Revelation’s key symbol
As in school we have learned simple things first and gradually were progressing to more difficult, so it is with spiritual things, particularly with understanding God’s end time plans and purposes. For your own benefit, it is therefore imperative that all “From A to Z - Revelation Made Plain” topics or posts would be read and studied in their chronological order, starting with “Part A” and progressing in alphabetical order. This way, your understanding of Revelation prophecies will progress from simple to more complex. Every week new part will be posted till complete understanding of Revelation is obtained.
This presentation is not affiliated with any church denomination or any Ministries.
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Part B:
To begin writing on the subject of the the Bible prophecies and start with setting time, is to say at least unwise. Some may call it even downright foolish. After a number of churches’ disastrous results in the past, at the present even the most radical denominations stay away from time setting. Historically, it always ended in disappointment. The devil made sure of it. He made sure of it to such a degree, that today in the religious world it is the only subject that is taboo. For any organization to attempt it, is to commit certain suicide.
Yet, from the Bible it becomes obvious that God Himself set times and dates for many events to transpire. During Jesus’ physical presence on this earth there were a number of people who understood from God’s prophets writings that God appointed time for Messiah’s appearance has arrived. They looked for Him, found Him and put their trust in Him.
As God appointed certain time for Jesus to do His work on this earth, so He also appointed certain time and dates for the end time events to transpire. Why nobody is in these days searching God’s word for it, I have already explained above. Today, it is a taboo.
However, in the book of Revelation, God’s command to us is to do precisely that - to search for His set times and dates. We are told to measure God appointed times in His temple and look at them not from man’s perspective but rather from God’s point of view. In other words, the appointed times we find in the temple will correspond with God’s word - the Bible. For this reason, in the next few studies, please do not harden your heart but open your mind and observe, what God has done.
This part may be for many difficult to comprehend and digest, because the portrayal of God appointed times which the temple of God contains, is shown in two highly symbolic forms. To help us in understanding this subject it is necessary that each of us become first familiar with various symbolic significance of the temple and then each of us studies how God Himself counts the time and also, how Israel was counting it. In the next two posts I will try to explain it briefly and as best as I can. Still, it is not an easy subject. The first symbolic representation of God appointed time hidden in the layout of the temple is as follows:
Rev.11:1: I was given a reed like a measuring rod and was told, "Go and measure the temple of God and the altar, and count the worshipers there.
Because no temple of God exists in Jerusalem at the present, (the last temple was destroyed in A.D. 70), it becomes obvious that the above verse holds for us some symbolic significance. Before we can do as told and obey one of the very few commands our Lord has given to us in this last book, and truly measure God’s temple - which represents understanding the deeper things of God; we have to first understand subjects more simpler. What is it really, that the most important symbol of the whole Bible represents? What is it’s function and purpose?
Even without deeper understanding of the Bible, most believers realize, that the main function of God’s temple was to show in symbols the plan of salvation to His people. In this study we will be concentrating on the temple of God, and it’s application in the book of Revelation.
From the beginning of the existence of mankind, God has always chosen someone, who was willing enough to follow him and listen to his counsel. In other words, God chose someone with whom he could communicate. In the beginning they were always only individuals - Enoch, Noah, Abraham. From the time of Jacob’s sons, God’s favor is bestowed not any more on only a single individual, but on a whole group of them. God is claiming as his own the whole posterity of Jacob. The nation of Israel (Israelites) became God’s chosen people. Partly, because Israel constantly rebelled against Him, God allotted to them only specific amount of time in which they had a chance to correct their attitude and relationship toward Him.
Dan.9:24: "Seventy 'sevens' are decreed for your people and your holy city to finish transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone for wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy.
Seventy ‘sevens’ represents seventy weeks of years.
After expiry of this assigned time to Israelites, God is taking temporarily his favor away from them and is turning for an unspecified period of time to someone else - to the Gentiles.
Ac.13:46: Then Paul and Barnabas answered them boldly: "We had to speak the word of God to you first. Since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles.
Lk.21:24: They will fall by the sword and will be taken as prisoners to all the nations. Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.
