65. Jerusalem

Covering Revelation Chapters 19-22:

In order to finish Revelation in this lesson, I must be brief in preparation for the comments, and simply write the Gospel Comments out from all that has gone before, especially out from Revelation 12. At the same time, there are many things scattered through these four chapters, yet our focus will be on the arising of Jerusalem as Communities of Christ all across the earth.

I am writing the final lesson for Hebrews, “Offered as Sons,” at this same time. I want these two lessons to fit together, for this is indeed the completion of God. In fact, Jerusalem is the final “target” and being offered as sons is the hitting of that target. – For the Jerusalem set before Him, He endured being offered as a Son for her sake (Hebrews 12:2 – paraphrased).

Defining Faith. From that parallel between Hebrews and Revelation, I want to reduce the definition of faith found in “Offered as Sons.” This is how we must perceive the Word going forward.

Faith perceives an invisible God as the Source and substance of all things through power-filled Word sustaining all, including the unfolding of every next moment. Faith is the gift of the Son of God inside of us, enabling us to share form and energeia with God. Faith is boldness that receives every Word God speaks as already fulfilled; faith is the confidence that God shares every next step with us. Faith is the expectation that Jesus inside makes us to be like Himself in knowing the Father, in loving one another, and in offering ourselves to God for the sake of others. Thus Faith is the proof that God is real and the passageway through which God as Love enters into the knowledge of all creation.

Having Turned Around. (Chapter 19) • 6 And I heard what was like the voice of a great multitude, like the sound of many waters, and like the sound of mighty thundering, saying: “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the All-Carrying, All-Sustaining One, has reigned. • 7 We should rejoice and be filled with joy, and give glory to Him, because the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His bride has prepared herself. 8 It was given to her to be clothed in fine linen, bright shining and pure. For the fine linen is the just approval of the devoted ones.

Consider the last sentence. I translate the same Greek word as “just approval” or “just innocence,” depending on whether it is given or received. Let us assume that the devoted ones are GIVING their just approval to their fellow Christians. We can do that because we are also assuming Ruling Verse 6, that the devoted ones are fully turned around, the Day of Atonement.

Jerusalem as Marriage. 6 Ruling Verse 1: The many waters are many brethren just like Jesus. Their very lives are a proclamation that God is, and that all things come only out from God. God reigns through them even as they Synergeo with God calling all things good.

7-8 Ruling Verse 5: To marry Jesus is to marry one another in all purity, for Jesus is inside of each. Jesus is real in us and our fellowship with Him is Personal, but He is real in one another as well, and our fellowship together is the same divine intimacy.

7-8 Ruling Verse 4: To cast down the accuser for the sake of our brethren means that we give to each one of them the same Just Approval that God has given to us.

7-8 The Form for God through Jesus: To know that God reigns is to dwell together as God’s city, many bustling together, Jerusalem. Jerusalem is God with us together, forever.

The Real Question. • 9 Then he said to me, “Write, Blessed are those called forth to the supper of the marriage of the Lamb.” And he said to me, “These words of God are true.” 10 …I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers and sisters who possess the testimony and proof of Jesus. Worship God! • For the testimony of Jesus is the Spirit of prophecy [of calling forth the knowledge of Christ.]

The marriage is Galatians 2:20 and Romans 8:29, sharing with Jesus in all, and the supper is Revelation 3:20, dining in intimate fellowship with Jesus inside. So, to be summoned into such union is the greatest blessing given, yes, but what is the real question of these verses? The real question is – Who are the ones calling forth? We know from the parable of the great supper that these are the servants of the Father, calling all into the Feast of Tabernacles.

The Proof of Jesus. Let’s bring in Revelation 17:14, the Lamb come to rescue His Bride, and “those with Him,” that is, sharing the same intensity of purpose with Jesus inside. And then the task of the overcomers, to enclothe their fellow Christians with Jesus, that is, with their just approval. The central meaning is the definition of “testimony,” which is clearly the proof of Jesus, that He is faithful and True. And there is only one proof that Jesus is what He says, and that is a Church, Jerusalem, the full expression and meaning of the Lord Jesus, made visible now upon this earth.

If we share all with Jesus, then we give ourselves to that prophetic Spirit, the word of our testimony, to CALL all who belong to Jesus now in this hour into such a Church. In short, if we are willing to give all, we are the ones who call.

Calling Forth Jerusalem. 9-10 Definition: The proof of Jesus is our love for one another, many together as one inside all the knowledge of God, marriage union. Jerusalem is our dwelling together, and through the Church clothed with Jesus comes LIFE to all.

9-10 Ruling Verse 4: The summons to every member of the Bride, every member of God’s city, comes through those who give their all to the Father for the sake of their fellow believers.

