Revelation 17-22: The Fall of
Babylon and Establishment of God’s Kingdom
The Harlot riding the Beast
Revelation 17:1-2 ASV
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1
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And there came one of the seven angels that had the seven bowls,
and spake with me, saying, Come hither, I will show thee the judgment of the
great harlot that sitteth upon many waters;
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και ηλθεν εις εκ των επτα αγγελων των εχοντων τας επτα φιαλας και
ελαλησεν μετ εμου λεγων δευρο δειξω σοι το κριμα της πορνης της μεγαλης της
καθημενης επι υδατων πολλων
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2
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with whom the kings of the earth committed fornication, and they
that dwell in the earth were made drunken with the wine of her fornication.
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μεθ ης επορνευσαν οι βασιλεις της γης και εμεθυσθησαν οι
κατοικουντες την γην εκ του οινου της πορνειας αυτης
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Here the vision backs up a little bit to tell us about
Babylon. Verses 8-11 tell us that it is
describing a time after the beast recovers from its deadly wound. Chapter 18 verse 2 repeats the second angel’s
message in chapter 14, and chapter 18 verse 4 speaks of the plagues in the
future sense. Then it continues to after
the judgement against Babylon (the plagues).
So, we know that we have backed up to the time when the beast recovers
from its deadly wound and will continue after that. We will now see another perspective on the
judgement against Babylon.
Revelation
17:3-6 ASV
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3
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And he carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness: and I saw
a woman sitting upon a scarlet-colored beast, full of names of blasphemy,
having seven heads and ten horns.
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και απηνεγκεν με εις ερημον εν πνευματι και ειδον γυναικα
καθημενην επι θηριον κοκκινον γεμοντα ονοματα βλασφημιας εχων κεφαλας επτα
και κερατα δεκα
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4
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And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and decked with
gold and precious stone and pearls, having in her hand a golden cup full of
abominations, even the unclean things of her fornication,
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και η γυνη ην περιβεβλημενη πορφυρουν και κοκκινον και
κεχρυσωμενη χρυσιω και λιθω τιμιω και μαργαριταις εχουσα ποτηριον χρυσουν εν
τη χειρι αυτης γεμον βδελυγματων και τα ακαθαρτα της πορνειας αυτης
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5
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and upon her forehead a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT,
THE MOTHER OF THE HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.
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και επι το μετωπον αυτης ονομα γεγραμμενον μυστηριον βαβυλων η
μεγαλη η μητηρ των πορνων και των βδελυγματων της γης
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6
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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 a
great wonder.
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και ειδον την γυναικα μεθυουσαν εκ του αιματος των αγιων και εκ
του αιματος των μαρτυρων ιησου και εθαυμασα ιδων αυτην θαυμα μεγα
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In chapter 12 we saw a pure woman who represented the true
followers of God. She fled into the
wilderness for protection. Now we are
taken back to the wilderness and find a harlot instead of a pure woman. The church has been corrupted and become
Babylon, the mother of the harlots and the abominations of the earth. The church has become drunk on the blood of
the saints and martyrs. She is wearing
purple and scarlet and gold and precious stones and pearls. She has a very rich and beautiful appearance,
but she has “in her hand a golden cup full of abominations,
even the unclean things of her fornication”.
We should instantly recognize the beast she is riding on. The image of the seven heads and ten horns
was shared by both the Dragon (Satan) and the Beast (Roman Catholic/Orthodox
Church). The harlot (corrupted church)
is now riding the same beast that pursued her when she was a pure woman. Revelation 12 ends with a reference to a
remnant of the pure woman’s seed still existing. But the church (the leadership /
organization) has been turned into a harlot that commits fornication. We saw before that fornication is often used
as a symbol of idolatry and worshipping other gods.
Jeremiah 3:6-9
6 Moreover
[Yehovah] said unto me in the days of Josiah the king, Hast thou seen that
which backsliding Israel hath done? she is gone up upon every high mountain and
under every green tree, and there hath played the harlot.
7 And
I said after she had done all these things, She will return unto me; but she
returned not: and her treacherous sister Judah saw it.
8 And
I saw, when, for this very cause that backsliding Israel had committed
adultery, I had put her away and given her a bill of divorcement, yet
treacherous Judah her sister feared not; but she also went and played the
harlot.
9 And
it came to pass through the lightness of her whoredom, that the land was
polluted, and she committed adultery with stones and with stocks.
The name written on her head is the THE MOTHER OF
THE HARLOTS. The Roman Catholic Church
refers to itself as the mother of all churches.
Historically, this is a pretty reasonable assertion. Most Christians were part of the united Roman
Church from the time of Constantine. In
the 11th Century there was the Great Schism which officall split the
Catholic and Orthodox churches apart.
Then the Protestant Reformation split the Catholic Church even
more. The Protestants continued to split
into the myriad churches we see today.
Nearly all Churches today trace their origins to the Roman Church of
Constantine’s day. The Scriptures,
however, say that these churches aren’t pure women (true followers of God), but
harlots (followers of false teachings).
The woman in the wilderness has taken on the name of THE MOTHER OF
THE HARLOTS. We will see that this time
period is after the Beast recovers from the deadly wound. In chapter 13 the second beast (United
States) makes an image to the Beast and forces all of the world to worship the
Beast (verse 12) and the image (verse 15) and receive the mark of the Beast’s
name (verses 16-18). Many have argued
that the harlot is the Roman Church and the name in her forhead certainly seems
to point to that. I can’t say it is a
bad interpretation. However, I think she
corresponds a little better to the image of the beast or possibly an
amalgamation of both. The harlot
(corrupted church) is sitting on the Beast (Roman Church), so the Beast serves
as the foundation for the harlot just as the image of the Beast is based on the
Beast. She bears the name of the Beast
on her forehead and all the kings of the earth fornicate with her. Everyone is forced to worship the image of
the beast and receive the mark of the beast’s name in their forehead or
hand. Also, the fact that the woman who
was once persecuted by the beast has become a harlot riding on the beast
strongly parallels the way Protestant churches which once remembered the Papal
persecutions have now become an image to the beast (Roman Church) and join
forces with the beast.
Revelation 17:7-13 ASV
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7
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And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou wonder? I will
tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which
hath the seven heads and the ten horns.
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και ειπεν μοι ο αγγελος δια τι εθαυμασας εγω ερω σοι το μυστηριον
της γυναικος και του θηριου του βασταζοντος αυτην του εχοντος τας επτα
κεφαλας και τα δεκα κερατα
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8
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The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and is about to come
up out of the abyss, and to go into perdition. And they that dwell on the
earth shall wonder, they whose name hath not been written in the book of life
from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast, how that he
was, and is not, and shall come.
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το θηριον ο ειδες ην και ουκ εστιν και μελλει αναβαινειν εκ της
αβυσσου και εις απωλειαν υπαγει και θαυμασθησονται οι κατοικουντες επι της
γης ων ου γεγραπται το ονομα επι το βιβλιον της ζωης απο καταβολης κοσμου
βλεποντων το θηριον οτι ην και ουκ εστιν και παρεσται
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9
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Here is the mind that hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven
mountains, on which the woman sitteth:
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ωδε ο νους ο εχων σοφιαν αι επτα κεφαλαι επτα ορη εισιν οπου η
γυνη καθηται επ αυτων
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10
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and they are seven kings; the five are fallen, the one is, the other
is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a little while.
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και βασιλεις επτα εισιν οι πεντε επεσαν ο εις εστιν ο αλλος ουπω
ηλθεν και οταν ελθη ολιγον αυτον δει μειναι
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11
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And the beast that was, and is not, is himself also an eighth,
and is of the seven; and he goeth into perdition.
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και το θηριον ο ην και ουκ εστιν και αυτος ογδοος εστιν και εκ
των επτα εστιν και εις απωλειαν υπαγει
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12
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And the ten horns that thou sawest are ten kings, who have
received no kingdom as yet; but they receive authority as kings, with the
beast, for one hour.
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και τα δεκα κερατα α ειδες δεκα βασιλεις εισιν οιτινες βασιλειαν
ουπω ελαβον αλλα εξουσιαν ως βασιλεις μιαν ωραν λαμβανουσιν μετα του θηριου
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13
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These have one mind, and they give their power and authority unto
the beast.
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ουτοι μιαν γνωμην εχουσιν και την δυναμιν και εξουσιαν αυτων τω
θηριω διδοασιν
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The beast is described as a beast that was and is not and will ascend
out of the abyss and go into perdition.
Let’s look at how these symbols are used elsewhere.
Romans
10:7 ASV
7 or, Who shall descend into the abyss? (That is, to bring Christ up
from the dead.)
Revelation
1:5, 17-18 ASV
5 and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn
of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loveth us,
and loosed us from our sins by his blood;
…………
17 And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as one
dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying, Fear not; I am the first and
the last,
18 and the Living one; and I was dead, and behold,
I am alive for evermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades.
When Christ rose from the dead he ascended up out of the
abyss. He also described himself as
being alive and dead and alive. When the
beast “was” he was alive. When he “is
not” he is in the abyss (dead). When he
ascends out of the abyss he “is” (comes back to life). He will go then into perdition. Verse 11 specifies that the beast the harlot
is riding on represents the phase right before going into perdition (after
coming back to life). It says that it is
of the seven, meaning it is the same power as one of the seven. However it is in a way a new power because it
has been killed and resurrected. This is
one more proof that it is the same beast from Revelation 13 (in addition to the
same number of heads and horns) in that the beast in Revelation 13 received a
mortal wound (killed) but recovered (came back to life). The difference is that this beast is much
narrower in it meaning in that it only represents the eighth king which is the
resurrected form of the seventh king.
This means that this vision of the harlot riding the beast is focusing
on the time after the beast recovers from its deadly wound. As of this writing, the beast (Roman Church)
is in the process of recovering its power and esteem, but it has not yet
reached the levels it enjoyed during the 1260 year period. In fact, the prophecy seems to imply that,
between the beast (Roman Church) and its image (American blend of church and
state / government enforced mainstream churches) they seem to be even more
powerful than during the 1260 year period.
The seven heads represent seven mountains and seven kings on which
the harlot sits. Mountains in Bible
prophecy are used to represent major empires.
Jeremiah
51:24-25 ASV
24 And I will render unto Babylon and to all the
inhabitants of Chaldea all their evil that they have done in Zion in your
sight, saith [Yehovah].
25 Behold, I am against thee, O destroying
mountain, saith [Yehovah], which destroyest all the earth; and I will stretch
out my hand upon thee, and roll thee down from the rocks, and will make thee a
burnt mountain.
Daniel
2:35, 44, 45 ASV
35 Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold,
broken in pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer
threshing-floors; and the wind carried them away, so that no place was found
for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and
filled the whole earth.
……………..
44 And in the days of those kings shall the God of
heaven set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed, nor shall the
sovereignty thereof be left to another people; but it shall break in pieces and
consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.
45 Forasmuch as thou sawest that a stone was cut
out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the
brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the
king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the
interpretation thereof sure.
The angel, who is speaking to John, says that five have fallen and
one is and one is yet to come. The angel
is speaking to a man at the end of the First Century, so we should understand
it from that perspective. If we line up
this with Daniel’s prophecies of world empires in Daniel 2 and 7 we immediately
encounter a problem. Daniel 2 and 7 only
list five earthly empires, with the Pagan Rome of John’s day being the
fourth. But, Daniel’s vision were only
looking to the future from his day. They
weren’t giving an overview which included the past. This is easily demonstrated by the fact that
Daniel 8 and 10-12 both start with the Persian Empire. They both leave off Babylon because Babylon
had already fallen at the time those prophecies were given. So, if there were two empires before Babylon,
Daniel would not have mentioned them.
If we consider that the empires are given from the perspective of
the heirs of God’s covenant with Abraham (either by being biological
descendants of Abraham or spiritually added on, such as the gentiles who joined
the believers in Jesus’s message), we find two more world empires which ruled
over and subjugated them. Immediately
before Babylon, the Neo-Assyrian Empire ruled over the region. It even destroyed the Northern Kingdom of
Israel and sent the ten tribes into exile.
Before this we the time of the judges and early monarchy. Israel had problems with local people, such
as the Philistines, who even temporarily ruled over parts of Israel from time
to time, but not world empires. But,
before the time of the judges, the Children of Israel were enslaved by Egypt
for centuries. Thus, we can see that
Egypt and Assyria easily qualify as the two world empires that ruled over the
heirs of Abraham before the time of Daniel.
The ten horns represent ten kings that had “received no kingdom as
yet”. The ten horns from the seven heads
are also seen on the dragon in chapter 12 and the beast in chapter 13. Both of them cover different aspects of the
1260 year period first introduced in the fourth beast / little horn of Daniel
7. In Daniel 7 the ten horns represented
the kingdoms that arose out of the collapse of the Western Roman Empire. The fact that the angel tells John that they
had “received no kingdom as yet” proves that the perspective of the explanation
of the seven heads and ten horns is John’s timeframe, before the collapse of
the Western Roman Empire.
In Daniel 7 the ten horns represented the various nations of
Western Europe that existed in what had been the Western Roman Empire when the
last emperor was deposed. In Daniel 7 it
mentions that three horns were plucked up before the little horn gained full
power. Since then, various nations of
Europe have divided and recombined many times.
Western Europe is still divided up into various nations. That hasn’t changed. Since the beast in this chapter specifically
represents the period after the Roman Church has recovered its former power
(deadly wound healed), this is still future.
The vision in Daniel 2 makes it clear that Western Europe will remain
divided into nations until the end. I
believe we can safely say the ten kings here represent a divided Europe, just
as they did in Daniel 7. Whether the
number “ten” is simply referring to the fact that it is completely divided, or
if it is pointing to ten specific nations existing at that time is difficult to
say.
Revelation
17:14 ASV
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14
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These shall war against the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome
them, for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings; and they also shall
overcome that are with him, called and chosen and faithful.
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ουτοι μετα του αρνιου πολεμησουσιν και το αρνιον νικησει αυτους
οτι κυριος κυριων εστιν και βασιλευς βασιλεων και οι μετ αυτου κλητοι και
εκλεκτοι και πιστοι
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The nations of Europe will fight against Christ. But, Christ and God’s followers will win in
the end.
Revelation
17:15 ASV
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15
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And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the
harlot sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.
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και λεγει μοι τα υδατα α ειδες ου η πορνη καθηται λαοι και οχλοι
εισιν και εθνη και γλωσσαι
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This is a very valuable verse for interpreting Biblical
prophecy. One could guess by the context
that the various beasts that emerge from the sea are rising up among the
nations. However, this spells it out,
eliminating guesswork. This lets us know
for sure what the waters and seas in prophecy represent.
Revelation
17:16-17 ASV
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16
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And the ten horns which thou sawest, and the beast, these shall
hate the harlot, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her
flesh, and shall burn her utterly with fire.
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και τα δεκα κερατα α ειδες και το θηριον ουτοι μισησουσιν την
πορνην και ηρημωμενην ποιησουσιν αυτην και γυμνην και τας σαρκας αυτης
φαγονται και αυτην κατακαυσουσιν [εν] πυρι
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17
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For God did put in their hearts to do his mind, and to come to
one mind, and to give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God
should be accomplished.
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ο γαρ θεος εδωκεν εις τας καρδιας αυτων ποιησαι την γνωμην αυτου
και ποιησαι μιαν γνωμην και δουναι την βασιλειαν αυτων τω θηριω αχρι
τελεσθησονται οι λογοι του θεου
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The horns and the beast will turn on the harlot in the end. This shows that the harlot is not identical
to the beast (Roman Church) and lends credence to the interpretation that she
is the image to the beast. This means
that, in the end, the nations of Europe and the Roman Church will turn on the
image to the beast (mixture of Church and State) sponsored by the second beast
(America).
Revelation 17 ASV
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18
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And the woman whom thou sawest is the great city, which reigneth
over the kings of the earth.
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και η γυνη ην ειδες εστιν η πολις η μεγαλη η εχουσα βασιλειαν επι
των βασιλεων της γης
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Revelation 14:8 declares Babylon to be the great city. And the woman has the name of Babylon on her
forehead. Revelation 11 also made
reference to the great city, although it wasn’t named there. Whether or not this is referring to a
specific geographic location, it is clear that it is referring to the center of
authority that has enforced this apostate religion throughout the world.
Revelation 18:1-3 ASV
The fall of Babylon
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1
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After these things I saw another angel coming down out of heaven,
having great authority; and the earth was lightened with his glory.
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μετα ταυτα ειδον αλλον αγγελον καταβαινοντα εκ του ουρανου εχοντα
εξουσιαν μεγαλην και η γη εφωτισθη εκ της δοξης αυτου
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2
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And he cried with a mighty voice, saying, Fallen, fallen is
Babylon the great, and is become a habitation of demons, and a hold of every
unclean spirit, and a hold of every unclean and hateful bird.
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και εκραξεν εν ισχυρα φωνη λεγων επεσεν επεσεν βαβυλων η μεγαλη
και εγενετο κατοικητηριον δαιμονιων και φυλακη παντος πνευματος ακαθαρτου και
φυλακη παντος ορνεου ακαθαρτου και μεμισημενου
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3
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For by the wine of the wrath of her fornication all the nations
are fallen; and the kings of the earth committed fornication with her, and
the merchants of the earth waxed rich by the power of her wantonness.
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οτι εκ [του οινου] του θυμου της πορνειας αυτης πεπτωκαν παντα τα
εθνη και οι βασιλεις της γης μετ αυτης επορνευσαν και οι εμποροι της γης εκ
της δυναμεως του στρηνους αυτης επλουτησαν
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This is the same message we saw given by the second angel in
Revelation 14. It announces the fall of
this religious system that has committed spiritual fornication by turning its
back on the One True God. The leaders of
the earth have embraced this religious system and grown rich by it.
Revelation
18:4-6 ASV
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4
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And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come forth, my
people, out of her, that ye have no fellowship with her sins, and that ye
receive not of her plagues:
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και ηκουσα αλλην φωνην εκ του ουρανου λεγουσαν εξελθατε ο λαος
μου εξ αυτης ινα μη συγκοινωνησητε ταις αμαρτιαις αυτης και εκ των πληγων
αυτης ινα μη λαβητε
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5
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for her sins have reached even unto heaven, and God hath
remembered her iniquities.
