Studies in Revelation
Part 13 - The Last Days - Part 7 - Captivity in Babylon - Part 2
In our last video, we examined the understanding of the called, chosen, and faithful and its correlation with 1st John 2:12-17 regarding spiritual “children,” “sons,” and “fathers.” When properly understood, we can add it to our list from Part 6 as we see here.
Forty-Two Months (1,260 Days | Time, Times, and Half a Time or 3½ Days)
1. Abraham to David – Called (Children) [14 Generations] (Feast of Passover)
2. David until the captivity in Babylon – Chosen (Sons) [14 Generations] (Feast of Pentecost)
3. The captivity in Babylon until the Christ – Faithful (Fathers) [14 Generations] (Feast of Tabernacles)
Also in our last study, we discovered that the “image” of God can be defined as Spirit and love, and having been made “in His image,” we too are creations of spirit and love like our heavenly Father.
I also introduced our two very important “women” in the book of the Revelation, with the first being found in the following from Revelation, Chapter 12.
Revelation 12:1-2 (NASB95)
1 A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars; 2 and she was with child; and she cried out, being in labor and in pain to give birth.
No doubt, our “woman” in these passages is quite symbolic, so how do we define this? We begin by going to Galatians, Chapter Four.
Galatians 4:21-26 (NASB95)
21 Tell me, you who want to be under law, do you not listen to the law? 22 For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the bondwoman and one by the free woman. 23 But the son by the bondwoman was born according to the flesh, and the son by the free woman through the promise. 24 This is allegorically speaking, for these women are two covenants: one proceeding from Mount Sinai bearing children who are to be slaves; she is Hagar. 25 Now this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children. 26 But the Jerusalem above is free; she is our mother.
Here we find the apostle Paul referring to Abraham, the father of faith, telling us that he had “two sons, one by the bondwoman and one by the free woman,” so the context concerns “two sons.” As noted, the “son by the bondwoman was born according to the flesh,” i.e. by man’s will, while the “son by the free woman” was born “through the promise,” i.e. by God’s will. Keep this in mind. Paul then turns his attention to the mothers or women of these two sons, stating, “This is allegorically speaking, for THESE WOMEN ARE TWO COVENANTS.” What do we mean by “covenants”? Strong’s defines this as, “A disposition, i.e. (special) a contract (especially a devisory will).” Let’s bring this to what John saw in Revelation, Chapter 12.
First we read, “A great sign appeared IN HEAVEN: a woman clothed with the sun.” Now, most everyone knows that, figuratively speaking, heaven is “above,” so when we compare this to Galatians 4:26, we can identify our “woman clothed with the sun” as typifying “Jerusalem above,” which corresponds with the New Covenant Promise of God as outlined in the following.
Hebrews 8:7-13 (ESV)
7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion to look for a second. 8 For he finds fault with them when he says: "Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will establish a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, 9 not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt. For they did not continue in my covenant, and so I showed no concern for them, declares the Lord. 10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws into their minds, and write them on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 11 And they shall not teach, each one his neighbor and each one his brother, saying, 'Know the Lord,' for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest. 12 For I will be merciful toward their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more." 13 In speaking of a new covenant, he makes the first one obsolete. And what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.
Note Paul’s reference to the “first covenant” and then a “second” or “new covenant.” If it’s true that our “woman clothed with the sun” represents the “new covenant,” then what does the “first covenant” signify? Paul tells us, stating that the “first covenant” proceeded “from Mount Sinai bearing children who are to be slaves,” represented by “Hagar.” Paul then goes on to say that “Hagar” symbolizes “Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the PRESENT JERUSALEM, for she is in slavery with her children.”
Most everyone knows that “Mount Sinai” is the place where God delivered His law to Moses and Israel after their exodus from Egypt; see the book of Exodus, beginning with Chapter 19. This identifies the first or “old” covenant as the covenant which God made with Israel long ago, which incorporated the giving of His law along with all the rituals which they were expected to perform. The Law Covenant, if you will, not only incorporated God’s laws, statutes, and judgments, but also the three great Feasts of Israel and the Tabernacle of Witness; see Numbers 17:7-8.
We must also consider the fact that Paul tells us that not only do our two women represent “two covenants,” but also the city of “Jerusalem,” however, one is “above” while the other is “present,” i.e. abiding here on earth. And why Jerusalem? The following tells us.
1 Kings 11:31-32, 36 (NKJV)
31 And he said to Jeroboam, "Take for yourself ten pieces, for thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: 'Behold, I will tear the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon and will give ten tribes to you 32 (but he shall have one tribe for the sake of My servant David, and for the sake of Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel)… 36 And to his son I will give one tribe, that My servant David may always have a lamp before Me in Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen for Myself, to put My name there.
