The Two Jerusalems

"And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the
land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God." -Genesis 17:8

The Two Jerusalems

The vast majority of Christian sects teach what is called Replacement Theology, which assumes that the
Christian congregations or churches have, in a spiritual context, replaced what the Bible says is literally
applicable to the nation of Israel. All of the references to Zion are assumed to no longer apply to physical Israel,
but rather to the Church. Is it possible that there is a heavenly Mount Zion, representative of the unified body of
redeemed Jews and Gentiles, and there is an earthly Mt. Zion that represents the literal nation of Israel? Is
there scriptural evidence that the Mount Zion on earth will retain significance throughout the entire Millennial
reign of Jesus? Let's take a look!

Revelation 21:2 reveals: "And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven,
prepared as a bride adorned for her husband." This occurs after Satan is cast into the abyss immediately
following the war of Armageddon. Since the city comes down out of heaven, it is a spiritual city. Certainly Satan
could be no danger to such a city. And yet, we read at Revelation 20:9, after the thousand-year reign of Jesus
has ended, of a real threat from Satan and his hordes: "And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and
compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and
devoured them."

So the question is, could the "beloved city" be different from the "holy city"? Is one spiritual and the other
literal? If the "beloved city" is Jerusalem (as it always has been), that would mean the Jerusalem in the land of
Canaan that Ehyeh promised to the literal seed of Abraham! Is it possible that Christians have been misled into
believing that Israel has been cast off by God for their unfaithfulness?

There are some promises that God made to the nation of Israel that simply cannot be "spiritualized".
Here are a couple of examples:

"In the final part of the years you will come to the land of people brought back from the sword, collected together
out of many peoples, onto the mountains of Israel, that have proved to be a constantly devastated place." -
Ezekiel 38:8; compare Luke 21:22-24.

"Persia, Ethiopia and Put with them, all of them with buckler and helmet; Gomer and all its bands, the house of
Togarmah, of the remotest parts of the north, and all its bands, many peoples with you." -Ezekiel 38:5,6.

If this is to be merely set to a "spiritual" fulfillment, what about Ehyeh's clearly stated intent to set His glory
among the nations (Ezekiel 39:21) when the nations know that Israel went into exile for their error and that He
concealed His face from them? (Ezekiel 39:23) God's glorifying Himself has no meaning unless He does exactly
what He says He is going to do!

Rothschild may have had a hand in restoring Israel, but pagan king Cyrus had a hand in restoring ancient Israel
out of Babylon. Does that mean we should reject the post-exile Jerusalem because a pagan king had a hand in it?
The Hebrews did not have a Temple in Israel until hundreds of years after Joshua's conquest - namely, in
Solomon's day. Also, ancient post-exile Jerusalem did not have a temple right away. In fact, the second temple
was delayed several times due to political intrigues. So having (or not having) a temple is not, in itself, a sign of
God's action.

We are aware of the Balfour Declaration and the conspiracy involved in setting up modern-day Israel. But,
wasn't there a similar thing in Cyrus' day? (See Ezra 1). We could reason that the restoration in Cyrus' day was
clearly sanctioned by God, since he named Cyrus in Isaiah. But then we could equally argue a modern-day
restoration of Israel is sanctioned by God, because of Ezekiel 38. We may choose to see it as "spiritualized", but
maybe God doesn't.

According to His own words, God has not given up on Israel by any means, as surely as we have not yet
measured the heavens or searched out the depths of the earth below. Jeremiah 31:35-37 says: "Thus says the
LORD, who gives the sun for light by day, and the fixed order of the moon and the stars for light by night, who
stirs up the sea so that its waves roar; the LORD of hosts is His name: "If this fixed order departs from before
Me," declares the LORD, "Then the offspring of Israel also shall cease from being a nation before Me
forever." Thus says the LORD, "If the heavens above can be measured, and the foundations of the earth
searched out below, then I will also cast off all the offspring of Israel for all that they have done," declares the
LORD."

Ehyeh clearly stated that despite their unfaithfulness, He would not totally destroy to House of Jacob:
"Behold, the eyes of the Lord GOD are on the sinful kingdom, and I will destroy it from the face of the earth;
nevertheless, I will not totally destroy the house of Jacob," declares the LORD. "For behold, I am commanding,
and I will shake the house of Israel among all nations as grain is shaken in a sieve, but not a kernel will fall to the
ground. All the sinners of My people will die by the sword, those who say, ‘The calamity will not overtake or
confront us.’ In that day I will raise up the fallen booth of David, and wall up its breaches; I will also raise up its
ruins, and rebuild it as in the days of old; that they may possess the remnant of Edom and all the nations who are
called by My name," declares the LORD who does this." -Amos 9:8-12.

Make no mistake, the Nation of Israel as it is today is a counterfeit for the Israel of God, a Rothschild invention
largely populated with false "Jews" descended from the Khazars, who were not a Semitic people. They were
forced to convert to Judaism 1200 years ago, for the specific purpose of the future "restoration" of Israel. The
real Semitic people are a small remnant of the Jews today, and the Arabs! That means that the Khazar "Jews"
who persecute the Palestinians are the worst anti-Semites in the world! Indeed, the genealogical records of the
Jews were destroyed by the Romans when Jerusalem was sacked in 70 A.D., but genetic tests have now shown
the Khazar argument to be not entirely true. There ARE real Jews in Israel, and if Ehyeh says He will restore
the nation of Israel in the last days, we simply cannot ignore it. But we need to be extremely careful not to be
deceived by a fake nation-state put in place at the expense of many millions of lives, during two global wars,
including a mass genocide of Jews during Hitler's Holocaust. Any "peace agreement" that involves Israel, the
Vatican, and a rebuilt Temple in Jerusalem is a fake "covenant with death". The Zionists who call themselves
Jews are not, but they are as Jesus said, the "synagogue of Satan" (Revelation 2:9; 3:9). Only a real group of
genuine, Semitic Israelites observing the Torah and believing in Yeshua the Messiah as their King would fulfill
these prophecies. It seems impossible, but with God, perhaps after the discovery of the Tomb of David, "all
things are possible" (Matthew 19:26; Mark 10:27; 14:36).

Why Quote Paul?

In this article and others on this website, you may see references to the writings of Paul, the self-proclaimed
Apostle to the Nations. You may find this to be a bit confusing, so let me explain why I quote him. He was a
Pharisee well versed in the Law, having claimed that he was trained by Gamaliel, the most respected Pharisee on
earth at the time, and he possessed deep insights that were fully in harmony with God's Inspired Word (which is
the reason why he was so good at twisting it). So I look at Paul objectively, in the sense that it seems reasonable
to conclude that although Saul/Paul was a false apostle and a false prophet, he, like many other men, was used by
the Lord to fulfill a specific purpose while also serving as a tool of Satan. God sometimes has a strange way of
bringing about His purposes that we might find difficult to comprehend. But God's ways are higher than our
ways, and His wisdom goes beyond anything that mortal man can even begin to perceive. The bottom line is this:
Without Paul's cheap grace doctrine that was readily accepted by the Gentiles, it is hard to imagine how
Christianity as we know it today would have ever gained any kind of a foothold in the western world, let alone
become the dominant religion. Although it was a tainted gospel that put the Jews and the Torah in a very bad
light, it still enabled Jesus Christ to become a household name, and for his teachings and example of love and
endurance to enter into the hearts and minds of billions, who otherwise may have never been exposed to it.
Think about it: Would the Gentiles have been open to being subjected to a Law Covenant that had been badly
misrepresented and ruined by the Pharisees? How could any of the Gentiles even have observed the Torah
completely while living in societies that were totally secular?

