Posted by Elana Janson on July 21, 2007 at 05:07:23:
Rev 16:21 “And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of hail: for the plague thereof was exceeding great”.
It was established in the previous post that the word “men” relates essentially to the time of the twentieth century and thereafter. In order to further substantiate that we are in the time of the casting of the seventh vial the word “blasphemed “ must be taken to Scripture and to verses in Revelation where the word “blasphemed “ is used. With the knowledge of the time measures of Revelation this information can be applied to understand exactly what the word “blasphemed” in Rev 16:21 conveys. Only then can one ascertain why “men blasphemed God because of the plague of hail” in 2007.
“Blasphemed”
The Old Testament
Lev 24:11 and 24:15. In old Jewish law it was to revile or curse God. It was intentional indignity offered to God. This sin was punishable by death. See also 1 Kings 21:10 and 13.
In 2 Kings 19:6 and Isaiah 37:6 the word “blasphemed” is used where the king of Assyria, King Sennacherib and his servants, said that the Lord God of Judah was as the other gods of the nations that were conquered by the Assyrians. He said that their God would not be able to help Judah against the coming onslaught of the Assyrians. King Sennacherib blasphemed when he placed the Lord God on a par with the other gods and said that he was powerless as the other gods.
Isaiah 52:5-6 “Now therefore what have I here, saith the Lord, that my people is taken away for nought? They that rule over them make them to howl, saith the Lord; and my name continually every day is blasphemed. Therefore my people shall know my name: therefore they shall know in that day, that I am he that doth speak: Behold it is I.” God does not tolerate blasphemy and will ultimately in some way make it known that he is God.
Ezekiel 20: 24- 27 “Because they had not executed my judgments, but had despised my statutes, and hath polluted my Sabbaths and their idols were after their father’s idols: Wherefore I gave them also statutes that were not good, and judgments whereby they should not live; And I polluted them in their own gifts, in that they caused to pass through the fire all that openeth the womb, that I might make them desolate, to the end that they might know that I am the Lord. Therefore son of man speak to the house of Israel, and say unto them, thus saith the Lord God; yet in this your fathers have blasphemed me in that they have committed a trespass against me.”
“Blaspheme”
2 Samuel 12:13-14 “And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the Lord, and Nathan said unto David, the Lord also has put away thy sin; thou shalt not die. How be it, because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme.” The sin of the anointed king David caused the name of God to be blasphemed before the enemies.
The New Testament
“Blasphemed”
Romans 2:23-24 “Thou that make a boast of the law, through breaking the law dishonerst thou God? For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles, through you as it is written.”
1Tim 6:1 “That the name of God and his doctrine be not blasphemed”.
Titus 2:5 (The aged women) to be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.
A person or nation can ‘blaspheme’ if there is knowledge of the Laws and doctrines of God, but the actions of those who have the knowledge do not reflect that knowledge of the Law or doctrine (Ezekiel 20: 24- 27; Romans 2:23-24; 1Tim 6:1; Titus 2:5).
“Blaspheme”
Ps 74:10 “O God how long shall the adversary reproach? Shall the enemy blaspheme thy name forever?
Mark 3:28-29 “Verily I say unto you, all sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith so ever they shall blaspheme; But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation.”
James 3:3 and 6-7: “And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay (bright indicating expensive) clothing, and say unto him: Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or stand here under my footstool.” (6-7) “But ye have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you and draw you before the judgment seats? Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by the which ye are called?
Revelation
In order to discover what Revelation conveys through the word “blasphemed” we have to consider all the positions of the words “blasphemed”, “blaspheme” and “speaking blasphemies” in Revelation.
Rev 2:9 “I know thy works and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich) and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan.”
Rev 2:9 comes from the letter to the church in Smyrna. The word “blasphemy” here indicates what was also shown in the verses from the Old Testament. Jews were supposed to have knowledge of God’s Law. If they did not adhere to the law it was blasphemy.