From the last verse we can see that the Gentiles do not have unlimited time. At one point, the time granted by God to the Gentiles will end. After it ends, Bible is informing us, that there will follow yet another time period - one thousand years assigned to reign of Jesus Christ.
Rev.20:4-6: ...They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years. (The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.) This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy are those who have part in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years.
When thousand years of Christ’s reign are over, the next event is the final Judgment (white throne) and then the eternity on the new earth.
Rev.20:11 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. Earth and sky fled from his presence, and there was no place for them.
In total, Bible is showing to us only three different time periods, in which God’s favor is bestowed on three different societies (communities) of people. (We are not counting here the starting phase, where God acted only with individuals):
1) Time portioned to the Israelites
2) Time granted to the Gentiles
3) Time assigned to the reign of Jesus Christ
For our study and understanding of God’s temple and its symbolic significance, it is important for us to notice, how is God worshiped in each time period above mentioned and also what God’s people had to do.
Nation of Israel (Israelites) worshiped God by offering sacrifices and by observing various ceremonies and cleansing rituals. They worshiped God by obeying these laws and ceremonies. (See the whole book of Leviticus).
In the time period of the Gentiles we are worshiping God by exercising faith in Jesus Christ and his merits.
Rom.5:1-2: Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.
During the time of the thousand years of Christ’s reign God will be worshiped by obeying his laws and precepts.
Eze.36:26-28: I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. You will live in the land I gave your forefathers; you will be my people, and I will be your God.
When will this happen?
Eze.37:12-14: Therefore prophesy and say to them: 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: O my people, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them; I will bring you back to the land of Israel. Then you, my people, will know that I am the LORD, when I open your graves and bring you up from them. I will put my Spirit in you and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I the LORD have spoken, and I have done it, declares the LORD.'"
Some believe, that the above verses apply to the time on the new earth. That is not so:
Eze.36:33-36: "This is what the Sovereign LORD says: On the day I cleanse you from all your sins, I will resettle your towns, and the ruins will be rebuilt. The desolate land will be cultivated instead of lying desolate in the sight of all who pass through it. They will say, "This land that was laid waste has become like the garden of Eden; the cities that were lying in ruins, desolate and destroyed, are now fortified and inhabited." Then the nations around you that remain will know that I the LORD have rebuilt what was destroyed and have replanted what was desolate. I the LORD have spoken, and I will do it.'
Can you conceive of ruined cities on the new earth? Can you imagine rebuilding there something, that was destroyed? Who will be causing there destruction that will require all of the above?
I think that it becomes abundantly clear where in the stream of time to place above quoted events. They belong only to the time period of thousand years reign of Jesus. Right on it’s beginning.
At this point we can sum up:
1. Time period belonging to Israel:
God is worshiped by offering sacrifices and by various cleansing rituals and ceremonies.
2. Time period belonging to Gentiles:
God is worshiped by faith in Jesus Christ and his merits. Believers are forming churches.
3. Time period belonging to Christ’s reign:
God is worshiped by obeying his laws and decrees.
These are Biblical facts.
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From now on we will turn to Bible symbols. The most important symbol of the whole Bible is the temple of God.
Majority of Christians understand only a small portion of the symbolic significance of God’s temple. Most widely known is the symbolic portrayal of Jesus’ sacrifice. Few may understand even some parts of the symbolic depiction of the plan of salvation. However, deeper understanding of the temple is offering much more.
Beside showing God’s plan of salvation by the services performed in it, the temple of God is giving us also insight into God appointed times His plan of salvation carries.
The temple of God has in actual fact three sections and not only two, as is usually mentioned. The whole temple was composed of the Portico, the Holy Place and finally the Most Holy Place:
1.Ki.6:3: The portico at the front of the main hall of the temple extended the width of the temple, that is twenty cubits, and projected ten cubits from the front of the temple.
Just because Portico does not form an enclosed room, does not mean that it is not part of the temple.
1.Ki.6:16-17: He partitioned off twenty cubits at the rear of the temple with cedar boards from floor to ceiling to form within the temple an inner sanctuary, the Most Holy Place. The main hall in front of this room was forty cubits long.
