For some time now and with considerable interest I have been following some stories in the news concerning the Noahide Laws, which are the laws the B'Nai Noach (Children of Noah or Noahides) claim God gave to the Gentiles following the Great Flood according to the Hebrew Bible. This cannot, however, be found in Scripture. Rather they are found in the Talmud, which is not God's inspired Word. It is interesting to note that the Noahide Laws can also be found in the religion of Islam, making it possible for this to be a point of unity between the Jews and Arabs at some future date. I came across this information while I was doing some research on my articles, THE GOLDEN RULE TWISTED, (Parts 1 and 2, and the addendum). I discovered that the Noahide Laws have been equated with the Golden Rule by some. The Noahide Laws have also been called The Covenant of the Rainbow. For a good overview of the Noahide Laws, click HERE.
There is a prophecy in Daniel 7 which says:
23Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.
24And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.
25And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time."
I wonder if there is a connection between this prophecy and the Noahide Laws.
There have been a number of news report in January about the Noahide Laws.
While George Bush was in the Middle East this month, the newly formed Sanhedrin was also meeting to discuss the Noahide Laws on the week he was there. (Read the January 10th article, Sanhedrin Recognizes Council to Teach Humanity 'Laws of Noah' in the Israel National News for yourself). Although these meetings of the Sanhedrin with the B'nai Noach were being reported in the major Israeli newspapers, not much was being said about them anywhere else. I suppose it was taking a back seat to the Peace Talks.
The Jerusalem Post had an article on January 24th called Parashat Yitro: Every Knee Shall Bend. This is significant because Noahides believe that peace and righteousness on the earth is only possible when the Noahide Laws are in effect worldwide, and are intent on making them so. They also believe that when they are put in effect worldwide, the Messiah will finally make His appearance for the first time in history. This is contrary to the Bible (OT and NT) which teaches that peace and righteousness is in Christ alone, and that Christ having already appeared to this world over two thousand years ago, will return one day to establish His physical kingdom after He has conquered Satan and his system. This would mean that the messiah the Jews are expecting is, in reality, the Antichrist.
Schlomo Riskin (Jerusalem Post article, Parashat Yitro: Every Knee Shall Bend) had this to say:
Returning to the biblical message of Yitro, at the very least we are enjoined to oppose human enslavement and spread the Ten Commandments. After all, the Midrash on the verse "God came forth from Sinai [after] He had shown [His laws] to them from Seir and revealed [them] from the Mount of Paran …" (Deuteronomy 33:2) teaches that God initially offered His Decalogue to the descendants of Esau (Seir) and then to the descendants of Ishmael (Paran), only to have them rejected by all except Israel. And Maimonides rules that only the Jews must keep the 613 commandments for ultimate "salvation"; it is enough for the gentile world to accept the Seven Noahide Laws of morality (Laws of Kings 8,10).But we certainly must proselytize every human being to keep those seven laws - do not worship an idol, do not misuse God's Name, do not murder, do not commit licentious sexual acts, do not steal, respect all creatures, and create a judicial system to enforce the first six laws. (emphasis mine)1.
There are several reasons these news reports (and I have read many over the past month) are significant. They are:
- Jews who hold to the hope of the first appearance of a soon-coming messiah, also believe that the worshipers of Christ are worshiping a false god, since they do not recognize the Lord Jesus Christ as God and Messiah. The Noahide Law forbidding idolatry claims that Jesus is a false God because "God is One" in their religion, and anyone who believes in a triune God would be breaking that law. They also believe Jesus of Nazareth was the illegitimate child of Mary and a Roman soldier, and a lunatic who believed himself to be the Messiah, deceiving people into following Him, thus initiating the cult of Christianity.
- This would mean that anyone who is a Christian would be in violation of the Noahide Laws and subject to punishment under the law.
- The punishment for breaking this law is decapitation. Revelation 20:4 says that decapitation is the method the antichrist uses to kill the saints: "Then I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark on their forehead and on their hand; and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years."
- According to my research, and according to the Talmud, the application of the law (decapitation) is only able to be implemented when the Temple is in place in Jerusalem.
The official website for B'Nai Noah has this to say:
Four Ways of the Death Penalty
Execution of the death penalty is the component and integral part of the first of Seven Biblical Laws - about establishment of courts and appointment of judges. However the death penalty itself can be used as punishment for deliberate and conscious infringement upon one of Seven Laws only when Jerusalem Temple exists. As it's explained in Mechilta (Midrash Hagadol, Shemot 21:14): "Even from My altar you shall take him to die; that is if there's Temple - is sentenced to the death penalty, if there's no - is not sentenced." That's why today while there's no Temple, cases which may lead to death sentence are not considered.
It all refers to our world - the world of humans. But Midrash explains though human's court has no right to put to death nowadays - noone (sic) cancelled Heavens' court and it judges everyone in accordance with one's actions and deeds, each second. And if somebody deliberately infringes upon one of six prohibitions - he brings death sentence of Heavens upon himself. Such sentence is executed by definite sequence of events or by concatenation of life's circumstances. Read "Death from the hand of Heavens" subsection below for more details.
We live at times that Tora directly calls "birth pangs" before Mashiach's (Messiah - Biblical language translation) coming. Times when evil strengthened curiously. And times when world itself balances at the edge of abyss, hardly and miraculously keeping from breaking away. Righteous Mashiach is just about to come (may it happen soon, in our days) and the reigning will return to house of David. And he will build the Temple and fulfill numerous prophecies which already started coming true. In his days all laws are going to return to functioning, as it was before: all will honour G-d, bring sacrifices and establish courts to guard observing of Seven Laws among the peoples of the world (emphasis mine)- according to all details described in Tora.
That's why it's so important to say about rules prescribed by Scripture as for malicious breakers of Seven Laws and it's important to say that today already. For tomorrow may come very unexpectedly...
There are four ways of the death penalty in Bible, that court can sentence to. They are:
- Skila (throwing down onto stones - Biblical language translation);
- Srefa (burning - Biblical language translation);
- Hereg (execution with sword - Biblical language translation);
- Henek (strangulation - Biblical language translation).
