In our last post we began our look into the "Lamb's Book of Life and how Humanity's Redeemed Identity" relate. We are continuing on with this in-depth look over the next few postings, beginning with chapter 12 verses 7-10. What we as mere humanity need to know and understand is that everything down to the finest details GOD had already established and corroborated long before the world began including our own humanity.
The Lamb's Book of Life - Humanity's Redeemed Identity
Revelation 12:7 "Mikael and his Shepherd-Messengers led the war in the heavenly realm against the Dragon and his Herding-Heralds. (The Hebrew name Mikael means, "Who is like GOD?" The context of the onslaught against the human race has always been image and likeness-identy related! Mankind's sense of lost identity is the fruit of the "I-am-not tree system!" Jesus faced this temptation on humanity's behalf, where the Devil [Diabolos-through the Fall] tempts Jesus' identity with, "If you are the Son of GOD...." Jesus rebuked Satan [the Accuser] and sends it off into smithereens. Mat. 4:6, 10, The leverage of the Satanas System is an identity challenger. 'Who do people say that I, the son of man, AM?' Is the question Jesus asks in Matthew 16:13 underlines the focus of His mission; 'If you discover who I am, you discover who you really are!' He is about to redeem mankind's lost sense of sonship and identity! Illiterate Simon answers, "Jesus, you, the son of man, are the Messiah, the son of GOD!" was his response. Then Jesus immediately endorsed him, 'Simon, son of Jonah,' 'Now that you know who I am, allow Me to introduce you, to you! You are Peter!' [Petros in the Greek means Rock! actually it means, little rock and Petra, upon which Jesus builds His Ekklesia, meaning Rock! a quarry stone of granite.] 'So, son of man, you are Mr. Rock, a Chip of the old Block!' We have forgotten the Rock from which we were hewn (corroborated)! Deu. 32:18. You who seek GOD and pursue righteousness, here is your clue! "Look to the Rock from which you are hewn! Isa. 51:1. Then Jesus makes this remarkable statement, that on this Rock [the revelation of humanity's true sonship, redeemed], 'He would build His Ekklesia [from ek, origin, and kaleo, to surname; original identity] and the gates of Hades will not prevail against you!' [The word, hades, is from the negative particle of, ha, and eido, to see, be it blindly or a skewed] The blindfold mode of the human race will not prevail against the revelation of the son of man as the offspring of GOD - this is the triumph of the Ekklesia! Rev. 2:7. [The term, "son of" surnames someone! So the word, Ekklesia, translated, church, literally points to the Source unveiling humanity's true identity by surname!] So, if what we call church today is not about the unveiling of mankind's true, redeemed Identity, it is not the Ekklesia that Jesus is building! [Rev. 7:9, where humanity was delivered out of their national, geographical and historical identity!] (See note on the Son of man is the Son of GOD at the end of chapter 2.)
Also in the beautiful encounter of Jesus and the Samaritan woman in John chapter 4, the source-identity of humanity beautifully unfolds! John 4:6-11, "The well which Jacob dug was still in operation. Since it was already midday and Jesus felt exhausted and thirsty from their day and a half walk, [40 miles from Aenon] He decided to wait at the well while His disciples would go into the next village to buy food. (Having left the Place of Springs, Aenon early the previous morning, one can just imagine how Jesus' mind drifted to the fountain theme!), When a local Samaritan woman finally arrived to draw water, Jesus immediately asked her for a drink. The Samaritan woman obviously anticipated this request and was ready with her abrupt response, "You are a Jew, aren't you?! So why would you expect to get anything for free from a Samaritan woman?" Within the politics of the day, Jews looked down upon the Samaritans and had no dealings with them. (She knew very well how strategically en-route this precious well was and what political leverage it gave her over weary Jewish travelers!) (Jesus was not at all intimidated or embarrassed by her political stance; He didn't allow His awareness of His weariness and desperate thirst, as well as an obvious opportunity to negotiate for a quick fix-drink, to distract from His Person and mission - instead of associating Himself with the Jews as a mere Jew and endorsing the Samaritan's inferior' political identity, He immediately engaged her with a far superior conversation. He escaped the temptation to see Himself or the lady reduced to a lesser identity. He knew who He was and what His mission was all about, as the Messiah of humanity - by seeing Himself He was able to see her in the same light. What He had to offer was not for sale!) He looked her in the eye and said, 'If you could see the generosity of GOD'S gift, you would perceive who I am! (I am so much more than a Jewish man and you are so much more than a Samaritan woman!) So here I am asking you for a drink when you should be asking Me and I would give you the water of life for free! (Just like Nicodemus in the previous chapter, she struggles to determine which source Jesus was pointing to!) Sir, you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep! How would you reach this living water?") The Dragon's influence was totally demolished and rendered powerless - not a trace of its presence was found in the heavens! (Principalities and powers were completely disarmed on the Cross! Col. 2:14-15, "And their place was not found" see Dan. 2:35 - the little stone against whom the gates of Hades shall not prevail - the Chip of the old Block demolished the pseudo man-made identity. There are numeral references to the same "once and for all war" in the heavens! It is however the same hour; The same event! Rev. 16:13-14, 17:13-14, 19:19 and 20:8.) So the great Dragon, the [1] ancient [2] ophis [serpent], also known as the Devil or Satan - whose sole mission was to lead the entire inhabited world astray - was cast down to the earth-dimension, together with all his [3] herding-Heralds. (The word, [1] archaios, ancient, of old, is from arche, from the beginning. As Jesus said that the Devil was a murderer 'from the beginning.' The Greek word, [2] ophis is translated as serpent and comes from optomai, to gaze, in this case, to present a visual idea through illusion. John 8:44. He was stripped of his pseudo rank of authority, see Col. 2:14-15, he was made a public spectacle! Luke 10:18, And Jesus said to them, 'I saw Satan falling out of Heaven like lightning!' Also John 12:31, 'Now is the judgment of this world; Now is the ruler of this world cast down!' ['When I am (humanity) lifted up on the cross,' John 12:32.]) Then I heard a very loud voice in the heavens announcing, "This is the moment which the entire prophetic word pointed to and culminates in; It is the realization of humanity's salvation. The power of the kingdom of our GOD and its authority is endorsed in the I-am-ness of His Christ. The business of accusation is bankrupted.The 24/7 industry of condemning the brotherhood of humanity before the face of GOD has been annihilated." (The word, [1] kategoros, a name given to the Devil by the Rabbis, the one whose business is accusation, is from kata, downward and agora, to trade, a word used for all kinds of businesses in the public arena.
Luke 10:18. Also John 12:27, 'My soul is exceedingly perplexed right now! What shall I say, 'Father! Rescue Me [1] out of the clutches of this hour! No! It is for this hour and its culmination of My destiny that I have come.' (Greek preposition, [1] ek, out of source, origin.)
John 12:28, 'Father! Glorify Your name!' And immediately there came a voice out of the heavenly realm saying, 'I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again!') (The Mirror, with editing.)
In our next visit we shall begin at Revelation 13:6, the LORD willing. Until then may he continue to increase our understanding of all that is Him.
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