| XIII. COMING NOW TO THE LITTLE OPEN BOOK, THAT PERHAPS INCLUDED THE MYSTERIES
THAT DANIEL WAS TOLD TO SEAL UP (DAN 12:4). THE BOOK THAT JOHN HAD TO EAT WAS FILLED WITH WOES THAT HE WAS TO PROPHESY. ALSO, LIKE THE PROPHECIES OF ISRAEL’S DELIVERANCE THROUGH TRIBULATION, SALVATION FOR GENTILES IN THE TRIBULATION WAS TO COME THROUGH THE TESTINGS OF FAITH UNTO DEATH, PERHAPS ONE OF THE MESSAGES OF THE BITTER SWEET BOOK. A. THAT THE BOOK WAS BITTER SWEET, IT OCCURS TO ME, MEANS THAT IT CONTAINED THE WORST TROUBLE THE WORLD HAD EVER SEEN, YET ALSO INCLUDED SALVATION FOR ALL PEOPLES; JOHN WAS TO EAT IT AND PROPHESY AGAIN BEFORE MANY NATIONS, TONGUES, AND KINGS TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH: Rev 10:8-11 (8)And the voice which I heard from heaven spake unto me again, and said, "Go and take the little book which is open in the hand of the angel which standeth upon the sea and upon the earth." (9)And I went unto the angel, and said unto him, "Give me the little book." And he said unto me, "Take it, and eat it up; and it shall make thy belly bitter, but it shall be in thy mouth sweet as honey." (10)And I took the little book out of the angel's hand, and ate it up; and it was in my mouth sweet as honey: and as soon as I had eaten it, my belly was bitter. (11)And he said unto me, "Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings." B. WHEN DANIEL ASKED FOR CLARIFICATION, GABRIEL TOLD HIM THAT THE WORDS (THE END OF THE MYSTERY) WERE SEALED UNTIL THE TIME OF THE END, THAT THE WORDS CONTAINED A BITTER SWEET MESSAGE FOR THE RIGHTEOUS PEOPLES OF GOD. YES, DELIVERANCE WOULD COME FOR ISRAEL IN THE TIME OF TROUBLE, BUT THE MYSTERY WAS THAT RESURRECTION LIFE SHALL COME TO ANOTHER PEOPLE CALLED BY HIS NAME, THE GENTILES, IN THE SAME TIME OF TROUBLE! THEN A THIRD GROUP, THE WISE AND THE FAITHFUL THAT ENDURE TO THE END, THAT SHALL ENTER & SHINE IN THE KINGDOM: Dan 12:1-9 (1)"And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book. (2)And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. (3)And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars forever and ever. (4)But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.” (5)Then I Daniel looked, and, behold, there stood other two, the one on this side of the bank of the river, and the other on that side of the bank of the river. (6)And one said to the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, "How long shall it be to the end of these wonders?" (7)And I heard the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven, and swore by him that liveth forever that it shall be for a time, times, and a half; and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished. (8)And I heard, but I understood not: then said I, "O my Lord, what shall be the end of these things?" (9)And he said, “Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end.” BACKGROUND NOTE: THE END OF THE AGE IN A PARABLE The END OF THE MYSTERY OF GOD had been prophesied by Jesus in the parables of Matthew thirteen. As strange as this may sound to some not familiar with prophecy in parables, I submit to you that the twelve disciples were most knowledgeable in their understanding of parable symbolism. Jewish rabbis used a teaching method called MISHAL/NIMSHAL wherein they were taught moral lessons in parable language. Without doubt Jesus shared many such teachings with the twelve. In the parable of the Dragnet, Jesus portrayed the END OF THE WORLD (AGE) in a very detailed story about fishing with a net, with which His disciples readily identified. From that familiar setting Jesus immediately jumped to the judgment of the fiery furnace and asked if they understood. To their great credit, they quickly affirmed their understanding. And the fact that Jesus immediately relates another parable attests to His confidence in their understanding. But do we know what it was that the disciples understood at that time? I wonder. But let’s first consider a few things that it was NOT. It surely was not something they had no knowledge about, for they could not have said they understood. That eliminates anything related to the Church, since it was yet to be formed, and they would soon prove that they had not the slightest concept of what the Church might become, because they scattered like frightened sheep after the cross. Even so, the foundation was laid for them to understand all that Jesus spoke to them, for after He died and rose again He opened the scriptures to them. Perhaps incidents like the one in Luk 5:4-10 below were explained as well, or else brought to light by the Holy Spirit after Pentecost. In any case, they were brought to an understanding of the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven. Hopefully, some of what they knew can be unveiled by examining these parables. XIV. SOME PARABLES (LIKE SOME PROPHECIES) WERE DUAL PURPOSED, LIKE THIS LIVING PARABLE A. Luk 5:4-10 (4)Now when he had left speaking, he said unto “Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught.” (5)And Simon answering said unto him, “Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net.” (6)And when they had this done, they enclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net broke. (7)And they beckoned unto their partners, which were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink. (8)When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, “Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” (9)For he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the draught of the fishes which they had taken: (10)And so was also James, and John, the sons of Zebedee, which were partners with Simon. And Jesus said unto Simon, “Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men.” COMMENT: I believe everything that Jesus did or said had a purpose. In this incident, Jesus was showing Peter and the disciples that they would gather men for Him like they gathered fish in a net. Of course, Jesus also was demonstrating His divine power, that they could do nothing without Him. Yet I see another purpose in this, perhaps it was His way of revealing how the gospel shall be preached in the coming age, in the age of Jacob’s trouble, the tribualtion. And it may have been His way of preparing them to understand the symbolism of the Dragnet parable. XV. THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN MYSTERIES: THE ALPHA/OMEGA OF THE DRAGNET PARABLE A. Mat 13:47-51 "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind: Which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away. So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just, And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth." (51)Jesus saith unto them, "Have ye understood all these things?" They say unto him, "Yea, Lord." COMMENT: Jesus asked the disciples if they understood, not because He didn’t know their hearts (PERISH THE THOUGHT); instead, it had to be for their benefit in some way, perhaps it was to provide them an opportunity to adopt a sense of unity for the challenges that lay ahead. It served also as a sign for them that He had finished His explanation of the kingdom mystery. There were many things in these parables that the disciples could not possibly have understood, but Jesus had given them enough for their needs at the time. The rest would be revealed through John in The Revelation. I believe that John was given all the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but some things were not to be revealed and he was told to write them not. As a matter of fact, in Rev. 10:7 the Lord tells us where the end occurs! In “pattern” language, Jesus’ self description is one of the keys: He is the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, and He repeated that three times in the first chapter, and again in the last chapter. There is much to be learned through this Alpha/Omega pattern. XVI. THE 144,000 JEWS, REDEEMED OF MEN AND FIRSTFRUITS UNTO GOD, LEARN A NEW SONG A. Rev 14:1-4 And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Zion, and with him a hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father's name written in their foreheads. (2)And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps: (3)And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth. (4)These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb. COMMENT: The fact that these 144,000 Jews were firstfruits indicates that they were raised up in the early harvest (WITH CHURCH SAINTS) at the onset of the tribulation. They were chosen by God to preach the gospel to the nations. Redeemed from among men, they receive God’s seal to preach throughout the tribulation. Their being sealed (see Rev 7) compares to the invisible and irreversible power of leaven in the Leaven Parable; in other words, it shall be beyond Satan’s power to interfere with the spread of this gospel. Since the indwelling Holy Spirit will be removed with the Church, the redeemed Jews shall be God’s unstoppable way to grow the kingdom of heaven during the time of Jacob’s Trouble. And they shall sing a new song of good news, one that only Jewish firstfruits can learn. And being redeemed they shall return in glorified bodies as the firstfruits unto God and the Lamb! Paul has given us the NT definition of firstfruits and redemption, as follows, “And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.” (Rom 8:23). “But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.”