GOD’S TWO GROUPS OF REDEEMED PEOPLE 

After having stood before the “…burning bush…” as Moses did in the type, the Lamb, as unveiled in the 4th and 5th chapters of the Book of Revelation, now receives His investiture and immediately proceeds as God’s only qualified Judge for equity upon this World. He is the Great Deliverer from Earth’s End Time Pharaohs, of those two Covenant peoples; Jews and Christians, unto their respective promises of a “…good and a large land flowing with milk and honey….” 

That there are two peoples who are distinguished one from the other, people and priests, in the Book of Revelation, is shadowed from Exodus 19:21, 22. They are Abraham’s earthly seed like the sand, and His heavenly seed like the stars of the sky. They are in full view in Revelation 7. The 6th seal having been opened in Revelation 6:12-17…. “And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind. And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains And said to the mountains and rocks Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?” [Revelation 6:12-17] 

This is undoubtedly the same event our Lord describes in Matthew 24:29-30. “Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn….” This is that time manifest which the Lord had said to those who judged Him…. you “shall see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power….” [Matthew 26:64]  (So by this, it appears then that both the dead and the living will see this stupendous scene before the final plagues, possibly in conjunction with the First Resurrection out from among the dead.) So it will be then that the terror of the Lord is revealed to all mankind of the earth. (Isaiah 2:10-21) And to the Jewish people of the World, it will appear to be a repeat of Exodus 20:18. 

Then Revelation 7:1-8 declares the “…after these things…” After the events of the 6th seal being opened, we see the “sealing” of the elect of His Jewish people. This is just as He did with the entire Nation in ancient Goshen, when He “severed” or distinguished Israel from Egypt, as He sheltered them from the fourth plague. (See Exodus 8:22)  

So Revelation 7 first describes the Jewish people of God, a remnant, (Isaiah 1:9, Joel 2:15-18, Zechariah 13:8,9) the earthly kingdom’s first-born, now being sealed, (what Ezekiel 9:4 has in view) and that in the Blood of the Messiah before the remaining plagues are to be administered. But not on the doorposts of their houses as before, but upon their foreheads, sealed upon the earth. An earthly Passover deliverance secured for earthly priests in an earthly kingdom to come, to serve in an earthly restored Temple with earthly ritual and worship, in the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in Millennial New Covenant. (Ezekiel 40-48)  

God not only distinguishes the World from His people, but in these end times He further distinguishes His 2 flocks, Jews and Christians, one from another. He has dealt similarly with them in the Tribulation’s cleansing and ripening, as both peoples are exhorted to patient endurance. (Revelation 14:12) But yet their Passover deliverances unto their respective inheritances are unique to their Millennial callings. One elect remnant, that of the Jewish seed, are sealed after the 6th seal is broken and left to pass through all the remaining plagues untouched. The other seed, with the heavenly calling (Christians who weren’t part of the first-fruits catching up) is exhorted to yet watch and keep his garments. This is also after the 6th vial has been poured out (Revelation 16:10-15), as they wait for their deliverance to be caught up in the “air”. These then are the last days’ 2 groups of God who will be living, remaining on the earth, in their respective disciplines and final deliverances from the plagues represented in the opening of the 7th seal. Among others, those 7 vials specifically are to be poured out upon the End Times’ great Pharaoh, his hardhearted subjects throughout all the nations, and the apostates of Israel. (Revelation 15 & 16) The work of Tribulation discipline, appointed by God on His two peoples, is now accomplished. Using Old Testament typology, they have both passed through the Laver. The Second Passover is opened before them. (Read in Numbers 9:6-12 about the 2nd chance to participate in the Passover. This types the ———) 

Then “…after this…” (see Revelation 7:9-17) at a later point, at the end of the Great Tribulation, a second group, a heavenly group, is distinguished from the Jewish earthbound seed. This group is described as being a “…great multitude… of all nations, and kindreds and people…stood before the throne…these are they who are coming out  (a present act in the greek) of the tribulation the great”. The surviving faithful living, (having been ripened for harvest) along with the Tribulation martyred, and the faithful worthies of all time (such as David, Abraham, etc.) are now raised from among the dead, they are all together harvested in the rapture from the earth’s “Egypt” to the first heaven before the throne of Justice. (Revelation 14:14-16, 15:1-4, 19:5,6) Now they, having washed their robes, (compare Exodus 19:10,11 with Hosea 6:2 and Exodus 30:18-21 and spiritually speaking with Psalm 119:9) and made them brightened white in the greater Blood. (Mark 9:3 with 1st John 1:7) As the First Born of the heavenly kingdom, they are presented before the throne of His presence, consecrated for service, after the order of the New Man, in the Tabernacle Temple already built (as opposed to the one to be built, prophesied of in the Book of Ezekiel), waving palms mixing Passover with the feast of Succoth unto the Lord. (Exodus 5:1, John 12:13) They rejoice in their great Mediator and Deliverer in (the second) Passover glory (compare to the rejoicing in song found in Exodus 15:1-21). Christ being the greater Deliverer than Moses, having led them out to this heavenly mount to now dwell in a heavenly tabernacle. And just as Moses’ Tabernacle vanished into Solomon’s permanent Temple, so this Greater Deliverer will bring them on at length (after the Millennium) to that promised permanent Country and City of paradise. (Revelation 21:2) 