Believers know and are aware that Israel has performed various services in all three sections of the temple. They were pointing to complete salvation of mankind accomplished in its proper time by Jesus Christ. By their performance of these services they were showing what will eventually happen. But God’s plan of man’s salvation has several stages. Only the first stage was implemented during the time of Israel - construction of God’s temple on this earth and establishing its services and ceremonies.
Notice that when Israel sinned, even so they trusted God for forgiveness, they were required to bring some animal sacrifice offering, which pointed to the ultimate offering of God’s Son. The symbolic significance of the altar of burned offerings applied to Jesus, however, it was performed only by Israel, and not by us (Gentiles) today.
Today if we have sinned, do we have to bring animal sacrifice? Certainly not. Therefore the performance carried out on the altar before the temple, is for us in the time of the Gentiles obsolete, because to what it was pointing out was accomplished once and for all on the cross.
Same thing applies to all the temple services and various cleansing rituals performed during the time of Israel, symbolically shown by the basin called “Sea”. We as the Gentiles do not do any of them.
When we observe only the furnishing each section of the temple contained, we come to realization that the use of the furnishing in front of the temple which was visible from the Portico was utilized and practiced only during the time of Israel. It symbolically pointed to the time period of Israel.
If all this points to the time period given to Israel, why the altar of burned offerings is located in front of the temple
and not directly on the Portico? Why the basin called “Sea” is not stationed on the Portico as well?
The time of Israel as God’s people stretches all way from Abraham and if not from Abraham then certainly from Jacob. The time given by God to Israel in Dan.9:24, is only the last part of time which was assigned to them. This last segment of time which God appointed to them, is the only part of time of Israel symbolically shown in the layout of the temple. In other words, Portico shows symbolically only the appointed time of Israel and not the preceding centuries. Because Israel was considered as God’s favored people long before the appointed time to Israel in Dan.9:24 started, the altar of burned offerings is in the front of the temple and not on the Portico.
From all this it is evident that the Portico with its open view on the altar of burned offerings and on the Sea is pointing in symbols solely to the time period given to Israel, when all these things were performed.
The second stage in God’s plan of salvation was implemented right after Jesus’ sacrifice and ascension to heaven.
By entering the Holy Place we are finding inside table for the bread of the Presence, gold lampstand(s), and the altar of incense.
Today we trust in the cleansing sacrifice of Jesus Christ accomplished on the cross. Therefore today we as the Gentiles trust in Jesus Christ our bread of life shown in the Holy Place. The table for the bread of the Presence (at least the bread itself) symbolically represents body of Christ:
Jn.6:51: I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world."
The lampstands represent the churches:
Rev.1:20: The mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand and of the seven golden lampstands is this: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.
Did Israel formed churches? Certainly not, they had synagogues. Church forming applies strictly to the time of the Gentiles. The light emanating from the lampstand(s) symbolize God’s Spirit or Spirit of Christ:
Rev.4:5: ... Before the throne, seven lamps were blazing. These are the seven spirits of God.
Jn.8:12: When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."
The altar of incense points to Jesus’ mediation on our behalf before God, same way, as the High Priest was doing on behalf of Israel once a year.
Heb.4:14-15: Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are--yet was without sin.
Heb.5:1: Every high priest is selected from among men and is appointed to represent them in matters related to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins.
Again it becomes evident that the symbolic meaning of the furniture the Holy Place contained is pointing in symbols to worshiping God in churches (Lampstand) by faith in Jesus Christ (the brad of life) who is acting on our behalf as our mediator or defense attorney before God. (Altar of incense) to the time period given to the Gentiles.
Even so Israel preformed services in the Holy Place, the place did not point symbolically to them. The furniture in the Holy Place was pointing to time after Jesus’ death and ascension into heaven beside the throne of God.
In conclusion: The symbolic meaning of the furniture in the Holy Place point only to the time of the Gentiles.
Behind the curtain in the Most Holy Place is placed the Ark of the covenant. It contained tablets of the ten commandments and on it’s side were placed scrolls with ceremonial laws, rules and regulations. Most Holy Place then symbolizes worshiping God by obedience to his laws and rules.
Only during 1000 years of Christ reign will the believers be living in the presence of God in flesh (Jesus Christ). Therefore the section of the temple which symbolized the presence of God - the Most Holy Place must point only to the 1000 years reign of Jesus, where people will be worshiping God by obedience to his laws and rules.
