Audio Download

The Book of Zephaniah – Zep 2:1-15

[Aired April 12, 2025]

Zephaniah’s name means ‘Jehovah has treasured and stored’, and when the ‘natural man’ reads the first verse of Chapter Two, he is already disillusioned since he is not given the understanding that God’s spirit discerns spirit that same spirit in his Elect — Gather yourselves together, yea, gather together, O nation not desired.

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. 
1Co 2:15  But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. 
1Co 2:16  For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.

Of course, all of Orthodox Christianity, represented as greater Israel, perceives Christ in a limited way—ranging from slight understanding to total blindness. Consequently, the “we” above in 1 Corinthians 2:15 is naturally seen as meaning themselves, not knowing they represent the elder woman, a church, serving the younger woman, the New Covenant Elect of God. So, in the opening verse of Zephaniah, they see a “nation not desired”, meaning some other Christian orthodoxy not preaching what they preach, particularly a Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist or other religious ideology.

Rom 11:25  For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in [That event is the Resurrection to Judgment, the Lake of Fire for Zionist Christianity and all other religious ideologies – the world!].
Rom 11:26  And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: 
Rom 11:27  For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins. 

Thus, like the other Minor Prophets, Zephaniah persists with grim preaching that challenges the Babylonian cheerful message of peace and prosperity, emphasising their straightforward act of simply believing in Jesus, who has taken away their sins, where judgment is a dirty word belonging to some marauding Christian cult.

Significations:

Judgment on Judah’s Enemies

Zep 2:1  Gather yourselves together, yea, gather together, O nation not desired; 

While speaking of a horrendous earthquake of the likes never experienced by mankind demolishing “that Great City” we perceive as Babylon, its most profound shaking is spiritually seen as the “we“ in 1 Corinthians 2:16 — we are initially that Great City “not desired”, a spiritually veritable whore — (Orthodox Christianity likely offended by the insult). That is a shocking statement to the spiritually discerning Elect, who formerly stood proud of his accomplishments, which he “gathered together” in Orthodox Christianity, doing endless, genuinely good physical works. With dead eyes, aware of the outward meaning of Matthew 7:21-23 — “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven”, his spiritual understanding crippled, semi-consciously pricked that there is more to its meaning, yet never coming to the understanding of the truth (2 Tim 3:1-7).

Not being desired by your loved one is agonising, especially if love once flourished. That was the emotion Old Israel should have felt, but since she was a whore, her impudence ruled self-righteously. Even exile in Babylon, with its unexpected riches, amplified her brazen disrespect for her Husband’s chastising love. As we are well acquainted, she represents us for a spiritual earthquake of glorious magnitude — and the reason for this belaboured introduction dissecting the joints and marrow of being “not desired”.

The most dynamic Biblical account of someone “not desired” is Christ, a husband rejected by his Gomer-like first wife, Old Israel, and worse in their time and order, even the Elect of God. Since one event happens to all men, humanity since Adam, she, too, has likewise scorned and thus hated him.

Isa 53:2  For he [Jesus Christ] shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. 
Isa 53:3  He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

The Bible is based on mankind becoming God through the evil experience of battling the flesh, in contrast to the peace of living in and by Christ’s spirit. Two women represent mankind, who signify churches beginning with Old Israel in the wilderness and the New Covenant church after the cross. By Christ’s design, the first, His wife, became a Gomer-like whore (Hos 1:2-4). Their marriage dissolved in His death on the cross. The second was initiated by Christ dragging His hand-picked disciples (and others) to represent His New Covenant Bride, a literal remnant He calls His “Elect.”

The most graphic example of those two women representing the two Covenants is modelled by the young and beautiful women, Aholah and Aholibah, in Ezekiel 23. To present their whoredoms, we shall read part of that chapter, and I highly recommend that you read the entire account.

Eze 23:1  The word of the LORD came again unto me, saying, 
Eze 23:2  Son of man, there were two women, the daughters of one mother: [Meaning mother Israel]
Eze 23:3  And they committed whoredoms in Egypt; they committed whoredoms in their youth: there were their breasts pressed, and there they bruised the teats of their virginity. 
Eze 23:4  And the names of them were Aholah the elder, and Aholibah her sister [the obvious younger]: and they were mine, and they bare sons and daughters. Thus were their names; Samaria is Aholah [Representing greater Israel, the world], and Jerusalem Aholibah [Judah, the Priests of God out of whom come a remnant spiritual Elect]. 
Eze 23:5  And Aholah played the harlot when she was mine; and she doted on her lovers, on the Assyrians her neighbours, 
Eze 23:6  Which were clothed with blue, captains and rulers, all of them desirable young men, horsemen riding upon horses. 
Eze 23:7  Thus she committed her whoredoms with them, with all them that were the chosen men of Assyria, and with all on whom she doted: with all their idols she defiled herself. 
Eze 23:8  Neither left she her whoredoms brought from Egypt: for in her youth they lay with her, and they bruised the breasts of her virginity, and poured their whoredom upon her. 
Eze 23:9  Wherefore I have delivered her into the hand of her lovers, into the hand of the Assyrians, upon whom she doted. 
Eze 23:10  These discovered her nakedness: they took her sons and her daughters, and slew her with the sword: and she became famous among women; for they had executed judgment upon her.
Eze 23:11  And when her sister Aholibah [… the incipient Priests, the spiritual Elect of God today] saw this, she [the younger] was more corrupt in her inordinate love than she, [the Elder, Israel, the world since she should have known better!] and in her whoredoms more than her sister in her whoredoms. 

Zephaniah’s point covertly points to where the Bride of Christ is extracted: from Israel, and specifically Old Jerusalem as Judah, the treacherous priests of God! That is a mighty earthquake that shakes a very few Elect to their core for the realisation, generating heart-thumping excitement for its spiritual understanding when we understand that we are the nation not desired! The extension of the grim reality is that one event happens to all humanity, first starting with our undesirable filthy clothing, while greater Israel, being in their ignorance, remains blind and undesirable until the Resurrection to Judgement — for a harrowing moment, a symbolic seventeen years (Gen 47:28) is their turn to mistakenly perceive themselves as the ones who are “not desired”. Out of their own mouths, being judged, deluded into believing that they, with Satan stoking the coals of fire, will burn in hell forever.  

We initially are a captive, beautiful woman desired by her Lord, enslaved in Egypt, first to become the Lord’s enemy who is designed to become undesirable for the much later Elect of God to see that they, spiritually, are her!

Deu 21:10  When thou goest forth to war against thine enemies, and the LORD thy God hath delivered them into thine hands, and thou hast taken them captive, 
Deu 21:11  And seest among the captives a beautiful woman, and hast a desire unto her, that thou wouldest have her to thy wife; 
Deu 21:12  Then thou shalt bring her home to thine house; and she shall shave her head, and pare her nails; 
Deu 21:13  And she shall put the raiment of her captivity from off her, and shall remain in thine house, and bewail her father and her mother a full month: and after that thou shalt go in unto her, and be her Husband, and she shall be thy wife. 

The greatly favoured Lord’s first wife, Old Israel, was beautiful, but her feet didn’t remain in her Husband’s house; ‘a girl just wanting to have fun’ she became bored and thus undesirable to her husband as Hosea’s wife, Gomer, was to him and signifies us before being dragged out of Babylon. She typifies all women becoming wives whose inherent nature is having a heart of snares and nets and hands like bands (Ecc 7:26) when the promise of the good life with children is evident. Once satiated, his stability becomes unexciting and is exaggerated by her inevitable hormonal changes, causing her to look back melancholically for her first love—yet not necessarily desiring her Husband’s ‘light bread’ (Num 21:5).

Pro 31:30  Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised.

Num 21:5  And the people spake against God, and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for there is no bread, neither is there any water; and our soul loatheth [does not desire] this light bread. 

Only Christ, our Husband, can reverse our loathing of His word and transform it into a desire for Him in the dead of night; our blindness cries out that we cannot see.

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

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. 

What makes the Elect so ravishing to Christ is their response of genuine “desire” to receive judgment, the overriding theme of all the Minor Prophets. It all is part of the “decree of the watchers”—the Elect of God, given to see, “watch” for her enemy coming within and being instant in prayer, calls upon her husband to rescue her by his spirit and strength and burn off her spiritual chaff.

Dan 4:16  Let his [Nebuchadnezzar’s, representing our…] heart be changed from man’s, and let a beast’s heart be given unto him; and let seven [Fulness of…] times pass over him. 
Dan 4:17  This matter is by the decree of the watchers, and the demand by the word of the holy ones: to the intent that the living may know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will, and setteth up over it [We] the basest of men. 
Dan 4:18  This dream I king Nebuchadnezzar have seen. Now thou, O Belteshazzar [The Elect of God], declare the interpretation thereof, forasmuch as all the wise men of my kingdom [Babylon—Orthodox Christianity; the World] are not able to make known unto me the interpretation: but thou art able; for the spirit of the holy gods is in thee.

Zep 2:2  Before the decree bring forth, before the day pass as the chaff, before the fierce anger of the LORD come upon you, before the day of the LORD’S anger come upon you.
Zep 2:3  Seek ye the LORD, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the LORD’S anger. 

Additionally, what more is this “decree”, meaning statute, ordinance or something prescribed, in Zephaniah 2:2 speaking of? Any earthly authority’s decree grabs our attention; however, like the wayward whore we were, the decrees of our Husband, Christ, were often received similarly to how all earthbound wives regard with contempt the notion that any man, particularly a husband, should command authority over them. An outstanding ‘decree’ is found in Psalm 2:7:

Psa 2:1  Why do the heathen [We, in our time and order] rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? 
Psa 2:2  The kings of the earth [Us!] set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying,
Psa 2:3  Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us. 
Psa 2:4  He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision [… is something “not desired”]. 
Psa 2:5  Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure. 
Psa 2:6  Yet have I set my king [Christ, our Husband] upon my holy hill of Zion. 
Psa 2:7  I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee. 
Psa 2:8  [The very Elect…] Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen [The world of humanity] for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth [humanity] for thy possession. 
Psa 2:9  Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.

Jer 25:27  Therefore thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Drink ye, and be drunken, and spue, and fall, and rise no more, because of the sword which I will send among you [Beginning at the Altar, the Temple, the Elect of God]. 
Jer 25:28  And it shall be, if they [The Elect and humanity] 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.) 

Psa 2:10  Be wise now therefore, O ye kings [The Elect]: be instructed, ye judges of the earth. 
Psa 2:11  Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling.

Consequently, we, the basest of men, have a decree [To be a watchman] to judge ourselves so that our blood and the blood of the Earth’s inhabitants are not laid upon us. 

Eze 33:6  But if the watchman see the sword come, and blow not the trumpet, and the people be not warned; if the sword come, and take any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at the watchman’s hand. 

Dan 4:17  This matter is by the decree of the watchers, and the demand by the word of the holy ones: to the intent that the living may know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will, and setteth up over it the basest of men [Hopefully, you and I]

Nebuchadnezzar’s (Daniel 4) supreme rulership and God-given demise represent our beastly nature, the earthquake realisation that we are the man of purdition sitting on God’s throne, effectively stating that we are god — being dashed to pieces like a potter’s vessel, like chaff before the summer breeze for the stunning realisation, now instructed to judge ourselves by Christ’s decrees and serve him in fear, and rejoycing with trembling.

Zep 2:4  For Gaza shall be forsaken, and Ashkelon a desolation: they shall drive out Ashdod at the noon day, and Ekron shall be rooted up. 
Zep 2:5  Woe unto the inhabitants of the sea coast, the nation of the Cherethites! the word of the LORD is against you; O Canaan, the land of the Philistines, I will even destroy thee, that there shall be no inhabitant. 

All those aforementioned ethnicities are heathen nations dwelling spiritually within whom Israel deemed unnecessary to utterly remove from their physical land and paid severe hardships in consequence. Today, 2025, the crypto Judeans, emblematic of Orthodox Christianity, enslaved to the Old Covenant, are attempting to fix what the God of the Old Covenant ‘decreed’ to rid their land of all unrighteousness, mercilessly slashing and burning every ‘Gazian’ son of Haggar the bondwoman, utterly unaware that they are in bed with her — an earthquake of unimaginable proportions soon to be realised in the Resurrection to Judgment. 

1Sa 15:1  Samuel also said unto Saul, The LORD sent me to anoint thee to be king over his people, over Israel: now therefore hearken thou unto the voice of the words of the LORD. 
1Sa 15:2  Thus saith the LORD of hosts, I remember that which Amalek did to Israel, how he laid wait for him in the way, when he came up from Egypt. 
1Sa 15:3  Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass. 

Without spiritual discernment, the duality of meaning is too convoluted to understand that in the next verse of Zephaniah, they all become food for the Elect of God, “the remnant”, as an inheritance.

Zep 2:6  And the sea coast shall be dwellings and cottages for shepherds, and folds for flocks. 
Zep 2:7  And the coast shall be for the remnant of the house of Judah;[spiritual Judah] they shall feed thereupon: in the houses of Ashkelon shall they lie down in the evening: for the LORD their God shall visit them, and turn away their captivity [In the Resurrection to Judgment]. 
Zep 2:8  I have heard the reproach of Moab, and the revilings of the children of Ammon, whereby they have reproached my people [The Elect], and magnified themselves against their border. 

The “reproach of Moab” is what the Lord’s Elect experience today through taunts, insults, and mockery from emblematic Christian Moabites, most painfully felt by their wives, husbands, and children’s defamation who have not yet been dragged to Christ.

Mat 10:16  Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves. 
Mat 10:17  But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues; 
Mat 10:18  And ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles. 
Mat 10:19  But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak. 
Mat 10:20  For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you. 
Mat 10:21  And the brother shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child: and the children shall rise up against their parents, and cause them to be put to death. 
Mat 10:22  And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved. 

Zep 2:9  Therefore as I live, saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, Surely Moab shall be as Sodom, and the children of Ammon as Gomorrah, even the breeding of nettles, and saltpits, and a perpetual desolation: the residue of my people [The Elect] shall spoil them, and the remnant [The Elect] of my people shall possess them. 
Zep 2:10  This shall they have for their pride, because they have reproached and magnified themselves against the people of the LORD of hosts. 

The tables have turned for us. The former “not desired” of the Lord has been scourged, and the beasts have been driven out before us from our Temple. It is all humanity since Adam’s turn because they have reproached and magnified themselves against the Elect of God. We see these things through the holy spirit, who gives all understanding.

Joh 16:4  But these things have I told you, that when the time shall come, ye may remember that I told you of them. And these things I said not unto you at the beginning, because I was with you [… a glorious paradox now known!]. 

Zep 2:11  The LORD will be terrible unto them: for he will famish all the gods of the earth; and men shall worship him, every one from his place, even all the isles of the heathen. 
Zep 2:12  Ye Ethiopians also, ye shall be slain by my sword. 

The mention, almost as a side note, that the Ethiopians, too, will not escape, denotes a people who by all accounts, never attacked Israel, so, in theirs and our thinking, why should Christ’s sword slay relatively innocent people? A violently contentious parallel can be juxtaposed with Anthony Fauci and all the pundits of safe and effective vaccines most likely never in this life, including the One-Thousand Year reign with the rod of iron, and to the world’s bitter chagrin, never being judged. A phenomenal earthquake result coming upon billions of people is that Fauci is no different to them and us, having killed Christ. So, in the short term, it seems grossly unfair that a perceived innocent and gentle people (the rich man – Luk 18:9-14)) should be lumped in with the likes of Fauci. The reason for the Lord’s actions is that all flesh incurs the wrath of God simply by being “evil flesh”, regardless of how innocent a Christian he thinks he is.

Psa 51:5  Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me. 

2Co 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.

Gal 5:19  Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, 
Gal 5:20  Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, 
Gal 5:21  Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

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 15:46  Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. 
1Co 15:47  The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven. 
1Co 15:48  As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. 
1Co 15:49  And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly. 

Zep 2:13  And he will stretch out his hand against the North, and destroy Assyria; and will make Nineveh a desolation, and dry like a wilderness. 

A striking parallel can be drawn between Zephaniah 2:13 and the King of the South pushing at the King of the North in Daniel 11. In these apparent ‘end times’, and as we once did, the Babylonian Christians are feverishly straining their eyes to see who the Great Whore and Beast are, not knowing that judgment comes upon us who are pushing at Christ, the spiritual King of the North who swiftly responds out of the North with the sword of His word. Paradoxically, the act of our Lord striking us with His word, ‘passes over’ His Elect by the nature of sanctification—being set apart; dedicated to Christ.

Joh 17:16  They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 
Joh 17:17  Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. 

Dan 11:40  And at the time of the end shall the king of the south push at him: and the king of the North shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over. 
Dan 11:41  He shall enter also into the glorious land, and many countries shall be overthrown: but these shall escape out of his hand, even Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon. 
Dan 11:42  He shall stretch forth his hand also upon the countries: and the land of Egypt shall not escape.

When our Lord has struck those we perceive as innocent—being women, children, and the flocks that support our livelihoods, representing our self-righteous little sins that seem un-noteworthy—our Old Jerusalem within becomes a desolation in which the genuinely innocent word of God can dwell within the ‘lintels and windows’ of a receptive mind to his spirit. Being sanctified, the formerly unclean food represented by cormorants and bitterns, and taking up poisonous serpents has no effect on us since those symbols in the New Covenant point to unclean doctrines, which the entire Old Covenant primarily exhibits. Hence, in the next verse of Zephaniah, we live in that peace that the Old Covenant could never deliver, with its suffering progressively being pushed out to the thresholds of our hearts — and eventually entirely. The shittim wood from which the Ark, containing the Old Covenant was constructed is overlaid with corruptible gold, just like the altar made of cedar from that once glorious Covenant, is now made naked, its “cedar work uncovered” in Christ.

Jas 5:2  Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten. 
Jas 5:3  Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days.

Zep 2:14  And flocks shall lie down in the midst of her, all the beasts of the nations: both the cormorant and the bittern shall lodge in the upper lintels of it; their voice shall sing in the windows; desolation shall be in the thresholds: for he shall uncover the cedar work. 

Consequently, the Elect of God ecstatically rejoices upon seeing from where they have come, having lived carelessly in Babylonian doctrines with the startling realisation that she was The Great Whore, that Great City, the “I am”, proudly in direct opposition to God, the original “I am” (Exo 3:14), she, with bare thighs sitting on God’s throne in his stead — a most humiliating sight indeed! (Isa 47:1-3)

Rev 17:18  And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth. 

Zep 2:15  This is the rejoicing city that dwelt carelessly, that said in her heart, I am, and there is none beside me: how is she become a desolation, a place for beasts to lie down in! every one that passeth by her shall hiss, and wag his hand. 

Rev 17:15  And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues. 
Rev 17:16  And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire. 

In the not-too-distant future, Lord willing, even now, hopefully, we, the two men dressed in sackcloth, will witness the world in opposition to Judeao Christianity, The Great Whore (representing us!), send each other gifts and endlessly lampoon her—hiss and wagging their fingers in gleeful derision, precisely and unwittingly as our non-believing families and Babylonian friends do to us this very day, all the way to our hopeful, First Resurrection (Rev 11:1-14).

Audio Download – Part 2

The Book of Amos – Chapter 1:2-15, 2:1-3

“Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions and for four,
I will not turn away the punishment thereof”

[Aired November 9 and 16, 2024]

In the Introductory Study of Amos 1:1, we come to understand that our symbolic Richter Scale earthquake, rated at a symbolic 10 and multiplied by 10 for each digital increment, releases a 31-fold increase in incremental energy and correspondingly represents a catastrophic emotional event impacting our Old Man of flesh spiritually. This earthquake will shake us with such spiritual violence that it will symbolically liquefy the Old Man, rendering it impossible to piece back together. (The phenomenon of liquefication happens when the ground’s foundation has subterranean saturation, yet with a honeycomb-like relatively solid structure, and when it is shaken violently in an earthquake, all layers combine and literally turn to slop, as happened in Mexico City in 1985. For us, the focus is on it not being possible for us to be reformed in our original evil shape ever again, whether crushed, dashed, liquified or shaken).

2Sa 14:14  For we must needs die, and are as water spilt on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again; neither doth God respect any person: yet doth he devise means, that his banished be not expelled from him.

Psa 22:14  I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint: my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels [That is Christ’s prophesied experience of being ‘spilt on the ground’ that resulted in him never to be re-formed in the flesh, yet never ‘expelled from the Father’].
Psa 22:15  My strength is dried up like a potsherd; and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws; and thou hast brought me into the dust of death.

Rev 16:17  And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done.
Rev 16:18  And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great.

There is tremendous spiritual significance in the way the holy spirit inspired Amos to identify our sins,  aligning us with Egypt, Sodom, Old Jerusalem, Syria and finally, all represented as Babylon. They all cryptically represent Amos’s first six cities and countries he uses, neighbouring Israel symbolically as one replicated in the seventh and eighth, Judah and Israel, where our Lord was crucified (Rev 11:8). They represent the land of our flesh and all that is in the world who cannot inherit the Kingdom and will, in their own time and order, bow down and serve the Christ, the first and last new man.

The Book of Amos is a parallel to John’s astonishment and bitter tribulation of not understanding his ‘little book’ in Revelations that translates to our even greater astonishment for being given the Keys to the Kingdom to understand those tribulations of John’s and keep those revelations given to us, the Seven Churches of Asia (Rev 1:9-20).

The first six nations and cities Amos identified represent our basest of natures in our Old Man of flesh. They are broadly distinguished as Ammonites or Moabites, which Deuteronomy 23:3 covers as “any of their descendants“, meaning Egypt, Sodom, Esau, and Old Jerusalem. They are all exposed as Babylon the Great.

Deu 23:3  No Ammonite or Moabite or any of their descendants may enter the assembly of the LORD, even to the tenth generation.
Deu 23:4  For they did not meet you with food and water on your way out of Egypt, and they hired Balaam son of Beor from Pethor in Aram-naharaim to curse you.
Deu 23:5  Yet the LORD your God would not listen to Balaam, and the LORD your God turned the curse into a blessing for you, because the LORD your God loves you [through chastisements].
Deu 23:6 Thou shalt not seek their peace nor their prosperity all thy days for ever.
Deu 23:7 Thou shalt not abhor an Edomite; for he is thy brother: thou shalt not abhor an Egyptian; because thou wast a stranger in his land.
Deu 23:8 The children that are begotten of them shall enter into the congregation of the LORD in their third generation.

