JESUS: THE TRUE ISRAEL OF GOD

Many verses in the old testament that points to Israel point to Jesus as the fulfiller of the prophecy. The word Israel means "a prince that has power with God."
Look at these verses in comparison:

Exodus 4:22 And thou shalt say unto Pharaoh, Thus saith the LORD, Israel is my son, even my firstborn
Matthew 2:15 And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son.

1 Corinthians 10:2 And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea;
Matthew 3:15 And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him.
16And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him:

After crossing the red sea, Israel spent 40 years in the wilderness and failed.
Jesus after his baptism went in the desert 40 days and succeeded (Matthew 4:1-2).

In Psalms 80:8 God calls Israel a vine later called the fruitless vine.
In John 15:1 Jesus said he was the true vine.

In the old testament the name Israel was applied to one man and his victory over sin.
In the new Jesus is the Israel who over came all sin.

Isaiah 41:8 originally applied to Israel as Gods servant was quoted in the new testament as being fulfilled by Jesus (Matthew 12:16-19).

God called Israel his first born (Exodus 4:22) then Paul applied this same terminology to Jesus (Colossians 1:15).

God called Israel the seed of Abraham (Isaiah 41:8) but later Abrahams seed is termed as one seed in Jesus (Galatians 3:16).

Israel is called a holy nation (Exodus 19:6). The Church which is in Christ, remember we are one body, is said to be the royal priesthood quoting this same verse and applying it to the Church (1 Peter 2:9).

According to the new testament there are 2 Israels: one bound and one free. The Church is the one now free, applying it to Abrahams seed and applying Ishmaels linage, the child of bondage, to Israel of the flesh (Romans 9:3-6).

The finaly is this: David is told his son Solomon would build the house of God. Solomon fell into sin. He failed. Jesus said destroy this temple and I will raise it up in 3 days. Its all about Jesus. The word always points to Jesus and ends with Jesus. He is the fulfiller or the word of God.

ON THE WRONG END OF THE ROCK

Revelations 6:12-17

12And 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;

13And 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.

14And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.

15And 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;

16And 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:

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

Now look at what Jesus prophecied in Luke 23:27-30:

27And there followed him a great company of people, and of women, which also bewailed and lamented him.

28But Jesus turning unto them said, Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep for yourselves, and for your children.

29For, behold, the days are coming, in the which they shall say, Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bare, and the paps which never gave suck.

30Then shall they begin to say to the mountains, Fall on us; and to the hills, Cover us.

Jesus tells the people of Jerusalem to be affraid of the future in which destruction would come. He tells them that they and their children should weep for themselves for destruction is coming on them. Jesus is prophecying to those present of their sins being judged, the sin of rejecting him.

When John saw this vision he was speaking of what Jesus had prophecied. The judgement was going to be poured out on the jews and this is the prophecy John and Jesus both spoke of. John mentions the rocks falling on them connecting these passages.

WHO ARE THE 144,000? EXAMINING REVELATIONS 7 & 14

Chapter 7:

1-17: After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth to prevent any wind from blowing on the land or on the sea or on any tree. Then I saw another angel coming up from the east, having the seal of the living God. He called out in a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm the land and the sea: "Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God." Then I heard the number of those who were sealed: 144,000 from all the tribes of Israel. From the tribe of Judah 12,000 were sealed, from the tribe of Reuben 12,000, from the tribe of Gad 12,000, from the tribe of Asher 12,000, from the tribe of Naphtali 12,000, from the tribe of Manasseh 12,000, from the tribe of Simeon 12,000, from the tribe of Levi 12,000, from the tribe of Issachar 12,000, from the tribe of Zebulun 12,000, from the tribe of Joseph 12,000, from the tribe of Benjamin 12,000. After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice: "Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb." All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying: "Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!" Then one of the elders asked me, "These in white robes--who are they, and where did they come from?" I answered, "Sir, you know." And he said, "These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore, "they are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them. Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat upon them, nor any scorching heat. For the lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."

