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l Signs in the Sky Understanding prophecy i Omega Ministries
“And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years: And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so. And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also. And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth, and to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good.” Genesis 1:14-18
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od designed the universe to show His glory and character and for the benefit of his ultimate creature - man. He designed them in his own image, spirit, soul and body, in order that they could know him in fullness. He gave him a brain with as many cells as galaxies in the universe!
humans we tend to think of our present life now as being ‘normal’. This is because we were born (post Noah) into an already corrupted age. The earth was created good, but later because of sin God subjected it to vanity and death. God did this, not Satan, because Satan doesn’t have such power. Why did God do this?
The stars and planets are placed so that they can serve clear functions when viewed from earth. In this sense earth is at the centre of God’s purposes, as everything rotates like clockwork in the universe, wheels within wheels. Firstly we are told that stars mark the passage of time using ‘signs’, seasons, days and years. It’s interesting to note that ‘weeks’ are not mentioned at this point. We have to ask why did Jesus, the creator, deem this necessary? Why did he not just have another less complex system for lighting the earth and why day and night?
“For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. For the creation was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, because the creation itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.” (Rom 8:19-21)
Most people DO NOT consider these questions, even believers, because as
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The ‘sons of God’ mentioned first here are probably not we Christians, but most likely the angels created before us. The ‘children of God’, disciples of Jesus are those in ‘the glorious liberty’. The ‘sons of God’, the angels of heaven, are the unseen armies of God (see Gen 6, Heb 2:5) good and o
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bad in whose conflict we are embroiled. Heaven is really the power in control and earth is truly in spiritual darkness. Here on earth is all the sin that there is in the universe. Not good! Mankind’s true situation is bit like an animal that is born in captivity, in a zoo. It has no idea where it really came from and it’s parents cannot explain it to them because they don’t remember. As it grows it adapts to it’s conditions in order to exist and have a form of life. It only ever knows it’s captors as those who feed him and it has no hope of escape. It’s not even interested in escaping and even if the zoo animal escapes it has no idea what to do or where to go! The point is that this creature is alive and from his perspective considers things to be ‘normal’ based purely on it’s growing experience and current environment. However from the outside we the ‘master’ know it’s a captive and not in it’s proper environment. We know that the zoo world was designed and built by our higher intelligence for a purpose unknown to the animals. The same is true for humans on the earth, an earth which does not resemble the one God originally created. Even so, earth still has a measure of glory that reveals the truth, but it’s dying, wearing out because of man’s sinful behaviour and vanity! Paul says that Satan (the fallen arch angel) is still the god of this world and he kills, steals and destroys persuading men to co-operate with him in it. Men think that this current world is ‘normal’ life, but as we know Jesus (the creator) disagrees. He came that we might have life and escape what he calls this kingdom of darkness (Matt 6:23). Notice how Paul again refers back to the creation when informing us of the ruler of this world: “But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious
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gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. ... For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” (1 Corin 4:1-6)
