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"And the priests brought in the ark of the covenant of theLordunto his place, into the oracle of the house, to the most holy place, even under the wings of the cherubims./For the cherubims spread forth their two wings over the place of the ark, and the cherubims covered the ark and the staves thereof above./And they drew out the staves, that the ends of the staves were seen out in the holy place before the oracle, and they were not seen without: and there they are unto this day(vv.6-8).
'Unto this day' The Spirit in using the curious expression which we have come across earlier is applied to a house historically is past. The house of God beginning with the tabernacle in the wilderness is modeled after a pattern existing forever in heaven. "According to all that I shew thee, after the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all the instruments thereof, even so shall ye make it (Ex.25:9)". What were the significance of the two pillars in the porch but it led the eye of the believer to the pillars within? To him the promise of the Son is "Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God."(Re.3:12). Church of God is foreshadowed by the church of Philadelphia. every overcomer is part of this pillar.
The divine Will has never been changed and it is a decree to which what opinion man may have is irrelevant. The Son is the heir of all things to which a day has been appointed. Consequently when He says,'This day have begotten thee', it is to him the day belongs."I will declare the decree: theLordhath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee(Ps.2:7). There is an emblem 'the slain Lamb before the worlds began' and it is established as the Law. Thus pattern of things have been set into the constitution and events are set in motion, which shall never return to God in void. This pattern is what God showed Moses. He told him,"And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them(25:8)".
The church at Philadelphia was to overcome their circumstance in times of peace or in times of tribulation. "Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth(Re.3:19)" The churches at the time of St John were going through persecution and it helps us to understand the great tribulation that has more to do with our times. The Spirit is setting down for believer wherever they are, of what are we confronted with. Synagogue of satan is the seat of heresies and the so-called church hobnobbing with the beast and anti-Christ are signs of our times. So the church of Philadelphia is a generic name for the remnant of holy seed. Remember what God told Elijah who was disheartened that he was left to himself."Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him". (1 Ki.19:18)
Every child of God has a ministry, of shining as lights in this untoward generation, and also has received gifts. Power and Wisdom are blessings from God freely distributed so wherever man makes proper use are giving glory to God. 'The earth and the fulness thereof are the Lord's.' God called out Bezalel son of Uri for His service and in the case of Temple of Solomon we find God had chosen Hiram or Huram "And king Solomon sent and fetched Hiram out of Tyre./He was a widow's son of the tribe of Naphtali, and his father was a man of Tyre, a worker in brass: and he was filled with wisdom, and understanding, and cunning to work all works in brass. And he came to king Solomon, and wrought all his work(vv.13-14)".
It is unfaithful servant who would bury his talent in a hole in the ground.
"And he set up the pillars in the porch of the temple: and he set up the right pillar, and called the name thereof Jachin: and he set up the left pillar, and called the name thereof Boaz./ And upon the top of the pillars was lily work: so was the work of the pillars finished."
In a traditional story How important is the name of a pillar in the porch when focus of the narrative is about the temple of God? Jachin has a meaning,'he that strengthens makes steadfast. The other pillar was called Boaz, which is also strength and resonates with Boaz of the Book of Ruth. These two pillars taken together gives us the concrete image of this verse, "And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified."(Ac.20:32). Every believer approaches God in faith and these witnesses testify the word of his grace as well as the inheritance promised to him. Those two witnesses slain by the beast before Jerusalem (Re.11:8) Let us examine the words, "And when they shall have finished their testimony," gives us the time period. God shuts the church age so word of grace is a rarity, ("I will make a man more precious than fine gold; even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir."-Is.13:12)
We came across seven pillars of Wisdom in the context of the Abstract in Ge.1. The two witnesses refers to all witnesses preaching the gospel in the world of the Spirit and in earth, the agency of the Spirit of Christ and these foorm two pillars.
