I do not believe John was speaking of Jerusalem as Jerusalem was never the greatest economic and military power the world had ever seen as was Babylon.
Why is it called “Mystery”? Imho, because when it was written in the 1st century AD the new world had yet to be discovered.
Why was Jerusalem called a harlot? Has not America followed the same path?
Babylon was overthrown by Persia. Iran now chants “Death to America”.
The Roman General Titus said this at the end of the siege in Jerusalem 70 AD when he was trying to get the citizens of Jerusalem to surrender.
"What is our chief favor to all we have given you leave to gather up that tribute which is paid to God, and with such other gifts that are dedicated to him, nor have we called those that carried these donations to account, nor prohibited them; till at length you became richer than we ourselves."
Rome ruled the world at that time.
Jerusalem was a major commercial city… a wealthy city-- with tremendous economic influence. The merchants would lament because they had lost their profitable market.
According to 1 Kings chapters 4-10, 1,086 talents (about 34 tons) of gold was brought to Jerusalem from Ophir by King Solomon’s workers. This was thought to have constituted about 1/2 of the known gold supply of the whole world.
Jews from all nations gathered in Jerusalem once a year to worship and present their sacrifices to God to the temple priests. That brought more riches to the city.
The Revelation was written in code so that the enemies of God’s people wouldn’t understand. God’s people understood the message and they were prepared for the siege. It was not a mystery to them. They had the prophecies, and they knew they were being fulfilled since they were being murdered. It was not important for anybody else to understand it. That’s why I said why do people still call it a mystery since we have the written accounts from eyewitnesses.
I don’t think it is a coincidence that the siege lasted 3 and 1/2 years, which equals 42 months, which also equals 1260 days which equals time, times and half a time - time = 1 year, times = 2 years, half a time = half a year. Stated the same length of time in three different ways so they couldn’t miss the coded message.
God’s people (Christians) did escape the city before it was cut off by the Roman armies. History shows that they escaped to a mountainous region of Pella.
Jerusalem was the place where God dwelled with the Jews. In the holy of holies in the temple is where God communicated with the priests. When the Jews offered their animal sacrifices, the priest would go into the holy place in the temple and God would let them know if their sacrifice was accepted by Him. When the priest reappeared and the people saw him, they knew that their sacrifice had been accepted.
Jeremiah 3:6 The LORD said to me in the days of King Josi’ah: “Have you seen what she did, that faithless one, Israel, how she went up on every high hill and under every green tree, and there played the harlot? 7 And I thought, ‘After she has done all this she will return to me’; but she did not return, and her false sister Judah saw it. 8 She saw that for all the adulteries of that faithless one, Israel, I had sent her away with a decree of divorce; yet her false sister Judah did not fear, but she too went and played the harlot. 9 Because harlotry was so light to her, she polluted the land, committing adultery with stone and tree. 10 Yet for all this her false sister Judah did not return to me with her whole heart, but in pretense, says the LORD.”
14 Return, O faithless children, says the LORD; for I am your master; I will take you, one from a city and two from a family, and I will bring you to Zion.
When was America ever a city much less a “once faithful city”?
American Citizens chant “death to America.” Could the religious world be partly responsible for this hatred of America? Is the left playing on the religious’ sermons of doom and gloom - death and destruction?
Since Christ Jesus, people are holy. Places are not.
“…endowed by our Creator…” & “In God we trust” vs. “We are not a Christian nation”
Not overtly as Iran does.
If you are looking for it then sure…you are going to see it. I also look for signs of hope and peace and love. It’s there if you look for IT as well.
Why look for these things though? Everything is already as it was meant to be.
I think it’s a mindset. The very essence of Christianity is based on optimism…hope.
A lot of modern Christians do seem to believe that. I see it more as an understanding of a relationship.
Can you expound on that. I think I understand but want to make sure.
We all have a relationship with the Creator, whether we like it or even want to admit it. We are all expressions of a living Universe (God). Being an active part of that relationship is far more effective than being hopeful in something external. IMO of course.
This thread reminds me of this Song.
It makes sense…I’m thinking straight up Christ…not God. Christ living, dying and rising again gives us hope and optimism for our own lives
Christ understood what He was. The good news is, we are too, even if we don’t understand it, which makes it the best news.
Yeah…I agree. SIX…I HOPE you had a good Easter.
What does “A Christian nation” even mean considering Scripture? 71% of Russians say they are Christian. Africa’s population has many that claim to be Christian. Rwanda in Africa was once called “the most Christian nation” 90%, until Christian against Christian fought against each other and killed 800,000 of their population.
God promised Abraham “the nations” would be blessed through his seed. Abraham was a pagan, called out of the pagan nations - the Gentiles because of his faith. Christ is the seed of Abraham. We are children of Abraham through faith.
Jesus was the fulfillment of the promise to Abraham. The New Covenant is God’s covenant between Him and includes “all nations,” – “every person,” “every individual.” Not groups. God didn’t give us a reason to boast. He does not respect one person, or one nation above another.
Prophetically speaking, God said “I will never destroy every living creature as I have done.”
Preachers in their sermons change it up. They say, God really meant, "I will not bring a flood to destroy them, however, I will curse the ground and destroy every living creature again, ONLY THIS TIME, I WILL DO IT WITH FIRE. !!!
making God a liar.
The view that God will destroy the world because of man’s increasing wickedness contradicts His Genesis promise.
God said: “I will never again curse the earth although the imagination of man’s heart is evil.”
God was aware of man’s sinfulness. In spite of that knowledge, He promised never again to curse the earth and destroy all of His creatures.
Hebrews 1 is about the end of the Old Covenant and the beginning of the New Covenant between God and the whole world. That should make us happy.
And I will establish my covenant with you; neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of a flood; neither shall there any more be a flood to destroy the earth.
12 And God said, This is the token of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations:
13 I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth.
14 And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud:
15 And I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh.
16 And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth.
17 And God said unto Noah, This is the token of the covenant, which I have established between me and all flesh that is upon the earth.
According to my Adventist teachings we are near the end times, although there is no belief in the rapture or that our spirits go to heaven or hell until the day of judgment
Genesis 8:18 "So Noah went forth, and his sons and his wife and his sons’ wives with him. 19 And every beast, every creeping thing, and every bird, everything that moves upon the earth, went forth by families out of the ark. 20 Then Noah built an altar to the LORD, and took of every clean animal and of every clean bird, and offered burnt offerings on the altar.
Genesis 8:21 And when the LORD smelled the pleasing odor, the LORD said in his heart, "I will never again curse the ground because of man, for the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth; neither will I ever again destroy every living creature as I have done. 22 While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease."
