 26:35 And thou shalt set the table without the vail, and the candlestick over against the table on the side of the tabernacle toward the south: and thou shalt put the table on the north side.
Exo 26:36 And thou shalt make an hanging for the door of the tent, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen, wrought with needlework.
Exo 26:37 And thou shalt make for the hanging five pillars of shittim wood, and overlay them with gold, and their hooks shall be of gold: and thou shalt cast five sockets of brass for them.

To be “made a pillar in the temple of my God” is to be made the very instrument through which all men will be brought to God.

That “eternal purpose which He purposed in Christ” is this revelation of Jesus Christ within “all men… each in his own order” (1Co 15:23).

Now let all those who would be those pillars, gates, pearls, and angels, through whom all men of all time will be brought to Christ; let us take careful note of how this revelation of Jesus Christ closes with this solemn warning:

Rev 22:18 For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:
Rev 22:19 And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.
Rev 22:20 He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.

If we “speak above what is written”, we are ‘adding to these things… which are written therein’ (Rev 1:3). If we do such a rash and foolish thing, “God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book”. Notice that we are not told that God will plague those who add to the things which are written therein. We will all keep the things written therein, and the seven last plagues are already written therein. That is why we are told “I testify to every man that hears the words of this prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book.

Since we have all “come out of” Babylon, we have all “added unto these things”, and we will all have these plagues added to us in accord to our stubborn, rebellious, and blinded ways. Yes, it is all the work of the Lord, and our lack of appreciation of Him having us to give an accounting of all He has caused us to do, does not change this work of our Creator in our lives.

Pro 16:4 The LORD hath made all things for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil.

Isa 63:17 O LORD, why hast thou made us to err from thy ways, and hardened our heart from thy fear? Return for thy servants’ sake, the tribes of thine inheritance.

Who among us is not, by nature, wicked? Who among us has not erred from our heavenly Father’s ways? So what part of this prophecy is not to be applied to “every man”?

Col 1:26 Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints:
Col 1:27 To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:
Col 1:28 Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus:
Col 1:29 Whereunto I also labour, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily.

This prophecy is all of “the things written therein”. If we take out all the seven fiery trumpet judgments, or if we place the seven last plagues written therein upon someone else, we are taking out our part in the things which are written therein”. What will be done to any who attempt to do such a foolish thing?

Rev 22:19 And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.

It is argued by all those who are considered to be “great men of God” in the churches of Babylon, that to believe that the plagues written in this prophecy and labeled “the wrath of God”, have any personal application to, or upon God’s very elect, is to nullify the promise of 1Th 5:9.

1Th 5:9 For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,

It is argued that we simply cannot “keep” and “live by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God” and Christ in this prophecy because of this promise:

Rev 3:10 Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.

It is asked, how is it possible to be “not appointed… to wrath” and yet endure the wrath of the seven last plagues? How is it possible to be “kept from the hour of temptation” and live by every word which proceeds out of the mouth of God telling us that there is an hour of temptation which will come upon all the world?

These are certainly not illogical questions. We have all had them. So let’s just ask and answer how it is possible to “enter into the temple of God after the seven plagues of the seven angels are fulfilled,’ and at the same time be able to say “God has not appointed us to wrath”? While we are told we “are not appointed to wrath”, we are also told this:

Rev 15:7 And one of the four beasts gave unto the seven angels seven golden vials full of the wrath of God, who liveth for ever and ever.
Rev 15:8 And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from his power; and no man was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled.

Are these words of this prophecy not for you? Do you believe that 1Th 5:9 is for you, but the words of Rev 15:8, are not “things written therein” to be kept by you?

If that is your mindset, then you have no concept of what “the sum of thy word is truth” means.

Psa 119:160 The sum of thy word is truth; And every one of thy righteous ordinances endureth for ever.

If you think that 1Th 5:9 is true, but Rev Mat 4:4, Rev 1:3, Rev 22: 6-7 and Rev 15:8 have no application for you, then you have turned the word “sum” into ‘some’, and you now believe that you can pick and choose which “words written therein” have any personal application to you.

So how does this Biblical principle of “the sum of God’s Word” work? How is it possible to be delivered from the wrath of God in our lives, and still have the seven plagues of the seven angels fulfilled in our lives?

This is accomplished in the exact same way we are delivered from being blind:

Joh 9:39 And Jesus said, For judgment came I into this world, that they that see not may see; and that they that see may become blind.
Joh 9:40 Those of the Pharisees who were with him heard these things, and said unto him, Are we also blind?
Joh 9:41 Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye would have no sin: but now ye say, We see: your sin remaineth.

“If you were blind you would have no sin”, means simply that as long as these Pharisees cannot acknowledge their own blindness, their blindness remains. So it is with the wrath of God. “We are not appointed to wrath” only if we acknowledge that we ourselves have been “by nature the children of wrath, even as others”.

Eph 2:3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

Now we are adding scripture to scripture, while adding nothing to the things written therein. Now we are able to accept “the sum of God’s word” instead of pitting scripture against scripture, and taking away from the things written therein.

How is it possible to believe on Christ in this life and never die, and Christ promised Martha?

Joh 11:23 Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother [ Lazarus] shall rise again.
Joh 11:24 Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.
Joh 11:25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:
Joh 11:26 And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?

Now just how does one go about believing on Christ so as to “never die”? Yes, once again, as contradictory as 1Th 5:9 seems to be to Eph 2:3 and Rev 15:8, this is the only way to “believe on Christ and never die”. This is how we can live forever and not be appointed to death. It is the same principle by which “we are not appointed to wrath”:

Mat 10:39 He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.

So let us ask, Do you want to see the things of the spirit? If so you simply must first acknowledge your spiritual blindness. Do you want to live and never die? If so all you need do is “lose your life [in this world] for Christ’s sake” and you will find how you “will never die”. Would you be found of God? You simply must acknowledge that you are spiritually lost. Would you not be appointed to wrath? All you need do is to acknowledge that you have been “by nature a child of wrath even as others”, that ‘the seven plagues of the seven angels have been fulfilled’ in your life, and then “you are not appointed to wrath but to salvation” as are all men of all time.

There are two more verses which bookend this subject of God’s wrath, as indeed they bookend and wrap up how we are to approach every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. Here are those two very revealing verses of scripture.

Ecc 9:2 All things come alike to all: there is one event to the righteous, and to the wicked; to the good and to the clean, and to the unclean; to him that sacrificeth, and to him that sacrificeth not: as is the good, so is the sinner; and he that sweareth, as he that feareth an oath.

1Co 3:21 Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours;
1Co 3:22 Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours;
1Co 3:23 And ye are Christ’s; and Christ is God’s.

Should Ecc 9:2 read ‘All things come alike to all but God’s elect, who never experience His wrath upon their unrighteousnesses’? Is that what the sum of God’s Word teaches?

Rom 1:18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;

Should Rom 1:18 read ‘The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, except for those who accept Christ?’

Should 1Co 3:21-22 be made to read ‘Most things are yours, most things present and most things to come, but not the seven last plagues of God’s wrath upon my ungodliness and my unrighteousness?’

We who have the mind of Christ know that is not the case, and we are careful to neither add to nor take away from the words of this prophecy, knowing we will reap what we sow, and knowing that the grace of God will chasten us to live godly lives in this age.

That is how this great revelation which ends with the promise that death and all that are dead in Hades and in the sea, will be delivered up to those who are the lake of fire, to be cleansed of all that exalts itself against the knowledge of God and His Christ.

Isa 33:14 The sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites. Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?

Isa 33:15 He that walketh righteously, and speaketh uprightly; he that despiseth the gain of oppressions, that shaketh his hands from holding of bribes, that stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood, and shutteth his eyes from seeing evil;

Those among us who are at ease in, and are able to dwell in the devouring fire and everlasting burnings of God’s Word, are those who “speak uprightly” those fiery words. They are the gates of that city, the pillars in the temple of God, the bride of Christ which is New Jerusalem. It is by those twelve gates of a single pearl each, that all the dogs, sorcerers, whoremongers, murders, and idolaters who love and make a lie, will one day be redeemed of all their sins and be made and reformed into a new vessel as seems good to the Potter to make it.

Rev 22:14 Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.

Rev 22:15 For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.

Such is the revelation of Jesus Christ in every man. Every word that has proceeded out of the mouth of God will be acknowledged as being within the same Adamic flesh with which we are all “by nature” born. This process of judgment will in the end be accomplished in every man who has ever lived, as the scriptures so clearly make known.

Joh 3:17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

1Co 15:22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.

1Ti 2:4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.

1Ti 4:10 For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially [ not exclusively] of those that believe.

2Pe 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us- ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

1Jn 2:2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

It is all accomplished by our Lord Himself working in every man His chastening work of grace. That is why we all ask for that chastening grace to always be with us, at all times.

Tit 2:11 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,

Tit 2:12 Teaching [ Greek, paidueo, chastening] us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;

(Read The Purpose And Function of Grace Tit 2:12 A1245.0 The Difference Between What Grace Is And What Grace Does

http:// www. iswasandwillbe. com/ The_ Difference_ Between_ What_ Grace_ Is_ And_ What_ Grace_ Does. php).

So ends this revelation of Jesus Christ in His own body the church (Col 1:24).

Rev 22:21 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

It is by Christ’s chastening grace, as our ‘everlasting Father’ (Isa 9:6), through His faith working in us, that all men will be saved and come to the knowledge of the Truth. It is from the beginning to the end, His work within us, and we bring nothing at all to the table.

Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Eph 2:9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Eph 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

Conclusion

This study concludes our studies in the book of Revelation. Next week, if the Lord wills, we will begin a series of studies in the book of Job, where we will see most conclusively the relationship between Christ and Satan, and we will also see that Job and his trials is each of us in our own appointed time, and God’s chastening grace works to reveal our self-righteous selves to us.

Here are the verses we hope to cover in our next study.

Job 1:1 There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil.
Job 1:2 And there were born unto him seven sons and three daughters.
Job 1:3 His substance also was seven thousand sheep, and three thousand camels, and five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred she asses, and a very great household; so that this man was the greatest of all the men of the east.

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Rev 22:11 He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.
Rev 22:12 And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.
Rev 22:13 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.
Rev 22:14 Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.
Rev 22:15 For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.

Introduction

Is it true that we are to read, hear and keep “the sayings of the prophecy of this book”? Is it true that “the time is at hand” to do so? If we should “keep the sayings of the prophecy of this book”, then that has been the case for the past 2000 years. If for the past two thousand years God’s elect have been ‘keeping the sayings of the prophecy of this book’, then it follows that there is also a present application for the words of these five verses which are the subject of our study today. In other words, being in that “holy city the New Jerusalem”, being ‘seated with Christ on His Father’s throne’ in the heavens has been taking place in the lives of God’s elect for the past 2000 years, and ‘the gates of hell (Greek – Hades, the unseen, the grave) have never prevailed against it.’

Eph 2:6 In our union with Christ Jesus he raised us up with him to rule with him in the heavenly world. (GNB)
Mat 16:18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

It is Christ who is building His church, and He has been doing so all along. So God has been gathering and harvesting his elect out of every generation since Christ, and in each of those generations, God’s holy city has been growing, and those who have entered into that city have done so through its gates, and they have all been abiding by the admonitions we find in our study today.

Rev 22:11 He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.

What are we being told in this verse? Here is why God’s elect let the unjust be unjust, the filthy be filthy and the righteous be righteous and the holy, holy, and this is why God’s elect have no interest in attempting to “save this world for Christ”.

Joh 6:44 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw [ Greek – drag] him: and I will raise him up at the last day.

When is “the last day” when Christ raises up those who His Father drags to Himself? The ‘last day’ is of necessity ‘the end of the world’. So what Christ is speaking of here in Joh 6:44 is the very question the apostles were asking which provoked the prophecy of our Lord which we find in Mat 24.
How is it possible that the elect of God have been living by these words, and at the same time living by the commission to preach the gospel in all the world?

Mar 16:15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.

Did not Paul and Barnabas, and then Paul and Silas, go throughout the Roman Empire preaching the gospel? Yes, Paul and his companions preached the gospel throughout the Roman Empire. There was no internet at that time. There were no televisions or radios. There were not even any printing presses, and yet the gospel of Jesus Christ was preached throughout the Roman world before the death of the apostles.

Act 24:5 For we have found this man a pestilent fellow, and a mover of sedition among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes:

The book of Acts tells us how this was accomplished, and from chapter one to chapter 28 there is not one example of any of the apostles attempting to make the unjust just, or to make the filthy clean. Whether it was Simon the sorcerer, who attempted to purchase the gift of the holy spirit, or Elymas the false prophet, the unjust and filthy were left as such.