So it is that Scripture declares that both groups of God’s redeemed people, all of one and some of the other, shall pass through the Great Tribulation until the Passover Harvest just before the final blows fall specifically on the end times’ “Egypt” and its “Pharaoh”. (Revelation 16:16-21…On the Serpent and his first born from the dead Exodus 12:29–30, Revelation 11:7, 13:1-4, 17:8, 20:20–21….and on this Pharaoh’s subjects, not just on Egyptians as before, but on all of the Nations. (Read Psalms 2 in this context.) 

But we have only spoken of those two groups of God that run concurrently through the Great Tribulation/Jacob’s Trouble or what Christ referred to as the “…hour of temptation…” But the Lamb’s First Fruits offering of the heavenly calling, those who were ripe in faithful patience, resisting the increasing onslaught of the enemy, and that being just before the Great Tribulation, need not pass through it; and thus inherit the promise of our Lord. “Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.” [Revelation 3:10]. 

Revelation 7 documents two different groups the Lamb is now delivering, and what will transpire with the two groups of God, and that being towards the last of the campaign of the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. Revelation 12 reveals what will have preceded, (towards the middle of the campaign) which has to do with reward for faithful service to Jesus Christ, by those living, shortly before His victorious Return, as they are “…caught up, unto God…” These are the sealed First Fruits offering. (Revelation 14:1, Deuteronomy 26:2)  

Read Revelation Chapter 12 

Now staying with the expounding of the theme of the Book of Exodus, from one point of view, the Woman answers to that part of God’s Church;Israel, and the great red dragon to Pharaoh, in the days of Moses’ birth. In that the Pharaoh being shrewd and in fear of being overcome by the “man-child” of Israel, acted deviously and sought to kill all the newborn males of Israel. Then Moses, who later smites Egypt with his rod of wood is born. Even as the Man-Child brought forth of the Woman, shall rule all nations with a rod of Iron. (Revelation 2:27 with 12:5) In the ancient example, it was Egypt alone that persecuted God’s people; in the last days it will be all the nations. And so all the nations will suffer the wrath–filled plagues of God and come under the rod of rule of the seed of the Woman. 

Thus it is the dragon who now stands presently ready to devour the Woman’s man-child, but he, being wiser than the Pharaoh, realizes that the birth of the Man-Child signals his doom. For the Man-Child is to be delivered, and is appointed to the heavenly realm portion of the Millennial Kingdom of Christ, where he will displace the dragon and his minions from where he now rules over the earth’s nations. In the type, it is supposed that Moses’ Egyptian mother interceded on his behalf, but where she might not of prevailed, Michael in the anti-type succeeds. (Compare Exodus 2:15 with Revelation 12:7) “….and her child was caught up unto God.” …. “And the great dragon was cast out,….into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.” 

And as the dragon is worsted by Michael, the Woman’s other seed flees just as before when Moses brought the final blow upon Pharaoh’s house. (Exodus 4:5; compare with Revelation 12:13) And from another point of view….. Moses, rejected by his brethren, fled from Pharaoh to the wilderness as does the Woman’s Jewish seed, they both having chosen now Who they will serve. Now the dragon, as Pharaoh before sought Moses’ life,  now pursues the Jewish seed and in a miraculous like manner, (as typed in the armies of Egypt swallowed up in the Red Sea) is delivered and kept in the wilderness until the reign of terror is past. (See Hosea 2:14). And the word comes forth “…Go return….all the men are dead which sought thy life.” (Compare Exodus 4:19b with Matthew 24:31.) 

Now we see that Moses’ rejection by his brethren caused 40 additional years of oppression. Likewise, the rejection of Christ now causes a 2000 year delay in Israel’s deliverance. And as Israel’s oppressors remained in their same positions in Egypt, so the dragon remains in his. But in due course, the Pharaoh’s ‘wisdom’ in shrewdness to kill all the males backfires in upon him. In that Moses returned and smote him and his nation. So it will be, and is, which will manifest “…which none of the princes of this world knew: for had the known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of Glory.” [1st Corinthians 2:8] So also then will the dragon’s efforts to devour the Savior’s Man-Child, get him cast out of the first heavens and then shortly thereafter chained into the Bottomless Pit. (Revelation 20:1-3)   

From here again, as we did above, we may trace the deliverance of God’s two peoples that are remaining on the earth. In that the Woman’s children of Israel overcame by faith in the blood of the lamb the Pharaoh and Egypt, and besides that smote many nations, but yet refused the testimony of God in the suffering Servant Messiah, crucified Him. And then refusing to repent, and answer the call unto a like service of death, they judged themselves unworthy, and were then locked out from heaven’s throne because of it. They were fenced out below, unable to come up Mt. Sinai. (Compare Exodus 19:12 with Revelation 12:11-13) 

