Revelation Day 20

Was the nation of Israel the Harlot (i.e., the adulterous wife) who has been cast out and finally judged for rejecting her husband (God) who had come to them in the flesh? Who is Israel now?

Day 20

B. Hodge, Biblical Authority Ministries, June 11, 2020

The Old Testament equates Israel (and Judah, seen collectively as “Israel” or the “Jews”) and Jerusalem—the seat of power for Israel specifically—as the bride or wife of God; and when she turned her back on God, she was playing the harlot and committing adultery against God. Jeremiah 3:20 says “Surely, as a wife treacherously departs from her husband, So have you dealt treacherously with Me, O house of Israel," says the LORD.”

Many times the nation of Israel, the Jews, or Jerusalem was seen as the harlot involved in adulteries against God: Jeremiah 3:1-9, 9:2, 13:27, 23:14; Isaiah 1:21, 5:1-7; 13:1-10; Hosea 2:4, 4:15, 7:1-4, 9:1; Ezekiel 6:9, 16:1-2; 16:15-41, 23:37-43; Judges 8:33; 2 Chronicles 21:11-13.

Keep this in mind when reading Leviticus 20:10, Matthew 12:39, and Mark 8:38. The Jews at the time of Christ were no different, outside of the saved remnant. For they did not seek after Christ but rejected Him and crucified Him and persecuted the Christians who followed Christ—even Saul (Paul) was doing this.

The Jews rejected Christ their king as John 19:15 records, “But they cried out, "Away with Him, away with Him! Crucify Him!" Pilate said to them, "Shall I crucify your King?" The chief priests answered, "We have no king but Caesar!"” Their harlotry culminated at this very moment as they told God the Son, to His face, that they held to a human king (and a “beast” of Daniel no less) over Him.   

The blood of all the prophets that was shed, much by the hand of Israel, was to be charged to this first century generation as Luke 11:51 points out, "from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah who perished between the altar and the temple. Yes, I say to you, it shall be required of this generation.” The Jews assembled in Jerusalem in Matthew 27:25 responded when crucifying Christ by saying, “And all the people answered and said, "His blood be on us and on our children."

Considering that Israel was previously annihilated and the Temple previously destroyed (with the exception of a remnant sent into captivity) for their constant rejection of God and His prophets in the Old Testament…should we not expect judgment upon the Jews who killed the One the prophets warned them about, the God-Man, Jesus Christ?

The Harlot was the nation of Israel (the Jews) being led by the Great City, Jerusalem (Revelation 11:8). This is why there is a need for a New Jerusalem (Galatians 4:25-26, Hebrews 13:14, Revelation 3:12, 21:2-9).

Descriptors of the Harlot being Israel/Jerusalem

1. Where the Lord was Crucified (Revelation 11:8)

2. Drunk by the blood of the Saints (Acts 9:13, 26:10)

3. Blood dripped by her attacks on the Martyrs (constant persecution of the church—(e.g., Acts 8:1-4, 11:19, 14:2, 17:13, 23:27, 1 Corinthians 15:9, Galatians 1:13)

4. Called the “Great City” (Revelation 11:8, 16:19, 17:18, 18:10, 18:16-21)

5. Responsible for the blood of the prophets (Matthew 23:29-37, Luke 11:47-50, Acts 7:51-52, 8:1-3, Romans 11:2-3, 1 Thessalonians 2:14-15)

6. Called Babylon (doubtful this is Babylon [of Nebuchadnezzar’s day] since it had been utterly destroyed and a ruin by the time the Parthian Empire took it over in 141 BC and is still desolate today! Rome took it over in AD 114-117 but waltzed right through it (still being largely a ruin). As a result of this, some early commentators suggested "Babylon" was a metaphor for Rome in 1 Peter 5:13 and Revelation. However, John equates Babylon  with the “the Great City” which is talked about extensively in Revelation and is the place where the Lord was crucified, Revelation 11:8, 16:19, 17:18, 18:10, 18:16-21. It makes sense that Peter was alluding to Jerusalem being Babylon in 1 Peter 5:13 as his ministry was directed to the circumcised of Israel and the Apostles' constant persecution there—Acts 9:32, Galatians 2:8.) This makes much sense of the unbelieving Israelites collectively who was the harlot that betrayed God and aligned herself with Rome over Christ.

7. Called Sodom (again Sodom was equated with the “Great City” where the Lord was crucified, Revelation 11:8, 16:19, 17:18, 18:10, 18:16-2)

8. Called Egypt (again Egypt was equated with the “Great City” where the Lord was crucified, Revelation 11:8, 16:19, 17:18, 18:10, 18:16-21)

9.The city will be divided into thirds at judgment in Revelation 16:19 (Ezekiel 5:1-5 says this is Jerusalem’s future)

10. Jerusalem and the Israel were often referred to as the “Harlot”, “Prostitute”, and adulterous in the Bible (e.g., 2 Chronicles 21:11-13, Psalm 106:39-40, Isaiah 1:21, Jeremiah 3:1-8, 13:27, Ezekiel 24:4-30, Hosea 4:12, 5:3-5, etc.)

So who is Israel? Israel is a name God selected and gave to His people, beginning with Jacob (who was given the name Israel). Israel is God’s people. Romans 9:6 point out that “they are not all Israel, which are of Israel.” Christians are now grafted into the remnant of Israel (Romans 11:1-27), the true bride of Christ (Revelation 22:14-17), having many natural branches pruned from Israel (Romans 11:17).

This is why Christians are the spiritual seed of Abraham (Romans 4:6-18). Whether Jew or gentile, we are all in the same boat and in need of Jesus Christ to be re-grafted into Israel. This is sometimes called "Grafted Theology". 