Act 8:12 But when they [ the Samaritan converts] believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.
Act 8:13 Then Simon himself believed also: and when he was baptized, he continued with Philip, and wondered, beholding the miracles and signs which were done.
Act 8:14 Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John:
Act 8:15 Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost:
Act 8:16 (For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.)
Act 8:17 Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost.
Act 8:18 And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles’ hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money,
Act 8:19 Saying, Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost.
Act 8:20 But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money.
Act 8:21 Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not right in the sight of God.
Act 8:22 Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee.
Act 8:23 For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity.
Act 8:24 Then answered Simon, and said, Pray ye to the Lord for me, that none of these things which ye have spoken come upon me.
Act 8:25 And they, when they had testified and preached the word of the Lord, returned to Jerusalem, and preached the gospel in many villages of the Samaritans.

It is instructive that we are not told that Peter asked God to remove Simon’s gall of bitterness nor his bond of iniquity. Peter simply let the unjust and filthy be unjust and filthy.
Here is another example of living out these words.

Act 13:5 And when they were at Salamis, they preached the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews: and they had also John to their minister.
Act 13:6 And when they had gone through the isle unto Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name was Barjesus:
Act 13:7 Which was with the deputy of the country, Sergius Paulus, a prudent man; who called for Barnabas and Saul, and desired to hear the word of God.
Act 13:8 But Elymas the sorcerer (for so is his name by interpretation) withstood them, seeking to turn away the deputy from the faith.
Act 13:9 Then Saul, (who also is called Paul,) filled with the Holy Ghost, set his eyes on him,
Act 13:10 And said, O full of all subtilty and all mischief, thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord?
Act 13:11 And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon thee, and thou shalt be blind, not seeing the sun for a season. And immediately there fell on him a mist and a darkness; and he went about seeking some to lead him by the hand.
Act 13:12 Then the deputy, when he saw what was done, believed, being astonished at the doctrine of the Lord.

What Those Within and Those Without The New Jerusalemwe are being told is that ‘No man can come to God except the Father drag him’. So once gain, we are not told that Elymas repented or was converted. Paul let the unjust and filthy be unjust and filthy.
Cornelius, on the other hand, exemplifies those who are righteous and are left to be righteous. It was because the holy spirit had been working in the life of Cornelius that Cornelius sent to Joppa for Peter.

Act 10:1 Now there was a certain man in Caesarea, Cornelius by name, a centurion of the band called the Italian band,
Act 10:2 a devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, who gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God always.
Act 10:3 He saw in a vision openly, as it were about the ninth hour of the day, an angel of God coming in unto him, and saying to him, Cornelius.
Act 10:4 And he, fastening his eyes upon him, and being affrighted, said, What is it, Lord? And he said unto him, Thy prayers and thine alms are gone up for a memorial before God.
Act 10:5 And now send men to Joppa, and fetch one Simon, who is surnamed Peter:
Act 10:6 he lodgeth with one Simon a tanner, whose house is by the sea side.
Act 10:7 And when the angel that spake unto him was departed, he called two of his household- servants, and a devout soldier of them that waited on him continually;
Act 10:8 and having rehearsed all things unto them, he sent them to Joppa.

So too, it was the holy spirit who prepared the heart of the Ethiopian eunuch to be instructed by Philip.

Act 8:26 And the angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert.
Act 8:27 And he arose and went: and, behold, a man of Ethiopia, an eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure, and had come to Jerusalem for to worship,
Act 8:28 Was returning, and sitting in his chariot read Esaias the prophet.
Act 8:29 Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot.
Act 8:30 And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest?
Act 8:31 And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him.
Act 8:32 The place of the scripture which he read was this, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth:
Act 8:33 In his humiliation his judgment was taken away: and who shall declare his generation? for his life is taken from the earth.
Act 8:34 And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this? of himself, or of some other man?
Act 8:35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus.
Act 8:36 And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized?
Act 8:37 And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.
Act 8:38 And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him.

Philip “heard him read the prophet Isaiah”. The holy spirit had already prepared this man to receive the gospel of Jesus.
So the apostles let the righteous, be righteous still: and he that was holy, was acknowledged as holy.
Except for the necessity of answering their persecutors for standing up for the word, the apostles never preached the gospel to one person who had not come to hear the word of God. Paul always went into synagogues where the holy spirit had already prepared the hearts of the Gentile proselytes to receive the gospel of the kingdom of God. With very few exceptions, the Jews in those synagogues did not accept the testimony of Jesus Christ. The only exception to this is the account of Paul’s witness to the people of Athens on Mars Hill, but even here he was simply taking advantage of any opportunity to witness for Christ and His Father, “the unknown God”, without forcing that witness on anyone. The unjust remained unjust, the filthy, filthy, the righteous remained righteous, and the holy remained holy. Like their example, our Lord forced Himself and His doctrine upon no one. His life of good works drew people to Him.

Mat 12:14 Then [ after healing a man’s withered hand on the sabbath] the Pharisees went out, and held a council against him, how they might destroy him.
Mat 12:15 But when Jesus knew it, he withdrew himself from thence: and great multitudes followed him, and he healed them all;
Mat 12:16 And charged them that they should not make him known:
Mat 12:17 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying,
Mat 12:18 Behold my servant, whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my spirit upon him, and he shall shew judgment to the Gentiles.
Mat 12:19 He shall not strive, nor cry; neither shall any man hear his voice in the streets.
Mat 12:20 A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench, till he send forth judgment unto victory.
Mat 12:21 And in his name shall the Gentiles trust.

‘Israel’ in scripture, is both within us as “the kingdom of God”, and it is also those with whom the holy spirit is working as His body. That is why we are admonished by our Lord Himself:

Mat 10:23 But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another: for verily I say unto you, Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come.

So both Christ and His disciples were never found preaching on a street corner, or ever attempting to preach the gospel to any who had not been prepared by the holy spirit to receive the gospel. That is the message to us to let the filthy remain filthy and let the righteous be righteous. “The righteous” will receive our witness, and the filthy will reject us. This is true within each of us when, at our first encounter with this radical Truth we refuse the witness of God’s Word through His elect. But it is also true within “His body, which is the church” throughout the generations which have followed Christ and His original apostles. We truly are “the Israel of God”, and we will not have gone over all the ‘cities’, meaning those being called and chosen, within ourselves as individuals, and within the body as a whole, of “the Israel of God”, until the Son of Man be come. For that reason these words are applicable in every generation:

Rev 22:12 And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.

This is just one more verse which makes the immanency of Christ’s return something we are all experiencing “in our own order” (1Co 15:23). This has been taking place within the lives of God’s elect in every generation since Christ.

Heb 9:28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.

This “appearing the second time” is future only for those who do not yet know Christ, and who are not yet “the heaven itself”, which is being purified and cleansed by the “sharp twoedged sword… out of [ Christ’s] mouth, and by the presence of the Christ whose “eyes are as a flame of fire”, and whose “countenance is as the Sun shines in His strength”.

Rev 1:12 And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks;
Rev 1:13 And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle.
Rev 1:14 His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire;
Rev 1:15 And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters.
Rev 1:16 And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.
Rev 1:17 And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last:

Here now are the heavens in which Christ presently dwells:

Heb 9:23 It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.
Heb 9:24 For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us:
Heb 9:25 Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others;
Heb 9:26 For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.
Heb 9:27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:
Heb 9:28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.

If one must first die and then “after this the judgment” is true, then it is necessary that we truly are being “crucified with Christ” and are being “risen with Him in newness of life”.

Rom 6:3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
Rom 6:4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
Rom 6:5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:
Rom 6:6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
Rom 6:10 For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.
Rom 6:11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

If we “reckon ourselves to be dead indeed unto sin”, then we are of necessity “alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord” living His life within us, and the reason we are told “he will come the second time without sin” is because:

Rev 22:13 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.

Is Christ really “the first”? What is “the first”. What say the scriptures?

1Co 15:45 And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.

Is it blasphemous to agree with Christ that He is “the first and the last”? Who is “the first man Adam”? That is you and me. We are all, by our first birth, in “the first man Adam”.

1Co 15:21 For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.
1Co 15:22 For as in Adam [“the first man Adam”] all die, even so in Christ [“by man… the last Adam”] shall all be made alive.

What is this “first man Adam”? Is he an essential part of our salvation? What does our Lord answer?

Joh 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
Joh 3:4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?
Joh 3:5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

What does “born of water” mean?

Mar 1:8 I indeed have baptized you with water: but he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost [ Greek – pneuma, spirit].

What was John’s baptism? John’s baptism was “unto repentance”, and yet it was still repentance under the law.

Mat 11:11 Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
Mat 11:12 And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.
Mat 11:13 For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.

The law was an unbearable yoke which “neither we nor our fathers could keep”. Those under that law, cannot enter into Christ and His rest. Christ “had broken the sabbath” and considered it nothing more than a “carnal commandment” in need of being changed.

Joh 5:18 Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God.
Heb 7:16 Who is made, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life.
Rom 3:19 Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.
Rom 3:20 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
Rom 3:21 But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;

Christ is “the righteousness of God without the law” of Moses because Christ brought a new covenant based upon better promises, than those that were given under the law of Moses which was designed “for the lawless”.

1Ti 1:9 Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers,
1Ti 1:10 For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine;

“Sound doctrine” is “the law of Christ”, and “the law of Christ” is far harder to keep than was the law of Moses. In Truth the law of Jesus cannot be kept at all by the natural man. Our Savior was guilty of none of these sins, and yet we are plainly told He was “made of a woman, made under the law”.

Gal 4:4 But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,

Both “made of a woman”, and “made under the law”, both tell us that Christ was not perfected while in the flesh which was “the same” flesh as the children.

Heb 2:14 Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;
Luk 13:32 And he said unto them, Go ye, and tell that fox, Behold, I cast out devils, and I do cures to day and to morrow, and the third day I shall be perfected.
Mat 19:17 And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.

Was Christ perfected in the flesh? Was He “good” while in a body of flesh? Perhaps His standards are just higher than the standards of those who deny these words of our Lord, and who teach that Christ’s flesh was perfected, and His flesh was good.
What is “flesh”? Flesh, according to scripture is corruption.

1Co 15:50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.

Christ’s flesh did not see corruption because it was not the same as ours, the same as “the children”, Christ’s flesh did not see corruption simply because He was raised from the dead before His flesh had time to “see corruption”. He was raised up in a spiritual body which could become flesh if needed, as a testimony to His resurrection.

Luk 24:39 Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.

“A spirit hath not flesh” does not say ‘A spirit cannot materialize into flesh’. A spirit definitely can and does, at times, materialize into flesh, as Christ does here in Luk 24:39, solely because of their lack of faith. Nevertheless all resurrected bodies are not natural flesh bodies, but are “spiritual bodies”.

1Co 15:44 It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.
1Co 15:45 And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.
1Co 15:50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.

Who does “inherit the kingdom of God”? Here is our Lord’s answer to that question”

Mat 7:21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

I was recently asked if the gospel of Christ has become “a matter of dos and don’ts”. While we are free from the law of Moses, we have now become the slaves of Christ and of His law.

Mat 12:50 For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.
Luk 6:46 And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?

“Do the will of My Father”, and ‘Do not call me Lord if you are not doing what I say’. Is there anything we are not to do, according to the gospel of Christ?

Tit 2:11 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,
Tit 2:12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;
1Ti 3:2 A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach;
1Ti 3:3 Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous;
1Ti 3:4 One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity;
1Ti 3:5 (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?)

“Denying ungodliness and worldly lusts… not given to wine… no striker… not greedy of filthy lucre, etc. It appears that we are expected to do what our Lord says to do, and we are also expected not to do the things He says not to do.
Does this accord with this revelation of Jesus Christ and those who are in this “city of God, the New Jerusalem? Yes, it just happens to accord perfectly:

Rev 22:14 Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.

It appears that “doing His commandments” is required before anyone will “have right to the tree of life, and… enter in through the gates into the city”. What are those gates? They are the very same thing that stand before God in His tabernacle and in His temple. Here are the gates to that city:

Exo 26:32 And thou shalt hang it [ the vail separating the holy place from the holy of holies] upon four pillars of shittim wood overlaid with gold: their hooks shall be of gold, upon the four sockets of silver.

Even the door to the holy place is lined with these pillars, and the priests could not get into the tabernacle or into the temple without going through these “pillars”.

Exo 26:37 And thou shalt make for the hanging five pillars of shittim wood, and overlay them with gold, and their hooks shall be of gold: and thou shalt cast five sockets of brass for them.

So there are nine pillars; five at the door of the tabernacle, and four at the door of the holy of holies, through which all men must pass to get to the Father on His throne.
Now what is promised to those who overcome this flesh while they are still in it?

Rev 3:12 Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.

Where are these “pillars in the temple of my God”? They are in “the city of my God, which is New Jerusalem”. There “is no temple therein” simply because “the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it”

Rev 21:22 And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.

So the city itself, having God and the Lamb in it, is the temple, and the nine pillars which once signified judgment are now replaced with a more mature symbol of the process being accomplished in God’s elect. That more mature symbol is the 12 gates through which all who enter into the presence of the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb must come. Let’s read it again”

Rev 22:14 Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.

