Revelation 14 – Wine and Other Things

Brief Ideas: The Three Angel’s Messages speak about wine. The intoxicating effect of that wine represents how irrational people become when they are angry. So it is called “wine of wrath.” There are two types of wine. First, the world becomes angry because they are confused by the wine of Rome’s false doctrines. Last of all, the world is enraged to a mad fury as it suffers the wrath of God. Jesus suffered this wrath and drank the cup of woe.

 

The judgment is a bad time to be drunk – either literally or figuratively. Kings and Priests never have been permitted to drink. And as we are a royal priesthood, we should abstain from alcoholic beverages.

Wines of Wrath

Babylon in Revelation 14 (like Babylon in Daniel 5) makes all nations drink wine. The nations are drunk. And they are drunk at a very dangerous time to be drunk. They are intoxicated while their cases are heard in the court of heaven.

The metaphor of intoxication is used to describe the effect of false doctrines on the behavior of men. They adopt the most foolish plans, pursue the most hopeless ventures, and fruitlessly oppose the most sensible counsel.

Is 28:7  But they also have erred through wine, and through strong drink are out of the way; the priest and the prophet have erred through strong drink, they are swallowed up of wine, they are out of the way through strong drink; they err in vision, they stumble in judgment. . . .9  Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts.

Is 29:9  Stay yourselves, and wonder; cry ye out, and cry: they are drunken, but not with wine; they stagger, but not with strong drink.  10  For the LORD hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep, and hath closed your eyes: the prophets and your rulers, the seers hath he covered. 11  And the vision of all is become unto you as the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one that is learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I cannot; for it is sealed: 12  And the book is delivered to him that is not learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I am not learned.

Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men: 14  Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvellous work among this people, even a marvellous work and a wonder: for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid.

In the prophecies of Isaiah above men who are not taught doctrine by God are confused. They err “in judgment.” Their eyes have been closed. They can not understand the revelations of prophecy (and it seems that the Bible refers to the books of Daniel and Revelation) and though they claim to worship God, their worship is vain.

That makes them sound like the men that say “Lord, Lord” and who are accused of being lawless and ignorant of their Savior.

God does a “marvelous” thing to these – he deprives their thought-leaders of sense. This sounds like the sending of “strong delusion” mentioned in 2 Thessalonians 2.

When Babylon makes everyone confused by her false doctrines she does it with the assistance of the civil power. She makes “all nations” drink. This manipulations of “all” people sounds like the issue over the mark of the beast in Revelation 13.

It is the justice of God that she who makes others drink will be forced to drink “the cup of the wine” of God’s fierce wrath.

Re 14:8  And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.

Re 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.

And it is a fact that when the inhabitants of the earth allow themselves to be “made drunk” with Babylon’s state-power, they doom themselves to being forced to drink down the judgments that come on that state-power.

Re 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.

Re 18:3  For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.

Re 14:10  The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:

The wine of the wrath of God is freshly squeezed. That makes it what we would call grape juice. It is the shedding of blood and it is illustrated by a wine-press that is trodden by Jesus, staining his white garments red.

Re 14:19  And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God.

Re 14:20  And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs.

Re 19:15  And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.

Isa 63:3  I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the people there was none with me: for I will tread them in mine anger, and trample them in my fury; and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my raiment.

Wine in the Bible

Bible-believing Christians have long taught what is obvious in the passages just quoted, namely that wine in the Bible often refers to the unfermented juice of the grape.

The grape vine acts as a purifier, allowing grape juice to be a healthful source of water where other water supplies are polluted. So Paul urged Timothy to stop using the local water and to drink a little juice for his stomach’s sake.

But not all wine in scripture is pure juice. The wine of Babylon, for example, makes men “drunk.” And kings and priests are both forbidden to drink intoxicating wine for the same reason: It would compromise their ability to teach and judge correctly.