These are incredible words of liberation. The Bible reveals that in order for God to have genuine ‘children’ who can know him fully he has deliberately put us in a PLACE and TIME (Acts 15:18; 17:24-27) in a complex matrix of his devising which is under his sovereign control (Exod 13:12, Heb 1:3). The purpose of this TIME frame is to choose for eternity who we will follow. Of course God is incredibly complex and far beyond our understanding, we are like a maggots trying to understand a computer! This gap in our knowledge is revealed to Isaiah and notice what God uses as a comparison for his thoughts: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:8-9) This reveals that the enormity and complexity of the universe and the immeasurable distances we see represents God’s incredible thoughts! Astronomers and stargazers look up and suddenly discover this huge fact and cannot see the end of space. However, the real purpose of these observations is lost on them, because they try to understand them from a humanistic perspective and miss this point. Of course added to the mix is the great deceiver Satan, the alien angel, who takes the opportunity to suggest an alternative interpretation. This was also Eve’s original downfall and the curse of man ever since. Satan wants to keep us in the dark, so that we can remain under his control fighting with him in the war against the church! o
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Babylonian religion It was the Babylonians who turned the stars into occultist religious worship and sorcery. This is the big deception Satan and his angels introduced in order to distract mankind from the main purpose of the visible heavens - the enormity of God’s thoughts. Satan also wants to know his end date (his time is short), and evil men seek to know the future without obedience to God’s Word. Stargazing was, and is, the ultimate expression of disobedience. It’s worship, bowing down, to Lucifer’s the fallen star! It’s the worship of the physical creation as containing something more than God intended. Behind this facade of ‘good’ and ‘light’ demonic and angelic spirits are able to possess human minds and bodies for their own pleasures of evil. Isaiah reveals this huge error to the Babylonians when he announces their judgement from the Lord in Isaiah 47. In this passage we see what a large part of their evil culture depended on the ‘interpretation of the stars’ as ‘gods’. They called themselves ‘sorcerers’ and fully believed they were both right, wise and justified by their interpretations. However, as God reveals to them (and their king), they are highly mistaken! “Thou art wearied in the multitude of thy counsels. Let now the astrologers, the stargazers (astronomers), the monthly prognosticators, stand up, and save thee from these things that shall come upon thee. Behold, they shall be as stubble; the fire shall burn them; they shall not deliver themselves from the power of the flame: there shall not be a coal to warm at, nor fire to sit before it. Thus shall they be unto thee with whom thou hast laboured, even thy merchants, from thy youth: they shall wander every one to his quarter; none shall save thee.” (Isaiah 47:13-15) God made night and day to teach us about dark and light, good and evil because we are dim. One brings life, one
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turns things off! When we are in the dark we sleep, normal existence switches off. We dream, visions may come, our mind tries to understand life on earth. God shows his gospel of hope by placing ‘lights’ in the sky as an assurance that he is still in control even in the darkness. By this we can sleep easy in the knowledge that, even though we are powerless to overcome Satan and darkness, the Lord allowed it so that we would look up to him! Now, through Christ, we can regain power over evil, by conversion when our eyes are opened and we receive the kingdom of heaven (obedience by His Spirit). He who has eyes let them see! Astronomers and occultists (astrologers) of Babylon are still with us today, being deceived and deceiving others, thinking they are wise. Babylonians invented their interpretation of the stars now called the zodiac with various constellations. Foolishly they map the stars and try to predict future events. These ideas have developed and changed over many millennia so that we now have 80 official constellations. The more they see of the universe the more there is to see and they just don’t get it! God’s thoughts are endless, he’s eternal. God laughs at their foolishness and, as we see from time to time, judges them. Today we have the ultimate degree of this religion called NASA and so called ‘space exploration’. They even seek to prove that their creator does not exist by looking for non-existent alien life! Foolishness beyond measure! Why do they do this? Well it’s Satan’s attempt to destroy God’s people: “Thus saith the Lord, which giveth the sun for a light by day, and the ordinances of the moon and of the stars for a light by night, which divideth the sea when the waves thereof roar; The Lord of hosts is his name: If those ordinances depart from before me, saith the Lord, then the seed of Israel also shall cease from being a nation before me for ever.
