Revelation 17 MirrorWord Bible Study

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Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:02

Alright, here we are. It's Wednesday night. Revelations. And I just I always like to say this again. We're looking through at this scripture with a different lens. We're not looking at it through the it's the apocalypse, and God is gonna come down and whack everybody and kill everybody who doesn't believe. We're not looking through that lens. We're looking through the lens of the finished work of Christ. We're looking through the lens of Johnson. It's the revelation of Jesus Christ. And this week I was thinking about it, and there's a lot on the death and resurrection here. And to know Christ, you've got to understand what happened on the cross. And that's a lot of this. What happened to people, what God did on the cross, and he did a universal work. I mean, he just did. Whether we like it or not, Adam did a universal work, Jesus did a universal work. And anyway, I'm gonna I'm you know, I wasn't gonna do this and I haven't really looked at this, but I'm gonna do the last uh just the last two scriptures and 16 because I screwed the video up last week and I cut myself off. Just I'm gonna start out by the in all the islands vanished and no trace of the mountains could be found. Basically, God removing any obstacle for us to have revelation. Now, in this says the entire economy fell like a massive hailstone of the size of talents came down from heaven upon the earth, the people of the earth, and they blasphemed God because the hail from the plagues was most intense. Now, to me, I mean, I have some people talk about this last week because I didn't talk about it, but I'll just say this the economy of God is the cross. It's not some economy that we're buying, it's the cross, it's faith versus works. That's what the economy is. Everyone is baked is banked on their works, and you know, the I do this and God does this, and it doesn't work, and it is kind of you know, you sow what you reap, you reap into you reap, you reap destruction from that. But faith, believing what God believes, is a different animal, and that's all I'm gonna say about that. So now we're gonna flip into 17 here, and uh here we go. Actually, I'm not gonna go to Glacier's here. I was gonna read off my iPad, which I don't do, but just uh all right. So here we go in 17. So remember, remember this is all symbolism, and it's funny because he even talks about the messengers of the beast being celestial messengers. Isn't that funny? Celestial messengers are also gonna be messengers of darkness because you know celestial means just a higher, different plane. It's the heavenly plane, it's a different dimension, is what it is. So, but that'll come later. The one of the seven messengers with the seven golden temple vessels. Now, the seven messengers have a complete message, a perfect message, and the seven golden temple vessels, you know, the temple vessels is the sacrifice, and it's a perfect sacrifice, perfect for all time. He says, approach me and called me to come and see the judgment of the notorious prostitute who sat enthroned upon the many trade roots of the waters, both the rivers and the seas. And I just want I just love that word judgment, because the word not not always, but a lot of times it's the Greek word cresis, which is the word we get crisis. We get crisis. So he approached me and called me to come and see the crisis or the judge of the crisis of the notorious prostitute who sat enthroned upon the many water roots, uh, trade roots of the waters, both rivers and the sea. So there is a prostitute. In other words, and why would God talk about a prostitute? I mean, it sounds unfair, you know, because it doesn't talk about men being doing anything dumb, but it's basically because we're the bride of Christ, and we're, you know, the body he analogizes the human race as the bride, as a female, and the prostitute is being somebody that's is going outside the relationship, right? That's just what it is. And there's a control over the trade routes of the waters of both the rivers and the seas. And I assume, you know, he I was just thinking about this. So far, he doesn't ever talk about Rome, but of course he can't because he's on the Isle of Patmos for the testimony of Jesus Christ. That's why he's there. So he can't put Rome in there, and he can't give the testimony of Jesus Christ outright, because if he did, the letters would he'd probably get more trouble, and two, he would the letters won't get off. So he keeps talking about Babylon, which is the first beast, by the way. So there's a beast. But anyway, down in the commentary says Revelation 21:9, says a celestial messengers saying, Come, I will show you the bride, the lamb's wife, the prostitute society of Babylon, the old Jerusalem is set up against the bride society, which brings me to Galatians, the fourth chapter, if you remember, if you remember that Paul