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οτι εκολληθησαν αυτης αι αμαρτιαι αχρι του ουρανου και
εμνημονευσεν ο θεος τα αδικηματα αυτης
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6
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Render unto her even as she rendered, and double unto her the
double according to her works: in the cup which she mingled, mingle unto her
double.
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αποδοτε αυτη ως και αυτη απεδωκεν και διπλωσατε [τα] διπλα κατα
τα εργα αυτης εν τω ποτηριω ω εκερασεν κερασατε αυτη διπλουν
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God calls His people to come out of the church, which has been so
corrupted. The church’s sins have
reached to heaven and she shall be punished “double according to her works”.
Revelation
18:7-10 ASV
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7
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How much soever she glorified herself, and waxed wanton, so much
give her of torment and mourning: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen,
and am no widow, and shall in no wise see mourning.
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οσα εδοξασεν αυτην και εστρηνιασεν τοσουτον δοτε αυτη βασανισμον
και πενθος οτι εν τη καρδια αυτης λεγει οτι καθημαι βασιλισσα και χηρα ουκ
ειμι και πενθος ου μη ιδω
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8
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Therefore in one day shall her plagues come, death, and mourning,
and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire; for strong is the Lord
God who judged her.
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δια τουτο εν μια ημερα ηξουσιν αι πληγαι αυτης θανατος και πενθος
και λιμος και εν πυρι κατακαυθησεται οτι ισχυρος [κυριος] ο θεος ο κρινας
αυτην
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9
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And the kings of the earth, who committed fornication and lived
wantonly with her, shall weep and wail over her, when they look upon the
smoke of her burning,
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και κλαυσουσιν και κοψονται επ αυτην οι βασιλεις της γης οι μετ
αυτης πορνευσαντες και στρηνιασαντες οταν βλεπωσιν τον καπνον της πυρωσεως
αυτης
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10
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standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Woe, woe,
the great city, Babylon, the strong city! for in one hour is thy judgment
come.
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απο μακροθεν εστηκοτες δια τον φοβον του βασανισμου αυτης
λεγοντες ουαι ουαι η πολις η μεγαλη βαβυλων η πολις η ισχυρα οτι μια ωρα
ηλθεν η κρισις σου
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The government recognized mainstream church thinks of itself as the
epitamy of “Christianity”. But, God’s
wrath will be poured out on her in the plagues we saw described earlier. The judgement is described is described as
coming alternately in one day or one hour.
The two different expressions of time given both indicate a speedy
judgement.
Revelation
18:11-19 ASV
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11
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And the merchants of the earth weep and mourn over her, for no
man buyeth their merchandise any more;
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και οι εμποροι της γης κλαιουσιν και πενθουσιν επ αυτην οτι τον
γομον αυτων ουδεις αγοραζει ουκετι
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12
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merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stone, and pearls,
and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet; and all thyine wood, and
every vessel of ivory, and every vessel made of most precious wood, and of
brass, and iron, and marble;
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γομον χρυσου και αργυρου και λιθου τιμιου και μαργαριτων και
βυσσινου και πορφυρας και σιρικου και κοκκινου και παν ξυλον θυινον και παν
σκευος ελεφαντινον και παν σκευος εκ ξυλου τιμιωτατου και χαλκου και σιδηρου
και μαρμαρου
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13
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and cinnamon, and spice, and incense, and ointment, and
frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and cattle, and
sheep; and merchandise of horses and chariots and slaves; and souls of men.
|
και κινναμωμον και αμωμον και θυμιαματα και μυρον και λιβανον και
οινον και ελαιον και σεμιδαλιν και σιτον και κτηνη και προβατα και ιππων και
ρεδων και σωματων και ψυχας ανθρωπων
|
|
14
|
And the fruits which thy soul lusted after are gone from thee,
and all things that were dainty and sumptuous are perished from thee, and men
shall find them no more at all.
|
και η οπωρα σου της επιθυμιας της ψυχης απηλθεν απο σου και παντα
τα λιπαρα και τα λαμπρα απωλετο απο σου και ουκετι ου μη αυτα ευρησουσιν
|
|
15
|
The merchants of these things, who were made rich by her, shall
stand afar off for the fear of her torment, weeping and mourning;
|
οι εμποροι τουτων οι πλουτησαντες απ αυτης απο μακροθεν στησονται
δια τον φοβον του βασανισμου αυτης κλαιοντες και πενθουντες
|
|
16
|
saying, Woe, woe, the great city, she that was arrayed in fine
linen and purple and scarlet, and decked with gold and precious stone and
pearl!
|
λεγοντες ουαι ουαι η πολις η μεγαλη η περιβεβλημενη βυσσινον και
πορφυρουν και κοκκινον και κεχρυσωμενη [εν] χρυσιω και λιθω τιμιω και
μαργαριτη
|
|
17
|
for in an hour so great riches is made desolate. And every
shipmaster, and every one that saileth any wither, and mariners, and as many
as gain their living by sea, stood afar off,
|
οτι μια ωρα ηρημωθη ο τοσουτος πλουτος και πας κυβερνητης και πας
ο επι τοπον πλεων και ναυται και οσοι την θαλασσαν εργαζονται απο μακροθεν
εστησαν
|
|
18
|
and cried out as they looked upon the smoke of her burning,
saying, What city is like the great city?
|
και εκραξαν βλεποντες τον καπνον της πυρωσεως αυτης λεγοντες τις
ομοια τη πολει τη μεγαλη
|
|
19
|
And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and
mourning, saying, Woe, woe, the great city, wherein all that had their ships
in the sea were made rich by reason of her costliness! for in one hour is she
made desolate.
|
και εβαλον χουν επι τας κεφαλας αυτων και εκραξαν κλαιοντες και
πενθουντες λεγοντες ουαι ουαι η πολις η μεγαλη εν η επλουτησαν παντες οι
εχοντες τα πλοια εν τη θαλασση εκ της τιμιοτητος αυτης οτι μια ωρα ηρημωθη
|
The Medieval Church (little horn in Daniel and Beast in
Revelation), during the 1260 year reign, dominated every aspect of life and
grew very rich. Most of the leaders came
from the rich nobility who used the church to gain more wealth and power.
In the end times, we will see an image of this beast set up and all
the world made to follow it. But, it
will be brought to ruin and the rich and powerful will morn its loss.
Revelation 18:21-24 ASV
|
20
|
Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye saints, and ye apostles,
and ye prophets; for God hath judged your judgment on her.
|
ευφραινου επ αυτη ουρανε και οι αγιοι και οι αποστολοι και οι
προφηται οτι εκρινεν ο θεος το κριμα υμων εξ αυτης
|
|
21
|
And a strong angel took up a stone as it were a great millstone
and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with a mighty fall shall Babylon, the
great city, be cast down, and shall be found no more at all.
|
και ηρεν εις αγγελος ισχυρος λιθον ως μυλινον μεγαν και εβαλεν
εις την θαλασσαν λεγων ουτως ορμηματι βληθησεται βαβυλων η μεγαλη πολις και
ου μη ευρεθη ετι
|
|
22
|
And the voice of harpers and minstrels and flute-players and
trumpeters shall be heard no more at all in thee; and no craftsman, of
whatsoever craft, shall be found any more at all in thee; and the voice of a
mill shall be heard no more at all in thee;
|
και φωνη κιθαρωδων και μουσικων και αυλητων και σαλπιστων ου μη
ακουσθη εν σοι ετι και πας τεχνιτης [πασης τεχνης] ου μη ευρεθη εν σοι ετι
και φωνη μυλου ου μη ακουσθη εν σοι ετι
|
|
23
|
and the light of a lamp shall shine no more at all in thee; and
the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in
thee: for thy merchants were the princes of the earth; for with thy sorcery
were all the nations deceived.
|
και φως λυχνου ου μη φανη εν σοι ετι και φωνη νυμφιου και νυμφης
ου μη ακουσθη εν σοι ετι οτι [οι] εμποροι σου ησαν οι μεγιστανες της γης οτι
εν τη φαρμακεια σου επλανηθησαν παντα τα εθνη
|
|
24
|
And in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints, and of
all that have been slain upon the earth.
|
και εν αυτη αιμα προφητων και αγιων ευρεθη και παντων των
εσφαγμενων επι της γης
|
The angels and saints will rejoice in her destruction. Verse 21 echoes the judgement given against
ancient Babylon by the prophet Jeremiah.
The primary difference is that the angel uses a millstone, which is very
large and presents a more dramatic image.
Jeremiah
51:58-64 ASV
58 Thus saith [Yehovah] of hosts: The broad walls
of Babylon shall be utterly overthrown, and her high gates shall be burned with
fire; and the peoples shall labor for vanity, and the nations for the fire; and
they shall be weary.
59 The word which Jeremiah the prophet commanded
Seraiah the son of Neriah, the son of Mahseiah, when he went with Zedekiah the
king of Judah to Babylon in the fourth year of his reign. Now Seraiah was chief
chamberlain.
60 And Jeremiah wrote in a book all the evil that
should come upon Babylon, even all these words that are written concerning
Babylon.
61 And Jeremiah said to Seraiah, When thou comest
to Babylon, then see that thou read all these words,
62 and say, O [Yehovah], thou hast spoken
concerning this place, to cut it off, that none shall dwell therein, neither
man nor beast, but that it shall be desolate for ever.
63 And it shall be, when thou hast made an end of
reading this book, that thou shalt bind a stone to it, and cast it into the
midst of the Euphrates:
64 and thou shalt say, Thus shall Babylon sink, and shall not rise
again because of the evil that I will bring upon her; and they shall be weary. Thus
far are the words of Jeremiah.
The conquest of the Beast
Revelation
19:1-5 ASV
|
1
|
After these things I heard as it were a great voice of a great
multitude in heaven, saying, Hallelujah; Salvation, and glory, and power,
belong to our God:
|
μετα ταυτα ηκουσα ως φωνην μεγαλην οχλου πολλου εν τω ουρανω
λεγοντων αλληλουια η σωτηρια και η δοξα και η δυναμις του θεου ημων
|
|
2
|
for true and righteous are his judgments; for he hath judged the
great harlot, her that corrupted the earth with her fornication, and he hath
avenged the blood of his servants at her hand.
|
οτι αληθιναι και δικαιαι αι κρισεις αυτου οτι εκρινεν την πορνην
την μεγαλην ητις εφθειρεν την γην εν τη πορνεια αυτης και εξεδικησεν το αιμα
των δουλων αυτου εκ χειρος αυτης
|
|
3
|
And a second time they say, Hallelujah. And her smoke goeth up
for ever and ever.
|
και δευτερον ειρηκαν αλληλουια και ο καπνος αυτης αναβαινει εις
τους αιωνας των αιωνων
|
|
4
|
And the four and twenty elders and the four living creatures fell
down and worshipped God that sitteth on the throne, saying, Amen; Hallelujah.
|
και επεσαν οι πρεσβυτεροι οι εικοσι τεσσαρες και τα τεσσαρα ζωα
και προσεκυνησαν τω θεω τω καθημενω επι τω θρονω λεγοντες αμην αλληλουια
|
|
5
|
And a voice came forth from the throne, saying, Give praise to
our God, all ye his servants, ye that fear him, the small and the great.
|
και φωνη απο του θρονου εξηλθεν λεγουσα αινειτε τω θεω ημων
παντες οι δουλοι αυτου οι φοβουμενοι αυτον οι μικροι και οι μεγαλοι
|
All of the righteous worship God and praise Him for His judgement
against the harlot (corrupt mixture of church and state).
Revelation
19:6-9 ASV
|
6
|
And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the
voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunders, saying,
Hallelujah: for the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigneth.
|
και ηκουσα ως φωνην οχλου πολλου και ως φωνην υδατων πολλων και
ως φωνην βροντων ισχυρων λεγοντων αλληλουια οτι εβασιλευσεν κυριος ο θεος
[ημων] ο παντοκρατωρ
|
|
7
|
Let us rejoice and be exceeding glad, and let us give the glory
unto him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made
herself ready.
|
χαιρωμεν και αγαλλιωμεν και δωσομεν την δοξαν αυτω οτι ηλθεν ο
γαμος του αρνιου και η γυνη αυτου ητοιμασεν εαυτην
|
|
8
|
And it was given unto her that she should array herself in fine
linen, bright and pure: for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the
saints.
|
και εδοθη αυτη ινα περιβαληται βυσσινον λαμπρον καθαρον το γαρ
βυσσινον τα δικαιωματα των αγιων εστιν
|
|
9
|
And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they that are bidden to
the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are true words
of God.
|
και λεγει μοι γραψον μακαριοι οι εις το δειπνον του γαμου του
αρνιου κεκλημενοι και λεγει μοι ουτοι οι λογοι αληθινοι του θεου εισιν
|
The New Testament compares Jesus’s faithful followers to a bride.
Ephesians
5:24-27 ASV
24 But
as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives also be to their husbands
in everything.
25 Husbands,
love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself up for
it;
26 that
he might sanctify it, having cleansed it by the washing of water with the word,
27 that
he might present the church to himself a glorious church, not having spot or
wrinkle or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
Revelation
19:10 ASV
|
10
|
And I fell down before his feet to worship him. And he saith unto
me, See thou do it not: I am a fellow-servant with thee and with thy brethren
that hold the testimony of Jesus: worship God; for the testimony of Jesus is
the spirit of prophecy.
|
και επεσα εμπροσθεν των ποδων αυτου προσκυνησαι αυτω και λεγει
μοι ορα μη συνδουλος σου ειμι και των αδελφων σου των εχοντων την μαρτυριαν
ιησου τω θεω προσκυνησον η γαρ μαρτυρια ιησου εστιν το πνευμα της προφητειας
|
John is overwhelmed by what he has seen and falls down to worship
his angel companion and the angel objects, telling him to worship God. Many people take this to mean that, if a
person accepts worship, they must be God.
And this is seen as proof that Jesus is God.
But this interpretation is not at all justified by the text. First, the word translated as “worship” is
proskuneo. The literal meaning of this
word is to prostrate or do obeisance to someone. Second, Jesus himself, in this same book,
says that he will make the wicked “worship” or do proskuneo to the the church
of Philadelphia. Obviously, Jesus
doesn’t consider the church to be God, so Jesus doesn’t consider proskuneo to
be a sign that someone is God. Jesus
doesn’t hold to this common interpretation of this verse. If Christ doesn’t hold to the common
interpretation, then the common interpretation is, by definition, not
Christian.
Revelation
3:7-9 ASV
7 And
to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: These things saith he that is
holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth and none
shall shut, and that shutteth and none openeth:
8 I
know thy works (behold, I have set before thee a door opened, which none can
shut), that thou hast a little power, and didst keep my word, and didst not
deny my name.
9 Behold,
I give of the synagogue of Satan, of them that say they are Jews, and they are
not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet,
and to know that I have loved thee.
So, why does the angel object?
The Bible informs us that angels are known to object when someone
decides to direct honor to them instead of God.
Judges 13:17-18
ASV
17 And
Manoah said unto the angel of [Yehovah], What is thy name, that, when thy words
come to pass, we may do thee honor?
18 And
the angel of [Yehovah] said unto him, Wherefore askest thou after my name,
seeing it is wonderful?
Revelation
19:11-16 ASV
|
11
|
And I saw the heaven opened; and behold, a white horse, and he
that sat thereon called Faithful and True; and in righteous he doth judge and
make war.
|
και ειδον τον ουρανον ηνεωγμενον και ιδου ιππος λευκος και ο
καθημενος επ αυτον πιστος [καλουμενος] και αληθινος και εν δικαιοσυνη κρινει
και πολεμει
|
|
12
|
And his eyes are a flame of fire, and upon his head are many
diadems; and he hath a name written which no one knoweth but he himself.
|
οι δε οφθαλμοι αυτου φλοξ πυρος και επι την κεφαλην αυτου
διαδηματα πολλα εχων ονομα γεγραμμενον ο ουδεις οιδεν ει μη αυτος
|
|
13
|
And he is arrayed in a garment sprinkled with blood: and his name
is called The Word of God.
|
και περιβεβλημενος ιματιον ρεραντισμενον αιματι και κεκληται το
ονομα αυτου ο λογος του θεου
|
|
14
|
And the armies which are in heaven followed him upon white
horses, clothed in fine linen, white and pure.
|
και τα στρατευματα τα εν τω ουρανω ηκολουθει αυτω εφ ιπποις
λευκοις ενδεδυμενοι βυσσινον λευκον καθαρον
|
|
15
|
And out of his mouth proceedeth 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 of the wrath of God, the Almighty.
|
και εκ του στοματος αυτου εκπορευεται ρομφαια οξεια ινα εν αυτη
παταξη τα εθνη και αυτος ποιμανει αυτους εν ραβδω σιδηρα και αυτος πατει την
ληνον του οινου του θυμου της οργης του θεου του παντοκρατορος
|
|
16
|
And he hath on his garment and on his thigh a name written, KINGS
OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.
|
και εχει επι το ιματιον και επι τον μηρον αυτου ονομα γεγραμμενον
βασιλευς βασιλεων και κυριος κυριων
|
God once called Nebuchadnezzar the KING OF KINGS and said that his
kingdom was a golden kingdom.
Daniel 2:37-38
ASV
37 Thou,
O king, art king of kings, unto whom the God of heaven hath given the kingdom,
the power, and the strength, and the glory;
38 and
wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and the birds of
the heavens hath he given into thy hand, and hath made thee to rule over them
all: thou art the head of gold.
Now, that title is claimed by the Messiah who will rule the nations
of the world with an iron rod and dispense God’s wrath.
Jesus described the events leading up to the end this way.
Matthew 24:1-14
ASV
1 And Jesus
went out from the temple, and was going on his way; and his disciples came to
him to show him the buildings of the temple.
2 But
he answered and said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto
you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be
thrown down.
3 And
as he sat on the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately,
saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy
coming, and of the end of the world?