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Thus saith the Lord; If heaven above can be measured, and the foundations of the earth searched out beneath, I will also cast off all the seed of Israel for all that they have done, saith the Lord.” (Jer 31:35-37) The demons of hell are foolishly trying to measure heaven and earth to discredit God’s Word regarding his people, but to no avail! The seed of Israel will always be before the Lord, physical and spiritual. This is why man is so actively searching space as he cooperates with Satan’s desperate ploy. The continuing existence of Israel and the strength of the church globally testifies that God’s Word is true! Hallelujah! As disciples of Christ we must not fall into the astronomical confusionism that the world now loves. Jesus never said we should interpret the stars, let alone try and go to them, but he uses them in a parabolic and metaphorical form to confuse the Babylonian mindset. Paul reveals this in Romans 1:18-25 “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and four footed beasts, and creeping things. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: Who changed the truth of
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God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.” Think about what the so called constellations look like ‘man’, ‘birds’, ‘beasts’ and ‘creeping things’! Add to this mythological gods, these are idols of created things! Like a child’s join the dots picture in a colouring book the so called scientists think they know why stars are where they are. Poppycock! God’s Word never ever specified these interpretations. So where do they come from? These are the vain imaginations, to focus the lost on the erroneous interpretation of creation. Complete and utter occult Babylonian babel! Of course Jesus knew mankind would fall for these lies and so ‘as a sign’ he put a consequence upon this false ‘star’ worship as Paul reveals! As the desire for science and space travel and the interpretation of stars increases, so does sexual perversion - this is very evident in our day. This is a form of judgement on the godless which, paradoxically, protects God’s faithful people, because believers are repelled by these sexual perversions. The faithful do not want homosexuality, paedophilia, abortion, child slavery etc. or their false teachings and blasphemy, so they turn to Christ in prayer and action. In time God justly brings judgement down on these perverted enemies. Unfortunately false ‘prophets’ are liable to ride on the populism that predicting the future can bring, these are the ‘prognosticators’ or ‘predictors’ of Babylon. It’s also a big money spinner and a snare that foolish people fall into because it sounds convincing, deception always does.
The correct interpretation of Scripture So we have seen how to wrongly view the stars, in a Babylonish way, but how o
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Joseph’s dreams and the understanding of other’s dreams proved to be vital throughout his life (Gen 40). God’s big plan in all of this was to save Jacob (Israel) from a future famine and to prosper them in Egypt (Gen 15:13-14; 45:5). The priority with God was the preservation of Israel and his seed to come.
then as Christians, should we view the cosmic events that happen? In Genesis Joseph’s dream provides a key insight in how to correctly interpret dreams and visions from heaven. Dreams, visions and prophecy make up important sections of Scripture and are deliberately coded in parabolic language, so that those who do not know God by the Spirit, get confused and his people alone see and understand (Isaiah 6). Joseph’s second dream is the ‘first mention’ of Sun, Moon and Stars together in a heavenly vision. This ‘first mention’ is a key that unlocks the truth for us: “And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me. And he told it to his father, and to his brethren: and his father rebuked him, and said unto him, What is this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth?” (Genesis 37:9-10) Notice how the Sun and Moon symbolise authorities over the young Joseph, the firstborn of Rachel and Jacobs 7th son from his 2nd wife (Father and mother) and his brothers are seen as eleven ‘Stars’ (making him the 12th star). They all understood the parabolic imagery used in this way. They did not expect something to go weird with the real heavenly bodies in the sky, but knew this was symbolic, because it was given in a ‘night vision’ or dream state. Jacob himself had experienced this in his own life at Bethel when seeing a ladder to heaven (Gen 28). Of course there is no actual ladder in the sky. Although they immediately understood what these dreams implied they incorrectly interpreted Joseph’s motives in sharing the dream, and their pride was offended by the young ‘dreamer’, especially as Joseph was Jacob’s favourite, the rest is history.
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Therefore the correct understanding of the Sun, Moon and Stars is as parabolic ‘symbols’ that represent ‘authorities’ and as ‘first mention’ this understanding carries through into interpreting future visions and dreams in ALL Scriptures from Daniel to Revelation. So we see that the Sun, Moon and 12 Stars together in a ‘vision’ always symbolise the nation of Israel. Just as ‘clouds’ (symbol of heavenly power and glory) are always associated with the Lord ‘coming in judgement’.