The Futurist view:

Dispensational Premillennialists believe that the faithful of the Church will have been raptured before the sealing of the 144,000 and the great multitude. Those being sealed are those who turn to Christ during the great tribulation and are thus protected from the events associated with the seven last plagues. Other Futurists, who don’t hold to the rapture idea, believe those sealed are the faithful of the church and they will be supernaturally protected from the tribulation. All Futurists believe the 144,000 represent Jews who will be converted to Christ just prior to His return. The great multitude is felt to represent gentile converts or a combination of both Jewish and Gentile converts. Some Futurists believe these converts represent martyred Christians who come out of the great tribulation and are literally standing before the throne of God. Others believe the language relating to their status before God is symbolic and speaks of the Christians spiritual relationship with God after being converted.

The Preterist view:

Preterists see the sealing of the 144,000 and the great multitude as pertaining to God providing a way for the Christians to escape the city of Jerusalem and surrounding areas before the Roman invasion. Preterists point to what Christ said in the Olivet Discourse about seeing the abomination that causes desolation standing in the holy place being the signal to flee to the mountains. Preterists will show from both scriptural and secular history that this abomination standing in the holy place took place during the Roman/Jewish war. The historian Eusebius writes of the Jewish Christians being warned by a prophetic oracle to flee the city just before the Roman siege began. Historians show the Christians escaped to the city of Pella beyond the Jordan River.

Preterists also point out that the 144,000 could not pertain to Israelites becoming converted just prior to a yet future return of Christ. In Revelation 14:1-4, the 144,000 are identified as the firstfruits to God and the Lamb. Apostle James, in his letter addressed to the “twelve tribes scattered among the nations,” said, “He chose to give us birth through the word of truth that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created” (James 1:1, 18). James is addressing his contemporaries as the firstfruits. A reading of the New Testament scriptures clearly shows that the first converts to Christianity were from the tribes of Israel. Since the concept of firstfruits appears to be identified with those Israelites who became Christians in the first century, it would place the 144,000 in the first century. If the 144,000 are to first make their appearance in our future they could hardly be considered the “firstfruits.” They more appropriately would be labeled the last fruits.

Preterists, as do some Futurists, believe the language relating to the status before God of those sealed is symbolic and speaks of the Christians spiritual relationship with God after being converted.

Chapter 14:

Then I looked, and there before me was the Lamb, standing on Mount Zion, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father's name written on their foreheads. And I heard a sound from heaven like the roar of rushing waters and like a loud peal of thunder. The sound I heard was like that of harpists playing their harps. And they sang a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders. No one could learn the song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth. These are those who did not defile themselves with women, for they kept themselves pure. They follow the Lamb
wherever he goes. They were purchased from among men and offered as firstfruits to God and the Lamb. No lie was found in their mouths; they are blameless. Then I saw another angel flying in midair, and he had the eternal gospel to proclaim to those who live on the earth--to every nation, tribe, language and people. He said in a loud voice, "Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come. Worship him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea and the springs of water." A second angel followed and said, "Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great, which made all the nations drink the maddening wine of her adulteries." A third angel followed them and said in a loud voice: "If anyone worships the beast and his image and receives his mark on the forehead or on the hand, he, too, will drink of the wine of God's fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. He will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment rises for ever and ever. There is no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and his image, or for anyone who receives the mark of his name." This calls for patient endurance on the part of the saints who obey God's commandments and remain faithful to Jesus.

Then I heard a voice from heaven say, "Write: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on." "Yes," says the Spirit, "they will rest from their labor, for their deeds will follow them." I looked, and there before me was a white cloud, and seated on the cloud was one "like a son of man" with a crown of gold on his head and a sharp sickle in his hand. Then another angel came out of the temple and called in a loud voice to him who was sitting on the cloud, "Take your sickle and reap, because the time to reap has come, for the harvest of the earth is ripe." So he who was seated on the cloud swung his sickle over the earth, and the earth was harvested. Another angel came out of the temple in heaven, and he too had a sharp sickle. Still another angel, who had charge of the fire, came from the altar and called in a loud voice to him who had the sharp sickle, "Take your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of grapes from the earth's vine, because its grapes are ripe." The angel swung his sickle on the earth, gathered its grapes and threw them into the great winepress of God's wrath. They were trampled in the winepress outside the city, and blood flowed out of the press, rising as high as the horses' bridles for a distance of 1,600 stadia.

