Thoughts on the Bible Readings (1 Samuel 5, 6, Isaiah 51,Revelation 12-13) for June 26th

The readings in Samuel follow the journey of the ark whilst it is in Philistine possession until its return to the covenant people at the "forest of the woods" (Kirjath-jearim see Psalm 132). Firstly in Ashdod Yahweh's supremacy is shown over Dagon the fish god, by its symbolic prostration before Israel's God and finally it being shattered. Following this the inhabitants were plagued with tumours, called emerods, or haemorrhoids in the AV; these tumours seemingly being occasioned by a mice plague. Despairingly the ark is relocated to each of the five chief cities and the plagues of mice and tumours following the pattern. The Philistines were terrified that Israel's God would destroy them and so they devised a scheme to make a trespass offering of gold fashioned after their plagues and to send the ark home. They took two cows, which were still feeding their calves,  and contrary to the natural expectation wend their way to the house of Joshua in Beth-shemesh. Here curiosity overtook the foolish inhabitants who decided, contrary to God's laws, to gaze inside the ark and consequently 70 men died. Like the Philistines the ark was relocated to Kirjath-jearim where it remained for about 90 years before eventually being brought triumphantly by David to its resting place in Jerusalem.

The prophet counsels the nation to reconsider its roots- Abraham and Sarah who responded to God in faith and proceeded to live uprightly before Him resulting in immense blessings. Yahweh their Rock stabilised Zion's foundations and those who likewise follow the path of the righteous will see Eden bloom on earth again in Messiah's kingdom; which will extend to the ends of the earth. Verses 4-6 tell of their Sovereign's appeal for Israel to await the revealing of His righteousness. Verses 7-8 describe the LORD's call to His people that His Law may find a home in their hearts, just as the tables of the Law were rightly within the ark of the Covenant. But for those who lived as though God's Word was but stone tablets they would perish with all those who saw the Law as an inflexible and rigid code which they used to judge others: Hebrews 1 verse 9-13. Verses 9-11 speak of the redeemed rousing themselves to embrace the principles of Zion, the mother of all who are faithful. The Almighty Creator appeals to His children in verses 12-16 to acknowledge His omnipotence. Verses 17-20 asks His children to stir themselves up and arouse themselves from their despondent and downcast state. The nation must forget their past persecutions and embrace Yahweh their faithful husband. God will console His people and bring vengeance upon their foes. Verses 21-23 outline that the cup of affliction will pass from Zion to her adversaries. Let us lift our heads knowing that the redeemed will come to Zion with 'songs of everlasting joy'. And One who will bring this to pass cannot fail, for just as He created the foundations of the universe, so He establishes the foundation of each and every faithful believer.

Some religious leaders use this 12th chapter of the Apocalypse to assert that there was war in heaven between the angels of God and Satan, which resulted in the expulsion of Satan and his angels to a subterranean location beneath the earth. The chapter proves no such thing. 1) from Revelation 1:1 the events were from John's time forward; 2) most of the symbolism has been used and explained earlier in the book; 3) if a supposed supernatural being deceived the Omniscient Creator (then God cannot be Omniscient); 4) the segment in question makes it abundantly clear that the vision is symbolic - verses 1, 3 use the term "sign" ESV ("wonder" KJV) and the Greek word used means precisely "a representation".;
5) literal war couldn't occur in a place about which Jesus taught us to pray, "Thy will be done on earth, as in heaven" (Matthew 6:10). The heavily pregnant woman was the church about to give birth to its champion, Constantine. The dragon was the old pagan Roman power who was engaged in a life and death struggle with the emerging Trinitarian faction within the Christian power. But the Christians triumphed - Constantine claimed to have seen a vision of a cross and to have heard the words, "in this sign you will conquer". His entire army marched against the pagans with freshly painted crosses on their shields. As we saw in chapter 11 the dominant faction within the christians were trinitarian and sought the destruction of all dissenters. Those protesting the error of the trinitarian Catholic Church - a n early sign of what would arise during the Reformation - fled to the extremities of the Empire seeking respite. However, the defeated forces of the pagan Roman generals made a concerted and valiant attempt to overthrow the believers in Christ. But in this endeavour the pagans failed. Ironically the nominal Christians under Constantine assumed the mantle of the destroyers of true and faithful believers and became themselves the Satan, or opponent, to the true disciples of Christ. Revelation 13 describes the changing centre of persecution as history outworked itself in the course of interactions between church and state. The various beasts of Revelation 13 all share the character of 4th dreadful beast of Daniel 7 - the Romish persecutors of faithful believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. Initially John beheld a beast rise out of the sea (the Mediterranean Sea where he was exiled). The Beast described in verses 1-4 is a composite beast with elements from the beasts of Daniel 7. John sees this Beast being given what appeared to be a mortal wound. This occurred when the gothic kingdom of Odoacer took Rome 476 AD to 535 AD - but the 6th imperial head of Rome was revived with support from the eastern leg capital of Constantinople firstly by Emperor Justinian in the 530s AD and later by Emperor Phocus 609 AD. Both these rulers said that the supreme pontiff of the church was the bishop of Rome. As the eastern Empire crumbled, just as the Roman centre had done, the popes looked for support in the west and found it in Charlemagne the Emperor of the Franks, who was crowned by the pope on Christmas Day 799 AD. This new Beast was land based and called by the vision which John saw, "the beast of the earth". Both these powers in the east and the west acknowledged the supremacy of Rome's bishop and supported the persecution of the disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ. Those saints of Jesus were slain in their millions by the Church of Rome. We are left with no doubts as to the great persecuting apostate power identified numerically as 666 in the last verse of the chapter, which tells us that it is a man's number (the man of sin described in 2 Thessalonians 2). History tells us that Iraneus, the bishop of Antioch stated in 165 AD that it was Lateinos (the Greek numerical value being 666). The official title of the Roman pontiff is, "vicarius filii  Dei" (meaning the one who stands in the place of the Son of God - its Roman numeral equivalent is 666. This power is called in the Hebrew, "Romith" (numerical equivalent is 666). Every document signed by the bishop of Rome bears the authority of the Church, "Dux Cleri" (ie high priest, and its numerical value is 666). Let us shun the apostate church and as faithful disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ heed the warning of Revelation 18:4, "Come out of her my people, lest you take part in her sins, lest you share in her plagues" ESV.