The iniquity of idol worship God expressly warns the newly created nation of Israel not to switch to worshipping the heavenly things (angels etc.), or earthly creatures instead of him in any form: “Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.” (Exod 20:4) “And lest thou lift up thine eyes unto heaven, and when thou seest the sun, and the moon, and the stars, even all the host of heaven, shouldest be driven to worship them, and serve them, which the Lord thy God hath divided unto all nations under the whole heaven.” (Deut 4:19. See also 2 kings 23:5) Here God Almighty is clear that the lights in the sky have no special powers like ‘gods’. They do not belong to Israel, Egypt or Babylon, but are rather given to all nations to reveal the incredible mind of God and the passage of time. We see how Satan wants to distort this basic truth
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and manipulate it for his own purposes causing confusion. The last days of Israel as a priesthood began with Jesus being crucified, and the last days of the nations began at Pentecost when the Spirit came into men, first the Jew and then the Gentile (Acts 2 & 10). As we have seen it was already clearly understood that all creation is suffering from the corruption of sin and the Scripture tells us that it’s man’s foolishness that will finally ruin the beauty of the earth (Rom 8:19-22). Just as Israel ruined the promise land through massive mismanagement, so now man’s greed for resources is polluting and destroying the whole earth! Over the last 150 years more animals have become extinct than at any time in human history, the earths temperature has increased and weather gone wild, even the pagans know this to be true! (see www.WWF.org.uk). Paul was writing in the first century AD and they knew these things would come! They knew of ‘natural’ disasters then, they saw the power and force of storms, earthquakes and famines, it was not uncommon. Paul tells us that earth is in ‘the bondage of corruption’ and this was ordained by God himself in the hope that it would wake us humans up to the serious spiritual situation of sin and Satan’s deception. In the Revelation of Jesus we also read that many will be judged at the end for destroying the earth: “And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth.” (Rev 11:18) God made the earth good and put man in it to care for it, but man’s allegiance to Satan has resulted in its destruction through abuse, war and greed. The earth, and now even the heavens, are shaking as
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a consequence - we are reaping what we have sown!
Rightly dividing the Word The best way to understand prophecy interpretation is to look at Bible prophecy that we know has already been historically fulfilled, according to Scripture itself, and see how the symbolistic language was completed (as with Joseph). The Bible therefore interprets itself - simple! For example there are many types of the ‘coming of the Lord’ in the old testament which clearly do not refer to Jesus second coming, but rather a coming of the Lord’s judgement, in that particular era, in time against a specific nation(s). The unseen Holy God of heaven works unseen in the whole earth through an agent or vessel, like Nebuchadnezzar and his Babylonian army, using them to do his disciplinary work, in order to save his people. This was the fulfilment of Jeremiah’s prophecies and at this time when God calls Nebuchadnezzar his ‘servant’! (Jer 25:9). We also see that God’s judgement expressed against Egypt (more than once) was expressed as him ‘coming on clouds’: “The burden of Egypt. Behold, the Lord rideth upon a swift cloud, and shall come into Egypt: and the idols of Egypt shall be moved at his presence, and the heart of Egypt shall melt in the midst of it.” (Isaiah 19:1) This prophecy was fulfilled when the Assyrians attacked in 670 BC, an historical fact. It is incorrect to use this Scripture as meaning anything in our day concerning Egypt. It has become an example to us of God speaking and then doing what he said (2 Pet 2:6; 1 Corin 10:11). However, no one in Egypt saw God in person on actual clouds, but we see how he used the Assyrian army to judge them as he had Israel before them. This event of ‘war’ is described as the ‘Lord riding upon a swift o
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cloud’ (a cloud of Assyrians perhaps?). All the ancients knew that when God came in this way people are judged, nations destroyed, just like when natural floods come and disaster strikes, it’s a metaphorical and universally understood code!
witness against you, the Lord from his holy temple. For, behold, the Lord cometh forth out of his place, and will come down, and tread upon the high places of the earth. And the mountains shall be molten under him, and the valleys shall be cleft, as wax before the fire, and as the waters that are poured down a steep place.
