I love how
the Bible fits together better and better the more you read it, meditate on it,
and compare it to itself. One of the most important principles of handling the
Bible is that Scripture interprets Scripture. Now, as we look through a mirror
darkly, we know that we will have to continue learning everyday in this life
and we will still not grasp all of the Scriptures perfectly. But that is what
we should expect. The Bible reveals to us an eternal Lord who existed before
creation, who is above all creation, and to whom we are called to surrender and
trust. Even the Apostle Paul said,
“33
Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable
are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! 34 “For who has known the mind
of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?” 35 “Or who has given a gift to him
that he might be repaid?” 36 For from him and through him and to him are all
things. To him be glory forever. Amen” (Rom. 11:33-36).
Paul saw Gods sometimes inscrutable ways as a reason to worship. And so should we.
Some might
wonder, also, why I write so much about the issue of who the people of God are,
and also why I challenge so many of the modern evangelical claims regarding the
nation that calls itself Israel in the Middle East today. It is because I see
dispensationalism[1]
as a scourge on the Church, one that needs to be rebuked, corrected and
challenged. Others might feel more inclined to address prosperity heresy, new
age movements in the church, pagan influences in the Church, and things like
this. And I will at time address such things, in fact, I have a book coming out
soon which does a lot of this. But dispensationalism is a serious error that I
see often in my context, with people I know, and also effecting events on the
world stage, and so I have constant reminders around me of this error. I don’t
associate with many new age types, or prosperity teachers. I am constantly
encountering dispensationalists. I have seen this doctrine split families,
churches, and cause all sorts of havoc, and it just happens to be a form of the
same Judaizing error that the New Testament addressed often. This is why I
address it regularly. Because I was raised in it, I also have insight into what
it is from a personal perspective. But fear not, I will address many other
things in my writings too.
One of the
perceived strongholds of the dispensational worldview is the book of
Revelation. This book has been taken, used and abused, by so many futurist predictions
that most people just want noting to do with the book today. This is a shame,
because ultimately the book is about Jesus. I have a study on YouTube which
I have designed to help demystify the book a bit and help it be more applicable
to everyday Christian living to try and counter these bad readings. I seek to give airtime to
various perspectives in the study. But the overall aim is to de-sensationalize
the book and show how applicable it is to encourage our walk with God here and
now.
It is
probably because my
latest episode was on Babylon and because I am preaching on Matthew 22 this
week, that I noticed the synchronicity between these passages from Revelation
and the gospel. They are just so powerfully talking about the same thing.
We see in
Revelation 17-19 the contrast between the whore and the faithful bride. The
whore of Babylon, the great city and prostitute, is likened to a city that sits
on the many waters. In fact, Revelation 11:7-8 identifies the great city as the
city where our Lord was crucified. Which can only be Jerusalem. The ‘Great City’
is always singular in Revelation. So, it stands to reason that there is only
one great city mentioned, Jerusalem.
In chapter 18
we see the city is spoken of as fallen and rebellious.
“1 After
this I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority,
and the earth was made bright with his glory. 2 And he called
out with a mighty voice,
“Fallen,
fallen is Babylon the great!
She has become a dwelling place for demons,
a haunt for every unclean spirit,
a haunt for every unclean bird,
a haunt for every unclean and detestable beast.
3 For all nations have drunk
the wine of the passion of her sexual immorality,
and the kings of the earth have committed immorality with her,
and the merchants of the earth have grown rich
from the power of her luxurious living.”
Jerusalem was
a dwelling place of unclean spirits when Jesus came in the first century. So,
this is a faithless city gone over to evil. Just as Jerusalem rejected their
God and was filled with evil in Jesus’ day.
We see that
God’s people are warned to come out of her before she is judged,
“4 Then
I heard another voice from heaven saying, “Come out of her, my people, lest
you take part in her sins, lest you share in her plagues; 5 for her
sins are heaped high as heaven, and God has remembered her
iniquities. 6 Pay her back as she herself has paid back others, and
repay her double for her deeds; mix a double portion for her in
the cup she mixed.”
We also see
that this faithless city is responsible for the bloodshed of the saints and
prophets of God.
“20 Rejoice
over her, O heaven, and you saints and apostles and prophets,
for God has given judgment for you against her!” 21 Then a
mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the
sea, saying, “So will Babylon the great city be thrown down with violence, and
will be found no more;…24 And in her was found the blood of prophets
and of saints, and of all who have been slain on earth.”
God did judge
the city of Jerusalem in the first century. One of the most powerful images in
the ancient world is the inscription of Rome’s victory over Jerusalem showing
the soldiers carrying out the Menorah from the temple. This is inscribed on the
arch of Titus in Rome.
This is a
powerful image of God’s judgement against his Apostate people for having
rebelled against him. Taking out the lampstand represents the removal of the
Spirit or God’s light from the temple system. It has not been rebuilt since,
and even if it was rebuilt it would not be a true temple, as God has moved on
from that system. The lampstand had been taken.
Then we see
this judged prostitute, the unfaithful woman is contrasted with the victorious
and righteous bride, at the wedding supper of the lamb in Revelation 19,
“6 Then
I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the
roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying
out,
“Hallelujah!
For the Lord our God
the Almighty reigns.
