Posted by Elana Janson on May 04, 2002 at 02:34:21:
In Reply to: You contradict God. posted by Lwood on April 28, 2002 at 20:46:26:
Dear Lwood
Christians and scholars in the past could not comprehend the entire meaning of Revelation. Therefore, the only way to understand the symbolism was to take the words of Revelation to Scripture. They would then link the words to corresponding words in Scripture and of course were given insight and understanding of much of Revelation. They thought, and today, most people think so too, that the understanding of Revelation is only to be found in referring back to Scripture.
This all changed in 1996, when it was revealed to me through a Divine intervention that the symbolism of Revelation tells the history of the Christian peoples and nations. It reveals through a global perspective how it would come about that over two thousand years Christians were misled. They would be misled to such a degree that only a remnant of true Christians would be left on earth at the time of the Second Coming. This understanding of Revelation makes the whole meaning of Revelation “new” (Rev 21:5).
It is therefore in this knowledge that the greatness of Revelation lies. It could be understood for almost two thousand years, but in 2002 it has a new meaning. It is in the last days a comfort to Christians to know that the Trinity was always been with the Christian peoples and the Christian nations, even through the turbulent times of Christian history.
Firstly, Revelation is a prophecy. In other words it tells what is going to happen in the future. This is revealed by the words of Revelation.
Rev 1:1 The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him, to show his servants what must soon take place. In other words Revelation it is about the followers (servants) of Jesus Christ and what will take place at some future date (soon) take place. The word “soon” is used because Revelation shows through its symbolism (when you can understand it) that Revelation is about what happened soon after the time that John received the prophecy.
Rev 1:19 (The Son of Man to John) Write therefore, what you have seen, what is now and what will take place later.
This prophecy was given to John in 96 AD. Therefore it is the prophecy of the risen Christ!
Because Revelation uses symbols out of the Old Testament and because scholars have always referred back to the Old Testament in order to understand Revelation it is difficult for people to understand that Revelation is about the Christian nations. However, when you see in Rev 5:5 that “only the lion of the Tribe of Judah, and the Root of David“ (that is Jesus Christ) can open the scroll (the book of Revelation) it means the following. The words that Jesus Christ spoke when he was on earth are ultimately the key to the complete understanding of Revelation. Only those who believe in 2002 that Jesus Christ is the Messiah will be able to understand fully. Only they will have an ear to hear.
Christians are under the New Covenant that was fulfilled through the coming of Jesus Christ (see Jeremiah 31:31). Christians under the New Covenant will be the inhabitants of the New Jerusalem. This is a confirmation of Scripture, not a contradiction.
Revelation is written in symbols and these symbols are taken from Scripture. But note, the symbols, and words or groups of words of Revelation are not the full verses of Scripture. Therefore, what one does in 2002, is to take the words of Revelation and go to those verses where the symbol, word or words appear in Scripture and the meaning that is conveyed in Scripture is applied to the history of the Christian nations. This method is an analysis of Revelation in order to find it’s complete hidden meaning and not a contradiction of Scripture.
For almost two thousand years we could go to Scripture and look up the verses where the words of Revelation appear and we would be given great insights into the meaning of verses. We know that the time measurements of Revelation 11:3 and 4, “42 months” and “1260 days” resemble those given in Daniel, 12:11 –13, because they indicate three and a half years. They are different, however, because those of Revelation apply to Christians at the end time, who are under the new covenant that was fulfilled through the coming of Jesus Christ, the Messiah.
Revelation shows how the Trinity was one with Christians since the time of the Christ's ascension to heaven. For this reason Revelation makes so much of the unity of Jesus Christ with the Christian churches in the first chapters of Revelation.
You must realize that no one has been able to interpret Revelation in the way that I have because no one has understood how Revelation was constructed. In Rev 22: 18 and 19 we are told that not one word of Revelation must be altered. The reason for this very stern warning was so that Revelation could be kept in its form until the time came that it would be revealed to someone exactly how to understand it. That is the time that the scroll would be “rolled up” (Rev 6:14). That is the time that the history hidden in the symbols of Revelation would have played out.
An example is now given of how to relate Scripture to the understanding of Revelation in relation to the Christian nations.
In Rev 6:2 and Rev 6:4 there are the following symbols: Rev 6:2 “a white horse and Rev 6:4 “a red horse” - to find the meaning one goes to Zechariah 1:8-11. There we are told that the red and white horses walk throughout the earth. One therefore applies the meaning to the Christian nations. The horses in Revelation therefore symbolize the following: the spread of the Christian faith throughout the earth. Initially the Rider on the white horse goes out as a conqueror to conquer, but ultimately the message of Christianity is under the influence of the forces of evil that leads to the death of the true message – symbolized by the gray horse. The ‘death’ of the true message of Jesus Christ was brought about by the pursuit of man to be free from the bonds of religion. The Christian church and state were separated and an internationally accepted law of the equalization of world beliefs brought about a cooling down of Christian fervor. The true message that Jesus Christ is the only way to Father (John 14:6) would be undermined.
Therefore, the symbol of the beast out of the sea (Rev 13:1) with the seven heads and the ten horns, and upon his horns ten heads, is a symbol of certain Christian kings that would rule at some future date. In How near Armageddon I list numerous kings from ten Christian countries (one being England). They would rule at a time that Christians would be misled by the power of evil. Numerous kings are mentioned in order to illustrate the accuracy of Revelation. Revelation does not judge, it reveals how the Christian nations were overcome by anti-Christian influences.
