Revelation 21 and 22: A New Heaven and a New Earth

1) A new Jerusalem will come down out of heaven and God’s dwelling will be among His people.
     a) No more mourning, sorrow, tears or death.
     b) Foursquare city with 12 gates, each gate made from a single pearl with the names of the 12 tribes of Israel. The city will have 12 foundations with the names of the 12 Apostles.
     c) The city is as long as it is high and wide (12,000 stadia = 1,380 miles). Each foundation will be marked by a precious stone. The great street of the city will be made of pure gold as clear as glass.
     d) There is no temple, no moon, no sun.  The Glory of the Lamb (Jesus) will provide the light and the nations will walk under His light.
     e) There will be no more night. Nothing impure will be allowed in the city.
     f) There is a river that flows from the throne of God, as clear as crystal, down the middle of the great street of the city.  
     g) The Tree of Life stands on each side of the river bearing 12 crops of fruit.  The leaves of the tree are for the healing of nations.
     h) We will see Jesus face and His name will be upon our foreheads.

2) Jesus twice proclaims that He is coming soon (Revelation 22:7 & 22:12).
     a) The book of Revelation is a testimony for the churches.
     b) The Spirit and the Bride say “come!” The offer of salvation is for the thirsty who wish to take the free gift of the water of life.  
     b) Those who add to the Revelation prophecy about Christ or take away from this prophecy will not be allowed to enter the Holy City or partake in the Tree of Life.

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Creator, Researcher and Host: Rob Fell
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We apologize for our unexpected hiatus.  Hopefully things will be back to normal soon!  Happy Holidays!
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The kingdom of Christ: was it established on the earth at His 1st coming or will it actually be established at His 2nd coming?

John the Baptist declared the Kingdom of heaven is at hand.  This proclamation was declared before Jesus' earthly ministry on earth (Mathew 3:2).  Was it established or simply offered at this time?

Many dispensational Christians believe it was offered but was rejected by National Israel/religious leaders of the day in Matthew 12:22-48 (assigning Christ’s miracles to the devil) or was it in Matthew 27:16-26…(release of Barabbas instead of Jesus by Pilate) or was it in Acts 7:54 - 60 (Stoning of Stephen).

The 12 were taught to pray by Jesus: “Our Father which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. “Thy kingdom come,” Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.” Matthew 6:9-13

So the question remains… is God’s will being accomplished upon the earth today… as it is in heaven? It appears through Old Testament prophecy during the millennial reign of Christ that it will be so one day. We cannot speak that same truth with confidence upon the earth in the reality of what we see upon the earth today.  

Can the kingdom of Christ be established upon the earth… without Jesus ruling as king upon the earth…. only true Biblical scholars know the answer to that question?

#Revelation #Bible #endtimes #rapture #MillenialReignofChrist #prophecy #tribulation

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How should the church view the promises given to the Nation of Israel and the Jewish people promised in scripture through prophecy?

Option 1: Supersessions/Replacement Theology.  The church has become the new spiritual Israel.  God has transferred His blessings to the church because 1st century Israel rejected its Messiah and had Him killed on a cross by the Romans.  God’s Old Testament spiritual/promises to National Israel in the Old Testament are now being  poured out upon the church today. 

Option 2: Dispensationalism. God has not abandon his promises to the Jewish people and the nation of Israel but rather they are in a state of postponement until God determines it is time to act.  God is working through the Church today, a spiritual body, not a physical nation. Prophecy is directed at new spiritual Israel that Christ will establish on the earth after the tribulation period for a literal 1,000 years.  From the time of the Mosaic Covenant until the day of Pentecost, National Israel was God’s witness of Himself upon the earth.  Today the Body of Christ/Church/Bride of Christ is God’s witness of Himself upon the earth. At the Rapture of the church, God will shift His focus back to Israel to accomplish all the unfulfilled promises to Israel outlined in scripture.  
 