 

It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine; nor for princes strong drink: Lest they drink, and forget the law, and pervert the judgment of any of the afflicted. Pr 31:4-5.

Do not drink wine nor strong drink, thou, nor thy sons with thee, when ye go into the tabernacle of the congregation, lest ye die: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations: 10  And that ye may put difference between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean; 11  And that ye may teach the children of Israel all the statutes which the LORD hath spoken unto them by the hand of Moses. Le 10:9-11

Healthy living is a means to clearer perceptions of duty and morality. The sluggishness of the blood and the cloudiness of the brain have much to do with one’s ability to weigh right and wrong. This is why alcoholic beverages were forbidden to kings and priests. This is why Jesus refused an intoxicating pain killer when on the cross.

They gave him vinegar to drink mingled with gall: and when he had tasted thereof, he would not drink. Mt 27:34

And as Adventists are the priests of the earth (meaning that we, like the priests of old, have been given the job of teaching God’s law to the world as in Malachi 2:7), it stands to reason that Seventh-day Adventists should not drink.

A Command to Buy Strong Drink

One passage of the Old Testament seems to unmistakably point to fermented drink. And this passage is an injunction on spending tithe money. Men were commanded to buy what they wanted and among the suggested items was alcoholic drink.

De 14:26  And thou shalt bestow that money for whatsoever thy soul lusteth after, for oxen, or for sheep, or for wine, or for strong drink, or for whatsoever thy soul desireth: and thou shalt eat there before the LORD thy God, and thou shalt rejoice, thou, and thine household,

Now be it known that the items in this list have some things in common. They were items that were to be acquired in the temple city (De 14:25) for and by those that lived a long distance from that city. More than that, these items were purchased in connection with the harvest festivals, and so by extension, with the services at the national feasts. And while some of these items were intended to be eaten as fellowship meals with the Levites (who were paid from the tithe) and with the poor, the strong drink couldn’t be for the Levites to drink.

And there is evidence[1] that it was rather intended that the tithe-purchased items would be used in the thank-offerings and sacrificial services of the sanctuary. Was strong drink used in those services? Yes, it was poured on the ground.

Num 28:6  It is a continual burnt offering, which was ordained in mount Sinai for a sweet savour, a sacrifice made by fire unto the LORD. 7  And the drink offering thereof shall be the fourth part of an hin for the one lamb: in the holy place shalt thou cause the strong wine to be poured unto the LORD for a drink offering. 8  And the other lamb shalt thou offer at even: as the meat offering of the morning, and as the drink offering thereof, thou shalt offer it, a sacrifice made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD.

And this pouring represented the blood of Jesus bearing the sins of the world.  Jesus drank the cup of the wrath of God for us. And that is why those that do not accept His gift for them have to drink it themselves.

When Israel had been some years practicing the sanctuary services en route to Canaan, they had not, during that time, been drinking strong drink. This is another evidence that the strong drink purchased in Deuteronomy 14 was not for consumption.

De 29:6  Ye have not eaten bread, neither have ye drunk wine or strong drink: that ye might know that I am the LORD your God.

And it is another metaphorical evidence also that the body of people preparing for Christ’s Coming and the heavenly Canaan ought not to be drinking.

Intoxication Sometimes Acceptable

I was recently out of my mind. I submitted to have a narcotic fed into my veins via an I.V. A short time later a physician and his attending nurses did a procedure that the physician assures me would have been very painful had I not been drugged.

Medicinal use of strong drink to curb terminal pain is commended in scripture. Today we use morphine or other substances not available in ancient Palestine.

Alcohol is also permitted, in scripture, to those who are depressed.

Pr 31:6  Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish, and wine unto those that be of heavy hearts.

But before you go buy your self a keg of beer remember that Christians are the royal priesthood. We also have access to a Comforter. We have been granted wisdom and power so as to be able to resolve many of the issues that face, and have been given strength to bear-up under the others. Christians don’t need the escape of drink.