Execution with sword is done the following way. The convict is decapitated by cutting off his head with sword the way the kingdoms did in previous times. He's beheaded standing and his body falls dead under its own weight after the head is cut off (Babylonian Talmud, Tractate Sanhedrin 52b).2.
Third Law is No Idolatry
Worshipping idols is called Avoda Zara in Biblical language (alien service - Biblical language translation). Sometimes Tora uses other terms - Avodat Elilim (serving to powers - Biblical language translation) and Avodat Kokhavim (worshipping stars - Biblical language translation). In the most general outline it all can be defined as serving and worshipping anything except G-d. In other words - the recognition there are some different powers, except for Hashem, that can somehow influence our fate.What does it all mean in practice? Christians are idolaters as far as their cult includes the worship to the regular human, who was executed by the sentence of the Sages' court, but whom Christians consider to recognize and openly call their god. (emphasis mine). The way of worship typical for this idol is "to cross".
And RAMBAM writes both about this cult and about Islam ("Mishne Tora" Religious Code, Laws of Kings and Their Wars 11:4):
"And about Jesus from Nazareth who got a false idea to consider himself Mashiach (Messiah - Biblical language translation) and was executed by the sentence of court - prophet Daniel prophesied about him as it's written (Daniel 11:14): And parvenus from your people will exalt themselves to bring about the vision but they will fail - and can there be a failure bigger than that? Coz (sic) all prophets spoke of Mashiach who rescues Jewish people, and saves them, and brings back to their land those scattered from them, and strengthens them in observing the commandments. But that one became a cause of death of Jews from sword, and of exile of those remained at their land yet, and of their humiliation. He substituted Tora and misled the majority of humanity the way they started worshipping him instead of Creator. 3.
What are the Noahide Laws?NOACHIDE LAWS, the seven laws considered by rabbinic tradition as the minimal moral duties enjoined by the Bible on all men (Sanh. 56–60; Yad, Melakhim, 8:10, 10:12) ...
The seven Noachide laws as traditionally enumerated are: the prohibitions of idolatry, blasphemy, bloodshed, sexual sins, theft, and eating from a living animal, as well as the injunction to establish a legal system (Tosef., Av. Zar. 8:4; Sanh. 56a). Except for the last, all are negative, and the last itself is usually interpreted as commanding the enforcement of the others (Maim. Yad, Melakhim, 9:1). (Encyclopaedia Judaica, "Noahide Laws")
Who is an idolator according to the codifier of Judaism, Moses Maimonides?"The Christians are idolaters, and Sunday is their holiday..." (Maimonides, Mishneh Torah, Avoda Zorah 9;4)
How does the Judaic "justice" system of double standards handle those accused of disobeying Noahide law (ie. Christian "idolaters")?A non-Jew is put to death on the basis of a decision given by one judge [no jury], and on the basis of testimony given by a single witness, and even if he was not given a proper warning prior to the commission of his offense. He is put to death on the basis of testimony and a decision given by a man but not on the basis of testimony and a decision given by a woman, and the man who testified or decided against him can even be a relative.
A Jew can only be put to death by a court of twenty-three judges, and on the basis of the testimony of two male witnesses who are not disqualified from testifying on account of kinship, and after being properly warned against committing the transgression. But none of these rules apply in the case of a non-Jew. (Babylonian Talmud, Sanhedrin 57b, Steinsaltz edition, vol.18, page 110)
What happens to those found guilty of disobeying Noahide law in a Judaic kangaroo court?... violation of any one of the seven laws subjects the Noachide to capital punishment by decapitation (Sanh. 57a).(Encyclopaedia Judaica, "Noahide Laws") 4.
I have been finding evidence that B'Nai Noach have been very active worldwide in spreading their message. Below is an example from Chabad Tokyo Japan Blog (The News and Blog of the Jewish Community in Tokyo). Ambassadors from six countries signed a proclamation for all of mankind to accept the Noahide Laws (Mitzvos).
The event described here happened in February 2007 as far as I can tell.
Ambassadors Sign 7 Mitzvos Declaration
On Yud Shevat, a big event was held in Tel Aviv, in honor of the Rebbe Shlita Melech Hamoshiach. Rabbi Binyomin Edery, Chabad Tokyo, flew in especially to talk at this momentous occasion.
Ambassadors from six different countries came to take part in the gathering and declare in the name of the states they represent, their support of the Sheva Mitzvos Bnei Noach. They represented; Poland, Latvia, Mexico, Panama, Ghana, and Japan, they were part of a special program organized by Harav Boaz Kali.
Harav Kali spoke shortly about the work being done to spread the message of the Sheva Mitzvos Bnei Noach, followed by a short video on the importance of the Sheva Mitzvos. To the amazement of the audience at the Kinus, the embassadors signed a special proclamation which calls for all mankind to follow the Sheva Mitzvos Bnei Noach and to accept the everlasting kingship of the Rebbe Shlita as Melech Hamoshiach. 5.
To designate March 26, 1991, as `Education Day, U.S.A.'. (Enrolled as Agreed to or Passed by Both House and Senate)--H.J.Res.104--
One Hundred Second Congress of the United States of America
AT THE FIRST SESSION Begun and held at the City of Washington on Thursday, the third day of January,
one thousand nine hundred and ninety-one
Joint Resolution
To designate March 26, 1991, as `Education Day, U.S.A.'.
Whereas Congress recognizes the historical tradition of ethical values and principles which are the basis of civilized society and upon which our great Nation was founded;
Whereas these ethical values and principles have been the bedrock of society from the dawn of civilization, when they were known as the Seven Noahide Laws;
Whereas without these ethical values and principles the edifice of civilization stands in serious peril of returning to chaos;
Whereas society is profoundly concerned with the recent weakening of these principles that has resulted in crises that beleaguer and threaten the fabric of civilized society;
Whereas the justified preoccupation with these crises must not let the citizens of this Nation lose sight of their responsibility to transmit these historical ethical values from our distinguished past to the generations of the future;
Whereas the Lubavitch movement has fostered and promoted these ethical values and principles throughout the world;
Whereas Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, leader of the Lubavitch movement, is universally respected and revered and his eighty-ninth birthday falls on March 26, 1991;
Whereas in tribute to this great spiritual leader, `the rebbe', this, his ninetieth year will be seen as one of `education and giving', the year in which we turn to education and charity to return the world to the moral and ethical values contained in the Seven Noahide Laws; and
Whereas this will be reflected in an international scroll of honor signed by the President of the United States and other heads of state: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That March 26, 1991, the start of the ninetieth year of Rabbi Menachem Schneerson, leader of the worldwide Lubavitch movement, is designated as `Education Day, U.S.A.'. The President is requested to issue a proclamation calling upon the people of the United States to observe such day with appropriate ceremonies and activities.
Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Vice President of the United States and
President of the Senate. (emphasis mine) 6.
I would also like to caution anybody involved in the Hebraic Roots movement, as it seems to be leading Christians into converting to Judaism and the Noahide Laws. Keep your head up on this one. For additional reading on this subject, click HERE and HERE.
I am beginning to wonder, in light of the many events involving the Sanhedrin and the B'Nai Noach lately, if the attempt to implement the Noahide Laws could be the fulfillment of this prophecy of Daniel 7:25. I have also begun to question my belief in a pre-tribulation rapture. I'm not convinced that one should be dogmatic about it, as I wonder if we can really understand the sequence of events in the last days until they are upon us. At this point in time I am not ready quite yet to let go of the pre-trib rapture, as I believe there are just too many indications in Scripture that point to one, but I am beginning to wonder. At any rate, I think it is important to be ready for Christ's return at any moment, but to also be ready to face intense persecution and even martyrdom should that be the case. If the Noahide Laws should come into effect during our lifetime this will surely be the case, as followers of the Covenant of the Rainbow consider Christians to be worthy of death. So far, this appears to be a piece of the puzzle in the end-times picture. Just how, where and when it all fits remains to be seen ~ something to keep an eye on at any rate.
6 comments:
Whoah.... I am impressed with your research... I did a post on the Sandhedrin, the lamb and the temple and when I was researching that I found this...
In antiquity, the Sanhedrin determined Jewish practice. It now rules on political and religious issues and ultimately sees itself as an alternative to the secular Supreme Court of Israel. It hopes to impose Jewish law on the Jewish people and the seven "Noahide" laws -- prohibitions on theft, murder, blasphemy and others, based on Jewish teaching -- on Gentile nations.
"We want all the world," Stein said, "to walk with God."
The above can be found here:
I too, wondered about the times and laws referring to the Noahide laws, I even posted about it some time back... you can find that here .
Some suggest that the Court of Gentiles is situated where the Dome of the Rock is, I actually recieved an email from Prof. Joseph Patrich and he said this concerning the court of Gentiles:
It is outside the temple court, but still within the screen barring gentile entrance..
If a temple is built in this position the Dome of the Rock can be left and the court of Gentiles would not be measured and left to it's own fate. Remember that in Revelation it speaks of the court of Gentiles which is not to be measured!
The Dome may not have to be removed and these laws which as you say can unite Jews, Muslims, Christians and the whole world.
Once again... fantastic post!
Oh,and by the way, the more I studied biblical eschatology, the more I was convinced of a pre-wrath rapture. Although I am not 100% convinced.
Regarding prophecy, as it unfolds and as we stay in the Word we will understand more and more about what season we are in, and how best to prepare for it. All will become apparent in time!
Thanks for the comments and the links, especially the second one which leads to your posting of "The Sanhedrin-the Lamb-and the Temple". Very informative. I can see how it relates.
I did a search on the Sanhedrin yesterday to see what I could come up with and found this: The Synagogue of Satan, at bibleword.org. It is a good expository treatment of the passage relating to the synagogue of Satan referred to in Revelation 2:9 and 3:9. It talks about who it may be, and I believe it relates to the occultic strain of Judaism that exists to this day and to what the Sanhedrin are involved in with the B’Nai Noach. Check it out if you have the time.
(I see my links didn't work in this comment as far as I can tell. I pasted this comment from Microsoft Word which contained the links, but the links didn't transfer. Does anybody out there know how to add links in the comments section of blogspot?)
thanks so very much for your examination of this subject. i have been watchng these devbelopments particularly since the Sanhedrin reappeared in 2004. For a very long time i got so disillusioned because i simply could not find anyone else to discuss it with. other believers were either puzzled, or lived in "fear of the jews". Finally with time some are beginning to see.
keep up the good work, your reporting is accurate. look at Hebrews 6 to findout happens to those who fall away into Judaism....they are not brought back to repentence!!
and re: the rapture, you ae absolutely right to question it as it a doctrine of devils. below are some links for yopu to consider.
simply read 2ND THESSALIONS 2 where paul has to straighten out the belivers becauser THEY HAD BEEN DECIVED INTO LOOKING FOR CHRIST AT ANY MOMENT.....but that Day (the Lord's Day) shall not come UNTIL THE APOSTASY, AND SON OF PERDITION REVEALED. PERIOD.
KEEP TELLING THE TRUTH!!
this is one of the best teachings that shows that we wil indeed be in the tribulation:
http://www.velocity.net/~edju/SaintsWrath.htm
The Saints And The Wrath Of God
by Ed Tarkowski
There will be saints in the tribulation, and these saints will be the same ones who see the beginning of the tribulation:
They offer prayers:
(Rev 5:8 KJV) And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints.
The prayers are the saints on earth as "they ascend up before God":
(Rev 8:3-4 KJV) And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. {4} And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel's hand.
After the Lord delivers God's final wrath, the saints are rewarded, not seven years before or near the end of the tribulation as other doctrines propose:
(Rev 11:18 KJV) And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth.
The antichrist makes war with the saints during the tribulation:
(Rev 13:7 KJV) And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.
The saints must persevere during the tribulation:
(Rev 13:10 KJV) He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.
The saints must have patience during the tribulation:
(Rev 14:12 KJV) Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.
The blood of the saints is shed during the tribulation:
(Rev 16:6 KJV) For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy.
The blood of the saints is shed during the tribulation:
(Rev 17:6 KJV) And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration.
In Babylon is found the blood of the saints:
(Rev 18:24 KJV) And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth.