(1Co 15:23). The 144,000 Jews belong to Jesus, for He has paid for their redemption. This interpretation goes a long way toward explaining why the 144,000 Jews shall be the only ones able to sing their song; as firstfruits they shall be the first from among men to return to the earth in glorified bodies. Such being the case, it also explains why Satan cannot hurt them! BACKGROUND NOTE: SIGNS OF THE MYSTERY KINGDOM The Revelation is a book of symbolism. Many doctrines of the faith were first revealed in an OT pattern, most notably the Plan of Salvation found in the patterns of the Exodus. However, when it comes to the mysteries of God, where are they found? The LORD spoke to Amos, saying, “Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.” (Amo 3:7). The secrets of God are found in prophecy! For example, the signs of the mystery kingdom were prophesied by Jesus and Paul, such as the firstfruits harvest (rapture), and the ingathering harvest (judgment) in the "Tares" parable. The Lord Jesus had made it known to the leaders of Israel that the signs of His "day of visitation" were evident, that He had fulfilled the signs of Messiah, and that they were blind. Thus, after Israel refused Him and blasphemed the Holy Spirit, as reported by Matthew in Chapter 12, Jesus revealed the pattern of His mystery kingdom in Chapter 13 by speaking seven parables. That is, He described the structure of His unknown kingdom in symbolic form. But the disciples had difficulty conceiving of a kingdom without the King living among them. They did not understand why Jesus had to go back to the Father for His kingdom to be formed upon the earth. Nevertheless, He promised them that His kingdom was the Way to the promised land, that they were to sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel, and that seemed to be the clincher for the twelve. Before continuing, let me provide some context to the events of Chapter 14. Satan is cast out of heaven, knows his days are numbered, and is filled with great wrath against Israel and her man-child (REV 12). But God preserves the remnant of Israel from Satan’s wrath (MAT 24:15-21); at the same time, He allows Satan to have his way with the nations and the future saints. Enraged to the max by God’s protection of His remnant and the 144,000 Jews (AND THE TWO WITNESSES OF REV 11), Satan turns his wrath (VIA THE ANTICHRIST) against Israel’s spiritual children (THOSE WHO BELIEVE THE EVERLASTING GOSPEL). Satan makes the nations drink of the wine of the cup of Babylon (SATAN’S WORLDLY SYSTEM [CITY] OF WICKEDNESS) and gathers them against Jerusalem. But the Lord shall make Jerusalem to be a cup of trembling, which only the Lord can remove (see ISA 51:22). When Jesus comes, He shall destroy ‘city’ Babylon, the mother of harlots, defeat all His enemies, and cast the antichrist and the false prophet into the lake of fire. Then He will send a strong angel to bind Satan and cast him into the bottomless pit for 1000 years. There is a great benefit to studying prophecy by literal interpretation, that is, the symbols and words are interpreted by the Bible itself, almost like following your nose. Take Rev 14:8 for example, getting off on the right foot comes by searching OT scripture for the precise words, “Babylon is fallen, is fallen,” which is found only in Isaiah 21, which leads to Isa 22 and Jer 51, where there is much prophecy pertaining to Babylon and the tribulation of the end times. Historical Babylon was the greatest kingdom of its time and was cited in prophecy as the prototype of great kingdoms. Rev. 17 & 18 describes the fall of Satan’s kingdom, Mystery, Babylon the Great, which some believe represents a revived Roman empire. Another thing I have grown to appreciate is the dual nature of some prophecies and parables, that different time periods may be covered in one prophecy, sometimes in one sentence....for example, when Jesus read in a synagogue from the book of Isaiah, 61:1-2, and stopped reading in the middle of v. 2. He did so because the remainder of that verse and the rest of that prophecy was not to be fulfilled until His second coming. He read only far enough to cover what He had fulfilled in their hearing. Such prophecies reveal Jesus to be the ALPHA and the OMEGA of the scriptures. And there are ALPHA/OMEGA visions in some of the next verses, where views of the first and last judgments are given up front. XVII. ALPHA VISION: THE EVERLASTING GOSPEL SHALL BE PREACHED—CASTING THE NET A. Rev 14:6-7 [FIRST ANGEL] (6)And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the ever- lasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, (7)Saying with a loud voice, “Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.” COMMENT: [THE ALPHA VISION] The hour of judgment is not the final judgment, for the gospel is still to be preached; rather, He wants all men to know that it’s the end of the Church Age, and that the end of the world is near. But there is still time for worship, and the angel flying in mid heaven calls all men to fear God and give Him the glory, for He is the Almighty Creator. This is the ALPHA vision of that hour, the beginning of Daniel’s 70th week. Every age ends in judgment; in this case, the Church Age ends and the Tribulation Age begins. The hour of judgment is the seven years of Jacob’s Trouble, including Satan’s allotted ‘half hour’ (LAST 3½ YEARS), the Great Tribulation. Into that mire are sent 144,000 sealed Jews (GLORIFIED JEWISH SAINTS) to preach the everlasting