These verses powerfully express that we are Christ’s spiritual works in progress, ‘we are begotten of them‘, evolving into the New Adam, becoming the embodiment of Christ. We must reflect on our history from Egypt to understand our present and drive future transformation toward becoming precisely Christ under his headship. Consequently…

There are a total of 8 occurrences only appearing in scripture in Amos saying, “For three transgressions… and for four“. The first concerns 6 symbolic Gentile Christian nations within and, finally, her 2 treacherous sisters, supposedly the Lord’s righteous priestly tribes, particularly Judah, yet in collaboration with Israel. They all point to our physical journey to becoming Christ with its accompanying final and violent spiritual earthquake of spiritual understanding.

In this study, all eight of Amos’s listed ethnicities, cities, and nations can symbolise the Seven Churches of Asia since they all, by their precise number, with Judah and Israel as one added to the Gentile six, parallel our transition from the Old Man to the New Man in Christ. Without the holy spirit, they all epitomise itemised aspects of our thorn of unconquered flesh. Geographically, none of them parallels the Seven Churches of Asia in Revelations, particularly since Edom, Ammon, and Moab were nowhere near them; in fact, their origins directly depict Esau and Ishmael and thus more poignantly emphasise our Old Man of the flesh in Esau despising his birthright and dwelling in dry places of spiritual desolation. Nonetheless, Amos’s eight nations directly correspond to the Seven Churches of Asia in Rev 1:4.

Amos’ listed nations:

GENTILES:

DAMASCUS—Southern Syrian Empire. Very prosperous on the crossroads between Mesopotamia-Syria. Not bordering, yet East of the Sea of Galilee. 

GAZA—The land of the Philistines on the Mediterranean Sea coast West of Judah. 

TYRUS—On the Mediterranean Sea coast, relatively close to Jerusalem. Tyrus is another name for the strongly fortified city of Tyre noted for trade and luxurious excess.

EDOM—Edom, Ammon, and Moab were East-Southeast of the Dead Sea and all strongly connected to Esau. 

AMMON   

MOAB  

JEWS:

JUDAH—The treacherous Priests and incipient Elect of God.

ISRAEL—The chosen but not the Elect of God.

Provocatively, the “Seven Churches of Asia“, Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea, are all north of old Israel and Amos’s list of Gentile nations, indicating that judgment will come from the north upon our old man Israel and Judah in the south. (Isa 41:25. Jer 1:14. 4:6. 6:1. 6:22. 13:20. 46:20. Eze 1:4. Dan 11:24).

Intriguingly, Amos’s eight ethnic groups fit into God’s plan for the salvation of humanity. The first six represent the man of flesh, and the last two, Judah and Israel, illustrate Gentile Flesh by portraying in spiritual order Judah, the Temple and Priests on the Sabbath Day and the number seven, and Israel characterising the Court, the last man of perdition of the Seven but is the Eighth. Through the Seventh and Eighth Old Man, Christ is making the two, being the house of Israel, ONE New Man in him.

Eze 3:7  But the house of Israel will not hearken unto thee; for they will not hearken unto me: for all the house of Israel are impudent and hardhearted.
Eze 3:8  Behold, I have made thy face strong against their faces, and thy forehead strong against their foreheads.
Eze 3:9  As an adamant harder than flint have I made thy forehead: fear them not, neither be dismayed at their looks, though they be a rebellious house.

The Lord’s Elect have been given to likewise have flinty faces against our formally impudent ways within and to not be dismayed at the inevitable hatred of our fleshy households who are yet blind (Mat 10:34-39).

Rev 17:9  And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains [Nations within and depicted by Amos’s Seven Nations], on which the woman [The Great Whore – you and I] sitteth.

Where the Whore sits is you and I, who is of the Eighth nation, the self-righteous man with the spirit of a different Jesus first physically represented as one in Judah (Jew) and Israel (Gentile). 

Rev 17:10  And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space.
Rev 17:11  And the beast [You and I] that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition [meaning to be destroyed].

Rev 5:10  And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth. 

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, [Jew and Gentile made on spiritual man in Christ] 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:

Following is a close quote from Mike Vinson. And since we are all, as “one” in Christ, heartily agree and speak the same thing:

“The positive application of the number ‘8’ is the new man who is resurrected on the 8th day, which happens to be the first day of the week when Christ was resurrected. If our names are written in the Book of Life, we will understand how it is possible for us to “ascend out of the bottomless pit and go into perdition, and through that experience of evil (Ecc 1:13), go on to become “the eighth… the new man”, made into the very image of Christ. All things are ours, including being that man of perdition who goes ahead of our Gentile Brothers and is raised on our eighth day. The rest of humanity gets raised on their eighth day at the end of the GWTJ. The word ‘eighth’ has both a positive and a negative application.”[He] who knew no sin [said] why to call ye me good, there is none good but God” (2Co 5:21 and Mat 19:17).

The scriptures tell us:

2 Th 2:6  And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. 
2Th 2:7  For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth [Greek, will let], until he be taken out of the way. 
2Th 2:8  And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:

That wicked be[ing] revealed” is “the man of sin be[ing] revealed [as] the son of perdition,” as verse three makes very clear:

2Th 2:3  Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;

“That man of sin” is “the eight [which] is of the seven and goes into perdition” in the negative application of this word, ‘eighth’. The Elect do not escape being the man of perdition; we ARE OF THE EIGHT. We are part of the 7, the whole of mankind who goes into perdition and results in coming out the other end as the eighth. The negative application of the word ‘eighth’ is that we are decaying flesh, and thus we have this treasure in earthen vessels, in earnest, and our Lord Himself, “who knew no sin”, said, “Why call ye me good, there is none good but one, that is God” makes that point. Rev 17:11  And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition. Christ was in human form as a beast. In that form, He was the negative application of “the eighth”. His flesh and blood could not inherit the Kingdom of God any more than our’s can, and while His flesh did not see corruption, it was “changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, from flesh to spirit, with the ability to pass from one realm to the other at will. That is the positive application of “the eighth… the new man” who will not go into perdition while “the eight [which] is of the seven… goes into perdition” because “there is none good but one, that is God”. 

Remember that even around the throne of God, we are still called ‘seraphim’, serpents (Isa 6:2), and ‘beasts’ in the positive application of those words. The negative ‘eighth’ ‘beast’ goes into perdition, while the positive ‘eighth’ ‘beast’ becomes the new man in “the redemption of the purchased possession”. (Eph 1:14) The ‘dark as night “to them”, and “light by night day to these” nature of the Word of God:

Exo 14:19  And the angel of God [His Word], which went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them; and the pillar of the cloud went from before their face, and stood behind them: 
Exo 14:20  And it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel; and it was a cloud and darkness to them, but it gave light by night to these: so that the one came not near the other all the night.” [Mike. End] 

The Elect of God is first granted a profound spiritual awakening, that can be referred to as their “earthquake,” that dramatically causes them to realise that they are given to go ahead of their brothers to learn righteousness, just as Christ did for them. Consequently, the Elect are first to perceive themselves as the man of perdition, who escapes from Babylon and is presented to Christ as His Bride immediately before the Seventh Day, which is represented as the One Thousand-Year reign with the rod of iron. This divine understanding is part of their magnificent and powerful “earthquake” of glorious truth.

Eph 1:9  And He has made known to us [in order of his very Elect] the mystery of His will according to His good pleasure, which He purposed in Christ
Eph 1:10  as a plan for the fullness of time, to bring all things in heaven and on earth together in Christ.
Eph 1:11  In Him we were also chosen as God’s own, having been predestined according to the plan of Him who works out everything by the counsel of His will,
Eph 1:12  in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, would be for the praise of His glory. 
Eph 1:13  And in Him, having heard and believed the word of truth—the gospel of your salvation—you were sealed with the promised holy spirit, 
Eph 1:14  who is the pledge of our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession, to the praise of His glory.

Significations

Judgment on Israel’s Neighbors

Amo 1:2  And he said, The LORD will roar from Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the habitations of the shepherds shall mourn, and the top of Carmel shall wither. 

For the Israelites, through unbelief their initially unseen ‘earthquake’ comes in the form and outward reality of Amos and his compatriot prophets prophesying Israel and Judah’s sequential exile into slavery; unwittingly, their slave masters are already enslaved to their heathen ways. Interestingly, the first six prophecies of Amos identify with her neighbours, deemed Gentiles outside of the Camp of Israel, whose heathen ways spiritually align with ours in our journey to becoming the New Adam in Christ.

In scriptural terms, there are only two groups of people, and those two groups are Jews and Gentiles. In their own order of utter demolition, and later spiritually beginning at the Temple of God, symbolised by Judah, the Lord spiritually roars from Zion with his voice from the heavenly Jerusalem in the form of a vessel-shattering ‘earthquake’ of spiritual understanding. The “shepherds’ of Judah represent the Priests of God, his Bride, today. Descending in the order of ruination is Israel, represented by the Court. Because of Israel’s God-given harlot ways, she is included with the Gentiles. Hence, there are only two groups of people. Physical Judah is last to be exiled and the new spiritual Jews, the Elect become the first.

Mat 20:16  So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen.

Rev 11:2  But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city [The Priests; the Two Witnesses: the Bride’s ministery] shall they tread under foot forty and two months [or 3.5 years; “forty and two months” – Rev 22:3]

The phrase “For three transgressions of…, and for four” in Amos 2 refers to the judgment that extends on the six nations from Damascus to Moab and into the seventh of Judah and Israel. The six nations highlight the sins of neighbouring Gentile nations outside the Camp of Israel, yet our Lord sees them as being equal with Israel, inwardly reflecting the Elect’s failings. The Lord will not withhold His punishment from us due to these unique yet relatable sins manifested by these six ethnic groups. Both groups of Jews and Gentiles experience one event for the same symbolised timeframe of “forty and two months” chastisement since every man is but a “beast” (Ecc 3:18. Joh 8:44. Rev 13:14. 2Pe 2:12-15) who speaks great swelling doctrines of blasphemies. It all mirrors Joseph identifying Pharoah’s dreams as ‘one event to all’ (Gen 41:25-26).

Rev 13:5  And there was given unto him [The Beast, sitting on God’s throne] a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.

Regarding Amos’s “For three transgressions of…, and for four” statements:

The number 3 represents the process of spiritual progression for the completion of judgment regarding that thing. 

The number 4 represents the whole of a thing and tribulation. It doesn’t matter if it is 4 or 4,000.

Adding up to 7 represents the completion of that process through judgment and is the primary message of Amos judging the Seven, the Priests of God, with all things being theirs (1Co3:21-23).

Jer 29:7  And seek the peace of the city whither I have caused you to be carried away captives, and pray unto the LORD for it: for in the peace thereof shall ye have peace.
Jer 29:8  For thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Let not your prophets and your diviners, that be in the midst of you, deceive you, neither hearken to your dreams which ye cause to be dreamed.
Jer 29:9  For they prophesy falsely unto you in my name: I have not sent them, saith the LORD.
Jer 29:10  For thus saith the LORD, That after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place.

Therefore, the first six characteristics of Israel’s neighbours are inherently worldly and will remain so, reflecting their fate in the Lake of Fire along with Gentile Israel and Christians who say that they are spiritual Jews and are not. In that place, they will mourn bitterly for a designated time culminating in their earthquake of understanding most gloriously and ecstatic peace for the love of the Father.

Mat 13:40  As therefore the tares [All not in the first holy resurrection, Christ’s Bride] are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world [ultimately in the Lake of Fire. However, the Elect are first to go through the fire, but it is not THE Lake of Fire]. 
Mat 13:41  The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his Kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity;
Mat 13:42  And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
Mat 13:43  Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the Kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.

It is deemed that everyone ever conceived will become righteous and shine forth as the sun in the Kingdom of their Father. It is just that the very Elect of God is first to experience God’s earthquake of his fiery word and live by his every commandment.

Let us begin to study our disappearing sinful nature as we learn from our timely experiences; we were and sometimes still are equal to our neighbour’s earthy sensualities, stubbornly resisting Christ and thus quenching his spirit.

1Th 5:17  Pray without ceasing.
1Th 5:18  In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you [for  the evil experiences that teach us to juxtapose with Christ’s spirit].
1Th 5:19  Quench not the spirit.
1Th 5:20  Despise not prophesyings.
1Th 5:21  Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.
1Th 5:22  Abstain from all appearance of evil.
1Th 5:23  And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Amo 1:3  Thus saith the LORD; [ONE] For three transgressions of DAMASCUS, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they have threshed Gilead with threshing instruments of iron: 
Amo 1:4  But I will send a fire into the house of Hazael, which shall devour the palaces of Benhadad. 
Amo 1:5  I will break also the bar of Damascus, and cut off the inhabitant from the plain of Aven, and him that holdeth the sceptre from the house of Eden: and the people of Syria shall go into captivity unto Kir, saith the LORD. 

Remembering that ‘all things are ours’ and beginning with the nature of the people of Damascus, inclusive of the characteristics of the other five to be studied, is the progression and completion of physical judgment flowing into total tribulation perfectly parallels our spiritual earthquake and the journey, which is hopefully soon coming to a close for our redemption.

Damascus is a city in Syria, and it has historically instilled a deep sense of iron-like fear in Israel. It is represented as Gilead’s threshing because Israel never conquered that nation as the Lord required. Nevertheless, in 2 Samuel 8:6, the Syrians within the spiritual Elect are depicted as vanquished, leading to the Syrian’s servitude for our spiritual growth.

2Sa 8:5  And when the Syrians of Damascus came to succour Hadadezer king of Zobah, David slew of the Syrians two and twenty thousand men.
2Sa 8:6  Then David put garrisons in Syria of Damascus: and the Syrians became servants to David, and brought gifts. And the LORD preserved David whithersoever he went.

Mic 7:12  In that day also he shall come even to thee from Assyria, and from the fortified cities, and from the fortress even to the river, and from sea to sea, and from mountain to mountain.
Mic 7:13  Notwithstanding the land shall be desolate [mirroring our former spiritual deslolation] because of them that [we previously!]  dwell therein, for the fruit of their doings. 
Mic 7:14  Feed thy people with thy rod, the flock of thine heritage, which dwell solitarily in the wood, in the midst of Carmel: let them feed in Bashan and Gilead, as in the days of old.

What a profound insight this is! It is first understood by the budding Elect through the ‘rod’ of Christ’s teachings and then by those whom Christ has designated to shepherd his people with the guidance of his word. This is especially true for the Gentiles during the One Thousand Year reign when they experience this bewildering frustration without the holy spirit. Later, in the Lake of Fire, they will increasingly receive this chastising guidance with the increasing holy spirit.

The key names and their meaning in verses three to five:

Gilead H1567 means  – ‘a witness heap’, and our sins likewise witness against us.

Hazael H2371 means  – ‘one who sees’.

Benhadad H1130 means  – ‘son of [the false god] Hadad.’

Aven H206 means – ‘vanity’.

Eden H5731 means – ‘pleasure. Luxury, dainty, delight, finery’.

Kir H7024 means – ‘wall. To dig’.

Thereupon, Amos’s prophesy is a ‘witness heap’ against two groups of people: the Gentile neighbours and the Priests of God, parallelling Israel and Judah and, spiritually, the entire Gentile world inclusive of Gentile Christianity and the Elect. The times of Gentile rulership are nearing the end, at which point Christ and his Christs will begin to rule in the One Thousand Year reign with the rod of iron (Luke 21:20-24).

The narrative derived from those names spiritually means that our former ways, aligned with Egypt, Syria, Sodom Old Jerusalem, and collectively represented by Babylon, are a ‘witness heap’ between us and ‘God who sees’ our every thought and action ‘vainly’ worshipping a ‘another Jesus’ while ‘luxuriating in our epicurean ways’,’ living high on the hog behind impenetrable ‘walls’ of self-righteousness, thinking no force can assail us. We dig our own wells to drink our doctrines that sensually delight us more than our new beginnings of small things of understanding symbolised as our Lord’s light bread (Zec 4:10. Num 21:5).

It is the Priests of God who hold his sceptre from ruling righteously in the house of Eden in that they do not swiftly bring justice first to themselves for Israel to mirror. When the foundation, the core of the nation represented by the corrupt Priests, is irretrievable, there is nothing left for the Lord to do but to chastise them in captivity.

Jer 2:18  And now what hast thou to do in the way to Egypt, to drink the waters of the Shihor? or what hast thou to do in the way to Assyria, to drink the waters of the River?
Jer 2:19  Thine own wickedness shall correct thee, and thy backslidings shall reprove thee: know therefore and see that it is an evil thing and a bitter, that thou hast forsaken Jehovah thy God, and that my fear is not in thee, saith the Lord, Jehovah of hosts.

Joh 9:39  And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind.

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?

1Co 5:12 For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? do not ye judge them that are within?
1Co 5:13  But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person [who is you and I, and not some other poor, blind, hapless sinner].

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? [first within?].

Amo 1:6  Thus saith the LORD; [TWO] For three transgressions of GAZA, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they carried away captive the whole captivity, to deliver them up to Edom: 
Amo 1:7  But I will send a fire on the wall of Gaza, which shall devour the palaces thereof: 
Amo 1:8  And I will cut off the inhabitant from Ashdod, and him that holdeth the sceptre from Ashkelon, and I will turn mine hand against Ekron: and the remnant of the Philistines shall perish, saith the Lord GOD. 

It is noteworthy that the holy spirit inspired Amos to say “the whole captivity” only twice and nowhere else in the Bible: once for Gaza and once for Tyrus.

Remember that Gaza was the land of the Philistines. During the reign of wicked King Jehoram, the son of King Jehoshaphat, who reigned following his father’s death (2Ch 21), the Edomites (Esau) who were under the dominion of Judah in those days. Because the Edomites revolted against Judah, Jehoram went and slew many of them. Additionally, Jehoram caused Israel to typically go a whoring and commit fornication and compelled Judah to do likewise. In retribution, the Lord caused the Edomites to collaborate with the Arabians to strike against Judah. Scripture recounts…

2Ch 21:17  And they [Edomites] came up into Judah, and brake into it, and carried away all the substance that was found in the king’s house, and his sons also, and his wives; so that there was never a son left him, save Jehoahaz, the youngest of his sons.

That act of carrying away “all the substance of the substance of the King’s house” to Edom is the very act of taking them all captive, as expressed in Amos 1:6. On that account, the Lord sends a “fire of infamy” upon the wall and strength of those wicked nations within us and devours our high places and tears up the roots of evil worship and take ‘the whole into captivity’. The outcome is the complete destruction of our self-proclaimed leadership for the ‘remnant’ of Philistinean doctrinal intellectualism within. That glorious annihilation of our old man is a gift of chastising grace from God.

Eph 4:7  But to every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.
Eph 4:8  Therefore He says, “When He ascended up on high, He led captivity captive and gave gifts to men.”

As with Gaza, similarly is the exact same destruction of Tyrus within for delivering up the whole captivity to Edom, and additionally for a broken covenant.

Amo 1:9  Thus saith the LORD; [THREE] For three transgressions of TYRUS, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they delivered up the whole captivity to Edom, and remembered not the brotherly covenant: 
Amo 1:10  But I will send a fire on the wall of Tyrus, which shall devour the palaces thereof. 

What is that “brotherly covenant” that we deem an easy dismissal and of little consequence?

Remember that all six neighbouring heathen-gentile nations of Damascus, Gaza, Tyrus, Edom, Ammon and Moab are one and the same, yet pointedly reflecting upon Edom, who directly represents Jacob’s brother, Esau and Mt Seir. Consequently, it is Jacob’s typically scheming, supplanting ways represented by Israel and Judah who attracted Esau’s hatred and forgetfulness of the peace treaty between him and Jacob for Jacob’s past deceptions over Esau’s birthright and blessings. Consequently, those six nations were always antagonistic towards Israel, representing Esau’s forgetfulness of their ‘brotherly covenant’ of peace (Gen 33).

The following scriptures in Ezekiel 35 portray that saga of our Lord’s wrath against our old Esau within.

Eze 35:1  And the Word of Jehovah came to me, saying,
Eze 35:2  Son of man, set your face against Mount Seir [Esau] and prophesy against it.
Eze 35:3  And say to it, So says the Lord Jehovah: Behold, O Mount Seir, I am against you, and I will stretch out My hand against you, and I will make you a ruin and a waste. 
Eze 35:4  I will raze your cities, and you shall be ruined, and you shall know that I am Jehovah.
Eze 35:5  Because you have had a never-ending hatred, and have shed the blood of the sons of Israel by the force of the sword in the time of their calamity, in the time that iniquity had an end,

In other words, Jacob, who represents Israel, had received forgiveness from God. However, Esau continued to hold onto resentment and vengeance against him. This situation mirrors how we often struggle to let go of our past sins or harbour bitterness towards our Babylonian wives, preventing us from moving forward in Christ’s loving correction. We must remember that we, too, are often guilty of sin against Christ, just as our Babylonian wives may be seen as intimately indifferent offenders towards us.

Eze 35:6  Therefore, as I live, saith the Lord GOD, I will prepare thee unto blood, and blood shall pursue thee: sith thou hast not hated blood, even blood shall pursue thee.

That verse is similar to the sword never departing from David’s house and ours, spiritually, until all remnants of our heathen neighbours within are made desolate.

Eze 35:7  So I will make Mount Seir [Esau] a ruin, and cut off from it the one passing through, and the one returning.
Eze 35:8  And I will fill his mountains with his dead. In your hills, and your valleys, and all your rivers, those slain with the sword shall fall in them.
Eze 35:9  I will make you ruins forever, and thy cities shall not return. And you shall know that I am Jehovah.
Eze 35:10  Because you have said, These two nations and these two lands shall be mine, we will possess it [the Heavenly Jerusalem above and within]; 
Eze 35:11  therefore, as I live, says the Lord Jehovah, I will act by your anger and by your envy which you have shown out of your hatred against them. And I will make Myself known among them when I have judged you.
Eze 35:12  And you shall know that I am Jehovah. I have heard all your blasphemies which you have spoken against the mountains of Israel, saying, Desolation! They are given to us [The Elect] for food.
Eze 35:13  So with your mouth you have boasted against Me, and have multiplied your words against Me. I have heard them.
Eze 35:14  So says the Lord Jehovah: When the whole earth rejoices, I will make you a ruin.
Eze 35:15  As you rejoiced at the inheritance of the house of Israel because of desolation, so I will do to you. You shall be a desolation, O Mount Seir and all Idumea, even all of it. And they shall know that I am Jehovah.