The Preterist view:


The Preterists view of who the 144,000 are is detailed in the commentary on chapter 7. The new song being sung is felt to be a song of redemption. Not defiling themselves with women is seen as not joining in with apostate Israel in rejecting Christ and the New Covenant. The angel proclaiming the everlasting gospel is seen as representing the Church taking the gospel to the world as Christ said would occur before the end would come. The end is viewed not as the end of the world or of time but as the end of the Old Covenant age. Some Preterists see this angels proclamation as pertaining specifically to the about to occur judgement upon Israel.


Most Preterists view Babylon as Jerusalem which is representative of apostate Israel. This will be elucidated in the commentary on Chapter 17. Judgement is seen as coming upon all those who cooperate with the beast (Rome) in persecuting the Christians. The Christians are encouraged to endure and are looked upon as blessed for their patience even unto death. The first angel is seen as calling on Christ to reap the harvest of believers. Some Preterists associate this with the escape of Jerusalem Christians to Pella before the Roman invasion of Jerusalem. Other Preterists see this as representative of all those converted to Christianity before the judgement upon Israel. The second angel swinging his sickle is seen as God’s judgement being poured upon Israel through the destruction brought by the Roman armies.

Grapes gathered and thrown into the wine press is seen as symbolic of judgement upon Israel. Preterists point to Isaiah chapter 5 and Lamentations 1 where Israel is compared to a vineyard and being trampled in a winepress. Outside the city is felt to relate to out side the city walls of Jerusalem

The Futurists view:

The Futurist position on the 144,000 is elucidated in the commentary on Chapter 7. Not defiling themselves with women is viewed as Christians avoiding the corruptions of this world. The term “everlasting gospel” is somewhat problematic for Futurists because some Futurists believe there are two gospels (gospel of the Kingdom and the gospel of grace) taught in scripture while others feel only one gospel is taught. Most Futurist expositors, however, see the gospel proclaimed by the angel as representative of both the Kingdom and grace and as a general summons to repent.


Futurists view Babylon as representing the religious/political system of the ancient city by that name. Some Futurists see it as an actual rebuilt city of Babylon while most see it as symbolic of a resurrected Roman Empire that will bring judgement upon modern day Israel and be a major player in end time events still future to us.

Futurists are divided as to whether the two sickle events represent two separate actions as the Preterists believe or whether both sickles pertain to judgement. Some Futurists associate the vineyard and winepress with Israel as do Preterists while others see these symbols as God’s judgement upon mankind in general. Some Futurists see the so called war of Armageddon coming into view here because of the degree of carnage described. The reference to outside the city is felt to relate to outside the walls of Jerusalem and the approximate territory of the country of Israel. Blood running to the horse’s bridles is seen as figurative of the severity of events.

EXAMINING REVELATIONS CHAPTERS 7 & 8

Chapter 7:

1-17: After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth to prevent any wind from blowing on the land or on the sea or on any tree. Then I saw another angel coming up from the east, having the seal of the living God. He called out in a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm the land and the sea: "Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God." Then I heard the number of those who were sealed: 144,000 from all the tribes of Israel. From the tribe of Judah 12,000 were sealed, from the tribe of Reuben 12,000, from the tribe of Gad 12,000, from the tribe of Asher 12,000, from the tribe of Naphtali 12,000, from the tribe of Manasseh 12,000, from the tribe of Simeon 12,000, from the tribe of Levi 12,000, from the tribe of Issachar 12,000, from the tribe of Zebulun 12,000, from the tribe of Joseph 12,000, from the tribe of Benjamin 12,000. After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice: "Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb." All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying: "Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!" Then one of the elders asked me, "These in white robes--who are they, and where did they come from?" I answered, "Sir, you know." And he said, "These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore, "they are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them. Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat upon them, nor any scorching heat. For the lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."

