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Paul O’Sullivan

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4d ago

Revelation Ep 14: Babylon and 666

Revelation Episode 14: Babylon and 666 Today we see the final conflict between the Kingdom of God and the Babylonian system. The final conflict is deeper than a struggle between individual nations or political rulers. Revelation presents a profound conflict about who has the right to define humanity, receive its worship and determine its ultimate destiny. On one side stands the Kingdom of God, a covenantal reality established through humility and truth; on the other stands Babylon, humanity's attempt to construct an identity and establish security entirely independent of God. (Camera angle 5) Revelation 17:1 Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and talked with me, saying to me, "Come, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters, with whom the kings of the earth committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth were made drunk with the wine of her fornication." Babylon is more than just an ancient city. In Revelation it becomes the final expression of a system involving religion, politics, economics, commerce, human power, spiritual deception and rebellion against God. The story of Babylon begins in Genesis and develops progressively through Scripture. Its pattern can be traced from the Tower of Babel to ancient Babylon with Nebuchadnezzar and Daniel, to the Beast of Revelation chapter 13, and finally to the worldwide Babylon of Revelation 17-18. At the heart of this system is the declaration in Genesis 11:4: 'Let us make us a name.' God creates humanity in His image and gives humanity identity in relationship with Himself. Babylon reverses that order. Humanity attempts to create itself in its own image, establish its own identity and authority, and construct its own system of worship. The fundamental contrast between God's Kingdom and Babylon can be mapped as follows: God's Kingdom — Babylon Hallowed be His name — Let us make us a name God's glory — Human glory Dependence upon God — Independence from God Servanthood — Power The Lamb — The Beast The Bride — The Harlot The Origin of Babylon and Let Us Make Us a Name The roots of Babylon reach back to the tower of Babel after the Flood in Genesis 11, with humanity gathering to build a city and a tower reaching toward heaven. Their stated purpose was: 'Let us make us a name.' Humanity's identity becomes its own image. The "Babylonian Principle" operates as a threefold structure of independence that seeks to occupy every sphere of human life: • Religion: The use of spiritual language and ritual to serve human pride, authority, and institutional glory. • Politics/Power: The establishment of universal systems of control and authority that demand absolute allegiance. • Economics: A structure of commerce and prosperity where wealth is the ultimate measure of success, detached from divine stewardship. Babylon Is Not Merely a False Church It is a comprehensive world system capable of incorporating religion, politics, economics, culture and commerce into a structure of human self-exaltation. Revelation does not identify Babylon as 'the apostate Christian church' or as any Christian denomination or organisation. It is reconnecting people's souls to a primal darkness. John describes Babylon as the great harlot, a centre of spiritual corruption, a persecutor of God's people, a power intertwined with kings and merchants, and a system ultimately destroyed by the Beast and the final ten kings. Therefore we should distinguish between the actual prophetic Babylon of Revelation and essential Babylonian characteristics. A Christian organisation can display Babylonian tendencies if it becomes dominated by wealth, prestige, political power, institutional ambition, manipulation, celebrity status, control, religious performance, empire-building and spiritual exploitation. But even that still does not provide sufficient biblical grounds to declare any one Christian organisation to be the prophetic Harlot. The better question is: What does Babylon represent, and are any of us participating in its values? This is particularly important because Revelation 18:4 declares, "Come out of her, my people." The presence of 'my people' within Babylon indicates that God's people can become entangled with Babylonian values and must respond to God's call to separate themselves from her ungodly culture and behaviour before that culture claims them. Nebuchadnezzar and Babylon's First Great End Time Pattern In Daniel chapter 3, the historical Babylonian kingdom provides a remarkable prophetic pattern. Nebuchadnezzar erects a great golden image and commands the peoples, nations and languages of his empire to worship it. Political authority, religious authority and enforced worship become united. The pattern is striking: a powerful ruler, a humanly constructed image, universal political authority, religious worship, governmental enforcement, economic and social consequences, and death in a fiery furnace being threatened for those who refuse. The Babylon of Daniel 3, and the demand of Nebuchadnezzar to worship his image gives us a model of Revelation chapter 13 for the image of the Beast. The three Jewish men, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego demonstrate that God's people can exist within Babylon without belonging to Babylon. They were physically within Nebuchadnezzar's kingdom, but Babylon could not possess their worship. They were thrown into the furnace, and while the attendants were consumed by fire, the king's aide said, 'Look! I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth man is like the Son of God.' This becomes an important principle for God's people in the final conflict: Babylon may surround God's people, threaten God's people and try to destroy their bodies, but it cannot possess those who belong to God. The conflict is therefore not merely political. Behind the visible structures of the final world system stands a spiritual power seeking to destroy God's purposes and God's people. The Woman, the Church, is found in the midst of this conflict, yet she is preserved by God. Revelation chapter 12 does not portray the Church simply disappearing from the earth. The Woman is given the two wings of the great eagle and carried into a 'wilderness' - a prepared, vacant and 'marked out' place (topos), out of the way of danger but still in the midst - where she is nourished for three and a half years. That is an important parallel with Daniel chapter 3: in the fire but unharmed. The central question becomes: Can Babylon penetrate and possess the people of God? The answer is ultimately no. God preserves His people even as the Babylonian system develops around them. Revelation 13 and the Beast the Image and the Mark Revelation 13 now brings the political manifestation of this system into view. The First Beast rises from the sea and receives authority over the nations. The Dragon gives him his power, throne and great authority. The second Beast, as the false prophet, exercises religious influence and directs humanity toward worship of the first Beast. Here in Revelation, what we saw in Daniel 3 is brought to a final expression: Beast -> image -> religious worship -> universal authority -> economic control -> persecution -> death for refusal. The Beast is therefore not merely a political ruler. His system demands allegiance, worship and economic control (the two horns of the false prophet). The mark of the Beast, 666, is associated with the right hand or forehead - what you do and what you think. We now have two competing identities: the Beast's name, mark and number versus the name of God and the Lamb. Babylon 66 and 666 and the Completion of Human Autonomy This is where the connection between Daniel 3 and Revelation 13 becomes especially significant. Nebuchadnezzar's golden image was sixty cubits high and six cubits wide: 6 and 6, or 66. Revelation 13 brings the pattern to its ultimate expression in 666. Revelation 13:18 666 is "the number of a man." Six can be understood symbolically as falling short of seven, the number associated with divine fullness and completion. Within this theological framework, the three sixes can be viewed as representing humanity's attempt to occupy the whole field of existence apart from God. Humanity is tripartite, spirit, soul and body, so the Beast's system seeks total control: • The Babylonian spirit says: "I will establish my own identity." • The Beast says: "I will establish my own authority." • The image says: "I will establish my own object of worship." 666 represents the culmination of that human-centred system in spirit, soul and body. The Lamb as God's Answer to the Beast Revelation presents the Lamb and His people as the true answer to the Beast's counterfeit kingdom, but this has wider scope than the polarities of the two marks on the forehead that we saw in the study of the 144,000. The issue is therefore not simply who controls the world politically. It is whose image and whose name humanity will carry. Revelation 17 and the Harlot and the Beast Revelation 17:15 Then he said to me, "The waters which you saw, where the harlot sits, are the people, multitudes, nations, and different languages." Only after the Beast's system has been established does Revelation 17 unveil Babylon in its fullest prophetic form - a woman sitting upon a scarlet Beast having seven heads and ten horns. The Beast represents the political and imperial power. The harlot woman represents Babylon's religious, spiritual, economic and seductive dimension, and initially they cooperate. The woman, Babylon, rides on the Beast, showing that religious and spiritual influence becomes joined to political authority. Babylon gives the Beast legitimacy and influence, while the Beast provides the power by which Babylon operates. Yet this relationship is temporary and the very political powers supporting Babylon will ultimately turn against her. Th
Sep 23