ALL the saints are in the holy city at the end of the millennium, which, if you think about it, are saints just like those in the tribulation because there are no classifications of saints. Saints are saints:
(Rev 20:9 KJV) And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.
SAINT (Strong's) sacred (phys. pure, mor. blameless or religious, cer. consecrated):--(most) holy (one, thing), saint.
Jew or gentile, male or female, rich or poor can all be saints ONLY BY the shed blood of Christ. So MUST BE the saints in the tribulation. The unbelieving Jews in the tribulation are not saints. The unbelieving Gentiles in the tribulation are not saints. Those who are saints belong to Christ and are members of the church. Any doctrine that says the saints are raptured and God saves more saints to be in the tribulation have to create a new, biblically undefined species of "saint" and come under the warnings of Revelation 22:17-20. Why people nullify the word of God by following the perverted teachings of men and jeapordize their spiritual inheritance in the Rev 22 verses, I don't understand. They would deny the saint's presence in the tribulation by verbal gymnastics when it clearly says they are present within it. There is nothing to distinguish the saints in tribulation from any other saint. They pray during it, they are martyred during it, the persevere during it, they keep their garments pure during all their trials and Jesus addresses encouragement to them in it:
Rev 16:15 Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.
Only a saint can do these things, a saint who is committed to Jesus with his very life's blood. How ridiculous the theories that deny God's word.
I would love to hear a TRUE definition of what distinguishes the blood-bought saints of the tribulation saints from those who are supposedly raptured before the tribulation.
I don't understand why pretribbers don't understand that they're going to be present when the wrath is poured out? The church returns with Jesus when He treads out the wrath in Revelation 19. All the saints will be there and witness it and the glory of our salvation will be seen: that wrath will not hurt us having been raptured just before it WITH THEIR BODY CHANGED TO BE IMMORTAL WHICH WILL NOT BE SUBJECT TO DESTRUCTION OR CORRUPTION. The wrath won't hurt us one bit.
The seven bowls of wrath, poured out before these events, are on the kingdom of the antichrist and won't harm the saints because they are not of his kingdom (just as Israel didn't experience the plagues of Egypt).
The Wrath Of Revelation In Relation To The Saints
The first bowl is poured out on those who have the mark of the beast and worship his image. The saints in the trib - AND THERE ARE SAINTS IN THE TRIB - are exempt from this bowl:
Rev 16:2 And the first went, and poured out his vial upon the earth; and there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast, and upon them which worshipped his image.
The second and third bowls are poured out upon the waters of earth as a judgment ON THOSE WHO KILLED GOD'S SAINTS AND PROPHETS (v. 6). The saints naturally are exempt from this bowl:
Rev 16:3 And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea; and it became as the blood of a dead man; and every living soul died in the sea.
Rev 16:4 And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters; and they became blood.
Rev 16:5 And I heard the angel of the waters say, Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art, and wast, and shalt be, because thou hast judged thus.
Rev 16:6 For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy.
Rev 16:7 And I heard another out of the altar say, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments.
The fourth bowl is poured out on the sun to scorch UNREPENTANT MEN (v. 11) with fire. The saints in the trib are exempt from this bowl:
Rev 16:8 And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire.
Rev 16:9 And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory.
The fifth bowl is poured out on the kingdom of the beast and its inhabitants because they REPENTED NOT. The saints in the trib are exempt from this bowl:
Rev 16:10 And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain,
Rev 16:11 And blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds.
The sixth bowl is poured out to bring the kings of the east (which are definitely not the saints) and evil spiritual forces call the world's armies to Armageddon. The saints are exempt from this bowl:
Rev 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.
Rev 16:13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.
Rev 16:14 For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.
As these forces gather for Armageddon, what follows is the rapture of the Church (the saints on earth included). The saints are exempt from this bowl. In fact, Jesus tells the saints in the next verse:
Rev 16:15 Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.
Rev 16:16 And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.
We are deep into the tribulation with the kingdom of darkness falling into pieces, the evil armies gathering to Armageddon, and Jesus saying He is about to come. The saints are raptured as He descends and the gathered, evil armies destroyed in that descent with ALL the saints, those raised and those changed:
Rev 16:17 And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done.
Rev 16:18 And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great.
Rev 16:19 And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath.
Rev 16:20 And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found.
Rev 16:21 And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great.
Notice in verse 16:21 the verse no longer adds "and they repented not." The time of repentance is over, Christ has come with His saints and the millennial reign begins.
None of these bowls have anything to do with the church. The pretrib argument that the church won't be in the tribulation because they are not meant for wrath is a useless defense BECAUSE THE BOWLS HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH THEM even if they are present. In fact, the saints find themselves smack-dab in the middle of the outpouring of God's wrath in the person of Christ because they return with Him when He pours out that wrath after the first six bowls:
Rev 19:11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.
Rev 19:12 His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.
Rev 19:13 And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.
REV 19:14 AND THE ARMIES WHICH WERE IN HEAVEN FOLLOWED HIM UPON WHITE HORSES, CLOTHED IN FINE LINEN, WHITE AND CLEAN.
REV 19:15 AND OUT OF HIS MOUTH GOETH A SHARP SWORD, THAT WITH IT HE SHOULD SMITE THE NATIONS: AND HE SHALL RULE THEM WITH A ROD OF IRON: AND HE TREADETH THE WINEPRESS OF THE FIERCENESS AND WRATH OF ALMIGHTY GOD.
Rev 19:16 And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.
Rev 19:17 And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God;
Rev 19:18 That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great.
Rev 19:19 And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army.
Rev 19:20 And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.
Rev 19:21 And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.
The pretribulation doctrine absolutely destroys this glorious picture of the completion of the salvation of the saints!!!! We are changed to be like him and are changed incorruptible while the birds of the air pluck at the bodies of the unrepentant slain. This scene is further described in Zechariah:
Zec 14:12 And this shall be the plague wherewith the LORD will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.
THE SAINTS OF GOD RETURNING WITH CHRIST NOW CHANGED TO BE LIKE HIM STAND WITH HIM IN THE MIDDLE OF ALL THIS WRATH. The pretrib argument destroys the glory and power that is due Christ.