The nine pillars through which all men came into the presence of God have been replaced with 12 gates, and it is “through the gates” that all men must enter “into the city” in which we find “the Lord God Almighty … the Lamb… the river of life… the tree of life, and all of those who have been found worthy to eat of that tree of life, and drink of the waters of the river of life. Those who have “the name of God and the name of the city of… God… New Jerusalem, written upon him”.
And what is the simple truth concerning all who do not yet know Christ, and who do not believe that entering into that city is somehow connected to “doing His commandments”? Here is what the scriptures think of all flesh, who without Christ, will not be “raised a spiritual body”. Here is what Our Lord thinks of all who have not yet come to know Him and His Father.

Rev 22:15 For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.

There are no “gray areas” with Christ and His Father. Whatever is not Truth is a lie. What we are seldom given to understand is that our sins are not our sins, but rather are the work of God in deceiving us and keeping us in darkness until our own order and in our own appointed time. What this means is that the law of Moses is but a “shadow of good things to come” and is not itself either grace or Truth.” These are not easy things to point out, but they must be pointed out if we are to understand what will be the fate of all the billions of humanity who came before Christ.
Christ makes this clear when He reveals that when He told Moses that the manna was “bread from heaven”, in reality the manna was simply a type and a shadow of the true bread from heaven.

Joh 6:32 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven.
Joh 6:33 For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.
Joh 6:34 Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread.
Joh 6:35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.

Had the Lord told Moses that the manna Israel ate in the wilderness was “bread from heaven”? The answer is, yes, the Lord had told Moses that the manna was “bread from heaven”. But just as the entire law itself was in reality nothing more than a type and shadow of the true “law of Christ”, so this “bread from heaven” called “manna” was also nothing more than a type and a shadow of the true bread from heaven, and the entire history and economy of ancient Israel was all done and was all recorded “for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come”.

1Co 10:11 Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.
Exo 16:4 Then said the LORD unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or no.

But whenever it is ever pointed out that God Himself has deceived the prophets of His own people, and that it was He who cause Joseph’s brothers to sell Joseph into Egypt for the purpose of saving the whole world, and whenever it is ever pointed out the the scriptures say that God make wicked men for the day of evil in the lives of us all when we are all wicked men, those very men themselves will, by God’s own design, reject that Truth and think of themselves as the defenders of God’s honor, even as they disobey Christ and His Father, and turn against and persecute those who show them these Truths.

Gen 45:4 And Joseph said unto his brethren, Come near to me, I pray you. And they came near. And he said, I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt.
Gen 45:5 Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life.
Gen 45:6 For these two years hath the famine been in the land: and yet there are five years, in the which there shall neither be earing nor harvest.
Gen 45:7 And God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance.
Gen 45:8 So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God: and he hath made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt.

“You sold me into Egypt… don’t be angry with yourselves that you sold me here… it was not you but God that sent me here”. That is simply more that the natural man is given to receive. How did ‘I am the true bread from heaven’, go over with the Jews?

Joh 6:41 The Jews then murmured at him, because he said, I am the bread which came down from heaven.
Joh 6:42 And they said, Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? how is it then that he saith, I came down from heaven?

If you are not granted to believe God, then you need to get another religion. Christ tells us He is the true “bread from heaven”. Either we are granted the faith to believe that and the holy remain holy, or we are not given that faith, and the filthy remain filthy.

Joh 6:43 Jesus therefore answered and said unto them, Murmur not among yourselves.
Joh 6:44 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw [ Greek, drag] him: and I will raise him up at the last day.
Joh 6:45 It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me.

Being “taught of God” is done through the “body of Christ which is the church”.

Act 8:30 And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest?
Act 8:31 And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him.
Act 8:32 The place of the scripture which he read was this, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth:
Act 8:33 In his humiliation his judgment was taken away: and who shall declare his generation? for his life is taken from the earth.
Act 8:34 And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this? of himself, or of some other man?
Act 8:35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus.
Eph 3:9 And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:
Eph 3:10 To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God,

To “All men… in the heavens, is made known by the church, the manifold wisdom of God”. All who are not granted to understand these “deep things of the spirit”, are outside the gates of this “city of our God”, and until they are brought to know Christ and His Father they will not enter the city.

Rev 22:15 For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.

While this may sound like rather harsh language concerning the great men of God of the Old Testament, like Joseph’s brothers, their Old Testament mindset is of the Lord and not of themselves. The law was until John, but grace and Truth came by Jesus Christ, and all the men of God of the Old Testament will simply have to be granted to see and understand that truth before they will be granted to “enter in through the gates into that city.
In the end ‘death will be destroyed’ and at that point there will be no more “dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, or anyone who loves and makes a lie”.

1Co 15:25 For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.
1Co 15:26 The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.

After our conference in Texas, two weeks from today, Lord willing we will finish the last six verses of this revelation of Jesus Christ within us. Here are those last six verses:

Rev 22:16 I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.
Rev 22:17 And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.
Rev 22:18 For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:
Rev 22:19 And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.
Rev 22:20 He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.
Rev 22:21 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

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Rev 22:6 And he said unto me, These sayings are faithful and true: and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to shew unto his servants the things which must shortly be done.
Rev 22:7 Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book.
Rev 22:8 And I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which shewed me these things.
Rev 22:9 Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God.
Rev 22:10 And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand.

Introduction

When we started these studies in this Revelation of Jesus Christ with the first three verses of chapter one as our guide to unlocking the meaning of the symbols of this revelation of Jesus Christ, I was commanded not to do so by one for whom I had the greatest respect. There was a lot of adversity against the concept of ‘reading, hearing and keeping the things written therein’, as the stated purpose of this revelation of Jesus Christ within those who were given to ‘read, hear and keep’ what is written in this prophecy. It was, and still is, truly “war in the heavens”.

Rev 12:7 And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,
Rev 12:8 And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.
Rev 12:9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
Rev 12:10 And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.
Rev 12:11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.

This heavenly battle will always be waged against those who dare to replace the doctrines of Preterism or Dispensationalism with the living and powerful and sharp words of Christ, which He plainly states are always “at hand”, will “shortly come to pass” and “shall not pass away”.
Here are those first three verses of Revelation one. Here are the instructions we have followed faithfully in our study of every word of this “revelation of Jesus Christ” within us.

Rev 1:1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and sign ified it by his angel unto his servant John:
Rev 1:2 Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw.
Rev 1:3 Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.

Here we are plainly told that this is a prophecy which has been given by God to Christ to “show unto His servants things which must shortly come to pass”. We are not told these things will have no application for the next 2000 years. In fact it is emphasized and reiterated that “the time is at hand”. We are informed that this is a book which has been “signified… by His angel to His servant John”, and then we are told to “Keep the things written therein: for the time is at hand”.
We believe those words, and have handled this entire study with those instructions held close as our guide to our application of every word. Only if we acknowledge that it is we who are to “read, hear and keep the things written therein”, within, and never attempt to make these words, either the good or the evil, to apply to someone else, somewhere else, or at some other time than right now in this life, will the words of this prophecy have any personal benefit for the person who is reading the words of this revelation of Jesus Christ within us. We have acknowledged that the beast, the false prophet and the great red dragon, with all of their weaknesses and false doctrines, are within each of us, and we have acknowledged that we cannot enter into the temple of God in heaven until the seven plagues of the seven angels has been fulfilled in our own lives.
With that same heart and spirit, which has been our guide throughout these studies, we will now examine verses 6-10. We will begin by looking at verses 6 and 7, and comparing those two verses to Rev 1:1-3. Here is Rev 22:6-7:

Rev 22:6 And he said unto me, These sayings are faithful and true: and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to shew unto his servants the things which must shortly be done.
Rev 22:7 Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book.

Here again, in the very last chapter of this revelation of Jesus Christ, we are clearly instructed as to how this prophecy is intended to be approached and understood. Let’s read again verse 1-3 of chapter one and take careful note that the very same instructions are given us at the very beginning:

Rev 1:1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John:
Rev 1:2 Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw.
Rev 1:3 Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.

Revelation one tells us God gave Jesus Christ this revelation to show it to His servants. Revelation one tells us this revelation is “things which must shortly come to pass”. We are told this revelation is signified by His angel. We are told to read, hear and keep the things which are written therein because the time is at hand.
Here in chapter 22 we are reminded of the exact same instructions. We are told “These saying are faithful and true”, but here it is revealed that Christ Himself was “the Lord God of the holy prophets, who sent His angel to show His servants the things that must shortly be done, and it is this same “Lord God of the holy prophets” who declares “Behold I come quickly: blessed is he that keeps the sayings of the prophecy of this book”.
So the only real difference between the instructions of the first chapter and the last chapter is that the first chapter informs us that this revelation of Jesus Christ is “signified by His angel”, while the last chapter reaffirms that what is written here is “faithful and true”, which is just another way of saying “My Words shall not pass away” (Mat 24:32-35). In every other way these are the exact same instructions we were given informing us how to approach this prophecy.<.

Rev 22:8 And I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which shewed me these things.

It is Christ alone who opens our eyes to see the things of the spirit which are written in the Words of this prophecy. The fact that we are told that John twice attempted to worship this angel reveals that we all tend to place too much emphasis upon the messenger, instead of the giver of the message. Nevertheless it is also Christ who “sends His angel” to show these things to us.

Rev 1:1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John:
Rev 22:6 And he said unto me, These sayings are faithful and true: and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to shew unto his servants the things which must shortly be done.

We saw back in chapters 17 and 19 that this angel is “one of the angels which had the seven last plagues”.

Rev 17:1 And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters:
Rev 21:9 And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb’s wife.

So whether it is “the judgment of the great whore” or “the bride the Lamb’s wife”, both are revealed to us by “one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues”. This helps us to understand why God wants us to know that “those who speak often one to another… and think upon His name” are just that instrumental in revealing Christ within us

Mal 3:16 Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name.
Mal 3:17 And they shall be mine, saith the LORD of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him.
Mal 3:18 Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not.

It is these seven angels who have the seven vials of the seven last plagues, who are granted to “return and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serves God and him that serves Him not.”
So once again let us consider who are these seven angels:

Rev 22:9 Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God.

So these seven angels are those who are our “fellowservants” who like us, “keep the sayings of the prophecy of this book”, and while we are twice admonished against worshiping the angels which shows us these things, we are also told this concerning those among us who “labor in the Word”.

1Ti 5:17 Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine.

So as it is with all things, we must strive to be balanced in our regard to “those who labor in the word and doctrine” among us. There are many who give of themselves selflessly working in the Word and doctrine, who really are worthy of “double honor”. It is through their efforts that these things are being shown to many all around the world. For that we highly esteem them, but we want to never place them in the place of our Lord, who is worthy of our worship, and who once again tells us this:

Rev 22:10 And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand.

How often do we see those words “at hand” in the New Testament? That phrase just happens to appear 21 times in the New Testament. But this entire phrase “the time is at hand” is found again in verse three of chapter one of this prophecy.

Rev 1:3 Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.

When we are granted to connect those statements together with phrases like ” things which must shortly come to pass”, and “things which must shortly be done”, both at the beginning and at the end of this prophecy, then the urgency of our calling should begin to become obvious to those who are being called to be chosen and faithful to the end.

Rev 1:1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John:
Rev 22:6 And he said unto me, These sayings are faithful and true: and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to shew unto his servants the things which must shortly be done.

But let us also take note that John is commanded “Seal not the saying of the prophecy of this book…” Now let’s compare these words to the instructions given to Daniel, concerning the prophecies he was given for those of his day:

Dan 12:4 But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.

This natural man takes these words to mean natural, physical, scientific knowledge, but to the man of the spirit, this is a promise to his knowledge of ‘the things of the spirit”, and to have his knowledge of “God and Jesus Christ whom He hath sent” increased in “the time of the end”.

1Co 2:9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
1Co 2:10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.
1Co 2:13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
1Co 2:14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

And when is this “time of the end” of which Daniel speaks? Here are those upon whom “the ends of the world are come”.

1Co 10:11 Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.

So the Old Testament prophets were told thattheir prophecies were not even for themselves in this life, and they were told plainly to “shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end:”
For whom then were all their prophecies? To whom were they ministering, if not to themselves or the people of their time? Here is the plain scriptural answer to that question:

1Pe 1:9 Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.
1Pe 1:10 Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you:
1Pe 1:11 Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.
1Pe 1:12 Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.

There were many great works done by Christ through many Old Testament men of God. Nevertheless we are plainly told that God had “something better for us”.

Heb 11:39 And these all [ All the great men of faith of the Old Testament], having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise:
Heb 11:40 God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.

In our next study, Lord willing, we will cover these verses:

Rev 22:11 He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.
Rev 22:12 And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.
Rev 22:13 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.
Rev 22:14 Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.
Rev 22:15 For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.