Revelation Ep 13: The 144000

REVELATION EP 13 THE 144000: We have been seeing Revelation 11–20 as progressively unfolding the final 3½ years, with different groups and events appearing as the conflict intensifies. The 144,000 have a very meaningful place in this intense buildup (camera angle 4 of the tribulation). This large mysterious group represents God’s company of the first fruits of Israel’s full salvation during the final crisis. They are not the whole of redeemed Israel, Firstfruits are always celebrated as a foretaste of future harvest. Revelation 14:1 Then I looked, and behold, on Mount Zion stood the Lamb, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads.” The important point is that Revelation 14 presents the 144,000 as a distinct, identifiable group. They have already appeared in Revelation 7, where they are described as 144,000 sealed servants from the twelve tribes of Israel. They are a literal or representative group of Jewish believers who are preserved and commissioned by God for the Gospel during the Tribulation. Here is a table of columns and rows showing how these fit our Revelation timeline compared to other groups and their roles and events Group — Role in our framework The two witnesses — God’s prophetic testimony in Jerusalem (Moses/Elijah) The Church / woman — Persecuted and protected by God Israel — Preserved through the final crisis Zechariah 13:8–9 (1/3) 144,000 — A specially sealed firstfruits company Antichrist’s kingdom — Satan’s final earthly system Three angels — God’s final worldwide warning Harvest of earth — Separation and judgment Seven bowls — Final wrath of non-redemptive judgement – no repentance Babylon — Collapse of the world’s corrupt system Christ — Returns in glory in Revelation 19 Zechariah 13:8–9 And it shall come to pass in all the land, Says the LORD, “That two-thirds in it shall be cut off and die, But one-third shall be left in it: I will bring the one-third through the fire, and I will refine them as silver is refined, And test them as gold is tested. They will call on My name, And I will answer them. I will say, ‘This is My people’ And each one will say, ‘The LORD is my God. Then comes Zech Ch 14:1 Behold, the day of the LORD comes, The same fiery trials of faith apply to all people, including Christians and Jews, as we saw in Revelation 12 about the Woman, the Church (Episode 11 and camera angle 2) where God said ‘do not measure those in the outer court/outer darkness’ That links with our emphasis on Israel, the Church and the nations all moving toward God’s ultimate redemptive purpose and the refining age to age fire of judgement. Why 144,000? The number is very highly structured: 12 × 12 × 1,000 = 144,000 Twelve is repeatedly associated with God’s covenant people: • 12 tribes of Israel • 12 apostles • 12 foundations of New Jerusalem • 12 gates • 12,000 in each zone or group • 144 cubits Their relationship to the Church is important, as we can distinguish three overlapping communities in the final period: The Church – The Woman as the Church protected by God through the tribulation Israel - The covenant people who come under God’s particular protection and ultimately experience restoration (Romans 11:25) – … ‘and all Israel shall be saved’ … The 144,000 This is a specially sealed firstfruits company within Israel, commissioned for God’s purposes during the final crisis. The Beast establishes his authority, and people receive the mark of the Beast, and the Beast’s followers identify themselves with the Beast. But here the 144,000 have the Father’s name on their foreheads. So Revelation gives us two competing identities: Kingdom of the Beast — Kingdom of the Lamb Beast — Lamb Mark of Beast forehead mind owned and occupied by Beast — Name of Father – mind and owned and occupied by God Babylon — Zion False worship — True worship Satanic authority — Divine authority Economic control — Spiritual allegiance Followers of Beast — Followers of Lamb That speaks into the final spiritual confrontation between the kingdom of the Antichrist and the kingdom of Christ. The 144,000 will be the Jewish partners to the two witnesses in Revelation 11, Moses and Elijah, who have a very specific prophetic ministry, while the 144,000 have a much broader representative role. Then we have three angels with a final worldwide proclamation, and together they form an extraordinary picture of God’s testimony during the final 3½ year crisis. The 144,000 are an end-time Jewish firstfruits company, sealed by God and preserved during the final 3½ years. They represent a consecrated remnant of Israel who refuse the allegiance of the Beast and remain completely identified with the Lamb. Their appearance immediately after Revelation 13 provides the divine counterpoint to the Beast’s kingdom: while the Beast marks his followers with his identity, God marks His people with His name. The 144,000 appear to be evangelists because we saw in Revelation 7:9 that immediately following their sealing there was a vision of: “a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation. What is the meaning of ‘virgins’? The 144000 are an Israelite covenant remnant. whose defining characteristic is not merely that they have escaped Babylon, but that they belong exclusively to the Lamb. Level — Meaning — Biblical basis — Strength for your study 1. Literal — 144,000 are sexually celibate/unmarried males — Rev 14:4 calls them virgins; 1Corinthians 7, Matthew 19 — Possible, but difficult to establish as the only meaning 2. Spiritual — They are uncompromised in their allegiance to the Lamb — Revelation repeatedly uses sexual immorality/adultery as imagery for spiritual unfaithfulness — Very strong contextual connection 3. Holistic holiness — Their bodily sexuality and spiritual allegiance are both brought under the lordship of the Lamb — Rev 14:4–5; contrast with Babylon in Rev 17–18 — Probably the most fruitful formulation for your study We are not compelled to have to choose absolutely between literal sexual purity and symbolic spiritual purity. This can be understood as presenting the 144,000 as a people characterized by exclusive fidelity to the Lamb, expressed in the striking language of virginity. Revelation itself establishes the larger symbolic framework. Babylon is portrayed as a prostitute who commits sexual immorality with the kings of the earth, while the people of God are summoned not to participate in her sins. Here’s another table of rows and columns THE TWO WOMEN / TWO RELATIONSHIPS BABYLON — 144,000 Harlot — Virgins Sexual immorality — Purity Relationship with kings of earth — Relationship with the Lamb Drunk with her wine — Filled with the Spirit Compromise — Faithfulness Follow the Beast — Follow the Lamb Defilement — No defilement Name of Babylon — Father’s name Deception — Truth Earthly luxury — Surrendered Firstfruits to God Spiritual prostitution — Covenant faithfulness Judgment — Redemption This follows the architecture of Revelation. Revelation 17–18 explicitly describes Babylon’s relationship with the kings and nations in sexual language, while Revelation 14 describes the 144,000 in terms of virginity, following the Lamb as a celebrated offering of firstfruits to God. Revelation 14 is presenting the 144,000 as the complete opposite to Babylon. Revelation describes a world in which sexual immorality has become intertwined with power, wealth, idolatry and Babylonian corruption. That is explicitly in the text. Revelation 17–18 connects Babylon’s sexual immorality with kings, nations, merchants and luxurious wealth. This intertwining of immorality with power, wealth, idolatry and Babylonian corruption can be seen in the exposure of the corruption of our current culture (large in scale) The 144,000 are identified as Israel, which is being encountered within the theological reality of the New Covenant inaugurated by Messiah. So they retain genuine Israelite identity, and they belong to the covenant reality established through Christ. Those propositions are not contradictory. Hebrews 8 is particularly important here because it contrasts the Old covenant with the superior New covenant through Christ and it quotes Jeremiah’s promise: Jemiah 31:31 Hebrews 8:8 … Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will establish a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt. Hebrews 8:13 In speaking of a new covenant, he makes the first one obsolete.” Consequently, the identification of the 144,000 with Israel does not require that they belong to the obsolete Mosaic covenant. The New Covenant itself was promised to Israel and Judah. Theologically, therefore, the 144,000 may be understood as an Israelite covenant remnant encountered within the reality of the New Covenant mediated by Jesus the Messiah. Their identity is Israelite; their covenant relationship is New Covenant; their allegiance is to the Lamb. The 144,000 are thus presented as a sealed people belonging to God, bearing His name, following the Lamb, refusing defilement and standing in contrast to Babylon’s corrupting influence. So rather than viewing the 144,000 as an alternative to the Church, we see them as God’s specific end-time allies arising from Israel alongside His wider people. And that shows us that Revelation isn’t simply describing catastrophe—it is showing God as separating, sealing, preserving and gathering people to Himself while the counterfeit kingdom reaches its rebellious demise.
Sep 14