Consequently, we forget our ‘brotherly covenant’ Christ has made with us and despise our birthright when we don’t desolate those six nations within. If we don’t forgive for the duration of our unforgiveness, our Lord likewise holds back from forgiving us.

Col 3:13  forbearing one another and forgiving yourselves, if anyone has a complaint against any. As Christ forgave you, so also you do.

Jas 2:13  For he who has shown no mercy shall have judgment without mercy, and mercy exults over judgment.

Amo 1:11  Thus saith the LORD; [FOUR] For three transgressions of EDOM and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because he did pursue his brother [Esau] with the sword, and did cast off all pity, and his anger did tear perpetually, and he kept his wrath for ever: 
Amo 1:12  But I will send a fire upon Teman, which shall devour the palaces of Bozrah. 

The fourth transgression against Edom has been covered, but its second mention is a second witness for the Lord’s assurance of not turning away his punishment. Teman represents the grandson of Esau and directly corresponds to the Lord’s curse against the third and fourth generations of sinners. Bozrah means “sheepfold or fortress” and conforms with our Esau-like stubbornness in sustaining our righteousness of self-proclaimed false doctrines when in Babylonian churches.

Exo 34:6  And the LORD passed by before him [Moses], and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth,
Exo 34:7  Keeping [Chastising] mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children’s children, unto the third and to the fourth generation. 

That revisiting of chastising punishment is carried forward in all eight listed nations to pointedly indict the seventh, Judah, the priests of God, the Elect first for judgment before her sister, Israel, who is subsequently judged in the Lake of Fire on the eighth day.

The next nation for judgment is Ammon, kin to Edom and Moab, yet with a variation of sin that transcribes to us spiritually. Amos says,

Amo 1:13  Thus saith the LORD; [FIVE] For three transgressions of the children of AMMON, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they have ripped up the women with child of Gilead, that they might enlarge their border: 
Amo 1:14  But I will kindle a fire in the wall of Rabbah, and it shall devour the palaces thereof, with shouting in the day of battle, with a tempest in the day of the whirlwind: 
Amo 1:15  And their king shall go into captivity, he and his princes together, saith the LORD. 

We are somewhat dismayed as to why our Lord designed Satan to incite mankind to treat his fellow man with such unspeakable violence. Of course, such barbarism without the holy spirit reflects our true nature of being a beast in our unfinished transition to being recreated as God. Our innate way of endless war, treachery and brutality is designed to etch our minds appallingly to contrast God’s nature. Of course, those beastly ways are to mirror how we, with Christ’s power and might, are to war against the Beast we are and recoil from our image.

Ecc 3:18 I said in mine heart concerning the estate of the sons of men, that God might manifest them, and that they might see that they themselves are beasts.

Joh 8:44  Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. 

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? 

2Pe 2:12 But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption;
2Pe 2:13 And shall receive the reward of unrighteousness, as they that count it pleasure to riot in the day time. Spots they are and blemishes, sporting themselves with their own deceivings while they feast with you;
2Pe 2:14 Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children:
2Pe:15 Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness;

Isa 2:4  And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.
Isa 2:5  O house of Jacob, come ye, and let us walk in the light of the LORD.

Ammon’s ripping up Israel’s pregnant women is an image too horrible to contemplate. Nonetheless, and for our benefit, all the natural and spiritual belong to us as food for transitional growth (Num 14:9, negatively and positively). We save nothing alive in cleansing our land within, and particularly the cuteness of pet sins symbolised as unborn false doctrines growing in pretty pregnant women as churches, ready for Satan to devour and sustain his nature in us, all seemingly paradoxical to non-spiritual eyes. The city of Rabbah means ‘great’, and was the capital city of the Ammonites. and reflects our self-styled headship as the Beast sitting on God’s throne. And of course, as with the other eight nations and cities, we go into captivity for sins unacknowledged (Jer 2:13).

Jer 3:13  Only acknowledge thine iniquity, that thou hast transgressed against the LORD thy God, and hast scattered thy ways to the strangers under every green tree, and ye have not obeyed my voice, saith the LORD.
Jer 3:14  Turn, O backsliding children, saith the LORD; for I am married unto you: and I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion:
Jer 3:15  And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.

Amo 2:1  Thus saith the LORD; [SIX] For three transgressions of MOAB, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because he burned the bones of the king of Edom into lime: 
Amo 2:2  But I will send a fire upon Moab, and it shall devour the palaces of Kerioth: and Moab shall die with tumult, with shouting, and with the sound of the trumpet: 
Amo 2:3  And I will cut off the judge from the midst thereof, and will slay all the princes thereof with him, saith the LORD. 

Again, Moab is in lockstep with Esau and typifies the Christian churches of this world who all cannot agree on doctrine and thus fight disputes of doctrine within their very own kin, only this time they burned the bones of the King of Edom, their near kin, into lime. That exaggerated expression of utterly burning the King into lime, being a vital product for hardening mortar in the construction of a city’s walls and palaces, characterises our hardened hearts against Christ’s word as we build our temple inwardly where we sit as the Beast on our Lord’s throne profoundly, yet mostly unconsciously presenting ourselves as king! That astonishing measure is represented in 2 Thessalonians,

2Th 2:3  Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition [who is You and I upon the earthquake realisation];
2Th 2:4  Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.

The city of Kerioth is a town in the southern district of Judah, and its location potently points to our Esau-like nature residing in the heart of us and our supposed priesthood represented as treacherous Judah, ruling the laity and fleecing the wealth of Israel into their captivity and destruction. Kerioth and Moab within die with much noisome anguish turned into joy for its chastisement in the hope of the last trumpet for our resurrection to life in and with our husband, Christ. Consequently, and as Amos concludes in 2 verse 3, our order of judgment in this age is cut short in our midst, having had our “princes” of rulership destroyed within.

With our judgment cut short, our sisters in Babylon are immediately ruled by the Lord’s Elect with Christ’s rod of iron in the One Thousand Year Rule. They are utterly frustrated that they cannot consistently keep Christ’s commands since the holy spirit is quenched thus confounding the whole measure and stay of His word.

Isa 3:1  For behold, the Lord, Jehovah of Hosts, takes away from Jerusalem and from Judah the stay and the staff, the whole stay of bread and the whole stay of water,
Isa 3:2  the mighty man, and the man of war, the judge, and the prophet, and the prudent, and the ancient,
Isa 3:3  the captain of fifty, and the honorable man, and the adviser, and the skilled worker, and the expert charmer.

Until that time and in the interim, it is all happening daily before our eyes with juvenile leadership by men claiming to be leaders but injured in their privy members and stones, effectively making them women. To add insult to our Lord’s headship, women literally are our leaders in high courts and government, and worse, as priests in the Babylonian churches of the world.

Deu 23:1  He that is wounded in the stones, or hath his privy member cut off, shall not enter into the congregation of the LORD [Spiritually, such a man and priest, cannot lead the Lord’s flock. Being neutered, he gains female qualities of gentleness and makes judgments based mostly on emotions rather than the seemingly harshness of God’s word].
Deu 23:2  A bastard shall not enter into the congregation of the LORD; even to his tenth generation shall he not enter into the congregation of the LORD.
Deu 23:3  An Ammonite or Moabite [like nature, just studied] shall not enter into the congregation of the LORD; even to their tenth generation shall they not enter into the congregation of the LORD for ever:
Deu 23:4  Because they met you not with bread and with water in the way, when ye came forth out of Egypt; and because they hired against thee Balaam the son of Beor of Pethor of Mesopotamia, to curse thee.

Isa 3:4  And I will give young boys to be their rulers, and caprices shall rule over them.
Isa 3:5  And the people shall be crushed, every man by another, and every man by his neighbor; the boy shall act proudly against the old man, and the low against the honorable.
Isa 3:6  When a man shall take hold of his brother of the house of his father, saying, You have clothing, you be our ruler, and let this ruin be under your hand; [Ironically, at least some in Babylon can see that their disarray of 40,000+ churches preaching another Jesus disquiets their consciences and seeing it all as a “ruin”].
Isa 3:7  in that day [and most pointedly soon in the rule with the rod of iron] he shall swear, saying, I will not be a healer; there is no bread nor a cloak in my house. You shall not make me a ruler of the people.
Isa 3:8  For Jerusalem is ruined and Judah has fallen; because their tongue and their doings are against Jehovah, to provoke the eyes of His glory.
Isa 3:9  The look of their faces witnesses against them; and they declare their sin like Sodom. They do not hide it! Woe to their soul! For they have rewarded evil to themselves.
Isa 3:10  Say to the righteous that it is well; for they shall eat the fruit of their doings.
Isa 3:11  Woe to the wicked! For the evil doing of his hand will be done to him.
Isa 3:12  As for my people, children are their taskmasters, and women rule over them. Oh my people, your rulers cause you to go astray and destroy the way of your paths.
Isa 3:13  Jehovah stands up to plead His case, and stands up to judge the people.
Isa 3:14  Jehovah will enter into judgment with [upon] the elders of His people, and their kings; for you have eaten up the vineyard; the spoil of the poor is in your houses.
Isa 3:15  What do you mean? You crush My people and grind the faces of the poor? says the Lord, Jehovah of Hosts [vividly happening today in the churches of the world and government].
Isa 3:16  And Jehovah says, Because the daughters [churches] of Zion are proud, and have walked with stretched out necks and wanton eyes, walking and mincing as they go, and making a tinkling with their feet;
Isa 3:17  therefore Jehovah will strike with a scab the crown of the head of the daughters of Zion, and Jehovah will make their secret parts naked.
Isa 3:18  In that day the Lord will take away the beauty of ankle-bracelets, and the headbands, and the crescents,
Isa 3:19  the pendants, and the bracelets, and the veils;
Isa 3:20  the headdresses, and the leg ornaments, and the sashes, and the houses of the soul, and the amulets;
Isa 3:21  the rings and nose jewels;
Isa 3:22  the festal apparel and the outer garments; and the mantles, and the purses;
Isa 3:23  the mirrors and the fine linen; and the turbans and the veils.
Isa 3:24  And it shall be, instead of sweet smell, there shall be an odor of decay; and instead of a sash, a rope; and instead of well-set hair, baldness; and instead of a rich robe, a wrapping of sackcloth; burning instead of beauty.
Isa 3:25  Your men shall fall by the sword, and your mighty in the war.
Isa 3:26  And her gates shall lament and mourn; and she shall sit deserted on the ground.

Those verses graphically depict the destruction of the first six nations of our neighbours studied, with whom we have been in lockstep, in preference repudiating Christ’s commands.

In our upcoming study, with the Lord’s guidance, Christ amplifies the alarm and unrest among His people, Judah. Judah symbolises the Elect of God, moving ahead of her elder sister, Israel, to face a greater judgment. This is because Judah was expected to lead with righteousness but instead abused her esteemed position out of lust for power thus establishing pride.

Lev 26:18  And if ye will not yet for all this hearken unto me, then I will punish you seven times more for your sins.
Lev 26:19  And I will break the pride of your power; and I will make your heaven as iron, and your earth as brass:
Lev 26:20  And your strength shall be spent in vain: for your land shall not yield her increase, neither shall the trees of the land yield their fruits.
Lev 26:21  And if ye walk contrary unto me, and will not hearken unto me; I will bring seven times more plagues upon you according to your sins.

Accordingly, for those chastisements, the Elect of God is learning to receive them most heartily since we know that they bring forth a ravishing connection with our husband, Christ, and he for us.

Rev 11:7-14, Part 2 – The Resurrection Of The Two Witnesses

[Study Aired Nov 8, 2024]

Rev 11:7  And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them.
Rev 11:8  And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.
Rev 11:9  And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three days and an half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves.
Rev 11:10  And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth.
Rev 11:11  And after three days and an half the Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them.
Rev 11:12  And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them.
Rev 11:13  And the same hour was there a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell, and in the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand: and the remnant were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven.
Rev 11:14  The second woe is past; and, behold, the third woe cometh quickly.

Today, Lord willing, we will come to see how we are first the harlot city, “the city wherein our Lord was crucified”, before we “come out of her”, and in time we become the Lord’s two witnesses who are lying dead in the streets of that great city…

6) “Where also our Lord was crucified” is also speaking of us and our rejection of the Lord and our part in His crucifixion. Our Lord is crucified by the “murderers who are in the faithful city which has become a harlot”, as explained by:

Isa 1:9  Except the LORD of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant, we should have been as Sodom, and we should have been like unto Gomorrah.
Isa 1:10  Hear the word of the LORD, ye rulers of Sodom; give ear unto the law of our God, ye people of Gomorrah.

Isa 1:21  How is the faithful city become an harlot! it was full of judgment; righteousness lodged in it; but now murderers.

Both ‘Sodom’ and ‘Babylon’ signify “the city where our Lord was crucified”. They are both types of us while we are in the churches of Babylon. We first hate God’s witnesses, and in so doing we become the harlot city which is full of murderers. While God’s rebellious people are called a rebellious wife, they are also called ‘Gomorrah’ and “Babylon the great, the mother of harlots and of abominations of the earth”. It is in this city that all of God’s prophets are murdered. In other words, this all takes place within you and within me.

Rev 18:24  And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth.

Rev 17:3  So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.
Rev 17:4  And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication:
Rev 17:5  And upon her forehead [was] a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.
Rev 17:6  And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration.

This is but a repeat of what Christ said of Jerusalem:

Mat 23:34  Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city:
Mat 23:35  That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar.
Mat 23:36  Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation.
Mat 23:37  O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!

You and I are “the earth”, and it is within each of us that our Lord is crucified. It is each of us who are “chief of sinners”.

1Co 15:9  For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.

Gal 1:13  For ye have heard of my conversation in time past in the Jews’ religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it:

1Ti 1:15  This [is] a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.

If we place the death of Christ upon the shoulders of others, then we cannot claim that He died for our sins. That self-righteous spirit of iniquity (Eze 33:13) is exemplified by “those Jews which believed on [Christ]” but wanted to kill Him.  Signifying all of us, they could not see themselves as slaves of sin, and just like every Christian who feels justified in physically fighting their fellow man to preserve God, family and country, they were not even aware that they wanted to kill Christ:

Joh 8:31  Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;
Joh 8:32  And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
Joh 8:33  They answered him, We be Abraham’s seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free?
Joh 8:34  Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.
Joh 8:35  And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever.
Joh 8:36  If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.
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.

If we first see ourselves as His persecutors and the persecutors of His church, and if we see ourselves as having our part in His crucifixion and then  also see ourselves as “chief of sinners”, then we will have no trouble seeing Christ as dying for our sins, and then we will know that we are that “great city where also our Lord was crucified” before we can “come out of her” and become Christ’s two witnesses. If ever we are given to see that spiritual Truth, then we will have no trouble understanding that all…

7) “The people, kindreds, tongues and nations” within the streets of that great city where our Lord was crucified are all of the affiliated false doctrines which are also within each of us, supporting each other and rejoicing that each and every one of all these “people, kindreds, tongues and nations” are now free from the constant scrutiny and torment of those who remain faithful to the words of our Lord. “They that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth”. While we are still in Babylon we rejoice because we can now…

8) “…see their dead bodies”, and because we know that no one within us will now be tormented by having to hear their words. We gloat over their dead and ineffective bodies, and we do so the whole symbolic three and one half years they are “lying dead in the streets of our great city”. That time is signified as…

9) “…Three days and an half”, during which we do not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves. These “three days and a half” are not the last three and one half days of one thousand two hundred and sixty days, or forty and two months or three and one half years, rather, just as Pharaoh’s two dreams of the cows and the corn “are one”, so too, ‘three and one half days’, and all of its multiples, signify the same thing as ‘one thousand two hundred and sixty days’, ‘forty and two months’, and ‘time, times and half a time’. They all signify one half of what is complete. The new man is not complete until he has both gone into and then come out of Babylon. All these symbols signify the same period of time. The first half of our experience signifies the time when we are the self-righteous, rebellious recipients of the Lord’s witness against the kingdom of our old man. The last half of our experience signifies the time we begin to bear witness concerning the words of this prophecy. It is during that first period of time that we all…

10) “…Rejoice over the death of Christ’s two witnesses, and send gifts one to another”, celebrating the fact that these witnesses of Christ, who had been tormenting us, were at that time, having no effect in the streets of our great city where also we have crucified our Lord by turning His grace and the knowledge of His sovereignty into lasciviousness.

An outward demonstration of what we all are guilty of within, at our own appointed time, is watching two multi-millionaire television ministers literally donate 10,000 dollars to each other’s ministries, while condemning and belittling what they refer to as ‘heresy hunters who are more concerned with doctrine then they are with love, and the spreading of the gospel’. We are all guilty of justifying our own sins and rejoicing over our ability to stifle the witness of God’s word with our self-righteous false doctrines.

11) But if the Lord has predestined us to be His firstfruit elect, after three and one half days, just as it seemed that the flesh had won the battle, an event which was parenthetically prophesied back in chapter ten begins to take place… “In the days of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God” begins to be completed, and the Lord’s own will begins to fulfill His own purpose in our lives as the apostle Paul tells us:

Eph 1:11  In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:

Rom 8:28  And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

This is referred to as being “raised with Him to newness of life” within the lives of God’s witnesses who are dying daily to their old man while simultaneously being raised from their state of spiritual death.  Let’s put these two verses side by side and observe how they are to be understood as one and the same event.

Rev 10:7  But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets.

“The voice of the seventh angel” is the seventh trumpet which signifies the beginning of the pouring out of the seven last plagues of the wrath of God upon the kingdom of our old man and upon all of our self-righteous false doctrines of the great harlot, Babylon, in our lives. “In the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should… [signifying that the mystery of God begins to] be finished”. In other words, the second half of our completion begins, and Christ begins to live His life within us as our old man begins to die because, “the mystery of God is Christ in you the hope of glory” (Col 1:27).

Rev 11:11  And after three days and an half [the first half of our complete experience] the Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them.
Rev 11:12  And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them.
Rev 11:13  And the same hour was there a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell, and in the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand: and the remnant were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven.
Rev 11:14  The second woe is past; and, behold, the third woe cometh quickly.
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.

While “the [outward] kingdoms of this world” will indeed become the kingdom of our Lord and His Christ (vs 15), we will not have a part in that momentous event unless an inward “seven [Not three and one half, but ‘seven’] thousand men begin to die in our inward earthquake, signifying the appearing of Christ into our life which begins the destruction of “that man of sin” within us and the kingdoms of our own old man begin to be “destroyed by the brightness of His coming”:

2Th 2:8  And then [“when the seventh angel shall begin to sound”] shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:

The destruction of all of “the people, kindreds, tongues and nations” within “the streets of that great city where also our Lord was crucified”  causes…

12) “…Great fear to fall on those who see them”. “Them which saw them” and “their enemies” signify all the self-supporting lies and false doctrines which support ‘Babylon the great’ and empower her to kill the witnesses of God’s Word within us. The loss of the dominance of all those “idols of our hearts” (Eze 14: 1-9) over our lives and minds brings great fear within us. The physical battles fought by Israel against her enemies in the Old Testament signify all the inward struggles we endure in our heavens. Here are examples of the outward Old Testament battle contrasted with the inward heavenly warfare we endure in the New Testament:

Psa 47:3  He shall subdue the people under us, and the nations under our feet.

Psa 106:34  They did not destroy the nations, concerning whom the LORD commanded them:

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;

Eph 6:12  For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual forces of evil in the heavenlies.

“Principalities and powers… the rulers of the darkness of this age”, are “the people, kindreds, tongues and nations” within “the streets of that great city where also our Lord was crucified” within each of us.

13) At this point the two witnesses hear a voice from heaven telling them to “Come up here”. This is how that happens to those who are given to witness to the truth of these words:

Eph 2:4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,
Eph 2:5 even when we were dead in transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),
Eph 2:6 and raised us up together, and seated us together in the heavenlies in Christ Jesus,
Eph 2:7 that in the coming ages He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

Our warfare is spiritual and inward if we are in Christ. But as self-righteous Babylonians we are all signified by Saul of Tarsus who is still living in the first half of our uncompleted experience, and in that position we hate the True Christ and His doctrines:

Act 9:1  And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest,

It was “when we were dead in transgressions”, while we were still in the process of persecuting the disciples of the Lord, that we were struck down on our own ‘road to Damascus’. Only then does “the seventh angel begin to sound and the mystery of God begins to be finished” within us, so that we, as God’s two witnesses, are both buried with Christ, and raised in newness of life to witness to the very people who we ourselves were only yesterday.

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.

Why does our natural man want to place all of this prophecy at the end of the age of Adam’s domination over the kingdoms of this world? It is because the words of Christ “are spiritually discerned”, and our old man “cannot see the things of the spirit for they are foolishness to him” (1Co 2:13-14).

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.

Nevertheless, for the man who is granted to discern “the things of the spirit”, Rom 6:3-4 is the fulfillment in down payment form of Rev 11:12.

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.

Rev 11:12  And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them.

It is in Christ that we are “made to sit together with Him in the heavens”. That cloud is Christ’s Christ, His witnesses, His body. It is at this point that all who know us, within and without, become aware that we are not who we once were, and in that sense they become witnesses to the fact that we…

14) “…Ascend up to heaven in a cloud”, and as our enemies see that we have done so and we are not the self-righteous Pharisee we once were. That “cloud” in which we ascend is the same as the words in the mouths of the Lord’s witnesses.   That cloud is God’s own “cloud of witnesses”, who are now beginning to be able to spiritually discern how “the holy spirit teaches comparing spiritual things with spiritual”. It is the same cloud which has always witnessed to the truth of the words 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.

Heb 11:37  They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented;
Heb 11:38  (Of whom the world was not worthy they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.

Heb 12:1  Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
Heb 12:2  Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

It is at this point, having been “made to sit with Christ in the heavens” (Eph 2:6), that there is…

15) “…A great earthquake”, which occurs in our lives, and this entire event begins to be repeated again as the persecution of the risen Christ within us requires a new “Saul of Tarsus” to persecute the new “Paul the apostle” who is now a witness of “the exceeding riches of His grace”, the grace of Christ “in the ages to come”.