You the reader should "rightly divide the word of truth", as I try to do, and I apply this to everything in the Bible,
even the epistles attributed to Paul. Just because Paul wasn't who he said (or thought) he was, doesn't mean that
every single thing he wrote is trash bin material. Mixed in with Paul's lies is an abundance of true, useful
information. We should also keep in mind that Paul's writings, as all the other writings, have been subjected to
mistranslation, interpolation, and misinterpretation. There's no way of really knowing for sure just how Paul's
writings mutilated God's Word, because an untold percentage of the twisting may be spurious, coming into the
text after he was dead and buried.

Paul indicated that the fulfillment of God’s restorative promises to Israel have been merely put on hold until the
fullness of the Gentiles comes in:

"For if you were cut off from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and were grafted contrary to nature into a
cultivated olive tree, how much more shall these who are the natural branches be grafted into their own olive
tree? For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery, lest you be wise in your own estimation,
that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fulness of the Gentiles has come in; and thus all Israel
will be saved; just as it is written, "The Deliverer will come from Zion, He will remove ungodliness from Jacob.
And this is My covenant with them, when I take away their sins." From the standpoint of the gospel they are
enemies for your sake, but from the standpoint of God’s choice they are beloved for the sake of the fathers; for
the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. For just as you once were disobedient to God, but now have been
shown mercy because of their disobedience, so these also now have been disobedient, in order that because of
the mercy shown to you they also may now be shown mercy. For God has shut up all in disobedience that He
might show mercy to all. Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable
are His judgments and unfathomable His ways." -Romans 11:24-33.

Who is the "Woman" Who Gives Birth?

Revelation is a book of contrasts: Good vs. evil, the mark of the beast vs. the mark of God, and true prophets vs.
false prophets. The woman in the vision of Revelation chapter 17 represents a great city of evil and harlotry
against God. The identity of the harlot, the unfaithful woman, can provide a clue to the identity of the righteous
woman by way of this contrast. We find at Galatians 4:26 that the "Jerusalem above" is portrayed as the mother
of the Christian Congregation. Paul was alluding to the fact that Abraham had two sons, one by the bondwoman
and one by the free woman. The son by the bondwoman was born according to the flesh, and the son by the free
woman through the promise. This is allegorically speaking of the two covenants represented by Hagar and Sarah:

"For it is written that Abraham had two sons: the one by the servant girl, the other by a freewoman.
But he who was of the servant girl was born according to the flesh, and he of the free woman through the promise,
which things are symbolic. For these are two covenants: one in fact from Mount Sinai, bearing children into
slavery, which is Hagar-- for Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and corresponds to the present Jerusalem, and is in
slavery with her children--but the Jerusalem above is free, which is the mother of us all. For it is written:
"Rejoice, O barren, who does not give birth; break forth and shout, who does not have birth pangs; because the
children of the desolate are many more than those of her who has a husband." But we, brothers, like Isaac, are
children of promise." -Galatians 4:22-28.

"Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness, who seek the LORD: look to the rock from which you were hewn,
and to the quarry from which you were dug. Look to Abraham your father,
and to Sarah who gave birth to you in pain." -Isaiah 51:1,2.

"That is, it is not the children of the flesh who are children of God, but the children of the promise are regarded
as descendants. For this is a word of promise; "At this time I will come, and Sarah will have a son.""
-Romans 9:8,9.

If Sarah represents the free woman, the Jerusalem above, then her children are the children of God, for which all
creation is groaning in expectation. Jerusalem above is described as barren and desolate, but she is an
allegorical representation of the fleshly, free and promised line of Sarah on earth, who literally give painful birth
to children out of their physical wombs. In this way, Jerusalem above would represent our spiritual mother while
Sarah would represent our physical mother. It is God who transforms the natural into the spiritual, and this may
represent how He will transform physical bodies into heavenly bodies.

"And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; he shall bruise you on
the head, and you shall bruise him on the heel. To the woman He said, "I will greatly multiply your pain in
childbirth, in pain you shall bring forth children . . ." -Genesis 3:15-16.

"Nevertheless she shall be saved through childbirth, if they remain in faith and love,
and sanctification, with self-control." -1 Timothy 2:15 EMTV.

The prophecy at Genesis 3:15 is clearly reflected in the vision of the heavenly woman in Revelation 12. She is a
picture of the physical line of Sarah, and not the spiritual Jerusalem above who neither labors nor gives birth. A
crown often represents children in scripture, so the crown of twelve stars upon the woman's head must represent
the twelve sons of Israel, as well as the twelve foundational stones of the city of New Jerusalem representing the
Apostles. She has not yet broken free of the curse of birth pains of Genesis and been restored. There is a
specific group of people at the end of the age that flees into the wilderness, to be protected from Satan for three
and one-half years, and is restored through the process of giving birth to a portion of the Church. Who is she,
sealed for redemption, yet identified separately from the Church?

Christmas Hijacked Chanukah

The Zionist State of Israel that was established in 1948 is based on the Talmud and is diametrically opposed to
the True Is-Real. The Israelites were God's chosen people and would have remained so if they had been
faithful. The first-century church was Jewish and followed the Torah, but because of improperly applied full
"replacement theology" and the hijacking of Christianity by Paul and others, the church has come to be in a faith-
based (and not works) state of lawlessness, exactly what Yeshua said He would find on His arrival.

The Jewish Festivals were, are still, and always will be holy to God. They are the only true "holidays" and have
nothing to do with Pagan myths. This sets Torah Judaism apart from Babylon the Great, and all it would need to
be the True Faith of God would be the acceptance of Yeshua Messiah. Yeshua celebrated Chanukah (The
Festival of Lights, John 10:22) which had absolutely nothing to do with His birth. It was a celebration of the re-
dedication of the Temple in Jerusalem by the Maccabees after it was desecrated by Antiochus in the 2nd century
BC. The miracle of the lamp oil was a sure sign by God that the Temple in Jerusalem needed to be standing and
operating when the Messiah appeared, in order for prophecy to be fulfilled. It was the Roman Church that turned
the Festival of Lights into the Festival of the SUN-God, which was "reborn" annually on the eve of the winter
solstice, December 24-25. Many other aspects of the ancient myths were also incorporated into "Christianity"
by the Simon Magus-founded Church of Rome. Santa Claus, Christmas trees, and mistletoe (used by the
Illuminati in their Satanic rituals, apparently it has some type of power) are all pagan tradition. Jesus pinpointed
old St. Nick in the book of Revelation as the "sect of Nicolaus". Christmas trees were exposed for exactly what
they are at Jeremiah 10:2-5:

"Thus saith the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the
heathen are dismayed at them. For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest,
the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe. They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with
nails and with hammers, that it move not. They are upright as the palm tree, but speak not: they must needs be
borne, because they cannot go. Be not afraid of them; for they cannot do evil, neither is it in them to do good."

