No More Delay
By Richard P. Joseph
Writing about the book of Revelation is really an ongoing process that would really consume the rest of your life so the best I can do is make comments as I learn. Maybe by the end of my life I can piece things together in order to comprehend the book. Chapter 14 almost seems like a synopsis of the book so I would like to share what I am seeing. Any comments are welcome.
Right away we see the lamb, Jesus, standing on Mount Zion almost like a conqueror. I am not sure why people are waiting for this when John clearly says he saw it. And with him were 144 thousand faithful followers. An obvious reference to Israelites that have recognized Jesus as the messiah. These Jews were heard singing a new song. This new song that nobody else was able to learn is key to understanding what is really happening here. These Jews were not singing the song of Moses and the law, they were singing a new song. A song that the adherents of the old law couldn’t learn and were about to be left behind. The new song represents a paradigm shift in the nature of things. The visitation of Jesus between AD 66-70 brought forth a new world which required a new song.
Right at the same time that we see the faithful Jews singing a new song, we see in verses 6-7, the gentiles being brought into this new kingdom by the preaching of the gospel. In verse 8 we see Jerusalem falling. In verse 9-11 we see those that still worshiped the Beast being tormented forever and ever. In verses 12-13 we are to understand the patients of the saints as they had to endure heavy tribulation but that they were now being called the blessed. And all who died henceforth will be blessed also as their labors will follow them into eternity.
12 Here is the [g]patience of the saints; here[h] are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.
13 Then I heard a voice from heaven saying [i]to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.’ ”
“Yes,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors, and their works follow them.”
In 14-20 we see the faithful being reaped and then the unfaithful also being reaped from the earth. The former as a harvest to God and the later to be gathered and burned.
In other words, “times up”! The end of Judaism was at hand and was completed. The everlasting kingdom of Jesus Christ had begun. A new order had arisen. In all of this I see what happened between AD 63-70. A tribulation that the Christians had to endure, a rapture of souls out of hades and out of the world, the wrath being poured out upon the followers of the beast which really is probably the corrupt Judaic system that was built on seven hills. This number seven shows that the system was once holy but has become corrupt by the 10 horns it had. It was a grotesque animal that needed to be destroyed.
Sadly, most churches still teach that the beast is still here and that God lied about it being dealt with all those years ago. As you read through the book of revelation it is very obvious that all was completed at that time. There are multiple references to this throughout the book. And again I would like to reiterate what I say in most of my articles and that is to remember a few things; That everything in the book of revelation, according to John, was to happen very soon after he wrote it, that the main subject is Mystery Babylon, or in other words, Jerusalem, and it is about one system falling and another rising. Judaism was finished and Christianity was established. Read and weep, then rejoice and lift up your praises to the conquering king of kings. Amen.