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.

Here is Eph 2:7 in the Analytical Literal Version of the New Testament.

Eph 2:7 so that He should show in the ages, the ones coming, the surpassing riches [fig., abundance] of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus! (ALT)

Here is how this verse is translated in the Concordant Literal Version.

Eph 2:7 that, in the oncoming eons, He should be displaying the transcendent riches of His grace in His kindness to us in Christ Jesus. (CLV)

Remember Christ has declared that we, just like He is, “are the light of the world”. He also declared that “as He is so are we in this world”, and remember also that it was only five verses earlier, in this same second chapter of Ephesians, that we were told that every sinful life of mankind is an age, or an “eon of this world”.

Eph 2:1  Also you– being dead in the trespasses and the sins,
Eph 2:2  in which once ye did walk according to the age of this world, according to the ruler of the authority of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience, (YLT)

So it is that as our old man is destroyed by this great earthquake, our new man increases and is renewed day by day, and it is the renewal of our new man which continues to destroy our old man and cause him to decrease.

Joh 3:30  He [Christ in me] must increase, but I must decrease.

That is described as…

16) “…a tenth part of the city falls and seven thousand men are killed in that earthquake, and the rest are frightened, and give glory to the God of heaven”. The number ‘ten’ in all of its forms, is the maturing and perfecting of this flesh, and ‘seven’ is the completion of the destruction of this mature old man. At this point we are indeed “giving glory to the God of heaven… for His wonderful works to the children of men”.

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!

Now we have been prepared to become the recipients of all the fury of the old man who this great earthquake begins to kill and to crucify on a daily basis.

Summary

Let’s reread the verses we have covered today.

Rev 11:7  And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them.
Rev 11:8  And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.
Rev 11:9  And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three days and an half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves.
Rev 11:10  And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth.
Rev 11:11  And after three days and an half the Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them.
Rev 11:12  And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them.
Rev 11:13  And the same hour was there a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell, and in the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand: and the remnant were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven.
Rev 11:14  The second woe is past; [and], behold, the third woe cometh quickly.

Now let’s briefly summarize the meaning of the symbols of these verses. They are…

1) The two witnesses finishing their testimony, we saw, signifies the end product of the revelation of Jesus Christ, who is “the end of our faith… the salvation of our soul” (1Pe 1:9).

2) The beast ascending out of the bottomless pit making war against God’s two witnesses is the beginning of this revelation, where we are not yet aware that we are that beast and all we are interested in at this point in our walk is the…

3) … Killing [of] Christ’s two witnesses, by rejecting their fiery words, and persecuting and belittling their testimony before this world.

4) “Their dead bodies lying unburied” as we rejoice over our rejection of their testimony and their witness to the words of God. This signifies our time of deception by the false doctrines of Babylon.

5) “In the streets of the great city which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt”, is in the ways of this world within us which has rejected the ways and streets of the true Jerusalem, which will become our new mother when we are finally granted to see our own self-righteous, rebellion against the words of Christ and repent of our sinful walk in the streets of Babylon the great where we have rejected and killed our Lord and His disciples and witnesses.

6) “Where also our Lord was crucified” is again within us. It is we who have so despised our Lord and have crucified Him. That is “where also our Lord was crucified”.

7) The people, kindreds, tongues and nations are all within the city where our Lord was crucified, As such they are the symbols of all the supporting lies and self-righteous false doctrines with which we have withstood the fiery testimony of our Lord’s two witnesses.

8) We see the Lord’s witnesses as dead bodies, because we are in rebellion to our Lord’s commandments to love and forgive our enemies, and we certainly consider these two men to be our enemies, so we are gloating over their dead bodies and their inability to save us from ourselves.

9) “Three days and an half, and do not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves.” Again, whether it is days or years or months, the time we spend rejecting the testimony of the two witnesses and the time we spend as the two witnesses are both “three and a half” which are both required to birth and to complete our new man. Whether it is expressed as three and one half days or one thousand two hundred and sixty days, both are in the same chapter, speaking of the same experience, and as Joseph told the Pharaoh, concerning Pharaoh’s two separate dreams concerning the cows and the corn, “the dream is one”. In this case ‘the time is one’, and that one time is the same time in which we kill the Lord’s witnesses before we are considered to be dead by those whom we witness to, in that city where our Lord was crucified. The two ‘three and a halves” sum up the time that is required to complete our new man.

10) “They… shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another” all because of the death of Christ’s two witnesses. This is us as we celebrate the fact that these witnesses of Christ, who have been tormenting us with the words of God, are now having no effect in the streets of our great city where also we are unwittingly crucifying our Lord.

1Co 2:8  Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

11) But after three and one half days, God’s witnesses are raised from their state of death. Only after we have given ourselves over to the desires of our flesh and have denied our Lord with an oath, and have done so three times, are we granted repentance, and we go out and weep bitterly. Just as the flesh seems to have won it all and the voice within us has been silenced, we are raised up from among the walking dead…

12) … Causing great fear to fall on those who see us. Yes, we have been “crucified with Christ, nevertheless we are now alive, and living by the faith of Christ”. Our new life causes all who know us to fear, just as all the “people and kindreds and tongues and nations” within us, fear the day of their demise and the waning of their influence in our hearts and minds.

13) At this point the two witnesses hear a voice from heaven telling them to “Come up here”, and so they…

14) …”ascend up to heaven in a cloud”, and their enemies see that they have done so.

15) It is at this point, when we are “seated with [Christ] in our heavens” (Eph 2:6) that there is a great earthquake, and the kingdoms of this world are shaken, as we are delivered from the dominion of sin in our lives (Rom 6:14) and as this entire event begins to be repeated again “in the oncoming ages” (Eph 2:6).

16) “A tenth part of the city falls” signifies the death of all that appeals to our flesh, signified by the number ‘10’. The fall of that great city is within us “where also our Lord was crucified” by our own hands.

17) Seven thousand men are killed in that earthquake, and the rest are frightened, and give glory to the God of heaven. ‘Seven’ is the completion of the process of the destruction of the great city within where our Lord and all saints are killed and crucified. The remnant give glory to the God of heaven because the fall of this city is the birth of “Christ in you… and having this treasure in earthen vessels”. “Our Lord and His Christ” are signified by “the remnant [who] give glory to the God of heaven”.

In our next study, if the Lord wills, we will be informed of the days when the seventh angel shall begin to sound, and we will see that this seventh angel is simply the filling up of the wrath of God that has been being displayed by all the evil angels which have already been sent to us through the seals and trumpets that have been the subject of this book to this point.

Rev 10:7  But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets.

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.
Rev 11:19  And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail.

The Book of Amos – Introduction – Chapter 1:1

“So mighty an earthquake and so great such as was not since men were upon the earth” – Rev 16:1

[Study Aired October 26^th 24]

The term “Minor Prophets” refers to the length of each Prophet’s prophecy and not to the importance of their divinely inspired messages. The spirit-led visions of all twelve prophets are approximately in chronological order, and they all speak to the Elect of God about the profound spiritual plan for the recreation of humanity. This glorifies God by our revelation that we, by his choosing, can perceive things spiritually, a truly enlightening, fearful, yet gloriously received earthquake-like revelation.

Luk 8:10  And he said, Unto you [Christ’s chosen Elect since the Cross] it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to others [The masses, the world of Gog and Magog numbered as the sand of the sea] in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand.

1Pe 1:10  Of which salvation the prophets [Before the holy spirit came to inspire interpretation of the same spirit] 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 [The prophets before the Cross], but unto us [those with Christ’s spirit] 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 [Every person drawn to seek Christ and most not given to see and hear] desire to look into. 

The Elect of God, endowed with the spiritual understanding of Christ’s word, gazes in awe at both historical and future aspects of scripture. Inwardly they agonise how close, yet so far, their fellow Prophets of the Old Covenant were in their understanding that God Himself must come—unbeknownst to them—in the form of Jesus, who became the Christ. This divine intervention was necessary to recreate humanity in perfection, as God is perfect. The consistent intractability of the Lord’s own people, Old Israel, serves as a clear reflection of our decreasing struggles, illustrating that humanity is incorrigibly corrupt at every level and incapable of adhering to the Lord’s Commandments. That understanding had no greater impact on anyone more than the Minor Prophets, whose righteous spirit is paralleled by Elihu’s pent-up expression upholding his God-given righteous discharge; he says, “My belly is as wine which hath no vent; it is ready to burst like new bottles” – Job 32:19. That is how we see the Minor Prophet’s frustrating desire to understand that something far superior to the flesh’s ability to keep God’s Laws must eventuate for man to be at peace with himself being one with God. Consequently, their blackened understanding was equal to Solomon’s tortured quest in the Son 1:5-6 to understand the Shulamite, and consequently feeling like wine fermenting in new bottles that won’t burst forth understanding, but, if uncorked, would fountain such a volume of questions and hopeful truth, that it would be impossible (as it is) to recork their righteous ‘issue’ (H2231 – seminal discharge. From H2230 – 1. rain-shower, thunderstorm, flood of rain, downpour, rain-storm). The powerful parallel of that uncontainable understanding is what the Shulamite in The Song of Solomon portrayed in spirit. Solomon’s God-inspired design of Christ’s Bride soundly crushed Eve’s curse. She alone is given to ravish him, knowing he will ‘vent’ (Job 32:19) her Husband’s ‘wine’ of understanding that Christ understatedly “desired” to lavish in that day with her, his Wife – She ecstatically knew that she had been given the pearl of great price. She would similarly bring forth his fruitful and righteous’ issue’ in her for her enduring understanding, and that is why her first utterance in the SoS is, “Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth: for thy love is better than wine”! – Son 1:2.

At this point in studying the remaining Books of those Prophets, if you have read any one of the already presented studies of Hosea, Joel, Obadiah, Micah, Zechariah and Malachi, you should have a good understanding of the very same expressed outward destruction of our ‘old man’ for his transition to the New Man in Christ. Each hand-chosen Prophet of God, typically by nature, ministers his unique style of portraying Israel’s inevitable exile with uniquely striking gems of understanding for our spiritual enlightenment, and this is what is hoped to be extracted from our study in Amos. Nonetheless, I somewhat agonise over repetition, and as oxymoronic as it sounds, I shall try not to reiterate verbatim the same verses, yet I find it impossible as obviously the spirit inspired all twelve Prophets in his style, likewise to repeat closely the same message. And already, in repeating the verses above, I am gladly guilty. Why? Through repetition and incrementally, we drive out of our land the spirit of our first father, Satan (John 8:43-45), in transition to the New Man in Christ and order of headship in the Father.

Mat 23:9  And call no man your father upon the earth [for his apparent perfection in truth]: for one is your Father, which is in heaven.
Mat 23:10  Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ.

No AOL (Absent Without Leave), a third entity called the holy spirit – just two witnesses in Christ and his Father, and his Bride becoming the third, ironically as ‘one’ – 2Cor 13:1 … ‘In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established’.

Exo 23:29  I will not drive them [The “giants”, our traditional and unwittingly deluded doctrines] out from before thee in one year; lest the land [You and I] become desolate, and the beast of the field [Our family, friends we are leaving behind in Babylonian Christianity gnashing their teeth upon us] multiply against thee.
Exo 23:30  By little and little I will drive them [Their/our false doctrines] out from before thee, until thou be increased, and inherit the land [Christ, spiritually within]. 

Amos is a Prophet who, colloquially speaking, ‘calls a spade a spade’ (for non-English familiarity), meaning to expose a matter starkly as is. One such example Mike (Vincent) loves and we equally are entranced for its hiding in plain sight is, “Shall a trumpet be blown in the city, and the people not be afraid? shall there be evil in a city, and the LORD hath not done it?” – Amos 3:6. But, oh no, our former Babylonian selves would have said, “God allows evil!” ~ unwitting that statement saying God allows evil covertly says that he directly facilitates evil by his perfectly designed deceiving servant, Satan.

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 [Hebrew: ra]: I the LORD do all these things.

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.

Evil Hebrew 7451: Ra`

– Phonetic: rah

– Definition: adj
bad, evil
bad, disagreeable, malignant
bad, unpleasant, evil (giving pain, unhappiness, misery)
evil, displeasing
bad (of its kind – land, water, etc) ].

Amos was a shepherd and sycamore fig farmer from Tekoa, a village about ten miles south of Jerusalem. Hence, he was inspired by the Lord to connect Israel’s waywardness to the rich spiritual significance of fruit and sheep (Amos 8:1-2).

Amo 7:14  Then answered Amos, and said to Amaziah, I was no prophet, neither was I a prophet’s son; but I was an herdman, and a gatherer of sycomore fruit:
Amo 7:15  And the LORD took me as I followed the flock, and the LORD said unto me, Go, prophesy unto my people Israel.

Amos’ writings, as do all the Lord’s righteous prophets, emphasise his separation from the traditions of men the Israelites erotically preferred (representing ecstatic spiritual understanding) from their neighbouring tribes to juxtapose that God despises idolatry. As a regular layman, a shepherd (Herdsmen were traditionally despised as uncouth and illiterate) and orchardist and, therefore on the social ladder, a relative nobody, Amos, as do all the Prophets, fiercely expresses God’s message without concern for nationalised opinion. As with most other Prophets, he typically concludes his prophecies for greater Israel and the gentile world with immense hope. Yet, for the future Elect of God and they alone by God’s choosing, the realisation of receiving unspeakable honour and glory as Christ’s Bride.

The powerful theme of all eight chapters in The Book of Amos points to a unique and incredibly violent one-of-a-kind end-time “earthquake” that will be inflicted on every man since Adam. While there have been and will be many smaller earthquakes, both physical and spiritual, within the soul of mankind, the major impact from the earthquake of Christ’s return, as massive as it will be, will somewhat diminish over time; nonetheless, those under the rule of the Rod of Iron during the Thousand Year Reign will experience a dreadful foreboding and uncertainty about their future. Of course, Satan’s release from prison towards the end of that rule will embolden mankind to, once again, challenge God for his throne. Upon everyone’s inevitable death for such an enduring and audacious act, they will arise in the Resurrection to Judgement and then be impacted by that earthquake Amos speaks, superseding all earthquakes! Consequently, we will be studying only the first verse of the Book of Amos since it unfathomably introduces the final catalytic earthquake of Revelations 16:18, the ‘daddy’ of all earthquakes.

Significations of Amos Verse One

Amo 1:1  The words of Amos, who was among the herdmen of Tekoa, which he saw concerning Israel in the days of Uzziah king of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash king of Israel, two years before the earthquake.

Wow! In that first verse, right out of the proverbial sheep-yard gate, a flood of exciting connecting inspirations flows like sheep inherently and highly amusingly skip through an open gate as if there is something only they see to leap over ~ as does the Bride! Once a large flock of sheep see a chance to get out through an open gate or hole in a fence, even sheepdogs are hard-pressed to stop the ‘flood’. (A very small flock of sheep intriguingly leaping link: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/wk9B8RGXDjw)

First things first, with the verse’s relatively unfamiliar name meanings, Amos, H5986 means,

`Amowc

– Phonetic: aw-moce’

– Definition: Amos = burden
a prophet of the Lord who prophesied in the northern kingdom; native of Tekoa in Judah near Bethlehem and a shepherd by trade; author of the prophetic book by his name.

From H6006:   1. to load, carry, carry a load a. (Qal) 1. to load 2. to carry a load b. (Hiphil) to lay a load on.

 

Tekoa H8620 means,

Phonetic: tek-o’-ah

– Definition: Tekoa or Tekoah = a stockade n pr m
a Judaite, son of Ashur and grandson of Hezron n pr loc
a town in the hill country of Judah near Hebron built by King Rehoboam of Judah, birthplace of Amos
a wilderness area where King Jehoshaphat of Judah defeated the people of Moab, Ammon, and Mount Seir.

The Lord’s inspiration of holy scripture is often minimalistic in the expression of his word to paradoxically hide it from Babylonian enemies of the Cross. And so, he didn’t haphazardly inject a seeming inconsequential remark that Amos’s prophesies happened “two years before the earthquake“. Thus, the expression “the earthquake” evokes a dreadfully significant spiritual event. Outwardly, according to historical and today’s scientific evidence, that earthquake was uncommonly memorable! It is easy to do your own and more extensive research, and the following link has extracted accounts from the Armstrong Institute of Biblical Archaeology – https://armstronginstitute.org/319-amoss-earthquake-a-mountain-of-evidence

“Amos is one of the earliest prophets in the Bible to have a book named after him. Any direct evidence of the man himself is elusive (as with most biblical prophets, and understandably so). But as for what has become known as “Amos’s earthquake”? There are, quite literally, piles of evidence that show why such an event lived in infamy—under the name “the earthquake.”

As Dr. Steven Austin writes regarding Tel Gezer’s outer city wall: “[H]ewn stones weighing tons [were] cracked and displaced several inches off their foundation. The lower part of the wall was displaced outward (away from the city), whereas the upper part of the wall fell inward (toward the city) still lying course-on-course. This indicates that the wall collapsed suddenly.”

So great is the amount of evidence spread throughout the Levant, in fact, that scientists have determined that the epicentre was likely in Lebanon and that its strength was probably around a magnitude 8.2 (at very least a 7.8), with a Modified Mercalli intensity in Israel of 9. Dr. Steven Austin continues: “[This event] appears to be the largest yet documented on the Dead Sea Transform fault zone during the last four millennia. The Dead Sea Transform fault likely ruptured along more than 400 kilometres as the ground shook violently for over 90 seconds! The urban panic created by this earthquake would have been legendary.

According to biblical chronology, this quake happened sometime during the first half of the eighth-century b.c.e. Amos 1:1 and Zechariah 14:5 reveal that it took place during the reigns of Jeroboam ii of Israel and Uzziah of Judah—two kings whose reigns overlapped for a narrow 14-year window (Jeroboam the earlier king, and Uzziah the latter; 2 Kings 15:1). Furthermore, the historian Josephus writes that the earthquake happened at the time that Uzziah became a leper, further constricting the time frame to the very end of that 14-year period (2 Chronicles 26). Thus, depending on the chronology, the earthquake must have occurred during the 770s or 760s b.c.e., at the end of Jeroboam’s reign.

Besides the first verse of Amos (and several other references throughout his book relating to earthquake-like destruction), the Prophet Zechariah mentions the event in Zechariah 14:5: “Yea, ye shall flee, like as ye fled from before the earthquake In the days of Uzziah, king of Judah ….”

The fact that Zechariah was a second temple prophet, writing some 250 years after the event, speaks to the magnitude and infamy to which it was held. Here [in the article, and for your further reading], he compares the earthquake to a prophesied end-time event prior to the coming of the Messiah.” [End of extract from Armstrong Institute of Biblical Archaeology]

Richter Earthquake Magnitude

0.2 Not felt by people. Small.

2-3 Felt a little by people.

3-4 Ceiling lights swing.

4-5 Walls crack. Moderate.

5-6 Furniture moves.

6-7 Some buildings collapse. Major.

7-8 Many buildings were destroyed.

8 + A total destruction of buildings, bridges and roads. Very Severe. Every 100 years.

9 Very Severe. Every 300 years.

10 Super. Rarely. Every 1,000 years.

Each increase of one unit also represents the release of about 31 times more energy than that represented by the previous whole number on the scale. (That is, an earthquake measuring 5.0 releases 31 times more energy than an earthquake measuring 4.0.) In theory, the Richter scale has no upper limit, but in practice, no earthquake has ever been registered on the scale above magnitude 8.6. (That was the Richter magnitude for the Chile earthquake of 1960. The moment magnitude for this event was measured at 9.5.).

Increasingly, particularly in Old Covenant times, tribes and the known world fanatically guarded their idols with spooky devotion of appeasement just in case ill winds blew misfortune upon them for upsetting the gods (1Cor 8:5-6. Acts 19. Acts 17:23-31). Typically, the earthquake Amos speaks of must have generated tremendous fear in Israel for her growing number of ‘many gods’ wrath. “The earthquake” is indicative first of the end of Israel’s physical domination of the legendary Promised Land and secondarily yet primarily, most fiercely soon, hopefully in this age, upon Jews who say that they are Jews and are not inclusive of the entire world representing ‘The Great Whore’ of Revelations. That spiritual earthquake is a ‘one event to all mankind’ in his own time and order of calling that violently shakes them out of their beastly self-righteousness of presenting themselves as ‘god’.

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.

2Th 2:1  Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our [the Bride alone!] gathering together unto him,
2Th 2:2  [Paradoxically – ] That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.
2Th 2:3  Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
2Th 2:4  Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. 

It is the Lord’s own people chosen to go ahead of the world who are first shaken by that spiritual “so mighty an earthquake such as was not since men were upon the earth” (Rev 16:18). It is we, just like ancient Judah, the Priests of God, who have done a greater evil in the world by not diligently keeping all our Lord’s Commandments. Therefore, because we act no differently than the nations around us, we, too, must suffer His wrath and be judged as the heathen are judged.

The outward coming of Christ will be a massive ‘earthquake’ to a Christless world that will be superseded by the “earthquake” of Amos 1:1, representing a far greater spiritual earthquake in the Lake of Fire. Its shockwave will reverberate around the world until all people acknowledge their sins and that the Father is the God of gods in order of Christ and ‘his Christs‘ preceding humanity (Joh 10:34-3-36), becoming like and as numerous as the stars of heaven. It will be an earthquake that will split the spiritually deluded ‘rocks’ within every man since Adam.

The greatest thermonuclear device ever detonated was the Tsar Bomb from Russia, which detonated in 1961 on Severny Island in the Arctic Circle. Its shock wave, registered on the Richter scale as 5-5.25, travelled three times around the world, with each wave overlapping in reverse upon each circumnavigation. Compare Amos’s and all of those earthquake shock registrations with the earthquake-like revelation of the Elects and, following, the world’s understanding in Rev 16:18.

Rev 16:17  And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air [our spiritual understanding!]; and there came a great voice out of the Temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done. 
Rev 16:18  And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great. 
Rev 16:19  And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath.
Rev 16:20  And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found.
Rev 16:21  And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great.

(A refreshing of the first verse in Amo 1:1)

The words of Amos, who was among the herdmen of Tekoa, which he saw concerning Israel in the days of Uzziah king of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash king of Israel, two years before the earthquake.