Prophecy vision is to be interpreted into real world events and NOT taken literally, they reveal the workings of heaven behind the scenes upon history. The same is true today as it was then, except we have lost the understanding of interpreting these symbols! Even king Nebuchadnezzar came to this understanding and expressed it in his amazing letter to us all:
For the transgression of Jacob is all this, and for the sins of the house of Israel. What is the transgression of Jacob? is it not Samaria? and what are the high places of Judah? are they not Jerusalem?” (Micah 1:1-5)
“And at the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the most High, and I praised and honoured him that liveth for ever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation: And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?” (Dan 4. See
also
2 Kings 6:17)
Another excellent old testament example of this is seen in the books of Micah and Nahum who’s prophecies regarding Samaria, Jerusalem and Nineveh were all completed, being recorded later in Scripture and in historical archeology. The prophets use very dramatic language to announce the power of the Almighty, his qualifications if you like, to be the judge against their sin and iniquity: “The word of the Lord that came to Micah the Morasthite in the days of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, which he saw concerning Samaria and Jerusalem. Hear, all ye people; hearken, O land, and all that therein is: and let the Lord God be
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The destruction of Samaria and Judah years after that announcement is now recorded history, it’s all done and dusted many thousands of years ago. What happened? Foreign armies of Assyria attacked Samaria and years later Babylon came and destroyed Judah, the people and the land was wasted and the first Temple ransacked and burned. However, no-one saw the Lord ‘visibly appear’ and come down melting mountains etc. all this was metaphorical speech, referring back to the terror of Mount Sinai, to reveal what was happening in the spiritual dimension, and the seriousness of their rebellion. The mountains and valleys referred to the authorities (leaders) causing the rebellion, the ‘demonic’ and the earthly ‘kings’. On earth this was manifest through their destruction by armies with swords. His purpose for doing this is stated thus: “And all the graven images thereof shall be beaten to pieces, and all the hires thereof shall be burned with the fire, and all the idols thereof will I lay desolate: for she gathered it of the hire of an harlot, and they shall return to the hire of an harlot.” (Mic 1:7) God removed the idols which were ruining Israel and his plan for their destiny. Many would die, but those faithful lived on! Their is always a small remnant that are faithful whom God
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protects. This is a key as to why God brings judgements, it’s for the sake of his people and his plan. It all looks terrible, but Micah holds out the hope of restoration through the eventual return to the land and ultimately the coming Messiah - Jesus. Notice in this his prophecy how it mentions a woman in labour and sheaves of wheat like in Joseph’s dream! “Be in pain, and labour to bring forth, O daughter of Zion, like a woman in travail: for now shalt thou go forth out of the city, and thou shalt dwell in the field, and thou shalt go even to Babylon; there shalt thou be delivered; there the Lord shall redeem thee from the hand of thine enemies. Now also many nations are gathered against thee, that say, Let her be defiled, and let our eye look upon Zion. But they know not the thoughts of the Lord, neither understand they his counsel: for he shall gather them as the sheaves into the floor.” (Micah 4:10-12; 5:2) There wasn’t an actual woman who gave birth, but it’s symbolic of the pain of expulsion (the purpose of birth), consistent with all prophetic utterances to date. Just to highlight the point the Father decides that his very Word, the Messiah will be born of a woman, in pain and blood (Micah 5:3). This Messiah would be his ultimate grace and mercy to his people Israel and the final remnant of Israel would be saved. How awesome is our God!
What about Jesus as prophet? How did the Jews interpret Jesus words and prophecies in their own day? Firstly, consider the prophecy for the appearing of John the baptist and Jesus the Messiah which was clearly fulfilled by them: “Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God. Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the Lord’s hand double
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for all her sins. The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain: And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it. The voice said, Cry. And he said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field: The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit of the Lord bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass. The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever. O Zion, that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God! Behold, the Lord God will come with strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him. He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young. Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and meted out heaven with the span, and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance? Who hath directed the Spirit of the Lord, or being his counsellor hath taught him? With whom took he counsel, and who instructed him, and taught him in the path of judgment, and taught him knowledge, and shewed to him the way of understanding? Behold, the nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the small dust of the balance: behold, he taketh up the isles as a very little thing.” (Isaiah 40:1-15)
Notice in the opening verse that the Israelites paid for their apostasy through o
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‘warfare’! (judgement). Isaiah announces that, at the time of John and Jesus appearing, their sins would have been paid according to the covenant. (This was approx 400 years from the end of Nehemiah and Malachi’s governorship. During this time they were conquered and ruled over by 4 warring empires culminating in the Romans around 60 BC the very last and the greatest judgement in AD 70 which lasted until 1948). Jesus came to rescue the faithful remnant who would believe in him and be saved from that judgement (day of the Lord).
