Kings, Priests, and Judges: Our Tribulation Destiny
Preface
To the Body of Christ, especially those weary from watching for His return, this is written for you. I pray our Heavenly Father uses it to encourage you at least as much as your writings, videos, and discussions have encouraged me in the past year. May His Spirit direct me as I attempt to share thoughts and insights, all to the glory of the name of Christ, who is coming for us soon.Who am I?
I'm a nobody. And it is astounding to me how much insight is being poured out into "nobodies" in the Body of Christ right now. But it is the fingerprint of God to demonstrate His power in our weakness, so here I am. From 15 months ago, to the time of writing this article, I have endured my life's greatest pain and sorrow... a suffering that has caused me to despair of life itself at times (a post for another time). But in this anguish, He has given me Himself... teaching me a greater reliance on Him as my refuge, my strength, my joy, and refining my faith, my character, and my identity. I've never felt closer to Him, and nothing on earth has higher value. And along the way, He has caused the Word to come alive like never before... even though I've been reading the Word daily for a long time. My suspicion is that many who are reading this article have experienced something similar recently, and perhaps this is why I have been lead to write. I believe this is related to how close we are to our great escape. So be encouraged!
What's the context?
A small portion of the Body of Christ have been given eyes to see the fulfillment of one of the greatest prophetic events of our lifetime, now known as The Revelation 12 Sign, where "the sign in the heavens" in Revelation 12:1-2, written two thousand years ago, is now fulfilled (or at least the first 1.5 verses). To those of us that can perceive it, this sign has resonated throughout the watching community like a loud shout: His return is soon, and it is no longer an abstract "some day" -- it is just around the corner. Most of us are continually surprised we are not in the throne room already :)So what is this post about?
Have you ever wondered what we will be doing in heaven during the tribulation? I have heard it taught, and have believed for many years, that during this time the Bride of Christ will be with the Bridegroom in heaven, getting married in a corporate, mysterious sense, and completing our bridal week of 7 years. I never questioned the idea until recently. Will we really have a 7 year honeymoon at the same time the war of all wars takes place on earth and heaven? During which the Bridegroom Himself is actively involved?
Sometime after 9/23, while we were all collectively scratching our heads as to why the signs in Revelation 12:1-5 did not occur simultaneously with the actual events, I started challenging all assumptions. Maybe the bridal week is not 7 years, but 7 literal days... either before the 70th week, or after. I'm still not sure, and I can see supporting evidence for all of these ideas.
What if God has a plan for us during the tribulation? Something that has been hiding in the Word, waiting to be discovered? If there's ever been a time for new discoveries in eschatology, that time is now.
So here's the theory: I believe God will be inserting us into His chain of command to carry out the recapture and restoration of the earth during the tribulation, while we are in God's heavenly temple.
Sometime after 9/23, while we were all collectively scratching our heads as to why the signs in Revelation 12:1-5 did not occur simultaneously with the actual events, I started challenging all assumptions. Maybe the bridal week is not 7 years, but 7 literal days... either before the 70th week, or after. I'm still not sure, and I can see supporting evidence for all of these ideas.
What if God has a plan for us during the tribulation? Something that has been hiding in the Word, waiting to be discovered? If there's ever been a time for new discoveries in eschatology, that time is now.
So here's the theory: I believe God will be inserting us into His chain of command to carry out the recapture and restoration of the earth during the tribulation, while we are in God's heavenly temple.
Disclaimer
In this post, I will use predominantly declarative language for brevity and style. It would be hard on the eyes to see each and every statement prepended with "I think...", "Perhaps...", "Maybe...", etc. So as you read, just know this is all my opinion, and what I think may be the case. And I can personally guarantee you I will get some things wrong. So please: take it with a grain of salt. Do your own research and study. Constructive criticism is welcome in the comments section, but be nice ;-)
Oh, yeah. Another thing: I tend to use the NIV <grimacing in defense />. There, I said it. For me, reading is hard. Yes, the NIV has its downsides and frustrations, but its the easiest for me to read. When I want to dig deep, I use blueletterbible.org and go to the Greek and Hebrew, side by side with NKJV.
Okay. Here we go...
The Iron Scepter: Revisited
The Revelation 12 Sign has brought to light many themes in scripture, not the least of which is the "iron scepter", a.k.a the "rod of iron". Let's review.