RADICAL INTIMACY

Radical Intimacy The Illusion of Distance By default, many of us have this view of God where we're distinct. We're down here on earth. We're trying to pray up to God. It's a bit of a one-way prayer. We're shouting. We're hoping he's going to catch it. We're hoping he's listening. He's up there somewhere. He's dealing with other stuff and we're down here dealing with our stuff. But actually, that's not reality. It's just a perception that we have. And I actually think it's probably wrong teaching that many of us have had growing up. So prayer becomes a struggle to bridge a massive gap. Separation though feels safe. It feels orthodox and it feels reverent. It's a reverent thing to stay separate. But the Bible teaches something different. It teaches indwelling is the reality. It's a mutual indwelling too. So existence cannot happen outside of God. Estrangement is real, but it is a rupture in relationship, not an absolute metaphysical absence. So, while we might feel God is distant from time to time, we'll talk about that. In reality, he's not distant. Paul at Mars Hill Paul went to Athens and he preached on Mars Hill and that's what it looks like today. But it didn't always look like that. This is an architect's impression. So, you can see the Acropolis up top and you can see Mars Hill. That's that platform down the bottom. It wasn't like a marketplace or place where people gathered, just ordinary people. This is where the courts were and the council and all the philosophers. And this is where they had the big debates about reality and the spiritual world and whatever deity they might worship. This is where Paul preached. And I might just get Zara to come up here and read what Paul actually said. So she's going to read out of Acts 17:16–28. Reading of Acts 17:16–28 While Paul was waiting for Silas and Timothy in Athens, he was deeply troubled by the idols he saw everywhere in the city. He went to the synagogue to reason with the Jews and the God-fearing Gentiles, and he spoke daily in the public square to all those who happened to be there. He also had a debate with some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers. When he told them about Jesus and his resurrection, they said, "What's this babbler trying to say with these strange ideas he's picked up?" The others said, "He seems to be preaching about some foreign gods." Then they took him to the high council of the city on Mars Hill. "Come and tell us about this new teaching," they said. "You are saying some rather strange things and we want to know what it's all about." It should be explained that all the Athenians as well as the foreigners in Athens seemed to be spending all their time discussing the latest ideas. So Paul, standing before the council, addressed them as follows: "Men of Athens, I noticed that you are very religious in every way. For as I was walking along, I saw many of your shrines, and one of your altars had this inscription on it: 'To an unknown god.' This God whom you worship without knowing is the one I'm telling you about. He is the God who made the world and everything in it. He is the Lord of heaven and earth. He doesn't need man-made temples and human hands can't serve his needs, for he has no needs. He himself gives life and breath to everything. He satisfies every need. From one man he created all the nations throughout the whole earth. He decided beforehand when they should rise and fall and determined their boundaries. His purpose was for the nations to seek after God and perhaps feel their way towards him and find him. Though he is not far from any one of us, for in him we live and move and exist. As some of your poets have said, 'We are his offspring.'" God as the Environment of Existence Quite an incredible statement. And if you look at Paul, who had the ministry to preach to the Gentiles, whenever he spoke to the Gentiles, this is probably the clearest preaching we hear from Paul or from anyone in the New Testament, preaching the gospel to the Gentiles. He ends with, "We are all his offspring." He's talking to people who never heard about God. Certainly not the God we worship. They worshipped all these other gods. We're all his offspring. Incredible statement. When Paul speaks to the philosophers in Athens, he doesn't describe a god who occasionally visits from afar. He describes a God who is the very environment in which humanity exists. Life never exists outside of God. For in him we live and move and have our being, our very existence. We don't exist without God. We are in him and he holds us all together. This is quite different from the view that God's up there, we're down here, and we're completely separate. And in fact, it's not just Paul who talked about this. This is a consistent thread throughout scripture. And it follows in several dimensions. There's the cosmic dimension, the entire universe. There's the sustaining dimension, where all things are being sustained in him. And there's the personal dimension. And this is the one that we want to actually realise and be awakened into. Scriptural Dimensions of Divine Presence In the cosmic dimension, quoting Jeremiah, God said to Jeremiah: "Am I a God at hand, declares the Lord, and not a God far away? Can a man hide himself in secret places so that I cannot see him? declares the Lord. Do I not fill heaven and earth? declares the Lord." He fills heaven and earth. He's everywhere. We can't escape. If we look at the personal dimension there, as David is speaking: "I can never escape from your spirit. I can never get away from your presence. If I go up to heaven, you are there. If I go down to the grave, you are there." So, it doesn't matter where we are, what state we're in, whether we're here on earth, whether we've passed away, God is always there. And we don't cease to exist when we pass away. And in fact, in Revelation 14, Jesus is even present at the lake of fire. So, we think, "Oh, lake of fire. No, they've all been rejected by God. They're absent from God." It's in the presence of the Lamb and his angels. That's what's happening at the lake of fire. So, I'll let Paul talk about that more when he gets there in Revelation. And then sustaining: Paul writes in Colossians 1:15–17, "Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation. For through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can't see, such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities of the unseen world. Everything was created through him and for him. He exists before anything else, and he holds all creation together." So Paul brings us directly to Jesus Christ. Christ is the divine glue actively sustaining every atomic particle, every subatomic particle, every human heartbeat...everything. There is not this idea that we're separate and individual. Distinction Versus Separation I just wanted to make some crucial distinctions here before I go any further, because there are some confusing ideas out there. It centres around the difference between distinction and separation. Where is God? There is a New Age teaching which says the creator and creation are identical. There's no distinction. So the creation is God and God is the creation and they're all the same. That's obviously false teaching because there's no distinction there. If we look in the middle, the classical teaching is that there's a separation between God and us, and we have to figure out: are we good enough to get to God? Will he be interested in me? And then on the right-hand side, the whole of creation exists within a distinctly greater God. We are distinct. Creation is distinct. It isn't God, but it's held together by God and exists within God. I just want to really make sure there's a contrast that's understood here, because biblical union does not inflate the self. It requires the death of the false self to live in harmony with the truth. Remember from last time I said there is no resurrection without crucifixion. The death to that false self is required. New Age spirituality ignores sin and avoids accountability, whereas God exposes sin as a rupture in the shared life of God. It skips the cross and dismisses absolute truth in the New Age view. But the biblical view is centred entirely on Christ, the cross, the resurrection, and surrender from us. There's a stark difference. On the surface, they might seem similar, but they are actually opposites. Analogies of Indwelling and Distinction How can we be fully in God yet distinct from him? Here are some analogies to help understand this a bit further. The mind and the thought: a thought exists solely within the mind and depends on it completely. But the mind is far greater than a single thought. Without the mind, the thought doesn't exist at all. I think no analogy is perfect, but that's not a bad one. The ocean and the wave: the wave is completely distinct in form, but has no independent life or substance apart from the ocean that sustains it. You can't have a wave without an ocean. You can't have us without God. The author and the story: characters exist entirely within the author's imagination and sustaining presence. Yet, the author is not trapped in the book. The author isn't the book, he's not the characters, and the characters aren't the author. This helps us keep things in context and distinct. Even though we're not separated, we are distinct. The Revelation of Participation It goes even further because we often don't just view God as separate; we view ourselves as isolated individuals. But in Ephesians chapter 4, it didn't say that. The New Testament insists that shared human life is more fundamental than our divisions, and it's within Christ. Modern Western teaching is very individualistic...what your truth is, is your truth, and it is the truth for you, but it's not the truth for me, and all this sort of stuff. What scripture teaches is that th
Sep 10

