Luke 21:8

Christian, Be Not Deceived!

CHAPTER XV.

THE PRINCIPLE OF THE WORLD-WIDE SYMBOLIZED BY THE LOCAL—DEMONSTRATED IN THE REVELATION.

The visions of the prophets, though couched in a local setting, broaden out in their New Testament application to portray worldwide events. They have a two-fold application: a local during the days of National Israel, and a world-wide during the dispensation of the Church—Spiritual Israel.

To show that this principle is employed throughout the Book of Revelation, attention is directed to the following verses:

Rev. 1:6: "Hath made us kings and priests unto God." "Melchizedek, king of Salem ... was the priest of the most high God." Gen. 14:18. Thus this ancient king-priest of Salem was a type of Christ the world-wide King-Priest (see Ps. 110:1, 4; Heb. 7:1-24; 8:1, etc.). Believers share with the Lord the privileges of ministry and service and are also designated as king-priests. See also Rev. 5:10; 20:4-6; 1 Pet. 2:9. Here, in the commencement of Revelation, we see the principle of that which was local and literal being employed in a spiritual, world-wide sense in connection with the Saviour and His church. As the Revelation in its opening verses adopts this principle it should be expected that it would be maintained—as one of the unalterable laws of God—throughout the book. Wherein expositors do not abide by this principle in their study of this book they err in their interpretations—as Futurists do by applying again in a local, literal sense, as in the days of national Israel, the things of Israel mentioned in the Revelation, In this category is the erroneous belief of a literal conflict of nations to be fought in Megiddo (Rev. 16:16), taken from the reference (Judges 4 and 5) to the ancient conflict of Israel with the kings of Canaan "by the waters of Megiddo." Judg. 5:19. The following examples will also show the principle of the true interpretation of the Scriptures, namely, that the literal, local things of the Old Testament are brought into the imagery employed by the Revelator in depicting world-wide things in connection with our Lord and His church—and their enemies.

Rev. 1:7: "All kindreds of the earth shall wail because of Him." In this verse John takes us back to Zech. 12:11-14, to which the translators have turned our attention by placing it in the margin. In Zech. 12:11-14 we read: "In that day there shall be a great mourning in Jerusalem, as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon. And the land (i.e., Palestine) shall mourn, every family apart, the family of the house of David . . . the family of Nathan . . . the family of the house of Levi ... the family of Shimei ... all the families that remain, every family." The Hebrew for "family"—mishpachah—according to Dr. Strong, means "kindred, tribe." Zech. 12:11-14, speaking of the mourning in Jerusalem as "the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon," says: "The land shall mourn, every family . . . all the families"—or kindreds, or tribes. When quoting this passage of Zechariah in predicting the world-wide scenes associated with His second coming, Jesus said: "Then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn." Matt. 24:30. John's application of the same verses in Zechariah is: "All kindreds [or "tribes," as in Matt. 24:30] of the earth shall wail because of Him." It is to these same "tribes"—"every kindred"—that the message of Rev. 14:6 is being heralded. These are not Palestinian "families," "tribes," or "kindreds"—the Message is world-wide. Zech. 12:10 points to a Palestinian event—the crucifixion of Christ (compare Zech. 12:10 with John 19:37). It was the custom of the prophets to look at some Palestinian fulfilment and, at the same time, to look beyond to the great world-wide scenes of Armageddon. Some readers of the prophecies fail to take into account the ancient, local setting and, consequently, misapply the Palestinian aspect in a literal sense when considering the final scenes associated with Armageddon. John shows how the factors which at one time had a local significance are now to be applied in a world-wide sense—and that is how he brings into his pictures of the world-wide Armageddon all the Old Testament persons, events, and places, including Megiddo.

Rev. 1:7 quotes from Zech. 12:11-14, and gives it a world-wide application at the coming of Christ. Zech. 12:10-14 prophesied the mourning to take place in "the land" of Palestine when Christ was crucified—the despairing grief of the disciples when Jesus, their only hope, was dead. Matt. 24:30; Rev. 1:7, apply that dark and terrible grief as belonging to the wicked in all the world at the last day. Their grief will be in the realisation that, by a life of sin, they have crucified "the son of God afresh, and put Him to an open shame" (Heb. 6:6)—that they have been at "war" with their Saviour, Who then will be their Judge and destroyer. The mourning of the wicked in that day is declared by Zech. 12:10 to be "as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon." Hadadrimmon was "a place in Palestine" Dr. Strong. This place was "in the valley of Megiddon." It is self- evident that "the valley of Megiddon" has the same world-wide application as have the other factors quoted from the same passage by Jesus in Matt. 24:30, and by John in Rev. 1:7, in their description of the world-wide events to transpire at the time of the second advent. "Necho, king of Egypt, came up to fight against Charchemish by Euphrates; and Josiah went out against him," despite the "words of Necho from the mouth of God, and came to fight in the valley of Megiddon." As an ally of Babylon, Josiah fought and was slain at Megiddo—against the express desire of God. The mourning and lamentation for Josiah at Megiddo mentioned in 2 Chron. 35:24, 25, form the basis of Zech. 12:10-14, which, in turn, is that upon which Jesus in Matt. 24:30, and John in Rev. 1:7, base their statements regarding the mourning of all the wicked in all the world—the antitypical Megiddo ("Armageddon")—at the end of the world. In Rev. 16:12-16 the Euphrates and Megiddo are also associated together as they are in 2 Chron. 35:20-22; 2 Kings 23:29, 30. Their mention in Revelation in connection with the mourning of all kindreds and tribes at the second advent is, of course, in a world-wide sense—nothing less can possibly measure up to the principle of interpretation—that local things of the Old Testament are employed in a worldwide sense—clearly demonstrated throughout the Revelation.

