NUMBER 132 AND 248 -

THE SECOND COMING AND FINAL JUDGMENT

The Dream and the Reality

by Dee Finney

7-20-2001

A NEW SONG AND A NEW EARTH

(I recommend printing this out to study)
(It is not an easy read on screen)

"And I looked and. lo, a Lamb stood on Mount Zion, and
with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his
Father’s name written in their foreheads. And I heard a
voice from heaven, like the voice of many waters, and
like the voice of a great thunder; and I heard the voice
of harpers harping with their harps. And they sang as it
were, a new song..." Rev. 14:1-3.

Hopi elders say that the Earth Mother will soon "sing a
new song" or shift into a higher vibration. When this
happens the Earth’s grid will morph into a more complex
sacred geometric structure and all of life that is part of
the grid, including you and I, will be transformed.

7-20-2001 - DREAMS - For a long time, I dreamed about the number 132 in a geometric shape. It was a series of circles on a great circle.  I had this dream 3 times and in the last dream, I was trying to draw this shape and instead it came out with 248 circles. I couldn't determine where to place the circles on the circle to come out with 132 like I was shown.

In dream 4, I was in a room that had a TV or computer screen in front of me. The picture was in black and white, with a white background with the geometry in black. First there was a dot, then a dot within a circle ( 1 and 2)  However, the next shape was 4 which was 4 rectangles on a left angle across the great circle.  The rectangles were not flat, but more like an odd shaped box which I can't even draw much less describe or put a name to.   It was moving to joyous music which I believe to be in the key of F sharp. Then came the number 8, then 16. I lost track of the numbers after that because of the activity in the room.

Example: OP122-14 Allegro Moderato molto spiritoso F major 4/4 (Use Netscape for best listening)

Some men came into the room and I pointed out the pictures on the screen with the music.  They got all excited about it, but instead of watching the film which was cartoonish with dancing shaped and listening to the joyous music, they wanted to photograph the pictures on the screen.

But the men started arguing about what kind of camera to use to take the pictures and whether the flash of the camera would white out the screen and they'd have no photo at all and about how long it would take to get various types of film developed, they missed the whole show.

Then, I was sitting in a room and my Father was sitting by my right side.  I saw that my right thumb had developed another right thumb at right angles to my regular thumb.  People told me to cut that extra thumb off, but I didn't want to. The extra thumb didn't bother me and didn't get in my way at all.  

I saw a tiny pearl forming at the juncture of the two thumbs where they came together and I knew that my Father had designed it that way. Once I had two thumbs, then I'd grow 4, then 8, then 12, just the way he planned it an I'd leave it alone because it was meant to be that way.

I then  had a vision of a clock which said 10 minutes to 3, but the 3 was in the 10 o-clock position ... the numbers on the clock were backwards and I was told that it was that close to the end of time.

I fell asleep and when I woke up, I was thinking about the clock and I had a vision of a little brown bunny rabbit on the floor. He lay down on a dark blue blanket and went to sleep.

NOTES:  

The Dot

At the center of a circle or a sphere is always an infinitesimal point. The point needs no dimension,  yet embraces all dimension. Transcendence of the illusions of time & space result in the point of here and now, our most primal light of consciousness. The proverbial "light at the end of the tunnel" is being validated by the ever-increasing literature on so-called "near-death experiences". If our essence is truly spiritual omnipresence, then perhaps the "point" of our being "here" is to recognize the oneness we share, validating all "individuals" as equally precious and sacred aspects of that one.

The Circle

The circle is a two-dimensional shadow of the sphere which is regarded throughout cultural history as an icon of the ineffable oneness; the indivisible fulfillment of the Universe. All other symbols and geometries reflect various aspects of the profound and consummate perfection of the circle, sphere and other higher dimensional forms of these we might imagine.

The ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter, Pi, is the original transcendental and irrational number. (Pi equals about 3.14159265358979323846264338327950288419716939937511...) It cannot be expressed in terms of the ratio of two whole numbers, or in the language of sacred symbolism, the essence of the circle exists in a dimension that transcends the linear rationality that it contains. Our holistic perspectives, feelings and intuitions encompass the finite elements of the ideas that are within them, yet have a greater wisdom than can be expressed by those ideas alone.

Time Running Backwards: If you have somehow gotten past the idea that science is myth while religion always seeks truth and that time is running backwards and that the universe may end and go into chaos at any moment, you will get through this just fine.  

A myth is an explanation for what is going on with no evidence that supports the explanation and no invitation to find evidence.

A theory is an explanation for what is going on that has some support in evidence or at least stands ready to be supported or disproved by evidence.

If you are a hard line literal interpreter of the Bible, you must agree that lines like "there were giants in the earth" means that things were different and that any line beginning "and God created" means things change.  It is no small surprise that those who wrote the Bible stories, even if they understood this, did not have a vocabulary with which to describe it. Modern science lacks a way of saying it. We are being forced to use ungainly phrases like "time running backwards."

Murray Gell-Mann and James Hartle recently extended this idea to the whole Universe. They argued that if, as many cosmologists believe likely, the Universe was born in a Big Bang, will expand out for a finite time and then recollapse into a Big Crunch, the time-neutral quantum theory could describe time running backwards in the contracting half of its life.

The Thomson problem is the long standing mathematical problem of finding the ideal arrangement of point charges constrained to lie on the surface of a sphere. Like the Lennard-Jones clusters, the number of local minima increases exponentially fast with the number of charges. As a result, it is a standard problem for testing optimization.

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ABOUT THE THUMB:

The thumb represents the 'ether' energy or 'spirit'. In the Occult Doctrines, this Divine Breath, Spirit, ensouls the dust of the Four Physical Elements (which modern science describes as the Four States of Matter - plasma, gas, liquid, and solid; which are bound together by the Four Forces of Nature - strong, weak, electromagnetic, and gravity). These states were identified by the early Alchemists as Fire, Water, Air, and Earth, abstract concepts which form the matrix upon which the layers of existence and reality are woven, like cloth on a loom. The symbology of the Breath of Life, Spirit, ensouled in the dust of the Four Elements was said to be exemplified by the human hand, with the thumb representing Spirit, and the other digits representing the Elements. Another cognate symbol is the ancient Pentagram, the five-pointed star, with each point signifying Spirit, Earth, Water, Air, and Fire. The Egyptians called this symbol Khabs, which translates as both Star and God. As it is written in Liber AL vel Legis, the threefold Book of Law: "Every man and every woman is a star."

THE THUMB SYMBOLISM IN THIS DREAM: I didn't understand this right away.  It wasn't until I was working 3/4 down the page that I came upon the reference to the 'gates' to the New Jerusalem. All of a sudden it came to me that the 'pearl' between the two thumbs which represented the ether element/ the spirit that this is the 'gate' ... the way into the New Jerusalem. The gate is through 'spirit'.

Revelation 21:21 "And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; every several gate was of one pearl; and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass."

This speaks more about the gates. Every several gate, that is, every individual gate, was of one pearl. And the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass. So this is not like earthly gold. This is pure gold, but it is transparent like glass.

Now every gate is of one pearl. Again we have to see that we're talking about something symbolic here. These are truly pearls of great price.

Now how can a gate be one pearl. How can it be hinged and have a frame and open, etc. This shows that it is figurative here. That could be you could carve it out of one big pearl but it doesn't get into that. It just says the gates were each of one pearl showing the costliness of them. Now certainly God could create a pearl as big as the gate of this city. But obviously this is a symbol. God uses the things that are precious and costly on the earth to show that there is something that is spiritually precious and costly.

Verse 12 said that the names of the tribes of Israel were on these gates of pearl. So it is a city encompassing both Old Testament and New Testament saints.

The Hands Chakra: Located at the center point between Thumb and Index Fingers. They direct the mechanical means of directing energy, as in Healing. colour varies from Orange to Blue during Healing. Cold hands signify some blockage.

The ring is a symbol of eternity and is the most effective way of making use of the planetary metals. The hand, with its fingers and thumb is the perfect correspondence to the four elements plus the ethereal realm of spirit. The thumb governs ether and the brain. The first finger corresponds to the element of air and the lungs. Fire rules the mid-finger and the intestines. Water rules the third finger and the kidneys, Earth governs the small finger and the heart. Harmony Rings can be worn on any of the fingers for therapeutic effects.

From Hindu Teachings:

Before creating the living entities in their different species of life, their living conditions were created by Brahma.

Brahma then gave up his body and began a new term of creation.

In the beginning Brahma created the four Kumaras; Sanaka, Sananda, Sanatana and Sanat Kumara.

Brahma asked his four sons to generate progeny. The Kumaras declined, which made Brahma very angry. He tried to control his anger but it came out from between his eyebrows in the form of a child in a mixed colour of red and blue. The child was crying and was therefore called Rudra. He was given eleven places to reside. Rudra then began to increase the progeny of the universe with offspring resembling himself in every way. They attempted to devour the universe, which made Brahma very afraid. He told Rudra to go and perform penance and wait for the time of dissolution, when his services would be called upon.

Brahma then created ten sons:

1) Narada - born from Brahma's deliberation
2) Vasistha - born from Brahma's breathing
3) Daksa - born from Brahma's thumb
4) Bhrgu - born from Brahma's touch
5) Kratu - born from Brahma's hand
6) Pulastya - born from brahma's ears
7) Angira - born from Brahma's mouth
8) Atri - born from brahma's eyes
9) Marici - born from Brahma's mind
10) Pulaha - born from Brahma's navel

From: http://www.csuohio.edu/history/courses/his380/laufer/res.html

Daksa - a lord of created beings. The world was born from the (World-mother) on labour; from the world the regions were born. From Aditi Daksa was born from Daksa likewise Aditi (was born).

[NOTE: Aditi "is Mother, is Father, is Son . . . is all that is born, that will be born." Normally, however, Aditi is taken to mean the Great Mother from whom the world was born, as well as the mother of the gods themselves. Daksa is masculine and often referred to as the "primordial cause," the original power of wisdom. Daksa's personification fluctuates throughout the Vedas.]

Aditi, verily, was born, who is thy daughter, O Daksa. After her the gods were born, the blessed ones, companions of immortality.

When, O gods, like wizard-priests, you made the worlds to swell, then you brought forth the sun that had been hidden in the sea. There were eight sons of Aditi, which were born of her body. She went to the gods with seven; the (Sun-) bird she cast away. With seven sons Aditi went to the primal generation (of gods). She brought back the (Sun-) bird for alternate procreation and death. The seer who, in sacrificing all these worlds, took his seat as hotar-priest, our father--he, with prayer seeking wealth (i.e. sacrificing), concealing that which was first, entered into the later beings. What, verily, was that resting-place (support)? What manner of thing did he begin from, and how vast was it, that from which the All-maker, the all-seeing, creating the earth, unfolded the heaven by his might? With eyes and face in all directions, likewise with arms and feet in all directions, he welded (as a smith) them together with his arms, with fan-bellows, creating heaven and earth, the sole god. What, verily, was the wood, what the lumber, from which they carpentered out heaven and earth? You wise ones, with your wisdom inquire into that, upon what base he rested, establishing the worlds. These your highest places, your lowest also, and these that are your mid-most, All-maker, teach to (your) friends at the oblation, O Self-mighty One. Yourself offer sacrifice, prospering your own self (thereby). O All-maker, thriving on sacrifice, do you sacrifice for yourself (i.e. create, by the cosmic "sacrifice" of creation.) earth and heaven. Let other people round about stray helplessly; for us here let there be a generous patron. Let us summon today for aid at the (sacrificial) contest the Lord of Holy Utterance, the All-maker, who inspires the intellect. Let him take pleasure in our offerings, being helpful to all, working surely unto our support.

The Purusa [man as a cosmic being, a sort of world-giant] has a thousand heads, a thousand eyes, and a thousand feet. He, encompassing the world on all sides, stood out ten fingers' lengths beyond. The Purusa alone is all this universe, what has been, and what is to be. He rules likewise over (the world of) immortality (viz. the gods), which he grows beyond, by (sacrificial?) food. Such is the extent of his greatness; and the Purusa is still greater than this. A quarter of him is all beings, three quarters are (the world of) the immortal in heaven. In his three-quarters the Purusa arose to the upper regions; a quarter of him, on the other hand, came to be here below. From this (quarter) he expanded manifoldly into the things that eat and those that do not eat (animate and inanimate beings). From him the Shining One (the cosmic waters) was born, from the Shining One (was born likewise) the Purusa. Being born (from the Shining One) he extended beyond the world, behind and also before. When the gods, with the Purusa as oblation, extended (performed) the (cosmic) sacrifice, Spring became the butter for it, Summer the firewood, Autumn the oblation. They consecrated on the sacred grass this sacrifice, (namely) the Purusa, born in the beginning. With him the gods sacrificed, the Sadhyas [ancient gods and demi-gods], and the Seers. From this sacrifice, offered as whole-offering, the ghee-mixture (the juice that flowed off) was collected; it made these animals--those of the air, of the jungle, and of the village. From this sacrifice, offered as whole-offering, the stanzas of praise (the Rigveda) and the melodies (Samaveda) were produced; the meters were produced therefrom, the sacrificial formulas (Yajurveda) were produced there-from. therefrom were produced horses, and whatever animals have (cutting-)teeth on both jaws. Cattle were produced therefrom, therefrom were born goats and sheep. When they divided the Purusa (as the victim at the cosmic sacrifice), into how many parts did they separate him? What did his mouth become? What his two arms? What are declared to be his two thighs, his two feet? The Brahman was his mouth, his two arms became the Rajanya; his two thighs are the Vaisya, from his two feet the Sudra was produced. The moon sprang from his thought-organ, the sun was produced from his eye; from his mouth Indra (war-god and soma-drinker) and Agni (the Fire-god), from his breath Vayu (the wind) was produced. From his navel arose the atmosphere, from his head the heaven evolved; from his two feet the earth, from his ear the directions. Thus they fashioned the worlds. Seven were his surrounding sticks (at the burnt-offering), thrice seven were made the pieces of kindling wood, when the gods, extending (performing) the (cosmic) sacrifice, bound the Purusa as the victim. With offering the gods offered the offering; these were the first (holy) institutions. Verily these powers have followed up to heaven, where are the Sadhya-gods of old.

The Symbolism and Spiritual Significance of the Number 5

NOTES ON 132:

From Strong's Bible Concordance

132 Aineas {ahee-neh'-as}
Aeneas = "laudable"
1) the name of a paralytic cured by Peter at Lydia

Stonehenge: The "Z" Holes Circle, immediately inward from "Y" Holes was a non-PHI, customised circle, the attributes of which are directly related to the sexagesimal/ septimal geodetic system for measuring the "ring of the Earth". The intended diameter of "Z Holes" was exactly 132 feet (1/40th of a mile). It will be remembered that the altar atop the Great Pyramid would have been geometrically configured to be 44 feet in length and 3 feet higher than its circumnavigating terrace, set at a height of 450 feet. This means that each outer face of the altar was 132 square feet, for a total of 528 for all 4 sides (coding the 5280 feet in the mile).

Alternatively, the altar would have included 2 geodetic, Earth navigational systems in its floor surface geometry. One circle, based upon a 44 feet diameter and marginally adjusted rendition of PI, produced a sexagesimal rim calibration of 138.24 feet. The rim was used for determining degree angles when working in linear (diameter) increments based upon "11 series" measurements (leagues, miles, furlongs, chains, rods/ perches, fathoms and links). Atop the pyramid, principles of navigation, based upon ocean traversals measured and plotted in leagues or breakdowns of leagues were taught in reference to this circle.

Another circle of 42 feet diameter produced a circumference of 132 feet (with a marginally adjusted rendition of PI). The 132 feet circumference circle on the Great Pyramid's altar was intended to convey 1/99000th of the ring of the Earth under its 11 series (league) geodetic assignment. The Menkaure Pyramid (under its PHI assignment) was 132 Megalithic Yards in length or 528 MY for a full perimeter circumnavigation.

The 132 number, therefore, occurs profusely in ancient geodetic endeavour. The way it was used on "Z Holes" was both in its diameter and, by consequence, circumference values. The diameter @ 132 feet represented 1/990000th of the ring of the Earth under the 24750 mile "11 series" assignment (the same length fraction as occurring on the Great Pyramid). It is also encrypted for mnemonic reference into the 9th segment of the Dynastic Royal Cubit shown above.   With the use of the "geodetic" rendition of PI at 3.141818182 (1728 ? 550) the circumference aspect of "Z" Holes was intended to be 414.72 feet (207.36 X 2). This circuit was intended to convey 1/315000th of the "ring of the Earth" under the sexagesimal/ septimal system…or 13.824 inches per degree of arc (note: the 44 feet diameter circle atop the Great Pyramid worked to a circumference of
138.24 feet…51.84 inches X 32 or 11.52 feet X 12).

