Revelation 11:8 The Great City

Revelation 11: The Two Witnesses - Part 18

And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them.

And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified (Rev. 11:7-8).

My previous 9 posts documented the testimony of witnesses called by Christ who were burned for their obedience to that call. To say these testimonies are but the tip of a mountain of similar testimonies throughout history resulting in confiscation of goods, exile, imprisonment, torture and even death, is an understatement.

Hopefully it has become obvious to the reader that the Lord does not need to recall a literal Moses and a literal Elijah into His service on Earth due to a lack of capable witnesses available. The same Lord who was able to create a literal Moses and Elijah is equally able to confer all spiritual gifts given to Moses and Elijah to those who are called, throughout history, to carry on similar assignments.

All these witnesses testified to the same truth…. whether they are from several centuries past (Albigenses, Cathars, Waldenses, Lollards, etc.) or within a few centuries past (Protestant Reformers, Puritans, Baptists, etc.). I have purposefully omitted the witnesses of those within recent history because those witnesses are much easier to discover. A simple internet search is all that is needed.

The truth to which they testify includes the identity of Mystery Babylon, the Roman Catholic Church, and the Antichrist, the beastly Papacy and his body. The Beast who rises out of the bottomless pit (verse 7) is the same King who rules over the locusts which rise out of the bottomless pit in Rev. 9:11. He is called the angel of the bottomless pit, ‘the destroyer.’ He is the same ‘son of perdition,’ ‘the man of sin’ identified in 2 Thessalonians 2:3. He is also the same Beast of Revelation 17:11 who goeth into perdition.

This King of the locusts, aka the Beast, Antichrist, is under the rule and authority of Satan, who has given him the power to rule men (Revelation 13:2). Thus, the fallen star given the key to open the bottomless pit is none other than Satan, the fallen angel who is the arch enemy of the Lord and His people (Rev. 9:1 & Rev. 1:20).

It is of considerable importance to note these witnesses are not killed until they have finished their testimony. It is the Lord, not Satan, who has determined, from eternity, the exact time and circumstance of their deaths. Until then, they continue their witness. Satan realized this truth causing the removal of tongues before public execution.

Although in the world’s eyes these so-called ‘heretics’ were overcome by death, in reality they were the overcomers, never swerving from their consistent witness for Christ.

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).

He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels (Rev. 3:5).

And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they?

And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb (Rev. 7:13-14).

These [Antichristians] shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful (Rev. 17:14).

These called and chosen witnesses of Christ have, throughout history, remained faithful, even to death, despite the great tribulation they were to undergo by the sovereign will of God.

Why is the tribulation called ‘great’? It is partly due to the fact of its occurring in many locations, at many times throughout history, and for various durations. It is also due to the fact that the persecuting murderers were all claiming Jesus as Lord and Savior.

Is that not truly a ‘mystery of iniquity’?

NEXT: The identity of ‘the great city.’

 

Revelation 11: The Two Witnesses - Part 19

And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified (Rev. 11:8).

Controversy Over Identity of ‘The Great City’

By utilizing a wonderfully convenient internet resource, one is able to quickly and efficiently determine all scriptural references of the term, ‘great city.’

In the OT Nineveh has 4 such occurrences, while Babylon has 1. In the NT (Revelation), however, Babylon has 8 such occurrences, Rev. 11:8 not included. ‘Holy Jerusalem’ has 1 reference as ‘that great city’ (Rev. 21:10). We can logically discount the one reference to Jerusalem as that great city which is described in Rev. 11:8 because its origin is heavenly, of God, not that of Earth or man. Therefore, this city is designated ‘holy.’

Mystery Babylon the Great, ‘that great city,’ on the other hand, has its origin in the wilderness of Earth (Rev. 17:3), having rule over earthly kingdoms (Rev. 17:18), which earthly Jerusalem never had.

In our study of Church history we have discovered the executions (many by fire) of myriads of Christians who opposed the Roman Catholic Church throughout the centuries. These Christian protestors were not limited to one city, province or country. They were scattered throughout Western and Eastern Europe, all of which comprised the territories under the religious rule and authority of the Roman Catholic Church. The political influence of this Church cannot be underestimated, as was evidenced in the papal decrees which mandated the secular authorities search out and destroy all ‘heretical’ sects which dared oppose the Magisterium’s teachings and doctrines.

Thus, by using provable historical facts we can dismiss a literal explanation of a single ‘street’ in which the witnesses bodies lie. As was the case with the ‘two witnesses,’ the Holy Spirit is using synecdoche to describe multitudes of public executions taking place throughout this wicked ‘city,’ the boundaries of which extend great distances.

As has already been proven, the city, Mystery Babylon, not only depicts the city of Christ-professing Rome, but it also depicts it as the center and headquarters of the Christ-professing Roman Catholic Church, the alleged ‘bride’ of Christ. The Holy Spirit, without hesitance, disproves this bald-faced lie by calling this church ‘the great whore’ (Rev. 17:1), revealing her unmitigated unfaithfulness and adulteress behavior through her obscene immorality and flagrant idolatry.

Therefore, the wicked and ‘great city’ described in Rev. 11:8 extends the length and breadth of the kingdoms over which the Roman Catholic Church, that great city Mystery Babylon, holds sway.

N.B. The Greek noun ‘plateia’ (Strong’s # 4113) which is translated ‘street’ is defined as ‘a wide road, street.’ Its usage includes ‘a street, public square, broad way.’ By no mere coincidence, the three Oxford martyrs, Nicholas Ridley, Hugh Latimer and Thomas Cranmer were burnt on ‘Broad Street.’ Furthermore, Smithfield, London, described as a ‘broad grassy area’ in the Middle Ages (Wikipedia) was a major execution site of Protestant dissidents.

