God’s Sequitur, and/or Alternative, “Second Coming” & Millennial Geo-Resetting Event (=Rev 3:3; 14:1-5ff; 20:1-4ff)
In Rev 19:1-10, the results of the effectuated judgement on Babylon are related, as well as an indicative time as to when, -in actually the plagues, contrary to wished expectations (Rev 22:11). As seen in the Revelation Charting here, Rev 19:1-10 serves as an anticipative, introductory vision passage which sets the context of what takes place in the rest of that prophetic segment.
Rev 19:1 - After these things I heard something like a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, "Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God;
great multitude in heaven - This great multitude are those who, through this Loud Cry Call out of Babylon have responded to this work of the priorly sealed 144,000 (Rev 7:9-17). Indeed many of the same themes expressed there are restated here in Rev 19:1-10.
"Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power - This fourfold praise is actually specifically allusive to things that God had been endeavoring to restore in this GC Battle against ultimately Spiritual Babylon:
Salvation - Salvation (a.k.a. “Deliverance”) is of course God and Christ’s authority to chiefly redeem fallen/sinful man. (Rev 7:10 & 12:10 - Luke 1:77|Matt 1:21; (John 4:22); Acts 4:12; Rom 1:16; 10:9-10; 2 Tim 2:10; Heb 9:28). It is directly pitted against God’s wrath (1 Thess 5:9) as that which will be poured out on this Beast/Babylon Power in Hell Torment (e.g., Rev 14:9-11)
Glory - Giving glory to God involves fully reflecting His Character as expressed in His Gospel/Law. This is duly associated with the fact that He has created all things. (Rev 4:11; 14:7) and it is concentratedly commemorated in God’s sanctifying Sabbatical Laws and Ways. (Exod 31:12-17; Ezek 20:12, 20)
Power - The “Power” of God is His ability to reign over all of the affairs of the Earth (Rev 11:16-19)
Interestingly enough, in Rev 15:8, when the Temple is then filled with hindering smoke just prior to, and for, the Plagues being poured out, Salvation then is not offered by God. Hence the here, SOP-associated (EW 71.2; 8T 315.1), “imperative” (as in the Greek - see here|here) mandate statement due to the ‘great non-certainty’, yet still open possibility, for people to try to repent when they see the plagues judgements falling upon them. Even in the background case with Egypt, God Himself had to intervene to harden Pharaoh’s heart as, starting with the sixth Plague, Pharaoh was more than ready to capitulate (see here). So in Rev 15:8, it is rather the smoke-producing consummating of God’s Glory (Character-Sabbatical Laws) and Power (Temporal Rule) that are the acting agents in these plagues and not, deliberately, His Salvation. (See in this post at Rev 15:8 for more). So salvation then is no longer a part of the Sanctuary ministration at this point.[1]
Rev 19:2 - BECAUSE HIS JUDGMENTS ARE TRUE AND RIGHTEOUS; for He has judged the great harlot who was corrupting the earth with her immorality, and HE HAS AVENGED THE BLOOD OF HIS BOND-SERVANTS FROM HER HAND."
BECAUSE HIS JUDGMENTS ARE TRUE AND RIGHTEOUS - This statement is generally reflective of what is to be expected in God’s judgements (see Psa 19:9), however it is pointedly allusive to what is stated after the outpouring of the 3rd Plague in Rev 16:7 which is the religious judgement of the fundamental Third Series deceptions.
He has judged - This Finalizing Judgement is first on SDA Leaders pointedly for their likewise “superhuman efforts” to hide Seal of God Truth. (cf. 1 Pet 4:17; Rom 2:9-11; Ezek 9)
avenged the blood.... - All those faithful, testifying ones that the Rev 17&18 Harlot (i.e., the Historical Roman Catholic Church and, eschatologically, the Protestant-led (Capitalistic) United States has put to death will have been here specially avenged by God fulfilling the plea of these martyrs of (Rev 6:9-11).
Rev 19:3 - And a second time they said, "Hallelujah! HER SMOKE RISES UP FOREVER AND EVER."
a second time - A distinct shout of praise arises in correspondence to the fact that Spiritual Babylon will not only fall, but, as involved in the next statement, will not arise again.
smoke rises up forever and ever - This power is never going to be resubstantiated again.
Rev 19:4 - And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who sits on the throne saying, "Amen. Hallelujah!"
God who sits on the throne - God the Father. Recalls, even/actually is replaying the ending of the Rev 4, pre-Little Lamb enthronement (Rev 5) events. (Rev 4:9-11)
Rev 19:5 - And a voice came from the throne, saying, "Give praise to our God, all you His bond-servants, you who fear Him, the small and the great."
all you His Bondservants - This is a call to all those scattered out there who (like Paul the bondservant of God (Rom 1:1; Gal 1:10; Phil 1:1; Tit 1:1; and others James 1:1; 2 Pet 1:1; Jude 1:1; Rev 1:1; 15:3), have faithfully and sincerely been primarily serving God wherever they are stationed in their lives. (Cf. Acts 18:1-4)
fear Him - they had feared God, and not men.
the small and the great - This call expects that God will have His “bond-servants” in both the high and the low places/entities/positions in the world.
Rev 19:6 - Then I heard something like the voice of a great multitude and like the sound of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, saying, "Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns.
voice...sound...thunder... - All these are allusions to actually not concretized things, and merely the “sounds” of them. This shows that the avenged ones, the martyrs, have then actually not yet fulfilled what they had been striving for on the Earth. But the sound of these coming things are indeed testifying that God, the Almighty, indeed still reigns... including on what He will be concretely establishing on the Earth soon. (Matt 6:10; Rev 19:11ff).
Rev 19:7 - "Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready."
the marriage of the Lamb - This (finally) takes place, and in Heaven itself, with the sealed Philadelphia ones (=144,000) =Rev 3:7-13; and with the “bride” (then “wife”) herself actually, corporately, being the ‘now ready’ “holy city, Jerusalem” (Rev 21:9-11) = the transformed Church Triumphant. (See in EW 18.2-19.1)
Rev 19:8 - It was given to her in order that she might/should clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.
in order that she might/should - The verb “clothe”, -comparatively unlike the prior verb “given” (Greek: aorist) is significantly enough in the Greek Subjunctive Mood, which as discussed here (cf. in here about (e.g.) John 6:44], is used to express an action which involves, or will involve some degree of uncertainty. So the “uncertainty” here lies in whether or not this “bride” will clothe herself with these provided “righteous acts” fine linen as she (normatively/logically) “should” do. (=Matt 22:1-14|COL 307-318). Indeed it would be as “illogically” odd as with a bride refusing to wear her bridal dress for her wedding.
And additionally, this subjunctive verb is preceded in the Greek by an “ina” subordinating conjunction, which in itself involves the intention” meaning of “in order that”, meaning in this sentence that it was the express purpose and will of the providing/bestowing God that this bride clothe herself in these ‘righteousness (=‘right doing’ -Isa 45:19) fine linen.’ (Cf. Eph 2:7-10).
Commonly grammarians (e.g., Daniel Wallace, Greek Grammar Beyond the Basics, pp. 471-477) have sought to downplay the notion from the ina+subjunctive construction as not always intending that there actually doubt as to the fulfillment of the event, ‘particularly when the divine is involved/responsible for its accomplishment (e.g., Matt 19:13), however, I have repeatedly and quite consistently found that such “remote-third party” assuming rationalizations by modern grammarians are actually damaging to the actual intent of the Greek writers. In other words, if they used a verb, mood, tense, even word, syntactical construction, and not another one, it is because they both understood and intended to convey a specific and distinct meaning. (Cf. e.g., pertinently, the use of a ina+future tense construction in Rev 6:11 =“will rest a little”). So it really is the modern grammarian that is quite clueless about the realities that these original writers were dealing with.
So in this case, there indeed is an “uncertainty” as to whether or not this bride will clothe herself with these fine linen as intended/expected by God.
So in this case, there indeed is an “uncertainty” as to whether or not this bride will clothe herself with these fine linen as intended/expected by God.
righteous acts - “right doings” things of these saints. Priorly these martyrs/witnesses had been honorarily given these white robes to wear to help them deal with the delay of the avenging time as they rested on (Rev 6:11), but now they are finally going to be able to do these righteous/right doing acts, through, corporately this readied Holy City Jerusalem.
Rev 19:9 - Then he said to me, "Write, 'Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.'" And he said to me, "These are true words of God."
Blessed are those who are invited - Evidently this is an “invitation only events”...so these invited ones are indeed blessed to be so considered....still, as seen in the parable of Christ in Matt 22:1-14 which is at the foundation of this Revelation depiction, the inviting of people is not actually a certainty that they will accept it. They just, and that merely based on external appearances, have been given this privilege, and will of themselves prove whether they are worthy of this Blessed calling.
But it rather is Biblically sequitur that by now, the prior favored ones who were first invited will not be invited now as these had been the ones who had not only rejected the prior two invitations by Christ (Matt 22:3-5), but had been the ones who had also put to death these sent, martyred, “bond-servants” of Christ (Matt 22:6). So God will first act to destroy those prior refusing and murderous ones (Matt 22:7) and then will come this present, Third inviting call (Matt 22:8-10ff).
Rev 19:10 - Then I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, "Do not do that; I am a fellow servant of yours and your brethren who hold the testimony of Jesus; worship God. For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy."
fell at his feet to worship him - At these awing revelation, John feels it quite natural, even due, to worship the communicating plague angel, but he reminds John that he is merely relating the prophetic testimony of Jesus Christ, and therein is what Jesus Christ Himself has decreed.
Rev 19:11-16; 19:17-21
Foundationally, and retrospectively, first, now forthcomingly, said here from validating/indicating prior studies and now fully transpired experiences (TM 116.1; 1SM 25.4), this subsequent but distinct section of Revelation, (and do keep referring to this organizational charting, for the organizational references made here), deal with, as textually made possible by God, not necessarily/actually a literal Second Coming by Jesus Christ Himself, but actually in redemptive mercy, a Coming by fitting and priorly martyred ones, here organized as a Militant Army, to actually effectuate the Revelation 18 avenging on the two (remaining) phases of Babylon which had spearheaded their persecution and martyrdom. (With the initial one, Rome (=1 Pet 5:13), which itself had martyred many believers, having already been fully adjudged by its fall in 476A.D.)
The summarily-stated fulfilment here is that this prophetic passage is speaking of the Avenging Return of God’s Two Witness/Martyrs (=Rev 19:13; cf. Mar 290.3, 5 = Rev 19:11). I.e., In Rev 11, God’s Two Witnesses/Martyrs, =His attempted Pure Church and Righteous Temporal Kingdom testimony to/for this world, had been violently opposed by, reenacting those who had rejected and crucified Christ, a coalition of Church and State, through unjust warring and mock, false, even completely absent/proper/due trialing and judging, which ended up openly crucifying the ones which God had sent and redeem them from their shame, “nakedness” and guilt (cf. here) outside the walls of their bastion “Jerusalem” (Rev 11:7-10). And all because, as with “the Lord of these Two Witnesses/Martyrs” Jesus Christ, these “tormented” reprobates in the World and in the Church did not like them being exposed as phony by the higher, righteousness standard that the True Two Witnesses/Martyrs had set. (COL 293.36-294.1).
And so, atrociously failing this effectuated candid testing by God, this demonstratedly-faithless (=Heb 10:38-39 KJV) and indifferent/slothful (cf. Jdg 7:1-7), Satan -inspired & -actuated (=EW 56.1, 266-273) coalition, not merely mobbingly murdered these Two Witnesses of God, but would not even allow their bodies to be buried. (Rev 11:9). And so, right in their “preferred” sighting, God will have openly effectuated their resurrection and ascension (Rev 11:11), and in an act which actually comes to (again, and that most mercifully so) reset the entire development of Revelation’s prophecies, God will call these faithful, martyred ones to “come up here” (Rev 11:12 = Rev 4:1ff -with the voice in Rev 4:1 indeed involving a “trumpet”, which potentially can easily here be a/the ‘resurrection trumpet’ (1 Thess 4:16; 1 Cor 15:52; Matt 24:31))...and, and this is where Rev 19:11ff comes into play, with Rev 19:1-10 having been what takes place with these ascended martyrs in Heaven during that time, Rev 19:11ff is actually depicting the avengement-intended return of these Two Witnesses “in that hour” (Rev 11:13) to, themselves, in Second Coming like authority, effectuate God’s Second, and then soon Third woes!! (Rev 11:14)....all ‘righteous/just-warringly’ (Rev 19:11 = Rev 6:1-2ff = PK 725.1) clearing the lawlessly-obstructed way for God’s Redemptive Temporal Kingdom purposes (Rev 11:15-18; Matt 24:14)...
Rev 19:11 - And I saw heaven (as a result of it) being (already) opened, and behold, a white horse, and he who sat on it (is being called) Faithful and True, and in righteousness he indicts and wages war.
heaven (as a result of it) being (already) opened - It indicates that a revelation from heaven was being done in that already ‘opened up heaven’ (=Rev 4:1ff) in which John could see....
It is fundamentally important to Biblically understand for such an applicably valid, and necessarily (i.e. Rev 7:1-3ff; 15MR 292.2-3) “typological” understanding of eschatological prophecies, as also being done here for Rev 19, that the, also possible, symbol of “heaven” represents: ‘a primarily religious realm/domain wherever God’s actual will is being done’. (Cf. Matt 6:10). And by correspondence, “earth” symbolizes a realm/domain where God’s will is not being done. So “heaven” is not locationally limited to being a place in the sky, but can be duly anticipatingly replicated by God’s people even within this world’s present age. (=Rev 11:15-18).
Indeed this was actually inceptively begun to be sketchedly achieved with the fulfillment of Rev 11:19 around the 1844 fallout as a group of people then advanced further in faith into God’s fuller Truth. (See comments here in regards to EW 54-56). But since then, as discussed here, a further advancing has taken place (e.g., Rev 3:8 = Rev 4:1-3ff), resulting in a newer, primarily religious, realm/domain where God’s overarchingly fullest Heavenly will (Matt 25:45; cf. DA 20.1-21.3) is indeed being done (cf. 2 Pet 3:13), just as God had long set out and repeatedly endeavored (i.e. Ezek 1ff = Rev 4ff).
So every mention of, especially “heaven” within this typological wave of understanding, has this “earthly-truly-representing-realm” application. And the “earth” conversely represents a geo-confederation of worldly powers which (naturally) oppose this ‘Kingdom of God” domain. (Cf. EW 41.1-2).
So every mention of, especially “heaven” within this typological wave of understanding, has this “earthly-truly-representing-realm” application. And the “earth” conversely represents a geo-confederation of worldly powers which (naturally) oppose this ‘Kingdom of God” domain. (Cf. EW 41.1-2).
...and behold... - Unlike the specification in a similar ‘opening’ event in Rev 11:19a, this white horse is not actually said to be “in heaven”. It just ‘also appears’ in those opened heavens.
Pointed Two Witnesses/Martyrs Application
Whether this, nonetheless still symbolic, "horse" is literally from Heaven (i.e. in the skies) or not, actually correspondingly depends on the literalness of the killing of God’s Two Witnesses/Martyrs. If they are literally/physically killed, then this permitted avenging event by God would have to involve their literal bodily resurrection, which then would involve that they have a ‘transformed/gloried body like the resurrected Christ’ (Phil 3:21), which as seen in post resurrection appearance, though still “flesh and bones” (Luke 24:36-43), yet still could, and not only, angelically appear and disappear at will (Luke 24:31b; John 20:19|DA 802.1; cf. Luke 4:30; John 10:39)), but was also not visually recognized, not even in voice, by prior people who were familiar with Him (Luke 24:15-29; John 20:14-15ff), except for His (resurrection surviving) Godly character and relatedly inculcated voicings and mannerism. (Luke 24:30-32, 35; COL 332.3). (Evidently Christ himself “prevented” (Luke 24:16) these people from recognizing Him by not doing or saying things which would readily make Him recognizable to them.)
So these resurrected Two Witnesses martyrs will have similar capabilities, which means that they can likewise be unseen or unrecognized while openly living among, and interacting with, men, and as flesh and bones beings.
white horse - This is reflective of the (Eschatologically priorly: New/Continued, now Reset) History of the GC-History-Setting seals in the First Horse and Horsemen of Rev 6:2. Therefore this shows that God then is, resettingly (again) undertaking the establishment attempt of His distinct Church Triumphant Cause.
The symbol of a horse in general, and that white horse specifically, are representative of God’s Church Militant, thus a Church which is “warringly” actively and resolutely working to fulfill His Full Gospel Commission Mandate.
Pointed Two Witnesses/Martyrs Application
As later fully seen, the return of the ‘concealed Two Witnesses’ will actually be in them being part of (actual) Church Militants.
(is being called) - Textual originality of this term is doubted. It would appear that the one who is seated on that horse is on it because he is “Faithful and True” and not because he is merely “called” this.
Faithful and True - It is echoing of the (then merely) “Witnessing” stance against Laodicea (Rev 3:14; Mar 290.3)...which in turn stems back to Jer 42:5-6 where God is called to justly, condemningly act against those in His Remnant/Israel (Jer 42:2) who have chosen to reject his counsel. (=9T 13.2; Mar 290.5)
in righteousness - The Standard here indeed is Righteousness, I.e., whether or not the “right” thing has been done, and thus can relatively apply to all, -“Churched and Unchurched”, based on their knowledge. (=Psa 96:13)
indicts and wages war -
But given the inherent justice/fairness of God (e.g. Psa 89:14; 97:2), this is not done without any trial/proving procedure, it is just that this procedure had been done in a secretive session of the Heavenly Intelligence; -and with that warring response deemed to be the best/most fitting one. As indeed seen below at Rev 19:15 it will indeed take such an “iron rodded”-measure to “shepherd” these wayward, arrogant and defiant nations. (=Psa 2:1-10)
Pointed Two Witnesses/Martyrs Application
Part of the (initial) mandate of these returning Two Witnessing will be in active Spiritual/Gospel Warfare. And the extent to which this is limited, i.e., whether or not the other colored horses in the first four seals of Rev 6 follow, depend on how the world reacts to this initial white horse. In other words, they could readily humbly take this judgement (=Rev 11:13), which, through Biblical expositions like this, they would have had ample and prior warning of, or they could, as however depicted in Rev 19:19ff futilely assemble to vexatiously try fight back against this effectuated ‘wrathful judgement of God on them’ (Rev 19:15-18).
Confirmingy enough, all of the key points/themes and their related backgrounds are cited/involved/alluded to in CET 228.2 which, as discussed here, is the pre-Second Coming Israel (Civil) War which ends up in the victorious establishment of God’s “Kingdom of Righteousness and Peace” (CET 228.3 =the Church Triumphant (CET 229.1; LDE 61.2-3)).
Confirmingy enough, all of the key points/themes and their related backgrounds are cited/involved/alluded to in CET 228.2 which, as discussed here, is the pre-Second Coming Israel (Civil) War which ends up in the victorious establishment of God’s “Kingdom of Righteousness and Peace” (CET 228.3 =the Church Triumphant (CET 229.1; LDE 61.2-3)).
Rev 19:12 - His eyes are a flame of fire, and on his head are many crowns; and he has a name written on him which no one (observationally/experientially, thus perceivingly) knows except Himself.
eyes are a flame of fire - As explained in here on the related symbolism used for the Dan 10:5-6 Angel, a symbolism which is seamlessly reused for the Rev 1:14b “one like unto a son of man” personage, these ‘eyes being a flame of fire’ symbolism is indicative of: “Theological Views”, as is the name of this blog, through which one sees the Biblical Light and Truth of various key matters. As discussed in this post in the Fourth Series section, that series all relate various dimensions of God dealing head on in destructive judgements with a by now unsalvageable Corrupt Church (=Ezek 24:13), which has in turn corrupted the world and its key operational entities. So here too, that is pointedly the reason and scope of this Rev 19 Judgement on the now colleaguing “tri-part”* (=Rev 16:19) Babylon. (=Ezek 24:14, 21)
* These three ‘distinct but ideologically or in practice, united’ parts are:
(1) God’s former, now rejected, Remnant Church/“Jerusalem” (=Luke 21:24|Rev 11:2, 13 = Matt 23:37-24:2|Luke 19:41-44)
(2) “Babylon the Great” itself (Rev 16:19b)
(3) ‘the nations/rest of the world (Rev 16:19a; Rev 17:2, 12-13)
crowns on his head - With God now entering this battle under the symbol of a crown...(and not even also the offensive weapon of a bow (Rev 6:2)), this is indeed where that prior (Rev 6:2ff) Church “Militant” is to be transformed, through this concluding battle, into the Church Triumphant (=Isa 28:5).
many crowns on his head - This is certainly alluding to the “7 crowns within a crown” (16MR 34.2|Mar 291.4|EW 53.1=Rev 14:14) which, as discussed from here are, typologically, uniquely upon the head of “Righteous Branch one” (Isa 11:1ff) who will rulingly head this Triumphant 7-Spirits, Little Lamb Temporal Power.
a name written on him - Since a name is reflective of a character, and that name is next revealed to be “the word of God”, then only this White Horse rider knows as a fact that the warring and wrathful character that he is now manifesting is all according to “the word of God” (=Rev 14:9-11|DA 825.4)
(observationally/experientially, thus perceivingly) knows - This lexical reading is straightly derived from the actual meaning and implication of the Greek word here “oida” (#3609a) which is ‘“perceivingly knowing” through concrete observation’, and, quite elucidating, is distinct from the Greek word “ginosko” (#1097) which is ‘outright/independent understanding/knowledge’. So this written name will come to be known by this rider (=Rev 2:17b) not by an outright/independent revelation, but through a ‘connecting of the (observed/experienced, clueing) dots’ so to speak. (That is, inclusively, actually how the “deeds” of all of the Seven, future Historical and then, presently, Eschatological Church Ages/Periods were “known”. I.e., through what had been wisely planned from what had been observed/experienced from the literal templating/backgrounding Seven Churches in Asia Minor.)
(observationally/experientially, thus perceivingly) knows - This lexical reading is straightly derived from the actual meaning and implication of the Greek word here “oida” (#3609a) which is ‘“perceivingly knowing” through concrete observation’, and, quite elucidating, is distinct from the Greek word “ginosko” (#1097) which is ‘outright/independent understanding/knowledge’. So this written name will come to be known by this rider (=Rev 2:17b) not by an outright/independent revelation, but through a ‘connecting of the (observed/experienced, clueing) dots’ so to speak. (That is, inclusively, actually how the “deeds” of all of the Seven, future Historical and then, presently, Eschatological Church Ages/Periods were “known”. I.e., through what had been wisely planned from what had been observed/experienced from the literal templating/backgrounding Seven Churches in Asia Minor.)
Rev 19:13 - He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and his name is called The Word of God.
Dipped in blood - Indeed the “nature” of the actions of this White Horse rider here are quite “bloodily vengeful” fulfilling the prophecies of Isa 63:1-6 = Rev 14:17-20. This is all representative of indeed such “terrible things in righteousness” which this spear-heading rider “alone” had to carry out (CET 228.2b = Rev 6:1-2), and that manifestly alone as the other riders robes (representing their “righteous acts” Rev 19:7-8; Rev 15:4) were completely, spotlessly “white and clean” (Rev 19:14, cf. Isa 53:5, 10-12). And manifestly also involved here in this ‘righteousness robe having had been dipped/baptized in blood’ are: (1) Christ’s anguishing Gethsemane experience where he was baptized in blood (DA 690.3), leading to (2) a martyr’s fate (cf. EW 18.2a); and (3) couched in the episode of the malicious ordeal which Joseph had been manufacturedly put through (Gen 37:18-20, 31ff) while God was then actually working out a good for the remainder of His nascent Israel then. (Gen 45:5-8; 50:20-21; cf. John 11:47-53).
name is called The Word of God = Unlike John 1:1's testimony, the figure here is not (necessarily) the Word of God, but is merely here named/called this. With this symbolism being prophetically fulfilled by God’s Two Witnesses, this shows/confirms that Rev 19:11-16ff is indeed is an applicable depiction of their, moreover permitted avenging, Second Coming-contexted, Return.
Rev 19:14 - And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses.
armies...in heaven...fine linen, white and clean - These armies is that of martyrs, who all soon are resurrected and taken to heaven, herein permitted to themselves effectuate the vengeance of God (=Rev 6:9-11; 19MR 36.3 cf. 9T 17.1 = Ezek 9:1-3|4BC 1161.5)
Indeed it is significant to note that in the earlier discussed “Marriage Supper of the (Little) Lamb” (Rev 19:7-8); -(which under the, now annulled (cf. EW 56.1|Heb 10:38-39 KJV), “SDA Church-led, Plan B, Pre-Millennial Second Coming Covenant Scenario”, was to take place after the Second Coming), those who, upon ‘testing/revealing investigation’, are an accepted part of it (=Matt 22:1-14|COL 307-319) had, just like the martyrs clamoring for vengeance in Rev 6:11 are given white robes, “white and clean”, that they “may” (=Greek Subjunctive mood) wear. (Rev 19:8). Then these “saints” are (linearly) next depicted here in Rev 19:14 as indeed being those armies which comes from the opened heaven wearing these fine linens.[2]
It is further significant to now note from Rev 19:7 that these clothed saints are collectively called the “bride” which actually, corporately is “the New Jerusalem which comes down out of heaven” (Rev 21:9-11ff). So, by simple equivocation, when those armies come out of heaven here in Rev 19:14, they are the, among other things, ‘New Jerusalem sealed saints’ of Rev 3:12, who thus do have heaven in their hearts/minds and are now endeavoring to testifyingly (=Matt 24:14) establish that Church Triumphant Kingdom of God in this present age. (=Matt 6:10)
So, in summary at this point, in the presently in effect, prolonged time, Plan A, Pre-(Full)-Millennial Jubilee, Covenant, (=the “Everlasting Covenant|Covenant of Peace” (EW 285.1-286.1; Isa 54:10ff; Ezek 34:25ff; Ezek 37:26ff) which functionally is:‘God’s assurance, even if by supernatural assistance/intervention that His people will live in security, prosperity and peace.’) which allows for the prophecies of Revelation to be sequentially/fully fulfilled, it is those (martyrs) who, presently, have been “invited” to the Marriage Supper, and, heeding and fully obeying Christ, have responded and also have ‘‘chosen’ to put on these fine linen of righteous acts’ (=Rev 19:8) which are now coming to usher in that typological Zion New Jerusalem Era of God’s Israel. (Isa 52:1-2).
armies - As this is not a single army, but technically stated armies, this is thus pointedly speaking of more than one division of this collective army of martyrs. So they will be organized in this war. [And who knows...it, Biblically/Justly/Righteously-speaking, probably will include “martyred” (even suicide) Militant Muslims who had carried out God’s GC crucial/pivotal appointed mandate in Rev 9:1-11!!].
