They Will Trample

Monday, December 23, 2013, 8:25 a.m. – As I was waking up this morning, the Lord Jesus put the song “Songs in the Night” in my mind. Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Revelation 11 (NIV).

Preface: I am no Biblical scholar when it comes to deciphering the symbology contained within this book. I have studied it many times, and have found there are numerous and varied interpretations of what God/Jesus Christ meant when he gave these words to John to write. So, I must rely upon the witness of the Holy Spirit within me, as should we all, to give me what understanding he wants me to have from these writings, and to trust the Lord Jesus, by his Spirit, to teach me what he wants me to learn and to share with others. I will say upfront that my understanding of the timing of these events, although I make no claims here to having all the answers, is of a post-tribulation rapture belief. Yet, I see no value in debating that particular subject, because Christ will come when he will come, and I’m ok with whatever he has planned. The reality is that he will do what he has planned no matter how good our arguments may be to the contrary.

A Measuring Rod

I was given a reed like a measuring rod and was told, “Go and measure the temple of God and the altar, with its worshipers. But exclude the outer court; do not measure it, because it has been given to the Gentiles. They will trample on the holy city for 42 months. And I will appoint my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth.” They are “the two olive trees” and the two lampstands, and “they stand before the Lord of the earth.” If anyone tries to harm them, fire comes from their mouths and devours their enemies. This is how anyone who wants to harm them must die. They have power to shut up the heavens so that it will not rain during the time they are prophesying; and they have power to turn the waters into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they want. ~ vv. 1-6

I see no Biblical basis for the teaching that says that before these events take place, that the church will be raptured, and that God will go back to the old covenant relationship with his people, or that he will institute a third covenant, and/or that he will once again inhabit a physical temple in a singular physical location. I see total congruity in scripture from the birth of Christ to his second coming, meaning that Jesus Christ is the temple of God, and as his followers we are his body, so we are his temple, and the Spirit of God dwells within us. All people must be born of the Spirit of God if they want to have eternal life, so the saints of God living at this time must also be born of the Spirit and have the Spirit of God dwelling within them, and thus the temple existing at this time, which is also the Holy City, the city of God (the city on a hill), is the true church, the body of Christ. The physical city of Jerusalem is no longer the Holy City, but is of Hagar, the slave woman (See Gal. 4:22-31). Those who are of the promise, i.e. those who are true followers of Christ, are the New Jerusalem. This also fits with chapter 12 where it says that the Dragon (Satan) is after “those who keep God’s commands and hold fast their testimony about Jesus.”

So, I believe John was to measure (examine) the true church, the body of Christ. We are given a picture, perhaps, of that examination (measurement) in Revelation 2-3 in the letters to the seven churches (or to the complete church – the church as a whole for all generations). He was to exclude the outer court, because that was given over to the Gentiles. Now, since Jesus Christ died, rose, and ascended to heaven and sent his Holy Spirit to indwell his followers, the temple of God has been a spiritual temple, not a physical one, so the outer court thus must represent the world, which includes the institutional church, i.e. that of man and not of God, i.e. the outer court represents all those who do not have true faith in Jesus Christ, which includes both Jew and Gentile. Jesus made Jew and Gentile one in Christ. He thus incorporated Gentile believers into true (spiritual) Israel along with believing Jews. All others are of Hagar, the slave woman, which includes Jews who have not accepted Jesus Christ as their Messiah and Lord, and thus they are the ones in the outer court, and the ones trampling on God’s holy people, the bride of Christ.

Concerning the two witnesses, I definitely see the Old and New Testaments as strong possibilities here. Yet, I will make no attempt to try to identify who these two witnesses are, or will be, yet what I do understand is that they represent God’s Holy Word, for truly it is the Word of God that is hated, and thus the messengers are only hated because they speak the words of God. These two witnesses represent the gospel of Jesus Christ; of salvation. They most certainly confront and address sin in sinful man, and call for repentance and holy living via faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. They apparently also speak words of judgment against all who refuse Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of their lives and against all those who would come against Christ, his messages and his messengers. The people will hate these witnesses, because they hate the truth and they don’t want to be confronted with their sins or told they must turn from their sin and follow Jesus Christ in surrender to his will. This is, thus, why they trample on (crush; squash; walk or tread on) God’s holy people, because their goal is to stop the spreading of the gospel message, which is their true object of hate. They want the gospel to be snuffed out so they are no longer confronted with their sins and thus can live how they want. And, this is happening in our world today.