Now, when we understand at least partly the significance of the various items and furnishings in the temple, we can also understand better, why the temple was divided into these three different sections. The temple is showing in symbols three different time periods during man’s existence on this earth, each with its own specific way of worshiping God.
Since furniture visible from the Portico pointed to services preformed only by the Israel in the time of the Israel, We can claim that Portico is symbolically pointing to the time assigned by God to Israel
Since the furniture in the Holy Place pointed symbolically to accomplished Jesus’ work on the cross and how we will acknowledge and worship God in the time of the Gentiles, we can claim that Holy Place is symbolically pointing to the time of the Gentiles.
Since the furnishings in the last section of the temple the "Most Holy," pointed to worshiping God by obeying His commandments, we can claim that the Most Holy Place is then symbolically pointing to worshiping God by obeying His laws and rules during the 1000 years reign of Christ.
Conclusion:
First section of the temple - the Portico, symbolically shows the time period given to Israel.
Second section of the temple - the Holy Place, symbolically shows the time period of the Gentiles.
Third section of the temple - the Most Holy, symbolically shows the time period of Christ’s reign.
1.Portico:
• symbols - bronze altar and the sea
• worshiping - by sacrifices and cleansing rituals
• represents - time of the Israelites
2. Holy Place:
• symbols - table, lampstand, altar of incense
• worshiping - by faith in Jesus
• represents - time of the Gentiles
3. Most Holy Place:
• symbols - ark
• worshiping - by obeying God’s laws
• represents - time of Christ’s reign
Now when we understand the basic symbolism of the furnishings of the temple, beside other things, we can also claim that:
The three sections of the temple are symbolically showing three different ways of worshiping God during three different time periods God appointed to mankind in His process of Redemption.
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Finally we can put in practice the little what we have learned so far. At this point we can use the basic understanding of the temple and apply it in the book of Revelation, for it is here, where symbols are used in abundance.
Rev.1:10-13: "On the Lord's day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet, which said: "Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea." I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, and among the lampstands was someone "like a son of man," dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest."
John was taken in vision into heaven. There he met Jesus Christ. Where was it in heaven, that Jesus after His ascension went?
Heb.9:24: "For Christ did not enter a man-made sanctuary that was only a copy of the true one; he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God's presence."
In other words, Jesus went into the sanctuary that is in heaven. It is important for us to realize, that the temple or sanctuary which was built by the Israelites in Jerusalem, was only a copy or a replica of the heavenly one.
Heb.8:5: "They serve at a sanctuary that is a copy and shadow of what is in heaven. This is why Moses was warned when he was about to build the tabernacle: "See to it that you make everything according to the pattern shown you on the mountain."
So far we know that John was taken in vision into the heaven, directly into the heavenly sanctuary, where he met Jesus. In this study we have already talked a little about the Temple and its floor plan. It consisted of three sections, the Holy, the Most Holy and the Portico. Into which section of the heavenly sanctuary was John taken?
In the earthly sanctuary it was in the Holy Place where the lampstands were located. These lampstands consisted of seven lights. Therefore, when John in the 12th verse writes that he saw seven golden lampstands, it had to be in the room called "Holy" where he was taken and where he met Jesus.
Rev.1:19: "Write, therefore, what you have seen, what is now and what will take place later."
John is bidden to write all what he has seen. Jesus Himself divided it into two sections.
1) First, about "what is now"
2) Second, about "what will take place later"
In the room called “the Holy Place” where John in his vision met Jesus, he has received vision or prophecy concerning the seven churches penned in the 2nd and the 3rd chapter. After he wrote it down, in the fourth chapter he is told to go somewhere else and that he will be shown what must take place after.
Rev.4:1: After this I looked, and there before me was a door standing open in heaven. And the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, "Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this."
John sees the door standing open. Where was this door leading to, which he saw open in heaven? And where should John go when he heard the voice telling him "Come up here"?
First we must realize where John stood when he heard the voice telling him "Come up here." We have already established that John found himself in the compartment of the heavenly sanctuary called the Holy Place. There he obtained the vision pertaining to the seven churches. Now in the fourth chapter, he is prompted to leave the Holy place and go somewhere else.