The church at Philadelphia was to overcome their circumstance in times of peace or in times of tribulation. "Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth(Re.3:19)" The churches at the time of St John were going through persecution and it helps us to understand the great tribulation.
What are these streams? Each heart of a believer is connected to this river of time, and being hid in heavenly places, are sated by it. It helps us to fortify our hearts with faith and by grace we do not complain as Israel did of the fleshpots of Egypt.
The river of water of life sets the world of the Spirit and the world of the body on this side of the bank so every heart of the believer draws to the city which has foundations whose Maker and builder is God. It is also the House of prayer for all nations. The tree of life sets every believer that has dug deeper to be nourished by the water as tree of righteousness whose leaves do not wither away. Ps.1:2-3). It serves as a emblem for Christ as the last Adam. No more curse no more tears. "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty(Re.1:8).
How significant is the manner the timber was brought to build the temple of Solomon? The Spirit does not give such extraneous details unless for a reason. King Solomon had arranged with King Hiram of Tyre to bring the forest of Lebanon all cut to size ready to instal in the king's house. "My servants shall bring them down from Lebanon unto the sea: and I will convey them by sea in floats unto the place that thou shalt appoint me, and will cause them to be discharged there, and thou shalt receive them: and thou shalt accomplish my desire, in giving food for my household./ So Hiram gave Solomon cedar trees and fir trees according to all his desire(5:9-10)". The sea has its own spiritual significance as 'the place appointed.' The sea denotes us who were dead in sins' and we are to approach the throne of grace and not unto the high places where Israelites went whoring after. Path is cut out since Jesus Christ is the way. We follow after his steps.
The word that has gone forth does not return in vain (Is.55:11)." The Spirit in narrating the House of the Forest of Lebanon is not drawing our attention to a physical shape or form of the house as much us Jesus said of the many mansions in his Fathers house. The vital point is the Son has promised it for our use and God who spared not his own Son for our sakes shall surely make it happen.. It looks forward to the last chapter in the Book of the revelation 'And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb./In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations(Re.22:1-2)".
Tailpiece:
The river of water of life sets the world of the Spirit and the world of the body on this side of the bank so every heart of the believer draws to the city which has foundations whose Maker and builder is God. It is also the House of prayer for all nations. The tree of life sets every believer that has dug deeper to be nourished by the water as tree of righteousness whose leaves d not wither away. Ps.1:2-3). It serves as a emblem for Christ as the last Adam. No more curse no more tears. "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty(Re.1:8).
"He built also the house of the forest of Lebanon; the length thereof was an hundred cubits, and the breadth thereof fifty cubits, and the height thereof thirty cubits, upon four rows of cedar pillars, with cedar beams upon the pillars.(v.2)"
The House of Solomon was called the House of the Forest of Lebanon. King Solomon had arranged with King Hiram of Tyre to bring the forest of Lebanon all cut to size ready to instal in the king's house. "My servants shall bring them down from Lebanon unto the sea: and I will convey them by sea in floats unto the place that thou shalt appoint me, and will cause them to be discharged there, and thou shalt receive them: and thou shalt accomplish my desire, in giving food for my household./ So Hiram gave Solomon cedar trees and fir trees according to all his desire(5:9-10)".
There was a body of water to facilitate the transport such profusion of timber fabled for their quality. The same analogy we could derive in the manner God brings the trees of righteousness into the house of God to serve as pillars."Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name(Re.3:12). The body of water,- the sea is what God caused and in the creation account it has a place of origin. Heaven from which all blessings are poured down is a mighty stream. Like the sun shine invigorates the land rivers are replenished by rain so cedars of Lebanon lead us to think of a forest not merely stationary but much more than as trees. "
The voice of theLordis powerful; the voice of theLordis full of majesty./The voice of theLordbreaketh the cedars; yea, theLordbreaketh the cedars of Lebanon. /He maketh them also to skip like a calf(Ps.29:4-6)"
Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today and forever. In the will of God the Father the Word become flesh in practical terms is the accessibility of anyone to be helped where His Son serves as a mediator and an high priest. "For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin."(He.4:15) Trust means we are not relying our abilities but letting his grace work fully in resisting our temptations. Full armor of God gives it vividness and it is God who fights the battle for us. (Ep.6:13-17)
Faith which is one with which we make a stand so our trust is fully shown to be working best in the evil day. 'Having done all, to stand'
St Paul faced many such evil days. The only way he could have withstood it we have from his own account.