Let us not forget the autos-da-fé were conducted in public squares, corroborating the usage of ‘plateia’ as given by Strong. “The ritual took place in public squares or esplanades and lasted several hours with ecclesiastical and civil authorities in attendance” (Source).

NEXT: Spiritual Sodom explained.

 

Revelation 11:8 - The Great City - Part 20

And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified (Rev. 11:8).

Spiritual Nature of ‘The Great City’

By emphasizing the character of the great city in spiritual terms, the Holy Spirit is alerting the reader not to interpret this verse literally. Rather, the Spirit is imputing the infamous sins of Sodom, Egypt and Jerusalem to that of the great city, Mystery Babylon, the Roman Catholic Church.

The sin of Sodom is not difficult to apply to the Church of Rome. One need only read of the innumerable court cases resulting in payments in exceeding one billion dollars to settle guilty verdicts involving the crimes of child sodomy, pedophilia and sexual assault by U.S. priests who relentlessly attacked both genders.

Worldwide, it has been estimated that by August, 2018, settlements are closer to $4 billion.

Sexual perversion and immorality, which included adultery, fornication, sodomy and pedophilia, were so prevalent in the medieval Roman Church that it required the Third Lateran Council, AD 1179, Canon 11, to decree:

“Clerics in sacred orders who keep in their houses any women for unchaste purposes, must either dismiss them and live continently or be deposed from office and deprived of their ecclesiastical benefice. Anyone found guilty of that incontinence, which is against nature, on account of which came the anger of God upon the children of unbelief and destroyed by fire five cities, if he be a cleric, let him be deposed from the clerical state or sentenced to a monastery to do penance; if a layman, let him be excommunicated and completely cut off from the communion of the faithful. Moreover, if any cleric shall presume to frequent the monasteries of nuns without necessity, let him be warned of the bishop……….”

One hundred and twenty-five years earlier the Book of Gomorrah, published by a Benedictine monk, exposed the rampant immorality of the Roman Catholic clergy. A copy may be purchased today through Amazon under the title, The Book of Gomorrah, An Eleventh-Century Treatise against Clerical Homosexual Practices.

Tragically, such victim groups as SNAP (Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests) are simply calling for a more modern updated Catholicism. Not only should evil priests be exposed and prosecuted, but celibacy should be optional. However, these groups of reformers do not understand the root cause of this systemic plague; a plague which spans the centuries, not simply decades.

The only cure for this plague is to Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. God is a Spirit and must be worshipped in spirit and truth. Repentance has not been granted the hierarchy of this worldwide Church. As a result, they have been and will continue to worship the works of their hands, which are demon idols of gold, silver, brass, stone, and wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk: Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts (Rev. 9:20-21).

Moreover, they have been and will continue to perform the Sacrifice of the Mass which is a sacrifice to demons (1 Cor. 10:20).

NEXT: Spiritual Egypt explained.

 

Revelation 11:8 - The Great City - Part 21

And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified (Rev. 11:8).

The Great City Exemplifies Egypt in Three Particulars

1. Idolatry

But they rebelled against Me and were not willing to listen to Me; they did not cast away the detestable things of their eyes, nor did they forsake the idols of Egypt (Ezekiel 20:8).

Among the many gods Egyptians worshipped, besides Pharaoh, included scarab beetles, felines, cobras and crocodiles. These sacred mummified and graven objects were found in tombs recently discovered south of Cairo.

Similarly, the Roman Catholic Church, aka ‘Mystery Babylon,’ the great city, has an abundance of gods to call upon, to whom the Catholic faithful give obeisance. These gods are declared ‘saints’ by the power of the Roman Pontiff who, upon canonization, imbues them with divine power to hear and answer innumerable worldwide petitions at once. Angels are also the object of many prayers, despite the admonition of Paul to the contrary in Col. 2:18.

In addition, supernatural powers are posited to inanimate objects. A crucifix has the power to ward off evil spirits, as does a cross worn around the neck. A statue of St. Francis in a garden setting will attract butterflies, birds, bees and other friendly forms of wild life, guaranteeing a thriving, lush garden. A statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary must be placed in or beside a Catholic Church to ensure her favor and blessing upon all who enter. Relics of the dead have the power to heal and perform miracles, as do artifacts from the Calvary cross of Christ, His crown of thorns, as well as His uncoagulated blood kept in vials for two thousand years.

2. Tyranny

Exodus 1 relates the bitter affliction, persecution and hard bondage of the captive Israelites. Like the Egyptians of old, the Roman Church refused to allow the true Israel of God, those whose hearts were circumcised by the Spirit, to worship God in spirit and truth. Instead, the Church demanded God’s Elect worship their god of bread under threat of loss of one’s goods, livelihood, freedom and life. The profession of faith by a convert to Catholicism is precisely that which is the required belief of all professing Catholics and recanting heretics. Below is an extract:

“I profess that in the Mass there is offered to God a true, real, and propitiatory sacrifice for the living and the dead; that in the holy sacrament of the Eucharist the body and blood together with the soul and divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ is really, truly, and substantially present, and that there takes place in the Mass what the Church calls transubstantiation, which is the change of all the substance of bread into the body of Christ and of all substance of wine into His blood……

“Likewise I hold that the saints, who reign with Jesus Christ, should be venerated and invoked, that they offer prayers to God for us, and that their relics are to be venerated.

“I firmly profess that the images of Jesus Christ and of the Mother of God, ever a Virgin, as well as of all the saints should be given due honor and veneration. I also affirm that Jesus Christ left to the Church the faculty to grant indulgences, and that their use is most salutary to the Christian people. I recognize the holy, Roman, Catholic, and apostolic Church as the mother and teacher of all the churches, and I promise and swear true obedience to the Roman Pontiff, successor of St. Peter, the prince of the apostles and vicar of Jesus Christ.”