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Rev 22:1 And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.
Rev 22:2 In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
Rev 22:3 And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him:
Rev 22:4 And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads.
Rev 22:5 And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.

Introduction

Who is this “river of life”? Who is this “tree of life”? And when do we “see the face of God”? We will see in our study today that this river of life is within you and me at this very moment, if Christ is in us. We will see that the tree of life is within you and me today, if Christ is in us today. And we will learn that if we “see Christ” and “know Christ”, then we see and know His Father.
There are no chapter breaks in the original Greek. This last chapter is simply a continuation of the description of “the bride, the Lamb’s wife”.
Last week we saw that this it is through this “foursquare” city with her 12 gates, and with the number 12 stamped all over it, that the glory of the nations of all time will, “in their own order,… come into this great city the holy Jerusalem”.

Rev 21:24 And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it.
Rev 21:25 And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there.
Rev 21:26 And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it.

Here is the Old Testament verse which proclaims that very same statement:

Isa 60:11 Therefore thy gates shall be open continually; they shall not be shut day nor night; that men may bring unto thee the forces of the Gentiles, and that their kings may be brought.

We have been shown that “the bride, the Lamb’s wife” is “on a great high mountain; she has the glory of God, she is like a stone most precious, she is clear as a crystal, and she has a wall great and high”. She has twelve gates and twelve foundations. This city, the Lamb’s wife, lies foursquare, and her length is as large as the breadth, twelve thousand furlongs. The length and the breadth and the height of it are equal. Her wall is like jasper, clear as glass, her twelve foundations are garnished with all manner of precious stones. Her twelve gates are of twelve pearls, each gate one pearl. She has no temple, no sun, nor moon, because God and the Lamb are all of these things within her. The nations of the saved bring their glory into her through her twelve gates. Her twelve gates are never closed by day, and there is no night there. The glory and honor of the nations is brought into “the bride, the Lamb’s wife”. Nothing that defiles, works an abomination or makes a lie, enters into her. Only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life.
That is why the world hates this woman so much that it wants her dead. But here in this final 22nd chapter we learn more about what our Lord thinks of those who He has espoused to Himself, and it is only Him that we are interested in pleasing.

Rev 22:1 And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.

Being pure and clear as crystal is of great importance to our Husband, Christ. He and His Father dwell within us, and because they do, out of His throne and the throne of His Father within us proceeds “a pure river of water life, clear as crystal.”

Tit 2:14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.

This river “proceeds out of the throne of God and of the Lamb”. Where is this throne of God? Who makes up this throne? From whom does this “river of water of life” proceed?
Christ has already made clear where His throne is and who they are who are with Him in His Father’s throne.

Mat 5:34 But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God’s throne:
Mat 19:28 And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
Mat 23:22 And he that shall swear by heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by him that sitteth thereon.
Rev 3:21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.
Rev 4:6 And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind.

“Heaven… is God’s throne… He that swears by heaven swears by the throne of God”, and these four beasts are “in the midst of the throne and round about this throne”. Who are these “four beasts”? As we saw in our study of chapter five, they too, are just another type of this city. They are just one more symbol of God’s overcoming elect, the Lamb’s wife, and that is what they tell us.

Rev 5:8 And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints.
Rev 5:9 And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;
Rev 5:10 And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.

God’s throne is in heaven (Mat 5:34); His throne is in this ‘city’, which we are told is the Lamb’s wife. Therefore the Lamb’s wife is ‘heaven’, and that is exactly what Heb 9 confirms to us:

Heb 9:23 It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these [ the blood of bulls and goats] ; but the heavenly things themselves [ this city, His wife, His throne, His elect] with better sacrifices than these.
Heb 9:24 For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, [ into this city, His wife, into us] now to appear in the presence of God for us:

As always the principle of “the dream is one” is in play throughout this Revelation of Jesus Christ, within us.

Gen 41:25 And Joseph said unto Pharaoh, The dream of Pharaoh is one: God hath shewed Pharaoh what he is about to do.

It is Christ Himself who revealed to us from whom this river of living water proceeds and flows.

Joh 7:38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.

Since this river of living water flows from the belly of those who believe on Christ, it is therefore not at all adding to what is written to conclude that God’s throne is this city itself. God’s throne is the Lamb’s wife herself. God’s throne is the four beasts in its midst. God’s throne is you and me who have been ‘espoused to Christ, as the Lamb’s wife’.

2Co 11:2 For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.

Being the instrument of God through which this “river of water of life” flows, is simply part of being the channel through which life will be given to every man, woman and child who has ever lived. Being the “four beasts in the midst of and round about the throne” from which this “river of water of life” flows, is just one more accolade Christ places upon His bride, His wife.
But if we are this city, and if we are Christ’s wife, then Christ wants to honor us even more.

Rev 22:2 In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.

Where does God reveal to us this tree of life to originated?

Gen 2:9 And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

We are God’s “house… His temple… His vineyard… His field…” and we are His “garden’. But they all begin in the earth, or “out of the ground… the tree of life also”. That is why Christ had to “empty Himself” and become a man, in a vessel of clay, “out of the ground”, who could atone for the sins of all men.

Php 2:7 but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men;
Php 2:8 and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, becoming obedient even unto death, yea, the death of the cross.
Php 2:9 Wherefore also God highly exalted him, and gave unto him the name which is above every name;
Mat 8:17 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses.

How are we to get to this “tree of life”?

Gen 3:24 So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.

The way of this Tree of Life is only through these Cherubim, and a flaming sword. That sword is of course, the Word of God, and these Cherubim are those in whom that Word dwells. Here is another way of saying all of this:

Col 1:26 Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints:
Col 1:27 To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:

If “Christ is in us”, then we are His sword:

Eph 6:17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

If Christ is in us, the “rivers of living waters flow from our bellies”:

Joh 7:38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.

If Christ is in us, we are these Cherubim who hold the flaming sword which guards the way of the tree of life.
If Christ is in us, we are these same Cherubim in the midst of and round about the throne of God. We are the twelve gates to this city. We are the twelve foundations of this city, garnished with many precious stones. We are the pure gold and the pure jasper, out of which the city is composed. We are this city itself.
We are told this ‘tree of life’ is in the midst of the street of this city, and on either side of the river of life. Where else are we told we will find this “tree of life”? Here is where the tree of life is to be found:

Rev 2:7 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.
Rev 22:2 In the midst of the street of it [ the New Jerusalem], and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
Rev 22:14 Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.

Here we have it. Here are three verses which tell us where the tree of life is to be found. Rev 2:7 tells us that the tree of life is “in the midst of the paradise of God” and Rev 22: 2 and 22:4 tell us that the tree of life is in the midst of the street of the New Jerusalem, and on either side of the river of life which proceeds out of the throne of God in the New Jerusalem. Rev 22:14 tells us that the tree of life is within the gates of the New Jerusalem. It should thus be obvious that “the paradise of God” is the third heaven and the New Jerusalem.
Now that we know where the tree of life is located, let’s see who is given to enter therein:

Luk 23:43 And Jesus said unto him [ the thief on the cross], Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.

Here is what Paul tells us about this “paradise”, also called New Jerusalem, (Rev 2:7; 22:2, and 22:14), where we are told the tree of life is located:

2Co 12:2 I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third heaven.
2Co 12:3 And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;)
2Co 12:4 How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.

Paul is speaking of himself in the third person because he is dealing with the subject of his glorying in his revelations. Here is what he says in verse one:

2Co 12:1 It is not expedient for me doubtless to glory. I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord.

And this is what he says in verse five:

2Co 12:5 Of such an one will I glory: yet of myself I will not glory, but in mine infirmities.
2Co 12:6 For though I would desire to glory, I shall not be a fool; for I will say the truth: but now I forbear, lest any man should think of me above that which he seeth me to be, or that he heareth of me.
2Co 12:7 And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.
2Co 12:8 For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.
2Co 12:9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

Paul is speaking of himself boasting only in the spirit of Christ within him, instead of boasting in his own carnal mind, and in his flesh. It was inthe spirit that he was caught up to this New Jerusalem where “the tree of life is in the midst of the paradise of God”.
And of course Rev 2:7 tells us that only overcomers are given to enter into this “paradise of God”.

Rev 2:7 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.

So it should be apparent that in scriptural terms “the paradise of God” is “Jerusalem above which is the mother of us all”.

Gal 4:25 For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children.
Gal 4:26 But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.

Our mother, like our Savior, is who we are for those who will come to God through us when we become part of that city.

Rom 11:30 For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief:
Rom 11:31 Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.
Rom 11:32 For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.

Rev 22:3 And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him:

“The throne of God and of the Lamb are in it.” The honor bestowed on those who first make up this city, which is “the bride, the Lamb’s wife”, is the single greatest honor that can be bestowed on any man. Here is what Christ tells us of those who are this city:

Rev 20:6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

It is those who have been through the fire of the Word of God in this age who will be in that “blessed and holy first resurrection”, who will also be the channel for showing God’s goodness and mercy to all the rest of mankind who are not part of that “blessed and holy first resurrection”. And while it does not say so here, these are the same people who will be at home “in the everlasting burnings” of the lake of fire, which will cleanse and purify all the rest of mankind who are not part of that blessed first resurrection:

Isa 33:14 The sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites. Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?
Isa 33:15 He that walketh righteously, and speaketh uprightly; he that despiseth the gain of oppressions, that shaketh his hands from holding of bribes, that stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood, and shutteth his eyes from seeing evil;

If “the throne of God and of the Lamb” are in us, then surely “there shall be no more curse… in it”. Those who “go no more out” are those who will be used by God to bring all men into this “paradise of God”; this “mother of us all”.

Rev 3:12 Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.

As we saw above “God and the Lamb are the temple of it”. Because they dwell within us we need no outward temple. We will then “know God and Jesus Christ who He has sent”. That is the very meaning of having the name of our God written upon us.

Rev 22:4 And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads.

“They shall see His face”. The spiritual meaning of all of this is explained clearly in these words of our Lord to his apostles Thomas and Philip.

Joh 14:2 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.
Joh 14:3 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.
Joh 14:4 And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.
Joh 14:5 Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?
Joh 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
Joh 14:7 If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.
Joh 14:8 Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us.
Joh 14:9 Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?

” Whither I go ye know, and the way ye know” was certainly speaking of things that are not as though they were already accomplished. The disciples, at this moment, were just hours away from denying their Lord and forsaking Him and leaving Him to His fate upon the cross.

Rom 4:17 (As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were.

“My Father’s house” is this New Jerusalem:

Rev 21:3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.

It is in this “great city of God, the holy Jerusalem” that the “many mansions” are found.

Rev 22:5 And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.

We have already seen why “there shall be no night there”.

Rev 21:23 And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.

Here is the Concordant Literal Version of these words “for ever and ever”:

Rev 22:5 And night shall be no more, and they have no need of lamplight and sunlight, for the Lord God shall be illuminating them. And they shall be reigning for the eons of the eons.

And this is Young’s Literal Translation:

Rev 22:5 and night shall not be there, and they have no need of a lamp and light of a sun, because the Lord God doth give them light, and they shall reign– to the ages of the ages.

Because both ‘ages’ are plural, this tells us that all the ages of all men of all time are included in this time of the reign of God’s elect. In other words, “the righteous… will dwell in the everlasting burnings and the devouring flames” of God’s Words in their mouths as the mouth of His elect. They are this city which is the bride the Lamb’s wife, by which all those who are not in that blessed and holy first resurrection, will be brought to God.

1Ti 4:10 For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe.
1Jn 2:2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

This is the harvest at “the end” spoken of in 1Co 15:

1Co 15:22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
1Co 15:23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.
1Co 15:24 Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.
1Co 15:25 For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.
1Co 15:26 The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.
1Co 15:27 For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him.
1Co 15:28 And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.

“Then comes the end” means “the harvest at the end of the year”.

Exo 23:16 And the feast of harvest, the firstfruits of thy labours, which thou hast sown in the field: and the feast of ingathering, which is in the end of the year, when thou hast gathered in thy labours out of the field.
Exo 34:22 And thou shalt observe the feast of weeks, of the firstfruits of wheat harvest, and the feast of ingathering at the year’s end.

As long as one soul who has ever been born is still dead, then death has not yet destroyed. But death will be destroyed through this thing called “the second death… the lake of fire” which will bring all in Adam to be made alive in Christ.
So we have seen in our study today that this river of life should be flowing out from within you and me at this very moment, if Christ is in us. We have seen that the tree of life is within you and me today, if Christ is in us today. And we saw where Christ told us that if we “see Christ” and “know Christ”, then we have already seen and already know Him and His Father, heretoday, in these “vessels of clay”.

2Co 4:7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

Next week, Lord willing we will cover these verses:

Rev 22:6 And he said unto me, These sayings are faithful and true: and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to shew unto his servants the things which must shortly be done.
Rev 22:7 Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book.
Rev 22:8 And I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which shewed me these things.
Rev 22:9 Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God.
Rev 22:10 And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand.

