Passover to Tabernacles - Part Thirty Four Aug 14, 2022 by: John Herbert | Series: Passover to Tabernacles Audio Study Notes PDF https://s3.amazonaws.com/cornerstonejax/sermonfiles/T025_20220814.mp3 Refresh A Recap from the Sermon Re 12:1 Now a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. We will continue to look at Israel presented as two women in the Book of the Revelation today. The full text of this message can be found by clicking the PDF button. Sunday August 14th 2022 Passover to Tabernacles Part 34 1). Ju 19:24 Look, here is my virgin daughter and the mans concubine; let me bring them out now. Humble them, and do with them as you please; but to this man do not do such a vile thing!” Est 1:12 But Queen Vashti refused to come at the king's command brought by his eunuchs; therefore the king was furious, and his anger burned within him………. 2:17 The king loved Esther more than all the other women, and she obtained grace and favor in his sight more than all the virgins; so he set the royal crown upon her head and made her queen instead of Vashti. We have seen in our previous weeks of study that there are two women found in Judges Chapter 19, the harlot wife of the Levite from the remote mountains of Ephraim, and the virgin daughter of the man coming in from his work in the field, from the same remote mountains. And these two women, along with Vashti in the Book of Esther and Esther herself, provide a type for the nation of Israel, God’s wife. A type that depicts Israel both before she is brought to repentance through persecution and after repentance has taken place. A type that reveals her as both divorced and rejected because of unfaithfulness, and as re-married and accepted, with regality in view. a). And there is another facet of this same picture seen through another two OT women, Sarah, and Keturah. Where Sarah, pictures Israel before repentance, being barren, having produced only one son, the son of promise, through Divine intervention, just as barren Israel has produced only the Christ the promised Son, through Divine intervention, and Keturah who pictures cleansed and restored Israel, whom Abraham married after Sarah’s death and following a wife being found for Isaac. And within this marriage, Keturah was extremely fruitful, just as Israel will be extremely fruitful, during the Millennial Kingdom. b). And these types are all found in the OT Scriptures, the Scriptures that became flesh at the Lord’s first advent – Jn 1:14 And the Word [OT Scriptures] became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. And through the revelation of Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh, in the Book of that name, we have the complete unveiling and bringing to fulfillment of the OT Scriptures – Re 1:1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants—things which must shortly take place. And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John, 2 who bore witness to the word of God, and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, to all things that he saw. And because the complete unveiling and fulfillment of the OT Scriptures forms the content of this Book, we had expected to find, and had found, the same picture seen in Judges 19 and Esther presented again, where the Jewish people are described figuratively as two women. Women who are complete opposites, although the same woman, nonetheless. c). We had firstly seen ‘a woman’, picturing Israel, given as a great sign in heaven, who is shown to be in possession of regal authority over the nations of the earth but not yet exercising that authority as she wears a ‘stephanos’ crown at this time - Re 12:1 Now a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. And a contrast is drawn between the woman wearing a ‘stephanos’ crown and the great, fiery red dragon wearing seven diadems [diadema], shown to be the one who at that time has complete governmental authority over the earth – Re 12:3 And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great, fiery red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems on his heads. And what is pictured through these two signs takes us back to that which is first found in Exodus, where Egypt was the nation under Satan exercising regal authority, but Israel was declared to be God’s son even His firstborn – Ex 4:22 Then you shall say to Pharaoh, ‘Thus says the LORD: “Israel is My son, My firstborn. It was to the Jews that regal authority had been given in the place of Egypt, even though given at the time when the Jewish people were still slaves in Egypt. This declaration having been made though, declares how God perceives the matter, not the Pharoah in Egypt nor any subsequent Gentile ruler all the way to the Antichrist. There has only ever been one nation under God, who was, and is to be, the preeminent nation on the earth. What God has said from the beginning will come to pass and His purpose in saying it has never, nor will never change - Nu 23:19 “God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good? Ro 11:29 For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. And the certainty of what God had stated to the Egyptian Pharaoh is reiterated for the final time through the woman in the great sign in Revelation Chapter 12, immediately prior to the Antichrist’s attempted genocide. d). And in anticipation of Israel’s future regal position and the fruitfulness that will follow her re-marriage to Jehovah, we see the woman with regal authority giving birth to a male child, not a literal, single male child, but a figurative representation of the one-hundred and forty-four-thousand Jewish evangelists who will be sealed from the ministry of the two witnesses during the first half of the tribulation. Evangelists who will take the Word of the Kingdom to the Gentile nations during the final three and one-half years of the Great Tribulation – Re 14:3 They sang as it were a new song before the throne, before the four living creatures, and the elders; and no one could learn that song except the hundred and forty-four thousand who were redeemed from the earth. 