2006-9-22 05:15:00
And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. Revelation 20:1
After humanity is enlightened enough to discern true authority from false authority to the extent that false authority can no longer take the place of the inner spirit of God that is within us "an angel came down from heaven."
Again, the angel is a messenger, but a very special and powerful one who brings with him higher consciousness (heaven) and represents the Ancient of Days to fulfill the following prophesy of Daniel:
I beheld, and the same horn (Beast) made war with the saints, and prevailed against them; Until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom. Daniel 7:21-22
The Ancient of Days is unlikely to come in person in the coming age but most likely will overshadow a disciple. This will cause this person to work with great power upon the earth. Just as Christ works with love and wisdom, as has no other, even so will this messenger wield great power for the good of humanity.
"...having the key of the bottomless pit."
As explained earlier the bottomless pit refers to the emotional/astral world. The reason the Beast had such great power to deceive is because emotion rather than reason govern so many. This messenger has the "key" to this bottomless pit. In other words, part of his great power is mastery of the emotional world. He is not only master of the emotions within himself (as all advanced disciples are) but he can direct the emotional attention of humanity toward that which is real rather than that which deceives.
To this day no one has ever been able to do this, but this scripture tells us that such a day will come.
And he had "a great chain in his hand."
This emphasizes the power that this future messenger will hold. He will need all possible power to fulfill the next verse:
And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, Revelation 20:2
The spreading on the earth of the consciousness of Christ neutralized the Beast and his agents (the false prophets), but they will soon return if their source of power is not also bound. This powerful messenger realizes that he must go after the source and slay the dragon "that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan."
The dragon represents the lower ego, which receives power through the lower emotions. Unless the out-of-control egos of humanity are somehow checked this new deadly wound will again be healed and false authority will govern the world just as it did before. To prevent this he will take action:
And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: Revelation 20:3
To control the ego one must control the emotions. The ego originated in the bottomless pit of the emotional world. To prevent the ego from deceiving the world the messenger teaches the people to recognize the source of the ego and directs the attention of the world toward high ideals to which the emotions can respond rather than the deceptive ego.
The realization of humanity that the emotions can all be directed toward brotherhood and unity sends the adversary of the love of Christ to the bottomless pit. When humanity then sees the difference between the world as it was ruled by the Dragon compared to universal brotherhood something wonderful happens. The dragon is shut up and sealed by the power of an awakened humanity.
This period of peace and higher awareness lasts for 1000 years. The time period may not be exact by any means. The number is to signify a long period of time.
"and after that he must be loosed a little season."
Notice it does not say the dragon or serpent was destroyed but was imprisoned. After the cycle of brotherhood is complete then the desire for the ego will again be reborn and many will be captivated by a god without again.
Here are the next verses:
4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.
Revelation 20:4-6
Never trust the advice of a man in difficulties.
Aesop (620 BC - 560 BC)
Copyright © 2006 by J J Dewey, All Rights Reserved