The 414.72 feet in this circuit was also 17.28 inches X 288, 51.84 inches X 96 or 11.52 inches X 432.

If you think of an equilateral triangle ...projected to a tetrahedron ... that's 4 equilateral triangles put together. 4 X 33 = 132, which I think is a decimal harmonic of 13200 statute miles polar circumference of Mars. And 132 is 1/4th of 528 ... a decimal  harmonic of the number of Feet in a statute mile. Notice .... if we subtract the number of Feet in a statute mile from the polar circumference of Mars in statute miles ... we get ... 13200 - 5280 = 7920 .... the average diameter of Earth in statute miles.

132 divided by 4 = 33 (The age at which Jesus died on the cross)

132 divided bt 11 = 12 (The number of Apostles)

The harmonic of 132 = 1320 which is 3/4 of a mile in yards.

132 feet - 40 meters

132 divided by 6 = 22   There are 22 paths in the Tree of Life, and there are 22 Hebrew letters. The Hebrew letters came directly from God.

Just to note that the Sumerian story of Gilgamesh which would have occurred during the time of Genesis, as he was one of the 'giants in the land' was considered 3/4 god as 3 of his grandparents were extraterrestrials which could not die if they ate a certain plant from off the coast of Africa, and one was a mortal from the earth.

The average circumference of Mars is 13200 miles

Notice that "13200" is a nice binary decimal harmonic multiple of "33" ....13200 / 33 = 400 ... and what is "400" ? .... it's the ratio of The Sun size to  The Moon size !!!! .... 864000 / 2160 = 400 ...

The radioactive substances involved include niobium-92m, barium-133, palladium-103, chromium-51, trontium-85, strontium-86, iodine-132, americium-241, and calcium-45. Workers accidentally contaminated with plutonium-239 have also been tested, and tritium may also have been used in experiments. The Americans - who were called in to help monitor

Joe's Dream Voice Message #132:  132. 9-18-91 - "A certain node and a balanced code."

132 = White (light) (Hebrew), Man (Greek), God Divided (Hebrew)

Peanuts Backyard - a good math problem

The Philosophy of Rotation/Creation

Demythologisation in Axial Age India- The Singalovada Suttanta The relationship of the 6 directions

132 Buddhas pic

Details about this Buddha

Black Elk the Oglala Sioux of the Lakota Band also had a vision of the 6 Grandfathers which represented the 6 directions. "I was standing on the highest mountain of them all, and round about beneath me was the whole hoop of the world. And while I stood there I saw more than I can tell and I understood more than I saw; for I was seeing in a sacred manner the shapes of all things in the spirit, and the shape of all shapes as they must live together like one being. And I saw that the sacred hoop of my people was one of many hops that made one circle, wide as daylight and as starlight, and in the center grew one mighty flowering tree to shelter all the children of one mother and one father. And I saw that it was holy." "The 6th grandfather went backwards in time, into youth, and when he became a boy, I knew that he was myself with all the years that would be mine at last. When he old again, he said, "My boy, have courage, for my power shall be yours, and you shall need it, for your Nation on the earth will have great problems."

THE CIRCLES OF LIGHT

A while back the Group mentioned forming Circles of Light. These are gatherings of like minded people who purposely make a difference with combined intention here on the planet. This was nothing new, as people have been forming these groups for years under different names. The Group mentioned Circles of Light as a reference to the circles of ever expanding light that is the true awakening now taking place on planet Earth.

NOTES ON 248:

From Strong's Bible Concordance

248 aloao {al-o-ah'-o}
AV - tread out the corn 2, thresh 1; 3
1) to thresh (such as at the harvest?)

FROM: http://members.aol.com/Sabrin1315/eqpent.htm

Venus is tied strongly to the pentagram because 365/225 (225 is the number of Earth-days in Venus's orbit around the sun) = 1.622, very close to 1.618, the fabled "Golden Ratio," used widely in Greek and Egyptian temple architecture as well as the art of da Vinci. The Golden Ratio is demonstrated in the pentagram in numerous ways, which may serve to explain why the pentagonal dodecahedron is the "uppermost" of the Platonic solids.

Since the difference is not exactly 72 degrees, the ninth Sun/Venus conjunction (the fifth one used to trace the pentagram) is one or two degrees off from the position of the first. In other words, the pentagram in the sky is slowly rotating! A full rotation, or return to the starting point, takes 248 years. Astrologers will note this is the orbital period of Pluto. In this time there are 31 Sun/Venus conjunctions; 31 has been the Key to the Book of the Law since Achad's observations (AL = LA = 31 in Hebrew; in English, 31 = NU, a form of Nuit's name that occurs frequently). Note also that 248 = THE QUEEN OF SPACE, THERE ARE FOUR GATES, and UNTO % NU. UN = 31 TO = 31 NU = 31, thus UNTO NU = 93.

Platonic and Archimedean solids and such plane figures as the Pentagram were powerful tools of Applied Magic. The Age of Reason banished such configurations to the realm of superstition.... Buckminster Fuller's search for a natural and truly rational coordinate system eventually led to the tensegrity concept and the construction of geodesic domes. Polyhedra and pentagrams, being proven useful after all, have been rescued from the limbo of superstition. (p. xv)

But where is the pentagram in Synergetics? Outside of a few brief comments offered by Loeb on the golden ratio in the pentagon, it is not shown outright; no, like all good magickal secrets, it has to be found "between the lines." The pentagram is found on the surface of the icosahedron and its sister shape the pentagonal dodecahedron, and on the geodesic dome which is derived from the icosahedron. Fuller writes:

" There are only three possible cases of fundamental omnisymmetrical, omnitriangulated, least-effort structural systems in nature: the tetrahedron, with three triangles at each vertex; the octahedron, with four triangles at each vertex; and the icosahedron, with five triangles at each vertex." [532.41]

When one places six triangles around a vertex, one gets a plane figure -- a hexagon -- and not a solid. Two triangles "around" a vertex fall together into a single triangle. So these are the only three possible shapes made entirely out of triangles.

The triangle, of course, is central to Fuller's system because "any polygon with more than three sides is unstable" (609.01). The triangle, being threefold, is an important figure for the English Qaballist in myriad ways. Firstly the triangle is half a hexagram; the triangle represents the trinity of the Book of the Law -- Nuit, Hadit, Ra-Hoor-Khuit; and of course, the triangle represents the numerous trinities inherent to the Tree of Life.

248: This number has a prominent place in Judaism  as it represents the numerical value of the first two words of the fundamental religious expression of monotheism, "Hear, O Israel."

RECITING THE SHEMA

Here are two customs related to saying the Shema. One custom is to cover your eyes as you recite the first line of the Shema. This is to enable you to concentrate on what you are saying rather than be distracted by anything happening around you. There is an ongoing debate in the tradition whether you need kavanah/intention while doing a mitzvah/commandment. There is agreement that when saying the Shema the first line (some say the first three lines) needs to be said with intention. The other custom is to gather in one hand the four tzitzit/fringes on your tallit/prayer shawl before reciting the Shema. When the tzitzit are mentioned in the third paragraph of the Shema, the tzitzit are then kissed.

The phrase el melekh ne'eman is recited before the Shema when you are praying by yourself. This practice originated with Jewish mystics who were concerned with the symbolic meaning underlying the words of the liturgy. These mystics counted the words of the Shema prayer and found that they added up to the number 245. The number 248 is important because traditionally it equals the number of positive commandments as well as the number of limbs  and organs in the body. When we pray in a minyan, the person leading concludes the Shema with three words-adonai eloheichem emet-thus giving us our desired total of 248. To get that total when praying alone, we add the phrase el melekh ne'eman before we begin the Shema. This phrase means God, the faithful king, yet the first letter of each of its three words makes up the word amen. Perhaps this phrase then is an expansion on the amen said to conclude the previous blessing.

The Echad of God

The number 248 also equals in numerical value the word Abraham. It was he who resolved the paradox that physical reality creates for so many spiritual seekers. Rather than escaping from the limitations imposed by living in the material world, he used it to act as a bridge to God.

THE SUFI PATH

"Allah dwells within the mosque that is your innermost heart," says Bawa. He believes that intention in prayer is very important along with a stilling of the mind. Bawa outlines the seven levels of consciousness (feeling, awareness, intellect, assessment, wisdom, divine analytic wisdom, and divine luminous wisdom) as opening up "the vast ocean of Allah's grace."

Whether discussing the five times of prayer, fasting, or purity, Bawa makes it clear that the whole world is a prayer mat to a Sufi. In his commentary on the words of dhikr — "la ilaha, illallah" — he notes that the words will vibrate like the strings of a musical instrument throughout the body "from every one of the 4,448 blood vessels in the body, from the 248 bones, from the ligaments, the nerves, the muscles, and even from the blood. It must emanate from the 105 million hair follicles and pores of the skin." This is an inspiring commentary on the Sufi devotional path.

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A NEW SONG AND A NEW EARTH

"And I looked and. lo, a Lamb stood on Mount Zion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father’s name written in their foreheads. And I heard a voice from heaven, like the voice of many waters, and like the voice of a great thunder; and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps. And they sang as it were, a new song..." Rev. 14:1-3.

Hopi elders say that the Earth Mother will soon "sing a new song" or shift into a higher vibration. When this happens the Earth’s grid will morph into a more complex sacred geometric structure and all of life that is part of the grid, including you and I, will be transformed. Scientists have confirmed through examination of the geologic record that over the billions of years of Earth’s evolution it has changed from first a tetrahedral crystalline structure to a cube and octahedron configuration to the present combination of icosahedron and dodecahedron.

Present Earth Grid

What would the next stage in planetary evolution look like? Futurist Gordon Michael Scallion, in an article in the September 1997 issue of Earth Changes Report (116), describes his vision of the new earth grid as a network of interlocking decagons or ten-sided cells each containing ten subcells in the shape of a six-pointed star or Star of David. Geomancer Joseph Jochmans used his knowledge of sacred geometry and John’s description of the New Jerusalem to construct a new Earth grid that is almost identical to Scallion’s vision. In "Crystal Planet," (117) he writes, "Beyond the Platonic series of Solids is another form being generated out of the old Icosa Dodeca crystal. If you take an Icosahedron and join together with lines every other point inside the form, you create twelve pentacles or five-pointed stars. If you extend the outer edges of the Icosahedron and join these node points together, you create a second group of twelve pentacles or stars. This becomes the seed crystal that gives birth to a new crystalline form called a double penta dodecahedron, composed of twelve double pentacles equally spaced across the globe." .

The New Jerusalem

In Scallion’s grid, the cells vary in size inversely with population density, the points of each pentacle are connected to form the decagon shape, and the six-pointed subcells at the points of the pentacles are shown. In the next issue of Mandala of Light I will show the true grid structure superimposed over a map of the earth with ley lines connecting energy vortices at sacred sites.

Jochmann quotes from John to support his hypothesis of a double penta dodecahedron. He writes, "John ... described the coming New Jerusalem as... being ‘as long as it is wide as it is high,’ or geometric in shape. He described it as having "crowns’ or node points, and indicated that its structure would be based on ‘a golden measure’ or the golden mean proportion of 1 to 1.617. Significantly, the only geometric figure that is composed entirely of golden mean proportions is a five-pointed star or pentacle... The ‘twelve gemstones’ and ‘twelve gates’ of the New Jerusalem would be the twelve double pentacles faces of the Penta Dodeca crystal form." In Scallion’s vision they are the twelve decagons.

Both Scallion and Jochmann state that the new Earth grid will cause a change in the consciousness of mankind. Jochmann writes, "Because the bioelectric field of the human brain is intricately related to the geomagnetic field of the Earth, any energy shifts in the planet could cause corresponding transformations in the consciousness of humanity as a whole. Is the present spiritual awakening occurring among humankind around the world tied into the transition from one planetary crystal energy form to another? Are prophesied "earth changes" not something to be feared, but are simply signposts for both personal and planetary changes now happening, linked with the Earth’s crystalline metamorphosis? Will the apostle John’s vision of a coming world of universal peace and tranquility be our eventual Gift once the earth’s crystal transformations are complete? These are questions only the future will answer."

Scallion is more certain in his conviction of a transformation of consciousness. He writes, "This grid pattern... is what creates the blueprint, I believe, for DNA... Therefore, we will have new species of animals emerging, and a new species of people. This new human being will attain - if we were to judge him or her from the point of view of intelligence, telepathic abilities, healing abilities, and spiritual knowing - a kind of quantum jump in evolution from where we are now.... People today who are in harmony - well-balanced in most respects - are already tapped-in to the new grid structure."

Psalms 132: 1 - 18

1 A song for the ascent to Jerusalem. LORD, remember David and all that he suffered.
2 He took an oath before the LORD. He vowed to the Mighty One of Israel,
3 "I will not go home; I will not let myself rest.
4 I will not let my eyes sleep nor close my eyelids in slumber
5 until I find a place to build a house for the LORD, a sanctuary for the Mighty One of Israel."
6 We heard that the Ark was in Ephrathah; then we found it in the distant countryside of Jaar.
7 Let us go to the dwelling place of the LORD; let us bow low before him.
8 Arise, O LORD, and enter your sanctuary, along with the Ark, the symbol of your power.
9 Your priests will be agents of salvation; may your loyal servants sing for joy.
10 For the sake of your servant David, do not reject the king you chose for your people.
11 The LORD swore to David a promise he will never take back: "I will place one of your descendants on your throne. 12 If your descendants obey the terms of my covenant and follow the decrees that I teach them, then your royal line will never end."
13 For the LORD has chosen Jerusalem ; he has desired it as his home.
14 "This is my home where I will live forever," he said. "I will live here, for this is the place I desired.
15 I will make this city prosperous and satisfy its poor with food.
16 I will make its priests the agents of salvation; its godly people will sing for joy.
17 Here I will increase the power of David; my anointed one will be a light for my people.
18 I will clothe his enemies with shame, but he will be a glorious king."

THE OLD JERUSALEM

Jerusalem is without a doubt the most talked about the top news story in the world year after year. Since biblical times, no other place on the earth has received the attention that Jerusalem and Israel have. This no doubt also reflects the fulfillment of multiple prophecies concerning this city and its unique place in Gods will. The actualization of these prophecies in our day is proves that God exists, that the Bible is His Word and that the Jews are His chosen people.

Jerusalem is mentioned more than 800 times in the Bible. This city is the only one upon which God has bestowed His blessing and protection

Ps 132:13-14, " For the LORD hath chosen Zion; he hath desired [it] for his habitation. Psa 132:14 This [is] my rest for ever: here will I dwell; for I have desired it. "

and the only city for whose peace we are commanded to pray

Ps122:6.  -"Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee"

God says He has chosen Jerusalem as the place where He has put His name forever

2 Chr 6:6; - "But I have chosen Jerusalem, that my name might be there; and have chosen David to be over my people Israel. "

2Chr 33:7; - "And he set a carved image, the idol which he had made, in the house of God, of which God had said to David and to Solomon his son, In this house, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen before all the tribes of Israel, will I put my name for ever: "

Ps 46:4; - "[There is] a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy [place] of the tabernacles of the most High. "

Ps 48:1-8; - " [[A Song [and] Psalm for the sons of Korah.]] Great [is] the LORD, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, [in] the mountain of his holiness. Psa 48:2 Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, [is] mount Zion, [on] the sides of the north, the city of the great King. Psa 48:3 God is known in her palaces for a refuge. Psa 48:4 For, lo, the kings were assembled, they passed by together. Psa 48:5 They saw [it, and] so they marvelled; they were troubled, [and] hasted away. Psa 48:6 Fear took hold upon them there, [and] pain, as of a woman in travail. Psa 48:7 Thou breakest the ships of Tarshish with an east wind. Psa 48:8 As we have heard, so have we seen in the city of the LORD of hosts, in the city of our God: God will establish it for ever. Selah.