In at least 10 Christianized countries in Europe, the last anointed king, who ruled with an elected person or body of persons, reigned for about 24 years. 24 years in Revelation is an hour (see Rev 12:12)
It is amazing how many Christians expect Revelation to start playing out now. What do they think has been happening in the last two thousand years! We are now picking the fruits of the enmity of the Christian kings and the Catholic Church in the Middle Ages. We are now experiencing blindness to the true message of Salvation because Christians in the past accused their fellow Christians (the influence of the dragon Rev 12:10) and went to war against them (Rev 17:14). The seafarers, who set out from Europe in the fourteenth, fifteenth and sixteenth centuries to find new trade routes and markets, were men who called themselves Christians but were often more interested in trade and making money. They often oppressed the inhabitants of the new lands in the pursuit of financial gain. The deeds of many Christians in the conquered lands did not convey the message of Jesus Christ. For this Revelation uses the symbol of the prostitute covered in purple and scarlet. In other words the history of the Christian nations and the spread of the message to the ends of the earth, as we know it, was all predicted in Revelation.
Secondly, the full understanding of Revelation could only come about when the history of the Christian peoples and the Christian nations had reached the point that they can barely maintain their faith because of the strength of evil (symbolized amongst other symbols in Revelation by the dragon and the beast). It is the time of the “short season” (Rev 20:3) and the time that the dragon and the beast have the greatest influence on man. It is the time that we are living now. Christian society has become so corrupt and so callous as to Christian morality and Christian living, because of decisions that were taken way back in history, that they do not realize that this last generation is lost, but for a remnant of Christians. It is as in the time of Noah and Lot of the Old Testament and no one is listening!
Because ordinary people in the year 2002 have great difficulty in understanding that Jesus Christ is the Way the Truth and Everlasting life, Revelation was preserved to give everyone who has an ear to hear a last chance to be saved. Revelation was written in symbols so that when the time was ripe someone with both knowledge of history and of Scripture, would be given the insight to apply those symbols to the history of the Christian nations and peoples.
Therefore my interpretation it is not a contradiction, but an amazing discovery that all the time the history of the Christian nations was hidden in the symbolism of Revelation, but we did not know how to interpret it.
As difficult as it may be for you to believe - my understanding was Divinely inspired.
Unfortunately Christians and theologians are so bogged down by old interpretations of Revelation and are wary of new versions that I fear that it will only be when the signs of the judgement of the nations are really clear that they will realize the greatness of the book Revelation.
You ask why I link “stars” to time measurement.
When it was revealed to me through the Divine intervention that the times of the four horses of the Apocalypse were the four times that Biblical scrolls were discovered in history, I knew that Revelation could be understood through time measurement in history. Therefore if the times of the horses of the Apocalypse were the years 216, 790, 1986 and 1947, then those were also the times of the opening of the first, second, third and fourth seals of Revelation.
I interpret “stars” as periods of time because this is revealed by Scripture. In Revelation the words “seal”, “seals” and “sealed” is used: Rev 6:3 “The Lamb opened the second seal”; Rev 6:1 “The Lamb opened the first of the seven seals”; Rev 5:1 “a scroll with writing on both sides and sealed with seven seals”.
Even though the word ‘seal’ is often used in Scripture the verse in Scripture that holds the clue to the meaning is Job 9:7: Which commands the sun, an it does not rise and seals up the stars.
By going to Job 9:7 where it is said that God seals up the stars (“seal” is linked to “stars”) I knew that the times of the “seals” of Revelation were also the times indicated by the word “stars” in Revelation. This insight ultimately revealed that the entire Revelation is based on twelve time measurements (“twelve stars” Rev 12:1).
(I have only just recently discovered that the time measurements of Revelation may be substantiated by certain rare alignments of stars in the heavens. I am not an astronomer, but some rare star alignments took place and are taking place in the years 96 AD, 1666, 2000 and 2002. These times coincide with the time measurements of Revelation.)
The only way that one can understand how to apply the symbols of Revelation to history is therefore through knowledge of Revelation’s time measurement.
As Christians we believe that Jesus Christ died for our sins and therefore if we honestly confess our shortcomings and try to live a good life we can be sure of everlasting life or as Revelations reveals wear the crown of everlasting life. Therefore followers of Jesus Christ will be the inhabitants of the New Jerusalem. “The woman” in Revelation, chapter 12, that is pursued by the forces of evil (symbolized by the ‘dragon’) is the symbol used for these Christians.
Revelation in its entirety would only be understood shortly before the Second Coming. It has also become very difficult for Christians that have fallen into the trap of anti-Christian thought, such as the equalization of religious belief to comprehend that Revelation is about the Christian nations.
Only those who really know how difficult it is to carry out the conviction that Jesus Christ is the Way in 2002 will understand and realize that the Second Coming must be near. Revelation is intense study and understanding. You will only understand if you really are looking for answers. Only those who fully comprehend the devastating effect of modern thinking and society on the minds of young Christians will comprehend the greatness of the gift of the Trinity to mankind, to have preserved this Revelation for the end time. You have to think as a Christian to understand and not as a citizen of the world.