| The Royal Marriages, Part 4: The Manchild with the Rod of Iron. The 144,000. continued A later prophecy by Isaiah about this period tells of the manchild: Before she travailed, she brought forth; before her pain came, she was delivered of a manchild. Who has heard such a thing? ... Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day? or shall a nation be born at once? For as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children. 66:7-8 Parts of these prophecies are ambiguous and even apparently contradictory. (E.g., the above says that the birthing comes both before and after the birth-pangs.) Taken together with Revelation 12, however, they seem to say that a specific, select group � represented as a manchild with a rod of iron � will be spiritually transformed and taken up to God's heavenly throne early in the time of the Great Tribulation. There they are to receive especial rulership authority and power, represented by the rod of iron. Summary: 1) During the Exodus, after the first Passover but before the Israelites came to Mount Sinai to hear the First Trump, Moses and two others went up onto a mountain. There Moses raised up "the rod of God" (Ex. 17:9) against the nation of Amalek, which was warring against Israel. This was the only time Moses ever used the rod of God, in battle or otherwise, to assert rulership authority over other people. 2) After the Passover Crucifixion but before Pentecost, Jesus went up onto the Mount of Olives with two angels; then ascended to heaven to "the right hand of God," the place of power and authority. He is prophesied to hereafter 'rule all nations with a rod of iron,' which is the Word of the Lord. 3) After the beginning of the Great Tribulation, but (according to the foreshadowing examples of the past) before the Last Trump, the "manchild" of Revelation 12 will ascend to the heavenly mountain-throne of God. There this elect group will be "given power over the nations...[to]rule them with a rod of iron." Rev. 2-26-27; 12:5 It appears that they, like Moses, will use such power against their own perpetual foe Satan. For, right after the "manchild" is taken up, the war in heaven begins; and Satan, ...the accuser of our brethren, is cast down, who accused them before our God day and night [i.e., perpetually]. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony [that Word being their rod of authority], and they did not love their lives to the death. 12:10-11 The last two phrases are very significant. "Testimony" is a translation of the Greek word marturias (roots martur and martus), from which we get the word martyr. (KJV and NKJV so translates it three times, in Acts 22:20, Rev. 2:13 and 17:6.) Besides testimony and testify, martur/s is equally often translated witness, used as both a verb and a noun; e.g., the "Two Witnesses" of Revelation 11. Why is this significant? Because, back in Part 2: The Seven Seals, we saw that the events of the 5th Seal concern "souls...slain for the word of God and for the testimony [marturian, witness] which they held," Rev. 6:9. Also, we learned that S "This seal was foreshadowed by the attack of Amalek upon Israel. Ex. 17:8f." In response to Amalek's attack, Moses, Aaron, and Hur then went up on the mountain, and Moses lifted up "the rod of God" against Amalek, Israel's perpetual enemy. Z Those events foreshadow the time of the Great Tribulation, when the enemies of God's people will attack and kill them. But the "manchild' will come to their defense in heaven itself against their perpetual mortal enemies, Satan and his host, who will be defeated and cast down, even as was Amalek. The Great Tribulation will not yet be over; however, the faithful of God's people will be preserved "in the wilderness" from annihilation by their enemies. Rev. 12:6, 13f. The 144,000 Israelites "Sealed in their Foreheads" Like the manchild(ren), the 144,000 Israelites of Revelation 7 and 14 are an elect group of God's people to whom he will grant rulership authority. They too were foreshadowed by a group during the time of the Exodus. The 144,000 are first mentioned "after" the opening of the 6th Seal. This seal covers the time of the Last Trump, when Jesus Christ appears in the clouds amidst the cataclysmic signs in heaven and earth. Rev. 6:12 - 7:1f.; Matt. 24:29-30 Here are the foreshadowing events and their Latter Day fulfillments. S Seven weeks after the Firstfruits celebration of the Israelites, Moses 'sealed' � closed the deal of � a blood covenant between the Israelites and God. After making a blood sacrifice, [Moses] took the Book of the Covenant ['the words of the LORD and all the judgments'] and read [it] in the hearing of the people. And they said, "All that the LORD has said we will do, and be obedient." And Moses took the blood, sprinkled it on the people, and said, "This is the blood of the covenant which the LORD has made with you according to all these words." Ex. 24:7-8, 3 That day became known as Pentecost, because it was the 50th day (inclusive) after the Firstfruits wave offering. On a later Pentecost, Christ sealed his New Covenant with his disciples when he "poured out" � not just sprinkled � his Holy Spirit upon them. Acts 2 Z While both of these events were significant in their own right, they also foreshadowed an even greater "pouring out" in the Last Days. On the day of the Church's Pentecost, Peter signified this by quoting the prophet Joel: 'And it shall come to pass in the Last Days, says God, That I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophecy, Your young men shall see visions, Your old men shall dream dreams... I will show wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath: Blood and fire and vapor of smoke. The Sun shall be turned into darkness and the Moon into blood Before the coming of the great and awesome Day of the Lord. And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call upon the name of the LORD shall be saved.' Acts 2:17-21 (Joel 2:28-32) As we have seen, these cataclysmic heavenly and earthly signs are precisely those foretold by Jesus, in Matthew 24:29-30 and Revelation 6:12f., to take place at the opening of the Sixth Seal = the Last Trump = Christ's Coming "in the clouds of heaven." Continue Previous page Part 1, Royal Marriages b/w Return to Index Return to Index page 2 |