The Futurist view:

Dispensational Premillennialists believe that the faithful of the Church will have been raptured before the sealing of the 144,000 and the great multitude. Those being sealed are those who turn to Christ during the great tribulation and are thus protected from the events associated with the seven last plagues. Other Futurists, who don’t hold to the rapture idea, believe those sealed are the faithful of the church and they will be supernaturally protected from the tribulation. All Futurists believe the 144,000 represent Jews who will be converted to Christ just prior to His return. The great multitude is felt to represent gentile converts or a combination of both Jewish and Gentile converts. Some Futurists believe these converts represent martyred Christians who come out of the great tribulation and are literally standing before the throne of God. Others believe the language relating to their status before God is symbolic and speaks of the Christians spiritual relationship with God after being converted.

The Preterist view:

Preterists see the sealing of the 144,000 and the great multitude as pertaining to God providing a way for the Christians to escape the city of Jerusalem and surrounding areas before the Roman invasion. Preterists point to what Christ said in the Olivet Discourse about seeing the abomination that causes desolation standing in the holy place being the signal to flee to the mountains. Preterists will show from both scriptural and secular history that this abomination standing in the holy place took place during the Roman/Jewish war. The historian Eusebius writes of the Jewish Christians being warned by a prophetic oracle to flee the city just before the Roman siege began. Historians show the Christians escaped to the city of Pella beyond the Jordan River.

Preterists also point out that the 144,000 could not pertain to Israelites becoming converted just prior to a yet future return of Christ. In Revelation 14:1-4, the 144,000 are identified as the firstfruits to God and the Lamb. Apostle James, in his letter addressed to the “twelve tribes scattered among the nations,” said, “He chose to give us birth through the word of truth that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created” (James 1:1, 18). James is addressing his contemporaries as the firstfruits. A reading of the New Testament scriptures clearly shows that the first converts to Christianity were from the tribes of Israel. Since the concept of firstfruits appears to be identified with those Israelites who became Christians in the first century, it would place the 144,000 in the first century. If the 144,000 are to first make their appearance in our future they could hardly be considered the “firstfruits.” They more appropriately would be labeled the last fruits.

Preterists, as do some Futurists, believe the language relating to the status before God of those sealed is symbolic and speaks of the Christians spiritual relationship with God after being converted.

Chapter 8:

1-13: When he opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and to them were given seven trumpets. Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all the saints, on the golden altar before the throne. The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of the saints, went up before God from the angel's hand. Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and hurled it on the earth; and there came peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning and an earthquake. Then the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared to sound them. The first angel sounded his trumpet, and there came hail and fire mixed with blood, and it was hurled down upon the earth. A third of the earth was burned up, a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up. The second angel sounded his trumpet, and something like a huge mountain, all ablaze, was thrown into the sea. A third of the sea turned into blood, a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed. The third angel sounded his trumpet, and a great star, blazing like a torch, fell from the sky on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water-- the name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the waters turned bitter, and many people died from the waters that had become bitter. The fourth angel sounded his trumpet, and a third of the sun was struck, a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of them turned dark. A third of the day was without light, and also a third of the night. As I watched, I heard an eagle that was flying in midair call out in a loud voice: "Woe! Woe! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth, because of the trumpet blasts about to be sounded by the other three angels!"

The Preterist view:

Preterists view the representations associated with opening of the seventh seal as all pertaining to Gods judgement upon Israel which brought about the destruction of the temple and the downfall of Jerusalem along with much of Israel and communities of Jews living in various parts of the Empire. The prayers represented by incense are viewed as the prayers of first century persecuted Christians. The censer filled with coals of fire from the alter and hurled down to the earth is paralleled with the manner in which God instructed ancient Israel to take fire from the altar and burn a city against which God brought judgement. Preterists see judgement coming from the same censer that held prayers as indicative of Gods response to the prayers of the Christians for relief from the persecution leveled upon them by the Jews.