Revelation Ep 12: The Satanic Trinity of the Dragon, Beast and False Prophet

Revelation Episode 12: The Satanic Trinity of the Dragon, Beast and False Prophet Today I’m talking about the Beast—the Lawless One, often called “the Antichrist”—and the False Prophet, who are both spoken of in Revelation 13. We see that, just as God is a Trinity, so too will the last-days manifestation of Satan be in triune form. The Beast and the False Prophet are empowered by the Dragon, Satan, whom we spoke about in the last session as the one who tried to destroy the Woman and the Man Child (Revelation 12:3, 9). Satan cannot create anything but can only copy, and the appearance of the Beast (or Antichrist) will be a counterfeit of the ministry of Jesus, even to the three-and-a-half-year length of his “ministry” on earth. The False Prophet will be a counterfeit of the Holy Spirit and will speak for the Beast (Revelation 13:11–18). This episode will deal with the work of the Satanic Trinity in its spiritual conflict with the Kingdom of God for control of the geopolitical realm of the world. This is distinct from the spiritual conflict in the last episode, where we saw the existential struggle involving the Woman as the Church of Revelation chapter 12, how the Prince Power of Darkness had been put under our feet through Jesus as Head of the Church, and how the Church was given divine protection. We see in this episode that the Dragon, Satan, who is a counterfeit of the Father, has always worked through world powers and will do so until the end. Matthew 4:8: “The devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to him, ‘All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.’” Ephesians 2:2: “We once walked according to the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience.” We also saw that the Dragon had seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his head. The seven heads here were seen as last-days heads of nation-states, but horns in the Bible speak of power. The ten horns therefore speak of last-days strategic corporate entities of power that influence nation-states and ultimately give rise to the Beast’s rule over the earth during the three and a half years. I mentioned in the last session that we might perhaps expect to witness surprising structural and influential changes in national leadership, even over the next few years, because of the current political instability. THE BEAST The Beast comes in the image of his father, the Dragon (see also Revelation 17:3, 10–12). Revelation 13:1: “And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and I saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy. Now the beast which I saw was like a leopard, his feet were like the feet of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. The Dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority. And I saw one of his heads as if it had been mortally wounded, and his deadly wound was healed. And all the world marvelled and followed the Beast. So they worshipped the Dragon who gave authority to the Beast; and they worshipped the Beast, saying, ‘Who is like the Beast? Who is able to make war with him?’” Here we see that the Beast comes in the image of the Dragon (Revelation 12:3), except that there are ten crowns on the horns rather than seven crowns on the heads. Horns speak of power, and crowns speak of authority. This speaks of the Antichrist giving authority to the ten heads of the ten powerful nations that will rule the world kingdom at the time of the end. John describes a single “Composite Beast” because this represents the gathering of all previous imperial, tyrannical, and dominating traits of history into one final, unified global entity. John describes a Beast that is “like a leopard,” with “feet like those of a bear” and a “mouth like that of a lion.” This vision of John’s is based upon a vision of the prophet Daniel, which gives us the code that unlocks the identities and characteristics of all those imperial nations and rulers of biblical history. What we will seek to decipher and explain today are the historical and ongoing prophetic lines from the Book of Daniel concerning the geopolitical struggle of the kingdom of darkness against the Kingdom of God. The following prophetic Scriptures from Daniel form very strong lines of historical and biblical continuity across the six hundred years from Daniel to when John wrote Revelation. In fact, we will draw just as strongly from Daniel in further episodes of Revelation concerning the latter parts of the three-and-a-half-year Tribulation and the return of Christ. Daniel 7:3: “And four great beasts came up from the sea, each different from the other. The first was like a lion, and had eagle’s wings. I watched till its wings were plucked off; and it was lifted up from the earth and made to stand on two feet like a man, and a man’s heart was given to it. And suddenly another beast, a second, like a bear. It was raised up on one side, and had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. And they said thus to it: ‘Arise, devour much flesh!’” “After this I looked, and there was another, like a leopard, which had on its back four wings of a bird. The Beast also had four heads, and dominion was given to it” (4 = global dominion). “After this I saw in the night visions, and behold, a fourth Beast, dreadful and terrible, exceedingly strong. It had huge iron teeth; it was devouring, breaking in pieces, and trampling the residue with its feet. It was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns. I was considering the horns, and there was another horn, a little one, coming up among them, before whom three of the first horns were plucked out by the roots. And there, in this horn, were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking pompous words.” TRADITIONAL IDENTIFICATIONS IN DANIEL 7 SYMBOL — TRADITIONAL IDENTIFICATION — CORE CHARACTERISTIC - Lion (with eagle’s wings) — Babylon — Sovereignty: Represents imperial majesty and dominion (parallel to the “Gold Head” of Daniel 2). - Bear (raised on one side) — Medo-Persia — Crushing Power: Characterised by the command to “Arise, devour much flesh … and it ate three ribs,” emphasising its massive appetite for conquest. - Leopard (with four wings/heads) — Greece — Speed: Four wings—leopard’s natural speed, Alexander the Great’s rapid expansion, and the four successor kingdoms. A leopard is pale yellow with black spots. - Fourth Beast (iron teeth/10 horns) — Rome — Imperial Destruction: Described as “terrible and extremely strong,” using its “iron teeth” to crush and devour all opposition. These established ancient identities are not merely historical footnotes; they serve as the necessary archetypes for understanding how power is projected throughout history. Note the progression of Lion, Bear, and Leopard, because John reverses this sequence in Revelation 13:2, where we see the leopard, bear, and lion qualities of the Beast first. This is because John is looking back into history, from Rome to Babylon. But what we must remember is that John is also looking forward prophetically into history from two thousand years ago. It will be useful, amongst the bewildering range of symbolic descriptions of the “Beast Nations” of history, to remember the sequence of three recurring symbolic nations of history—the Lion, the Bear, and the Leopard. These have been the prelude to a sequence of dreadful “composite beasts” throughout history and will feature significantly in the last days, when they become the ultimate ogre of the “Composite Beast” at the Second Coming of Christ to the earth. Remember the sequence: Lion, Bear, Leopard. One of the greatest counterfeits that will be perpetrated by the Beast, the Lawless One, will be a counterfeit resurrection in verse 3, which will delude many. Remember, in 2 Thessalonians 2, that God would send strong delusion for people to believe a lie. His mouth will speak great things. He will be a great leader and statesman who will sway the multitudes. He will receive power from the Dragon, Satan, to overcome those saints who endure the Tribulation. But their martyrdom will be to the glory of God. These saints are encouraged by the angel of Revelation 14:7. Daniel 7:8 speaks of one powerful, persuasive person as a horn of power who will arise at the end: “And there, in this horn, were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking pompous words.” So we have strong lines of scriptural formation from Daniel to John, but in the two thousand years from John until now, we have reached beyond the time of John, when Rome was the “Composite Beast,” into the description of a much more awesome and devastating Composite Beast that Rome represented. John’s final Beast here has seven heads as well as ten horns. And I have to say this—but wait, there’s more. In Revelation 12:3, in the last episode, we saw John describing the Dragon, representing Satan: “Behold, a great red dragon … having seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems on his heads” (diadems are jewelled headbands). So the sequence is: - Revelation 12:3—Dragon: 7 heads crowned + 10 horns - Revelation 13:1—Beast: 7 heads + 10 horns crowned - Revelation 17:3, 12—Beast: 7 heads + 10 horns; then ten kings receive authority This is not a repeated description—John changes the locations of the diadems. That fits prophetically and purposefully with the progression from Satanic authority being delegated to a Beastly political authority, and then to a final ten-kingdom coalition. Chapter 13 portrays the Beast receiving and exercising the authority previously associated with the Dragon. It is like the Father giving J
Sep 2