Hence, the phenomenally profound and hidden implications of Amos’s prophesy are indeed a “burden” (H5986) to his ‘natural’ understanding of ‘the earthquake’, first by condemning the world represented as Israel’s neighbours, who, with their similarity of idol worship, ironically, Israel, is directly aligned. Typically, the world doesn’t have any interest in a prophecy coming from that most vexatious nation, Old Israel (Rev 11:10), particularly from a despised herdsman among his fellow ‘herdsmen’, the other Minor Prophets. That dismissive mindset of Israel reminds us of the forty-two children (symbolising our former immaturity) mocking the Prophet Elisha of his commission to go up and prophase to Bethel and dying a terrifying death by two she bears (2Ki 2) for dishonouring the symbolic Elect of God’s witness.

The world, represented by Egypt, Sodom and Old Jerusalem, all symbolised as the coming exile to Babylon, is the “stockade” – H8620 sheep pen; ‘voice of an instrument’, (in this case, the voice of Amos), and is another ‘sheep pen’ of Israel, meaning gentiles and Gentile Christians outside the ‘Camp’ of the primary sheep pen represented physically as Israel. Since the Cross, Old Israel and Babylonian Christianity are one and the same, unwittingly endowed with the Lord’s indictment of being Jews who say that they are Jews and are not, still rejecting Christ and irritating the world by her self-righteous supremacy more outrageously to this very day! For the spiritual Elect of God, that is a beautiful earthquake of understanding of their former selves and draws vindictive hatred from family, friends and, in coming years, no doubt more intensely from the world for claiming to be Christ’s Christs.

Joh 15:18  If the world [Christians, and outward Jews who unwittingly say that they are spiritual Jews, and are not] hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.
Joh 15:19  If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. 

There are two primary ‘sheep pens’: two women who represent churches: Old Jerusalem, which still answers to Mt. Sinai, and the New Heavenly Jerusalem, above. Of course, there are many ‘sheep’ in different sheep pens of all ethnicities and spiritually different languages, all controlled by the god of this world.

Gal 4:21  Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law?
Gal 4:22  For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman.
Gal 4:23  But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise.
Gal 4:24  Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar.
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.

As much as the Jews who say that they are spiritual Jews and are not but hate Christ, our Lord is in the process of bringing them and all into salvation; hence, he says that he has sheep who “are not of this fold”, meaning not in the sheep pen of the Elect of God.

Joh 10:15  As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.
Joh 10:16  And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd. 
Joh 10:17  Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.
Joh 10:18  No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.
Joh 10:19  There was a division therefore again among the Jews for these sayings.
Joh 10:20  And many of them said, He hath a devil, and is mad; why hear ye him?
Joh 10:21  Others said, These are not the words of him that hath a devil. Can a devil open the eyes of the blind?

Next in line for the coming earthquake-like fear is Judah, represented by righteous King Uzziah acting as Israel’s imaginary strength in Jehovah (H5818 – Uzziah = my strength is Jehovah) and spiritually on behalf of the Lord’s Elect today. They, the much later spirit-led Priests of God, his very Elect, finally understand the meaning of Rev 16:18, the most alarming earthquake the world, beginning with them, the few will ever experience (preceding the majority in the Lake of Fire), and never again!

Gideon’s vastly reduced army from 30,000 men chosen to fight a 132,000-strong Midianite army; Gideon stripped down to 10,000, and the Lord still further to 300 men, representing a mere one per cent for the Lord’s very Elect who fought and are today still fighting the greatest spiritual battle the world will ever historically see! (Jdg 6:11-15. 7:1-8).

The number 3, or 300 in Gideon’s army, represents the process of spiritual progression for the completion of judgment upon our old man.

Isa 40:26  Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who hath created these things, that bringeth out their host by number: he calleth them all by names (written in the Lamb’s book of life) by the greatness of his might, for that he is strong in power; not one faileth.

Rev 7:4  And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel.

These 144,000 are “redeemed from the earth” and are “the first fruits unto God and to the Lamb”. These are what Paul calls “those who first trusted in Christ” (Eph 1:12) and have been “blessed with all spiritual blessings in the heavens” (Eph 1:3).

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. 

Notice that the very Elect,  chosen to be the Bride, can be numbered (figuratively, as if God can’t number). The greater number leaving behind the ‘few’ are represented by those men in Gideon’s army, the 99% that the Lord said to send home from the coming fight with Midian. These returning home are characterised as Babylonian Christianity, Gog and Magog, the world, and, sadly, some of the Elect of God, the yielding sons of perdition not given to endure to the end their fiery chastisements. The remaining 1% are the very Elect of God, his Bride gloriously receiving His kisses better than wine.

Joh 17:12  While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled.

Furthermore, the “two years” in Amos 1:1 represent the two witnesses, the ‘one per cent’, and the 300 men combining the Bride of Christ, who, at her Lord’s hand, precedes the thunderous orchestration of “the earthquake.” Jeroboam (H3379) means the people will contend, and that is precisely what Babylon has been unconsciously doing against the Lord’s symbolic Elect since Israel went into exile and to his very Elect since the cross.

Summary

Rev 16:17  And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done. 
Rev 16:18  And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great.
Rev 16:19  And the great city [Old Jerusalem within, Babylon the Great, the Great Whore, the Beast sitting on the throne of God stating that he IS god] was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath. 
Rev 16:20  And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found [every lying doctrine was ground to powder].
Rev 16:21  And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great.

Hail washes away the refuge of lies.

Isa 28:17  Judgment also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet: and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place.

When the Lord said that he’d do a ‘quick work upon the earth’, relatively speaking, he has, beginning with his very Elect. That massive “earthquake” Amos speaks of points to the greater earthquake that no man has experienced or will ever experience again in Rev 16:18.

That “Earthquake” of Rev 16:18 is the Lord giving his Elect eyes that see and ears that hear his word and being given Christ’s faith and belief that utterly turns on its head every one of the 200,000,000 doctrinal lies of Babylon! Figuratively twice as big as the Tzar thermonuclear bomb, it is Amos’ primary theme that our subsequent studies will introduce Christ’s reverberating shock waves back and forth across our spiritual world every time we receive a gold nugget of truth!

Locusts spiritually signify the lies and false doctrines of Babylon in our heavens (mind), that for a time completely cover the earth and blot out all the true light (Exo 10:15). Below is a partial description from Revelation 9 that links these locusts to the father of all lies as Isaiah 9:15 (the false prophet being the tail) confirms. Rev 9:10 And they had tails like unto scorpions, and there were stings in their tails: and their power was to hurt men five months.

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.
Rev 9:3  And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power.
Rev 9:4  And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads.
Rev 9:5  And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man.
Rev 9:6  And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them
Rev 9:7  And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared unto battle; and on their heads were as it were crowns like gold, and their faces were as the faces of men.
Rev 9:8  And they had hair as the hair of women, and their teeth were as the teeth of lions.
Rev 9:9  And they had breastplates, as it were breastplates of iron; and the sound of their wings was as the sound of chariots of many horses running to battle.
Rev 9:10  And they had tails like unto scorpions, and there were stings in their tails: and their power was to hurt men five months.
Rev 9:11  And they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon.

By their very name, grasshoppers are linked to the earth and the flesh (Isa 40:6 – all flesh is grass) and speak to the secret or hidden sins that arise with our continued unbelief. Our failure to overcome these sins leads us to doubt the Word and lean on our understanding above Christ’s. The word for ‘grasshopper’ in Amos 7:1 is “gob” which is Strong’s number H1462, which is found in only one other verse. “Thy crowned are as the locusts, and thy captains as the great [H1462 grasshoppers H1462], which camp in the hedges in the cold day, but when the sun [Christ and his Christs] ariseth they flee away, and their place is not known where they are” – Nah 3:17.

Num 13:33  And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers [H2284 – locust, grasshopper], and so we were in their sight. 

For the Lord’s Elect who are not given to endure to the end of their chastisements, understanding the “Keys to the Kingdom of Heaven” is that massive and reverberating “Earthquake” that Amos and Rev 16:18 speak, there remains an even greater earthquake, yet, is the same earthquake now fully believed and understood, one of not being clothed in a wedding garment at Christ’s wedding reception.

Mat 22:11  And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment:
Mat 22:12  And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless. 
Mat 22:13  Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Mat 22:14  For many are called, but few are chosen. 

For those yet to fully understand the ‘earthquake’ of Amos and Rev 16:18, the following is a link detailing the primary magnitude Richter scale’s ten spiritual daddy of all ‘earthquakes’, titled “ESSENTIAL READING”; that term understates the sheer magnitude of “the earthquake” for those able to receive it:

https://www.iswasandwillbe.com/essential-reading/

We thank God for first giving us to learn to tremble and shake most gloriously for his “Earthquake” of understanding, being made perfect as Christ is perfect through fiery trials.

Herein, this first verse of Amos 1 is the foundation for the remaining nine chapters of ‘earthquake’-like understanding alone, for the Elect of God.

The Book of Joel – Chapter 2:1-11,  Part 1 – The Day of the Lord

“Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD” –  Mal 4:5

[Study Aired July 27^{th 20}24]

The Day of the Lord

Joe 2:1  Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the LORD cometh, for it is nigh at hand; 
Joe 2:2  A day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains: a great people and a strong; there hath not been ever the like, neither shall be any more after it, even to the years of many generations. 
Joe 2:3  A fire devoureth before them; and behind them a flame burneth: the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them. 
Joe 2:4  The appearance of them is as the appearance of horses; and as horsemen, so shall they run. 
Joe 2:5  Like the noise of chariots on the tops of mountains shall they leap, like the noise of a flame of fire that devoureth the stubble, as a strong people set in battle array. 
Joe 2:6  Before their face the people shall be much pained: all faces shall gather blackness. 
Joe 2:7  They shall run like mighty men; they shall climb the wall like men of war; and they shall march every one on his ways, and they shall not break their ranks: 
Joe 2:8  Neither shall one thrust another; they shall walk every one in his path: and when they fall upon the sword, they shall not be wounded. 
Joe 2:9  They shall run to and fro in the city; they shall run upon the wall, they shall climb up upon the houses; they shall enter in at the windows like a thief. 
Joe 2:10  The earth shall quake before them; the heavens shall tremble: the sun and the moon shall be dark, and the stars shall withdraw their shining: 
Joe 2:11  And the LORD shall utter his voice before his army: for his camp is very great: for he is strong that executeth his word: for the day of the LORD is great and very terrible; and who can abide it? 

Introduction

The sequential step from “Repentance” studied in last week’s Chapter One of Joel is in rigid lockstep with the dreadfully enigmatic “The Day of the Lord”, the revelation of Jesus Christ signified in Revelations. For our former Babylonian selves, the obscure meaning of that term remained fearfully unsolved, regardless of our masking joyfulness with endless affirmations that “Jesus loves us” as we choked down the glazed death rings (doughnuts) and drank the awful coffee.

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. 

For the Berean student of Christ (Acts 17:10-15), and as far as joyfully receiving repetitive verses go, the following one in Matt 13 holds the key, yet it is equally baffling to the Babylonian mind. Even though Matt 13:10-17 was referring to the parable of the sower, Jesus’ answer to his Elect, primarily represented as the Apostles, though not solely named as such, ‘is, was, and will be‘ an ‘earth’ shattering realisation that it is only a very, very limited few who will be given to understand The Mysteries of the Kingdom of God. It is they, alone, who in this age since the cross, and stealthy hidden in Gideon’s physical account, are given to go and fight the spiritual enemies within themselves as individual joints constituting the Bride of Christ.

Mat 13:10  And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables? 
Mat 13:11  He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.
Mat 13:12  For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.
Mat 13:13  Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. 
Mat 13:14  And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias [Jehovah’s help], which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive:
Mat 13:15  For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. 
Mat 13:16  But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.
Mat 13:17  For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.

Jdg 7:2  And the LORD said unto Gideon, The people that are with thee are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me. 

Gideon’s army (Jdg 7:18) is severely stripped from 32,000 to 300 men to fight the relatively massive Midianite army. In this case, the number 3 (3 x 100) carrying trumpets and lamps represents the progression of the Lord’s Elect, who see by the light of Christ’s spiritual word, the enemy in the dark and gloomy night approaching within and blow the war trumpet alarm to fight the giant enemies by Christ’s power and might, not by their strength.

Jdg 7:7  And the LORD said unto Gideon, By the three hundred men that lapped [like dogs, signifying faithful devotion] will I save you, and deliver the Midianites into thine hand: and let all the other people go every man unto his place [home, effectively back to symbolic Babylon].

Isa 58:1  Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins.

This prelude brings us to the incredibly exciting understanding of “The Day of the Lord.”

Heb 3:15  As it has been said: “Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts, as you did in the rebellion.”
Heb 3:16  For who were the ones who heard and rebelled? Were they not all those Moses led out of Egypt?
Heb 3:17  And with whom was God [their Husband] angry [symbolically “bitter” – Col 3:19] for forty years? [because they couldn’t understand that He needed Shulamite-like kisses of espousal devotedness – Son 1:2] Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness?
Heb 3:18  And to whom did He swear that they would never enter His rest? Was it not to those who disobeyed?
Heb 3:19  So we see that it was because of their unbelief that they were unable to enter.

Significations:

The first verse of today’s Study in Joel, Chapter Two, describes our formally fearful anticipation of “The Day of the Lord” in him being our enemy! In ancient Israel, an enemy was announced by blowing a trumpet. Today, after the cross, it is represented by Christ’s spiritual message to all to whom he has given ears to hear the trumpet and eyes to see the enemy and to spiritually divide the truth. It is the day of judgement first, “nigh at hand” for the Bride of Christ while she is in the flesh and for the remainder of the world represented as Gog and Magog, their ‘day of the Lord’ as unrefined spirit beings in the Resurrection to Judgement, the Lake of Fire.

Rev 8:12  And the fourth angel sounded, and the third part of the sun was smitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars; so as the third part of them was darkened, and the day shone not for a third part of it, and the night likewise.
Rev 8:13  And I beheld, and heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabiters of the earth [Gog and Magog as numerous as the stars of heaven] by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels, which are yet to sound!

Joe 2:1  Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the LORD cometh, for it is nigh at hand;

Christ’s Bride is the heavenly New Jerusalem above, who inherits Christ, him being “the holy mountain”; they, now in marriage, are unified as one ‘holy mountain’.

Isa 57:12  I will declare thy righteousness, and thy works; for they shall not profit thee.
Isa 57:13  When thou criest, let thy companies deliver thee; but the wind shall carry them all away; vanity shall take them: but he that putteth his trust in me shall possess the land, and shall inherit my holy mountain; 

Zec 8:3  Thus saith the LORD; I am returned unto Zion, and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and [New] Jerusalem shall be called a city of truth; and the mountain of the LORD of hosts the holy mountain. 

Our Lord’s holy mountain is established by much violence in our earth as Michael and his angels, meaning Christ, fight our battles within since Christ’s strength is made manifest in the ‘weaker vessel’ (1 Pet 3:7), the Woman, the Bride of Christ we hope and pray to be.

Mat 10:34  Think not that I [Christ] am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. 
Mat 10:35  For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.
Mat 10:36  And a man’s foes shall be they of his own household.

Eze 33:2  Son of man, speak to the children [The Bride of Christ] of thy people, and say unto them, When I bring the sword upon a land [you and I], if the people of the land take a man of their coasts, and set him for their watchman:
Eze 33:3  If when he  [you and I] seeth the sword come upon the land [our spirit; our conscience], he blow the trumpet, and warn the people [Primarily, first judge yourself before you are capable of warning others, but not limited to your hypocritical self – 1 Cor 11:30];
Eze 33:4  Then whosoever heareth the sound of the trumpet, and taketh not warning; if the sword [God’s word] come, and take him away, his blood shall be upon his own head. 
Eze 33:5  He heard the sound of the trumpet, and took not warning; his blood shall be upon him. But he that taketh warning shall deliver his soul.
Eze 33:6  But if the watchman see the sword come, and blow not the trumpet, and the people be not warned; if the sword come, and take any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at the watchman’s hand. 
Eze 33:7  So thou, O son of man, I have set thee a watchman unto the house of Israel; therefore thou shalt hear the word at my mouth, and warn them from me.

In the Gideon scriptures mentioned above, he represents Christ, and his 300 men are the selected Elect, having come out of the 32,000 men of Israel representing the world, fleeing Egypt and, later, Babylon, similarly and all spiritually representing Assyria, Sodom and Old Jerusalem. With three aspects of lust written in their hearts, they are the Lord’s selected faithful Elect, all remaining subject to (1) the lust of the eyes, (2) the lust of the flesh, and (3) the pride of life. This symbolises the progression (Number 3) of the Bride of Christ and the forgiveness of her lofty sins (pride) by her Lord’s faith and spirit.

Rev 11:8 And their [the joints of the Bride] dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city [Old Jerusalem, the disappearing Whore within each of us], which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where [Spiritually today if you hear his voice] also our Lord was crucified.

1Jn 2:16  For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
1Jn 2:17  And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he [the Bride alone since the cross] that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

Isa 2:12  For the day of the LORD of hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty, and upon every one that is lifted up; and he shall be brought low:

Isa 13:4  The noise of a multitude in the mountains, [Babylon within and the world] like as of a great people; a tumultuous noise of the kingdoms of nations gathered together: the LORD of hosts mustereth the host of the battle [within the incipient Bride’s.
Isa 13:5  They come from a far country, from the end of heaven, even the LORD, and the weapons of his indignation, to destroy the whole land [of the Elect of God]. 
Isa 13:6  Howl ye; for the day of the LORD is at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty. 

To the anxious Babylonian who unknowingly believes in “another Jesus” (2 Cor 11:4), ‘the day of the Lord’ is seen as one event of the outward return of Christ being witless of the obscure inference of a Second Resurrection, meaning, the Resurrection to Judgement. Even though he erroneously believes that Jesus loves him as he is, a certain doubt dogs his conscience because of verses such as Joel 2:2, and he dismisses it as a terrifying day for some other far worse sinner. Unwittingly for him, that day is the return of Christ, not for him, but for the Lord’s “little flock” Elect.

Rom 10:9  That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

Rom 10:13  For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved [in one of the two resurrections]

Of course, ALL Christians confess their sins and call upon Christ’s name, not knowing that they worship “another Jesus” (2 Cor 11:4) since they insist upon eating and drinking their own doctrinal bread and water.

Joh 5:28  Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves [from Adam to the end of the One Thousand Year reign] shall hear his voice, 
Joh 5:29  And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life [the First Resurrection]; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation [G2920 – meaning “judgement”, the Resurrection to Judgement resulting in salvation].

As former Babylonian Christians, verse 13 was all we needed to understand, as it speaks plainly, yet we did not grasp the meaning of “grace” in the following verse, which represents chastisement.

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 [and not after the other Jesus’ doctrine modelled in our image]. 

Grace is God’s “gracious love and favour.” But what does grace do for us? Well, when we sin, grace does much more abound with God’s loving Fatherly chastening and scourging until we are brought to see that it feels so good when we finally quit banging our heads against the wall of “turning grace into lasciviousness.” As formally did we, lasciviousness is precisely what our Babylonian brothers and sisters do. They think that they are solely saved by Christ’s work on the cross and that they don’t have to do anything because “Christ died for us, so we don’t have to die”! THAT IS LASCIVIOUSNESS – colloquially expressed as greasy grace.

Rom 5:20 Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, [scourging, chastening, rebuking] grace did much more abound.

Heb 12:5  And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him:
Heb 12:6  For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.
Heb 12:7  If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?
Heb 12:8  But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.

Tit 2:11 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,
Tit 2:12 Teaching [G3811 – Paideuo- Phonetic: pahee-dyoo’-o – Definition: 1. to train children a. to be instructed or taught or learn b. to cause one to learn 2. to chastise a. to chastise or castigate with words, to correct] us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;

Apart from the Bride of Christ, the entirety of mankind ever to exist, having unwittingly cast themselves as royalty and been thrown into the Lake of Fire, will most torturously, yet temporarily, while ‘chastising grace’ works its utterly devouring work, will assuredly give God the glory for its molten re-casting them as God’s fine gold.

Lam 4:1  How is the gold become dim! how is the most fine gold changed! the stones of the sanctuary are poured out in the top of every street.
Lam 4:2  The precious sons of Zion, comparable to fine gold, how are they esteemed as earthen pitchers, the work of the hands of the potter! 

Zec 9:3  And Tyrus did build herself a strong hold, and heaped up silver as the dust, and fine gold as the mire of the streets [Having cast her own righteousness]. 
Zec 9:4  Behold, the Lord will cast her out, and he will smite her power in the sea; and she shall be devoured with fire

Rev 18:16  And saying, Alas, alas, that great city [Ephriam, Israel, Old Jerusalem, Egypt, Sodom & Babylon – The Great Whore; you and I], that was clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls!
Rev 18:17  For in one hour so great riches is come to nought. And every shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off,
Rev 18:18  And cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What city is like unto this great city!

The Elect of God today, the Bride of Christ, has had her day of gloominess and thick darkness and is now joyfully receiving the ‘gloomy foreboding’ chastisement and eagerly being re-cast as her Lord’s fine gold in his image. At the First Resurrection, when Christ’s Bride ascends into Christ, her sisters and brothers remaining on Earth will, with loin loosening fear (As was King Belshazzar’s in Dan 5:1-7), bitterly lament for their day of darkness remaining throughout the One Thousand Year reign by Christ and his Christs (plural) rod of iron on into the early stages of the Resurrection to Judgement. Only then, and upon their acknowledgement of their waywardness, will their dawning glory break forth in Christ.

Luk 23:45  And the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was rent in the midst.
Luk 23:46  And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost.
Luk 23:47  Now when the centurion saw what was done, he glorified God, saying, Certainly [the Bride of Christ] this was a righteous man.
Luk 23:48  And all the people that came together to that sight, beholding the things which were done, smote their breasts, and returned.
Luk 23:49  And all his acquaintance, and the women that followed him from Galilee, stood afar off, beholding these things. 

Joe 2:2  A day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains: a great people and a strong; there hath not been ever the like, neither shall be any more after it, even to the years of many generations.