Ps 87:3. - "Glorious things are spoken of thee, O city of God. Selah"

The new heavens and new earth will contain "the city of my God ... new Jerusalem"

Rv 3:12; - "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. "

Rv 21:2. - "And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. "

That there will be a "heavenly Jerusalem"

Heb 12:22 - "But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, "

After decades of pleading with Israel to repent of its idolatrous rebellion, God pronounced through Jeremiah His reluctant judgment upon His city and upon His land

Lv 25:23 - "The land shall not be sold for ever: for the land [is] mine; for ye [are] strangers and sojourners with me. "

Daniel referred to "the word of the Lord...to Jeremiah the prophet"

Jer 25:3-11, - "From the thirteenth year of Josiah the son of Amon king of Judah, even unto this day, that [is] the three and twentieth year, the word of the LORD hath come unto me, and I have spoken unto you, rising early and speaking; but ye have not hearkened. Jer 25:4 And the LORD hath sent unto you all his servants the prophets, rising early and sending [them]; but ye have not hearkened, nor inclined your ear to hear. Jer 25:5 They said, Turn ye again now every one from his evil way, and from the evil of your doings, and dwell in the land that the LORD hath given unto you and to your fathers for ever and ever: Jer 25:6 And go not after other gods to serve them, and to worship them, and provoke me not to anger with the works of your hands; and I will do you no hurt. Jer 25:7 Yet ye have not hearkened unto me, saith the LORD; that ye might provoke me to anger with the works of your hands to your own hurt. Jer 25:8 Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts; Because ye have not heard my words, Jer 25:9 Behold, I will send and take all the families of the north, saith the LORD, and Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and will bring them against this land, and against the inhabitants thereof, and against all these nations round about, and will utterly destroy them, and make them an astonishment, and an hissing, and perpetual desolations.   Jer 25:10 Moreover I will take from them the voice of mirth, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride, the sound of the millstones, and the light of the candle.   Jer 25:11 And this whole land shall be a desolation, [and] an astonishment; and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years.

 that he would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem"

Dan 9:2. - "In the first year of his reign I Daniel understood by books the number of the years, whereof the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah the prophet, that he would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem. "

Two views define the prophesied 70 years of desolations:

1) that it began with the first taking of captives to Babylon about 605 b.c

2 Chr 36:6-7 -  "Against him came up Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and bound him in fetters, to carry him to Babylon. 2Ch 36:7 Nebuchadnezzar also carried of the vessels of the house of the LORD to Babylon, and put them in his temple at Babylon. "

and ended with the Edict of Cyrus around 536 b.c.

Ezr 1:1-4, - "Now it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the fourth [month], in the fifth [day] of the month, as I [was] among the captives by the river of Chebar, [that] the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God. Eze 1:2 In the fifth [day] of the month, which [was] the fifth year of king Jehoiachin's captivity, Eze 1:3 The word of the LORD came expressly unto Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar; and the hand of the LORD was there upon him. Eze 1:4 And I looked, and, behold, a whirlwind came out of the north, a great cloud, and a fire enfolding itself, and a brightness [was] about it, and out of the midst thereof as the colour of amber, out of the midst of the fire. "

allowing Jews to return to Jerusalem; or

2) that it began with the destruction of the temple and the city in 586 b.c.

Jer 52:7-14 - "Then the city was broken up, and all the men of war fled, and went forth out of the city by night by the way of the gate between the two walls, which [was] by the king's garden; (now the Chaldeans [were] by the city round about:) and they went by the way of the plain. Jer 52:8 But the army of the Chaldeans pursued after the king, and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho; and all his army was scattered from him. Jer 52:9 Then they took the king, and carried him up unto the king of Babylon to Riblah in the land of Hamath; where he gave judgment upon him. Jer 52:10 And the king of Babylon slew the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes: he slew also all the princes of Judah in Riblah. Jer 52:11 Then he put out the eyes of Zedekiah; and the king of Babylon bound him in chains, and carried him to Babylon, and put him in prison till the day of his death. Jer 52:12 Now in the fifth month, in the tenth [day] of the month, which [was] the nineteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, came Nebuzaradan, captain of the guard, [which] served the king of Babylon, into Jerusalem, Jer 52:13 And burned the house of the LORD, and the king's house; and all the houses of Jerusalem, and all the houses of the great [men], burned he with fire: Jer 52:14 And all the army of the Chaldeans, that [were] with the captain of the guard, brake down all the walls of Jerusalem round about. "

and ended with the temples completion about 516 b.c.

The temple was restored and sacrifices resumed at the end of 70 years is established historically. The angel Gabriel told Daniel that after the Messiah had come and been "cut off" the temple and Jerusalem would be destroyed again.

Dan 9:24-27 -  "Seventy weeks" are decreed for your people and for your holy city: Then transgression  will stop and sin will end, guilt will be expiated, Everlasting justice will be introduced, vision and prophecy ratified, and a most holy will be anointed. (25) Know and understand this: From the utterance of the word that Jerusalem was to be rebuilt With streets and trenches in time of affliction. (26) After the seventy-two weeks, all annointed shall be cut down, when he does not possess the city; and the people of a leader who will come shall destroy the sanctuary. Then the end shall come like a torrent, until the end there shall be war, the desolation that is decreed. (27) For one week he shall make a firm compact with the many, Half the week he shall abolish sacrifice and oblation; On the temple wing shall be the horrible abomination until the ruin that is decreed is poured out upon the horror."

This post-Messiah destruction would leave the Jews for "many days without a king...and without a sacrifice..."

Hos 3:4 -  "For the people of Israel shall remain many days without king or prince, without sacrifice or sacred pillar." without ephod or household idols. "

Since the 70 a.d. destruction of the temple, Christs words have been fulfilled in history, however, their continued fulfillment today is at the heart of the Middle East crisis. Control of Jerusalem was the major issue breaking down recent peace talks at Camp David. Sadly, neither the Israelis nor the Arabs in their "peace" negotiations give heed to what God has decreed for His land and His city. UN secretary-general Boutros Boutros-Ghali expressed the worlds true intent toward Israel: "The Jews must give up their status as a nation and Israel as a state, and assimilate as a community in the Arab world."

Throughout history Popes have opposed Gods prophecies and promises concerning Jerusalem. The Crusaders captured Jerusalem from the Muslims for the Church, not to restore it to the Jews to whom God, as the Bible repeatedly declares, had given it as a possession forever (Gn 13:14-15;  - 17:8;  -  Lv 25:23;  - Jer 31:35-40;  - Ezk 37:26).

Pope Urban II, organized the First Crusade in 1096, calling the Jews "an accursed race, utterly alienated from God" and urged the Crusaders to "start upon the road to the Holy Sepulchre to wrest that land from the wicked race and subject it to yourselves." Urban IIs offer of full forgiveness of sins for Crusade participants brought forth hordes of volunteers who, under the banner of the Cross, massacred the Jews, by the thousands all along the route to Jerusalem. The Crusade leader, Godfrey of Bouillon, vowed to avenge the blood of Jesus upon the Jews, leaving not one alive. Upon taking the City of David, the Crusaders chased the Jews into the synagogue and set it ablaze.

Roman Jerusalem

There were a number of improvements made to the city of Jerusalem carried out before and during the time of Herod, so that the poor people of Palestine might find some benefits to the Roman rule than just the aggrandizement of their new leaders. New city walls were added, and new water works, among which was a 7 mile aqueduct bringing water from Solomon's pools near Bethlehem brought a new sense of welfare to the town.

The people of Palestine were not as naive to Roman rule as the leaders had hoped and there were tax rebellions and skirmishes caused by the Zealots which ultimately drew out the military from the Roman empire. The emperor's son Titus came personally to put down the rebellion. The city was sieged by the Romans for four and a half months, which proved that the town had both incredible fortifications and water supply, but also that it had a population who weren't going to give up easily. However, eventually, Jerusalem once again lay in ruins, and the tax burden of the temple was ground down to nothing, noting again that Jeremiah's prophecy about incurring god's wrath through materialism came true. The Arch of Titus in Rome showed off the sacking of the temple, by carrying off the great seven pronged Menorah candlepiece as spoils.

After the destruction of the city, the Romans made certain that there would be no repeat of what had just happened by forbidding anyone to live in the city for 50 years. The 10th legion army was left behind to make sure of that. However, because of the destruction of the city, that act inspired neo-zealots: The Jews who survived, led in 132 by Bar Kochba, the Jews retook Jerusalem and inhabited it for 3 years.

In 135 Emporer Hadrian led a military campaign to put an end to the rebellion and established a Roman military city in its stead. A new city structure was laid over the ruins to ensure control. Hadrian changed the name of the city to Aelia Capitolina. Prior to this, the capitol of Palestine had been moved to Cesarea 100 years before this because of all the difficulties in Jerusalem. Jerusalem became a military outpost without any religious or political implications. On the temple mount, which was now outside the boundary of the city, statues of Hadrian and Anthony were erected , and a temple dedicated to Jupiter was built. Neither Jews nor Christians were allowed to enter the city. The walls were left intentionally unbuilt, The 10th legion army occupied the site of Herod's palace.

The Old Jerusalem

The name "Jerusalem" occurs 806 times in the Bible, 660 times in the Old Testament and 146 times in the New Testament; additional references to the city occur as synonyms.

Jerusalem was established as a Canaanite city (ca. 4000-3100 b.c.), occupying the southeast hill that currently bears the name "City of David." Steep slopes on each side of the hill provided a defensible site, and a spring at the foot of the hill provided necessary water. The earliest occurrence of the name appears in the Execration Texts of Egypt (18th to 19th centuries b.c.) as Rusalimum. The Amarna Letters from Late Bronze Age Egypt (14th century b.c.), written in the Akkadian language, include the name Urusalim. In Assyrian and Babylonian texts relating to the kingdom of Judah, Ursalimmu or a similar name appears.

Archaeological investigation of Jerusalem is difficult at best because of continued occupation; so even though no evidence exists for the sanctity of the site in Canaanite thought, scholars and religious groups support the assumption that the city had a religious center. The name Jerusalem consists of two elements: yrw and salem [el'v]. yrw may signify "foundation" or "city, " while salem [el'v] is the name of a deity. The name means either "the foundation of (the god) Shalem, " the patron-god of the city, or "the city of Shalem." This name by the meaning alone assigns a certain sanctity the city long before Biblical David acquired it.

Jerusalem in the Old Testament.

Salem.

The first real occurrence of the name Jerusalem is in Joshua 10:1, but an allusion to Jerusalem appears in Genesis 14:18 with the reference to Melchizedek, king of Salem. Psalm 76:2  and (Heb 76:3) equates Salem with Zion. Theologically speaking, the Canaanite city of Shalem has become the Biblical city of Shalom, Peace. Prophetically, Isaiah spoke of the Prince of Peace (Shalom) who would reign on David's throne (in Jerusalem), a reference giving a messianic portent (Isa 9:6).

Jebus.

At the time the Israelites occupied Canaan, Jerusalem was known as Jebus, a shortened form for "City of the Jebusites." References in Joshua, Judges, and 1 Chronicles note that Jebus is another name for Jerusalem. The Romans also renamed the city Aelia Capitolina, but in both cases the older name was reinstated.

City of David.

Second Samuel tells of David's conquest of Jebus, exploiting the secret watershaft from the spring Gihon outside the city wall to its exit within the city. From that time on, David "took up residence in the fortress, and called it the City of David" . His subsequent construction of a palace made Jerusalem a royal city. His decision to rule from Jerusalem elevated a city, poorly situated for either trade or military activity, to capitol status. The politically neutral city, belonging to neither the northern nor southern tribes, also became his personal property.

David transformed Jerusalem into the religious center of his kingdom by bringing into it the ark of the covenant (2 Sam 6:1-19). Although David was not allowed to construct a temple, the arrival of the ark forever linked Jerusalem with the religious belief in Yahweh.

Solomon, David's son, enhanced the religious dimension of the city by constructing the temple of the Lord, symbolizing the presence of Yahweh in Jerusalem and Israel. David began the process of establishing the royal and religious nature of Jerusalem, but it was Solomon who transformed the former Jebusite stronghold into a true capitol and national religious center. The royal and covenantal functions of Jerusalem are linked in Psalm 2:6, where God announces that "I have installed my King on Zion, my holy hill."

The New Heaven and New Earth

Revelation 21:1 "And I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea."

So they were passed away and did not exist anymore. Where it says the heaven and the earth fled away, the heaven spoken of is the physical heaven; the sky, the solar system, the universe. It's the physical heaven, the intergalactic heaven; it's this creation that passed away.

NOTE FROM DEE:  We have to remember that all dreams and visions can be symbolic as well as real.

"Passed away" = "to go beside", "gone away beside." You see what it means. They are no more; they don't exist.

"New" = new and different. It doesn't mean "new" in time. It means "new" in quality or form, of a different nature; new and different from what has come before. It's a new heaven and earth totally of a different order. They'll be of a new form and quality from this heaven and this earth.

1 Corinthians 2:9 "Eye hath not seen, ear hath not heard, neither hath it entered into the heart of man all the things that God has prepared for them that love him."

Several other scriptures prove that this order of things is going to be totally done away with and will not exist anymore

1.) 2 Peter 3:7-14, - "But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. 2Pe 3:8 But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day [is] with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 2Pe 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. 2Pe 3:10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. 2Pe 3:11 [Seeing] then [that] all these things shall be dissolved, what manner [of persons] ought ye to be in [all] holy conversation and godliness, 2Pe 3:12 Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? 2Pe 3:13 Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. 2Pe 3:14 Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless. "

Verse 7-- so this earth and heaven is reserved unto fire. It will be destroyed by fire. Verse 10a-- so the heavens will pass away with a great noise. Another translation says, "with a hissing noise". And the elements of which this universe is built shall melt with fervent or intense heat. So if the elements melt, we're not just talking about a fire of combustion. We are talking about a fire in which the very nuclei of the elements disintegrate. It is the whole atomic system. Everything dissolves, passes away. 10b-- the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Literally, shall be found or discovered.

NOTE FROM DEE:  Fire is a purifying force.

Verse 12-- so he repeats it for emphasizes. This creation is going to totally pass away and the elements melt. Verse 14-- it says that this heaven and earth will pass away, nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for a new heaven and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. That proves that it will be another creation all together. It is not this creation made better. Because it is only after this one passes away that he says, we look for a new heaven and a new earth.

2.) Isaiah 51:6

talks about this destruction of the heavens and the earth. The earth shall wax old like a garment.

3.) Matthew 24:35, Jesus said heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

4.) Psa. 46:6, The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved: he uttered his voice, the earth melted.

5.) Psa. 102:25-27 - Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens [are] the work of thy hands. Psa 102:26 They shall perish, but thou shalt endure: yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment; as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed: Psa 102:27 But thou [art] the same, and thy years shall have no end.

6.) Isaiah 65:17 "For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind."

The Hebrew word for create means to cut, to carve out, to form by cutting to create or produce. It has connotations of " to carve out of nothing". It's always used of God's creative power. It's never used of man creating.

7.) Isaiah 66:22 "For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the LORD, so shall your seed and your name remain. "

8.) Hebrews 1:10-12 And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands: Hbr 1:11 They shall perish; but thou remainest; and they all shall wax old as doth a garment; Hbr 1:12 And as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail.

So the new heavens and the new earth are a new creation entirely; of a different kind, of a different order. It's not this heaven and earth renovated.

The New Jerusalem: The bride

See also: KABBALISM - MAZAL - WISDOM - THE BRIDE

Revelation 21:2 "And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband."

Now this is the same company of people we see back in Rev.19:7,8 - Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. Rev 19:8 And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. "

And here again he sees her prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. The wedding feast is past and still here it says she is prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. Now this is after the Millennium when the first heaven and earth are passed away, and John sees the new heaven and earth,

(Rev.21:1-2). And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. Rev 21:2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

That means that the wedding feast was just the beginning. She's now going to spend all eternity with her husband; she is still prepared for him. The vast reaches and sea of eternity lays ahead for them to be together. And she's prepared for him,

2 Cor.11:2; - " For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present [you as] a chaste virgin to Christ"

Eph.5:25-27; - "Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; Eph 5:26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, Eph 5:27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. "

Isaiah 61:10 - "I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh [himself] with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth [herself] with her jewels. "

Isaiah 62:5 - "For [as] a young man marrieth a virgin, [so] shall thy sons marry thee: and [as] the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, [so] shall thy God rejoice over thee. "

Now he sees this new Jerusalem coming down from God out of heaven. It's set in a context where this earth is already past away. She's coming down onto the new earth which will be the dwelling place of the righteous throughout all eternity.

Revelation 3:12 "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."

This is a promise to the Philadelphia church age which is the age we are living in now. See how it ties in with the new Jerusalem-- the bride that's seen here in Revelation chapter 21

A pillar is a permanent structural member of that temple. It's a strong supporting element of that temple. It's a prominent graceful, visible, beautiful element. This is quite a promise.

1 Tim.3:15 - "But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth. "

The true church of God is the pillar and ground of the truth. The true people of God are those which support the truth of God so that it can be held up and others can come in and find shelter under that truth because they are proclaiming it.

Galatians 2:9 - "And when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship; that we [should go] unto the heathen, and they unto the circumcision. "

Paul says that Peter and John and James seem to be pillars when he came to this council at Jerusalem-- they appear to be the strong ones who were the main strength and support in the church there.

1 Samuel 2:8 - "He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, [and] lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, to set [them] among princes, and to make them inherit the throne of glory: for the pillars of the earth [are] the LORD'S, and he hath set the world upon them. "

This compares the saints of God to pillars. Now he says, I will make this overcomer a pillar in the temple of my God.