St Paul had a thorn in his flesh which he could not removed by his own strength so he placed it in the hands of Jesus Christ, "For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me./And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me./Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong." (2 Co.12:7-10). What is the motto of Trust? "For when I am weak, then am I strong." Thus when we take hold of Mount Zion whoever kicks at us is kicking at mount Zion. The rod of the wicked for that reason shall be broken into splinters.
"And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder."(Matt.21:44) This is what we read in the Book of Daniel, "Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces."(v.35)
They that trust in theLordshall be as mount Zion, which cannot be removed, but abideth for ever./As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so theLordis round about his people from henceforth even for ever.
Mount Zion abides forever which is what characterizes the Son. " Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation." This was laid even before the worlds began. The stone that not cut with hands explains its source. "A stone was cut out without hands," which became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth" (Dan.2:34-35) This underpins the Father-Son relationship and its a clear indication of Mount Zion the church built upon Zion and it shall abide forever.
When God sent his Son to the world he was the bread of heaven.
Satan well knew the symbolism but not what Salvation entails. The spirit that said, 'I will' and 'I will be like the most High,'Could not have understood the spiritual significance of the Word becoming flesh. He tempted Jesus, "If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread."(Matt.4:3). Materialism he well knew so he would need a serpent to beguile Eve just as 'prosperity' of dollars and cents he could offer those who served his interests in our times. He knew he was the Word become flesh but he had not use for it. Trust in a literal Zion or Jerusalem was so deep that the Jews rejected the Son. He was a rock of offense to them.
Trust is not in ones own strengths but the Word which in human likeness set an example for us. Jesus Christ as the Way, the Truth and the Life." Trust means we are not relying our abilities but letting his grace work fully in resisting our temptations. Full armor of God gives it vividness and it is God who fights the battle for us. (Ep.6:13-17) Truth in our inward parts we make it as our native soil. Truth, which God has written in us, works as though our loins are girt about it.
"MAJESTIC"
"O, LORD, our LORD, how excellent (majestic) is Your name in all the earth." Ps. 8:1,9
"For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses to His majesty." 2 Peter 1:16-17
God dwells in inaccessible light ( 1 Tim. 6:16). So how can we know Him or describe what He is. We cannot do so perfectly because there are aspects of God that we may never be able to know, understand, or comprehend. There will eternally be some things God will not reveal about Himself to us because of His transcendent nature. He is above and beyond, distinct and separate from His creation. He is more infinitely more unlike humans than He is similar. This is one aspect of His majesty, and one that is so very hard for us to find words to express His majesty truly. Because He is limitless and infinite and perfect in all of His ways-and because we are limited, finite, and lack the fullness of perfection that God possesses, even in our resurrected and glorious state, though sinless and brought to the fullness of perfect humanity (to the completion of what God willed), we will never be able to know God completely. But we will still be both satisfied and eternally seeking to discover Him more truly and fully.
When we speak about the Majesty of God, it encompasses many aspects of Who He is essentially.
It speaks to His awesome splendor, unconquerable authority, unsurpassing beauty, penultimate greatness, indominable power, absolute sovereignty, and His unchallengeable superiority. WOW! When we speak of God's glory, it is an umbrella term that encompasses all of these aspects of God's Being.
His majesty is what we praise of Him. It evokes us to worship Him. It causes unbelievers to fear Him. It moves people to revere Him. It motivates us to serve Him.