7 Let us rejoice and exult
and give him the glory,
for the marriage of the Lamb has come,
and his Bride has made herself ready;
8 it was granted her to clothe herself
with fine linen, bright and pure”—
for
the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints.
9 And
the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited
to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” And he said to me, “These are the
true words of God.” 10 Then I fell down at his feet to worship
him, but he said to me, “You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with
you and your brothers who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God.”
For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”
So, we see
that the rebellious city is judged. A city that had become corrupted and
which had persecuted the men and women of God. And this is contrasted with the righteous
people of God, the Church, who are presented before God at the wedding supper
of the lamb dressed in fine and pure linen. This is a powerful imagery of God’s
judgement on the Apostate and his vindication of those who truly believed and
were faithful.
This just
happens to be exactly what Jesus says in Matthew 22. We read there,
“1
And again Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying, 2 “The kingdom of heaven may
be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son, 3 and sent his
servants to call those who were invited to the wedding feast, but they would
not come. 4 Again he sent other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited,
“See, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been
slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding feast.”’ 5 But they
paid no attention and went off, one to his farm, another to his business, 6
while the rest seized his servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them. 7
The king was angry, and he sent his troops and destroyed those murderers and
burned their city. 8 Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding feast is ready,
but those invited were not worthy. 9 Go therefore to the main roads and invite
to the wedding feast as many as you find.’ 10 And those servants went out into
the roads and gathered all whom they found, both bad and good. So the wedding
hall was filled with guests. 11 “But when the king came in to look at the
guests, he saw there a man who had no wedding garment. 12 And he said to him,
‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was
speechless. 13 Then the king said to the attendants, ‘Bind him hand and foot
and cast him into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and
gnashing of teeth.’ 14 For many are called, but few are chosen.” (Matt. 22:1-14).
Matthew 21:45
has already told us that Pharisees and Chief Priests know that Jesus is
speaking about them. In this parable he warns them that the Apostate city,
which persecuted the prophets and saints, will be judged and only those who are
dressed appropriately will be vindicated on the final day. This is a prophecy
about the judgement of Jerusalem which is made clear again and again in the
context.
Jesus laments
what is about to come upon Jerusalem in Matthew 23,
“37
O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who
are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen
gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! 38 See, your house
is left to you desolate. 39 For I tell you, you will not see me again, until
you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’” (Matt. 23:37-39).
And then in
chapter 24 he famously prophecies the destruction of the temple.
If you read
Revelation 17 you will see that it says this about the garments of the Great
Whore, “4 The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold
and jewels and pearls, holding in her hand a golden cup full of abominations
and the impurities of her sexual immorality” (Rev. 17:4). This description just
happens to match perfectly the robes of the priests described in Exodus,
“6
And they shall make the ephod of gold, of blue and purple and scarlet yarns,
and of fine twined linen, skillfully worked. 7 It shall have two shoulder
pieces attached to its two edges, so that it may be joined together. 8 And the
skillfully woven band on it shall be made like it and be of one piece with it,
of gold, blue and purple and scarlet yarns, and fine twined linen. 9 You shall
take two onyx stones, and engrave on them the names of the sons of Israel, 10
six of their names on the one stone, and the names of the remaining six on the
other stone, in the order of their birth. 11 As a jeweler engraves signets, so
shall you engrave the two stones with the names of the sons of Israel. You
shall enclose them in settings of gold filigree. 12 And you shall set the two
stones on the shoulder pieces of the ephod, as stones of remembrance for the
sons of Israel. And Aaron shall bear their names before the Lord on his two
shoulders for remembrance. 13 You shall make settings of gold filigree, 14 and
two chains of pure gold, twisted like cords; and you shall attach the corded
chains to the settings” (Ex. 28:6-14).
This linen itself is not wicked. However, as we see in Matthew 21 the whole temple system had become rotten, and was now a den of robbers. What was once Holy is now Apostate.
So much of
what is happening in these chapters lines up. The synchronicity of Revelation
18-19 and Matthew 22 are incredible. This goes to show that you don’t need to
harken to fantastical claims made by a continual stream of futurist predictors.
I do think there will be a future fulfilment of aspects of this. God’s apostate
people will have expanded to include all those who claim to be his but are not. All those who align with the world will be judged.
However, the
fact that a very strong case can be made for this having been fulfilled in the
first century helps demystify this book for us. It shows us Jesus in more clarity
and power. Though he appeared to be defeated on the cross, really he was
achieving the salvation of all who would believe in him, whether of Judah or
the Gentiles, by paying the penalty for our sins on the cross. He then judged
the city which rebelled against him, as he prophesied he would, and he will return
again to judge the living and the dead. So come out of the world system and
trust in him, while you still can.
Also don’t
fear the ongoing predictions of those who cry “rapture” “rapture”. Or claim
every single new technology is the mark of the beast. Evil will seek to take
control. But Revelation says when they do finally take control they will have it for only an hour (Rev.
17:12). We should more fear the Lord who will judge evil, than the evil that
wants us to fear it.
You may read
Revelation differently. That is fine. But at least it can be said that this
reading is scripturally consistent. If you read it differently, make your case
from scripture and not from the newspaper, and we can examine it and see how it
lines up with God’s own word.
[1] If
you would like to see what dispensationalism is you can read my article here. https://revmatthewlittlefield.substack.com/p/inside-the-mindset-of-a-christian
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