Not once but twice, we see recorded that God chose the city of Jerusalem “out of all the tribes of Israel” to put His “name there.” This emphasizes the importance of this understanding in our consideration of John’s visions in Revelation. So, not only do the two wives of Abraham represent our two covenants, but they also represent the people who abide under them, thereby forming “Jerusalem,” the “city” or people of God.
In regard to “Jerusalem above,” the book of Hebrews confirms our stance, stating that we have come “to the CITY of the living God, the HEAVENLY JERUSALEM (i.e. Jerusalem above)… to the general assembly and CHURCH of the firstborn WHO ARE REGISTERED IN HEAVEN.” And what is the importance of a “city”? It’s people!
So what are the differences between our two covenants? The first was natural, engraved on stones, and applied to the nation of Israel and the natural seed of Abraham, however, the second is spiritual, applying to those who embrace the faith of Abraham regardless of their culture or creed. Perhaps Paul had this in mind when he wrote in 1st Corinthians 15:46 that “the spiritual is not first, but the natural, and afterward the spiritual” (NKJV).
Now, the understanding of our two covenants brings a very important principle to light which all of us as believers should be fully aware. There are those today who say we are no longer under the law of God due to the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, however, this is definitely not true. Folks, Jesus did not do away with the law of God nor its moral structure, rather, He did away with the Old “Covenant” which established the “ordinances” of the law, i.e. the rituals which Israel was instructed to perform on a regular basis, which included a literal Tabernacle and Temple along with its various offerings, as well as the literal celebration of the three great Feasts of Israel every year. Now, consider the following from Ephesians and Colossians.
Ephesians 2:13-16 (NASB95)
13 But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off (i.e. the Gentiles or all nations but Israel) have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14 For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups (i.e. Israel and all other nations) into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, 15 by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace, 16 and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity.
Colossians 2:13-14 (NKJV)
13 And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, 14 having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.
Would it surprise you to know that our word “ordinances” in Ephesians 2:15 and “requirements” in Colossians 2:14, are both the Greek transliteration “dogma”? This being the case, allow me to share the following information from Wikipedia concerning our word “dogma.”
Dogma in the broad sense is any belief held unquestioningly and with undefended certainty. It may be in the form of an official system of principles or doctrines of a religion, such as Roman Catholicism or Protestantism, as well as the positions of a philosopher or of a philosophical school such as Stoicism. It may also be found in political belief systems, such as progressivism, liberalism and conservatism.
In the pejorative sense, dogma refers to enforced decisions, such as those of aggressive political interests or authorities. More generally, it is applied to some strong belief which its adherents are not willing to discuss rationally. This attitude is named as a dogmatic one, or as dogmatism; and is often used to refer to matters related to religion, but is not limited to theistic attitudes alone and is often used with respect to political or philosophical dogmas.
What is the most important difference between the Old Covenant and the New Covenant? My friend, the Old Covenant was a two-way contractual agreement between man’s works and God’s conditional response to those works. Israel’s work was to obey the laws of God and perform the repetitive ritual offerings and sacrifices which in turn determined whether God would “bless” or “curse” them. In other words, God’s blessings were contingent upon man’s compliance; see Deuteronomy, Chapter 28, for clarification. As for the New Covenant? When properly perceived, it is also a contractual agreement, however, it is based solely on God’s will and ability to put His laws into our minds and write them on our hearts. In other words, the New Covenant Promise of God removes us from the equation and makes our heavenly Father completely responsible for its fulfillment. After all, is it not a promise? Please note.
Hebrews 8:10 (NASB95)
10 "FOR THIS IS THE COVENANT THAT I WILL MAKE WITH THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL AFTER THOSE DAYS, SAYS THE LORD: I WILL PUT MY LAWS INTO THEIR MINDS, AND I WILL WRITE THEM ON THEIR HEARTS. AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD, AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE.
Here we have it, my friends! Who will put His laws into our minds? God will! Who will write them on our hearts? God will! You see, beloved, it is His work, not ours, that is being continually advanced by the Lord Jesus Christ. So it is that we read in Revelation 2:26, “And he who overcomes, and keeps MY WORKS until the end, to him I will give power over the nations.” What did Jesus mean by this? Please reconsider the following.
Matthew 5:17-18 (NKJV)
17 "Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. 18 For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.
As we have previously considered, Jesus did not come to “destroy the Law or the Prophets.” Rather, He came to “fulfill” every “jot” and “tittle” or smallest detail until “all is fulfilled.” No doubt about it, this reveals the prophetic nature of the law and the reason why Moses was warned to “make everything according to the pattern” that was shown to him on Mount Sinai (Heb. 8:5; ESV), for all the natural components and their corresponding rituals reflected spiritual realities which are relevant even up to this present time.