She gave birth to a son, a male child, who “will rule all the nations with an iron scepter.” And her child was snatched up to God and to his throne. (Revelation 12:5 NIV)
Ahhhh... That's refreshing to see again - "snatched up to God and to his throne". That's the event. Our blessed hope. Our being taken to the throne room. We don't yet know what ruling over the nations entails, but it should remind us of the promise given to the church of Thyatira:
To the one who is victorious and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations— 27 that one ‘will rule them with an iron scepter and will dash them to pieces like pottery’—just as I have received authority from my Father. (Revelation 2:26-27 NIV)
This gives a bit more of the Psalm 2 quote... but we really need to take a look at the original context to understand better:
7 I will proclaim the Lord’s decree:
He said to me, “You are my son;
today I have become your father.
8 Ask me,
and I will make the nations your inheritance,
the ends of the earth your possession.
9 You will break them with a rod of iron;
you will dash them to pieces like pottery.” (Psalm 2:7-9 NIV)
How?
By breaking them with a rod of iron, and dashing them to pieces like pottery (Psalm 2:9).
Through whom?
We, His Body... coheirs (Romans 8:17) who are given this authority (Revelation 2:26-27).
When?
During the church age? No. The antichrist is defeated at the end of the 70th week.
During the millennium? No. The millennium is the fulfillment of our sabbath restoration.
During the tribulation? Yes. This is our job. The tribulation is not only for bringing about the restoration of Israel, but also for taking back the earth, the nations, and all that was lost in Genesis 3 from the evil one. If you are like me, you always saw our role in this as mere spectators from the mezzanine (as Chuck Missler puts it). I submit to you that when we are raptured, we are inserted into the chain of command just underneath Christ, looking something like this:
During the millennium? No. The millennium is the fulfillment of our sabbath restoration.
During the tribulation? Yes. This is our job. The tribulation is not only for bringing about the restoration of Israel, but also for taking back the earth, the nations, and all that was lost in Genesis 3 from the evil one. If you are like me, you always saw our role in this as mere spectators from the mezzanine (as Chuck Missler puts it). I submit to you that when we are raptured, we are inserted into the chain of command just underneath Christ, looking something like this:
Father --> Son (Church Head), Holy Spirit --> Us (Church Body) --> Angels --> ...
And so we play an active part during the tribulation, directing angels by the authority given to us.
Here is the verse that sparked the entire thought trail that lead to this post (also in Mark 11):
Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done. (Matthew 21:21 NIV)
Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done. (Matthew 21:21 NIV)
Why on earth did Jesus use this as an example? Over the years, I have come to believe with increasing ferocity that everything we read in the bible exists with complete intentionality by God through the Holy Spirit. And if there is an opportunity to take a verse literally, we should do it. With that in mind, it is no coincidence that the only other place we see a reference to "mountains being thrown into the sea" is in Revelation:
The second angel sounded his trumpet, and something like a huge mountain, all ablaze, was thrown into the sea. (Revelation 8:8 NIV)
Who told the angel to do this? And under Whose authority? Could it be us? Following orders given to us by Yeshua? I know... crazy thought, right? This is the theory. But is there any more evidence? Read on, keeping this verse in mind:
Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. (John 14:12 NIV)
13 The sixth angel sounded his trumpet, and I heard a voice coming from the four horns of the golden altar that is before God. 14 It said to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, “Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.” 15 And the four angels who had been kept ready for this very hour and day and month and year were released to kill a third of mankind. (Revelation 9:13-15 NIV)
Could that be the collective, authoritative voice of the Body of Christ?
And when the seven thunders spoke, I was about to write; but I heard a voice from heaven say, “Seal up what the seven thunders have said and do not write it down.” (Revelation 10:4 NIV)
Then the voice that I had heard from heaven spoke to me once more: “Go, take the scroll that lies open in the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land.” (Revelation 10:8 NIV)
You may be thinking, "Ya, but that's the voice of God speaking." I thought the same. Maybe you are right. But if that's true, then why is it explicitly attributed to God in other places when He speaks? Like here:
He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” (Revelation 21:5 NIV)
And do these unidentified voices sound like God's?
The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, which said:
“The kingdom of the world has become
the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah,
and he will reign for ever and ever.” (Revelation 11:15 NIV)
It sounds more like us. Here's another, note the voice is coming from the temple:
Then I heard a loud voice from the temple saying to the seven angels, “Go, pour out the seven bowls of God’s wrath on the earth.” (Revelation 16:1 NIV)
And this next one is interesting, because Rev 1:15 compares Jesus' voice to rushing waters, yet this is a "great multitude".
Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting:
“Hallelujah!
For our Lord God Almighty reigns.
7 Let us rejoice and be glad
and give him glory!