3. Murder

Like Pharaoh who ordered the murder of Israeli male newborns, the Roman Catholic laity had no qualms in murdering infants and children of the Waldenses, Albigenses and Huguenots when conducting their infamous massacres. Wikipedia relates the horrific events of the 1655 Piedmont Massacre in which Vaudois/Waldenses experienced a living Hell:

“Little children were torn from the arms of their mothers, clasped by their tiny feet, and their heads dashed against the rocks; or were held between two soldiers and their quivering limbs torn up by main force. Their mangled bodies were then thrown on the highways or fields, to be devoured by beasts. The sick and the aged were burned alive in their dwellings. Some had their hands and arms and legs lopped off, and fire applied to the severed parts to staunch the bleeding and prolong their suffering. Some were flayed alive, some were roasted alive, some disemboweled; or tied to trees in their own orchards, and their hearts cut out. Some were horribly mutilated, and of others the brains were boiled and eaten by these cannibals. Some were fastened down into the furrows of their own fields, and ploughed into the soil as men plough manure into it. Others were buried alive. Fathers were marched to death with the heads of their sons suspended round their necks. Parents were compelled to look on while their children were first outraged [raped], then massacred, before being themselves permitted to die.”

NEXT: Spiritual Jerusalem explained.

 

Revelation 11:8 - The Great City - Part 22

And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified (Rev. 11:8).

Literal Jerusalem Not the Great City

Another reading of the above Scripture which is grammatically inferred includes: And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where likewise, spiritually speaking, our Lord was crucified.

Please use basic grammatical tools, including definitions to verify the above usage.

3 Ways, Spiritually Speaking, by which the Church of Rome Exemplifies Jerusalem

1. By killing the prophets sent to her.

Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city (Matthew 23:34).

The theme of Revelation 11 is the exact fulfillment of this condemnation of those who profess, as did the Jews, to be the people of God. Revelation 17:6 predicts this damning truth. History confirms this damning truth.

2. By crucifying ‘Christ’ daily in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.

This sacrificial ritual is the core belief and most sacred feature of Roman Catholicism, whereby the priest creates his Creator, flesh, blood, soul and divinity in substance, though in appearance and taste it remains bread which decays. This bloodless sacrifice is then offered to God the Father as propitiation for the sins of the Roman Catholic people, both the living and the dead. According to Catholic doctrine, the consecrated wafer offered has the same infinite efficacy as does the bloody sacrifice of Christ on the Roman cross. They are one and the same sacrifice (Source # 1367).

This breaded god is then to be worshipped with the same supreme adoration (latria) as that owed the God-man Jesus Christ.

3. By crucifying Christ in His members.

It is a fundamental Bible principle that good or evil works done to Christians, who are members of Christ’s Body, is tantamount to doing that to Christ, the Head of the Body (Acts 9:4; Matthew 25:40, 45). The Roman Catholic Church was quite adept at compelling confessions from ‘heretics,’ as well as divulging the names of their co-conspirators, by means of ingeniously devised excruciating tortures.

NEXT: Their dead bodies lie in the street.

 

Revelation 11:8 - The Great City - Part 23

And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified (Rev. 11:8).

Their Dead Bodies Shall Lie in the Street

Those who take the literal interpretation, identifying ‘the great city’ as literal latter-day Jerusalem, must not only dismiss the reasons previously given as to why a literal interpretation lacks credibility, but must also ignore another profound argument against such a view.

Jewish burial tradition follows that which is stated in Deut. 21:23, requiring burial within 24 hours.

This fact negates the possibility of any corpse laying openly in public view in literal Jerusalem for the 3 ½ days stated in verse 9. Moreover, the Israeli organization, ZAKA, exists today “to recover human remains and ensure a proper burial in accordance with Jewish law.” No one killed in Israel, whether Jew or Gentile, will be left undisturbed for long. ZAKA will promptly spring into action.

Spiritual Significance of ‘Dead Bodies Lying in the Street’

Author and art critic, Robert Hughes, in his book, Rome, writes that filthy ancient Roman streets were “strewn with human and animal excrement, garbage, and the occasional corpse” (Source).

It sounds much like modern-day San Francisco and Los Angeles, does it not?

In the view of the Beast, his members and supporters, the protesting witnesses were ‘heretics’ of the highest order, and as such treated as garbage, disdainful and contemptuous. They were considered blasphemers worthy, not only of death, but of public shame, humiliation and perpetual disgrace. The Holy Spirit likens their treatment to that of Christ’s ignominy on the cross. For, though innocent, He hung naked, having been put to open shame.

And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations [i.e., those who witnessed the executions throughout the ‘Holy’ Roman Empire] shall see their dead bodies three days and an half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves (Verse 9).

How shall they who witnessed the burning, beheading or hanging of the so-called heretics ‘see’ their dead bodies for 3 ½ days?

Has the reader ever witnessed a sight of such gruesome magnitude that the vivid image cannot be easily erased from memory? Such was the case with the executions of the martyrs of Christ. For example, John Foxe rehearses the burning of Anglican Bishop, John Hooper, in 1555:

"Now when he was brought to the stake, three irons were brought to bind him to it. But he refused them...So the hoop of iron prepared for his middle was brought, which being made somewhat too short (for his belly was swollen by imprisonment), he shrank, and pushed in his belly with his hand, until it was fastened...Thus being ready, he looked upon all the people, of whom he might be well seen (for he was tall and stood on a high stool), and beheld around him. In every corner there was nothing to be seen but weeping and sorrowful people. Then, lifting up his eyes and hands unto heaven, he prayed (silently). Soon, the one who was appointed to make the fire came to John to ask his forgiveness...'Thou dost nothing to offend me,' said master Hooper, 'God forgive thee thy sins, and do thine office, I pray thee.' Then the reeds were cast up, and he received two bundles of them in his own hands, embraced them, kissed them, and put one under either arm, pointing to the places that lacked (reeds).”