4 And
Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man lead you astray.
5 For
many shall come in my name, saying, I am the Christ; and shall lead many
astray.
6 And
ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars; see that ye be not troubled: for
these things must needs come to pass; but the end is not yet.
7 For
nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; and there shall
be famines and earthquakes in divers places.
8 But
all these things are the beginning of travail.
9 Then
shall they deliver you up unto tribulation, and shall kill you: and ye shall be
hated of all the nations for my name's sake.
10 And
then shall many stumble, and shall deliver up one another, and shall hate one
another.
11 And
many false prophets shall arise, and shall lead many astray.
12 And
because iniquity shall be multiplied, the love of the many shall wax cold.
13 But
he that endureth to the end, the same shall be saved.
14 And
this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world for a testimony
unto all the nations; and then shall the end come.
Here he gives an overview.
Matthew
24:15-20 ASV
15 When
therefore ye see the abomination of desolation, which was spoken of through
Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let him that readeth
understand),
16 then
let them that are in Judaea flee unto the mountains:
17 let
him that is on the housetop not go down to take out things that are in his
house:
18 and
let him that is in the field not return back to take his cloak.
19 But
woe unto them that are with child and to them that give suck in those days!
20 And
pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on a sabbath:
Jesus warns them about the upcoming war between the Jews and the
Romans. Jerusalem and the temple were
destroyed. But those who heed Christ’s
warning escaped the destruction.
Matthew
24:21-22 ASV
21 for
then shall be great tribulation, such as hath not been from the beginning of
the world until now, no, nor ever shall be.
22 And
except those days had been shortened, no flesh would have been saved: but for
the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.
One could make the argument that this represents the 1260 year
reign of the little horn/beast. However,
the language most closely matches that of the tribulation mentioned in Daniel
12 which is still future.
Daniel 12:1-3
ASV
And
at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince who standeth for the
children of thy people; and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was
since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people
shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.
2 And
many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to
everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.
3 And
they that are wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they
that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.
Jesus continues on.
Matthew
24:23-31 ASV
23 Then
if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is the Christ, or, Here; believe it
not.
24 For
there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs
and wonders; so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect.
25 Behold,
I have told you beforehand.
26 If
therefore they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the wilderness; go not
forth: Behold, he is in the inner chambers; believe it not.
27 For
as the lightning cometh forth from the east, and is seen even unto the west; so
shall be the coming of the Son of man.
28 Wheresoever
the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together.
29 But
immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun shall be darkened, and
the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and
the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:
30 and
then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the
tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming on the
clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
31 And
he shall send forth his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall
gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the
other.
There will be false Christs and false prophets. Some of them will perform miracles. But, Jesus tells us how we can know if it is
really him. Verse 27 tells us that it
will be clearly seen by everyone, like a great flash of lightning. Verse 30 says that he will be visible in the
clouds.
Matthew
24:32-36 ASV
32 Now
from the fig tree learn her parable: when her branch is now become tender, and
putteth forth its leaves, ye know that the summer is nigh;
33 even
so ye also, when ye see all these things, know ye that he is nigh, even at the
doors.
34 Verily
I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all these things be
accomplished.
35 Heaven
and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.
36 But
of that day and hour knoweth no one, not even the angels of heaven, neither the
Son, but the Father only.
Verse 34 is one of the most controversial statements made by
Jesus. Many people have taken this to
mean that Jesus was predicting the generation he was speaking to would not pass
away before the end of the world.
They forget that the disciples asked Jesus two questions. They asked him about the destruction of the
temple and they asked what would be the sign of his coming and the end of the
world. Jesus answers their first
question. Then, he begins to describe
the signs of his coming and the end of the world.
Jesus states in verse 36 that he does not know when that will be,
so he would not be able to definitively say it would happen before the
disciples’ generation passed away. Verse
33 states that when the people see the signs, they will know that his coming is
near. This means that the generation
Jesus is talking about in verse 34 is the generation that sees the signs he
just mentioned.
Matthew
24:37-41 ASV
37 And
as were the days of Noah, so shall be the coming of the Son of man.
38 For
as in those days which were before the flood they were eating and drinking,
marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark,
39 and
they knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall be the
coming of the Son of man.
40 Then
shall two man be in the field; one is taken, and one is left:
41 two
women shall be grinding at the mill; one is taken, and one is left.
Jesus compares his coming to the days of Noah. The wicked were continuing life as usual
until the flood took them away. Jesus
goes on to describe how the wicked will be swept away at his coming, and the
righteous left.
Matthew
24:42-51 ASV
42 Watch
therefore: for ye know not on what day your Lord cometh.
43 But
know this, that if the master of the house had known in what watch the thief
was coming, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be
broken through.
44 Therefore
be ye also ready; for in an hour that ye think not the Son of man cometh.
45 Who
then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath set over his
household, to give them their food in due season?
46 Blessed
is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.
47 Verily
I say unto you, that he will set him over all that he hath.
48 But
if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord tarrieth;
49 and
shall begin to beat his fellow-servants, and shall eat and drink with the
drunken;
50 the
lord of that servant shall come in a day when he expecteth not, and in an hour
when he knoweth not,
51 and
shall cut him asunder, and appoint his portion with the hypocrites: there shall
be the weeping and the gnashing of teeth.
Revelation
19:17-18 ASV
|
17
|
And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud
voice, saying to all the birds that fly in mid heaven, Come and be gathered
together unto the great supper of God;
|
και ειδον ενα αγγελον εστωτα εν τω ηλιω και εκραξεν [εν] φωνη
μεγαλη λεγων πασιν τοις ορνεοις τοις πετομενοις εν μεσουρανηματι δευτε
συναχθητε εις το δειπνον το μεγα του θεου
|
|
18
|
that ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains,
and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses and of them that sit
thereon, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, and small and great.
|
ινα φαγητε σαρκας βασιλεων και σαρκας χιλιαρχων και σαρκας ισχυρων
και σαρκας ιππων και των καθημενων επ αυτους και σαρκας παντων ελευθερων τε
και δουλων και μικρων και μεγαλων
|
The angel is announcing with a loud voice that the armies of heaven
will slaughter those who follow the beast and the angels will feed their bodies
to the birds.
Revleation
19:19-20 ASV
|
19
|
And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their
armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat upon the horse,
and against his army.
|
και ειδον το θηριον και τους βασιλεις της γης και τα στρατευματα
αυτων συνηγμενα ποιησαι τον πολεμον μετα του καθημενου επι του ιππου και μετα
του στρατευματος αυτου
|
|
20
|
And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that
wrought the signs in his sight, wherewith he deceived them that had received
the mark of the beast and them that worshipped his image: they two were cast
alive into the lake of fire that burneth with brimstone:
|
και επιασθη το θηριον και μετ αυτου ο ψευδοπροφητης ο ποιησας τα
σημεια ενωπιον αυτου εν οις επλανησεν τους λαβοντας το χαραγμα του θηριου και
τους προσκυνουντας τη εικονι αυτου ζωντες εβληθησαν οι δυο εις την λιμνην του
πυρος της καιομενης εν θειω
|
We
saw the armies of the beast gathered together for a final conflict. The beast (Roman Church) and the false
prophet are defeated and thrown into the lake of fire.
Revelation 19:21 ASV
|
21
|
and the rest were killed with the sword of him that sat upon the
horse, even the sword which came forth out of his mouth: and all the birds
were filled with their flesh.
|
και οι λοιποι απεκτανθησαν εν τη ρομφαια του καθημενου επι του
ιππου τη εξελθουση εκ του στοματος αυτου και παντα τα ορνεα εχορτασθησαν εκ
των σαρκων αυτων
|
Zechariah describes it this way.
Zechariah 14:3-21 ASV
3 Then
shall [Yehovah] go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in
the day of battle.
4 And
his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before
Jerusalem on the east; and the mount of Olives shall be cleft in the midst
thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great
valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it
toward the south.
5 And
ye shall flee by the valley of my mountains; for the valley of the mountains
shall reach unto Azel; yea, ye shall flee, like as ye fled from before the
earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah; and [Yehovah] my God shall
come, and all the holy ones with thee.
6 And
it shall come to pass in that day, that there shall not be light; the bright
ones shall withdraw themselves:
7 but
it shall be one day which is known unto [Yehovah]; not day, and not night; but
it shall come to pass, that at evening time there shall be light.
8 And
it shall come to pass in that day, that living waters shall go out from
Jerusalem; half of them toward the eastern sea, and half of them toward the
western sea: in summer and in winter shall it be.
9 And
[Yehovah] shall be King over all the earth: in that day shall [Yehovah] be one,
and his name one.
10 All
the land shall be made like the Arabah, from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem;
and she shall be lifted up, and shall dwell in her place, from Benjamin's gate
unto the place of the first gate, unto the corner gate, and from the tower of
Hananel unto the king's wine-presses.
11 And
men shall dwell therein, and there shall be no more curse; but Jerusalem shall
dwell safely.
12 And
this shall be the plague wherewith [Yehovah] will smite all the peoples that
have warred against Jerusalem: their flesh shall consume away while they stand
upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their sockets, and their
tongue shall consume away in their mouth.
13 And
it shall come to pass in that day, that a great tumult from [Yehovah] shall be
among them; and they shall lay hold every one on the hand of his neighbor, and
his hand shall rise up against the hand of his neighbor.
14 And
Judah also shall fight at Jerusalem; and the wealth of all the nations round
about shall be gathered together, gold, and silver, and apparel, in great
abundance.
15 And
so shall be the plague of the horse, of the mule, of the camel, and of the ass,
and of all the beasts that shall be in those camps, as that plague.
16 And
it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations that came
against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year to worship the King, [Yehovah]
of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles.
17 And
it shall be, that whoso of all the families of the earth goeth not up unto
Jerusalem to worship the King, [Yehovah] of hosts, upon them there shall be no
rain.
18 And
if the family of Egypt go not up, and come not, neither shall it be upon them;
there shall be the plague wherewith [Yehovah] will smite the nations that go
not up to keep the feast of tabernacles.
19 This
shall be the punishment of Egypt, and the punishment of all the nations that go
not up to keep the feast of tabernacles.
20 In
that day shall there be upon the bells of the horses, HOLY UNTO [YEHOVAH]; and
the pots in [Yehovah]'s house shall be like the bowls before the altar.
21 Yea,
every pot in Jerusalem and in Judah shall be holy unto [Yehovah] of hosts; and
all they that sacrifice shall come and take of them, and boil therein: and in
that day there shall be no more a Canaanite in the house of [Yehovah] of hosts.
Isaiah describes it this way
Isaiah 24 ASV
1 Behold, [Yehovah]
maketh the earth empty, and maketh it waste, and turneth it upside down, and
scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof.
2 And
it shall be, as with the people, so with the priest; as with the servant, so
with his master; as with the maid, so with her mistress; as with the buyer, so
with the seller; as with the creditor, so with the debtor; as with the taker of
interest, so with the giver of interest to him.
3 The
earth shall be utterly emptied, and utterly laid waste; for [Yehovah] hath
spoken this word.
4 The
earth mourneth and fadeth away, the world languisheth and fadeth away, the
lofty people of the earth do languish.
5 The
earth also is polluted under the inhabitants thereof; because they have
transgressed the laws, violated the statutes, broken the everlasting covenant.
6 Therefore
hath the curse devoured the earth, and they that dwell therein are found
guilty: therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men left.
7 The
new wine mourneth, the vine languisheth, all the merry-hearted do sigh.
8 The
mirth of tabrets ceaseth, the noise of them that rejoice endeth, the joy of the
harp ceaseth.
9 They
shall not drink wine with a song; strong drink shall be bitter to them that
drink it.
10 The
waste city is broken down; every house is shut up, that no man may come in.
11 There
is a crying in the streets because of the wine; all joy is darkened, the mirth
of the land is gone.
12 In
the city is left desolation, and the gate is smitten with destruction.
13 For
thus shall it be in the midst of the earth among the peoples, as the shaking of
an olive-tree, as the gleanings when the vintage is done.
14 These
shall lift up their voice, they shall shout; for the majesty of [Yehovah] they
cry aloud from the sea.
15 Wherefore
glorify ye [Yehovah] in the east, even the name of [Yehovah], the God of
Israel, in the isles of the sea.
16 From
the uttermost part of the earth have we heard songs: Glory to the righteous.
But I said, I pine away, I pine away, woe is me! the treacherous have dealt
treacherously; yea, the treacherous have dealt very treacherously.
17 Fear,
and the pit, and the snare, are upon thee, O inhabitant of the earth.
18 And
it shall come to pass, that he who fleeth from the noise of the fear shall fall
into the pit; and he that cometh up out of the midst of the pit shall be taken
in the snare: for the windows on high are opened, and the foundations of the
earth tremble.
19 The
earth is utterly broken, the earth is rent asunder, the earth is shaken
violently.
20 The
earth shall stagger like a drunken man, and shall sway to and fro like a
hammock; and the transgression thereof shall be heavy upon it, and it shall
fall, and not rise again.
21 And
it shall come to pass in that day, that [Yehovah] will punish the host of the
high ones on high, and the kings of the earth upon the earth.
22 And
they shall be gathered together, as prisoners are gathered in the pit, and
shall be shut up in the prison; and after many days shall they be visited.
23 Then
the moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed; for [Yehovah] of hosts will
reign in mount Zion, and in Jerusalem; and before his elders shall be glory.
Isaiah 25 ASV
1 O
[Yehovah], thou art my God; I will exalt thee, I will praise thy name; for thou
hast done wonderful things, even counsels of old, in faithfulness and truth.
2 For thou hast made of a city a heap, of a
fortified city a ruin, a palace of strangers to be no city; it shall never be
built.
3 Therefore shall a strong people glorify thee; a
city of terrible nations shall fear thee.
4 For thou hast been a stronghold to the poor, a
stronghold to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shade from
the heat, when the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall.
5 As the heat in a dry place wilt thou bring down
the noise of strangers; as the heat by the shade of a cloud, the song of the
terrible ones shall be brought low.
6 And in this mountain will [Yehovah] of hosts
make unto all peoples a feast of fat things, a feast of wines on the lees, of
fat things full of marrow, of wines on the lees well refined.
7 And he will destroy in this mountain the face
of the covering that covereth all peoples, and the veil that is spread over all
nations.
8 He hath swallowed up death for ever; and the
Lord [Yehovah] will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the reproach of his
people will he take away from off all the earth: for [Yehovah] hath spoken it.
9 And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is
our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is [Yehovah]; we
have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation.
10 For in this mountain will the hand of [Yehovah]
rest; and Moab shall be trodden down in his place, even as straw is trodden
down in the water of the dung-hill.
11 And he shall spread forth his hands in the
midst thereof, as he that swimmeth spreadeth forth his hands to swim; but [Yehovah]
will lay low his pride together with the craft of his hands.
12 And the high fortress of thy walls hath he
brought down, laid low, and brought to the ground, even to the dust.
Isaiah 26 ASV
1 In
that day shall this song be sung in the land of Judah: we have a strong city;
salvation will he appoint for walls and bulwarks.
2 Open ye the gates, that the righteous nation
which keepeth faith may enter in.
3 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind
is stayed on thee; because he trusteth in thee.
4 Trust ye in [Yehovah] for ever; for in [Yehovah],
even [Yehovah], is an everlasting rock.
5 For he hath brought down them that dwell on
high, the lofty city: he layeth it low, he layeth it low even to the ground; he
bringeth it even to the dust.
6 The foot shall tread it down; even the feet of
the poor, and the steps of the needy.
7 The way of the just is uprightness: thou that
art upright dost direct the path of the just.
8 Yea, in the way of thy judgments, O [Yehovah],
have we waited for thee; to thy name, even to thy memorial name, is the desire
of our soul.
9 With my soul have I desired thee in the night;
yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee earnestly: for when thy
judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness.
10 Let favor be showed to the wicked, yet will he
not learn righteousness; in the land of uprightness will he deal wrongfully,
and will not behold the majesty of [Yehovah].
11 [Yehovah], thy hand is lifted up, yet they see
not: but they shall see thy zeal for the people, and be put to shame; yea, fire
shall devour thine adversaries.
12 [Yehovah], thou wilt ordain peace for us; for
thou hast also wrought all our works for us.
13 O [Yehovah] our God, other lords besides thee
have had dominion over us; but by thee only will we make mention of thy name.
14 They are dead, they shall not live; they are
deceased, they shall not rise: therefore hast thou visited and destroyed them,
and made all remembrance of them to perish.
15 Thou hast increased the nation, O [Yehovah],
thou hast increased the nation; thou art glorified; thou hast enlarged all the
borders of the land.
16 [Yehovah], in trouble have they visited thee;
they poured out a prayer when thy chastening was upon them.
17 Like as a woman with child, that draweth near
the time of her delivery, is in pain and crieth out in her pangs; so we have
been before thee, O [Yehovah].
18 We have been with child, we have been in pain,
we have as it were brought forth wind; we have not wrought any deliverance in
the earth; neither have the inhabitants of the world fallen.
19 Thy dead shall live; my dead bodies shall
arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in the dust; for thy dew is as the dew of
herbs, and the earth shall cast forth the dead.
20 Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers,
and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself for a little moment, until the
indignation be overpast.
21 For, behold, [Yehovah] cometh forth out of his
place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: the earth also
shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain.
Isaiah 27 ASV
1 In
that day [Yehovah] with his hard and great and strong sword will punish
leviathan the swift serpent, and leviathan the crooked serpent; and he will
slay the monster that is in the sea.
2 In that day: A vineyard of wine, sing ye unto
it.
3 I [Yehovah] am its keeper; I will water it
every moment: lest any hurt it, I will keep it night and day.
4 Wrath is not in me: would that the briers and
thorns were against me in battle! I would march upon them, I would burn them
together.
5 Or else let him take hold of my strength, that
he may make peace with me; yea, let him make peace with me.
6 In days to come shall Jacob take root; Israel
shall blossom and bud; and they shall fill the face of the world with fruit.