There is really so much to speak about concerning God's majesty. see pt. 2
This we can understand from the second time God appeared unto the wise king.
"That theLordappeared to Solomon the second time, as he had appeared unto him at Gibeon./And theLordsaid unto him, I have heard thy prayer and thy supplication, that thou hast made before me: I have hallowed this house, which thou hast built, to put my name there for ever; and mine eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually./And if thou wilt walk before me, as David thy father walked, in integrity of heart, and in uprightness, to do according to all that I have commanded thee, and wilt keep my statutes and my judgments:/Then I will establish the throne of thy kingdom upon Israel for ever, as I promised to David thy father, saying, There shall not fail thee a man upon the throne of Israel(1 Ki.9:2-5)".
This shows the temple built by Solomon ceased to be a temple of God when he fell away from his singleminded devotion because of his many wives."Can two walk together, except they be agreed?(Amos3:3)" King Solomon began well as the nation of Israel did. In their apostasy they ceased to be the apple of His eye and all desolations predicted by Jeremiah became real. Jesus drew away those who did business in the temple courts,"....And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves(Matt.21:12-13)".This clearly establishes temples of man hold in themselves no value without establishing the connection with the Word ( John 1:1), in other words, the everlasting covenant.
Our bodies as a temple is an idea and it is valid because of the everlasting covenant. Our individual covenant by blood is carried over into the everlasting covenant. The testimony of Jesus Christ,"Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven"
We read of the ransacking of the temple of God in this last chapter.
Here we have a sad end to what was begun as a glorious chapter in the rise of the nation of Israel. King David would have wished to build a house for God but God was particular that it was left for his son to build the House of God. King Solomon after he had removed the threat of Adoniah set about it. The Ark was brought into it. The Ark of the testimonywhere the two tables of stone signified the everlasting covenant. (Ps.119:89).
"There was nothing in the ark save the two tables of stone, which Moses put there at Horeb, when theLordmade a covenant with the children of Israel, when they came out of the land of Egypt./And it came to pass, when the priests were come out of the holy place, that the cloud filled the house of theLord,/So that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud: for the glory of theLordhad filled the house of theLord./Then spake Solomon, TheLordsaid that he would dwell in the thick darkness./I have surely built thee an house to dwell in, a settled place for thee to abide in for ever(1 Ki.8:9-13)" Significant is this passage, "When the priests were come out of the holy place, that the cloud filled the house of theLord,/So that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud: for the glory of theLordhad filled the house of theLord."
Covenant is between God and man and not by any other intermediary. The cloud represented the cloud of witnesses (Dan.7:14; He.12:1)
The Spirit is establishing the truth:the everlasting covenant was not dispensed by priests. Two tables of stone Levitical priesthood, animal sacrifice and all such laws were shadow of the everlasting covenant established before the foundation of the world. Solomon's zeal to build where God was at rest, was only as good as he was obedient.
This is brought out in Gibeon.
What is Jerusalem in the Core Will of God?
What we find in Gaza is man's strivings to carve out enclaves for themselves according to their perceived identities. God has rejected Israel, and never mind, they made their arm their strength. So we shall see much about nothing as peoples are often given some occupation by the powers-that be to keep them from getting in the way. God rjected the city where his Son was crucified.
"Thus saith theLord; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from theLord./For he shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh; but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land and not inhabited." (Je.17:5-6) God has set his Will and his vengeance on Babylon covers Jerusalem as well. The city shall be left as a rubble and Isaiah says, "For my sword shall be bathed in heaven: behold, it shall come down upon Idumea, and upon the people of my curse, to judgment."(Is.34:5) Edom and Israel of the Patriarchal age even now at each other's throat. It shall strike Gaza and also Jerusalem.