[The fire was lit, but the wind blew the fire away from John. A second fire was lit which only singed his hair and swelled his skin a little.] "After the second (fire) was spent, he wiped both eyes, looked at the people and shouted, 'For God's love, good people, let me have more fire!' And all this while his lower parts did burn: for the faggots were so few that the flame did not burn strongly at his upper parts.

“The third fire was kindled...and the bladders of gunpowder brake, which did him little good where they were placed, and with the wind (blowing in the wrong direction). While this fire burned he prayed in a loud vice, 'Lord Jesus, have mercy upon me. Lord Jesus, have mercy upon me. Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!' And these were the last words he was heard to utter. But when he was black in the mouth, and his tongue swollen so that he could not speak, yet his lips (flapped) till they were shrunk to the gums. He knocked his breast with his hands, until one of his arms fell off, and then knocked still with the other: the whole time the fat, water, and blood dripped out of the ends of his fingers, until they were gone in the flames, and his hand did cleave fast, knocking against the iron upon his breast. So, immediately, bowing forwards, he yielded up his spirit." (Acts & Monuments, Volume 6, pp. 657-58).

In more recent times, German citizens were forced to confront the unspeakable war crimes perpetrated by the Nazis. The American liberators marched the citizens through the death camps to view, up close and personal, the atrocities for themselves. Such sights are seared into one’s memory forever.

NEXT: The prophetic synchrony of the numeral 3 ½.

 

Revelation 11:9 - The Great City - Part 24

And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three days and an half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves.

The Prophetic Synchrony of the Numeral 3 ½

Synchrony: “simultaneous action, development, or occurrence.”

Previously [Part 5] I explained the ‘Day-Year Principle,’ as well as the ‘30-day Month Principle’ when applied to Bible prophecy. Using these foundational truths, it is possible to discover a cipher which uses the numeral 3 ½. By so doing, we can understand the people and events exist together in parallel, because they are linked by the numeral 3 ½.

And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth (Revelation 11:3).

1260 days = 1260 ÷ 30 = 42 prophetic months ÷ 12 = 3 ½ prophetic years; 3 ½ being the numeral which coincides with the 3 ½ (prophetic days) of verse 9.

Those witnesses are the same in both verses. Similarly, the people against whom they witness are the same as those who refuse them burial after execution.

Furthermore, they are the same Gentiles who war with God’s true Church for 42 months:

But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months (verse 2).

42 months ÷ 12 = 3 ½ prophetic years.

3 ½ is the common denominator and cipher linking verses 2, 3 & 9. They speak to the same events and people, both Christian and anti-Christian.

Daniel 9:27 Explains the Cipher

And he [the Messiah] shall confirm [by His resurrection] the covenant [eternal covenant of grace] with many [Jew and Gentile] for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause [by His death and resurrection] the [temple] sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations [i.e. continued sacrifices] he shall make it [the temple] desolate [destroyed by Roman armies], even until the consummation [never to be rebuilt again even unto the end of the world] and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.

According to our calendar, a week consists of 7 days, but Daniel uses the ‘Day-Year Principle’ which denotes 7 prophetic years. Christ’s earthly ministry was completed within a 3 ½ year time frame, i.e. completed ‘in the midst of the week.’ Yet His covenant is to be confirmed with many for ‘one week.’

How does He confirm His covenant for one week if He is not present on Earth for the remaining half of the week?

The answer lies in the ministry of His witnesses, whose cipher is 3 ½. It is through the preaching of the witnesses described in Revelation 11, accompanied by the efficacy of the Spirit, that Jesus makes known His Gospel covenant to those chosen for salvation. As Jesus was persecuted and put to death, so, too, will many of His witnesses experience the same treatment.

The Beast also has the cipher of 3 ½

And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them (Rev. 11:7).

This is the same Beast described in Revelation 13:4-7, whose power to overcome the saints lasts 42 months:

And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?

5 And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.

6 And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.

42 months ÷ 12 = 3 ½ prophetic years.

Moreover, the Beast of Rev. 11:7 & Rev. 13:4-7 is the same beast described in Revelation 17, for he, too, ascends out of the bottomless pit, making war on the saints.

The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is (Rev. 17:8).

Conclusion: Church history testifies to the fulfillment of the events described in Revelation 11, 13 & 17. The Beast is the antithesis of the Lamb. The Lamb is Christ, the Beast is Antichrist. The people of the Lamb are the called, chosen and faithful, whose destiny is Heaven; the people of the Beast are not called, but rejected and faithless, whose destiny is perdition. Judas Iscariot is the type, Antichrist the antitype. Both claim to be disciples, bishops and apostles of Christ, yet are traitors, lying devils and sons of perdition.

There is only one religious ‘royal’ dynasty and church throughout Church history, whose seat is in Rome, which fit the unlikely requirements of the Beast and Great Whore:

(1) They must openly profess to be for Christ, coming in the name/authority of Christ, while at the same time be covertly against Christ, unbeknownst to most of the world.

(2) They must kill their adversaries in the name of Christ, though those adversaries are true Christians who witness the truths of God against them.

(3) They must be held in the highest esteem by the world and pseudo-Christians, who willfully ignore their wicked history, immorality and numerous doctrines which oppose the clear commandments of Christ, as well as the efficacy of His sacrifice.

