Posted by Elana Janson on November 01, 2014 at 10:40:16:
In Reply to: Re: The words of St Paul in the letter to the Ephesians and Revelation posted by Susanne Baker on November 01, 2014 at 03:48:50:
In order to understand “the nations” in Rev 21:24 and 26 as well as the words “kings of the earth” (Rev 21:24) one has to look where these words are used elsewhere in Revelation.
The word “nations” appears numerous times in Revelation. It appears with the word “all”.
All nations
Rev 7:9 (King James Version)
After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;
This is a vision of peoples of all nations before the risen Christ in heaven.
Rev 12:5
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.
In chapter 12 the words “man child, who was to rule all nations” incorporates not only Jesus Christ, but the influence of the testimony of Jesus Christ all through the centuries on all the nations of the globe since the Resurrection of Jesus Christ to the present day.
Rev14:8
And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.
Rev 18:3
For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.
All nations will experience the wrath of God on the world that has forgotten the message and the gift of God to the world : the offering of the Christ on the cross for the sins of all men.
Rev 15:4
Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest.
Revelation confirms that the Christian message will be brought to all nations and when they experience the judgments of the nations there will be the realization that God reigns supreme.
Rev 18:23
And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived.
This is not difficult to understand in modern times for the great merchants of the twenty-first century are the “great men” of the globe. We don’t always recognize them or want to recognize them as ‘sorcerers’ for they make such lovely ‘toys’, gadgets of convenience and things that are delicious. We are misled in that we do not focus on the unseen and the eternal.
Revelation also uses the words “every nation”
Rev 5:9
And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;
Jesus Christ (one with the Father and the Spirit) is worthy to open the seals of the book of Revelation. He that was slain and through his blood God has saved all from all nations of the globe.
Rev 14:6
And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people,
This verse means that the gospel of Jesus Christ and everlasting life through the blood of Christ will be (or would have been preached to) every nation of the globe.
Revelation includes all nations
The reason that I am giving all these verses and more is to show to those that even at this point in time believe that the book Revelation only relates to the first century (or first few centuries) after the birth of Christ.
“I give power over the nations”
Rev 2:26
And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations:
Believers know that if they keep the faith and are not misled by the deceivers of the world that God will take care. Revelation is a message to the nations. Those that keep to the faith can know they will overcome the influences and the power of the ‘beasts’ of Revelation in the end time and have ‘power over the nations’.
Rev 10:11
And he said unto me, Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings.
John on Patmos was clearly instructed by the angel to write the book Revelation that is a prophecy. A prophecy that would be heard by and read to many nations.
Rev 11:9
And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three days and an half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves.
The word ”they” refers to the “two witnesses” which collectively include all preachers and missionaries that preached the gospel of Jesus Christ during the two millennia since the coming of the Christ – and died for their faith. Revelation measures “three and a half days” in each millennium. Even at the time that Revelation shall be understood their sacrifice will not be forgotten by all nations. There will be the belief that their bodies will arise at the Resurrection of the dead at the Return.
Rev 11:18
And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth.
This is a very interesting verse at this point in time. It seems that at some point in time a destruction of the earth is going to come about that is going to anger the nations. The wrath of God will follow. There will be a realization that what is predicted in Revelation and Scripture will come about.
Rev 13:7
And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.
In this verse “him” is the beast out of the sea. In this verse Revelation reveals that an ideology would come
about that would make war through the centuries with Christians and believers and it would be given power over nations. Read the sections on the “beast out of the sea” on this website.
The following three verses all reveal how the beast has deceived all nations.
Rev 16:19
And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath.
In this verse the “great city” is the entire earth. The word ‘divided’ could mean war in the three sections of the earth. It could mean the result of earthquake. It could simply mean the time of the understanding of the book Revelation that divides the earth into three parts (See Rev 8:7-11). The nations will suffer and there will be a slump of a kind. The reason for this is given. The nations were misled by the beast and have forgotten the gift of the “Lamb” that is Jesus Christ that died for our sins. The word “cup” is symbolic of the cup of wine in Holy Communion that is the reminder of the blood of Christ.
Rev 17:15
And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.
The “whore” in Revelation is symbolic of the Christian nations that have been misled. In Revelation, chapter 12, the message of Jesus Christ is symbolically the “woman”. Those that were deceived by the beast are symbolically the “whore”. This deception will spread to all nations of the globe.
Rev 20:3
And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.
Revelation confirms that the beast (Satan) deceived the nations. I believe that through the understanding of Revelation we have already reached the time that the beast no longer can deceive the believers within the nations. I believe we are in the little season and we can see that the influence of the beast is powerful at the present time.
I think that one can now understand the word “nations” in Rev 21:24
Rev 21:24 And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it.
The New Jerusalem comes down from heaven to earth. It seems that we shall even be able to distinguish the nations (as we knew them?).
This verse relates to the leaders of the nations that followed the testimony of Jesus Christ. They secured a place for their nations and subjects in the New Jerusalem. This verse reveals that during the time of “night” in the second millennium, those rulers that did not “lead into captivity” (Rev 13:10) walked in the ‘light’ of the testimony of Jesus Christ and were saved – and also their nations were saved.
Kings of the earth
I understand “kings of the earth” in Rev 21:24 to mean both righteous Christian kings that were saved as well as all those who died as “kings and priests” in Christ. Those that remained “kings and priests” unto God the Father, and Jesus Christ, in the time of the deception by the beast out of the sea and the beast out of the earth. See Rev 1:6
“And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.”
There are verses in Revelation where “kings of the earth” mean or can mean those that have followed the beast out of the earth. (Rev 6:15;16:14;17:2;17:18;18:3;18:9 and 19:19).
Rev: 21:25-26 And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there. And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it.
The gates are open to all till the time of the Return. Once again Revelation relates to the time of “night” and ‘darkness’ of the second millennium when the beast out of the sea and the beast out of the earth misled the nations. The leadership of the nations that walked in the ‘light’ (“day”) of the message of Jesus Christ in the time of ‘night’ in the second millennium will reflect the way that their nations upheld the testimony of Jesus Christ.
Rev 21:27 And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life.