- Ancient Middle East And End Time
Prophecy
THE KEY POINT OF THIS CHAPTER: If the terminology,
geography, and history of the Old Testament Middle East are used in a
symbolic book of the Bible, then it is very possible that the meaning is
also symbolic and does not apply to end time literal Israel.
- What does the Bible say?
-
The book of Revelation is full
of beasts, seals, and other symbols of all kinds. Also notice in the
following texts the use of many Middle East terms.
- Revelation 7:
- 4 And I heard the
number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and
forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel.
- 5 Of the tribe of Juda were sealed twelve
thousand. Of the tribe of Reuben were sealed twelve thousand. Of the
tribe of Gad were sealed twelve thousand.
- 6
Of the tribe of Aser were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of
Nepthalim were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Manasses were
sealed twelve thousand.
- 7 Of the tribe of
Simeon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Levi were sealed
twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Issachar were sealed twelve thousand.
- 8 Of the tribe of Zabulon were sealed twelve
thousand. Of the tribe of Joseph were sealed twelve thousand. Of the
tribe of Benjamin were sealed twelve thousand.
- Revelation 11:
- 8 And their dead
bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is
called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.
- 19 And the temple of God was opened in
heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament: and
there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake,
and great hail.
- Revelation 14:
- 1 AND I looked, and,
lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and
four thousand, having his Father,s name written in their foreheads.
- Revelation 16:
- 12 And the sixth
angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water
thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be
prepared.
- 16 And he gathered them together
into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.
- Revelation 17:
- 5 And upon her
forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF
HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.
- Revelation 20:
- 8 And shall go out
to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog
and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as
the sand of the sea.
- Revelation 21:
- 10 And he carried me
away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that
great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,
-
Many assume that the above texts prove
that earth´s final events will center around the Middle East. However,
a careful study of the following texts will reveal that Revelation is
simply using the terminology, events, and history of the Old Testament
in a spiritual and global sense to represent Jesus Christ, His spiritual
Israel, and His global enemies.
-
As already presented in the chapter on
the Temple, the earthly temple and the candlesticks represent God´s New
Testament Church.
-
The Old Testament woman "Jezebel" is
applied in a spiritual sense to false teachers. She is symbolic of
false teachings in the Church.
- Revelation 2:
- 20 Notwithstanding I
have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman
Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my
servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols.
-
A temple and the ark of His
testament are in Heaven.
- Revelation 11:
- 19 And the temple of
God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of
his testament: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings,
and an earthquake, and great hail.
-
The Lamb represents Christ
who was sacrificed for us.
- Revelation 14:
- 1 AND I looked, and,
lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and
four thousand, having his Father´s name written in their foreheads.
-
Mount Sion is where
God´s Church will stand with Christ.
- Revelation 14:
- 1 AND I looked, and,
lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and
four thousand, having his Father´s name written in their foreheads.
- Hebrews 12:
- 22 But ye are come unto
mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem,
and to an innumerable company of angels,
- 23
To the general assembly and church
in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men
made perfect,
-
The New Jerusalem sits on a
heavenly Mount Sion.
- Revelation 21:
- 9 And there came
unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the
seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew
thee the bride, the Lamb´s wife.
- 10 And he
carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed
me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from
God,
- Hebrews 12:
- 22 But ye are come unto
mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem,
and to an innumerable company of angels,
-
The Old Testament city of Babylon
represents a spiritual Babylon (Satan´s false religion in all its many
forms) which deceives the whole world.
- Revelation 14:
- 8 And there followed
another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city,
because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her
fornication.
- Revelation 17:
- 5 And upon her
forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF
HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.
- Revelation 18:
- 1 AND after these
things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power;
and the earth was lightened with his glory.
- 2 And he cried mightily with a strong voice,
saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the
habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of
every unclean and hateful bird.
- 3 For all
nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the
kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the
merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her
delicacies.
- 4 And I heard another voice from
heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of
her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.
- 23 And the light of a candle 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 great
men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived.
-
The 144,000 from all the tribes of
Israel represent Christians who are not defiled by spiritual Babylon
(the Mother and her daughters).
- Revelation 7:
- 4 And I heard the
number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and
forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel.
- Revelation 14:
- 1 AND I looked, and,
lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and
four thousand, having his Father´s name written in their foreheads.
- 2 And I heard a voice from heaven, as the
voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard
the voice of harpers harping with their harps:
- 3 And they sung as it were a new song before
the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could
learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were
redeemed from the earth.
- 4 These are they
which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they
which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from
among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb.
- 5 And in their mouth was found no guile: for
they are without fault before the throne of God.
-
The Old Testament enemies of Israel
(Gog and Magog - Ezekiel 38, 39) are applied to a global gathering of
the enemies of New Jerusalem at the end of the 1,000 years.
- Revelation 20:
- 7 And when the
thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,
- 8 And shall go out to deceive the nations
which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather
them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.
-
Again one needs to think spiritual instead of thinking
literal.
Dwight Waterhouse is the compiler of this information.
Please feel free to send your comments and questions. David Waterhouse
is the Webmaster. You can reach both of us at the same E mail
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