Imagine yourself for a moment standing in today’s non-existent Jerusalem's Temple, right in the Holy Place, and you hear someone’s voice telling you: "Come up here". Where is the "Come up here" you are supposed to go? You have only two options. You can walk out of the Holy Place on the Portico and a courtyard, or you can walk from the Holy Place directly into the Most Holy. Where was it then, John was invited to go?
Rev.4:2: "At once I was in the Spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it."
It’s obvious that John was invited to enter the Most Holy place. It was the Most Holy, which symbolically in the sanctuary services signified the presence of God (God's throne).
It is from here, from the Most Holy Place, where John received the remaining part of the vision !
Let's go back to what we have learned about the temple. The section of the temple, which was called “Holy” symbolizes the time period appointed to the Gentiles. It started soon after Jesus’ ascension to heaven and the duration is, at this point, unknown to us.
The Most Holy Place on the other hand symbolizes the time period, when God through Jesus Christ is starting to take reign over this earth for a period of a thousand years.
Now we can understand somewhat better, why John was to write about two different things. About that, which is now and then about that, what will take place later. Jesus divided what John wrote into two sections!
John received the vision in or around the year 90 A.D.. It was already well in the time-period appointed to the Gentiles. That's why John in his vision finds himself in the Holy place among the golden lampstands, where he also meets Jesus. Everything pertaining to that time period John received in the Holy place, he writes in the 2nd and 3rd chapter and Jesus identified them as events in a time period "what is now".
Notice that in the 4th chapter when John is invited to step in the Most Holy, Jesus informs John that he will be shown events that must take place after this. After what? After they left the Holy place! After the time period signified by the Holy Place ended!
Events that were shown to John in heavenly Holy Place, have their fulfillment in the time-period symbolized by the Holy place, which is in the time period of the Gentiles, and were in the Bible identified as that "what is now".
Consequently the 2nd and the 3rd chapter of Revelation is addressed to seven churches in the land of the Gentiles.
Events that were given to John in the heavenly Most Holy Place (God’s throne) meet their fulfillment in the time-period symbolized by the Most Holy place, (which represents the time period of Christ’s reign) and are identified by Jesus as that "what will take place later".
From the date the time of the Gentiles are over, and God through Jesus Christ, starts taking reign over this earth, the fulfilment of Revelation prophecies from 4th chapter on begins. To be more precise, the fulfilment of these prophecies has already started.
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The temple of God portrays in symbolic form many things. In this study we have learned that the division of the temple into three different sections corresponds to three different time periods God appointed in His plan of man’s salvation. Further we have discovered, that Jesus Himself divided the prophecies in the book of Revelation into two separate parts. By giving John the first part in the heavenly Holy Place and the second part in the Most Holy, Jesus has symbolically shown to us the time of their fulfillment.
By grasping the basic symbolism of the layout of the temple and applying this knowledge in the book of Revelation, we can learn when various sections of it’s prophecies will come to pass. When we will obtain better comprehension of God’s symbols, we will be able to understand deeper things of God more precisely.
These things which we have learned so far, are only basic cornerstones of understanding Revelation! I am sad, that many believers know nothing or only very little about them. Their understanding of the book of Revelation is therefore flawed.
With growing understanding of the symbols in Revelation, your defense against various deceptions will rapidly grow also. However, your responsibility towards God will increase as well.
Therefore, be on your guard and if you hear someone teach historical fulfilment of some portions of the prophecy in Revelation from the 4th chapter on; with the exception of a portion of chapter 12, you should know now with certainty, that their interpretation is false. Jesus Himself divided the vision in Revelation into two sections and clearly identified which portion (for us living in the time of the end) belongs to a history and which for us is still to come.
Chapters 2 & 3 of Revelation are addressed to the churches in the time period assigned to the Gentiles. When the time period of Gentiles ends, all churches slip into a nearly hopeless condition of the Laodicea. As the time of the Gentiles ends, John is told to enter the Most Holy Place, and events portrayed in chapter four and onward start taking place. Revelation chapter four is portraying beginning of the new time period belonging to 1000 years reign of Jesus Christ!
Your friend in Jesus
HH
Made me look at Rev 4.