Posted by Elana Janson on July 11, 2009 at 17:00:46:
They went up on the breadth of the earth
The word “breadth” appears twice in Revelation: Rev 20:9 and 21:16. The full meaning of this word in Revelation, taking into account what is presently happening internationally, seems to confirm that we are nearing the final time. Once again this investigation into the meaning of a specific word in Revelation will reveal the reason why it was commanded by God in Rev 22:18 and 19 that no word of Revelation should be changed or tampered with.
Nations on the ‘breadth’ of the earth
The nations (or sections of) USA, Europe, Israel, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan and North Korea all lie on the “breadth” of the earth that is approximately between the circles of latitude 30 and 40 degrees north. With the election turmoil in Iran and that country advancing in nuclear expertise to the alarm of certain nations; Iraq recovering from a war amidst random bombings of civilians; war in Afghanistan, North Korea doing nuclear tests and launching missiles, the United States the foe or seen to be the foe of these nations as well as a determined Israel to extend its settlements in the West Bank (and wary of Iran’s nuclear advancement) there is much evidence of underlying conflict. It seems therefore important at this point in time that we should investigate the full meaning of the word “breadth” in Revelation.
The gathering to Armageddon
The following section of Revelation, Rev. 20:7-9 in which the word breadth appears, indicates what is going to happen in the run up to Armageddon. These verses are particularly significant in that they are written with words that are also used in other verses of Revelation. The purpose of the repetition of the words is to show how Revelation comes together in the end time and how it verifies and confirms what has been shown earlier in the book Revelation. One must refer back to the meanings in order to fully understand why Armageddon must take place.
Rev 20:7 “And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison”.
8 “And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle, the number whom is as the sand of the sea.”
9”And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and encompassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God and devoured them”
The thousand years
The words “the thousand years” in Revelation is something that makes the understanding of Revelation to most people impossible. Many are convinced there are still another thousand years lying ahead before the Return. Because I believe that it was revealed to me that we are near the end time I interpret “the thousand years” as ending in the present time. The explanation of “the thousand years” is complex and readers should refer to the posts on this Forum that explain the full meaning.
When the thousand years are expired
Of significance is the repetition that “the thousand years” has expired and that Satan shall be loosed out of his prison. In Rev 20:3 it is revealed what must happen when the time of “the thousand years “is over: “till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he (Satan) must be loosed a little season”.
Therefore we know the progression of events in the end time. The period of the thousand years must have come to an end and the deception of Satan will be particularly intense in the final season. As my interpretation of Revelation has shown the influence of the beasts on the inhabitants of the earth progressively becomes more powerful as man becomes appeased to the denial of society to a living God and accustomed to everyday sinfulness around him. Rev 20:8 “And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth”.
Note that Revelation reveals that the influence of Satan will have reached the entire earth (“the nations in the four quarters of the earth”).
The four quarters of the earth
Many people have asked me why Revelation uses the term “four corners” (Rev 7:1) of the earth when we know that the earth is round. There is of course a very good reason for this and it is related the meaning of “breadth “in Revelation. Revelation uses the term “four corners” of the earth to enhance the revelation that the “New Jerusalem” of Revelation symbolically encompasses the entire earth and the entire population of the earth as well as those who have passed away in the time before. I say this for it is made known in Rev 21:16 “And the city lieth foursquare, and the length is as large as the breadth and the height of it are equal.”
Now readers may well say but why does Revelation use the term “four corners” in Rev 7:1 to describe four cardinal points of the earth where the four angels were standing, holding the four winds of the earth. The words “four corners” in Rev 7:1 substantiate that the holding back and the release of strong winds over the earth will be in the end time and in the time of the gathering to Armageddon (“four quarters of the earth”). It is the time that symbolically the “New Jerusalem” is “coming down from God out of heaven” (Rev 21:2). It is the time that God is revealing the meaning of the symbolism of Revelation to the entire earth. This is an example of how Revelation uses the repetition of words to confirm what is going to take place in the end time, how Revelation is held together by the position of its words and why man was not allowed to tamper with the words of Revelation (see Rev 22:18 and 19).
Gog and Magog
Revelation uses the term “Gog and Magog” as the symbol of the nations that will ultimately gather to Armageddon across the breadth of the earth.
Who was Gog? In Ezekiel 38:2 and 3 it appears as a country or people of which Gog was the prince. This information leads us to fix a northern locality. It is expressly stated by Ezekiel that he was to come up from “the far north” (Ez. 39:2).
According to Smith’s Bible Dictionary, the Magog represents the race of the Scythians. The Scythians were also located to the north of Israel. Originally the Turks were hunting people in the Altai Mountains of Western Mongolia in Central Asia at the time when the steppes of Central Asia were occupied by the Scythians, Huns and other pastoral nomadic peoples. As the Turks moved westward, they occupied the steppes and drove the Huns and Scythians further westward. They reached the shores of the Caspian Sea in c 500.
From the ninth to the eleventh century, they were followed by the Seljuk or Oghuzs (phonetically near to Gog and Magog). In the tenth century Mongols conquered Mongolia, causing a migration of Turks over the next several centuries. It would be these Mongols and Turks that would invade India and China.
