A woman in biblical imagery is a city, meaning an organized group, a body, a social structure, a two tiered public association composed of governors and the governed.

When God covenanted with Israel the crucial element was the body of elites, for, as we all know all too well, people indeed are sheep -- they follow their leaders.

So -- haven't I pointed this out before? -- the significance of Jethro's counsel to Moses which takes up the entire chapter preceding the chapter of the Covenant -- (Ex 18:24-26): "So Moses hearkened to the voice of his father in law, and did all that he had said. And Moses chose able men out of all Israel, and made them heads over the people, rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens. And they judged the people at all seasons: the hard causes they brought unto Moses, but every small matter they judged themselves."

And so when God concludes his proposal to Israel with (Ex 19:6), "These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel", what does Moses do? Verses 7-8: "And Moses came and called for the elders of the people, and laid before their faces all these words which the LORD commanded him. And all the people answered together, and said, All that the LORD hath spoken we will do. And Moses returned the words of the people unto the LORD."

And then too this Covenant was initiated with a marriage supper. Was all Israel invited? No, as it says (Ex 24:9-14), "Then went up Moses, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel: And they saw the God of Israel: and there was under his feet as it were a paved work of a sapphire stone, and as it were the body of heaven in his clearness. And upon the nobles of the children of Israel he laid not his hand: also they saw God, and did eat and drink. And the LORD said unto Moses, Come up to me into the mount, and be there: and I will give thee tables of stone, and a law, and commandments which I have written; that thou mayest teach them. And Moses rose up, and his minister Joshua: and Moses went up into the mount of God. And he said unto the elders, Tarry ye here for us, until we come again unto you: and, behold, Aaron and Hur are with you: if any man have any matters to do, let him come unto them."

Though fallible men occupy the offices in this structure as it is manifested down here below, the structure has been there in heaven all along ("In my Father's house are many mansions"). The woman in Revelation 12 is both this heavenly city and her earthly counterpart (verse 12): "Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time."

The Kingdom awaits two particulars: It awaits a personnel qualified to fill those offices in that holy edifice (as made plain in so many of Christ's parables), and it awaits the day when the structure of authority down here below is ready for her God.

That there is indeed a distinction between the Israelite nation and the elders of Israel was plain when Jesus entered Jerusalem to become our Passover Lamb: "the multitudes" cried out with the words of the messianic Psalm (Mt 21:9), "Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord". The elders of Israel, however, did not. Instead they killed him. So what delays his coming now? The elders of Israel! Just as he told them (Mt 23:39), "Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord."

David set the example. He would not take God's Kingdom by force, and neither will his Son.

And therefore the Elijah ministry. Elijah and the prophets prophesied but Israel did not repent. John prophesied but Israel did not repent. The third time, however, Israel will repent (Is 40:1-11):

"Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God. Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the LORD's hand double for all her sins. The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain: And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it. The voice said, Cry. And he said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field: The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit of the LORD bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass. The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever. O Zion, that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God! Behold, the Lord GOD will come with strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him. He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young."

Before he died Mr. Armstrong remarked about how deeply impressed he had become with the "absolute futility of life". This also will be true of Israel before Christ comes. Hence the prophetic significance of the reading of Ecclesiastes on the Feast of Tabernacles: Someday the message will click. Then God will tabernacle with men.

We need to keep in mind the centrality of Jerusalem in all this because that's where it will happen -- not in Rome nor in London nor in Pasadena. Jesus told his disciples (Lk 24:47-49), "And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And ye are witnesses of these things. And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high." [What if they had gone back to Galilee early? What if they had not commorated Sinai in the upper room?]

And it is in Jerusalem that the dark deception that clouds and befuddles humanity will be smashed (Is 25:7): "And he will destroy in this mountain the face of the covering cast over all people, and the vail that is spread over all nations."

God will not fight "his own" in Jerusalem -- he will rescue them. Jesus promised (Lk 21:20-21), "And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh. Then let them which are in Judaea flee to the mountains; and let them which are in the midst of it depart out; and let not them that are in the countries enter thereinto."

Some in Judea escape the troubles to come. What of the rest?

Jeremiah 30:7 -- "Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob's trouble, but he shall be saved out of it."

Zechariah 14:3-4 -- "Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle. And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east . . ."

The angels promised the disciples (Acts 1:11), "Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven."

Amillennialism, postmillennialism, premillennialism -- alas! How can we sheep ever decide when the elites are all so confused? Happily we have the Word of God which transcends all the "wisdom" of men.

Nevertheless we've got to wait on those elites!

Noel
31 Aug 2000
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