Is-Real in the Wilderness

Reflecting on Jeremiah 31:35-37, Ehyeh is taking the opportunity to remind us, that just as much as we cannot
even accurately measure the distance to our own sun, let alone the stars, nor have we searched out the depths of
the earth very much beyond the top of its outer crust, God has not cast off Israel. Ehyeh consistently portrays
Israel as His wife, for the purpose of bringing forth the children of God, even though she is adulterous and
unfaithful. She is initially rejected, but will later be accepted and restored:

"Behold, the tempest of the LORD! Wrath has gone forth, a sweeping tempest; it will burst on the head of the
wicked. The fierce anger of the LORD will not turn back, until He has performed, and until He has accomplished
the intent of His heart; in the latter days you will understand this. "At that time," declares the LORD, "I will be
the God of all the families of Israel, and they shall be my people." Thus says the LORD, "The people who
survived the sword found grace in the wilderness --- Israel, when it went to find its rest." -Jeremiah 30:23-31:2.

"Therefore, behold, I will allure her, bring her into the wilderness, and speak kindly to her. Then I will give her
her vineyards from there, and the valley of Achor as a door of hope. And she will sing there as in the days of her
youth, as in the day when she came up from the land of Egypt. And it will come about in that day," declares the
LORD, "That you will call Me Ishi [i.e., my husband] and will no longer call Me Baali [i.e., my master]."
-Hosea 2:14-16.

"Then the LORD said to me, "Go again, love a woman who is loved by her husband, yet an adulteress, even as
the LORD loves the sons of Israel . . . Afterward the sons of Israel will return and seek the LORD their God and
David their king; and they will come trembling to the LORD and to His goodness in the last days." -Hosea 3:1, 5.

"For the LORD has called you, like a wife forsaken and grieved in spirit, even like a wife of one’s youth when
she is rejected," says your God. "For a brief moment I forsook you, but with great compassion I will gather you.
In an outburst of anger I hid My face from you for a moment; but with everlasting loving kindness I will have
compassion on you," says the LORD your Redeemer." -Isaiah 54:6-8.

"....and I shall bring you into the wilderness of the peoples, and there I shall enter into judgment with you face to
face . . . And I shall make you pass under the rod, and I shall bring you into the bond of the covenant."
-Ezekiel 20:35, 37.

"I will go away and return to My place until they acknowledge their guilt and seek My face; in their affliction
they will earnestly seek Me. Come, let us return to the LORD, for He has torn us, but He will heal us; He has
wounded us, but He will bandage us. He will revive us after two days; He will raise us up on the third day that we
may live before Him." -Hosea 5:15-6:2.

"Now why do you cry out loudly? Is there no king among you, or has your counselor perished, that agony has
gripped you like a woman in childbirth? Writhe and labor to give birth, Daughter of Zion, like a woman in
childbirth . . . Therefore, He will give them up until the time when she who is in labor has borne a child. Then the
remainder of His brethren will return to the sons of Israel." -Micah 4:9-10, 5:3.

The book of Revelation is written specifically to the Church, but the Old Testament is teeming with unfulfilled
promises to the literal nation of Israel. Ehyeh has stated that He will never forget His chosen people Israel, but
the churches, congregations and preachers of predominantly Gentile modern-day Christianity often do. Paul
emphatically spelled out the primacy of the Jewish root from which the Gentile branches receive their life-giving
sap, in Romans Chapter 11. The Gentile branches can only be grafted onto the Jewish root, because Jesus was a
Jew, due to the natural branches, the Jews, being broken off. He also contributed the wise counsel that we should
not be arrogant toward Jews, saying: "And if the first piece of dough be holy, the lump is also; and if the root be
holy, the branches are too. But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive, were grafted
in among them and became partaker with them of the rich root of the olive tree, do not be arrogant toward the
branches; but if you are arrogant, remember that it is not you who supports the root, but the root supports you."
-Romans 11:16-18.

Thus it seems possible that Church doctrines concerning the end-times have the key players mixed up. It is
claimed that Israel is the subject of the warnings of Matthew 24 (which are clearly addressed to Jesus’ disciples),
and the Church is interpreted as the heavenly woman in Revelation Chapter 12, when it is clearly represented by
her offspring. In this way Israel is a key player in the book of Revelation, but she is behind the scenes struggling
in birth pains.

Hence we should consider the possibility that the literal Jews have been supernaturally blinded for the sake of
the Gentiles. This is a group distinct from Messianic Jews, which would be part of the Church, either the male
child or the offspring of the woman. In Romans 11 Paul makes a clear distinction between the saved remnant of
Israel and those who are hardened and stumble for the sake of the Gentiles, who are restored at the end of the
age when their blindness is removed. Their spiritual vision will be restored by God, and they will be grafted back
onto the holy olive tree. There must be a special group of Israel, sheltered and protected through "the time of
Jacob’s trouble", so that Scripture can be fulfilled concerning the restoration of that nation, which only comes at
the very end of the age. These are clearly distinct from the remnant mentioned at the beginning of Romans 11, as
these are a part of "all Israel" who will be saved.

The scriptures say that all creation is groaning in birth pains, so this heavenly vision can apply to all of creation
since the fall of man. Regardless of how widely symbolic the woman is, and how clearly the symbolism of the male
child describes Jesus, we still need to narrow it down to a specific group people who are alive on the earth during
the time of the end. The Christian Congregation is defined as those who keep God's commandments and have
faith in Jesus, so this would reserve any living Jew or Gentile who falls into this category as either the male child
or the rest of her offspring, but not the woman herself. She would seem to represent those who are not yet
Christians, but are from the line of Sarah and sealed for redemption. In the context of the numerous references to
Israel struggling in birth pains to give birth to the children of God, the woman is best interpreted as a portrayal of
this blinded, but sealed for redemption portion of natural Israel. Evidently we are looking at the church, or body
of Christ, as it will come into focus as the prophecy unfolds. She is being held back from regeneration until the
fullness of the Gentiles comes in.

The woman is specifically protected from Satan and physically preserved until the end of the age, while the "rest
of her offspring" come under Satan's attack. They are called spiritually to defeat the Devil in part by allowing
themselves to be physically overcome. This is the crucial distinction at the heart of Ehyeh's plan for His Christian
Congregation and for literal Israel.

It is the Biblical destiny of this chosen remnant of Israel to be supernaturally protected until the end of the age,
when they will be converted to true Christianity and grafted back into the olive tree. It is also the Biblical destiny
of the Christian Congregation to lay down their lives as the redemptive seed for that conversion, and bring this
remnant of Israel to jealousy by their witness. In this way they demonstrate their love for their brethren and also
prove their loyalty to Jesus. Considering the strained history of Jewish-Christian relations over the last 2,000
years, nothing will heal those wounds short of this demonstration of love.

Who are the Woman's Children?