So here in Revelation 12, we have the Woman’s Man-Child/the First Fruits offering, of the heavenly calling unto God and the flight of the Woman’s children from Judea left below. (Matthew 24:40,41 with verse 16) To Sinai again are they taken. In the days of Moses’ deliverance, not one Israelite was left behind, but now in Jacob’s Trouble only a remnant of the Woman’s Jewish seed survive (that which the prophet Hosea had in view in Hosea 2:14-23). The scheme of the dragon now is seen in Revelation 12:17, “And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.” 

Now the Woman’s Man-Child begins the occupying of part of the Promised Land. The “Amorites” are cast out of heavens, and the scene changes to that of Balak’s and Balaam’s of old. The Moabites see their time is short. (Numbers 22:1-7) The coming of the Beast is no longer hindered. (2nd Thessalonians 2:7) The dragon calls up “Balak and Balaam” to kill and curse God’s remaining seed. (Revelation 13) They can only  blaspheme those who now tabernacle above, for they are out of his reach. But the Woman’s remaining seed is within their reach. 

This great tribulation period’s “Balak” is the Anti-Christ resurrected, and receives the throne of satan with power, and this “Balaam”, his false prophet; having had once respectful familiarity as a prophet with God, is now completely apostate, with unparalleled resurrection power from satan. This unholy trinity are in perfect harmony with each other as the dragon gives them power. They, here as typed before, (Numbers 25) find another disqualifying curse from the inheritance of God’s 2 peoples; those  (1) “…that keep the commandments of God, and (2) have the testimony of Jesus Christ” This time they need not beguile, as they have the overcoming power to war and compel people with that of death to disqualifying worship.   

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Quick REVIEW of what is being said that is shadowed in Old Covenant…..  

The Book of Revelation reveals the time of the two “raptures” of those worthy (Luke 20:35, Revelation 20:4-6) to be a part of the age of His heavenly Kingdom. The First-fruits (living) found watching and faithful are caught up at the middle of the 7 year tribulation period. That answers to the promised reward for consistent overcoming (Revelation 3:10). They had not drank of the cup of her delusion, were not lulled to sleep by the deceivableness of unrighteousness in *Mystery Babylon. (2nd Thessalonians 2:7-12, Revelation 17:2) And then around 3 years later or towards the end of the tribulation, the Harvest rapture of the now sobered living, including those previously unprepared Christians who have now experienced the hour of temptation in Tribulation, are martyrs or if living, enduring faithfully until the appointed end. These now who have withstood the Anti-Christ’s era of reign are now ripe for harvest. They are to be caught up into the first heaven, now freed from the Dragon’s presence, just above the Earth along with the First Resurrection of the faithful, out from among the dead. This being towards the last of the Great tribulation period, (this answers to 1st Thessalonians 4:15-18) as the last of the judgments are about to be poured out. These two rapture events are unveiled in the parenthetical insertion of Revelation chapters 12-14. 

 These worthies now in the fullness of the Bride (full harvest joining first–fruits), caught up in the “air” in the first heaven just above the earth, to marriage and the marriage supper of the Lamb (Revelation 19:7-9). And shortly thereafter, they are to join with the Bridegroom’s host in His triumphant return to the great battle of Armageddon further described in Revelation chapter 19. 

Satan and his fallen angels resist God in the heavens associated with this World and are cast out and down to earth at the time of the First Fruits offering. Then they will pursue God’s remaining seed a short time (Revelation chapter 12), and after 3 ½ years he and his are finally incarcerated in the “pit” for a thousand years. (Revelation 20:1-3) Revelation 11 reveals also the end time Anti-Christ who will rise from the bottomless pit and violently establish his worldwide authority in that last 3 ½ years of the 7 year Tribulation Period. (Revelation 14:5) And he will attempt to kill or disqualify all God’s witnesses, primarily the 2 groups destined for deliverance and ruler-ship in the Millennium to follow that are remaining on the earth, having then already successfully killed the 2 great witnesses. The Anti-Christ along with his false prophet, who also ascends from the pit, shall, in satanic supernatural power, consolidate kings and kingdoms in conquering nations, including Israel, having broken their 7 year covenant after 3 ½ years. (Daniel 9:27, Isaiah 28:15-18, Matthew 24:15) After the rapture of the first-fruits Man-child, and before the rapture of the living and the First Resurrection Harvest, He shall establish himself in signs and wonders worthy of worship by all the World. (See chapters 13 & 14) 

*Satan’s ancient establishment of Mystery Babylon; the Mother of religious whores and all abominations of the earth, and its continued perpetuation for 6000 years unto its destruction is made clear to the discerning in Revelation chapters 17 & 18.