day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the Lord of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch. But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall. And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith the Lord of hosts. Remember ye the law of Moses my servant, which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel, with the statutes and judgments. Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord:
The Spirit speaks of John the baptist raising valleys and lowering mountains, crooked paths straightened and rough places plain. Nothing like this happened to the natural terrain (the mountains are still the same), but all this was metaphorically representing the change in the hearts of men and the destruction of false (demonic) leadership (mountains). Again notice what is stated as the qualification of God to do this in verse 12:
And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.” Jesus declared that John the baptist was the Elijah to come, the last naturally born prophet and according to Jesus the greatest (Matt 11:12-15). The ‘dreadful day of the Lord’ was indeed the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70, an historical fact (See also Luke 21:22-28). The Sun of righteousness was Jesus himself and he did have healing in his wings! (The Sun symbol of Jacob, the father of Israel and his SEED Jesus the head, the King of Israel).
“Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and meted out heaven with the span, and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance?”! Jesus did come with a strong hand driving out the money changers and he did shepherd his lambs. Did not the Pharisees wonder where Jesus got such authority and learning? Behold your God! This whole passage uses metaphorical language and we know how it came true, because John, Jesus and the apostles said it did! (see Luke
Prophecies given by Jesus
3:4-6; 7:26-27. Matt 1:22-23; 4:14-16; 12:16-21; 21:23-27).
Also look at Malachi’s prophecy of the destruction of Jerusalem to take place after Jesus and John have done their work: “For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the
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Jesus came as God’s saviour for the remnant who would be saved from the final judgement of warfare upon Israel (Matt 13:11). History was about to enter the final phase of which Daniel had spoke, the final 2 kingdoms of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, the iron and the iron & clay mixed. (D an 2). Notice that Nebuchadnezzar calls first for his astrologers and sorcerers to try and understand the vision, they can’t. Daniel gives the correct interpretation from God and favour comes upon him and the Jews.
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After this 70 year exile their national sins were fully paid. Then, as God always had done before, they returned to the land and grew again as a sign to the world of God’s faithfulness. Jesus came and prophesied one last and terrible judgement upon the apostate Israel - Jacob’s trouble, the greatest tribulation that Jerusalem would ever experience.