For the wedding of the Lamb has come,
and his bride has made herself ready.
8 Fine linen, bright and clean,
was given her to wear.”
(Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of God’s holy people.)
(Revelation 19:6-8 NIV)
So if this theory holds, it has a hidden nature. Students of the rapture should find this familiar. The rapture is a hidden mystery revealed by Paul, and typological references that involve the rapture or bride also have a hidden component. Two quick examples: Daniel is absent from the story of his three buddies in the fiery furnace (Daniel 3), the bride is not mentioned in the Parable of the Wedding Banquet (Matthew 22). And of course, there are more.
I also find it interesting that these unidentified voices begin with the trumpet judgments. Hillary at Unsealed.org has a blog post that argues we are in the seal judgments now, awaiting the 6th seal rapture.
If you remain in me and my words [rhema] remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. (John 15:7-8 NIV)
God needs only to speak, and it is:
Remember this?
And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. (Colossians 1:18 NIV)
That lines up very cleanly with these verses:
But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. (1 Peter 4:13 NIV)
I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead. (Philippians 3:10-11)
Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.
18 I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. 19 For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. (Romans 8:17-19)
See the pattern? The Body follows the Head (thanks, Scottie Clarke). As we suffer in this world, we rejoice because our suffering reinforces our identification: we are His. We suffer because He suffered. And we will be glorified with Him when we are revealed as God's kids.
Therefore, it stands to reason that where we see typological references to the roles Christ plays as Head (King of kings, High Priest, Judge, etc.), we should look also for the roles played by His Body. This is the mysterious union, mentioned by Paul in Ephesians 5:31-32. We don't yet know how this fully works (1 John 3:2), but we should pay attention to the roles and look for hints of being Jesus' Body (e.g. "shoulders" in Isaiah 9:6 may be referring to us... credit: my earthly dad showed me that one) and or Bride/Queen (e.g. Esther). And remember, we are all His Body parts (Romans 12:5).
Israel:
There's obviously much more detail that could be written on the subject. But for now, this will be the canvas on which we paint.
“You are worthy to take the scroll,
And to open its seals;
For You were slain,
And have redeemed us to God by Your blood
Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation,
10 And have made us kings and priests to our God;
And we shall reign on the earth.” (Revelation 5:9-10 NKJV)
In the passage above, we see the 24 elders singing a new song to the Lamb, and many commentators believe the 24 elders are representatives of us. The NKJV above is utilized intentionally because many believe the NIV incorrectly translates "us" as "them". Most bibles have a footnote or two. Years ago, while consuming Chuck Missler's Revelation commentary, this was my first exposure to the idea that our destiny is to be kings and priests, purchased by Jesus' blood. But there are other passages. Here's one of my favorite:
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. (1 Peter 2:9 NIV)
And this verse was recently brought to my attention by a friend, who showed me that we are the kings:
On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written:
KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. (Revelation 19:16 NIV)
Wow!!! How did I not see that before?!? And this next one occurred to me just after the Revelation 12 sign came and went, and we all realized the sign and the event were separate (I think Abba was cheering me up):
It is the glory of God to conceal a matter;
to search out a matter is the glory of kings. (Proverbs 25:2 NIV)
That's us. We are His kings. God conceals things, we search it out. Only in the past few months have ideas like this become clear. And I just discovered this one, which further illustrates our specific, tribulation destiny:
A wise king winnows out the wicked;
he drives the threshing wheel over them. (Proverbs 20:26 NIV)
During the tribulation, Christ, our wise king, will thresh the wheat (Matthew 3:12). This will be carried out by angels (Matthew 13:41), and we are in the command chain between. What does threshing the wheat mean? We will explore it in another post.
Okay. So... when does Christ and His Body become kings? Well, it depends on what you mean. Let's examine David:
Likewise,
And so we see there is a calling, then battling, then recognition, and a final defeating of the enemy.
In Revelation, the first mention of "king" (G935 βασιλεύς) is Revelation 1:5, which describes Jesus as "ruler over the kings". "Ruler" is a different word (G758 ἄρχων). And the first mention of "king" being applied to Jesus in this book is Revelation 15:3, which is just before the bowl judgments, fitting snugly with this verse, which comes just after the 7th trumpet is blown:
16 And the twenty-four elders, who were seated on their thrones before God, fell on their faces and worshiped God, 17 saying:
“We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty,
the One who is and who was,
because you have taken your great power
and have begun to reign. (Revelation 11:16-17 NIV)
Christ is our very special High Priest, one who is our priest forever (Psalm 110:4, Hebrews 7:16). He always lives to intercede for us (Hebrews 7:25). ...and we are His royal priesthood (1 Peter 2:9, Revelation 5:10). So when we see priests referred to in the Word, we should look with our prophetic lens for hints of our future.