7 Hath he smitten them as he smote those that
smote them? or are they slain according to the slaughter of them that were
slain by them?
8 In measure, when thou sendest them away, thou
dost content with them; he hath removed them with his rough blast in the day of
the east wind.
9 Therefore by this shall the iniquity of Jacob
be forgiven, and this is all the fruit of taking away his sin: that he maketh
all the stones of the altar as chalkstones that are beaten in sunder, so that
the Asherim and the sun-images shall rise no more.
10 For the fortified city is solitary, a
habitation deserted and forsaken, like the wilderness: there shall the calf
feed, and there shall he lie down, and consume the branches thereof.
11 When the boughs thereof are withered, they
shall be broken off; the women shall come, and set them on fire; for it is a
people of no understanding: therefore he that made them will not have
compassion upon them, and he that formed them will show them no favor.
12 And it shall come to pass in that day, that [Yehovah]
will beat off his fruit from the flood of the River unto the brook of Egypt;
and ye shall be gathered one by one, O ye children of Israel.
13 And it shall come to pass in that day, that a
great trumpet shall be blown; and they shall come that were ready to perish in
the land of Assyria, and they that were outcasts in the land of Egypt; and they
shall worship [Yehovah] in the holy mountain at Jerusalem.
The 1000
Year Reign of the Messiah
Revelation 20 ASV
|
1
|
And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key of
the abyss and a great chain in his hand.
|
και ειδον αγγελον καταβαινοντα εκ του ουρανου εχοντα την κλειν
της αβυσσου και αλυσιν μεγαλην επι την χειρα αυτου
|
|
2
|
And he laid hold on the dragon, the old serpent, which is the
Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years,
|
και εκρατησεν τον δρακοντα ο οφις ο αρχαιος ος εστιν διαβολος και
ο σατανας και εδησεν αυτον χιλια ετη
|
|
3
|
and cast him into the abyss, and shut it, and sealed it over him,
that he should deceive the nations no more, until the thousand years should
be finished: after this he must be loosed for a little time.
|
και εβαλεν αυτον εις την αβυσσον και εκλεισεν και εσφραγισεν
επανω αυτου ινα μη πλανηση ετι τα εθνη αχρι τελεσθη τα χιλια ετη μετα ταυτα
δει λυθηναι αυτον μικρον χρονον
|
|
4
|
And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given
unto them: and I saw the souls of them that had been beheaded for the
testimony of Jesus, and for the word of God, and such as worshipped not the
beast, neither his image, and received not the mark upon their forehead and
upon their hand; and they lived, and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
|
και ειδον θρονους και εκαθισαν επ αυτους και κριμα εδοθη αυτοις
και τας ψυχας των πεπελεκισμενων δια την μαρτυριαν ιησου και δια τον λογον
του θεου και οιτινες ου προσεκυνησαν το θηριον ουδε την εικονα αυτου και ουκ
ελαβον το χαραγμα επι το μετωπον και επι την χειρα αυτων και εζησαν και
εβασιλευσαν μετα του χριστου χιλια ετη
|
|
5
|
The rest of the dead lived not until the thousand years should be
finished. This is the first resurrection.
|
οι λοιποι των νεκρων ουκ εζησαν αχρι τελεσθη τα χιλια ετη αυτη η
αναστασις η πρωτη
|
|
6
|
Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection:
over these the second death hath no power; but they shall be priests of God
and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.
|
μακαριος και αγιος ο εχων μερος εν τη αναστασει τη πρωτη επι
τουτων ο δευτερος θανατος ουκ εχει εξουσιαν αλλ εσονται ιερεις του θεου και
του χριστου και βασιλευσουσιν μετ αυτου [τα] χιλια ετη
|
After the Messiah’s victory over the Beast and false prophet and
the utter destruction of their armies, Satan is bound so that he can no longer
deceive the nations for a thousand years.
The Messiah (Christ) reigns during this time with the saints. But, at the end of the thousand years, he
will be released for a short time.
There are several prophecies that shed quite a bit of light on the
events in this section. The Book of
Hebrews was appearently written before the destruction of Jerusalem and the
Second Temple by the Romans. We know
this because when speaking about Jesus, it indicates that the priesthood was
still in place and were still offering legitimate sacrifices as gifts to God.
Hebrews 8:4 ASV
|
4
|
Now if he were on earth, he would not be a priest at all, seeing
there are those who offer the gifts according to the law;
|
ει μεν ουν ην επι γης ουδ αν ην ιερευς οντων των προσφεροντων
κατα νομον τα δωρα
|
Hebrews provides a commentary on the prophecy of the New Covenant.
Hebrews 8:6-13 ASV
|
6
|
But now hath he obtained a ministry the more excellent, by so
much as he is also the mediator of a better covenant, which hath been enacted
upon better promises.
|
νυν δε διαφορωτερας τετυχεν λειτουργιας οσω και κρειττονος εστιν
διαθηκης μεσιτης ητις επι κρειττοσιν επαγγελιαις νενομοθετηται
|
|
7
|
For if that first covenant had been faultless, then would no
place have been sought for a second.
|
ει γαρ η πρωτη εκεινη ην αμεμπτος ουκ αν δευτερας εζητειτο τοπος
|
|
8
|
For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come,
saith the Lord, That I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and
with the house of Judah;
|
μεμφομενος γαρ αυτους λεγει ιδου ημεραι ερχονται λεγει κυριος και
συντελεσω επι τον οικον ισραηλ και επι τον οικον ιουδα διαθηκην καινην
|
|
9
|
Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers In
the day that I took them by the hand to lead them forth out of the land of
Egypt; For they continued not in my covenant, And I regarded them not, saith
the Lord.
|
ου κατα την διαθηκην ην εποιησα τοις πατρασιν αυτων εν ημερα
επιλαβομενου μου της χειρος αυτων εξαγαγειν αυτους εκ γης αιγυπτου οτι αυτοι
ουκ ενεμειναν εν τη διαθηκη μου καγω ημελησα αυτων λεγει κυριος
|
|
10
|
For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of
Israel After those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind,
And on their heart also will I write them: And I will be to them a God, And
they shall be to me a people:
|
οτι αυτη η διαθηκη ην διαθησομαι τω οικω ισραηλ μετα τας ημερας
εκεινας λεγει κυριος διδους νομους μου εις την διανοιαν αυτων και επι καρδιας
αυτων επιγραψω αυτους και εσομαι αυτοις εις θεον και αυτοι εσονται μοι εις
λαον
|
|
11
|
And they shall not teach every man his fellow-citizen, And every
man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: For all shall know me, From the least
to the greatest of them.
|
και ου μη διδαξωσιν εκαστος τον πολιτην αυτου και εκαστος τον
αδελφον αυτου λεγων γνωθι τον κυριον οτι παντες ειδησουσιν με απο μικρου εως
μεγαλου αυτων
|
|
12
|
For I will be merciful to their iniquities, And their sins will I
remember no more.
|
οτι ιλεως εσομαι ταις αδικιαις αυτων και των αμαρτιων αυτων ου μη
μνησθω ετι
|
|
13
|
In that he saith, A new covenant he hath made the first old. But
that which is becoming old and waxeth aged is nigh unto vanishing away.
|
εν τω λεγειν καινην πεπαλαιωκεν την πρωτην το δε παλαιουμενον και
γηρασκον εγγυς αφανισμου
|
Here is the original context of the prophecy.
Jeremiah 31:27-40 KJV
|
27
|
Behold, the days come, saith [Yehovah],
that I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of
man, and with the seed of beast.
|
הנה ימים באים
נאם־יהוה וזרעתי את־בית ישׂראל ואת־בית יהודה זרע אדם וזרע בהמה
|
|
28
|
And it shall come to pass, that like as I have watched over them, to pluck up,
and to break down, and to throw down, and to destroy, and to afflict; so will
I watch over them, to build, and to plant, saith [Yehovah].
|
והיה כאשׁר
שׁקדתי עליהם לנתושׁ ולנתוץ ולהרס ולהאביד ולהרע כן אשׁקד עליהם לבנות ולנטוע
נאם־יהוה
|
|
29
|
In those days they shall say no
more, The fathers have eaten a sour grape, and the children's teeth are set
on edge.
|
בימים ההם
לא־יאמרו עוד אבות אכלו בסר ושׁני בנים תקהינה
|
|
30
|
But every one shall die for his
own iniquity: every man that eateth the sour grape, his teeth shall be set on
edge.
|
כי אם־אישׁ
בעונו ימות כל־האדם האכל הבסר תקהינה שׁניו
|
|
31
|
Behold, the days come, saith [Yehovah],
that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house
of Judah:
|
הנה ימים באים
נאם־יהוה וכרתי את־בית ישׂראל ואת־בית יהודה ברית חדשׁה
|
|
32
|
Not according to the covenant that
I made with their fathers in the day that I
took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my
covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith [Yehovah]:
|
לא כברית אשׁר
כרתי את־אבותם ביום החזיקי בידם להוציאם מארץ מצרים אשׁר־המה הפרו את־בריתי
ואנכי בעלתי בם נאם־יהוה
|
|
33
|
But this shall
be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those
days, saith [Yehovah], I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it
in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.
|
כי זאת הברית
אשׁר אכרת את־בית ישׂראל אחרי הימים ההם נאם־יהוה נתתי את־תורתי בקרבם ועל־לבם
אכתבנה והייתי להם לאלהים והמה יהיו־לי לעם
|
|
34
|
And they shall teach no more every
man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know [Yehovah]: for
they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them,
saith [Yehovah]: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their
sin no more.
|
ולא ילמדו עוד
אישׁ את־רעהו ואישׁ את־אחיו לאמר דעו את־יהוה כי־כולם ידעו אותי למקטנם
ועד־גדולם נאם־יהוה כי אסלח לעונם ולחטאתם לא אזכר־עוד
|
|
35
|
Thus saith [Yehovah], which giveth
the sun for a light by day, and the
ordinances of the moon and of the stars for a light by night, which divideth
the sea when the waves thereof roar; [Yehovah] of hosts is his name:
|
כה אמר יהוה
נתן שׁמשׁ לאור יומם חקת ירח וכוכבים לאור לילה רגע הים ויהמו גליו יהוה צבאות
שׁמו
|
|
36
|
If those ordinances depart from
before me, saith [Yehovah], then the seed of
Israel also shall cease from being a nation before me for ever.
|
אם־ימשׁו
החקים האלה מלפני נאם־יהוה גם זרע ישׂראל ישׁבתו מהיות גוי לפני כל־הימים
|
|
37
|
Thus saith [Yehovah]; If heaven
above can be measured, and the foundations of the earth searched out beneath,
I will also cast off all the seed of Israel for all that they have done,
saith [Yehovah].
|
כה אמר יהוה
אם־ימדו שׁמים מלמעלה ויחקרו מוסדי־ארץ למטה גם־אני אמאס בכל־זרע ישׂראל
על־כל־אשׁר עשׂו נאם־יהוה
|
|
38
|
Behold, the days come, saith [Yehovah],
that the city shall be built to [Yehovah] from the tower of Hananeel unto the
gate of the corner.
|
הנה ימים נאם־יהוה
ונבנתה העיר ליהוה ממגדל חננאל שׁער הפנה
|
|
39
|
And the measuring line shall yet
go forth over against it upon the hill Gareb, and shall compass about to
Goath.
|
ויצא עוד קוה
המדה נגדו על גבעת גרב ונסב געתה
|
|
40
|
And the whole valley of the dead
bodies, and of the ashes, and all the fields unto the brook of Kidron, unto
the corner of the horse gate toward the east, shall
be holy unto [Yehovah]; it shall not be plucked up, nor thrown down
any more for ever.
|
וכל־העמק
הפגרים והדשׁן וכל־השׁרמות עד־נחל קדרון עד־פנת שׁער הסוסים מזרחה קדשׁ ליהוה
לא־ינתשׁ ולא־יהרס עוד לעולם
|
You might have noticed that verse 32 quotes God as saying, “I was an
husband unto them”, whereas Hebrews quotes it as
saying, “I regarded them not”. The difference comes from the fact that the
English translation of Jeremiah 31 is from the Hebrew Masoretic manuscripts of
the Tanakh, whereas the English translation of Hebrews is from the Greek New
Testament manuscripts. The author of
Hebrews copied his quote from the Septuagint, which is an ancient Greek
translation of the Tanakh. The question
is, which more accurately conveys what Jeremiah wrote? These are the facts. The oldest largely complete Septuagint dates
to the mid fourth century while the oldest largely complete Masoretic text
dates to the tenth century. Naturally,
the oldest manuscripts are probably the result of fewer stages of copying,
which reduces the chances of copyist errors showing up. On the other hand, the Septuagint is a
translation and there is always something lost in translation.
The Dead Sea Scrolls are quite valuable in these situations because
they are older than any other manuscripts and they are in the original
language. Regretably, this verse was not
preserved in the copies of Jeremiah in the Dead Sea Scrolls. The manuscripts are simply so old that
sections have decayed or become unreadable.
However, a large amount of Jeremiah is preserved in the Dead Sea Scrolls. Scholars have noted that, while some books in
the Dead Sea Scrolls are very close to the Masoretic text, Jeremiah is much
closer to the Septuagint.[7] This strongly suggests that the verse in
question in the Dead Sea Scroll manuscripts, which predate Christianity and are
in the original Hebrew, was written like it is in the Septuagint, rather than like
it is in the Masoretic text.
There are several things this prophecy tells us about the time of
the New Covenant.
The first is that it will involve the restoration of both Israel
and Judah. For those not familiar with
Bible history, after Solomon’s death the kingdom was split in two, the northern
kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah. Israel was conquered by the Assyrians and the
people were led into captivity. Then the
southern kingdom was conquered by the Babylonians and the people led into
captivity. However, after the Persians
conquered the Babylonians the Persian emperor, Cyrus, freed the Jews and they
returned back to Judah. Then the Romans
destroyed Jerusalem and the second temple in 70 C.E. Many of the Jews spread out to other
countries. In 1948 the descendants of
the ancient kingdom of Judah established a nation they called Israel. Modern Jews are the descendants of the
ancient kingdom of Judah. There is much
debate, but no certainty, over who might be descended from the ancient kingdom
of Israel. That kingdom has never been
restored. It is still in the
future. We will see in a little bit that
this is in the same future age talked about in the first few verses of
Revelation 20 when the Messiah reigns on earth.
The second thing this prophecy tells us is that no one will need to
teach others about God. There will be a
universal knowledge of God. This is
obviously future also.
The third thing is that the city (Jerusalem) will be rebuilt and
never destroyed again. The fact that
Jerusalem was destroyed in 70 C.E. shows that its fulfillment takes place after
that time.
The book of Ezekiel goes into much more detail of this time when
both kingdoms are restored and the Messiah reigns on the throne of David.
Ezekiel 37:1-28 KJV
|
1
|
The hand of [Yehovah] was upon me, and carried me out in the
spirit of [Yehovah], and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones,
|
היתה עלי יד־יהוה ויוצאני ברוח יהוה ויניחני
בתוך הבקעה והיא מלאה עצמות
|
|
2
|
And caused me to pass by them round about: and, behold, there were very many in the open valley; and, lo, they were very dry.
|
והעבירני עליהם סביב סביב והנה רבות מאד על־פני
הבקעה והנה יבשׁות מאד
|
|
3
|
And he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I
answered, O Lord GOD, thou knowest.
|
ויאמר אלי בן־אדם התחיינה העצמות האלה ואמר
אדני יהוה אתה ידעת
|
|
4
|
Again he said unto me, Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto
them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of [Yehovah].
|
ויאמר אלי הנבא על־העצמות האלה ואמרת אליהם
העצמות היבשׁות שׁמעו דבר־יהוה
|
|
5
|
Thus saith [Yehovah] GOD unto these bones; Behold, I will cause
breath to enter into you, and ye shall live:
|
כה אמר אדני יהוה לעצמות האלה הנה אני מביא בכם
רוח וחייתם
|
|
6
|
And I will lay sinews upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you,
and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and ye shall live; and ye
shall know that I am [Yehovah].
|
ונתתי עליכם גדים והעלתי עליכם בשׂר וקרמתי
עליכם עור ונתתי בכם רוח וחייתם וידעתם כי־אני יהוה
|
|
7
|
So I prophesied as I was commanded: and as I prophesied, there
was a noise, and behold a shaking, and the bones came together, bone to his
bone.
|
ונבאתי כאשׁר צויתי ויהי־קול כהנבאי והנה־רעשׁ
ותקרבו עצמות עצם אל־עצמו
|
|
8
|
And when I beheld, lo, the sinews and the flesh came up upon
them, and the skin covered them above: but there was
no breath in them.
|
וראיתי והנה־עליהם גדים ובשׂר עלה ויקרם עליהם
עור מלמעלה ורוח אין בהם
|
|
9
|
Then said he unto me, Prophesy unto the wind, prophesy, son of
man, and say to the wind, Thus saith [Yehovah] GOD; Come from the four winds,
O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live.
|
ויאמר אלי הנבא אל־הרוח הנבא בן־אדם ואמרת
אל־הרוח כה־אמר אדני יהוה מארבע רוחות באי הרוח ופחי בהרוגים האלה ויחיו
|
|
10
|
So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into
them, and they lived, and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army.
|
והנבאתי כאשׁר צוני ותבוא בהם הרוח ויחיו
ויעמדו על־רגליהם חיל גדול מאד־מאד
|
|
11
|
Then he said unto me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house
of Israel: behold, they say, Our bones are dried, and our hope is lost: we
are cut off for our parts.
|
ויאמר אלי בן־אדם העצמות האלה כל־בית ישׂראל המה
הנה אמרים יבשׁו עצמותינו ואבדה תקותנו נגזרנו לנו
|
|
12
|
Therefore prophesy and say unto them, Thus saith [Yehovah] GOD;
Behold, O my people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of
your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel.
