2000-7-18 12:00:00
Chapter Twenty Three - The Fire of God
Now we have a picture of the confrontation of Gog and Zion, and the type of entities peopling each side let us see what is the result:
"And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire (he sees by the spirit), and on his head were many crowns (he overcame all things); and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself (The nature of his mission). And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called the Word of God. And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean (they are undefiled).
And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword (truth), that with it he should smite the nations (consummate the order of the New Age): and he shall rule (guide) them with a rod of iron (the word of truth and wisdom) and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. (Crucified the flesh to free the Spirit) And he had on his vesture (a resurrected body the symbol of the triumph over death) and on his thigh (a symbol of his seed, or those who follow the path of Christ) a name written, KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS (One who overcomes all things).
And I saw an angel (messenger) standing in the sun (has great enlightenment); and he cried with a loud voice to all the fowls (Israelites) that fly in the midst of heaven (they freely explore spiritual mysteries), Come and gather yourselves together (gather and build the cities of Light) unto the supper of the great God (feast on the joy in the kingdom of God); That ye may eat the flesh (destroy the corruption and outworn ideas) of kings (authoritarian rule), and the flesh of captains (turn swords into plowshares and create peace on earth goodwill to men), and the flesh of mighty men (the rich and powerful will be replaced by the wise and enlightened as those who are most respected), and the flesh of horses (instruments of war will be done away with), and of them that sit on them (those who operate them will not be needed), and the flesh (outworn ideas) of all men, both free (those on the path of enlightenment) and bond (those who are imprisoned with selfish desires), both small and great.
"And I saw the beast (Gog - authoritarian rule), and the kings of the earth, and their armies (non thinking masses), gather together to make war against him that sat on the horse, (those who rise above the animal nature) and against his army. And the beast was taken (subdued), and with him the false prophet (those teaching worn out ideas) that wrought miracles before him (impressed the people with their authority), with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast (blindly following authority or teachings), and them that worship his image (those who try and find God in the churches of the world).
These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone." Revelation 19:11-20
This last sentence has an interpretation much different than is supposed. Most believe that the lake of fire and brimstone is "hell" which the wicked will enter after death, but notice that the beast and false prophet were not dead when they enter the lake, but "alive." If they are alive then the lake of fire must be here among the living.
The word "fire" is from the Greek PUR which can be translated as "fire, fiery, or lightening". The word indicates a display of light and is a symbol of enlightenment.
"Burn" is from KAIO which means "to set on fire", or "to consume
'"Brimstone" is an interesting word. It comes from THEION which is the neuter of THEIOS which in turn comes from THEOS. THEIOS is interpreted as "Godlike" or "divine", and THEOS is "God
John is telling us that the beast, and the false prophet are to be cast into a situation where they encounter "fire" (Israelites) burning with "brimstone" (the God within).
In this situation the beast and the false prophet will eventually be destroyed and Israelites will appear in their place - all the sons of men will eventually become the Sons of God.. Remember that Jesus said: "Even so it is not the will of Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish." Matthew 18:14
Paul also said that God "will have ALL MEN to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth."
I Timothy 2:4
Those who worship the image of the beast do not seem to believe that God has power to fulfill his will and accomplish this great task. They do not realize that even Gog and Magog will come to a knowledge of the truth according to the will of God.
John continues: "And the remnant were slain with the sword (true concepts) of him that sat upon the horse (Christ Consciousness permeating humanity), which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled (Greek: Satisfied") with their flesh.
And I saw an angel (The actual presence of the Christ from Nazareth) come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit (the world of spirits, or the astral realm) and a great chain in his hand (knowledge and power to prevent the warmongers from incarnating for a thousand years).
And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent which is the Devil, and Satan, (the adversaries of truth), and bound him a thousand years, And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and put a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled (adversaries of the truth will be sealed in the spirit world, unable to incarnate for a thousand years): and after that he must be loosed a little season (because of population growth and karma the adversaries again incarnate).
And I saw thrones (governments), and they that sat upon them (presidents, kings, ministers), and judgment was given unto them (Israelites): 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 (present tense in Greek: 'do not worship') the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark (blind belief) upon their foreheads (in their minds), or in their hands (actions); and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years (these are Israelites who attain the Christ consciousness) But the rest of the dead (adversaries to the New Age) lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This (the thousand year period) is the first resurrection." Revelation 19:21; 20:1-5
Much enlightenment can be gained from the above passages from Revelations if they are contemplated. One most interesting point is that we have a correspondence to a previous scripture explained: "Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered together." Luke 17:37 & Matthew 24:28 As mentioned previously, one correspondence to the body is Christ, but John here used the antithesis which also makes a good correlation. Instead of the living body of Christ, John uses the dead body of Gog which the Israelites will consume.
We are told that the righteous (right orientated) will live with Christ a thousand years. This represents the coming cycle of peace, but this is only a period within a greater cycle we are entering. Within this greater and better cycle we are now entering, the Lesser Golden Age, is to be followed in about two thousand years hence by a Greater Golden Age. After the Greater Golden Age there will be another period of great tension, and then will be fulfilled the words of John: "And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first (former) heaven and the first (former) earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. (The emotional nature no longer was in control)." Revelation 21:1 Then he quotes the Lord as saying: "Behold, I make all things new." Revelation 21:5
The new heaven and new earth has a number of correspondences. On the physical plane we will have new lands emerging which are now under the sea and future shifts in the earths axis and the movement of the sun through the galaxy will cause a new heaven.
The heavens is also a symbol of the mind and a new heaven can represent a new way of thinking. The earth is a symbol of physical things and a new earth is a symbol of the new life forms which will dwell on the earth in a future age. In this far future age new Adams will be sent and a new race of men will be created. After this race has run its course there will be one final greater age wherein the sons of men will be perfected and "the last weary pilgrim will find his way home".
God makes all things new (or renews them) again and again in each cycle, age and greater age.
The interpretations given in parenthesis to the nineteenth chapter of Revelations are not the only possible ones, but the most pertinent. The coming of Christ on the horse was written so it could either represent the Master Christ or the BRANCH through whom the Master will work. If mankind does nor "repent" and lay down its armaments then the fowls eating the flesh of the armies of the earth could have literal fulfillment. Even if it does it will not negate the interpretations given, for mental and astral correspondences always precede the physical and the physical correspondence to an inspired prophecy does not always materialize. I repeat this because it is an important point to bear in mind. The battle between Gog and Zion may be a mere war of ideas, or it may materialize to a physical battle, depending on the freewill of man.
Copyright 2000 by J.J. Dewey, All Rights Reserved