Read Genesis 12:1-3, Romans 4:13, 10:12, Galatians 3:28.

Revelation Day 16

When Christ comes in the clouds (Matthew 24:30; Matthew 26:64; Mark 13:26; Mark 14:62; Revelation 1:7), is that the end of it all?

Day 16

B. Hodge, Biblical Authority Ministries, June 4, 2020

A number of times in the Old Testament, the Lord appeared in the clouds and led the way or made statements from it (e.g., Exodus 24:14-18, Numbers 9:21, and Matthew 17:5). In many cases, though, clouds and judgment often went hand in hand.

A few of these judgments in clouds are in Exodus 14:23-25; Daniel 7:13; Jeremiah 4:13; Joel 2:1-3; Numbers 12:5-10, Isaiah 19:1; and Ezekiel 38:9-13. Yet the world did not end then. But it did put judgment to something or someone. 

The clouds are often representative of the dust (of armies), as well as the burning and cloud of smoke (of fallen cities) as a testimony of the destruction – things that can be seen in the distance. Some examples of this principle in Scripture are Jeremiah 21:12, Judges 20:37-40, Genesis 19:28, Psalm 11:6, Isaiah 14:31, Isaiah 34:10, Nahum 2:13, Joel 2:30, and Joshua 8:20. Consider this with regards to Revelation 18:18.

When the Lord came in judgment on the clouds, it was directed against the Jews/Jerusalem and the Temple – which was utterly destroyed by the Roman army and left to burn in A.D. 70. After all, they killed the Lord and rejected Him. And the Lord enacted judgment after a remnant of them had come to know Christ. Matthew 27:25 have the Jews in unison calling for the death of Jesus saying:

And all the people answered and said, “His blood be on us and on our children.”

The blood of all the prophets that were pointing toward Christ was charged to that first century generation of Jews (Luke 11:50-51). So this caps that the blood of the ultimate prophet, Jesus Christ, was on them as well. They asked for it.

Note the parallel here. The Jews killed the Son of God and then demanded that the blood of Christ be on them and their children. And when judgment came, it was reflected on them…and their children. They essentially offered up their own sons (and daughters) to be judged after killing the Son of God.

This was truly the end of the age when the Temple was destroyed and Jerusalem left desolate. The Mosaic sacrificial system was no more, thus the end of all the things to which the Jews were accustomed. With Christ’s sacrifice being sufficient, it ended the [now] unnecessary sacrificial system and performed duties associated with the sanctuary.  

Read Luke 21:9-23 and 1 Peter 4:7.

Revelation Day 15

Who does the Bible blame for killing Jesus? And will those who pierced Christ see His coming in judgment?

Day 15

B. Hodge, Biblical Authority Ministries, June 2, 2020

According to the Bible, the Jews receive the blame for putting Christ to death: Matthew 27:25, John 19:15, Acts 2:23, 3:13-15, 5:30, 7:52, 10:39, and 1 Thessalonians 2:14-16. Pilate even washed his hands of the blood of Jesus (Matthew 27:24) and Jesus affirmed the greater sin was on those who delivered Him to Pilate (John 19:11). But the Romans were not entirely innocent (like Eve was not entirely innocent in the Garden of Eden, but Adam gets the blame (Romans 5:12, 1 Corinthians 15:22).

According to the Bible, those who pierced Christ will see His coming judgment (on the unrepentant Jews). Please see: Matthew 24:30 (in the context of the Temple's destruction and the end of the sacrificial age); Zechariah 12:10; and Revelation 1:7. Since these people no longer live today, it must have happened already.

Furthermore, this makes sense. When the prophets were persecuted and killed, Israel went into judgment for it was by their hand blood was spilt. Of course, a remnant survived.

Should we not have expected that when the Jews, led by the Pharisees, Scribes, Sadducees, and High Priest killed Christ, the Son of God, that they would also be judged severely? Of course, a remnant survived including Paul, Mary, Jude, James, Peter, and many other early Jewish Christians (3,000 in one day, Acts 2:41, 5,000 on another day in Acts 4:4) who rightly repented and believed by the power of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:3) upon seeing or hearing of Christ as the finished sacrifice and resurrected Savior and accordingly received Him as Lord. 

Consider the issue of authority. Christ is indeed the King of Kings (1 Timothy 6:15, Revelation 17:14, 19:16), He exercised His power (Matthew 28:18) over the most powerful nation the world had ever seen (Rome) and used that nation to do His bidding by judging the Jews for their actions against Him and their persecution of His bride, the Church (Revelation 18:23, 21:2, 3:12, Hebrews 12:22, Revelation 21:9, 22:17). Is this too hard for Christ who has all authority? Not at all.

In the same way God used Chaldeans of Babylon with their king, Nebuchadnezzar, to do his bidding against Judah in the Old Testament for judgment (e.g., Jeremiah 25:9, 27:6, Habakkuk 1:6) and used the evil Assyrians to do his bidding of judgment against Israel (e.g., Isaiah 7:17, 10:5-6), so Christ used Rome to enact his judgment on the unrepentant Jews and Jerusalem, its capital—the seat of power for the Pharisees, Sadducees, and High Priest.

The Jews who rejected Christ used the Beast of Rome (just as a person who uses a bit in the mouth of a beast to control the beast) to crucify the Son of God, so God used the same Beast of Rome to enact judgment on the woman who rode the beast (Jews who rejected Christ). And so the owner of the vineyard did not spare the wrath on the workers who killed his son, so God did not spare the wrath on those who killed the Son of God (Matthew 21:33-41). 

Re-read Revelation 1:1-9.