You can respect men, but respected men have fostered great apostasy in the church because men don't read their bibles but look for implications or suppositions to prove their point and for someone else to do their thinking for them. This kind of garbage has been in the Church for decades and has increased and the devil is deceiving more men more than ever. The time is very short I would say.
There are BLOOD-BOUGHT saints in the trib who will see all of this wrath of God on the evil of this world and they will not be affected because they are in Christ. NO PRETRIBBER has been able to explain WITH SCRIPTURE why God pulls out the entire Church before the trib because that is His pattern and then saves some more to go through the trib. EXPLAIN WHY GOD BROKE HIS PATTERN BY SAVING MORE SAINTS TO GO THROUGH THE TRIBULATION??????????????? The answer is simple to those who have eyes to see.
also, checdk this out in case te false teachers have you believing that the RCatholic Church is the Great Whore....she is not. she is indeed a daughter of the Harlot, which is Talmudic Jerusalem.
MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS
AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH
Here is the original Greek of Rev. 17:9 from the Greek Textus Recptus:
Rev 17:9
ωδε5602 ADV ο3588 T-NSM νους3563 N-NSM ο3588 T-NSM εχων2192 V-PAP-NSM σοφιαν4678 N-ASF αι3588 T-NPF επτα2033 A-NUI κεφαλαι2776 N-NPF ορη3735 N-NPN εισιν1510 V-PAI-3P επτα2033 A-NUI οπου3699 ADV η3588 T-NSF
γυνη1135 N-NSF (WOMAN) καθηται2521 V-PNI-3S (SITS) επ1909 PREP (UPON) αυτων846 P-GPN (THEM)
Rev. 17:9
Here the mind having wisdom. The Seven Heads Mountains are Seven, where the Woman sits upon THEM. αυτων846 P-GPN There greek word ‘autos’ used here for where the Woman sits (MOUNTAINS) is a - pronoun PLURAL genitive neuter.
The Greek Textus Receptus clearly states that the Woman sits upon ALL 7 Mountains (Kingdoms) and NOT just merely upon some other part of the Beast (its back, etc.).
Please note if we loose the understanding above of the Woman sitting upon ALL 7 former Kingdoms we will NOT be able to correctly ‘identify’ who the WHORE/Harlot actually is.
The ‘Great City’ is indeed a literal City just as Scripture states and NOT a figurative or an abstract City.
If we list ALL six Empires we know from history that apply to the 7 Heads/Kingdoms (we do Not know the 7th) then we must ask the logical question where was the ‘City’ of Rome during the Egyptian, Assyrian, Babylonian, Medo-Persian, and Grecian Empires – it did NOT even exist? We must remember that this literal Harlot ‘City’ just as I have shown in my previous email was associated with EACH of those former Empires.
Meanwhile, the Woman (the literal City) NEVER changes from Head to Head or Kingdom to Kingdom we just get another presentation of her internal practices of ‘Paganism’ – The Harlot City is a CONSTANT and a common denominator to each of the 7 Kingdoms (actually 8) of which she rides.
For example, it is suggested that the ‘Harlot City’ is New York – I ask you where was the ‘City’ of New York during the reign of the first 6 Kingdoms as stated above, it did NOT even exist. Some suggest it is the U.S. – I ask is a ‘City’ a Country or is it as Scripture states – a CITY, where was the U.S. during the reign of the 1st 6 Kingdoms of the Scarlet Beast?
Rev. 17:18
And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.
In Rev. 17:18 we are ‘looking’ for a NAME of an apostate CITY which has had and will have a ‘Harlotry’ relationship with ALL 7 Heads of the Scarlet Beast.
There is only one CITY on earth where God has chosen to put his NAME – Jerusalem.
As stated, in Rev. 17:18 we are looking for the Name of an apostate CITY and in Scripture this apostate City has the SAME name as the ‘eternal’ Righteous City of God where the Redeemed will make their homes just as you say. Meanwhile, this ‘righteous’ CITY now reigns at this time from Heaven and later from earth over ALL Kings of the earth.
Rev. 21:24
And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it.
The Bible (KJV) clearly declares that Mystery, Babylon The Great is a literal city with a geographical location from where the Antichrist will reign over many kings of the earth:
Rev. 17:18
"And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth."
Following are Biblical Scriptures that reveal future JERUSALEM as this symbolic (Mystery) city:
Rev. 17:5-6
"And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. [6] And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration."
Babylon is a symbolic name. Look at how Jerusalem is referred to by similar analogous names such as Sodom, Gomorrah, and Egypt. All of these, Sodom, Gomorrah, Egypt, and Babylon are all recorded enemies of God’s people.
Isaiah 1:1-21
"The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah...
Except the Lord of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant, we should have been as Sodom, and we should have been like unto Gomorrah... How is the faithful city become an harlot! it was full of judgment; righteousness lodged in it; but now murderers. "
Moses warns the Jews how God will punish them and destroy their land if they forsake His covenant.
Deut. 29:23-25
"And that the whole land thereof is brimstone, and salt, and burning, that it is not sown, nor beareth, nor any grass groweth therein, like the overthrow of Sodom, and Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboim, which the Lord overthrew in his anger, and in his wrath: [24] Even all nations shall say, Wherefore hath the Lord done thus unto this land? what meaneth the heat of this great anger? Then men shall say, Because they have forsaken the covenant of the Lord God of their fathers, which he made with them when he brought them forth out of the land of Egypt:"
Jeremiah 23:14
"I have seen also in the prophets of Jerusalem an horrible thing: they commit adultery, and walk in lies: they strengthen also the hands of evildoers, that none doth return from his wickedness: they are all of them unto me as Sodom, and the inhabitants thereof as Gomorrah."
Romans 9:27-29
"Esaias also crieth concerning Israel, Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved: [28] For he will finish the work, and cut it short in righteousness: because a short work will the Lord make upon the earth. [29] And as Esaias said before, Except the Lord of Sabaoth had left us a seed, we had been as Sodoma, and been made like unto Gomorrha."
In the Book of Revelation John continues this use of mystery names for the "Great City." He uses symbolism to refer to people who had betrayed God’s people.
Rev. 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."