To some degree, we play this role now by interceding for our loved ones when we pray for them, forming an intercessory chain:
Father <-- Jesus, Holy Spirit (Romans 8:26-27) <-- Us
At one time in Israel's history, the priests were involved in conquering a city. We read about this in Joshua 6 at the battle of Jericho. God tells Joshua:
Let's discuss Rahab for a moment.
She is perhaps the most interesting part of the story. Rahab was a prostitute. Rahab, Gomer, and the woman caught in adultery in John 8:1-11, are each a picture of Israel. Israel is currently playing the adulterous wife until after the rapture, when she is caught in the act of adultery by trusting in the antichrist for peace and safety. She will then repent and call out to Yeshua for salvation (in every sense of the word)... this is the scarlet cord. Then He who is without sin will cast the first stone from Heaven, except Israel is not the target:
But now, this is what the Lord says—
he who created you, Jacob,
he who formed you, Israel:
“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
I have summoned you by name; you are mine.
2 When you pass through the waters,
I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers,
they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,
you will not be burned;
the flames will not set you ablaze.
3 For I am the Lord your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Savior;
I give Egypt for your ransom,
Cush and Seba in your stead.
4 Since you are precious and honored in my sight,
and because I love you,
I will give people in exchange for you,
nations in exchange for your life. (Isaiah 43:1-4 NIV)
Perhaps God assigned the death penalty (stoning implied) for adultery as a prophetic pointer to these verses: Isaiah 63:3, Revelation 6:13, Revelation 11:19, Revelation 16:21.
When you have time, I recommend reading Leviticus 8-10, and then Hebrews 8-10 immediately after. In Leviticus 8, the ordination of the first priests is described, ending with this explicit delay:
Do not leave the entrance to the tent of meeting for seven days, until the days of your ordination are completed, for your ordination will last seven days. (Leviticus 8:33 NIV)
When the Revelation 12 Sign came and went, many in the watching community began offering interesting rationale, related to delays:
The book of Judges
In the book of Judges, the role of a judge was a military leader chosen by God for the purpose of delivering Israel. The book of Judges can be summarized by this cycle, repeated over and over for different tribes:
It happens during the tribulation. Anytime you see the phrase "in that day", think of the tribulation as the final fulfillment. The entire chapter of Isaiah 24 goes over the crazy things that will happen to the earth and its inhabitants, and many of them should sound similar to the judgments in Revelation. A whole study could be dedicated to it. But the point is this: the angels are punished during the tribulation. I can't help but think of Revelation 12...
But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. 9 The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him. (Revelation 12:8-9 NIV)
...because they are all on earth at this time.
Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. (John 14:12 NIV)
Revelation: The Unidentified Voices
Of course, after this occurred to me, I went back through Revelation to see how well this idea fits. When I did, I noticed many times where John heard a voice, or voices, but the one voicing is never identified. I pondered... could this be us? Remember from Revelation 12:5 that we are caught up to the throne room, the Most Holy Place in the heavenly temple. So let's examine a few spots.13 The sixth angel sounded his trumpet, and I heard a voice coming from the four horns of the golden altar that is before God. 14 It said to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, “Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.” 15 And the four angels who had been kept ready for this very hour and day and month and year were released to kill a third of mankind. (Revelation 9:13-15 NIV)
Could that be the collective, authoritative voice of the Body of Christ?
And when the seven thunders spoke, I was about to write; but I heard a voice from heaven say, “Seal up what the seven thunders have said and do not write it down.” (Revelation 10:4 NIV)
Then the voice that I had heard from heaven spoke to me once more: “Go, take the scroll that lies open in the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land.” (Revelation 10:8 NIV)
You may be thinking, "Ya, but that's the voice of God speaking." I thought the same. Maybe you are right. But if that's true, then why is it explicitly attributed to God in other places when He speaks? Like here:
He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” (Revelation 21:5 NIV)
And do these unidentified voices sound like God's?
The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, which said:
“The kingdom of the world has become
the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah,
and he will reign for ever and ever.” (Revelation 11:15 NIV)
It sounds more like us. Here's another, note the voice is coming from the temple:
Then I heard a loud voice from the temple saying to the seven angels, “Go, pour out the seven bowls of God’s wrath on the earth.” (Revelation 16:1 NIV)
And this next one is interesting, because Rev 1:15 compares Jesus' voice to rushing waters, yet this is a "great multitude".
Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting:
“Hallelujah!
For our Lord God Almighty reigns.
7 Let us rejoice and be glad
and give him glory!
For the wedding of the Lamb has come,
and his bride has made herself ready.
8 Fine linen, bright and clean,
was given her to wear.”
(Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of God’s holy people.)
(Revelation 19:6-8 NIV)
So if this theory holds, it has a hidden nature. Students of the rapture should find this familiar. The rapture is a hidden mystery revealed by Paul, and typological references that involve the rapture or bride also have a hidden component. Two quick examples: Daniel is absent from the story of his three buddies in the fiery furnace (Daniel 3), the bride is not mentioned in the Parable of the Wedding Banquet (Matthew 22). And of course, there are more.
I also find it interesting that these unidentified voices begin with the trumpet judgments. Hillary at Unsealed.org has a blog post that argues we are in the seal judgments now, awaiting the 6th seal rapture.
Logos vs. Rhema
God has been teaching me through a good friend about the difference between the written word, "logos" (G3056 λόγος), and the spoken word, "rhema" (G4487 ῥῆμα, Wikipedia, a good explanation). It's a shame that there is no distinction in english. If you are like me, when you see "word" in the bible, your mind's knee jerk response is to think "the written word". Distinguishing between these two is critical:
For the word [logos] of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12 NIV)
In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word [rhema] of God. (Ephesians 6:16-17 NIV)
See the difference? From this, we can see that the written Word is the sword, and swinging the sword is the spoken Word. This is the offensive weapon against the enemy. Rhema can also be used to describe when God speaks to our hearts through His Spirit. This can happen when we are reading the Word, see a particular verse or passage, and that still, small Voice tells us "Pay attention. I'm telling this to YOU right now." Similarly, other believers may speak the Word over you by His Spirit. Rhema. But the supernatural power of the spoken word is not a magic spell. It comes through an abiding relationship with the Power Giver, and being aligned with His will. Jesus demonstrated this to perfection with His life. His abiding with the Father was the source of His power to work miracles, so that when He spoke, He was speaking the will of God into existence, for His glory. This is our destiny.
In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word [rhema] of God. (Ephesians 6:16-17 NIV)
See the difference? From this, we can see that the written Word is the sword, and swinging the sword is the spoken Word. This is the offensive weapon against the enemy. Rhema can also be used to describe when God speaks to our hearts through His Spirit. This can happen when we are reading the Word, see a particular verse or passage, and that still, small Voice tells us "Pay attention. I'm telling this to YOU right now." Similarly, other believers may speak the Word over you by His Spirit. Rhema. But the supernatural power of the spoken word is not a magic spell. It comes through an abiding relationship with the Power Giver, and being aligned with His will. Jesus demonstrated this to perfection with His life. His abiding with the Father was the source of His power to work miracles, so that when He spoke, He was speaking the will of God into existence, for His glory. This is our destiny.
If you remain in me and my words [rhema] remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. (John 15:7-8 NIV)
God needs only to speak, and it is:
And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. (Genesis 1:3 NIV)
And so it is no surprise that the taking back the promised land (the restored earth) is implemented by the spoken word:
Coming out of his mouth is a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. “He will rule them with an iron scepter.” He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. (Revelation 19:15 NIV)
And so it is no surprise that the taking back the promised land (the restored earth) is implemented by the spoken word:
Coming out of his mouth is a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. “He will rule them with an iron scepter.” He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. (Revelation 19:15 NIV)
Remember this?
Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done. (Matthew 21:21 NIV)
And this?
They triumphed over him
by the blood of the Lamb
and by the word [logos] of their testimony (Revelation 12:11 NIV)
Interesting. The tribulation saints in the above verse will triumph over the beast with their written word testimony about Jesus (Revelation 12:17). Is this a hint at post-rapture blogs on the internet?
And this?
They triumphed over him
by the blood of the Lamb
and by the word [logos] of their testimony (Revelation 12:11 NIV)
Interesting. The tribulation saints in the above verse will triumph over the beast with their written word testimony about Jesus (Revelation 12:17). Is this a hint at post-rapture blogs on the internet?
Conclusion
During the tribulation, in our union with Christ, our spoken word will be part of God's command chain as offensive weaponry... even directing angels.