analogizes uh Hagar, the woman, the slave woman, is being Jerusalem in Israel, versus versus the the uh free woman is the one of promise. Isn't it funny? The slave woman. So in other words, they're under the law, they're under slavery. She engaged the kings of the earth with her harlotry, which is unfaithfulness. And remember, was it Gomer? Is it I can't remember which is it Hosea? I can't remember. Remember he he was told to marry the prostitute, and he'd have a kid with her, and then she'd run off, and he had to, and he the Lord said, Trace her. It was just an analogy of Israel trying to, you know, she'd always run off to somebody else, some idolatry. And idolatry is just a false image, isn't it? And then go buy her back, keep bringing her back and forgiving her. And so that's kind of an analogy here. She engaged the kings of the earth with her harlotry, intoxicating the earth dwellers with the wine of her passion and fornication. Fornication, of course, is having relationships outside of the marriage. You know, but think about it. We're married to God. You're married to Christ. You're in a relation, you're the bride of Christ. And that's some of this is you know an analogy here, right? The messenger then carried me, and all up, so he got so the one hand, thank you for Hosea, that's great. The one hand you have this notorious prostitute, and then now he says the messenger then carried me into a desert place. Now remember, you got the promised land, you got Egypt, and you got the desert. And actually, we've been to the desert as and we've been there, it is a rough place. But anyway, he says, in total contrast to the hustle and bustle of the busy trade routes of the oceans and the rivers, I was transported there in spirit. Notice this, and I saw a woman seated upon a scarlet-colored beast. That's interesting. Now remember, the beast is the is is is the uh it's it's the tree of the knowledge, good and evil system. That's what it is, both politically and and uh spiritually. It's kind of funny, people are are getting into politics, but you know, the world system works on the tree of the knowledge, good and evil. What do you expect? You know, and Jesus didn't get all worked up about that, by the way. So why are we? We have a different kingdom to live in, and we should where to spread that kingdom. Hello. Instead of criticize all the dumb, dummy blind people, that's a that's a rabbit trail, but everybody gets into that. Don't worry about that, just get on with Jesus. Keep your eyes fixed on him. But anyway, it says was transported there in the spirit. So now, get the analogy in the desert, which is a separation where remember the people in the desert, and I I mean I I consider that people mostly in churches because you know they're still trying to work the system, they're getting a miracle or two, right? But they're still don't come to promise. You know, I and I I was gonna say something, but I I believe it or not, I actually stopped myself. I usually don't. He says, they're in the spirit, and I says, I saw a woman, Melissa, seated upon a scarlet-colored beast. Now remember, writing a false identity, writing a system of the tree of the knowledge, good and evil, that's what it is. And scarlet, in other words, sin colored. Now remember the word for sin, ha martia, ha, without form. A false identity. With blasphemous, insulting names written all over them, like the label revealing the context of the cargo of the cargo. In other words, labeling what's actually inside. Now, I was just thinking about this. You read every other version, it says blasphemous towards God. Maybe, but how about blasphemous towards itself? If you have a false identity, you're actually blaspheming God about yourself, aren't you? If you don't agree with God, that's an insult! It is an insult to the grace of God to prefer Moses to Jesus. If the law could justify you that Jesus wasted his time dying your death. Yes, Galatians two twenty-one. Think about this. So as insulting God, and just reminding me, and I always say this, Adam ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil to convince the serpent Ophis, tried to convince him and her that they weren't, that they had to do this to become who they already were. And so then they got this false identity of themselves. They were no longer image bearers, and when they turned towards God, which they hid from him, but when they thought about God, they changed his image and likeness. And that's where we got the ogre God. 1 John 4 8, God is love. 1 Corinthians 13 is his character. Anyway, that's good stuff, isn't it? The beast has seven heads and ten horns. Okay, and just a little bit of the commentary. Revelation 13, 1 through 10, it is the second part, the lamb with the dragon's voice. Now remember that that's just the same thing as a uh wolf in sheep's clothing, someone that looks the part but speaks out of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. That's why Jesus and John the Baptist kept calling the Pharisees brood of vipers. Why? Because they're pointing to the tree of the knowledge, good and evil, the do-it-yourself tree. That's why he kept calling them that. Later called the false prophet, and here the harlot, together in their alliance with the dragon, which is the invisible part of it, they form the counterfeit trinity. Alright. So when Isaiah compares our sins, leaving its stubborn stain upon our conscience. And it talked about in the commentary about an insect that they use to get the color, and it's hard to get out. Okay, you can read it yourself. He says, Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord. Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall become white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool. Say, my sins are like wool. Say, I am whitey, whitey, whity. I'm unblemished. How many times do I have to say it? It's just one of my favorite talks. It's like, behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the girl. Did he the sins of the world? Did he do it or didn't he? Because if he did, we're wasting our time here. We might as well just go to bed. Hebrews 8 12, your sins I will remember no more. Hebrews 10 10 14, he this is amplified. He is forever. There's good news in the amplified, believe it or not. He is forever completely cleansed and perfected you, past, present, and future. Say I've been perfected. I've been cleansed, past, present, and future. God's not, he's dealt with your sin. You're clean as white as snow. Say I'm white as snow. I'm not scrims, I'm not a sinner. I am saved and sanctified and made perfect. Anyway, the woman was now listen to this. This reminds me of Hollywood. You know, I always like to say this, you know, everybody wants to be like Hollywood. And they but and these people are good looking and they're talented and they can sing and they can act and they're in movies, they're famous, and and they live in Malibu and they drive Ferraris and they have the hottest husbands and wives, and yada yada yada, and they can't stay married. They're on drugs, they're suicidal. I mean, their lives are a disaster. And we we look at the outside. We're doing the same thing here. The woman was draped in purple and scarlet fabric. And I I I'm not I'm kind of thinking this might even be Jerusalem here. The woman was draped in purple and scarlet uh fabrics, fest stone, which means uh dressed up or adorned with and sparkled with gold, glitter, and ornaments. Okay? So there's a woman sitting on a beast, in other words, that's an ideology. It's the tree of the knowledge of good and evil system you do to become. It's it causes a sin consciousness. It's covered in blood. And the woman is draped in purple, which is royalty and scarlet, adorned and sprinkled with gold glitters and ornaments. She was a lab, she is, was elaborately decorated with gold and precious stones and pearls. Wow, she's looking good. She's got everything on the outside looking great. But what does it say? Holding a golden cup in her hand, which was brimming with defiling obscenities and the stench of her impurities. You know, the interesting thing, the word impurity is the opposite of being pure. The opposite of being perfect, right? And why is she imperfect and full of obscenities? Because she doesn't know who she is. She's riding on a system of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. That's why. It's the law system. That's why. False identity, blindness, pharisitical. And you know, if you go to Galatians, it says, I think it's the fifth fifth, or it's the fifth chapter, 17th verse. If there's a little law, even remains in your conscience, it's a catalyst for disaster. And you start having desires to do stupid stuff. And you know, when you look at people and they're doing dumb things in what people would call sin, it's because of their identity. They don't know who they are. When they're trying to be something they already are and they're failing at it, it causes desires. That's what the scripture says. And they're bad desires, and they cause us to do dumb things, outwardly, outward expressions. Versus when we understand who we are, we're in a relationship with God and we're in a romance. And when you're in romance, you change the things you believe about yourself and you change your desires. You don't wake up in the morning and go, man, I where am I gonna get drunk today? You're going, where am I gonna find some fellowship today? Where am I gonna find someone to love and maybe help make someone's life a little bit better? Or tell someone about Jesus because I'm very selfish about that, because when I do, I get high. I get high, I get high. You know what I mean? I get full of joy. I like joy. Alright, let's see here. I'm just read a little of the commentary here. Again, this this the surface make-believe beauty and apparent splendor cannot hide her true filthy character. Filthy character. Because of a false identity, she's on the beast, sin consciousness. Sin