gospel (CAST THE NET) to the ends of the earth, to finish the gathering of gentiles. XVIII. OMEGA VISION: THE FALL OF “MYSTERY, BABYLON” (PAUL’S “MYSTERY OF LAW- LESSNESS”) IS ANNOUNCED AND CELEBRATED IN HEAVEN—SEPARATING THE CATCH A. Rev 14:8 [SECOND ANGEL] (8)And there followed another angel, saying, “Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.” B. Rev 18:1-5 (1)And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory. (2)And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, “Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird. (3)For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.” (4)And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, “Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. (5)For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.” C. Rev 18:20 “Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you on her.” COMMENT: [THE OMEGA VISION] Although Rev 14:8 may seem to stick out as unrelated to the context here, it’s an introduction to the warning which follows. “MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT” is described in Rev 17 &18. Such pre-battle celebrations were common to Jews as God led His people into the promised land, saying that the victory was already won, that the enemy had been given into their hands before the battle was fought. Albeit that verse 8 may seem disconnected to gentile eyes and ears, it likely is there to encourage these 144,000 Jews, who very well will appreciate the meaning of such an announcement from the LORD (OR FROM HIS ANGELS). As they sing their new song, it seems appropriate that it would include Christ’s victory over the wicked city! XIX. WARNING AGAINST WORSHIP OF THE ANTICHRIST AND HIS IMAGE “Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake.” (Mat 24:9) A. Rev 14:9-11 [THIRD ANGEL] (9)And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, (10)The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: (11)And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up forever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.” B. 2TH 1:7-9 (7b)when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, (8)In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: (9)Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; COMMENT: [FIRE AND BRIMSTONE FOR THE WICKED] This third angel speaks the word of God to warn all men of the consequences of worshipping the beast or his image and/or receiving his mark, thus to be disobedient to the gospel of Jesus Christ. That places believers between a rock and a hard place. Why does a loving God do that? But did the Lord Jesus not have to choose? did He not choose death that we might have life? Did He not warn His disciples of the affliction they shall endure for His name’s sake? Paul gloried in his sufferings for Christ, for he longed for the glory that was stored up for him in the presence of the Lord Jesus. C. Rev 13:1,5-10 (1)And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy. ......(5)And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months. (6)And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven. (7)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. (8)And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. (9)If any man have an ear, let him hear. (10)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. COMMENT: [PERSECUTION OF THE SAINTS] The Bible says that God will grant dominion over the earth to Satan for 42 months, one half of the hour of judgment. Satan is given the key to the bottomless pit, so he raises up his antichrist and false prophet (REV 13) and persecutes the brethren (OF THE SAINTS UNDER THE ALTAR) until the day of judgment. Antichrist (THE BEAST OUT OF THE SEA) commits the abomination of desolation at the midpoint of the tribulation, declares himself to be God, and commands that everyone must worship him or be killed. The hard choices of faith are made as in a refiner’s fire, because sin crouches at the door waiting for the slightest opening (GEN 4:7). The persecutions of antichrist shall force everyone to make a choice, either agree to take his mark of ownership, or be killed. It's a good illustration of the warning of the Lord Jesus, "he that seeks to save his life will lose it" (MARK 8:35). The Apostle Paul kept the faith through many persecutions,for he knew that a crown of righteousness awaited him. Jesus spoke to the church at Smyrna, saying, “Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer:...be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.” (REV 2:10) . XX. PATIENCE OF THE SAINTS = THE REWARD OF ENDURANCE = ETERNAL REST: WORKS SHALL FOLLOW THEM THAT DIE IN THE LORD DURING THE TRIBULATION, AND THEY SHALL RECEIVE THE CROWN OF LIFE: A. Rev 14:12-13 (12)Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus. (13)And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, “Write, ‘Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors; and their works do follow them.’” B. 2TH 