Pointed Two Witnesses/Martyrs Application
And since these martyrs will, like their leader, be openly living amongst men, then this organization will evidently be in a formal Church Militant structure, (e.g., rivalingly like the 13 “Divisions” of the SDA General Conference organization), as they thus tangibly themselves form God’s New and True, for when God had priorly reformatively attempted to do this with His Israel on Earth (Rev 7:4-8) through His Two Witnesses, they had, like the similar attempting Christ, likewise be put to death (cf. Matt 23:29-36ff). =Rev 6:9-11
Interestingly enough, and in fulfillment of the “completed number” element in Rev 6:11, it is Spiritually evident that the number that God was waiting to be complete here is that of 200,000,000 for the (extended) Sixth Series/Trumpet temporal “Second Woe-initiating” (Rev 11:14) army spoken in Rev 9:13-19ff. So God was literally waiting for the number of martyrs throughout especially NT Church era History, thus A.D. 34-2014+, to have reached this desired number of 200,000,000, so that He can here/now send them back to earth as this covertly living organized army to effectuate these warring actions against those who, of the same opposing mind and spirit, whether in the Church or in the World, had caused their martyrdom and obstructed the effectuation of God’s Temporal/Testifying Kingdom rule on this Earth, and in this Era. (=Rev 11:15-18).
That “total number of Christian History martyrdoms” is estimated to be ca. 70,000,000 (see in here and here), but the killings done by the Historical Roman Catholic Church between 538-1798 (=Dan 7:25b; 12:7) seems to be, at ca. 12,200,000 (p.4), quite off often cited estimates of 50-100 million, which would then instead yield present totals or around 108-158 Million, thus still short of the manifest target of 200 million martyrs, but as contemporary instances of people around the world annually being killed for their Christian Faith varies greatly, that number may actually, unbeknownst to reckoning people today, indeed been reached, and if not, I myself can see that as, especially aborted infants are closely associated with this (cognisant/adult/expressedly) Faith-martyred group (see EW 18.2's “innumerable company of little ones”), then God can easily “complete” that number from them, particularly if, as Spiritually seen from here, this organized militant army will indeed be in the form of (formerly martyred) people being now sent back to Earth to, and like Cold War “sleeper agents” (e.g., dramatically/serially depicted here) live among men, so as to themselves now tangibly aid in the establishment of God’s Church Triumphant cause, -all to, through this typological effectuation, best freely evangelize this world before the Final/Actual Second Coming (Judgement)...And more prophetically precise (i.e. =Ezek 37:9-10 discussed in here in regards to (first) SDA’s): indeed upon ‘the blowing of wind from the “Four Winds” (Rev 7:1-3|20MR 269.2|Mar 175.2; 266.1-6) which further awakens the members of this army to come together to now form that Rev 9:13-16ff Sixth Trumpet army of 200,000,000’!!...(And then, with that united, formidable, organized & systematized “(Kingdom-minded (=Rev 9:17c "lion heads")) Church Triumphant” (=PK 725.1) front, there will, as prophetically projected in 16MR 34.1, be no (longer any) need for the individualistic|small unit “Special Forces” presently being advocated by, e.g., David Gates (e.g., this presentation of his.))
So, beyond their Church Militant organization and association, those martyred ones may even be organized as married couples with children, having been permitted to freely, if they so chose, marry among themselves and then adopt one of these killed/aborted “little ones” as their children.
-And while, on one hand, it is seen from Rev 6:9 that the martyrs clamoring for this vengeance are pointedly those which were (sacrificially) crushed/poured by the Altar, namely by/in relation to, a supposedly Godly ministry, -therefore by a Christian organization, as indeed was, historically, the Roman Catholic Church during its days of Persecutions and Inquisitions, thus leading to a belief here that these martyrs would/should pointedly only be those victims of the Catholic Church, as that entity then was (Phase 1 of) Revelation’s(Religious) Babylon, and as that Babylonian legacy has been continued, now also through an ungodly Cultural|Socio-Economic phase by its (Western) (Protestant) daughters (SpM 1.4) with an headquartering bastion in the United States of America, it is thus perfectly understandable, and thus fitting, that all direct or indirect victims of this ‘righteous blood drunk&thirsty’, two-phase, Babylonian system (Rev 17:6; 18:24), which also includes (culturally|socio-economically) aborted infants would be given the chance to see, and even contribute/participate in this avenging of them and their snuffed out life, on that now worldwide-spread (Rev 6:10b) apostate, massacring system. And that would more indirectly also include believers who are today being killed by non-Christians groups/entities, such as believers in Muslim countries (see the “Love Costs Everything” promo|teaser|trailer); and probably relatedly the same in/for other religious groups; since it actually is the ‘blasphemously slanderous (=Rev 13:1, 5, 6; 17:3) “bad name”’ from, first, the idolatrous abominations and crusading atrocities of the (Historical) Roman Catholic Church, and secondly now, the Capitalistic greed, cultural vileness and wanton violence of Western countries towards countries and societies of the Muslim faith, which is directly responsible for these Muslim groups, -(who, as historically seen, (priorly) did know, as actually instructed by God Himself (=Rev 9:4), to spare actually righteous/true, (then Protestant), Christians), being intolerantly suspicious of anyone converting to the Christian Faith which these Western Entities has literally and/or effectively been waving as their conduct/actions-justifying banner. So also these martyrs of Muslim persecutions would likewise be clamoring for the actual entity which is responsible for their death....Just like “vengeance” (Luke 21:22) for the murder of the Messiah (Dan 9:26b, 27b), and His righteous followers (Matt 23:34-36, 23:37-24:2) was not imputed upon those who mainly executed these (Jewish-indicted) murders, namely the Romans, but it was rather all held against the Jewish nations (=John 19:11b). And that also through the same Roman power....all just like God has made use (Militant) Islam to execute physical punishment on His wayward professed People. So it is fitting that martyrdoms at the hands of Muslims be also imputed upon “Babylon” today.
And actually, in the case that a non-literal death of the Two Witnesses is done, as discussed above at Rev 19:11, which then would not have to involve them being momentarily ascended to Heaven and then returning as this typological White Horse Rider (Rev 19:13) and his following army (of martyrs), it would have been that this White Horse Rider would have already been sent by God in the form of the Rev 7:1-3 Sabbatical Sealing Angel Gabriel (=Ezek 9:11|EW 279.2), (-who is actually distinct from the, as seen here (lower-ranked, cf. Rev 8:2-3ff) other, but manifestly likewise “Mighty”, angel, (from the special group of the Trumpets&Plagues 7 angels, which John had thought was (still) worthy of worship in Rev 19:10; cf. Rev 22:8), and then those who would “follow” his lead here, would actually be already (non-mystically speaking) “re-incarnated/born” martyrs, spread out throughout the world, having been Divinely fitted from birth with their prior spirit/psyche, as God can indeed do (e.g. cf. Jer 1:5; Luke 1:15) indeed as He did when incarnating the previously alive/existing Christ. (It can even be argued that both John the Baptist and Jesus (Matt 17:10-13) were given a replica/cloned “portion” (cf. 2 Kgs 2:9) of Elijah’s actual spirit. (=Mal 4:5; Luke 1:17; John 1:21). And through this (re-)bestowed prior victorious/faithful spirit, such presently normally living people would, by having thus, and/or with/through other such “(pre-)favorable/favoring” circumstances, [=“Biblical predestination” (Greek pro-orizo #4309) i.e.: ‘having been placed on a good path to reach a specific “horizon”/end’ (=Eph 1:5, 11-12 (Eph 1:4 = ‘being chosen in Him/Christ’ -cf. from here); cf. Pro 4:18)]; or even triumphing against/over quite great childhood/growing up/life odds (see Rom 8:28-30), have lived, in their own right, a righteous life, and so, at the lead of the Two Witnesses, White Horse rider, they will naturally recognize something and someone which acts according to their own ideal and spirit and will naturally “follow” after him in his Church Triumphant Movement. These are the ones within that city who will “naturally” be converted upon the “Second Woe” effectuations of that Rider (=Rev 11:13b)
Or even, as mentioned above about the Two Witnesses, these resent martyrs may be according to a “Melchizedek Mission” (=Heb 7:1-4ff[3]) and thus be ‘seamlessly planted’, and as grown adults/families, amongst the 7,000,000,000+ people living then [and if covert intelligence agencies/services today can dupingly fabricate “Legend” backgrounds for their undercover agents, sure the God who visibly, tangibly, wrote on the wall of a pagan-Babylonian king (Dan 5:5ff|PK 524.1-2ff) can have His Heavenly Intelligence (unseenly) hack into any government network today and input whatever background info He would require for His own covert operatives, here on this special mission] to, by ensuingly joining with those who ‘had not taken the (Full) Mark of the Beast’ (Rev 20:4b), (-and, indicatively enough, which are the 2nd & 3rd [or 2A & 2B] groups of 4 [or 3] ‘saved distinct groupings’ cited in GC 665.2), accomplish their similar Millennial, king and priest (=Two Witness) (cf. Rev 20:4a, 6 :‘kingly judging & priestly ministering’), “peace and righteousness”, respectively (=CET 228.3: Jer 23:5-6; Ezek 34:25; 37:26) mandate (cf. Rev 5:9-10).[4]
And if that fails, (-and these martyrs may have been made aware that their re-incarnating here, could involve, as they would have no recollection of their prior lives, them verging off into a bad path, thus literally implicating them again sacrificially offering up their lives by thus having put it at great risk for the Kingdom of God), God then would have the inherent right to, if necessary, eventually, supernaturally e.g., John 1:46-51; cf. John 3:32-34; 6:41-45ff (verse 44 discussed in here), but if actually “genuinely”, -i.e., non-knowingly-rebelliously, reveal to them (the “elect”) that they should become a repentingly faithful part of that Kingdom of God movement. (e.g., Paul’s conversion -Acts 9:1-9; 22:3-11; 26:4-18|AA 112-122; see here at {16} and also the discussion comments posted here & responded to starting in here).
And this is all what would actually reactionarily “warrant” Satan himself using similar supernatural means and measures in faked Spiritualistic impersonations, including himself trying to appear as the Returned Christ (see LDE 160.2-166.1ff) during this Sixth Era Development to form his opposing Mark of the Beast Camp (Rev 16:12-16) and marshal that Rev 19:19 H/Ar-Mageddon War.
And as this army of martyrs were not made to literalistically effectuate the Second Coming of Christ in this redemptive effort, Satan will likewise not be permitted to do so in his deception endeavor.
A seeming dissonant conundrum here would be: What if the Two Witnesses are literalistically killed, and thus would require to be literally raised and even ascended and then returned?! Then I would see/say that in that scenario God, who actually, -as seen by the way the prophecies of Revelation can have multiple and complimentary applications and waves of fulfillment (cf. here), already has in play various ways in which His purposes can be seamlessly fulfilled, which here would be that the White Horse Rider alone would return from Heaven, and those who, to the best of the knowledge/abilities, are presently Spiritually living in heavenly realm/places while on Earth (=2 Cor 5:1-10, -see in here; COL 420.3 (=Isa 60.1ff)). Or, if these already sent “re-birthed” soldiers are deemed to have lived lives which would prevent them from naturally joining this movement of God, then a new enlisting, then likely from the billions of infants and abortees, presently in Heaven, and since grown up, would be selected to be that accompanying army, and those martyrs who would have already been sent, would merely later join that then successfully done Kingdom of God on Earth movement, and, as said above, even if, to save them from their natural selves, like Paul on the Road to Damascus, through a sovereign, course correcting apparition revealing to these that the people who they are opposing are actually the Chosen Israel/People of God.
These understanding, pointedly that God is planning to have ‘an end-time army of re-earthly-birthed prior martyrs’ is corroboratingly further interesting as, for me, it, “full-circlely”, most satisfactorily explains/justifies to me why God would have so passively allowed the literal wholesale slaughter of Christian Martyrs during Church History.* (Indeed in the Old Covenant Israel era, pointedly when they were [as actually would likewise be those in NT Israel]: faithful and blameless towards Him, an enemy of National Israel could not, as seen through many instances throughout the OT, -way too numerous to all reference here: even think (Num 22:15-21), plot (2 Kgs 6:8-12ff) let alone actively endeavor (Exod 14:5-9ff; 17:8ff) to even cause mere non-fatal detriment to God’s People, and smugly even expect to live (Exod 14:13-28; 17:14-16; 1 Sam 15:2-3), let alone succeed (Exod 17:11-13; Num 22:22-34ff; Isa 37:36-38), and most of these thwartings by God usually, tangibly necessarily, involved some degree of Divine/Supernatural intervention/assistance.)...Well, beyond Himself knowing that they would be getting a “martyr’s reward” (=Heb 11:35-38a), and also using this to quite counter-intuitively, thus most fairly, strengthen the (then clearly most genuine) faith of others who believed, or would from then believe, God was actually also gradually making up the numbers of that crucial Sixth Trumpet Army, manifestly all because, as Jesus said and evidently knowingly implied in Luke 18:8, when God then would want to bring about justice for His elect (cf. Rev 6:9-11), and that quickly, He, -and, as by now quite concretely demonstrated in “believers” who, moreover worshipfully, have more faith/fear in/for Capitalism/money/wealth (=Rev 13:16-17; 14:9-11; see here) than in/for Jesus Christ (Rev 14:12; see here; cf. Matt 10:28), as He would, in valid fairness, need such most/actually “faithful” ones to be present on Earth, and “in His service”, in order to be able to effectuate that: (mercifully intermediate, i.e. versus the Literal/Anti-typological Second Coming, Final option) ‘elect-preserving quick/swift justice’.
-*And as a related/applicable, even wider “full-circle”, I am here also, Theologically/’Great Controversily’ seeing/perceiving that: it was because God had neededly allowed for the “wholesale” slaughter of possibly also innocent, and/or even merely technically “age of innocence” non-adults during His major OT judgements, [e.g. the Flood (Gen 6:5-7, 11-13; 7:20-23; cf. Gen 8:21-22; 9:8-17), the destruction of Sodom & Gomorrah -(although, pertinently enough: Gen 18:22-32); the Conquest of Canaan (Deut 20:10-18); the eradication of Israel’s nemesis enemies (e.g. 1 Sam 15:1-3ff)], -which, justly enough, actually thus sealed the opportunity of many of these ‘innocent non-adults’ to actually be mercifully saved by God; -especially as these innocents potentially could have been likewise mercifully spared (e.g. Num 14:11-12, 30-31ff; Deut 20:14-15; Jon 3:10; 4:11); but it was because of this allowed wholesale/inclusive judgement execution on critically dangerous heathen peoples that God had (purposefully) “full-circledly”, =“equivalencingly” (cf. Gen 9:4-5, 6), allowed that Christian Believers be (wholesalely/wantonly) martyred by heathens. (And also even more technically/precisely justly, it may be that God allowed for the martyrdom of e.g. one 30 year old Christian adult for every six 5 year old (innocent) child which had been swept up in His OT mass judgements.) Of course that shed blood of Christians Martyrs did, as God surely expected, ‘become seed for the Gospel’ and counter-intuitively to heathens, led to the exponential growth of Christianity in the pagan world, and eventually to its full/official (including then: State-enforced) acceptance.
...And/But, if as involved in the couching “Elijah Advent prophecy” of Mal 4:6, this Sixth (“Restoration”) Army is not, -due to the improbable, yet still possible, opposing free-will choices of ‘even these (then also deceived) “elect”’ [Matt 24:24b actually (lit.) says: ‘if any of the signs are “powerful” enough to mislead them’], -who would then have refused to organize themselves in Full Gospel Order so that Christ’s Gospel Mandate can be fully (Matt 25:45) obeyed, -[and, as relatedly in Rev 7:4 about the 144,000, John merely ‘“hears” the 200,000,000 number of this army’ (Rev 9:16), which symbolically involves that this is merely what is Divinely, wisely, planned, and not what will surely/exactly/precisely transpire], then, will come the also greatly destructive, but non-reformatorily so, “curses” (= ‘ban/devotion (cf. Dan 11:44) of/for utter destruction’) Mal 4:6c=Isa 24:5-12ff=Rev 11:6b; Rev 15:1-2ff; 16; 18:6-24!! ...However if that Sixth (“Restoration”) Army is fully reconstituted, marshalled, and deployed (EW 270.4 = PK 725.1 = Rev 19:11-14ff =Rev 6:2), -thus fulfilling the Religious-based reforms of Elijah in/of God’s Israel that Jesus had (repeatedly, frustratedly) long desired to achieve (Matt 17:11-12), then, with that Latter Rain work executed (EW 271.2), will it be followed by the tangible, further reorganizing work (=Dan 11:45 -discussed here); cf. Luke 22:25-30) still to be done under now the “Moses” half of this Two Witnesses mandate, in the context of the then ‘delivered “Everlasting Covenant”’ (EW 285.1-286.1)!!
And there here would be, indeed, this Free-Will reality that the “re-sent to Earth martyrs” may actually not come to, at least likewise fully/self-sacrificially follow after God, -(though I presume that their ultimate salvation would fairly be ultimately guaranteed due to their prior martyrdom (Mar 8:35); -even if God has to, in some corresponding degree, supernaturally intervene in their life to get and keep them on a path of belief and warranting salvation). Meaning, to crystalize my view here, that all of these (up to) 200,000,000 re-sent to Earth martyrs, were deliberately placed by God in a Christian favoring context and/or family. And while their salvation would be preservingly guaranteed, the level to which they once again become sold out, self-sacrificial, full followers after Christ would be left up to their free-will choices and actions. So these re-sent martyrs, would, at least by now, more than likely all be a, mostly active, part of the 2.2 Billion Christians in the world, though some may yet still be on the perimeters of Christianity proper, yet still manifesting sincere godliness. And in the light of this reality, they would have had agreed to leave the elements which made up their “martyrs psyche” behind, in God’s care, and this would only later be “Latter Rainly” dispersed by God’s Spirit back into them, if they again were warranting such a complimentary unction from God....And if not, then they would have also (=sacrificially) agreed that there prior Spirit be instead bestowed upon someone else who would have lived up to its, and thus warranted it. Either way, God would have had fairly freely amassed 200,000,000 ideal psyches from people of this Earth, all in the preparation for that crucial Sixth “Reformatory” Army, in order to avoid the Mal 4:6c consequence, indeed due to the expected “woeful”, Satanically-compounded (=Rev 12:12) severity of the last days (2 Tim 3:1-5ff) overarchingly in regards to the needed high/victorious “gold standard” of: “faith” (cf. Luke 18:8) & “love” (cf. Matt 24:12) for Laodiceans (2T 36.2; 18MR 284.4; cf. John 15:12-14); those prior martyrs would have agreed for God to dispense of these psyches however He saw was warranted, whether back upon them, or instead upon someone else who had been more meriting.
Therefore whether that “Latter Rain’s Spirit/psyche outpouring”, -(which is, in indeed this fulfilling of Rev 19:14ff, tangibly an applicable way how: ‘the “Church Triumphant” (=the Church in Heaven) comes down to aid the faithful (LDE 62.1, Rev 17:14b), and thus victorious (Rev 15:2) members of the Church Militant’ (SW, September 8, 1903 par. 2), is re-given to “returned-martyred-ones” who priorly had (developed) it, or to others on the Earth who prove then to be more faithful, “these who are with” this Sixth “Restoration” Army-leading, righteousness-warring (Little) Lamb (Rev 17:14a=Rev 19:16) will have, following the steps of God’s special Rom 8:28-30 ‘foreknowing and predestining’ leading;* likewise still, as per Rev 17:14b, be: “called” (heeding pertinent preaching/proclamation (cf. Rom 10:14)); “chosen” (=‘honoringly “elected”’ for this position; cf. Matt 22:14) and “faithful” (thus fulfilling that end time “faith” need to fully accomplish (i.e., Matt 25:45) this (NJK) mandate of Christ (cf. Heb 11:6-7)).
* Which according to proper Biblical Theology simply is God; (1) “eyeing” someone with certain (given or natural) gifts and/or experience sometime from their birth (or conception =Jer 1:5); and (2) placing them on, and guiding them along, a certain path of life to reach a specific destiny (E.g., when that path is freely, fully followed-through: ‘becoming conformed, justified and then glorified’ (Rom 8:29b, 30b)).
* Which according to proper Biblical Theology simply is God; (1) “eyeing” someone with certain (given or natural) gifts and/or experience sometime from their birth (or conception =Jer 1:5); and (2) placing them on, and guiding them along, a certain path of life to reach a specific destiny (E.g., when that path is freely, fully followed-through: ‘becoming conformed, justified and then glorified’ (Rom 8:29b, 30b)).
And it is indeed tellingly parallelingly how the endeavor to established that Sixth (“Restoration”) Army is quite allusive to the army of Ezek 37 which was the “whole house of Israel” (Ezek 37:11), thus both the (Remnant) Southern Kingdom and the 10 Northern Lost Tribes. As discussed in this dedicated post, that army had indeed priorly tried to fight this war but were, as quite evident, most roundly/soundly defeated. And just as it took three distinct steps to fully reconstitute it (Ezek 37:4-6), from: (1) the (organizational) structural reassembly of its bones (Ezek 37:7); then (2) the component filling in with its other main component of flesh/sinews (cf. e.g., Gen 2:23; 29:14; Jdg 9:2; 2 Sam 5:1; Luke 24:39; cf. Matt 16:17; Gal 1:16), including its covering of skin (Ezek 37:8); to (3) the breathing in of breath/God’s Spirit in them to bring them to life* (Ezek 37:9); it will likewise take those three distinct steps of having (1) structured/supporting organization; (2) and functional and protective (=skin), internal and external organs -(and skin is indeed the body’s largest “organ”); it is only when (3) the (Latter Rain) Spirit of God will be breathed into these entities that they will come to life and thus be able to be victorious in these Israel reestablishment warring, -including its upcoming showdown with lawless (Ezek 38:10-12) Gog and Magog (Ezek 38-39 = Rev 20:8).
* The "Plan A" Millennium - And thus, in that resurrection, will be, correspondingly, “typologically”/Spiritually, the, albeit more tangibly/temporally literalistic, -{and if not really, Biblically (vs. the SOP’s “Plan B”), anti-typological}, “Plan A” Zionistic Millennium (=Isa 24) as its “first resurrection” element would here be typologically fulfilled in this ‘Spiritual awakening’ of these righteous dead ones, -at least for those who will heed that “(secondary) silver trumpet blast” (~EW 15.2-16.1; Num 10:1, 9), causing them to realize, and forsake, their otherwise actually ‘Eph 2:1, 5 & Col 2:13 sinful/trespassing, and thus deadly,’ ways....While the resolutely persisting, faithless wicked “dead” (Rev 9:20-21) on the other hand will remain clueless until the appointed time for their second/eternal death. (All =Rev 20:4-6).
It is awkwardly odd, but manifestly indicatively deliberate, that Rev 20:4 actually cites 2 groups who “will come to life and reign” here for this Millennial Era, namely (1) the martyrs (pertinently referred to as “lives|psyches” (a.k.a. “souls”), as in Rev 6:9-11), and (2) and those who actually had victory over the ‘Rev 16:12-16; 17:11-14’ Beast Camp, i.e., the (leading) end-time victorious saints (Rev 14:12 =the Rev 7:1-3|15MR 292.3-4 prolonged-time, Sabbatically-sealed 144,000 of Rev 7:4-8 (=Rev 15:1-2)). But what about the (3) non-martyred righteous dead??!! Nor are a 4th group, the (resulting|completing) Great Multitude of Rev 7:9-14ff cited as part of that ‘reigning/judging leadership’ group. (Cf. same 3|4 distinct groups cited by SOP in GC 665.2, and, as discussed here, the martyrs (who are already in heaven, -also “resting” (Rev 14:13; cf. Psa 110:1) for this later mission (cf. Psa 110:5-7)) and the 144,000 (=21MR 326.2-3) do thereupon unite to form one group. Additionally, the antecedent of “they”/“them” in Rev 20:4a actually first harks back to the (plural) ‘“armies” (horsemen)’ in Rev 19:8, prior to being expegetically (i.e.: “that is....”) defined in Rev 20:4b (-while also matching identifying elements from Rev 6:11; 19:7-8). -The ‘non-martyred righteous dead are evidently only raised in the Rev 20:11-12ff developments, thus, (“Plan A” wise), “linearly” after the Millennium is ended (Rev 20:7ff), when all of the dead, “both great and small” (which perhaps can mean ‘the saved vs. non-saved’), are all raised, including those who had died during the Millennium, and they will then be redeemed to enter in, and live in, Eternity if their names are found in the Book of Life.