4 These are the ones who were not defiled with women, for they are virgins. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These were redeemed from among men, being firstfruits to God and to the Lamb. And these Jewish evangelists are the first fruits of the entire Jewish nation, the main harvest, who, following their restoration, will then take God’s Word to the Gentile nations of the world as God’s witnesses throughout the Kingdom Age, in the antitype of that seen through Jonah and Joseph’s brothers. e). And we have noted that from the evidence in the verses from Revelation Chapter 12, that both these metaphorical signs, the woman, and the dragon, are given immediately prior to the mid-point in the tribulation, prior to the events of the Great Tribulation, prior to the judgment of the Great Harlot. And in presenting matters in this way, God has made abundantly clear what the conclusion to Daniel’s seventieth week will accomplish; that which had previously been foreshadowed in Exodus. And this same clarity to God’s purpose we have also seen through the man’s virgin daughter in Judges Chapter 19 and the crowning of Esther before Haman attempted to annihilate the Jewish people in the Book of Esther – Re 5:6 And I looked, and behold, in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as though it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent out into all the earth. 7 Then He came and took the scroll out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne. We will remember that the seven sealed scroll contains the judgments that are to be poured out on the inhabitants of the earth, both Jew and Gentile, the judgments that will bring to pass the redemption of the inheritance when all seven seals have been opened, the judgments that will see one quarter of the earth’s population killed, including two thirds of all Jews, judgments that will bring total devastation and termination to Satan’s kingdom under the Antichrist, to whom Satan will give his power, his throne and great authority. f). There is something though that we need to remember about these judgments. We see in Revelation 5:6 that it is ‘a lamb standing, as if slain’ who is to open the seals on the scroll and release the judgments. And through the imagery of the slain Lamb, it is certain that the purpose for the judgments that will be poured out is redemption. Both the redemption of the inheritance for Christ’s bride and the redemption of the Jewish people to become the wife of Jehovah once again. g). And it is the certain fulfillment of this redemptive purpose for the Jews that is seen through the woman who has been given regal authority in Revelation Chapter 12. h). And just as Jacob had to wrestle with a man during the night before he became Israel, so the Jewish people’s harlotry must be dealt with through the dark night of the Great Tribulation, as she wrestles with God and men, before she can become that seen through the woman clothed with the sun. Before the disobedient firstborn son can take the rightful position, which has been his since the days of Pharaoh. And in this respect, we see that Israel is presented in both male and female form. And this is because both have to do with rulership. Only firstborn sons will rule during the Millennial Kingdom; hence Israel was adopted as a firstborn son as we have seen. We also know, from the foundation, that it is not good for man to be alone, therefore in order to rule in conjunction with the Godhead, Israel must be the wife of Jehovah, to rule as His consort queen. 2). Re 17:1 Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and spoke with me, saying, “Come here, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters, 2 with whom the kings of the earth committed acts of immorality, and those who dwell on the earth were made drunk with the wine of her immorality.” 3 And he carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness; and I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast, full of blasphemous names, having seven heads and ten horns. As we begin reading Revelation Chapter 17, we find the second presentation of the Jewish people as a woman, a woman though in stark contrast to the woman we have seen in Revelation Chapter 12, but still the same woman. Here she is the great harlot, not the virgin queen. a). And through the metaphor of ‘the wilderness’, with the wilderness representing any place that is not the land covenanted to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, which would be the Gentile nations, and the harlot ‘sitting on a scarlet beast’, we see her dispersed among the nations within the kingdom of Antichrist, as was said of her in Revelation 12 – Re 12:6 Then the woman fled into the wilderness where she had a place prepared by God, so that there she would be nourished for one thousand two hundred and sixty days. The one thousand-two-hundred and sixty days are the three and a half years of the Great Tribulation, and the place prepared by God for His people during this time is the Gentile nations. The only place where He has said He would deal with