Kings, Priests, and Judges
With all the above thoughts, let's examine each of these roles individually. Praise God for giving us clues in His Word!Assumption 1: The Head and the Body
Before we begin, there is an important assumption to deal with:And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. (Colossians 1:18 NIV)
That lines up very cleanly with these verses:
But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. (1 Peter 4:13 NIV)
I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead. (Philippians 3:10-11)
Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.
18 I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. 19 For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. (Romans 8:17-19)
See the pattern? The Body follows the Head (thanks, Scottie Clarke). As we suffer in this world, we rejoice because our suffering reinforces our identification: we are His. We suffer because He suffered. And we will be glorified with Him when we are revealed as God's kids.
Therefore, it stands to reason that where we see typological references to the roles Christ plays as Head (King of kings, High Priest, Judge, etc.), we should look also for the roles played by His Body. This is the mysterious union, mentioned by Paul in Ephesians 5:31-32. We don't yet know how this fully works (1 John 3:2), but we should pay attention to the roles and look for hints of being Jesus' Body (e.g. "shoulders" in Isaiah 9:6 may be referring to us... credit: my earthly dad showed me that one) and or Bride/Queen (e.g. Esther). And remember, we are all His Body parts (Romans 12:5).
Assumption 2: Old Testament Typology
Much of Israel's history prototypes the church. Would you agree?Israel:
- Born as slaves to Egypt
- Saved by Moses, with Aaron as the speaker
- Miraculously sustained in the desert
- Given the Law
- Married to Yahweh
- Conquered the promised land under David
- Coronated David
- Born as slaves to sin in this world
- Saved by Jesus, with the Holy Spirit as the Speaker
- Miraculously sustained in a world of spiritual drought
- Given the Spirit
- Betrothed to Yeshua
- Will conquer earth under the authority of Christ
- Will be coronated with Christ
There's obviously much more detail that could be written on the subject. But for now, this will be the canvas on which we paint.
Kings
And they sang a new song, saying:“You are worthy to take the scroll,
And to open its seals;
For You were slain,
And have redeemed us to God by Your blood
Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation,
10 And have made us kings and priests to our God;
And we shall reign on the earth.” (Revelation 5:9-10 NKJV)
In the passage above, we see the 24 elders singing a new song to the Lamb, and many commentators believe the 24 elders are representatives of us. The NKJV above is utilized intentionally because many believe the NIV incorrectly translates "us" as "them". Most bibles have a footnote or two. Years ago, while consuming Chuck Missler's Revelation commentary, this was my first exposure to the idea that our destiny is to be kings and priests, purchased by Jesus' blood. But there are other passages. Here's one of my favorite:
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. (1 Peter 2:9 NIV)
And this verse was recently brought to my attention by a friend, who showed me that we are the kings:
On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written:
KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. (Revelation 19:16 NIV)
Wow!!! How did I not see that before?!? And this next one occurred to me just after the Revelation 12 sign came and went, and we all realized the sign and the event were separate (I think Abba was cheering me up):
It is the glory of God to conceal a matter;
to search out a matter is the glory of kings. (Proverbs 25:2 NIV)
That's us. We are His kings. God conceals things, we search it out. Only in the past few months have ideas like this become clear. And I just discovered this one, which further illustrates our specific, tribulation destiny:
A wise king winnows out the wicked;
he drives the threshing wheel over them. (Proverbs 20:26 NIV)
During the tribulation, Christ, our wise king, will thresh the wheat (Matthew 3:12). This will be carried out by angels (Matthew 13:41), and we are in the command chain between. What does threshing the wheat mean? We will explore it in another post.
Okay. So... when does Christ and His Body become kings? Well, it depends on what you mean. Let's examine David:
- David anointed as future king when he was a young boy (1 Samuel 16:13)
- David fights many battles
- David proclaimed king by Judah (2 Samuel 2:4), then by Israel (2 Samuel 5:3)
- David defeats Philistines, takes Jerusalem (2 Samuel 5:7)
Likewise,
- Christ was announced as future King at His birth (Luke 1:32-33)
- Christ fights many battles (including the tribulation)
- Christ proclaimed King by heaven (Revelation 11:17), then by all (Philippians 2:10)
- Christ defeats antichrist, takes the earth (Revelation 19:21)
And so we see there is a calling, then battling, then recognition, and a final defeating of the enemy.