(4) They must continue to reign spiritually and physically in the hearts, minds, eyes and ears of their followers for millennia, until the 2nd Advent of Christ, who will bring final judgment upon them.

NEXT: Time, Times and Half a Time.

 

Time, Times and Half a Time – Part 25

25 And he [little horn] shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time (Daniel 7:25).

7 And I heard the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven, and sware by him that liveth for ever that it shall be for a time, times, and an half; and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished (Daniel 12:7).

The enigma of time, times and the dividing of time is solved in Revelation 12:

14 And to the woman [the bride of Christ, the Church] were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent (verse 14).

6 And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days (verse 6).

Verse 6 is the key which explains verse 14. Similarly, it explains Daniel 7:25 and Daniel 12:7.

1260 days = 1260 ÷ 30 = 42 prophetic months ÷ 12 = 3 ½ prophetic years.

Time = [1] + Times = [2] + Time ÷ 2 = [ ½]

1 + 2 + ½ = 3 ½.

Thus, the cipher 3 ½ connects Daniel’s little horn and his persecution of the saints with the Beast of Revelation.

These Time Periods Should Not Be Taken Literally

Whether 3 ½ days, 1260 days, 42 months or 3 ½ years, these time periods should not be taken literally. Rather, they should be understood as signifying a definite time frame known only to God. By using the common denominator of 3 ½, the Holy Spirit is pointing to the synchrony and direct connection of the prophecies to one another, thus becoming an invaluable aid as we attempt to interpret them.

NEXT: The resurrection of the witnesses.

 

kyredneck holds the Roman Catholic Preterist position positing literal Jerusalem as Mystery Babylon.

This is his God-given, American right to free speech.

However, it contradicts:

(1) The numerous prophecies which state otherwise. For example, Jerusalem was never been known as the City of 7 Hills; nor has it ever held dominion over the kings of the earth, rather it was subjugated by Rome; nor was its sins ever a mystery, having been publicized in the OT; nor was she the murderer of Christians for any extraordinary length of time; as was the Roman Church for centuries, nor did she ever claim to be ‘Christian,’ a necessary component of the ‘mystery,’ etc., etc.

(2) It dismisses the figurative, spiritual interpretation of the great city given in Rev. 11:8, including the fact that Christ was crucified under the authority of Rome in occupied Roman territory…..thereby pointing to the future ‘Holy’ Roman Empire under the spiritual authority of the Papacy as the spiritual fulfillment of the prophecy.

(3) It dismisses, as inconsequential and of no value, centuries of continuous testimony of the witnesses of Christ who sealed their testimony with their blood. Their testimony indicted the Roman Church and Papacy, citing the prophecies of the Revelation.

(4) It dismisses the promises of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit cited 4 times in the Gospels to give Christ’s witnesses the words by which they would confound their accusers. These words were the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth (Matthew 10; Mark 13; Luke 12 & 21).

Other than disregarding these few ‘details,’ kyredneck’s response was, at best, sincere and well-intentioned, and at the least, misinformed and ludicrous.

 

The Resurrection of the Witnesses – Part 26

And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth.

11 And after three days and an half the spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them.

12 And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them (Revelation 11:10-12).

“They that dwell upon the earth” denotes all those who are of earthly and carnal natures, devoid of the Spirit, unregenerate. It matters not if they profess to be disciples or vicars of Christ. These are pseudo-disciples called ‘earth dwellers’ (Rev. 3:10; 6:10; 13:8, 12, 14; 14:6; 17:8). The ‘earth inhabitors’ (Rev. 8:13) are the same as ‘earth dwellers.’

These ‘earth dwellers’ are distinctly opposite in nature and spirit to those whose ‘citizenship is in Heaven’ (Philippians 3:20).

To prove the witnesses of Rev. 11 are true Christians whose citizenship is in Heaven, we are told they ascended to Heaven by the command of God. These witnesses told the truth. They were faithful to the end. Had they been liars, their end would be the lake of fire (Rev. 21:8). Historically, the condemned witnesses of Christ through the ages all agreed: the Papacy and his members were the Antichrist Beast, while his Roman Church was Mystery Babylon, the Mother of all Harlots.

Today we have many false prophets who would tell you otherwise.

The resurrection of the witnesses who ‘stood upon their feet’ depicts a spiritual resurrection of those men and women who have been given the same spiritual gifts and calling as those deceased prophets who went before them. Thus, as John the Baptist was a spiritually resurrected Elijah the Prophet (Matthew 11:14), so, too, are the witnesses through the ages spiritually resurrected prophets.

Initially, the Beast, with His members and supporters, experience great joy in the deaths of those prophets who tormented them. Esther, chapter 9, tells of similar celebration.

Curiously, the exchanging of gifts with the Pope by heads of State is a requirement in their meeting.



Pope Francis exchanges gifts with President Trump at the Vatican.

The Burning of ‘Heretics’ Begets More ‘Heretics’

No matter how many Crusades, Inquisitions and Autos-da-fé the Roman Catholic Church carried out for the extirpation of so-called ‘heresy’ and ‘heretics,’ the Lord would continuously raise up more witnesses to the truth. These witnesses, history tells us, came from all walks of life, from all parts of the Roman earth, where the Roman Catholic Church had spiritual authority. Typically, the witnesses were from the ‘lower classes,’ as was Jesus in His day. However, the Protestant Reformation brought forth witnesses whose wisdom, education, preaching and writing skills were sufficient to deal a death blow to the lies propagated by Antichrist and his members.

Tragically, in our day that fatal wound has been healed (Rev. 13:3) with the signing of such documents as Evangelicals and Catholics Together, as well as ecumenical meetings between the Pope and world religious leaders.

Pope Francis makes nice with Bartholomew I of Constantinople, Patriarch of the Eastern Orthodox Church of the Great Schism.
​

Pope Francis makes nice with Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, of the now apostate Anglican Church.