Revelation reveals “blasphemy” in the section that reveals the “beast out of the sea”. It then indicates the punishment of the blasphemy in the chapter concerning the fourth, fifth and seventh vials.
Rev 13:5 “And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.”
“And there was given unto him”
The word “him” in “And there was given unto him” relates to the total ‘gestalt’ of the ‘beast out of the sea’ in Revelation.
Rev 13:1 And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.
The total ‘gestalt’ of the beast out of the sea in Revelation incorporates the transition over centuries of the rule of the anointed kings of the national states of Europe to the rule of men or democracy that ultimately spread to the entire earth. I believe that Revelation reveals this transition as the “beast out of the sea” for it was a rule that would come about largely as the result of the misdemeanours of kings in relation to quarrels (‘gestalt’ of the ‘dragon’) with the leaders of the Christian faith and other Christian kings and leaders in their exploits regarding trade with nations of Europe and in later centuries across the seas (out of the sea).
The rule of the people would put an end to the cruelty of ruthless kings and leaders and the law of freedom of faith would largely curb religious wars and strife. This rule would prove very successful in the spread of Christianity to the ends of the earth. This is I believe substantiated by the words of Rev 12:14 “And to the woman (the Christian faith) 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.” Through the word “blaspheme” Revelation seems to reveal that the rule was also a subtle way by which man could fall prey to the deception of Satan. The rule of freedom would result in the nations falling away from the faith and no longer having a reverence or respect for God.
A mouth speaking great things and blasphemies.
The words “mouth” and “speak” in Revelation relate to the expansion of world communication after 1906. (The year 1906 was established through the analysis of Rev 13:1-18, and the understanding of the number ‘six hundred, threescore and six’. When the year 1906 and the discovery of the radiotelephone are linked to the "number of man" Revelation reveals how the "beast" would extend his influence through world (radio) communication. With the knowledge of recent history and the present time this influence would be further communicated to the world through television and the internet.)
1906 was the year that the radiotelephone was demonstrated in the United States and the human voice was heard by means of radio for the first time. It was also the year that the triode "Audion" amplifying valve was patented in New York. When a weak electrical signal - produced for example by someone speaking into a microphone - was amplified by this valve and impressed on radio waves, the voice could be transmitted to a distant receiver.
Revelation is revealing that in the time after 1906 the rule of the people (in the symbolism of Revelation, the rule of “man”) would use world communication to accept freedom of faith which on the one hand brought religious toleration, but on the other had placed salvation through Jesus Christ, which according to Scripture is the way to the Father, on an equal footing to all other faiths of the world. Revelation uses the word “mouth” for as the twentieth century progressed the world media would to an ever greater extent be compelled to proclaim the equalization of faiths and as the general public fell under the spell of all faiths being equal, church attendance fell and the Christian voice became one of the voices of many faiths.
And power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.
God would allow this situation to continue till the time February 2005, the end of the “42 months”, and the end of the time that we can measure. After that time some would realize that God is taking control and the words of prophecy are being fulfilled.
Rev 13:6 “And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.”
He opened his mouth in blasphemy
As mentioned above, in the twentieth century, after 1906, world communication would propagate the rule of freedom. Christian nations blasphemed against God when they accepted the Christian doctrine of salvation through the blood of Christ as equal to all other faiths. Also when the laws of the nations were contrary to God’s law. More significantly when the nations proceeded to take the equalization of faiths before the law to the point of equalizing religions they were blaspheming the power of the Holy Spirit which is part of the Trinity. Mark 3:28-29 “Verily I say unto you, all sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith so ever they shall blaspheme; But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation.”