Revelation 11:8 is extremely important because it tells us just where this "Great City" is. It is "where our Lord was crucified." It is Jerusalem.
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DRESSED IN PURPLE, SCARLET, AND DECKED WITH GOLD
Rev. 17:4
"And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication:"
Rev. 18:16
"And saying, Alas, alas, that great city, that was clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls!"
Jeremiah 4:30-31
"And when thou art spoiled, what wilt thou do? Though thou clothest thyself with crimson, though thou deckest thee with ornaments of gold, though thou rentest thy face with painting, in vain shalt thou make thyself fair; thy lovers will despise thee, they will seek thy life. [31] For I have heard a voice as of a woman in travail, and the anguish as of her that bringeth forth her first child, the voice of the daughter of Zion, that bewaileth herself, that spreadeth her hands, saying, Woe is me now! for my soul is wearied because of murderers."
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A GREAT CITY WHO SAYS SHE IS NO WIDOW
Rev. 17:18
"And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth."
Rev. 18:7-8
"How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow. [8] Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her."
Rev. 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."
Lament. 1:1
"How doth the city sit solitary, that was full of people how is she become as a widow she that was great among the nations, and princess among the provinces, how is she become tributary..."
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"BABYLON" IS CALLED THE GREAT CITY
Rev. 18:10
"Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come."
Jerusalem is also called the "Great City".
Jeremiah 22:4-8
"For if ye do this thing indeed, then shall there enter in by the gates of this house kings sitting upon the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses, he, and his servants, and his people. [5] But if ye will not hear these words, I swear by myself, saith the Lord, that this house shall become a desolation. [6] For thus saith the Lord unto the king's house of Judah; Thou art Gilead unto me, and the head of Lebanon: yet surely I will make thee a wilderness, and cities which are not inhabited. [7] And I will prepare destroyers against thee, every one with his weapons: and they shall cut down thy choice cedars, and cast them into the fire. [8] And many nations shall pass by this city, and they shall say every man to his neighbour, Wherefore hath the Lord done thus unto this great city?"
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"BABYLON" AND THE DEATHS OF THE PROPHETS
Rev. 17:5-6
"And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. [6] And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration."
Rev. 18:24
"And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth."
Compare the above Scriptures with the following Scriptures about Jerusalem.
Luke 11:47-51
"Woe unto you! for ye build the sepulchres of the prophets, and your fathers killed them. [48] Truly ye bear witness that ye allow the deeds of your fathers: for they indeed killed them, and ye build their sepulchres. [49] Therefore also said the wisdom of God, I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they shall slay and persecute: [50] That the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation; [51] From the blood of Abel unto the blood of Zacharias, which perished between the altar and the temple: verily I say unto you, It shall be required of this generation."
Luke 13:31-34
"The same day there came certain of the Pharisees, saying unto him, Get thee out, and depart hence: for Herod will kill thee. [32] And he said unto them, Go ye, and tell that fox, Behold, I cast out devils, and I do cures to day and to morrow, and the third day I shall be perfected. [33] Nevertheless I must walk to day, and to morrow, and the day following: for it cannot be that a prophet perish out of Jerusalem. [34] O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not!"
Matthew 23:29-36
"Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous, [30] And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets. [31] Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets. [32] Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers. [33] Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell? [34] Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city: [35] That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar. [36] Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation. "
Matthew 24:34
"Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled."
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DESTROYED WITH FIRE
God promised blessings to the Jews if they obeyed, Deut 28:8, and seven curses if they disobeyed, verses 15 -20. God’s Covenant is effected by His Oath. The word "oath" is based on the word "seven." Thus, the number "seven" represents the Covenant. In Leviticus He threatens to punish the Jews with fire if they break His Covenant.
Leviticus 26:15-16
"And if ye shall despise my statutes, or if your soul abhor my judgments, so that ye will not do all my commandments, but that ye break my covenant: [16] I also will do this unto you; I will even appoint over you terror, consumption, and the burning ague, that shall consume the eyes, and cause sorrow of heart: and ye shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it."
Leviticus 26:27-28
"And if ye will not for all this hearken unto me, but walk contrary unto me; [28] Then I will walk contrary unto you also in fury; and I, even I, will chastise you seven times for your sins."
It was prophesied that Jerusalem would be destroyed by fire in the following passages:
Ezekiel 16:2-3
"Son of man, cause Jerusalem to know her abominations, [3] And say, Thus saith the Lord God unto Jerusalem; Thy birth and thy nativity is of the land of Canaan; thy father was an Amorite, and thy mother an Hittite."
Ezekiel 16:35
"Wherefore, O harlot, hear the word of the Lord:"
Ezekiel 16:38
"And I will judge thee, as women that break wedlock and shed blood are judged; and I will give thee blood in fury and jealousy."
Ezekiel 16:41
"And they shall burn thine houses with fire, and execute judgments upon thee in the sight of many women: and I will cause thee to cease from playing the harlot, and thou also shalt give no hire any more."
Ezekiel 23:2-4
"Son of man, there were two women, the daughters of one mother: [3] And they committed whoredoms in Egypt; they committed whoredoms in their youth: there were their breasts pressed, and there they bruised the teats of their virginity. [4] And the names of them were Aholah the elder, and Aholibah her sister: and they were mine, and they bare sons and daughters. Thus were their names; Samaria is Aholah, and Jerusalem Aholibah."
Ezekiel 23:17-19
"And the Babylonians came to her into the bed of love, and they defiled her with their whoredom, and she was polluted with them, and her mind was alienated from them. [18] So she discovered her whoredoms, and discovered her nakedness: then my mind was alienated from her, like as my mind was alienated from her sister. [19] Yet she multiplied her whoredoms, in calling to remembrance the days of her youth, wherein she had played the harlot in the land of Egypt."
