Mystery Babylon: Chapter 15E

The Merchant's Merchandise (No Longer Found)

CHARIOTS

The Old Testament defines the word "chariots" from two Hebrew words; 47*"reh'-keb" and 48*"mer-kaw-baw'."

"The chariots [reh'keb] of God are twenty thousand, even thousands of angels: the LORD is among them, as in Sinai, in the holy place." (Psalm 68:17)

Chariots would seem to indicate angels in this particular verse, however this rendering of "angels" is a once only usage of the Hebrew word "shin-awn," which means change or repetition. Either way, God is distinguished in scripture with chariots of righteousness, unlike the many references we read of which the chariots are vehicles used in defiance of God, as when the Egyptian army pursued the Israelites to the Red Sea. The following verse was used in our last section on horses:

"And they shall bring all your brethren for an offering unto the LORD out of all nations upon horses, and in chariots, and in litters, and upon mules, and upon swift beasts, to my holy mountain Jerusalem, saith the LORD, as the children of Israel bring an offering in a clean vessel into the house of the LORD." (Isaiah 66:20)

When the salvation of believers is achieved at the resurrection of the last day, it is then that we enter, with full spiritual inheritance, into the new and eternal Jerusalem. All whom God has saved are an offering for the eternal house of the Lord. We are symbolically portrayed as coming into the new heavens and the new earth upon horses, and in chariots. Before this will transpire however, we read five verses previous that Christ will come with His chariots to judge the earth:

"For, behold, the LORD will come with fire, and with his chariots like a whirlwind, to render his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire." (Isaiah 66:15)

The possible interpretation is that this is indeed speaking of Judgment Day when Christ will come with all of His saints (c.f. Jude 14) to judge the unsaved and create a new heaven and a new earth. At that time (in conjunction with verse 20 above) all of the brethren (meaning all of God's elect) will be an offering unto the Lord from all nations, both those who have died in times past and those alive at Christ's second coming. We are an offering to the Lord, and we come upon horses, and upon chariots, and in litters, and upon swift beasts to the holy mountain Jerusalem, i.e. the eternal Jerusalem. We come in a clean vessel. That is the only way we can come into God's kingdom, by being washed clean by the shed blood of Jesus Christ. The horses, chariots, mules, etc. are once again symbolic language depicting (besides heavenly traits) perhaps ancient modes of travel as Jews journeyed to the literal city of Jerusalem to offer up sacrifices to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Now, every born-again Christian is an offering to God's celestial city, the heavenly Jerusalem. Believers, both Jew and Gentile (brethren) are indeed an offering to God. The apostle Paul writes the following in Romans 15:16:

"That I should be the minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God, that the offering up of the Gentiles might be acceptable, being sanctified by the Holy Ghost."

Isaiah 66:22 seems to confirm this suggestion as God is saying that the new heavens and the new earth, which He shall make, will remain before me, so shall your seed (the brethren of verse 20) also remain with God. God is accepting this offering, made only by the sacrifice of His dear son at the cross. And so we come into eternity riding upon the many figurative things of Christ and His Church, even upon the chariots of God. As stated in the following section in Jeremiah:

"Then shall there enter into the gates of this city kings and princes sitting upon the throne of David, riding in the chariots and on horses, they, and their princes, the men of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem: and this city shall remain for ever." (Jeremiah 17:25)

In Habakkuk 3:8 God likens His chariots to "chariots of salvation." But in Nahum chapter two we read of chariots in a very negative way.

"The chariots shall rage in the streets, they shall justle one against another in the broad ways: they shall seem like torches, they shall run like the lightnings." (Nahum 2:4)

What is this speaking of? It has been taught by ultra literalists that this verse is simply prophesying of a time wherein vehicles or automobiles would be so numerous that they would smash up against one another in the broad highways. They have even suggested that the "torches" in this verse symbolizes automobile headlights. Scripture is written in parabolic language and must be interpreted by scripture itself and with the guidance of the Holy Spirit. God is addressing the apostate churches in the above verse and likens the peoples of these congregations to chariots, maybe because man is a spiritual vehicle indeed. When scripture mentions "streets," it is usually in reference to the streets of only one city - the spiritual Jerusalem - which can and is represented by the Church of Christ here on earth. This earthly representation of eternal Jerusalem consists of both believers and non-believers. These chariots of Nahum chapter two have another gospel. Why? Because they are seen in the streets of God's city, His earthly representation, the congregations. When one symbolically occupies the streets, he is in actuality passing through the Church of God and/or the Church of Christ. That is the spiritual city of Jerusalem, which is represented here on earth, or it can also portray the New and heavenly Jerusalem, which is to come.