God has already spoken. Bibi decides as a man, whose survival depends on being the most harsh where as the heaven has settled the fate of the city,"And a great slaughter in the land of Idumea./And the unicorns shall come down with them, and the bullocks with the bulls; and their land shall be soaked with blood, and their dust made fat with fatness."(34:5-8) "For it is the day of theLord's vengeance, and the year of recompences for the controversy of Zion."
"Blessed is the man that trusteth in theLord, and whose hope theLordis."(Je.17:7)
"And he led them forth by the right way, that they might go to a city of habitation."
The Spirit in organizing the Salvation Plan gives us a great exodus of men, one to a city of habitation while the other to destruction. This is according to the Core will which is all about His kingdom which ruleth over all. "The LORD hath prepared his throne in the heavens; and his kingdom ruleth over all."(Ps.103:19). As Jesus promised his ministry on the earth was not solely to save those who were dead in sins but to equip them for their city habitation. In short Core will of God covers both fronts both heaven and the earth. "And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also." ( John 14:3)
Salvation program begins in the world of the Spirit, which is a Garden planted by God. At the end of it we have the city which also is prepared by God. "But he answered and said, Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up."(Matt.15:13) This tree of life in the Garden is found in this city as well.
After the great flood we are given a great human migration."As they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there." They began a tower and they began with brick for stone and slime for mortar. "And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower."(Ge.11:4) They were against God so they had to make a name for themselves. Celebrities whose lifestyles are much emulated are the catalyst, -what motion, what a dazzle! and they work tirelessly to make news. This has lead to Babylon which is is hold all for every city made by men. Jerusalem belongs there. How did the city fare? "And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all."(Re.18:21)
The dragon is the devil
The beast is the papacy
The lamb-like beast is the United States
The three angels message that Babylon has fallen is a warning to God's people to separate themselves from apostate churches. "Come out of her my people". Martin Luther and others believed the Papacy was the Antichrist. The movement to unite all religions is of the devil. We are to be separate. Keep the pure Word of God, undefiled by the doctrine of man.
Spiritism is false teaching and of the devil. It opens the door to demons. We cannot pray to dead relatives or dead saints. They are sleeping. Anyone seeing their dead relative is actually seeing a demonic impersonator.
Saturday, the seventh day of the week, is the Sabbath.
It is God's sign. It is God's mark.
When the scriptures speak of THE END, what are they speaking about?
They are speaking about YOU, the END of YOU, life in this body of flesh and blood.
Every man has to COME to truth, NOW in this AGE, or latter in the AGES to come, the second resurrection.
Christ DEFEATED DEATH at his resurrection, he was resurrected with IMMORTAL life.
1 Timothy 6:16 .... Christ ONLY has IMMORTALITY .....
WE were resurrected with him, joint heirs WITH HIM, resurrected in HIS IMAGE, a marriage, we became ONE with CHRIST.
We are GIVEN an appointed amount OF TIME to come to truth.
Then comes THE END, if we are a MATURE SEED we are HARVESTED into the KINGDOM, IMMORTAL LIFE, if we never BELIEVED the words of GOD, we are cast into PRISON, DEATH and the GRAVE, the bottomless pit.
God Bless YOU!
Apart from this we are also shown where the beast comes from; This is a key that should unlock the mystery of the beast in both cases. "The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is."(17:8) The beast is mentioned in another passage, as the one who kills the two witnesses sent from heaven. "The beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them."
Who is in control? "nd the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit./And he opened the bottomless pit."(9:1-2) God allows the world that has refused grace to be shown the difference between the beast whose spirit of pride is just the opposite the Son. Jesus Christ the same yesterday and forever. (He.13:8)
Instead ideologies that the beast wear is the name of blasphemy. It may carry the label of Papal infallibility or trickle down economy or any other. Truth couched with reason to suit the spirit of times is nothing short of blasphemy.
The beast, "Having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy."