After the First Resurrection, Babylonian Christianity and the world will realise, with much consternation, that they are not resurrected to eternal life. They will experience fear, as “a great people”, the Bride of Christ keeps them in forced peace during the Thousand Year reign. Their future will remain jittery since they will see the apostles and other long-dead truthful followers of Christ now resurrected, similar to how Joseph’s brothers in Egypt felt when they found Joseph alive.

Continuing in the following verses of Joel, there is hidden “one event to all” mankind, beginning first with the Bride of Christ being devoured by her Lord’s fiery word. Upon her resurrection to life and inheriting her Lord as her Husband, she will be His very same fiery sword that prepares the world to be utterly consumed by fire from Eden at the end of the One Thousand Years when fire consumes Gog and Magog, the world.

Joe 2:3  A fire devoureth before them; and behind them a flame burneth: the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them.
Joe 2:4  The appearance of them is as the appearance of horses; and as horsemen, so shall they run.
Joe 2:5  Like the noise of chariots on the tops of mountains shall they leap, like the noise of a flame of fire that devoureth the stubble, as a strong people set in battle array.

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.

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. 
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.
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 [the entirety of mankind ever to have lived], and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever [age lasting fire until all mankind and the Devil and his angels are refined as gold in a furnace].

Joe 2:6  Before their face the people shall be much pained: all faces shall gather blackness.

At the beginning of the Resurrection to Judgment, the entire world will endure immense mental suffering, which will manifest as “blackness.” This is because every jot and title of the previous understanding of the Lord’s word is as dark as the curtains in Solomon’s temple that hide Christ and his Bride, who are likewise depicted as “black” to their understanding. As a result, people will believe that they are about to be engulfed in the lie of a physical eternal fire.

Son 1:5  I [The Shualmite who symbolises the Bride of Christ] am black, but comely, O ye daughters of Jerusalem [the rest of the world], as the tents of Kedar, as the curtains of Solomon. 
Son 1:6  Look not upon me, because I am black [… it is useless in this day and age to understand me], because the sun [Christ, the noonday sun, burnt black all of her whoredoms] hath looked upon me: my mother’s children were angry with me; they made me the keeper of the vineyards [all symbolic 40,000 plus disunited Christian denominations realising that they are not invited to the wedding supper]; but mine own vineyard have I not kept [since, and now, Christ is her vinedresser and workmanship].

All in the Lake of Fire do not realise that the intense pain they feel is actually a part of their spiritual refinement, not literal burning while they are still alive since spirit bodies cannot die, but rather a much lengthier physical version of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego’s faith-building firey event (Dan 3:8-30). Those three young children (probably in their teens) no doubt felt dreadful consternation while being bound to be thrown alive into the furnace. Likewise, it is similar to Joseph’s brothers living every day for seventeen years with the expectation that Joseph will exact sudden fiery retribution upon them until their old man, their father, Jacob, died. Only then did they ever come to be at peace with their brother Joseph. The death of their old man signifies the ultimate end of the Lake of Fire coming upon the whole world as they come through that fiery experience, having been purified of the carnal-minded, rebellious old man.

Zep 1:14  The great day of the LORD is near, it is near, and hasteth greatly, even the voice of the day of the LORD: the mighty man shall cry there bitterly.
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,
Zep 1:16  A day of the trumpet and alarm against the fenced cities, and against the high towers.
Zep 1:17  And I will bring distress upon men, that they shall walk like blind men, because they have sinned against the LORD: and their blood shall be poured out as dust, and their flesh as the dung.
Zep 1:18  Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the LORD’S wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy: for he shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land.

Joe 2:7  They shall run like mighty men; they shall climb the wall like men of war; and they shall march every one on his ways, and they shall not break their ranks:

It is Christ, our husband, who runs upon our proud walls and its embedded breasts like fortification towers of Old Jerusalem, denoting the formally proud yet, repentant Rahab-like whore we have been before we become purified by our Lord’s fire and made his Bride. The joints of the Bride, the Elect of God are the “they” who “run like mighty men”. Having been saved by Christ, she now goes forth in the Lake of Fire and likewise breaks down her sister Babylon’s proud walls and whorish ways.

Son 8:10  I [The Bride of Christ] am a wall, and my breasts like towers [having powerfully put off her whorish ways]: then was I in his eyes as one that found favour.

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

Joe 2:8  Neither shall one thrust another; they shall walk every one in his path: and when they fall [not by chance] upon the sword, they shall not be wounded [H1214 – to cut off; gain by unrighteous violence].

The destruction of the Old Jerusalem we are is done in an orderly manner in Christ’s timing. We look forward to falling upon the sword of God’s word and are most certainly wounded in spirit and gained a contrite heart while yet we live.

Psa 118:16  The right hand of the LORD is exalted: the right hand of the LORD doeth valiantly.
Psa 118:17  I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the LORD.
Psa 91:7  A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.

Joe 2:9  They shall run to and fro in the city; they shall run upon the wall, they shall climb up upon the houses; they shall enter in at the windows like a thief.

We are the city of Old Jerusalem being destroyed. God’s word enters through our eyes, which are the windows of the Lord’s spiritual understanding. Even though the wise virgins likewise sleep with the foolish, Christ, under cover of darkness, quietly puts his hand through the hole to the latch of our door.  Yet, and to the collapsing Babylonian world around us today in 2024, and at an undisclosed time of Christ’s imminent return, the Elect of God with him will climb upon the destroyed houses of man’s government and demonic spiritual ideologies. Christ’s wife, in iron rulership with him (Rev 2:27), will have come stealthily like a thief in the night yet in plain sight to force the Beast to submit to Christ.

Son 5:2  I [The wise virgins, the Bride of Christ] sleep, but my heart waketh: it is the voice of my beloved that knocketh, saying, Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled: for my head is filled with dew, and my locks with the drops of the night [the dew is the ravishing life-giving word of God, enflamed by his kisses better than wine].
Son 5:3  I have put off my coat; how shall I put it on? I have washed my feet; how shall I defile them? [He died, is resurrected and made pure and is returning to bless his Bride with her inheritance in Him]
Son 5:4  My beloved put in his hand by the hole of the door, and my bowels [my heart ‘betwixt my breasts’, my seat of his spirit – Son 1:13] were moved for him.
Son 5:5  I rose up to open to my beloved; and my hands dropped with myrrh, and my fingers with sweet smelling myrrh, upon the handles of the lock.

(Myrrh is a dedicated anointing oil only for Aaron and his sons, representing the Bride of Christ and her priestly commission. It represents the pure unadulterated spiritual word of God. She, in unity with her husband, is anointed by him and made holy. Exo 30:32  Upon man’s flesh shall it [Myrrh] not be poured, neither shall ye make any other like it, after the composition of it: it is holy, and it shall be holy unto you. Exo 30:33  Whosoever compoundeth any like it, or whosoever putteth any of it upon a stranger [Expose Christ’s truth to a heritic], shall even be cut off from his people.)

Joh 10:10  The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

1Th 5:2-11  For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. 
1Th 5:3  For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.
1Th 5:4  But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, [who have perfect vision through the windows of their spiritual understanding] that that day should overtake you as a thief.
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. 
1Th 5:6  Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.
1Th 5:7  For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night.
1Th 5:8  But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.
1Th 5:9  For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,
1Th 5:10  Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.
1Th 5:11  Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.

Most starkly, the following concluding verses of Joel’s expressions of The Day of the Lord are mirrored in Revelations, where Christ’s word (the sun) has become inky black to our collapsing world, and the 40,000 plus Babylonian Christian churches, depicted as the moon, worshipping “another Jesus” become even darker than the previous 2,000 years since the cross. At this point, Christ’s Christ, the “stars” with their testimony are likewise utterly hidden since their Lord has finished spiritually martyring them beneath him, their altar.

Joe 2:10  The earth shall quake before them; the heavens shall tremble: the sun and the moon shall be dark, and the stars shall withdraw their shining:

Rev 8:12  And the fourth angel sounded, and the third part of the sun was smitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars; so as the third part of them was darkened, and the day shone not for a third part of it, and the night likewise.
Rev 8:13  And I beheld, and heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabiters of the earth by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels, which are yet to sound!

Joe 2:11  And the LORD shall utter his voice before his army: for his camp is very great: for he is strong that executeth his word: for the day of the LORD is great and very terrible; and who can abide it?

Rev 6:9  And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held:
Rev 6:10  And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? 
Rev 6:11  And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.

That “little season” has existed ever since the cross, yet, as seen in the spring growth of the fig tree, it is even at our door (Luk 21:29-33) and is to the Babylonian world, that dreadful Day of the Lord the Bride, paradoxically, has relished since understanding her jaw-dropping calling.

Lord willing, Christ has made the Bride ready for the ‘Return of her Lord’ in next week’s study.

The book of Genesis is named after the Greek word “genesis” which has its Hebrew equivalent in the word “tôledâh” which appears at least 13 times in the book of Genesis and is translated as “generations” (Gen 2:4; Gen 5:1; Gen 6:9 (2); Gen 10:1; Gen 10:32; Gen 11:10; Gen 11:27; Gen 25:12-13 (2); Gen 25:19; Gen 36:1; Gen 36:9; Gen 37:2). Generational lines are given to help us understand God’s way of working with mankind. First of all the created generations which God works with are divided into two opposing dimensions called heaven and earth:

Gen 1:1 In the beginning [Hebrew: rê’shı̂yth = first in order/firstfruit] God created the heaven and the earth.

Gen 2:4 These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens.

Through Jesus Christ, who is “the beginning of the creation of God” (the firstfruit), The Father works all in the generations of the heavens and the earth (Joh 1:1-4; Rev 1:8; Rev 3:14; Col 1:15-17). Only few are chosen by God to see and receive God’s plan with these generations (Mat 22:14). To understand the invisible heavens, we are first given an earthly parable. This earthly parable on the one hand makes the invisible creation of God understandable for those who can receive that, but on the other hand it also restricts the spiritual insight of many – also called the “multitudes” (Rom 1:20; 1Co 2:14; Mat 13:34):

Mat 13:2 And great multitudes were gathered together unto him, so that he went into a ship, and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore.
Mat 13:3 And he spake many things unto them in parables….

Mat 13:10 And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them [the “multitude”] in parables?
Mat 13:11 He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.

It was written in God’s book that the generational line of the first Adam was to first go through this earthly eon and all in that Adam will eventually be made in the spiritual likeness of God (Gen 5:1; 1Co 15:22-28; 1Ti 2:1-6). The first man is “the figure” or type of the second man although the first physical Adam is also the total opposite of the spirit man, Jesus Christ (Rom 5:14; Rev 1:8). This opposition or resistance to the belief of new spirit life in Christ is a foundational theme in Genesis but is always further developed and exposed throughout scripture. God created and inspired these oppositional forces which are vital for the purposes of both sides in the final analysis. Here is where these foundations of these general lines are explained by God:

Gen 3:14 And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life:
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.

Both sides operate as adversaries (Hebrew: “śâṭân”) to each other, but God ordained that His elect in Christ, typified by the woman, will be the first to benefit from these encounters (Eph 1:3-7; 2Ti 2:12; Rev 20:4). The spiritual principle that those who live by the faith of Christ shall suffer under those who wax worse and worse is established early in the first two sons of Adam (Gen 4:1-8; 2Ti 3:12-13):

Heb 11:4 By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.

1Jn 3:11 For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.
1Jn 3:12 Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one [the spiritual seed of the serpent], and slew his brother [the spiritual seed of the woman – Christ]. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother’s righteous.
1Jn 3:13 Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you.

Our firstborn is our fleshly existence (or the carnal and death eon in us) which cannot please God and is given to think it can do its own thing by disobeying God’s order and commandments (Rom 8:6-8). The fleshly lawless man of sin in us will always oppose and hate the second born, which the new creation of spirit typifies and this new creation is coming through the last Adam, Jesus Christ (2Th 2:3-4; 1Ti 1:9; 1Jn 2:7-9):

1Jn 3:15 Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.

But in this long process we are mercifully exposed to all the hidden evils in us first, as we also learn in this process what Godly love and righteousness is all about. Since the beginning God has always preserved a very small remnant who is up against an overwhelming number of adversaries, but they will be victorious against all physical and carnal calculations and scheming (Isa 1:9; Isa 16:14; Rom 11:5). Through the generational line of Seth, whom God gave to Adam and Eve in the place of the murdered Abel, new life came forth. Yet even in this chosen generational line of Seth new adversaries were added, but God kept Noah faithful among these adversaries in his generation also and through the judgement of a global flood all these opponents were removed (Gen 6:9; Gen 7:11-24). After the flood these opposing generational lines between earth and heaven are further developed and exposed:

Gen 10:1 Now these are the generations of the sons of Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth: and unto them were sons born after the flood.

Gen 11:6 And the LORD said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do.
Gen 11:7 Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech.
Gen 11:8 So the LORD scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city.

Through Shem God again emphasized His choice when He brought forth the generational line which will be used as types of those who are enabled by God to follow His commandments (Gen 11:10). Here is a short summary of this generational line from Adam right down to Abraham, and Abraham being one of the major examples who showed through his life what God uses to make the faithful endure until the end amidst their “śâṭâns”:

1Ch 1:1 Adam, Sheth, Enosh,
1Ch 1:2Kenan, Mahalaleel, Jered,
1Ch 1:3Henoch, Methuselah, Lamech,
1Ch 1:4Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

1Ch 1:24 Shem, Arphaxad, Shelah,
1Ch 1:25Eber, Peleg, Reu,
1Ch 1:26Serug, Nahor, Terah,
1Ch 1:27Abram; the same is Abraham.

Through the recurring cycles of expansions and contractions (narrowing) since Adam, we see a pattern being established which is admonishing us to always take note of God’s modus operandi. A big section of the first part of the book of Genesis was taken up by the life and journeys of Abraham (from the last verses of Chapter 11 right into Chapter 25). Abraham was used by God as a type of what the faith of Christ is bringing into those whom God has chosen as the fulfillment of His word for His purposes through Jesus Christ:

Mat 1:1 The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.

Faith is a gift from God, and it is not given because of anything we do or even contribute to earn or claim anything from God (Eph 2:8-10). The faith of Abraham is used to introduce many spiritual types which encourage us to recognise the works of the faith of Christ in our own lives, if we are given to receive this. Abraham’s death is our death to fleshly desires which brings forth the spiritual concept of maturing sonship in Christ which we learn so much of through the life of Isaac. As Adam was put to sleep to bring forth the new life of Eve and “all living” through her, so we need to know how dead we are in flesh and why death (our first and last “śâṭân”) needs total destruction before new life can be established in us (Gen 2:21-22; Gen 3:20; Joh 8:52-53; Rom 8:6-8; 1Co 15:26):

Gen 25:8 Then Abraham gave up the ghost, and died in a good old age, an old man, and full of years; and was gathered to his people.

Ecc 9:5 For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.
Ecc 9:6 Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any more a portion for ever in any thing that is done under the sun.

1Co 15:26 The last enemy [Greek: “echthros” – opposition/adversary] that shall be destroyed is death.

Several times the scriptures are clear that God is not the God of the dead, but of the living. Are these scriptures referring to Abraham contradicting this truth that dead people are really dead? (Mar 12:27; Luk 20:38):

Mat 22:32 I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.

Mat 8:10 When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.
Mat 8:11 And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven.

These are not contradicting the truth that Abraham is as dead as a dead beast right now (Ecc 3:18-21). Not only is the Scripture written as a parable to blind the eyes and dull the hearing of those whom God is not giving the truth now, but the very same words of God are spirit and are interpreted differently in those with spiritual eyes and ears (Exo 14:20; 1Co 2:7-10):

Mat 13:13 Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.
Mat 13:14 And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive:
Mat 13:15 For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.

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.

Abraham sitting in the kingdom of God is a parable – the name “Abraham” is speaking of those who have been given the faith of Christ, even as Lazarus, typifying this elect, are taken into this same “bosom of Abraham” which again refers to Christ and the faith He gives to those whom He embosoms (Mat 1:1; Luk 16:20-22; Gal 2:16; Php 3:9):

Gal 3:16 Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.

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

Although Abraham was a true historical figure who lived on the earth, whenever we read of Abraham in the sum of God’s Word, the spirit of God is teaching us that it is actually referring to Christ and those in whom He instills His faith in this eon (Mat 4:4; 1Co 2:13). Faith is the only way by which we can please God and receive His spirit life to sit in His spiritual kingdom, even now (Heb 11:6):

Eph 2:6 And [God] hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:

But there are also other sons and daughters of Abraham who are in bondage, like all of us must be before we are loosened by Jesus:

Luk 13:16 And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day?

These are the sons from the bondwomen or concubines in Abraham’s life, also representing our own time when we believe on Jesus, but cannot see our own carnal heart and that its true condition is spiritual bondage:

Joh 8:31 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;
Joh 8:32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
Joh 8:33 They answered him, We be Abraham’s seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free?

These sons and daughters of Abraham from the bondwoman or concubines are an extremely necessary part of the kingdom of God inside and outside, like the tares which God ordained to grow in His field until the time of judgment or all the different kinds of sea creatures (good and bad) caught in the one net and separated at the appointed time (Mat 13:27-30; Mat 13:47):

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.

This seed of Abraham from the bondwoman and concubines could not see and still do not know how to apply the opposing generational lines of the seed of the serpent and the seed of the woman in their own lives first and foremost. We all play our role on both sides of this divide, but at first we cannot even see that our own words and actions are openly witnessing to our hostility toward the truth and to those who bare that testimony of Jesus in them. This is our time in spiritual captivity which is for our good:

Jer 24:5 Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel; Like these good figs, so will I acknowledge them that are carried away captive of Judah, whom I have sent out of this place into the land of the Chaldeans for their good.

It comes as a great earthquake when our book is being opened progressively and we can hear these words of Jesus directly spoken to us:

Joh 8:42 Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me.
Joh 8:43 Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word.
Joh 8:44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.

In our time, we do not like the elect of God and despise their calling and words which we cannot see as the very words of God. These immature Jewish converts who rejected Jesus’ admonishing words wanted to kill him when they thought they were following Him. But they were following Him – it was only for the wrong reasons and selfish motives:

Joh 8:59 Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.

One of the offspring of Abraham who needs to fulfill this important task of opposing the generational line of the true son of Abraham was Ishmael (Gal 4:29-31). God indeed blessed Ishmael with a physical offspring of twelve sons which is also spiritually referring to the foundations of flesh which opposes the foundations of the spirit (Gen 17:20; Luk 6:13; Eph 2:20; Jas 1:1; Heb 11:10; Rev 21:14):

Gen 25:12 Now these are the generations of Ishmael, Abraham’s son, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah’s handmaid, bare unto Abraham:
Gen 25:13 And these are the names of the sons of Ishmael, by their names, according to their generations: the firstborn of Ishmael, Nebajoth; and Kedar, and Adbeel, and Mibsam,
Gen 25:14 And Mishma, and Dumah, and Massa,
Gen 25:15 Hadar, and Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah:
Gen 25:16 These are the sons of Ishmael, and these are their names, by their towns, and by their castles; twelve princes according to their nations.
Gen 25:17 And these are the years of the life of Ishmael, an hundred and thirty and seven years: and he gave up the ghost and died; and was gathered unto his people.
Gen 25:18 And they dwelt from Havilah unto Shur, that is before Egypt, as thou goest toward Assyria: and he died in the presence of all his brethren.

Ishmael and his offspring settled in the region of Havilah, and they were somehow protected in their towns and castles which were situated in the vicinity of the wilderness region of Shur. Havilah is known in the scriptures for its gold, but the wilderness region of Shur has no water of life there, but only the bitter waters from the rivers of flesh. The flesh does increase in goods, but that is not fulfilling the inward spiritual needs (Rev 3:17):

Gen 2:11 The name of the first [river that went out of Eden] is Pison [meaning “increase”]: that is it which compasseth the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold;
Gen 2:12 And the gold of that land is good: there is bdellium and the onyx stone.

Exo 15:22 So Moses brought Israel from the Red sea, and they went out into the wilderness of Shur; and they went three days in the wilderness, and found no water.
Exo 15:23 And when they came to Marah, they could not drink of the waters of Marah, for they were bitter: therefore the name of it was called Marah.

The words “and he died in the presence of all his brethren” in verse 18 of Genesis 25 are from the King James Version, but in other translations we find a deeper meaning to the original written words:

Gen 25:18 ASV And they dwelt from Havilah unto Shur that is before Egypt, as thou goest toward Assyria. He abode over against all his brethren.

Gen 25:18 GNB The descendants of Ishmael lived in the territory between Havilah and Shur, to the east of Egypt on the way to Assyria. They lived apart from the other descendants of Abraham.

Gen 25:18 GW His descendants lived as nomads from the region of Havilah to Shur, which is near Egypt, in the direction of Assyria. They all fought with each other.

Gen 25:18 ERV His descendants camped throughout the desert area from Havilah to Shur, near Egypt, all the way to Assyria. And they often attacked his brothers’ people.

Gen 25:18 ISV His descendants settled from Havilah to Shur (that’s near Egypt), all the way to Assyria, in defiance of all of his relatives.

These versions reveal much more of the function of these twelve sons of Ishmael and their offspring which confirm the important and helpful role the opposition plays in our own lives. They give us the necessary opposition to develop us stronger in our faith. These twelve princes of Ishmael lived in the wilderness, even unto Assyria. Assyria dwelled in the region between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, and they were also used by God as one of His heavy-handed instruments to correct physical Israel (Isa 105-7; Isa 36:1-22; Jer 50:17; Hos 11:4-6). We are all upset when we see evil around us, and we cannot understand God’s work in this creation, as the prophet Habakkuk also approached God with this dilemma. In our immaturity we actually accuse God of being uncaring and slack in answering our prayers to remove all the evil oppositions from our lives?

Hab 1:1 The burden which Habakkuk the prophet did see.
Hab 1:2 O LORD, how long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear! even cry out unto thee of violence, and thou wilt not save!
Hab 1:3 Why dost thou shew me iniquity, and cause me to behold grievance? for spoiling and violence are before me: and there are that raise up strife and contention.