Rev. 1:20: In this verse the seven candlesticks of the old sanctuary are used to represent the seven periods of the world-wide church in the gospel dispensation. The seven cities "in Asia" (Rev. 1:11) in which were located the seven symbolic churches represent world-wide activity during seven periods of this era.

Rev. 2:14: A description of apostasy in the Christian church is based upon the experience of Balaam.

Rev. 2:20: The Papal apostasy, bringing the customs and practices of ancient sun-worshippers into the world-wide Christian church, finds its local analogy in Jezebel's introduction into Israel in the land of Palestine of the same sun-worshipping customs and practices.

Rev. 3:4, 5: "White raiment" is promised the faithful from all the world. The priests of the literal sanctuary services wore "fine linen" called the "holy garments" (Lev. 6:10; 16:4, 32; Ezek. 44:17, 18).

Rev. 6:1-8: The four horses of the Apocalypse symbolize the work of the professed church of Christ in spreading the gospel story to the world. In these symbols we can read the struggle the true church had, and still has, with spiritual Babylon. The basis of this vision is found in Zech. 1:8-12; 6:1-8, where Zechariah had a vision of coloured horses. Israel had been taken into Babylon, and had not been delivered from the bondage or hindrances of the latter. God encouraged His people to look to Him to lead them on to final and complete victory from Babylon. Those things which pertained to literal Israel and literal Babylon are employed in the Revelation in connection with the world-wide struggle between spiritual Israel and spiritual Babylon.

Rev. 6:14: "The heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll; and all their host shall fall down . . . as a falling fig from the fig tree." Isa. 34:4. This prophecy in its local setting was part of the prediction of Isa. 34 regarding the destruction of the Idumeans, but, in its secondary application, the falling of the stars represents a sign to the world of the coming doom, followed by the opening heavens revealing the descending Son of God coming to destroy all the wicked of the entire globe—the world-wide Idumeans, the enemies of spiritual Israel.

Rev. 6:15: Depicting the terror of the wicked at the second advent, the Revelator quotes from Isa. 2:10-22. After the glorious promise, given in Isa. 2:1-5, of what God would do for them if they would "be willing and obedient" (ch. 1:19), the prophet proceeds to describe the wrath of God which would fall on impenitent Judah. The prophecy of the threatened judgments of the Lord, given through Isaiah to the rebellious house of Judah, is taken by John to describe "the judgments that are to fall upon an impenitent world at the time of the second advent of Christ." See P.K. 389.

Rev. 6:16: The threat of divine judgment upon the northern kingdom included the statement "And they shall say to the mountains, Cover us; and to the hills, Fall on us." Hosea 10:8. The Revelator takes these words of threatened judgment upon wicked Samaria, and refers them to the wicked of all the world at the second advent.

Rev. 6:17: The great day of wrath to come upon the wicked Babylonians, as pictured in Isa. 13:1-22, depicts the great day of wrath upon all the wicked at the coming of Christ. The severe judgment against Judah in Zeph. 1:14, etc., portray the wrath of God upon the entire world at the Saviour's return. See margin, Rev. 6:17.

Rev. 7:1-4: The sealing of the tribes of Israel refers back to the times of literal Israel. After their acceptance of the call to come out of Babylon (see Isa. 48:20; Jer. 50:8; 51:6) the God-fearing among literal Israel determined to "make a sure covenant, and write it; and our princes, Levites, and priests, seal unto it" —or, as the margin says, "are at the sealing, or sealed." In Neh. 10:1-29 we have "the names of them that sealed the covenant" as the synopsis at the heading of the chapter states. Thus the local event in Palestine is applied by the Revelator in a world-wide sense. Those who heed the call to come out of Babylon (Rev. 18:4) prepare for the scourging seven last plagues which will be poured out upon all the unsealed—and especially upon those with the counterfeit sign, seal or mark—the mark of the beast. The Revelator describes the coming of world-wide events, but bases his prophecies of the future upon the local events of the past.

Rev. 7:1-8: The marking of the foreheads of people in Jerusalem, described in Ezekiel 9, is a representation of a world-wide sealing message in connection with a work of Sabbath reform; and the angels going through Jerusalem bringing destruction upon the disobedient Jews is a picture of the destroying angels bringing destruction to all the unprepared of the world at the seecond advent.

Rev. 7:9: The promise to Abraham of an innumerable posterity (Gen. 15:5) finds its larger fulfilment in the total number of the redeemed "a great multitude, which no man could number." The God-given name "Abraham" means "Father of a great multitude." See Gen. 17:5.