While Preterists view much of the wording associated with the seals as apocalyptic language so common in prophetic writing, they do see some parallels to what actually occurred. In reference to the trees and grass being burned up it’s noted that Josephus laments about how the Roman armies cut down all the trees and leveled the gardens outside the city of Jerusalem in order to have materials to build ramps to scale the walls of the city. Josephus wrote that the beautiful suburbs outside the walled city were laid waste due to the war (Wars, V1:1:1).

In reference to events associated with the second trumpet, Preterists point to Josephus writing about a battle that took place on the Sea of Galilee where many Jews were killed and the lake was full of blood, dead bodies and shipwrecks (Wars, 111:10:9).

As to the mountain burning with fire being thrown into the sea, Preterists see this as symbolic of Jerusalem known as Mount Zion being burned by the Romans as gentile nations are sometimes referred to as the sea.

The third trumpet speaks of a star called wormwood making the waters bitter. Wormwood is used by OT prophets in speaking of judgement upon Israel for failure to do Gods will (See Jeremiah 9:13-25 & 23:15, KJV). Preterists take note of wormwood in the OT pertaining to judgement upon Israel and view its use in the Revelation as pertaining to judgement upon Israel in the first century.

Reference to the sun, moon and stars turning dark is viewed as symbolic language describing the fall of Israel. This same type of language was used by Ezekiel in describing judgement brought upon Israel by Babylon (Ezekiel 32:7-11).


This chapter ends with an eagle flying through the air pronouncing a triple woe upon the inhabitants of the Earth. The Greek word translated “earth” is gee. It appears 252 times in the NT and can mean either earth or land. Context best determines how this word should be rendered. By context, it is often seen in the NT to refer to the land of Israel. Since Preterists view the Revelation as pertaining to the first century judgement upon Israel, Preterists feel that gee is better translated as land in the Revelation.
The word “eagle” in this passage is translated from the Greek word aetos. The KJV and NKJV of the scriptures use Greek manuscripts that have the Greek angelos in place of aetos and therefore render it as “angel.” Biblical scholars believe aetos to be the correct wording as it is found in most of the ancient manuscripts. This brings an interesting possibility relative to the Preterist view of the Revelation.

It is interesting to note from the writings of Josephus, that when the Romans burned the temple, they brought their ensigns to the temple area, set them up against the eastern gate and offered sacrifices to them. The Roman ensigns were eagles. In speaking of conditions extant at the time of His return, Christ said “Where there is a dead body, there the eagles (Greek aetos) will gather” (Luke 17:37). Some Preterists believe Christ is speaking metaphorically of the death of Old Covenant Israel at the hands of the Roman armies who are here represented by eagles. The reference in the Revelation to an eagle announcing three woes is seen as representative of the Romans involvement in the final destruction of the temple and the city. Preterists cite Jeremiah 4:13 and Hosea 8:1 as examples of God referring to eagles as representing judgement against Israel.

The Futurists view:

Futurists see the events associated with the seventh seal as representative of events yet to occur in our future. Some Futurists take a quite literal approach to what is written while others view what is written as symbolic. Futurists view use of the censer in the same way the Preterists do but believe it is Gods judgement upon the entire earth at the end of the church age in response to the prayers of the saints.

Many Futurists see the hail, fire and burning of grass and trees as literal events orchestrated by God. Some Futurists see all this as the result of nuclear warfare. The mountain falling into the sea is felt by some to be representative of a modern Babylon made up of a revived Roman Empire headed by the antichrist and a false religious system. This system is seen as thrown into the sea of nations and creating great havoc on the earth. Futurists point out that in Jeremiah 51:25, ancient Babylon is referred to as a “destroying mountain.” Some futurists point out that the Revelation speaks of “something like a huge mountain” and not an actual mountain. It therefore could be an enormous meteor or represent a nuclear bomb. A nuclear bomb exploded in the ocean could easily destroy many ships and kill a great deal of marine life, turning the water red with blood.