Ezekiel 23:22-25
"Therefore, O Aholibah, thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I will raise up thy lovers against thee, from whom thy mind is alienated, and I will bring them against thee on every side; [23] The Babylonians, and all the Chaldeans, Pekod, and Shoa, and Koa, and all the Assyrians with them: all of them desirable young men, captains and rulers, great lords and renowned, all of them riding upon horses. [24] And they shall come against thee with chariots, wagons, and wheels, and with an assembly of people, which shall set against thee buckler and shield and helmet round about: and I will set judgment before them, and they shall judge thee according to their judgments. [25] And I will set my jealousy against thee, and they shall deal furiously with thee: they shall take away thy nose and thine ears; and thy remnant shall fall by the sword: they shall take thy sons and thy daughters; and thy residue shall be devoured by the fire."
Ezekiel 23:44-47
"Yet they went in unto her, as they go in unto a woman that playeth the harlot: so went they in unto Aholah and unto Aholibah, the lewd women.
[45] And the righteous men, they shall judge them after the manner of adulteresses, and after the manner of women that shed blood; because they are adulteresses, and blood is in their hands. [46] For thus saith the Lord God; I will bring up a company upon them, and will give them to be removed and spoiled. [47] And the company shall stone them with stones, and dispatch them with their swords; they shall slay their sons and their daughters, and burn up their houses with fire."
Also see Lamentations 2:4, and 4:11 and Ezekiel 19:12, 21:2-3, 22:19-21,
In John's prophetic vision future "Babylon" is to be destroyed by fire.
Rev. 18:8
"Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her."
Rev. 18:17
"For in one hour so great riches is come to nought. And every shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off..."
Jerusalem was a center for commercial trade, but true to prophecy it was completely destroyed by fire in 70 AD, whereas, Rome was only partially burned by Nero.
The burning of Jerusalem by fire also had theological significance. The City of Jerusalem is often referred to as a daughter.
Lament. 2:15-18
"All that pass by clap their hands at thee; they hiss and wag their head at the daughter of Jerusalem, saying, Is this the city that men call The perfection of beauty, The joy of the whole earth? [16] All thine enemies have opened their mouth against thee: they hiss and gnash the teeth: they say, We have swallowed her up: certainly this is the day that we looked for; we have found, we have seen it. [17] The Lord hath done that which he had devised; he hath fulfilled his word that he had commanded in the days of old: he hath thrown down, and hath not pitied: and he hath caused thine enemy to rejoice over thee, he hath set up the horn of thine adversaries. [18] Their heart cried unto the Lord, O wall of the daughter of Zion, let tears run down like a river day and night: give thyself no rest; let not the apple of thine eye cease."
Unfaithfulness to God is frequently compared to as sexual immorality.
The penalty for fornication by the daughter of the priest called for a special punishment. She was to be burned to death.
Leviticus 21:9
"And the daughter of any priest, if she profane herself by playing the whore, she profaneth her father: she shall be burnt with fire."
So, when Jerusalem was offered the opportunity to accept Christ, but instead rejected Him, she is referred to as the "Whore of Babylon" who is subsequently to be burned to death.
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THE HARLOT
Just as "Babylon" is referred to as a whore, a harlot, Jerusalem is also called a harlot.
Rev. 17:1
"And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters:"
Ezekiel 16:1-3
"Again the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, [2] Son of man, cause Jerusalem to know her abominations, [3] And say, Thus saith the Lord God unto Jerusalem; Thy birth and thy nativity is of the land of Canaan; thy father was an Amorite, and thy mother an Hittite."
Ezekiel 16:26
"Thou hast also committed fornication with the Egyptians thy neighbours, great of flesh; and hast increased thy whoredoms, to provoke me to anger."
Jeremiah 2:1-2
"Moreover the word of the Lord came to me, saying, [2] Go and cry in the ears of Jerusalem, saying, Thus saith the Lord; I remember thee, the kindness of thy youth, the love of thine espousals, when thou wentest after me in the wilderness, in a land that was not sown."
Jeremiah 2:17-20
"Hast thou not procured this unto thyself, in that thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God, when he led thee by the way? [18] And now what hast thou to do in the way of Egypt, to drink the waters of Sihor? or what hast thou to do in the way of Assyria, to drink the waters of the river? [19] Thine own wickedness shall correct thee, and thy backslidings shall reprove thee: know therefore and see that it is an evil thing and bitter, that thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God, and that my fear is not in thee, saith the Lord God of hosts. [20] For of old time I have broken thy yoke, and burst thy bands; and thou saidst, I will not transgress; when upon every high hill and under every green tree thou wanderest, playing the harlot."
Isaiah 1:1
"The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah."
Isaiah 1:21
"How is the faithful city become an harlot! it was full of judgment; righteousness lodged in it; but now murderers."
Jeremiah 3:1-2
"They say, If a man put away his wife, and she go from him, and become another man's, shall he return unto her again? shall not that land be greatly polluted? but thou hast played the harlot with many lovers; yet return again to me, saith the Lord. [2] Lift up thine eyes unto the high places, and see where thou hast not been lien with. In the ways hast thou sat for them, as the Arabian in the wilderness; and thou hast polluted the land with thy whoredoms and with thy wickedness."
Jeremiah 3:6-8
"The Lord said also unto me in the days of Josiah the king, Hast thou seen that which backsliding Israel hath done? she is gone up upon every high mountain and under every green tree, and there hath played the harlot. [7] And I said after she had done all these things, Turn thou unto me. But she returned not. And her treacherous sister Judah saw it. [8] And I saw, when for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery I had put her away, and given her a bill of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah feared not, but went and played the harlot also."
Jeremiah 5:1
"Run ye to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, and see now, and know, and seek in the broad places thereof, if ye can find a man, if there be any that executeth judgment, that seeketh the truth; and I will pardon it."
Jeremiah 5:5-7
"I will get me unto the great men, and will speak unto them; for they have known the way of the Lord, and the judgment of their God: but these have altogether broken the yoke, and burst the bonds. [6] Wherefore a lion out of the forest shall slay them, and a wolf of the evenings shall spoil them, a leopard shall watch over their cities: every one that goeth out thence shall be torn in pieces: because their transgressions are many, and their backslidings are increased.
[7] How shall I pardon thee for this? thy children have forsaken me, and sworn by them that are no gods: when I had fed them to the full, they then committed adultery, and assembled themselves by troops in the harlots' houses."