|
לכן הנבא ואמרת אליהם כה־אמר אדני יהוה הנה אני
פתח את־קברותיכם והעליתי אתכם מקברותיכם עמי והבאתי אתכם אל־אדמת ישׂראל
|
|
13
|
And ye shall know that I am [Yehovah],
when I have opened your graves, O my people, and brought you up out of your
graves,
|
וידעתם כי־אני יהוה בפתחי את־קברותיכם ובהעלותי
אתכם מקברותיכם עמי
|
|
14
|
And shall put my spirit in you, and ye shall live, and I shall
place you in your own land: then shall ye know that I [Yehovah] have spoken it, and performed it,
saith [Yehovah].
|
ונתתי רוחי בכם וחייתם והנחתי אתכם על־אדמתכם
וידעתם כי־אני יהוה דברתי ועשׂיתי נאם־יהוה
|
|
15
|
The word of [Yehovah] came again unto me, saying,
|
ויהי דבר־יהוה אלי לאמר
|
|
16
|
Moreover, thou son of man, take thee one stick, and write upon
it, For Judah, and for the children of Israel his companions: then take
another stick, and write upon it, For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel his companions:
|
ואתה בן־אדם קח־לך עץ אחד וכתב עליו ליהודה
ולבני ישׂראל חברו ולקח עץ אחד וכתוב עליו ליוסף עץ אפרים וכל־בית ישׂראל חברו
|
|
17
|
And join them one to another into one stick; and they shall
become one in thine hand.
|
וקרב אתם אחד אל־אחד לך לעץ אחד והיו לאחדים
בידך
|
|
18
|
And when the children of thy people shall speak unto thee,
saying, Wilt thou not shew us what thou meanest
by these?
|
וכאשׁר יאמרו אליך בני עמך לאמר הלוא־תגיד לנו
מה־אלה לך
|
|
19
|
Say unto them, Thus saith [Yehovah] GOD; Behold, I will take the
stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of
Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel his fellows, and will put them with him, even with the stick of Judah, and make them one
stick, and they shall be one in mine hand.
|
דבר אלהם כה־אמר אדני יהוה הנה אני לקח את־עץ
יוסף אשׁר ביד־אפרים ושׁבטי ישׂראל חברו ונתתי אותם עליו את־עץ יהודה ועשׂיתם
לעץ אחד והיו אחד בידי
|
|
20
|
And the sticks whereon thou writest shall be in thine hand before
their eyes.
|
והיו העצים אשׁר־תכתב עליהם בידך לעיניהם
|
|
21
|
And say unto them, Thus saith [Yehovah] GOD; Behold, I will take
the children of Israel from among the heathen, whither they be gone, and will
gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land:
|
ודבר אליהם כה־אמר אדני יהוה הנה אני לקח
את־בני ישׂראל מבין הגוים אשׁר הלכו־שׁם וקבצתי אתם מסביב והבאתי אותם אל־אדמתם
|
|
22
|
And I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of
Israel; and one king shall be king to them all: and they shall be no more two
nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all:
|
ועשׂיתי אתם לגוי אחד בארץ בהרי ישׂראל ומלך
אחד יהיה לכלם למלך ולא יהיה־עוד לשׁני גוים ולא יחצו עוד לשׁתי ממלכות עוד
|
|
23
|
Neither shall they defile themselves any more with their idols,
nor with their detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions: but I
will save them out of all their dwellingplaces, wherein they have sinned, and
will cleanse them: so shall they be my people, and I will be their God.
|
ולא יטמאו עוד בגלוליהם ובשׁקוציהם ובכל
פשׁעיהם והושׁעתי אתם מכל מושׁבתיהם אשׁר חטאו בהם וטהרתי אותם והיו־לי לעם ואני
אהיה להם לאלהים
|
|
24
|
And David my servant shall be
king over them; and they all shall have one shepherd: they shall also walk in
my judgments, and observe my statutes, and do them.
|
ועבדי דוד מלך עליהם ורועה אחד יהיה לכלם
ובמשׁפטי ילכו וחקתי ישׁמרו ועשׂו אותם
|
|
25
|
And they shall dwell in the land that I have given unto Jacob my
servant, wherein your fathers have dwelt; and they shall dwell therein, even they, and their children, and their children's
children for ever: and my servant David shall be
their prince for ever.
|
וישׁבו על־הארץ אשׁר נתתי לעבדי ליעקב אשׁר
ישׁבו־בה אבותיכם וישׁבו עליה המה ובניהם ובני בניהם עד־עולם ודוד עבדי נשׂיא
להם לעולם
|
|
26
|
Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them; it shall be
an everlasting covenant with them: and I will place them, and multiply them,
and will set my sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore.
|
וכרתי להם ברית שׁלום ברית עולם יהיה אותם
ונתתים והרביתי אותם ונתתי את־מקדשׁי בתוכם לעולם
|
|
27
|
My tabernacle also shall be with them: yea, I will be their God,
and they shall be my people.
|
והיה משׁכני עליהם והייתי להם לאלהים והמה
יהיו־לי לעם
|
|
28
|
And the heathen shall know that I [Yehovah] do sanctify Israel,
when my sanctuary shall be in the midst of them for evermore.
|
וידעו הגוים כי אני יהוה מקדשׁ את־ישׂראל בהיות
מקדשׁי בתוכם לעולם
|
Revelation 20:7-15 ASV
|
7
|
And when the thousand years are finished, Satan shall be loosed
out of his prison,
|
και οταν τελεσθη τα χιλια ετη λυθησεται ο σατανας εκ της φυλακης
αυτου
|
|
8
|
and shall come forth to deceive the nations which are in the four
corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to the war: the
number of whom is as the sand of the sea.
|
και εξελευσεται πλανησαι τα εθνη τα εν ταις τεσσαρσιν γωνιαις της
γης τον γωγ και μαγωγ συναγαγειν αυτους εις τον πολεμον ων ο αριθμος αυτων ως
η αμμος της θαλασσης
|
|
9
|
And they went up over the breadth of the earth, and compassed the
camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down out of
heaven, and devoured them.
|
και ανεβησαν επι το πλατος της γης και εκυκλευσαν την παρεμβολην
των αγιων και την πολιν την ηγαπημενην και κατεβη πυρ εκ του ουρανου και
κατεφαγεν αυτους
|
|
10
|
And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire
and brimstone, where are also the beast and the false prophet; and they shall
be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
|
και ο διαβολος ο πλανων αυτους εβληθη εις την λιμνην του πυρος
και θειου οπου και το θηριον και ο ψευδοπροφητης και βασανισθησονται ημερας
και νυκτος εις τους αιωνας των αιωνων
|
Ezekiel also provides a detailed description of this final
showdown.
Ezekiel 38 KJV
|
1
|
And
the word of [Yehovah] came unto me, saying,
|
ויהי דבר־יהוה אלי לאמר
|
|
2
|
Son
of man, set thy face against Gog, the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech
and Tubal, and prophesy against him,
|
בן־אדם שׂים פניך אל־גוג ארץ המגוג נשׂיא ראשׁ משׁך ותבל והנבא עליו
|
|
3
|
And
say, Thus saith [Yehovah] GOD; Behold, I am
against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal:
|
ואמרת כה אמר אדני יהוה הנני אליך גוג נשׂיא ראשׁ משׁך ותבל
|
|
4
|
And
I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws, and I will bring thee
forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all
sorts of armour, even a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling
swords:
|
ושׁובבתיך ונתתי חחים בלחייך והוצאתי אותך ואת־כל־חילך סוסים
ופרשׁים לבשׁי מכלול כלם קהל רב צנה ומגן תפשׂי חרבות כלם
|
|
5
|
Persia,
Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet:
|
פרס כושׁ ופוט אתם כלם מגן וכובע
|
|
6
|
Gomer,
and all his bands; the house of Togarmah of the north quarters, and all his
bands: and many people with thee.
|
גמר וכל־אגפיה בית תוגרמה ירכתי צפון ואת־כל־אגפיו עמים רבים אתך
|
|
7
|
Be
thou prepared, and prepare for thyself, thou, and all thy company that are
assembled unto thee, and be thou a guard unto them.
|
הכן והכן לך אתה וכל־קהלך הנקהלים עליך והיית להם למשׁמר
|
|
8
|
After
many days thou shalt be visited: in the latter years thou shalt come into the
land that is brought back from the sword, and is gathered out of many people,
against the mountains of Israel, which have been always waste: but it is
brought forth out of the nations, and they shall dwell safely all of them.
|
מימים רבים תפקד באחרית השׁנים תבוא אל־ארץ משׁובבת מחרב מקבצת מעמים
רבים על הרי ישׂראל אשׁר־היו לחרבה תמיד והיא מעמים הוצאה וישׁבו לבטח כלם
|
|
9
|
Thou
shalt ascend and come like a storm, thou shalt be like a cloud to cover the
land, thou, and all thy bands, and many people with thee.
|
ועלית כשׁאה תבוא כענן לכסות הארץ תהיה אתה וכל־אגפיך ועמים רבים
אותך
|
|
10
|
Thus
saith [Yehovah] GOD; It shall also come to pass, that at the same time shall
things come into thy mind, and thou shalt think an evil thought:
|
כה אמר אדני יהוה והיה ביום ההוא יעלו דברים על־לבבך וחשׁבת מחשׁבת
רעה
|
|
11
|
And
thou shalt say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; I will go to
them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls,
and having neither bars nor gates,
|
ואמרת אעלה על־ארץ פרזות אבוא השׁקטים ישׁבי לבטח כלם ישׁבים באין
חומה ובריח ודלתים אין להם
|
|
12
|
To
take a spoil, and to take a prey; to turn thine hand upon the desolate places
that are now inhabited, and upon the people that are gathered out of the
nations, which have gotten cattle and goods, that dwell in the midst of the
land.
|
לשׁלל שׁלל ולבז בז להשׁיב ידך על־חרבות נושׁבת ואל־עם מאסף מגוים
עשׂה מקנה וקנין ישׁבי על־טבור הארץ
|
|
13
|
Sheba,
and Dedan, and the merchants of Tarshish, with all the young lions thereof,
shall say unto thee, Art thou come to take a spoil? hast thou gathered thy
company to take a prey? to carry away silver and gold, to take away cattle
and goods, to take a great spoil?
|
שׁבא ודדן וסחרי תרשׁישׁ וכל־כפריה יאמרו לך הלשׁלל שׁלל אתה בא
הלבז בז הקהלת קהלך לשׂאת כסף וזהב לקחת מקנה וקנין לשׁלל שׁלל גדול
|
|
14
|
Therefore,
son of man, prophesy and say unto Gog, Thus saith [Yehovah] GOD; In that day
when my people of Israel dwelleth safely, shalt thou not know it?
|
לכן הנבא בן־אדם ואמרת לגוג כה אמר אדני יהוה הלוא ביום ההוא בשׁבת
עמי ישׂראל לבטח תדע
|
|
15
|
And
thou shalt come from thy place out of the north parts, thou, and many people
with thee, all of them riding upon horses, a great company, and a mighty
army:
|
ובאת ממקומך מירכתי צפון אתה ועמים רבים אתך רכבי סוסים כלם קהל
גדול וחיל רב
|
|
16
|
And
thou shalt come up against my people of Israel, as a cloud to cover the land;
it shall be in the latter days, and I will bring thee against my land, that
the heathen may know me, when I shall be sanctified in thee, O Gog, before
their eyes.
|
ועלית על־עמי ישׂראל כענן לכסות הארץ באחרית הימים תהיה והבאותיך
על־ארצי למען דעת הגוים אתי בהקדשׁי בך לעיניהם גוג
|
|
17
|
Thus
saith [Yehovah] GOD; Art thou he of whom I
have spoken in old time by my servants the prophets of Israel, which
prophesied in those days many years that I
would bring thee against them?
|
כה־אמר אדני יהוה האתה־הוא אשׁר־דברתי בימים קדמונים ביד עבדי נביאי
ישׂראל הנבאים בימים ההם שׁנים להביא אתך עליהם
|
|
18
|
And
it shall come to pass at the same time when Gog shall come against the land
of Israel, saith [Yehovah] GOD, that my fury
shall come up in my face.
|
והיה ביום ההוא ביום בוא גוג על־אדמת ישׂראל נאם אדני יהוה תעלה
חמתי באפי
|
|
19
|
For
in my jealousy and in the fire of my wrath
have I spoken, Surely in that day there shall be a great shaking in the land
of Israel;
|
ובקנאתי באשׁ־עברתי דברתי אם־לא ביום ההוא יהיה רעשׁ גדול על אדמת
ישׂראל
|
|
20
|
So
that the fishes of the sea, and the fowls of the heaven, and the beasts of
the field, and all creeping things that creep upon the earth, and all the men
that are upon the face of the earth, shall
shake at my presence, and the mountains shall be thrown down, and the steep
places shall fall, and every wall shall fall to the ground.
|
ורעשׁו מפני דגי הים ועוף השׁמים וחית השׂדה וכל־הרמשׂ הרמשׂ
על־האדמה וכל האדם אשׁר על־פני האדמה ונהרסו ההרים ונפלו המדרגות וכל־חומה לארץ
תפול
|
|
21
|
And
I will call for a sword against him throughout all my mountains, saith [Yehovah]
GOD: every man's sword shall be against his brother.
|
וקראתי עליו לכל־הרי חרב נאם אדני יהוה חרב אישׁ באחיו תהיה
|
|
22
|
And
I will plead against him with pestilence and with blood; and I will rain upon
him, and upon his bands, and upon the many people that are with him, an overflowing rain, and great
hailstones, fire, and brimstone.
|
ונשׁפטתי אתו בדבר ובדם וגשׁם שׁוטף ואבני אלגבישׁ אשׁ וגפרית אמטיר
עליו ועל־אגפיו ועל־עמים רבים אשׁר אתו
|
|
23
|
Thus
will I magnify myself, and sanctify myself; and I will be known in the eyes
of many nations, and they shall know that I am
[Yehovah].
|
והתגדלתי והתקדשׁתי ונודעתי לעיני גוים רבים וידעו כי־אני יהוה
|
Ezekiel 39 KJV
|
1
|
Therefore,
thou son of man, prophesy against Gog, and say, Thus saith [Yehovah] GOD;
Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief
prince of Meshech and Tubal:
|
ואתה בן־אדם הנבא על־גוג ואמרת כה אמר אדני יהוה הנני אליך גוג נשׂיא
ראשׁ משׁך ותבל
|
|
2
|
And
I will turn thee back, and leave but the sixth part of thee, and will cause
thee to come up from the north parts, and will bring thee upon the mountains
of Israel:
|
ושׁבבתיך ושׁשׁאתיך והעליתיך מירכתי צפון והבאותך על־הרי ישׂראל
|
|
3
|
And
I will smite thy bow out of thy left hand, and will cause thine arrows to
fall out of thy right hand.
|
והכיתי קשׁתך מיד שׂמאולך וחציך מיד ימינך אפיל
|
|
4
|
Thou
shalt fall upon the mountains of Israel, thou, and all thy bands, and the
people that is with thee: I will give thee
unto the ravenous birds of every sort, and to
the beasts of the field to be devoured.
|
על־הרי ישׂראל תפול אתה וכל־אגפיך ועמים אשׁר אתך לעיט צפור כל־כנף
וחית השׂדה נתתיך לאכלה
|
|
5
|
Thou
shalt fall upon the open field: for I have spoken it,
saith [Yehovah] GOD.
|
על־פני השׂדה תפול כי אני דברתי נאם אדני יהוה
|
|
6
|
And
I will send a fire on Magog, and among them that dwell carelessly in the
isles: and they shall know that I am [Yehovah].
|
ושׁלחתי־אשׁ במגוג ובישׁבי האיים לבטח וידעו כי־אני יהוה
|
|
7
|
So
will I make my holy name known in the midst of my people Israel; and I will
not let them pollute my holy name any more:
and the heathen shall know that I am [Yehovah],
the Holy One in Israel.
|
ואת־שׁם קדשׁי אודיע בתוך עמי ישׂראל ולא־אחל את־שׁם־קדשׁי עוד וידעו
הגוים כי־אני יהוה קדושׁ בישׂראל
|
|
8
|
Behold,
it is come, and it is done, saith [Yehovah] GOD; this is the day whereof I have spoken.
|
הנה באה ונהיתה נאם אדני יהוה הוא היום אשׁר דברתי
|
|
9
|
And
they that dwell in the cities of Israel shall go forth, and shall set on fire
and burn the weapons, both the shields and the bucklers, the bows and the
arrows, and the handstaves, and the spears, and they shall burn them with
fire seven years:
|
ויצאו ישׁבי ערי ישׂראל ובערו והשׂיקו בנשׁק ומגן וצנה בקשׁת ובחצים
ובמקל יד וברמח ובערו בהם אשׁ שׁבע שׁנים
|
|
10
|
So
that they shall take no wood out of the field, neither cut down any out of the forests; for they shall burn the
weapons with fire: and they shall spoil those that spoiled them, and rob
those that robbed them, saith [Yehovah] GOD.
|
ולא־ישׂאו עצים מן־השׂדה ולא יחטבו מן־היערים כי בנשׁק יבערו־אשׁ
ושׁללו את־שׁלליהם ובזזו את־בזזיהם נאם אדני יהוה
|
|
11
|
And
it shall come to pass in that day, that I
will give unto Gog a place there of graves in Israel, the valley of the
passengers on the east of the sea: and it shall stop the noses of the passengers: and there shall they bury
Gog and all his multitude: and they shall call it
The valley of Hamongog.
|
והיה ביום ההוא אתן לגוג מקום־שׁם קבר בישׂראל גי העברים קדמת הים
וחסמת היא את־העברים וקברו שׁם את־גוג ואת־כל־המונה וקראו גיא המון גוג
|
|
12
|
And
seven months shall the house of Israel be burying of them, that they may
cleanse the land.
|
וקברום בית ישׂראל למען טהר את־הארץ שׁבעה חדשׁים
|
|
13
|
Yea,
all the people of the land shall bury them;
and it shall be to them a renown the day that I shall be glorified, saith [Yehovah]
GOD.
|
וקברו כל־עם הארץ והיה להם לשׁם יום הכבדי נאם אדני יהוה
|
|
14
|
And
they shall sever out men of continual employment, passing through the land to
bury with the passengers those that remain upon the face of the earth, to
cleanse it: after the end of seven months shall they search.
|
ואנשׁי תמיד יבדילו עברים בארץ מקברים את־העברים את־הנותרים על־פני
הארץ לטהרה מקצה שׁבעה־חדשׁים יחקרו
|
|
15
|
And
the passengers that pass through the land,
when any seeth a man's bone, then shall he
set up a sign by it, till the buriers have buried it in the valley of
Hamongog.
|
ועברו העברים בארץ וראה עצם אדם ובנה אצלו ציון עד קברו אתו המקברים
אל־גיא המון גוג
|
|
16
|
And
also the name of the city shall be Hamonah.