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Rev 21:9 And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb’s wife.
Rev 21:10 And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,
Rev 21:11 Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal;
Rev 21:12 And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel:

Introduction

In today’s study we will discover what this thing called “the new Jerusalem” is, and we will ask and answer why we are being told that the angel showing John the bride, the Lamb’s wife, is “one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues”. The spirit could have just said, ‘An angel showed me the bride, the Lamb’s wife’. Instead we are told who that particular angel is. We are told that the angel who shows John ‘the bride” is “one of the seven angels which had the seven vials”. Today we will see why we need to know that little detail.
We will also see what is meant by the phrase “in the spirit”, and we will take note where this exact phrase “he carried me away in the spirit” is used earlier in this prophecy. What we will see is that it is used in connection with the revelation of another woman, who is in sharp contrast with this woman who is called “the bride the Lamb’s wife”.
We will also ask what it means to “have the glory of God”, and we will see why the Lamb’s bride is “like a stone most precious… clear as crystal.
Finally we will see why this city, which is called “the bride, the Lamb’s wife” has a great high wall, twelve gates with twelves angels, and why those gates are named after the twelve tribes of the children of Israel.
We will begin with our first verse, verse nine.

Rev 21:9 And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb’s wife.

So why are we given the information that it was ” one of the angels which had the seven vials of the seven last plagues“? When we remember that this is the same angel who showed John the judgment of the great harlot, and told John that this angel is John’s fellow servant and of his brothers, then we know that we are given this tidbit of information so we can understand that the person who shows us the judgment of the great harlot within us will always be a fellow servant of our brothers who keeps the sayings of this book.

Rev 17:1 And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters:
Rev 19:10 And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.
Rev 22:6 And he said unto me, These sayings are faithful and true: and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to shew unto his servants the things which must shortly be done.
Rev 22:7 Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book.
Rev 22:8 And I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which shewed me these things.
Rev 22:9 Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God.

So we are told twice that it is “one of the seven angels which had the seven plagues” which is showing us both the judgment of the great harlot within us and the bride, the lamb’s wife, within us. In other words, the whole experience of mankind is shown to us by our fellow servants who are “our own brothers who have the testimony of Jesus Christ and who keep the sayings of this book”.
Let’s make this as clear as we can. What we are being told in these verses is that the revelation of Jesus Christ within us all is accomplished only by the various members of His own body, the members of His church.

Eph 3:8 Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ;
Eph 3:9 And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:
Eph 3:10 To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God,

“Unto me…” is Paul. But who is Paul?

1Co 3:5 Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man?

The “Lord gives to every man [ in whatever capacity] to make all men… by the church… see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world has been hid in God”. This is why we are told twice that it was “one of the angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues”. It is “by the church” that all these “mysteries, which from the beginning of the world have been hid in God”, and in His word, are being “made know to all men”.
That is who you are if you are given eyes to see it. It is you and your “fellow servants who keep the sayings of this book”, who have those seven vials full of the wrath of God, which you are given to pour out upon the doctrines of Babylon within you. What this means is the angels with the seven vials of the wrath of God, are you and me “speaking often one to another… making known to all men…” that this entire revelation of Jesus Christ is the revelation of Jesus Christ, because this revelation, and all that is revealed within it “is the patience and faith of the saints”, the church, ourselves and our fellowservants who keep the sayings of this book. Here “is the patience and faith of the saints”. Here is you and me:

Rev 13:1 And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.
Rev 13:2 And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.
Rev 13:3 And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast.
Rev 13:4 And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?
Rev 13:5 And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.
Rev 13:6 And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.
Rev 13:7 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.
Rev 13:8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
Rev 13:9 If any man have an ear, let him hear.
Rev 13:10 He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.

This is every one of us. This is the experience of all men. There are no exceptions.

Ecc 9:2 All things come alike to all: there is one event to the righteous, and to the wicked; to the good and to the clean, and to the unclean; to him that sacrificeth, and to him that sacrificeth not: as is the good, so is the sinner; and he that sweareth, as he that feareth an oath.

You and I are “one of the angels with the seven last plagues”. You and I are all those who see and who know that all men will live by every word that is written here in this prophecy. This angel with one of the seven vials full of the wrath of God, is you and me. It is we who are given to show these things, “this mystery, to every man… in his own order”. Knowing that this entire revelation is “the revelation of Jesus Christ”, within each of us, is what is called “the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world has been hid in God”.
What does this angel do?

Rev 21:10 And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,

It is only “in the spirit” that we can see “that great city, the holy Jerusalem”. If we are this angel, God’s elect, fellowservants who keep the sayings of this prophecy, how are we given to carry and be carried away in the spirit? To answer that question, it will help to know one of the Biblical definitions of what is the spirit. So what is the spirit with which you and I are “carried away”?

Joh 6:63 It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.

There it is. It is the Word of God which carries His elect away to a great and high mountain, and it is only from that “great and high mountain” that we are given to see that great city, the holy Jerusalem.
So our next logical question should be, “what is this great and high mountain”.

Isa 2:2 And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD’S house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.
Dan 2:35 Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.

It is “the mountain of the Lord’s house” which smites the image on its feet and destroys that image. Where is this “house of the Lord”? Where is that mountain which destroys our image and becomes a kingdom which fills our whole earth?

Luk 17:20 And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation:
Luk 17:21 Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.
1Pe 2:5 Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.

There it is; “the great and high mountain”, the only place from which we are shown “that great city, the holy Jerusalem”, is “the mountain of the Lord’s house”. And what is that house? Once again we are forced by the Word of God to acknowledge that “the kingdom of God is within us”, and this entire revelation of Jesus Christ takes place within us.
What are we to see within those who make up and comprise the holy Jerusalem?

Rev 21:11 Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal;

It is “the glory of God: and her light like a stone most precious, clear as a crystal” that we see within “the mountain of the house of God”. What then is this “glory of God”?

Joh 12:20 And there were certain Greeks among them that came up to worship at the feast:
Joh 12:21 The same came therefore to Philip, which was of Bethsaida of Galilee, and desired him, saying, Sir, we would see Jesus.
Joh 12:22 Philip cometh and telleth Andrew: and again Andrew and Philip tell Jesus.
Joh 12:23 And Jesus answered them, saying, The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified.
Joh 12:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.
Joh 12:25 He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.
Joh 12:26 If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour.

“Certain Greeks” wanted to see Jesus, and Jesus said ” The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified.” How would that be done? There is only one way to be glorified and “have the glory of God” as the bride of the Lamb. What is it that glorifies any man? Here it is for any who can receive it:

Joh 12:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.
Joh 12:25 He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto [ glorofied] life eternal.
Eph 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
Eph 5:26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
Eph 5:27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.

It is “the washing of water by the Word” which cleanses and makes the bride of Christ glorious and glorified. What does that Word tell us will bring us glory?

Joh 12:26 If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour.
Joh 12:27 Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour.
Joh 12:28 Father, glorify thy name. Then came there a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again.

How did God go about glorifying Christ? Here again is how He and we are glorified. This is how the holy Jerusalem is glorious.

Joh 13:30 He then [ Judas] having received the sop went immediately out: and it was night.
Joh 13:31 Therefore, when he was gone out, Jesus said, Now is the Son of man glorified, and God is glorified in him.
Joh 13:32 If God be glorified in him, God shall also glorify him in himself, and shall straightway glorify him.

We always come back to the same Biblical definition of glory and being glorified, and that definition is always the same.

Rom 8:17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint- heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.
1Pe 4:14 If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified.

Now we can much better understand this, our Lord’s statement.

Joh 17:10 And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them.

It is a rare person indeed who sees what this “glory of God” is and desires to attain to this glorified state. That is the very meaning of being a precious stone and clear as crystal.

Rev 21:11 Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal;

It is the very fact that so few are given to appreciate this precious, rare and clear “glory of God”, which serves as “a wall great and high”. This “high wall” is nothing but the very mind and ways of God, which wall out the masses of humanity who will just naturally choose the tree of the knowledge of good and evil over the way of the tree of life. So we are told:

Rev 21:12 And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel:

Here is what is meant by “a wall great and high”.

Isa 55:8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.
Isa 55:9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

It is God’s completely non- carnal thoughts which form the “great and high wall” which surround the holy Jerusalem that make us the bride the Lamb’s wife. It is God’s ways that are so much higher than the ways of our natural man, which comprise the glory that is seen within that great city, which we are.
The use here of the number twelve is revealing to us that we are part of the very foundations of this great city, which will one day have within it all the glory of the spiritual Gentiles who now think of themselves as Jews, when they are not but do lie.

Rev 3:9 Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee.

We have seen in our study on the twelve thousand from each of the twelve tribes of Israel in chapter 14, that those 144,000 are just one more symbol of those who are the Christ of Christ. The same is true for these twelve gates, entering into this holy city. They are merely one more symbol of those to whom this entire prophecy is addressed. They are the elect of God, through whom all men of all time will come to our Lord and His Father.
Here it is stated a clearly as it can be stated.

Rev 3:12 Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.
Rev 3:13 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

The only pillars in the tabernacle of Moses were five pillars located at the door of the tabernacle, and another four pillars at the door of the holy of holies.

Exo 26:32 And thou shalt hang it upon four pillars of shittim wood overlaid with gold: their hooks shall be of gold, upon the four sockets of silver.
Exo 26:37 And thou shalt make for the hanging five pillars of shittim wood, and overlay them with gold, and their hooks shall be of gold: and thou shalt cast five sockets of brass for them.

Ours is the greatest calling that can be offered to mankind. This city with its twelve gates is those who have ” the name of the city of God, which is new Jerusalem” written upon them, and as the 12,000 from each of the twelve tribes of Israel, we will be the pillars through whom all mankind will be shown the mercy of which we have have been shown.

Rom 11:30 For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief:
Rom 11:31 Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.

That all will come through us as those twelve gates and those nine pillars, is made clear in the very next verse.

Rom 11:32 For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.

And we are compelled to exclaim with the apostle:

Rom 11:33 O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!
Rom 11:34 For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor?
Rom 11:35 Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again?
Rom 11:36 For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.

Next week if the Lord wills we will look into the following verses:

Rev 21:13 On the east three gates; on the north three gates; on the south three gates; and on the west three gates.
Rev 21:14 And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
Rev 21:15 And he that talked with me had a golden reed to measure the city, and the gates thereof, and the wall thereof.
Rev 21:16 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.

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Rev 21:23 And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.
Rev 21:24 And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it.
Rev 21:25 And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there.
Rev 21:26 And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it.
Rev 21:27 And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life.

Introduction

When we read in last week’s study that “I saw no temple therein”, what are we being told? What we are told is that the symbolism of the temple has been fulfilled. Christ is now dwelling withmen, because “the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.”

Rev 21:22 And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.
1Co 3:16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
2Co 6:16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

So those who are Christ’s are His Bride, His wife, the mother of all of His children, “Jerusalem above which is the mother of us all”. “The bride the Lamb’s wife”, has now been pronounced to be the fulfillment of the symbolism of the temple into which all who come to God must enter. “There is no temple therein” simply because “the Lord God almighty and the Lamb are [ therein, and they] are the temple of it”. So the following verse now applies to the Lamb’s wife, the New Jerusalem.

Rev 15:8 And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from his power; and no man was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled.

If you and I are the temple of God, then it is only so because “the spirit of God dwells in us”. That is what you and I are being told when we read:

Rev 21:22 And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.

If we are “the bride the Lamb’s wife, the holy Jerusalem”, then it is not adding to what is written to say “there is no temple therein” because “Christ and His Father are the temple thereof” within us here and now.
These are words of our Lord and they “will not pass away”. These words will be just as applicable to all men who are cast into the lake of fire as they apply to us now in our own “fiery trials”.
To the natural man it seems impossible to say ‘We, as the children of Christ, are the church of Christ’; we are the “manchild… who is to rule all nations with a rod of iron; and we are also the church which is Jerusalem above “the mother of us all”. How can Christ’s children also be His brothers, His sisters, and at the same time be His wife? This is no problem at all in the spirit:

Mat 12:47 Then one said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to speak with thee.
Mat 12:48 But he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren?
Mat 12:49 And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren!
Mat 12:50 For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.

If we go on to say we are the four beasts and the four and twenty elders in the midst of and round about the throne of God, and we are the angels who shows us these things and we are the seven churches and we are the hundred and forty four thousand; It just sounds impossible to be all of these things.
To add to the confusion of the natural man, we must also confess that we were first, “that woman Jezebel, the hated Nicolaitans, miserable, blind, and naked Laodiceans, and Ephesians who have left our first love. We are the beast, the false prophet, and we were first of our father the devil. These things must all be seen as being within our own flesh and they must first be burned out of us and seen as “the patience and faith of the saints”. All of this must be “read, heard, and kept”, before we are granted to become “the bride, the Lamb’s wife”, through whom all men will be brought to Christ.