Rev. 7:14: Joshua's change of raiment in Zech. 3:3-5 becomes the lot of all the saved.

Rev. 7:17: David's Shepherd becomes the Shepherd to all the redeemed. Ps. 23:1.

Rev. 7:17: "The Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces" which Isa. 25:6-8 states would be done "in this mountain" points forward to the time when the whole world will be free from tears.

Rev. 11:1: The measuring of the temple of Ezekiel's vision (40-48) becomes the measuring of the world- wide church. 1 Cor. 3:9-16; 1 Cor. 6:19; Eph. 2:20-22; 1 Pet. 2:4-5; A.A. 595, 413; PK. 36; 9T. 180; TM. 17.

Rev. 11:2: The city of Jerusalem becomes the world-wide church. GC. 266.

Rev. 11:3-12: The two olive trees seen by Joshua in Zech. 4:2-14 symbolize the Bible which now goes to all the world.

Rev. 12:9: The serpent of the garden of Eden is stated to be "The devil and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world."

Rev. 12:17: The woman's seed of Gen. 3:15 is the world-wide church of Jesus Christ—the remnant of her seed, particularly, which is a world-wide organization.

Rev. 13:3, 4, 8, 12, 15: The Revelator's picture of the struggle between spiritual Israel and the spiritual Babylonians over the Sabbath of God or the mark of the beast is based upon the experiences of the three faithful Hebrews. As stated in my "Christ Conquers," p. 115: "The three faithful Hebrews who refused to bow to the image of Babylon, represent the people of the Third Angel's Message who will refuse to bow to the spiritual image of the beast in spiritual Babylon. In literal Babylon the people had to literally bow before a literal image; in spiritual Babylon people will spiritually bow before a spiritual image. What was literal then, is spiritual to-day. There cannot be the slightest doubt that John had the experience of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego before him, when he wrote of the final scenes regarding the beast and his image.... The people in Babylon were to 'worship the golden image' that Nebuchadnezzar had set up. This fact is stated six times, Dan. 3:5, 7, 10, 12, 14, 18. In the Book of Revelation the fact of worshipping the beast and his image is mentioned six times–Rev. 13:15; 14:9, 11; 16:2; 19:20; 20:4.... In the experiences of these men we are to see the prophecy of the struggle between Israel and Babylon over the image of the beast."

Rev. 13:13: Sometimes God allowed false teachers to do their deceptive wonders to test Israel's love for Him. Deut. 13:1, etc. In the last days God will permit "the false prophet" to work miracles to test spiritual Israel's loyalty.

Rev. 13:16, 17: When Israel obeyed God's commands they were marked in their foreheads and in their hands. Deut. 6:8; 11:18; Ex. 13:9, 16. Spiritual Israel, by obeying the Sabbath Commandment which contains God's seal, sign, or mark (Ex. 31:1-18; Ezek. 20:12, 20), show their loyalty to all of God's Commandments. Those who reject God's last-day Message and continue to observe Sunday (instituted by the instigation of Satan to turn people from obedience to God) will receive "the mark of the beast."

Rev. 14:1: "A Lamb stood on Mount Sion and with Him an hundred and forty-four thousand," Lambs typifying Jesus were slain on Mount Sion where the temple was built. The 144,000 is made up of the twelve tribes of Israel, and there are 12,000 to each tribe. See Rev. 7:1-4. Jerusalem, the temple, and the sacrificial services performed in the midst of the twelve tribes of Israel, are mentioned in the Revelation in connection with spiritual Israel in all the world.

Rev. 14:4: "Being the first fruits unto God and to the Lamb." "Israel . . . the first fruits of His increase." Jer. 2:3; James 1:18. Concerning the reaping of their harvests in the promised land God commanded Israel: "When . . . ye reap the harvest thereof, then ye shall bring a sheaf of the first fruits of your harvest unto the priest." Lev. 23:9-14. Paul applies the symbolism of the waving of the first fruits before God to "Christ the first fruits; afterward they that are Christ's at His coming." 1 Cor. 15:23. That which pertained to the first fruits and harvests in Palestine is applied by the Revelator in a world-wide sense, in connection with spiritual Israel.

Rev. 14:5: The description, in Zeph. 3:13, of "the remnant of Israel" who would not "speak lies" nor have a "deceitful tongue" is applied by John to the world-wide remnant of the last days.

Rev. 14:6, 7: The local day of Atonement (or judgment day) in the economy of literal Israel was the type of the Investigative Judgment. Spiritual Israel is to proclaim to the world the Judgment-hour Message, which can be understood only in the light of the local services of ancient Israel. The Third Angel's Message is God's Message because it is based upon the local things of literal Israel.

Rev. 14:8: The literal fall of the city of Babylon depicts the moral fall of spiritual world-wide Babylon. Isa. 21: 9; Jer. 51:8.

Rev. 14:8: "That great city" which "made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication" refers, in a worldwide sense, to what was said of the ancient city of Babylon. Jer. 51:7.

Rev. 14:11: The burning of the land of Idumea, in Isa. 34:5, 9-10, typifies the burning of the wicked in all the world.