them - Eze 22:15 I will scatter you among the nations, disperse you throughout the countries, and remove your filthiness completely from you. And the Jewish people being nourished during this time, should be understood in the sense of national protection. We know the fate of individual Jews, with two thirds of all Jews being killed but the nation of Israel cannot perish. This we have seen in foundation with Noah and his family coming safely through the worldwide flood, through the burning bush, through Jonah in the belly of the great fish, the three Hebrews in the fiery furnace. b). And the woman fleeing into the wilderness is the same dispersion among the Gentile nations that is prophesied in – Mt 24:15 "Therefore when you see the 'abomination of desolation,' spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place" (whoever reads, let him understand), 16 "then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. As we know, mountains are used metaphorically in Scripture to represent kingdoms, and the word is used here in Matthew 24 in a metaphor to represent the Gentile nations. In this respect, the ‘mountains’ and the ‘wilderness’ picture the same thing. And the dispersion we have seen is shown to us again from a slightly different perspective in – Lk 21:22 For these are the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled. 23 But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! For there will be great distress in the land and wrath upon this people. 24 And they will fall by the edge of the sword, and be led away captive into all nations. And Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. The description of the Great Harlot then continues in Revelation Chapter 17 – Re 17:4 The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the filthiness of her fornication. 5 And on her forehead a name was written: MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. 6 I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. And when I saw her, I marveled with great amazement. It is of course the remnant of the Jewish people in the land called Israel today, who will be dispersed among the nations as we have just seen, but let’s remember that the majority of all Jews have remained out among the Gentile nations since the Babylonian captivity. And the imagery used to describe the Great Harlot in v4 shows her to be totally embroiled within the kingdom of the most corrupt and degenerate Gentile world ruler that has ever been seen. And through this illicit relationship with the kingdom of this world, that will reach its apex under the Antichrist, Israel has relinquished what was rightfully hers, allowing the Gentile nations to pursue and enjoy material prosperity at the expense of the Jewish people and at the expense of spiritual blessings that should have come to them. A situation that will continue until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. And the Jewish people themselves, throughout the world, have become complicit in the pursuit of materialism and financial profit that drives the Gentile world. And within this context, there is a telling statement made in Revelation Chapter 18 concerning the harlot – Re 18:7 In the measure that she glorified herself and lived luxuriously, in the same measure give her torment and sorrow; for she says in her heart, ‘I sit as queen, and am no widow, and will not see sorrow.’ The harlot’s perception of herself within the kingdom of this world, finds a parallel to that said of the Church at the end of this dispensation – Re 3:17 Because you say, I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing'—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked— Both the Church and Israel today, would have the exact same mindset concerning their present condition and their future, and both will be forced to change their minds as they discover the truth of the matter according to the Scripture. c). The prosperity and material wealth emanating from the Jewish people’s assimilation into Satan’s kingdom and enjoyed by the Gentile world, is also a significant factor within the Church today as we have seen in Revelation Chapter 3. But what is not generally recognized is that the origin of this material prosperity is the kingdom of this world under the God of this age. When Abraham met Melchizedek following the battle with the kings, he made this declaration – Ge 14:22 But Abram said to the king of Sodom, “I have raised my hand to the LORD, God Most High, the Possessor of heaven and earth, 23 that I will take nothing, from a thread to a sandal strap, and that I will not take anything that is yours, lest you should say, ‘I have made Abram rich’— Abraham would not take so much as a thread to a sandal strap from the king of Sodom, so that the king of Sodom could not say that he had made Abraham rich. But the Jews, the Gentile nations, and the Church have taken a great deal more than a sandal strap from the hands of the god of this age. c). But all of this is going to change radically – Re 18:9 “The kings of the earth who committed fornication and lived luxuriously with her will weep and lament for her, when they see the smoke of her burning, 10 standing at a distance for fear of her torment, saying, ‘Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! For in one hour your judgment has come.’ 11 “And the merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her, for no one buys their merchandise anymore: 12 merchandise of gold and silver, precious stones and pearls, fine linen and purple, silk and scarlet, every kind of citron wood, every kind of object of ivory, every kind of object of most precious wood, bronze, iron, and marble; 13 and cinnamon and incense, fragrant oil and frankincense, wine and oil, fine flour and wheat, cattle and sheep, horses and chariots, and bodies and souls of men. 14 The fruit that your soul longed for has gone from you, and all the things which are rich and splendid have gone from you, and you shall find them no more at all. 15 The merchants of these things, who became rich by her, will stand at a distance for fear of her torment, weeping and wailing, 16 and saying, ‘Alas, alas, that great city that was clothed in fine linen, purple, and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls! 17 For in one hour such great riches came to nothing.’ Every shipmaster, all who travel by ship, sailors, and as many as trade on the sea, stood at a distance 18 and cried out when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, ‘What is like this great city?’ 19 “They threw dust on their heads and cried out, weeping and wailing, and saying, ‘Alas, alas, that great city, in which all who had ships on the sea became rich by her wealth! For in one hour she is made desolate.’ The materialism and the profiteering that marks the pursuit of wealth in our world today is pictured through the imagery of the merchandise seen in these verses. And as the great harlot is judged, so the merchants of the earth are seen standing at a distance from her. And the merchants standing at a distance from her depicts their separation from their means of profit. And this we can see clearly in v11 “And the merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her, for no one buys their merchandise anymore and again, in v14 – 19, The fruit that your soul longed for has gone from you, and all the things which are rich and splendid have gone from you, and you shall find them no more at all. 15 The merchants of these things, who became rich by her, will stand at a distance for fear of her torment, weeping and wailing, 16 and saying, ‘Alas, alas, that great city that was clothed in fine linen, purple, and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls! 17 For in one hour such great riches came to nothing.’ Every shipmaster, all who travel by ship, sailors, and as many as trade on the sea, stood at a distance 18 and cried out when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, ‘What is like this great city?’ 19 “They threw dust on their heads and cried out, weeping and wailing, and saying, ‘Alas, alas, that great city, in which all who had ships on the sea became rich by her wealth! For in one hour she is made desolate.’ A few years ago, it would have been particularly hard to imagine the western world at least, devoid of material prosperity but as the stage continues to be set today for the final act of God’s great drama, it may be a little less hard. Nonetheless, the mantra of materialism continues to sound, ‘things will get better and there will be an even greater abundance.’ But this is not what the Scriptures teach – Ex 12:35 Now the children of Israel had done according to the word of Moses, and they had asked from the Egyptians articles of silver, articles of gold, and clothing. 36 And the LORD had given the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they granted them what they requested. Thus they plundered the Egyptians. Isa 60:3 The Gentiles shall come to your light, And kings to the brightness of your rising. 4 “Lift up your eyes all around, and see: They all gather together, they come to you; Your sons shall come from afar, And your daughters shall be nursed at your side. 5 Then you shall see and become radiant, And your heart shall swell with joy; Because the abundance of the sea shall be turned to you, The wealth of the Gentiles shall come to you. The wealth of the world, NOT the world’s fixation on materialism, will come to the Jewish people during the Millennial Kingdom. The G7 economies will no longer exist and would be a complete irrelevance anyway, Israel will be in possession of all, and all that which the Gentile world holds so dear today shall be found no more at all. d). And as we consider this, if we are filled with a sense of mourning for what will be lost, then we may still be missing what the Scriptures teach – Ge 12:3 I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” The blessings to come upon ‘all the families of the earth’ are spiritual blessings that will come from the Godhead. They will come through the descendants of Abraham; through the new order of rulers in the heavens, Abraham’s spiritual descendants, and through the Jews upon the earth, Abraham’s physical descendants, as the Jewish people go to the ends of the earth as His witnesses. e). These will be spiritual blessings that the nations of the world have never yet experienced, even remotely, because of Israel’s unfaithfulness; spiritual blessings so great that they cannot be compared with the material wealth that will have previously been theirs. f). And in that Day one nation alone will be preeminent in the earth. There will be no geopolitical competition, exploitation, or alliances as God with His people on the earth and in the heavens will rule all in righteousness and justice – Re 19:15 Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron…….. Re 12:5 She bore a male Child who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron. Re 2:26 And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations—27 ‘he shall rule them with a rod of iron……. We will continue next time if we remain and the Lord is willing, and we have prayed. Passover to Tabernacles - Part Thirty Four Aug 14, 2022 Speaker: John Herbert Series: Passover to Tabernacles Category: Sunday Morning https://s3.amazonaws.com/cornerstonejax/sermonfiles/T025_20220814.mp3 Download Audio x