Rev 21:23  And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.

Another way of saying what we are being told in this verse was given us by our Lord when talking to His disciples just before His apprehension and His glorification. Here is how He told us that the glory of God and the Lamb would be within those who are espoused to Him as a chaste virgin:

Joh 14:20 At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.

Our primary approach to these words is to see these words as “I in you”.  When we apply these words presently and internally, their outward and future application take care of themselves. Here is what this knowledge produces within us:

Joh 14:21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.

That is the ‘is’ and present application of “for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof”. Here is Christ revealing to us that we are this “city on a great and high mountain”:

Mat 5:14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill [ Greek, oros – mountain] cannot be hid.

The Greek word translated ‘hill’ in this verse is the same word translated ‘mountain’ in this verse:

Rev 21:10 And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain [ Greek – oros], and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,

This Greek word ‘oros’ appears in the New Testament 65 times. 62 of those 65 entries are some form of the word ‘mountain’. 28 entries are translated ‘mountain’; 21 ‘mount’, and 13 ‘mountains’. Only three times is this Greek word ‘oros’ translated as ‘hill’.
In Mat 5:14, Christ is telling us that we are “that great city, on a great and high mountain, which cannot be hid“.

Rev 21:10 And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,

It is nothing less than denying our Lord when we put our light under a bushel, or try to hide the fact that we are “a city on  a mountain”. Christ goes so far as to tell us that just as the world did not know who he was, neither will they recognize who we are.

Joh 8:43 Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word.
Joh 8:37 I know that ye are Abraham’s seed; but ye seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you.

The apostle named Judas asked Christ how this is accomplished, and this is His answer:

Joh 14:22 Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world?
Joh 14:23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.
Joh 14:24 He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father’s which sent me.

It is Christ’s Words, which are really His Father’s Words, which, if they are in us, put Christ and His Father, with their light and with their glory, within us. That is how the light and glory of God and the Lamb, are within us, as that great city, which is the wife of the Lamb.

Rev 21:24 And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it.

Here is a verse which graphically demonstrates both the inward and the outward application of these words. “The nations of them that are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it”.

1Jn 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
1Jn 4:17 Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.

Christ is “the light of the world”, but he tells us that “as He is so are we in this world”.

Joh 8:12 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.

Therefore if He is that light that lightens the great city, which city we are, then we too, must be “the light of the world”. Is that so?
If we “do not walk in darkness, then there is no night in us as that “city of a mountain great and high”.

Mat 5:14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill [ Greek, mountain] cannot be hid.
Rev 21:10 And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain [ Greek, oros], and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,

Rev 21:25 And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there.

There is no night in the holy Jerusalem, the Lamb’s wife, because “the spirit of God dwells in us, and the glory of God and the Lamb are the light thereof”.

1Th 5:5 Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.

“The gates of it need not be shut at all by day” for this reason:

Rev 15:8 And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from his power; and no man was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled.

Remember, this city, which city we are, is “lighted by the glory of God and of the Lamb… who are both the temple of this city”.

Rev 21:22 And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.

If “the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it” then there will be no way in which any evil or any darkness could possibly slip through the gates of this city. Here is how we know this to be the case:

1Ti 6:15 Which in his times he shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords;
1Ti 6:16 Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen.

We may have thought that this verse is speaking only of the Father, but Christ makes clear that the word ‘man’ does not mean those who love and obey God. Rather it means unrighteous, and ungodly men:

Joh 14:7 If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.
Joh 14:8 Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us.
Joh 14:9 Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?

Rev 21:26 And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it.

“The glory and the honor of the nations” is the subduing of “every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;”

2Co 10:3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:
2Co 10:4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)
2Co 10:5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;
2Co 10:6 And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.

Every thought is a “nation” which, when it is “brought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, is “the honor of the nations” which will then become an integral part of the great high wall and the foursquare character of this “city of God”.

Mat 24:7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
Mat 24:8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.
Mat 24:9 Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake.

All of this must happen as a necessary part of being prepared to enter into that great city. Christ continues with this very theme:

Mat 24:8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.
Mat 24:9 Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake.
Mat 24:10 And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.
Mat 24:11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.
Mat 24:12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.
Mat 24:13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

That is how we are prepared by our Lord to enter into this city and become “the bride, the Lamb’s wife”.

Rev 21:27 And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life.

Our old man must die and be left behind with the rest of the world, if we are granted to enter into that city. It is only by acknowledging that we are “marred vessels of clay, in the Potter’s hand, that we have defiled the temple of God and must therefore be destroyed, via the wrath of God upon our own ungodliness and unrighteousness, that we ourselves will be saved “yet though as by fire”.

1Co 3:15 If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.
1Co 3:16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
1Co 3:17 If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.
1Co 3:18 Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise.

Dying in order to live, and enduring the fire to avoid the lake of fire, is foolishness to the natural man. Let all of us “become a fool that we may be wise”. Only then will we be granted to “bring the glory and honour of the nations into it”.

Rev 21:26 And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it.

Next week, if the Lord wills, we will cover these verses of the very last chapter of this “revelation of Jesus Christ” within each of our lives.

Rev 22:1 And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.
Rev 22:2 In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
Rev 22:3 And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him:
Rev 22:4 And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads.
Rev 22:5 And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.

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Rev 21: 4-8 The Lake of Fire, and The Great Multitude Which No Man Can Number

Introduction

The “great multitude which no man can number” will be shown to be just another way of saying “the sea gave up the dead that were in it”. Once we make this connection, we will have no trouble understanding how it can be clearly stated that “there shall be no more death”.

So here in our study today we are told:

Rev 21:4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

“There shall be no more death”. The only way to destroy death is to stop the birth of new babies and raise all people who have ever lived to life, through the judgment of the great white throne.

Rev 20:9 And they [“the nations in the four quarters of the earth”] went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.
Rev 20:10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
Rev 20:11 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.
Rev 20:12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
Rev 20:13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
Rev 20:14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
Rev 20:15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

As long as one person is either dead or is still in a fleshly “body of death” (Rom 7:24) death is not destroyed. But if all of mankind is destroyed by “fire from heaven” and all men who have ever lived are raised up in spiritual bodies, then death is indeed destroyed.

1Co 15:25 For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.
1Co 15:26 The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.

So then this “white throne judgment”, accompanied by this “lake of fire which is the second death”, is the chastening judgment of all men of all time.

Now here is a Biblical Truth which the world most often overlooks. It is the Biblical Truth that judgment is simply the chastening which brings about the salvation of all who are judged.

1Co 11:31 For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.
1Co 11:32 But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.

“If we judge ourselves, we will not be judged” only because we have been judged already. But judgment, whether it is “judging ourselves” now or the judging of others later, is not condemnation to eternal torment. “When we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord”, and since the whole world will be judged, we can rest assured that in the end that judgment will always produce the righteousness of God in “the whole world” and in “all men”.

Isa 26:9 With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early: for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.

1Jn 2:2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

The “sea” is the Biblical symbol for the marred flesh out of which comes all of mankind. Since all men are destined to be saved by the judgment of the cross, it follows that when the cross has finished its work in all of mankind, then truly “there will be no more sea”, either within us or without.

Rev 13:1 And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.

All unbelieving sinners who are not now part of the “few… first fruit… chosen” will, by the agency of this “few… firstfruit… chosen”, be given mercy. How can the following verses of God’s word be made to agree with the false doctrine of “double predestination” and eternal torment?

Rom 11:30 For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief:
Rom 11:31 Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.
Rom 11:32 For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.

It will be by the agency of this very same group of God’s elect, who are known here in this revelation of Jesus Christ as “the lake of fire”, that all men who are not in the “blessed and holy first resurrection will be purified from all the false doctrines within them. It is this very same symbolic ‘fire’ which will devour the fuel of false doctrines known as “wood, hay and stubble” which will be burned up and destroyed by the words of Truth coming from the mouth of God’s elect. It is by that very same ‘fire’ that all the false doctrines of “wood, hay and stubble” will be burned out of all men of all time. The “fire” of “the lake of fire” is the fire of God’s Word which is in the mouth of His elect. It is God’s elect who are the fire through which those who “suffer loss will be saved, yet so as by fire”.

Jer 5:14 Wherefore thus saith the LORD God of hosts, Because ye speak this word, behold, I will make my words in thy mouth fire, and this people wood, and it shall devour them.

There! That is the “fire of scripture”. It is “My [Christ’s] words in your mouth” which burn and torment us all as we, with our lying heresies, withstand those fiery words.

1Co 3:12 Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;
1Co 3:13 Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.
1Co 3:14 If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.
1Co 3:15 If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.

The word here is not the Greek word ‘pas‘. This word here is ‘hekastos‘ which means “each” or “every” and leaves no room for exclusions. Now we can understand the meaning of the symbolism of ‘fire’ in scripture. The scriptures, which tell us of the hope of salvation beyond this life, are easily made to accord with those scriptures which speak of the destruction of all sinners and their ultimate salvation “through death”, through destruction of “every man’s work” and through being “saved, yet so as by fire”.

1Co 15:19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.

There is hope of life beyond this life and through the symbolic flames of the lake of fire. It is in this lake of fire, that death will be destroyed and “every man… will be saved so as by fire”.

Who is it who will dwell in these “everlasting [Hebrew: olawm – age lasting] flames” and this “devouring fire”? This is, was and always will be the Truth of the Word of God concerning “who will dwell with everlasting burnings”.

Isa 33:14 The sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites. Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?

“Who will dwell with the devouring fire? Who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings? Surely Isaiah, who never shrank from telling Israel what would be the result of her sins, is going to tell us to do our best to avoid this “devouring fire”. But what is it that Isaiah tells us to do? Here is the answer of the spirit to this most important rhetorical question posed by this prophet.

Isa 33:15 He that walketh righteously, and speaketh uprightly; he that despiseth the gain of oppressions, that shaketh his hands from holding of bribes, that stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood, and shutteth his eyes from seeing evil;

“He that walks righteously” is the person who is granted to “dwell with the devouring fire”. So what is the purpose of this “devouring fire”? What do these “everlasting burnings” accomplish? Let’s read it again.

1Co 3:14 If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.
1Co 3:15 If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire [the lake of fire].

This is the truly good news we are told of throughout God’s word. Yes indeed, judgment is severe and sure. There really are fiery trials for all who will follow in the footsteps of their Lord. There really is a symbolic “lake of fire” which awaits all who will not submit to Christ in this age. But all judgment, either present or future, is for the purpose of chastening. It is never for the futile, counterproductive purpose of eternal torment:

1Ti 2:4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.

1Ti 4:10 For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially [“Firstfruits”, not exclusively] of those that believe.

2Pe 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us- ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

1Jn 2:2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

The diabolical lie of eternal torment is the exact opposite of the teaching of scripture, that the elect are a special “kind of first fruits.” God’s elect who are redeemed in this age are not the only fruit of the sacrifice of Christ. This dreadful heretical lie teaches that ‘all’, when speaking of all men being saved, means only “all kinds of men”, and that Christ’s sacrifice is definitely not “for the sins of the whole world”. This great heresy teaches that God’s will that “not… any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” is nothing more than a vain wistful wish on God’s part, and that wistful wish is being thwarted by another heresy known as man’s free will. That is right. The same people who teach “double predestination”, meaning that the elect are predestined to be saved, and the rest of mankind are predestined to burn in hell for all eternity, also teach that you and I have a free will. The scriptures teach the exact opposite:

Pro 16:1 The preparations of the heart in man, and the answer of the tongue, is from the LORD.

Pro 16:4 The LORD hath made all things for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil.

Rom 9:16 So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.

But God has no wishes which He does not accomplish. What God wishes for and wants is exactly what God gets.

2Ch 20:6 And said, O LORD God of our fathers, art not thou God in heaven? and rulest not thou over all the kingdoms of the heathen? and in thine hand is there not power and might, so that none is able to withstand thee?

Isa 46:10 Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:

This again is God’s pleasure:

Rev 21:4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

Notice how this verse accords with what is said about mankind after the “great innumerable multitude… comes up out of the great tribulation” know as the lake of fire.

Rev 7:13 And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they?
Rev 7:14 And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
Rev 7:15 Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them.
Rev 7:16 They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat.
Rev 7:17 For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.

It is obvious that the 144,000, who are called “the firstfruits to God and the Lamb”, are those who come up in the first resurrection to rule and reign with Christ during the thousand years. It should be equally obvious that the “great multitude” which no man could number is the Biblical symbol of all those who “come up against the camp of the saints” and are cast into the lake of fire along with “all the dead in the sea, death and hell.”

So it is true that “His mercy endures for ever”.

Psa 118:1 O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: because his mercy endureth for ever.
Psa 118:2 Let Israel now say, that his mercy endureth for ever.
Psa 118:3 Let the house of Aaron now say, that his mercy endureth for ever.
Psa 118:4 Let them now that fear the LORD say, that his mercy endureth for ever.