But neither should they refuse the privilege of using such a substance to those that know not our Savior and who thus have no real way to resolve many of their problems.

Conclusion

You don’t want to be drinking in the end of time. You don’t want to drink the wine that represents the confusion caused by the Union of Church and State, the “wine” of “fornication.” Neither do you want to drink the “wine” of the wrath of God. Neither do you want to violate your holy and peculiar responsibilities as a priest of the Most High God.

You do, however, want to take part in Communion, partaking of the “pure blood of the grape.” Deu 32:14. Such a beverage commemorates a most precious gift that still cleans the church today. It is the “new wine” that is found “in the cluster” and, according to the prophet, “a blessing is in it.” Is 65:8.

It is old fermented wine that Babylon distributes in their communion table. In light of the part Babylon plays in Revelation, that makes a lot of sense.

Click here for the Word version: Rev_14_-_Wine_and_Misc

 

A Paper on Revelation 17

 

Brief Idea: The Confusion that has reigned for three thousand years will soon end.

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: 17:1

The prior two chapters described the wrath of God as it will be poured out on the inhabitants of the earth. This being finished, John’s angelic instructor turns to the whore herself. Her followers received the plagues (see Re 18:4; 14:11-12). They were warned.

But the whore herself has opposed the Savior and has led men astray. She has encouraged the world’s leaders to unite with her and has confused them fatally.

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.

First, John sees the situation of the whore. She is sitting on a beast that appears very much like the beast of Revelation 13, the beast that was similar to a each of the nations in Daniel 7.

Beasts, of course, represent nations. And women, churches. So the Babylonian whore is presented to John as an apostate church that has control over the dominant civil power of the world.

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.

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:

 

The scarlet color appears to indicate the guilt of the beast in putting God’s people to death. See verse 6 and Revelation 16.  The woman’s garments indicate her control of the state (purple, the color of royalty) and her part in the persecuting work of the beast. They also are the actual colors used by the leading clergy of that church.

The jewels seem to indicate the fact that she has “glorified herself” (Rev 18:7). Holy women should avoid doing the same. Her golden cup reminds us of the book of Daniel where literal Babylon used the golden cups from the sanctuary in her last wine party.

So, the picture indicates, the apostate woman uses religion to confuse the world. (Wine being used to indicate false doctrines – see Is 29:9; 51:21.)

5  And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.

This system has writing in her forehead. We know something about her from Jeremiah 3:3. She refuses to be ashamed of her wrong doing. She has promulgated her errors shamelessly. She sounds much like Jezebel of Revelation 2, that woman who controlled her husband, gave birth to illegitimate children, and that refused to repent:

2:20  Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols. 21  And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not. 22  Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds. 23  And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works.

 

So the woman has killed Christ’s children, and he has promised to kill hers.

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.

What follows verses 1-6 is an explanation of the vision, much like the explanations that filled the last half of prophecies in the book of Daniel. The explanation begins with an implied rebuke of John. We ought not to be impressed with the power of the enemy.

7 And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns.

8  The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.

Before naming the woman, the angel describes the beast. The beast sounds like the beast of Revelation 13 that received a deadly wound. It came out of abussos, nothingness, voidness. This sounds parallel to the beginning of nations in the original tower of Babel. It sounds similar to how the wild scenes of the French Revolution made way for the rise of the atheistic power. So, after its deadly wound 1798, world dominion by a state came to an end. And so as this earth plunges into other wild scenes that will pave the way for the rise of world-dominating national power. That is, the “beast will ascend” from the “bottomless pit.”

The beast will be destroyed eventually. And the picture viewed in chapter 17, apparently a picture taken after the deadly wound of Revelation 13, and prior to the healing of that wound, also shows the beast’s followers.

They are the one’s not found in the book of life. Now who is delivered during the plagues? Dan 12:1. And by Whom? By King Jesus. He delivers those found in the books. Who receives the plagues? Those not found in the book, those amazed by the power of the beast.

