Geography in the day of the Lord
Doug
The saints are represented by the woman who flees to the wilderness. Paul
says the experience of the Israelites in the desert after they came out
of Egypt was an example for the church, 1 Cor. 10:1-11. This contrasts
with the harlot who rides the beast, in Rev. 17:3, who represents false
religion. The saints are described as sojourners in the world, who look
for a land that has been promised to them.
In the land promises given to Israel in the OT, there are mysteries, such
as the desert becoming fruitful, and blossoming as a rose; [Isa. 35:1]
mountains being made low, valleys being filled, and rivers flowing in
unexpected places.
The boundaries of Israel
The boundaries of the land of Israel mentioned in scripture may be
related to the geographical areas, where the revelations of God were
given. During the exodus, Moses spoke the words of God to Pharaoh. This
was no doubt at the Nile River.
At Babylon, Daniel interpreted the dream of Nebuchadnezzar. This was at
the Euphrates River. So both these rivers are mentioned as boundaries of
the promised land, in the promise made to Abraham.
John wrote his prophecies on Patmos, an island in the Aegean. The letters
of Paul are associated with the countries, or cities, to whom they are
addressed. In the NT the boundaries of the territory promised to Abraham
and his seed extend to the whole world. [Rom. 4:13]
Prophecies, and other revelations in the Bible, are associated with the
mountains, hills, valleys, rivers, and islands where they were written,
or the areas to which they were addressed. The law was given at Sinai;
Jesus gave his sermon on the mount on a mountain. The Mount of Olives
represents the Olivet prophecy.
Prophecies about rivers
Ezekiel, who wrote his prophecies in what is now Iraq, described a
wonderful river flowing from Jerusalem, that heals the Dead Sea; [Ezek.
47:10-11]
Zechariah said this river flows with "living waters." "Living waters
shall go out from Jerusalem; half of them toward the former sea, and half
of them toward the hinder sea: in summer and in winter shall it
be." [Zech. 14:8]
Jesus said living waters will flow from those who believe in him. [John
7:38]
Wherever the river flows, there is an abundance of fish. Fishermen will
cast nets, and the fish are abundant, and consist of all varieties like
the fish of the ocean [Ezek. 47:9-10] Everything will live, where the
river comes. [Ezek. 47:9] On both sides of the river, all sorts of trees
will grow, for food; "their leaf shall not fade, neither shall the fruit
thereof be consumed:" there will be new fruit each month. [Ezek. 47:12]
This river flowing from Jerusalem, and from the temple, is symbolic of
the truth of God's word, the gospel, going to the world.
Isaiah said that rivers will spring up in high places; fountains and
springs will appear in valleys, and in dry areas; pools of water will be
in the wilderness; [Isa. 41:18] Floods will flow on dry ground; [Isa.
44:3] but before this, the pools and rivers will dry up; [Isa. 42:15]
rivers will flow in the desert; [Isa. 43:19] the rivers will flow with
wine, and hills with milk; [Joel 3:18] rivers and streams of waters will
be on every high mountain, and upon every high hill; [Isa. 30:25] water
flowing from the temple will reach the valley of Shittim, which is
located on the east of the Jordan Valley. [Joel 3:18] It is where the
Israelites camped, before they entered the promised land, and where they
committed fornication with the daughters of Moab. [Numb. 25:1]
The cedar, the shittah tree, and the myrtle, and the oil tree will grow
in the wilderness; fir, pine, and box trees, will grow in the desert.
[Isa. 41:19]
The land will become like a farmer's dream; the plowman shall overtake
the reaper! [Amos 9:13]
Prophecies about animals
Lambs and wolves will dwell together, the calf and the lion; [Isa. 11:6]
lions will eat straw; [Isa. 65:25] and even serpents will be harmless.
[Isa. 11:8]
God's sheep are scattered over the face of the earth, and they wander
through all the mountains. [Ezek. 34:6] Their shepherd feed themselves,
not the flock! [Ezek. 34:2] God says he will search for them, and bring
them to their own land, and feed them on the mountains of Israel by
rivers. [Ezek. 34:13]
Zechariah said the nations will gather in a siege against Jerusalem, and
God will smite every horse with astonishment, and every horse of the
people with blindness. [Zech. 12:4]
What do the horses represent? The Psalmist provides an explanation, when
he says: "Be ye not as the horse, or as the mule, which have no
understanding: whose mouth must be held in with bit and bridle, lest they
come near unto thee." [Psa. 2:9]
Horses represent people who lack understanding. The false teachers, who
lack understanding, come against the church, the holy city, and they
misinterpret the prophecies of scripture, so in Joel's prophecy, they are
pictured by destructive locusts, which are likened to horses. Perhaps
their riders are the theories, such as dispensationalism, to which they
are subject. Zechariah said that the horses in the siege against
Jerusalem will be astonished, and their riders made mad, and every horse
will be blinded. [Zech. 12:4]
In Zech. 14:15, these horses, mules, camels, asses, are all afflicted
with a plague that affects the tongue, and the eyes, and the flesh. This
is a spiritual plague.
The horse, the mule, the camel, and the ass will suffer the plague:
"their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, and
their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and their tongue shall
consume away in their mouth." [Zech. 14:15, 12]
Prophecies about mountains
The promises, covenants, and prophecies of the scriptures are represented
by mountains in prophecy. Mountains were prominent parts of the promised
land, and are very durable, so they are compared to God's word. Examples
include Gal. 4:24-26, where Mount Sinai represents the Mosaic
legislation; Mount Zion or Sion is the church in Heb. 12:22-23; and the
mount of Olives, which is mentioned in a prophecy of Zechariah,
represents the Olivet Discourse of Jesus.