"And a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her
head a crown of twelve stars; and she was with child; and she cried out, being in labor and in pain to give birth.
And another sign appeared in heaven: and behold, a great red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and on
his heads were seven diadems. And his tail swept away a third of the stars of heaven, and threw them to the
earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she gave birth, he might
devour her child. And she gave birth to a son, a male child, who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron; and her
child was caught up to God and to His throne. And the woman fled into the wilderness where she had a place
prepared by God, so that there she might be nourished for one thousand two hundred and sixty days."
-Revelation 12:1-6.

Of all the visions in the Bible concerning Ehyeh's eternal plan to redeem His creation at the end of the age, this
may be the most mysterious, and yet the most foundational. In order to identify the woman and her children, it is
crucial to understand who the redeemed ones are. As with all prophecy, the entire body of Biblical prophecy must
be taken into consideration in order to identify the key players. She is revealed as a "great sign" in Heaven
along with her children, the "male child" and the "rest of her offspring." If they are a "sign", and the dragon is
able to "stand before" the woman, and she then "flees into the wilderness", she must be an earthly, physical,
flesh and blood counterpart to the sign seen in heaven. Let's read further on in the chapter for more clues:

"And when the dragon saw that he was thrown down to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the
male child. And the two wings of the great eagle were given to the woman, in order that she might fly into the
wilderness to her place, where she was nourished or a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the
serpent. And the serpent poured water like a river out of his mouth after the woman, so that he might cause her
to be swept away with the flood. And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and drank up
the river which the dragon poured out of his mouth. And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and went off to
make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and hold
to the testimony of Jesus." -Revelation 12:13-17.

It is evident that this vision in Heaven has an application to the entire history of the redeemed ones of God. Ever
since Eve, there has always been a woman struggling to give birth, and Satan has always sought to destroy her
offspring (Genesis 3:15). Immediately we think of Moses and Jesus, who both survived desperate attempts to
have them killed while still infants. We are also reminded of Pharaoh and the Israelites, and Esther and Haman.
It is now necessary to identify who is on the earth during the last three and a half years of the age who represent
the subjects of this heavenly vision.

The "Rest of Her Offspring"

The most easily identifiable ones to match up with the "holy ones" of Daniel and Revelation are the "rest of her
offspring" that the dragon goes off to make war against:

"And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and went off to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep
the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus." -Revelation 12:17.

"And it was given to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them; and authority over every tribe and
people and tongue and nation was given to him." -Revelation 13:7.

The "saints" or "holy ones" represent the final generation of the Christian Congregation on earth at the end of
the age. Revelation chapters 13 and 14 describe the war that Satan conducts against the holy ones. They are
encouraged throughout to keep their perseverance and faith (Revelation 13:10), and to keep the commandments
of God and their faith in Jesus (Revelation 14:12). During this time, the eighth and final King of Fierce
Countenance, the Antichrist, is given authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation, but a great
multitude that no one could count, from every tribe and people and tongue and nation, emerges victoriously!

The "Male Child"

Scholars have different opinions of who the "male child" represents. Most conclude the seemingly obvious
analogy to Jesus, but the great majority for some reason do not recognize that the vision of Revelation given to
John was indicating the events of "the Lord's Day" (Revelation 1:10) which has not yet commenced! It refers to
the "time of the end", of which Jesus said was the time of the harvest, the separation of the sheep from the
goats, the wheat from the tares. So this prophecy is indicating a "birth" at the three and a half year point before
the end of the age. Jesus likened the events of this time to increasing birth pains.

Paul said that the whole creation is groaning, as in the pains of childbirth, for the revealing of the sons of God
(Romans 8:19-23). The birth of the male child is the only birth clearly identified in the book of Revelation,
suggesting that this male child represents the Sons of God for which the whole creation is waiting:

"And she gave birth to a son, a male child, who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron; and her child was
caught up to God and to His throne. And the woman fled into the wilderness where she had a place prepared by
God, so that there she might be nourished for one thousand two hundred and sixty days." -Revelation 12:5,6.

"I will surely tell of the decree of the LORD: He said to me, "Thou art My Son, today I have begotten Thee.
Ask of Me, and I will surely give the nations as Thine inheritance, and the very ends of the earth as Thy
possession. Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron, Thou shalt shatter them like earthenware." -Psalm 2:7-9.

"And he who overcomes, and he who keeps My deeds until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations;
and he shall rule them with a rod of iron, as the vessels of the potter are broken to pieces, as I also have received
authority from My Father...." -Revelation 2:26,27.

"Be on guard, that your hearts may not be weighted down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of
life, and that day come on you suddenly like a trap; for it will come upon all those who dwell on the face of all the
earth. But keep on the alert at all times, praying in order that you may be counted worthy to escape all these
things that are about to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man."
-Luke 21:34-36.

"And I looked, and behold, the Lamb was standing on Mount Zion, and with Him one hundred and forty-four
thousand, having His name and the name of His Father written on their foreheads . . . These are the ones who
have not been defiled with women, for they have kept themselves chaste. These are the ones who follow the
Lamb wherever He goes. These have been purchased from among men as first fruits to God and to the Lamb.
And no lie was found in their mouth; they are blameless." -Revelation 14:1,4,5.

If the male child is snatched away to God's throne, it would best be represented by the first-fruits offering to
God. Jesus made it clear that a certain select group would be "kept from the hour of testing":

"Because you have kept the word of My perseverance, I also will keep you from the hour of testing, that hour
which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell upon the earth . . . He who overcomes, I will
make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he will not go out from it anymore; and I will write upon him the
name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from
My God, and My new name. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."
-Revelation 3:10,12,13.

Here we see a distinct group that matches up exactly with the 144,000 of Revelation 14:1 (EMTV): "And I saw,
and behold, the Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand, having His
name and the name of His Father having been written on their foreheads." This particular group has the new
name of Jesus, and the name of the Father (obviously a different name!) and the name of the city of which they
are now residents, the New Jerusalem.

If 144,000 is a literal number, and if there are nominally two billion Christians on the earth at the end of the age,
the chosen ones would comprise a ratio of only one out of approximately 20,000! The first-fruits of the final
harvest is indeed just a few select kernels compared to the vast field of grain that will be reaped. These are the
few that have followed Jesus wherever He goes, and the remaining ones, the "rest of her offspring" will need to
be purified and refined during the great tribulation, until they have attained the likeness of Jesus. That is why
Jesus said that those who endure to the end are the ones who will be saved. They are not loved any less than the
first-fruits by our Father Ehyeh, but they are called to be witnesses of Jesus in order to complete God's
manifestation, through His congregation, of His eternal wisdom, in the great legal case brought forth by the
rebellious Sons of God who had been residing in their principalities in the heavenly places before they were cast
to the earth along with their master the dragon. It would seem then, that the male child in heaven, the first-fruits
harvest of the Church, is heard speaking at Revelation 12:10,11:

"And I heard a loud voice in heaven saying, "Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and
the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, who accuses them
before our God day and night. And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word
of their testimony, and they did not love their life even to death."

The accuser of the brethren found no sin in the first fruits, as he found no sin in Jesus, because "no lie was found
in their mouths, and they are blameless." They have been presented to Jesus as pure virgins, and they have
achieved bride status. Those who remain behind are those who have been betrothed, and will have to achieve
bride status through purification. The bride isn't made ready until Revelation 19:8, where it says: "And to her it
was granted that she should be dressed in fine linen, bright and pure, for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of
the saints."