Refresh A Recap from the Sermon Re 12:1 Now a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. We will continue to look at Israel presented as two women in the Book of the Revelation today. The full text of this message can be found by clicking the PDF button. Sunday August 14th 2022 Passover to Tabernacles Part 34 1). Ju 19:24 Look, here is my virgin daughter and the mans concubine; let me bring them out now. Humble them, and do with them as you please; but to this man do not do such a vile thing!” Est 1:12 But Queen Vashti refused to come at the king's command brought by his eunuchs; therefore the king was furious, and his anger burned within him………. 2:17 The king loved Esther more than all the other women, and she obtained grace and favor in his sight more than all the virgins; so he set the royal crown upon her head and made her queen instead of Vashti. We have seen in our previous weeks of study that there are two women found in Judges Chapter 19, the harlot wife of the Levite from the remote mountains of Ephraim, and the virgin daughter of the man coming in from his work in the field, from the same remote mountains. And these two women, along with Vashti in the Book of Esther and Esther herself, provide a type for the nation of Israel, God’s wife. A type that depicts Israel both before she is brought to repentance through persecution and after repentance has taken place. A type that reveals her as both divorced and rejected because of unfaithfulness, and as re-married and accepted, with regality in view. a). And there is another facet of this same picture seen through another two OT women, Sarah, and Keturah. Where Sarah, pictures Israel before repentance, being barren, having produced only one son, the son of promise, through Divine intervention, just as barren Israel has produced only the Christ the promised Son, through Divine intervention, and Keturah who pictures cleansed and restored Israel, whom Abraham married after Sarah’s death and following a wife being found for Isaac. And within this marriage, Keturah was extremely fruitful, just as Israel will be extremely fruitful, during the Millennial Kingdom. b). And these types are all found in the OT Scriptures, the Scriptures that became flesh at the Lord’s first advent – Jn 1:14 And the Word [OT Scriptures] became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. And through the revelation of Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh, in the Book of that name, we have the complete unveiling and bringing to fulfillment of the OT Scriptures – Re 1:1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants—things which must shortly take place. And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John, 2 who bore witness to the word of God, and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, to all things that he saw. And because the complete unveiling and fulfillment of the OT Scriptures forms the content of this Book, we had expected to find, and had found, the same picture seen in Judges 19 and Esther presented again, where the Jewish people are described figuratively as two women. Women who are complete opposites, although the same woman, nonetheless. c). We had firstly seen ‘a woman’, picturing Israel, given as a great sign in heaven, who is shown to be in possession of regal authority over the nations of the earth but not yet exercising that authority as she wears a ‘stephanos’ crown at this time - Re 12:1 Now a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. And a contrast is drawn between the woman wearing a ‘stephanos’ crown and the great, fiery red dragon wearing seven diadems [diadema], shown to be the one who at that time has complete governmental authority over the earth – Re 12:3 And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great, fiery red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems on his heads. And what is pictured through these two signs takes us back to that which is first found in Exodus, where Egypt was the nation under Satan exercising regal authority, but Israel was declared to be God’s son even His firstborn – Ex 4:22 Then you shall say to Pharaoh, ‘Thus says the LORD: “Israel is My son, My firstborn. It was to the Jews that regal authority had been given in the place of Egypt, even though given at the time when the Jewish people were still slaves in Egypt. This declaration having been made though, declares how God perceives the matter, not the Pharoah in Egypt nor any subsequent Gentile ruler all the way to the Antichrist. There has only ever been one nation under God, who was, and is to be, the preeminent nation on the earth. What God has said from the beginning will come to pass and His purpose in saying it has never, nor will never change - Nu 23:19 “God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good? Ro 11:29 For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. And the certainty of what God had stated to the Egyptian Pharaoh is reiterated for the final time through the woman in the great sign in Revelation Chapter 12, immediately prior to the Antichrist’s attempted genocide. d). And in anticipation of Israel’s future regal position and the fruitfulness that will follow her re-marriage to Jehovah, we see the woman with regal authority giving birth to a male child, not a literal, single male child, but a figurative representation of the one-hundred and forty-four-thousand Jewish evangelists who will be sealed from the ministry of the two witnesses during the first half of the tribulation. Evangelists who will take the Word of the Kingdom to the Gentile nations during the final three and one-half years of the Great Tribulation – Re 14:3 They sang as it were a new song before the throne, before the four living creatures, and the elders; and no one could learn that song except the hundred and forty-four thousand who were redeemed from the earth. 