Futurists see the star called wormwood as symbolic of a political or religious leader misleading the people of the earth or viewed more literally as an actual heavenly body of some sort or a nuclear device contaminating the waters. One Futurist claims that the name for the Russian nuclear power plant Chernobyl, which experienced a meltdown, is the Russian word for wormwood and therefore sees in this a foreshadowing of what is prophesied in the Revelation.

Some Futurists see the darkening of the sun moon and stars as symbolic of judgement upon the political/religious powers of the revived Roman Empire. Some see the darkening due to nuclear warfare while others see direct interference by God in the normal operation of these heavenly bodies.

Like Preterists, most Futurist commentators agree that eagle and not angel is the proper translation in this passage. Futurists, however, do not view the eagle as representing Rome bringing judgement but simply as a messenger, possible the fourth living creature who is described as an eagle and is seen before the throne in chapter 4:7.

WAS THE WORLD CREATED IN SIX DAYS?

The word day is used 2301 times in the old testament. It is always the hebrew word yom. This means it is always the same word with the same meaning; a 24 hour period. Some have tried to say that the days in Genesis may sometimes mean 1000 years, taking Peter literally in his letter and applying it to Genesis.
We have a verse however that clears all the controversy up.

Exodus 20:11
11 For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.

We all know the sabbath is a single day and by placing it with the other six we have no reason to apply the six days of creation in any other way.

WHAT IS THE MARK OF THE BEAST

Ezekiel 8:1-3
1 And it came to pass in the sixth year, in the sixth month, on the fifth day of the month, as I sat in my house with the elders of Judah sitting before me, that the hand of the Lord GOD fell upon me there. 2 Then I looked, and there was a likeness, like the appearance of fire—from the appearance of His waist and downward, fire; and from His waist and upward, like the appearance of brightness, like the color of amber. 3 He stretched out the form of a hand, and took me by a lock of my hair; and the Spirit lifted me up between earth and heaven, and brought me in visions of God to Jerusalem

Ezekiel 9:3-7
3 Now the glory of the God of Israel had gone up from the cherub, where it had been, to the threshold of the temple.[a] And He called to the man clothed with linen, who had the writer’s inkhorn at his side; 4 and the LORD said to him, “Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and cry over all the abominations that are done within it.”
5 To the others He said in my hearing, “Go after him through the city and kill; do not let your eye spare, nor have any pity. 6 Utterly slay old and young men, maidens and little children and women; but do not come near anyone on whom is the mark; and begin at My sanctuary.” So they began with the elders who were before the temple. 7 Then He said to them, “Defile the temple, and fill the courts with the slain. Go out!” And they went out and killed in the city.

Did you notice the amazing similaritys here to what happens in Revelations? Ezekiel is taken up in a vision just like John was in Revelations 4. Then a mark is placed on the ones of God and they are protected by God just like the 144,000 in Revelations 7. The mark is placed on their foreheads in Ezekiels vision just like in Revelations. There is a reason for this which we will look at in conclusion.

2 Corinthians 1:22 says the Spirit has sealed us in our hearts as a gaurantee. 2 Timothy 2:19 says this, 19 Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: “The Lord knows those who are His,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of Christ[a] depart from iniquity.” Exodus 13:9 says, 9 It shall be as a sign to you on your hand and as a memorial between your eyes, that the LORD’s law may be in your mouth; for with a strong hand the LORD has brought you out of Egypt.
All of these passages depict a sign being put on the people of God Spiritually as protection by God. The sealing in Revelations 7 is the same. It is sealed by the Spirit and is a sign that they are Gods people.

Since the saved have a sign that is Spiritual, then the mark on the lost is also on their souls spiritually. In Revelations 13 it says they took the mark of the beast as he caused them to.
16 He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, 17 and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or[f] the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
18 Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man: His number is 666.