The tense of the Greek verb used for "overcame" denotes an action not yet completed, but already considered
as if completed. The snatching up of the male child at the mid-point of the final seven years would seem to qualify
as a "pre-great tribulation" rapture, if these are indeed holy ones chosen from among the living. But we need to
remember that the 144,000 are sealed in their foreheads at the opening of the sixth seal. At this time they are
provided protection from the demonic hordes of locusts that come out of Satan's abyss, which comes at the fifth
trumpet, nearly at the end of the tribulation. (Revelation 9:1-11) The whole purpose of the great tribulation is
Ehyeh's attempt to bring mankind to repentance. Any ancient prophet who preached in sackcloth was preaching
repentance, and that is the purpose of the Two Witnesses preaching in sackcloth at Revelation 11:3.

Revelation 3:9 shows they are not in heaven: "Behold, I give out of those of the synagogue of Satan, those
saying themselves to be Jews and are not, but lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before your feet,
and to know that I have loved you." At Revelation 2:9 we read: "I know your works and tribulation and poverty
(but you are rich), and I know the blasphemy of those saying themselves to be Jews, and are not, but are the
synagogue of Satan."

Just as Christians were not raptured out of the tribulation that fell on Jerusalem in the first century, neither will
they be plucked up to heaven in the tribulation that ends the age. The first-century Jews that escaped hid
themselves in Babylon, and they were protected from suffering the "Armageddon" that fell upon the nation of
Israel at the hands of the Roman armies of Titus in the year 70 A.D.

"But he who endures to the end, the same shall be kept safe." (Matthew 24:13) "For false Christs and false
prophets will arise and show great signs and wonders; so much so that, if it were possible, they would deceive
even the elect." (v. 24) "And unless those days should be shortened, no flesh would be saved. But for the elect's
sake, those days shall be shortened." -v. 22.

To be in this group means they have acquired the necessary maturity in Jesus, as evidenced by how they have
conducted their lives up until that point: "...that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having
no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she should be holy and blameless." -Ephesians 5:27.
___________________________________________________________________________________________

The following article is presented as food for thought. As with all the information on this website, it is presented
as a possible explanation of the truth, and should be scrutinized and researched by the reader personally. Many
students of the Bible now consider that the 144,000 of Revelation chapters 7 and 14 could be two different
groups, because one group appears to be on earth and the other in heaven. Additionally, the Revelation is a
highly symbolic book, and it is possible that 144,000 is not a literal number, and could represent the completeness
of the group (12 x 12 x 1000). This could possibly be the answer to a question that many of have asked, because
there have already been hundreds of millions who have been martyred in the name of Jesus, and it appears that
there will be at least that many during the time of the end.

Who are the 144,000?
From restoringthevision.com

"And I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, having the seal of the living God; and he cried out
with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea, saying, "Do not harm
the earth or the sea or the trees, until we have sealed the bond-servants of our God on their foreheads." And I
heard the number of those who were sealed, one hundred and forty-four thousand sealed from every tribe of the
sons of Israel . . ." -Revelation 7:2-4.

"And I looked, and behold, the Lamb was standing on Mount Zion, and with Him one hundred and forty-four
thousand, having His name and the name of His Father written on their foreheads. And I heard a voice from
heaven, like the sound of many waters and like the sound of loud thunder, and the voice which I heard was like
the sound of harpists playing on their harps. And they sang a new song before the throne and before the four
living creatures and the elders; and no one could learn the song except the one hundred and forty-four thousand
who had been purchased from the earth. These are the ones who have not been defiled with women, for they have
kept themselves chaste. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These have been purchased
from among men as first fruits to God and to the Lamb. And no lie was found in their mouth; they are blameless."
-Revelation 14:1-5.

If there are two Jerusalems, there can be two groups of 144,000. There are significant differences between the
first group in Revelation chapter 7 and the group in chapter 14, both in their descriptions and the timing of their
appearances on the scene. Those of Chapter 7 are selected from every tribe of Israel, while those of Chapter 14
are selected from among men. Those of Chapter 14 are in heaven before the gospel is preached to the whole
world and before the trumpet judgments, while those of Chapter 7 are on earth after the preaching of the gospel
to the whole world, being sealed to go through the trumpet judgments. Those in Chapter 7 are marked with the
seal of God on their foreheads, while those in Chapter 14 are marked with the name of God and the name of the
Lamb on their foreheads.

The first group of 144,000 in Revelation Chapter 7 from the twelve tribes of Israel is sealed during the time delay
between the sixth and seventh seals to protect them from the oncoming wrath of God in the form of the trumpet
judgments. They are mentioned at the time of the fifth trumpet as being protected from the demonic hordes.
Satan has obviously been released in the trumpet judgments to serve as an instrument of God’s wrath. This is a
much different function of Satan than was allowed during the great tribulation, where the saints were subject to
the limited fury of Satan. Satan was tethered on a restraining leash during the great tribulation, but in the
trumpets he is given more rope. Satan’s restrained fury, evidenced against the Church during the great
tribulation, will pale in comparison to God’s wrath allowed in the form of the trumpet judgments. But the Church
is not appointed to God’s wrath. The Blood of Jesus will protect the Church from God’s wrath even as the blood
on the door posts of the Israelites protected them from the plagues that befell Egypt. The similarities between
some of the plagues of Egypt and some of the trumpet judgments are obvious.

We, the Church, are sealed with the seal of the Holy Spirit when we are born again. We won’t need another seal
applied just before the trumpet judgments to protect us from God’s wrath. "For God has not destined us for
wrath . . ." (1 Thessalonians 5:9). We are protected and will continue to be protected from God’s wrath and from
Satan and his demonic hordes, and not by being removed from the earth.

"I do not ask Thee to take them out of the world, but to keep [protect, NIV] them from the evil one."
(John 17:15). Jesus’ prayer has been answered. We must remember, however, that being kept and protected
from Satan in this context is not the same as being protected from physical death at the hands of Satan, which will
be allowed during the great tribulation. Being protected from Satan as used in this context refers to being
protected from being spiritually overcome. It has nothing to do with preserving our earthly lives.

"But you will be delivered up even by parents and brothers and relatives and friends, and they will put some of
you to death, and you will be hated by all on account of My name. Yet not a hair of your head will perish. By your
endurance you will gain your lives." (Luke 21:16-19). Not a hair of our heads will perish and by our endurance
we will gain our lives --- even though we may be put to death. This is an eternal perspective, not an earthly one,
and one which makes sense only to those who have put their total trust in Jesus Christ and see eternity beyond
as more real than this life’s transient vapor.

"In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation --- having also believed,
you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to
the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory." (Ephesians 1:13-14). "Now He who
establishes us with you in Christ and anointed us is God, who also sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts
as a pledge." (2 Corinthians 1:21-22). If They were the Church, They would Already be Sealed!

The Scriptures we have just looked at indicate that, by definition, the Church is sealed and protected from God’s
wrath. Why then does this group of 144,000 from twelve tribes of Israel need special provision between the sixth
and seventh seals to protect them from the beginning of wrath which follows the breaking of the seventh seal?