Only with this “Plan A” Millennium understanding/scenario does that detail come to both make sense, and have a pointed/specific application. -Case in point, in GC 426.2 EGW had rightly, “dichotomizingly”, noticed/understood that there was a distinction between the “(ruling) bride” vs. the invited guests at the Rev 19:7-9 Marriage Supper of the Lamb (=Matt 25:1-13). And through the more specific/“full” understanding here (cf. 1SM 25.4), it can now be seen and understood that the ‘New Jerusalem bride’ (Rev 21:9-11) is collectively composed of those who will have made the living or martyrdom sacrifice to have the Kingdom of God established in this age/world. Hence these are represented in the “martyrs” part of the reigning group. Then the distinct “invited guests” are those who have accepted the invitation to this wedding by heeding the call to avoid and/or come out of the “Full” Mark of the Beast Camp. Hence they are the MOB “victorious ones” in Rev 20:4b. Like the wise (and not “foolish/moronic/stupid”) virgins of Matt 25:1-13, they are the ones who will have tangibly/practically/pragmatically made ample provision, and (proper) use of God’s Holy Spirit, leading them to fully and truly follow after the Jesus Christ symbolizing Little Lamb (as depicted here) =Rev 14:1-5; and thus avoiding its wrath (Rev 6:15-17|DA 825.4). Together, these two (sub-)groups will have joined to form the 144,000, and they will then ensue to, recursively proclaim the True and Full Three Angels Message (Rev 14:6-12), which comes to produce, now over the rest of most of that realized, prolonged time, temporal Jubilee/Millennium (=EW 286.1/Rev 21:22-27), the “harvest” (Rev 14:14-16) of the distinct 4th group of the “innumerable” Great Multitude (Rev 7:8ff).
So, one way or the other, God is going to, and that timely (i.e., having here started this “Plan A” development in ca. 1996, have His Rev 11:15-18 Seventh Era (Temporal) Kingdom Rule effectuation!! =(in also a typological (i.e. pre-ultimate end) application) Dan 2:35, 44; 7:13-14(=Luke 19:11-13ff|see here)[5])
clothed in fine, white, clean linen - Foundational to these martyrs, whether already sent/incarnated or awaiting to be sent, they will have this defining character/“outfit” of being righteous (Rev 19:8). Thus in their own awareness of, at the very least, “naturally-knowable” right vs. wrong (e.g, Rom 1:18-32), they will be endeavoring to ‘do what is right’.
Only with this “Plan A” Millennium understanding/scenario does that detail come to both make sense, and have a pointed/specific application. -Case in point, in GC 426.2 EGW had rightly, “dichotomizingly”, noticed/understood that there was a distinction between the “(ruling) bride” vs. the invited guests at the Rev 19:7-9 Marriage Supper of the Lamb (=Matt 25:1-13). And through the more specific/“full” understanding here (cf. 1SM 25.4), it can now be seen and understood that the ‘New Jerusalem bride’ (Rev 21:9-11) is collectively composed of those who will have made the living or martyrdom sacrifice to have the Kingdom of God established in this age/world. Hence these are represented in the “martyrs” part of the reigning group. Then the distinct “invited guests” are those who have accepted the invitation to this wedding by heeding the call to avoid and/or come out of the “Full” Mark of the Beast Camp. Hence they are the MOB “victorious ones” in Rev 20:4b. Like the wise (and not “foolish/moronic/stupid”) virgins of Matt 25:1-13, they are the ones who will have tangibly/practically/pragmatically made ample provision, and (proper) use of God’s Holy Spirit, leading them to fully and truly follow after the Jesus Christ symbolizing Little Lamb (as depicted here) =Rev 14:1-5; and thus avoiding its wrath (Rev 6:15-17|DA 825.4). Together, these two (sub-)groups will have joined to form the 144,000, and they will then ensue to, recursively proclaim the True and Full Three Angels Message (Rev 14:6-12), which comes to produce, now over the rest of most of that realized, prolonged time, temporal Jubilee/Millennium (=EW 286.1/Rev 21:22-27), the “harvest” (Rev 14:14-16) of the distinct 4th group of the “innumerable” Great Multitude (Rev 7:8ff).
And it is actually not at all contradictory to the Bible that, with this Plan A development, that group of the “non-martyred dead” will indeed only be resurrected after the Millennium Era, at the Second Resurrection, because Rev 20:6 is merely saying that those who had been raised in the First, pre-Millennium resurrection cannot be subjected to the authority of the Second Death (cf. Rev 2:11b - “not harmed/unrighteously wronged by the Second Death”). So that does not necessarily mean that all those who are raised in the Second Resurrection will all be lost. In fact, with, as detailed within this document, the Matt 25:31-33ff judgement being the Post Millennium White Throne Judgement (Rev 20:11-15), as the Book of Life, which only contains the names of the (potentially) saved, is also opened and used then (Rev 20:12) and indeed people found therein are then saved/spared (Rev 20:15), combined with the fact that Matt 25:31-45 speaks of people who have been set on the right to be saved, (so it surely cannot be those who had already been saved prior to the Millennium), then it is clear, and from what was revealed for the 4T 384-387 ‘in present person’ Judgement’ which also mainly uses two sets of books, -the first being the Book of Life (4T 384.2b), and then places those who fail on the "left hand" (4T 386.1 =Matt 25:33b, 41ff), that even after the Millennium, decisions as to who will be saved or not will then also be done. And that would perfectly explain why the gates of the New Jerusalem are said to remain open right up to the point where Hell’s Fire is rained down from Heaven (Rev 20:9-10 13-14|GC 664.3) as the (Temporal) Millennium’s merciful/probation stretching, and final, “free” chance for any who would wish to live righteously would have been fully exhausted. (=Rev 21:6-7=Isa 55:1-11)
So the fuller understanding here is that the fate of the non-martyred grouping, by being inherently in that Second Resurrection, may still be hanging in (further trial) judgement balances (cf. John 5:29), or at the very least, they would not have been recompensed with being allowed to lived through the Millennium Era, whether Temporally on Earth (Plan A) and/or in Heaven (Plan B). And it is thus that the Second Death (cf. Rev 21:8) can (potentially) have authority over them.
And it is to be precedentingly pointed out that, upon the rejection of the Messiah Jesus Christ by (most of ) the First Century A.D. Jews, which, as discussed here, pivotally/officially occurred in Luke 10:1-20|DA 485-496 (cf. Matt 10:23), what, as many OT prophecies pointed to, could, and would, (=Mark 1:14-15) have temporally/Zionistically, fully, Messianically, globally occurred with and through that generations of Jews, which were likewise God’s “Plan A”, had to be postponed and repackaged for an emergency rescuing “Plan B” scenario, which is one which is spoken of in Christ’s Olivet discourse (Matt 24|Mark 13|Luke 21) culminating around the Destruction of Jerusalem. But when that too partially failed, now due to the non-readiness of the Christian Church, another repackaging was done in/for the book of Revelation for now a prolonged, historical way of prophecies. And most indicative of these repackaging is statements made about the culmination of things. In the Olivet discourse, the non-saved do not actually remain alive after Christ’s appearing, as an Emergency Rescue Scenario is presented there (Matt 24:28, 37-41|Luke 17:34-37; see this explaining presentation). However in the, actually “Plan A” scenario given in Revelation (i.e., vs. EGW-SOP (=GC book) “Plan B” repackaging; indeed all potential ways in which God can validly wrap up this Great Controversy); it is quite cleverly, dual-applicationally involved that the wicked are merely symbolically/spiritually “killed” (Rev 19:21); i.e. their former wicked psyche and ways are then/now (cf. Rev 9:20-21) abruptly ended; as it is also relatedly said, based on the next discussed symbolism of that “sword”, that it will have been used to strongly rule over these Spiritually rogue nations/peoples (=Rev 19:15 = Dan 7:12, 27). And that is all with/as the leadership in that Mark of the Beast coalition & rebellion will have been arrested and ended (Rev 19:17-20 = Dan 7:11, 26 = 2 Thess 2:8).So the fuller understanding here is that the fate of the non-martyred grouping, by being inherently in that Second Resurrection, may still be hanging in (further trial) judgement balances (cf. John 5:29), or at the very least, they would not have been recompensed with being allowed to lived through the Millennium Era, whether Temporally on Earth (Plan A) and/or in Heaven (Plan B). And it is thus that the Second Death (cf. Rev 21:8) can (potentially) have authority over them.
So, one way or the other, God is going to, and that timely (i.e., having here started this “Plan A” development in ca. 1996, have His Rev 11:15-18 Seventh Era (Temporal) Kingdom Rule effectuation!! =(in also a typological (i.e. pre-ultimate end) application) Dan 2:35, 44; 7:13-14(=Luke 19:11-13ff|see here)[5])
clothed in fine, white, clean linen - Foundational to these martyrs, whether already sent/incarnated or awaiting to be sent, they will have this defining character/“outfit” of being righteous (Rev 19:8). Thus in their own awareness of, at the very least, “naturally-knowable” right vs. wrong (e.g, Rom 1:18-32), they will be endeavoring to ‘do what is right’.
white horses - Their local militant Churches.
Pointed Two Witnesses/Martyrs Application
So in succinct summary here, this ‘following armies on white horses’ are literalistically and/or Spiritually sent martyrs who are basically grouped as local (militant) Churches levels and more widely in Division (=Conferences) like organizations (e.g., here), and follow the lead of the foremost White Horse rider (=Rev 14:1-5) and thus allow for God to be able to implement His Church Triumphant plan which is in a Temporal Israel Kingdom of God on this Earth and in this Pre-Final Second Coming Age (Rev 11:15-18).
Rev 19:15 - From his mouth comes a sharp large, broad sword, so that with it he may strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron; and he treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty.
from his mouth - Manifestly the main power of this rider will be in what he says/preaches/declare. Indeed unlike this sword being symbolically (and logically) ‘in the hand’, which is a symbol, of ‘the means to do something’, this weapon is instead to be found in what is declared. And in a certain way, if one has such great power in what it merely declares, then it is to be more feared than one whose power is only effected in what they manage to first concretely demonstrate/do.[6]
large, broad sword - The symbolism of the sword is a most interesting one. First of all, this “sword” here (Greek: rhomphaia #4501b (=occurs only in Rev 1:6; 2:12, 16; 6:8; 19:15, 21)) is larger and broader than the distinct, smaller/shorter, dagger-type, more common “sword” (Gr: machaira #3162) as if intimatingly indicating ‘an even greater authority/power’, which interestingly enough, with the sword rightly being generally understood to be the Bible, can be understood to be the even more authoritative, i.e., “by commission/commandment” (1 Cor 7:6, 25; 2 Cor 8:8), portions of the Bible as seen in Divine/Direct Revelations and Prophetic Utterances (2 Pet 1:20-21) (cf. 2 Sam 7:3, 4-5ff). (In fact by comparing Rev 6:4 (Second Seal) where the smaller sword it used versus Rev 6:8 (Fourth Seal) where this larger sword is used, it can be inferred that the smaller sword would be needed for smaller, but also deadly skirmishes, and the larger weaponry for more formal militaristic ones.) So, symbolically, the larger, broader sword can be representative of specifically the Prophetic Word of God, which typically is expressed when a new or injunctive course is to be charted/imposed (cf. Rev 2:16), and the smaller sword is symbolically representative of situations when the already revealed Biblical word, even prior prophetic revelations are to be applied/fulfilled.
But also symbolically key here in speaking of the “sword” in mere general/generic understandings, it was the most renown weapon in those times, and was not to be wielded, pointedly when being done by Righteous People and/or the Government, unjustly or in vain.(Rom 13:4). But the “sword” is not actually a symbol of “civil authority” since civil authority is only deemed to be a ‘righteous sword’ if it is acting in agreement with/fulfillment of (cf. Isa 13:17-19ff = Dan 2:20-21, 37, 39a) the word of God (Rom 13:1-7). So even in that context, it is still to be understood to be symbolic of “the (effectuating) word of God”. Even in the prophetic statement of Rev 13:10 about the persecutive actions of the Papacy, they were, albeit wrongly, claiming a warply understood authority from the word of God, -evidently, (as for a NT-revived earthly priesthood), mixing a Divineward-usurped (e.g., Acts 5:5-6, 9-11) OT’s Capital Punishment executive authority of God’s Israel with the NT’s authority in Matt 16:19; 18:18, to go on to put to death those whom they considered to be heretics, -and all the while, while not heeding the even OT requirement stressed by Christ in John 8:7. Which is why it is said in that verse that the same (then rightly comprehended) “word of God” standard for judgment would be later used against the Papacy (cf. Matt 7:1-2ff). Moreover, it ultimately also is the prophetic word of God in regards to the 1260 years ending in 1798 which “timely” resulted in the Papacy being judged and given a deadly wound then (cf. Rev 13:14), and not the civil authority (i.e., on its own or by its own volition) of France. And in the ultimate end, it will be God Himself which will judge (Rev 18:6-8ff) and permanently wound (Rev 18:21-24) that (then fully manifested) Babylon.
A symbol in the Bible does not, as some glibly/slickly (e.g, Stephen Bohr here; see more of such claims of his here)) claim, ‘have (two) different meanings depending on the context in which it is used.’ Instead a symbol can indeed only have a “deeper”, derived and related meaning/understanding, from the Spiritual to the Natural/Tangible and vice versa. E.g., the symbol of the Sun represents “righteousness” (Mal 4:2) and when such a Spiritual aspect is “naturally”/tangibly applied to life, i.e., ‘a place where “righteousness” dwells’ (2 Pet 3:13), then it produces not merely a Spiritually/Religiously perfect realm, but it also affects the everyday social life producing a perfect Socio-Economics. And that latter aspect was the major reason why Israel, throughout its history, even when it managed to be Religiously “faithful”, e.g., by/in the First Century A.D., it still failed to be a Righteous people before God as it neglected to practice true and just Socio-Economics. (E.g., Amos 5:21-24; Zech 7:8-12; Luke 18:18-27; Matt 5:20; 6:10) And fully following Jesus as He mandates in Matt 25:31-46 is Spiritually how/why the New Jerusalem won’t have need of either the Sun (=explicitly Socio-Economic lighting), let alone the lesser Moon (Religious lighting), or a lamp (=written out laws/counsels (Psa 119:105; Jer 31:33-34)) (Rev 22:5 = Isa 30:26). (Many examples of these Spiritually and/or “deeper”/tangible meanings of/for Biblical symbols are exemplified from this post’s second-part section which interprets the (pivotal) prophecy of Rev 10.)
So, likewise, as discussed next, the symbol of the sword Spiritually goes from: “the word of God” to then whatever tangible manifestation it needs to be, and most naturally can tangibly become, in order to have a tangible effectuation however as God has intended. (E.g., Zech 7:8, 12-13 = DA 825.4)
Indeed, as Jesus said in John 12:47-50, it is His Word (=the Word of God (John 1:1); i.e., the ‘explicitly expressed wisdom of God’ (cf. Luke 11:49ff|Matt 23:34ff) which judges everyone/everything. So the symbol of a sword is to be only understood to inherently be “the word of God” which comes to be manifested in various ways, and as this weaponized, warring symbol, it is pointedly representing an action which involves, pointedly “wrathful” (cf. Rom 13:4) judgement. (I.e., then wielded in circumstances when its prior unweaponized manifestation had not manage to effectuate the intended reforms on its rebellious/evil subject(s).).So, likewise, as discussed next, the symbol of the sword Spiritually goes from: “the word of God” to then whatever tangible manifestation it needs to be, and most naturally can tangibly become, in order to have a tangible effectuation however as God has intended. (E.g., Zech 7:8, 12-13 = DA 825.4)
Interestingly enough, if the ‘small/dagger, “skirmishing”, sword’ that was given to the rider of the Red Horse in Rev 6:4 would ‘take away (interpersonal) peace from the Earth’ (=Matt 10:34-36), even causing men to ‘slay one another’, then this ‘larger/broader, “militaristic” sword’ is sure to correspondingly: ‘take away geo-political peace from the Earth’. (=Ezek 38:21, 23).
sharp sword - It appears here that this “sharp sword”, which when emphatically described as “sharp” in the Bible is also said to be two-edged (Rev 1:16; 2:12; cf. Heb 4:12) is actually to be understood to be even “sharper” than any two-edged sword as the one wielding it himself is, indeed compoundingly enough, named (i.e., has the character of:) “the word of God” (Rev 19:13b =Heb 4:12; cf. Jer 1:9-10 =“Two Witnesses” -Rev 11:5). Therefore, the ‘warring judgement’ that will be effectuated here is not one of reform, but one which will get at the bottom of things (=Isa 49:2-3, 5-7ff =Rev 18:1ff), by also judging the thoughts and intents. (Heb 4:12-13)
That was all depictively shown to EGW in EW 15.2 where this same returning ‘wrathful Lamb’ (Rev 6:16-17 =the Sixth Seal) takes a deep look at the professed people of God, and declared that only “Those who have clean hands and pure hearts shall be able to stand; My grace is sufficient for you.” Indeed this multi crowned, righteousness-controlled, returning one (Rev 19:11ff=Isa 11:1-5) is here looking for people who have both engaged in concrete righteous actions (Luke 10:36-37; cf. Isa 1:15; 59:3; Ezek 23:37; 45) and also out of pure motives (Matt 5:8; 25:31-46; LDE 218.3-219.3). Therefore his judgment will not be limited nor swayed by mere (grandiose) professions/expressions, or facading, token/hypocritical outward appearances (Isa 11:3).
So all of these above understandings coalesce to thematically, pertinently recall/reflect what Jesus had said/intimated several times throughout His ministry: ‘He did not have to physically enter into warring actions or judgements against anyone who had variously violated or offended Him because their judgement, all based on what He merely had condemningly and/or instructively said, would come in the end.’ (E.g., John 12:47-50; Matt 26:62-64; John 19:10-11; Matt 23:34-24:2). This in turn all is more widely based from the Theological Doctrine/Truth about ‘God and the Future’ which involves that God does not need to, as common assumed, “know” the future in order to be able to accurately predict what will take place in it, but rather simply has to “declare” from wise understandings and counsels what He “plans” to righteously/justly do then. (=Isa 46:9-11).
So all that this figure had to do here in this Rev 19 War was merely to “declare”, based on the “word of God”, and even more precisely here, the ‘injunctive/prophetic revelation of God’, terms of war (cf. Rev 2:16)...and that would “bindingly” come to be how this war would unravel and be won given the fact that, and pointedly in this depicted case, such “prophesying” is actually an expression of what God “plans” to do in the future, and He surely has the “All Mighty” power (=Rev 19:15b; =Rev 16:14), including angelic involvement, to accomplish it as “prophetically” stated (cf. e.g., James 5:17-18; 1 Kgs 18:24, 36-38; 2 Kgs 1:10, 12; Matt 21:18-22; 16:19; John 20:22-23). So as/since this is what is (Biblically) “prophetically planned”, doing it when the time comes will not be a problem. (=Isa 46:11; cf. Ezek 39:4, 13|Rev 19:17)
Third Church Implication - It is pivotally most important to see that this symbolism of this large/broad sword is directly drawn from what was involved in dealing with the Third Church Era. As discussed in here in the” Third Era” section, that was the “Compromising Church” which laid the foundation for what would become, first, Religious Babylon (namely the Roman Catholic Empire/Church), and then, as more fully and further discussed here, Socio-Economic Babylon (namely Capitalistic Protestant America). At this stage in historical development, this Rev 19 War pointedly focuses on that later evolution of Babylon, and it thus is not at all surprising that the fundamental reason for this confrontation and war is the inherently evil ravages and pervertings that Capitalism has unleashed and entrenched, by now, throughout the world.
Underlying OT Background - As seen above, the two-edged sword in the mouth is in heightened relation to the small dagger sword wielded by the Red Horse rider in Rev 6:4; and that Second Seal Symbolism is in turn drawn from what Jesus had said He and His “world upsetting/overturning” (cf. Acts 17:6) Message had come to do upon the world in Matt 10:34-36|Luke 12:49-53. But what is further interesting and most indicative here is that in making His Matt 10:35-36|Luke 12:52-53 statement, Jesus was there appealing to, and applying, the Israel of God Eschatological prophecy of Micah in Mic 7 (see Mic 7:6). A detailed exposition/expounding of Mic 7 will not be done here, but its key meanings will succinctly be highlighted here as they come to contribute to the proper contextualizing, and thus understanding, of all that is involved in the Rev 19 war and its leading figure.
Mic 7:4b - That prophecy is indeed to, as mentioned below, show how/that God will now warringly act/intervene to produce His long desired Zion fulfillment of/for His Earthly Israel, and it is key to see in this verse that God will not let any human/earthly power or capability stand in its way as He here tauntingly says to those who are lawlessly and unrighteously opposing this plan of His that: even when they will have (duly) posted watchmen, their punishment will still come, and then, i.e. moreover, their confusion will occur. Prophetically, this all now speaks to how God will be acting to overthrow Babylon, (i.e., America), even if it now, i.e., in a Post 9/11 context, has defensively protected itself with high-tech and hyper surveillance. Its, as later discussed, Second Woe|9/11 II, Rev 18, punishment will still come...and it is something quite ironic to tell “Babylon” (=“confusion”) that it will further be “confused” (Mic 7:4c = Rev 18:6ff) pointedly in having engineered total societal unrest, effective anarchy and chaos (Mic 7:5-6; cf. Rev 6:4 (=EW 272.1 = 1T 268.1-2))!!
Mic 7:7-10 - Now all of these actions by God will vindicate His ‘tempested’ prophet (=Isa 54; see Isa 54:4, 11) who had “encountered” woe (Mic 7:1) because of the utter corruption and wholesale, thus completely non-supporting (cf. Isa 50:1-2ff), failing of God’s professed (Judah-remnant) people (Mic 7:2-4a; cf. Isa 6:4-5).
Mic 7:11-12 - These action by/from God all lead to the full extent of establishment and occupation of the Promised Land for Israel by a new remnant people from the 10 Northern Tribes which had been dispersed and taken away captive by Assyria (=Isa 11:15-16)
Mic 7:13 - And meanwhile, the rest of the Earth is severely affected by, indeed, ‘the (own) fruit of the deeds of its inhabitants’, -which are its Mic 7:1 -‘unripe figs’ (cf. Rev 6:13b); and its ‘ripe, but uneatable/unprofitable, blood-producing grapes’ (=Rev 14:18-20; 9-11; 19:15c)
Mic 7:14 - And that reassembled, New Israel Remnant, flock of God itself will be shepherded by the (kingly) scepter of God (Mic 7:14 = Isa 11:1-3), -which, significantly enough, is different from the, below-discussed, “rod of iron” which will be used upon the rest of the ‘notwithstandingly rebellious’ (Rev 9:20-21) nations/peoples. (Rev 19:15b =Rev 19:16)
Mic 7:15-19 - And God promises to most mercifully, miraculously work for them, indeed then according to the Full Extent of the Latter Rain’s Power (cf. Isa 58:8-9; Acts 5:32)
Mic 7:20 - All in order for God to keep His Covenant promise to Abraham (Gen 12:1-3) and Jacob (Gen 26:4; 28:13-14) who had themselves faithfully kept their side of this covenant. (Gen 26:5; =e.g., Psa 105:6; Isa 41:8-9)
Jesus and Micah 7 - Interestingly enough, in relation to the applicability of the full Micah 7 prophecy to Jesus Himself, He, also sensing from His last gasp attempt in Matt 10:23 that He would likely have to undergo the expected/anticipated ‘concretely testing, purposeful’ (Luke 2:34-35; cf. John 1:1&Heb 4:12-13) shame of the Cross (Isa 53; cf. Heb 13:12-13), thus went on in Matt 10:35-36 to make a pregnant allusion to that Micah 7 scenario as it does come to fully, either Spiritually, typologically and/or Prophetically, involve/implicate all of the details mentioned therein.
rod of iron - And as he will now not be using, actually “mouthing”, a “rod” (see Isa 11:4b) to, thus, discipline (Job 21:9; Pro 22:15; 23:13; 29:15; Isa 10:5; Heb 12:3-11) those on the Earth to yield this prized and sought for “peaceful fruit of righteousness” (Heb 12:11), but instead a “sharp sword” (Rev 19:15a), the intent here will indeed be to have capital judgement executed....and then, with those who “remain” (Rev 11:13b) from this ‘Elijah Showdown like’ (1 Kgs 18:20-39) H/Ar-Mageddon (=“Mountain/City of Megiddo”) (Rev 13:13ff; Rev 16:16) slaying (1 Kgs 18:40), will the “(ruling) rod (of iron) of shepherding/discipline” be used (Rev 19:15b = Psa 2:9ff; Rev 2:26-27).