3) God’s eye in scripture has always been upon Spiritual Israel. Gentiles were grafted into Israel through Jesus' finished work upon the cross. Old Testament believers and new Testament believers have never been released from adherence to the laws establish by God to the Nation of Israel. Jesus said he did not come to abolish the law or the prophets (Matthew 5:17). Through faith in Jesus Christ and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, it is now possible to be obedient to laws handed down by God to the nation of Israel. This means Torah observance: Sabbath keeping, celebrating Old Testament feast and festivals, kosher diet. God never released Israel from these regulations as Israel has always been God’s sole witness of Himself upon the earth. All the authors of the Bible were Torah observant, so was Jesus, and so should  we be … if we want to live a life of true obedience before God.

Unfilled prophecy concerning the nation of Israel and the coming kingdom. 
Deuteronomy: 30:1-10/Daniel 9:24-27/Isaiah 2:1-5/Zechariah 12:10/Ezekiel Chapters: 25-48/Jeremiah 31: 31-40).

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Jesus Christ 2nd coming will establish several purposes:

1) To establish a righteous rule of Truth, Peace and Justice upon the earth.
2) To take the throne of King David in Jerusalem and to establish and an everlasting kingdom (Luke 1:32-33). 
3) To punish and destroy the armies of Satan, the beast and the false prophet.
4) To establish an everlasting covenant with the Nation of Israel (Jeremiah 31:31-40).
5)  To fulfill the promises given to Abraham regarding land (Genesis 15:18-21, 17:8, Amos 9:11-15, Ezekiel 47:13-48:29).
6) To fulfill the promises given to Abraham regarding seed (Genesis 15:1-6, Genesis 17:19-22).
7) To fulfill the promise given to Israel regarding its Messiah (Mathew 23:37-39, Job 19:25-27, Genesis 3:15, Isaiah 53:1-12).

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Revelation 19: 1-21
We see celebratory “Hallelujahs” proclaimed in heaven following the fall of Commercial and Religious Babylon in Revelation chapters 17 & 18.
     1) Salvation, glory and power belong to our God.
     2) Condemnation against the great whore (Apostae Church) 
     3) Vindication for the spilled blood of the servants of God.
     4) Destruction of Babylon (Smoke rises from her forever).
     5) The wedding supper of the Lamb has come.
     6) The Bride has made herself ready.
     7) The Lord God Almighty reigns forever.

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Revelation 18 - Fallen Babylon - The epicenter of Satan’s economic and political system during the tribulation period. 

Revelation 17:17 states that the Anti-Christ will destroy the whore riding on the beast (Apostate Church) during the tribulation period.  Many assume this will take place 3 1/2 years/halfway through the 7 year tribulation period when the Anti-Christ ends the sacrificial system on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem and declares himself to be God (Matthew 24:15-21, Daniel 9: 27).   

Historical Significance of Babylon:
     1) The “Hanging Gardens”, one of the 7 wonders of the world, was located in Babylon under the rule of King Nebuchadnezzar.  It is a city that represents luxury, wealth, power, self indulgence and the self sufficiency of man without God (Tower of Babel, Genesis 11: 1-9). 
     2) Babylon, 60 miles southwest of Baghdad in modern day Iraq is considered the geographical center of 3 continents: Africa, Europe and Asia.
     3) Two famous kings ruled from Babylon, the most powerful city in the ancient world (Hammurabi 1792-1750 B.C. and Nebuchadnezzar 604-562 B.C.)
     4) Iraq has at least 148 billion barrels of proven oil reserves and is the 5th largest oil producer in the world.  Low energy prices are a key to economic prosperity. Revelation 18:11-19 outlines the wealth of Babylon as a major city of commerce.  
     5) The United Nations along with leaders in Iraq are currently trying to develop and promote Babylon as an international tourism center. 
     6) The Garden of Eden, based on limited information in Genesis 2:10-14, was located in southern Mesopotamia, modern day Iraq where the Tigris and Euphrates run into the sea at the head of the Persian Gulf.
     7) Babylon always carries negative connotations in the Bible. It is the 2nd most mentioned city behind Jerusalem.  Babylon appears 287 times in 253 verses in the NKJV version. 
          a) Babylon glorifies the achievement of man and human sufficiency separated from God (Revelation 18:7).
          b) Unregenerate man will be drawn in to covet and worship the wealth and pleasure offered by Babylon (Revelation 18:9-19).
          c) Believers in Christ are called to come out and separate themselves from the allure of Babylon’s deceptive and demonic powers or be destroyed with her (Revelation 18:1-3). 