‘The Defender of the Faith,’ Queen Elizabeth, gifts the Holy Father with a merciful bottle of sacred Whiskey.

Not surprisingly, the Catholic Church admits Catholics and Muslims believe in the same God:

841 The Church's relationship with the Muslims. "The plan of salvation also includes those who acknowledge the Creator, in the first place amongst whom are the Muslims; these profess to hold the faith of Abraham, and together with us they adore the one, merciful God, mankind's judge on the last day” (Source).

NEXT: Special blessings and honors given the martyrs.

 

Special Blessings and Honor given the Martyrs: Part 27

And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death (Rev. 12:11).

And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them (Rev. 14:13).

The Holy Spirit is referring to those witnesses described as killed by the Beast in Revelation 11. They are the same witnesses who are killed for refusing to worship the Beast’s image, nor would they take his mark (Revelation 13:15-16). They are also identical to the martyrs killed by authority of Mystery Babylon, the counterfeit church (Revelation 17:6).

The martyrs described in Revelation 6:9 are differentiated from their brethren yet to be killed, for the former are those martyred by authority of pagan Roman Emperors, while the latter are martyred by authority of the Papal Roman Beast and his apostate church.

These Latter Witnesses are Metaphorically Called 3 Angels (Revelation 14:6-11).

These preacher-prophets are called ‘angels’ because they deliver the message of God to men. John the Baptist was prophesied in Malachi 3:1 as the ‘messenger’ who shall prepare the way of the Lord. The Hebrew noun used is actually ‘angel’ (Strong’s # 4397). Thus, John the Baptist was an angel of the Lord. The message of the 3 angels is that of the witnesses described in Revelation 11. It’s design is to counter the lies perpetrated by the Beast and his church.

(1) The false church promotes idolatry which is the worship of false gods. Thus, the first angel-witness preaches the everlasting Gospel, Fear the true God, giving Him all the glory. This truth was manifested by the Protestant Reformers via the Five Solas: “We are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, according to Scripture alone, to the glory of God alone.”

(2) The Church of Rome, Babylon, is soon to be judged for her idolatrous infidelity: Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication. Such spiritual fornication is indicative of her anger and hatred for the true God. Yet she takes pride in her powers of seduction, as many nations are made partakers of her whoredom. These scorching words set fire to the idolaters’ pride, causing them, in turn, to burn the bodies of the many witnesses whom Christ sends.

(3) The last message warns of the unceasing pain and torment awaiting those who insist on worshipping the Beast and his image, while taking his mark.

Preaching these truths resulted in the deaths of numerous Christ’s witnesses. The idolatry of the Mass was a particularly grievous sin of the Roman Catholic religion which became a touchstone for determining the orthodoxy or heterodoxy of those put to the question, “Is the consecrated wafer literally Jesus Christ?”

The Martyrs Receive a Unique and Special Honor

This special honor is recognized by their participation in the First Resurrection:

4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.

5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.

6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

The first resurrection is spiritual. This is the clear meaning of the text which states, I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus. The soul is not corporal, as is flesh. Thus, it is not the resurrection of the body which was yet to come.

There is no question Peter teaches all Christians are a ‘royal priesthood’ and ‘holy’ (2 Peter 2:9). Furthermore, all Christians are ‘blessed,’ as stated by King David (Psalm 32:1-2). Yet not all Christians are ‘beheaded’ for their Christian witness. Like the beheaded prophet, John the Baptist, who dared confront and rebuke the religious and secular authorities, the Christians who dared confront the papal Beast, Roman prelates and Catholic secular authorities met an untimely and particularly cruel end. It is these Christians, and those of Rev. 6:9, many of whom were fed to the lions or crucified, that the Holy Spirit describes in unambiguous terms.

These same martyrs are similarly described as resurrecting spiritually in Revelation 11:12:

And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them.

Conclusion: Those Christians killed for their faith have been singled out by the Holy Spirit for the highest praise, honor and reward. Sadly, the proliferation of false prophecy teachers in our day dismiss the witness of the martyrs as either irrelevant, misguided or delusional, not worthy of our prayerful study and consideration.

NEXT: The Testimony of Mrs. Prest, martyr for Christ.

 

Revelation 11: The Two Witnesses – Part 28

THE HOLY GHOST TESTIMONY AND TROUBLE OF MRS. PREST, MARTYR FOR CHRIST

A 54-YEAR-OLD ILLITERATE ENGLISH WEAVER DENOUNCED FOR SPEAKING AGAINST THE HOLY EUCHARIST AND IDOLS

· HER HUSBAND AND CHILDREN REFUSED TO RENOUNCE THE MASS, FORCING HER TO LEAVE.

· CALLED AN ANABAPTIST, MAD WOMAN, DRUNKARD, WHORE AND VAGABOND WITH NO EDUCATION, NOT EVEN SEMINARY, SHE DISCERNS THE POPE IS ANTICHRIST AND HIS CHURCH THE BABYLONIAN WHORE.

· HER TEACHER: THE HOLY SPIRIT.

The following excerpt taken from Foxe’s Acts & Monuments, Volume 8, pp. 497-503, relates the examination of Mrs. Prest by Bishop Turberville. What the reader need consider in reading this exchange is the fact that in today’s politically correct Christian Church, the ignorance regarding the superstitious and anti-Christian doctrines of the Roman Church by those who hold leadership roles is unprecedented. Not only are the errors of the Roman Church not called out and exposed, but they are frequently of no concern. They concerned Mrs. Prest and millions like her through the ages, who knew Scripture, believed what they knew, and would not back down when threatened with material or bodily loss.]