So the big picture indicates that a Babylon-like nation has ruled the world since long ago, perhaps even since the time of Nimrod, excepting a period of a deadly wound.

Now here is a little logic: If the beast “is not” existing during the deadly wound, it shows that the heads are in series. Think it through. If they were contemporary with each other, then one head being wounded would in no way cause the beast to not “be.”

The woman was sitting on the beast. The seven heads of the beast are, for those who understand Biblical symbols, “seven mountains.” That is what the Bible means by the “mind which hath wisdom.”

9  And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.

Mountains are, in scripture, kingdoms, whether secular or spiritual. So there is “Mount Zion.” And there is the “Mountain of the Lord’s House.” See Is 2:2; He 12:22. And this idea is explained in the next verse also:

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.

So from Daniel we can identify five fallen kings: Babylon, Persia, Greece, Rome, Papacy. And we can identify from Revelation 13 the one that “is” during the period of the deadly wound: America.

And from Revelation 11 and 17 we find that the European Union will exist briefly as a seventh national support for the woman.

Then we learn that the beast, the Babylonian-Papal beast, is particularly a picture of the papacy. This power will return to power at the end, but simultaneously with the USA and with Europe. This is why the beast only has seven heads even though there is an 8^th kingdom. When the papacy rises again it will be permitted by God for one purpose—for it to go into destruction:

11  And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition.

What about the ten horns? These horns are not evenly distributed on the heads…they are all on the Roman head. They are the European powers that, while already existing, are not yet part of the dominant civil power of earth. (We can sense them rising.)

12  And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast. 13  These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.

That these ten powers will rise should worry us not at all. Here is why:

14 These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.

We should not be worried unless, that is, we are not faithful. And that is why Matthew 24:13 indicates that faithfulness is an issue today.

15  And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.

This verse explains itself. The people that we are to preach to in Revelation 14 are the same people that are ignorantly supporting the confusion of our times. When these people finally see the light they will be extremely angry at the papacy that has confused them.

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.

This is the same picture found in Revelation 16 where the waters under the city are dried up. The same people that have supported the deceivers will destroy physically that nation that has destroyed them spiritually. This has been God’s will, to show that Satan’s system ends in self destruction.

17  For God hath put in their hearts to fulfill his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled.

The last verse of the chapter connects it to Revelation 11. The great city there, the spiritual kingdom of this earth (as there is a great city above, God’s spiritual kingdom), is a false church that controls the states under it.

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

The summary of the chapter is that Jesus will be victor over the civil powers that have ruled this earth. Jesus will judge those powers for their complacency with the papacy. And Jesus will judge the papacy for its corruption of those nations. And those nations will be used by God to punish the papacy for the same.

Let us be faithful, as we have been chosen and called, and thus win with our Savior.

For the Word Version, click here: Rev_17_-_The_Beast-riding_Harlot

Unclean and Hateful Birds

And Eschatological Study

And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory. 2  And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird. . . . 4  And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. 5  For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.—Rev 18:1-5

The announcement parallels Rev. 14 in the sense that it designates two falls by the phrase “is fallen, is fallen.” There is not an announcement of an additional fall. The passage does not say “is fallen, is fallen, is fallen.”

But the announcement adds a new and startling statement. “And is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.”

What are these unclean and hateful birds?

26  For among my people are found wicked men: they lay wait, as he that setteth snares; they set a trap, they catch men. 27  As a cage is full of birds, so are their houses full of deceit: therefore they are become great, and waxen rich. – Jer. 5:26-27

The hateful birds are false teachers and leaders, “wicked men” that “catch men.” These wicked men are found among “my people” in Jeremiah 5. The “my people” in Jeremiah 5 are those that should be preparing for the Latter Rain and working for the harvest.

