We ended the last bit on the year 1798. We have 46 years left before the “cleansing of the Sanctuary”.
Pope Pius VI has just died under Berthier’s care.
Rev 13:3 And I saw one of his heads as if it had been mortally wounded, and his deadly wound was healed. And all the world marveled and followed the beast.
The “healing” will come later as you will see.
Before proceeding it’s important to say something here. I’ve made it clear that I’m an Historicist; that is, I believe the biblical events concerning the “end times” happen over the centuries of history, as described in biblical text. IOW, history and the Bible flow hand-in-hand.
IMO, this historical teaching is as close to the original teaching of the Apostles as we can get. It was also taught by the founding fathers of the Reformation; until they became corrupted by the Beast.
The other two competing “philosophies”, Futurism (it most all happens in the future) and Preterism (it has already happened), are man-made creations, invented by Jesuits, to combat the Protestant Reformation. They have nothing to do with the Holy Spirit and are considered by me to be apostate.
It is no surprise to most of us that most all Christian denominations of today completely embrace Futurism – a falsehood. Are we beginning to comprehend why so many people mistrust Preachers, Priests, Ministers, and churches? It’s because they are full of lies.
As I continue forward in history I’ll begin using more and more from the book of Revelation. Please remember, Revelation is “The Revelation of Jesus Christ” – not, the revelation of John!
You can write volumes on Revelation, and people have. I will go into it as much as possible here, but I will most certainly have to ignore some things.
Also, remember that Revelation is history as well as future. Did you know that out of the estimated 404 verses in the book, 278 are “repeats” of the same concepts in the Old Testament – if not direct quotes!
Another important item to bring up now is the “Mark of the Beast”. In the last entry I made it clear that Sunday vs. Saturday worship has everything to do with this. Does this mean I believe that people have the “Mark” now? No, and I’ll explain why.
Daniel 7:25 speaks of “thinking to change times and laws”, but if you keep reading, Daniel 12:4 says; “knowledge shall be increased”. This last bit is in reference to the future; the end of the “last days”. All people will learn the truth before the hammer comes down.
Rev. 13:16 and Rev. 14:9-12 teaches that two things must happen before the “Mark” comes into affect:
1. the mark is universally enforced by law
2. people discover, understand, and reject the truth concerning the mark (see also; James 4:17)
Only after these two things occur will people receive the mark.
You may be incredulous at this point and proclaim that forced Sunday worship will never happen! Too late! It already has! And will be made law for everyone, eventually!
Now … back to 1798!
As mentioned before, 1798 is the end of that prophesied 1,260 years that the Beast had to persecute the Saints. The Papacy was “taken out” by Napoleon.
To continue, we now have to backtrack a little because something very important has happened during this time of persecution; God has protected and nurtured His Bride! This fact is ignored by most because the natural inclination is to think that God has simply allowed His church to be decimated by the bad guys during the dark ages. One cannot read the Bible without realizing God always works with a Remnant of His people.
Jeremiah 6:2 “I have likened the daughter of Zion to a comely and delicate woman." .
Isaiah 51:16 "And say unto Zion, Thou art my people." .
Jesus symbolizes His true, pure church (Zion) as a pure woman and an apostate church as a harlot. A few other texts which also utilize this symbolism are 2 Corinthians 11:2; Ephesians 5:22, 23; and Revelation 19:7, 8.
In Revelation 12:1, Jesus symbolizes His church as a woman "clothed with the sun," with "the moon under her feet," and wearing "a crown of twelve stars." What do these symbols mean?
The sun represents Jesus, His gospel, and His righteousness. "The Lord God is a sun." Psalms 84:11. (See also Malachi 4:2.) Without Jesus there is no salvation (Acts 4:12). More than anything else, Jesus wants His church to overflow with His presence and glory. (symbols are in use here, folks - God/Jesus are not litearlly a "sun") (do ya begin to understand why Satan uses Sun Worship to introduce falsehood into the church?)
"The moon under her feet" represents the sacrificial system of the Old Testament. As the moon reflects the light of the sun, so the sacrificial system was helpful spiritually only as it reflected light from the Messiah to come (Hebrews 10:1). The "crown of twelve stars" represents the work of the 12 disciples, which crowned the early years of the New Testament church. 
Next, the prophecy states that the woman is in labor, about to deliver a baby who would one day rule all nations with a rod of iron. She then delivered the "man child," and later He was taken up to God's throne in heaven (Revelation 12:1, 2, 5). Who was this baby?
The baby was Jesus. He will one day rule all nations with a rod of iron (Revelation 19:13-16; Psalms 2:7-9). Jesus, who was crucified for our sins, was raised from the dead and ascended to heaven (Acts 1:9-11). His resurrection power in our lives is one of Jesus' essential gifts to His people (Philippians 3:10).
Revelation 12:3, 4 introduces "a great red dragon" who hated the "man child" and tried to kill him at birth. Who was the dragon?
The dragon represents Satan, who was cast out of heaven (Revelation 12:7-9) and who was working at the time of Jesus' birth through the pagan Roman empire. The ruler who tried to kill Jesus at birth was Herod, a king under pagan Rome. He killed all the male babies of Bethlehem, hoping that one of them would be Jesus (Matthew 2:16).
Are you beginning to see how Revelation repeats biblical history? Why does it do this? I’ll give you a hint. Most everything in the Old Testament; the Laws, the Sanctuary, the Atonement, the Sacrifices, the Temple, etc. point to Jesus in the New Testament. In Revelation we are being reminded of this so we may understand and comprehend the penultimate, the culmination of all that has passed – so we can make a decision – then the end will come. Still believe a new Temple must be built when the sacrifices were but a shadow of Jesus ? The rebuilding of a new Temple in Jerusalem should be abhorrent and blasphemes to the true Christian.