conscious, that's a religious system. Like the whitewash tombs, Jesus compared the religious systems to the hypocrites. Remember, he called the hypocrites, but he's a play actor. You you you say this, but you do the opposite, right? For you are so careful to clean the outside of the cup, but you are inside, you're filthy, full of greed and self-indulgence. You are like beautiful decorated tombs on the outside, desperately trying to hide the stench of decaying corpse within. And why? Because of what they believed. About themselves, about God. And about themselves. That's why Jesus came, he's the perfect imprint. He says, if you've seen me, you've seen the Father. Colossians 1.15, he's the very imprint of the well, he's the very how do you say it? I'm trying to think of the word, I don't have the scripture in front of me. But he's the very image of God in the flesh. Hebrews 1.3 says he's what? The very imprint of God. He is the perfect imprint of image and likeness. And he came, like the author Francois would say, he came as an example, not for you, but of you. To show you that you are an image-bearer. You're not going to be when you have a certain behavior, you are now. And the more you grab a hold of that, your behavior will change. Because your desires change. It's easy to change your behavior when your desires change. If your desires are bad, it's hard to be good when you desire to do something that's not so good. Kind of like dieting. You don't want the ice cream, you know you shouldn't have it, but you really want it. What happens? You eat it. All right. Seven, the words written upon the right, right? Oh, five, excuse me. The words written upon her forehead expose her mystery identity. Babylon, which is a symbolism of a kingdom of confusion. Remember a confusion of languages, of a separation, of a do-it-yourself. Remember Babylon? Babble, that's where it comes from. Babble, Babylon. Remember, they're all they're all one mind and they're trying to build a tower up to heaven, and then God confused their languages and they couldn't do it anymore. It's a rebellion. It was self-effort, is what it is. God's not into that. The new kingdom, the kingdom's always been this way. That's why John says, this isn't new. It's old, it's ancient, but you know, it's also new because we've lost sight of it, one John. He says, it's it's a gift language, it's inheritance language, it's promise language. It's not dependent on you, it's all dependent on God. And God is always faithful, which is good. Anyway, and under the commentary, he says, okay, the Babylon the Great, the mother of whores and the filth of the earth. Man, he's using some tough language here. Mother, in other words, a system. Remember in over in Romans 7, it talks about the analogy. John or Paul goes into for you who understand the law, and he goes into the analogy of a woman who's married, and if she has a relationship with somebody else, she's an adulteress. But if that man dies, she's now free to marry whoever she wants. And he says, and now we've died to the law, and we're now we've been freed, and now we're bound to another, to Christ, and now we bear fruit for God. Before that, they weren't bearing fruit for God when they're bound to the law system. So Roman harlots were labeled with the names of their brows. The names on their names of their brows. That's just a footnote. Alright, six. The woman I saw was intoxicated with the blood of the saints and the blood of those who bore the testimony of Jesus, which is definitely the Jewish people or the Jewish leadership, and it's also the Romans right here, too. This left me mesmerized, pondering what I saw, desiring to understand the context of it all. Alright. I'm gonna just keep on going here. Alright, it's nine. I guess seven. Good thing I have my wife here. Where am I? Oh, there we go. Oh, seven and eight are just beautiful. Thank God I didn't miss them. And he says, and the celestial messenger said to me, Why were you so perplexed? He's asking him a question. You know, these are all rhetorical questions. You know, God always asks rhetorical questions. I will explain to you the mystery of the woman and the beast carrying her, also the meaning of the seven heads and ten horns. Anyone want to know? Yeah, me too. Anyone that wanna know the end of the world? Global warming, 12 years. I heard about 10 years ago, but that's not happening. How many in how many religions? I mean, if you want to go like the Jehovah's Witnesses, the seventh day, there's a lot of people that predicted the end of the world. You know what I mean? Dumb thing to do. Especially when I think the last hour was after the death, resurrection, ascension, and Pentecost. It's the last day, it's the later rain, and it goes on and on and on and on and on. And I know some of you believe that Jesus is gonna come down. I hope he does. I'm not sure. Just so you're aware. I know that's crazy. That's that's come with a lot of thought over a lot of years. I'm just telling