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The “Great Whore” - symbolizes false religions and apostate Christianity.
     A) The Prostitute will be destroyed by the Anti-Christ.
     B) Political Babylon in Chapter 18 will be destroyed by Jesus Christ at His 2nd Coming.
     C) The Religious system will most likely be a melting pot of many religions, faiths and creeds during the tribulation period.
     D) Tribulation saints are called to come out of this system or be destroyed with it.
     E) The “Whore” is a man-made religious system that will unite mankind with the pleasures and greed of the world.

10 horns: 10 kings, 10 confederacy of states that will rule during the tribulation period, yielding power to the anti-Christ (Daniel 7:23-25, Revelation 17:12-13).  They wage war against the lamb (Jesus).

Mother Child-Cult originated in Babylon (Modern Day Iraq), location of the Tower of Babel.

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1) The bowls of God’s Wrath (God’s final judgments upon the wicked of the earth)
     a) Festering sores upon those who take the mark of the beast and worship his image. 
     b) Every living creature in the sea dies, turning the salt water to blood.
     c) River and springs turn to blood (fresh water).
     d) Scorching heat from the sun causing mankind to blaspheme the name of God.
     e) The world is flooded with darkness. Mankind will gnaw their tongues in agony and curse God because of the pain of their sores (They refuse to repent).
     f) The great river Euphrates is dried up preparing the way for the kings of the East to advance upon Israel.  3 frogs (impure spirits) go out to gather the nations of the world to fight in the battle of Armageddon (Lower Galilee, Megiddo, Northern Israel).
     g) The greatest earthquake in the history of the world will take place, dividing Jerusalem into 3 parts, the cities of the nations collapse, every island will disappear, every mountain is flattened, and hailstones weighing around 100lbs fall from the sky.

2) The people of the earth refuse to repent and curse God (Revelation 16:21, Revelation 16:11, Revelation 9:20-21)
     a) The wrath of God is an unchanging expression of His holiness and His hatred towards towards sin (Romans 1:18)
     b) God’s wrath is not intended to be God’s final action towards the human race.  He has provided a way of escape through the atoning work of his Son Jesus Christ who has already paid the sin debt of the world (John 14:6).
     c) God’s wrath establishes His character of truth, justice and righteousness upon the earth.  

3) The church always needs to guard against false teachers and prophets who introduce destructive heresies (II Peter 2:1-22).
     a) Many false teachers will arise in the last days and will twist the Truth of God’s word to promote affluent lifestyles geared towards self gratification and the love of money (I Timothy 6:10, II Timothy 3:1-7, Matthew 24:11).
     b) Everyone who is on the side of Truth is able hear the voice of Jesus (John 18:37).
     c) Key ingredients of false teaching will include denying the deity of Jesus as God, diminishing His final work on the cross and promoting human ability, logic and effort over the “Word of God”. 

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1) The Lamb (Jesus) and the 144,000 (12,000 men from each tribe of Israel) standing on Mount Zion (God’s Holy City).
     a) They have the name of Jesus and His Father on their foreheads.  It is a mark of consecration and ownership.
     b) They are virgins.
     c) They are morally blameless.
     d) They are offered to God and the Lamb as first fruits.
     e) They sing a new song before the throne, the four living creatures and the elders that no one knows but them.
     f) They are redeemed from the earth.
     g) They follow the Lamb wherever He goes.

2) The Church, the Body of Christ, the Bride of Christ is not mentioned in Revelation Chapters 4-18.  If the church is raptured before the tribulation period (7 years) who will preach the gospel during the tribulation period?
     a) The spreading of the Gospel is performed by 144,000 spirit filled Jewish witnesses (Revelation 7: 4-10 & Revelation 14: 1-5).
     b) The Gospel is preached by the two witnesses (most likely: Moses and Elijah) for 1,260 days (42 months or 3 1/2 years) (Revelation 11: 1-12).
     c) After the 144,000 have been redeemed (possibly martyred by the Anti-Christ) and the two witnesses are raptured into heaven, God will send 3 Angels to proclaim the Gospel message (Revelation 14: 6-13).

