Revelation of John Part 36

Part 36

Note the mentioning of two different heavenly

groups or orders of believers

The General Assembly

But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, -- Heb 12:22 (KJV)

To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, -- Heb 12:23 (KJV)

Church of The First Born

(or First Fruits)

For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. -- Rom 8:29 (KJV)

And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. -- Rom 8:23 (KJV)

Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. -- James 1:18 (KJV)

These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb. -- Rev 14:4 (KJV)

And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars: -- Rev 12:1 (KJV)

And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered. -- Rev 12:2 (KJV)

And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads. -- Rev 12:3 (KJV)

And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born. -- Rev 12:4 (KJV)

And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne. -- Rev 12:5 (KJV)

And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child. -- Rev 12:13 (KJV)

And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. -- Rev 12:17 (KJV)

1. Who is this woman ?

2. Who is this man child ?

3. Who is the remnant of her seed ?

Common Teaching : Israel has been cut off from God

But Was Israel Given Up Forever ?

Therefore will he give them up, until the time that she which travaileth hath brought forth: then the remnant of his brethren shall return unto the children of Israel. -- Micah 5:3 (KJV)

The mystery of Israel's rebirth as a nation

For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. -- Rom 11:25 (KJV)

And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: -- Rom 11:26 (KJV)

The woman represents both physical and spiritual Israel

She is The Glorified Bride Of Christ

And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars: -- Rev 12:1 (KJV)

She is Physical Israel Who Flees Into The Wilderness

And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child. -- Rev 12:13 (KJV)

And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent. -- Rev 12:14 (KJV)

LORD, in trouble have they visited thee, they poured out a prayer when thy chastening was upon them. -- Isa 26:16 (KJV)

Like as a woman with child, that draweth near the time of her delivery, is in pain, and crieth out in her pangs; so have we been in thy sight, O LORD. -- Isa 26:17 (KJV)

We have been with child, we have been in pain, we have as it were brought forth wind; ( x;Wr ) we have not wrought any deliverance in the earth; neither have the inhabitants of the world fallen. -- Isa 26:18 (KJV)

7307 x;Wr ruwach {roo'-akh} Spirit , wind , breath , God's Spirit, disembodied being

And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit ( x;Wr ) of God moved upon the face of the waters. -- Gen 1:2 (KJV)

And the LORD said, My spirit ( x;Wr ) shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years. -- Gen 6:3 (KJV)

And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly: yea, he did fly upon the wings of the wind ( x;Wr ). -- Psa 18:10 (KJV)

Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead. -- Isa 26:19 (KJV)

Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast. -- Isa 26:20 (KJV)

For, behold, the LORD cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain. -- Isa 26:21 (KJV)

And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood. -- Rev 12:15 (KJV)

And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth. -- Rev 12:16 (KJV)

1. There is a child who she brings forth

2. There are also other children ( brethren )

The preserving of the elect

And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened. -- Mat 24:22 (KJV)

1. The mysterious ordering of the saints

and

2. The mysterious ordering of the ressurrection

The Catching away of Enoch

And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him ( xq;l'). -- Gen 5:24 (KJV)

3947 xq;l' laqach {law-kakh'} -- receive, take away, fetch, take out, carry away, fetch, seize, marry, take a wife, snatch, to be taken out of

The Catching away of Elijah

And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up (hl'[) by a whirlwind into heaven. -- 2 Ki 2:11 (KJV)

5927 hl'[' `alah {aw-law'} -- ascend, arose, to go up, to be taken up, be brought up, be taken away, to bring up, take away, to cause to ascend, to be carried away, to be taken up into

Before she travailed, she brought forth; before her pain came, she was delivered of a man child. -- Isa 66:7 (KJV)

Who hath heard such a thing? who hath seen such things? Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day? or shall a nation be born at once? for as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children. -- Isa 66:8 (KJV)

Who is this man-child ?

And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne. -- Rev 12:5 (KJV)

"The Catching Away" or "The Rapture"

Do believers have a promise that they might escape the Great Tribulation?

Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth. -- Rev 3:10 (KJV)

In the twinkling of an eye

Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, -- 1 Cor 15:51 (KJV)

In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last (7th) trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. -- 1 Cor 15:52 (KJV)

The Catching away (a`rpa,zw) of the saints

For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming (parousi,a) of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. -- 1 Th 4:15 (KJV)

For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: -- 1 Th 4:16 (KJV)

Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up (a`rpa,zw) (rapiere) together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. -- 1 Th 4:17 (KJV)

726 a`rpa,zw harpazo {har-pad'-zo} -- catch up, catch away, carry off by force, to snatch out or away

The Catching away of Philip

And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away (a`rpa,zw) (rapiere) Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing. -- Acts 8:39 (KJV)

The Catching away of Paul

I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up (a`rpa,zw) (rapiere) to the third heaven. -- 2 Cor 12:2 (KJV)

How that he was caught up (a`rpa,zw) (rapiere) into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter. -- 2 Cor 12:4 (KJV)

Was Jesus ever caught up (a`rpa,zw) (rapiere) to heaven ?

And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up

( evpai,rw ); and a cloud received him out of their sight. -- Acts 1:9 (KJV)

1869 evpai,rw epairo {ep-ahee'-ro} lift up , take up, hoisted up, to lift up,

Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up ( avnalamba,nw ) from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven. -- Acts 1:11 (KJV)

353 avnalamba,nw analambano {an-al-am-ban'-o} take up , receive up ,

Wherefore of these men which have companied with us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, -- Acts 1:21 (KJV)

Beginning from the baptism of John, unto that same day that he was taken up

( avnalamba,nw ) from us, must one be ordained to be a witness with us of his resurrection. -- Acts 1:22 (KJV)

The Catching away of the man child

And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up (a`rpa,zw) (rapiere) unto God, and to his throne. -- Rev 12:5 (KJV)

Who is this man-child ?

And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne. -- Rev 12:5 (KJV)

And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: -- Rev 2:26 (KJV)

And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father. -- Rev 2:27 (KJV)

Note the future events outlined in Chapter 12

1. The woman Israel is revealed in her future glorified state. Israel is the bride of Christ and the Wife of God.

For thy Maker is thine husband; the LORD of hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called. -- Isa 54:5 (KJV)

For the LORD hath called thee as a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit, and a wife of youth, when thou wast refused, saith thy God. -- Isa 54:6 (KJV)

I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels. -- Isa 61:10 (KJV)

For as a young man marrieth a virgin, so shall thy sons marry thee: and as the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so shall thy God rejoice over thee. -- Isa 62:5 (KJV)

Turn, O backsliding children, saith the LORD; for I am married unto you: and I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion: -- Jer 3:14 (KJV)

Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. -- Rev 19:7 (KJV)

And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will show thee the bride, the Lamb's wife. -- Rev 21:9 (KJV)

He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom's voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled. -- John 3:29 (KJV)

Note that their are two prophetic brides mentioned

(Remember that Jacob had two wives

Leah (the unlovely or undesirable)

and

Rachel ( the desired or highly favored)

To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, -- Heb 12:23 (KJV)

1. One is not a chaste virgin

The General Assembly

2. The Other is called a chaste virgin

Church of The First Born

(or First Fruits)

For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. -- 2 Cor 11:2 (KJV)

Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. -- James 1:18 (KJV)

These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb. -- Rev 14:4 (KJV)