1:3-7 (3)We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet, because that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the charity of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth; (4)So that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure: (5)Which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer: (6)Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you; (7)And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels. C. Heb 12:1-7 (1)Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, (2)Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. (3)For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. (4)Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin. (5)And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, “My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: (6)For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.” (7)If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? D. Jas 1:12-18 (12)Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. (13)Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: (14)But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. (15)Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. (16)Do not err, my beloved brethren. (17)Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. (18)Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. COMMENT: [THE REWARD OF FAITH] They that keep the faith of Jesus shall join the slain saints under the altar and be blessed with eternal rest. John had his first glimpse of the souls under the altar in the fifth seal judgment (Rev 6:9), and hears them cry out for the Lord Jesus to avenge their blood upon the earth dwellers. They were given white robes and told to rest for another season. The ‘patience of the saints’ refers to all men who believe on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and keep their faith unto death, i.e., "he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved." (Mat 24:13). The Saints of the tribulation shall be the target of Satan’s wrath against the kingdom of Jesus Christ; they will require great patience and courage as servants of God. By their enduring faith they shall wash their robes and make them white in the blood of the Lamb; therefore, he that is tried and keeps his faith to the end (in death or in life) shall enter the Shepherd’s sheepfold and find rest. The voice from heaven tells John to record these words of hope for the Saints, that henceforth the dead in Christ shall be blessed with rest from their labors. It is the Holy Spirit who calls from heaven, who has been raised up with the Church (2THES 2:7), and He confirms that a ‘blessed rest’ awaits them that are faithful unto death, that their ‘works’ shall follow them. In like manner, the preaching of the 144,000 shall be finished when the net is full, that is, when they “that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.” (REV 6:11). And it’s the Lord Jesus that shall make that determination and send His angels to carry out the purging of His kingdom. At that point the kingdoms of the world shall belong to the King of kings. XXI. CHRIST APPEARS UPON A CLOUD: GATHERS THE FIRSTFRUITS HARVEST INTO HIS BARN A. Rev 14:14-16 [ALPHA HARVEST] (14)And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle. (15)And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, “Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe.” (16)And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped. B. Rev 14:17-19 [OMEGA HARVEST] (17)And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle. (18)And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, “Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe.” (19)And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. C. Exo 34:22 [THE LORD SPEAKING TO MOSES] “And thou shalt observe the feast of weeks, of the firstfruits of wheat harvest, and the feast of ingathering at the year's end.” COMMENT: There is more going on here than meets the eye. There are two commands to reap: the first by the angel out of the temple with no sickle and a loud voice (LIKELY, GABRIEL) who carries the Word from the Father, that the time (KNOWN ONLY BY THE FATHER) has come to reap; the second by another angel with a loud voice and power over fire (LIKELY, MICHAEL). And there are two separate reapings: one by the Son of man who reaped as He sat on the cloud, "and the earth was reaped"; and the other by angels sent to gather the harvest of the earth, the grapes of wrath. The first harvest crop is not specified (FOR IT WAS MEANT TO BE HIDDEN); nor is it evident that angels are involved (BUT IN THE TARES PARABLE, JESUS DECLARED IT SO); but surely the first reaping is the time of the wheat harvest, which is early and celebrated as the Feast of Firstfruits (ANOTHER NAME FOR THE FEAST OF PENTECOST), whereas the second is clearly the late harvest, the Feast of Ingathering, the time when grapes are gathered. Scripture reveals the following things, among