3) Harvesting the earth and trampling the winepress.
     a) It appears from this passage, that Jesus himself will initiate the harvest (Revelation 14:14).
     b) The treading of grapes in the Old Testament was symbolism for the wrath of God against the ungodly.
     c) At the end of the tribulation period we will see unbelievers judged in the valley of Jehoshaphat prophesied by the prophet Joel.  Joel 3: 1-16 mentions the grapes, winepress, sickle and harvest (Mathew 13: 36-43, Daniel 12: 5-13, Matthew 25: 31-33).

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The Apostle John describes the dragon (Satan) standing on the shore of the sea. Satan is denied access to heaven and the only dominion he has left to operate is upon the earth.
A) 10 horns: represents a 10 kingdom confederacy under the leadership of the anti-Christ. 
B) 7 heads: are seven hills on which the woman sits (Revelation 17: 9-14). Some believe this is symbolic for the 7 kingdoms or world empires that have subdued Israel over time. 
     1) Egypt (400 years led out by Moses) Passover 1446 B.C.
     2) Assyria (scatted the 10 Northern tribes - Northern Kingdom - in 722 B.C.)
     3) Babylonia (Daniel - Israel led into 70 years into exile - 606 B.C.)
     4) Medo-Persia (Haman/Queen Esther - 473 B.C.) Purim
     5) Grecian Empire - (Alexander the Great conquered Israel in 332 B.C)
     6) Antiochus Epiphanes desecrated the temple in Jerusalem in 168 B.C.) Hanukkah, Daniel 11: 31-32.
     7) Roman Empire (Titus destroyed the city and the temple in 70 A.D.)
Daniel 7:3-7 describes 4 Gentile Kingdoms from the time of Daniel going forward that would trample down Israel. Four beasts that came up from the sea.
     1) The Lion represents the Neo-Babylonian Empire. Eagle’s wings may represent Nebuchadnezzar’s rule. The clipping of the wings may represent when God turned him into a beast of the field (Daniel 4: 33-37).
     2) A 2nd beast represents the Medo-Persian Empire. It was like that of a bear, raised itself up on one side and had 3 ribs in the mouth between the teeth of it. It will arise and devour much flesh.
     3)The 3rd beast was like a Leopard.  It represents Alexander the Great. He was undefeated in battle and created one of the largest empires from Greece to Northwest India.  He died at the age of 32.  His empire was divided among his 4 generals (4 heads). Antiochus Epiphanes was a descendant of one of 4 generals of Alexander the Great.
     4) The 4th beast is dreadful and terrible. Iron teeth represent Rome along with the 10 toes and iron teeth.  The little horn represents the antichrist that will arise from the 10 horns.  3 of the horns were uprooted before the little horn.  It appears the antichrist will have to subdue 3 of the kingdoms who do not go along with his Satanic Program.  10 minus 3 equals 7.  This may be where the 7 heads with 10 crowns come from?  This little horn had the eyes of human and spoke boastfully.
In Revelation 13: 1-4 John gives similar description of the 4th beast in Daniel 7.
     1) For 42 months, the beast of the sea (anti-Christ) will wage a world war with the saints of God and have power to conquer them.
     2) The world will be filled with wonder regarding the beast and will follow him (Satanic deception, signs and wonders).
     3) The beast will suffer a fatal wound and will be healed, possibly raising from the dead to mimic the resurrection of Christ.
     4) A decree will be issued to worship the world leader and his images that are erected around the world.
     5) The antichrist will gain economic control of the world. Earthly inhabitants will have to take his mark on their hands or foreheads to purchase food and supplies. Those who refuse allegiance to the beast with the mark will be hunted down and killed.
     6) The other beast from the earth will design and promote an ecumenical and centralized religion that will worship the antichrist.  The world can expect his ministry to mimic the gifts of the Holy Spirit with signs and wonders to support the lie.  The two horns represent the gentleness of a lamb but his mouth speaks like the dragon (Satan).

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Creator, Researcher and Host: Rob Fell
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