23  But this people hath a revolting and a rebellious heart; they are revolted and gone. 24  Neither say they in their heart, Let us now fear the LORD our God, that giveth rain, both the former and the latter, in his season: he reserveth unto us the appointed weeks of the harvest. 25 Your iniquities have turned away these things, and your sins have withholden good things from you. – Jer. 5:23-25

Just as Jeremiah portrays God’s end-time people as having characteristics that we associate with Babylon, Ezekiel and Isaiah do the same. Jeremiah pointed out the “birds.” Isaiah mentions the practice of harlotry.

21 How is the faithful city become an harlot! it was full of judgment; righteousness lodged in it; but now murderers. 22  Thy silver is become dross, thy wine mixed with water: 23  Thy princes are rebellious, and companions of thieves: every one loveth gifts, and followeth after rewards: they judge not the fatherless, neither doth the cause of the widow come unto them. 24  Therefore saith the Lord, the LORD of hosts, the mighty One of Israel, Ah, I will ease me of mine adversaries, and avenge me of mine enemies: — Isaiah 1:21-24.

If this were the end of the prophecy one might suppose that the faithful city was about to be forsaken and left to its evil ways. But how is it that God will avenge Himself of his enemies?

25 And I will turn my hand upon thee, and purely purge away thy dross, and take away all thy tin: 26  And I will restore thy judges as at the first, and thy counselors as at the beginning: afterward thou shalt be called, The city of righteousness, the faithful city. 27  Zion shall be redeemed with judgment, and her converts with righteousness. – Isaiah 1:25-27.

His promise is to remove the dross and tin and, in their replace, to restore judges and counselors that reflect the purity of the apostolic church. The false teachers will be removed from their positions. This is God’s judgment on them. This process is described more fully in Jeremiah 23.

1 Woe be unto the pastors that destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! saith the LORD. 2  Therefore thus saith the LORD God of Israel against the pastors that feed my people; Ye have scattered my flock, and driven them away, and have not visited them: behold, I will visit upon you the evil of your doings, saith the LORD. 3  And I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all countries whither I have driven them, and will bring them again to their folds; and they shall be fruitful and increase. 4  And I will set up shepherds over them which shall feed them: and they shall fear no more, nor be  dismayed, neither shall they be lacking, saith the LORD. . . . 20  The anger of the LORD shall not return, until he have executed, and till he have performed the thoughts of his heart: in the latter days ye shall consider it perfectly.

How will the Lord remove these false teachers? And where will they go? Notice in Revelation 18 that the Loud Cry announces that Babylon has become the hold of “every” unclean and hateful bird. This gives us a hint as to where the false teachers go. How do they get there? Again, Jeremiah provides an answer. Notice the cup in the Lord’s hand.

5  For Israel hath not been forsaken, nor Judah of his God, of the LORD of hosts; though their land was filled with sin against the Holy One of Israel. 6  Flee out of the midst of Babylon, and deliver every man his soul: be not cut off in her iniquity; for this is the time of the LORD’S vengeance; he will render unto her a recompense. 7  Babylon hath been a golden cup in the LORD’S hand, that made all the earth drunken: the nations have drunken of her wine; therefore the nations are mad. – Jer 51:5-7

What does God do with the cup of Babylon? How is Babylon used to punish God’s people today? We read in Isaiah 1 and Jeremiah 5 that God will be avenged on the wicked among his people. He will remove the false teachers. Paul helps put these ideas together. Notice the method (verse 8-10) God uses to send delusion (verse 11) on the lost.

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: 9  Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, 10  And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11  And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: 12  That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. – 2 Thes 2:8-12

So God uses Babylon’s deceptions to remove the false teachers from his people. This is done that they might be “damned” in the final overthrow of Babylon. In the two step process, God first deceives the wicked among his people and lets Babylon take them captive. He next removes his faithful from Babylon and brings them into the newly cleansed, recently-harlot-like, currently-faithful city.

