First of all if you're seeing this as a complete reversal of a certain post I made earlier this month, that was a post directed at Preterists rhetorically assuming certain Preterist presuppositions.
In Revelation 14 I definitely believe the Parousia is already in progress. And the only apparent smoking gun that this Zion must be in Heaven not on Earth is the 144 Thousand being "Before The Throne". But remember Daniel 7:9-14 is the foundational Hebrew Bible source material for how Jesus defined the Parousia, and that passage seems to involve YHWH's flying Chariot-Throne. It could be The Throne is The Cloud or on it.
Hebrews 12:22 is the other major New Testament basis for a "Heavenly Zion", though it's actually Jerusalem Paul calls Heavenly there. Paul does sometimes use Heavenly as a synonym for Spiritual. That passage is about how we are Citizens of The Kingdom regardless of where we dwell or who controls any Earthly location. And also about how the architectural final form of the City is currently under construction in Heaven. It doesn't contradict the connection to a Terrestrial location.
Psalm 48 can be seen as the Old Testament basis for a Heavenly Zion since it links Zion to the "sides of the north" a term also used in Isaiah 14 about Satan's yet future fall from heaven. But I think the relation of geographical terms in both these passages may be complicated. If The Tabernacle of David were located where I currently hypothesize it was then it was indeed on a slope north of The Mountain's Summit. And "Sides of the north" is used in some translations of where Beth-Togarmah is located in Ezekiel 38. Since I believe Isaiah 14 is about End Times events it could refer to Satan and The Beast wanting to set up their own Throne on Mt Zion which will ultimately fail.
I should perhaps mention here how I don't think Zion was the location most people think it was. I have argued on this Blog that Bethlehem is the City of David. My current theory is that the Summit of Mt Zion is where the Mar Elias Monastery currently sits which is the highest elevated summit in the region, and I have a hunch that the Tabernacle of David stood where the fifth century Church of Mary's Seat was located to the north of the summit. But even if that theory is wrong my position on this chapter doesn't change.
And thus this view can be compatible no matter what city you think Babylon and/or The Great City is.
It is frequently assumed that the Mount of Olives is where Jesus will Return to. Now it could be involved in how all this plays out. But the Biblical basis for it is weak in my view. In Acts 1 what the Angel says is about Jesus Returning the same way He Ascended, it's not meant to be about the location of a landing spot. And I think a strong argument can be made that the Zechariah 12-14 was fulfilled in 30 AD. Still it could be He returns first to the Mount of Olives to begin the Resurrection there and then sets up His Throne on Zion.
It is often assumed the reference to "Heaven Opened" in Revelation 19 means a door opening in heaven and that the Rider on the White Horse and His Army are traveling from heaven to earth at that moment. But that's not necessarily borne out by the text either.
Earlier in Revelation 11 a reference to Heaven being "shut up" is agreed by all to be a reference to it not raining, showing how the Witnesses echo the ministry of Elijah and using language from 1 Kings 8:35, 2 Chronicles 6:26 and 7:17. In Genesis 7-8 the Windows of Heaven being Opened is terminology linked to the flood waters. So this Terminology in Revelation 19 could be linked to the "latter rain" of Joel 2, or 2 Peter 3 talking about how the End Times Judgment will echo The Flood but with Fire instead of Water. But I also now believe the ministry of the Witnesses is the same 1260 days as the Woman hiding in the Wilderness, so Heaven being Opened in Revelation 19 is the end of their shutting up of heaven.
This further proves the point that both Pre-Tribers and Post-Tribers are wrong on Revelation 19 being in any way the Second Coming, this is happening after He's already Returned.
My belief in The Man-Child being The Church means I see The Rapture as a second fulfillment of many Prophecies that were also about the Birth of Christ, like Micah 4 and 5.
No comments:
Post a Comment