Rod of Iron vs. Vessels of Wrath
Rod of Iron vs. Vessels of Wrath
The implication of this prophetic provision is far more reaching than most beleivers, especially SDAs, (rightly) comprehend. First of all, as seen in this post at Dan 2:41 the symbol of “iron” in prophecy is used to represent “State craft” (=1MR 51.1). Secondly, that is in contrast to “Church craft” which is represented by “a potter’s (miry) clay”. Thirdly, as stated by the SOP in 1MR 51.1, God would have no problem if the State was enforcing actual Biblical Law, e.g./i.e. the Seventh-Day Sabbath and not the Spurious Sunday Sacredness. Then, to bring all of these inspired elements together, in the above cited supporting/basis texts for this “rod of iron” statement here in Rev 19:15, in Rev 2:26-27 which is based on the Messianic Rule of Psa 2:9ff, the rod of iron is allowed to have authority even as powerful as in the shattering of the vessels of the potter. So, in other words, the (Biblical) State would be authorized by God to shape, even shatter the Church, even ‘amongst other nations’ (Rev 2:26-27), to ‘the ends of the earth’ (Psa 2:8-9). Again here, the differentiating and validating key, (i.e. contrasted from the prior and failed attempts to establish a temporal “Christian Nation/Kingdom”, e.g. by the Roman Catholic Church/Holy Roman Empire), is that: ‘the State is one which is in full compliance with the Biblical Will of God’. So this would be a perfectly organized & functioning Theocratic State, -as God’s National Israel was always intended to be. And as will indeed be the NewJerusalem Kingdom. Therefore a National power which shatters, thus purges, false Churches is also to be expected in this.
But in the Spiritual specifics of this authorized rolling out of God’s Kingdom, based on the Spiritual Symbols cited/used here, in Jer 18:1-6ff God indicates that He is (like) the potter....Then in Rom 9:20-21, Paul states that God has the authority & power to ‘mold as a potter’ “vessels of wrath” if He so purposes. So this ‘shattering of (potter) vessels’ by the Kingdom of God entity here, may be God’s instrument to undo all of the “vessels of wrath” that He had allowed, hardened, even fashioned, over the years, with the purpose being to (acceleratedly) demonstrate their futility, worthlessness and thus evil. As Paul states in the context, that is exactly what God did in regards to Egypt (Rom 9:14-18) and then with Rebellious Ethnic Jews, all to setup the Triumphant demonstration in His faithful (Remnant) People (=Rom 9:22-23, 24-29)....And this is indeed the culminating of this purposeful masterful “wrathful” plan of God. (Rev 19:15b; Rev 14:17-20|Isa 63:1-6)
But in the Spiritual specifics of this authorized rolling out of God’s Kingdom, based on the Spiritual Symbols cited/used here, in Jer 18:1-6ff God indicates that He is (like) the potter....Then in Rom 9:20-21, Paul states that God has the authority & power to ‘mold as a potter’ “vessels of wrath” if He so purposes. So this ‘shattering of (potter) vessels’ by the Kingdom of God entity here, may be God’s instrument to undo all of the “vessels of wrath” that He had allowed, hardened, even fashioned, over the years, with the purpose being to (acceleratedly) demonstrate their futility, worthlessness and thus evil. As Paul states in the context, that is exactly what God did in regards to Egypt (Rom 9:14-18) and then with Rebellious Ethnic Jews, all to setup the Triumphant demonstration in His faithful (Remnant) People (=Rom 9:22-23, 24-29)....And this is indeed the culminating of this purposeful masterful “wrathful” plan of God. (Rev 19:15b; Rev 14:17-20|Isa 63:1-6)
wine press of the fierce wrath - In this execution of “fierce wrath” (Greek = ‘passionate orgy’) are executed all of the “Divine/Lamb wrath” passages found in Revelation, namely Rev 6:16-17; 11:18; 14:10; 16:19, which God pointedly rigteously reserves for those who both: “are selfishly ambitious [with selfishness being the chief of sins (4T 384.3)] and do not obey the Truth” (Rom 2:8; cf. Rom 1:18-19ff; 2:5-6, 9-16; cf. 2 Thess 2:12).
God, the Almighty - Most just gloss over the explicit/deliberate qualifying of God here as “the Almighty”, but when one fully understands, as done in this study, the Theological weight and depth of that most often used descriptive name for God, it is readily seen that here, and as in Rev 11:17; 16:7, 14; 19:6 which are contextually, thematically and/or parallely pertinently related to this passage, that it is the ‘power of God to accomplish what He said He would/will do’ (=Isa 46:9-11) that is being pointedly appealed to, and not actually the erroneous/deficient “Classical Foreknowledge” belief that things will occur in the future because God has looked into the (non-existent) future and seen what will happen. What is rather Theologically accurately occurring here is that people are concretely placing their faith in God to accomplish what He said He would/will do, and by that act of faith, God then is fairly authorized to, in this case, execute this fierce wrath, here to avenge His (particularly martyred) saints. (See Rev 16:5-7 = Rev 14:17-20).
Indeed as relatedly seen in the ‘waters-to-blood’ Third (Era) Plague judgement, God’s purposes then is not to purify those bitter waters (Rev 8:10-11), -all stemming from the religious and socio-economic “poisoning” done in Church History (Rev 6:5-6), but instead to “wrathfully” make things worst here by just turning those bitter, and incontrovertibly guilty (Rom 1:18-32), waters (=Rev 17:15 -and not only rivers (=“religious bodies”) now) into blood.
Pointed Two Witnesses/Martyrs Application
Hence indeed was all the intended purpose and mandate of God’s Two Witnesses (Rev 11:6). As seen in Rev 11:6, they indeed had been given the mandate to:
(1) Religiously, prevent rain, especially a Latter Rain, from falling, until those wanting such rain would recognize the God who had power over it.
(2) Populacely, make people reap the violence that they had been spreading throughout the Earth, through their bitterness contaminated waters,
(3) And set up the natural consequences of such Socially irresponsible actions by those who dwell on the Earth.
But those in the Earth, and through a cooperation of Church and State, had violently leagued against God’s Two Witnesses here and had thought to silence this witness, torment, and deemed “threat” against them (Rev 11:7-10), but that would have done nothing to change these Divine consequences, and indeed only relegate them to be done by a much more overwhelming force, namely also including this “army of (returning) martyrs” and the lone angel spoken of next in Rev 19:17-18.
Rev 19:16 - And on his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, "KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS."
on his robe - It is the clothing, here a pure/clean white robe representing righteous acts (Rev 19:8) which provide this status and occupation.
on his thigh - This echoes Jacob’s Trouble Experience as he had struggled for God’s Israel promise, and it is from that transpired Shaking Experience (EW 270-273) while God’s then standing Jerusalem was being destroyed (Jer 30:7) that this White Horse rider earned this right, and demonstrated the character, to be called by that written name.
a name written - With the allusion here indeed being to Jacob’s Trouble and Wrestling experience (Gen 32:24-32), and where/when he was given the pertinent and commemorating name of “Israel” which means: “prince with God”, for he had ‘striven with God and with men and had prevailed’ (Gen 32:28). In other words: Jacob the Supplanter had faithlessly
tried to get a hold of the promise which God had said would be his by treachery, and thus defaulty disqualified himself from being worthy of having this honor of being the effecting founder of that nation of Israel that God was planning....but Jacob hung on to God, persisted to obtain the promised blessing...and actually convince God to bestow it on/through him. It was thus that Jacob ‘had prevailed with God’, being also found most worthy than any other men.
What is further significant here is that there have been really one other instance in the Bible and Great Controversy history when someone had likewise striven with God and managed to first prevailing convince God to go a different possible way than what God had wisely thought would be much better (EW 149-153), and then prevail over men (cf. Matt 26:39-46) and upon that joint victory, have his name changed in commemoration (Phil 2:8-11; Heb 1:3-4; Eph 1:21)...and that of course was the humanly incarnated Jesus Christ. (Rev 3:12)
So from these two applicable example backgrounds, it can be understood that the one who here in Rev 19:13, 16 would have chosen to pursue an optioned course towards accomplishing the same goal than one which God had preferred as it would have been way easier (see here), and here, and even if as with the also “God-optioning” Moses (Exod 32:7-14; Num 14:11-23ff), they had subsequently faltered in pursuing that “Plan B” course, (Num 20:8-12), God still had mercy on him and gave him an even better (Divine) reward. (Jud 1:9; Deut 34:6; PP 469-481) (e.g. here Rev 2:26-28; 19:15|Psa 2 - i.e a Divinely-orchestrated/undertaken/assisted approach (Rev 19:17-18) towards accomplishing that victory (Rev 15:1-4ff; 19:20-21) over the H/Ar-Mageddon rallied and coalesced (Rev 16:12-16; 19:19) Mark of the Beast Camp. (Rev 17:14)
King of Kings and Lord of Lords - =Political and Economical “Superior Ruler” (see in here, and in this post at Rev 17:14). This indeed is the “new name” that only those who, as shown later, have been triumphant over the pervasive compromising (e.g. Rev 2:12-16) during the “(Eschatologically-reset” Third Series Era”, will surely ‘Biblically know and understand what that new written name is’ (Rev 2:17), and what it powerfully involves (e.g. Rev 2:12; 19:15)
Rev 19:17 - Also I saw one angel having been standing up in the sun, and he cried out with a loud voice, saying to all the birds which fly in midheaven, "Come, assemble for the great supper of God,
Also - While Rev 19:17-18 seems to be sequential to Rev 19:11-16, as seen in the charting here (also posted below in Note #6), the passages are actually contemporaneous/parallel to each other. It is just that John could be shown one of these simultaneous developments at a time. Therefore the Greek conjunction “kai” that begins this verse is best “concurrently” translated as “also” (cf. e.g., in Matt 5:39, 40).
one angel - It seems so obvious to say “one angel” here that most translation instead glibly say “an angel”. But the Greek instead explicitly said “one angel”, and that is to emphasize that what occurs next will be accomplished by only one angel. This recalls the great destructive power that was exerted by “one angel” in killing 185,000 Assyrians in one night. (Isa 37:36; cf. GC 614.2).
cried out with a loud voice - Spoke in an audible voice that can be heard by all, not only the birds.
having been - The use of the Greek perfect tense here is to indicate a (standing up) action that had started in the past (i.e. during the Rev 19:11-16 developments) with the results now being brought to focus.
standing up - Greek: estota - As discussed in here, this 2nd lexical form of that Greek term points to a mere ‘posture of “standing up”’ and not to a concrete establishment. Thus this positioning is a from ‘a mere/passing standing up’ and not from ‘an established stance’.
in - Standing “within/inside” the sun. So although this “standing up” is from a a ‘passing positioning’, it is still done squarely from within, and not e.g., ‘at the front of’.
the sun - The sun is foundationally a symbol for righteousness, which naturally heals (Mal 4:2), as tangibly manifested on Earth in human socio-economics. So this angel is standing in such realms, but is thus obstructingly causing a partial solar eclipsing. Therefore this is an obstructing interruption of solely “righteousness”, and instead the manifestation of God’s Justice. So the effects here are not only“healing” but, sequiturly, conversely also, though merely partially, sickening. (Cf. Eccl 3:16-17)
And with an angel being symbolized by a “star” (e.g, Rev 1:20), and a star actually being a (distant) Sun, what is being effected here is literally a sun being place into another sun. So the greater effect here will be way beyond a mere partial eclipsing obstructions, but also a two-fold increasing of the sun’s power, resulting in effectuating the Fourth’s plague of intense heat on the Earth (=Rev 16:9), which can be interpreted as severe (socio-)economic affectations. But God will protect His elect (Rev 7:16)
all the birds... - As discussed here, the symbol of a bird represents a comparatively smaller unit which can do greater things. And this is concretely reflected in today’s society by technology. Even in what most naturally reflects “birds” in technology today, namely aviation technology, though quite massive in itself, still, and probably most emblematically, is the greatest demonstration of technology in its facilitating ability to move, (and even, statistically today, most safely), large and heavy loads over long distances and at very high speeds.
As with all of the sections in Revelation which are based upon/allusive to an Old Testament section, a key comparison here about these birds from the background points in Ezek 39 is interpretatively elucidating:
As with all of the sections in Revelation which are based upon/allusive to an Old Testament section, a key comparison here about these birds from the background points in Ezek 39 is interpretatively elucidating:
-(1) In Ezek 39:4, 17ff it (literally) is every “wing” and not actually every “kind” of bird that is being call. This thus is pointedly calling out to ‘birds which can actually fly’. Therefore not “flightless birds” such as ostrichs, penguins, dodos, (domestic) ducks and (domestic) chickens.
-(2) In Revelation’s repackaged apocalyptic prophetic scenario, which, compared to the one in Ezekiel is one which is to be executed mainly/only from a NT Israel Church context and not an also already existing temporal Kingdom as was OT Israel, the “predatory” specifications in Ezek 39:4 for these birds is not included. So, interpretatively speaking, these will characteristically rather be “peaceful” i.e, non-warring birds instead of militaristic ones.
-(3) Also unlike in Ezek 39:4, 17, the beasts of the field (cf. Isa 56:9), which symbolically comes to represent world powers, are not called upon in Rev 19:17ff for that event. So this will be an event which does not involve the assistance of an (established) earthly/national power.
-(3) Also unlike in Ezek 39:4, 17, the beasts of the field (cf. Isa 56:9), which symbolically comes to represent world powers, are not called upon in Rev 19:17ff for that event. So this will be an event which does not involve the assistance of an (established) earthly/national power.
which fly in midheaven - Not ‘birds’ at orbital levels, or even those on the ground then, but those that fly in midheaven.
“Come, assemble...” - This passage is based on God’s judgment of Gog (Ezek 39:17-24)
“Come, assemble...” - This passage is based on God’s judgment of Gog (Ezek 39:17-24)
great supper - As seen from it basis passage of Ezek 39:17-24, this “supper of God” is synonymous with the “more religious” “sacrifice of God” (Ezek 39:17). And as a supper is the last “meal” of a day, and thus is beneficial, it, like the sacrifice, does have a morally/religiously significant purpose. Chronologically-prophetically, this “great supper” is thus the ‘last GC Era meal’. Thus it is the last ‘constructive/purposeful slaying/consuming’ by God in this GC. So any other slaying, e.g., post-millennium Hell (Rev 20:14-15) will not have a constructive benefit.
Pointed Two Witnesses/Martyrs Application
From other Bible/SOP observations and studying, I had been preparing this dramatic depiction directly reflecting the applicable application of the 7 Trumpets [7] (and then actually, as in the recursively culminating Seventh-Day 7 Trumpets, Grand/Cumulative blowing during the Canaan-conquest initiating siege of Jericho = Jos 6:4-5, 15-16ff), I came to variously see, all pertinent, presently transpiring things, -in the World, and in the Christian+SDA Church, rightly considered, how Rev 19:11-16 applied to that prophetic development and scenario. And that observation was not only validated by the exegetical exposition of those passages, as done above, but it was what was seen from the careful studying of the parallel Rev 19:17-18ff passages which concretely confirmed that understanding as it perfectly harmonized with the Bible-based dramatic scenario that was being drafted for that Point Zero Series. Namely, as partially written out here, a supernaturally/angelicly aided lone person named “Reza (later Raze) Abaddon (priorly Abdullah)” (after Rev 9:11's names), spurred on by a prophetic dream (S00E18), -[and it is interesting, as reported in here (video), how many Muslims reported that they had seen various parts of the 9/11 Attacks in a dream before it happened], would effectuate the subsequent “Second Woe” (Rev 9:12; 11:14) 9/11, then 9/12 attack, and that by having managed to hack into the avionic controls of aircraft and through remote controlling, guided 16 planes to strike various key targets throughout the U.S. (and U.K.)...and all, as seen from just the Full Series outlining linked to from this TOC page, sinkingly leading to the fiery downfall of the, as discussed here, two-fold, then joint, hegemonic Pseudo-Christian and Anti-Sabbatical Socio-Economic Imperialism done by Babylon and its lead-following ‘“ten kings” for that/their (duly)-entailed “one hour” (of geo-judgement(s))’ (=Rev 17:12-13)!
Indeed, as shown next, the symbolic descriptions here in Rev 19:17-18, all in the wider background context of what is being righteously done in Rev 19:11-16, do indeed point to such a scenario.
Straightly and pointedly, but succinctly (interpretively) said:
one angel - A “Reza” (= ‘ruler/king’) character, here a single angel, acting as that so-called “Lone Coyote” (= (Western) U.S. Native “Lone Wolf”) = an angel of destruction (Rev 9:11)
In the prophetically related/backgrounding developments of the Fifth Trumpet, it was stated here, that this king (Rev 9:11), manifestly being the ‘fallen and authorized angel’ (Rev 9:1), and, symbolicly, also the same “great star” as the waters embittering one of the Third Trumpet (Rev 8:10-11), was ‘Satan allowed to, even supernaturally, marshal Islam (Militant Islam), against the Divinely-Blasphemously Wayward “West” (=Exod 20:7; contra. Rev 3:12). But as also cited there, God reserves the right to not only effectuate such judgements by ‘(overseeingly) turning things over to Satan’ (e.g. 1 Kgs 22:19-23), but, in situations where either Satan refuses, having perceived that God is using him to His own advantage, and/or when God wants to involve a merciful/remedial purpose, rather than a (at least comprehensive) terracing judgement (as with the Destruction of Jerusalem), then God fully takes these judgement reins into His own hands. And so, as with the 7 Last Plagues, commissions His own Destroying Angels. (Rev 15:6-16:1|GC 614.2; TM 432.1; cf. Rev 8:2, 6ff).
And so, as it potentially can be with this “one angel”, depicted as “Reza” here, given what the Bible also relatedly, thematically says/involves about ‘someone/a star (=an angel) falling into the earth’ in John 12:24 and Rev 6:13 it can be seen that the theme of the, really “premature” death of Christ, -pointedly due to the rejection by the Jews, i.e. before He had a chance to implement the Kingdom of God through them, as He should have (e.g., Mark 1:14-15; Matt 10:23; 23:37-38; Luke 19:41-44), if similarly here repeated with that “Sealing Angel” (Rev 7:1-3), thus resulting in the typological “Little Lamb’s seeming-slaying” (Rev 5:6; =Rev 11:7-10), thus causing him to likewise not being able to bring his fruit to full maturity (Rev 6:13); will, also as what was fully also involved in John 12:23-26, as an ultimate, prophecy fulfilling-alternative development, doomingly result in: God raising his martyred envoy (=Rev 11:11-12) in order to have him, even, then fully supernaturally, (i.e., through assisting angels of destruction), effectuate this two tiered, i.e,. First+ and Fifth+ Trumpet|Plague, judgement (Rev 11:13-14)!!
And so, as it potentially can be with this “one angel”, depicted as “Reza” here, given what the Bible also relatedly, thematically says/involves about ‘someone/a star (=an angel) falling into the earth’ in John 12:24 and Rev 6:13 it can be seen that the theme of the, really “premature” death of Christ, -pointedly due to the rejection by the Jews, i.e. before He had a chance to implement the Kingdom of God through them, as He should have (e.g., Mark 1:14-15; Matt 10:23; 23:37-38; Luke 19:41-44), if similarly here repeated with that “Sealing Angel” (Rev 7:1-3), thus resulting in the typological “Little Lamb’s seeming-slaying” (Rev 5:6; =Rev 11:7-10), thus causing him to likewise not being able to bring his fruit to full maturity (Rev 6:13); will, also as what was fully also involved in John 12:23-26, as an ultimate, prophecy fulfilling-alternative development, doomingly result in: God raising his martyred envoy (=Rev 11:11-12) in order to have him, even, then fully supernaturally, (i.e., through assisting angels of destruction), effectuate this two tiered, i.e,. First+ and Fifth+ Trumpet|Plague, judgement (Rev 11:13-14)!!
cried out with a loud voice - Tangibly “called out” =signaled to those hack avionics through, e.g., smart phone remote controlling technology, over open telecommunication networks. Thus something that the NSA can, especially now, easy observe and thus see, know and understand exactly how that 9/12 attack was done. And if they then humbly accept these facts, and do not instead, as depicted in the Series’s Fifth Season, seek to effectuate a vengeful, also illegal War on Terror II on Muslim people/nations/countries, that would serve to avoid the “Third Woe” scenario, which itself involves nuclear warfare...But they evidently won’t humbly/contritely take this judgement from God, leading to what heightenedly “fierily” takes place in Rev 19:19-21...all fulfilling God’s will (=Seasons Six, Seven, Eight)
standing in the sun - As Reza was said to do, this angel will, if naturally effectuated as expected, i.e. by actually a physical person, which actually is a human incarnate (lone) angel of destruction of God, having become economically independent and wealthly all towards this purpose of financing the level and extent of attacks, as e.g., depicted within here, if not much more. And it indeed is pivotally key that this “Reza” figure, though really an angel, actually seem to affected and investigating authorities to seem like a human being so as to impel their natural, self-damaging reactions.
So “Reza” will not actually be “established” in the economy out of wealthing ambition, but merely “posturingly” standing in there, and figuratively as a sort of “stand in” entrepreneur mogul, in order to naturally fund these avenging operations.
all the birds... - My envisioned 9/11 II scenario actually had “Reza” commandeering 16 Wide-body Jet Aircrafts, but given the fact that at least one (a newly built replacement Air Force One plane) of those aircraft was set up to be remotely controlled by a direct hacking into the avionics or body building/assembling manufacture’s computer systems and inserting the needing coding to later effectuate this remote (and also outgoing signals silencing) take over, it actually became plot-hole-wise illogical that a person with such capabilities would not take full advantage of it and commandeer as many aircrafts as possible, which would indeed be much more than 16....Well it is apparent that this angel has not limited himself here, and indeed has made full use of this technological capabilities by ‘calling to all the birds which fly in midheaven’. And with over 5,000 flights (cf. here) in the air over U.S. airspace at peak times, that could indeed be a massive “assembling” And that could easily also include over 20,000 planes that are not in the air as, at least many of these, could easily also be remotely made to forcedly take off....and thus, which would be enough to strike and, as for 9/11/01, quasi-, if not, as technically easily possible, actually, simultaneously, catastrophically set ablaze, all of the ca. 21,140 high rise buildings in United States territory....then again, for typological purposes, ‘merely 16’ would, keyly/“confusingly” (=Mic 7:4), seem so much less “miraculous/Super-natural”...
....And it is substantively to note that this heightened “alternative” scenario producing that opening (=First Trumpet) salvo assault is all along the lines of the type of judgement/warring implements that God has always said that He had been keeping in reserve (Job 38:22-23), ‘for such an extreme opposition to His True Followers and Cause of Truth’ (cf. Isa 54:15-17), which, as in what severely damaged the economy of Egypt (Exod 9:22-26), also involve fire, and also, as cited later, the “blood” of Rev 14:20 (=Rev 8:7 = Rev 16:3, 4-7; 15MR 219.2; all constitutes the SOP-revealed: “balls of fire”)...a comprehensively loaded opening salvo judgement that has a continual/lasting effect right through the final extent of this grand series of ‘(Religious/Spiritual and Economic/Temporal)-Babylon-Totally-Toppling’ (Rev 18:6-24), 7 Trumpets+7 Plagues judgements (LDE 238.1; cf. TM 432.1), namely through the Seventh Era’s (Rev 11:19) Plague (Rev 16:21 = ‘...hailstones have been coming down*...’ -*i.e., grammatically: a “present tense” = syntactically: an “Extending-from-Past Present (=Present of Past Action Still in Progress)” which is to be translated as a present perfect (Wallace, Greek Grammar Beyond the Basics, pp. 519-520) as then, by that Seventh Era/Plague, it will have heightened to a more formal incoming military missiles form.) [All = Ezek 38:22 = Rev 9:17-18].
which fly in midheaven - Indeed commercial planes versus certain military aircraft, and surely not, from “Reza” orbital (ICBM) missiles.
“Come, assemble...” - This assembling of these birds is actually to beneficially affect the wider general populace, beyond the leaders of the Babylonian Camp. The reason is that, as later substantiated, if these, though then also killed people are not so dealt with, they will passively cause the vital pollution of the earth, rendering it unviable and inhabitable.
And also from the Ezek 39:17-20, God is here similarly avenging himself on Gog, by actually using Gog’s own implements (Ezek 39:9-10)
great supper - Indeed this is to be a beneficial “meal”, and not merely an empty/wanton action. Similarly the 9/11 II plot is to, from Direct Inspiration about Isa 30:12-14: defend the plight of the economically oppressed and variously murdered by the continued waging of the evil covetous and selfish, ‘world turning upside down’, system of Capitalism (=11MR 362.1-2; cf. Acts 17:6); including the deaths caused by the illegal and thus murderous Iraq War, with its still ongoing caused-violence developments.
God is here productively acting in warring judgements to literally clear the Earth/way from any obstructing unrighteous element so that His temporal Kingdom of God can be established (Rev 11:15-18).
Rev 19:18 - so that you may eat the flesh of kings and the flesh of commanders and the flesh of mighty men and the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them and the flesh of all men, both free men and slaves, and small and great."
flesh of... etc - Relatedly enough, the same groups which had been shown in the Sixth Seal to, in Spiritually, their (natural) flesh” (vs. Godly spirit (see 1 Cor 2:6-16)), prefer to hide from that now wrathfully warring (DA 825.4) “Little Lamb” when the heavens were opened then (Rev 6:14-17) giving a clear glimpse into heavenly things, are here also involved. And now, God will give them their wish of having “the mountains and rocks fall on them”, -though not as they preferentially expect (=Deut 32:37) as it applicably will this time be as: “urban mountains” falling from impacts of “balls of fire”, in, here, the tangibly applicable form of: ‘fuel-laden, up to 1.2 million pound aircrafts flying as fast as 731 mph (=Airbus A380) crashing into skyscrapers and collapsing/toppling them’ as on 9/11/01!! (=9T 28ff; 11MR 361-362)
These people indeed preferred such judgements, through a “judge-us-if-you-can” stance, rather than submitting to the will and authority of this Lamb (see Rev 17:14), as fully presented to them through God’s Two Witnesses. (=Matt 27:25; Acts 5:28 = Matt 23:31-36 = Rev 16:5-7).
