A. 3b,§12
Book Revelation §12, Spiritual War: Woman of Three Kingdoms
Shalom,
^ With Gentile believers God has particularly personal contacts. With the Jewish people, on the other hand, His contact is also with the people as a whole. In this way, this people and their land serve as God's time clock for the entire world.
The birth of Israel (‘fig tree’) in 1948 {and the birth of many other states (‘trees’)} shows that the secret Presence of the Lord Jesus on the clouds has come very near (Mat. 24:32-44 and Luke 21:29-33), Luke 21:32, <Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all things take place.>
With prayer of the saints, Bert
¤ In the beginning God’s people of twelve tribes represented the Woman as seen in Heaven (3a§12, Rev. 12:1).
And after this it should have become the Bride of the Lord Jesus (Mat. 22:1-14).
¤ But many things went wrong. First, because of the idolatry of King Solomon and his wives, God tore this kingdom in two, into the two- and ten-tribe kingdoms (1Ki. 11:29-39).
Later, because of additional fornication, God let the ten-tribe kingdom to be destroyed (Hos. 1:1-9).
¤ Regrettably, the two-tribe kingdom of Judah resisted God's plan by demanding the crucifixion of His Son. Therefore, God also separated Himself from that (Mat. 21:33-46; 27:23).
Only a small number of the Jews had noticed and followed the Messiah, promised to them (e.g. John 1:41).
¤ After His last separation, God sought a new bride/people/kingdom for His Son (Luke 17:21), 1Pet. 2:9-10, <But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, …. 10. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.>
When from all peoples all over the world the last believer has been called, sanctified and waked up, God will take them all up in the first resurrection. Then, a same kind of revival of the people of the twelve tribes will start in the greater tribulation time period (Mat. 25:1-13; Rev. 20:4-5), Rm. 11:25b-27, <A hardening in part has come to Israel, until the full number of the Gentiles has come in. 26. And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: “The Deliverer will come from Zion; He will remove godlessness from Jacob. 27. And this is My covenant with them when I take away their sins.”>
¤ First, 144000, 12000 from twelve tribes, come to faith {Rev. 7:4-8 (7bc§67₁14)}.
They are the firstfruits of the Jewish people {Rev. 14:(1-) 4c (-5)}.
¤ Since the destruction of the ten-tribe kingdom, many of their descendants have always lived among the Jewish people. Consequently, God is today uniting and restoring the former two peoples again into one kingdom {Ezek. 37:15-28 (11b§19-22)}.
In addition, many are helping Jews from everywhere to return to Israel and some are even receiving its citizenship {Isa. 66:(10-) 20-21}.
¤ Next, at the end of the greater tribulation time, all the rest of the Jews in Israel will meet their God. A sanctified one-third of the two-tribe-people of two thousand years ago {Zec. 13:6-9 and Mat. 26:31 (7d§67₁14)}.
Just as in the past, in the coming New Jerusalem twelve tribes represent the people of Israel (Rev. 21:12-13).
¤
¤ Every believer gets into a spiritual war {Eph. 6:12 (10-20); Rev. 13:7}.
In the beginning this was seen between the first children, Cain and Abel. Cain had chosen to become a farmer and Abel shepherd. Then, they offered their sacrifices to God. But God accepted only Abel’s gift (Gen. 4:2b-5).
¤ At that time Cain showed his false character, as the apostle John later explained (Gen. 4:6-16), 1John 3:12, <…. Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did Cain slay him? Because his own deeds were evil, while those of his brother were righteous.>
The story of Cain teaches that not all people have the same longing for God and His Truth. This was also noticed when Paul and Barnabas powerfully proclaimed the gospel and got the whole city of Antioch on the move. All who were appointed to eternal life, came to faith (Acts 13:48).
¤ Cain represents people who are indifferent to God's instructions and word. His sacrifice had been beautiful from the outside. Regrettably it lacked the splashing atrocious ghastly animal blood (cf. Heb. 11:4).
This blood would have represented the Blood of Christ. Christ was the Seed promised to (Adam and) Eve as well as to Abraham and to every believer {3a§12, Gen. 3:15a (and Gen. 22:18, Gal. 3:16)}.
¤ Adam and Eve should have died on the same day they sinned, but the All-Knowing God of Love had a ready Salvation Plan for them and all their descendants (Gen. 2:17, Rev. 13:8b), Gen. 3:21, <And the LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife, and He clothed them.>
Thus, the shedding of the blood of innocent animals and the covering of Adam and Eve with their skins had been a temporary solution (Gen. 3:7 and 11).
¤ Later, Christ gave His own Blood as a ransom, making Him the mediator of all (1Tim. 2:5-6; Heb. 9:11-15).
Believing in Him can sanctify everyone once and for all and make them a part of God and His Covenant {Heb. 10:(10-) 16-17 (3a§12 and also 15d2)}.