Revelation: Judgement of Nations

[sjanhunen]

In this third and final arc, we seem some key story points:

1. The Ark and the Faithful Numbered
2. Judgement of Kings
3. Fall of a City

[sjanhunen]

In a sense, Revelation is to the New Covenant what Joshua was to the Old Covenant. But there was a gap between exiting Egypt and entering the Promised land.

[sjanhunen]

The wedding scene in Rev 19 is key to understanding how all the pieces of the new creation come together. Can we demonstrate that the wife in 19:6-9 is in fact distinct from the bride in Rev 21? If so, I believe there would be a pattern in the OT that corresponds to this. Consider when they are brought together in “the Bride, the Lamb’s wife”.

[sjanhunen]

The distinct purposes of God do not all unite until the new heavens and the new earth come together in the New Creation.

[sjanhunen]

Can the Bride be thought of as the crowning piece of the Wife much like the Head is to the Body?

[sjanhunen]

Compare the wilderness in Revelation to the wilderness journey from Sinai to the promised land.

[sjanhunen]

Key things to compare in Revelation:

• Starts out in mountain (Sinai) and heaven
• The Lamb with the 144,000
• The references to Temple of the tabernacle and ark
• Song of Moses and the Lamb (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Song_of_Moses)

These are very strong parallels with the events following the second set of tablets in Exodus leading on towards Jericho.

[sjanhunen]

The Song of Moses is definitely a key piece here. I think this ties in closely with the battle theme leading up to the promised land.

[sjanhunen]

Notice the very strong association that Levi has with the Tablets of the Covenant and the Ark of the Covenant:

[Deu 10:8 KJV] 8 At that time the LORD separated the tribe of Levi, to bear the ark of the covenant of the LORD, to stand before the LORD to minister unto him, and to bless in his name, unto this day. [Deu 31:9 KJV] 9 And Moses wrote this law, and delivered it unto the priests the sons of Levi, which bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and unto all the elders of Israel.

[sjanhunen]

God would not take into war people that were not ready to trust Him:

[Jos 5:6 KJV] 6 For the children of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness, till all the people [that were] men of war, which came out of Egypt, were consumed, because they obeyed not the voice of the LORD: unto whom the LORD sware that he would not shew them the land, which the LORD sware unto their fathers that he would give us, a land that floweth with milk and honey.

[sjanhunen]

The Hour of Judgment for the Nations appears in Revelation: [Rev 14:7 KJV] 7 Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.

[sjanhunen]

Revelation 17 shows the linkage between Babylon and the Kings of the Nations. The Nations are Judged first and then war with Babylon results in the fall of Babylon. Idolatry is at the root of what is being judged in all these cases, much like when the judgement starts with the Nation of Israel.

[sjanhunen]

Parallels between Jerico and Babylon: http://www.luke2427.com/jesus-battle-against-babylon-in-revelation/

[sjanhunen]

All the numbered, except for Joshua and Caleb, died in the wilderness:

[Num 26:64-65 NKJV] 64 But among these there was not a man of those who were numbered by Moses and Aaron the priest when they numbered the children of Israel in the Wilderness of Sinai. 65 For the LORD had said of them, "They shall surely die in the wilderness." So there was not left a man of them, except Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun.

These all died because of unbelief. The overcomers die because of their belief. They are then raised in the first resurrection to become kings and priests (Rev 20).