This has been Christ’s special work during the judgment. See Mal. 3. He has been removing the dross of false-hearted teachers by using Babylon as a cup of deception in his own hand.

The fact that men are taken with “deceivableness” and “delusion” is evidence of the doctrinal character of Babylon. When the first step of this judgment has been completed, the Loud Cry will go forward with the appropriate and truthful message that Babylon has become the hold of “every” unclean and hateful bird.

 

PART 2

 

Shepherds in the End

Isa 56:11  Yea, they are greedy dogs which can never have enough, and they are shepherds that cannot understand: they all look to their own way, every one for his gain, from his quarter.

Jer 6:3  The shepherds with their flocks shall come unto her; they shall pitch their tents against her round about; they shall feed every one in his place.

Jer 23:4  And I will set up shepherds over them which shall feed them: and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall they be lacking, saith the LORD.

Jer 25:34  Howl, ye shepherds, and cry; and wallow yourselves in the ashes, ye principal of the flock: for the days of your slaughter and of your dispersions are accomplished; and ye shall fall like a pleasant vessel.

For the Word Document, click here: Rev_18_-_Unclean_and_Hateful_Birds

How Prophecies of the Old Jerusalem are Fulfilled

Revelation 19-21 on Ezekiel 38 and 39

And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, 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. 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. Revelation 20:7-9.

Brief Idea:  Revelation borrows figures from Old Testament stories. In the case of Gog and Magog, however, the figures are borrowed, not from a story, but from a prophecy in Ezekiel. Revelation shows that the original prophecy will not be fulfilled in all its literal detail, but will largely be fulfilled in a spiritual sense.

Introduction

The Old Testament, especially in Ezekiel and Zechariah, contains prophecies of an age of Israeli triumph and revival that seem to have never been fulfilled. And not only do they seem to have never been fulfilled, but neither do they fit well with the predictions that other prophecies (notably in Daniel and Revelation) make about the end of time.

These prophecies predict, for example, that a temple will be built (see Ezekiel 40-46) that will host sacrifices and be a center around which will dwell the twelve tribes of Israel. Judah and the Ten Tribes will be reunited (Ezekiel 37) after God changes their hearts and cleans them from sin.

Then the capitol city Jerusalem and its surrounding villages will be attacked by the king of Magog at the head of a multinational force. God will destroy this army and feed its flesh to the birds and animals. Seven years will be spent burying the bones and even after that bones will occasionally be found by travelers and need to be interred by full-time burial specialists.  (Ezekiel 38-39).

The few heathen who are not destroyed by this means will be generally converted and will highly respect God’s people. Most of these will go up every year to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. Those that don’t go up to keep it will suffer a plague of no rain. Meanwhile, the pots in the temple will be holy and sacrifices will be offered in them. (Zechariah 14).

All of this follows a time when God gathers the scattered persons from the tribes back to Jerusalem. They were scattered in terrible judgments for their sins. But they are to be gathered again before Gog and Magog attack them. (Ezekiel 38-39, Zechariah 14).

What do Bible students do with these and kindred prophecies? That is the subject of this paper.

How to Handle the Age to Come Prophecies

Expositors have handled these prophecies a variety of ways. One group, most prominent among evangelicals today, treat them as very literal prophecies that will yet be fulfilled. A temple will be built, sacrifices renewed, etc.

Another group views these prophecies as very symbolic. William Miller was of this opinion and gave a fascinating spiritualized explanation of Ezekiel 38 and 39 that went so far as to turn the seven years of bone burying into a 2520 year prophecy.

A third group, that includes most Adventist teachers during the last few decades, view these prophecies as conditional prophecies that, due to the failure of the Jews, never will be fulfilled in any real sense.

So what is the truth? Literal and future? Symbolic and happening now? Conditional and never to be fulfilled? Revelation 19-20 provide the key evidences needed to answer these questions.

