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Conversation #030
Revelation 12-22
One Prophecy
Dear Truth Seeker,
You HAVE been thinking and studying a lot! It will take me a while to respond to all that but I will try. Please bear with me.
I see the last 11 chapters of The Revelation as one connected line of prophecy and therefore it should be studied as such, in their order. They describe the whole 2000 years of Christian endeavour.
What do you think of this summary by chapters?
Chapter 12) Introduces a group of characters to us.
The woman = the church of God
the child of the woman = Christ
the red dragon = Satan
Christ is born, crucified, and goes back to heaven - the Sabbath "rest" church goes into oblivion for 1260 years (538 - 1798). THE war (Isaiah 3:25) carries on, and Satan wins the battles, but is defeated by the death of the Christians when they won't retreat.
Then Satan makes a special attack on the last part of the church who work in the background for 3 ½ years because of the composite beast of the next chapter.
Chapter 13) The people of the world worship Satan's system during the 3 ½ years (42 months) while he causes one of his nations to set up the image.
Chapter 14) In this chapter there comes into view the last of the church who are called the 144,000, and they are singing a NEW song because they have found the way to combat the image of the beast. It is a NEW OLD "way" just as the teachings of Jesus seemed new.
This chapter also contains the story of the SEVEN angels and their trumpets although only SIX are actually mentioned. These angels represent the Christian church at various stages of development since 1833. Trumpets are warning instruments. Numbers 10:2-3. The "angels" represent the different groups of the Christian church who do certain works at various times.
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1) The first "angel" warns of the start of the judgment in October 1844 and calls Christians back to the worship of a creator God and His Sabbath. It began about 1833 when Darwinism and the theory of evolution were in full swing, and is still continuing today.
2) This second one joined the first and told of the fall of the professed Christian churches (the Protestants) around the same time in history (1844), when they rejected the teaching of the seventh-day as the LORD's day.
3) The "third angel" merged in with the others and describes the results of accepting the mark of the beast, so it is pointing to the future as well as the present.
4) The fourth "angel" is missing in this chapter!!!!, but shows up in chapter 18 as a last ditch effort to light up the whole world by telling them that EVERY religion is in league with the devil.
So ALL FOUR will be warnings given in the last days (today).
THEN COMES THE SECOND ADVENT.
5) This comes as a result of an "angel" leaving the temple in heaven and asking Christ to bring up the righteous in the first resurrection, which He does. This section of the Christian church have been in heaven working with Christ since His resurrection and ascension. Matthew 27:52-53; Ephesians 4:8. They accompany Him to earth for this experience. All then return to heaven. 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18.
6) Then, after a period of 1,000 years, all the Christians come out of the heavenly temple prepared to resurrect the "wicked" in the second resurrection. Revelation 20:5. This "angel" has the sickle of resurrection in his hand. Of course, Christians cannot resurrect anyone, only Christ can do this, but He is one of them, and as the Head of the church supplies the power to the "sickle".
7) But the sixth "angel" waits until requested by the seventh "angel" before he does his job! Christ waits for a special group of Christians who come "out from the altar" to ask for this. They are described in Revelation 6:9-11 as the martyrs. They want to see their executioners as well as all the rejecters of God's mercy.
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Chapter 15) Here we see the wonderful "victory parade" and song service of the victorious Christians while they are still on earth, but who are BY FAITH standing in the presence of God. Also the fact that the seven LAST plagues are just commencing because Christ has left the heavenly sanctuary and is on His way to earth. (There have been many other plagues before these, but these are the last.)
Chapter 16) The results of accepting the mark of the beast become physical as well as spiritual. The whole earth and its systems begin to fall apart.
Chapter 17) The background as to what has caused this catastrophe, from the rejecters' point of view.
Chapter 18) The background as to what has caused this catastrophe from the Christians' point of view. The rejection of their call of mercy has sparked off a dismal state of affairs.
Chapter 19) The entrance of the saints of God into the marriage in heaven is here contrasted with the miserable state of Satan and his agents on earth.
Chapter 20) The marriage/judgment lasts for 1,000 years in heaven and every human being is assigned a place in God's scheme of things. The loyal ones have many questions answered during this time.
Then comes the practical experience of this on earth when the "sheep" and "goats" are forever separated. Matthew 25. This is here called "the lake of fire", but chapter 15 describes it as "the sea of glass". It is actually the visible sign of God's life or living power and it consumes sin and any sinner rash enough to venture into it.
Chapter 21) The new world described.
Chapter 22) A picture of the new world showing that it is very much the same as it was when the Garden of Eden was first created. Genesis 2:9-10.
I'll get on to your questions next time.
Regards,
Ron
oooOooo
To the reader,
If there is anything not clear to you as you read my answer, please feel free to mail me and ask about it. I promise not to send you anything but a direct answer to your question. I won't argue about it, just share with you what I have seen.
I won't ask you to join a new church or offshoot either!
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