Thus shall they cleanse the land.
|
וגם שׁם־עיר המונה וטהרו הארץ
|
|
17
|
And,
thou son of man, thus saith [Yehovah] GOD; Speak unto every feathered fowl,
and to every beast of the field, Assemble yourselves, and come; gather
yourselves on every side to my sacrifice that I do sacrifice for you, even a great sacrifice upon the mountains of
Israel, that ye may eat flesh, and drink blood.
|
ואתה בן־אדם כה־אמר אדני יהוה אמר לצפור כל־כנף ולכל חית השׂדה
הקבצו ובאו האספו מסביב על־זבחי אשׁר אני זבח לכם זבח גדול על הרי ישׂראל ואכלתם
בשׂר ושׁתיתם דם
|
|
18
|
Ye
shall eat the flesh of the mighty, and drink the blood of the princes of the earth,
of rams, of lambs, and of goats, of bullocks, all of them fatlings of Bashan.
|
בשׂר גבורים תאכלו ודם־נשׂיאי הארץ תשׁתו אילים כרים ועתודים פרים
מריאי בשׁן כלם
|
|
19
|
And
ye shall eat fat till ye be full, and drink blood till ye be drunken, of my
sacrifice which I have sacrificed for you.
|
ואכלתם־חלב לשׂבעה ושׁתיתם דם לשׁכרון מזבחי אשׁר־זבחתי לכם
|
|
20
|
Thus
ye shall be filled at my table with horses and chariots, with mighty men, and
with all men of war, saith [Yehovah] GOD.
|
ושׂבעתם על־שׁלחני סוס ורכב גבור וכל־אישׁ מלחמה נאם אדני יהוה
|
|
21
|
And
I will set my glory among the heathen, and all the heathen shall see my
judgment that I have executed, and my hand that I have laid upon them.
|
ונתתי את־כבודי בגוים וראו כל־הגוים את־משׁפטי אשׁר עשׂיתי ואת־ידי
אשׁר־שׂמתי בהם
|
|
22
|
So
the house of Israel shall know that I am [Yehovah]
their God from that day and forward.
|
וידעו בית ישׂראל כי אני יהוה אלהיהם מן־היום ההוא והלאה
|
|
23
|
And
the heathen shall know that the house of Israel went into captivity for their
iniquity: because they trespassed against me, therefore hid I my face from
them, and gave them into the hand of their enemies: so fell they all by the
sword.
|
וידעו הגוים כי בעונם גלו בית־ישׂראל על אשׁר מעלו־בי ואסתר פני מהם
ואתנם ביד צריהם ויפלו בחרב כלם
|
|
24
|
According
to their uncleanness and according to their transgressions have I done unto
them, and hid my face from them.
|
כטמאתם וכפשׁעיהם עשׂיתי אתם ואסתר פני מהם
|
|
25
|
Therefore
thus saith [Yehovah] GOD; Now will I bring again the captivity of Jacob, and
have mercy upon the whole house of Israel, and will be jealous for my holy
name;
|
לכן כה אמר אדני יהוה עתה אשׁיב את־שׁבית יעקב ורחמתי כל־בית ישׂראל
וקנאתי לשׁם קדשׁי
|
|
26
|
After
that they have borne their shame, and all their trespasses whereby they have
trespassed against me, when they dwelt safely in their land, and none made them afraid.
|
ונשׂו את־כלמתם ואת־כל־מעלם אשׁר מעלו־בי בשׁבתם על־אדמתם לבטח ואין
מחריד
|
|
27
|
When
I have brought them again from the people, and gathered them out of their
enemies' lands, and am sanctified in them in the sight of many nations;
|
בשׁובבי אותם מן־העמים וקבצתי אתם מארצות איביהם ונקדשׁתי בם לעיני
הגוים רבים
|
|
28
|
Then
shall they know that I am [Yehovah] their
God, which caused them to be led into captivity among the heathen: but I have
gathered them unto their own land, and have left none of them any more there.
|
וידעו כי אני יהוה אלהיהם בהגלותי אתם אל־הגוים וכנסתים על־אדמתם
ולא־אותיר עוד מהם שׁם
|
|
29
|
Neither
will I hide my face any more from them: for I have poured out my spirit upon
the house of Israel, saith [Yehovah] GOD.
|
ולא־אסתיר עוד פני מהם אשׁר שׁפכתי את־רוחי על־בית ישׂראל נאם אדני
יהוה
|
The
Final Judgement
Revelation 20:11-15 ASV
|
11
|
And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat upon it, from
whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place
for them.
|
και ειδον θρονον μεγαν λευκον και τον καθημενον επ αυτου ου απο
του προσωπου εφυγεν η γη και ο ουρανος και τοπος ουχ ευρεθη αυτοις
|
|
12
|
And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the
throne; and books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book
of life: and the dead were judged out of the things which were written in the
books, according to their works.
|
και ειδον τους νεκρους τους μεγαλους και τους μικρους εστωτας
ενωπιον του θρονου και βιβλια ηνοιχθησαν και αλλο βιβλιον ηνοιχθη ο εστιν της
ζωης και εκριθησαν οι νεκροι εκ των γεγραμμενων εν τοις βιβλιοις κατα τα εργα
αυτων
|
|
13
|
And the sea gave up the dead that were in it; and death and Hades
gave up the dead that were in them: and they were judged every man according
to their works.
|
και εδωκεν η θαλασσα τους νεκρους τους εν αυτη και ο θανατος και
ο αδης εδωκαν τους νεκρους τους εν αυτοις και εκριθησαν εκαστος κατα τα εργα
αυτων
|
|
14
|
And death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the
second death, even the lake of fire.
|
και ο θανατος και ο αδης εβληθησαν εις την λιμνην του πυρος ουτος
ο θανατος ο δευτερος εστιν η λιμνη του πυρος
|
|
15
|
And if any was not found written in the book of life, he was cast
into the lake of fire.
|
και ει τις ουχ ευρεθη εν τη βιβλω της ζωης γεγραμμενος εβληθη εις
την λιμνην του πυρος
|
Let’s take a little bit of time to look at what the Scriptures say
about this judgement.
First, God will bring all of our works into judgement. And the dead will be judged according to
their works. This is plainly stated in
verses 12 and 13 above. It is also
stated in these other passages.
Ecclesiasties 12:13-14
|
13
|
Let
us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his
commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.
|
סוף דבר הכל נשׁמע את־האלהים ירא ואת־מצותיו שׁמור כי־זה כל־האדם
|
|
14
|
For
God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it
be evil.
|
כי את־כל־מעשׂה האלהים יבא במשׁפט על כל־נעלם אם־טוב ואם־רע
|
Revelation 22:12
|
12
|
And,
behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according
as his work shall be.
|
ιδου ερχομαι ταχυ και ο μισθος μου μετ εμου αποδουναι εκαστω ως
το εργον εστιν αυτου
|
Matthew 25:31-46
|
31
|
When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy
angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:
|
οταν δε ελθη ο υιος του ανθρωπου εν τη δοξη αυτου και παντες οι
αγγελοι μετ αυτου τοτε καθισει επι θρονου δοξης αυτου
|
|
32
|
And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall
separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the
goats:
|
και συναχθησονται εμπροσθεν αυτου παντα τα εθνη και αφορισει
αυτους απ αλληλων ωσπερ ο ποιμην αφοριζει τα προβατα απο των εριφων
|
|
33
|
And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on
the left.
|
και στησει τα μεν προβατα εκ δεξιων αυτου τα δε εριφια εξ
ευωνυμων
|
|
34
|
Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye
blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the
foundation of the world:
|
τοτε ερει ο βασιλευς τοις εκ δεξιων αυτου δευτε οι ευλογημενοι
του πατρος μου κληρονομησατε την ητοιμασμενην υμιν βασιλειαν απο καταβολης
κοσμου
|
|
35
|
For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye
gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:
|
επεινασα γαρ και εδωκατε μοι φαγειν εδιψησα και εποτισατε με
ξενος ημην και συνηγαγετε με
|
|
36
|
Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in
prison, and ye came unto me.
|
γυμνος και περιεβαλετε με ησθενησα και επεσκεψασθε με εν φυλακη
ημην και ηλθατε προς με
|
|
37
|
Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we
thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
|
τοτε αποκριθησονται αυτω οι δικαιοι λεγοντες κυριε ποτε σε
ειδομεν πεινωντα και εθρεψαμεν η διψωντα και εποτισαμεν
|
|
38
|
When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and
clothed thee?
|
ποτε δε σε ειδομεν ξενον και συνηγαγομεν η γυμνον και
περιεβαλομεν
|
|
39
|
Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
|
ποτε δε σε ειδομεν ασθενουντα η εν φυλακη και ηλθομεν προς σε
|
|
40
|
And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto
you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren,
ye have done it unto me.
|
και αποκριθεις ο βασιλευς ερει αυτοις αμην λεγω υμιν εφ οσον
εποιησατε ενι τουτων των αδελφων μου των ελαχιστων εμοι εποιησατε
|
|
41
|
Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from
me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
|
τοτε ερει και τοις εξ ευωνυμων πορευεσθε απ εμου κατηραμενοι εις
το πυρ το αιωνιον το ητοιμασμενον τω διαβολω και τοις αγγελοις αυτου
|
|
42
|
For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and
ye gave me no drink:
|
επεινασα γαρ και ουκ εδωκατε μοι φαγειν [και] εδιψησα και ουκ
εποτισατε με
|
|
43
|
I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me
not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.
|
ξενος ημην και ου συνηγαγετε με γυμνος και ου περιεβαλετε με
ασθενης και εν φυλακη και ουκ επεσκεψασθε με
|
|
44
|
Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee
an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and
did not minister unto thee?
|
τοτε αποκριθησονται και αυτοι λεγοντες κυριε ποτε σε ειδομεν
πεινωντα η διψωντα η ξενον η γυμνον η ασθενη η εν φυλακη και ου διηκονησαμεν
σοι
|
|
45
|
Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you,
Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.
|
τοτε αποκριθησεται αυτοις λεγων αμην λεγω υμιν εφ οσον ουκ
εποιησατε ενι τουτων των ελαχιστων ουδε εμοι εποιησατε
|
|
46
|
And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the
righteous into life eternal.
|
και απελευσονται ουτοι εις κολασιν αιωνιον οι δε δικαιοι εις ζωην
αιωνιον
|
Can we take references to Jesus judging the world as a sign that
Jesus is God, since judgement belongs to God?
Doing so ignores several things.
First, if a king appoints a magistrate to carry out judgement he in no
way shares authority with the magistrate.
The magistrate has no authority to act on his own or carry out judgement
in a way that the king disapproves of.
He is only authorized to carry out the wishes of the king and will only
remain magistrate as long as he does so.
The Bible explains that it was really God who performed the
miracles through Jesus and it is God who judges the world through Jesus who is
ordained by God to carry out God’s will.
Paul even states that when we stand at the judgement seat of Christ, it
is actually God that we give an account of ourselves to.
Acts 2:22
|
22
|
Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man
approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by
him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know:
|
ανδρες ισραηλιται ακουσατε τους λογους τουτους ιησουν τον
ναζωραιον ανδρα αποδεδειγμενον απο του θεου εις υμας δυναμεσιν και τερασιν
και σημειοις οις εποιησεν δι αυτου ο θεος εν μεσω υμων καθως αυτοι οιδατε
|
Acts 10:42
|
42
|
And he [Jesus] commanded us to preach unto the people, and to
testify that it is he which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and
dead.
|
και παρηγγειλεν ημιν κηρυξαι τω λαω και διαμαρτυρασθαι οτι ουτος
εστιν ο ωρισμενος υπο του θεου κριτης ζωντων και νεκρων
|
Acts 17:30-31
|
30
|
And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth
all men every where to repent:
|
τους μεν ουν χρονους της αγνοιας υπεριδων ο θεος τα νυν
απαγγελλει τοις ανθρωποις παντας πανταχου μετανοειν
|
|
31
|
Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he [God] will judge
the world in righteousness by that man [Jesus] whom he hath ordained; whereof
he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the
dead.
|
καθοτι εστησεν ημεραν εν η μελλει κρινειν την οικουμενην εν
δικαιοσυνη εν ανδρι ω ωρισεν πιστιν παρασχων πασιν αναστησας αυτον εκ νεκρων
|
Romans 14:10-12
|
10
|
But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at
nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of
Christ.
|
συ δε τι κρινεις τον αδελφον σου η και συ τι εξουθενεις τον
αδελφον σου παντες γαρ παραστησομεθα τω βηματι του θεου
|
|
11
|
For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall
bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.
|
γεγραπται γαρ ζω εγω λεγει κυριος οτι εμοι καμψει παν γονυ και
πασα γλωσσα εξομολογησεται τω θεω
|
|
12
|
So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.
|
αρα [ουν] εκαστος ημων περι εαυτου λογον δωσει [τω θεω]
|
Some have questioned if anyone less than God could possibly
judge. This argument completely ignores
the Bible’s statements that the righteous people, who are not gods, will judge
the world and angels. This further
proves that Jesus’s position as judge has nothing to do with deity.
1 Corinthians 6:2-3 ASV
|
2
|
Or know ye not that the saints
shall judge the world? and if the world is judged by you, are ye unworthy to
judge the smallest matters?
|
η ουκ οιδατε οτι οι αγιοι τον κοσμον κρινουσιν και ει εν υμιν
κρινεται ο κοσμος αναξιοι εστε κριτηριων ελαχιστων
|
|
3
|
Know ye not that we shall judge
angels? how much more, things that pertain to this life?
|
ουκ οιδατε οτι αγγελους κρινουμεν μητι γε βιωτικα
|
And, of course, the wicked are thrown into the fire. I would like to point out a few things that
people miss.
First, in the quote from Matthew 25:46 above it states that the
wicked receive everlasting punishment and the righteous receive eternal
life. It doesn’t say the wicked receive
eternal life.
Also, Jesus says something very interesting about the hellfire.
Mark 9:43-49 ASV
|
47
|
And if thine eye cause thee to stumble, cast it out: it is good
for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, rather than having
two eyes to be cast into hell;
|
και εαν ο οφθαλμος σου σκανδαλιζη σε εκβαλε αυτον καλον σε εστιν
μονοφθαλμον εισελθειν εις την βασιλειαν του θεου η δυο οφθαλμους εχοντα
βληθηναι εις γεενναν
|
|
48
|
where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.
|
οπου ο σκωληξ αυτων ου τελευτα και το πυρ ου σβεννυται
|
|
49
|
For every one shall be salted with fire.
|
πας γαρ πυρι αλισθησεται
|
He is referencing Isaiah 66:24 where it describes the undying worm
and unquenchable fire in connection with the carcases of the wicked.
Isaiah 66:16-24 ASV
|
16
|
For by fire will [Yehovah] execute judgment, and by his
sword, upon all flesh; and the slain of [Yehovah] shall be many.
|
כי באשׁ יהוה נשׁפט
ובחרבו את־כל־בשׂר ורבו חללי יהוה
|
|
17
|
They that sanctify themselves and purify themselves to go
unto the gardens, behind one in the midst, eating swine's flesh, and the
abomination, and the mouse, they shall come to an end together, saith [Yehovah].
|
המתקדשׁים והמטהרים
אל־הגנות אחר אחד בתוך אכלי בשׂר החזיר והשׁקץ והעכבר יחדו יספו נאם־יהוה
|
|
18
|
For I know their works and their thoughts: the time
cometh, that I will gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come, and
shall see my glory.
|
ואנכי מעשׂיהם ומחשׁבתיהם באה לקבץ את־כל־הגוים והלשׁנות
ובאו וראו את־כבודי
|
|
19
|
And I will set a sign among them, and I will send such as
escape of them unto the nations, to Tarshish, Pul, and Lud, that draw the
bow, to Tubal and Javan, to the isles afar off, that have not heard my fame,
neither have seen my glory; and they shall declare my glory among the
nations.
|
ושׂמתי בהם אות ושׁלחתי מהם פליטים אל־הגוים תרשׁישׁ
פול ולוד משׁכי קשׁת תבל ויון האיים הרחקים אשׁר לא־שׁמעו את־שׁמעי ולא־ראו את־כבודי
והגידו את־כבודי בגוים
|
|
20
|
And they shall bring all your brethren out of all the
nations for an oblation unto [Yehovah], upon horses, and in chariots, and in
litters, and upon mules, and upon dromedaries, to my holy mountain Jerusalem,
saith [Yehovah], as the children of Israel bring their oblation in a clean
vessel into the house of [Yehovah].
|
והביאו את־כל־אחיכם
מכל־הגוים מנחה ליהוה בסוסים וברכב ובצבים ובפרדים ובכרכרות על הר קדשׁי ירושׁלם
אמר יהוה כאשׁר יביאו בני ישׂראל את־המנחה בכלי טהור בית יהוה
|
|
21
|
And of them also will I take for priests and for Levites,
saith [Yehovah].
|
וגם־מהם אקח לכהנים
ללוים אמר יהוה
|
|
22
|
For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will
make, shall remain before me, saith [Yehovah], so shall your seed and your
name remain.
|
כי כאשׁר השׁמים
החדשׁים והארץ החדשׁה אשׁר אני עשׂה עמדים לפני נאם־יהוה כן יעמד זרעכם ושׁמכם
|
|
23
|
And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to
another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship
before me, saith [Yehovah].
|
והיה מדי־חדשׁ
בחדשׁו ומדי שׁבת בשׁבתו יבוא כל־בשׂר להשׁתחות לפני אמר יהוה
|
|
24
|
And they shall go forth, and look upon the dead bodies of
the men that have transgressed against me: for their worm shall not die,
neither shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be an abhorring unto all
flesh.
|
ויצאו וראו בפגרי
האנשׁים הפשׁעים בי כי תולעתם לא תמות ואשׁם לא תכבה והיו דראון לכל־בשׂר
|
|
|
|
|
And Malachi 4:1-3 describes the wicked being burned to stubble and
becoming ashes under the feet of the righteous.
|
1
|
For,
behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea,
and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall
burn them up, saith [Yehovah] of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root
nor branch.
|
כי־הנה היום בא בער כתנור והיו כל־זדים וכל־עשׂה רשׁעה קשׁ ולהט אתם
היום הבא אמר יהוה צבאות אשׁר לא־יעזב להם שׁרשׁ וענף
|
|
2
|
But
unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing
in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.
|
וזרחה לכם יראי שׁמי שׁמשׁ צדקה ומרפא בכנפיה ויצאתם ופשׁתם כעגלי
מרבק
|
|
3
|
And
ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of
your feet in the day that I shall do this,
saith [Yehovah] of hosts.
|
ועסותם רשׁעים כי־יהיו אפר תחת כפות רגליכם ביום אשׁר אני עשׂה אמר
יהוה צבאות
|
When people experience death as we see it today, the body
decomposes to dust and the spirit returns to God.