The days of vengeance “Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city: That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar. Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation.” (Matt 23:35; Luke 11:51) Jesus tells the leaders of Israel, and those who rejected him, that the judgement of all judgements was coming upon them and that it even stretched back to Abel! What! Yes this is the close of the age of Israel and the beginning of the new age of grace through the church (remnant Jews). “For these be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled. But woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck, in those days! for there shall be great distress in the land, and wrath upon this people. And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.” (Luke 21:22-24). As well as directly telling the Jewish leaders what would happen when they were judged for rejecting him, Jesus used the ancient symbolic language of judgement which they had come to recognise. They all knew the judgement
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language, they understood it was not referring to the actual elements, but like a vision, dream or parable it was referring to something spiritual, the unseen powers of heaven, the armies of God! He continues to prophesy the end of the gentile nations - and the very end of time itself - all in relation to Israel. “And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.” (Luke 21:25-28)
So Jesus tells his enquiring disciples and all of us that Israel is judged first by a great army (the Romans) and that the whole gentile world will also be judged by a coming army - the angels of heaven and we will see him coming for real through space and time - his second appearing! The great and dreadful day of the Lord (Rev 1:7). Remember how earlier we understood that when Sun, Moon and Stars are mentioned together it symbolises ISRAEL and his sons. There shall be signs in ISRAEL! Is this not our day since 1948! To clarify his prophecy Jesus continues by giving a parable about Israel as a ‘fig tree’ and the other nations as ‘trees’ shooting forth (growing and expanding): “And he spake to them a parable; Behold the fig tree (Israel), and all the trees (Gentiles); When they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your own selves that summer is now nigh at hand. So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand. Verily I say unto o
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you, this generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled.” (Luke 21:29-32) A generation is 40 years. Jesus spoke these prophecies in approx AD 30 by AD 73 Jerusalem and Israel as a nation were destroyed, but not the nations. The Christians fled Jerusalem in the summer of AD 69 when the Romans surrounded it, but the apostate radical Jews had stayed to fight - all the rebels died bar a few survivors who went to Rome and exile. These prophecies concerning Israel were fulfilled within the generation that heard his voice. If it was not so then Jesus was lying - and he doesn’t lie! The Jewish historian Josephus recorded all of it. The Israelites were scattered into the nations to mercifully preserve some of them, not to destroy them. How these nations have treated them has shaped modern history. Israel did come back into their land when the punishment was ended and the earth helped them. The Balfour declaration in 1917 opened the way for the eventual establishment of Israel in part of their land in 1948 - the fulfilment of the promise of God to the Patriarchs. This is unique in history, no other ancient nation or tribe has ever been restored in such a fashion. It’s a sign to the world, the fig tree has grown back! We also see that since this happened just about every nation has grown and grown in size. It was the Jesuits under the Papacy in the 18th and 19th centuries who have tried to futurize these Scriptures about Jerusalem to mean that something else in today’s Jerusalem is yet to come. Jacob’s trouble has already happened and they have been restored back to the land and will never leave it again despite what the Islamic fundamentalists or even the United Nations declare! Our duty is to love Israel and help them not attack them again. Those who do will be judged for this. The truth is that everything God does is for the sake of his people, the seed of
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Abraham natural and spiritual. Kingdoms will come and go, natural disasters will come and go, earthquakes will come and go. Storms also will come and go until the very end, but as Jesus said when he comes back in person, at his second ‘appearing’ everyone will know for sure, because the light of his glory will blot out both the natural Sun, the Moon and all the Stars combined like lightning lighting up the sky. This is when he will judge the nations! “Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.” (Rev 1:7-8)
A nation born in a day “For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day. But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; ‘And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy: And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke: The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come: And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.’ ” (Acts 2:15-21) Peter says The Spirit coming into men and women fulfilled this prophecy, this was the ‘notable day of the Lord’. But no record is known of any cosmological changes at Pentecost!? Again this language is purely symbolic and the Jews
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present knew this - so must we. Blood moons show that God is all powerful and has set the universe in place. He refers to this whenever significant prophecies are given, so that we are clear who is speaking it, our creator! Peter later tells us that the new nation born at Pentecost is in fact the church or body of Christ! A new nation, not another Israel, but an heavenly Jerusalem for both Jew and Gentile to be as one with God (1 Pet 2:9).