God made man a living soul meaning that the truth was set in his inwards. Like the penny in the Parable of the Laborers in the Vineyard he was set to work as a faithful laborer in the world. Holding truth in unrighteousness his fall created sin enter into the world. These four beasts that Daniel saw in a night vision is a birds eye of human civilization on the rise. The three ribs signified human institutions State and Religion growing from strength to strength which however dispensed with truth and necessity of obeying the will of God. The nations whose authority came from the dragon had a mix and match form of lion, leopard, bear as indicated in the v.1. The Spirit explains it 'the beast that thou sawest was, and is not, and yet is" the unclean spirit working through passage of time so kings, minister-presidents, caesars or sultans are all manifestation of the same, they hold truth in unrighteousness,
The little horn showed how state and religion could coexist and the beast now wearing a scarlet livery as mentioned in Ch.17:3 suggests papacy. Fall of Constantinople to the Turks gives us this line, "And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed." Consider the following verses, "A scarlet colored beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns." The Spirit also supplies their significance, "The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth." (17:9) Obvious seven hills of Rome.
Apart from this we are also shown where the beast comes from; This is a key that should unlock the mystery of the beast in both cases.
In the light of the above the Spirit warns you to pay heed what is at risk here. "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." (v.8) Worshiping the State is at the peril of your soul.
The State signified by the rib appears here. The dragon's motive is not altruistic but thwart the Salvation Plan of God determined before the worlds began. His seat is the other rib representing Religion. For this purpose we have another beast "Coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon./And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast. " So we know where Christian nationalism tke their marching orders from. The divine healing and many wonders performed to draw the breath away are nothing new. Egyptian magicians performed miracles but could not compete with Moses. "Then the magicians said unto Pharaoh, Thisisthe finger of God: and Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had said."(Ex.8:19). In our times we have seen Serpent handling and divine healing the whole circus that smacks of crass 'filthy lucre'. The second beast had two horns like a lamb which is to deceive. Compare Luke 11:20. It is like 'reasonable faith' which is neither here nor there. Third rib is like reason which does not work in practice. Think of all Constitutions written but in practice are shown something else. Without truth what is free speech but license to let your tongue run away? The authority is drawn from the dragon.
The beast is the shape of things to come a composite edifice mix and match of the four beasts that Daniel saw.
"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./And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority."
Here we have a beast which is like unto a leopard but his feet of a bear tells sleekness of the big cat is not what it apparently presents. He had the mouth a lion which also is not entirely genuine. As in the night vision of Daniel, the beast is a catch-all of the four bests that took the breath of Daniel away. The bear in Daniel's vision had three ribs stuck between its teeth. The same now are in full display so one knew where these came from. He had power which was immense. "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." (13:7). When he said, "The State? I am the state" the world knew he meant it in dead earnest. The rib stuck in the mouth in a night vision has become all too real when he cracked his whip.
"If any man have an ear, let him hear." In v.9 we have the expression which evokes comparison with this verse, "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. (Re.2:7) The Spirit uses it at the end of message of seven churches signifying the eternal word of God. He that promised is faithful to do it. So he has this promise to the church of Ephesus. "To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God."It goes thus with every seven of them. The will of God concerning an overcomer is entered into the book of life, which shall never change.
From St John's standpoint the risen Jesus Christ is yet 'to make all things new.' In short what Dan 7:14 indicated was the will of God the Father in pluperfect tense.
The Spirit accordingly ends the Book of Daniel reminding of the Abrahamic promise in this verse, "And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament;" (Dan.12:3). Daniel was assured,"But go thou thy way till the end be: for thou shalt rest, and stand in thy lot at the end of the days."(12:13) His body and soul were in His safekeeping.
"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."