As it was made known to me that Revelation reveals the spread of Christianity after Christ’s death and resurrection, I understand Gog and Magog to have a symbolic meaning. The symbolic meaning is found in the historical fact that it was actually the descendants of the tribes of the Far North East and North West that would spread across the globe and ultimately be part of the nations of all the earth. Gog and Magog therefore symbolically represent the spread and migration peoples that would spread the faith from the Middle East to the ends of the earth. Therefore, broadly speaking, the Gog and the Magog represents migration from Western Europe and the countries to which the Western Europeans (northern areas) and immigrated to nations across the globe. Gog and Magog also represent the descendants of the tribes of North East Asia that migrated south and are to-day essentially in the Middle East and Far East sections of the earth. Revelation seems to be indicating that Armageddon is going to be a clash of the forces of the West against the East.
The number whom is as the sand of the sea
In Gen 22:17 God said the seed of Abraham will be as the sand of the sea. It seems that the nations that will ultimately gather to Armageddon will those that have the Old Testament as the beginning of their faith.
Gather
How do we know that this section is revealing the run up to Armageddon?
We know this through the repetition of the words “gather them together to battle”. It is revealed through the repetition of the words “gather”, “together” that also appear in other verses in Revelation.
Rev 14:18 and 19 “And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire, and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe. And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God.
Because the word “gather” is used in both verses Rev. 14:18 and 19 as well as Rev 20:8 it reveals aspects of the gathering to the final battle. I understand the word “vine” here to relate to the meaning in the Old Testament Ps 80:8 and Isa 5:1 where God compares his people to a vine which he had brought out of Egypt and planted in the Promised Land, as a good soil, but which instead of bringing forth good fruit, brought forth only bitter fruit. With the understanding of “the beast out of the earth” the words “gather the clusters of the vine of the earth” symbolically incorporates the above meaning of “vine” in the twenty-first century, the gathering to Armageddon will be those to whom God gave the gift of his Son, redemption of sin and the gift of everlasting life, but who were misled by the beast out of the earth. The symbol of the vine also reveals that the final gathering will involve Israel. Revelation reveals that the final battle is brought upon man for having rejected that which God had given to him – he was to bring forth good fruit, but brought bitter fruit. Modern man no longer wishes to acknowledge God the Creator – he does not follow God’s directives or believes that God has the power over life and death.
“And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God.” Armageddon is therefore the final wrath of God upon the inhabitants of the earth.
Breadth
At this point in time the meaning held by the word “breadth” in Revelation reveals possibly greater understanding of the “gathering” to Armageddon.
Rev 20:9”And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and encompassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God and devoured them”
In the media at the present time there are rumors that Israel might consider a strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities. In the light of what is said above and on this website, a strike could ultimately involve the nations on the “breadth” of the earth.
And fire came down from God and devoured them
Many people believe that these words indicate that a meteor is likely to strike the earth in the time of Armageddon. I am inclined to think that these words indicate that man is going to reach his Armageddon through that which he has himself developed. Armageddon is a war that involves a nuclear capability but comes at a time predestined by God – therefore “fire came down from God”. The reason that I say this is because the same words that are used in Rev 20:9 also appear in Rev 13:13 “And he doeth great wonders, so that he makes fire come down from heaven on earth in the sight of men.” In my interpretation of Revelation, chapter 13:13 reveals the time that man would discover the technology and know-how of launching rockets and time of the discovery of explosives and splitting the atom.
(Readers should refer back to the full explanation of the “beast out of the earth” in the Q&A section of this website or posts on this Forum.)
Gather them to the battle
The use of the word “gather” in Rev 16:14 and 16 also confirms that Armageddon is going to be a battle between nations. Readers should also refer back to the full explanation of the pouring of the sixth vial Rev 16:12-16 on this website. Revelation confirms through the word “gather” used in Rev 16:12-16 that Armageddon is the end result of man having been misled in thinking that he can rely on his own expertise and has been misled to disregard the directives and commandments of God the Creator.
Because I believe it was made known to me that we are in the end time, it is remarkable considering what is taking place internationally at this point in time that the nations “went up on the breadth of the earth”.
Breadth of the New Jerusalem
The word “breadth” as used in relation to the gathering to Armageddon is also used to indicate the breadth of the “New Jerusalem” in Rev 21:16. It seems that the understanding that the nations that gather to Armageddon gather across the breadth of the globe. It seems that the repetition of the word “breadth” in Rev 21:16 confirms that “New Jerusalem” encompasses the globe and involves the inhabitants of the entire earth - those that are going to inherit everlasting life and relates not only to the city of Jerusalem in the Middle East.
The importance of the repetition of words in Revelation
Through the understanding of Rev 20:7-9 and the importance of the repetition of words in Revelation is made known. Through the repetition of words we can comprehend all the aspects revealed in Revelation coming together in the gathering to Armageddon. Armageddon will be at the time of great windstorms (the four angels no longer hold back the winds of the earth), man would have been misled by the beast and the dragon (the casting of the sixth vial), prophecy will be fulfilled that the final battle will involve Israel (gather the clusters of the vine) and it will be the time of the Return of Jesus Christ and the resurrection of the dead (New Jerusalem coming down from heaven).