you. I seriously think that God is waiting for us to wake up and take over the world. That's what I think. I think he's waiting for we all, you know, because in where is Jesus, by the way? I mean, is he up in heaven somewhere or is he living in you? I mean, really? I mean, you you're full of the Godhead. You're the temple of God walking on the earth today. We need to wake up to that. And he's also given his mind, and he's caused us to hear what he hears. He showed us who we are, he shows us who the Father is, and he shows us how to walk this life on the earth. He done he did it, he gave demonstrated it. He even said he can do nothing of himself, so hey, we're in good company, aren't we? What a rabbit trail that was. Alright. Here we go, verse 8. The brutal beast you saw is uh has been from the beginning, and it indeed has no real existence. Wow. You know, it's kind of funny because Adam believed a lie. Adam and Eve believed a lie about themselves, and they passed that down to us. It really had no existence, it was never true. The Ulfis absurd their power by deceiving them. And they always had that power all the way down, and everybody has, but they've just never woke up to it. Jesus came to redeem it and demonstrate it. And then cause us to die to that thinking. Yet it seems to make a comeback as if emerging. out of the abyss or the bottomless pit or the chasm, only to what dissolve again into perdition. Notice this. Meanwhile, the minds of those blinded by the earthbound perception. You're defined by what you do, how you look, how good you are, how bad you are. Continue to be mesmerized by its apparent relevance. They are the ones whose identities are not based on the Lamb's book of life. They do not yet see that their original identity was redeemed in the Lamb. Notice it says they do not see yet. But you know, I'm talking to a whole bunch of living epistles. Isn't that amazing? Wow. Little Christ walking around. Little sons and daughters, image bearers. Maybe he's going to try to convince a few of those people through you who they really are. Isn't that amazing? Effortlessly by the way not you working in you just being you. Alright. Alright can I go on? Alright nine. I wanna oh I want to say a little bit in the commentary here says an earthbound identity is based on the fallen mindset, the fruit of the wrong tree, the I am not tree. I am not perfect. I am a sinner. No you're not a sinner. I'm not righteous. Yeah you are righteous. Yeah you are holy. Yeah you are image bearer. Yeah you are perfect. That's what God says. You know and maybe he's writ rewritten the rules and grace a little bit. We're still going back and reading the old rules that's Moses said the law came through Moses not he says grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. Completely opposite the entire fall was a falling away from our identity sons and daughters as image and likeness bearers of Elohim say I am an image likeness and bearer of Elohim the Father Son Spirit the the I am the Us of God. Just like Eve we were all deceived to believe a lie about ourselves which is the fruit of the I am not tree and like a virus I like that in the seventh chapter of Romans. I mean virus is just a piece of DNA and wrapped in a little thing it has no light but it hooks on to our viruses. In other words the flu is not you but the flu gives you symptoms doesn't it manifests in your body. So when you be able to lie about yourself it manifests negative things in your body that don't help you. Verse nine here is understanding for the inquiry mind seven heads or mindsets of this is interesting heads or mindsets upon which the woman was seated representing seven mountains or typical social structures. He's changing this quite a bit here founded within the city context. Now of course over the years you always hear Rome's got seven hills yada yada yada now he says down here in the commentary many cities besides Rome can boast of their seven hills. Also Constantinople seven hills Brussels especially Jerusalem these social structures could typically include the essential building blocks of society which is interesting family education religion business government arts or entertainment and media using all those things to cause us to think earthly sin consciousness. These social rulers represent five fallen structures another current at the time of writing and another which is still to come for the very brief spell. Okay. Six through here I'm going to read the the commentary here the mindset that the Trinity beast operates in is like a virus hosted by political leaders and their followers infiltrating societies with its predictable symptoms. These are also interesting historical parallels one of the five seven kings uh five had come at the time Julius Caesar Augustus Tiberius Gaius Playus and one of the current was uh Nero which his name calculates 666 and one yet not to come Galba but would only remain a little while okay verse 11 and there has been and there has