Ecclesiastes 12:7
|
7
|
Then
shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return
unto God who gave it.
|
וישׁב העפר על־הארץ כשׁהיה והרוח תשׁוב אל־האלהים אשׁר נתנה
|
But, both body and spirit are destroyed in hellfire.
Matthew 10:28
|
28
|
And be not afraid of them that kill the body, but are not able to
kill the soul: but rather fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body
in hell.
|
και μη φοβηθητε απο των αποκτεινοντων το σωμα την δε ψυχην μη
δυναμενων αποκτειναι φοβεισθε δε μαλλον τον δυναμενον και ψυχην και σωμα
απολεσαι εν γεεννη
|
There are close parallels to this in the Quran.
It says that eternal life is the reward of the righteous.
Quran 50:34
|
34
|
Enter
ye therein in Peace and Security; this is a Day of Eternal Life!
|
ٱدْخُلُوهَا بِسَلَمٍۢ ۖ ذَلِكَ يَوْمُ
ٱلْخُلُودِ
|
It says that our current deaths involve the spirit returning to
God.
Quran 39:42
|
42
|
It
is Allah that takes the souls (of men) at death; and those that die not (He
takes) during their sleep: those on whom He has passed the decree of death,
He keeps back (from returning to life), but the rest He sends (to their
bodies) for a term appointed verily in this are Signs for those who reflect.
|
ٱللَّهُ يَتَوَفَّى ٱلْأَنفُسَ حِينَ مَوْتِهَا
وَٱلَّتِى لَمْ تَمُتْ فِى مَنَامِهَا ۖ فَيُمْسِكُ ٱلَّتِى قَضَىٰ عَلَيْهَا
ٱلْمَوْتَ وَيُرْسِلُ ٱلْأُخْرَىٰٓ إِلَىٰٓ أَجَلٍۢ مُّسَمًّى ۚ إِنَّ فِى
ذَلِكَ لَءَايَتٍۢ لِّقَوْمٍۢ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ
|
This means logically, there are only 4 theoretical states. Obviously, alive is where the body and soul
are both intact. The Quran tells us that
dead is where the soul stays with God and we can see the body decompose /
destroyed.
The Quran tells us that the ultimate fate of the wicked in hell is
that they will be neither alive nor dead.
Quran 20:74
|
74
|
Verily
he who comes to his Lord as a sinner (at Judgment),- for him is Hell: therein
shall he neither die nor live.
|
إِنَّهُۥ مَن يَأْتِ رَبَّهُۥ مُجْرِمًۭا
فَإِنَّ لَهُۥ جَهَنَّمَ لَا يَمُوتُ فِيهَا وَلَا يَحْيَىٰ
|
We can see that if someone is neither dead nor alive, and the body
is in hellfire, the most logical conclusion would be the utter destruction of
body and soul. This is utter
non-existence.
What do we do about the Quran’s statements that the wicked will say
in hell forever?
Quran 2:81
|
81
|
Nay,
those who seek gain in evil, and are girt round by their sins,- they are
companions of the Fire: Therein shall they abide (For ever).
|
Let’s let the Quran answer that.
It says that, if Jonah had not repented, he would have stayed in the
belly of the fish until the day of resurrection.
Quran 37:142-144
|
142
|
Then
the big Fish did swallow him, and he had done acts worthy of blame.
|
فَٱلْتَقَمَهُ ٱلْحُوتُ وَهُوَ مُلِيمٌۭ
|
|
143
|
Had
it not been that he (repented and) glorified Allah,
|
|
|
144
|
He
would certainly have remained inside the Fish till the Day of Resurrection.
|
We know that the day of resurrection hasn’t happened yet, but both
Jonah and the fish are long dead and their bodies decomposed. Remaining in the fish until the day of
resurrection, does not necessarily mean that the fish itself would have
remained alive until the day of resurrection.
Similarly, remaining in hell forever does not necessarily mean that hell
itself exists forever.
In fact, the Quran alludes to this possibility. It describes both the punishment in hell and
the reward in heaven as lasting as long as the heavens and earth endure as long
as God wills. The difference is that it
also describes the gift of heaven as a gift without break. It doesn’t add this description to the
punishment in hell.
Quran 11:107-108
|
107
|
They
will dwell therein for all the time that the heavens and the earth endure,
except as thy Lord willeth: for thy Lord is the (sure) accomplisher of what
He planneth.
|
|
|
108
|
And
those who are blessed shall be in the Garden: They will dwell therein for all
the time that the heavens and the earth endure, except as thy Lord willeth: a
gift without break.
|
وَأَمَّا ٱلَّذِينَ سُعِدُوا۟ فَفِى ٱلْجَنَّةِ خَلِدِينَ فِيهَا مَا
دَامَتِ ٱلسَّمَوَتُ وَٱلْأَرْضُ إِلَّا مَا شَآءَ رَبُّكَ ۖ عَطَآءً غَيْرَ
مَجْذُوذٍۢ
|
This does not mean that God will go easy on the wicked. God is able to punish people in hell in ways
that we can’t here. For example, we can
only punish someone one time for murder.
So, a single murderer receives the same punishment as a genocidal mass
murderer in our justice system. God
isn’t limited to that. God could punish
somone in hell for an amount of time equal to the life taken from every person
they murdered. This means someone who
murders millions of people by genocide would burn for millions of years. This is all hypothetical. I don’t know how God will measure out His
justice. The point is that I am not
saying hell will be short and easy. In
fact, there are strong indications that it will last a very long time for some.
Revelation 14:9-11
|
9
|
And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If
any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his
forehead, or in his hand,
|
και αλλος αγγελος τριτος ηκολουθησεν αυτοις λεγων εν φωνη μεγαλη
ει τις προσκυνει το θηριον και την εικονα αυτου και λαμβανει χαραγμα επι του
μετωπου αυτου η επι την χειρα αυτου
|
|
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:
|
και αυτος πιεται εκ του οινου του θυμου του θεου του κεκερασμενου
ακρατου εν τω ποτηριω της οργης αυτου και βασανισθησεται εν πυρι και θειω
ενωπιον αγγελων αγιων και ενωπιον του αρνιου
|
|
11
|
And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever:
and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and
whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.
|
και ο καπνος του βασανισμου αυτων εις αιωνας αιωνων αναβαινει και
ουκ εχουσιν αναπαυσιν ημερας και νυκτος οι προσκυνουντες το θηριον και την εικονα
αυτου και ει τις λαμβανει το χαραγμα του ονοματος αυτου
|
Quran 4:56
|
56
|
Those
who reject our Signs, We shall soon cast into the Fire: as often as their
skins are roasted through, We shall change them for fresh skins, that they
may taste the penalty: for Allah is Exalted in Power, Wise.
|
إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ بِـَٔايَتِنَا
سَوْفَ نُصْلِيهِمْ نَارًۭا كُلَّمَا نَضِجَتْ جُلُودُهُم بَدَّلْنَهُمْ
جُلُودًا غَيْرَهَا لِيَذُوقُوا۟ ٱلْعَذَابَ ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ عَزِيزًا
حَكِيمًۭا
|
The New Jerusalem
Revelation
21:1 ASV
|
1
|
And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and
the first earth are passed away; and the sea is no more.
|
και ειδον ουρανον καινον και γην καινην ο γαρ πρωτος ουρανος και
η πρωτη γη απηλθαν και η θαλασσα ουκ εστιν ετι
|
The apostle Peter reminded the believers that their hope lay in the
new heaven and new earth.
2
Peter 3:3-13 ASV
3 knowing
this first, that in the last days mockers shall come with mockery, walking
after their own lusts,
4 and
saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for, from the day that the fathers
fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the
creation.
5 For
this they willfully forget, that there were heavens from of old, and an earth
compacted out of water and amidst water, by the word of God;
6 by
which means the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished:
7 but
the heavens that now are, and the earth, by the same word have been stored up
for fire, being reserved against the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly
men.
8 But
forget not this one thing, beloved, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand
years, and a thousand years as one day.
9 The
Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some count slackness; but is
longsuffering to you-ward, not wishing that any should perish, but that all
should come to repentance.
10 But
the day of the Lord will come as a thief; in the which the heavens shall pass
away with a great noise, and the elements shall be dissolved with fervent heat,
and the earth and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
11 Seeing
that these things are thus all to be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye
to be in all holy living and godliness,
12 looking
for and earnestly desiring the coming of the day of God, by reason of which the
heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with
fervent heat?
13 But,
according to his promise, we look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein
dwelleth righteousness.
In Revelation, the statement is made that the sea is no more. This seems to contradict Zechariah’s
prediction of the Messiah’s reign.
Zechariah
9:9-10 ASV
9 Rejoice
greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy king
cometh unto thee; he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an
ass, even upon a colt the foal of an ass.
10 And
I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem; and the
battle bow shall be cut off; and he shall speak peace unto the nations: and his
dominion shall be from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends
of the earth.
One way of reconciling this is to interpret Zechariah’s statement
as referring to the millennium and not the new earth.
Another way of reconciling it is to keep in mind that, in the
ancient world, the sea was considered to be a chaotic, frightful, place full of
monsters and connected with the grave (i.e. Revelation 20:13). Revelation’s statement may be more
metaphorical than literal. It could be
stating that the world will be a safe place.
Revelation is a book of symbols.
We should keep this in mind when examining short statements that are
given without much explanation, expecially when there is Biblical evidence that
the literal interpretation might not be correct.
Revelation
21:2-4 ASV
|
2
|
And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven
of God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband.
|
και την πολιν την αγιαν ιερουσαλημ καινην ειδον καταβαινουσαν εκ
του ουρανου απο του θεου ητοιμασμενην ως νυμφην κεκοσμημενην τω ανδρι αυτης
|
|
3
|
And I heard a great voice out of the throne saying, Behold, the
tabernacle of God is with men, and he shall dwell with them, and they shall
be his peoples, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God:
|
και ηκουσα φωνης μεγαλης εκ του θρονου λεγουσης ιδου η σκηνη του
θεου μετα των ανθρωπων και σκηνωσει μετ αυτων και αυτοι λαοι αυτου εσονται
και αυτος ο θεος μετ αυτων εσται
|
|
4
|
and he shall wipe away every tear from their eyes; and death
shall be no more; neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain, any
more: the first things are passed away.
|
και εξαλειψει παν δακρυον εκ των οφθαλμων αυτων και ο θανατος ουκ
εσται ετι ουτε πενθος ουτε κραυγη ουτε πονος ουκ εσται ετι τα πρωτα απηλθαν
|
Although I contend that Ezekiel’s vision in chapters 40-48
concerned what the Jews should have done during the second temple period, some
aspects of his vision will be fulfilled in the New Jerusalem.
The first one is that God will dwell with the people.
Ezekiel 43:7
ASV
7 And he said unto me, Son of man, this is the place of my throne,
and the place of the soles of my feet, where I will dwell in the midst of the
children of Israel for ever. And the house of Israel shall no more defile my
holy name, neither they, nor their kings, by their whoredom, and by the dead
bodies of their kings in their high places;
Ezekiel 48:35
ASV
35 It shall be eighteen thousand reeds round about: and the name of
the city from that day shall be, [Yehovah] is there.
Revelation
21:5-8 ASV
|
5
|
And he that sitteth on the throne said, Behold, I make all things
new. And he saith, Write: for these words are faithful and true.
|
και ειπεν ο καθημενος επι τω θρονω ιδου καινα ποιω παντα και
λεγει γραψον οτι ουτοι οι λογοι πιστοι και αληθινοι εισιν
|
|
6
|
And he said unto me, They are come to pass. I am the Alpha and
the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of
the fountain of the water of life freely.
|
και ειπεν μοι γεγοναν εγω το αλφα και το ω η αρχη και το τελος
εγω τω διψωντι δωσω εκ της πηγης του υδατος της ζωης δωρεαν
|
|
7
|
He that overcometh shall inherit these things; and I will be his
God, and he shall be my son.
|
ο νικων κληρονομησει ταυτα και εσομαι αυτω θεος και αυτος εσται
μοι υιος
|
|
8
|
But for the fearful, and unbelieving, and abominable, and
murderers, and fornicators, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars,
their part shall be in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone; which
is the second death.
|
τοις δε δειλοις και απιστοις και εβδελυγμενοις και φονευσιν και
πορνοις και φαρμακοις και ειδωλολατραις και πασιν τοις ψευδεσιν το μερος
αυτων εν τη λιμνη τη καιομενη πυρι και θειω ο εστιν ο θανατος ο δευτερος
|
God promises that those who overcome will be given the water of
life and become sons of God. Those who
do evil, will be thrown into the lake of fire, which is the second death.
Revelation
21:9-10 ASV
|
9
|
And there came one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls,
who were laden with the seven last plagues; and he spake with me, saying,
Come hither, I will show thee the bride, the wife of the Lamb.
|
και ηλθεν εις εκ των επτα αγγελων των εχοντων τας επτα φιαλας των
γεμοντων των επτα πληγων των εσχατων και ελαλησεν μετ εμου λεγων δευρο δειξω
σοι την νυμφην την γυναικα του αρνιου
|
|
10
|
And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and
high, and showed me the holy city Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from
God,
|
και απηνεγκεν με εν πνευματι επι ορος μεγα και υψηλον και εδειξεν
μοι την πολιν την αγιαν ιερουσαλημ καταβαινουσαν εκ του ουρανου απο του θεου
|
In Ezekiel’s vision, he was also taken to a high mountain to view
the city.
Ezekiel 40:1-2
ASV
1 In the five
and twentieth year of our captivity, in the beginning of the year, in the tenth
day of the month, in the fourteenth year after that the city was smitten, in
the selfsame day, the hand of [Yehovah] was upon me, and he brought me thither.
2 In
the visions of God brought he me into the land of Israel, and set me down upon
a very high mountain, whereon was as it were the frame of a city on the south.
Revelation
21:11-13 ASV
|
11
|
having the glory of God: her light was like unto a stone most
precious, as it were a jasper stone, clear as crystal:
|
εχουσαν την δοξαν του θεου ο φωστηρ αυτης ομοιος λιθω τιμιωτατω
ως λιθω ιασπιδι κρυσταλλιζοντι
|
|
12
|
having a wall great and high; having twelve gates, and at the
gates twelve angels; and names written thereon, which are the names of the
twelve tribes of the children of Israel:
|
εχουσα τειχος μεγα και υψηλον εχουσα πυλωνας δωδεκα και επι τοις
πυλωσιν αγγελους δωδεκα και ονοματα επιγεγραμμενα α εστιν των δωδεκα φυλων
υιων ισραηλ
|
|
13
|
on the east were three gates; and on the north three gates; and
on the south three gates; and on the west three gates.
|
απο ανατολης πυλωνες τρεις και απο βορρα πυλωνες τρεις και απο
νοτου πυλωνες τρεις και απο δυσμων πυλωνες τρεις
|
Ezekiel also described the city as having twelve gates named after
the twelve tribes of Israel.
Ezekiel
48:31-34 ASV
31 and
the gates of the city shall be after the names of the tribes of Israel, three
gates northward: the gate of Reuben, one; the gate of Judah, one; the gate of
Levi, one.
32 And
at the east side four thousand and five hundred reeds, and three gates: even
the gate of Joseph, one; the gate of Benjamin, one; the gate of Dan, one.
33 And
at the south side four thousand and five hundred reeds by measure, and three
gates: the gate of Simeon, one; the gate of Issachar, one; the gate of Zebulun,
one.
34 At
the west side four thousand and five hundred reeds, with their three gates: the
gate of Gad, one; the gate of Asher, one; the gate of Naphtali, one.