others, about the mystery of the kingdom, (1)only the Father knows the day and hour of judgment, (2)only the disciples understood the kingdom parables, (3)the kingdom of heaven shall be harvested before the final judgment (THE DAY OF THE LORD'S WRATH), (4)Christ shall send His angels to reap the earth, and (5)the end of the mystery shall occur when the seventh trumpet is about to sound. All of these things are compatible with the above verses. The ALPHA harvest of Rev 14:14-16 includes the following factors as identifiers: (A)Jesus waits for the command from the Father to reap the earth (BY DEFAULT, THE START OF THE TRIBULATION DEFINES THE TIME OF FINAL JUDGMENT), (B)Christ reaps from the white cloud (HE COMMANDS HIS ANGELS TO REAP), (C)the crop harvested is a mystery (SEALED IN THE SEVEN THUNDERS OF REV 10:4), and (D)the signs in the sky are the same as that which Paul describes for the rapture of the Church. Then (AT THE TIME OF LATE HARVEST), Christ commands an archangel with a loud voice and having the power of fire (LIKELY, MICHAEL) who commands another angel with a sharp sickle to reap. Appropriately, this gathering is of grapes, a crop of the late harvest (THE INGATHERING, or FEAST OF TABERNACLES). Further- more, the wrath of God is symbolized by a great winepress. Symbolically, the wicked are gathered into the winepress to avenge the blood of tribulation saints, as prophesied. In reality, they are slain at Armageddon and their blood fills the valley. Then their souls are gathered by the angel with the power of fire, who then shall cast them into the furnace of fire, as Jesus prophesied in the parable. D. Mat 13:26-30 [ALPHA HARVEST, BIND THE TARES & GATHER THE WHEAT] (26)“But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. (27)So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, 'Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares?' (28)He said unto them, 'An enemy hath done this.' The servants said unto him, 'Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up?' (29)But he said, 'Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. (30)Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.'” COMMENT: Some prophetic parables have a familiar part and an unfamiliar part (OLD TRUTHS AND NEW TRUTHS). For example, the Tares parable as originally spoken includes one new truth sign of the church age, and the disciples did not understand it. The symbol “my barn” was a hidden (NEW) truth, included for the understanding of NT saints. When asked to explain the parable, Jesus ignored the barn topic altogether. Instead, He gave them the familiar old truths about burning up the tares and the righteous that shall “shine forth as the sun.” Jesus, as He had said in other places, no doubt determined that they were not ready to understand the barn symbol; yet He included it, seemingly, that it might be a complete and truthful account for our benefit as we look back on these events. Notice that Jesus said to bind the tares for burning. This would not have confused the Jewish mind, because they well knew that local farmers bundled the tares at harvest time and burnt them up after the harvest was safely in the barn. That, however, was not the issue that confused them; the disciples simply did not understand how this parable applied to them, since it had no end-of-the-world symbols. As for the symbolism of Rev 14:14-16, Jesus is shown with a sickle in His hand; and with one thrust of His sickle the reaping was done. Knowing that the Tares parable prophesies the harvest judgment of the kingdom of heaven, because Jesus said as much, we therefore know that the first reaping has to be the firstfruits wheat har- vest. In accord with this parable, Jesus shall command the reapers to bind the tares (KEEP THEM EARTHBOUND) and gather the wheat into His barn (GATHER SAINTS TO BE RAISED UP TO MEET HIM IN THE CLOUDS). The Tares parable and the vision are fully compatible with each other. The Bible says that that day and hour is known only by the Father, and the vision shows Jesus had to wait for the command. Thus, He sat on a cloud until the archangel came out of the temple and shouted with a loud voice (AS PAUL DESCRIBED), that the time has come to reap. We know that no angel has authority over Jesus, so this command necessarily is from the Father. As to the timing of this command, the archangel Gabriel told Daniel (Dan 9:27) that the time shall be when the LORD allows the Willful King (ANTICHRIST) to make a peace covenant with Israel for one week (7 yrs), which then restarts the seventy week time clock for Israel. Paul confirms this, saying that Antichrist, the man of sin shall be revealed and the mystery of iniquity shall begin, ending the mystery of the Church age in a pre-trib rapture. Thus, the Lord Jesus shall appear on a cloud with the voice of the archangel to call up His Church, as depicted in Rev. 14:14-16, so the command from the temple comes by the archangel, saying “the time is