Revelation Ep 11 The Woman, The Church and The Manchild

Revelation Episode 11: The Woman, the Church and the Manchild Today we are doing Revelation episode 11, which talks about the Woman, who represents the Church in the last days, and her experience of being attacked by the Dragon and protected by God during the three and a half years, or forty-two months, of the Tribulation. Reading from Revelation 12:1: “And there appeared a great wonder in heaven, a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars: She was pregnant and was crying out in birth pains and the agony of giving birth. And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads seven diadems…” The Dragon of Revelation is out to destroy the Woman and her Man Child. We will look at him in a moment. Most traditional viewpoints identify the Woman as Israel bringing forth Jesus. However, that is a historical event—not a future event during the three and a half years of the Tribulation. Revelation chapter 12 describes the narrative of the Woman over the Tribulation period of 1,260 days, or 42 months, or three and a half years. This event is of great significance in Revelation for the Church, regarding its ongoing future conflict with the Dragon and his rebellious angelic following, and the divine protection of the Church throughout the Tribulation. Remember, in the last episode on the Two Witnesses, we saw that Revelation chapters 11 to 19 deal with all the events within the final 3½ years. The events are not all presented as a single, uninterrupted chronological sequence. They are explanatory “camera angles,” or parallel perspectives on the same period—like watching a movie and thinking you’ve arrived at the end of the story, where everything is about to be resolved, and then a caption comes up on the screen saying, “Three and a half years earlier.” From Revelation 19, we can move progressively toward Christ’s return. Today we are identifying the Woman as the Church—camera angle three on the grid below. PERSPECTIVE — FOCUS OF THE VISION — SPECIFIC NARRATIVE SYMBOL - Heaven — Declaration of God’s Kingdom — The Seventh Trumpet (Revelation 10) - Israel — The prophetic ministry/testimony — The Two Witnesses (Revelation 11) - Church — Conflict and protection of the Church — The Woman (Revelation 12) - The Beast — The political/religious authority — The Two Beasts (Revelation 13) - God Blesses — Choosing of an anointed group — The 144,000 (Revelation 14) - God Judges — The outpouring of divine wrath — The Seven Bowls (Revelation 15) The foundational blueprint for the overarching journey of the Woman as the Church travels from Genesis to Revelation starts in Genesis 3:15 (God to Satan): “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.” This promise of a coming deliverer who will bruise the serpent’s head finds its prophesied goal in the corporate body of Christ. While the initial fulfilment is enacted in the person of Jesus on the cross, the apostolic vision of Paul in Romans 16:20 confirms a final delegated work from Jesus to the Church. Paul says to the Church, “The God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly.” This shift to the corporate phrase “your feet” signals the transition from Jesus on the cross to the Church as the feet in the execution of judgement. To understand this fulfilment, we must first analyse the celestial “Woman” of Revelation 12—a spiritual fulfilment whose seed is prophesied into history from Genesis 3:5. We saw the Woman dwelling in the fulness of the Godhead in the sun, moon, and stars. The sun speaks of the glory of the Father; the moon is the reflected glory of Jesus; and the stars speak of the Holy Spirit in Christians. Twelve stars represent the twelve Apostles of the Book of Acts—the number twelve speaks of order and authority. The Woman, the Church, is about to bring forth a Man Child. The identification of the stars representing the Holy Spirit in Christians is seen in the following Scripture references. Firstly, through Abraham—Genesis 22:17: “I will surely bless you, and I will multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies” (Matthew 16:18—the gates of hell shall not prevail). Then, through Daniel—Daniel 12:3: “And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.” Then, through Paul—1 Corinthians 15:37: “There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory” (God on display). THE DRAGON This Dragon is Satan. Revelation 12:3: “And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads.” The seven heads speak historically of seven world kingdoms down through the ages, spoken of in Daniel. These are Egypt, Assyria, Media, Persia, Greece, Rome, and the final fearsome ten-toed kingdom (covered in Revelation in a later lesson). The seven heads here are seen as last-days heads of nation-states, while horns in the Bible speak of power. The ten horns speak of last-days strategic horns of power that give rise to the Beast’s Antichrist rule. We will see later that the crowns change place between Revelation 13:1 and Revelation 17:9, speaking of significant corrupt political and spiritual power-brokering in the final days. Even today, we are seeing radical changes in the power dynamics of political, military, and economic hegemony, where some nation-states are in desperate decline while others are gaining economic and military advantage. Unexpected alliances of strategic horns-of-power groupings are being formed to dominate nation-states, and these power groupings leverage and threaten with no regard for diplomacy. We can perhaps expect to witness surprising structural and influential changes in national leadership, even over the next two years, because of the current political instability (next episode). THE CONFLICT BETWEEN THE DRAGON, SATAN, AND THE WOMAN, THE CHURCH Revelation 12:4: “His tail swept down (syro from 138, drawn to oneself) a third of the stars of heaven and cast them to the earth. And the Dragon stood before the Woman who was about to give birth, so that when she bore her child, he might devour it. She gave birth to a Man Child, one who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron, but her child was caught up to God and to His throne, and the Woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, in which she is to be nourished for 1,260 days.” The tail of the Dragon draws the third part of the stars of heaven (verse 4). This “sweep” refers to the deception of “fallen saints” rather than original angelic rebels. We saw earlier that the stars represent Christians. Later, in verse 9, the Dragon, Satan, falls with ALL of his rebellious angels. According to the typological key, we see what happens here in Isaiah. Isaiah 9:15: “And the prophet who teaches lies is the tail; for those who guide this people have been leading them astray, and those who are guided by them are swallowed up” (bala—engulfed). So these are Christians deceived by false prophets and lying wonders, as Paul prophesied in 2 Thessalonians: 2 Thessalonians 2:3: “Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God. Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? And you know what is restraining him now so that he may be revealed in his time (the Holy Spirit). For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. Only he who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way (mesos; in the midst—how is the Woman out of the way?). And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming. The coming of the lawless one (the Beast) is by the activity of Satan (the Dragon), with all power and false signs and wonders, and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. Therefore, God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, in order that all may be judged who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.” The Dragon now prepares to devour the Man Child because this is the fulfilment of the prophesied “seed of the woman” (Genesis 3:15), who will completely destroy him, the Dragon (Romans 16:20). When the Man Child is caught up, the Dragon is cast to the earth with all of his angels. This is distinct from the one-third of the stars being swept by the tail of the Dragon, meaning fallen saints, not angels. All the angels are cast down after Michael defeats Satan. THE MAN CHILD Revelation 12:5: “And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all the nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to His throne.” The identity of the Man Child is one of the controversial issues of the Book of Revelation. Like the Book of Revelation itself, teaching on the Man Child has become sectarian and divisive. This would be precisely what Satan, the Dragon, would want to see for obvious reasons. I simply propose that the Man Child is a certain corporate group expression of Christ that rules with Him, with a designated sphere of influence and authority. We will compare Moses, Jesus, and the M
Aug 25