Revelation reiterates the meaning of the "seven heads" and "ten horns" of the dragon, and of "the third part of the stars of heaven" being cast to the earth.
The "seven heads" represent the seven hills or mountains upon which Rome was built (Revelation 17:9, 10). (Revelation 12:3; 13:1; 17:3).
The "ten horns" represent the governments, or nations, that support the major powers in their oppression of God's people and church. During pagan Rome's tenure (Revelation 12:3, 4), they represented the 10 barbarian tribes that supported the Papacy in eventually bringing down the Roman empire (Daniel 7:23, 24). These tribes later became modern Europe. In the last days, they represent all the nations of the world united in the end-time coalition (Revelation 16:14; 17:12, 13, 16) which will support "Babylon the great" in her warfare against God's people. (that’s right folks, the persecution is not over)
The third part of the stars of heaven are the angels who supported Lucifer in his insurrection in heaven and who were cast out with him (Revelation 12:9; Luke 10:18; Isaiah 14:12).
What did the woman (church) do to protect herself, and what is the "wilderness" spoken of in Revelation 12:6, 14?
Verses 6 and 14 say, "The woman fled into the wilderness," where she was protected for "a time, and times, and half a time" (or 1,260 literal years) from the wrath of Satan--who was then working through papal Rome. The "two wings" represent the protection and support God gave the church during her time in the "wilderness" (Exodus 19:4; Deuteronomy 32:11). The time spent in the wilderness is the same 1,260-year period of papal prominence and persecution (A.D. 538 to 1798) that Jesus repeatedly mentioned in prophecy. One prophetic day equals one literal year (Ezekiel 4:6).
The term "wilderness" refers to the solitary places of earth (mountains, caves, forests, etc.) where God's people could hide in seclusion and thus escape total annihilation (Hebrews 11:37, 38). And hide they did--the Waldenses, Albigenses, Huguenots, and many others. God's people (His church) would have been obliterated if they had not fled and hid in the wilderness during this devastating persecution by the Papacy. (In one 40-year period, "from the beginning of the order of the Jesuits, in the year 1540, to 1580, nine hundred thousand people were destroyed. One hundred fifty thousand perished in the Inquisition in 30 years." 1) At least 50 million people died for their faith during this 1,260-year time period.
Do you still think the Roman Catholic Church is the true church?
God's church did not exist as an official organization during this 1,260-year time period. From A.D. 538 to 1798 it was alive but not identifiable as an organization. (please notice, I said God’s church, not the RCC) When it came out of hiding after the 1,260 years, it still had the same doctrine and characteristics as the Apostolic church, which entered the "wilderness" in A.D. 538.
Many fled to America to escape the terrible persecutions of God's people.
Whew! Why is all this important? Because we are headed towards the cleansing of the Sanctuary.
We have now discovered our first two identification points for Jesus' end-time church:
1. It would not exist officially as an organization between A.D. 538 and 1798.
2. It would arise and do its end-time work after 1798.
In Revelation 12:17, God calls His end-time church the Remnant. What does the word "remnant" mean?
It means the last remaining portion. In reference to Jesus' church, it means His church of the very last days, which is identical in doctrine to the Apostolic church.
In Revelation 12:17, what description did Jesus give of His end-time remnant church?
It would keep all the Ten Commandments, including the seventh-day Sabbath of the fourth commandment (John 14:15; Revelation 22:14). It also would have the "testimony of Jesus", which the Bible tells us is the spirit of prophecy (Revelation 19:10).
Remember that while hosts of sincere Christian people are found in churches that do not keep the Sabbath or have the gift of prophecy, none of these churches (organizations) can be God's remnant end-time church into which Jesus is calling all last-day Christians, because God's end-time church will both keep God's commandments and have the gift of prophecy. I’m not saying all of these churches are apostate – I’m saying that they are still learning those truths that must be learned before the “Mark of the Beast” can be proclaimed. They will have made their choice.
So … all this has everything to do with 1798 because it means we are nearing the “End”. Have you ever wondered why Christians are always saying; “Repent, the End is Near!” ?
It’s because the Bible says it is!
Now, I said earlier we have 46 years left. 1798 + 46 = 1844. So, 1844 must be the year the Sanctuary must be cleansed!
What happened !?! First, I will ask that you briefly review 3 topics leading up to 1844:
That’s right folks. Instead of a momentous event unfolding, great disillusionment prevailed! After 2 great awakenings to the Spirit of God in America (the new promised land ?), a tremendous disappointment occurred.
Mankind mistakenly assumed the true “end” was upon us and it wouldn't be the first or last time this mistake was made!
Rev 10:9 So I went to the angel and said to him, "Give me the little book." And he said to me, "Take and eat it; and it will make your stomach bitter, but it will be as sweet as honey in your mouth."
Did this time in our history point to this verse in Rev. 10:9? Some have said so, but I’ll leave it up to you to decide.
As always, I have to save something for the next blog.
The “cleansing of the Sanctuary” turns out to be the cleansing of the Heavenly Sanctuary! More proof of the symbolism of the book of Revelation. (not a physical temple rebuilt by man).
In honor of my good friend, Whit, the next entry will be all about the Sanctuary and the Temple, to address some comments of his.
Does all this history mean that the “end” is not near? Does it mean that the Second Coming is symbolism as well?
No! Not at all!
… til next time.
The Observer
[Note: all of the material I cover on this blog may be found within the web site links I provide on the right. It is free and open for all to learn - God is not hiding anything from us! Truth and knowledge of God is increasing. People will ultimately have to make their choice.]
No comments:
Post a Comment