Rev. 14:15: The reaping of the harvest in the valley of Jehoshaphat, near Jerusalem (Joel 3:13), is employed by John to picture the reaping of the world's harvest at the second advent.

Rev. 14:18: The reaping of the grapes in the valley of Jehoshaphat, just outside the walls of Jerusalem (Joel 3:13), is the reaping of a world-wide harvest of the wicked, ready for the winepress of God's wrath.

Rev. 14:20: John describes the winepress of God's wrath, which Christ treads at His second advent (Rev. 19:15), as being trodden outside the city of Jerusalem, and thus he carries out the picture given in Joel 3 of the valley of Jehoshaphat where the harvest of grapes is obtained. The city of Jerusalem becomes the church in all the world and, consequently, the harvest of grapes in Jehoshaphat's valley becomes a world-wide slaughter at the end of the world.

Rev. 14:20: One thousand and six hundred furlongs are equivalent to 200 miles, which is the circuit of the Holy Oblation where, in his symbolic vision of the church, Ezekiel pictures a mighty temple and city on the "very high mountain" "in the land of Israel." See my "What is Armageddon?" p. 16. John applies this vision concerning the city, temple and Holy Oblation in "the land of Israel" in a world-wide sense.

Rev. 15:3-4: The song of Moses and the voice of triumph of the Israelities—over their persecutors who sought to physically enslave or to destroy them—at the Red Sea becomes the song of the remnant from the whole world over their persecutors who will seek to spiritually enslave or destroy them.

Rev. 15:5: "The temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven." The Book of Revelation centres around Jerusalem, the temple, the High Priest (Rev. 1:12, 13), the 24 assistant priests (Rev. 4:4-10: 5:8-10, compare Ezek. 8:16, etc.), and the various articles of furniture—the seven candlesticks (Rev. 1 to 3), the prayer altar (Rev. 5:8; 8:3-5), the ark of the testimony (or the golden chest wherein God's testimony—the Ten Commandments—was deposited), etc. All the visions and prophecies of the Revelation are inseparable from, and cannot be thoroughly understood without, a knowledge of the Old Testament temple and services at Jerusalem or the tabernacle in the midst of the camp of Israel in the wilderness.

Rev. 15:8: When "the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle, Moses was not able to enter into the tent of the congregation." Ex. 40:34, We also read concerning the temple at Jerusalem: "When 'the priests were cone out of the holy place the cloud filled the house of the Lord, so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud: for the glory of the Lord had filled the house of the Lord." 1 Kings 8:10, 11. Hence the Revelator's prophecy that when Jesus ceases His ministry in the heavenly temple, the temple will be "filled with smoke from the glory of God" and there will be no ministry of mercy during the outpouring of the seven last plagues. When Israel disobeyed God and provoked His wrath He plagued them. Aaron, the High Priest, then "stood between the dead and the living; and the plague was stayed." Num. 16:44-50. The Revelator directs us to the time when, Christ's mediatorial work having been completed, He no longer stands between God's wrath and the living. Once again we see that the local things of literal Israel are applied by the Revelator in a world-wide capacity.

Rev. 16: The plagues of Egypt were God's judgments upon the persecutors of national Israel just before Israel's deliverance. The seven last plagues will be God's judgments upon the persecutors of spiritual, world-wide Israel, just preceding spiritual Israel's deliverance. Some of the seven last plagues will be similar to some of the plagues of Egypt. That which was local in Egypt will be world-wide in the last days.

Rev. 16:12: The literal city of Babylon was built on the literal river Euphrates. Jer. 51:13; P.K. 523. As a part of the strategy in the overthrow of literal Babylon, Cyrus turned the waters of the Euphrates from their accustomed bed. This drying of the waters of the Euphrates was predicted, and Cyrus was definitely named as the one who should do it. See Isa. 44:27, 28; 45:1. "As the king (Cyrus) saw the words foretelling . . . the manner in which Babylon should be taken; as he read the message addressed to him by the Ruler of the universe, 'I have girded thee ... that they may know from the rising of the sun.' " PK. 557. The words of Jer. 50:38, "A drought is upon her waters; and they shall be dried up" are quoted in Rev. 16:12. See also Jer. 51:36. The record of the overthrow of literal Babylon is thus used to depict the overthrow of the world-wide, spiritual Babylon. The Euphrates is Babylon's river and has no reference to any local nation or nations. The terminal of the prophecies which are based upon Old Testament allusions is world-wide.

Rev. 16:12: The Medes and the Persians came "from the rising of the sun" (Isa. 41:2, 25; Isa. 46:11; 45:6) to overthrow literal Babylon. The reference in Rev. 16:12 to the kings of the east refers back to the literal armies which overthrew literal Babylon the Revelator's use of the Old Testament narrative can mean nothing less than the coming of spiritual forces—the armies of heaven, depicted in Rev. 19:11-21, which will descend the eastern heavens to bring destruction to the worldwide, spiritual Babylon. For further consideration of this theme see my "What is Armageddon?" pp. 34-36.

Rev. 16:13: The false teachers and unclean spirits (see Zech. 13:2), who troubled the land of Palestine in the days of literal Israel are here referred to in connection with the world-wide apostasy of formal Christianity when "the kings and governors" (represented by the "Dragon" see T.M. 39, 62) enforce the Sunday laws dictated by the beast and the False Prophet.