In fact, it moreoverly is that these people will have preferred to have “taken their chances” with this 9/11 II transpiring rather than “face” this “Little Lamb” whose ‘time of wrath has come.’ (Rev 6:16-17|EW 15.2: cf. Matt 27:25)!...But either way, i.e., either the hard way or the pre-penitent way, God’s “resetting/playing-field-levelling (=Rev 11:13-14), Millennial will” (=Rev 11:15-18), -as likewise done by e.g., the Flood and the Plagues on Egypt, will still be accomplished in this wrathful judgement outpouring on Babylon (Rev 18:6-24)....indeed the “hour” (Rev 18:15, 17; 9:18) through which God will then “test/tempt” the world (Rev 3:10; cf. 9:19ff)
Rev 19:19 - And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies assembled to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army.
So those on earth will take exception to the righteousness judgement and war being waged on them, and will have gathered together in an H/Ar-Mageddon coalition (Rev 16:16) to try to oppose and defeat this White Horse Rider. They will thus secure themselves for the fiery destruction spoken of next.
SOP vs. Bible Scenarios Dissonance
But the question must be asked here in regards to those, particularly SDAs, who hold the view here that this statement is, and can only be, fulfilled by Jesus at His Second Coming. Where, pointedly in EGW’s revelations, is this depiction that after Jesus has appeared in the Heavens, is this mass assembly by the Mark of the Beast camp to make war against ‘Him and his descending angelic army.” (=GC 640.3) ?!!! The SOP does also speak of the Rev 6:16-17 desperate hiding at such a sight (see GC 641.1-642.2), but nothing on this completely opposite “confrontation”. In fact this Rev 19:19 rally is manifestly a post Rev 6:16-17 development. Moreover, where in the SOP is a (literalistic) “Lake of Fire” mentioned at/during the effectuation of the Second Coming (Rev 19:20)??! Indeed the EGW Scripture Index only references 3SM 408 for Rev 19:19-21 (and actually only for Rev 19:20) and the EGW statements on that page merely have a general allusion to the ‘lying wonders’ which had been done to delude that MOB Camp.[8] All this to say that those who want to hold to a tenet that: ‘EGW had been given all, and the only, light on how Final Events would develop’ are at a (as usual, smugly silent) loss here. Fact is again, she was merely given a “Plan B” Emergency Rescue Plan Scenario. The “Plan A”, Temporal Millennium, Scenario however incorporates all of these Biblical details.
And before the pre-Millennium closing events in the “Plan A” Scenario are more closely examined here for Rev 19:19-21. It is first important to discover/see something about the organizational charting of Revelation.
First of all, as seen in its charting, also below (and charts in this post), there is an “Interlude” Row (#A2) in each Column Section of Revelation. This is because the past movement of God had been corrupted and thus halted, and now God has had to start all over with a Remnant of that former movement. But what the corresponding, further “zooming in”, Verses Charting of Revelation, newly included there, shows is that even these interludes are recursively organized according to the same 1-6 order of their above/precedent halted Series of Seven Development. Meaning that even in this Remnant restart, God has reapplied the same “wise” template of sequence of events as for the prior failed movement; showing indeed that this new movement can fully succeed where the prior one had failed. In fact those Series of Seven Developments/Steps can be generally understood and titled/themed as followed:
1. An Initiating Action/Work/Movement
2. Its Full Reaching Application and the Natural (warring/persecutive) Oppositional Response
3. Actions Taken to Affirm or Dilute Covenantal Conditions
4. Divinely-Inflicted, Allowed and/or Natural Consequences of Covenant Affectations
5. God’s Planned, Reassured or Effectuated Retributive Avenging Actions
6. Reactional (6a), even Spiritual (6b), Evidencing Rallying of Obstinately Unrighteous
7. Finalizing and Resolving Actions and Events
8. Then, in circumstances when a future, prolonged time Era (e.g. Historical to Eschatological (i.e. from 1996)) has had to be allowed, an Eighth Series Segment (e.g., Rev 11:14; 18:20) provided a previewing transition into this Era.
Before seeing how this template applies to Rev 19:19-21, it is key to, succinctly, and recappingly see how it had applied to the preceding events in, the above discussed, Rev 19:11-18.
1. God’s Darkness-ending and Overturning Warring “Lion” Work of Righteousness is launched (Rev 19:11-12 = Rev 6:1-2)
2. It necessarily “occupationally” righteously involves “bloody” results/consequences (Rev 19:13a = Isa 63:1-6)
3. The Light of, and into, God’s Covenant, -Christ and Word, is “characterally” fundamental (Rev 19:13b = John 1:1-5; Luke 6:46-49)
4. Planned Warring Actions from the following “Sixth Army” are stipulated in a Righteousness Conflict (Rev 19:14-16 = Ezek 37; Rev 19:7-8)
5. God’s Planned and Accruing Avenging Acts (Fully) Manifest Themselves (Rev 19:17a = Rev 9:1-12)
6. The Full Spiritual Intents of God’s Actions are Understood (Rev 19:17b-18 = Ezek 38-39)
There of course is no 7th Series development at this point as it is from here that the Warring Opposition Camp of Rev 19:19-21 to these systematic actions of God amass themselves, and endeavor to end these judgements, -which, as clearly understood now, had been going on since the first manifestation of God’s movement in Rev 19:11, as inclusively discussed in (orderly/sequential) detail next.
1. (Rev 19:19) - So the “solution” thought up from the Mark of the Beast Camp, is to rise up and oppose what God’s Movement has been doing. And that is indeed what they have begun to be doing under the Sixth Series’s, first humanistic, the religious/spiritual, developments as seen in Rev 13:11a; 16:12 & then Rev 13:11b-18; 16:13-14. As they perceive that God’s movement is set on ending their unrighteous way of living, they, as typical, basely respond by endeavoring to us Civil, Persecutive Force. Hence this Rev 19:19 call to arms, and assembling (=Rev 17:14a).
You’d think that once God’s “righteous acts” (Rev 15:4b) had been modelled by/through God’s ‘chosen and faithful’ ones (Rev 19:7-8; 14; 17:14b) that all would ‘fear God and give Him glory’ (Rev 15:4a = Rev 14:7), but that is not the case, pointedly across the spectrum of the various leaders in the MOB camp (Rev 11:13). Which is why they are specifically targeted in this judgement, so as to release the deceived people under them (e.g. Ezek 34:17-22ff; EW 36.2). (And it is relatedly most emblematic how “socialism” is deemed a perfect supporting system for most of those leaders religious and political, but they variously insist on futile capitalistic ways for the people under them.)
Rev 19:20 - And the beast was seized, and with him the false prophet who performed the signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image; these two were thrown alive into the lake of fire which burns with brimstone.
2. (Rev 19:20a)
beast was seized - The underwriting “political/country” entity, -which now jointly is a Liberal U.S. Government working with the also political/country entity which is the Holy See, is duly, first “arrested” here.
3. (Rev 19:20b)
false prophet... - This symbol has priorly been widely applied to the United States, and that was indeed applicable in the SOP’s Plan B Scenario. (I.e. the U.S. religiously advocating for the Papacy), but now, in these furthered developments, and under the Plan A application, more specifically involves a now dominant, Spiritualistic Emergent Church Movement.
4. (Rev 19:20c)
performing sign....presence of beast - This movement seems to be the debunkingly perfect substitute for God’s Full Righteousness cause, which performs validating “healing” signs (=Rev 13:13; cf. Matt 16:1-4; John 2:18-19) of humanitarian well-doing, and according to the Roman Catholic Church’s hollow Liberation Theology. Thus here, as presently is the entrenched case in Catholic adherence, that: ‘people can live however sinfully they want’, as the Church and its Theology can, and will provide absolving grace.
5. (Rev 19:20d)
by which... deceived...who had received MOB - This self-defeating theology will now also be applied to this issue of right-doing, and will indeed surely attract most of the world under that unconverted, humanistic banner. (=Rev 13:14a) And that is indeed the distinguishing issue about the (Full) Mark of the Beast, which SDAs also are “religiously” taking. And with this deception having extended to leading these people to believe that those who are not going along with them should, just as the first beast had priorly been doing (Rev 13:7a), be put to death (=Rev 13:14b-15), but this time, things will not be allowed to end up as they priorly had (Rev 13:7b), as God will now avengingly defend his saints and not permit their martyrdom. (Rev 17:14b)
6. (Rev 19:20e)
who worshipped image - The extent of the MOB coalition will indeed be out of a religious devotion. By this effectuation, America will (finally) have its (still mainly Capitalistic) “Christian Nation”, and the Papacy will have its “converted” world under its religious authority.
7. (Rev 19:20f)
two were thrown alive - There is a Seventh Development in this Interluding Sequence, and it here involves this Beast & False Prophet coalition being jointly brought to their end. And this is done before they have died, thus will they (think) to still be full of ‘viable life’. The evidence of their effective and inevitable death will surely be produced afterwards. So as with the arrest and preventive imprisonment of a criminal suspected of a capital crime until his determining trial, this here will be a preventive measure done to Babylon.
lake of fire - While a literal lake burning with fire, stoked by brimstones, is the ready understanding here (and again a Biblical scene/development which is completely absent from the Revelation given to EGW about the Second Coming), there are actually ways, a (a) literal, (b) symbolic or (c) Spiritual, in which this element can be understood, all depending on the Scenario in effect.
(a) literal - This of course is a literal lake of fire, kept alight by brimstones as this goes on to specify next.
(And most pertinently interesting enough in regards to lakes, with its application to, even a literal/physical place for hell’s judgement is that, in nature: ‘all lakes are temporary over geologic time scales, as they will slowly fill in with sediments or spill out of the basin containing them’. So by a corresponding observation on this natural background for Hell, it can likely be understood, as per the actual/full Biblical teaching on Hell, that when/once it has done its intended and purposeful tormenting, and then burning up task, it then will no longer be present. And this is how a passage like Isa 66:24 can begin to also have eschatological application.)
(b) symbolic - This understanding is derived from the symbolic representations of other bodies of “waters” (=“peoples” Rev 17:15; Isa 17:12-13a) , as seen in here. With a “sea” representing political groupings of peoples; and a “river” representing religious groupings, a lake can, from the natural fact that it is a non-flowing, inland body of water which is almost imperceptibly fed and drained by a (small) river or stream (=a very small “river”), thus be interpreted as: ‘a contained, non-flowing, grouping of people were the only inlet or outlet involves some degree of religious implication.’ And this contributes to its Spiritual understanding.
But here, in its symbolic aspect, a lake, being inland and contained, and even capable of being man-made by controllingly trapping water, can be seen as: ‘an imprisoning grouping of people, with imprisonment usually being justified and done from some moral (=religious) reason (= its inlet), and the only way out is through because of truly “corrected” morals. (=its outlet).’ So a “lake” can be understood as “an imprisonment of peoples.”
(c) Spiritual - Not surprising from Biblical symbology that the Spiritual understanding blends aspects of the literal/natural and also symbolic. Succinctly said here, a “lake of fire” thus would involve a place of confinement, based on religious terms, where those confined are “tormented” into confessing the truth.
And so, as it was said in this post at Rev 20:10, the beast and the false prophet had indeed been thrown in this (Spiritual) “Lake of Fire”, -their place of confinement, before the start of the Millennium. And Rev 18:20 which involves a sea (thus political groupings) represents a subsequent final step done to Babylon when, after it has been tortured and tormented into confessing the truth about its utter spuriousness and falsehoods, it will finally been disposed of amongst the nations, no longer being regarded as a viable religio-political way of doing things.
burns with brimstones - This is evidently a representation of warring ordnance, perhaps indicative of the necessity that the tormenting of Babylon will be stoked by every war which its legacy has, and will, initiate. In fact, with that “ordnance” being here instead hurled into this lake, it may also be the absence of war, in contrast to what the rule of Babylon had priorly, perpetually done, (and despite its mindless claim and aim for “peace”(-through, oxymoronly enough, ‘Capitalism’s cut-throat competition’). So the ‘beating of weapons into plowshares’ result of a Babylon-less, but NJK-(over)ruled (Rev 19:15), world (Mic 4:1-4), can indeed be enough to stoke the torment of that perpetually imprisoned ‘Former World Order’, and indeed using those former resources for war and competition to instead utterly destroy the works, influence and legacy of that Babylon, correspondingly rebuilding from its damaging.
And one way in which all of this, -the “preventive, tormenting imprisonment of Babylon”, can tangibly be done in regards to the Plan A Millennium Scenario, is, while it is still smoldering and reeling from its 9/11 II attacks, and ensuing WWIII devastations, to snuff out whatever life, and chance of full recovering, it may still be entertaining, through the natural disaster of a Greatest Tsunami wave (Rev 16:18) which thus completely renders it as a helpless, and effectively Third World Country, which will need several decades, even centuries to recover. In fact, that, first, “Greatest Earthquake” will have reduced most of the upbuildings of these judged First World regions/countries to rubble, and then the ensuing “Greatest Tsunami Wave”, will, as/if it (is allowed to) recedes back into the Seas & Oceans, also carry away most of that loose and strewn rubble, (including anything which is not fastened down such as vehicles), which will end up in the bottom of these waters (=Rev 18:21-24). Thus any rebuilding work of these devastated countries/regions will be severely compounded. Not to mention the added destructive damage that these massive debris flows will have done. (e.g. wiping out bridges & roads, dredgingly eroding great swaths of landscapes, etc). Moreover, if/when the “live and let die” and anti-righteousness system of Economics (=Hab 2:12-13 = Rev 16:19 = Rev 18:21-24) and Development that it had required for/of other Nations and even Third World Countries is now (normatively/“naturally”/necessarily) also imposed upon it despite its present need. (=Rev 18:6-8, 9-19; cf. Hab 2:4-17 = Rev 17:1-2ff) So that should indeed keep Babylon “occupied” for quite a while. An outstanding mountainous national/foreign debt alone is indeed tangible reason enough to prevent contributions from other nations into that suddenly visible, and still bottoming, sinkhole. (=Hab 2:6-8a)
Interestingly enough, through this most cataclysmic arresting and confining judgement means on this lawlessly impeding influence, God then will be fulfilling what He has always intended to do upon this Fallen World, which is to (indirectly) have His glory, and knowledge of/about Him fill the Earth (Num 14:21; Hab 2:14). Yet so severe will this judgement be that people will not believe that it is from God and thus will be attributing all of this merely to man or nature, and thus will “blasphemingly” (=“slanderously”) aim to continue in their prior unrighteous ways (Rev 16:21)....In fact, that “Greatest Earthquake” (Rev 16:18) which can/will produce the ‘’Greatest Tsunami’ Flooding’ (Luke 21:25), may only need to be Spiritually fulfilled through that ‘Great shaking of the (Babylonian) World Powers’ (Heb 13:26-29, EW 41.1-2 = Rev 18) so that, as God has long, and insistently planned: ‘only what is built on Godly Characters of Righteousness can remain’ (Num 14:21; Isa 11:9; Hab 2:14; Rev 18:1). It is only if such righteous and peaceful endeavors to produce this result are met with lawless opposition and even warring violence that God will have to escalate His defending of His Righteous People through, sooner or later (cf. Rev 11:6c), a literalistic effectuation of this “Great Heavens & Earth Shaking”, thus through, on one side, a literal “Greatest Earthquake” which will produce that cataclysmic “Greatest Tsunami Flooding”.
Rev 19:21 - And the rest were killed with the sword which came from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse, and all the birds were filled with their flesh.
the rest - Those which are not the “beast” and “false prophet” leadership entities, thus the general population as a whole, but pointedly those within Mark of the Beast Camp, which by then will in some degree have spread throughout the world. (Rev 13:16)
killed - In a literal/ultimate fulfillment, this would be a literalistic killing. But in a figurative, symbolic and Spiritual application, as also for the Plan A scenario, this will involve the “killing of the reigning (fattened) old/flesh man” [cf. here] (e.g., Rom 8:6, 13; 12:1; 2 Cor 4:11; 1 Pet 3:18).
sword - By the “word of God”. (=Rev 19:13, 15)
mouth of.... - From the righteousness message which had spoken by that warring rider.
him who sat on the horse - It is quite significant to see that all the warring done by this Lamb/Rider is merely through what he speaks and it is rather others, here namely, that lone (“Reza”) angel in Rev 19:17ff (=Rev 9:11), which act to implement and effectuate the massive and far-reaching destructions here!
birds filled with their flesh - Just as God needed to, for health reasons, bury all of the bodies which had been killed in the Flood judgement, and then used the lesser of two evils of a “violent wind” as it also caused great damage to the Earth (PP 107.4), yet thus also greatly slowed down the expected future repeated degeneration of man, the removal of all of the flesh of these (mainly spiritually) killed/dead people would be to prevent them again, and rapidly, devolving into their fleshly ways during this time of the established temporal millennium of God and its Israel of God Kingdom (Rev 11:15-18). So the “flesh” of these dead people is completely removed by these called upon birds to avoid that earth corruption.
Quite telling that this ‘Earth cleansing’ also provides a fattening “feast” for these birds (= “technologies”) which thus involves that the need to rid the Earth of the hazard caused by these slain unrighteous people will serve as beckoning “feed” for those called upon birds. And in a furthering application beyond the 9/11 II events, with the NJK needing to also make use of the many advanced technologies “fleshly” developed by these unrighteous people (i.e. mainly through wasteful, even self-limiting, competitive ways), this ‘death by sword’ of these surviving people will warrant the free “feeding” of any available technologies, thus without the restrictions of patents, copyrights or even trade secrets, and thus their penalties. It will then indeed be a necessary free for all, all in order to deal with the damage and hazard that this Babylonian system has brought upon the world (=Ezek 39:3-5, 17-20ff)
8. (Rev 19:21) - This sword-slaying and bird feasting is actually one which sets up and Eight, thus resetting Era, which is the “Plan A” Millennium Era.
Pointed Two Witnesses/Martyrs Application
Concretely and specifically speaking here, in terms of what prophecy more widely describes will be transpiring then, just like the limited 9/11/01 attacks did not prevent people to soon again engage in the same greed, selfishness and oppressive ways which had actually been the reason for that 9/11 attack in the first place, as most emblematically seen in the Economically-strategic murderous illegal war in Iraq, and most tangibly populacely bolstered by the explicitly approval of the citizenry by the 2004 democratic reelection of George W. Bush, then it would literally now mandate a much more significant “Woe” attack, and with much greater economic and militaristic consequences to dissuade people to (quickly) resume living according to their base nature and flesh.
So this assembly of all the midheaven birds will indeed produce this dissuading effect on its target, indeed with this “9/12 attack” literally bringing Babylon and its Spiritualism psyche/spirit down to its knees!! (Isa 45:18-25)....as well as, inclusively, just priorly: SDA’s (=Ezek 9|18MR 236.2*; cf. S04E09)...
* Many, i.e., amongsts SDAs have dismissively ignored this EGW statement in 18MR 236.2 that: ‘Ezekiel 9 will be fulfilled literally’. Most commonly expect that there will be persecutive killing of faithful people, but here the converse is actually being prophetically planned, in that it will be the unfaithful one’s in God’s Judah who will “literally” be put to death upon their failing in these sealing and shaking events. Well the 9/11II events do provide the perfect context for God to inclusively, and also specially, effectuate this ‘literally, wholesale/indiscriminate killing judgement (Ezek 9:5-6) on the MOB test failing camp (cf. GC 656.2), -of which SDAs then will be at least “in the hand” participants (Rev 13:16-17), pointedly its ring leaders. (=Rev 11:13) because, just as it is God’s Own Angels who lead out in the judgements then destructions during the blowing of the (Eschatological) 7 Trumpets and the pouring out of the vials of the 7 Plagues, it likewise is 5+1 individuals commissioned by God, 5 men led by 1 ‘incarnated, priestly, sealing “angel of death”’ who effectuate this destruction, each according to their own method of warring. And during their permitted wielding of these battle implements, God allows for the leaders in this MOB apostasy to be slaughtered. It is not for a slight reason that this Ezek 9 effectuation on the MOB is closely linked to the finality of the Second Coming judgement (see GC 654.1-656.3), for in its typological effectuation, it will likewise usher in the here discussed “Typological Second Coming” event as God will now have worked to remove all those, whether in the secular world, the wider Christian Church, and the SDA Denomination who have joined forces to oppose God’s True/Full Righteousness cause. God indeed has a quite copious precedenting history of effectuating such fitting house cleansings when men are lawlessly acting to oppose his faithful ones. The prime, and typologically related, event is the “deliverance” and ‘captivity turning/ending’ of His People from the power of Egypt. There, His final nail in (for-this-purpose-hardened (Exod 4:21-23; 11:9-10)) Egypt’s coffin, was the targeted, judiciously retributive, slaying of all of its firstborns, (who likewise were not sealed/under the mark of deliverance -Exod 11:4-8). In the same way, with the murderously-selfish MOB camp having been causing the death of millions upon millions of people, including through abortions, God will now be justly exacting these murders on them. And so He will have commissioned His Angel of Death to do this task, which will be done by summoning and authorizing various Earthly Belligerents to do use the various weaponry they have at hand, -which can range from: terrorist tactics (=1st Trumpet and Plague); to conventional ordnance wars (2nd); to gang violence, militia uprisings, mass/mob rioting (3rd & 4th); to thermonuclear devices (5th); and do this “apocalyptic” slaying. (GC 656.3). As indeed seen in the Bible, a lone Angel (Isa 37:36), or band of angels (Psa 78:49-5) of Death from God can of themselves do such destruction, but here, in the Ezek 9 fulfillment, God will evidently allow this to be done through various human warring instrumentalities, all to surfacely not make it seem that all of this has been the judgement of God...-precursorily just like most people today, including amongsts blind SDAs have not seen that the Sept 11, 2001 events were God’s (moreover long-prophesied) Judgement!!
* Many, i.e., amongsts SDAs have dismissively ignored this EGW statement in 18MR 236.2 that: ‘Ezekiel 9 will be fulfilled literally’. Most commonly expect that there will be persecutive killing of faithful people, but here the converse is actually being prophetically planned, in that it will be the unfaithful one’s in God’s Judah who will “literally” be put to death upon their failing in these sealing and shaking events. Well the 9/11II events do provide the perfect context for God to inclusively, and also specially, effectuate this ‘literally, wholesale/indiscriminate killing judgement (Ezek 9:5-6) on the MOB test failing camp (cf. GC 656.2), -of which SDAs then will be at least “in the hand” participants (Rev 13:16-17), pointedly its ring leaders. (=Rev 11:13) because, just as it is God’s Own Angels who lead out in the judgements then destructions during the blowing of the (Eschatological) 7 Trumpets and the pouring out of the vials of the 7 Plagues, it likewise is 5+1 individuals commissioned by God, 5 men led by 1 ‘incarnated, priestly, sealing “angel of death”’ who effectuate this destruction, each according to their own method of warring. And during their permitted wielding of these battle implements, God allows for the leaders in this MOB apostasy to be slaughtered. It is not for a slight reason that this Ezek 9 effectuation on the MOB is closely linked to the finality of the Second Coming judgement (see GC 654.1-656.3), for in its typological effectuation, it will likewise usher in the here discussed “Typological Second Coming” event as God will now have worked to remove all those, whether in the secular world, the wider Christian Church, and the SDA Denomination who have joined forces to oppose God’s True/Full Righteousness cause. God indeed has a quite copious precedenting history of effectuating such fitting house cleansings when men are lawlessly acting to oppose his faithful ones. The prime, and typologically related, event is the “deliverance” and ‘captivity turning/ending’ of His People from the power of Egypt. There, His final nail in (for-this-purpose-hardened (Exod 4:21-23; 11:9-10)) Egypt’s coffin, was the targeted, judiciously retributive, slaying of all of its firstborns, (who likewise were not sealed/under the mark of deliverance -Exod 11:4-8). In the same way, with the murderously-selfish MOB camp having been causing the death of millions upon millions of people, including through abortions, God will now be justly exacting these murders on them. And so He will have commissioned His Angel of Death to do this task, which will be done by summoning and authorizing various Earthly Belligerents to do use the various weaponry they have at hand, -which can range from: terrorist tactics (=1st Trumpet and Plague); to conventional ordnance wars (2nd); to gang violence, militia uprisings, mass/mob rioting (3rd & 4th); to thermonuclear devices (5th); and do this “apocalyptic” slaying. (GC 656.3). As indeed seen in the Bible, a lone Angel (Isa 37:36), or band of angels (Psa 78:49-5) of Death from God can of themselves do such destruction, but here, in the Ezek 9 fulfillment, God will evidently allow this to be done through various human warring instrumentalities, all to surfacely not make it seem that all of this has been the judgement of God...-precursorily just like most people today, including amongsts blind SDAs have not seen that the Sept 11, 2001 events were God’s (moreover long-prophesied) Judgement!!