Because His mercy really does endure forever, we are told:

Rev 21:5 And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.

“He that sat on the throne” is our Lord. We know this because the next word is “said”. It is always our Lord who is speaking for His Father.

Are all things made new only at the “redemption of the purchased possession” (Eph 1:14), or is there not also a very present application of this verse? The answer to that question, as is always the case, is that there is a very present application to “all things being made new”, and it is this application which we must always keep preeminent in our studies and in our very lives. Here is how our Lord wants us to view this fifth verse at this very moment:

2Co 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

The ongoing nature of these words is expressed in the very next two verses:

2Co 5:18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;
2Co 5:19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.

To just what extent is this true? Let’s look at the previous verse:

2Co 5:16 Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more.

What have we just learned? If I am not to know you after the flesh, pray tell, how am I to know you? We are never left to guess about these matters. In words that are clearly understood, we are told how we are now to know each other in Christ.

Rev 19:10 And I fell at his feet to worship him [the angel showing John these things]. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.

To make sure we do not miss this great revelation and to confirm that it will shortly come to pass, this great Truth is repeated in chapter 22:

Rev 22:8 And I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which shewed me these things.
Rev 22:9 Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God.

So we are now to see each other as angels of God who are sent to show these things to our brothers in Christ. We are to see this primarily as a present reality, as well as being true in John’s day and as being true in the future.

Eph 3:9 And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:
Eph 3:10 To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God,
Eph 3:11 According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord:

That angel is the symbol of all those who comprise the whole church. It is “by the church” that “all men” will eventually see “what is the fellowship of this mystery”, and it is by the church that all men will be made to “know the manifold wisdom of God”.

Let’s go back one chapter to see just how clearly the holy spirit wants this to be made.

Eph 2:6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
Eph 2:7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.

“The ages to come” is referring to my age and your age. It is “by the church” that these words have been written, and it is by these written words that we are brought to this understanding.

So God is in the process of “reconciling the [whole] world unto Himself, and He is not imputing their trespasses unto them.”

The whole world sees our Savior as a babe in the manger; as a twelve year old child asking and answering the questions of the doctors and lawyers of the law in the temple; as a traveling evangelist, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, healing the sick, casting out demons, and raising the dead; as that man who fed the hungry multitudes, and finally they see Him as our dying Savior on the cross. But we are no longer to see him that way. The Lord we know is no longer in a body of flesh in any of those capacities. He is now seated at the right hand of His Father with all power in heaven and in earth.

Mat 28:18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

It is a rare person who even understands that verse. If “all power” is now in Christ’s hands, why is there still evil in this world? Could it be that Christ is actually actively involved in the process of sending strong delusion via the dragon, the beast and the false prophet? Have we not all been deceived by this trio within us?

Rev 16:13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.

Rom 11:8 (According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear;) unto this day.

2Th 2:11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:

Who was it who had us deceived?

Eze 14:9 And if the prophet be deceived when he hath spoken a thing, I the LORD have deceived that prophet, and I will stretch out my hand upon him, and will destroy him from the midst of my people Israel.

But does any of this refer to God’s saints? Yes, it does. The fact is that all of this is written, at this time, only for God’s saints. God’s words are not even designed, at this time, for those who are not intended to understand them until a later time.

Rev 13:7 And it was given unto him [the beast within us] to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.

It is only by “living by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God”, that along with our Savior, we are prepared by God and are proven and qualified to become the merciful, loving and caring kings and priests we are intended to be.

Rom 11:30 For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief:
Rom 11:31 Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.
Rom 11:32 For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.

Heb 2:17 Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.

It is in this very reassuring spirit that our Lord continues to comfort us with these words:

Rev 21:6 And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.
Rev 21:7 He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.

Are these words of comfort meant for just the few chosen, or will not all men “each in his own order”, be given “the water of life freely”? What do the scriptures teach?

1Co 15:22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
1Co 15:23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.
1Co 15:24 Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.
1Co 15:25 For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.
1Co 15:26 The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.

The wages of sin is death, and death is slated to be destroyed by “the gift of God”.

Rom 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Do the wages of sin come only upon some men? How absurd! The wages of sin come upon all “in Adam”. So we are told:

Rev 21:8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

It is “in Adam that all die”, and just as all die in Adam, “even so in Christ, shall all be made alive”. It is through this “lake which burns with fire and brimstone” that all men will be saved.

1Co 3:13 Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.
1Co 3:14 If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.
1Co 3:15 If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.

Here is what Strong’s Concordance reveals about this word ‘brimstone’.

G2303
θειον
theion
thi’- on
Probably neuter of G2304 (in its original sense of flashing); sulphur: – brimstone.

When we look up this G2304, the Greek root of this word ‘theion‘, this is what we find.

G2304
θειος
theios
thi’- os
From G2316; godlike (neuter as noun, divinity): – divine, godhead.

So “brimstone” or ‘theion‘ is “godlike” and “divine”; and what is God?

1Jn 4:8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.

1Jn 4:16 And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.

How long does his mercy last?

Psa 106:1 Praise ye the LORD. O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.

Is His mercy just for believers?

Rom 11:30 For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief:
Rom 11:31 Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.

1Jn 2:2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

Now we can begin to understand why this second judgment is called a “great white throne judgment”. It is a ‘godlike’ merciful judgment”. It is not called ‘a great black throne’. It is a great white throne’. Christ died for the ungodly, not just for believers, and He did so while we were yet in our sins.

Rom 5:6 For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.

This mercy of ours is coming to the very unbelievers “through whose unbelief” we are given this mercy”. It will be given to them through the very same “one event”, Psa 107 “goodness of God” experience through which “one event” you and I have been “shown mercy”.

Ecc 9:2 All things come alike to all: there is one event to the righteous, and to the wicked; to the good and to the clean, and to the unclean; to him that sacrificeth, and to him that sacrificeth not: as is the good, so is the sinner; and he that sweareth, as he that feareth an oath.

This is not contrasting Jews with Gentiles. The contrast is between “the righteous and the wicked… the good and the sinner”, and we are plainly told “All things come alike to all: there is one event to the righteous, and to the wicked”. But we are “yet sinners” before we become aware of any of this. It is as “the fearful and the unbelievers” that Christ died for us. It is in that state that the apostle Paul poses this question?

Rom 2:4 Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?

The answer to this question is a resounding, yes! At first we all despise “the goodness of God which brings us to repentance”. We despise it so much that we are brought “to our wits’ end” by that very “goodness”. Here is that “goodness of God” which Paul speaks of in Rom 2:4.

Psa 107:21 Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!
Psa 107:22 And let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, and declare his works with rejoicing.
Psa 107:23 They that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters;
Psa 107:24 These see the works of the LORD, and his wonders in the deep.
Psa 107:25 For he commandeth, and raiseth the stormy wind, which lifteth up the waves thereof.
Psa 107:26 They mount up to the heaven, they go down again to the depths: their soul is melted because of trouble.
Psa 107:27 They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wits’ end.
Psa 107:28 Then they cry unto the LORD in their trouble, and he bringeth them out of their distresses.
Psa 107:29 He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still.
Psa 107:30 Then are they glad because they be quiet; so he bringeth them unto their desired haven.
Psa 107:31 Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!

It is with this hope set before us that through all the trials we endure on a daily basis, we can still say with the apostle:

Rom 11:33 O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!
Rom 11:34 For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor?
Rom 11:35 Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again?
Rom 11:36 For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.

Next week, if the Lord wills, we will begin to see how we are to “keep” and “live by” these words which have “proceeded out of the mouth of God”.

Rev 21:9 And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb’s wife.
Rev 21:10 And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,
Rev 21:11 Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal;
Rev 21:12 And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel.

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Rev 21:13 On the east three gates; on the north three gates; on the south three gates; and on the west three gates.
Rev 21:14 And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
Rev 21:15 And he that talked with me had a golden reed to measure the city, and the gates thereof, and the wall thereof.
Rev 21:16 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.

Introduction

As we saw in our last study, this city is, Lord willing, you and me, “the bride the Lamb’s wife”. We saw that as the bride and wife of the Lamb, we are secured by “a wall great and high”, which is “the doctrine of Christ” (2Jn 1:9).

Rev 21:12 And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel:

Why would those who are “the bride the Lamb’s wife” have upon their twelve gates the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel? The reason God’s elect have the names of the twelve tribes is that they are “the Israel of God” (Gal 6:15-16) and are part of “the commonwealth of Israel”.

Eph 2:11 Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands;
Eph 2:12 That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:

God’s elect were “in time past Gentiles”. What are they now?

Eph 2:13 But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.

Just how near does “the blood of Christ” make these Ephesians who were in time past “Gentiles in the flesh.” Are they near enough to be called “the holy Jerusalem, the bride the Lamb’s wife”? What do the scriptures teach?

Eph 2:14 For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;
Eph 2:15 Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; f or to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;
Eph 2:16 And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:

Both physical Jews and physical Gentiles are now both made one, because God is not saving mankind via a dual channel of a physical chosen people along with a spiritual chosen people. The way God is reconciling both Jews and Gentiles to Himself is “in one body by the cross” by “making of twain one new man”, not by making twain of twain.
What does this have to do with “the holy Jerusalem, the bride the Lamb’s wife” with “a wall great and high, and the twelve gates with the names of the twelve apostles”?

Rev 21:12 And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel:

It has everything to do with this city whose wall is “great and high”. That great high wall is constructed of the rejected doctrines of our Lord, and His Word. It is Christ’s doctrines which keep “that which is defiled” out of His body, which body is this holy Jerusalem. The doctrine that he is “making of twain one new man… that He might reconcile both Jews and Gentiles unto God in one body” is only one of those doctrines which make up the great and high wall of that holy Jerusalem, who is the bride the Lamb’s wife. The whole orthodox Christian world ridicules this doctrine, insisting instead that God has both a physical and a spiritual chosen people through whom He will reconcile a few of humanity. God on the other hand does not even consider physical descent as a factor in determining who is and who is not a Jew. This holy Jerusalem has no one in it who believes contrary to this Truth:

Rom 2:28 For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh:
Rom 2:29 But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.

This holy Jerusalem and its great high wall is made up only of those who are Jews inwardly, and whose circumcision is that of the heart in the spirit.
Add to that doctrine the doctrine of loving your enemies, turning the other cheek, wives submitting themselves to their husbands, as unto the Lord, women not teaching in the church, and following Christ’s example of refusing to keep the established traditions of His day, and the wall of the holy Jerusalem is indeed “great and high”.

Isa 55:8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.
Isa 55:9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

So we now know what a great high wall does. It protects those who are within that wall.
What more does our Lord want us to know about this “great high wall” which protects the holy Jerusalem, the Lamb’s wife?

Rev 21:13 On the east three gates; on the north three gates; on the south three gates; and on the west three gates.

Remember that this holy Jerusalem is “the bride the Lamb”s wife”. There are three numbers with which we are dealing as we read of the description of ourselves as this holy Jerusalem. Those three numbers are three, four and twelve. We will be reminded of the spiritual significance of both the numbers three and four, but the number twelve dominates our thoughts as we read and hear the description of this great city. Let’s go back to verse 12 to demonstrate how many times the holy spirit repeats, for our benefit, the number twelve in this one verse:

Rev 21:12 And [ the Lamb’s wife] had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel:

The four sets of three gate on the four walls of this city are the twelve gates mentioned here in verse 12. So regardless of how you approach this city, there will be three gates through which all who come into her must pass. As we have demonstrated, the spiritual significance of this number three is the process of judgment which our Lord is working with mankind. It is demonstrated by the three judgment harvest seasons of ancient Israel. Passover, Pentecost and Tabernacles and the last great day. These three harvests complete the ingathering of all people to our Lord.
Egypt was in “thick darkness” for three days, as Egypt was being judged. Jonah was in the belly of the great fish for three days and three nights as he was being judged for his disobedience. Saul of Tarsus was blind for three days while he was being judged for persecuting the disciples of Jesus. Of course we continue being judged, but the number three always reminds us of the process of being judged. This “revelation of Jesus Christ” comes to us in three stages, called ‘seven seals’, ‘seven trumpets’, and ‘the seven last plagues of the wrath of God’.
The fact that the city is four square reveals to us that this city will, in time, encompass the whole of God’s elect. Four is the number that speaks of “the four quarters of the earth, the four winds of heaven and the four beasts around the throne of God. Each case speaks of the whole of each.
But the number which is stamped upon every part of this city, and which is mentioned most in relationship to the holy Jerusalem as the wife of the Lamb, is the number twelve.

Rev 21:14 And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

Now let’s place verse 12 beside this 14th verse, and see just how prominent is this number twelve as it relates to “the Lamb’s Wife”.