God indeed answers all prayers but not in the way we like them to be answered. The spiritual Chaldeans or Babylonians, like the spiritual Assyrians are all used by God to fulfil His judgement in order to reveal where the worst evil was being committed, and the biggest criminal is hiding (Psa 17:13; Jer 1:15; Jer 2:19; Jer 50:17; 2Th 2:1-12; Rev 13). It is all inside our own hearts, and our own evil hearts are used by God to judge us:

Hab 1:6 For, lo, I raise up the Chaldeans, that bitter and hasty nation, which shall march through the breadth of the land, to possess the dwellingplaces that are not theirs.
Hab 1:7 They are terrible and dreadful: their judgment and their dignity shall proceed of themselves.

God’s answers to our prayers are always to bring more evil, strife and contentions to ‘solve’ the previous problems, and yet there seems no end to it all as Habakkuk also reveals to us. He also found the reason for these increasing oppositions by which we are to be humbled:

Hab 2:4 Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.

When we can detect false solutions and do not expect quick answers to our prayers, then we are ready to receive the more intense trials and tribulations which God brings to move our faith to a deeper and higher level. Our enemies, even our own carnal heart, are given for our benefit:

Joh 16:33 I have said all these things to you so that in me you may have peace. In the world you have trouble: but take heart! I have overcome the world.

Hab 3:16 When I heard, my belly trembled; my lips quivered at the voice: rottenness entered into my bones, and I trembled in myself, that I might rest in the day of trouble: when he cometh up unto the people, he will invade them with his troops.
Hab 3:17 Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls:
Hab 3:18 Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation.
Hab 3:19 The LORD God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds’ feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places. To the chief singer on my stringed instruments.

Joy in the midst of darkness and pain is not natural – it is the strength of God in operation. We are taught how to use the faith of Christ in us to deal with this through patience and endurance. This is what sonship is about – to be faithful in the things which our Father entrusted to us through faith. This is also what Abraham has left as an inheritance for Isaac. Abraham’s legacy is the good works and fruit which faith produces as the just shall live by the faith of Christ and that faith alone (Gal 5:22-23). Isaac will have to learn, through his own application, how he needs to live by every aspect of life. In Isaac the true generational line of spiritual sonship is developed, and this is the theme we will look at in the following weeks, God willing:

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 [Greek: “uihos”].

—————————————————————————————
Detailed studies and emails relating to these foundational themes in Scripture are available on the www.iswasandwillbe.com website, including these topics and links:

Why Christ Spoke in Parables
Why Are The Multitudes Not Given to Understand?
Was Satan Created as An Adversary?
Satan and The Carnal Mind
Will Abraham, Isaac and Jacob be in The Kingdom?
Lazarus and The Rich Man
The Spiritual significance of Assyria

Video Links

Rev 16:17 And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done.
Rev 16:18 And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, [ and] so great.
Rev 16:19 And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath.
Rev 16:20 And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found.
Rev 16:21 And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great.

Introduction

Last week we saw that the seals, trumpets and vials are all part of “the judgments of the great day of God” upon the darkness in our lives. What this tells us is that all of this takes place while we are still in darkness, and while we are still “children of disobedience… children of … [ God’s] wrath.

Joh 3:36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.
Eph 2:2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
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.

We fulfill these seven plagues within our lives after we come to know and believe on Christ, but while we still “have no place in us for Christ’s word.” That is an unheard of, but very Biblical doctrine, as Christ demonstrates for us in Joh 8.

Joh 8:30 As he spake these words, many believed on him.
Joh 8:31 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;
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.

These seven plagues of the seven angels are poured out upon us when we are “building on the foundation of Jesus Christ”, but we are building with the “wood, hay and stubble” of “the commandments and doctrines of men”, instead of taking great care of that with which we are building.

Mat 15:9 But in vain they [ you and I] do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

Tit 1:14 Not giving heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men, that turn from the truth. [ Christ]

At this time in our walk we are “holding the Truth in unrighteousness”. Here is the apostle Paul speaking of these very same plagues upon our lives, by which we “keep the things written therein”:

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

God’s Truth is the spiritual Words of Christ as exemplified in His life. “The air” is the symbol for that spirit. It is into this part of our walk, when we think we believe on Christ yet we are still rejecting Him and His life and His words, that this seventh vial is poured out. It is while we think we are out of Babylon, but we simply cannot let go of “that great city”:

Rev 16:17 And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done.

So this seventh vial symbolizes spiritual warfare in which we are engaged as we are “coming out of… that great city” (Rev 18:4). Therefore this seventh vial is “poured out… into the air”. The Greek here for ‘air’ is G109, ‘aer’. Here is how this word is used in scripture:

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.

The darkening of the sun and air by the smoke from the bottomless pit is the darkening of our understanding of spiritual matters. Here is how this word is used elsewhere in the New Testament:

Eph 2:1 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;
Eph 2:2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course [ the ‘aion’] of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:

This ‘air’ or G109, ‘aer’ is the abode of the “principalities and powers” of the spiritual realm against which we wrestle in this verse:

Eph 6:12 For we are not fighting against people made of flesh and blood, but against the evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against those mighty powers of darkness who rule this world[ Greek – ‘aion’, same as “course” in Eph 2:2], and against wicked spirits in the heavenly realms. (NLT)

Here is the King James Version of this verse:

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].

So it is against the defiling of the spiritual realm of our heavens that this seventh vial is poured out. It is through the work of this vial that our heavens are cleansed at the coming of Christ into the ‘air’ of our lives, destroying the ways of our old man while purging and purifying our “air”.

Heb 9:22 And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.
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:

“The holy places made with hands” was the physical temple in Jerusalem. What is “heaven itself”? What are the “heavenly things themselves” of which the temple was but a mere pattern? Here is the ‘temple’ of the ninth chapter of Hebrews:

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.

Where does “the man of sin sit as God”?

2Th 2:4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.

“All men shall worship the beast”, which ‘beast’ we all are. He is even given “to overcome the saints”.

Ecc 3:18 I said in mine heart concerning the estate of the sons of men, that God might manifest them, and that they might see that they themselves are beasts.
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 13:7 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.

This is the work of the seventh vial. Our air is darkened, and our understanding of spiritual matters is taken from us as we continue in the death throes of our old man, the beast within us, to resist the purpose for this “great and marvelous” work which is these seven last plagues of the wrath of God upon all of our false doctrines and lying spirits which are loath to leave the temple which is now ours to enter in Christ. But the heavens are now able to be cleansed because the seven plagues of the seven angels are now fulfilled within us (Rev 15:8).
So we are now told:

1Th 4:17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

“The air” is invisible. “The air”, when it is in motion, is called “the wind”, and “the wind” is another symbol of the spiritual realm.

Joh 3:6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
Joh 3:7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
Joh 3:8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.

“The air is the realm of the spirit. When the seven plagues have been fulfilled and have accomplished their predestined mission of showing us all of the blasphemous nature of our old man, then, and only then, we are told:

… and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done.

The old man has run his course. That which withholds has withheld until he has been revealed for what he is, and he is now slated for destruction. “It is done”. He will now be destroyed by the brightness of the coming of the proper and rightful king of the throne that is our hearts and minds, the heavens themselves, the temple in which God will now, through Christ, dwell with men:

2Th 2:6 And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.
2Th 2:7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let [ will withhold], until he be taken out of the way.
2Th 2:8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:

So, as with all things, we must be caught up to meet the Lord in the air, in down payment form first, if we hope to do so at “the redemption of the purchased possession”, known as that “blessed and holy first resurrection” (Rev 20:6).

Rev 16:18 And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great.
Rev 16:19 And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath.

Why are we told “there was a great earthquake such as was not since men were upon the earth”? Why are we being told here in this last vial that “the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of His wrath”?
It is very appropriate that Babylon is mentioned at this very juncture in this revelation of Jesus Christ within His elect saints. What are the things of this world which we are so loath to relinquish? What was within “the Jews who believe on Christ, but have no room in them for Christ or His Word”? What is one of the sins that so easily besets us all? What was it that caused “all they which are in Asia” to forsake Christ in His elect apostles who had raised up those seven churches, to whom this revelation is addressed? What was the attachment to Babylon which caused the whole church to treat the apostles who founded those churches as their enemies?
Here is why “great Babylon” is mentioned here in the last of the seven last vials which fill up the wrath of God. It is because we have been building upon Christ with the wood, hay and stubble of the traditions of Babylon, and we are loath to separate ourselves from those traditions. We have been so faithful to God in so many ways, we hate the Nicolaitans, we have had good works which were better at the end then at the beginning, but we have left our first love, and have permitted that woman Jezebel to spread her doctrine within our midst.

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.
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.

Having seen the opening of the seven seals in this prophecy from God, to Christ, to us, (Rev 1:1) will we now declare we have never built upon the foundation of Christ, with wood, hay and stubble? Will we deny that this part of the seventh trumpet which is an integral part of the seventh seal is not ours to fulfill? Will we deny these words of God?

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;

When we deny the need to fulfill these plagues and their function of burning out of us “every sin that so easily besets us”, we are making Christ and His apostles liars and setting ourselves up on Christ’s throne in our hearts.

Heb 12:1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

If all things are ours (1Co 3:21-22), then the “darkness upon the throne of the beast” is ours as long as we are in that darkness. We all come to Christ “out of the darkness… [ out of] the course of this world, [ and out of] the traditions of men”. These are the very things which are the wood, hay and stubble, within us which fuel the fire of the Sun in these seven plagues which scorches us and burns us up. The fire of 1Co 3:10-15 is the same fire doing the same thing, purifying us before we can enter into the temple.

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.

The story of King David’s adultery with Bathsheba and his murder of her husband Uriah after being made king over all Israel, demonstrates that God’s wrath is not confined to the sins of our early walk. Nevertheless there in no contradiction in saying that God’s wrath upon the sin and darkness in our lives subsides as we come out of that darkness into the glorious light” which is Christ. So too, the wrath of God subsides and we can say ” in times past we walked according to the course of this world… and in times past… we were by nature the children of wrath even as others”.
Being “the children of wrath, even as others” is plainly said to be “in times past”. So where do we stand with God when He brings us “out of darkness, into His marvelous light”?

2Co 4:6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
1Pe 2:9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:

Remember the fifth plague of the seven angels is “darkness upon the throne of the beast”. Those plagues are upon us while we are “walking in darkness… walking according to the prince of the power of the air… as children of disobedience”. But in Christ we are “called out of darkness into His marvelous light”. So is there now any change in our relationship with our heavenly Father? Joh 3 tells us we now have “everlasting life”, whereas “the wrath of God abode on us before we believed”. What does the spirit reveal is our relationship with our God now? We read it in Eph 2, but let’s read it again in Col 3.

Col 3:1 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.
Col 3:2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
Col 3:3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.
Col 3:4 When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.
Col 3:5 Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:
Col 3:6 For which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience:
Col 3:7 In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them.

We all “were… children of disobedience… when you lived in them”. But we no longer live in “our members which are upon the earth”. We are now “seated with Christ in the heavens” and “in time past… we were the children of wrath even as others… when the wrath of God abode upon us”.

Joh 3:36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.
Eph 2:2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
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.
Eph 2:6 and He raised us up together and seated us together in the heavenlies [ or, heavenly realms] in Christ Jesus, (ALT)

So the curse that was placed upon Christ’s body as it hung upon the cross, is the spiritual type of our crucifixion with Christ while we are yet alive:

Isa 54:7 For a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee.
Isa 54:8 In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the LORD thy Redeemer.
Act 5:30 The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree.
Gal 3:13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree

So Christ has partaken of all, including being “forsaken of God… in a little wrath”, and we too, must accept that “all things are ours… things present and things to come” (1Co 3:21-22).
So, lo and behold, we are to follow in the footsteps of, and live by the pattern set for us by our Savior. What a radical concept:

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 of the world, and not after Christ.
Col 3:17 And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.
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:

It is the function of these seven plagues to burn out of us “the traditions of men… the rudiments of the world [ which are] not after Christ”. How have we received these things? Do we receive the traditions of men “after Christ”, or do we receive the rudiments of this world through “the example Christ has left us”? No, we receive them through human “philosophy and vain deceit” and we simply “agree to disagree” with those who follow the example Christ has left for us.

Gal 4:1 What I am saying is that as long as the heir is a child, he is no different from a slave, although he owns the whole estate.
Gal 4:2 He is subject to guardians and trustees until the time set by his father.
Gal 4:3 So also, when we were children, we were in slavery under the basic principles of the world. [ Which includes verse 10]
Gal 4:4 But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law,
Gal 4:5 to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons.
Gal 4:6 Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba,[1] Father.”
Gal 4:7 So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir.
Gal 4:8 Formerly, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those who by nature are not gods.
Gal 4:9 But now that you know God– or rather are known by God– how is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable principles? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again?
Gal 4:10 You are observing special days and months and seasons and years!
Gal 4:11 I fear for you, that somehow I have wasted my efforts on you.
Gal 4:12 I plead with you, brothers, become like me, for I became like you. You have done me no wrong.
Gal 4:13 As you know, it was because of an illness that I first preached the gospel to you.
Gal 4:14 Even though my illness was a trial to you, you did not treat me with contempt or scorn. Instead, you welcomed me as if I were an angel of God, as if I were Christ Jesus himself.
Gal 4:15 What has happened to all your joy? I can testify that, if you could have done so, you would have torn out your eyes and given them to me.
Gal 4:16 Have I now become your enemy by telling you the truth?

According to the scriptures, there is a very close link between the pain we experience in life and the darkness in which we live due to the “unclean spirits which come out of the mouths of the dragon, the beast and the false prophets who dominate our lives until the seven plagues of the seven angels are fulfilled in us.

Jdg 1:6 And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.
Rev 6:17 For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?
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 [ the seven plagues of the seven angels] are made manifest.
Rev 16:10 And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain,
Rev 16:11 And blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds.
Rev 16:12 And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.
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.
Rev 16:14 For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.

While it is absolutely true that “the sword does not depart from our house”, it is nevertheless also true that as our unrighteousness and ungodliness are replaced with “Christ in us”, the wrath of God subsides until we can say with the apostle:

Eph 2:1 And you [ hath he quickened], who were dead in trespasses and sins;
Eph 2:2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
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.

So in the gospel of John we read:

Joh 3:36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

The corresponding seventh trumpet

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.
Rev 11:19 And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail.

In the seventh vial we are told “It is done”. In the seventh trumpet we read “The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever”.
Both the vials and the trumpets are declared to be judgments of God, and in both the seventh vial and the seventh trumpet we are told there are “lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail.

Rev 16:17 And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done.
Rev 16:18 And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, [ and] so great.
Rev 16:21 And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, [ every stone] about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great.
Rev 16:21 And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great.

Once again, this seventh trumpet corresponds perfectly with this seventh vial because each trumpet is but the second, middle part of the same three- step process which makes up and fills up the judgments and the wrath of God against all of our ungodliness and unrighteousness, in which we hold and claim Christ, who is the Truth of God.

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;
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.

Christ never in His life says “I know the Truth”, rather He tells us “I AM the Truth”, simply because that is the Truth.

“He who has an ear let him hear”

This entire “revelation of Jesus Christ” is addressed to “the seven churches”. We come so very far in our service that we are fighting wars in the heavens, before we are caused to “Remember the height from which we have fallen”.
Here is what the spirit says to the first two churches:

Rev 2:1 “To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands:
Rev 2:2 I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false.
Rev 2:3 You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary.
Rev 2:4 Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love.
Rev 2:5 Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.
Rev 2:6 But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.
Rev 2:7 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.
Rev 2:8 “To the angel of the church in Smyrna write: These are the words of him who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life again.
Rev 2:9 I know your afflictions and your poverty– yet you are rich! I know the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.
Rev 2:10 Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life.
Rev 2:11 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes will not be hurt at all by the second death.

These two, and the other five, are all being addressed to “He who has an ear”. “What you are about to suffer” is “what is written in the sayings of the prophecy of this book”. It is the seven seal, the seven trumpets and the seven vials, and “no man can enter the temple till the seven plagues of the seven angels have been fulfilled”. So “what you are about to suffer” is the seals, trumpets and vials”, and there is no way to pick and choose what we want to keep and what we do not want to keep. We must all “keep the things which are written therein… till the seven plagues of the seven angels are fulfilled” in our lives.

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 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.

This seventh vial is the “great earthquake” which accomplishes what nothing to this time has accomplished. It is greater than any earthquake that has ever been experienced in our lives, and this earthquake is the turning point in our lives. Here is where the fire has cleansed the temple and purified our temple for the arrival of it True King, Christ.
Here is this seventh vial put in the words of our Lord in Mat 24:

Mat 24:21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.

The “great day of His wrath”, the “great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, and the “great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be”, are all one and the same event we “must [ all] suffer”.

Rev 16:18 And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great“.

“He who hath an ear let him hear” is always associated in scripture with the fact that the masses of those who come to Christ and believe on Him, still are “not given to understand the mysteries of the kingdom of God”. Notice verse 9 of Mat 13.

Mat 13:9 Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.
Mat 13:10 And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?
Mat 13:11 He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given [ ears to hear].

So just how does our Lord keep the masses of Christianity from “understanding the mysteries of the kingdom of God? How does He stop the masses of Christians from “keeping the things written therein”? Here is what we are clearly told:

Mat 13:19 When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side.
Mat 13:20 But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it;
Mat 13:21 Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.
Mat 13:22 He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.

Let us analyze what we are told here. Those who are “carnal… babes in Christ” (1Co 3:1-4), and those who are “weak in the faith” (Rom 14:1), “understand not the word of the kingdom… are offended when tribulation and persecution arise because of the Word”, and the Word is “choked by the cares of this world and they are unfruitful”.
Conversely those who “go on unto perfection” (Heb 6:1), understand the Word of the kingdom, remain steadfast in tribulation and persecution because of the Word, and the cares of this world do not choke the Word in their lives and they are very fruitful.
None of this is of ourselves, it is all of Christ and His Father. Nevertheless this is how it is lived out in our lives:

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.
Rom 12:3 For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.
2Co 13:5 Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?

The word ‘prove’ in these verses is the same Greek word translated “alloweth” in Rom 14:22. Those who mature in Christ “prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God”. They do not simply “agree to disagree” with the elders of the body of Christ. Those who are not “weak in the faith… prove themselves” and are not offended by a weaker brother who has not bothered to prove his doctrine. They bear with his infirmities, while steadfastly “proving what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God”, instead of taking on the infirmities of their weaker, infirm brother.

(REV) The faith which thou hast, have to thyself before God: happy, he that bringeth not judgment upon himself by that which he approveth;<</ blockquote>

Whether we are “weak in the faith”, or we are able to “eat strong meat”, we will be judged “according to our works”.

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.

Those who “have not been conformed to this world, and have been transformed in their minds by proving what is the good, acceptable, and perfect will of God”, will “not bring judgment upon themselves by that which they have proven.” But those who are weak in the faith will “be conformed to this world”, will not take the time to prove what is the good, acceptable and perfect will of God, and will continue to be offended by the sum of God’s Word, and will abuse Rom 14:5-6 and verse 22 as an excuse to not even consider our Lord’s example of how we are to live our lives concerning the observing of day, months, times and years.

Rom 14:5 One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day [ alike]. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.
Rom 14:6 He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it. He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks; and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks.
Rom 14:21 It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak.
Rom 14:22 Hast thou faith? have it to thyself before God. Happy is he that condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth.

When these verses are perverted into a doctrine which teaches that those who eat strong meat, should give up that strong meat, and give up following the example Christ has given us concerning this very subject, that is a double mind which will inevitably cause a brother to be “made weak… to stumble and be offended… because of the Word”. This perversion of these verses of Rom 14 will cause us all to give up that fiery way of life, which brings upon us the hatred of all men, and we will exchange their strong meat for the herbs of the weaker infirm brother who esteems one day above another and cannot eat all things because he does not want to offend a weaker brother.
Should we offend a weaker brother by expecting him to eat strong meat? Absolutely not! But should we take Rom 14 and use it to contradict and nullify Galatian 4?

Gal 4:1 Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child [ is “weak in the faith”], differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all;
Gal 4:2 But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father.
Gal 4:3 Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world:

“Carnal… babes in Christ” cannot eat the meat of the word and we are commanded to “receive them but not to allow them to dispute our strong meat.

Rom 14:1 Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations.
Rom 14:2 For one believeth that he may eat all things: another, who is weak, eateth herbs.
Rom 14:3 Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not; and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth: for God hath received him.

Who are these brother who are “weak in the faith”? Here is who they are. They are not really deep into the Word of God or the things of the spirit. They do not have and will not take the time to “study to show themselves approved unto God.” They are ‘too busy’ to have time to fellowship, and they care about the events of their daily lives (the pride of life) more than they do about the body of Christ. They would much rather identify themselves with certain men, whose teachings are more to their liking. Here are the “weak in the faith”.

1Co 3:1 And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, [ even] as unto babes in Christ.
1Co 3:2 I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.
1Co 3:3 For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?
1Co 3:4 For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I [ am] of Apollos; are ye not carnal?

Those who are given to “prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God”, will find it very instructive that the word “child”, “the heir, as long as he is a child“, in Gal 4:1, and the word “babe”, “I could not speak to you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ”, is the same Greek word, ‘nepios’. It is babes in Christ who are weak and infirm in the faith, and whose weakness we are commanded to “bear with”.

Rom 15:1 We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves.
Rom 15:2 Let every one of us please [ his] neighbour for [ his] good to edification.
Rom 15:3 For even Christ pleased not himself; but, as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me.

Paul did not break his epistles up into chapters. “The weak of this first verse of this15th chapter is “He that is weak in the faith” in the first verse of chapter 14. It is Paul to declares this brother in Christ to be “weak and infirm” and in need of our patient forbearance, and Christ- like example, not our apostasy, or our enabling of his weakness and his sickness, and his spiritually damning, immature diet of milk and herbs.
It is “he that is weak in the faith” who simply cannot as yet “eat all things”. This is especially true of following the example of Christ who “esteemed every day alike”. It is the perversion of the message of Romans fourteen which Galatians four burns out of us if we are given to follow in Christ’s footsteps:

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.