These chariots justle one against another in the broad ways, Nahum 2:4. Automobile accidents? Never. These chariots justle each other, meaning that they are seeking their own greedy will. They run to and fro with the appetite of greed. That is what justle means in the Hebrew text. This portrays the apostasy of the churches perfectly in today's world. They justle one another in the broad ways. This can only be so, since they are depicted as unsaved. They are seen in the broad way - why? Because Jesus said:

"Enter ye in at the strait gate; for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." (Matthew 7:13-14)

Nahum 2:4 also says that these chariots seem like torches. In other words they appear to be crusading for the Gospel of Christ, who is the true light of the world. The word "torches" means shine; lamp, light, etc. As we see, these chariots are impostors masquerading as true believers, and many are deceived into thinking that they are indeed true believers in Christ, but their fruits prove otherwise.

"Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity." (Matthew 7:22-23)

The chariots of Nahum chapter two are these workers of iniquity. What is the end result of these non-believing chariots? Nahum 2:13 reads:

"Behold, I am against thee, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will burn her chariots in the smoke, and the sword shall devour thy young lions: and I will cut off thy prey from the earth, and the voice of thy messengers shall no more be heard."

We have briefly seen both sides of biblical chariots. They are seen in the spiritual city of Jerusalem for the purpose of worshiping God the Father through His son Christ Jesus. On the other side, false believers are also seen in spiritual Jerusalem (the corporate church), but are not of the sheep fold of Christ. God's true chariots are a part of God's spiritual merchandise that is no longer found in Mystery Babylon, the corporate church. These chariots are again depicting the true gospel of salvation through Jesus Christ. God has taken away His truth from the corporate church and has allowed Satan to foster an imposter and counterfeit gospel as we near Judgment Day. No longer will God's true chariots be found in this woman.

SLAVES

The merchants of the earth - those who have spiritually traded in the true gospel - are weeping and mourning over the church. She has no real merchandise in which to offer the unsaved. No wonder Christ said of this time: "For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world ...," Matthew 24:21. God is judging His own "corporate" church for their unfaithfulness. His elect are told to flee fom her. As we approach the end of this long list of merchandise (all of which is spiritual), we come across slaves as belonging to this merchandise as well, Revelation 18:13. The word slave "so'mah" is translated over one hundred and forty times in the New Testament as "bodies, body, or bodily." It is translated only once as "slaves," and of course that is here in Revelation chapter eighteen of the King James Bible. More accurately it too is translated as "bodies" in most Greek texts. Man in his mortal state, having been made a new creature in Christ (II Corinthians 5:17), nonetheless is still imprisoned in his corruptible and degenerate body. There is a time coming when true Christians shall shed these imperfect bodies (I Corinthians 15:51-55), but until that time our bodies are still a part of Christ's Church.

SOULS OF MEN

The Greek rendering of the word soul can be shown to refer to both the eternal soul and spirit and the mortal body as well.

"He that loveth his life [same as soul] shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal. (John 12:25)

Along with the Christian's temporary but mortal body, we have received a resurrected soul.

"And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." (I Thessalonians 5:23)

"And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell." (Matthew 10:28)

Revelation 18:13 concludes the list of merchandise with slaves (bodies) and souls of men. Perhaps God is stating that the believer's literal and physical body (slaves) is preserved as merchandise along with the gold, the silver, the fine linen, and all of the spiritual merchandise belonging to the true Church. The believer's physical body goes back to the dust of the earth in death, yes, but Christ will resurrect that body into a glorious heavenly body. Until that time, the bodies of the elect of God are anticipating this glorious time. Our bodies are indeed a part of Christ and of His Church awaiting the resurrection.

The eternal soul of the believer is found within the heavenly Jerusalem. All souls belong to God. "Behold, all souls are mine ... " God says in Ezekiel 18:4. He also states in this verse "...but, the soul that sinneth, it shall die." So then, the "souls" seen as merchandise must be the eternal souls of all of God's elect that are differentiated from the souls that sinneth and die. Therefore, they are an eternal part of Christ's body. Thus, they too are spiritual merchandise that are no longer to be found in the global, but corrupt church of Mystery Babylon. It is the great tribulation and God is pouring out His spiritual judgment upon first the unsaved church at the end of the age, to be followed immediately by God's physical wrath, the destruction of the heavens and the earth.

Back : Chapter 15D - The Merchant's Merchandise: No Longer Found in Her

Next : Chapter 16 - Her Merchants are Weeping: Tyrus' Mariners are Wailing

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