Those who hold to the pre-tribulation rapture position will say that all this indicates that the Church has already
been raptured, and that these 144,000 are Jewish evangelists left on earth during the last three and one-half
years to preach the gospel. But according to pre-trib logic, if they are evangelists believing in Jesus, they would
have been raptured with the rest of the Church. And if they are not believers in Jesus, they cannot preach the
gospel. There must be another explanation as to who these 144,000 are.

Since the Church does not need to have things put on hold between the sixth and seventh seals until they are
given a special seal to protect them from God’s wrath, this must be a special group not yet sealed with the Holy
Spirit. Their sealing at this time does not prove prior rapture; it is a special sealing of those not yet covered by
the Blood of the Lamb. Who is this unique Jewish group, identified and sealed for protection at this time,
apparently not previously sealed with the Holy Spirit, yet referred to as bondservants? I believe the descriptions
of the markings on their foreheads, though subtle in difference, may be important.

Matching the 144,000 of Revelation 7 with the Woman of Revelation 12

The conclusions of the last chapter were that a reserved and blinded remnant of Israel must be supernaturally
protected during the last three and one-half years of the age in order to fulfill the prophetic role of Zion destined
for labor pains until her children are brought forth. These 144,000 of Revelation 7 fit that description. They are
reserved for salvation at the end of the age, but not yet covered by the Blood of the Lamb at the time of the
trumpet judgments. They will need special provision to survive until the end of the age. They are protected from
Satan during the great tribulation as they flee into the wilderness. In addition, they are sealed here for protection
from the wrath of God so that they can survive until the fullness of the Gentiles comes in at the end of the age at
which time they will be brought into the New Covenant of the Blood of Jesus Christ.

"And out of the smoke came forth locusts upon the earth; and power was given them, as the scorpions of the
earth have power. And they were told that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, nor any green thing, nor
any tree, but only the men who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads." (Revelation 9:3-4).

In addition to these 144,000 reserved Israelites who have the seal of God on their foreheads, every living
member of the Church of Jesus Christ left on earth is already sealed with the seal of the Holy Spirit. Those
marked and protected with the seal of God and the Holy Spirit will directly contrast those sealed with the mark of
Satan. Everyone on the planet will wear one seal or the other. There will be no neutral ground. Satan is a
counterfeiter, and when he sees the seal of God on the forehead of the male child in the form of the name of God
and the name of the Lamb (Revelation 14:1), he will respond with his own counterfeit mark to be placed on the
wrist or forehead of his own sons.

I believe that the beginning of Revelation Chapter 14 is a flashback because the preaching of the gospel to the
entire world described in Revelation 14:6, which takes place during the last three and one-half years of the age,
has to have already taken place by the sixth seal. This has to be true, because in order for the great multitude of
Revelation 7:9 to have come out of the great tribulation from every nation and tribe and people and tongue, they
had to have had the gospel preached to them! There must therefore be two independent groups of 144,000 in
view, as one group would not be identified both in heaven before the great tribulation is over and also on earth
being marked so as to be protected from the trumpet judgments which follow that great tribulation.

First Fruits

"You shall count fifty days to the day after the seventh sabbath; then you shall present a new grain offering to
the LORD. You shall bring in from your dwelling places two loaves of bread for a wave offering, made of two-
tenths of an ephah; they shall be of a fine flour, baked with leaven as first fruits to the LORD."
(Leviticus 23:16-17) "And you shall celebrate the Feast of Weeks, that is, the first fruits of the wheat
harvest . . ." -Exodus 34:22.

The two loaves of the Feast of Weeks (also known as the Feast of Harvest of the First Fruits) that are baked with
leaven (as opposed to the unleavened bread representing Jesus) are commonly considered as representing the
Church, composed of redeemed Jew and Gentile. The day of this feast, when the two loaves of bread are brought
before the Lord as a grain wave offering of first fruits, is also known as the day of Pentecost.

"And when the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from
heaven a noise like a violent, rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. And there
appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them. And they were
all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance. . .
but this is what was spoken of through the prophet Joel: "AND IT SHALL BE IN THE LAST DAYS," God says,
"THAT I WILL POUR FORTH OF MY SPIRIT UPON ALL MANKIND; AND YOUR SONS AND YOUR
DAUGHTERS SHALL PROPHESY, AND YOUR YOUNG MEN SHALL SEE VISIONS, AND YOUR OLD
MEN SHALL DREAM DREAMS; EVEN UPON MY BONDSLAVES, BOTH MEN AND WOMEN, I WILL
IN THOSE DAYS POUR FORTH OF MY SPIRIT and they shall prophesy. AND I WILL GRANT WONDERS
IN THE SKY ABOVE, AND SIGNS ON THE EARTH BENEATH, BLOOD, AND FIRE, AND VAPOR OF
SMOKE. THE SUN SHALL BE TURNED INTO DARKNESS, AND THE MOON INTO BLOOD, BEFORE
THE GREAT AND GLORIOUS DAY OF THE LORD SHALL COME. AND IT SHALL BE, THAT
EVERYONE WHO CALLS ON THE NAME OF THE LORD SHALL BE SAVED" -Acts 2:1-4,16-21.

Matching the 144,000 of Revelation 14:1 with the Male Child

As presented in the previous chapter, I believe this second group of 144,000 of Revelation 14:1 is the male child
of Revelation 12:5. The offspring of the woman of Revelation 12 are two: the "male child" and the "rest of her
offspring." The rest of her offspring are clearly identified as the saints warred against by the dragon (Satan),
while the male child is snatched up to heaven out of reach of Satan’s grasp. This snatching up is described as
taking place at the three and one-half year point (the midpoint) of the final seven years of the age, and it
corresponds in timing to Revelation 14:1 where we see the 144,000 in heaven before the gospel is preached to
the entire world. This preaching of the gospel to the entire world will be the substance of the last three and one-
half years of the age, performed by a Church in the anointing and authority and power described in
Revelation 12:10.

They have matured early as first fruits into the likeness of Jesus. There is no need for them to be further tested
and refined by the great tribulation, as they are ready to be taken into the house of God. Hence they may
correspond to the overcoming saints of the church of Philadelphia who are said to be kept from the hour of testing
coming upon the whole earth and who have the Father’s name and the name of Jesus on their foreheads. They
may also correspond to the overcoming saints of the church of Thyatira who will rule the nations with a rod of
iron. All indications are that they are a mixed company of Jew and Gentile.

What is revealed here may indeed be a pre-tribulation rapture, but if so, it is a pre-great tribulation rapture of
only the select few who will qualify as first fruits. The bulk of the saints will not have ripened sufficiently before
the great tribulation to qualify. Satan still has something in them that has to be burned out by the purifying fires
of tribulation in order to make them worthy of the Kingdom of God and refine them into the bride company
without spot or wrinkle.

All indications are that a great outpouring of the Holy Spirit takes place at this point when the male child in the
form of the first fruits is snatched up to heaven and Satan is hurled to earth. "And I heard a loud voice in heaven,
saying, "Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have
come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, who accuses them before our God day and night."
-Revelation 12:10.

This power and authority and salvation and evidence of God’s Kingdom which comes to earth are descriptive of
what happened when the Holy Spirit fell on the day of Pentecost two thousand years ago. It takes place here
again at the end of the age at the timing of the waving of the first fruits before the Lord, i.e., the snatching up of
the male child.

