Tuesday, March 04, 2008

The 144,000 Preachers of Righteousness, Part Two

The Earth belongs to HaShem
"The Earth belongs to HaShem and the Fullness Thereof."

The 144,000: The Facts
Part Two

By Ben Ruach ha Kodesh (John of AllFaith) © 3.3.08

We have lots of clear information here. Let's begin with verse one: "...And after these things I saw..."

We have a basic time line in this Book of Prophecy for when the 144,000 will appear and perform their ministry. They will appear "... after these things."

While the Book of Revelation is a bit more difficult to understand than many other books due to its heavy use of symbolism and metaphor, it is actually written in a fairly straightforward matter. When it says, "therefore" or "and then" or "after these things," it is giving us clear direction. So, what happened before "these things" that chapter seven comes after? We need to understand this because this prophecy must be understood in its contextual, prophetic wholeness. Those who fail to understand the context of this prophecy will misunderstand everything contained within it.

Chapter one of Revelation praises God and describes the source of this prophecy: The God of Israel, through Master Y'shua, through the Apostle John, through the Seven Church ages, and down to us.

Chapters two through four describe the future history of the followers of Master Y'shua using the simile of seven churches that progressively abandon his teachings until finally, in the End Times or final days of the age, Master Y'shua 'vomits" those who claim to follow him from his "mouth" due to their hypocrisy and false doctrines. I discuss this in some detail elsewhere and plan to write specifically on the Seven Churches themselves soon, God willing and the bombs don't drop.

Then, in chapter five of the Revelation, the reader is transported into the Heavenly Kingdom of HaShem. Beginning at this point we are granted a bird's eye view of the coming events.

During his earthly ministry Master Y'shua encouraged his disciples to pray that HaShem's Will would be done on earth as it is in Heaven. Beginning in chapter four we behold the goings on in the Heavenly Kingdom as the Plan of the Ages goes into effect.

Here we behold HaShem's servants praising Him and preparing for their roles in the things to come. I'll discuss the 24 elders, the four beast etc. elsewhere. For now, chapter four is showing us that the time for action has arrived and that the denizens of the spiritual Kingdom of HaShem are in complete agreement with what comes next. It is a righteous plan although the living out of it will be the most difficult experience in human history. Things would be far worse for us were HaShem and His Moshiach (Messiah) not to intervene however! This entering into human history is happening as an act Divine Love.

Revelation 5:1 And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne [ie HaShem] a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals.

This scene speaks to the Plan of HaShem that is now being fulfilled. Since the beginning of this age, six thousand years ago, HaShem has been following this plan for the restoration of the earth. I discuss this plan in greater detail elsewhere.

In general terms, as this final and present age began HaShem maintained His granting of free will to humanity. As in previous ages, humanity in this age has demonstrated our lack of ability for just self governance. We have, over the past few decades, created the most technologically advanced civilization the earth has seen during this age (ie in the last 6000 years, which is to say, since the last planetary destruction). Today there is no justifiable reason for hunger, war, poverty, racism, sexism, homophobia, or even disease for the most part to exist, and yet these and similar negatives continue to plague our world and indeed seem to be increasing in many cases. HaShem, who alone knows the past, present and future decisions of mankind (ie our future is not predestined by God, it is pre-known), knows the end result of human self rule and is now moving to counter it.

The world has now reached the point where we must either move beyond our petty greed and jealousies or be completely enslaved by them, if we don't destroy ourselves entire. Ours is the first generation within this age that actually has the ability, and seemingly the willingness, to destroy all life on the planet. As is surely obvious to everyone by now, we as human beings are following the foretold path towards mutual self destruction. The result of our actions, if allowed to continue indefinitely, are described in detail in the Indian scriptures written during the previous age:

The Sri Bhagavata Purana, which like the Bible has many accurate prophecies to share, foretells the coming of a very dark time that will only end due to divine intervention:

Sri Bhagavata Purana 1.3.25: Thereafter, at the conjunction of two yugas [ages], the Lord of the creation will take His birth as the Kalki incarnation and become the son of Visnu Yaśā. At this time the rulers of the earth will have degenerated into plunderers.

I am absolutely convinced that "Lord Kalki" will soon, albeit early, arrive at the conjunction of Kali Yuga (our present age) and Satya Yuga (the age that will follow the 1000 year messianic reign) and slay the evil doers even as this ancient text accurately foretold the coming of the Buddha and others.

According to a literal reading of the Hindu scriptures our present age of Kali Yuga (said to have begun around the year 3102 BCE) should not end for another 428,000 years. However the later periods of this age become unthinkably hellish. This is the course human self-rule is leading us towards.

It is taught by the ancient sages that as our present age continues the world will become so vile and evil that those with faith in God will be few and hard to find. They will be ridiculed and condemned by the world, hunted like animals and slaughtered without mercy. People of faith will be forced to live in caves and to salvage for what they can for their survival. Many will commit suicide out of despair, desperation and the desire to go Home to the Ek Devata (the One God however conceived). Human longevity will gradually decrease dramatically. According to the Vedas (and the Bible) people used to live for nearly a thousand years, even longer, but as our present age took hold, human lives began to shorten to the point that it is now uncommon to see even one's one hundredth birthday. As the world continues to devolve it will be quite literally hell on earth for a very long time until God finally intervene out of pity and ends the suffering, proclaiming that enough is enough!

Thereafter the first age, Satya Yuga will begin again.

This is the future seen by the Indian Rishis of the previous age (Dvapara Yuga). However Ek Devata is most merciful to us and has established a plan to cut this present age short.

As Master Y'shua assured us:

Matt 24:22 And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.

In order to save the people of the earth from thousands of years of torment and to bring reconciliation between man of God, the Ek Devata, as HaShem, chose the Jewish people to be His servants. Since the time of Abraham and Isaac the Jewish people 'have been wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace has been upon them; and by their stripes we are healed' (Isaiah 53). When we say the Jewish people are the "Chosen Ones" of HaShem this is what we are referencing. These verses are sometimes applied by Christians to Master Y'shua however in context, chapter 52 makes it very clear that the suffering servant is Israel, not the Messiah (Jesus or otherwise). For more on this topic, see my study Identifying the Suffering Servant.

This has been an inconceivably difficult service for the Jewish people to perform and many have lost faith, especially following the Shoah of the 1930's and 40's. As Tevye said in Fiddler on the Roof: I know, I know. We are Your chosen people. But, once in a while, can't You choose someone else?

Now we are (if we are wise) preparing to see the fulfillment of HaShem's Plan and the reward for the long sufferings of the Jewish people.

Revelation 6:1 And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see.

The Book of prophecies that John saw were protected with seven seals. Until this generation of the Last Days of the Age the contents of this book remained hidden. Prophet Daniel, John and other seers wrote frankly that they did not know the contents of this book of prophecy, not in detail. Even Master Y'shua tells us that portions of these things were hidden from him as well.

Dan. 12:8 And I heard, but I understood not: then said I, O my Lord, what shall be the end of these things?
9 And he said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end.

Matt. 24:36 But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.

And yet, as stated at the beginning of this study,

Amos 3:7 Surely Lord HaShem will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.

The fulfillment of these End Time prophecies could not possibly have happened prior to our generation. I present why this is so elsewhere.

Now is the time of the end of human rule and the ministry of the 144,000 is an integral part of this fulfillment of HaShem's Plan. The prophecy begins with the coming of Rex Mundi:

Part Three is Coming Soon!


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