Ezekiel 23:1-5
"The word of the Lord came again unto me, saying, [2] Son of man, there were two women, the daughters of one mother: [3] And they committed whoredoms in Egypt; they committed whoredoms in their youth: there were their breasts pressed, and there they bruised the teats of their virginity. [4] And the names of them were Aholah the elder, and Aholibah her sister: and they were mine, and they bare sons and daughters. Thus were their names; Samaria is Aholah, and Jerusalem Aholibah. [5] And Aholah played the harlot when she was mine; and she doted on her lovers, on the Assyrians her neighbours..."
Ezekiel 23:11
"And when her sister Aholibah saw this, she was more corrupt in her inordinate love than she, and in her whoredoms more than her sister in her whoredoms."
Ezekiel 23:17-19
"And the Babylonians came to her into the bed of love, and they defiled her with their whoredom, and she was polluted with them, and her mind was alienated from them. [18] So she discovered her whoredoms, and discovered her nakedness: then my mind was alienated from her, like as my mind was alienated from her sister. [19] Yet she multiplied her whoredoms, in calling to remembrance the days of her youth, wherein she had played the harlot in the land of Egypt."
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MY PEOPLE
A very important verse is Revelation 18:4
Rev. 18:4
"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."
God said, "Come out of her, my people …"
Who does "my people" refer to and where are they at ? These are important questions. The term "my people" is the key.
Jeremiah 31:31-33
"Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: [32] Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the Lord: [33] But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people."
The term 'My People' is clearly a covenant language and is a reference to people who were supposed to be in a covenant relationship with God. This becomes even more evident when we examine just what it means to be in a covenant. A covenant is very different from a contract. Thus, a covenant is as different from a contract as marriage is different from prostitution. In a contract, two people exchange goods and services - this becomes yours and that becomes mine, or 'I will do this for you and you will do that for me.' However, as anyone knows contracts are made and broken.
A covenant is an exchange of persons. "I will become yours and you will become mine."
Ezekiel 37:26-27
"Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them; it shall be an everlasting covenant with them: and I will place them, and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore. [27] My tabernacle also shall be with them: yea, I will be their God, and they shall be my people."
To this end, where were God’s chosen people when John wrote Revelations? They were still under the Old Covenant, in Jerusalem and God wanted them to abandon the Mosaic Covenant and come into Yeshua's New Blood Covenant of Grace. Meanwhile, God could refer to them as 'My People' because they were under His Old Covenant. Such will be the case for God's chosen people when they rebuild the Temple and give themselves over to the dictates of the Beast Apollyon and the future Antichrist.
Hebrews 13:12-14
"Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate. [13] Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach. [14] For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come."
CONCLUSION
The Whore of Babylon is a symbolic name for the future corrupt apostate city of Jerusalem ruled by the Antichrist, upon whom God's judgment of fire will fall.
Jerusalem is the only one according to Jesus that is responsible for all of the deaths of all the prophets and all of the apostles and all of the saints. Jesus said God's vengeance would come against that people, in that generation. They would be judged for spilling all the righteous blood shed on earth.
thaqts all for ow, but i can post more good links if you like
bye bye
k
Thank you "k" for our comments. It looks like you've really been studying prophecy. There is not much attention being paid to the Sanhedrin and the Noahides, and I sometimes wonder if this is part of the deception.
Concerning a particular position on pre-, mid-, or post-tribulational rapture of the church, I agree with "livingjourney's" comment that we will understand more of prophecy as it is being fulfilled. Like those in the world at the time of Christ's birth, many did not see the prophecy being fulfilled before their very eyes. There was only a remnant who recognized Christ as the promised Messiah. I do believe that God will honor those who truly fear Him, study the Word and have a love of the truth, making it plain to them at the appropriate time.
Scripture tells us we should be ready for His appearance at any and all times.
I have done some study on the various views of prophecy including historic premillenialism, dispensational premillenialism, preterism, and amillenialism. I always come back to the dispensational premillenial view, as it seems to line up with Scripture better than any of the others. As far a the pre-trib point of view being a doctrine of devils, I will disagree with you. I don't find it to be a doctrine worthy of damnation (such as denying that Jesus is the only begotten Son of God or that His death on the cross was an unfortunate and unnecessary event), and the argument that many make of pre-tribbers grasping at straws because they are afraid of persecution is not very accurate. It is my hope that we will not go through any or all of the tribulation, but at the same time we must always be ready to face persecution, even to the point of being hated by the entire world. (I think that is already beginning to happen.)
Although I am not 100% firm in my belief regarding a pre-trib rapture, every time I have changed my mind to something else, it isn't long before the pre-trib view just seems to make more sense and line up closer to the sequence of events of the last days in prophecy. I just seem to keep coming back to it time after time.
As for the tribulation saints, I do believe it is possible that these could be those who have become believers after the rapture of the church who have not heard the gospel before that time and have been converted by the witness of the 144,000 and are then beheaded by the antichrist. This of course is a very brief answer to a complicated question, but I do see that as one of the possibilities.
You may be right that it is Israel rather than the Roman Catholic "church" being the harlot. It seems to me that the RCC must be closely tied in somehow though, as they are notorious for their syncretism and seem to be giving the Sanhedrin some support. It will be very interesting to see how this all plays out. The RCC is definitely the biggest and most globally influential entity in the spiritual realm at this time in history. I think it will be fascinating at the end of time to see how this all plays itself out.
God bless you, and thanks again for commenting on my article.
no problem! it is so cool when i find others who love the Word.
the reason the pretrib rapture may indeed be a salvation issue is that it is another Jesus. we now that the false one appears first, performing signs and wonders so convincing they would deceive the very elect. fortunately Jesus promises t keep us from the hour of temptation, that hour when all the world will worship the beast.
anyone expecting Christ to show up at "any momoent" ARE GOING TO BE TRICKED.
Jesus warned over and over. if they sa He is there, or here DO NOT BELIEVE IT.
do some googling on project bluebeam, and religious holograms. be prepared for the most overwhemling deception imaginable. i read so much on the signs and wonders movement (Todd Bently et al), but that stuff is kid's play compared to what is coming.
GET READY!
just remember that if you are still in your fles body, JESUS HAS NOT RETURNED (we shall be changed!)
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