The mountain of the Lord's house shall be established in the top of the
mountains, [Isa. 2:2] This refers to the church, and the kingdom of God.
The Lord's house, the temple in Jerusalem, was built on Mount Zion. So it
is Mount Zion the prophet says will be exalted above all other mountains
and hills. In the NT, Zion is identified with the heavenly Jerusalem.
[Heb. 12:22] And the church is pictured as a woman in heaven in Rev. 12:1.
Zechariah said the land around about Jerusalem will be a plain, and
Jerusalem will be raised up. "All the land shall be turned as a plain
from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem: and it shall be lifted up, and
inhabited in her place," [Zech. 14:10]
The Mount of Olives will cleave in the midst. "The mount of Olives shall
cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and
there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove
toward the north, and half of it toward the south." [Zech. 14:4]
Its dividing into two halves in Zech. 14:4 represents the two popular but
flawed interpretations of the prophecy of Jesus, by preterists and
dispensationalists. Zechariah said we should flee to the valley between
those two mountains!
A wide valley will form right through the midst of the Mount of Olives.
"And ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains; for the valley of the
mountains shall reach unto Azal." [Zech. 14:5]
A sharp threshing instrument with teeth is to be provided. Mountains and
hills will be threshed, and scattered by the wind; [Isa. 41:15-16]
mountains will become low, and valleys exalted; rough places will become
plain. [Isa. 40:4] Crooked places will be made straight. [Isa. 42:16]
Mountains will sing, [Isa. 44:23; 49:3] and trees clap their hands. [Isa.
55:12] The reason mountains will sing is because "the LORD hath redeemed
Jacob, and glorified himself in Israel." [Isa. 44:23]
An enemy says of the mountains of Israel, "Aha, they are ours in
possession." [Ezek. 36:2] The mountains of Israel have been "made
desolate," and are "taken up in the lips of talkers," and have become an
"infamy of the people." [Ezek. 36:3] The mountains of Israel will shoot
forth branches, and yield fruit, to the people of Israel, [Ezek. 36:8] or
in other words, the saints.
From Judah one will come, who will inherit the mountains of God [Isa.
65:9] Since Jesus has become heir of the mountains of Israel, he can open
our minds to understand the prophecies, that are represented by
mountains. Paul said, "For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in
him Amen, unto the glory of God by us." [2 Cor. 1:20]
The promises were made to Abraham and his seed, the seed referred to
Christ. And only in Christ are the promises fulfilled, as the promise to
Abraham implied eternal salvation. That is what Abraham hoped for,
because no matter how much territory or wealth he was to inherit, if he
did not have life, how could he take possession of it? So the promise of
life, which is what the gospel is about, is included in the promise given
to Abraham. And it is a promise of blessing not only for Abraham and his
seed, but for all nations. [Gen. 22:15-18]
The promise, "in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed"
is called the gospel in Galatians 3:8. The promises apply to one single
"seed," Christ. It is through Christ the promises are fulfilled, and it
is through Christ that the mysteries of the prophecies may be understood.
--
Doug
Ike E 11/23/9
"Doug" <t...@sentex.net> wrote in message
news:ovWdnY_Ix_9_ypDW...@sentex.net...
> The environment specified for the church in Rev. 12:6 is a wilderness.
There's nothing ABOUT the "Church" in Revelation 12.
It is a REHASH of Matthew's infancy narrative.
And beyond that you're not prepared to understand.
[snip]
Ike
Doug
<xhermanei...@gmail.com> wrote in article
<hekmd7$dd3$1...@news.eternal-september.org>:
> "Doug" <t...@sentex.net> wrote in message
> news:ovWdnY_Ix_9_ypDW...@sentex.net...
>> The environment specified for the church in Rev. 12:6 is a wilderness.
>
> There's nothing ABOUT the "Church" in Revelation 12.
>
> It is a REHASH of Matthew's infancy narrative.
The woman clothed with the sun is not Mary, but she represents Zion, and
the heavenly Jerusalem of Heb. 12:22, which in the next verse is called
"the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in
heaven."
Those whose names are written in the book of life, are pictured by the
woman clothed with the sun. Being in heaven, which represents her status,
she is higher than all the mountains on earth, and so fulfils Isa. 2:2,
"the mountain of the LORD's house shall be established in the top of the
mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall
flow unto it."
That is the destiny of the church, all nations will "flow" to it,
although such a flow direction seems paradoxical. Those who believe in
Christ have their citizenship in heaven. [Phil. 3:20, NASB]
Isa. 60, which describes the church, the holy city, contains many
parallels with Rev. 21, which describes the New Jerusalem the Lamb's
bride.
Isa. 60:1-2
Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen
upon thee.
For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the
people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen
upon thee.
Comparing these verses with "And there appeared a great wonder in heaven;
a woman clothed with the sun" in Rev. 12:1 makes it clear who the woman
represents, to those who are "enlightened."
But as the above verse says, "darkness shall cover the earth, and gross
darkness the people." People who say the woman represents Mary are
deceived, and in darkness.
>
> And beyond that you're not prepared to understand.
>
> [snip]
>
> Ike
--
Doug
Ike E 11/23/9
> On Wed, 25 Nov 2009 19:41:58 -0600, "Ike E 11/23/9"
> <xhermanei...@gmail.com> wrote in article
> <hekmd7$dd3$1...@news.eternal-september.org>:
>
>> "Doug" <t...@sentex.net> wrote in message
>> news:ovWdnY_Ix_9_ypDW...@sentex.net...
>>> The environment specified for the church in Rev. 12:6 is a wilderness.
>>
>> There's nothing ABOUT the "Church" in Revelation 12.
>>
>> It is a REHASH of Matthew's infancy narrative.
>
Said the moron.
[snip]
Ike