St John's vision is from standing upon sand of the sea which we shall first take up while what we discussed from Daniel was in setting out the events from the Abrahamic promise, where God assured the patriarch, "And said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be. " (Ge.15:5) So he sees God setting about to stir world events about from heaven. What of the Apostle? He has positioned himself with regards to the promise of "And as the sand which is by the sea shore innumerable." God's promise to Abraham is one where the stars signify the great congregation that has been called in his Son before the foundation of the world. While John in the midst of a wave of persecution under Domitian looks at the world of the body. If his earthly tabernacle are to be dissolved "We have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens./For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven." (2 Co.5:1-2) In order to understand the beast we need first define the spiritual context of the little horn (Dan.7:8) as "a beast rising up out of the sea." (Significant is how the everlasting dominion granted to the one like unto the Son of man (Dan.7:14) is morphed into a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes," in the vision of St.John.) The Spirit is ever consistent while describing the eternal will of the Father and the manner he shall prevail upon all the might of Satan and his spiritual dominion in accordance to the everlasting covenant.) From St John's standpoint the risen Jesus Christ is yet 'to make all things new.' In short what Dan 7:14 indicated was the will of God the Father.
The 1904-1905 Welsh revivalwas the largest Christian revival in Wales during the 20th century. Azusa Street Revival in 1906, United States of America, Los Angeles was not mere coincidence. But the outbreak of WWI wiped much of the force of the movement. The Three ribs were at it and it spoke from the pulpit and patriotic duty of Christian sounded high. The little horn had eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things.
"And it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns./I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things. (vv.7-8)
The fourth beast was different in the sense that the three three ribs speaking 'Arise, devour much flesh"in the earlier cases were put in words so whoever heard them knew it came from the little horn, and its spoke great things. Thus when a former President said, '"I do not tell you that the war in Vietnam is the war to end wars" it had force and impact since the authority was one of them. Only time showed the lie and bad faiththat had nothing real about the man who was a creature of the Spirit of the times. The Silent majority of the three ribs merely spoke from the context. But the Spirit would not buy that. The number 10 instructs us the little horn was judged already.
"And it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns./I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, Three of the first roots plucked up by the roots which we shall see in the emergence of Rome as the arbiter of Pax Romana. Earlier the kings ruled Rome and from 509 BC, it became a republic till 27BC when it became an empire under Caesars. The little horn refers to Constantine the Great. Plucked up by the roots as with the eagle wings of the first beast indicate a violent action. Division of the Roman Empire into two is its result. "His legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay." The subsequent development of Christianity kept the same number Ten intact. Instead of horns the alliance of the state and Christianity gives us its doctrinal quality. Heresies have become the norm.
Cleopatra was the last of Ptolemies. When she died in 30 B.C., Romans took over territory formally controlled by the Ptolemies.
Deification of Caesar was a clever way to marry state and religion and how did they placate the citizens but with 'bread and circus.' The no man's land would include as far as China from where Rome brought silk to give their splendor to a new heights. Imperial splendor of Roman masters was much emulated by their vassals throughought the Empire and beyond. Man's expectation took to wings just as Lucifer did say in his heart,"I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:" Wealth became a status symbol and consumable exotic and pricier they were the better. Decadence setting in was the least worrisome if citizens were on to 'good life',
In this context Daniel interpreting the King's Dream in Ch.2 focused on the world empires becoming decadent which brought the nascent Christianity into a collision course. How the three ribs caused the head in solid gold end with feet of iron mixed with clay explains the consequence of the three ribs goading each heart on. Their truth was entirely set on the context, no wonder Machiavelli was yet to write his magnum opus, The Prince.
"His legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay." White Nationalism, prosperity theology making common cause with the State ought to tell the three ribs are doing their work still.
"After this I beheld, and lo another, like a leopard, which had upon the back of it four wings of a fowl; the beast had also four heads; and dominion was given to it."
The leopard is associated with Greece as well as to Pre-Columbian cultures in the Americas. Just as well. The three ribs in the second beast having created a no-man's land would work for Satan which we see in the Revelation as three unclean frogs. The beast (State). false prophet (Religion), working with the dragon (Re.16: 13)also supplies the spirit of the times. Thus with the Age of exploration we have the mercantile Spirit driving the Europeans to plunder the natives in the Americas. They would claim that they arrived for God gold and glory.