Revelation
21:14-23 ASV
|
14
|
And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them
twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
|
και το τειχος της πολεως εχων θεμελιους δωδεκα και επ αυτων
δωδεκα ονοματα των δωδεκα αποστολων του αρνιου
|
|
15
|
And he that spake with me had for a measure a golden reed to
measure the city, and the gates thereof, and the wall thereof.
|
και ο λαλων μετ εμου ειχεν μετρον καλαμον χρυσουν ινα μετρηση την
πολιν και τους πυλωνας αυτης και το τειχος αυτης
|
|
16
|
And the city lieth foursquare, and the length thereof is as great
as the breadth: and he measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand
furlongs: the length and the breadth and the height thereof are equal.
|
και η πολις τετραγωνος κειται και το μηκος αυτης οσον το πλατος
και εμετρησεν την πολιν τω καλαμω επι σταδιων δωδεκα χιλιαδων το μηκος και το
πλατος και το υψος αυτης ισα εστιν
|
|
17
|
And he measured the wall thereof, a hundred and forty and four
cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of an angel.
|
και εμετρησεν το τειχος αυτης εκατον τεσσερακοντα τεσσαρων πηχων
μετρον ανθρωπου ο εστιν αγγελου
|
|
18
|
And the building of the wall thereof was jasper: and the city was
pure gold, like unto pure glass.
|
και η ενδωμησις του τειχους αυτης ιασπις και η πολις χρυσιον
καθαρον ομοιον υαλω καθαρω
|
|
19
|
The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with all
manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second,
sapphire; the third, chalcedony; the fourth, emerald;
|
οι θεμελιοι του τειχους της πολεως παντι λιθω τιμιω κεκοσμημενοι
ο θεμελιος ο πρωτος ιασπις ο δευτερος σαπφιρος ο τριτος χαλκηδων ο τεταρτος
σμαραγδος
|
|
20
|
the fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite;
the eighth, beryl; the ninth, topaz; the tenth, chrysoprase; the eleventh,
jacinth; the twelfth, amethyst.
|
ο πεμπτος σαρδονυξ ο εκτος σαρδιον ο εβδομος χρυσολιθος ο ογδοος
βηρυλλος ο ενατος τοπαζιον ο δεκατος χρυσοπρασος ο ενδεκατος υακινθος ο
δωδεκατος αμεθυστος
|
|
21
|
And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; each one of the several
gates was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were
transparent glass.
|
και οι δωδεκα πυλωνες δωδεκα μαργαριται ανα εις εκαστος των
πυλωνων ην εξ ενος μαργαριτου και η πλατεια της πολεως χρυσιον καθαρον ως
υαλος διαυγης
|
|
22
|
And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God the Almighty, and
the Lamb, are the temple thereof.
|
και ναον ουκ ειδον εν αυτη ο γαρ κυριος ο θεος ο παντοκρατωρ ναος
αυτης εστιν και το αρνιον
|
|
23
|
And the city hath no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine
upon it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the lamp thereof is the
Lamb.
|
και η πολις ου χρειαν εχει του ηλιου ουδε της σεληνης ινα
φαινωσιν αυτη η γαρ δοξα του θεου εφωτισεν αυτην και ο λυχνος αυτης το αρνιον
|
Verse 22 is often cited as conclusive proof that there will be no
temple at all. I don’t want to dismiss
this statement, but I think the Bible does provide evidence that it may not be
saying what people think it says.
First, verse 23 provides a parallel which mentions the city does not
need the sun because God and the Lamb light it.
It is clear that verse 23 is not denying the existence of the sun and
moon, or even their need outside the city.
It is merely saying the light of the sun and moon is not needed within
the city.
Second, verse 22 actually does say that there is a temple in the
city. This temple is God the Almighty,
and the Lamb.
Third, the Greek word translated “temple”, ναός, specifically refers to the innermost, most sacred part of the
temple. This could mean that Revelation
is contrasting the New Jerusalem, where God physically dwells, with our current
temples that merely have a sacred space.
Jeremiah may actually allude to this possibility. He describes how, when God restores the
kingdom, no one will remember the ark which was the object that resided in the
Holy of Holies.
Jeremiah
3:14-18 ASV
14 Return,
O backsliding children, saith [Yehovah]; for I am a husband unto you: and I
will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion:
15 and
I will give you shepherds according to my heart, who shall feed you with
knowledge and understanding.
16 And
it shall come to pass, when ye are multiplied and increased in the land, in
those days, saith [Yehovah], they shall say no more, The ark of the covenant of
[Yehovah]; neither shall it come to mind; neither shall they remember it;
neither shall they miss it; neither shall it be made any more.
17 At
that time they shall call Jerusalem the throne of [Yehovah]; and all the
nations shall be gathered unto it, to the name of [Yehovah], to Jerusalem:
neither shall they walk any more after the stubbornness of their evil heart.
18 In
those days the house of Judah shall walk with the house of Israel, and they
shall come together out of the land of the north to the land that I gave for an
inheritance unto your fathers.
Fourth, verses 22 and 23 are only describing the situation within
the city. The New Jerusalem is
considerably larger than the city described by Ezekiel, but they follow a
similar pattern. In Ezekiel’s vision,
the temple was located outside the city.
This means that there would still be no temple within the city even if
Ezekiel’s temple was in the New Earth.
Of course it could be a denial of any temple structure, too. I’m just saying the text does allow for
alternative interpretations.
Revelation
21:24-27 ASV
|
24
|
And the nations shall walk amidst the light thereof: and the
kings of the earth bring their glory into it.
|
και περιπατησουσιν τα εθνη δια του φωτος αυτης και οι βασιλεις
της γης φερουσιν την δοξαν αυτων εις αυτην
|
|
25
|
And the gates thereof shall in no wise be shut by day (for there
shall be no night there):
|
και οι πυλωνες αυτης ου μη κλεισθωσιν ημερας νυξ γαρ ουκ εσται
εκει
|
|
26
|
and they shall bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it:
|
και οισουσιν την δοξαν και την τιμην των εθνων εις αυτην
|
|
27
|
and there shall in no wise enter into it anything unclean, or he
that maketh an abomination and a lie: but only they that are written in the
Lamb's book of life.
|
και ου μη εισελθη εις αυτην παν κοινον και [ο] ποιων βδελυγμα και
ψευδος ει μη οι γεγραμμενοι εν τω βιβλιω της ζωης του αρνιου
|
Revelation
22:1-2 ASV
|
1
|
And he showed me a river of water of life, bright as crystal,
proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb,
|
και εδειξεν μοι ποταμον υδατος ζωης λαμπρον ως κρυσταλλον
εκπορευομενον εκ του θρονου του θεου και του αρνιου
|
|
2
|
in the midst of the street thereof. And on this side of the river
and on that was the tree of life, bearing twelve manner of fruits, yielding
its fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the
nations.
|
εν μεσω της πλατειας αυτης και του ποταμου εντευθεν και εκειθεν
ξυλον ζωης ποιουν καρπους δωδεκα κατα μηνα εκαστον αποδιδουν τον καρπον αυτου
και τα φυλλα του ξυλου εις θεραπειαν των εθνων
|
This is also paralleled in Ezekie’s vision.
Ezekiel 47:1-12
ASV
And
he brought me back unto the door of the house; and, behold, waters issued out
from under the threshold of the house eastward; (for the forefront of the house
was toward the east;) and the waters came down from under, from the right side
of the house, on the south of the altar.
2 Then
he brought me out by the way of the gate northward, and led me round by the way
without unto the outer gate, by the way of the gate that looketh toward the
east; and, behold, there ran out waters on the right side.
3 When
the man went forth eastward with the line in his hand, he measured a thousand
cubits, and he caused me to pass through the waters, waters that were to the
ankles.
4 Again
he measured a thousand, and caused me to pass through the waters, waters that
were to the knees. Again he measured a thousand, and caused me to pass through
the waters, waters that were to the loins.
5 Afterward
he measured a thousand; and it was a river that I could not pass through; for
the waters were risen, waters to swim in, a river that could not be passed
through.
6 And
he said unto me, Son of man, hast thou seen this? Then he brought me, and
caused me to return to the bank of the river.
7 Now
when I had returned, behold, upon the bank of the river were very many trees on
the one side and on the other.
8 Then
said he unto me, These waters issue forth toward the eastern region, and shall
go down into the Arabah; and they shall go toward the sea; into the sea shall
the waters go which were made to issue forth; and the waters shall be healed.
9 And
it shall come to pass, that every living creature which swarmeth, in every
place whither the rivers come, shall live; and there shall be a very great
multitude of fish; for these waters are come thither, and the waters of the sea
shall be healed, and everything shall live whithersoever the river cometh.
10 And
it shall come to pass, that fishers shall stand by it: from En-gedi even unto
En-eglaim shall be a place for the spreading of nets; their fish shall be after
their kinds, as the fish of the great sea, exceeding many.
11 But
the miry places thereof, and the marshes thereof, shall not be healed; they
shall be given up to salt.
12 And
by the river upon the bank thereof, on this side and on that side, shall grow
every tree for food, whose leaf shall not whither, neither shall the fruit
thereof fail: it shall bring forth new fruit every month, because the waters
thereof issue out of the sanctuary; and the fruit thereof shall be for food,
and the leaf thereof for healing.
It is also paralleled in Zechariah.
Zechariah
14:8-9 ASV
8 And
it shall come to pass in that day, that living waters shall go out from
Jerusalem; half of them toward the eastern sea, and half of them toward the western
sea: in summer and in winter shall it be.
9 And
[Yehovah] shall be King over all the earth: in that day shall [Yehovah] be one,
and his name one.
Revelation
22:3-5 ASV
|
3
|
And there shall be no curse any more: and the throne of God and
of the Lamb shall be therein: and his servants shall serve him;
|
και παν καταθεμα ουκ εσται ετι και ο θρονος του θεου και του
αρνιου εν αυτη εσται και οι δουλοι αυτου λατρευσουσιν αυτω
|
|
4
|
and they shall see his face; and his name shall be on their
foreheads.
|
και οψονται το προσωπον αυτου και το ονομα αυτου επι των μετωπων
αυτων
|
|
5
|
And there shall be night no more; and they need no light of lamp,
neither light of sun; for the Lord God shall give them light: and they shall
reign for ever and ever.
|
και νυξ ουκ εσται ετι και ουκ εχουσιν χρειαν φωτος λυχνου και φως
ηλιου οτι κυριος ο θεος φωτισει [επ] αυτους και βασιλευσουσιν εις τους αιωνας
των αιωνων
|
God will dwell with His people forever.
Revelation 22:6-9 ASV
|
6
|
And he said unto me, These words are faithful and true: and the
Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, sent his angels to show unto
his servants the things which must shortly come to pass.
|
και ειπεν μοι ουτοι οι λογοι πιστοι και αληθινοι και ο κυριος ο
θεος των πνευματων των προφητων απεστειλεν τον αγγελον αυτου δειξαι τοις
δουλοις αυτου α δει γενεσθαι εν ταχει
|
|
7
|
And behold, I come quickly. Blessed is he that keepeth the words
of the prophecy of this book.
|
και ιδου ερχομαι ταχυ μακαριος ο τηρων τους λογους της προφητειας
του βιβλιου τουτου
|
|
8
|
And I John am he that heard and saw these things. And when I
heard and saw, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel that
showed me these things.
|
καγω ιωαννης ο ακουων και βλεπων ταυτα και οτε ηκουσα και εβλεψα
επεσα προσκυνησαι εμπροσθεν των ποδων του αγγελου του δεικνυοντος μοι ταυτα
|
|
9
|
And he saith unto me, See thou do it not: I am a fellow-servant
with thee and with thy brethren the prophets, and with them that keep the
words of this book: worship God.
|
και λεγει μοι ορα μη συνδουλος σου ειμι και των αδελφων σου των
προφητων και των τηρουντων τους λογους του βιβλιου τουτου τω θεω προσκυνησον
|
If you get a red letter Bible, you will see where the publishers
believe the speaker switches between Jesus and the angel and John. While I don’t think it unreasonable to
interpret this chapter as having multiple speakers here, I would like to invite
you to simply read the way it is written.
I believe you will see that the red letters are designated for
theological reasons (namely, they believe Jesus is God), rather than drawing
the conclusion from the text.
Verse 7 is often in red letters, indicating that Jesus is
speaking. However, there is nothing in
the text that there is a speaker switch.
In fact, it seems to clearly state that the one who said, “behold, I
come quickly”, is also the one who denied being God in verse 9.
Revelation
22:10-15 ASV
|
10
|
And he saith unto me, Seal not up the words of the prophecy of
this book; for the time is at hand.
|
και λεγει μοι μη σφραγισης τους λογους της προφητειας του βιβλιου
τουτου ο καιρος γαρ εγγυς εστιν
|
|
11
|
He that is unrighteous, let him do unrighteousness still: and he
that is filthy, let him be made filthy still: and he that is righteous, let
him do righteousness still: and he that is holy, let him be made holy still.
|
ο αδικων αδικησατω ετι και ο ρυπαρος ρυπανθητω ετι και ο δικαιος
δικαιοσυνην ποιησατω ετι και ο αγιος αγιασθητω ετι
|
|
12
|
Behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to render to
each man according as his work is.
|
ιδου ερχομαι ταχυ και ο μισθος μου μετ εμου αποδουναι εκαστω ως
το εργον εστιν αυτου
|
|
13
|
I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the
beginning and the end.
|
εγω το αλφα και το ω ο πρωτος και ο εσχατος η αρχη και το τελος
|
|
14
|
Blessed are they that wash their robes, that they may have the
right to come to the tree of life, and may enter in by the gates into the
city.
|
μακαριοι οι πλυνοντες τας στολας αυτων ινα εσται η εξουσια αυτων
επι το ξυλον της ζωης και τοις πυλωσιν εισελθωσιν εις την πολιν
|
|
15
|
Without are the dogs, and the sorcerers, and the fornicators, and
the murderers, and the idolaters, and every one that loveth and maketh a lie.
|
εξω οι κυνες και οι φαρμακοι και οι πορνοι και οι φονεις και οι
ειδωλολατραι και πας φιλων και ποιων ψευδος
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If the “And he saith unto me” in verse 10 is indicating the same
speaker as “And he saith unto me” in verse 9 (which seems to
be implied since they both appear to say, “Behold, I come quickly”) then we
have this same speaker talking as the Alpha and the Omega. There are three ways we can interpret this:
1.
The
“Alpha and the Omega” is God interjecting into this speech. The speaker in verse 9 is definitely not
God. Interestingly, verse 16 is the
first verse in this chapter where Jesus is irrefutably speaking, unless you
interpret the angel John is talking to starting in verse 6 as being Jesus. Most
infer that Jesus interjected the “Behold, I come quickly” statements earlier,
but the text doesn’t irrefutably indicate that.
It is simply inferred.
2.
The
phrase “Alpha and the Omega” could be used by someone other than God. Nowhere does Revelation actually state that
it means “existing before and after everything else”. For example, Jesus is the “firstborn of the
dead” (Colossians 1:18) even though there were others resurrected before him. In that sense he is the “Alpha” of the
resurrected. And he resurrects all
others, which makes him the “Alpha and Omega” of the resurrection. He is also called the first and the last in
connection with having the keys of hell and death (Revelation 1:17-18), which
is similar to “Alpha and Omega”.
3.
This
could be Jesus or an angel speaking on behalf of God. For example, Manoah referred to the angel as
God (Judges 13:21-22), Hagar referred to the angel as God after the angel spoke
as God (Genesis 16:7-13), Jacob referred to the angel as God (Genesis 32:24-30;
Hosea 12:2-4). Even Moses is called
“god” and Aaron is called Moses’s prophet when Moses speaks on God’s behalf
(Exodus 7:1).
Personally, I lean towards the interpretation that it is God
interjecting. Verse 8 uses “I, John” to
designate a change in speaker. Verse 16
uses “I, Jesus” to designate a change in speaker. Verse 13 seems to be following a similar
pattern by introducing the speaker who then speaks verses 14 and 15. Of course, verse 14 has a variation that says
“Blessed are they that do his commandments”, which would indicate it is not God
speaking there. But, most modern
scholars don’t think that variation is the original one. I also think the second and third
possibilities are less likely because Revelation so consistently identifies the
one on the throne as the “Alpha and Omega” and clearly differentiates Him from
the Lamb.
Revelation
20:16-19 ASV
|
16
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I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things for
the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, the bright, the
morning star.
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εγω ιησους επεμψα τον αγγελον μου μαρτυρησαι υμιν ταυτα επι ταις
εκκλησιαις εγω ειμι η ριζα και το γενος δαυιδ ο αστηρ ο λαμπρος ο πρωινος
|
|
17
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And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And he that heareth, let
him say, Come. And he that is athirst, let him come: he that will, let him
take the water of life freely.
|
και το πνευμα και η νυμφη λεγουσιν ερχου και ο ακουων ειπατω
ερχου και ο διψων ερχεσθω ο θελων λαβετω υδωρ ζωης δωρεαν
|
|
18
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I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy
of this book, if any man shall add unto them, God shall add unto him the
plagues which are written in this book:
|
μαρτυρω εγω παντι τω ακουοντι τους λογους της προφητειας του
βιβλιου τουτου εαν τις επιθη επ αυτα επιθησει ο θεος επ αυτον τας πληγας τας
γεγραμμενας εν τω βιβλιω τουτω
|
|
19
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and if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this
prophecy, God shall take away his part from the tree of life, and out of the
holy city, which are written in this book.
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και εαν τις αφελη απο των λογων του βιβλιου της προφητειας ταυτης
αφελει ο θεος το μερος αυτου απο του ξυλου της ζωης και εκ της πολεως της
αγιας των γεγραμμενων εν τω βιβλιω τουτω
|
Jesus invites the people to come and testifies that they are not to
alter the book.
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20
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He who testifieth these things saith, Yea: I come quickly. Amen:
come, Lord Jesus.
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λεγει ο μαρτυρων ταυτα ναι ερχομαι ταχυ αμην ερχου κυριε ιησου
|
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21
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The grace of the Lord Jesus be with the saints. Amen.
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η χαρις του κυριου ιησου [χριστου] μετα των αγιων
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John confirms that Jesus, who just testified that people are not to
alter the book, says he will come quickly.
May we all study the Scriptures and place our faith in the
Scriptures and not man. That includes
myself. Do not believe anything I
say. I do not have the authority to
speak for God. I can only present the
Scriptures to you. Whether you interpret
them the same way I do, or differently you should follow what you can clearly
see the Scriptures say.
[1] Lucas
Cranach the Elder [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
[2] By
Herrad von Landsberg [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
[3] By
Phillip Medhurst (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
[4] Matthias
Gerung [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
[5] Peter
Paul Rubens [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
[6] Matthias
Gerung [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
[7] Abegg, Martin,
Peter Flint, and Eugene Ulrich. The Dead Sea Scrolls Bible: The Oldest Known
Bible Translated for the First Time into English. New York: HarperCollins,
1999. 382. Print.
[8] Fra
Angelico (circa 1395–1455) [Public domain or Public domain], via Wikimedia
Commons
[9] By
Phillip Medhurst (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