9-10 Ruling Verses 3 & 1: The Spirit of Prophecy is the Word of Christ in our mouths, calling Him forth inside each one who belongs to Him. The image of God is our Love for one another, and calling our brethren into Goodness is our first great task.

9-10 Speak Christ: We speak the dwelling place of God, Jerusalem, into visibility upon this earth, that God might have all His Desire, a people in whom to dwell, who dwell inside of Him.

To Rescue the Church. • 11 Then I saw heaven opened, and I saw a white horse with One sitting upon it, called faithful and true, and inside of just approval He judges and wages war. • 12 His eyes were like a flame of fire, and upon His head were many royal crowns, each one having a name written, which no one perceives except He Himself. • 13 He was clothed with a garment dipped in blood. And His name is called, “The Word of God.” 14 The armies who were in heaven accompanied Him upon white horses, each clothed in fine linen, white and pure.

The crowns, the names written, and the armies accompanying Jesus are all speaking of the same thing, we who give ourselves to be the embodiment of the Lamb in this great task of Today, to rescue His Church, Jerusalem, and to make her to be a praise in all the earth.

For Jerusalem’s Sake. 11 Definition: God cannot be known except through the Church, many as one, called Jerusalem, the city of God’s dwelling, and the Bride, that woman of Jesus’ same Kind, who brings the knowledge of God into the knowledge of all. The “heavens opened” is the Unveiling, Jesus through us now come for Jerusalem’s sake, to rescue His Church from all that opposes.

11-14 Ruling Verse 1: Every part of every Ruling Verse is on full display and visibility through these four verses, thus we place all of these things into Ruling Verse 1, God’s purpose in all coming through the Image of His Son, making all Good.

11-14 Ruling Verse 4: The rescue of God’s people from all that opposes (Come out of her, My people) is war. Our weapon is all forgiveness of sins, and we are enclothed with the Blood of Mercy. We possess the ability of Jesus, His name upon us, having given our authority to the Father that God might win all.

Symmorphosed with Jesus. • 15 And out from His mouth goes forth a sharp and eager sword, so that inside of it, He may strike the ethnic families; • and He will shepherd and care for them with a scepter of iron. He treads the winepress of the pain-filled anger of the settled opposition of God, the All-Carrying, All-Sustaining One. 16 And He has upon His robe and upon His thigh a name written: King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

The unveiling of Jesus Christ means Jesus revealing Himself through our togetherness for the sake of the Church. All of this is found in “symmorphosed with the image of His Son.”

15 Ruling Verses 1 & 4: We are symmorphosed with Jesus in all things. To speak, “God forgive them,” contains all judgment against sin, bringing the proud to humility and striking off the bonds of death. To tread the winepress of God’s pain is to bring every knee to bow and every tongue to speak Christ (see Philippians 2:10-11).

The Second Great Deliverance. (Chapter 20) • 1 Then I saw an angel descending out of heaven, holding the key of the abyss, and a great chain in his hand. 2 He seized the dragon, the original serpent, who is the devil, and bound him for a thousand years. 3 And he cast him into the abyss, and shut and sealed it over him, so that he should not lead the ethnic families astray, until the thousand years were completed. After this, it is necessary for him to be released for a little time.

20:1-3 Definition: This is the second deliverance. The first deliverance is the removal of all demons and all lying from the Church upon this earth, that God might have a House prepared for Him, a city in which to dwell. The second great deliverance, then, is the removal of all demons and all lying from the human experience. That removal alone will make a difference we cannot now comprehend, yet it comes only with the entrance of LIFE!

Judgment. • 4 And I saw thrones, and THEY sat upon them, and judgment was given to them.

“They” is plural, many together as one, yet each personal and unique, individually and together the embodiment of the Lord Jesus Christ, God-with-us. The authority they possess is also plural, yet again many, personal to each, yet together as one. That authority is the Mercy Seat of God. The word “judgment” here is very large and very significant. It operates at many levels, fits many definitions, and goes in many directions. Judgment begins always with seeing as God sees, synergeoing with God, calling all things into goodness. Judgment is the best word to describe how those distinctions of the knowledge of God are given to every created thing. For this reason we can say that this Judgment is the entrance of LIFE.

Defining Authority and Judgment. 4 Definition: THEY and thrones are both plural, the authority over all given to Jesus now shared together inside of us. This is the authority to Love all creation, to be that Flow of God-Love into all. The word “judgment” is very large, yet it is always a judgment to Life through great costliness.

4 Ruling Verse 1: Our task of synergeoing with God calling all things into goodness is being described in Revelation 20:4.

4 Ruling Verse 9: Here is the JUDGMENT of God, 2 Corinthians 5:19. – God was inside of Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting to them their false steps, and now this same God has placed inside of us [the same judgment towards all].