The word temple in this verse is a specialized word, NAOS, it refers only to that inner intimate sanctuary where the glory of God in previous times came to dwell and where the priests came in to minister. Heron describes the whole temple enclosure including the courts. He says I'm going to make you a pillar in the intimate part of my temple, in the part where I dwell, where my glory is fully shown. If you were out in the court of the temple, you were near to the presence of God but you couldn't see the glory of God in the same way that the high priest could when he went into the holy of holies on the day of atonement. But I'll make you an intimate member of my temple he promises us.

And he shall go no more out. Literally "he shall no wise go out anymore." The true man of God fears going out. There's a holy fear. We saw this in Job. Job said-- the thing which I feared has come upon me. He meant that he was going into a trial that was so heavy, he feared lest in a trial he would turn back and grow cold and turn away from God.

The fact that Jesus says to this overcomer "he shall go no more out" is an indication that some time previously he did go out. Now how did those ones go out?

Isaiah 66:5, "Which say, Stand by thyself, come not near to me; for I am holier than thou. These [are] a smoke in my nose, a fire that burneth all the day. "

It's a hard thing to be separated from your brethren. They had experienced this awful trial of rejection by their own brethren whom they loved and desired to bring the truth of God to set them free. They had been forced to stand alone to go out, to walk solitary if necessary for the sake of His name and the Revelation of that name. This is one aspect of the suffering the manchild will go through. Standing for the truth (no matter what!) sometimes is harder than physical persecution. The manchild coming out and being separate from the church that is sleeping into tradition.

So Jesus is saying don't worry if all around you are rejecting you and your message. I'm preparing an habitation for you that you will never be forced to leave. An eternal habitation in my intimate presence. This habitation that I'm preparing is you. You are the temple, you are the pillars. You are the building that I'm going to dwell in.

Isaiah 66:1,2  - "Thus saith the LORD, The heaven [is] my throne, and the earth [is] my footstool: where [is] the house that ye build unto me? and where [is] the place of my rest? Isa 66:2 For all those [things] hath mine hand made, and all those [things] have been, saith the LORD: but to this [man] will I look, [even] to [him that is] poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word. "

The Lord is explaining where the place of my dwelling is located and asking where is the house that you will build me? For all those things my hand made. But to this man will I look to him that is humble and contrite and trembles at my word. This is the dwelling place that God is looking for. So we are promised a permanent station in glory a permanent position in the heavenlies, in the intimate presence of God.

Psa.132:13-18; - For the LORD hath chosen Zion; he hath desired [it] for his habitation. Psa 132:14 This [is] my rest for ever: here will I dwell; for I have desired it. Psa 132:15 I will abundantly bless her provision: I will satisfy her poor with bread. Psa 132:16 I will also clothe her priests with salvation: and her saints shall shout aloud for joy. Psa 132:17 There will I make the horn of David to bud: I have ordained a lamp for mine anointed. Psa 132:18 His enemies will I clothe with shame: but upon himself shall his crown flourish

Eph.1:20-22. - Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set [him] at his own right hand in the heavenly [places], Eph 1:21 Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: Eph 1:22 And hath put all [things] under his feet, and gave him [to be] the head over all [things] to the church,

He says that 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.

He says this name will be written upon the overcomer. In the Bible, we see Jerusalem as the capital of physical Israel throughout the Old Testament. This earthly Jerusalem is going to be the capital of God's kingdom on earth during the Millennium. And there the temple is, and the glory of God fills the temple and the truth of God begins to go out to all nations from Jerusalem. Israel becomes a glory among the nations.

We also see Jerusalem as God's holy bride-- as a heavenly Jerusalem, which is above and not this earthly city, but that glorious spiritual city to which the earthly city only pointed.

Several scriptures to show the heavenly Jerusalem

This one is written in allegory:

Gal.4:22-26 - For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman. Gal 4:23 But he [who was] of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman [was] by promise. Gal 4:24 Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar. Gal 4:25 For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children. Gal 4:26 But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.

So there's a heavenly Jerusalem and those who are born according to the promise, who have come by faith are citizens of that heavenly Jerusalem. It's a new covenant.

Heb.12:22 - "But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, "

So that's what we've come to in the spirit, the heavenly Jerusalem. So as we're faithful to keep the word of his patience, we will be someday in that new Jerusalem.

Isaiah 65:17-19 - "For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind. Isa 65:18 But be ye glad and rejoice for ever [in that] which I create: for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy. Isa 65:19 And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people: and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, nor the voice of crying. "

God said, "Behold, I create Jerusalem." It's being created because it's not a city of buildings. It's a city made up of people-- saints joined and builded together. That city is being built even now.

Isaiah 62:1,2  - "For Zion's sake will I not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest, until the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness, and the salvation thereof as a lamp [that] burneth. Isa 62:2 And the Gentiles shall see thy righteousness, and all kings thy glory: and thou shalt be called by a new name, which the mouth of the LORD shall name. "

I will write upon him 3 things:

Rev 3:12 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.

1.) The name of my God.

2.) The name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven.

3.) And my new name.

Hebrews 12:22, - " But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels,"

Revelation 21:10 - "And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, "

The name of this new Jerusalem is her essence, her position as a bride. She is identified as the one, as the one which is above other women to stand in a love relationship with Jesus.

My new name.

So there's a new name indicating a further Revelation of God than was previously given. When we're caught up to be the bride, we will have a further Revelation of God than was previously given. In the Old Testament, God revealed Himself as El: the mighty one; the strong one. And as Elohim: the sum of all strength, the strong one of all strong ones, the plural of majesty, God. And as to His own covenant people, He revealed Himself as Yahweh, the I am, the covenant keeper, the one who is whatever His people need Him to be and went on and said I'm Yahweh your healer, shepherd, righteousness, banner, peace, and revealed Himself in these many ways. In the New Testament, He came unto His own and they received Him not. Yahweh Oshea or Yeshua or Jesus-- Yahweh the Savior, Yahweh comes in a body of flesh to save His people. Later, He's revealed as our bridegroom when we're joined unto Him. So it's possible that this new name could refer to the fact that Yahweh has become our husband or bridegroom.

Revelation 21:3 "And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God."

The tabernacle of God -- That is, the dwelling place of God. Now Jesus was called Emanuel, God with us,

Matt.1:23, - "Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. "

This is saying, "God will be with us because we are in Christ, and so the tabernacle of God is with men."

Now in another sense, we are the tabernacle of God because we are in Christ. And in Christ, we have been made into a dwelling place of God through the spirit.

2 Cor.3:17, - Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord [is], there [is] liberty.

So it is in our hearts that the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ is given.

Scriptures on the tabernacle of God

John 1:14 - "And the Word was made 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. "

Dwelt means "tented" or "tabernacle". He tented among us.

It is directly related to the word tabernacle here in Rev.21:3. "And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God [is] with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, [and be] their God. "

We also need to know what the word 'WORD' means. It means 'thought' and 'thought' dwells among us and within us at all times.

The tabernacle of God is with men. That's a noun, and the verb form in John 1:14, he tented among us, is directly related to that.

2 Cor.5:19 - "To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. "

1 Timothy 3:16 - "And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory. "

So Jesus was that tabernacle of God. But now Jesus has a body of saints in whom God is dwelling. Primarily it is Jesus, but then it is those in Jesus also. You have to include the Spirit- filled body of Christ as being that dwelling place of God.

Psa.132:13,14.- For the LORD hath chosen Zion; he hath desired [it] for his habitation. Psa 132:14 This [is] my rest for ever: here will I dwell; for I have desired it.

Eph.2:22, - "In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit. "

Eph.1:23 - "Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all. "

So he fills all in all, but we are the fullness of him. He fills us, He fills all in all, and we become his fullness. He is dwelling and manifesting himself in us.

Rev.21:11 - "Having the glory of God: and her light [was] like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal; "

This speaks of this new Jerusalem and it says, So she has the glory of God dwelling in her. So the tabernacle of God is with men.

Rev.13:6 - "And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven. "

This speaks about this tabernacle. And it says concerning the antichrist, His tabernacle is them that dwell in heaven. So the tabernacle of God here in Rev.13:6 is them that dwell in heaven, the Raptured saints who got to heaven previous to that.

John 14:23. - " Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. "

God's glory will be revealed in His tabernacle, in His saints, in His bride- saints, the body of Christ which is now joined to Christ and becomes a manifestation of His glory. Where it says that the tabernacle of God is with men; we should tie it right back up into verse 2 where John saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven. So God's glory is manifested in this company of saints who are in the bride. There are other saints who are not in the bride; they come into that city. But she is that city.

Revelation 21:4,5 "And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain; for the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me Write; for these words are true and faithful."

The implication is, I will make them new, not just in time but in quality. There will be a new order. I'll have a new creation. And in this creation there will be no more tears, death, sorrow, nor crying, neither pain; for former things are passed away. It is new and different creation altogether.

Revelation 21:6 "And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely."

It is done. In the vision as John is in that period of time it is done. Now the eternal plan of God, then, at this point is totally and finally and fully brought in. It is done. It is completed. God's work of making man in His image and His likeness and His plan in the earth is completely done, and in this new creation, all the effects of sin are erased. All the effects of sin were not erased in the Millennium. There was still sin and some effects of sin in the Millennium. But in this new creation, it is all erased. All aspects of the curse are gone. There's no more crying, sorrow, pain, nor any such thing.

And Peter said, only righteousness dwells there, 2 Peter 3:13.  "Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness."

Now he that sat upon the throne here says, "I am Alpha and Omega." So we know that it is Jesus here sitting upon the throne, Rev.1:8,11. - "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. Rev 1:9 I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. Rev 1:10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet, Rev 1:11 Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send [it] unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea. "

Revelation 21:7 "He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son."

The fact that John saw the bride doesn't negate the fact that others are in the new earth too, even if they are not a part of that spiritual city.

Inherit all things.

Revelation 21:8 "But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone; which is the second death."

Abominable

If you take it as passive, it would be translated having been made disgusting. So he says the fearful, and unbelieving, and those having been made disgusting. And that is a great tragedy that the world should have that affect upon people to make them disgusting in the eyes of God. That's a great tragedy.

If you translate it "having made themselves disgusting". That is through the decision of sin that shaped their character into something that was abominable to God. And both of these things are true here. T

Sorcerers

Ephesus was full of wizards, sorcerers, witches, astrologers, diviners of the entrails of animals and people who could read one’s fortune by the palm of the hand. And yet, after the preaching of Paul, the magicians publicly burned their books, “so the word of the Lord grew mightily and prevailed”

Acts 19:19–20. - "Many of them also which used curious arts brought their books together, and burned them before all [men]: and they counted the price of them, and found [it] fifty thousand [pieces] of silver. "

 Timothy and Erastus were with Paul, but he sent them to Macedonia, while “he himself stayed in Asia for a time”

Acts 19:22 - "So he sent into Macedonia two of them that ministered unto him, Timotheus and Erastus; but he himself stayed in Asia for a season. "

Revelation 21:9 "And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will show thee the bride, the Lamb's wife."

Seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and those are the plagues of the seventh seal, of course. Now you have to remember that John is carried away in Spirit in the Lord's day. So he's still seeing the vision.

Rev.1:10. "I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet, "

See also  Dreams and Visions of Trumpets

The seven last plagues, of course, are already passed by this time, for you have a new heaven and new earth, etc... It's a vision of future things that will come to pass.

Revelation 21:10 "And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God."

So he sees that great city; now you can contrast that with the world's view of that great city as they speak of Babylon in Revelation 18:19. "And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas, that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness! for in one hour is she made desolate.

But God says, "I'll show you that great city. This is the great city." This is the city that is great in God's eyes.

Now he sees her descending out of heaven from God here. Now this doesn't mean she is descending out of heaven again a second time after she came down from God out of heaven in verse 2. It's the same descent out of heaven. But it is repeated here because this time he is going to, so to speak, zero in on her and begin to describe her in detail. So the event of her descent from heaven is repeated here, and now it goes into a detailed description of that new Jerusalem.

Rev.4:6. - "And before the throne [there was] a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, [were] four beasts full of eyes before and behind. "

That new earth is going to have the full presence of God upon it. And we'll have His presence every bit as much or more than we did before we came down onto that new earth. It is proper to say, "I'm going to go to heaven to be with Jesus for all eternity," because heaven is where Jesus is, in that wide sense. But the new earth is actually going to be our dwelling place, that new creation that He has for us, and He will be there with us just as fully as if we were in heaven, and so there is no lessening of glory here.

Revelation 21:11 "Having the glory of God; and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone clear as crystal."

Having the glory of God. So she has the glory of God. She possesses the glory of God.

And her light was like unto a stone most precious. So it is called the glory of God but it is dwelling in her. Therefore, it is called her light. Her light was like a stone most precious.

Even like a jasper stone. Now the jasper stone that we see in Rev.4:3 - "And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and [there was] a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald. "

He that sat upon the throne was like a jasper and sardine stone. So he that sat upon the throne was to look upon like a dazzling purple-- hued stone sparkling and flashing, emanating rays that were scattered forth in splendor from this stone. It doesn't say that he was jasper, it says he was like a jasper.

Exo. 28:15 - "And thou shalt make the breastplate of judgment with cunning work; after the work of the ephod thou shalt make it; [of] gold, [of] blue, and [of] purple, and [of] scarlet, and [of] fine twined linen, shalt thou make it. Exd 28:16 Foursquare it shall be [being] doubled; a span [shall be] the length thereof, and a span [shall be] the breadth thereof. Exd 28:17 And thou shalt set in it settings of stones, [even] four rows of stones: [the first] row [shall be] a sardius, a topaz, and a carbuncle: [this shall be] the first row. Exd 28:18 And the second row [shall be] an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond. Exd 28:19 And the third row a ligure, an agate, and an amethyst. Exd 28:20 And the fourth row a beryl, and an onyx, and a jasper: they shall be set in gold in their inclosings. Exd 28:21 And the stones shall be with the names of the children of Israel, twelve, according to their names, [like] the engravings of a signet; every one with his name shall they be according to the twelve tribes. Exd 28:22 And thou shalt make upon the breastplate chains at the ends [of] wreathen work [of] pure gold. Exd 28:23 And thou shalt make upon the breastplate two rings of gold, and shalt put the two rings on the two ends of the breastplate. Exd 28:24 And thou shalt put the two wreathen [chains] of gold in the two rings [which are] on the ends of the breastplate. Exd 28:25 And [the other] two ends of the two wreathen [chains] thou shalt fasten in the two ouches, and put [them] on the shoulderpieces of the ephod before it. Exd 28:26 And thou shalt make two rings of gold, and thou shalt put them upon the two ends of the breastplate in the border thereof, which [is] in the side of the ephod inward. Exd 28:27 And two [other] rings of gold thou shalt make, and shalt put them on the two sides of the ephod underneath, toward the forepart thereof, over against the [other] coupling thereof, above the curious girdle of the ephod. Exd 28:28 And they shall bind the breastplate by the rings thereof unto the rings of the ephod with a lace of blue, that [it] may be above the curious girdle of the ephod, and that the breastplate be not loosed from the ephod. Exd 28:29 And Aaron shall bear the names of the children of Israel in the breastplate of judgment upon his heart, when he goeth in unto the holy [place], for a memorial before the LORD continually. Exd 28:30 And thou shalt put in the breastplate of judgment the Urim and the Thummim; and they shall be upon Aaron's heart, when he goeth in before the LORD: and Aaron shall bear the judgment of the children of Israel upon his heart before the LORD continually. "

Jasper was one of the stones in the high priests' breastplate.

John 19:2,5 - "And the soldiers platted a crown of thorns, and put [it] on his head, and they put on him a purple robe,

John 19:3 And said, Hail, King of the Jews! and they smote him with their hands. John 19:4 Pilate therefore went forth again, and saith unto them, Behold, I bring him forth to you, that ye may know that I find no fault in him. John 19:5 Then came Jesus forth, wearing the crown of thorns, and the purple robe. And [Pilate] saith unto them, Behold the man! "

A purple robe was put upon Jesus. And Pilate put a sign that said this is Jesus the King of the Jews when they crucified him, and the Pharisees tried to get that sign edited to read: he said he was the King of the Jews. Pilate said, What I have written, I have written. God allowed that to be done prophetically because he was the King of the Jews. So this purple robe they put on him in mockery, God said well, you're doing a right thing because he is the King of kings. So he that sat upon this throne is the King of all kings,

1 Timothy 1:17. - "Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, [be] honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen. "

Rev.21:11 appears to be clear. And jasper stones did come in different colors; one is clear as crystal. The jasper stone represents royalty. She has the royalty of Christ and it is clear as crystal-- transparent-- Christ is seen in her clearly and she shall rule and reign with him.

Revelation 21:12,13 "And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel. On the east three gates; on the north three gates; on the south three gates; and on the west three gates."