REVELATION Ep10 The Two Witnesses

REVELATION 10 THE TWO WITNESSES At the end of Revelation 10, we reached the great prophetic climax. The mystery of God is being brought to completion, and the seventh trumpet is about to sound. We are at the point toward which all the previous judgments have been moving. Today we’re talking about where we belong and with whom we belong and to whom we belong. We all belong to an idea, and people think it’s their idea but there are many thousands of ideas out there that many thousands of people want you to belong to. Those ideas promise to give you what you want for yourself, but it is what they want for you. Who is they? They are the powers of darkness that work through the minds of influential people who are blinded from what God’s idea is for us. They persuade people to want to belong to their ideas and belong to their values. The problem is that if people are not sure about belonging, they will seek to pressure them to belong in various coercive ways, financially, personally or ideologically or threateningly because they want their ideas expressed through people’s lives so that they have control over their lives. You fill in the blanks – it’s for everyone For Christians it’s not about which denomination or which church we belong to. God simply says you belong to him – we belong together with him. He has his unique idea of you which he implanted into your spirit before the foundation of the world –his logos DNA seed word spoken into us by Jesus through the Holy Spirit the Spirit. Jesus said That you might have life and life more abundantly’ John 10:10. Jesus also adds that the thief comes to rob and to kill and to destroy that life. God’s idea for you is that you come to know him and express his life through your soul and live his values into this world. He draws you by his love and truth and grace – not by coercion - and you receive willingly and thankfully. This is where today’s word from revelation Episode 10 begins and ends as we also belong with the two witnesses we’re discussing today. Revelation chapter 11 to chapter 19 deals with all the events within the final 3½ years. But the events are not all presented as a single uninterrupted chronological sequence. Some sections are explanatory “close-ups” or parallel perspectives on the same period. And from Revelation19 we then move progressively toward Christ’s return. It is like watching a movie and you think you’ve arrived at the end of the story where everything is about to be resolved then a caption comes up on the screen saying ‘Three and a half years earlier’. I think the movie producers learned this technique from the Apostle John. We are watching the same final act of the movie from several different camera angles. The story keeps returning to the same final period, but each “camera angle” reveals another dimension of what is taking place until the return of Christ brings the whole story into the open. Everything belongs in its order to the one narrative, and we belong together to that narrative wherever it is up to now, every day of our lives. So in Revelation 11 the two witnesses are introduced, Moses and Elijah, who minister during this final three and a half year period and bear prophetic testimony in the midst of a rebellious world. The seventh trumpet then announces that the kingdoms of this world are becoming the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ. Then Revelation 12 depicts a woman representing the church, being pursued by the dragon, Satan. She is given wings like a great eagle and protected in the wilderness for 1,260 days—three and a half years. Revelation 13 then introduces the beast from the sea and the beast from the earth, and They exercise authority during this same final time period and demand allegiance from the world. But Revelation 14 gives us a contrasting picture. While the beast gathers his followers, the Lamb stands with a select group of 144,000 people, and three angels proclaim God’s warnings to the world: Then comes the harvest of the earth—a picture of the gathering of humanity for judgment as the age reaches its climax. Revelation 15–16 then brings seven final plagues and seven bowls of God’s wrath of divine judgment upon the kingdom of the beast - preparing the way for the final confrontation. In Revelation 17–18 , still within the same time frame, from another camera angle as it were, we see Babylon, the great harlot, riding the beast—a picture of the corrupt spiritual, economic and political system that has allied itself with the beast. Babylon ultimately collapses under God’s judgment. In Revelation 19, the narrative catches up with itself, with the announcement of the Kingdom of Christ - heaven rejoices, the marriage of the Lamb is celebrated, and the Bride is prepared then Christ appears as the rider on the white horse. He comes as King and Judge, defeats the beast and the false prophet, and brings the Antichrist’s kingdom to its end. Rev. Ch. 19 and Rev. Ch. 20 concern the second coming of Christ and the first and second judgement seats, separated by the one thousand years millennium. Rev. Chs. 21 and 22 deal with the heavenly Jerusalem. The purpose of these repeated perspective from chapters 11 to 19 is to show us not merely what happens, but what is happening simultaneously from heaven’s perspective, Israel’s perspective, the Church’s perspective, the Beast’s perspective and God’s judgment perspective. Before the Two Witnesses are introduced in Revelation 11:3 , which I’ll be focusing on in a moment, an Angel is commanded to measure the Temple and Altar and Worshippers, with the measuring rod, (Revelation 11:1,2). Measurement is an important principle of God for us in the Bible. Paul tells us to examine ourselves to see whether we are ‘in the faith’. (2 Corinthians 13:5), and he mentions four area of measurement (metron) that we need to attend to, because whatever is not measured will never get changed, and be neglected. Firstly, there is measure of faith for the operation of his spiritual gift for serving God and others (Romans 12:3). Secondly, there is the measure of grace for the operation of that gift (Ephesians 4:7). Thirdly, the measure of our stature (character) in of Christ – (Ephesians 4: 13). Fourthly, the measure of our sphere of influence. (2Corinthians 10:3). The measuring of the Temple here in Revelation is for the ultimate measurement that Christ has for his church Ephesians 4:13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; Eph2: 21 - being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, This refers to Christians who are the temple of God and are living in the truths of worship, intimate relationship with God in Spirit and in truth, and ‘going on to perfection (telos – completion, salvation/healing of the soul) – a bride being made ready. NB. There is speculation about a rebuilt last days actual temple which would require additional interpretation and application for Israel (a known or an unknown unknown) The outer court is not measured, but these people belong to God, and they must experience persecution by being trodden underfoot by unbelievers (ethnos/ nations) during this time of tribulation (forty two months); Some of these outer court people are Christians who have already heard the Gospel, and the call to the Marriage Feast (Matt 22: 1-14), but who have not pursued that promise. Matt 25: 1-13 tells the parable of those who were not prepared for the wedding feast who did not keep oil in their lamps, perhaps like the five foolish virgins and they found the door shut to them from the Marriage. These outer court people are referred to later in Rev. Ch. 12:17 And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. (see also Matt. 8: 12, Matt 5: 13). It is God's people, Israel who are the main constituent of the outer court in this chapter who have been preserved for this time, to hear the testimony of the two witnesses and believe and be saved Rom. 11: 25-27 For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And so all Israel will be saved TESTIMONY OF THE TWO WITNESSES. These are two actual people, who bear testimony to the work of Jesus during His three and one half years of ministry (sometimes seen as ‘the Two men in White) . They will be known and recognised by the people of Israel, and they will be believed and trusted, and tell of things that describe The Ascension of Jesus into Heaven (Acts 1: 10) The resurrection of Jesus from the dead (John 20: 12) The transfiguration in Glory of Jesus before Calvary (Luke. 9: 28-31) d) and possibly other major events in Jesus’ life. EG The temptation of Jesus in the wilderness (Matt 4: 11) ANOINTING OF THE TWO WITNESSES. Rev. 11: 4 "These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth." The mention of olive trees refers to the anointing of the Holy Spirit that these men have, (Zech 4: 3), and the olive trees now speak of both Israel and Christians. They are called candlesticks also, because the Church has also been the candlesticks for the world. PARALLEL MINISTRIES OF MOSES AND ELIJAH. Rev. 11: 5,6 "And if any man will hurt them, fire proceeds out of their mouth, and devours their enemies; and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed. 6 These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy; and have power over waters to turn them to bl
Aug 20