Rev. 16:16: The first recorded conflict of literal Israel opposed by the sun-worshipping Canaanites who were "all" destroyed "by the waters of Megiddo" (Judges 5:19-21; 4:16) becomes part of the background to picture the world-wide spiritual conflict where the sun-day worshippers who have been attacking spiritual Israel are destroyed.

Rev. 16:19: The cup of wrath given to the enemies of Jerusalem, mentioned in Isa. 51:17, 22; Jer. 25:12-29, becomes the cup for the three sections of spiritual Babylon, which include the whole of rebellious mankind.
"The great city," Babylon of the Old Testament (Dan. 4:30), is the world of confusion in the New Testament—Rev. 16:19; 17:5; 18:10, 21.

Rev. 16:21: The plague of hail upon Egypt (Ex. 9:23-25) is a world-wide plague at the end.

Rev. 17:1: The city Babylon "that dwellest upon many waters," of Jer. 51:13, becomes a world-wide organization; "The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and peoples." Rev. 17:15: A literal city on the river Euphrates becomes the apostate system of religion controlling the world.

Rev. 17:2: The wine of the city of Babylon (Jer. 51:7) which made the nations of antiquity mad is the wine or teachings of the spiritual, world-wide Babylon. This false teaching causes the nations to think and act wrongly.

Rev. 17:4: The golden cup in the hand of the city of Babylon (Jer. 51:7) becomes the golden cup in the hand of the worldwide Babylon.

Rev. 18:1: The glory of the Lord which filled the temple Ezekiel saw in vision—a temple which, in a measure, would have been built, had the Jews been faithful (Ezek. 43:2)—becomes the spiritual glory of the loud cry of the Third Angel's Message. This glory will lighten the whole earth. Also the literal glory of the second coming of Christ is pre-figured. Ezek. 43:2. EW. 15, 286. GC. 640.

Rev. 18:2: The doom pronounced upon the city of Babylon (Isa. 13:19; 21:9; Jer. 51:8) becomes the doom pronounced upon the world-wide Babylon.

Rev. 18:2: When the ancient city of Babylon was overthrown, it became the habitation for wild creatures (Isa. 13:21; 21:9; 34:14; Jer. 50:39; 51:37). With this historic event as a background, the Revelator pictures Babylon as the dwelling of devils. Again, a world-wide meaning is given to local things. (See EW. 274, 277.)

Rev. 18:2: The ruins of Babylon (and Edom, too) became the habitation of unclean birds (Isa. 13:21; 14: 23; 34:11) ; this description is taken to represent the unclean state o f members of the spiritual, world- wide Babylon. Unclean birds in a certain locality represent people in all the world who are spiritually unclean. See EW. 274, 277.

Rev. 18:3: The nations which traded with Babylon prospered (Isa. 47:15), and those who have gone the way of the worldwide, spiritual Babylon have enjoyed worldly advantages.

Rev. 18:4: As the people of God were called out of Babylon before its doom (Isa. 48:20; Jer. 50:8; 51:6, 45) so the remnant in all the world will be called out before the outpouring of the plagues. However, it is well for us to note that the Jews removed their bodies from the literal locality of Babylon. Today, in all the world, the church withdraws spiritually from a spiritual Babylon.

Rev. 18:5: The judgment of literal Babylon "reacheth unto Heaven, and is lifted up even to the skies" (Jer. 51:9); this is likewise said of the world-wide, spiritual Babylon.

Rev. 18:6: Babylon of old was to be treated as she had treated Jerusalem (Jer. 50:15, 29; 51:24, 49); the world-wide, spiritual Babylon is to be treated as she had made God's people suffer.

Rev. 18:7: Ancient Babylon said, "I shall be a lady forever." "I shall not sit as a widow, neither shall I know the loss of children" (Isa. 47:7-8); the world-wide Babylon is to say the same things.

Rev. 18:8: The city of Babylon was to have these "things come to thee in a moment in one day" (Isa. 47:9); the world-wide Babylon is to have "her plagues come in one day, death, mourning, and famine."

Rev. 18:8: Fire was to play a part in the destruction of the proud city (Isa. 47:14; Jer. 51:58; 50:32); spiritual Babylon "Shall be utterly burned with fire."

Rev. 18:8: Babylon was judged by Israel's "strong Redeemer" (Jer. 50:34); "strong is the Lord God Who judgeth her" world-wide Babylon.

Rev. 18:9: There was a cry "among the nations" "at the noise of the taking of Babylon" (Jer. 50:46); the nations of the world "shall bewail her, and lament for her" the world-wide, spiritual Babylon.

Rev. 18:20: There was rejoicing over the downfall of literal Babylon (Jer. 51:48; Isa. 44:23); there is to be rejoicing at the overthrow of the universal Babylon.

Rev. 18:21: Jeremiah's servant, Seraiah, threw a stone into the literal river Euphrates to illustrate that Babylon would sink, and not rise again (Jer. 51:63-64): the world-wide Babylon is to be thrown down and never rise again.