In Revelation, the first mention of "king" (G935 βασιλεύς) is Revelation 1:5, which describes Jesus as "ruler over the kings". "Ruler" is a different word (G758 ἄρχων). And the first mention of "king" being applied to Jesus in this book is Revelation 15:3, which is just before the bowl judgments, fitting snugly with this verse, which comes just after the 7th trumpet is blown:
16 And the twenty-four elders, who were seated on their thrones before God, fell on their faces and worshiped God, 17 saying:
“We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty,
the One who is and who was,
because you have taken your great power
and have begun to reign. (Revelation 11:16-17 NIV)
Priests
The tabernacle and implements on earth is a copy and a shadow of the heavenly one where God sits on His throne (Hebrews 8:5). As we move from the outside in, we see a picture of salvation. Every part of the tabernacle is Jesus.Christ is our very special High Priest, one who is our priest forever (Psalm 110:4, Hebrews 7:16). He always lives to intercede for us (Hebrews 7:25). ...and we are His royal priesthood (1 Peter 2:9, Revelation 5:10). So when we see priests referred to in the Word, we should look with our prophetic lens for hints of our future.
To some degree, we play this role now by interceding for our loved ones when we pray for them, forming an intercessory chain:
Father <-- Jesus, Holy Spirit (Romans 8:26-27) <-- Us
At one time in Israel's history, the priests were involved in conquering a city. We read about this in Joshua 6 at the battle of Jericho. God tells Joshua:
- Every day for 7 days:
- Order the armed men to march around the city
- Order 7 priests carry/blow shofars in front of the ark of the covenant
- On day 7:
- Do the same thing, but 7 times
- At the long trumpet blast, everyone shout (think: rhema)
So Joshua leads Israel to do as Yahweh commanded, the city falls down just after their collective shout (think: rhema), but...
Only Rahab the prostitute and all who are with her in her house shall be spared, because she hid the spies we sent. (Joshua 6:17 NIV)
So how do the armed men know which house is hers?
Now the men had said to her, “This oath you made us swear will not be binding on us 18 unless, when we enter the land, you have tied this scarlet cord in the window through which you let us down, and unless you have brought your father and mother, your brothers and all your family into your house. (Joshua 2:17-18 NIV)
This is a picture of the tribulation, and the taking of the earth. Here's the typology:
- Joshua is a type of Christ (Joshua is a variant of Yeshua)
- Christ tells His priests (us) to have the trumpets blown
- The armed men are the angel armies
- The 7th day is the day of shouting (Yom Teruah in hebrew)
It is no accident that the 7 priests were the ones blowing the 7 trumpets... right in front of the ark, which would normally be in the Most Holy Place in the tabernacle. Compare with what John wrote at the completion of the 7th trumpet:
Then God’s temple in heaven was opened, and within his temple was seen the ark of his covenant. And there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake and a severe hailstorm. (Revelation 11:19 NIV)
This also reminds us of the unidentified voices from the temple that command the 7 angels to blow 7 trumpets (the latter ones, at least), and pour out 7 bowls. And remember (again!): we are raptured to the Most Holy Place in Revelation 12:5... <loud whisper>where the ark is kept...</loud whisper>.
Then God’s temple in heaven was opened, and within his temple was seen the ark of his covenant. And there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake and a severe hailstorm. (Revelation 11:19 NIV)
This also reminds us of the unidentified voices from the temple that command the 7 angels to blow 7 trumpets (the latter ones, at least), and pour out 7 bowls. And remember (again!): we are raptured to the Most Holy Place in Revelation 12:5... <loud whisper>where the ark is kept...</loud whisper>.
She is perhaps the most interesting part of the story. Rahab was a prostitute. Rahab, Gomer, and the woman caught in adultery in John 8:1-11, are each a picture of Israel. Israel is currently playing the adulterous wife until after the rapture, when she is caught in the act of adultery by trusting in the antichrist for peace and safety. She will then repent and call out to Yeshua for salvation (in every sense of the word)... this is the scarlet cord. Then He who is without sin will cast the first stone from Heaven, except Israel is not the target:
But now, this is what the Lord says—
he who created you, Jacob,
he who formed you, Israel:
“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
I have summoned you by name; you are mine.
2 When you pass through the waters,
I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers,
they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,
you will not be burned;
the flames will not set you ablaze.
3 For I am the Lord your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Savior;
I give Egypt for your ransom,
Cush and Seba in your stead.