....And then...the prophetically related, also “Second Comingly typological”, ‘wrathful, ripe grapes reaping [cf. Hos 8:7] & wine-pressing (=Isa 63:1-6)’ developments signifiedly encrypted in Rev 14:17-20 will, as dramatically depicted in S04E11ff, indeed be fulfilled in these geo-judgement of God on Babylon quasi-forcedly reacting in its typical: “Bipolar.Affected.Disorder” (=S05E01-E08) tantrum surely, i.e., (Four Winds further loosened) resulting in: “Self.Assured.Destructive” (=S05E09-E17) responses/consequences, all due to the ‘pressed blood from that winepressing having reach that (albeit ‘drowningly grounded’) ‘“angry horse”’s (=20MR 216.6; -discussed here) (“entirely-controlling” (James 3:3)) bridle’ (2 Kgs 19:28|Isa 37:29; Isa 30:27-28)....but of course in all places (=Isa 24; 9T 29.1), figuratively and also tangibly, ‘except (i.e., beyond/“from”) the NJK’s prospective (=S07E01ff) HC’s territories’ own ca. 200 (equivalent) miles (~“1600 (Babylonia-Persian) stadia”) Territorial+Exclusive Economic Zones’ (=Rev 14:20)!!![9]
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Rev 22:17 The Spirit and the bride say, "Come." And let the one who hears say, "Come." And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who wishes take the water of life without cost.
The Spirit - The still small voice of Gods Spirit (1 Kgs 19:11-12; Zech 4:6)
the bride - The Holy City (Rev 21:2, 9-11) + its elect 144,000 (Rev 19:7-9) = NJK-HC’s ‘Righteous-Acting’ Founding Leadership.
Indeed clarifying what EGW had, somewhat seemingly vacuously, but specially emphatically, stated, most likely out of direct revelation, in GC 426.2 that: “If guests, they cannot be represented also as the bride [=Holy CIty/New Jerusalem].” Well, succinctly stated here, that statement is indeed, and presently most fully, fulfilled, in these 144,000 leading ones, who thus constitute this “HC/NJ bride”, and have already gone forth to Christ’s Heaven-mirroring Church Entity on this earth (=Matt 6:10) in order to prepare themselves as this Holy City/New Jerusalem (=the NJK-HC). (Rev 19:7-8). And these preliminary preparations having been down, others will be given ‘special invitations’ to its Marriage Supper, all merely based on them having a similar, “fitting”, righteous acts. (Rev 19:9) = (Matt 22:8-10) and then, those who in the “light” of these Righteous Acts will insist on also practicing evil, will then be subsequently cut off (Matt 22:11-14; Rev 15:4-8; 21:8) and only the truly “good/righteous” will remain, having also put on their NJ-HC ‘righteousness-occupation robes’....Add it is this, now kingdom army, which will then assist in the effectuating of the Rev 19:14ff “Typological Second Coming”, plaguing, warring-judgement. (=EW 270.4-271.2; PK 725.1-3ff)...See the expounding on this pivotal, prophetic “marriage supper” theme and event in this dedicated post on Matt 25.
And let the one who hears - Reciprocally, all those (in the Seven types of Christian Churches; =Rev 2:7, 11, 17, 29; 3:6, 13, 22) who have heard that invitation should naturally, duly re-echo (verbatim) it to others who have not yet heard.
And let the one who is thirsty - Anyone in (vital) need of the righteousness and righteous ways of God (Matt 5:6)
the one who wishes take the water of life without cost - An open invitation to anyone out there. (Isa 55:1-13; Rev 7:17; 21:6; 22:1-2 = Ezek 47:1-12)
Notes
[1] There indeed is no idle word in the carefully crafted and indicative (= “signified” - Rev 1:3, that is if one knows/searches out their Bible) prophecy packaging which is the book of Revelation. (cf. Isa 55:10-11).
[2] Some may here instead choose to claim that Rev 19:1-10 should be uninterruptedly appended to the charted (see also below in Note #6) “Fall of Babylon” end section of Rev 18:21-24 and represents the resulting, and now in heaven, celebration of the saints, at indeed the post Second Coming “Marriage Supper of the Lamb” event. Succinctly said, that is actually also an acceptable way of charting, and thus reading things here, however merely under the SDA Plan B scenario. And that is because the various arguments and understandings which, as the SDA DARCOM series did/does, see Rev 19:1-10 rather as introduction scene segment (formally/technically termed by DARCOM as another: “Victorious Introduction Scene with Temple Setting” for Rev 19:11-20:15's charted-columned segment of Revelation are just as acceptable, pointedly under the Plan A Scenario. The observational fact is that God has manifestly intended for this, as well as all of the other introductory scenes,* to indeed be ambivalent, meaning that, depending on how things actually pan out, they can either be a culminating scene (=Plan B) or a heavenly introductory/preparatory one (=Plan A).
[3] As Heb 7:3 clearly says that Melchizedek had ‘no father, mother or genealogy, etc, but was made like the Son of God’ (e.g., a virgin birth(?)), then he surely was not, as per a traditional Rabbinical/Jewish claim, (which Paul himself was probably here allusively, pointedly refuting), a 465 year old Shem meeting with a 75 year old Abraham. He thus was more likely somewhat according to the ‘wisdom-validated’ (16MR 34.3; cf. Dan 12:3, 10) claims made in the Apocryphal work of Second Enoch/the Exaltation of Melchizedek which says (see text here) that:
* Though this segment seems quite fantasaical and thus highly unlikely, it probably was the truthful case given that, the textual account actually relates that no one was actually in the house/room when the child was born to an already dead mother, [and as a non-miraculous comparison, modern medicine today can successfully birth a baby from a mother who is only artificially kept alive], as Noah and his brother Nir had left the room to dig her grave, it may be that during their absence the child was birth, by angels, through such ‘life-assistive miracle’ and was then miraculously/super-naturally caused to quickly grow up into the physical and developmental stature and psyche of an older child, [which is probably how Creation (except [perhaps(?)] for Adam and Eve), came to “time-lapsedly” be about: i.e., e.g., from a seed to a full mature, even ring-aged, tree within 24 hours], and then was clothed, and the badge of the priesthood placed on him.
[4] And, but most succinctly, summarily said here [at least for now], from a subsequent, recent discovery: the “(king[s](-dom of {Jeru}-Salem) & priests [Gen 14:18|Heb 7:1]) Melchizedek Mission (cf. Rev 5:9-10; Psa 110:5-7)” prophetic possibility/scenario here actually Spiritually harmonizes perfectly (cf. 16MR 34.3) with a prior Apocalyptic planning by God as extantly seen in the Dead Sea Scroll “Melchizedek Document” (a.k.a. 11Q13, also 11QMelch; -See full (surviving) text, translation and commentary here and here). It is interesting how Jesus may have sought to fulfill the several stipulations made therein. (cf. Psa 110:4). There are indeed many similar themes & stipulations which are now manifest in the Christlike mission of the (Apocalyptic) Two Witnesses (e.g., Rev 11:8b, 11-12).
[5] And yet, not so non-literally in now this “Plan A” wave of fulfillment, with, as seen in OT Zionistic\Jubilee prophetic/eschatological passages such Jer 4:23-28ff; Isa 24, 65:17-25; 66:22-24; Ezek 36:33-36 (cf. Joel 2:3) which were repackaged along similar developments for the New Covenant Israel Era (Rev 21), with the NJK Project and its Holy Cities being “typologically” Biblically set out to fulfill pertinent prophecies (e.g. Dan 11:45 -discussed here), and with: (a) all of its Global Kingdom habitations being floating cities located in the Oceans (cf. here) of the world (=Bible times/known “Seas”; (b) there being reasonable space in those waters area for, significantly enough, ca. 144,000 of these floating Holy Cities, representing a 97.25% filled in capacity, and which would result in an average spacing between these cities of ca. 4,385 feet, thus a separation which could be easily ferried and/or physically bridged, (e.g., by comparison NYC’s GW Bridge is 4,760ft long), and thus also meaning that one could then travel to most parts of the globe without ever touching a body of (ocean) water; -thus fulfilling the “no more Sea” element of Rev 21:1a; and (c) the destructions spoken of a Christ’s Glorious Second Coming being pointedly focused on the land (=man inhabited & built up) areas of the world (e.g. 2 Pet 3:10, 12; Jer 4:23; Isa 24:1), and with each HC having various “lighting” technologies which, along with Goshen-miracle (Exod 10:22-23) type of Supernatural interventions (cf. Rev 22:5), the NJK’s (righteousness-maintaining (cf. 2 Pet 3:13)) Holy Cities could then, (akin to Noah’s Ark which also required Supernatural assistance (PP 100.1)), be cap-able of surviving the destructions which Jesus will bring about at His (then Post-“Plan A”-Millennium) Glorious Appearing (cf. Matt 25:31-33, 46 = Rev 20:7, 11ff). And it is thus that the NJK’s HCs would also (even literalistically) fulfill the prophetic stipulations in Dan 2:44!! -(See more this in the Dan 2 dedicated post)
[6] As an illustration, if most countries in the world, even e.g., Canada, “declared” (invasive/total) war on Russia over some heated dispute, the most likely Russian response would be: “yeah you and what army?!!”...But if China (full video), or especially the United States, did so, indeed even by mere declarative insinuation of the use of military force, then the Russian, -then “reaction”, would instead be: to place all its military forces on their highest defensive, (if not also (pre-emptive) offensive), readiness condition (aka. DEF/RED-CON)...So if, most pertinently here, “the word of God” says that something will happen...Oh, it (defaulty) surely will happen!!! (Ezek 12:21-28 = 1888 1303.1b; cf. Exod 9:18-21, 22-25; Job 38:22-23); and it also is not beyond the realm of Divine Authority for His Prophets, pointedly acting according to His Expressed Word, themselves precisely stipulate and initiate what should then take place. (E.g “Elijah” PK 119.1-120.1 =>> Mal 4:4-6 =>> Isa 24:5-6).
[7] The following charting of that dramatized depictions and its “7+1 (tiered) Seasons” Main sections, -(which is just like the entire Great Controversy book being (naturally) “(Historicistly) templated” by EGW on the Seven Trumpets), substantiates the: ‘Reversed Spiritual, Eschatological & (now) Alternative, unfolding of the Second Half of Revelation (=Rev 11:19-20:15):
Note: The (first half) non-primed sections (i.e., A, B, C, A1) are correspondingly diametrically substituted for in/by pertinent judgements/fulfillings in their (second half) primed sections (i.e., A’, B’, C’, A1').
[8] And evidently the best rationalization that Stephen Bohr could make for this ‘EGW-prophetic lacuna’ is the grossly unsatisfactory, indeed at best merely conflatingly dissonant, (=Isa 29:7-12) one here [01:30:00-01:30:41] from LDE 131.5 (= 7T 182.2) which states that: “under one head--the papal power--the people will unite to oppose God in the person of His witnesses. This union is cemented by the great apostate”, but that statement is generally making allusion to the Final Confederacy, and not this warring against an appearing Christ. And it also contradicts Bohr on prior fundamental claim in that sermon [see at 44:07ff] that ‘from the Fifth Plague on, the wicked no longer even seek to attack God’s people, but instead just fight amongst themselves, a claim which was actually easily debunked by the very passage which he was preaching on (Rev 16:14, 16) combined with now his dissonantly claim that ‘the Rev 19:19 confrontation is actually instead done against God’s People’. Which would also most problematically implicate for him that “the armies which are in heaven” in Rev 19:11, 19 are not actually angels, but saints which were already there (as per Rev 19:7-9). The “Plan A” Scenario has absolutely no problem with that EGW statements, as already discussed, it sees God’s faithful martyred ones as being that “heavenly army”, as depicted in Rev 11 as the (ultimately capable of literalistically being) killed, risen, ascended, and here/then, returning Two “Witnesses” types of God (= Church+Kingdom Testimony = the 144,000 Leadership (=Rev 14:1-5) & their (Sixth) Army).
Additionally, relatedly also erroneous in Bohr’s sermon is his claim that Rev 16:15 pointedly refers to Laodicea. It rather pointedly refers, indeed also verbatimly so (see esp. Rev 3:2-4 = 6 common terms), to the Fifth Church Era. This, Historically and Eschatologically represents the group of serious Christians who had/have stopped just short in their Reformations prior to coming to engage the, actually by now, symbolically enough, 7, arguably even 8, but not only the SDA Church’s 5, distinctive Truths of God’s “Fully” Sealing (Rev 3:12 -see here), Prophetically Advancing (=15MR 292.2-4) Triumphant Remnant Church Zion, namely: the Truths about the: Sabbath; State of Dead; Sanctuary; SOP I+II; Second Coming; [Biblical] Socialism; Shaking (see EW 269-273), as properly viewed through the Latter Rain’s Prism! For this is indeed the Church grouping which is most susceptible to be deceivedly swept into the, also supernaturally, most deceptive and ‘Global trialing’ (Rev 3:10) Six Era Developments. In fact, as with the long decreed doom of Jerusalem, the probation of pointedly the (corporate = leadership) SDA Church itself had long irreversibly, conversely fallen, during their Shaking (=LDE 222.1 = LDE 219.4 = EW 269.1-270.3), before the effectuation of the First (Eschatological -LDE 238.1) Trumpet (Rev 8:4-6, 7). =9/11 II The First Plague is the end of Probation for the Religious Mark of the Beast Camp (as explained here: under a “Sabbatically fuller” Rev 13 “Image of the Beast” Test, pointedly-effectuated upon SDAs), and then a Final Closing of Probation on the Babylonian World takes place just before the outpouring of the Seventh Plague (Rev 16:17ff).
[9] Summarily relatedly, in this prophecy presentation, at 48:09-48:32, Daniel Mesa makes the intriguing (somewhat arguable) technical observation that the blessings cited for each of the 7 Churches in Rev 2&3 actually incrementally match the sequencing number of that Church. I.e., the First Church has 1 blessing, Second = 2; Third = 3, etc. Only the Seventh Church, Laodicea, breaks that incremental matching pattern by having only 3 blessings.* But the Spiritually manifest, actual, reason & point for this would be that:
% “Oddly” enough, at 35:45ff, Daniel Mesa, clearly defensively, vacuously states, just prior to giving his own understood reason why Laodicea only has 3 promises, that: ‘if there is more, or otherwise, to learn and know about that detail, then God will surely show this to him in Heaven’...Well of course God will, but that is besides the point, for God has given such (encrypted) revelations so that they can beneficially now be learned and known by (righteous) people, so that they will not be deceived (Dan 12:3-4, 10)...And as Spiritual and Biblical indications show, as present in this blog’s exposition here, that this was done to duly, deservingly link Laodicea back to the Comprising/Comprised, thus Fallen and False, Church that it has chosen to become, and preferred to “non-(and that “zealously”-repentantly” remain (Rev 3:1b), then not, through righteousness, having placed oneself in a position (1SM 25.4) to ‘perceive and understand that provided, guiding, prophetic detail’, will, pointedly for those who could, and should have known better, just be making any ‘post-Second Coming explanation of that fact, a harrowing confirmation of God’s rejection. It is one thing “to sincerely not know’, but it is another thing to ‘pridefully/smugly reject Biblical light and “camp around one’s understanding’ (not coincidentally a similar preference which halted and perverted the Reformation). The controlling fact here is that, like the First Century Jews of old, saying anything against their God-ignoring and idolicized Church Organization, will lead them to, as here, wilfully, “duncely/moronically” , smugly “stick their heads in the sand.” (=Isa 29:9-16)...
@ It is “naturally” (1 Cor 2:6-16) easy to glibly under-appreciate {expressedly/explicitly/deliberatively contra. here[17:27-1926ff] by Francis Chan} the full meaning of what is being promised here in Rev 3:21 by Jesus Christ. Indeed, circularly based on a patent Laodiceanly smug assumption that many, even millions, from Laodicea will “overcome” here, then Jesus is at the very least merely figuratively speaking here, in the sense that He will not be having a throne which will seat, e.g., 1 million other people, for indeed, just comparing this promise with the one He made to His disciples in Matt 19:27-28 and Luke 22:28-30, Jesus is not here promising to provide additional thrones for each of those overcoming in Laodicea, but to actually have them seated right next to Him on that very same “glorious throne” (Matt 19:28a; 25:31). And to make that promise’s point unambiguously clear, Jesus qualifies that it will be identically carried out, just as it was done with Him and His Father, when He, after having overcome in His, likewise GC Most-Pivotal, Mission, was given that right to also sit on His Father’s own throne, at the “right hand of power” (Matt 26:64 (cf. Rev 14:14-16); Rev 5:5-7; Psa 110:1ff (cf. Psa 118:16)).
[1] There indeed is no idle word in the carefully crafted and indicative (= “signified” - Rev 1:3, that is if one knows/searches out their Bible) prophecy packaging which is the book of Revelation. (cf. Isa 55:10-11).
[2] Some may here instead choose to claim that Rev 19:1-10 should be uninterruptedly appended to the charted (see also below in Note #6) “Fall of Babylon” end section of Rev 18:21-24 and represents the resulting, and now in heaven, celebration of the saints, at indeed the post Second Coming “Marriage Supper of the Lamb” event. Succinctly said, that is actually also an acceptable way of charting, and thus reading things here, however merely under the SDA Plan B scenario. And that is because the various arguments and understandings which, as the SDA DARCOM series did/does, see Rev 19:1-10 rather as introduction scene segment (formally/technically termed by DARCOM as another: “Victorious Introduction Scene with Temple Setting” for Rev 19:11-20:15's charted-columned segment of Revelation are just as acceptable, pointedly under the Plan A Scenario. The observational fact is that God has manifestly intended for this, as well as all of the other introductory scenes,* to indeed be ambivalent, meaning that, depending on how things actually pan out, they can either be a culminating scene (=Plan B) or a heavenly introductory/preparatory one (=Plan A).
So in all of these “introduction or culmination” prophetic sections there are elements which support either understandings, and when one Scenario was potentially in effect, then its elements are literalistically applied/understood while the other Plan’s elements are then instead spiritually viewed, (and vice versa).
And exegetically, John begins this section with his patent and specific phrase: (lit.) “After these (things)”. This is typically used to introduce a whole new visionary section (Rev 4:1; 7:1; Rev 18:1) and therefore does not speak to the uninterrupted continuance of what was being showed before, but instead to a marked demarcation. And even when that phrase is used in a clearly intermediate context (namely: Rev 7:9; 9:12; 15:5; 20:3), it still is seen, or through prophetic interpretive understandings, is perceived to involve a considerable passing of time, thus also implicating a significant passing of time. So that phrase most basically does involved a sort of gaping intermission, either thematically and/or temporally. For Rev 19:1, under the SDA Plan B scenario, it would be strictly a temporal one, but under the Plan A scenario, it would mark a (typological) shift of the theme, literally “interruptingly” taking it away from the seemingly natural culminating theme, to instead a Plan A introductory one.
Therefore, for Rev 19:1-10, which is now to be viewed through the Plan A prism, the voices of/like a great multitude that John “hears” (Rev 19:1, 6-7), but, (unlike the 24 elders (Rev 19:4), does not actually see, are then just mere anticipatory representation of those who will later actually be there; -and really, those who are expected to be there. As this multitude had been “seen” by John in Rev 7:9-10, thus concretizing that they had indeed been raised, then the main (Plan A) emphasis for that great multitude in Rev 19:1-10's depiction is that it then is still something that has to be concretely determined. Meanwhile however, and conversely so, the saints who they speak about in Rev 19:6-8 as being the “bride of the Lamb”, are indeed the distinct group of the leading 144,000 of Rev 7:4-8, who spearheadingly serve to produce that Great Multitude (Rev 7:9ff), and as shown in the SOP, that 144,000 group are indeed privileged to, by special invitation, enter the Temple and take part in that Marriage of the Lamb Supper. (EW 18.2-19.1a). It is actually only subsequent to that, that those in the ‘distinct’ (see GC 665.2) Great Multitude grouping are graciously, due to their emulating ordealing, yet still surprising to one of the elders, given the same privilege and opportunity to serve. (Rev 7:13-17).
* Namely:
-Rev 4:1-5:14 should have been (only) been the Lamb’s Enthronement following a victory by the 7th Church, instead of devolving into a crisis for historical continuance,
-Rev 8:2-6 should have pointedly solely been punctuating Sanctuary wrapping up actions when the world probation was closed upon the throwing down of the censer
-Rev 11:19 also involves the closing of “ignorance” probation as God’s Covenantal Law is then finally made clearly/fully known
-Rev 15:1-16:1 should be the gathering and celebrating of the saints in heaven after God has rescued them from the world. (And in the Plan A scenario which was actually also, but concealedly, incorporated in EGW’s revelations, it is actually only the 144,000 who stand on that Sea of Glass (EW 16.2), i.e., before they are later joined by the Great Multitude which is still to also, but later, come out of Babylon before their probation is closed.)
-Rev 17:1-3a should indeed have been a depiction of the judgement of Babylon, instead of also serving as its (sequentially first) identifying introduction.
-Rev 21:1-10a similarly this segment depicts the culminative “New Heaven and New Earth” however, and completely antithetical to the SDA Plan B revelation, just a little later in Rev 21:22-27, that restored Earth is couched in depictions which involve a present (fallen) age, temporal existence.
[3] As Heb 7:3 clearly says that Melchizedek had ‘no father, mother or genealogy, etc, but was made like the Son of God’ (e.g., a virgin birth(?)), then he surely was not, as per a traditional Rabbinical/Jewish claim, (which Paul himself was probably here allusively, pointedly refuting), a 465 year old Shem meeting with a 75 year old Abraham. He thus was more likely somewhat according to the ‘wisdom-validated’ (16MR 34.3; cf. Dan 12:3, 10) claims made in the Apocryphal work of Second Enoch/the Exaltation of Melchizedek which says (see text here) that:
‘Melchizedek was born of a virgin [actually, more accurately: ‘asexually’ to a married, but lifelong sterile/barren, and now old/menopaused, woman], Sofonim (or Sopanima), the wife of Nir, a brother of Noah. The child came out from his mother after she had died and sat on the bed beside her corpse, already physically developed, clothed, speaking and blessing the Lord, and marked with the badge of priesthood.* Forty days later, Melchizedek was taken by the archangel Gabriel (Michael in some manuscripts) to the Garden of Eden and was thus preserved from the Deluge without having to be in Noah's Ark.’ [cf. 1SP 61.1; -i.e., He would have been inside the Garden when it was taken up shortly before the flood. Indeed, SOP-corroboratingly, notice how this, nor no, Apocryphal account does not explain how come the Garden of Eden is no longer still on Earth as that ‘preserved refuge’. Furthermore, from the Bible’s own clues, it manifestly is the same “Tree of Life” for this planet which is mentioned in Rev 22:2, 14, 19 which is eventually to come back down on this Earth within the New Jerusalem (Rev 21:2ff). So it is indeed quite understandable that at some point, -and logically before the Flood’s worldwide destruction (indeed no one claims to have seen it after the Flood even when always knowing its exact location (Gen 2:8, 10-14; -cf. here)), that Tree, and its containing Garden of Eden, were taken up to Heaven, -to be retrofitted into this Holy City. (Indeed why unnecessarily re-expend Divine (Creative) energy, -(versus mere: (natural) cloud (Acts 1:9; Dan 7:13; Matt 24:30; Rev 14:14; EW 16.2a; cf. Isa 19:1; Psa 104:3 (EW 54.2a)), and/or angelic, lifting/displacing energy), into recreating that Garden)]
* Though this segment seems quite fantasaical and thus highly unlikely, it probably was the truthful case given that, the textual account actually relates that no one was actually in the house/room when the child was born to an already dead mother, [and as a non-miraculous comparison, modern medicine today can successfully birth a baby from a mother who is only artificially kept alive], as Noah and his brother Nir had left the room to dig her grave, it may be that during their absence the child was birth, by angels, through such ‘life-assistive miracle’ and was then miraculously/super-naturally caused to quickly grow up into the physical and developmental stature and psyche of an older child, [which is probably how Creation (except [perhaps(?)] for Adam and Eve), came to “time-lapsedly” be about: i.e., e.g., from a seed to a full mature, even ring-aged, tree within 24 hours], and then was clothed, and the badge of the priesthood placed on him.
[4] And, but most succinctly, summarily said here [at least for now], from a subsequent, recent discovery: the “(king[s](-dom of {Jeru}-Salem) & priests [Gen 14:18|Heb 7:1]) Melchizedek Mission (cf. Rev 5:9-10; Psa 110:5-7)” prophetic possibility/scenario here actually Spiritually harmonizes perfectly (cf. 16MR 34.3) with a prior Apocalyptic planning by God as extantly seen in the Dead Sea Scroll “Melchizedek Document” (a.k.a. 11Q13, also 11QMelch; -See full (surviving) text, translation and commentary here and here). It is interesting how Jesus may have sought to fulfill the several stipulations made therein. (cf. Psa 110:4). There are indeed many similar themes & stipulations which are now manifest in the Christlike mission of the (Apocalyptic) Two Witnesses (e.g., Rev 11:8b, 11-12).