Compare Jer. 51:36 with Jer. 50:38. "Sea" is used in Jer. 51:36 for the waters of the Euphrates in Jer. 50:38. See also Isa. 44:27, where "deep" is also used to describe the Euphrates. See also Josh. 24:2, 14, 15, where the Euphrates is called "the flood." See also Rev. 12:15, 16, etc.

Rev. 18: 24: "As Babylon hath caused the slain of Israel to fall, so at Babylon shall fall the slain of all the earth" margin "country" (Jer. 51:49); of the spiritual Babylon we read, "And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth."

Rev. 19:13: In Isa. 63:1-6 the Saviour is represented as coming "from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah. . . . Wherefore are thou red in thine apparel, and thy garments like him that treadeth in the winefat? I have trodden alone . . . . for I will tread them in mine anger, and trample them in My fury; their blood shall be sprinkled upon My garments, and I will stain all My raiment." The Revelator quotes from that passage relating to Edom and Bozrah in describing the universal slaughter at the second advent.

Rev. 19:15: This verse links Isa. 63:1-6 with Joel 3:13 (and Rev. 14:19-20), where the harvest of grapes is reaped in the valley of Jehoshaphat. The valley of Jehoshaphat is to be no more a literal valley than Edom, or Bozrah. The play is upon the meaning of the words—Edom for "red," and "Bozrah," "a vintage;" the valley of Jehoshaphat, "the valley of God's Judgment." The same principle of the significance of the meaning of names is employed in the other names in the Apocalypse. See the names of the seven cities "in Asia" (Rev. 1:11), and read Uriah Smith's "Thoughts on the Revelation" dealing with the first three chapters of Revelation. A significance is attached to the use and meaning of names such as Jerusalem "the city of peace," and Babylon, meaning "confusion." Babylon, founded by Nimrod, whose name means "rebellious," is employed in the Revelation as the designation of a world in rebellion against God's law—a rebellion which ends in the world-wide slaughter of "Armageddon." The number 13 is employed in Scripture as the number for rebellion, and the 13th time Megiddo occurs in Scripture is in Rev. 16:16. "Armageddon," meaning "the mountain of destruction," brings destruction to the Babylonian world of rebellion against the rulership of God.
For further examples of the meanings of names, see the chapters dealing with "The law of the Significance of Bible Names,"

Rev. 19:17: The call of the birds to come to "the land of Israel" to feast on the bodies of Gog and his army, mentioned in Ezek. 38, 39, is interpreted in Rev. 19:17 as the call to all the fowls of the world to come to feast upon the bodies of all the wicked who will be destroyed in all parts of the world. Jer. 25:30-33.

Rev. 19:18: The description of the feast of the fowls on the bodies of Gog and his army (Ezek. 39:18, 20) "upon the mountains of Israel" (Ezek. 39:4) is employed in the Revelation as a picture of the feast of the fowls upon "the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great."

Rev. 20:7-9: Gog and Magog of Ezek. 38, 39 are applied to the world-wide forces led on by Satan against Christ and His church—they do not apply to Russia as taught by the Futurists. Only as we interpret Gog and his army in the light given by God in Rev. 20:7-9 can we understand the words concerning Gog in Ezek. 38:17: "Thus saith the Lord God; Art thou he of whom I have spoken in old time by my servants the prophets of Israel, which prophesied in those days many years that I would bring thee against them?" Surely no one would maintain that God often inspired His prophets, over a long period of time, to prophesy about Russia! But God has shown through His servants the prophets down through the centuries that Satan is constantly plotting against God's people and is ever stirring up the multitudes of the world to oppose the work of Christ on the earth.

To further prove that the use of Old Testament places, persons and events are brought into the Revelation by Jesus (Who is its Author, see Rev. 22:16) in a world-wide sense in connection with His church and her enemies, we will observe this same law brought to view in the pronouncement of doom given by the prophets of literal Israel against ancient cities, and referred to by the Revelator in picturing the final downfall of spiritual Babylon:

Because of the sinfulness of the inhabitants, five ancient cities received God's judgments. These cities are brought into the Revelator's picture of the judgments of God upon spiritual Babylon. The last three enumerated below are said to be harlot cities:

1. Bozrah. Rev. 14:18-20; 19:3, compare with Isa. 34:6; 63:1-6.
   
2. Babylon. Rev. 14:8; 16:19; 18:2, 4, 10, 21.
   
3. Tyre. Isa. 23:17. See texts given previously.
   
4. Ninevah. Nah. 3:4, compare with Rev. 18:23.
   
5. Jerusalem. (A harlot city when the professed people of God turned from God.) Rev. 17:16, compare with Ezek. 16:37-44, and verses 15, 20-59 [Ezek. 16:15, 20-59]: Isa. 1:21; Jer. 2:20, 21, etc.

The fact that three ancient cities described as harlot cities—the harlot Jerusalem (Ezek. 16:15, 20-59; Isa. 1:21), the harlot Ninevah (Nah. 3:4), and Tyre the harlot (Isa. 23:17)—are brought into the Revelation in describing "The great whore . . .

BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS"

(Rev. 17:1, 5) though those three harlot cities were actually removed from and independent of Babylon— shows that spiritual Babylon includes all who reject the Third Angel's Message. See my "Christ Conquers," pp. 60-62, for fuller details explaining who are included in "Babylon" of the Apocalypse.

The employment of the five ancient literal cities in the Revelator's picture of the final doom of spiritual Babylon shows clearly the principle governing the interpretation of the book of Revelation, namely, that literal, local places mentioned in the Old Testament are employed in the Revelation in a spiritual, world- wide sense.

By this wide selection of representative cities the Holy Spirit, Who inspired. the writers of the Bible, shows that all those who are worldly, and disloyal to God—even in Jerusalem, the church—are included under the term "Babylon," and will share in her doom. Apostate Israel in the Old Testament is a type of modern apostate Israel—apostate Protestantism. The analogy between national Israel as a whole (nominally professing to obey God, and yet not obeying all God's commandments) and Christendom (which also professes to obey God, and yet does not obey all of God's Commandments) is clear and decided, and Old Testament predictions of calamities to overtake national Israel in its apostasy set forth the judgments of God upon professing Christians who do not obey all His word. The principle that Old Testament local places and events are applied in the Revelation in a world-wide sense, and thus Jerusalem, in its harlot experience of unfaithfulness to God, is brought into the prophet's description of the downfall of spiritual Babylon, shows the Scriptural basis for the statement made by the servant of the Lord that Zephaniah's "prophecies of impending judgment upon Judah apply with equal force to the judgments that are to fall upon an impenitent world at the time of the second advent of Christ." P.K. 389. Thus we see that a knowledge of the Biblical laws of interpretation shows the Divine reliability of the Spirit of Prophecy, as well as proving that our Message is, indeed, the Third Angel's Message. The Spirit of Prophecy applies the local judgments to fall upon Judah as also foreshadowing "the judgments that are to fall upon an impenitent world." The second, or double, application of Palestinian, or local, disasters, etc., is always world-wide. As shown elsewhere, the basis of Futurism is to make the second application of Old Testament Jewish and Palestinian things again Jewish and Palestinian. This is Satan's counterfeit of the true, world-wide application, which is the foundation of our Message.

From our survey of the contents of the Revelation given above (and other facts showing the same principle could have been presented) we can readily see that Old Testament places, etc., are mentioned in the Revelation according to the law governing their use, namely, that the local things of the Old Testament are employed in the Apocalypse in a world-wide sense. By this clear-cut, God-given principle we are able to prove that our Message is the Message of the living God. The literal, local things pertaining to national Israel are the basis of the spiritual, world-wide things of spiritual Israel—the church.

The world-wide, Judgment-hour Message, brought to view in Rev. 14:6, 7, is based upon the local services in the tabernacle or temple of the Jews. The cleansing of the sanctuary was the last in the yearly round of the typical services in the economy of literal Israel. Lev. 16 and 23:26-32 give details of significant ceremonies on that solemn day. Throughout the year the forgiven sins were recorded in the sanctuary. The final disposition took place at the end of the year's services, when, in type, they were removed from the sanctuary and placed on the head of the evil one, Satan—typified by the scapegoat. The sins recorded in the sanctuary were committed, firstly, by Satan, the author and instigator of all sin and, secondly, by the people led by the evil one into sin. The repentant people who availed themselves of the forgiveness extended by God through the shed blood of their Substitute were forgiven for their part in the sins recorded in the sanctuary, but Satan, the instigator, has no Saviour for his part in those sins, and must perish with them.

The last service of the year was known as the cleansing of the sanctuary, the day of atonement, or the day of judgment. Thus, in the typical services of literal Israel, God prefigured the investigative judgment— the closing phase of Christ's heavenly ministry on behalf of spiritual Israel. Daniel's prophecy of the cleansing of the sanctuary (Dan. 8:14, etc.) points to the final work of Christ in the heavenly temple, which will be accomplished just immediately prior to His second advent.

On the typical day of judgment the High Priest, having completed His ministry within the sanctuary, came out to bless the waiting people of Israel and to send the sin-laden scapegoat out into the wilderness, where it subsequently perished. In these final acts in the typical service of the day of atonement we see depicted the second coming of Christ and the events that follow. When our Lord completes His heavenly ministry He will come from His place of mediation to bless His waiting people and to give them eternal life. He comes to charge Satan as being the author of all sin and to make him wander (for the 1,000 years of Rev. 20) on the desolate world he has ruined. As the scapegoat in the typical service was sent "unto a land not inhabited" (Lev. 16:22) so Satan will be confined to this depopulated world. See also Jer. 4:23-27: Zeph. 1:2, 3, etc. Thus we see that the heavenly ministry of our Lord, His second advent, the bestowal of eternal life upon His people, the desolation and depopulating of the world and the binding of Satan in the bottomless pit—this earth in its empty and void condition—for the 1,000 years, the judgment at the end of the millennium, and the final destruction of Satan and his followers, and the eternal happiness of sin-freed Israel, were all typified in the services of the day of atonement. As these are the themes which are enlarged upon in the Revelation, we see that the understanding of the Revelation depends upon a knowledge of the typical services in the economy of literal Israel.