The Seventh Angel

The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, which said:
“The kingdom of the world has become
the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah,
and he will reign for ever and ever.”
And the twenty-four elders, who were seated on their thrones before God, fell on their faces and worshiped God, saying:
“We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty,
the One who is and who was,
because you have taken your great power
and have begun to reign.
The nations were angry,
and your wrath has come.
The time has come for judging the dead,
and for rewarding your servants the prophets
and your people who revere your name,
both great and small—
and for destroying those who destroy the earth.”
Then God’s temple in heaven was opened, and within his temple was seen the ark of his covenant. And there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake and a severe hailstorm. ~ vv. 15-19

I don’t know the chronology of all this, but what I do know is that in chapter 10 it said that in the days when the 7th angel is about to sound his trumpet, the mystery of God will be accomplished (fulfilled; completed). We do know that when Jesus Christ returns for his bride that our salvation will be complete. Scripture says that a trumpet will sound, that those who have died in Christ will be raised first, and then all those of us who are alive and remaining will be caught up with our Lord in the air, and so shall we ever be with the Lord (See 1 Thess. 4:13-18). This, I believe, takes place at the end of the tribulation. This fits with what it says next here in chapter 11, as well, for when the 7th angel sounded his trumpet, the loud voices in heaven proclaimed that the kingdom of the world has now become the kingdom of our Lord and he will reign for ever and ever. This, I believe, takes place at the end of the tribulation period, because next it says that God has taken his great power and he has begun to reign, and that now it was time to judge the dead and to reward the Lord’s servants, the prophets, and the Lord’s people who revere his name. As well, the time had come for destroying those who destroy the earth.

Again, I will make no attempt here to try to analyze all of this and to try to determine what happens when, only to say, at a high level, that we know scripture teaches that we, as Christ’s followers and witnesses, will be hated and persecuted and even killed for our testimony for Jesus Christ. This trampling of the “Holy City” has been going on since Jesus Christ’s ascension into heaven and his sending of the Holy Spirit to indwell his followers. And, it is still going on today, only I believe it is much stronger now, and that we are seeing a global effort now to squash the gospel of Jesus Christ and to bring those who hold to the testimony of Christ and his gospel into disrepute, or to try to force them into compliance with the one-world ecumenical movement, or else to persecute, blaspheme and kill them. And, this is beginning to work its way into America, too.

As well, we do know from scripture that a time of tribulation is coming (or has already come) on the earth at which time the saints of God will be severely persecuted, imprisoned and even killed for their testimony for Christ, and that they will no longer be able to buy and to sell unless they take the mark of the beast. Many of us believe the beast is already forming and is in the process of conquering nations across the globe by the use of intimidation and military force (both private and public); through the use of false flag operations, falsely accusing the governments of the world of what our government and their allies are doing, so that we can go into these countries to conquer them (not to save them); and also is conquering them via man-made disasters, including financial disasters. And, I believe, and many others believe, and there appears to be evidence to support this, that our government in the US and their allies in the New World Order Beast are also targeting those followers of Christ who do hold strong to their faith and beliefs and who do speak out concerning the gospel of salvation, and that this N.W.O. beast is persecuting and murdering Christ’s followers across the globe – U.S. sanctioned and supported.

No one knows the exact timing of when the actual reign of this beast will take place, but we can know that it is near by the signs, and there are many, many signs. I believe it won’t be long now before we see this reign of the beast truly take hold globally and the church of Christ across the globe trampled upon by those in the “outer court,” i.e. by those outside of true faith in Jesus Christ. Much of this persecution will come, I believe, through the institutional ecumenical church, and we can definitely see this happening even now. Remember that Jesus’ greatest opposition and persecutors did not come from the people out in the world, per se, but from those within institutional religion, and especially from those in positions of religious and political power. Yet, it is during these times of persecution, imprisonment, or pressures from the outside world (or the worldly church) to conform to the norms of society that we, like Paul and Silas, can sing praises to God.

Songs in the Night / An Original Work / December 18, 2013

“About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God,
And the other prisoners were listening to them.” Acts 16:25 NIV ‘84

Lord, I praise You forevermore.
You, my Savior, I now adore.
Hope in heaven awaiting me,
Because You died at Calvary.

I have been forgiven,
And I’m bound for heaven.
Jesus set me free from
All my sin, I say.
I will praise Him always!

Lord, I love You for all You’ve done:
Overcame death, my vict’ry won!
Jesus saved me, and now I’m free!
I rejoice in His love for me.

I will walk in vict’ry!
My sin is but hist’ry!
I am free to please Him
With my life today.
I will love Him always!

Lord, I thank You for giving me
A new life bought at Calvary.
Loving Jesus, I meet with Him.
Tender mercies now flow within.

Lord, I am so thankful;
Through my Lord, I’m able
To sit at His table;
Fellowship with Him.
I will thank Him always!

http://originalworks.info/songs-in-the-night/
 
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