REVELATION EP 9 Escalation of Judgment of the Satanic Kingdom

As we continue our journey through the Book of Revelation, we are moving into one of the most dramatic transitions in the entire prophetic narrative. The first four trumpets have progressively affected the created order—the earth, the sea, the rivers and waters, and the heavenly bodies. But when we arrive at the fifth and sixth trumpets, something fundamentally changes. The judgments are no longer primarily directed against creation. They are directed against humanity itself. And even more significantly, Revelation begins to pull back the veil and show us what lies behind the rebellion of humanity: a supernatural kingdom of darkness, a counterfeit kingdom that seeks to imitate, corrupt and ultimately replace the Kingdom of God. We saw how trumpets one to four struck creation – the trees, the seas, the rivers and the darkening of the sun and the moon and the stars. And now the fifth trumpet releases supernatural powers that torment humanity. Revelation 9:1 Then the fifth angel sounded: And I saw a star fall from heaven to the earth. To him was given the key to the bottomless pit. And he opened the bottomless pit, and smoke arose out of the pit like the smoke of a great furnace. So the sun and the air were darkened because of the smoke of the pit. Then out of the smoke locusts came upon the earth. And to them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power. They were commanded not to harm the grass of the earth, or any green thing, or any tree, but only to harm those people who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads – they had no authority to kill those people, but to torment them for five months. Their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it strikes a man. In those days those people will seek death and will not find it; they will desire to die, and death will flee from them. THE FIFTH TRUMPET — THE ABYSS IS OPENED Then the fifth Trumpet sounds. John says: I saw a star fallen from heaven to earth. And to him was given the key to the bottomless pit. He says “to him.” The star is a personal being identified as Abaddon, in Hebrew, or Apollyon, in Greek. Both names mean Destroyer. This is therefore a supernatural ruler of the abyss. The abyss is opened, and smoke rises from it like the smoke of a great furnace. Then something terrifying emerges. Locust-like beings appear. But John repeatedly says they are “like” something. They have human-like faces. They have hair like women’s hair. They have teeth like lions. They have breastplates like iron. Their wings sound like an enormous army. And they have tails like scorpions. The picture is deliberately unnatural and chilling. These are supernatural demonic powers released from the abyss, a demonic army under the authority of Apollyon/the destroyer. But what is extraordinarily important is that God remains sovereign, and the demons are not given unlimited authority. They are told what they may do and not do. They cannot destroy the vegetation. They cannot harm those who possess the seal of God. And their period of torment is limited. They are given five months. This does not necessarily mean that believers experience no challenge of suffering, but it tells us that God’s people are never outside His protective care. The five-month period is significant - 150 days the same as the 150 days during which the floodwaters prevailed in the days of Noah and God’s people were preserved. The days of Noah were characterised by corruption and judgment, but God preserved Noah and his household. And Revelation here again presents humanity facing a world of escalating judgment while God continues to preserve those who belong to Him – It’s Psalm 91 again. And next is the sixth trumpet - unleashing an unprecedented force of destruction in which one-third of humanity dies. Then, between the sixth and seventh trumpets, Revelation chapter 10 gives us a remarkable prophetic prelude to what will happen in the Tribulation. John is shown that God’s apparent and puzzling delay in revealing the enigma of the history of the world is coming to an end. The history of mankind while blessed with the goodness of God is a confusing and often unhinged narrative of human disasters. But the mystery of God in all this is approaching its unveiling and fulfillment. And finally, with the seventh trumpet, the great declaration is made: The kingdoms of this world have become the Kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ. So Revelation 9–10 is not simply a catalogue of frightening events. It is a movement toward the final confrontation between two kingdoms—the counterfeit kingdom of Satan and the true Kingdom of God. THE UNVEILING OF THE SATANIC KINGDOM To understand Revelation 9, we must understand the biblical story of human rebellion. Behind the visible structures of human civilisation lies a deeper spiritual conflict, describing the development of what can be called the satanic kingdom—a kingdom born from Lucifer's rebellious ambition. The rebellion is therefore not merely evil behaviour. It is usurpation/overthrow. And that same ambition eventually appears here in Revelation in its fullest form to construct a counterfeit of God’s Kingdom. The biblical picture becomes almost like a dark mirror. God is Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The satanic kingdom is portrayed through the Dragon, the Beast and the False Prophet. The Dragon represents Satan. The Beast receives worship. The False Prophet directs humanity toward that worship. The result is a counterfeit kingdom with a counterfeit ruler, counterfeit worship and counterfeit authority. This is a counterfeit trinity, with the Beast receiving the worship that belongs to Christ and the False Prophet directing humanity toward worship of the Beast and global economic control. This is why Revelation is so concerned with worship. The final conflict is therefore spiritual before it is political. FROM TORMENT TO DEATH — THE SIXTH TRUMPET So the fifth trumpet brought all that torment without death. Now the sixth trumpet brings death on an unprecedented scale. Four angels are released at the Euphrates. The Euphrates is not an arbitrary detail. It represented the boundary of the land promised to Abraham. It was associated historically with the great enemies of God’s people, and the Euphrates also becomes significant because of its association with the ancient world of Genesis and the traditions surrounding the angelic watchers and the Nephilim giants, and the Mesopotamian traditions represented by the Epic of Gilgamesh. GILGAMESH, THE NEPHILIM AND THE ANCIENT REBELLION This brings us to a fascinating theological connection. There is a Biblical account in Genesis ch. 6 that speaks about angels coming down and procreating with women in the earth. Genesis 6:4 There were giants on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men and they bore children to them. Those were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown. This is also mentioned in Jude And the angels who did not keep their proper domain, but left their own abode, He has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day (Jude 1:6). The Bible records this as ‘evil crossing divinely established boundaries’ which led ultimately to the corruption of humanity and the judgement of the flood of Noah. But another reality reverses that claim and establishes a deliberate and deceptive ancient Mesopotamian worldview of surrounding nations in the Middle East that were not only corrupted by these angels, but who admired and eventually recognised them as demi-gods. The ancient Mesopotamian world produced stories of supernatural beings, superheroes and angelic-human interaction. One of these superheroes named Gilgamesh was praised in a document called ‘The Epic of Gilgamesh’ which presents Gilgamesh as an extraordinary figure, described in Mesopotamian tradition as partly divine and partly human. This occultic worldview is being adopted by many in today's culture. Documents and scrolls have been found that draw upon the Book of Giants traditions associated with the Dead Sea Scrolls, where Gilgamesh and Humbaba are identified in connection with the Nephilim tradition. The tomb of Gilgamesh has become a place of real interest and artifacts have been taken from the area surrounding his tomb and the US government officially handed it back to Iraqi authorities during a repatriation ceremony in Washington, D.C. in September 2021. It is interesting that there has been a rise in occultic practices and satanic rituals being practised globally in recent times but as these things get called out and exposed the hearts of the people involved in these things are becoming even more hardened. This is what is called theological inversion. Mesopotamian culture celebrated supernatural heroes and beings as the bringers of wisdom, civilisation and political power, and magical crafts. They were traditionally viewed as supernatural semi-divine philosophers and sages. But what humanity celebrated as greatness actually represented Satanic rebellion against God. But the Bible in Genesis 6 presents what the ancient world calls “divine wisdom” as corrupted supernatural knowledge, and what is celebrated as heroic power was actually part of humanity’s descent into violence and corruption that brought on Noah’s flood. This provides an important backdrop for Revelation. The final conflict is not simply about modern politics. It reaches back into the ancient spiritual rebellion and overcomes it, and Revelation presents that rebellion and its final expression. THE TWO HUNDRED MILLION John then sees an army of extraordinary magnitude. Two hundred million. Humanity is confronted with a force of unprecedented destructive power. One-third of humanity is killed. First, creation is struck. Then humanity is tormented. Then humanity is killed on a massive scale. So the judgments are escalating.
Aug 12