On the gates there is the names of the twelve tribes, Judah, Simeon, Levi, etc.. It seems to say that there are Old Testament saints as well as New Testament saints involved in this New Jerusalem bride city. So the bride encompasses all saints of all ages that attain to that high position of intimacy with Jesus that Paul was aspiring to attain to in Phillipians chapter 3. Yea doubtless, and I count all things [but] loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them [but] dung, that I may win Christ, Phl 3:9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: Phl 3:10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; Phl 3:11 If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. Phl 3:12 Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Phl 3:13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but [this] one thing [I do], forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, Phl 3:14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

Revelation 21:14 "And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb."

So in these foundations there's the names of the apostles.

Eph.2:20 - "And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner [stone]; "

Revelation 21:15 "And he that talked with me had a golden reed to measure the city, and the gates thereof, and the wall thereof."

And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb's wife.

So he measures the city and here's what it says

Revelation 21:16 "And the city lieth four- square, and the length is as large as the breadth; and he measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs. The length and the breadth and the height of it are equal."

This is like no earthly city. This is not a city on earth in the Millennium. 12,000 furlongs cubed. That means 12,000 statia. And that was a Roman measurement. 1 statis = 606-¾ feet. So 12,000 = 1379 miles long, wide, and high. That's a big city, indeed!

A city of such dimensions is impossible upon this earth of course, needless to say. And so we know that it is not upon this earth.

Revelation 21:17 "And he measured the wall thereof, an hundred and forty and four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is of the angel."

So the wall is only 144 cubits and that is 216 feet high.

The numerical symbols of the wall seem to show the fullness of the heavenly kingdom, 12 x 12 = 144. So there's a full heavenly kingdom involved here.

Now the city's volume taking 12,000 x 12,000 x 12,000 statia is 1.728 x 10 to the twelfth power cubic statia, which means 17,280,000,000 cubic statia, which converts to 2.6223 x 10 to the ninth cubic miles. Multiplying that out you get 2,622,300,000 cubic miles.

Revelation 21:18 "And the building of the wall of it was of jasper; and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass."

The wall of it was of jasper. So the whole wall is one big precious stone. Pure gold, it's covered with God like unto clear glass.

Revelation 21:19,20 "And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald. The fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolyte; the eithth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoparasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst."

Now these stones of the foundation of the city are gems. Each one of these is one huge gem that is a foundation of the whole city and there are twelve, again speaking of the fullness of the heavenly kingdom, again we are speaking in symbols. There are 400 miles plus the length of each one of these precious stones. So this shows the wealth and the riches of God in this New Jerusalem, in a hyperbole.

Eph.2:7 "That in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus."

Revelation 21:21 "And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; every several gate was of one pearl; and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass."

This speaks more about the gates. Every several gate, that is, every individual gate, was of one pearl. And the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass. So this is not like earthly gold. This is pure gold, but it is transparent like glass.

Now every gate is of one pearl. Again we have to see that we're talking about something symbolic here. These are truly pearls of great price.

Now how can a gate be one pearl? Go back up to the top of the page and see the thumb symbolism. The whole description of the New Jerusalem is allegory. This means that each gemstone means something else. One has to discover what each gemstone means to decipher this message in the book of Revelation. How can it be hinged and have a frame and open. That could be you could carve it out of one big pearl but it doesn't get into that. It just says the gates were each of one pearl showing the costliness of them. Now certainly God could create a pearl as big as the gate of this city. But obviously this is a symbol. God uses the things that are precious and costly on the earth to show that there is something that is spiritually precious and costly.

Verse 12 said that the names of the tribes of Israel were on these gates of pearl. So it is a city encompassing both Old Testament and New Testament saints.

But the way pearls are formed is when a grain of sand or something like it gets inside an oyster and irritates it. The oyster, in order to protect himself from the irritation, begins to secrete this substance that surrounds the grain of sand and that substance hardens, becoming a pearl.

So perhaps we could make a parallel to our own lives and say that those trials through which we've gone, and those things that have irritated us, we have overcome and have made them into pearls and something precious. Our trials become something precious and they become our entrance into that holy city.

Revelation 21:22 "And I saw no temple therein; for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it."

So there is no temple worship in that city. The Lord and the Lamb are the temple of it. This is the true temple to which earthly temples only pointed to. So God is dwelling in Christ and that is the temple. It is a living temple. It's God Himself.

Revelation 21:23 "And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it; for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof."

We see the same truth illustrated in a different way in v. 23. So the glory of the Lord did lighten it and the Lamb is the light thereof. Light means lamp. The glory of God did lighten it and the Lamb is the lamp thereof. The lamb is the lamp from which the light of God comes forth. He is the dwelling place of God. He is the vessel that God manifests Himself to us throughout all eternity.

We see the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ as in 2 Cor.4:6, - "For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to [give] the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. "

Also 2 Cor.4:17 - "For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding [and] eternal weight of glory; "

2 Cor.3:18. - "But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, [even] as by the Spirit of the Lord. "

When we get there, we are going to relate to God in Jesus Christ. That is how we are going to know God throughout all eternity through His eternal dwelling place and lamp, Jesus Christ.

Revelation 21:24 "And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it; (the bride), and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it."

There are nations of the saved. There are nations of people in that new earth. There will be those who are not part of that city but will dwell in that new earth. It calls them here, whether literally or figuratively, nations.

Rev.21:4 says that there will be no more death. Isaiah says a sinner during the Millennium being 100 years old shall die and be accursed.

Rev.21:22 says that there is no temple there and yet we see in Ezekiel that there is a temple in the Millennium. So this is not the Millennium that we're talking about. It's a new creation all together.

Revelation 21:25 "And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day; for there shall be no night there."

So the day is eternal and the light of that day is the light of God according to verse 23. It is not sunshine, it is the eternal light of God that gives eternal day to this New Jerusalem.

Revelation 21:26 "And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it."

These are the nations of the saved mentioned in verse 24. They are not earthly nations. They are not the nations of this creation. So the order there in that new earth is spoken of after the manner of what we see upon this earth.

Rev.21:2 where John saw the new heaven and the new earth, he saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, he saw this city. The bride is that city. The city is the bride, the dwelling place of God containing His glory, and the nations bring their glory and honour into it.

Rev.22:14 -"Blessed [are] they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. "

So those that have the tree of life, that is, those who have eternal life, enter into the gates of this city, but that doesn't mean that the bride is entering into this city. She is this city. The city is not buildings in which saints dwell. The city is saints. John is not seeing a collection of glorified buildings coming down from God out of heaven.

It says in Rev.21:9, "Come hither and I will show thee the bride." I'm not going to show where she lives-- I'm going to show you her.

And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and a high mountain and showed me that great city. So that great city, New Jerusalem, is the bride.

So the implication is that those who make up this city abide there; they don't go out. They are that city. They abide there. They stay there in the glory of God, continually.

You might make an analogy to the cherubim on the doors, walls, and ceilings of Solomon's temple; they were always there. People came in and out and they worshipped God. They didn't worship the temple. They didn't worship the cherubim. They worshipped God, but the cherubim were there all of the time. They never went out.

The glory and honour of nations which they bring would be their worship and their hearts toward God. That's the glory and honour that God is really seeking from us.

Revelation 21:27 "And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie; but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life."

So neither sinners or Satan, who is the cause of sin, shall enter that realm. There shall no wise enter anything that defileth. That thing that defileth literally means that which is common. There shall no common thing enter into it. That is, common in the sense of not being hallowed, not being sacred or holy.

But they which are written in the Lamb's book of life. So those which are written in the Lamb's book of life enter into it. So everybody in the book of life has access into it. Again it shows all have access into that city but not all are that city.

So the bride are the ones who totally give all to Jesus and fall in love with Him.

Revelation 22:1 "And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb."

In the Millennium will be this river both sides lined with trees bearing fruit each month. The waters shall go down into the Dead Sea and the Dead Sea will have an outlet and it will be cleansed and be healed and there will be abundance of fish in the Dead Sea and they will go fishing there. This is a spiritual river.

In Revelation what we're seeing is something in the heavenly realm, in the eternal realm of which that river in the Millennium is just a picture. In the new earth, it has a much greater spiritual reality.

Moses gave the record concerning the river in the Garden of Eden. He said that a river went out from Eden to water the Garden and from thence it was parted into four other streams. So there was a river in the Garden of Eden. Again, that was a real river, but it pointed to something greater in the eternal realm. There's a spiritual river of God that we are going to partake of. And we're seeing paradise, here, being restored.

Jesus said: John 7:37-38; - "In the last day, that great [day] of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. John 7:38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. "

John 4:13-14  - Jesus answered and said unto her, "Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: John 4:14 But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. "

Revelation 22:1 shows God in Christ as our eternal source of life and as our eternal source of existence and of all things. This river is coming out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. There is one throne here. It is the throne of God and of the Lamb, because God and the Lamb are one as Jesus said: My Father and I are one.

Revelation 22:2 "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."

It is the tree of life which bare twelve manner of fruits. The original Greek text. It says, "it bares twelve fruits; it bares fruits, twelve. That doesn't necessarily mean twelve different kinds of fruit, but that each month it bears fruit. The first month it bears fruits, and another crop the next month; it is perpetually bearing. There are no seasons nor fluctuations in which some seasons there is fruit and in some there is not. There is always fruit on this tree of life. It's a perfect source of life and continual and uninterrupted life.

12 months is speaking in the manner of this earth and to show us that there is a continual bearing and fruitfulness in this garden of God, this eternal dwelling of God and the leaves were for the healing of the nations

In this metaphor the leaves are used for healing, just as we have some herbs upon earth now that are used for healing such as eucalyptus and camphor and menthol plants such as are used to make healing balms. God has good things planned for His people in eternity.

And where it says for the healing of the nations we should not think that there will be sickness there and therefore we need to have healing from the leaves of this tree.

The word healing could also be translated "health". The leaves were for the health of the nations. There is eternal healing or health given by God. There is no sickness and sickness is done away. That is why these leaves are for the healing of the nations.

Hebrews 11:14-16 also applies here -  "For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country. Hbr 11:15 And truly, if they had been mindful of that [country] from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned. Hbr 11:16 But now they desire a better [country], that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city. "

God has prepared this city for those who walk by faith. And there God's people will partake of that new tree of life, spiritual life this time. And they will fellowship with their creator inside this city of God. In the Millennium the trees along the river were outside the city. It is not the same; here they are in the New Jerusalem.

What we're seeing here is a restoration of what Adam forfeited through sin when Adam and Eve disobeyed God. We're seeing that restored and far more in this new creation of God.

The promise of the tree of life is parallel with that first tree of life in Eden, and that was a pledge of constant life and fellowship with God, but it was broken in Eden because of Adam's sin. But here we see it restored.

Revelation 2:7; - "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God. "

Revelation 22:14 - "Blessed [are] they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. "

The first tree of life is seen in Genesis 2:9. - "And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. "

There was a tree of life. There was also something else in the Garden of Eden that is not in the book of Revelation and that is the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. There will not be any more temptation. We will have overcome all temptation. There will be no more need to be tested for our obedience, as Adam was by being told not to eat of that tree, because we have made our choices and we're in that realm never again to ever sin or make such a decision to sin.

Genesis 3:22-24 -  "And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever: Gen 3:23 Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken. Gen 3:24 So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life. "

Revelation 22:3 "And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him."

There shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it. So the curse is set in opposition to the throne of God and of the Lamb. Where the throne of God and of the Lamb is, there is no curse. The curse involved sickness, laboring in the sweat of thy brow, thorns and thistles which are done away. The greatest part of the curse that is done away is sin and the devil. There will be no more tempter to steal, kill, and destroy; no more lies, battles, and oppressions of Satan. He'll give us the desires of our hearts as we delight in Him.

1 Corinthians 15:24-28 - "Then [cometh] the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. 1Cr 15:25 For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. 1Cr 15:26 The last enemy [that] shall be destroyed [is] death. 1Cr 15:27 For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under [him, it is] manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him. 1Cr 15:28 And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all. "

The throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it. The throne of God shows that He is reigning. If He has a throne, He is reigning. It doesn't mean He is in one place and He is not somewhere else because He is sitting on His throne, because God is omnipresent.

He promised the overcomers of Laodicea in Revelation 3:21 - " To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. "

They will be in the most intimate position with Him; they will be reigning with Him. A throne speaks of a king, speaks of reigning. We do see the truth here; the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it. So there is only one throne; it's God in Christ reigning forever.

And his-- who is his? His, that is Him, is God and the Lamb. It is him, singular, God in the Lamb. We shall see the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. That is how we relate to God through all eternity.

His servants shall serve him. There is a very real realm which we are existing in and we have activities and we are serving him. And the main activity, as it says here, is serving him. You could translate this as rendering sacred service unto him. It's a sacred service of worship and loving Him.

Revelation 22:4 "And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads."

And they shall see his face. That is a wonderful promise. That is, they shall be in His presence and know Him.

And his name shall be in their foreheads. Now earlier in Revelation 20:11, the very heaven and earth fled away before His face. He just exposed His face to it, as it were, and it fled away. And the Bible says there was no more place found for the heaven and earth. They were passed away just by the presence of His face.

But now we look upon that same face and we don't flee away and are not destroyed by it, because we are in an eternal realm seeing Him as His beloved ones.

1 John 3:2-"Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. "

To Moses in Exodus 33:20-  he said, "Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live"

- no man shall see God and live. The glorified saints shall see God in the face of Jesus Christ.

God and the Lamb are said to have one face and one name.

Concerning His name in their foreheads; read Revelation 2:17; - "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth [it]. "

Revelation 3:12; "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. "

Revelation 7:3-4; -" Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads. Rev 7:4 And I heard the number of them which were sealed: [and there were] sealed an hundred [and] forty [and] four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel. "

Revelation 14:1. - "And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty [and] four thousand, having his Father's name written in their foreheads. "

We will have a new name indicating a new identity before Him and a new relationship with Him.

Revelation 22:5 "And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign forever and ever."

So there shall be no night there. Literally, night will be no more.

And they need no candle. That is, they do not need the light of a lamp is what it says in the best translations. They don't need the light of the lamp. Neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light. He is the source of light. He is the sun. He's the one who givest us light and life and all things.

And they shall reign forever and ever. Revelation 21:23-24; - "And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb [is] the light thereof. Rev 21:24 And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it. "

2 Corinthians 4:4-6- "In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. 2Cr 4:5 For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake. 2Cr 4:6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to [give] the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. "

1 John 1:5-- "This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. "

God is light. God is spiritual light, in Him there is no darkness of unrighteousness at all. And He will give us eternal light of His presence.

Revelation 22:6 "And he said unto me, These sayings are faithful and true: and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to show unto his servants the things which must shortly be done."

These sayings = these words, logoi, are faithful and true. God's words are true. Jesus said heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away (Matthew 24:35).

The Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel. Literally, the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets.

And he sent by his angel. We read that in Revelation 1:12-16. - And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks; Rev 1:13 And in the midst of the seven candlesticks [one] like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle. Rev 1:14 His head and [his] hairs [were] white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes [were] as a flame of fire; Rev 1:15 And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters. Rev 1:16 And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance [was] as the sun shineth in his strength. "

So this prophecy sent from the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, is sent to John who was also a prophet and thus this prophecy is connected to all of the other true prophecies of God. They all have their end culmination in what John sees here. All point forward in the final analysis to what John sees here, the total restoration of all things and a total fellowship with God. So that is why it says the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets. It is showing that all the prophecies of God's word are encompassed here and they're culminated in what we are seeing here. All things being restored.

Revelation 1:1 - "The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified [it] by his angel unto his servant John: "

Revelation 4:1, "After this I looked, and, behold, a door [was] opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard [was] as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter. "

God said that He was going to show him things that must occur quickly: And in 4:1 He said, I will show you things that must occur. In a sense, that these things even back in John's day must occur quickly because in God's eyes the time was an instant. The history of the earth is a speck of time in the great sea of eternity which is God's perspective. In another sense these things that must occur quickly, particularly the end time events, to us that means they are going to occur with speed. They are going to occur quickly. When they start happening, they are going to occur speedily. And God's going to wrap up all things quickly. He says He will do a short work in the earth.

Revelation 22:7 "Behold, I come quickly. Blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book."

Today that saying is truer than ever before. "Behold, I come quickly". And He said that particularly to the Philadelphia Church age. He pointed that out to our age which is in the end of time. And He said, in chapter 3:11, "Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown." He tells us hold fast, I am coming quickly. I might add, I am coming within your life time. So hold fast. He is coming to snatch away His bride.

Now he says: Blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book. A parallel passage is chapter 1 and verse 3: Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein. For the time is at hand. So He wants us to keep the sayings of this prophecy. That means to walk in them and be doing them. To have faith in them, believe what God is going to be doing and that He is going to be wrapping up all things and order your life, accordingly. Keep it by taking it into your heart and living according to it. It's living faith, He says here that's what will be blessed.

Revelation 22:8 "And I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which showed me these things."

