A Study of The Book of Revelation, Part #44

Earl Gillespie

A Study of The Book of Revelation

The Jewish Remnant
The fifth of the seven personages

Before we began this lesson lets examine the mosaic introduced in the previous lesson  closely.  A few pieces have become loose and fallen out. Viewing the creation from afar it would be easy to overlook the missing pieces, but a close inspection would reveal the missing pieces or flaws.  Your job is to repair the mosaic by replacing the pieces in the proper position or order.  Since the pieces are similar in size, the easiest method is to round the corners and shape each peace to make it fix, then use a filler to fill in the imperfections.  Viewed from afar the picture looks perfect but upon close inspection several pieces are in the wrong place therefore the picture is flawed and the interpretation is amiss.

Revelation 12:17  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.   The attempt to eradicate the Jews by world leaders should serve not to the church that this is an impossible task.  Many denominational doctrines spiritualize the Bible to a point that the church takes the place of the children of Israel.

According to the Book of Isaiah, the remnant is a small group of Israelites who will survive the invasion of the Assyrian army under Tiglath-Pileser III (Isaiah 10:20–22). The remnant is promised that they will one day be brought back to the Promised Land by God (Isaiah 11:11–16). Isaiah again uses the terminology during Sennacherib's siege of Jerusalem (Isaiah 37).  The concept of the remnant is taken up by several other prophets, including Micah, Jeremiah and Zephaniah. The post-exilic biblical literature (Ezra-Nehemiah, Haggai, Zechariah) consistently refers to the Jews who have returned from the Babylonian captivity as the remnant.

There are three things we must be very careful to avoid in our study of the Word of God: (1) we must not misinterpret the scriptures, (2) we must not misapply the scripture, (3) we must not mislocate the scripture (take scripture out of its setting).  It is sad that men of great religion standing are not willing to let the Word of God say what it really says.  They shape the scripture to make it say what they want it to say or preach. 

By allowing the Bible to speak rather than trying to explain what was meant to be said allows one to grasp a deeper understanding of God word.  If I try to combine the incidents of judgment or those that are judged, I would end up with a homogenized form of the Gospel that was unbelievable to many and could only be sustained thru hypnosis and conjectures, tainted by denominational or personal belief.  This explained in the (The Five Judgements)

Understanding the Word of God is no more complicated than understanding Algebra or or any other subject of study.  To excel in any field requires constant study.  Paul stated in 2 Timothy 2:15  Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.  The scripture is divided into ages and dispensations.  While the Dispensations are probationary periods, the form of "Administration" is different and progressive in each "Dispensation." For illustration, the Administration of the "Legal Dispensation" was that of "LAW," of the "Present Dispensation" is "GRACE," and of the one to follow is "RIGHTEOUSNESS."

Modern high-tech society is based upon questions and answers.  As each question is answered another follows  A common cliché is, “ there are things within the Bible that we will never understand.”  If this is true then why did the Word of God tell us about them?  Is that just an excuse for our inability to study?  If there is something we don’t understand, shouldn’t we find someone that can help us understand?  Usually this platform is present by those who wish to promote their own agenda.

The practice of spiritualizing the Word of God has allowed the church has become very possessive in nature,  thereby claiming the position and blessing set aside for the Children of Israel.   There were promises made to the Children of Israel when they were about to, and crossed over into the promise land that in no ways carry over and apply  to the church.  The Jews are an earthly people and so is the gentiles, the church is a body made up of Jews and Gentiles.  1 Corinthians 12:13  For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. The church is a spiritual body.

They are a separate entities and they must remain separate throughout the study of the scripture.  1 Corinthians 10:32  Give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God:  While the Church is being judged at the Judgment Seat of Christ in the air, the Jews will be judged under Antichrist on the earth. The Jews are an "earthly" people; and as all the promises to them are "earthly," it follows that their judgment must be of an "earthly" character. The basis of their judgment is their "rejection of the Godhead." In the days of Samuel they rejected God the Father. 1 Samuel 8:7  And the LORD said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them. In the days of Christ they rejected God the Son. Luke 23:18  And they cried out all at once, saying, Away with this man, and release unto us Barabbas. In the days of Stephen they rejected God the Holy Spirit. Ac 7:51,54-60. For their sin they have been scattered among the nations until the "Times of the Gentiles" are fulfilled. When the "Times of the Gentiles" are about to end the Jews will be gathered back to the Holy Land "unconverted," and caused to "pass under the rod." Eze 20:34-38. They will be cast into God's "Melting Pot" (Eze 22:19-22), and pass through an experience spoken of by Jeremiah and Daniel as the "TIME OF JACOB'S TROUBLE." Jer 30:4-7; Daniel 12:1. Christ calls it "The Great Tribulation," and He and Zechariah the Prophet associate it with the "Return of the Lord." Mt 24:21-31; Zec 14:1-11. The human agent the Lord will use will be the Antichrist, the awfulness of whose rule will be supplemented by the pouring out of the "Vials of God's wrath" upon the earth. Re 15:1,5-8; 16:1-21.

 The result of these terrible judgments will be that the Jews will call in their misery upon the Lord. Zec 12:10. Then Christ will come back to the Mt. of Olives (Zec 14:4) and the Jews will look upon Him whom they "pierced" (Zec 12:10), and a nation, the Jewish Nation, shall be "born (converted) in a day." Isa 66:8. This will complete the judgment of the Jews.

Revelation 12:17  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.

At this time, Satan will know that he has forever lost his opportunity to destroy the church (He has informed that the “the gates of hell shall not prevail against it”). His drastic, all-out drive to mar and scar the Church will fail, and it will be presented to Jesus without spot or wrinkle . . .a perfect Church.  Satan has lost Israel, and he is very, very wroth. The miracle-working God of yesteryear, who delivered His ancient people on many occasions, has frustrated the plan of Satan again. Satan knows it and he is furious. Read Exodus 19:4; Deuteronomy 32:11, 12; Lamentations 4:19; Psalm 35. Then read Matthew 24:22. The God of Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps, nor does He change. When thousands of Israelites came up out of Egypt, God took care of them. There was not one feeble person in all the tribes. Not one foot became sore from marching. Their shoes lasted for forty long years, and not one garment became threadbare. The Lord said to His people, “YE HAVE SEEN WHAT I DID UNTO THE EGYPTIANS AND HOW I BARE YOU ON EAGLE’S WINGS, AND BROUGHT YOU UNTO MYSELF” (Exodus 19:4). What God did in that day, God is very able to do again!

Joel 3:1-2 For, behold, in those days, and in that time, when I shall bring again the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem, I will also gather ALL NATIONS, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat,' and will plead with them there for MY PEOPLE and for my heritage ISRAEL, whom they have scattered among the Nations, and parted my land."

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The First of the Two Beasts