Truth, myths, confusion and yes HaSatan (Part 4)

Welcome back. As promised we will discuss Ezekiel chapter 28 and  then Revelation 12. First I would like to remind you to keep the context before you as you read. Second. In no way shape or form I'm I denying the fact that there are angels. What I stand firm to believe is that no angel regardless of stature can turn from the hand that formed it. From the beginning of time man has sinned in more ways then one. Adam and Eve were the first. The serpent was placed and he to had a job, a job he performed well. We all wish to me intellectuals, agreeing to want understanding over the most complex. God's Word is no exception. You may or may not agree but I believe it was God's intention for Adam and Eve to have eaten of the fruit from the center of the garden. The center of the garden; a place most likely to be visited. Would you not have gone? The garden was the birth place of temptation, it was there that God the Creator of heaven and earth had us where He wanted us. Had Adam not eaten of the tree where would he be today. If we did not have a lack, concerns, worries, poor health, if we had everything in the palm of our hands, where would that leave God. I'm not trying to say that God cares for us to suffer, He does desire though for us to draw closer. By having that barrier before us we are forced to overcome, we are forced to pick ourselves back up and fight to be Holy, pure and sons of the living God.  

Ezekiel chapter 28: 11 - The word of God came to me, saying, "Son of Man, take up a lamentation over the King of Tyre, say to him:

This said the Lord HASHEM /ELOHIM : Are you Adam the culmination of perfection, full of wisdom, perfect in beauty? Were you in Eden, the garden of God; Was your canopy of every precious stone - odem, pitedah, and yahalom, tarshish, shoham, and yashfeh; spir, nophech, and barkas - and gold? The work of your drums and wind instruments was in you; They were established on the day of your creation. You were a great sheltering cherub, and it was I who granted you this; You were upon the holy mountain of God; you walked among the fiery stones; Perfect were you in your ways from the day of your creation - until wrongdoing was found in you. Because of your abundant commerce, your midst filled with injustice and you sinned; so I desecrated you from the mountain of God and destroyed you, O sheltering cherub, from among the fiery stones. Your heart became proud of your beauty; You corrupted your wisdom because of your splendor, so I have thrown you to the ground, and I have set you before kings to gaze upon you. By the multitude of your iniquities, by the dishonesty of your commerce, You desecrated your sanctities; so I drew out a fire from within you. It consumed you; thus I made you into ashes upon the earth in the eyes of all who see you. All who knew you among the peoples were astonished over you; You were a terror, but you shall be no more, forever."

Here we see that Ezekiel speaks of Tyre and not an cherub. The land of Tyre was so wealthy that it had as much gold as it had dirt. So God through the mouth of Ezekiel speaks in a poetic manner reminding the King of Tyre where and how and from whom he received his riches and fame. 

*Other references to Tyre: Isaiah 23:1, Ezekiel 26, Joe 4: 4, Amos 1: 9

Now we have cleared up Isaiah 14, Ezekiel 28, Matthew 25. 

Lets turn to Revelation 12. 

Not all scripture is to be taken literally. There are times when it is literal such as God speaking to the seven Messianic congregations in the earlier chapters, because after all it's quite obvious that there are things in which God is not happy with. So we must take into consideration the literal, the figurative and the parable. Much of what we SEE in Revelation are metaphors. The dragon, a third of the stars, seven heads and ten horns. The stars, heads and horns are people, kings and nations. The dragon is whom the world (beast) gave its power to and the woman dressed with the sun and moon under her feet is the very one given birth to our deliverer. 

Revelation 12: 1 - Now a great sign was seen in heaven - a woman clothed with the sun, under her feet the moon, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. She was pregnant and about to give birth, and she screamed in the agony of labor. Another sign was seen in heaven: there was a great red dragon with seven heads and ten horns, and on its heads were seven royal crowns. It's tail swept a third of the stars out of the heaven and threw them down to earth. It stood in front of the woman about to give birth, so that it might devour the child the moment it was born. She gave birth to a son, a male child, the one who will rule all the nations with a staff of iron. But her child was snatched up to God and his throne; and she fled into the desert, where she has a place prepared by god so that she can be taken care of for 1,260 days. Next there was battle in heaven -Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. But it was not strong enough to win, so that there was no longer any place for them in heaven. The great dragon was thrown out, that ancient serpent, also known as the Devil and Satan [the Adversary], the deceiver of the whole world. He was hurled down to the earth, and his angels were hurled down with him. OK lets think about this. As I said previously in part 1 of this serious HaSatan is known by many names which we just read in verse 9. The tail of the dragon verse 4 hurls down a third of the stars, who could that third be? We know that the stars represent people and the dragon represents the world system, so to be thrown down would be to lose ones place. As was the case for the kings of Babylon and Tyre. Could the third be those who don't worship the beast? This was not meant to be a study of Revelation, however we must understand the overall picture. The angels involved in this battle the very ones up against Michael are no other then those who worship the system (beast) I can say this because of the following verse, lets listen. Chapter 12: 10- Then I heard a loud voice in heaven saying, "Now have come God's victory, power and kingship, and the authority of his Messiah; because the Accuser (Also HaSatan) of our brothers, who accuses them day and night before God, has been thrown out! "They defeated him because of the Lamb's blood and because of the message of their witness. Even when facing death they did not cling to life. "Therefore, rejoice, heaven and you who live there! But woe to you, land and sea, for the Adversary has come down to you, and he is very angry, because he knows his time is very short. 

It's foolish to think that you or I can escape the wrath of God unless we repent and turn  to Him with the fullness of our hearts. Revelation speaks of those who overcome and those who flat out refuse to change their ways. The system, beast, dragon are all apart of Babylon, and through out scripture God pleads with us to come out of her. While HaSatan has his part in trying to deceive us, he can only do so with the consent of the one who created him, God. There are those who look upon HaSatan as a good thing and not a threat, because when you really think about it, its as though you have your own personal trainer. What's more if you understand the concept of Hasatan your faced with no more scape goat, just the image in your vanity mirror. The above reminds me of the period after a thousand years when the beast will be let loose for a short period of time to wreak havoc. Keep in mind context because this book could be difficult to capture, but also clear enough with some prior understanding. While we don't want to treat the Word of God with contempt, lets remember, that the entire bible is after one thing and that is for us to know, fear and desire God. 

I pray that you study and before you do,  ask God to mentor you as He did out father Abraham.  

I hoped you enjoyed this study may God be with you and yours.

Shalom,

Rabbi Lawrence