[5] And yet, not so non-literally in now this “Plan A” wave of fulfillment, with, as seen in OT Zionistic\Jubilee prophetic/eschatological passages such Jer 4:23-28ff; Isa 24, 65:17-25; 66:22-24; Ezek 36:33-36 (cf. Joel 2:3) which were repackaged along similar developments for the New Covenant Israel Era (Rev 21), with the NJK Project and its Holy Cities being “typologically” Biblically set out to fulfill pertinent prophecies (e.g. Dan 11:45 -discussed here), and with: (a) all of its Global Kingdom habitations being floating cities located in the Oceans (cf. here) of the world (=Bible times/known “Seas”; (b) there being reasonable space in those waters area for, significantly enough, ca. 144,000 of these floating Holy Cities, representing a 97.25% filled in capacity, and which would result in an average spacing between these cities of ca. 4,385 feet, thus a separation which could be easily ferried and/or physically bridged, (e.g., by comparison NYC’s GW Bridge is 4,760ft long), and thus also meaning that one could then travel to most parts of the globe without ever touching a body of (ocean) water; -thus fulfilling the “no more Sea” element of Rev 21:1a; and (c) the destructions spoken of a Christ’s Glorious Second Coming being pointedly focused on the land (=man inhabited & built up) areas of the world (e.g. 2 Pet 3:10, 12; Jer 4:23; Isa 24:1), and with each HC having various “lighting” technologies which, along with Goshen-miracle (Exod 10:22-23) type of Supernatural interventions (cf. Rev 22:5), the NJK’s (righteousness-maintaining (cf. 2 Pet 3:13)) Holy Cities could then, (akin to Noah’s Ark which also required Supernatural assistance (PP 100.1)), be cap-able of surviving the destructions which Jesus will bring about at His (then Post-“Plan A”-Millennium) Glorious Appearing (cf. Matt 25:31-33, 46 = Rev 20:7, 11ff). And it is thus that the NJK’s HCs would also (even literalistically) fulfill the prophetic stipulations in Dan 2:44!! -(See more this in the Dan 2 dedicated post)
There of course will then need to be much improvements made in the constructions done for this NJK’s habitation, despite the NJK planning to make use of advanced materials, but God then will have provided the Heavenly New Jerusalem city residences for the redeemed, and so the Holy Cities would merely be their country homes. And then in the renewed land portions of the Earth, God could there upon have the redeemed dead of all the ages live and built up their own homes. Significantly enough, as discussed here, it manifestly will take a while for people to, through the Tree of Life’s ‘leaves healing provision’ (Rev 22:2), grow into the full, Adam-like stature of ca. 15-20 feet, which they were originally suppose to all have. So these NJK HC homes built by and for people of heights around 6-7 feet could fitting-wise, last a while before they need to be rebuilt due to physical outgrowing. (And, even in the perfect World to come, it is manifest that God will, as was His initial intent, leave much of the upbuilding on this planet to the learned skills and artistry of humans.) But on the other hand, the redeemed from close to post-Fall times which will have been raised in that same (relatively) great(er) heights will then here build fitting customized (“country”) homes for themselves.
-Quite justly fitting that SDA’s, who have preferred to (worshipfully), expediently follow after the (Mark of the Beast) “idol image” (=Isa 42:17 ; Rev 13:14-17) will be among the (Capitalist) heathens of the world which will, as parabolically depicted here, then have no such additional “Spiritual/Biblical/Prophetic Light & Understanding” in regards to what to “righteously advancingly” do then (=Matt 25:1-13; Isa 60:1-2ff; Dan 12:3, 10) as time seamlessly is needfully prolonged into that Temporal Jubilee Millennium Era. (15MR 292.3-4). Indeed they will, as now, keep glibly, adamanatly, hanging on to the, by now long suspended & superceded, EGW-SOP Emergency-rescue “Plan B”, -(at best “Secondary”(=High School Level) vs. the NJK’s “Tertiary” (=University/Graduate ((truly/properly/fully) working) Level)), scenario and understandings, with them indeed not being able to make any further(ing) light into what Bible Prophecy fully has to say about End-Time events. (=Isa 29:9-14ff).
-Quite justly fitting that SDA’s, who have preferred to (worshipfully), expediently follow after the (Mark of the Beast) “idol image” (=Isa 42:17 ; Rev 13:14-17) will be among the (Capitalist) heathens of the world which will, as parabolically depicted here, then have no such additional “Spiritual/Biblical/Prophetic Light & Understanding” in regards to what to “righteously advancingly” do then (=Matt 25:1-13; Isa 60:1-2ff; Dan 12:3, 10) as time seamlessly is needfully prolonged into that Temporal Jubilee Millennium Era. (15MR 292.3-4). Indeed they will, as now, keep glibly, adamanatly, hanging on to the, by now long suspended & superceded, EGW-SOP Emergency-rescue “Plan B”, -(at best “Secondary”(=High School Level) vs. the NJK’s “Tertiary” (=University/Graduate ((truly/properly/fully) working) Level)), scenario and understandings, with them indeed not being able to make any further(ing) light into what Bible Prophecy fully has to say about End-Time events. (=Isa 29:9-14ff).
[6] As an illustration, if most countries in the world, even e.g., Canada, “declared” (invasive/total) war on Russia over some heated dispute, the most likely Russian response would be: “yeah you and what army?!!”...But if China (full video), or especially the United States, did so, indeed even by mere declarative insinuation of the use of military force, then the Russian, -then “reaction”, would instead be: to place all its military forces on their highest defensive, (if not also (pre-emptive) offensive), readiness condition (aka. DEF/RED-CON)...So if, most pertinently here, “the word of God” says that something will happen...Oh, it (defaulty) surely will happen!!! (Ezek 12:21-28 = 1888 1303.1b; cf. Exod 9:18-21, 22-25; Job 38:22-23); and it also is not beyond the realm of Divine Authority for His Prophets, pointedly acting according to His Expressed Word, themselves precisely stipulate and initiate what should then take place. (E.g “Elijah” PK 119.1-120.1 =>> Mal 4:4-6 =>> Isa 24:5-6).
[7] The following charting of that dramatized depictions and its “7+1 (tiered) Seasons” Main sections, -(which is just like the entire Great Controversy book being (naturally) “(Historicistly) templated” by EGW on the Seven Trumpets), substantiates the: ‘Reversed Spiritual, Eschatological & (now) Alternative, unfolding of the Second Half of Revelation (=Rev 11:19-20:15):
[Click Chart to Enlarge]
 |
| Point Zero Series Revelation-Eschatological Charting |
[8] And evidently the best rationalization that Stephen Bohr could make for this ‘EGW-prophetic lacuna’ is the grossly unsatisfactory, indeed at best merely conflatingly dissonant, (=Isa 29:7-12) one here [01:30:00-01:30:41] from LDE 131.5 (= 7T 182.2) which states that: “under one head--the papal power--the people will unite to oppose God in the person of His witnesses. This union is cemented by the great apostate”, but that statement is generally making allusion to the Final Confederacy, and not this warring against an appearing Christ. And it also contradicts Bohr on prior fundamental claim in that sermon [see at 44:07ff] that ‘from the Fifth Plague on, the wicked no longer even seek to attack God’s people, but instead just fight amongst themselves, a claim which was actually easily debunked by the very passage which he was preaching on (Rev 16:14, 16) combined with now his dissonantly claim that ‘the Rev 19:19 confrontation is actually instead done against God’s People’. Which would also most problematically implicate for him that “the armies which are in heaven” in Rev 19:11, 19 are not actually angels, but saints which were already there (as per Rev 19:7-9). The “Plan A” Scenario has absolutely no problem with that EGW statements, as already discussed, it sees God’s faithful martyred ones as being that “heavenly army”, as depicted in Rev 11 as the (ultimately capable of literalistically being) killed, risen, ascended, and here/then, returning Two “Witnesses” types of God (= Church+Kingdom Testimony = the 144,000 Leadership (=Rev 14:1-5) & their (Sixth) Army).
Additionally, relatedly also erroneous in Bohr’s sermon is his claim that Rev 16:15 pointedly refers to Laodicea. It rather pointedly refers, indeed also verbatimly so (see esp. Rev 3:2-4 = 6 common terms), to the Fifth Church Era. This, Historically and Eschatologically represents the group of serious Christians who had/have stopped just short in their Reformations prior to coming to engage the, actually by now, symbolically enough, 7, arguably even 8, but not only the SDA Church’s 5, distinctive Truths of God’s “Fully” Sealing (Rev 3:12 -see here), Prophetically Advancing (=15MR 292.2-4) Triumphant Remnant Church Zion, namely: the Truths about the: Sabbath; State of Dead; Sanctuary; SOP I+II; Second Coming; [Biblical] Socialism; Shaking (see EW 269-273), as properly viewed through the Latter Rain’s Prism! For this is indeed the Church grouping which is most susceptible to be deceivedly swept into the, also supernaturally, most deceptive and ‘Global trialing’ (Rev 3:10) Six Era Developments. In fact, as with the long decreed doom of Jerusalem, the probation of pointedly the (corporate = leadership) SDA Church itself had long irreversibly, conversely fallen, during their Shaking (=LDE 222.1 = LDE 219.4 = EW 269.1-270.3), before the effectuation of the First (Eschatological -LDE 238.1) Trumpet (Rev 8:4-6, 7). =9/11 II The First Plague is the end of Probation for the Religious Mark of the Beast Camp (as explained here: under a “Sabbatically fuller” Rev 13 “Image of the Beast” Test, pointedly-effectuated upon SDAs), and then a Final Closing of Probation on the Babylonian World takes place just before the outpouring of the Seventh Plague (Rev 16:17ff).
It indeed it most fitting (i.e. as per Isa 28:7-13; 29:7-16) to comically see, pointedly, such also-MOB-deluded/tainted, Synagogue of Satan, SDA expositors, have no advanced/advancing prophetic light, nor insight, beyond what EGW has prepared for, and/or “spoon fed” them, in order to be able to keep up with the full and advancing Biblical Light in this prolonged time and its furthering developments (=Matt 25:1-13; EW 270.1; =1SM 108-111), being correspondingly/fittingly stunted by their own stunted a-righteousness stance (=Dan 12:3-4, 10; Zech 14:12 = Rev 16:10 (i.e.: ‘rotting flesh’ = ‘from unhealed sores’ (from Rev 16:2); ‘rotted eyes’ = ‘(inceptively, sensical/discernment) darkness’; and ‘rotting tongues’ = ‘from their gnawing wounding’) In fact/Indeed Stephen Bohr is the optimally, most emblematic demonstration of this, literally “myoping” of SDA, because try as they may, even copiously quoting and drawing from the writings of EGW, they will, like the First Century Jews (2 Cor 3:7-18) be “blindly” (Isa 29:7-16) and “elementarily” (Isa 28:7-13), self-defeatingly, self-limited to their a-Spiritual, especially Latter Rain-wise (1SM 108-111) deficient understandings. (COL 293.3-294.2ff: EW 270.2)...
[9] Summarily relatedly, in this prophecy presentation, at 48:09-48:32, Daniel Mesa makes the intriguing (somewhat arguable) technical observation that the blessings cited for each of the 7 Churches in Rev 2&3 actually incrementally match the sequencing number of that Church. I.e., the First Church has 1 blessing, Second = 2; Third = 3, etc. Only the Seventh Church, Laodicea, breaks that incremental matching pattern by having only 3 blessings.* But the Spiritually manifest, actual, reason & point for this would be that:
-First of all, this would make the Laodicean Church and its 3 blessings be technically identified with the Third Era/Church which also has 3 blessings.
-This then would reversedly-sequiturly involve that the Sixth Era/Church be associated with the Second Era/Church; and thus that the Fifth Era/Church be associated with the First Era/Church. Thus 7=3; 6=2; and 5=1.
-And that all Theologically & Historically checks out in that in the Fourth Era, God then began to end His prior association with His then fully/formally apostasied prior (New) Israel Movement (Historically the Roman Catholic Church); and in the Fifth Era, He then begun a formal Reformatory Movement which was to replace that former Israel Establishment as did indeed the Protestant Reformation.
-And that all Theologically & Historically checks out in that in the Fourth Era, God then began to end His prior association with His then fully/formally apostasied prior (New) Israel Movement (Historically the Roman Catholic Church); and in the Fifth Era, He then begun a formal Reformatory Movement which was to replace that former Israel Establishment as did indeed the Protestant Reformation.
-And as (1) that New Movement started out just as the former movement had done (=First Era) which was in the proclamation of the True Gospel (cf. Rev 6:2) that is how the Fifth Era/Church equates the First Era/Church; and then (2) as that Gospel Movement proceeded to (naturally) do the Christ-like (Matt 10:34-36): ‘World-(false)-Peace removing with a sword’ which caused the people of this world to warringly turn on each other (cf. Rev 6:2-3; 8:8-9), that equates what, as presented above in this post, the Sixth Era Army would do (cf. Rev 9:13-21) and is that “hour of testing” which God here said He would (now, i.e., contra. Rev 2:10) entirely protect that Sixth Era entity from. (Rev 3:10).
So, as indeed seen from the explicit break in the sequence of Sevens during the Seven Trumpets after the Fourth Trumpet, and with the next Three Trumpets considered as being Three Woes (Rev 8:13), The Fifth, Sixth and Seventh Series do occur in the context of God having Reformatively restarted His Gospel Work which had failed by the Fourth Era. And Laodicea does reflect what took place during the compromise era of the Third Church, discussed in here, as it too is, as cited/delineated here, likewise involved in perverting the Gospel of Christ by worshipfully and basely compromising with the world in socio-economic matters. And therein is the conundrum of “Laodicea” which can contextual be understood as either a “righteous people” or a “judged people”, -that all depends on how the respond to the great riches and blessing that God will bestow upon her, all so that it can accomplish His mandate of establishing His Zionistic Church Triumphant. So, as cryptically involved in its corresponding the Third Seal (Rev 6:5-6), if Laodicea, with faith, heed God’s own knowledgeable indication that there are more than abundant resources available to do His Full-Sabbatical Work instead of going by the world’s standards which falsely claim that there are (to be) scarce resources, it will then be able to be known as “a Righteous People” and thus receive its complimenting blessings. (Rev 3:21; cf. Jer 23:5-6; Isa 11:4-5)
* From the substance of the above discussed parallels, the recursivity of the Fifth-Seventh Eras with the first 3 Eras can still be seen, but as Mesa challenged, by ‘doing the substantiating homework’, these parallels are indeed (or arguably) technically seen in the 7 Churches’ blessings. [Mesa actually defends his claim in this presentation [17:33-36:59] -{I don’t get the psychedel-ish background & symbol}]% Namely:
First Church -Ephesus (Rev 2:1-7):
(1) Rev 2:7 -grant to eat of the tree of life which is in the Paradise of God.
Second Church -Smyrna (Rev 2:8-11):
(1) Rev 2:10 -give you the crown of life.
(2) Rev 2:11 -not be hurt by the second death.
Third Church -Pergamum (Rev 2:12-17):
(1) Rev 2:17a -give of the hidden manna.
(2) Rev 2:17b -give him a white stone
(3) Rev 2:17c -give him a new name written on the stone which no one knows but he who receives it.
Fourth Church -Thyatira (Rev 2:18-29):
(1) Rev 2:26 -give authority over the nations.
(2) Rev 2:27a -he shall rule the nations with a rod of iron#
(3) Rev 2:27b - as the vessels of the potter are broken to pieces#
(4) Rev 2:28 -give him the morning star.
# These two statements are arguably considered as distinct promises only as they can be considered as distinct extent of that granted authority over the nations. I.e., ruling over them with a rod of iron which thus ‘keeps them in line’, and then also being capable of “shatteringly” destroying those which are “out of line” (cf. Isa 30:14) are not inherent aspects of an authority. In fact they represent a distinct “power” which complement/bolsters that authority.
Fifth Church -Sardis (Rev 3:1-6):
(1) Rev 3:4 -will walk with Me in white, for they are worthy.
(2) Rev 3:5a -will thus be clothed in white garments.
(3) Rev 3:5b -not erase his name from the book of life.
(4) Rev 3:5c -confess his name before My Father
(5) Rev 3:5d -confess his name before His [the Father’s] angels
Sixth Church -Philadelphia (Rev 3:7-13):
(1) Rev 3:9 -make the synagogue of Satan [=Rev 2:9] come and bow down at your feet, and [make them] know that I have loved you
(2) Rev 3:10 -keep you from the hour of testing...
(3) Rev 3:12a -make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he will not go out from it anymore.
(4) Rev 3:12b -write on him the name of My God
(5) Rev 3:12c -write on him the name of the city of My God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God
(6) Rev 3:12d -write on him My new name
Seventh Church -Laodicea (Rev 3:14-21):
(1) Rev 3:20a -come in to him.
(2) Rev 3:20b -dine with him, and he with Me
(3) Rev 3:21 -grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne....@
% “Oddly” enough, at 35:45ff, Daniel Mesa, clearly defensively, vacuously states, just prior to giving his own understood reason why Laodicea only has 3 promises, that: ‘if there is more, or otherwise, to learn and know about that detail, then God will surely show this to him in Heaven’...Well of course God will, but that is besides the point, for God has given such (encrypted) revelations so that they can beneficially now be learned and known by (righteous) people, so that they will not be deceived (Dan 12:3-4, 10)...And as Spiritual and Biblical indications show, as present in this blog’s exposition here, that this was done to duly, deservingly link Laodicea back to the Comprising/Comprised, thus Fallen and False, Church that it has chosen to become, and preferred to “non-(and that “zealously”-repentantly” remain (Rev 3:1b), then not, through righteousness, having placed oneself in a position (1SM 25.4) to ‘perceive and understand that provided, guiding, prophetic detail’, will, pointedly for those who could, and should have known better, just be making any ‘post-Second Coming explanation of that fact, a harrowing confirmation of God’s rejection. It is one thing “to sincerely not know’, but it is another thing to ‘pridefully/smugly reject Biblical light and “camp around one’s understanding’ (not coincidentally a similar preference which halted and perverted the Reformation). The controlling fact here is that, like the First Century Jews of old, saying anything against their God-ignoring and idolicized Church Organization, will lead them to, as here, wilfully, “duncely/moronically” , smugly “stick their heads in the sand.” (=Isa 29:9-16)...
...Relatedly, Mesa’s explanation here that those three promises are to represent the gifts from each member of the Trinity, is actually superceded by the fact that they three gifts actually inherently are from giftings which are Jesus Christ Himself possesses, i.e., by, respectively: (1) being the Original Counselor and (3) priorly to being “begotten” having Himself had, through being God the Son, an inherent right to that Divine throne. So all of these bestowed gifts come directly from Jesus Himself, and furthermore, remaining thematically consistent here, and not going off on a vacuous tangent as Mesa has done, those Three Promises to the overcomer(s) in Laodicea straightforwardly complement what had been promised to the overcomers in the Third Church, Pergamum, namely, succinctly pointed out and explained here:
First Promises
(1) Rev 3:20a -come in to him
(2) Rev 2:17b -give him a white stone
=The receiver (now firstly) is thus (judicially) vindicated, and God’s presence then can abide with him (John 15:1-17ff) =Isa 54
Second Promises
Second Promises
(2) Rev 3:20b -dine with him, and he with Me
(1) Rev 2:17a -give of the hidden manna
=Jesus now supplements His elucidating “hidden manna” revelation to that, otherwise, insufficient meal. (Luke 24:28-32; John 6:35|Matt 5:6; John 6:48-59, 60-53) =TM 116.1-5
Third Promises
(3) Rev 3:21 -grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne....
(3) Rev 2:17c -give him a new name written on the stone which no one knows but he who receives it.
=As done with/for Christ (Phil 2:8-11; Heb 1:3-4), this new name invests the receiver with, indeed Christ/Lamb-Seconding, quasi-worship-worthy (=“falling down before”) authority and honor (Rev 3:9; 4:10; 5:8, 14a; 7:10-11; EW 78.3-79.3 see here) = Rev 19:12-13, 16.
Indeed, what Jesus now furtheringly “gives” (=Rev 11:3 -see in here) to this/these Laodicean overcomer(s) (=Remnant) will be most helpful to them as they indeed now enter into an Era when ‘history, [and thus related prophetic revelations] will repeat itself.’ (=TM 116.1-5)!%%
@ It is “naturally” (1 Cor 2:6-16) easy to glibly under-appreciate {expressedly/explicitly/deliberatively contra. here[17:27-1926ff] by Francis Chan} the full meaning of what is being promised here in Rev 3:21 by Jesus Christ. Indeed, circularly based on a patent Laodiceanly smug assumption that many, even millions, from Laodicea will “overcome” here, then Jesus is at the very least merely figuratively speaking here, in the sense that He will not be having a throne which will seat, e.g., 1 million other people, for indeed, just comparing this promise with the one He made to His disciples in Matt 19:27-28 and Luke 22:28-30, Jesus is not here promising to provide additional thrones for each of those overcoming in Laodicea, but to actually have them seated right next to Him on that very same “glorious throne” (Matt 19:28a; 25:31). And to make that promise’s point unambiguously clear, Jesus qualifies that it will be identically carried out, just as it was done with Him and His Father, when He, after having overcome in His, likewise GC Most-Pivotal, Mission, was given that right to also sit on His Father’s own throne, at the “right hand of power” (Matt 26:64 (cf. Rev 14:14-16); Rev 5:5-7; Psa 110:1ff (cf. Psa 118:16)).
And thus, it is also important to understand that Christ’s promise here is not a hollow one which merely involves that granted person to just sit on that throne as some sort of figurehead spectator. (E.g. just like a tourist/visitor to the White House being emptily allowed to sit in/at the U.S. President’s Oval Office Chair/Desk, with that allowance not having any actionable authority or empowerment to that person....and certainly not with a right to ‘press that [Hellish -Matt 10:28] “button”’.) Indeed most evidently quite to the contrary, and along the lines of what was granted to Christ’s disciples in Matt 19:28, that promise’s permission will carry with it the full weight/authority of that Throne. Thus the overcoming person(s), and indeed only from Laodicea, -(for, as seen from the listing above, the likewise ‘remnant overcomers’ from each Historical Church age will all have their distinct reward), receiving it will be given joint-functions with Jesus Christ...and that function primarily revolves around Judgement. And it is indeed quite fitting that Laodiceans who share in the lead for that Glorious/White Throne judgement of Matt 25:31ff (=4T 384-387 here), for they themselves, living in the end times, would have had all of the blessings and resources to fully carry out Christ Full Gospel Commission on Earth, pointedly in regards to meeting the physical needs of all those in need on Earth. So whatever Jesus Christ does from that Throne, they too will have the authority to actively share/contribute, at the very least: ‘vicely/secretarially/ambassadorily typologically (cf. e.g. John 5:19-20)’, in those interrelated/joint Kingly (Rev 14:1-5)|Prophetic (Rev 5; 10)|Priestly (Ezek 8&9|Rev 8:3-6; cf. John 21:21-23)|Covenantal+Spirit-ual (Rev 7; cf. Mal 3:14ff; 4:4-6; LDE 219.4ff)|Judging (Rev 11) and Commanding (Rev 19:11-16) action. (Tellingly Moses and Elijah, the chief background/basis of God’s Two Witnesses, likewise, directly or effectively (cf. PK 143.2a (158.1-2); 1 Kgs 18:40; 2 Kgs 1:9-15), exercised all of functions in Earthly Israel’s Affairs for God) action.
And while it can, logistically-wise, be rationalized that Christ is actually intending to let each of those Laodicean overcomers take turns in being seated on what would therefore be a singly-available space next to Him on His throne; -and that can indeed become the necessary/applicable effectuation, it cannot be ignored that Bible/SOP prophecy is actually harrowingly clear that there is an almost default, indeed most likely, fulfillment scenario that, upon their Ezek 8&9 (=here+here) Shaking, ALL (but one) of/from Laodicea (which actually applies/extends beyond the SDA Denomination) will be “spewed out” by God (=Ezek 9:6-11 = Rev 11:13's ‘7000 failing names of men’ = the concealed SOP 1908 vision (cf. LDE 59.1-61.1)). Subsequent to that completely-failed Shaking many may then repent, as also envisioned prophetically (Rev 11:13b; 7:9, 13-14ff). Indeed it is not prophetic dictum that in Rev 7:4, John merely says that he “heard” (not saw) the number which were to be sealed from all of God’s Israel. That is because, things may indeed not transpire as planned/intended, and so that number could not be concretely seen/reckoned, but merely stipulatingly ‘spoken of’.
So that is all how all of the Throne/Kingly depictions and related/derived functions, missions, titles and authority in Revelation and Apocalyptic prophecy (e.g., Rev 5; 14:14-17; 19:11-16ff; Isa 11:1-5; Dan 11 (see here)) are not, as interpretively discussed in this post, and the present one, only limited to be fulfilled in some applicable and valid way by Jesus Christ, but, by His own justly and fittingly rewarding granting, also to the Laodicea-overcoming ones (cf. vision in 19MR 129.2b-130.2ff = Isa 51:7-11 = Isa 27), but most likely one (sing.), -prophetically precedentially just like there was one person who survived the Sealing and Shaking of Judah, namely, the (probably not superficially/vacuously, and uniquely, -other than Jesus Christ, called (93 times)) “son of man” (i.e. ‘a non-human born of/as a human’) Ezekiel (Ezek 9:8; 11:14-21ff), who will come to receive that Rev 3:21 promise.
%% It never ceases to amaze me how SDAs, indeed like ‘grown up children still having (relatively) elementary-aged (Human&Spiritual) psyches’ (Isa 28:7-13; 1SM 110.1), are easily “so excited” by (what they themselves) shallowly/surfacely discover and comprehend in Scripture. Above, it was the “shallow/surface” discovery that the Churches in Revelation, well at least the first Six, have an orderly increasing number of promises...and like ‘a two-year old with a cell phone given to them to play with which beeps whenever they press a number key, while being “blissfully” uninterested in the fact the phone and its number key is designed to dial a real number’ they are all impressed and enraptured by such things, -which moreover they themselves “blissfully” candidly state/show that ‘they do not at all understand any meaning into, or reason for, them’. The Biblical/Spiritual fact is indeed that they just, and smugly, indifferently so, lack the fitting “righteousness experience” to better/best, “wisely see into such Spiritual things. (1SM 25.4). But certainly do count on them, when not spoon-fed by EGW, to spot surface/shallow things in the Bible and prophecy...just expect the “righteously wise” (Dan 12:3-4, 10) to ‘much more deeply shine any effective “Light” into that discovered pit.’