Rev 21:12 And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel:

So now besides the twelve gates, the twelve angels, and the twelve tribes of the children of Israel, here in this 14th verse we are told that we, as this holy Jerusalem, the wife of the Lamb, have twelve foundations named after the twelve tribes of Israel. But that is just the beginning of the application of this number twelve to us as this city.

Rev 21:15 And he that talked with me had a golden reed to measure the city, and the gates thereof, and the wall thereof.

You and I, “the Lamb’s wife”, are measured with “a golden reed”. The holy Jerusalem as the wife of the Lamb must measure up to the exact measurements required of her. Here is this same statement as it is presented to us in the Old Testament. Here is how careful God is in the construction of this city where he dwells.

Exo 25:8 And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them.
Exo 25:9 According to all that I shew thee, after the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all the instruments thereof, even so shall ye make it.
Exo 25:37 And thou shalt make the seven lamps thereof: and they shall light the lamps thereof, that they may give light over against it.
Exo 25:38 And the tongs thereof, and the snuffdishes thereof, shall be of pure gold.
Exo 25:39 Of a talent of pure gold shall he make it, with all these vessels.
Exo 25:40 And look that thou make them after their pattern, which was shewed thee in the mount.

“The pattern which was shown you in the mount” is a type of our pattern, Christ. He is our city, our wall, our going out and our coming in. He is “the pattern shown us in the mount”. He is both the golden reed and the pattern by which we are all measured.
Here is how Christ explains all of this to Ezekiel:

Eze 43:10 Thou son of man, shew the house to the house of Israel, that they may be ashamed of their iniquities: and let them measure the pattern.
Eze 43:11 And if they be ashamed of all that they have done, shew them the form of the house, and the fashion thereof, and the goings out thereof, and the comings in thereof, and all the forms thereof, and all the ordinances thereof, and all the forms thereof, and all the laws thereof: and write it in their sight, that they may keep the whole form thereof, and all the ordinances thereof, and do them.
Eze 43:12 This is the law of the house; Upon the top of the mountain the whole limit thereof round about shall be most holy. Behold, this is the law of the house.

“If they be ashamed of all that they have done” means they will not be shown “the form or the house” if they are not ashamed of all they have done. Those who are seeking to make the word of God conform to the way they want to live will not be given to see “the forms thereof and the laws thereof”. Here is how Ezekiel is made to express this:

Eze 43:8 In their setting of their threshold by my thresholds, and their post by my posts, and the wall between me and them, they have even defiled my holy name by their abominations that they have committed: wherefore I have consumed them in mine anger.

“Their thresholds” and “their posts” are not God’s thresholds and posts, and it is this enmity which forms the wall great and high, between the world and the Lamb’s wife, the holy Jerusalem.

Rev 21:12 And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel:

We are told this city is “foursquare”, and again we are given the number twelve and its multiples as the dimensions of the Lamb’s wife. We will discuss the spiritual meaning of the word “foursquare”, but first let us discuss why it is that the number twelve and multiples of twelve, are stamped all over the Lamb’s wife.

Rev 21:16 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.
Rev 21:17 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

That the angel showing this all to John is a man who is the symbol of John’s brothers in Christ and is John’s fellow servant who is keeping the sayings of this book, is made clear by telling us “the measure of a man, that is the angel”.
Since all four sides of this city are referred to as a single wall, we will do well to understand the measurements of “the length [ and] the breadth” in the same singular way. In other words, twelve thousand furlongs is the measure around the city. Since a furlong is one eighth of a mile, this gives us a city 375 miles on each of its four sides or 1500 miles going around the city. The fact that we are told that “the length and the breath and the height of it are equal, while at the same time telling us that the walls are 144 cubits, tells us that the size of the city is not even the point because this is not a city at all, it is rather “the bride, the Lamb’s wife”.
The shortest cubit to be considered Isa 18 inches. 144 cubits amounts to 216 ft high. That is the height of the walls of the city which symbolizes the Lamb’s wife. but it is not given to us in feet. I mention this only to demonstrate the absurdity of taking any of this literally. To say that the city Isa 3,000 furlongs, or 375 miles square, and then in the very next verse tell us “The length and the breadth and the height of it are equal”, being 375 miles each, seems to be asking us to believe that the wall of the city Isa 144 cubits, or 216 feet high, but the city itself Isa 375 miles high. How is it possible to have a city which Isa 375 miles high, with a wall which is only 216 feet high?
This may seem to be absurd or even, for some, to be contradictory, Nevertheless this is no different than telling us that “the lion of the tribe of Judah has prevailed to open the seals”, and then when you look to see who is opening the seals you see “a Lamb, as it it been slain…” Well, which is it? Are the seals opened by a lamb or a lion?

Rev 5:4 And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon.
Rev 5:5 And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.
Rev 5:6 And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.
Rev 5:7 And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne.

Is it a lion or a lamb? It is both, because both symbolize our Lord. The form used to symbolize our Lord is not even the point. So let’s not ask, is the city 144 cubits high, or is it 12,000 furlongs high? It is both, the wall is “144 cubits, great and high”, and the city is a high as it is long and broad; 12,000 furlongs.
It is the spiritual significance of the number twelve that is being emphasized in describing to us the Lamb’s wife. What is that meaning? Let’s look at a few Biblical uses of this number twelve.

Gen 17:20 And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation.
Gen 49:28 All these are the twelve tribes of Israel: and this is it that their father spake unto them, and blessed them; every one according to his blessing he blessed them.
Luk 6:13 And when it was day, he called unto him his disciples: and of them he chose twelve, whom also he named apostles;

Here we have the three foundations on which the Lord works with men. First as Gentile Ishmaelites, who are Abraham’s seed, then as the physical descendants of Israel, and then as the spiritual wife of the Lamb, the twelve tribe of spiritual Israel, the holy Jerusalem whose foundations have written upon them the names of the twelve apostles. In every case it is the number twelve which is used to tells us we are dealing with a foundational precept. The foundation of the enemies of physical Israel, the foundation of the enemies of spiritual Israel, and the foundation of spiritual Israel.
Now let’s see what is said of Sarah, when, in her old age, she brought forth a manchild.

Heb 11:11 Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive [ Greek – katabole, foundation] seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised.

Here we are being told that Sarah, the wife Abraham, the wife of him who was to be the father of a seed whose numbers would be as the sand of the sea shore and as the stars of the heavens, was given to have a foundational seed. Abraham is the type and the shadow of our Lord, the true “father of the faithful”. What was this seed that Sarah was laying down? That is revealed in the previous verse:

Heb 11:10 For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.

So Abraham is a type of Christ, the true father of the faithful.

Gal 3:7 Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham.
Gal 3:8 And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed.
Gal 3:9 So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.

How are we to be counted as “the children of Abraham”? Here is the only way that is possible:

Gal 3:29 And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

This holy Jerusalem is those who are Christ’s. These are those who are the wife of Christ. They are “the Lamb’s wife”. Sarah was to be the type of this bride of Christ. Sarah was to bring forth “a city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God”. Sarah was the type and shadow of Christ’s wife, His church, which is the foundation for the salvation of all mankind.

Eph 1:18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,
Eph 1:19 And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us- ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,
Eph 1:20 Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,
Eph 1:21 Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:
Eph 1:22 And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,
Eph 1:23 Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.

It is the church, which is His body”, which is the fullness of Christ who fills His Father who will, in His time be all in all. But this will be done “through the church”.

Eph 3:3 How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words,
Eph 3:4 Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ)
Eph 3:5 Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit;
Eph 3:6 That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:
Eph 3:7 Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power.
Eph 3:8 Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ;
Eph 3:9 And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the myster y, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:
Eph 3:10 To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God,

If we are Christ’s, we are this “city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God”, and it is through those who are this city, the wife of the Lamb”, who will bring forth the “children of Abraham”, and who will “make all men to see what is the fellowship of this mystery. It is Christ’s wife who will bring forth children whose numbers will be “as the sand of the sea shore and as the stars of heaven”.

Gen 22:17 That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies;

Our heavenly Father sent Christ to be our foundation, and through that foundation to save all men:

Joh 3:17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

That is what Christ is doing with His wife, this holy Jerusalem, the Lamb’s wife.

Joh 20:21 Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.

That is the significance of the number twelve being stamped all over the Lamb’s wife. She, in Him, is a city which has foundations…” In Christ and with Christ, she is that “city which has foundations” upon which and through which “all men will be made to see what is the fellowship of this mystery… which is Christ in you the hope of glory”.

1Co 3:10 According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.
1Co 3:11 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
1Co 3:12 Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;
1Co 3:13 Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.
Col 1:26 Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints:
Col 1:27 To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:
Col 1:28 Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus:

It is “through the church, through this “wife of the Lamb”, that Christ will accomplish the salvation of all men. It is the greatest calling that can be given to mankind, but it requires a wall great and high to be part of this city stamped with the number twelve.
Now what is the spiritual significance of the Lamb’s wife being “foursquare”. That is certainly not what any natural man is looking for in a bride.

Rev 21:16 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.

Where else in scripture do we see this word ‘foursquare’? The brazen altar, the breastplate of judgment and the golden altar of incense were “foursquare”.

Exo 27:1 And thou shalt make an altar of shittim wood, five cubits long, and five cubits broad; the altar shall be foursquare: and the height thereof shall be three cubits.
Exo 28:15 And thou shalt make the breastplate of judgment with cunning work; after the work of the ephod thou shalt make it; of gold, of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, and of fine twined linen, shalt thou make it.
Exo 28:16 Foursquare it shall be being doubled; a span shall be the length thereof, and a span shall be the breadth thereof.
Exo 30:1 And thou shalt make an altar to burn incense upon: of shittim wood shalt thou make it.
Exo 30:2 A cubit shall be the length thereof, and a cubit the breadth thereof; foursquare shall it be: and two cubits shall be the height thereof: the horns thereof shall be of the same.
Exo 30:3 And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, the top thereof, and the sides thereof round about, and the horns thereof; and thou shalt make unto it a crown of gold round about.

What are these altars? The brazen altar is where we place our hands on the head of the sacrifice and identify completely with our sacrifice.

Exo 29:10 And thou shalt cause a bullock to be brought before the tabernacle of the congregation: and Aaron and his sons shall put their hands upon the head of the bullock.

Those who know Christ, know that we are “crucified [ together] with Him”,

Rom 6:6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.

So the altar in scripture is the cross of Christ, where we lay down our life with Christ. But we are a living sacrifice. Ours is a calling to live in the service to our Lord and His work in us, even as we die daily to our old man, being crucified daily with our Lord, upon the altar of His cross.

Gal 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
Rom 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
Rom 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

That is the spiritual significance of being “foursquare”. If we are “conformed to this world” and we are taken in by the philosophies of this world and the traditions of men, we are not spiritually “foursquare” and will not be in that city whose walls are “great and high”.

Col 2:6 As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him:
Col 2:7 Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.
Col 2:8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments [ same Greek word translated ‘elements’ in Gal 4] of the world, and not after Christ.

What is it that most likely will keep us from “walking in Christ”? What most often keeps us from being “rooted and built up in Christ”? It is nothing less than our desire to “be conformed to this world… through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ, and the example He left for us to follow in His steps”.

1Pe 2:21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:

So if we follow Christ’s steps, we will “walk in Him, be rooted and grounded in Him”, and we will not be spoiled through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, which are the rudiments of the world, which are not after Christ”. What are these “rudiments of the world”?
What is it which so concerned both the apostles Paul and Peter as keeping God’s flock from being willing to be a living sacrifice on a foursquare altar? This is too important a matter to be guessing. Those “rudiments of the world” are defined for us in Gal 4, where the exact same Greek word is translated as “elements of the world” which Peter says are used to “spoil us through philosophy and vain deceit”.
Here are at least some of these “elements of the world”:

Gal 4:8 Howbeit then, when ye knew not God, ye did service unto them which by nature are no gods.
Gal 4:9 But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements [ Greek – stoicheion, same word translated ‘rudiments’ in Col 2:28] whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?
Gal 4:10 Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years.
Gal 4:11 I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain.

What is the example Christ left us regarding this subject? What are His footsteps concerning the traditions of His day?

Joh 5:16 And therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus, and sought to slay him, because he had done these things on the sabbath day.
Joh 5:17 But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.
Joh 5:18 Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God.

The golden altar of incense is where the prayers of the saints are offered up while burning frankincense. The prayers of God’s elect are always prayed only asking “Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven.” It too, was “foursquare” for that very reason. Those who are given to come to that altar are seeking only the will of our heavenly Father.
The same is true of “the breast plate of judgment. It too, was “foursquare” for the very reason that the high priest wanted only to know what is the Lord’s will concerning any inquiry made of the Lord.

So the Lamb’s wife is said to be “foursquare” because she wants only to please her husband, the Lamb – Christ.
Next week if the Lord wills we will see what “hidden wisdom” is to be found in these verses:

Rev 21:18 And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass.
Rev 21:19 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;
Rev 21:20 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.
Rev 21:21 And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass.
Rev 21:22 And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.