Revelation 19 and 20 Modify the Prophecies

There are many parallels between Revelation’s picture of the end and the picture found in Ezekiel.

Both involve a gathering of a remnant from it scattering in Babylon. Both involve a show-down at the end of time where the forces of the world unite to destroy God’s people. Both involve a  resurrection of God’s deceased army. Both involve  a meal of blood and flesh of the enemies for the birds of the air. Both involve an attack on the holy city, after many days, that is put down by fire and brimstone.

In fact, the story as found in Revelation seems like a running summary of Ezekiel 38-39 with some modification. See Revelation 19:17-20:2, 7-9.

Differences between the Narrative in Ezekiel and other End-time Prophecies

In Revelation Gog and Magog are explained to be the nations in the four corners of the earth. This is a wider application than the one made in Ezekiel.

“the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog.” Rev 20:8.

In Revelation the saints are gathered to the city New Jerusalem after the first resurrection. In Ezekiel they are gathered to a literal Jerusalem in Palestine.

And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. . . But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death. Revelation 21:2, 8

In Revelation the earth is empty of human inhabitants for the 1000 years after the bird feast, and the wicked are burned up when they attack the New Jerusalem. In Ezekiel some humans and nations live on, honoring the Jews, and the bones are buried by human hands.

But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. . . . Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection . . . they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,  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. 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. Revelation 19:5-9

The summary of the differences is that while Ezekiel 38-39 describes the final events as they would occur in a local setting of the literal Jerusalem, Revelation takes these prophesies and places them into a world-wide setting with a heavenly Jerusalem.

This changes some details and makes some parts of the initial prophecy obsolete while preserving the bulk of the prophecy as an accurate description of what God will do. The rebuilding of a temple that models the heavenly (Ezekiel 40-48) is modified. The heavenly city has no temple for “the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.” Revelation 21:22

Why the change? Ezekiel was written before the 490 years were expired. Jerusalem still had a chance to accept Christ as Messiah, to become the metropolis of the world’s faithful, the center of the end-time events.

But when Israel rejected Christ as Messiah to the very end of the 490 years she became obsolete. The Christian church became the new Israel. The unwalled towns of Israel became the defenseless Christians of the final events. And the parts of the prophecy in Ezekiel that related to the literal situation of the nation became meaningless in their end-time application.

Extrapolation as a Principle for Interpreting Old Testament Prophecies (and Zechariah 14)

The opportunities that belonged to Israel could not be ignored by the prophets. Just as Judas was offered a life that he would not ultimately accept, so Judah was offered a destiny that she would not ultimately accept.

And as an apostle was chosen to replace Judas, so Jerusalem “which is above” replaced “Jerusalem which now is” (Gal 4), and became the mother of a spiritual Israel.

Yet the blessings promised to Jerusalem are not voided. From Revelation 16-22 we learn that they are fulfilled in every practical way for believers.

Some predicted elements, however, would build up the wall of distinction that the cross demolished. (See Ephesians 2). These elements of the prophecy, relating to location, race, temple services, holy-day rituals, are not found carrying over into the book of Revelation.

The key that introduced this principle is discussed in the article on the Remnant where it is observed that the captivity of Israel under Babylon is spiritualized by Paul who calls the development of the Christian church the gathering from captivity.

This captivity is also mentioned in the narratives of Ezekiel 36-39 and in Zechariah 14 (this is when the city is “taken” in the first few verses.) And this is the hint, understood in the light of Romans, that these prophecies will be fulfilled in part, in a spiritual sense, under the Christian dispensation. And the uniquely Jewish elements? These were prophesied when it was feasible that the Jews would finish the work. Except as spiritualized, as in the book of Revelation, they will never be fulfilled.

Jer 18:9  And at what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it; 10  If it do evil in my sight, that it obey not my voice, then I will repent of the good, wherewith I said I would benefit them.

For Word Document: Rev_20_-_OT_Unfufilled_Prophecies