been beast is the eighth she is part and parcel of the seven and dissolved in perdition now listen the ten horns you saw are ten kings who have not yet received rule until they come to the power with a scarlet beast for a brief hour to do what? Fight against the lamb they come to fight against the lamb it says a brief hour to fight against the lamb. Now to me that means the death resurrection crucifixion okay but I also know that when Paul was on his way to Damascus it said he got knocked down on his hind didn't fall off a horse by the way he just was knocked to the ground because he fell off his dog no it doesn't say that he just fell to the ground it says he says why are you persecuting me and he was not going after Jesus was he was going after the followers of Jesus and he said who are you Lord he said I'm Jesus whom you're persecuting so think about that if anybody persecutes you they're persecuting Jesus so I'm just saying I don't have all the answers here so that's 12 right these rulers were in full agreement to hand over their authority to the beast which is that system okay okay at the crucifixion of Jesus is the commentary former enemies became allies as they banded together against the Lamb in that day Herod and Pilate became friends Luke 2312 before this they had been enemies these joined forces in that hour to wage war against the Lamb and the Lamb defeated them since he is the Lord of lords and the King of kings. How did he defeat them by the cross that's how he defeated them he didn't pick up the sword he didn't come down and he defeated them handily on the cross on the crucifixion the death resurrection and ascension and Pentecost that's where he defeated them and listen and sharing with him in his victory is me and you his kindred say I am sharing his victory they recognize we recognize that our origin in this conversation and are now of the same persuasion we believe what the what happened on the cross the Lamb led us into freedom from our lost identity and our doubt say I am an image bearer. Jesus came to show me who I am says I was in union with him when he died on the cross. His cross is my cross that's a mental thinking wow I to take up my cross I think wow I was co-crucified with him that's what taking up your cross means it's not suffering. Alright sixteen right fifteen how many verses I do but get through our revelations here. So the same messenger who addressed me earlier to come to see the judgment or the crisis of the notorious prostitute the one who sat enthroned upon the many water roots of the waters both the rivers and the sea proceeded to explain to me that the waters here's who the waters I've been saying this all along I saw represent the entire spectrum of people groupings tribal identities with their unique language specific dialect and references in other words this prostitute was sitting on the passageways and was controlling everybody's mindset. These are the very masses of mankind that were redeemed by the blood of the lamb as referred to as referenced earlier in the book that's a commentary there I'm 16 okay I hope we're all getting some out of this it is fun is it it's kinda it's it's just wild. And realizing their defeat by the lamb okay the kings and stuff the ten horns which you saw on the beast will turn against the prostitute with furious hatred and will strip her of all her decorations expose her nakedness and consume her flesh and burn her body which of course I just think that's Jerusalem and that's probably the you know the 70 AD when they took over the Romans remember the the the zealous Jews thought they would repeat the book of Maccabees of the Maccabees that kicked out the Greeks and here they were they're going to kick out the Romans and God was on their side so they bored up the city they bored up the walls of Jerusalem and what happened the Romans surrounded it took down the walls killed a lot of people exiled a bunch and tore down the temple and burned up the city this happened according to God's strategic plan. As he remember even Jesus said oh Jerusalem Jerusalem how I've wanted to you know like a chicken like little chicks under my wing but you wouldn't have it oh my god nothing there's nothing wait for you but destruction because you won't listen this happened according to God's strategic plan as he gave them a mind to be united against the woman and to give the kingdom to the beast their kingdom to the beast until the words the word would be fulfilled probably the beast here is Rome. Because Rome was the fourth beast by the way all right oh my god did I make it the woman you saw is the great city which dominated the kings of the earth which I still think is Jerusalem but let's see just like Babylon is not a geographical city in a symbolic language of Revelations it is a fallen distorted mindset society. So the new Jerusalem is not a geographic city but a redeemed society of mankind the bride of Christ say I am part of the new Jerusalem and that is the end Amen