Expert: Messianic Rabbi Yochanan Levine - 9/14/2007

Question
Pastor John,

I read your answer in "History of the Books in the Bible," and agreed with what you said.

I had a dream in which I was called by name and I was told to read the 19th chapter 10th verse in the Book of Revelation (I am in the process of publishing a web site to testify to my witness).

Could you discuss chapter 19 for me, and tell me what "The Spirit of Prophecy" means in the 10th verse?

I get defensive reactions from most people as if I am playing a trick or a prank on them, when I tell them my experience, which has been very frustrating and disheartening to me (and have struggled not to take offense and their reactions as a lack of true faith).

After over 22 years of study I have my own understanding, but I always keep my heart and mind open to others who have their own history of faith and study.

Thank you,

Anthony


Answer
Hi Anthony,

Thanks for the compliment.

As noted in that reply, there is lots of debate on this topic and what follows is a minority opinion, although I personally believe it is accurate. I can explain this in terms of standard Christian understanding as well if you wish, but I think you want something... else.

As I understand these things then... the purpose of the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, is to tell the story of paradise lost to paradise restored.

According to the Torah, the only function of the Moshiach is to establish the global Kingdom of HaShem (God) and establish justice.

The reason the prophets spoke was to imbue the Spirit of HaShem into the Jewish people so they would prepare themselves for the task of administering the global Kingdom of God under the reign of Moshiach. This is the Spirit of prophesy.

Prophet Y'shua (Jesus) did what all other Hebrew prophets did and in the Book of Revelation he reveals this same message to his disciple John.

At verse 1 of chapter 19 we read:

"And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God:"

Alleluia (literally, "praise ye Jah" ie Jahovah). This is the teaching. Praise only HaShem.

As we read the sins and false doctrines of the prophetic seven churches (Rev 2,3) we see the rise of the Universal Church and its non-Jewish teachings (consider my http://allfaith.com/Religions/Noahide/way4.html). Among these teachings is the deification of Prophet Y'shua (compare my Why Jews and Noahides Don't Accept Jesus, http://allfaith.com/Religions/Noahide/messiah.html).

Here, the people point out loudly that HaShem deserves the glory and the worship.

Verse 2. For true and righteous are his judgments: for he hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand.

I need to write a complete study on this topic, perhaps you have inspired me to do so, however... I believe that as we study this great whore we find that the true followers of the Way were overcome by the rise of the Universal Roman Church. Despite this, John's prophecies (and Paul's explanation of the grafting onto the tree of Israel of the Church), are clear that God uses the Christian Church until the Seventh Church is vomited out of God's mouth (Rev 3:16.). We read more of this as the removal of the Christian grafted on branches (Rom 11).

Verse 3. And again they said, Alleluia [praise HaShem]. And her smoke rose up for ever and ever.

Verse 4. And the four and twenty elders and the four beasts fell down and worshipped God that sat on the throne, saying, Amen; Alleluia [Praise HaShem].

So we see then that this is the period when HaShem directly pours out his wrath onto those who claim to serve him but who do not. During this time being discussed, the Church has become completely hypocritical and lukewarm. This removal of the grafted-on Church is gradual. It began with the establishment of Israel in 1948 (or possibly 1967 when HaShem gave them Jerusalem). Of her we read:

17:5 And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.
6 And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration.

The cutting off of the Church will be complete as the harlot is destroyed. Before this happens, the Christian Church, as a whole, will embrace a spirit of Interfaith that focuses on the Rex Mundi as God's representative, then messiah and the as god incarnate.

Make no mistake, at this point, today, there are millions of devout, God loving Christians in all denominations whose worship HaShem fully accepts (Matt 25).

Verse 6 And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.

This great Multitude are the Noahides. Those Gentiles, Christians and others, who are devoted to HaShem. Of these people the Prophet tells us:

Zech. 8:23 Thus saith HaShem of hosts; In those days it shall come to pass, that ten men shall take hold out of all languages of the nations, even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you: for we have heard that God is with you.

As the Kingdom is established the Gentiles will come to HaShem. The central goal of the Christian Church is two-fold:
1. To show the Jews that HaShem can do it without them, that He is the God of us all:

Romans 11:25 For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.
26 And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:

And 2: Rom 11:15 For if the casting away of them [the Jews] be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead?

In other words, through this process a great multitude of all people will be drawn to HaShem.

19:10: ...worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.

Again, the testimony of Prophet Y'shua is to worship only HaShem.

And then the Moshiach comes and fights the Rex Mundi during the Battle of Jerusalem (the enemies gather at Har Mageddon.

Let me know if you have further questions,

You may also be interested in my Noahide Nazarene Site: http://allfaith.com/Religions/Noahide/

~John of AllFaith