| The Royal Marriages, Part 4: The Manchild with the Rod of Iron. The 144,000. continued 2) The Defeat of the Nations S After their 40-year Exodus in the wilderness, God through Joshua and the elders of Israel led the Israelites into the Promised Land, Israel (known as Canaan at the time). There they defeated many heathen nations that dwelt there, and took possession of the land. Their most significant battle was fought against an alliance of kingdoms led by the king of Jerusalem. On that day, "the LORD fought for Israel": And the LORD said to Joshua, "Do not fear them, for I have delivered them into your hand; not a man of them shall stand before you." ... So the LORD routed them before Israel... And it happened as they fled...that the LORD cast down great stones from heaven upon them...more...died of the hailstones than the children of Israel killed with the sword. Then Joshua spoke to the LORD...and he said in the sight of Israel, "Sun, stand still over Gibeon, and Moon, in the valley of Ajalon." So the Sun stood still, and the Moon stopped, till the people had vengeance upon their enemies. ... And there has been no day like that before it or after it, that the LORD heeded the voice of a man; for the LORD fought for Israel. Joshua 10:8, 10-14 Z It's often been noted that the name Jesus is just a variant of the name Joshua; and, as Joshua led and fought for God's people during their conquest of the Promised Land, so will Jesus lead and fight for Israel in the Latter Days. The battle above led by Joshua was a foreshadowing of the End Times battle of all nations for Jerusalem: Behold, the Day of the LORD is coming... For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle... Then the LORD will go forth and fight against those nations... And it shall come to pass in that day, that the light shall not be clear, nor dark: but it shall be one [unique] day which is known to the LORD, neither day nor night: ...at evening time it shall be light. Zechariah 14:1-3, 6-7 After this culminating great battle to establish the Messianic Age, ...it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. Zech. 14:16 This prophecy is echoed and expanded by Isaiah: "...I will gather all nations and tongues, and they shall come and see my glory. And I will set a sign among them, and I will send those that escape of them unto the nations...and they shall declare my glory among the Gentiles. ... And it shall come to pass that...all flesh shall come to worship before me," says the LORD. Isaiah 66:18-19, 23 It will not be the 144,000 elders of Israel who will evangelize the world; but rather, God will send the survivors of the invading armies back to evangelize their own peoples. The aforementioned great battle fought by the Lord-Messiah is summarized in Revelation 19: And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse. And he who sat upon his was called Faithful and True... and his name is called The Word of God. And out of his mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron. ... And I saw the Beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies gathered together to make war against him...and against his army. Then the Beast was captured, and with him the False Prophet...[and] were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone. And the rest were killed with the sword...of him who sat on the horse. 19:11, 13, 15, 19-21 The 144,000 on Mount Zion Long before this battle, which finally and completely establishes the 1000-year Messianic Age, John saw [the] Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with him [the] 144,000 having his name and his Father's name written on their foreheads. ... They [the 144,000] sang as it were a new song before the [heavenly] throne, and before the four beasts and the [24] elders; and no one could learn that song except the 144,000 who were redeemed from the earth...the firstfruits unto God and the Lamb. Revelation 14:1, 3-4 Redemption of the firstfruits is an Old Testament concept dating back to the Exodus. At the first Passover, God established the teaching that each of Israel's firstborn sons belonged to God, but were to be redeemed with a lamb. Ex. 13:12-15; cf. Num. 3:12-13 To the firstborn belongs the birthright, which included a double portion of the father's wealth, and rulership over the clan or tribe. Therefore, since these 144,000 firstfruits are accounted as being God's own sons, they are to receive rulership authority over all that is God's. Zion and Mount Zion are Scriptural terms that symbolize or refer to "the city of the great King," Psalm 48:2. (The earthly Zion was "the city of David," Israel's greatest king, who was the progenitor and prototype of the Messiah. 2 Sam. 5:7) Therefore, the 144,000 alongside the Lamb-Messiah on Mount Zion is another portrayal of their rulership authority. The Beast and the Mouth of the Beast Just prior to Revelation 14's exaltation of the 144,000, Revelation 13 tells about the ascendence of the Beast upon Earth, and thereafter tells of his "mouth": And I saw a Beast rising up out of the sea , having seven heads and ten horns... The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority... And he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he/it was given authority to act for 42 months [= 1260 days]. Then he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God... And it was given unto him to make war against the saints, and to overcome them: and authority was given to him over every tribe, tongue, and nation. All who dwell on the earth shall worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb... 13:1-2, 5-8 In "The King of the Abyss" [see Index, page 2], I describe in detail the identity, origin, and history of the Beast. Here is an outline from the Book of Revelation about his identity, and his deeds in the End Times: And the fifth angel sounded [the Fifth Trumpet], and I saw a star having fallen from heaven unto earth [probably being Satan, or perhaps one of his angels]: and to him was given the key to the shaft of the Abyss. And he opened [it]... And there came out...locusts upon the earth... [T]hey had a king over them, which is the angel of the Abyss, whose name is...Abaddon...[and] Apollyon [transl., Destroyer]. Revelation 9:1-3, 11 Continue Previous page Part 1, Royal Marriages b/w Return to Index Return to Index page 2 |