4 Life: Life is knowing God. It is through judgment, taking all costliness upon ourselves, that is, through LOVE, that we judge all creation until all know God, all know only a world of Life.

The First Resurrection. 4 • and [I saw] the souls of those who were beheaded through the testimony of Jesus and through the word of God, and those who did not worship the beast, nor his image, and did not receive the stamp upon their forehead and upon their hand. • And they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. 5 The rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years was completed. This is the first resurrection. • 6 Blessed and devoted is the one who has a part inside the first resurrection. Upon these the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him a thousand years.

Everything changes for us when we stop trying to figure out how these verses fit “world events,” when we instead place the Ruling Verses of the Gospel underneath of everything.

The Context for Jerusalem. 4 Ruling Verse 5: To acknowledge our death inside of Jesus long ago is to set aside our own control of ourselves, the greatest surrender (losing our head) that there is. Then, inside of our precious union with Jesus, we surrender all false identity in this world, with its contempt and unbelief.

4-5 Life: Our physical bodies swallowed up by LIFE is our goal and the answer to all our desires. That Resurrection marks the full beginning of the Age of Tabernacles. It is resurrected sons of God who will govern all ethnic families.

6 Ruling Verses 5 & 3: These two things, the fulness of our union with Jesus and our bodies swallowed up by Life, provide the context for God’s city, the New Jerusalem, Christian Community, arising out from heaven in the midst of every ethnic family. The Spirit and the Bride together say, “Come.”

The Great White Throne. • 11 I saw a great white throne, and the One sitting upon it, from whose face and presence earth and heaven fled, and no place was found for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing in the face and presence of the throne, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged out of the things that were written inside the books, according to their works.

11-12 Definition: God is all here now. There is no “past” or “future” with God. Time is only the unfolding of God-Is in every next step we take. God our Father is the Throne of Judgment; God our Father is the Book of Life, all of His thoughts concerning us, the unfolding of our days already accomplished. All other things vanish from our sight as we see and know God alone. This reality affects our definition of faith.

Faith as Substance. (Chapter 21) • 1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea does not exist any longer. • 2 And I saw the devoted city, the New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven, out from God, having been prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

Here is where we bring in faith as the substance of that which is real. When I look at the Nicene definitions of this city, they are all about something NOT here and something NOT now. There is in them not one ounce of that faith that pleases God. God is ALL HERE NOW, and either we are with Him or against Him. Through the Faith of Jesus given to us we place ourselves utterly with God in every next step. Faith as substance means God coming through as Love. This, then, is how we perceive everything in these verses.

Jerusalem “Descending.” 21:1 Definition: Faith sees God as all, and all else vanishes (see Revelation 20:11). Then, Faith sees out from God, and all things are brand new. Jerusalem comes prepared through such Faith.

1 Ruling Verse 1: All things are already complete before anything begins. The old has no meaning or substance; the NEW is all there has ever been. Out from such seeing, we synergeo with God, calling all things into goodness, beginning with our fellow believers, the Church of God.

2 The Form for God through Jesus: Jerusalem is another name for the Church, believers in Jesus loving one another in daily life together. Jerusalem “descending” is substance; in appearance it is local Communities of Christ arising among all the peoples. As the Bride of Christ, such Communities bring the knowledge of God into the knowledge of all.

The Covenant Fulfilled. 3 And I heard a great voice out of the throne, saying: • “Look and see, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will tabernacle with them, and they will be His peoples, and God Himself, their God, will be with them. 4 And He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death will not exist any longer, nor grief, nor crying, nor pain; they will not exist any longer because the former things have already gone away.

3 Covenant: “And I will be God inside of them, and they will be a people inside of Me.” The “great voice” is you and me, calling God’s great Desire into fulfilment upon this earth, the greatness of our judgment and authority.

3-4 Ruling Verse 10: Only one thing removes our sorrows, the only thing we ever wanted, Father at Home in our hearts, Father at Home in our daily gathering together, John 14:23.

Symmorphosed. • 5 And the One sitting upon the throne said, “Look and see, I make all things new.” And He said, “Write this, because these words are faithful and true.” • 6 Then He said to me, “It is become! I am the A and the Z, the source, and the completion. To the one thirsting, I will give of the spring of the water of life freely.

5-6 Ruling Verse 1: As many brethren together, we share form with Jesus in all that He is and does. In every aspect of Source and Completion, we are symmorphosed with the image of the Son of God, who Himself is symmorphosed with God our Father inside of us.

6 Ruling Verse 3: When we say, “Rivers of Spirit and springs of Life flow out from me everywhere I go,” we place ourselves into the knowing of Source and Completion, into the Flow of “I Am” and “It is become.” This is not of us; it is of the Spirit.