He falls down before the angel to worship. Even in the prophet John, in his human flesh and weakness, was overcome by the splendor of the presence of this angel. And yet the angel says, No, I am your fellowservant. Don't worship me. If the angel was that glorious to behold, I think when John gets there he's going to be even more glorified if that angel was his servant.

Imagine the glory which we will see in the face of God if John was awed by this angel. In his own flesh and weakness, he felt compelled to fall down before this angel and yet he was told not to do it. Imagine what the effect is going to be upon us when we are in the presence of God. Love and adoration and wonder will compel us to worship Him. We won't have to stand around and decide whether we want to be in awe, we will be compelled to worship Him and love Him because of who He is. We will fall down before Him. We will be in awe. It will be all we want to do is worship Him because He is so wonderful. And there won't be any devil hindering our worship at all, or causing us to see things the way they are not, clouding up our minds.

Revelation 22:9 "Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God."

In Revelation 19:10, the probable meaning here where he says: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren, is not that I am a servant and you are a servant and we're fellowservants, but the Greek says: I am a fellowservant of you and of your brethren. In other words, I am a fellowservant. Now that means there are other servants, other angels who are serving you. And so I am a fellowservant along with the other servants of you.

So he says I am a fellowservant of you and your brethren. In other words, the truth that is being shown is also expressed in Hebrews 1:13-14. It says: But to which of the angels said he at any time, Sit on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool? Hbr 1:14 Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?

They are serving spirits to the heirs of salvation.

Revelation 22:10 "And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand."

The time is at hand. In Revelation chapter 1:10-11, he said send it to all these different churches. Don't seal it up, send it unto them. John said, " I was in the spirit on or in the Lord's Day and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet: saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, etc".... So the being says send it to the 7 churches. John. In a greater sense, send it to the church of all ages. Don't let this book be sealed up. It was never God's will for this book to be completely sealed up and called a mystery or an enigma or something that no one can understand. There are people and churches that teach that. He doesn't want it to be sealed up. He wanted it to be sent to all the churches. That doesn't mean that all the church ages were going to have the same understanding of that book available because God did say in another place to Daniel that in the last days knowledge shall increase. That is, mainly the knowledge of the things of God.

He said that these things were written for the time of the end. And so there will be and there is even now an increase of the knowledge of these things, but He wanted it to be open to the church of all ages. And not all the church ages have had an understanding of this book. But those who read it, even through all those church ages, it did give them vision and motivation. Even though they didn't fully understand it, it did give them a blessing. It caused them to realize the imminence of His coming. And it motivated them to walk with God. Even back in the Reformation, Luther and others, they were motivated by the prophecies of this book. And they believed that they were living in the last days. They believed that they were in the end times. And God allowed them to believe that because, in a sense, they were. Their lives were as a hand breadth and then they were going to be facing God. And so He wanted them to be motivated to walk with Him. He allowed His people of different times to believe that they were in that time of the end.

So He says the time is at hand, seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book. Let this message be known today.

Revelation 22:11 "He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still."

What does that mean? Is God saying, Well, if you're a sinner, then I want you to stay a sinner. That's your calling. No, we know that's not true, because God is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. First of all, it says, he that is unjust, let him be unjust still, and he that is filthy, let him be filthy still. That second word "filthy" there is passive. To be made filthy. He that is filthy, let him be made filthy still. He is being made filthy still by his own decisions and by allowing himself to be influenced by the things of the world.

He that is righteous, let him be righteous still. He that is holy, let him be holy still. The point is the decisions that people are making are forming their eternal destiny. And so he says if you are walking in a path that is unholy, then the end result is you are going to be unholy still. You are going to be eternally unholy.

If you are walking in righteousness and your desire is to know Him and to be like Him, you are going to be righteous still. There is a result of the decisions that we make and that we live.

Revelation 22:12 "And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be."

In God's eyes, even in John's day, he was coming quickly. And John wrote in his first epistle: He said we are living in the last days. Beloved, it is the last time. Today how much more intense is that prophecy when the truths in this book are really being unveiled as never before, he says I am coming quickly. Today it's like in an instant.

He says my reward is with me. Reward or wages to give every man according as his work shall be. So his coming is going to produce judgment for some and reward for others according to their works.

James 2:20-26. But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? Jam 2:21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? Jam 2:22 Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? Jam 2:23 And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God. Jam 2:24 Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only. Jam 2:25 Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent [them] out another way? Jam 2:26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

Revelation 22:13 "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last."

Again we see that it's Jesus, none other than Jesus, who is speaking. And He is God, He is all in all. Chapter 1:17-- I am the first and the last.

Revelation 22:14 "Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city."

It says blessed are they that do his commandments. The best reading there for to do his commandments is wash their robes. Blessed are they that wash their robes. Again it shows decisions. He is stressing making the decisions in your life that are going to result in you being a part of that eternal city. He says wash your robes. Wash your robes by applying the blood of Jesus Christ to them. Wash them by decisions to separate yourself more and more from this world, and by taking His life and His strength and His love into you-- wash your robes: become like Him.

See Dreams of Laundry

Revelation 22:15 "For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie."

That is, "without" or "outside the city." That does not mean that on the new earth there will be sin and whoremongers, etc... because we've already read in 2 Peter 3:13 that we're looking for a new heaven and earth wherein dwelleth righteousness. They're not going to be in that realm at all. They're going to be totally separated. You'd better be in the place in which you have access into this city because if you don't, you don't have eternal life.

Revelation 14 said . "Blessed [are] they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. "

then comes :

Rev 22:15 For without [are] dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.

The implication is that those who have eternal life can enter in through the gates of this city. And we saw before that there were some who were in the city; they dwelt there. They were part of that city. Others bring their glory and honor into it.

"Dogs" were unclean animals in Israel. So they are the unclean; they are men who are unclean in God's eyes. So they are without or outside this realm of eternal life.

"Whoremongers" doesn't mean just having to do with prostitutes. "Whoremongers" in the Greek is a more general term. It means "fornicators". Those who engage in illicit sex of any kind. It's a general term for sex sins.

"Whosoever loveth and maketh a lie" The word there for loveth is "phileo" and that word means "to have strong affection for" or "to place a value" upon that lie for how it makes them feel and for the pleasure they get out of that lie. He says they are loving a lie; they're embracing that thing like a good friend and a buddy. And they're saying, this is my salvation; this is joy; this is what I'm putting my confidence in. They're loving a lie. And the lie is the whole world; it's all the deception of the whole world. Whoever loves the world and the deceptions therein is going to be outside that realm of eternal life. So John said, Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

1 John 2:15-16 - Love not the world, neither the things [that are] in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 1Jo 2:16 For all that [is] in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

Don't love it! Come out of it!

Most of the world is involved in this saying here, "Whosoever loveth and maketh a lie", even those who are moral and upstanding. In some way or another if they don't know God and they're not putting their trust in Him; they are loving and making a lie.

Revelation 22:16 "I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star."

Revelation 1:1-- "The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified [it] by his angel unto his servant John: "

It says he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John. So it's Jesus sending His angel. Again we're seeing Jesus as God giving this revelation.

"I am the root and offspring of David" As God, He is the root of David. As the Christ, the man, he is the offspring of David.

Revelation 22:17 "And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely."

"And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. In this age that the Spirit through the bride is saying, "Come." Now "Come" is singular here. That is, "Come individual." It's the singular form in the Greek. And this indicates an individual call upon each heart. God is dealing with individual hearts, and He's saying, you come, you come. I'm calling you for I love you personally. I desire that you as an individual would come and be a part of this kingdom of mine.

And the bride has been saying, "Come" throughout all past church ages. There has been a witness for the name of Jesus Christ. And today the bride is saying, "Come". And the call is going to intensify more and more as we approach that day when He takes us home.

"And let him that heareth say, Come. That is, him that heareth with spiritual ears. He that hears and gets the revelation in his heart; let him proclaim it and let him help get other people ready. Let him that heareth say, "Come". If it has effected your heart and you've got this revelation in your heart, bring it to others so that they may come.

"And let him that is athirst come." Now everybody is athirst in one way or another, but not everybody realizes what they're really thirsting for. But when they do, and they realize and they're honest with themselves that it's God they're thirsting after, then they're in a position to come.

"And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely. Or as "a free gift". It's a free gift. Let him just take it. Take it by faith. Take it by surrendering to God by faith.

We can partake of the waters of life freely now, and as we do partake of it, the end result will be that we'll eternally be partaking of those waters of life. We have eternal life now by faith, and as we continue to walk in it, we'll be there.

Revelation 22:18-19 "For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, if any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book."

That's an awesome warning! Don't add to this book. Don't subtract from this book. And I'm sure this was a great hindrance to those who wanted to come after and say, Well, the further revelation of John, etc... So anyway, it's a strong warning to anyone that would be tempted to do so. God is saying, I want this revelation to be clear. It stands complete in itself. It's all my people need along with me and my Spirit to get them there.

This applies specifically first of all to the book of Revelation because it says, the words of the prophecy of this book. There is prophecy in the whole book, but this specific reference is to this book alone.

Revelation 22:20 "He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus."

And so it is Jesus who is testifying these things. It is Jesus who is coming. Amen. So let it be. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. In spite of the plagues and the wrath that is going to be poured out upon the unbelieving, unwilling earth and world, yet God must have a bride. He has to have a people. That is why He made us and He is going to be glorified. And He is going to have a people who will serve Him and love Him. So seeing all these things that are going to come to pass, John's reaction to the whole thing in conclusion is, even so, come, Lord Jesus.

Revelation 22:21 "The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen."

And then he closes by writing to all the saints of all time. That is written to all of us.

HOW WILL WE KNOW WHEN THE SECOND COMING WILL OCCUR?

Jesus says that the "coming of the Son of Man" (KJV) will be something discernible or observable everywhere by everyone. This Arrival, Presence, or Coming will be like lightning which can be seen from horizon to horizon. Now you may be wondering about the cryptic statement in Matthew 24:28, ‘Wherever the corpse, there the eagles will gather in meeting.’

This is not the first time Jesus has said this. According to Luke he first stated this obscure enigma some weeks before, so the disciples are hearing it for the second time. This first mention is recorded in Luke 17:37, only here there is little more background. Jesus has explained that ‘in the days of the Son of Man . . . two will be in one bed: one will be taken along and the other abandoned. Two will be working at the grinding mill: one will be taken along and the other abandoned.’ Then the disciples ask, ‘(Taken along) where?’ To which Jesus answers in a word different from that in Matthew 24:28, ‘Where the Body is there also the eagles will gather to meeting.’ (Luke 17:34-37)

What may this mean?

If we understand the cryptic metaphor of the "corpse" or "body" to be the sacrificed Lamb, Christ, then those who are "taken along" will gather in meeting with Christ. It is left to Paul to explain some of   these details in 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17, and 1 Corinthians 15:50-53.

There will be no private appearances of the returning Christ in order to select individuals who alone discern this secret appearance. Rather, the manifestation or revealing

Luke 17:30 - "Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed. "

It will be visible to the entire globe and then the Chosen Ones will be "taken along" from either work or sleep, depending on the side of the globe they are on, all together at the same time, to a meeting with the Lord in the atmosphere.

1 Thessalonians 4:15-17; -  " For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive [and] remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. 1Th 4:16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 1Th 4:17 Then we which are alive [and] remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 1Th 4:18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words. "

2 Thessalonians 2:1; - "Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and [by] our gathering together unto him, "

Matthew 24:31 - "And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. "

See also:  Dreams of Trumpets

But, will there be a "sign" just before this happens?

THE SECOND SIGN

We saw how Jesus used a "sign" (Lamsa) to indicate to his First Century disciples when the desolation of Jerusalem was near, that is, within three and a half years of the "sign." Now, Jesus gives a second "sign" (semeion) to indicate the imminent deliverance of those disciples alive when the King returns. All three Gospels report this "sign" to follow after the three and a half years of Great Oppression.

Matthew 24:29-30, "Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: Mat 24:30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. "

Mark 13:24-26, - "But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, Mar 13:25 And the stars of heaven shall fall, and the powers that are in heaven shall be shaken. Mar 13:26 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory.

Luke 21:25-27 - "And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; Luk 21:26 Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. Luk 21:27 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. "

Here is a sequence of events :

1) Celestial phenomenon or global darkness. (Matthew 24:29; "Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: "

Mark 13:24; - "But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, "

Luke 21:25 - "And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; "

2) International anguish and fear as a reaction to this darkening. (Luke 21:25) - "And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; "

3) The "sign of the Son of Man" appearing in the Sky or heaven. (Matthew 24:30) " And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. "

4) International lamentation. (Matthew 24:30) " And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. "

5) The global appearance of the Son of Man coming on clouds. (Matthew 24:30; " And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. "

Mark 13:26 - "And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory. "

It is likely this apocalyptic scenario is drawn from Jesus’ own knowledge of the Jewish prophets. For example, a general paraphrase corresponding to the Nazarene’s own words could be taken from Isaiah and Daniel: ‘For in the sky the stars and Orion will shed their light no longer, the sun will be dark when it rises, and the moon will no longer gives its light.... I am going to shake the heavens.... (Messiah) will give a sign to the nations.... Michael will appear.... The Son of Man will come on the clouds of heaven.’ ... And (Messiah) shall gather the lost ones of Israel from the four corners of the earth.’

Daniel 7:13 is used in the context of the second Coming, that is, not the first ascent but the second descent of Christ. It is because of the angel’s promise to the disciples at Acts 1:9-11 when Jesus was ascending on clouds in fulfillment of Daniel 7:13. This angel assured the Apostles that ‘this same Jesus will come in the same manner you viewed him going into heaven.’ Thus, Jesus is to return in the same atmospheric "clouds" in which he left. Jesus often used a compound paraphrase of Daniel 7:13 and Psalm 110:1. The Nazarene did use language like Daniel 7:13 with reference to his descension in his Second Parousia.

Daniel 7:13- "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. "

Acts 1:9-11 - "And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. Acts 1:10 And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; Acts 1:11 Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven. "

Psalm 110:1 - "The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool. "

The angel’s promise in Acts 1:9-11 it is reasonable to think that the disciples would have believed this meant Christ was to return invisibly. How could they understand anything else but that this "same Jesus" would return in the reverse order or manner, just as they had seen him ascend, but now a immortal life-giving spirit.

1 Corinthians 15:45-50 -  "And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam [was made] a quickening spirit. 1Cr 15:46 Howbeit that [was] not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. 1Cr 15:47 The first man [is] of the earth, earthy: the second man [is] the Lord from heaven. 1Cr 15:48 As [is] the earthy, such [are] they also that are earthy: and as [is] the heavenly, such [are] they also that are heavenly. 1Cr 15:49 And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly. 1Cr 15:50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. "

1 Peter 3:18 - "For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: "

Acts 3:20, 21 -  "And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: Act 3:21 Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began. "

Any argument presented that Jesus could not return visibly because he had sacrificed his fleshly body is misleading as an argument that the Son of Man cannot appear again. The Risen Christ, an immortal spirit, was seen by two unbelievers

1 Corinthians 15:7, 8 - "After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles. 1Cr 15:8 And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time. "

He himself makes it clear the earthly globe will "see" (opsontai) with the literal eye when he returns.

Matthew 24:30 - "And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. "

THE GATHERING

What is to follow the Great Oppression, the bedarkened skies and the glorious appearance of the Son of Man?

Matthew 24:31 - "And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. "

Mark 13:27 - "And then shall he send his angels, and shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven. "

Draw comfort from Jesus’ words. Does it not say that ‘the Son of Man will send forth his angels and gather the Chosen Ones from all four directions of the compass’? Is this not the same moment mentioned in Daniel 7:21, 22: ‘This was the Horn I had watched making war on the Holy Ones and proving stronger (for three and a half years), until the Coming (or, Arrival) of the One Most Venerable, who gave judgment in favour of the Holy Ones of the Most High, when the time came for the Holy Ones to assume kingship’?

Luke uses different language which explains this angelic gathering of the Chosen. Luke 21:28 says, ‘But, as these things (celestial darkness and visible appearance of the King) start occurring, stand and look up because your deliverance is drawing near.’ Yes, this angelic gathering means "deliverance," evidently the same as described at Daniel 12:1, for it is the living Jesus is talking about. What exactly will take place then?

Jesus himself had spoken of a time when the believing dead would be raised to life and the living believers would never die. (John 11:25, 26) Could this time of "gathering" be that moment? Paul answers our question when he evidently alludes to these very words of our Lord

John 11:25, 26. - "Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: Jhn 11:26 And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this? "

We find Paul’s explanation of what will happen at First Thessalonians, chapter 4, verses 15 to 17: ‘We can tell you this from the Lord’s own teaching (John 11:25, 26) that we who are still alive for the Lord’s Coming will not have any advantage over those who have fallen asleep. At the signal given by the voice of the Archangel and the Trumpet of God, the Lord himself will come down from heaven; those who have died in Christ will be the first to rise and only after that shall we who remain alive be taken up in the clouds, together with them, to meet the Lord in the air."