4 Since you are precious and honored in my sight,
and because I love you,
I will give people in exchange for you,
nations in exchange for your life. (Isaiah 43:1-4 NIV)
When you have time, I recommend reading Leviticus 8-10, and then Hebrews 8-10 immediately after. In Leviticus 8, the ordination of the first priests is described, ending with this explicit delay:
Do not leave the entrance to the tent of meeting for seven days, until the days of your ordination are completed, for your ordination will last seven days. (Leviticus 8:33 NIV)
When the Revelation 12 Sign came and went, many in the watching community began offering interesting rationale, related to delays:
- Noah and his family waited in the ark for 7 days before the flood (Genesis 7:10)
- A newborn boy (us!) must be circumcised after 7 days (Leviticus 12:3)
- The final trumpet blows after 7 days of the Feast of Tabernacles (Leviticus 23:36)
Judges
Jesus is our Righteous Judge (2 Timothy 4:8). Much can be said about judges and judging in the Word, but lets focus on two flavors relevant to this discussion. Those from the book of Judges, and a few in the New Testament.The book of Judges
In the book of Judges, the role of a judge was a military leader chosen by God for the purpose of delivering Israel. The book of Judges can be summarized by this cycle, repeated over and over for different tribes:
- Disobedience
- Punishment
- Crying out to God
- Repentance
- Deliverance
The point here is that God raised them up, and they did more than sit behind a desk with a robe and a gavel. They went to war with the surrounding nations for the salvation of Israel.
Will we somehow play a similar role from heaven during the tribulation? If you can buy into the previous "command chain" idea, I would argue we do. This may just be a way of restating what we already discussed. It's all about retaking the promised land, the earth, and it involves a very real war... one we are guaranteed to win.
The New Testament
Many of the usages of the word "judge" (G2919 κρίνω) are self explanatory, and can be categorized as:
- Discerning and implementing punishment for the wicked
- Discerning and implementing reward for the righteous
- Discernment in general
How did Christ judge when He walked the earth?
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn [judge] the world, but to save the world through him. (John 3:16-17 NIV)
And after He ascended?
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad. (2 Corinthians 5:10 NIV)
I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and wages war. (Revelation 19:11 NIV)
So when Christ came the first time, it was not to judge, but save. His judgment will occur at His return, for both rewarding the righteous and punishing the wicked. In the above two references, He acts alone. That His rewarding is performed alone is self explanatory. But we need to dig deeper to understand His solitary final judgment of the wicked (and also understand why his robe is bloody in Revelation 19:13):
Why are your garments red,
like those of one treading the winepress?
3 “I have trodden the winepress alone;
from the nations no one was with me.
I trampled them in my anger
and trod them down in my wrath;
their blood spattered my garments,
and I stained all my clothing.
4 It was for me the day of vengeance;
the year for me to redeem had come.
5 I looked, but there was no one to help,
I was appalled that no one gave support;
so my own arm achieved salvation for me,
and my own wrath sustained me.
6 I trampled the nations in my anger;
in my wrath I made them drunk
and poured their blood on the ground.” (Isaiah 63:2-6 NIV)
Okay. So what does any of this have to do with us? Do we play an active part in judging?
If any of you has a dispute with another, do you dare to take it before the ungodly for judgment instead of before the Lord’s people? 2 Or do you not know that the Lord’s people will judge the world? And if you are to judge the world, are you not competent to judge trivial cases? 3 Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more the things of this life! (1 Corinthians 6:2-3 NIV)
Whoa. When will this happen?
21 In that day the Lord will punish
the powers in the heavens above
and the kings on the earth below.
and the kings on the earth below.
22 They will be herded together
like prisoners bound in a dungeon;
they will be shut up in prison
and be punished after many days. (Isaiah 24:12-22 NIV)
It happens during the tribulation. Anytime you see the phrase "in that day", think of the tribulation as the final fulfillment. The entire chapter of Isaiah 24 goes over the crazy things that will happen to the earth and its inhabitants, and many of them should sound similar to the judgments in Revelation. A whole study could be dedicated to it. But the point is this: the angels are punished during the tribulation. I can't help but think of Revelation 12...
But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. 9 The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him. (Revelation 12:8-9 NIV)
...because they are all on earth at this time.
Conclusion
It's an educated guess, but I believe we are destined to play the role of kings, priests, and judges during the tribulation, carrying out the commands of our King of kings, High Priest, and Righteous Judge, all by the spoken Word. And when we speak in our glorified state, united with Christ, we will be perfectly inside the will of God -- and what we say will happen supernaturally. Just like our perfect example in Jesus, our Headship.
As previously stated, I believe I will be wrong in some areas. No one gets it all right. But we each learn from each other (Proverbs 27:17). Or perhaps this post will spark a thought in your mind that leads to the next discovery. I would love to know your thoughts and ideas. Use the comment section below.
See you in the throne room.
See you in the throne room.
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