We cannot prove that our Message is God's Message except by employing the principle that the literal, local things of literal Israel are employed in the Revelation concerning the world-wide things of spiritual Israel. The understanding of this principle is vital to the proper grasp of the Third Angel's Message. By not heeding this principle Futurism applies the Hebrew things of the Revelation to literal Israel in Palestine. We must choose between the two systems of interpretation. The belief that there will be a literal, military conflict of all nations at "a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon" (Rev. 16:16) is part of the Futuristic system. There cannot be the slightest doubt that the first typical battle, involving national Israel and her sun-worshipping enemies who were destroyed "by the waters of Megiddo" (Judges 5:19-21), forms part of the background of the Lord's prophecy in Rev. 16:16 which points us to the destruction of the enemies of spiritual Israel. Having proved that our Message is God's Message by the principle that the literal things of national Israel mentioned in the Old Testament have a world-wide spiritual application in relation to spiritual Israel, shall we then discard that principle and accept the Futuristic principle of interpretation that "a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon" has a literal meaning in relation to the literal Jews in the literal land of Israel? Thus we see that the acceptance of the belief of a Palestinian "Armageddon," logically, is a blow at the principle upon which the Message of God is established. The very foundations of the great world-wide judgment-hour Message are at stake in the principle involved.

In the 550 Old Testament quotations or allusions found in the Apocalypse the Divine law of interpretation—that the local things of the Old Testament are employed in the Revelation in a worldwide sense—is abundantly demonstrated. If the reference to Megiddo (in the word Armageddon) is again, in Rev. 16:16, applied in a literal and local manner as in the Old Testament, that would be the only instance in the prophecies of the Revelation of the literal use of a place. Such an application is so obviously a violation of the law of interpretation revealed throughout the Apocalypse that it bears the mark of the evil one whose hands also have sought to interfere with and change the law of the Ten Commandments. Like the moral law, the laws governing the interpretation of the prophecies of the Apocalypse are unchangeable.

The instances presented above fully illustrate the fact that when Old Testament prophets were describing some calamity, etc., of a local character pertaining to Old Testament times, they were looking beyond the restricted area mentioned in the actual wording of the prediction (suited to 'the people of the time) to world events at the close of the world's history. The New Testament writers, and particularly John in the Revelation, by inspiration, have so applied the Old Testament predictions. The imagery employed to portray world events is taken from the Old Testament prophecies concerning local events. Old Testament predictions, when employed by the New Testament writers, are not used again by them with reference to local events. There is never a second local application. The belief in a literal conflict of nations in Palestine for Armageddon, based upon Rev. 16:12-16, violates every law of prophetic interpretation which the Holy Spirit has given us by which to know the truth.

In my brochure on "Futurism and the Antichrist of Scripture," written nearly twenty years ago, I pointed out that the futuristic system of interpretation (which directs us to Palestine as the place for the fulfilment of the prophecies concerning the work of the antichrist and for the fulfilment of the other prophecies which the Third Angel's Message interprets in relation to all the world) is inspired by "a spirit of opposition to the unchanging nature of God's law, for the two things always go hand in hand." Or, stated in other words, Futurism is Satan's device in his warfare against the law of God, to turn people away from the true understanding of the prophecies which explain the attempt by the Papal antichrist to change God's law, and from a true interpretation of the prophecies depicting the final scenes in the great controversy between Christ and Satan over the Sabbath versus Sunday-keeping issues. By turning people's minds over to Palestine for the fulfilment of the prophecies which, rightly understood, present the final scenes in the conflict between truth and error, Satan successfully blinds their eyes to the truth taught by those predictions. Futurism teaches that the law of God was changed when Jesus died on the cross, and that the Sabbath was nailed to the cross; it also teaches the Palestinian fulfilment of the prophecies of the final struggle.

The Futuristic, or Palestinian-centred, system of prophetic interpretation, which applies to the literal Jews in Palestine the things pertaining to Israel—her perils and her deliverance from her enemies by the intervention of the Son of God—is Satan's prophetic scheme by which he attacks the law of God and blinds the eyes of millions to a true understanding of the things pertaining to spiritual Israel and to a knowledge of the "war" being waged between Christ and Satan over the law of God. To facilitate his deception that the Moral Law of God was changed at the cross, Satan introduced the Palestinian- centred system of prophetic interpretation.

The deceptions of the changed law at the cross, and the changed law of interpretation seen in the Futuristic system are integral parts of the one deception—they stand or fall together. And every sermon or book upholding the Palestinian "Armageddon" assists the work of God's enemy in his attack on the law of God. It would be incongruous for upholders of the perpetuity of the Law of God to present the Futuristic belief of a Palestinian "Armageddon" when, by so doing, they further the design of the evil one. Every sermon or article maintaining the view of a military, Palestinian Armageddon delays the coming of the Lord, confuses truth and error, and prevents God's people from learning the right interpretation of the prophecies giving the pictures of "the final conflict."

In His Holy Word God has shown us that the principle governing the understanding of the Revelation is that local things are brought in from the Old Testament and applied in the Revelation in a world-wide sense in connection with spiritual Israel, the church. To rightly proclaim God's Message upholding the perpetuity of His law we need also to abide by this God-given law of interpretation.