Therefore, this angelic "gathering"

2 Thessalonians 2:1 - "Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and [by] our gathering together unto him, "

will likely include first the resurrection of all the Christian dead

1 Corinthians 15:23 - "But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming. "

Then, as the faithful dead wait for their loyal brethren, the living Saints of Daniel 7:22 - "Until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom. "

and the "chosen ones" of Matthew 24:21, 22, 31 - "For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. Mat 24:22 And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened. (31) And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. "

will be "caught away," or "snatched quickly," off this planet. The Greek word usually translated "caught away" is harpagesometha here in 1 Thessalonians 4:17 - "Then we which are alive [and] remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. "

Jerome, in the Fourth Century, translated this Greek word into Latin and used a word rooted in rapere from which the English gets rape, rapacious, or rapture. Thus, this being "caught away" could be called the Rapture.

According to Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:52 this "change" will occur in the thinnest slice of time, or an atomic moment, in the blink of an eye.

1 Corinthians 15:52 - "In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. "

This is all consistent with the timing of matters as Paul has it in 1 Corinthians 15:22, 23: ‘For as in Adam all are dying, so also in the Christ all will be made alive. But, each one in their own order: Christ, a firstfruits; thereafter, those of Christ in his Presence (or, at his Arrival).’ Paul has the first person truly resurrected to be Jesus Christ the Nazarene and that was in the year 33 AD. No one else goes to heaven in a resurrection until the Return or Arrival and then it will be only those Christians who professed belief in him.

1 Corinthians 15:22, 23 - "For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. 1Cr 15:23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming. "

THE END OF THE WORLD?

Remember the disciples’ question in the King James Version had the expression "the end of the world" which has come to mean a fiery conflagration as the entire world is consumed with only the righteous surviving. If this view is correct why does Jesus not go on to conclude his answer with such a description? Or, even the use of the word "end"? Is it possible these words of the King James Version have been misunderstood? Or, mistranslated?

The Greek normally translated "world" in Matthew 24:3 is the word aioonos and not kosmos which is often translated "world." This word aioonos does not specifically mean the whole world of mankind or everyone living on the planet. According to Matthew the disciples did not use the word kosmos but aioonos. This is normally translated "age" and understood to be a particular period of time which has developed its own characteristics, such as Atomic Age or Age of the Dinosaurs, without any limitations to the length of it.

Matthew 24:3 - "And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what [shall be] the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world? "

In fact, the King James Version often translates aioonos and related forms as "eternity," "forever," and also "world."

Acts 3:21; - "Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began. "

Acts15:18; - "Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world. "

Romans 12:2; - "And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what [is] that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. "

1 Corinthians 1:20; - "Where [is] the wise? where [is] the scribe? where [is] the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? "

1 Corinthians 2:6, 7, 8, - "Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought: 1Cr 2:7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, [even] the hidden [wisdom], which God ordained before the world unto our glory: 1Cr 2:8 Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known [it], they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. "

If the disciples had meant "the end of the world" as we have come to know it, why does Jesus not go on to explain such a total or complete "end"? On the other hand, if they meant just "the end of the (Jewish Temple) Age," it all makes sense. Jesus has already discussed this "end" and has moved on to the subject of his royal Return, or parousia, his Arrival as King. Note that Jesus never uses the word "end" (either telos or synteleia) after his description of the Great Oppression on Jerusalem. Does the Bible teach something else regarding the so-called "end of the world" as it might pertain to our future, or another generation’s future, that of our children or their children?

Many have taken these Greek words thlipsis megale (Great Oppression) to refer to something like Armageddon. However, a close consideration of the context where Great Oppression occurs, as well as their sources in:

Daniel 7:21, - "I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them; "

Daniel 7:25 - "And he shall speak [great] words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time. "

Daniel 12:1, - "And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation [even] to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book. "

Daniel 12:7, - "And I heard the man clothed in linen, which [was] upon the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven, and sware by him that liveth for ever that [it shall be] for a time, times, and an half; and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these [things] shall be finished. "

This proves it is a period of persecution or oppression on the Chosen Ones, or Saints of the Most High, and not a tribulation on the world in general. The translation "great tribulation" can be misleading. That is why we prefer "great oppression" for it emphasizes that this tribulation, affliction, persecution, or oppression is against the Saints. It is not "the end of the world" or anything like an Armageddon. The Great Oppression occurs before Armageddon as we shall see in our consideration of the Apocalypse.

The phrase translated "end of the world" by the King James Version is literally "consummation of the Age." Hebrews chapter 9, verse 26, uses a nearly identical phrase, synteleia ton aionon, and clearly applies it to the Jewish Temple Age.

Hebrews 9:26 - "For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. "

Note also 1 Corinthians 10:11, ta tele ton aionon = the ends of the Ages.  "Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. "

And so, we feel it ought to be clear that the disciples are asking about their "world" in the context of the Temple’s "end."

FINAL WORDS OF WARNING

Jesus ends his lengthy answer, not with a picture of world doom, but a warning, counsel to all his disciples of any future Age or period. In the Books of Mark and Luke these are brief and limited to a couple paragraphs. Basically, they warn of the need to remain alert, awake, and in expectation of Christ’s Return. Essentially, Jesus says no disciple can know the time of his Return and must, therefore, remain on guard. Remember, even the Nazarene is ignorant of the "appointed time" of his own Parousia!

Luke has the Nazarene saying not to be lured into inattention, overeating, drunkenness and life’s anxieties. In Luke he assures his disciples, ‘For it (the parousia- Judgment) will come to all those on the entire globe. Keep awake and keep praying you will be strong enough to escape all that is about to occur and to hold your   stance before the Son of Man.’

Luke 21:34-36 - "And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and [so] that day come upon you unawares. Luk 21:35 For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. Luk 21:36 Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man. "

Matthew, on the other hand, has Jesus giving a number of parables which emphasize this matter of remaining alert and in expectation. There are four parables: the faithful and evil slave, the wise and foolish virgins, the parable of the talents, and, finally, the longest, the parable of the sheep and goats. All these parables have something in common: a good group and a bad group. Who cannot say these are warnings to   those Christian disciples particularly alive when the Master does return? There is another important element in these parables: judgment. For this reason it can be called the parousia-Judgment, that is, the Master’s inspection and accounting of his own Household upon his Return or Arrival. What is this judgment all about?

JUDGMENT DAY

We have already seen how Paul teaches everyone will be resurrected but in a certain order.

In 1 Corinthians 15:21-24 - " For since by man [came] death, by man [came] also the resurrection of the dead. 1Cr 15:22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. 1Cr 15:23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.
1Cr 15:24 Then [cometh] the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. "

He lists principally, not counting Christ himself, two resurrections: a first and a last. The first, the resurrection of all professing Christians. The next, last or second, to occur later in what he calls "the end." We leave it to the Apocalypse to discuss this final or last Judgment.

Hebrews 6:2 - "Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. "

 The writer of Hebrews, whom many consider to be Paul, states this divine fact: ‘It is ordained that all men die, but after this, a judgment.’

Hebrews 9:26, 27 - "For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. Hbr 9:27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: "

In the case of Christian believers, all those who profess "Jesus Christ is Lord," will also be resurrected to face their judgment. Paul teaches, ‘For all of us must stand before the judgment of Christ to receive our award for the things done while alive, whether good or vile.’

2 Corinthian 5:10; - "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things [done] in [his] body, according to that he hath done, whether [it be] good or bad. "

1 Corinthians 4:5 - "Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God. "

Peter makes it clear that this judgment ‘begins with the House of God.’

1 Peter 4:17 - "For the time [is come] that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if [it] first [begin] at us, what shall the end [be] of them that obey not the gospel of God? "

This is the parousia-Judgment which Jesus taught in his parables of the Master returning for inspection of his Household.

Ephesians 2:19; - "Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; "

1 Timothy 3:15 - "But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth. "

These are sobering matters for all professing Christians today, whether Christ returns in our lifetimes or not. Jesus’ teachings on these matters can be reduced to two: stay ready, and be kind and charitable to others. It is really a summary of all his teachings, including the Golden Rule. In the parable of the sheep and goats, the goats are such, not for evil deeds, but for failure to take positive, charitable and humane steps toward their fellows.

If Jesus’ teaching is anything, it is about loving interest in others, which is displayed by positive action with good and kind results. Whether the King returns in our lifetime or not, these will never change. All of us Christians will be held accountable for this day, today, regarding our speech and actions.

Matthew 12:36, 37; - "But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. Mat 12:37 For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned. "

2 Corinthians 5:10 - "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things [done] in [his] body, according to that he hath done, whether [it be] good or bad. "

A re-reading of the Sermon on the Mount (or, Song of Perfection) will assist in reminding each one of their duty to others. In affect, this day, as you read this, might well be the last page in your record book, that Book of accountability God keeps on all mankind. Do you not want what could be the last page to reflect what you really are as a Christian? Reflect on these parables and meditate on how you can better represent the humanity, good manners, kind actions, and Christ-like character demonstrated in these illustrations.

DIRE MESSAGES FROM JESUS AND MARY

From: Revelation 14:1-5   Singing a New Song

The Lamb and His Companions

[1] Then I looked, and lo, on Mount Zion stood the Lamb, and with him a hundred and forty-four thousand who had his name and his Father's name written on their foreheads. [2] And I heard a voice from heaven like the sound of many waters and like the sound of loud thunder; the voice I heard was like the sound of harpers playing on their harps, [3] and they sing a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and before the elders. No one could learn that song except the hundred and forty-four thousand who had been redeemed from the earth. [4] It is these who have not defiled themselves with women, for they are chaste; it is these who follow the Lamb wherever he goes; these have been redeemed from mankind as first fruits for God and the Lamb, [5] and in their mouth no lie was found, for they are spotless.

Commentary:

14:1-16:21 The book now turns to the Lamb and to divine judgment (anticipating the victory of the Lamb). It stays with this theme up to chapter 17 at which point the powers of evil appear again (in various symbolic forms) and are subjected to the judgment of God. First we are shown the Lamb and his entourage (cf. 14:l-5); immediately after this the Last Judgment is proclaimed and a preliminary description given (14:6-20); the glory of the Lamb is again extolled (cf. 15: 1-4) and the unleashing of the wrath of God is further described in terms of the pouring out of the seven bowls (cf. 15:5-16:21).

In opposition to the powers of evil and the active hostility to God and the Church caused by the machinations of Satan stand the risen Christ and his followers, who sing in praise of his glory and triumph. These followers are those who have attained redemption; the salvation will reach its climax when the Kingdom of God is fully established (the marriage of the Lamb, and the heavenly Jerusalem: chaps. 21-22). In the meantime, although the Church has to do battle with the forces of evil, it can contemplate Christ "as an innocent lamb (who) merited life for us by his blood which he freely shed. In him God reconciled us to himself and to one another, freeing us from the bondage of the devil and of sin, so that each one of us could say with the Apostle: the Son of God 'loved me and gave himself for me' (Gal 2:20)" (Vatican II, "Gaudium Et Spes", 22).

1-3. It is highly significant that the Lamb stands on Mount Zion, in Jerusalem, which was where God dwelt among men according to the Old Testament (cf. Ps 74:1; 132:14; etc.) and where, according to certain Jewish traditions, the Messiah would appear, to join all his followers. The assembly, then, is an idealization of the Church, protected by Christ and gathered about him. It includes all those who belong to Christ and to the Father and who therefore bear his mark, which shows them to be children of God. They are so many that it is impossible to count them, but their number is complete: they are given a symbolic number which is 12 (the tribes of Israel) by 12 (the Apostles) by 1000 (a number indicating a huge scale): cf. Rev 7:3ff.

The one hundred and forty-four thousand are not yet in heaven (for the loud noise comes from heaven); they are on earth, but they have been rescued from the power of the beast (cf. 13:13-14). The verse from heaven symbolizes the strength and power of God; and the heavenly voice speaks with the gentleness of liturgical music. It is a new song, for it now sings of the salvation wrought by Christ (cf. 15:34) in the same style as the Old Testament chants the praises of God (cf., e.g., Ps 33:3; 40:2; 96:1). Only those who belong to Christ can join in this song and be associated with the heavenly liturgy: "It is especially in the sacred liturgy that our union with the heavenly Church is best realized; in the liturgy, through the sacramental signs, the power of the Holy Spirit acts on us, and with community rejoicing we celebrate together the praise of the divine majesty; when all those of every tribe and tongue and people and nation (cf. Rev 5:9) who have been redeemed by the blood of Christ and gathered together into one Church glorify, in one common song of praise, the one and triune God" ("Lumen Gentium", 50).

4-5. The text refers to those who are properly disposed to take part in the marriage supper of the Lamb (cf. 19:9; 21:2) because they have not been stained by idolatry but have kept themselves undefiled for him. St Paul compares every Christian to a chaste virgin (cf. 2 Cor 11:2) and describes the Church as the spouse of Christ (cf. Eph 5:21-32). The author of the Apocalypse is referring to all the members of the Church insofar as they are holy, that is, called to holiness; but the symbolism he uses also draws attention to the fact that virginity and celibacy for the sake of the Kingdom of heaven is a special expression and clear sign of the Church as Bride of Christ. Referring to the   chastity practiced by religious, the Second Vatican Council teaches that in this way they "recall that wonderful marriage made by God, which will be fully manifested in the future age, and in which the Church has Christ for her only spouse" ("Perfectae Caritatis", 12).

The one hundred and forty-four thousand are also those who have identified themselves fully with Christ, dead and risen, by denying themselves and devoting all their energies to apostolate (cf. Mt 10:   38). They also stand for those whom Christ, by the shedding of his blood, has made his own and his Father's property (like Israel, the first fruits of Yahweh: cf. Jer 2:3), that is, those who constitute a holy people like that remnant of Israel described in Zephaniah 3:13: "they shall do no wrong and utter no lies, nor shall there be found in their mouth a deceitful tongue." The prophet's words refer to people who have not invoked false gods, but the Apocalypse applies them to those who are fully committed to Christ.

SONGS IN THE NEW TESTAMENT

1. Matthew 11:17: "piped" (children in marketplace). "And saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned unto you, and ye have not lamented. "

2. Matthew 26:30: "had sung a hymn" (Jesus and apostles). "And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives. "

3. Mark 14:26: "had sung a hymn" (Jesus and apostles). "And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives."

4. Luke 7:32: "piped" (children in marketplace). "They are like unto children sitting in the marketplace, and calling one to another, and saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned to you, and ye have not wept. "

5. Luke 15:25: "music" (social festivity). "Now his elder son was in the field: and as he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard musick and dancing. "

6. Acts 16:25: "singing hymns unto God" (Paul and Silas in prison). - "And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. "

7. Romans 15:9-"I will sing unto thy name."

quotation from 2 Samuel 22:50 - "Therefore I will give thanks unto thee, O LORD, among the heathen, and I will sing praises unto thy name. "

or Psalm 18:49 - "Therefore will I give thanks unto thee, O LORD, among the heathen, and sing praises unto thy name. "

8. 1 Corinthians 14: 7-8: Instrumental music - "And even things without life giving sound, whether pipe or harp, except they give a distinction in the sounds, how shall it be known what is piped or harped? 1Cr 14:8 For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle? "

9. 1 Corinthians 14:15: "sing with the spirit, sing with the understanding" (in Christian worship). "What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also. "

10. 1 Corinthians 14:26: "hath a psalm" (in Christian worship). "How is it then, brethren? when ye come together, every one of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying. "

11. Ephesians 5:19: "psalms and hymns and spiritual songs" (in Christian worship). "Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; "

12. Colossians 3:16: "psalms and hymns and spiritual songs" (in Christian worship). - "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. "

13. Hebrews 2:12: "I will sing thy praise" " Saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee"

quotation from Psalm 22:22 - "I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee. "

14. Hebrews 13:15. "Through him then let us offer up a sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of lips which make confession to his name" (in Christian worship).

15. James 5. -13: "let him sing praise" (in Christian worship, could be private). - "Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms. "

16. Revelation 5:8-9: "harp," "sing a new song" (four living creatures In heaven). " And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four [and] twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints. Rev 5:9 And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation "

17. Revelation 14:2-3: "voice as of many waters, … of great thunder, . . . and of harpers harping with their harps; and they sing as it were a new song" (144,00 with Lamb on Mount Zion). - "And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps: Rev 14:3 And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred [and] forty [and] four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth. "

18. Revelation 15:2-3: "'having harps of God. And they sing the song of Moses, and . . . the Lamb" (in heaven). - " And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, [and] over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God. Rev 15:3 And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous [are] thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true [are] thy ways, thou King of saints. "

From Matthew Henry Commentary

Psalm 98

This psalm is to the same purport with the two foregoing psalms; it is a prophecy of the kingdom of the Messiah, the settling of it up in the world, and the bringing of the Gentiles into it. The Chaldee entitles it a prophetic psalm. It sets forth, I. The glory of the Redeemer (v. 1-3). II. The joy of the redeemed (v. 4-9). If we in a right manner give to Christ this glory, and upon right grounds take to ourselves this joy, in singing this psalm, we sing it with understanding. If those who saw Christ's triumph thus, much more reason have we to do so who see these things accomplished and share in the better things provided for us, Heb. 11:40.