REVELATION EP 8 The Seven Trumpets and a Map of Time

REVELATION EP 8- The Seven Trumpets and a Map of Time The book of Revelation is, in many ways, a summary of the unfolding work of God in redemption and redemptive judgment. It begins with the seven letters to the churches, moves into the opening of the seven seals, and then into the four horsemen of the Apocalypse. In the first four seals we see the release of forces that have shaped the world we know—conquest, war, economic scarcity and inflation, famine, disease and death. These events describe the progression of human history toward the final period of God’s dealings with the earth. We have already experienced many of these things in measure, including global pandemics, giving us a foretaste of what Revelation describes as ultimately coming upon the earth. But then we arrive at something extraordinary: the seventh seal contains the seven trumpets, and the seventh trumpet ultimately contains the seven bowls or vials of judgment. Revelation gives us a series of summaries within summaries. Seven speaks of completion and fullness. What we are seeing is not merely a sequence of catastrophes, but the completion of a divine process that brings God’s purposes for humanity to their appointed goal. “Receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls.” —1 Peter 1:9 The final movements of Revelation therefore concern not simply judgment upon the earth, but the completion of God’s redemptive work in His people as Christ brings history toward His return. This brings us into the final three-and-a-half-year period that repeatedly appears throughout prophetic Scripture—a period culminating in the second coming of Christ. THE SEVENTH SEAL, THE CENSER AND THE DAY OF ATONEMENT Revelation 8 begins with one of the most remarkable moments in the book: “When He opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.” —Revelation 8:1 It is the only explicit period of silence described in heaven in Revelation. After the worship, thunder, voices and activity surrounding the throne, suddenly everything becomes still. It is as though heaven pauses before the next great movement of God’s purpose. John sees seven angels standing before God, and seven trumpets are given to them. Before those trumpets sound, however, another angel appears with a golden censer. He is given incense to offer with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar before the throne. The censer is then filled with fire from the altar and thrown to the earth, producing thunder, lightning and an earthquake. This gives us an important principle: the prayers of God’s people are not disconnected from the purposes of God in the earth. Heaven receives the prayers of the saints, and those prayers become part of the unfolding divine purpose. The golden censer is particularly significant because of its connection with the Day of Atonement. In the Old Testament, the High Priest entered the Most Holy Place once a year carrying incense and blood into the presence of God. Leviticus 16 describes him taking burning coals and incense behind the inner curtain, creating a cloud over the mercy seat, and then sprinkling blood before it. “Into the second went the high priest alone once every year, not without blood…” —Hebrews 9:7 The imagery of Revelation 8 therefore takes us directly into the symbolism of the Day of Atonement. The seventh seal opens a prophetic picture of cleansing, sanctification and preparation, and connects Revelation with the prophetic pattern of Israel’s feasts. THE FEASTS — A MAP OF REDEMPTIVE TIME The Church has historically experienced the great movements represented by Passover and Pentecost, but we have not yet experienced the prophetic fullness represented by the Day of Atonement and Tabernacles. Passover speaks of deliverance. The blood was placed upon the doorway, marking out a people delivered from judgment and slavery. Christ is our Passover; His blood establishes the boundary of salvation and justification. Pentecost speaks of covenant relationship and the giving of the Spirit. What was external becomes internal. God’s covenant is written into His people, and believers learn to walk by the Spirit in conscious obedience to God. The Day of Atonement speaks of deeper cleansing, transformation and sanctification. Before Israel entered Tabernacles came Atonement, so prophetically it becomes the preparation for the fullness of God’s dwelling. Tabernacles represents the fullness of God dwelling among His people. So the movement is: Passover → Pentecost → Atonement → Tabernacles. The story is moving toward the completion of God’s dwelling with humanity. The final feast season begins with the Feast of Trumpets: “In the seventh month, in the first day of the month, you shall have a Sabbath, a memorial of blowing of trumpets…” —Leviticus 23:24 These initial trumpets are not the judgment trumpets of Revelation 8–11. They are prophetic trumpets announcing that something is about to happen. They call God’s people to attention and announce a season of preparation. Ten days later comes the Day of Atonement, followed by the Feast of Tabernacles: Trumpets → Preparation → Atonement → Tabernacles. This gives us a prophetic picture of the preparation of the Bride of Christ. THE BRIDE, THE BLOOD AND TRANSFORMATION Paul writes: “That He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word… that she should be holy and without blemish.” —Ephesians 5:26–27 This is not simply about becoming better Christians. Paul describes a deeper work of transformation in the Bride. The Church is being prepared for union with Christ. “This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church.” —Ephesians 5:32 The Day of Atonement gives us a prophetic picture of this deeper cleansing. On that day, the High Priest entered the Most Holy Place with blood: “Then he must take some of the blood of the bull… and sprinkle it seven times…” —Leviticus 16:14 Seven speaks of completion. At Passover, the blood was placed at the doorway. At Pentecost, covenant relationship was established with God’s people. At the Day of Atonement, the blood enters the Most Holy Place. Doorway → People → Presence Deliverance → Covenant → Transformation The Day of Atonement therefore points toward the fullest application of Christ’s redemptive work in His people—not another sacrifice, but a deeper manifestation of the power of the one sacrifice already accomplished by Christ. The goal is maturity—the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. The Day of Atonement was also called a Sabbath of Sabbaths—Shabbat Shabbaton. Israel was commanded to “afflict” or humble their souls, but Isaiah 58 reveals that God was never interested in religious suffering for its own sake. The people were fasting while still oppressing others, fighting, quarrelling and maintaining bondage. “Is this not the fast that I have chosen: To loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, to let the oppressed go free, and that you break every yoke?” The ultimate fast is therefore not simply abstaining from food. It is becoming free. It is allowing God to break the internal bondage that prevents us from loving God and others freely. God is not trying to crush the soul. He is trying to heal it. THE TRUMPETS AND THE WITNESSES Numbers 10 says: “Make two trumpets of silver; of a whole piece you will make them.” Silver is associated with redemption and atonement. There are two trumpets, yet they are made from one piece of silver. This gives us a picture of Christ and His people—the one new man created in Christ. The trumpet represents the prophetic voice of God. God speaks to His people, and He also speaks through His people. This imagery provides a fitting parallel with the two witnesses of Revelation 11, who prophesy for 1,260 days. Their ministry belongs to this final prophetic period and corresponds to the ministry of Moses and Elijah. Their witness becomes part of God’s final testimony before the culmination of the age. SABBATH REST The Day of Atonement also opens another major biblical theme: rest. The Sabbath was never merely about stopping work one day each week. Israel was commanded to allow the land to rest every seventh year. Leviticus 25 describes six years of cultivation followed by a seventh year in which the land was not cultivated in the ordinary way. The people had to trust God. They had to stop striving to produce and believe that God could sustain them. But Israel failed to fully enter this dimension of Sabbath rest. 2 Chronicles 36 says Israel went into Babylonian captivity: “Until the land had enjoyed her Sabbaths… to fulfil seventy years.” The seventy years correspond to seventy unobserved Sabbath years—a period traditionally calculated against 490 years: 490 ÷ 7 = 70. Hebrews takes this principle beyond agriculture and national history: “There remains therefore a rest for the people of God… He who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His.” This is the spiritual reality behind Sabbath. The issue is not merely whether we stop working. The issue is whether we have learned to trust God. Rest is faith. Rest is the cessation of self-powered striving. Rest is learning to live from the faith of Christ and the flow of grace. Sometimes the very thing we call spiritual activity becomes a substitute for spiritual rest. We can become so busy trying to manage ourselves, fix ourselves, control ourselves and prove ourselves that we never become still enough to allow God to transform us. FROM PASSOVER TO TABERNACLES The journey from Passover to Tabernacles can be understood as the journey of a building becoming a home. At Passover, the people come through the doorway. At Pentecost, they learn covenant relationship and Spirit-led livi

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Paul O’Sullivan
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2016 - 2026
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Religion & Spirituality

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