This does not say ‘They supposed He had broken the sabbath’, it says “He not only had broken the sabbath, but said God was His Father”. Both were true, and both are written for our admonition that we should follow in His footsteps”

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:

Anyone who uses part of God’s Word to exclude and nullify other parts of the Word, and will continue to ignore the example Christ has given us to follow in His steps. Truth is not found in any one chapter of God’s Word. It is found in its sum, and the sum of God’s word tells us that Christ and His apostles were foresaken of and hated of all men because, among other things, they “esteemed every day alike.” Following Christ’s example will bring upon us what it brought upon Christ. Christ put what He saw His Father doing, above what He saw men doing. If we honor Christ in this same way, we will be honoring God above men, as we are instructed.

Joh 5:19 Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.
Joh 5:20 For the Father loveth the Son, and sheweth him all things that himself doeth: and he will shew him greater works than these, that ye may marvel.
Joh 5:21 For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will.
Joh 5:22 For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son:
Joh 5:23 That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him.

He is the example the Father set for Christ to follow concerning the esteeming of one day above another:

Joh 5:17 But Jesus replied, “My Father never stops working, so why should I?” (NLT)

It is the traditions of men which are the last strings which keep us tethered to Babylon. The law of Moses and the law which the Gentiles are unto themselves, are both laws for the lawless, and not for a righteous man.

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,

It is “the lawless and disobedient who esteem one day above another, and who judge those who do not. The strong in the faith are to bear with the weak, till they are no longer carnal babes in Christ. Those to whom it is given to “follow Christ’s steps” will honor Christ by doing what He did, just as He did what He saw His Father doing. Those who are strong in the faith do not enable the weak and infirm to remain weak and sick, and they most assuredly do not give up spiritual strength and health to become weak and sickly.

Rom 14:1 Welcome those who are weak in faith, but do not argue with them about their personal opinions. (GNB)

Rom 14:1 As for the man who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not for disputes over opinions. (rsv)

Our discussions must revolve around the word of God, and our conclusions must be based on that alone, or we will not be long “of one mind”, which is what we are repeatedly commanded to be, beginning right here in the book of Romans.

Rom 15:6 That ye may with one mind [ and] one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

2Co 13:11 Finally, brethren, farewell. Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you.

Php 1:27 Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;

Php 2:2 Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.
1Pe 3:8 Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous:

“Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind” is intended to help us deal with “carnal… babes in Christ” by being pitiful and courteous to them. It is meant as an admonition to avoid disputing with babes about their own personal opinions concerning any topic with which they are not yet informed. The tradition of eating only herbs, and the tradition of esteeming one day above another are but two examples of things we are told we are not to argue about. These verses were never intended to keep us from “being of one mind”, being like- minded, and speaking the same thing with one mouth in one spirit”.

Rom 14:5 One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day [ alike]. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.

Rom 14 certainly is not designed to take away from those who are given to receive “things hard to be uttered.”

Heb 5:12 For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which [ be] the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.
Heb 5:13 For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.
Heb 5:14 But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

The weak brothers who “for the time” ought to be beyond the milk of God’s Word will never get past that immature stage as long as Rom 14 is used as a means of contradicting and nullifying all five of the New Testament verses which admonish us all to “be of one mind”. The masses of the churches raised up by the apostles themselves rejected the strong meat which belongs to them that are of full age, “All they in Asia” forsook the apostle Paul and the Galatians apparently considered him to be their enemy.

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.
Gal 4:12 Brethren, I beseech you, be as I [ am]; for I [ am] as ye [ are]: ye have not injured me at all.
Gal 4:13 Ye know how through infirmity of the flesh I preached the gospel unto you at the first.
Gal 4:14 And my temptation which was in my flesh ye despised not, nor rejected; but received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus.
Gal 4:15 Where is then the blessedness ye spake of? for I bear you record, that, if it had been possible, ye would have plucked out your own eyes, and have given them to me.
Gal 4:16 Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?

Those who did that were no doubt “famous in the congregation and were men of renown”, but they never came to know the seven plagues of the seven angels, and will not enter into the temple of God until they have fulfilled those seven plagues.

Num 16:2 And they rose up before Moses, with certain of the children of Israel, two hundred and fifty princes of the assembly, famous in the congregation, men of renown:

There can be no doubt that both the apostles Paul and John, honored Christ, just as Christ honored His Father by refusing the traditions of men who esteemed one day above another. The masses of the churches which were raised up by the apostles were clearly “observing days, months, times, and years”, and had clearly lost their first love for the apostle of the Lord. The story of King David’s son Amnon is the story of us “leaving our first love.

2Sa 13:15 Then Amnon hated her exceedingly; so that the hatred wherewith he hated her [ was] greater than the love wherewith he had loved her. And Amnon said unto her, Arise, be gone.

This is us when we leave our first love and become lukewarm. Our Lord asks of us “Where is the blessedness you spake of” at the beginning? Has Christ and His example become our enemy? What became of all the churches Paul had raised up in Asia? Did they forsake the apostle?

2Ti 1:15 This thou knowest, that all they which are in Asia be turned away from me; of whom are Phygellus and Hermogenes.
2Ti 4:9 Do thy diligence to come shortly unto me:
2Ti 4:10 For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia.
2Ti 4:11 Only Luke is with me. Take Mark, and bring him with thee: for he is profitable to me for the ministry.
2Ti 4:14 Alexander the coppersmith did me much evil: the Lord reward him according to his works:
2Ti 4:15 Of whom be thou ware also; for he hath greatly withstood our words.
2Ti 4:16 At my first answer no man stood with me, but all men forsook me: I pray God that it may not be laid to their charge.
2Ti 4:17 Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me; that by me the preaching might be fully known, and that all the Gentiles might hear: and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion.

“The Lord stood with me” because the Lord is His word. When we follow Christ and His Word the Lord stands with us also. What did Jesus do? What example has He left for us concerning this subject which caused the Galatians to consider Paul their enemy?

Mat 12:1 At that time Jesus went on the sabbath day through the corn; and his disciples were an hungred, and began to pluck the ears of corn, and to eat.
Mat 12:2 But when the Pharisees saw [ it], they said unto him, Behold, thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the sabbath day.
Mat 12:3 But he said unto them, Have ye not read what David did, when he was an hungred, and they that were with him;
Mat 12:4 How he entered into the house of God, and did eat the shewbread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them which were with him, but only for the priests?
Mat 12:5 Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless?

That is “our example that we should follow in His steps”, and remain “of one mind and one spirit”. Until that is done within us this seventh vial is yet to be fulfilled and “the great city… Great Babylon” still has its tentacles in our heavens and in our earth.

Rev 16:19 And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath.
Rev 16:20 And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found.
Rev 16:21 And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, [ every stone] about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great.

There are many “islands and mountains” to be vanquished within us all, before all of the influences of that great city are burned out of us. Mountains are kings, which kings will beg for the mountains to fall when this, the great day of God’s wrath is come. As is the nature of our flesh, we will blaspheme God because of the plague of this hail, because it is an “exceeding great plague of hail”, and what does hail do?

Isa 28:17 Judgment also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet: and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place.

That is why after the pouring out of the seventh vial, we are told:

Rev 16:17 And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done.

“It is done” is both the death throes of our man of sin, and the victory shout of our new man within. It is all accomplished “in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound”.

Rev 10:7 But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets.

Christ, His doctrines, His example, and His Words, are the hail, the water, and the purifying fire, with which He will try us, cleanse us, and sweep away all the lies of the great city Babylon. We can now enter into the temple in heaven, which has been cleansed of all the pollutions of that great city, which we can now look back behind us and witness her judgment.
That is the subject of the next two chapters of this, the revelation of Jesus Christ which we are to ” read, hear, and keep”. Rev 17 and 18, are nothing more or less than a summary of the judgments of these seven plagues of the seven angels upon “mystery Babylon the Great” within us. “It is done… it is come to pass”, and that is why we are shown these things by “one of the angels which had the seven plagues”.
Next week, Lord willing we will cover these verses of chapter 17:

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 17:2 With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.
Rev 17:3 So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.
Rev 17:4 And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication:
Rev 17:5 And upon her forehead [ was] a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.

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Rev 6:12-17, Part 2 – The Sixth Seal

[Additional material added October 16, 2009]

Updated May 10, 2024

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:

Introduction

Last week we saw that all the symbols of this sixth seal, herald “the great day of His wrath.”

Rev 6:17  For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?

The book in the right hand of Him that sat on the throne, is the revelation of Jesus Christ, and the revelation of Jesus Christ is the revelation of the great day of His wrath, and the great day of His wrath includes seven trumpet judgments, culminating in the seven last plagues and the “sea of glass mingled with fire” for those who are given the victory over the beast and his over his image and over his mark and over the number and his name”:

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.

The realization of the magnitude of this revelation prompts us all to ask, “Who shall be able to stand?” Our study today will be centered around finding the Biblical understanding and meaning of all the symbols which the holy spirit is using to signify the principalities and powers which dominate the heavens and the earth of our old man, “the first man Adam.”

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:

What do all these symbols mean?

1) What is a great earthquake?

We already know that the “earth” is Bible-speak for God’s own people in rebellion against Him and His Word.

Jer 22:1  Thus saith the LORD; Go down to the house of the king of Judah, and speak there this word,
Jer 22:2  And say, Hear the word of the LORD, O king of Judah, that sittest upon the throne of David, thou, and thy servants, and thy people that enter in by these gates:

Jer 22:5  But if ye will not hear these words, I swear by myself, saith the LORD, that this house shall become a desolation.

Jer 22:29  O earth, earth, earth, hear the word of the LORD.

What does Christ say of “those Jews which believed in Him” but could not abide in His Word? What does Christ tell us of the multitudes who believe in Him to this very day but cannot do the things He tells us to do?

Joh 8:31  Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;
Joh 8:32  And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

Just a few verses later Christ tells us what “the Truth” is concerning the multitudes who have come to Christ, as a whole.

Joh 8:43  Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word.

“If you will not hear these words… this house shall become a desolation… You cannot hear my word.” That is the meaning of the “earth” within us, and that is what we are told experiences “a great earthquake… in the great day of God’s wrath…against all ungodliness within us.

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;

2) What is the sun?

We already know that the sun in scripture also stands for Christ, “the Sun of righteousness.”

Mal 4:2  But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.

Christ tells us that He is “The Light of the 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.

“The sun” therefore signifies the doctrine and words of Christ which are “a lamp unto [us]”:

Psa 119:105 NUN. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

The darkening of the sun, or the sun becoming black as sackcloth of hair, is the blotting out of The Truth by the multitude of lies which dominate our flesh, our beast. Our flesh much prefers the damnable doctrines and “smooth things” proffered by the false prophet, and all the churches of the great whore, Babylon.

Isa 30:8 Now go, write it before them in a table, and note it in a book, that it may be for the time to come for ever and ever:
Isa 30:9 That this is a rebellious people,
lying children, children that will not hear the law of the LORD:
Isa 30:10 Which say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits:

Christ reveals in His parables that we first appreciate the good news of His Word, but then we succumb to the trials and tribulations which fidelity to Christ and His doctrine automatically produce:

Mat 13:20 But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it;
Mat 13:21  Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.

3) What is signified by the moon?

We already know that “the moon” is “the lesser light, to rule the night.” The moon has no light within or of itself, but it is given to reflect a certain amount of the light from the sun, so it is said to “rule the night.”

Gen 1:16  And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also.

Psa 136:9  The moon and stars to rule by night: for his mercy endureth for ever.

The ‘moon’ signifies the carnal-minded wife of the Lord’s carnal-minded people under the law of Moses, as Jacob interpreted Joseph’s dream:

Gen 37:9 And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me.
Gen 37:10 And he told it to his father, and to his brethren: and his father rebuked him, and said unto him, What is this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth?

Joseph’s father, Jacob, whose name was changed to Israel, signifies the Lord’s first carnal nation of Israel, who insisted on the crucifixion of our Lord.

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.
Act 4:29 And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word,

Joseph’s mother, Rachel, is signified by the moon in Joseph’s dream. From Eve, in Genesis, to Jezebel in Revelation, women and wives signify both the Lord’s first whorish wife who is rejected and destroyed. It is only through that death and destruction that we are transformed and we can then begin to be prepared to become His faithful and true wife. The Lord’s first ‘wife’ is signified by the ‘moon’ the “lesser light which rules the night.” In Christ’s time here on this earth in a body of flesh and blood, that ‘wife’, signified by the moon became which became “as blood”, signifying her murderous hatred of Christ and His Christ, was apostate Judaism:

Mat 23:1  Then spake Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples,
Mat 23:2  Saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat:
Mat 23:3  All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not.
Mat 23:4  For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.
Mat 23:5  But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments,
Mat 23:6  And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues,
Mat 23:7  And greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi.

That is “the moon that rules the night.” The “moon” wants to appear as light, but it has no light within it. It has no real light of its own, unlike Christ when He is within.

Then there is this:

Joh 3:19  And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

2Co 4:6  For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
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.

We are all ruled by the moon, and we are all “of our father the devil” before we become “children of light… sons of our Father which is in heaven.”

Joh 8:44  Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.

Eph 2:2  Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
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.

Eph 5:8  For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:

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.

4) What is the meaning of the moon becoming blood?

We already know that blood is where the “nephesh”, meaning ‘the creature’, dwells. The life is not in the blood. “It is the spirit that gives life.” The spirit is not in the blood, but the nephesh which is sustained by the spirit, is in the blood.

Gen 9:4  But flesh with the life [Hebrew: nephesh, soul] thereof, [which is] the blood thereof, shall ye not eat.

Joh 6:63  It is the spirit that giveth life; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I have spoken unto you are spirit, and are life. (ASV)

The verse in Genesis 9 above tells us that “the soul”, or ‘nephesh‘ is in the blood.” It does not say the life is in the blood.  The point being that a  “living soul” is also a dying soul, whereas a life-giving spirit is not subject to death.

Eze 18:4  Behold, all souls [nephesh] are mine; as the soul [nephesh] of the father, so also the soul [nephesh] of the son is mine: the soul [nephesh] that sinneth, it shall die.

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

When both the sun and the moon are unable to give their light, then indeed the Son of God, who is also the Sun of righteousness, has been slain and “the moon has become as blood.” Peter knew the meaning of this phrase, and he tells us as much in his words on the day of Pentecost. Peter knew that his forsaking of and his denial of Christ, along with all the disciples, made him complicit in Christ’s death. Peter knew that in his unconverted state, the blood of our Lord was upon his hands and that “the sun had been turned into darkness, and the moon [had] become as blood” with his denial of the Lord, ushering in the day of God’s wrath and the beginning of His judgment upon our sinful flesh.

Act 2:14  But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words:

Act 2:16  But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel;

Act 2:19  And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke:
Act 2:20  The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come:

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?

Acts 2 is the account of the coming of the holy spirit to drive out the beast, the man of sin who was sitting on the throne of God in the hearts and minds of those who were given the holy spirit that day. There were no outward heavenly signs, yet Peter knew exactly what he was talking about when He said that the spiritual sun had been darkened at the death of our Lord and he knew that the spiritual moon had shed the blood of our Lord. Both the ‘sun’ and the ‘moon’ were within Peter and both are within each of us who have had our own part in the shedding of the blood our own Savior. We have all had our own spiritual apostate part in ‘turning the moon into blood’ before the Lord comes to destroy the man of sin within each of us with the brightness of His coming:

2Th 2:8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:

It is only through the judgment which begins at the house of God that we begin to turn from all our ungodliness and unrighteousness:

Isa 26:8 Yea, in the way of thy judgments, O LORD, have we waited for thee; the desire of our soul is to thy name, and to the remembrance of thee.
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.

These six seals are just the unsealing of the judgments of God upon our flesh, our ‘world.’ There are yet seven trumpet judgments, which culminate in the seven last plagues, and those are all yet to come as Christ are signified to be revealed within us.

5) What are the stars of heaven?

We already know that “the stars of heaven” are God’s angels, or messengers, for either good or evil, sent into the heavens of our hearts and minds, working all things after the counsel of His own will” (Eph 1:11).

Rev 1:20  The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.

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.

Eph 1:11  In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:

So “the Sun of Righteousness” is darkened by an angel, a star that “falls from heaven unto the earth.” This “star” is given the key to the bottomless pit. This is an evil messenger; “an evil spirit from the Lord,” sent to trouble us.

1Sa 16:14  But the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD troubled him.
1Sa 16:15  And Saul’s servants said unto him, Behold now, an evil spirit from God troubleth thee.

6) What is the meaning of a fig tree with “untimely figs?”

We already know that the negative meaning of a fig tree (just as the negative application of the word ‘earth’) is just another type of God’s own people Israel, physical or spiritual, who turn their back on the Word of God. “Untimely figs”, like a woman with child, is immature fruit which will never be brought to term and must therefore be destroyed.

Hos 9:10  I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness; I saw your fathers as the firstripe in the fig tree at her first time: but they went to Baalpeor, and separated themselves unto that shame; and their abominations were according as they loved.

Mat 24:19  And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days!

There will be no “untimely figs” in the kingdom of heaven, and God will have no sucklings in His kingdom. All to whom it is given to be in that blessed and holy first resurrections will be “of full age.”

Gal 4:1  Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child [Greek: nepios, a baby], differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all;

1Co 3:1  And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.
1Co 3:2  I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able [ to bear it], neither yet now are ye able.
1Co 3:3  For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?

Heb 5:12  For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which [be] the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.
Heb 5:13  For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.
Heb 5:14  But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

7) What is the mighty wind?

While this word is not the Greek word ‘pneuma’, it is nevertheless, a symbol of the spirit of God, through which He operates to produce both good and evil. Here is how Paul uses this Greek word ‘anemos‘ (Strong’s number G417).

Eph 4:14  That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind [Greek: anemos, spirit] of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;
Eph 4:15  But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:

The spiritual opposite of being “tossed to and fro, and carried about by every wind of doctrine,” is “speaking the Truth in love”, which ‘love’ is defined as “keeping God’s commandments” (1Jn 5:2-3). One is a good and truthful “wind” while the other is “every wind of doctrine.”

For those with “eyes that see” Christ used the word “wind” in the very same way:

Mat 7:24  Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:
Mat 7:25  And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.
Mat 7:26  And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:
Mat 7:27  And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds [G417: anemos] blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.

It was the same plural “winds” that blew and beat upon both houses, and it is the same “winds” which proved what was the foundation of each house. We all first build on the sand, and we are all “tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine”,  and our spiritual house experiences a “great fall” before we are given to build upon the rock. Both houses are tried by the “truth in love”  Word of God, and both house are tried by “every wind of doctrine.” Both houses are made manifest for their occupants of the foundation on which the house has been built. The one house will fall and be destroyed, while the other house and its occupant “abideth ever.”

Joh 8:35  And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever.

It is the winds of millions of false doctrines which will beat upon the house of God and prove whether it is built upon the rock of the sayings of Christ, and a desire to obey God, or whether it is built upon a desire to be seen of men and received by men. Our persecutions come from “they of your own [spiritual] household”, and they come “because of the word.” That is the meaning of “The winds beat upon that house…”

Mat 10:36  And a man’s foes shall be they of his own household.

Mat 13:21  Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.

The wind of Christ, “speaking Truth in love”, is the foundation of rock.

Mat 7:24  Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:
Mat 7:25  And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.

8) What are the heavens as a scroll rolled together?

We already know that God dwells in His people, and that the heavens into which Christ entered to cleanse them, is the hearts and the minds of His people.

Psa 123:1  Unto thee lift I up mine eyes, O thou that dwellest in the heavens.

This is those heavens where God dwells:

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.

Heb 9:23 It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these [“the blood of calves and of goats” (vs 19)]; but the heavenly things themselves [His disciples, mankind] 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 [“Christ in you” (Col 1:27)], now to appear in the presence of God for us:

“Heaven itself” is the hearts and minds of His people. Our heavens are in need of being cleansed, simply because we have all been “children of disobedience”, and as the beast which we are by nature, we have all “defiled the temple of God.” As unbelievers, we have incurred the wrath of God. Therefore the “man of sin” within us must be destroyed by the brightness of His coming into the heavens of our hearts and minds.

2Th 2:3  Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day [the Lord’s day (Rev 1:10)] shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
2Th 2:4  Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
2Th 2:5  Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?
2Th 2:6  And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.
2Th 2:7  For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.
2Th 2:8  And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:

These verses, 2 Thessalonians 2:3-8 and Hebrews 9:23-24 reveal exactly where Christ dwells and what that “cloud” which received Him out of their sight is.

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:

So our hearts and our minds are the heavens which had to be cleansed by “better sacrifices than the blood of bulls and goats”, and into which Christ is entering and destroying the man of sin who was sitting on His throne in our hearts. This is called “the great day of His wrath” in the prophets, and this is how that great day is described:

Isa 34:1  Come near, ye nations, to hear; and hearken, ye people: let the earth hear, and all that is therein; the world, and all things that come forth of it.
Isa 34:2  For the indignation of the LORD is upon all nations, and his fury upon all their armies: he hath utterly destroyed them, he hath delivered them to the slaughter.
Isa 34:3  Their slain also shall be cast out, and their stink shall come up out of their carcases, and the mountains shall be melted with their blood.
Isa 34:4  And all the host of heaven shall be dissolved, and the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll: and all their host shall fall down, as the leaf falleth off from the vine, and as a falling fig from the fig tree.

Isa 34:8  For it is the day of the LORD’S vengeance, and the year of recompences for the controversy of Zion.

Why are our heavens likened to “a scroll when it is rolled together?”

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 6:17  For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?

This is just the sixth seal, and we are told, “the great day of His wrath is come.” What do “the heavens” have to do with “the day of God’s wrath?” The answer to that question is found in these verses:

Heb 1:10  And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands:
Heb 1:11 They shall perish; but thou remainest; and they all shall wax old as doth a garment;
Heb 1:12  And as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail.

The “folding up of a vesture,” and “a scroll when it is rolled together,” both signify “they shall perish, but you remain…” Our old heavens will perish in “the great day of God’s wrath”, but as is always the case, “he himself shall be saved yet so as by fire.” Look at these three verses.

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.

…and these verses:

2Pe 3:10  But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
2Pe 3:11  Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,
2Pe 3:12  Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?

“The heavens being on fire shall be dissolved… the heavens shall pass away…” That is the fate of our old defiled heavens and our old earth and our old defiled temple of God. That is what is signified by:

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.

We will pause at this point and finish in our next study of the significance of the symbols in the sixth seal which the holy spirit uses to reveal Christ within His own body to those who are given eyes that see and ears that can hear “the things of the spirit.”