come for thee to reap.” It is abundantly clear in the gospel accounts that the one thing that the Father withheld from the Lord Jesus was the time of the end. Thus the Church saints be raised up to meet Christ in the air at the Father’s command for the end of the age. XXII. JOHN SEES TWO MORE ANGELS COME OUT OF THE HEAVENLY TEMPLE; A VISION OF THE INGATHERING HARVEST AT THE END OF THE SEASON (OMEGA VISION): A. Rev 14:17-19 [repeated here for convenience] (17)And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle. (18)And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, “Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe.” (19)And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. B. Mat 13:38-42 [TARES PARABLE EXPLAINED] (38)“The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; (39)The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. (40)As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. (41)The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; (42)And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. (43)Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear." C. Mat 13:47-50 [DRAGNET PARABLE] (47)“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind: (48)Which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away. (49)So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just, (50)And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth." COMMENT: Suddenly and in accord with the pattern, the vision switches immediately from ALPHA to OMEGA. Now we are presented with a judgment involving the wrath of God. This is the end of the age, Satan has gathered an army of two hundred million and surrounded Jerusalem for the annihilation of the Jews. The winepress is the symbol of the Lord’s great wrath wrought by the sword of His mouth, with which He shall slay that great army of Satan’s followers. The great secrets of God have been accomplished, the dead-in-Christ have been glorified, the Two Witnesses have been raised, the mystery of God has been finished. And all this shall happen between ALPHA 14:16 and OMEGA 14:17. In terms of the parables, note that the timing and destination for the wicked are the same in both. It is at the end of the age (WORLD) when the wicked are cast into that furnace of fire. And the just are provided a place of safety from the wrath of God, i.e., the “barn” and the “vessels.” In terms of Dragnet sequence, it is signifi- cant that the good fish are first put safely into vessels before the bad are cast away for destruction. Thus, vessels here represent a heavenly sanctuary for tribulation saints. But this result can only be seen in the details as originally spoken. This demonstrates my premise about parables, that details are essential to rightful interpretation. I say this because of the prevailing notion which claims, because parables have one major focal point or object lesson, that many of the details are extraneous. No, my friends, that rule of thumb was coined by folks who contend that all major prophecies have been already fulfilled, so they treat these parables as simple allegories (SPIRITUAL LESSONS) rather than the means of revelation that Jesus proclaimed for them, “it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven” (Mat 13:11). Indeed, we find the lesson of the Tares parable in the details, the parable spoken was about gathering the righteous into the barn, whereas the parable explained was about reaping the wicked and casting them into the fire. Applying the proverbial rule of thumb here obliterates this message. Applying the Wheat & Tares prophecy to the two visions of Rev 14:14-19, we see the first is a harvest of the righteous; but the second is a harvest of the wicked, a cleansing of His threshing floor, as John the Baptiist prophesied, “and he will thoroughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” (Mat 3:12) [garner = storage place]. Jesus shall send out His angels for the late harvest of Rev 14:17-19. After all, the angel with power over fire could only have received it from the resurrected Christ, who thereafter was vested with all power and authority (see MAT 28:18). As for the winepress versus the furnace of fire, you will note that the angel with the sickle was commanded, by the archangel with power over fire, to go and gather the clusters and cast them into the winepress to be killed. The fire comes into the picture when the archangel casts the souls of the slain into the furnace of fire. The Dragnet parable makes more sense in this light, too, in that “sever the wicked from the just” involves being slain (severed from the living); having thus died in their sins their souls are then cast into the fiery furnace. It also clarifies the fact that both the Tares and the Dragnet parables have identical endings for the wicked. Top of the Page |
MYSTERIES of the KINGDOM of HEAVEN [ Go to PART A ] (SECRETS of GOD) [ Go to PART C ] PART B |
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