%% It never ceases to amaze me how SDAs, indeed like ‘grown up children still having (relatively) elementary-aged (Human&Spiritual) psyches’ (Isa 28:7-13; 1SM 110.1), are easily “so excited” by (what they themselves) shallowly/surfacely discover and comprehend in Scripture. Above, it was the “shallow/surface” discovery that the Churches in Revelation, well at least the first Six, have an orderly increasing number of promises...and like ‘a two-year old with a cell phone given to them to play with which beeps whenever they press a number key, while being “blissfully” uninterested in the fact the phone and its number key is designed to dial a real number’ they are all impressed and enraptured by such things, -which moreover they themselves “blissfully” candidly state/show that ‘they do not at all understand any meaning into, or reason for, them’. The Biblical/Spiritual fact is indeed that they just, and smugly, indifferently so, lack the fitting “righteousness experience” to better/best, “wisely see into such Spiritual things. (1SM 25.4). But certainly do count on them, when not spoon-fed by EGW, to spot surface/shallow things in the Bible and prophecy...just expect the “righteously wise” (Dan 12:3-4, 10) to ‘much more deeply shine any effective “Light” into that discovered pit.’
All this to preface another similar effectuation as the “shallow/surface” prophetic discovery as above, this time by Steven Wohlberg. Succinctly summarized, in the May 10, 2014 sermon archived here (mp3), Wohlberg, at [26:59-28:49-38:28ff; 48:51-50:30] relates his “so exciting” discovery, (-which actually goes back to, at least, his 2006 “Israel In Prophecy” seminar, -see the second part of Presentation #4 [38:50-44:35; 49:06-51:52ff]), in Revelation that at Rev 4:5; 8:5; 11:19 + Rev 16:18, there is an orderly increasing number in the “manifestations of God’s power”, -[albeit, oddly enough starting at/with “3” and, (as per Wohlberg’s understanding), ending at a repeated “5”], with him “comprehendingly” concluding (see at 37:32) that: ‘God is using this to show that Revelation is moving towards the “hot spot”, -the central focus of the end times, which is the ministry of Jesus Christ in the Most Holy Place.’ Sure sounds great...if you ‘Spiritually are in the Third Grade’...Seriously, is God here leading a Third Grade class to their downtown museum field trip destination....Really, He needs to give an orderly, increasing count to keep the readers on the right track to the Most Holy Place. Seems quite clear to me that one can arrive at that same “hot spot” destination merely by orderly spotting these countings-independent Sanctuary scenes in Revelation. No need for God to “chime” in with what would be superficial “bells and whistles”...Relatedly, as recounted here, it pointedly was because such empty-calories “fluff” (“evangelistic”) discoveries and proofs substantively no longer “excited” me just a few months after first being given them as “proofs” that I set out on my odyssey to find out what the real, “healthy” truth and proofs were on such issues and topics, -which has been, and still is, the necessary purpose and work of this Blog!!
So here, though the “incrementally increasing number of manifestations” is shallowly/surfacely itself, it, more substantively, is variously from the actual involved content, as well as the actual developing numbering, -and its actual extent, which provide the “full” intent and meaning by this symbolic/cryptic revelation by God...Again, only those “fully” walking in the Light of God’s TrueRighteousness cause will have access to the Spiritual Wisdom (1 Cor 2:6-16; 2 Cor 3:7-18) needed to perceivingly discern, beneficially appreciate and accurately understand such “Divine Spiritual Things”.
...And I have cited this exposition here, not merely because it is akin to what occurred above with Daniel Mesa’s “incompleted discovery”, but also because, as inceptively suspected, the starting numbering with three manifestations is substantively loaded in relation to what was fully discovered above, which is that: the 3 promises for Laodicea indeed is due to a resetting of Prophetic Development going back to, and due to, the Third “Compromising” Series Era.
Firstly, here is a fuller, but summary, overview, with main the purposes of each, -all expanding upon and/or correcting what Wohlberg had discovered:
3. Rev 4:5 = (Torches of Light) Throne Room
(1) lightning
(2) voices
(3) thunder
-End of Third Prophetic Series’ probation for “Religious & Socio-Economic Compromising”.
4. Rev 8:5 = Golden Altar of Incense (Rev 8:3)
(1) thunder
(2) voices
(3) lightning
(4) earthquake
-End of Fourth Prophetic Series’ probation for “Spurious & Misleading Earth Powers & Guides”.
5. Rev 11:19 = Ark of the Covenant
(1) lightning
(2) voices
(3) thunder
(4) earthquake
(5) great hailstorm
-End of Fifth Prophetic Series’ probation for “postponed avenging of Righteous/Martyred Ones”.
6. Rev 15:5-16:16 = Sanctuary of the Tabernacle of Testimony (Rev 15:5; 16:8 =Most Holy Place)
(1) MOB sore (Rev 16:2)
(2) bleeding sea (Rev 16:3)
(3) bleeding river (Rev 16:4ff)
(4) sun scorching (Rev 16:8-9)
(5) darkness (Rev 16:10)
(6) dried Euphrates (Rev 16:12-16)
-End of Sixth Prophetic Series’ probation for “(Christianity Religious) Mark of the Beast Camp”.
7. Rev 16:17-19:21 = Voice from Temple’s Throne “It is done” (Rev 16:17)
(1) lightning
(2) voices
(3) thunder
(4) greatest earthquake
(5) huge hailstone storm
(6) judgement of “remembered”Babylon (Rev 16:19; 17:1ff; 18:6-24)
(7) (Church Triumphant’s) Second Coming (Rev 19)
-End of Seventh Prophetic Series’ probation for “(Spiritualistic/Paganistic) Mark of the Beast Camp”.
 |
| Reset Prophetic Series Judgement Effectuations |
Succinct Explanations:
3. Rev 4:5 = (Torches of Light) Throne Room
(1) lightning
(2) voices
(3) thunder
First of all, it indeed is most striking that this numbering does not start off at “1” (e.g. “(1) lightning” only) or 2 (e.g. “(1) lightning and (2) voices”), as indeed possible, even logically expected. In fact it should be argued that the “voice like trumpet” in Rev 1:10, which introduces Jesus amongst the (actual) Seven Lampstands (Rev 1:12-13ff) is the very first instance of a: ‘Sanctuary Scene with an accompanying Divine Manifestation’. But then there is a complete absence of any additional lightning or thunder (actually, applicably, -based on early consistent patterns, possibly only “lightning”) secondary ‘Sanctuary&Manifestation’ effectuation. This evidently is because, given the consistent theme of judgement in all of these Effectuations, and since that ministry amongst the Seven Churches (Rev 1:20b) did also involve, at least, stern counseling, even warnings of pending judgements, then it can be, since the Second Series Era in Revelation is one which focuses on various types of civil conflicting which (relatedly, i.e. seen in the verse charting of Revelation’s Series in here) results in bloodshed whether through e.g. backlashing persecutions (Rev 2:8-10), wars (Rev 6:3-4), political schism (Rev 8:8-9) and utter/vital rejection (Rev 16:3; cf. 16:5-7), that God would here have opted to then not implement these “blood-letting” developments/consequences. Tellingly enough, it is the very same “voice” which had been involved in that potentially very First Effectuation which then leapfrogs John to the Third Effectuation (Rev 1:10; 4:1, 5). So the scene suddenly shifted from ‘hopeful ministering amongsts the Churches’ (Second), to effectuations of judgement (=Third), thus skipping over the Second Series which is an unsheathing of God’s sword on the wicked, resulting in bloodshedding conflict/warring and (backlashing) persecution. As seen in the messages to the 7 Churches, these Churches were not yet ready: ‘their work was not yet complete in the sight of God’. So, forwardly stated at this point, God here has postponed this naturally Second Development, to instead “Thirdly” enter into a resetting wave of various Judgements, through a Remnant, pointedly with, and because of, the “Compromising” of His Professed people....and those “winepressing” bloodshedding and warring Judgements are actually reported to a later time/development, i.e., in Rev 14:9-11, 17-20; 19:11-16ff = Isa 63:1-6.
Now, contrary to Wohlberg’s assumption, as, as it is glibly common with SDAs, as the explanation here shows in more detail, the (sourcing) “torch lights” in Rev 4:5 are not the (functionally holding) “lampstands” of Rev 1:12ff. They are instead distinct torch lights which are within the Throne Room, thus Most Holy Place in Heaven. Furthermore the Bible interprets the symbol of these 7 “torch lights” as being the 7 “Spirits of God” (Rev 4:5; 1:4; cf. 5:6), whereas the 7 “lampstands” are the 7 Churches (Rev 1:20). So the two symbols are indeed distinct (Rev 3:1). Therefore this “counting” does not actually ‘progressingly begin’ from the Holy Place, but actually in the Most Holy Place, and indeed contrary to the claim here that it is a progressively orderly/sequential development through the Heavenly Sanctuary, it actually goes from (3) the Throne Room/MHP to (4) to the HP, just before the MHP’s veil to (5-7) various spots in and around/about the MHP. Interestingly enough, the Effectuations which directly involve the MHP, namely #3, #5, #7 all have the same initial 3 manifestations sequence of: (1) lightning; (2) voices; (3) thunder.
Now as stated in the forward conclusions already presented above, it did immediately strike me as odd, as per Wohlberg’s “orderly” claim, that the sequence had started at “3” and not “1”. But what then crossed my mind, either ‘according to my “righteousness/right-doing’s experience’s ‘from above, enjoiningly given’ Full Gospel wisdom” (1SM 25.4; cf. John 3:3ff; Jam 3:13-18; 2 Pet 3:15; Gal 1:15-16), and/or by direct impression from God, -(which, as typical with God’s (also prophetic) intervenings, upon the Spiritual maturing of the believer (Isa 28:7-13; Heb 5:11-14; 1 Cor 3:1-3 ), are then not (as no longer being necessary) forceful (i.e. compared to prior experiences e.g., here and here)); I immediately formed the working thesis that ‘this “3” start must be because it is linked to the Third Series Era of Prophecy, thus one which begins with dealings upon a Compromising Church, and that this was related to the merely 3 promises of the Laodicean Church as furtheringly seen from the claim of Daniel Mesa above. And subsequent studying has indeed substantiated this thesis by revealing, and thus showing, that due to the failure of Laodicea, God did indeed have to resetting the wave of prophetic fulfillment, going back to reapplicable prophecies which indeed started with the Third Series Era, and the 3 Divine Judgement Manifestations in Rev 4:5 is the first development in that reset Era...and confirmingly enough to me, this all dovetailed perfectly with my June 1999 First Vision revelation which forewent the Church ministering of Ezek 8, to instead straightly dive into, naturally, the Judgements of Ezek 9, -with that revelation also involving the (partial, in fact “SDAleadership’s”) end of probation (=Rev 11:13) of Isa 6:4 (cf. Rev 15:8). And this is a resetting development which went on to cause the, as fully discussed in this post, significant toning down of the then already planned and being developed 9/11 Plot/Attacks, with the 4 Winds then being held back (Rev 7:1-3ff), thus averting the actual Rev 18:6-24 “bloodshedding” scenario which, as sampled here, could, indeed should, easily have ensued.
And the main reason why God here did this halting and resetting action, leading to His is because of the fundamental perverting of Christ’s Gospel by, as indeed seen in the Third Series, various idolatrous practices, including self-serving ones, which prevent Christ’s Gospel mandate from being properly and fully done, including indeed, and mostcompletely hinderingly so, by Laodicea. Thus, summarily said, this reset, Third Effectuation is indeed the:
-End of Third Prophetic Series’ probation for “Religious & Socio-Economic Compromising”.
Now it is important to here discuss and understand the meaning in, and sequencing of, the symbols for the Judgement Manifestations involved here of: (1) lightning; (2) voice; (3) thunder, especially as this goes on to reapply in the subsequent Judgement Manifestations. Succinctly said:
(1) lightning - represents a clearly visible judgement action of God.
(2) voices - the content or Divine explanation of God’s/His “lightning” judgement action. (e.g. John 12:28-30)
(3) thunder - a keyly muffled, sealed, signified “veiled” (=Matt 13:10-17) expression for the “voices (=explanation) of the lightning” which is actually clearly known and/or perceivingly discernable (e.g. John 12:28-30; Rev 10:3-4) by/through the righteous (Dan 12:3-4, 10; cf. 2 Cor 3:7-18).
So here, and also for the initial manifestations in #5 and #7 what is sequentially involved, and then reapplies, it that: God does a clearly visible/believable judgement action (=Lightning), which He instantly and/or (furthermore) later clearly explains (=Voices), but then is keyly to be shared in sealed/veiled format (=Thunder). Confirmingly enough, that is exactly what was stipulated in my First Vision revelation mandating for this Third-Series resetted Era!!
4. Rev 8:5 = Golden Altar of Incense (Rev 8:3)
(1) thunder
(2) voices
(3) lightning
(4) earthquake
This Fourth Effectuation is part of the 7 Trumpets Judgement by God, which, as discussed here, now involves God’s warnings of (Greater) Judgement actions (i.e. the matching 7 Plagues) upon the wider, Civil world, thus not only on the Babylonianly, similarly wayward world. As this is upon that less aware secular target, the background scene is in the Holy Place, but still very close to the Most Holy Place, being at the Altar of Incense. (And incidentally, the manifest Theological reason why the Altar of Sacrifice was a (eventually, probably when affordable, fully) Bronze Altar (e.g., Exod 35:16; 30:38; 1 Kgs 8:64; Ezek 9:2); but the Altar of Incense is Golden, is because God had longingly preferred the means of intercession being done by individuals through their confession prayers, as per the New Covenant, rather than by continual offering of blood sacrifices as per the Old Covenant.) Really, only most merciful interceding can now be sparingly made, as both the Word of God (Table of Shewbread), and Churches’ Light (Seven Lampstands) no longer can have their Church and World benefit. But even that merciful intercession is abruptly ended (Rev 8:5), as evidently God can ‘no longer “smell” in those even/especially SDA ‘Babylonian-ishly’ unrighteous assemblies’ (=EW 273.2, 274.1; cf. Amos 5:21-24; Zech 7:8-14; Ezek 16:46-50). Hence the reason for God’s Third “avenging” actions here (EW 274.1; =Rev 14:9-11; 18:6-24; 19:11-21) starting with the (now Eschatological) 7 Trumpets. And so, the sequence of God’s judgment manifestations are duly rearranged, actually exactly reversed, for this mostly secular audience, which actually includes effectively secular, nominal “believers”, pointedly as this is a “warring” endeavor. Thus, and indeed as with a declaration and effectuation of war upon another entity:
(1) thunder - veiled messages are first, prominently presented
(2) voices - the explanation of the judgement/warring actions is stated
(3) lightning - the judgement/warring actions are clearly made visible.
(4) earthquake - and the added result here is that an earthquake transpires, which Nature, the Bible (Heb 12:25-28a) and also the SOP (cf. EW 41.1-2), reveal that it is a ‘Shaking of the (Ruling/Controlling) Powers of/in the Earth/World’.
Thus this Second Effectuation is meant to, literally, “unseat” the geo-powers which rule the Earth/World and are actually acting to further the Religiously borne ideology of Babylon. (=Rev 17:2; 18:3, 9) all so that God’s Covenant Will (Heb 12:18-21ff; =Exod 19:16-20:26) can lawfully/fairly (Psa 11:3) have its (albeit, necessarily still ‘fighting/conflicted’ (Rev 6:3-4; 8:8-9; 16:3 =Second Prophetic Series)) chance to be done throughout the Earth. Therefore this indeed is the end of probation for “Spurious & Misleading Earth Powers & Guides”.
5. Rev 11:19 = Ark of the Covenant
(1) lightning
(2) voices
(3) thunder
(4) earthquake
(5) great hailstorm
It is almost naturally expected that the World will not take such a declaration and effectuation of war lying down, and so the Second Series persecutive Backlashing (cf. Rev 2:8-11) are then expected, but now, with the Covenant Will of God having been revealed to the world, as symbolized here in the ‘opened Heavenly Temple, with the MHP Ark of the Covenant’ visible in Rev 11:19, which clearly hints at the Supreme, unaltered, Ten Commandment Law of God, God now, in the light of the MHP context, duly enters into Judgement Manifestations which are not merciful, as for the #4 Effectuation. And so the sequence of manifestations are indeed for an MHP context, and thus has the: (1) lightning, (2) voices and (3) thunder development. This involves that in this Fifth Series, a “great darkness” (=Rev 9:2, 16:10) naturally/sequiturly (i.e. to the Fourth Series) befalls the Earth, its (4) ‘seismic shaking of its world powers’ will not be understood, thus producing the further economical/livelihood damaging (cf. Exod 9:18-26ff) plague of (5) ‘a great hailstorm’, which can be interpreted as (now formal, vs. the First Trumpet’s informal (Rev 8:7), even potentially “massively destructive”, ordnance of/for war from “world warring” armies. And thus will God’s righteous ones not only be protected from surely planned backlashing against them, but they will also be avenged for all prior injustices and damages. God indeed reserves ordnance of hailstones to protect His righteous ones in days of (such) greatest trouble/threat. (Job 38:22-23).
Thus this #5 Effectuation by God is upon the end of probation for “postponed avenging of Righteous/Martyred Ones”. This indeed is all part of God’s Master Plan of (accrued), all-inclusive Vengeance upon Babylon which, as presented above at Rev 19:17ff, is initiated by a First Prophetic Series (Second Woe) 9/11 II Event, which leads to the present, Fifth Series self-defeating, World Warring, and is to continuing culminate in the Seventh Series completed World States Overturning. Not coincidentally, this “chain of (pivotal/main) events” (i.e. Rev 8:7 = Rev 9:2 = Rev 16:10 = Rev 16:17 = Rev 19:17) is “linked” through the repeated use of key symbols; namely: “hail”, “sun”, “darkness”, “air”.
6. Rev 15:5-16:16 = Sanctuary of the Tabernacle of Testimony (Rev 15:5; 16:8 =Most Holy Place)
(1) MOB sore (Rev 16:2)
(2) bleeding sea (Rev 16:3)
(3) bleeding river (Rev 16:4ff)
(4) sun scorching (Rev 16:8-9)
(5) darkness (Rev 16:10)
(6) dried Euphrates (Rev 16:12-16)
Wohlberg has missed this non-explicit Sixth Effectuation contained in the first 6 of the Seven Last Plagues, indeed because it is not explicitly like the other ones, but it indeed is at time time that the full effects of the prior judgements manifestations of God are being so severely felt that the Mark of the Beast Camp rallies, as it “knows best”, in a literally revived Babylonian entity (Rev 16:12), which now is under the direct and unrestrained influence of Satan’s Spiritualism (Rev 16:13-14). This goes on the form the H/Ar-Mageddon Camp (Rev 13:16ff; 16:16). And as by now, the will of God has been clearly made known, hence the even more pointed/deeper “Sanctuary of the Tabernacle of Testimony” backgrounding MHP context (Rev 15:5; 16:8), -which really can be understood to be the inner compartment of the Ark of the Covenant, where the Ten Commandments, pot of manna (=Gospel Message and Word of God) and Aaron budded rod (=God’s Chosen Priesthood) are kept (Heb 9:4; Num 17:10). So in the light of this arrived at “greatest Revelation” no more mercy is to be given to those who persist in Babylon, and who are even gathering themselves for war, and so, on top of their still being suffered prior judgement effectuations, these are now explicitly revealed as being God’s Own rejecting plagues (=Rev 16:9), and it is this harrowing understanding by the MOB Camp which, doubling downly, now purely paganistically, desperately pushes them further into their Babylonian deception and in order to averted the added damage here of the (6) religiously ideological support of their world ruling (Rev 17:18) Babylon having been dried up.
Therefore this, inclusively already being effectuated,Sixth Effectuation is the formal end of probation for the “Religious undergirding of the Mark of the Beast Camp”.
7. Rev 16:17-19:21 = Voice from Temple’s Throne “It is done” (Rev 16:17)
(1) lightning
(2) voices
(3) thunder
(4) greatest earthquake
(5) huge hailstone storm
(6) judgement of “remembered”Babylon (Rev 16:19; 17:1ff; 18:6-24)
(7) (Church Triumphant’s) Second Coming (Rev 19)
For this Seventh Effectuation a “last gasp” Babylonian entity has been, now post-modernly effectuated, and, as seen with the related Emergent Church inner-movement in Christianity, this is indeed a most dangerous effectuation of Babylon, for it further mixes truth, pointed Christ’s Social Justice Truths, with Satanic Heresies, which however greatly appeal to the wicked world (such as no Hell Judgement, Universalism, acceptance of Gay Lifestyle, rejection of the Authority of God Word, etc). So it is upon this most deceptively Satanic manifestation of Babylon, which moreover are actually moving to war against God’s Righteous Lamb camp (Rev 17:14; 19:14-16, 19-21), that God outpours these Seventh Effectuation Judgements. Fittingly enough, as all of the needed evidence is now in, the background of this Effectuation is not merely a revelation of some pertinent section/furniture in the Heavenly Sanctuary, but a content explicit “loud” Divine pronouncement, which declares ‘that all/any probation is now ended.’ (Rev 16:17) And so, upon this revived Babylon, is fully outpoured all of the prior judgement manifestation, but now to their “greatest/hugest” extents...and the culminating act in this judgement is the unstoppable advance of the Triumphant Church. (Rev 19:11-18, 19-21). And their great victory, including “circumstantially and forcefully” over Satan (Rev 20:1-3), indeed ‘paves the way’ for the Plan A Millennium which is now to set the World Order (Rev 20:4-6)...for as long as freely possible. (Rev 20:7-10).
So this Seventh Judgements Effectuation is upon the end of probation for the “Spiritualistic/Paganistic Mark of the Beast Camp”.
Summary/Conclusion
So, in grand summary, the incrementally increasing “judgements manifestations” at various points in the Heavenly Sanctuary do have a contribution, but it is not for a glibly surface/shallow ‘orderly counting of straightly sequential advancing steps’ as Wohlberg had best understood for/of himself, but rather to align themselves with God’s Series of Sevens in Revelation, and all starting with a resetting due to Laodicea’s failure, and back at the Third Series Era, which indeed has been done through an initiating revelation which most fundamentally involves the receiving of God’s own 7 (Sourcing) “Theological” Lights and Spirits right from/with His Throne Room (Rev 4:5) for this new wave of greater, sealingly-perfecting, eschatological events/developments (Rev 7:1-3ff; 15MR 292.3-4)...
...And/Indeed, and as a ‘seconding witness’ here, from a converse angle, Peter Gregory, (who, as stated/seen here, is, probably the most apt amongst SDAs at, not merely noticing/perceiving, but, (more than less), also validly interpreting the various deeper elements in Bible Prophecy, particularly in the book of Revelation), has shown in this sermon that: the First 3 Churches of Revelation actually have, through many matching characteristics, statements, themes, some repeating history/re-fulfilment in the last 3 Churches (#5-#7). So that substantiatedly valid observation also shows that the Seventh “Lukewarm” Church, Laodicea, matches the Third “Compromising” Church, Pergamum. And the prophetically straightforward reason is that God would indeed be re-starting things in/with His Church, starting in the 5th Era, due to a prior failure, with a “Reformation”. (And also pertinent, and valid, Peter Gregory points out in a preceding sermon, that Laodicea’s main fault/failure stems from a lack of service towards others in need. (=Matt 25:41-46|LDE 218.3ff; DA 825.4|Rev 14:9-11 =here))...The Eighth Series/Power indeed heightenedly corresponds to the Fourth Series.
Corresponding to this, as Gregory also rightly observes, there is a 4+3 separation in all of Revelation’s Series of Sevens, and that is also because God is then indeed refulfilling past developments, even, as seen with the 7 Last Plagues, at a deepening level. (I.e., as discussed earlier, the Fifth Plague (Rev 16:10) is actually furthering the “sores” which had befallen in the First Plague (Rev 16:2); -interpretively speaking: equalling, as also fully discussed in here, the 7 Trumpets’s: “Balls of Fire” First Trumpet Assault (Rev 8:7) and its corresponding, but wider, “Militant Islam Warring” during the Fifth Trumpet (Rev 9:1-12).
Corresponding to this, as Gregory also rightly observes, there is a 4+3 separation in all of Revelation’s Series of Sevens, and that is also because God is then indeed refulfilling past developments, even, as seen with the 7 Last Plagues, at a deepening level. (I.e., as discussed earlier, the Fifth Plague (Rev 16:10) is actually furthering the “sores” which had befallen in the First Plague (Rev 16:2); -interpretively speaking: equalling, as also fully discussed in here, the 7 Trumpets’s: “Balls of Fire” First Trumpet Assault (Rev 8:7) and its corresponding, but wider, “Militant Islam Warring” during the Fifth Trumpet (Rev 9:1-12).
And see in this post at Rev 16:7 (=Third Plague) for what ajudgingly befalls this recurrent ‘Third Era Compromisingly Corrupt Pergamum-Laodicean Church’ for them indeed knowingly, and however “sincere”, indifferently, having, out of deludely worshipful economic deference (cf. EW 266-269), compromised True Christianity, as they tried to “work” ‘where Satan dwells’ (Rev 2:13b);...but thus failed (Rev 2:14-15), and thus are made to suffer the same, in-the-present-post-discussed: ‘(“Typological”) Second Coming’ Judgement that the wider (Religious) Mark of the Beast Camp, of which they are its tacit founders and leaders, receive (Rev 2:16; 19:15, 21) as their compromising activities are indeed contra-True Christianity, by pointedly/focally just not being according to God’s “Restful” Sabbatical Truth and Ways (Heb 4:1-13; cf. here)!!!
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