The first fruits are speaking from heaven in Revelation 12:11 prophesying the victory of their brethren left on
earth who will overcome Satan by the Blood of the Lamb, the word of their testimony, and by loving not their lives
unto death. "Therefore, He will give them up until the time when she who is in labor has borne a child. Then the
remainder of His brethren will return to the sons of Israel." -Micah 5:3.

The makeup of the one-new-man first-fruits company of Jew and Gentile that forms the male child will establish
the standard for those remaining on the earth. It will be a call to a primarily Gentile Church left on earth to
establish the proper understanding and relationship to God’s chosen people of irrevocable covenant. There is
definitely a returning and a rejoining that takes place during this period of time after the birth of the male child.
The Church that will demonstrate the wisdom of God to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places during
the last three and one-half years of the age can only be a one-new-man Church comprised of redeemed Jew and
Gentile.

A Child is Born

(An adaptation of this essay from restoringthevision.com)

"As the pregnant woman approaches the time to give birth, she writhes and cries out in her labor pains, thus were
we before Thee, O LORD. We were pregnant, we writhed in labor, we gave birth, as it were, only to wind. We
could not accomplish deliverance for the earth nor were inhabitants of the world born." -Isaiah 26:17,18.

These are the words of Zion agonizing in the contractions of childbirth until the purposes of God are brought
forth, it is not the church speaking. Romans 11:26 says: "The Deliverer will come from Zion, He will remove
ungodliness from Jacob", in direct contrast to the Gentile Congregation Paul was addressing. This is the woman
of Revelation 12 in the pains of the birthing process, Zion on earth laboring in pain to give birth to her children.
Ehyeh's covenant with Israel has not been abolished, it is through Israel that God will bless all nations.

"Then God said to Abraham, "As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her
name. And I will bless her, and indeed I will give you a son by her. Then I will bless her, and she shall be a mother
of nations; kings of peoples shall come from her." -Genesis 17:15,16.

"And the LORD said, "Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do, since Abraham will surely become a
great and mighty nation, and in him all the nations of the earth will be blessed?" (Genesis 18:17,18) ". . . for the
gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable." (Romans 11:29) "Now if their transgression be riches for the world
and their failure be riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their fulfillment be." -Romans 11:12.

Deliverance for the earth and giving birth to the inhabitants of the world was their original calling and purpose.
Although in the natural and in their own eyes they failed, the purposes of God are not thwarted by mere human
shortcoming.

"The children of whom you were bereaved will yet say in your ears, "The place is too cramped for me; make
room for me that I may live here." Then you will say in your heart, "Who has begotten these for me, since I have
been bereaved of my children, and am barren, an exile and a wanderer? And who has reared these? Behold, I
was left alone; from where did these come?" -Isaiah 49:20,21.

"Shout for joy, O barren one, you who have borne no child; break forth into joyful shouting and cry aloud, you
who have not travailed; for the sons of the desolate one will be more numerous than the sons of the married
woman," says the LORD . . . O afflicted one, storm-tossed, and not comforted, behold I will set your stones in
antimony, and your foundations I will lay in sapphires. Moreover, I will make your battlements of rubies, and
your gates of crystal, and your entire wall of precious stones. And all your sons will be taught of the LORD; and
the well-being of your sons will be great." -Isaiah 54:1, 11-13.

"Before she travailed, she brought forth; before her pain came, she gave birth to a boy. Who has heard such a
thing? Who has seen such things? Can a land be born in one day? Can a nation be brought forth all at once? As
soon as Zion travailed, she also brought forth her sons. Shall I bring to the point of birth, and not give delivery?"
says the LORD. "Or shall I who gives delivery shut the womb?" says your God." -Isaiah 66:7-9.

Nations of the earth will yet be considered sons of Israel. This was God’s original plan and is still in effect.
However, Israel has suffered, is suffering, and must continue to suffer the agony of that birthing, until the birthing
process is complete.

"I looked on the earth, and behold, it was formless and void; and to the heavens, and they had no light. I looked
on the mountains, and behold, they were quaking, and all the hills moved to and fro . . . For I heard a cry as of a
woman in labor, the anguish as of one giving birth to her first child, the cry of the daughter of Zion gasping for
breath, stretching out her hands, saying, "Ah, woe is me, for I faint before murderers."" -Jeremiah 4:23,24,31.

"Now these are the words which the LORD spoke concerning Israel and concerning Judah, "For thus says the
LORD, ‘I have heard a sound of terror, of dread, and there is no peace. Ask now, and see, if a male can give
birth. Why do I see every man with his hands on his loins, as a woman in childbirth? And why have all faces
turned pale? Alas! for that day is great, there is none like it; and it is the time of Jacob’s distress, but he will be
saved from it." -Jeremiah 30:4-7.

"Now why do you cry out loudly? Is there no king among you, or has your counselor perished, that agony has
gripped you like a woman in childbirth? Writhe and labor to give birth, Daughter of Zion, like a woman in
childbirth . . . Therefore, He will give them up until the time when she who is in labor has borne a child. Then the
remainder of His brethren will return to the sons of Israel." -Micah 4:9,10; 5:3).

The essence of the mystery of Israel and the Church is contained in these scriptures, which most clearly portray
Israel in the form of Zion, or the Daughter of Zion, as the woman of Revelation 12 on earth in the agony of
childbirth. This model represents the constraints in which natural chosen Israel has been placed until the fullness
of the Gentiles has come in, at which time God will restore this remnant of Israel to the degree of the original
promises. She is a special set-aside remnant of the elect called to a specific purpose -- to birth the Gentile
Church. This is not about two Churches. This is about a one-new-man company Church under construction.
-See Ephesians 2:13-22.

Children of the Kingdom, which Israel has not physically birthed, will be attributed to her as her spiritual children.
Children of Ruth (Gentiles), fathered in spirit by their Kinsman-Redeemer, will be considered the spiritual
children of Naomi (Israel). Even as Obed nursed on Naomi’s lap, the nations are portrayed as nursing at the
bosom of Jerusalem. It is the mystery of Israel’s birthing of the Gentile Church that releases Gentile wombs to
reciprocate and be fruitful on Israel’s behalf.

"Whenever a woman is in travail she has sorrow, because her hour has come; but when she gives birth to the
child, she remembers the anguish no more, for joy that a child has been born into the world." -John 16:21.

"Be joyful with Jerusalem and rejoice for her, all you who love her; be exceedingly glad with her, all you who
mourn over her, that you may nurse and be satisfied with her comforting breasts, that you may suck and be
delighted with her bountiful bosom." For thus says the LORD, "Behold, I extend peace to her like a river, and
the glory of the nations like an overflowing stream; and you shall be nursed, you shall be carried on the hip and
fondled on the knees. As one whom his mother comforts, so I will comfort you;
and you shall be comforted in Jerusalem." -Isaiah 66:10-13.

The birth pains she has suffered throughout the age have been, to a measurable extent,
for the benefit of the Gentiles.