“Thou foolish woman,” said the bishop, “I hear thou hast spoken certain words against the most blessed sacrament of the altar, the body of Christ. Fie for shame! Thou art an unlearned person, and a woman. Wilt thou meddle with such high matters, which all the doctors of the world cannot define? Wilt thou talk of so high mysteries? Keep thy work, and meddle with that thou hast to do. It is no woman's matters…..And if it be as I am informed, thou art worthy to be burned."

Mrs. Prest: “My lord, I will rather die than do any worship to that foul idol which with your mass you make a god."

Bishop: “Yea, will you say that the sacrament of the altar is a foul idol?"

Mrs. Prest: “Yea truly, there was never such an idol as your sacrament is made of your priests and commanded to be worshipped of all men, with many fond fantasies; whereas Christ did command it to be eaten and drunken in remembrance of his most blessed passion for our redemption."

Bishop: “See this rattling woman. Dost thou not hear that Christ did say over the bread, ‘This is my body,’ and over the cup, ‘This is my blood?’"

Mrs. Prest: “Yes, forsooth he said so; but he meant that it is his body and blood, not carnally, but sacramentally.”

Bishop: “Lo, she hath heard prattling among these new preachers, or heard some peevish book. Alas, poor woman! thou art deceived."

Mrs. Prest: “No, my lord, that which I have learned was of godly preachers, and of godly books which I have heard read. And if you will give me leave, I will declare a reason, why I will not worship the sacrament"

Bishop: “Please, say on, I am sure it will be a goodly gear [i.e. box of tricks].

Mrs. Prest: “Truly such gear as I will lose this poor life of mine for."

Bishop: “Then you will be a martyr, good wife.

Mrs. Prest: “Indeed, if the denying to worship that bready god be my martyrdom, I will suffer it with all my heart."

Bishop: “Say thy mind."

Mrs. Prest: “You must bear with me, a poor woman.”

Bishop: “So I will.”

Mrs. Prest: I will demand [an answer] from you, whether you can deny your creed [e.g. Apostles’ Creed; Nicene Creed] which doth say, that Christ perpetually doth sit at the right hand of his Father, both body and soul, until he come again; or whether he be in heaven as our advocate, making prayer for us unto God his Father? [e.g. Romans 8:24]. If it be so, he is not here in the earth in a piece of bread. If he is not here, and if he does not dwell in temples made with hands, but in heaven [e.g. Acts 7:48-49], shall we seek him here? If he did offer his body once for all [Hebrews 10:10] why make you a new offering? If with one offering he made all perfect [Hebrews 10:14], why do you, with a false offering, make all unperfect? If he is to be worshipped in spirit and truth [John 4:23}, why do you worship a piece of bread? If he is eaten and drunk in faith and truth; if his flesh be not profitable to be among us [John 6:63], why do you say you make his body and flesh, saying it is profitable for body and soul? Alas! I am a poor woman, but rather than do as you do, I would live no longer. I am finished, sir"

Bishop: “I promise you; you are exceedingly protestant! I ask you, in what schools have you been brought up?"……

……. Mrs. Prest: “God gave me grace to go to the true church."

Bishop: “The true church! what dost thou mean?"

Mrs. Prest: “Not your popish church, full of idols and abominations, but where three or four are gathered together in the name of God, to that church will I go, as long as I live."

Bishop: “Perhaps then you have a church of your own. Well, let this mad woman be put down to prison until we send for her husband."

Mrs. Prest: “No, I have but one husband, which is here already in this city and in prison with me, from whom I will never depart."

Foxe continues, “And so their communication for that day broke off. Blackstone and others persuaded the bishop that she was a confused creature, and not in her perfect wit (which is no new thing for the wisdom of God to appear foolishness to carnal men of this world) ; and therefore they consulted together, that she should have liberty, and go at large……..Then divers of the priests had her in handling, persuading her to leave her wicked opinion about the sacrament of the altar, the natural body and blood of our Saviour Christ. But she made them answer that it was nothing but very bread and wine, and that they might be ashamed to say that a man should turn a piece of bread into the natural body of Christ, which bread grows musty and mice oftentimes do eat it, and it doth mold and is burned.

Mrs. Prest: “God’s own body will not be so handled, nor kept in prison, or boxes, or aumbries [i.e. ‘closets’]. Let it be your god, it shall not be mine; for my Saviour sitteth on the right hand of God, and doth pray for me. And to make that sacramental or signifying bread, which was instituted for a remembrance, the very body of Christ and to worship it is very foolish and a devilish deceit.”

Inquisitor Priests: “Now truly the devil hath deceived thee.”

Mrs. Prest: “No. I trust the living God hath opened mine eyes and caused me to understand the right use of the blessed sacrament, which the true church doth use, but the false church doth abuse.”

Then stepped forth an old friar, and asked her what she said of the holy pope.

Mrs. Prest: “I say that he is antichrist and the devil.”

Then they all laughed.

Mrs. Prest: “Nay, said she, you have more need to weep than to laugh, and to be sorry that ever you were born, to be the chaplains of that whore of Babylon. I defy him and all his falsehood. And get away from me. You do but trouble my conscience. You would have me to follow your doings. I will first lose my life. I pray you depart.”

Inquisitor Priests: “Why, thou foolish woman. We come to thee for thy profit and soul's health. “

Mrs. Prest: “O Lord God, what profit comes from you who teach nothing but lies for truth? How can you save souls when you preach nothing but damnable lies and destroy souls?

Inquisitor Priests: “What are your proofs?”