A psalm.  Verses 1-3

We are here called upon again to sing unto the Lord a new song, as before, Ps. 96:1. "Sing a most excellent song, the best song you have." Let the song of Christ's love be like Solomon's on that subject, a song of songs. A song of praise for redeeming love is a new song, such a song as had not been sung before; for this is a mystery which was hidden from ages and generations. Converts sing a new song, very different from what they had sung; they change their wonder and change their joy, and therefore change their note. If the grace of God put a new heart into our breasts, it will therewith put a new song into our mouths. In the new Jerusalem there will be new songs sung, that will be new to eternity, and never wax old. Let this new song be sung to the praise of God, in consideration of these four things:—

I. The wonders he has wrought: He has done marvellous things, v. 1. Note, The work of our salvation by Christ is a work of wonder. If we take a view of all the steps of it from the contrivance of it, and the counsels of God concerning it before all time, to the consummation of it, and its everlasting consequences when time shall be no more, we shall say, God has in it done marvellous things; it is all his doing and it is marvellous in our eyes. The more it is known the more it will be admired.

II. The conquests he has won: His right hand and his holy arm have gotten him the victory. Our Redeemer has surmounted all the difficulties that lay in the way of our redemption, has broken through them all, and was not discouraged by the services or sufferings appointed him. He has subdued all the enemies that opposed it, has gotten the victory over Satan, disarmed him, and cast him out of his strong-holds, has spoiled principalities and powers (Col. 2:15), has taken the prey from the mighty (Isa. 49:24), and given death his death's wound. He has gotten a clear and complete victory, not only for himself, but for us also, for we through him are more than conquerors. He got this victory by his own power; there was none to help, none to uphold, none that durst venture into the service; but his right hand and his holy arm, which are always stretched out with good success, because they are never stretched out but in a good cause, these have gotten him the victory, have brought him relief or deliverance. God's power and faithfulness, called here his right hand and his holy arm, brought relief to the Lord Jesus, in raising him from the dead, and exalting him personally to the right hand of God; so Dr. Hammond.

III. The discoveries he has made to the world of the work of redemption. What he has wrought for us he has revealed to us, and both by his Son; the gospel-revelation is that on which the gospel-kingdom is founded—the word which God sent,

Acts 10:36. - "The word which [God] sent unto the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ: (he is Lord of all:) "

The opening of the sealed book is that which is to be celebrated with songs of praise

Rev. 5:8, - "And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four [and] twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints. "

because by it was brought to light the mystery which had long been hid in God. Observe,

1. The subject of this discovery—his salvation and his righteousness, v. 3. Righteousness and salvation are often put together; as

Isa. 61:10; - "I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh [himself] with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth [herself] with her jewels. "

Isa 46:13; - "I bring near my righteousness; it shall not be far off, and my salvation shall not tarry: and I will place salvation in Zion for Israel my glory. "

Isa 51:5- 8. - "My righteousness [is] near; my salvation is gone forth, and mine arms shall judge the people; the isles shall wait upon me, and on mine arm shall they trust. Isa 51:6 Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look upon the earth beneath: for the heavens shall vanish away like smoke, and the earth shall wax old like a garment, and they that dwell therein shall die in like manner: but my salvation shall be for ever, and my righteousness shall not be abolished. Isa 51:7 Hearken unto me, ye that know righteousness, the people in whose heart [is] my law; fear ye not the reproach of men, neither be ye afraid of their revilings. Isa 51:8 For the moth shall eat them up like a garment, and the worm shall eat them like wool: but my righteousness shall be for ever, and my salvation from generation to generation. "

Salvation denotes the redemption itself, and righteousness the way in which it was wrought, by the righteousness of Christ. Or the salvation includes all our gospel-privileges and the righteousness all our gospel-duties; both are made known, for God has joined them together, and we must not separate them. Or righteousness is here put for the way of our justification by Christ, which is revealed in the gospel to be by faith,

Rom. 1:16-17. - For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. Rom 1:17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith. "

2. The plainness of this discovery. He has openly shown it, not in types and figures as under the law, but it is written as with a sunbeam, that he that runs may read it. Ministers are appointed to preach it with all plainness of speech.

3. The extent of this discovery. It is made in the sight of the heathen, and not of the Jews only: All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God; for to the Gentiles was the word of salvation sent.

IV. The accomplishment of the prophecies and promises of the Old Testament, in this (v. 3): He has remembered his mercy and his truth towards the house of Israel. God had mercy in store for the seed of Abraham, and had given them many and great assurances of the kindness he designed them in the latter days; and it was in pursuance of all those that he raised up his Son Jesus to be not only a light to lighten the Gentiles, but the glory of his people Israel; for he sent him, in the first place, to bless them. God is said, in sending Christ, to perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember the holy covenant,

Lu. 1:72. "To perform the mercy [promised] to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant; "

It was in consideration of that, and not of their merit.

Verses 4-9

The setting up of the kingdom of Christ is here represented as a matter of joy and praise.

I. Let all the children of men rejoice in it, for they all have, or may have, benefit by it. Again and again we are here called upon by all ways and means possible to express our joy in it and give God praise for it: Make a joyful noise, as before,

Ps. 95:1, 2. - "O come, let us sing unto the LORD: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation. Psa 95:2 Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms. "

Make a loud noise, as those that are affected with those glad tidings and are desirous to affect others with them. Rejoice and sing praise, sing Hosannas

Mt. 21:9, - "And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed [is] he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest. "

sing Hallelujahs,

Rev. 19:6. - "And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. "

Let him be welcomed to the throne, as new kings are, with acclamations of joy and loud shouts, till the earth ring again, as when Solomon was proclaimed,

1 Ki. 1:40. - "And all the people came up after him, and the people piped with pipes, and rejoiced with great joy, so that the earth rent with the sound of them. "

And let the shouts of the crowd be accompanied with the singers and players on instruments

Ps. 87:7; - "As well the singers as the players on instruments [shall be there]: all my springs [are] in thee. "

Ps 68:25, - "The singers went before, the players on instruments [followed] after; among [them were] the damsels playing with timbrels"

as is usual in such solemnities.

1. Let sacred songs attend the new King: "Sing praise, sing with the voice of a psalm. Express your joy; thus proclaim it, thus excite it yet more, and thus propagate it among others."

2. Let these be assisted with sacred music, not only with the soft and gentle melody of the harp, but since it is a victorious King whose glory is to be celebrated, who goes forth conquering and to conquer, let him be proclaimed with the martial sound of the trumpet and cornet, v. 6. Let all this joy be directed to God, and expressed in a solemn religious manner: Make a joyful noise to the Lord, v. 4. Sing to the Lord, (v. 5); do it before the Lord, the King, v. 6. Carnal mirth is an enemy to this holy joy. When David danced before the ark he pleaded that it was before the Lord; and the piety and devotion of the intention not only vindicated what he did, but commended it. We must rejoice before the Lord whenever we draw near to him

Deu. 12:12, - "And ye shall rejoice before the LORD your God, ye, and your sons, and your daughters, and your menservants, and your maidservants, and the Levite that [is] within your gates; forasmuch as he hath no part nor inheritance with you. "

before the Lord Jesus, and before him, not only as the Saviour, but as the King, the King of kings, the church's King, and our King.

II. Let the inferior creatures rejoice in it, v. 7-9. This is to the same purport with what we had before

Ps. 96:11-13: - "Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof. Psa 96:12 Let the field be joyful, and all that [is] therein: then shall all the trees of the wood rejoice Psa 96:13 Before the LORD: for he cometh, for he cometh to judge the earth: he shall judge the world with righteousness, and the people with his truth.

Let the sea roar, and let that be called, not as it used to be, a dreadful noise, but a joyful noise; for the coming of Christ, and the salvation wrought out by him, have quite altered the property of the troubles and terrors of this world, so that when the floods lift up their voice, lift up their waves, we must not construe that to be the sea roaring against us, but rather rejoicing with us. Let the floods express their joy, as men do when they clap their hands; and let the hills, that trembled for fear before God when he came down to give the law at Mount Sinai, dance for joy before him when his gospel is preached and that word of the Lord goes forth from Zion in a still small voice: Let the hills be joyful together before the Lord. This intimates that the kingdom of Christ would be a blessing to the whole creation; but that, as the inferior creatures declare the glory of the Creator

Ps. 19:1, - "[[To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.]] The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork"

so they declare the glory of the Redeemer, for by him all things not only subsist in their being, but consist in their order. It intimates likewise that the children of men would be wanting in paying their due respects to the Redeemer, and therefore that he must look for his honour from the sea and the floods, which would shame the stupidity and ingratitude of mankind. And perhaps respect is here had to the new heavens and the new earth, which we yet, according to his promise, look for

2 Pt. 3:13, -  "Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. "

and this second mention of his coming (after the like,

Ps. 96:1-13 - "O sing unto the LORD a new song: sing unto the LORD, all the earth. Psa 96:2 Sing unto the LORD, bless his name; shew forth his salvation from day to day. Psa 96:3 Declare his glory among the heathen, his wonders among all people. Psa 96:4 For the LORD [is] great, and greatly to be praised: he [is] to be feared above all gods. Psa 96:5 For all the gods of the nations [are] idols: but the LORD made the heavens. Psa 96:6 Honour and majesty [are] before him: strength and beauty [are] in his sanctuary. Psa 96:7 Give unto the LORD, O ye kindreds of the people, give unto the LORD glory and strength. Psa 96:8 Give unto the LORD the glory [due unto] his name: bring an offering, and come into his courts. Psa 96:9 O worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness: fear before him, all the earth. Psa 96:10 Say among the heathen [that] the LORD reigneth: the world also shall be established that it shall not be moved: he shall judge the people righteously. Psa 96:11 Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof. Psa 96:12 Let the field be joyful, and all that [is] therein: then shall all the trees of the wood rejoice Psa 96:13 Before the LORD: for he cometh, for he cometh to judge the earth: he shall judge the world with righteousness, and the people with his truth.

may principally refer to his second coming, when all these things shall be so dissolved as to be refined; then shall he come to judge the world with righteousness. In the prospect of that day all that are sanctified do rejoice, and even the sea, and the floods, and the hills, would rejoice if they could.

One would think that Virgil had these psalms in his eye, as well as the oracles of the Cumean Sibyl, in his fourth eclogue, where he either ignorantly or basely applies to Asinius Pollio the ancient prophecies, which at that time were expected to be fulfilled; for he lived in the reign of Augustus Caesar, a little before our Saviour's birth. He owns they looked for the birth of a child from heaven that should be a great blessing to the world, and restore the golden age:—

Jam nova progenies coelo demittitur alto—
A new race descends from the lofty sky;
and that should take away sin:—

Te duce, si qua manent sceleris vestigia nostri,
Irrita perpetua solvent formidine terras—

Thy influence shall efface every stain of corruption,
And free the world from alarm.

Many other things he says of this long-looked-for child, which Ludovicus Vives, in his notes on that eclogue, thinks applicable to Christ; and he concludes, as the psalmist here, with a prospect of the rejoicing of the whole creation herein:—

Aspice, venturo laetentur ut omnia saeclo—
See how this promis'd age makes all rejoice.
And, if all rejoice, why should not we?

I will celebrate, sing unto the Lord, sing to the Lord a new song, I will celebrate, sing unto the Lord, sing to the Lord a new song. With my heart rejoicing within, with my mind focused on him, with my hands raised to the heavens All I am is worshipping him.
Oh sing unto the Lord a new song, Oh sing to the Lord all the earth
Ps 96:1

And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God! Many shall see it and fear, and trust in the Lord.
Ps 40:3

Sing unto him a new song, play skillfully with a loud noise. Praise the Lord with the lyre; make melody to him with the harp of 10 strings, with loud shouts. For the word of the Lord is upright, and all of his work is done in faithfullness. He loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the steadfast love of the Lord.

Then David and all the house of Israel played music before the Lord, all kinds of instruments of fir,wood, on harps,on stringed instruments, on tambourines, on sistrums, and on cymballs.
2 Sam 6:5
Sing aloud unto God our strength:
make a joyful noise unto the Lord of Jacob.
Ps 81:1
Oh come let us sing unto the Lord,
let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!
Ps 95:1
Praise him with a timbrel and dance.
Praise him with stringed instruments and organs.
Ps 150:4
Make a joyful noise unto the Lord all the earth:
make a loud noise and rejoice and sing praise.
Ps 98:4

Then David and all Israel played music before God with all their might, with singing, on harps,on stringed instruments, on tambourines, on cymballs and with trumpets.
1 Chr 13:8
Make a joyful noise unto the Lord all ye lands
Ps 100:1

I will sing a new song unto thee oh God: upon a psaltery; and an instrument of 10 strings will I sing praises unto thee.
Ps 144:9
Then shall the virgin rejoice in the dance, both young men and old together. For I will turn their mourning into joy and will comfort them, and make them rejoice for their sorrow.
Jer 31:13

They send forth their children as a flock; the little ones dance about.
Job 21:11


.

Date: Sun, 5 Mar 1995
From: J M
Subject: Re: info on alien script

I am looking for some information concerning the UFO incident over Kalaharti Desert on 7 May 1989.In the crashed saucer a team of experts from the Valhalla Air Force Base found an alien script with 132 symbols. The script was very similar to that found in the Aztec flying saucer in 1949 and was subsequently turned over to Dr.William F. Friedman and Lambros P. Callihamos for study and interpretation.

Has anybody got more information on this topic ?

Thanks in advance,

J M
The 132nd day of the year is May 13th

THE MIRACLE of FATIMA

The first vision of the Virgin of Fatima was the 13th day of May in the year 1917 AD, that it to say the year 5921 from the Creation of the first man on Earth: ADAM.

The Messenger expressed to the shepherdess that: "You will come here six times, on the 13th of every month.

On the last month, October, I will declare who I am, with the purpose that you reveal  the Message to the Vatican."

The Holy City

Text: F. E. Weatherly  1892
Music: Stephen Adams  1892

Last night I lay asleeping,
There came a dream so fair;
I stood in old Jerusalem
Beside the temple there.
I heard the children singing,
And ever as they sang,
Me thought the voice of angels
From heav'n in answer rang;
Me thought the voice of angels
From heav'n in answer rang.

Jerusalem! Jerusalem!
Lift up your gates and sing,
Hosanna in the highest!
Hosanna to your King!

And then methought my dream was chang'd,
The streets no longer rang,
Hush'd were the glad hosannas
The little children sang.
The sun grew dark with mystery,
The morn was cold and chill,
As the shadow of a cross arose
Upon a lonely hill,
As the shadow of a cross arose
Upon a lonely hill.

Jerusalem! Jerusalem!
Hark! how the angels sing,
Hosanna in the highest!
Hosanna to your King!

And once again the scene was chang'd,
New earth there seemed to be;
I saw the Holy City
Beside the tideless sea;
The light of God was on its streets,
The gates were open wide,
And all who would might enter,
And no one was denied.
No need of moon or stars by night,
Or sun to shine by day;
It was the new Jerusalem
That would not pass away,
It was the new Jerusalem
That would not pass away.

Jerusalem! Jerusalem!
Sing for the night is o'er,
Hosanna in the highest!
Hosanna forevermore!

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7-16-2001 - 1260 - Chandra Levy Address -
The Connection to Revelation?

7-7-2001 - The 2:16 - 3:16's of the Bible
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7-7-2001 - THE TRINITY
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EVIL CAN BE CHASED AWAY!!!

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HISTORY AND COMPARISONS OF MAJOR RELIGIONS

REVELATION OF THE SUN

NUMBERS OF GOD

HUMANITY ON THE POLLEN PATH

THE THREE PHASES OF THE SUN (SON)

THE BELIEVERS

CHANTING

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MIRACLES OR MASS HALLUCINATIONS?
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SPIRITUAL SOUND WORLDS

UNIVERSAL LAW AND MORAL ORDER

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A DREAMER'S BIBLE BOOK REVIEW

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THE BARKED TREE DREAM
A PROPHECY OF JOEL

THE TEACHER
A DREAM

THE TEACHER ARRIVES
SCHOOL DAYS
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LEVELS OF MIND

 PROVERBS

PSALMS

THE WAY GOD CREATES

THE TREE OF LIFE CROP CIRCLE FORMATION

THE MENORAH CROP CIRCLE FORMATION

DREAMS OF THE GREAT EARTHCHANGES
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