Nero is the Roman emperor whose name meant 666 and he was obeyed by the Jewish temple leaders. Those of the temple where the goods where sold would ban those who didnt hold Nero as the King like God. Just like Jesus prophecied, Peter and the disciples and all who followed Christ were banned and thrown out of the temple. Jesus used a similar reference in Revelations 3 that we should buy from him: (18) I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see.
The application here of course is spiritual but is in direct contrast to the followers of the beast of Revelations 13. Jesus when he was here kicked out money changers in the temple but as we see in Revelations, the practice continued. Paul after witnessing was kicked out and stoned nearly to death. Anyone who preached Christ had no access to the temple and its economics and this is what Revelations 13 is talking about. Revelation 14 continues with the opposite theme as the people marked by the beast. The people of God it says in Revelations 14:1 had Gods mark in their foreheads. This meant they worshipped God to the people and were known followers who had accepted Jesus. Taking the mark of the beast means a rejection of Christ as is symbolic.

What is Revelations telling us? Buy from Jesus his gold. Take his mark and not the beast. Even today this symbolism confronts us even though this passage was in Johns day about and to his people. We to have a choice. Take the mark of God and be sealed until the day of redemption.

WHY IT MATTERS THAT WHAT JESUS SAID HAS ALREADY OCCURED

Most end times teachings today take what Jesus said in the gospels and put it at the end of time. This is damaging not just for the facts that they are wrong but mainly because the purpose was for the events to occur to the audience Jesus was speaking to so that he would be shown to them as the Messiah.

Thats right. Jesus, like the prophets of the old letter, spoke specifically to a group of people that would see the results of his words. Thats what a prophet does to prove he is a true prophet. The words are spoken and fulfilled almost always to the listeners. Jesus was doing the same here. He even tells them they would be the ones going through the prophecys. Look at these words in Matthew 24 to the disciples:

3 Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?”

Notice Jesus is speaking to the disciples privately

4 And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives YOU. 5 For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. 6 And YOU will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all[a]these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences,[b] and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.
9 “Then they will deliver YOU up to tribulation and kill YOU, and YOU will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. 10 And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. 11 Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. 12 And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But he who endures to the end shall be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.

Notice hes telling them that they would go through all these things even to their death.

15 “Therefore when YOU see the ‘abomination of desolation,’[c] spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” (whoever reads, let him understand), 16 “then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.

Notice hes telling them when they see the abomination to flee to the mountains, not future but them. The abomination predicted in Daniel 9 would end exactly 490 years like it said. The disciples would see it. The tribulation is on them and all in Jerusalem because Jesus had told them that he would destroy the temple and he does in their lifetime.

21 For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. 22 And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened.
23 “Then if anyone says to YOU, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There!’ do not believe it. 24 For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 25 See, I have told you beforehand.
26 “Therefore if they say to you, ‘Look, He is in the desert!’ do not go out; or ‘Look, He is in the inner rooms!’ do not believe it. 27 For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 28 For wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered together.
29 “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30 Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.

He tells them that they would go through the tribulation and tells them about it and warns of false prophets. When the tribulation is over they will see a sign is a reference to the fact that when this takes place and Jerusalem is destroyed, then the people will know Jesus was the Christ. The destruction is a sign to them that Jesus was a true prophet and Messiah since he said he was. Jesus coming on the clouds is a reference to judgement on a people like he did to the Assyrians in Isaiah 19.

Luke 21 gives us even more evidence of its time frame.

10 Then He said to them, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. 11 And there will be great earthquakes in various places, and famines and pestilences; and there will be fearful sights and great signs from heaven. 12 But before all these things, they will lay their hands on YOU and persecute YOU, delivering YOU up to the synagogues and prisons. You will be brought before kings and rulers for My name’s sake. 13 But it will turn out for you as an occasion for testimony.

Notice he says before the tribulation, they would be persecuted for their faith.

16 YOU will be betrayed even by parents and brothers, relatives and friends; and they will put some of YOU to death. 17 And YOU will be hated by all for My name’s sake.

He tells them some would die from persecution.

20 “But when YOU see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near. 21 Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those who are in the midst of her depart, and let not those who are in the country enter her. 22 For these are the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled.

He tells them that what was predicted will happen in their eyes. When the armys are around Jerusalem to flee he says. Not a future armaggedon but in their day.