Mrs. Prest: “Do you not damn souls when you teach the people to worship idols, stocks, and stones, [carved by] the works of men’s hands? And to worship a false god of your own making, a piece of bread? And teach that the pope is God's vicar, and hath power to forgive sins? And that there is a purgatory, when God's Son hath by his passion purged all? You say you make God and sacrifice him, when Christ’s body was a sacrifice once for all? Do you not teach the people to number their sins in your ears, and say they be damned if they confess not all, though God's word saith, Who can number his sins [Psalm 19:12; Psalm 38:4]. Do you not promise them trentals, dirges and masses for souls, selling your prayers for money, making them buy pardons, and trusting such foolish inventions which come from your own imaginations? Are you not all united against God? Do ye not teach us to pray upon beads, and to pray unto saints, saying they can pray for us? Do you not make holy water and holy bread to fight against devils? Do you not practice a thousand more abominations? And yet you say you come for my profit to save my soul! No, no; One hath saved me. Farewell you with your salvation!……”

Inquisitor Priests: “Go home to thy husband. Thou art an unlearned woman; thou art not able to answer to such high matters.

Mrs. Prest: “True, I am not. Yet with my death I am content to be a witness of Christ’s death, and I pray you make no longer delay with me. My heart is fixed; I will never otherwise say, nor turn to your superstitious doings.”

Bishop: “The devil did lead her.’

Mrs. Prest: “No, my lord, it is the Spirit of God which leadeth me, and which called me in my bed, and at midnight opened his truth to me.”

Then was there a great shout and laughing among the priests and others.

[N.B. And so, in Exeter, 1558, this humble servant of God yielded up her spirit while being burned to a crisp before the eyes of both onlookers and persecutors.]

NEXT: Breaking down the meaning of ‘witnesses.’

 

Joseph:
Please state succinctly your understanding of the following:
(1) The identity of Mystery Babylon.
(2) The identity of the Man of Sin, Son of Perdition.
(3) The identity of the two witnesses.
(4) The identity of 'the great city' in Rev. 11:8.
(5) The identity of the holy city, New Jerusalem (Rev. 21).
(6) The identity of the temple of God in Rev. 11:1-2.
Also, if you would be so kind to name those who agree with your position. Please include sources.
Thank you for clarifying your position for me.

 

Revelation 11: The Two Witnesses – Part 29

Breaking Down the Meaning of ‘Witnesses’

This exercise in word studies is quite useful in broadening one’s understanding of Scripture.

Revelation 11 speaks of two witnesses who are killed for their faith which they unhesitatingly publicly shared under trying circumstances.

We all understand that Christians who are killed for their faith are given the nomenclature ‘martyrs.’

The Greek noun, martus, which we translate as ‘witness,’ is actually the origin of our English noun ‘martyr.’

This is evidenced, for example, in Revelation 2:13:

I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, even where Satan's seat is: and thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith, even in those days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr, [Gr: martus] who was slain among you, where Satan dwelleth (KJV).

The NIV, on the other hand, prefers to translate the Greek ‘martus’ as ‘witness’:

13 I know where you live—where Satan has his throne. Yet you remain true to my name. You did not renounce your faith in me, not even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness, [Gr: martus] who was put to death in your city—where Satan lives.

This witness testified of Christ, as do all Christian martyrs.

Our English verb ‘testify’ denotes ‘bearing witness’ to something or someone. Thus, a ‘testifier’ is one who bears witness.

Christians are frequently asked to ‘give testimony’ to their faith and conversion experience. These are testifiers who testify to their salvation by grace through faith in Christ.

Yet not all testifiers and witnesses are killed for their testimony. Thus, all witnesses, testifiers and martyrs are similar in respect to their testimony for Christ, but only those who are killed for their faith are considered ‘martyrs.’

The Holy Spirit makes a point by focusing on this distinction in Revelation 20:4:

And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.

Those ‘beheaded’ were martyrs for Christ who died for their faith. The description of ‘beheading’ is a metonym symbolizing ‘death’ by any means because of their refusal to deny Christ.

The Protestant Reformers were Testifiers who Witnessed Christ

Protestants are those who ‘protest.’

‘Protest’ has a two-fold meaning:

1. express an objection to what someone has said or done.

2. declare (something) firmly and emphatically in the face of stated or implied doubt or in response to an accusation.

The etymology of ‘protest’ is of Latin origin, consisting of ‘pro’ [publicly] + ‘testis’ [witness].

To ‘protest’ is to publicly witness.

Christ requires a public witness of His disciples:

Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven.
But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven (Matthew 10:32-33).

Jesus warns on the Last Day MANY will be denied by Him (Matthew 7:21-23).

The Protestant Reformers protested against the Roman Church and Papacy, while at the same time protesting for the truth of God as testified in Scripture.

History testifies to their sealing their testimony and witness with their blood.

Tragically, today their history and testimony is given little to no credence, thought or concern.

Creeds which once indicted the Roman Church and Papacy are re-written, the ‘offending’ doctrine expunged.

A so-called Reformation Study Bible edited by well-respected theologians has eliminated all references to Antichrist and Mystery Babylon which were part and parcel of all Protestant Bibles back in the days of the Reformation.

False prophets have gained a stronghold in the modern-day church due, in part, to the laziness and complacency of the sheep who prefer to live a life of little stress and strain, allowing others to feed them Scripture interpretation without comparing Scripture with Scripture to see if those things be so. Nor do they seek out the wisdom of those gifted Christians of days gone by to compare their interpretations with the modern interpretations. As for learning Church history, they feel that’s a task designed only for qualified historians with doctorates.

Alas, such endeavors require time and effort, two elements which most professing Christians find in extremely short supply…..especially when their Facebook pages need immediate updating!

 

Has anyone heard from or seen Joseph Kuzara? Is he MIA? If someone on the board hears from him, please tell him I have asked a biblical accounting of his belief system, with corroborating witnesses as required by OT and NT ordinances.