4 These are the ones who were not defiled with women, for they are virgins. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These were redeemed from among men, being firstfruits to God and to the Lamb. And these Jewish evangelists are the first fruits of the entire Jewish nation, the main harvest, who, following their restoration, will then take God’s Word to the Gentile nations of the world as God’s witnesses throughout the Kingdom Age, in the antitype of that seen through Jonah and Joseph’s brothers. e). And we have noted that from the evidence in the verses from Revelation Chapter 12, that both these metaphorical signs, the woman, and the dragon, are given immediately prior to the mid-point in the tribulation, prior to the events of the Great Tribulation, prior to the judgment of the Great Harlot. And in presenting matters in this way, God has made abundantly clear what the conclusion to Daniel’s seventieth week will accomplish; that which had previously been foreshadowed in Exodus. And this same clarity to God’s purpose we have also seen through the man’s virgin daughter in Judges Chapter 19 and the crowning of Esther before Haman attempted to annihilate the Jewish people in the Book of Esther – Re 5:6 And I looked, and behold, in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as though it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent out into all the earth. 7 Then He came and took the scroll out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne. We will remember that the seven sealed scroll contains the judgments that are to be poured out on the inhabitants of the earth, both Jew and Gentile, the judgments that will bring to pass the redemption of the inheritance when all seven seals have been opened, the judgments that will see one quarter of the earth’s population killed, including two thirds of all Jews, judgments that will bring total devastation and termination to Satan’s kingdom under the Antichrist, to whom Satan will give his power, his throne and great authority. f). There is something though that we need to remember about these judgments. We see in Revelation 5:6 that it is ‘a lamb standing, as if slain’ who is to open the seals on the scroll and release the judgments. And through the imagery of the slain Lamb, it is certain that the purpose for the judgments that will be poured out is redemption. Both the redemption of the inheritance for Christ’s bride and the redemption of the Jewish people to become the wife of Jehovah once again. g). And it is the certain fulfillment of this redemptive purpose for the Jews that is seen through the woman who has been given regal authority in Revelation Chapter 12. h). And just as Jacob had to wrestle with a man during the night before he became Israel, so the Jewish people’s harlotry must be dealt with through the dark night of the Great Tribulation, as she wrestles with God and men, before she can become that seen through the woman clothed with the sun. Before the disobedient firstborn son can take the rightful position, which has been his since the days of Pharaoh. And in this respect, we see that Israel is presented in both male and female form. And this is because both have to do with rulership. Only firstborn sons will rule during the Millennial Kingdom; hence Israel was adopted as a firstborn son as we have seen. We also know, from the foundation, that it is not good for man to be alone, therefore in order to rule in conjunction with the Godhead, Israel must be the wife of Jehovah, to rule as His consort queen. 2). Re 17:1 Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and spoke with me, saying, “Come here, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters, 2 with whom the kings of the earth committed acts of immorality, and those who dwell on the earth were made drunk with the wine of her immorality.” 3 And he carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness; and I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast, full of blasphemous names, having seven heads and ten horns. As we begin reading Revelation Chapter 17, we find the second presentation of the Jewish people as a woman, a woman though in stark contrast to the woman we have seen in Revelation Chapter 12, but still the same woman. Here she is the great harlot, not the virgin queen. a). And through the metaphor of ‘the wilderness’, with the wilderness representing any place that is not the land covenanted to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, which would be the Gentile nations, and the harlot ‘sitting on a scarlet beast’, we see her dispersed among the nations within the kingdom of Antichrist, as was said of her in Revelation 12 – Re 12:6 Then the woman fled into the wilderness where she had a place prepared by God, so that there she would be nourished for one thousand two hundred and sixty days. The one thousand-two-hundred and sixty days are the three and a half years of the Great Tribulation, and the place prepared by God for His people during this time is the Gentile nations. The only place where He has said He would