"For just as you once were disobedient to God, but now have been shown mercy because of their disobedience, so
these also now have been disobedient, in order that because of the mercy shown to you they also may now be
shown mercy . . . Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are
His judgments and unfathomable His ways." -Romans 11:30-31, 33.

May God hasten the day when their blindness will be supernaturally removed and they will say,
"Blessed is He Who comes in the name of the Lord!"

"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to
gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling. Behold,
your house is being left to you desolate! For I say to you, from now on you shall not see Me until you say,
"BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD!" -Matthew 23:37-39.

They will be forgiven, born again, Spirit-filled, and re-grafted into the one-new-man company. Let us not fail to
incorporate these magnificent promises to Zion into our vision and understand that they are yet to be fulfilled in a
restored Jerusalem in a restored Israel. The irrevocable covenant that God made with Abraham was not
dependent on the performance of Israel as a nation. Although the covenant was not revoked, their disobedience
brought judgment upon them.

"And he said, "Go, and tell this people: ‘Keep on listening, but do not perceive; keep on looking, but do not
understand.’ Render the hearts of this people insensitive, their ears dull, and their eyes dim, lest they see with
their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and return and be healed." -Isaiah 6:9,10.

The woman is still trapped under the Genesis curse until . . .

"Then I said, "Lord, how long?" And He answered, "Until cities are devastated and without inhabitant, houses
are without people, and the land is utterly desolate, the LORD has removed men far away, and the forsaken
places are many in the midst of the land. Yet there will be a tenth portion in it, and it will again be subject to
burning, like a terebinth or an oak whose stump remains when it is felled. The holy seed is its stump."
-Isaiah 6:11-13.

The fullness of the Gentiles will not come in until Jerusalem ceases to be trampled on by the Gentiles. That does
not happen until the very end of the age. The outer court is given to the nations, and the holy city is trampled
upon until the very end. This should not be understood entirely in a spiritual sense, because measuring rods
mentioned in the Bible are always used to measure physical objects.

"And there was given me a measuring rod like a staff; and someone said, "Rise and measure the temple of God,
and the altar, and those who worship in it. And leave out the court which is outside the temple, and do not
measure it, for it has been given to the nations; and they will tread under foot the holy city for forty-two months."
-Revelation 11:1,2.

". . . and they will fall by the edge of the sword, and will be led captive into all the nations; and Jerusalem will be
trampled under foot by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled." -Luke 21:24.

According to these Scriptures, the times of the Gentiles extend to the very end of the last three and one-half
years of the age. Jerusalem is currently being trampled upon by the Gentiles. That did not stop in 1967. At the
time of this writing, Jews cannot worship openly on the temple mount, or an international incident will ensue. But
in the meantime, the current location of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem is not even the original location over the
Gihon Springs! (HERE!) Israel must remain in partial blindness until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. The
outworking of this will be the ever increasing birth pains known as Jacob’s distress or Jacob’s trouble. Israel will
come to realize that she is but a valley of dry bones. She will be brought to the very end of herself. Her refusal
and inability to see up until the very end will bring upon her the increasing throes of the birthing process. And this
agony must continue until such time as her children are born.

This is a difficult word, but I believe the level of destruction indicated can only lead to the conclusion that the
present nation of Israel, except for a remnant, is an Ishmael nation. It was founded and perpetuated largely by
the efforts of man, even though the supernatural hand of God was involved not only in her birthing but in her
survival. Because even the birth of Ishmaels serves the ultimate purposes of God. The line of the redeemed,
however, is through Isaac and not Ishmael. Not all who are descended from Israel are Israel.

"Behold, the eyes of the Lord GOD are on the sinful kingdom, and I will destroy it from the face of the earth;
nevertheless, I will not totally destroy the house of Jacob," declares the LORD." -Amos 9:8.

The prophetic Scriptures which detail the destruction of Jerusalem at the very end of the age are too many and
too descriptive to allow cataloging that destruction in history past. Israel’s judgments are a direct result of their
refusal to turn to their God. Since the present nation still refuses to turn to their God and is firmly entrenched in
the same activities that led to prior judgments, increasing judgment must come. The original promises to Moses
in the form of blessings and curses depend on the heart of the people toward their God and clearly indicate that
when the nation perseveres in ignoring their God, God will persevere in increasing His judgments against them
until they can no longer ignore Him. And this last judgment will be one that is so devastating in magnitude and in
the nature of its supernatural reversal and restoration that it is always followed by these words, "And then they
will know that I am God." In the ashes of yet another future holocaust will be found the remnant seed that God
will supernaturally restore. It is the Gentile Church’s call not only to stand by their blinded brethren during this
time of devastation, but also to lay down their lives when called as redemptive seed in that restoration. The birth
of the restored nation will be a supernatural birth that will stagger all of creation. Then they will know that HE is
God. The present nation does not yet know and chooses not to consider it, hence the increasing magnitude of the
judgment that must come to get their attention and turn them back to their God.

If she is a sign of physically sealed Israel held in the constraints of childbirth for the benefit of the Gentiles, then
we should be able to identify somewhere in Scripture such a group of Israelites specifically protected on earth
from the onslaughts of Satan during the last three and one-half years of the age. Such a group matches the initial
group of 144,000 bond servants of Revelation 7, selected from twelve tribes of Israel and protected from the
demonic assaults of the fifth trumpet judgment.

The One-new-man Company

"Therefore remember, that formerly you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called "Uncircumcision" by the so-
called "Circumcision," which is performed in the flesh by human hands --- remember that you were at that time
separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise,
having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been
brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one, and broke
down the barrier of the dividing wall, by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments
contained in ordinances, that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace, and
might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity."
-Ephesians 2:11-16.

It is this Church and no other that Paul identifies in Ephesians 3:10 as the Church that will allow the
demonstration of God’s wisdom to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. Micah 5:3 continues to take
on greater clarity.

"Therefore, He will give them up until the time when she who is in labor has borne a child. Then the remainder of
His brethren will return to the sons of Israel." -Micah 5:3.

What does it mean that "the remainder of His brethren will return to the sons of Israel", other than the rest of
the woman’s offspring in the form of a largely Gentile Church will come into union with God’s originally chosen
people? It will not be a Church divided or a Church that has replaced Zion. It will be His brethren returning to
Zion, and the two will become the one-new-man Church, represented spiritually by the Heavenly Jerusalem
located on the Heavenly Mount Zion.

"But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of
angels, to the general assembly and church of the first-born who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the Judge of
all, and to the spirits of righteous men made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the
sprinkled blood, which speaks better than the blood of Abel." -Hebrews 12:22-24.

The woman of Revelation 12 is not yet the New Jerusalem of Revelation 21. The New Jerusalem will be a one-
new-man company of Jew and Gentile comprising all of the redeemed of history, established by God after the
millennial reign of Christ on earth from the earthly Mt. Zion in earthly Jerusalem. The woman and her children of
Revelation 12 will eventually make up the New Jerusalem, but at the time of the vision, she, along with her
children, are components of that future city still in the stages of restoration and development. As of Revelation
12, the bride has not yet made herself ready. As of today, Israel has not yet returned to their God, and the
Church is not yet a bride without spot or wrinkle. But praise God, we are in the midst of birth pains ever
increasingly designed to make us that way.

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