The tale of two women Considering what we now know let’s look afresh look at the passage in Revelation 12. I will comment each verse in red. First note that this is a ‘vision’ and not an astronomical observation. 1 “And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars: (This is a woman, but which woman? According to symbolic language this is faithful Israel because it is a crown) 2 And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered. (Israel brought forth a child and that child was the seed - Jesus! As we have seen the history of Israel was painful for many centuries in order for Messiah to come. Satan rose against this plan to hinder it! But Mary was with child and gave birth to a supernatural son - the saviour according to the Father’s plan!) 3 And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads. (This is Satan and his kingdom of fallen angels in heaven, they knew God’s plan and opposed it. 4 And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered,
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for to devour her child as soon as it was born. (Satan was there in Herod Antipas waiting to murder Jesus, but failed because they fled to Egypt to survive because of Angelic intervention. Just as Jacob had done centuries before his son survived!) 5 And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne. (This is a one sentence summary of Jesus life, death, resurrection and ascension! He will rule the whole earth one day on his return, every knee will bow) 6 And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days. (So they fled to Egypt and hid until Herod dies. 1260 days (by the end Jesus was 3.5 years old. At which point the kings of the east find him by an angel (star) having guided them Matt 2:8-11) 7 And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, 8 And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. (This is the great battle to finally cleanse heaven of Satan who retained access all this time (see Job 1) contrary to former belief this had not happened before. He came to God to accuse the saints of sin and his rights to punish them (v10 below) 9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. (Through the cross, resurrection and ascension this great battle was fought in the heavens and Jesus declares this in John 12:31 and 16:11. His blood was o
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presented in heaven itself to cleanse all Heb 9:12 from sin)
persecution by the Papacy (anti Christ) for 1260 years - an historical fact!)
10 And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.
15 And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood. (This is a flood of violence and false teaching the doctrine of devils to entrap God’s people into perdition and to persecute the true church)
(The salvation that Jesus brings removes the condemnation of the devil and sin giving the believer victory over him! Satan can no longer approach God to accuse us Rom 8:34, but now attacks us directly through persecution)
16 And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth. (Many key nations of the earth eventually came to accept the Gospel and came to Israel’s aid and the world suffered through many world wars as demons battled for their territories in the earth. Israel’s punishment and longest exile eventually ended in 1948 after 2 world wars and 6 million Jews and others murdered)
11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death. (This is the true church history for 2000 years! More than 60 million have given their lives) 12 Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them (Luke 15:10). Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time. (The angels rejoice over every soul saved, but the world will experience Satan’s wrath as he sets his efforts against all creation to destroy it! Check the news!)
17 And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.
13 And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child. (Satan’s anger stirs him towards persecution of Israel and the church. They fled from nation to nation looking for peace) 14 And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent. (Israel was dispersed into the nations (wilderness) as was the faithful church via
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(At the same time that Satan opposed the true Jewish remnant he attacked the faithful believers and we see this across the world through time and especially today) So we see that Revelation 12 is actually a summary chapter regarding the history of Israel, Jesus and the church until the end comes. It has absolutely nothing to do with astronomy or Zodiac signs to predict the future! It reveals to us that we are indeed near then end of the age and that we must learn to understand the signs correctly. The fig tree is growing and the nations of the world are growing, each one like a Babylon with towers and sky worship! Multi-faiths and multi-idols abound in every city of the world while
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Christian faith is under constant attack! However, despite all this take heart, in Jesus words of encouragement to us who follow him with our very lives:
“These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.� (John 16:33) n
Further Reading This short encouragement is brought to you completely free of charge, because it was received by grace. if it has blessed you, helped you and inspired you please pass it on to a brother, sister or friend. On the website you will find other free material to build you up in the powerful faith of Jesus Christ. www.omega-ministries.org. We pray that these teachings will inspire you to know Jesus personally through prayer and ever increasing meditation on his Word revealed in scripture and the prophetic writings of the apostles. We also recommend other writers in our links section who have inspired and encouraged us in being obedient to wisdom and to the ways of the Lord, some of these may not be free. May God bless and keep you in his grace. omega-ministries.org
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Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. ISAIAH 40:28-31
Omega Ministries The publications and website provide free access to the knowledge of the Kingdom of Heaven. They are designed to encourage and empower you to fulfil your destiny in Christ Jesus. All materials are provided free of charge if downloaded in digital format. Feel free to print out send to friends, duplicate, but please no reselling or relabelling. Please donate. All donations go to special causes to feed the hungry, homeless and others in need. If we have blessed you please bless them! Give online. www.omega-ministries.org email: info@omega-ministries.org Based in Eastbourne UK. Š2014 All rights reserved
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