deal with them - Eze 22:15 I will scatter you among the nations, disperse you throughout the countries, and remove your filthiness completely from you. And the Jewish people being nourished during this time, should be understood in the sense of national protection. We know the fate of individual Jews, with two thirds of all Jews being killed but the nation of Israel cannot perish. This we have seen in foundation with Noah and his family coming safely through the worldwide flood, through the burning bush, through Jonah in the belly of the great fish, the three Hebrews in the fiery furnace. b). And the woman fleeing into the wilderness is the same dispersion among the Gentile nations that is prophesied in – Mt 24:15 "Therefore when you see the 'abomination of desolation,' spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place" (whoever reads, let him understand), 16 "then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. As we know, mountains are used metaphorically in Scripture to represent kingdoms, and the word is used here in Matthew 24 in a metaphor to represent the Gentile nations. In this respect, the ‘mountains’ and the ‘wilderness’ picture the same thing. And the dispersion we have seen is shown to us again from a slightly different perspective in – Lk 21:22 For these are the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled. 23 But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! For there will be great distress in the land and wrath upon this people. 24 And they will fall by the edge of the sword, and be led away captive into all nations. And Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. The description of the Great Harlot then continues in Revelation Chapter 17 – Re 17:4 The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the filthiness of her fornication. 5 And on her forehead a name was written: MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. 6 I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. And when I saw her, I marveled with great amazement. It is of course the remnant of the Jewish people in the land called Israel today, who will be dispersed among the nations as we have just seen, but let’s remember that the majority of all Jews have remained out among the Gentile nations since the Babylonian captivity. And the imagery used to describe the Great Harlot in v4 shows her to be totally embroiled within the kingdom of the most corrupt and degenerate Gentile world ruler that has ever been seen. And through this illicit relationship with the kingdom of this world, that will reach its apex under the Antichrist, Israel has relinquished what was rightfully hers, allowing the Gentile nations to pursue and enjoy material prosperity at the expense of the Jewish people and at the expense of spiritual blessings that should have come to them. A situation that will continue until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. And the Jewish people themselves, throughout the world, have become complicit in the pursuit of materialism and financial profit that drives the Gentile world. And within this context, there is a telling statement made in Revelation Chapter 18 concerning the harlot – Re 18:7 In the measure that she glorified herself and lived luxuriously, in the same measure give her torment and sorrow; for she says in her heart, ‘I sit as queen, and am no widow, and will not see sorrow.’ The harlot’s perception of herself within the kingdom of this world, finds a parallel to that said of the Church at the end of this dispensation – Re 3:17 Because you say, I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing'—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked— Both the Church and Israel today, would have the exact same mindset concerning their present condition and their future, and both will be forced to change their minds as they discover the truth of the matter according to the Scripture. c). The prosperity and material wealth emanating from the Jewish people’s assimilation into Satan’s kingdom and enjoyed by the Gentile world, is also a significant factor within the Church today as we have seen in Revelation Chapter 3. But what is not generally recognized is that the origin of this material prosperity is the kingdom of this world under the God of this age. When Abraham met Melchizedek following the battle with the kings, he made this declaration – Ge 14:22 But Abram said to the king of Sodom, “I have raised my hand to the LORD, God Most High, the Possessor of heaven and earth, 23 that I will take nothing, from a thread to a sandal strap, and that I will not take anything that is yours, lest you should say, ‘I have made Abram rich’— Abraham would not take so much as a thread to a sandal strap from the king of Sodom, so that the king of Sodom could not say that he had made Abraham rich. But the Jews, the Gentile nations, and the Church have taken a great deal more than a sandal strap from the hands of the god of this age. c). But all of this is going to change radically – Re 18:9 “The kings of the earth who committed fornication and lived luxuriously with her will weep and lament for her, when they see the smoke of her burning, 10 standing at a distance for fear of her torment, saying, ‘Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! For in one hour your judgment has come.’ 11 “And the merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her, for no one buys their merchandise anymore: 12 merchandise of gold and silver, precious stones and pearls, fine linen and purple, silk and scarlet, every kind of citron wood, every kind of object of ivory, every kind of object of most precious wood, bronze, iron, and marble; 13 and cinnamon and incense, fragrant oil and frankincense, wine and oil, fine flour and wheat, cattle and sheep, horses and chariots, and bodies and souls of men. 14 The fruit that your soul longed for has gone from you, and all the things which are rich and splendid have gone from you, and you shall find them no more at all. 15 The merchants of these things, who became rich by her, will stand at a distance for fear of her torment, weeping and wailing, 16 and saying, ‘Alas, alas, that great city that was clothed in fine linen, purple, and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls! 17 For in one hour such great riches came to nothing.’ Every shipmaster, all who travel by ship, sailors, and as many as trade on the sea, stood at a distance 18 and cried out when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, ‘What is like this great city?’ 19 “They threw dust on their heads and cried out, weeping and wailing, and saying, ‘Alas, alas, that great city, in which all who had ships on the sea became rich by her wealth! For in one hour she is made desolate.’ The materialism and the profiteering that marks the pursuit of wealth in our world today is pictured through the imagery of the merchandise seen in these verses. And as the great harlot is judged, so the merchants of the earth are seen standing at a distance from her. And the merchants standing at a distance from her depicts their separation from their means of profit. And this we can see clearly in v11 “And the merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her, for no one buys their merchandise anymore and again, in v14 – 19, The fruit that your soul longed for has gone from you, and all the things which are rich and splendid have gone from you, and you shall find them no more at all. 15 The merchants of these things, who became rich by her, will stand at a distance for fear of her torment, weeping and wailing, 16 and saying, ‘Alas, alas, that great city that was clothed in fine linen, purple, and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls! 17 For in one hour such great riches came to nothing.’ Every shipmaster, all who travel by ship, sailors, and as many as trade on the sea, stood at a distance 18 and cried out when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, ‘What is like this great city?’ 19 “They threw dust on their heads and cried out, weeping and wailing, and saying, ‘Alas, alas, that great city, in which all who had ships on the sea became rich by her wealth! For in one hour she is made desolate.’ A few years ago, it would have been particularly hard to imagine the western world at least, devoid of material prosperity but as the stage continues to be set today for the final act of God’s great drama, it may be a little less hard. Nonetheless, the mantra of materialism continues to sound, ‘things will get better and there will be an even greater abundance.’ But this is not what the Scriptures teach – Ex 12:35 Now the children of Israel had done according to the word of Moses, and they had asked from the Egyptians articles of silver, articles of gold, and clothing. 36 And the LORD had given the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they granted them what they requested. Thus they plundered the Egyptians. Isa 60:3 The Gentiles shall come to your light, And kings to the brightness of your rising. 4 “Lift up your eyes all around, and see: They all gather together, they come to you; Your sons shall come from afar, And your daughters shall be nursed at your side. 5 Then you shall see and become radiant, And your heart shall swell with joy; Because the abundance of the sea shall be turned to you, The wealth of the Gentiles shall come to you. The wealth of the world, NOT the world’s fixation on materialism, will come to the Jewish people during the Millennial Kingdom. The G7 economies will no longer exist and would be a complete irrelevance anyway, Israel will be in possession of all, and all that which the Gentile world holds so dear today shall be found no more at all. d). And as we consider this, if we are filled with a sense of mourning for what will be lost, then we may still be missing what the Scriptures teach – Ge 12:3 I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” The blessings to come upon ‘all the families of the earth’ are spiritual blessings that will come from the Godhead. They will come through the descendants of Abraham; through the new order of rulers in the heavens, Abraham’s spiritual descendants, and through the Jews upon the earth, Abraham’s physical descendants, as the Jewish people go to the ends of the earth as His witnesses. e). These will be spiritual blessings that the nations of the world have never yet experienced, even remotely, because of Israel’s unfaithfulness; spiritual blessings so great that they cannot be compared with the material wealth that will have previously been theirs. f). And in that Day one nation alone will be preeminent in the earth. There will be no geopolitical competition, exploitation, or alliances as God with His people on the earth and in the heavens will rule all in righteousness and justice – Re 19:15 Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron…….. Re 12:5 She bore a male Child who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron. Re 2:26 And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations—27 ‘he shall rule them with a rod of iron……. We will continue next time if we remain and the Lord is willing, and we have prayed.