The reason it was important for these things to take place was to show the people who heard him that he really was the Messiah. It also shows us that every promise was fulfilled just as he said. The words of our Christ are perfect. John sees visions of these same events in Revelations; the revelation of Jesus Christ. What revelation? The one he prophecied in the gospels to his followers.

WHY DID JESUS CRY OUT "MY GOD, WHY HAS THOU FORSAKEN ME"?

Look at Psalms 22. Does this look familiar?

Psalms 22
1 My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?
Why are You so far from helping Me,
And from the words of My groaning?
2 O My God, I cry in the daytime, but You do not hear;
And in the night season, and am not silent.

3 But You are holy,
Enthroned in the praises of Israel.
4 Our fathers trusted in You;
They trusted, and You delivered them.
5 They cried to You, and were delivered;
They trusted in You, and were not ashamed.

6 But I am a worm, and no man;
A reproach of men, and despised by the people.
7 All those who see Me ridicule Me;
They shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying,
8 “He trusted[b] in the LORD, let Him rescue Him;
Let Him deliver Him, since He delights in Him!”

9 But You are He who took Me out of the womb;
You made Me trust while on My mother’s breasts.
10 I was cast upon You from birth.
From My mother’s womb
You have been My God.
11 Be not far from Me,
For trouble is near;
For there is none to help.

12 Many bulls have surrounded Me;
Strong bulls of Bashan have encircled Me.
13 They gape at Me with their mouths,
Like a raging and roaring lion.

14 I am poured out like water,
And all My bones are out of joint;
My heart is like wax;
It has melted within Me.
15 My strength is dried up like a potsherd,
And My tongue clings to My jaws;
You have brought Me to the dust of death.

16 For dogs have surrounded Me;
The congregation of the wicked has enclosed Me.
They pierced[c] My hands and My feet;
17 I can count all My bones.
They look and stare at Me.
18 They divide My garments among them,
And for My clothing they cast lots.

19 But You, O LORD, do not be far from Me;
O My Strength, hasten to help Me!
20 Deliver Me from the sword,
My precious life from the power of the dog.
21 Save Me from the lion’s mouth
And from the horns of the wild oxen!

You have answered Me.

22 I will declare Your name to My brethren;
In the midst of the assembly I will praise You.
23 You who fear the LORD, praise Him!
All you descendants of Jacob, glorify Him,
And fear Him, all you offspring of Israel!
24 For He has not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted;
Nor has He hidden His face from Him;
But when He cried to Him, He heard.

25 My praise shall be of You in the great assembly;
I will pay My vows before those who fear Him.
26 The poor shall eat and be satisfied;
Those who seek Him will praise the LORD.
Let your heart live forever!

27 All the ends of the world
Shall remember and turn to the LORD,
And all the families of the nations
Shall worship before You.[d]
28 For the kingdom is the LORD’s,
And He rules over the nations.

29 All the prosperous of the earth
Shall eat and worship;
All those who go down to the dust
Shall bow before Him,
Even he who cannot keep himself alive.

30 A posterity shall serve Him.
It will be recounted of the Lord to the next generation,
31 They will come and declare His righteousness to a people who will be born,
That He has done this.

As Jesus hung on the cross he cried out the first verse of this Psalms. Not because he lost faith in God. Not because he was seperated from the Father as some teach but to warn the people to look to the scriptures. He is warning them with love, even in his final hour, to look to the scriptures and they would see he is the one fulfilling the passage. Jesus was giving his people another chance to believe he was the Messiah.

Its amazing what the Psalmist wrote that describes to a tee what is going on that day, the day of Jesus' death. His hands and feet would be pierced (v16), he would be despised (v6), ridiculed (v7), let him rescue himself they said (v8), they divided my garments and cast lots (v18).

The rest of the Psalm takes a turn. Jesus is going to fulfill his duty and be praised by the Father. He would be looked up to all all would bow to him. Jesus looked to the heavenly and after life as the Psalm is being played out. His death was his deliverance and he knew this. The Psalms says it and Jesus knew it because he was playing this out; fulfilling this prophecy. He wasnt doubting the Father, but was following and obeying him word for word.
How awesome it is, the word of God.