"Arise, devour much flesh" shall make man think beyond the truth written in their inward parts. Instead of fearing for their souls the conquistadores were guided by their Religion, State and glory. Glory of wealth, religion well knew; so did the State. This is what the leopard-like beast achieved. Here the Spirit is not giving us a lesson in history but in the manner State Religion and Reason have served the will of Satan to muddy the waters upon which the Spirit had worked on before the creation of man. "And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters."
The third beast, 'like a leopard' also refers to the Hellenization of the world conquered by Alexander the Great. Dividing the lands into the hands of four generals (four heads) create distinct cultural context (four wings of a fowl). Antigonus,Cassander, Ptolemy, and Seleucus are merely figureheads since the three ribs having muddied the glory of power to goad each other 'Arise, devour much flesh' and their rivalries ultimately would weaken their own resources. For example Alexander's general set a dynasty which ruled Egypt for more than 300 years. There were 15 Ptolemic leaders and they ruled from 332 B.C. to 30 B.C. from Alexandria.
Let us consider Lydia, the state which introduced the concept of money (600 BCE),- and check out its influence on American Constitution (Federalist papers #9 by Alexander Hamilton) Egypt for its 'divine rights' which came down to the West as the divine Rights of kings. Their contribution to civilization lay chiefly in the mode of writing, thereby perpetuation of myths ('The winner controls history') and Religion.
Military conquests are merely flash in the pan and do not belong in a vision which is introduced by the Spirit to instruct us in righteousness. (One swallow does not make summer- as the expression is.) So we shall turn to the position of the three ribs in the Bible narrative. They develop on the fall of man in the following manner.
The Spirit set the serpent in Ge.3 to introduce the manner truth can be wrongly applied. (I have already covered in my posts). Truth written in our inward parts accepts either Or. Either you do the will of God( do not eat the fruit) or let the context of the serpent's counsel lead you. Eve let the contextual truth guide her. She saw the way Satan wanted her see the fruit and affect her will. She disobeyed the will of God.
The three ribs similarly provide a context for the bear to devour much flesh whether it actually requires or not. So the mouth of the bear is a no man's land where truth can be twisted whichever way one wants. Noticed every one who resisted God the little horn and the beast are given to big mouth? "And a mouth speaking great things."(7:8 ) and "And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies;"(Re.13:5) and finally Herod who was struck down by an angel. (Ac.12:23) He did not give glory because Satan muddled him head to look away from the truth. So he saw his own glory in speaking like gods. Fool of a man.
"I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him."
The Spirit presents the everlasting Covenant between God and Man as solemn and as grand it could be, considering a great congregation 'the clouds of heaven" are brought in as witnesses. This is a marriage between Heaven and the earth,-invisible God framing the world which is made to appear by his word.(He.11:3) The earth and the fulness thereof belongs to God and his Son is the Man in whom we are called and our faith is on the line. "And ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened"(v.10) includes us. With this in mind we shall see what do these four beasts signify in the history of mankind which is as much as a commentary of human civilization as well. Thus Israel called to be the firstborn whose glory was violently plucked off and given to stand as a man whose heart was not right before God. Israel was called to the fellowship but in rejecting the Son of man from Fellowship between God and Man.
in v.5 we have the second beast a second,"Like to a bear, and it raised up itself on one side, and it had three ribs in the mouth "
Medo-Persian Empire 'raised up itself on one side' What does it mean? They became a world empire in the breach made by Israel, and God let them win by the edge of the sword. Even so their dominion stood in context of the Son unto whom God has given everlasting dominion as the Spirit puts it. Their three military conquests over Babylon, Egypt and Lydia signify the three ribs. So much for historical facts. The Spirit uses them for our spiritual edification and warns us the pitfall of going against the express will of God as revealed in the Bible document.