Blasphemed his name and his tabernacle
In the Old Testament the “tabernacle” of the Israelites was in the “wilderness”. In the Revelation of Jesus Christ the “wilderness” is symbolic of the lands to which the Christian faith spread from Europe (“Egypt” Rev 11:8). In the spread of the faith to the ends of the earth the unity of Christian Church and Christian State would ultimately disappear. The “beast” which incorporates political freedom and religious freedom, will ultimately remove Christianity and its message that the cross is the only way to salvation from mainstream politics.
And them that dwell in heaven
These words reveal that the true witnesses that carried the Christian faith to the ends of the earth carried the message of the cross as the only way to everlasting life. These true witnesses died in the faith and dwell in heaven. This message would under the rule of men be ‘captive’ for all religions are regarded as equal before the law.
What this means is that all the nations of the world will seek political freedom (“all the world wondered after the beast”). Ultimately the peoples of the nations will scorn the Christian faith and those who lived Christian lives. They will not believe that there is life after death and not strive to live a life that will have a reward in heaven.
The word “blasphemed” in Revelation.
The casting of the fourth vial
Rev 16:9 “And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory”.
The time of the opening of the fourth seal, is according to my understanding the time after 1947. Through the repetition of the word “fourth”, the time of the casting of the fourth vial is also that time. My understanding of all that has been said concerning “blasphemy”, Revelation seems to indicated that since 1947 those nations and individuals that said that they were Christians, but in their inner self placed the doctrine of the Christian faith as equal to all other faiths were actually committing blasphemy. They said they were Christians, but were not. God’s wrath would take the form of “scorched with great heat”. This would include bombs in time of war and peace throughout the earth. It likely includes extreme heat and fires as a result of global warming.
The casting of the fifth vial
Rev 16:11”And blasphemed the God of heaven, because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds”.
The time of the opening of the fifth seal is I believe the time September 2001. It seems that the wrath of God for the blasphemy of the nations also takes the form of illness in the time of the twenty-first century.
Rev 16:21 “And men blasphemed God because of the plague of hail.”
Global warming
After all that has been said concerning “men” and “blaspheme”, it seems that Revelation is revealing that all the hardship that is at this time being brought upon man because of the effects of global warming – that is extreme weather: typhoons, hurricanes, cyclones and storms with “great hail” - man will still not realize that the prophecy of Revelation is being fulfilled. This is largely the result of the propagation of the man made belief that the natural forces of the universe and the earth sustain their existence and all life on earth. This was the result of the falling away from faith and man convincing himself that he can only believe what he can prove.
Those who follow these man made ideologies refuse to believe that they have been deceived by an actual force of evil. Today many people do not even acknowledge that Satan and evil exist. Many will refuse to accept that an ideology of man, driven by his need to discover and exploit natural resources of the earth for lucrative financial gain, could over time result in a profound change in the weather patterns of the earth. Most persons of the earth will believe that an ideology of man can rule the nations indefinitely.
As Scripture revealed in Isaiah 52:5-6 “Now therefore what have I here, saith the Lord, that my people is taken away for nought? They that rule over them make them to howl, saith the Lord; and my name continually every day is blasphemed. Therefore my people shall know my name: therefore they shall know in that day, that I am he that doth speak: Behold it is I.” God does not tolerate blasphemy and will ultimately in some way make it known that he is God.
“For the plague thereof was exceeding great”.
It is said in Ephesians 1:19-23 “And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places. Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him that filleth all in all.”
It seems that the results of extreme weather (“the plague thereof”) or the time that mankind experiences the results of extreme weather there will be the realization that the prophecy of the Revelation of Jesus Christ will be fulfilled and it will be known that Jesus is the Christ. The words “exceeding great” reveal the witnessing of the greatness of God and the restoration of the testimony of Jesus Christ (Rev 5:6 “the Lamb as it had been slain”) to a world that had been deceived.
It seems that man has contributed to global warming, but Revelation reveals that it is part of the final wrath of God upon the world. Revelation reveals that God is in control and will stop global warming and the destruction of the earth. Rev 11:18 “And shouldest destroy them that destroy the earth”.