THE SONG OF THE CHURCH
THE SONG OF THE CHURCH
Revelation 15
Pastor Carolyn Sissom
January 10, 2015, the Year of Our Lord
The Song of the Church in Revelation 15 is being sung now---as the judgment-angels are abroad on their mission, the ear of faith hears the song of Heaven. The song of the present is that of the partially completed and completing ranks of the glorified church. It is the song sung on the Heavenly Mount while the battle is still raging.
This New Year I shared with you that I received a visitation of “exceeding great joy”. Then in confirmation, Wanda Alger, Director of M.I. for America posted this prophetic word:
“The JOY OF THE LORD will become a distinguishing mark of the true Bride. There is a JOY that has power in it, not just good feelings. It’s a joy that has FACED THE WORST and chooses to lift up Jesus (Acts 13:52). Even as darkness increases and faith is tested, believers will learn to rise up and REJOICE, even as the enemy looks them in the face. This JOY will be so “unnatural” that it will break off Fear and even Death. The Church will join the Father as He sits on His throne and laughs (Psalm 2:4; 37:13). The Kingdom of Heaven will not be hindered nor God’s throne be usurped. All doubts will cease and the Bride of Christ will begin to sing for the wedding is near.” Wanda Alger
Rev. 15: 2-4: “I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire; and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God. They sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, great and marvelous are Your works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are Your ways, You King of saints. Who shall not fear You, O Lord, and glorify Your name? for You only are holy; for all nations shall come and worship before You; for Your judgments are made manifest.”
We can regard this as the song of the two dispensations---that of the Old and the New---the mighty multitude of the redeemed of both---a united Church. The glorious company of apostles, the godly fellowship of prophets, and the noble army of martyrs are gathered to sing the song of deliverance for the encouragement of the drooping and faint-hearted, who are still struggling in the conflict, or buffeting the storms.
Each harper and singer has his own note to the song. There are the patriarchs, Abel, Noah, Abraham and Joseph; telling of purposes of covenant love. There are the prophetic harps from Moses to Malachi. There is Isaiah singing “Comfort ye, comfort ye my people;” Hezekiah with his balmy words for the troubled and terror stricken. “God is our refuge and strength, a present help in trouble; the mighty victories of David and Daniel. There is the harp of the Simeons and Annas, who in their day stood on the threshold of a new era of time, celebrating the praises of the great “Consolation of Israel.” There is the Baptist, in the presence of the “True Light,” uttering louder than ever his old proclamation---“He must increase, but I must decrease.”
It is God’s providential “works” in the miraculous plagues of Egypt and the passage of the Red Sea, which formed the theme of the Song of Moses. The Song of the Lamb celebrates the wondrous “ways” of God.
“Great and marvelous are your works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are Your ways, You King of saints.”
The Lord is bringing together a unified body. All those who are in vain glory, vanity of religion, competition, pre-eminence, self-promotion and apostasy will be separated from the true Church. These are those represented by metaphor in Revelation 13:11: “he had two horns like a lamb, and he spoke as a dragon.” This is a counterfeit church ---all hype and talk---but no walk.
“It’s the year of prayer and intercession. Congregational and denominational differences will fade as a more unified body joins together for a supernatural move of God. Whether large stadium events or small home gatherings, everyone is being called to prayer as the bowl of intercession is waiting to be tipped (Revelation 8:4).
“Heaven is using the national political and social chaos to mobilize saints this year to prayer, action, and the manifestation of God’s glory. Even as the enemy continues to advance his cause, heaven’s cause is greater. If we are to join in heaven’s mandate for the revealing of the true sons and daughters of the Kingdom (Romans 8:19), these are critical factors to watch for, pray into, and join in.”
Spiritual authority will increase on the local level as believers realize the spiritual and practical implications of all the changes on the national level. Believers will emerge at local and state levels to bring godly leadership. We must recognize them, pray for them, and support them in order to exercise our spiritual authority in our regions.” (Wanda Alger)
This week the Jerusalem Post broke the story that President Obama is apparently in the running to succeed Ban Ki Moon as Secretary General of the United Nations when the South Korean leader steps down December 31, 2015.
Bet Amante forwarded it with scripture
references using Revelation 13 and Isaiah 14:13.
You said in your heart, "I
will ascend to the heavens; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I
will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of Mount Zaphon.”
(N.I.V.)
Isaiah
14:14
I will ascend above the tops of the
clouds; I will make myself like the Most High."
When I read the exhortation, I was struck by the use of the named Mount Zaphon.
K.J.V. “…I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north;”Congregation” means an assembly which is an appointed place at an appointed time. “North” translates to “tsaphown” pronounced “tsafon” – “Zaphon”.
Message Bible: “I’ll run the assembly of angels that meets on Mount Zaphon. I’ll climb to the top of the clouds. I’ll take over as King of the Universe.”
Mount Zaphon is an incredible study. It is located on the Syrian-Turkey border and worshiped as the throne of the storm god, Teshab, Baal and Zeus. It is also believed to be the place where demonic angels assemble.
Living Bible: “For you said to yourself, I will ascend to heaven and set my throne above God’s stars. I will preside on the mountain of the gods far away in the north.”
Holman Christian Standard: “I will set on the mount of the god’s assembly in the remotest parts of the north.”
N.A.S.B. “…mount of assembly”.
Today Mount Zaphon is known by the Arabic name, Jebel Aqra. It has a long history as a sacred mountain.[2][3]
The Hurrians called it Mount Hazzi and considered it the home of their storm god Teshub.[1] They also celebrated the mountain in its own right, naming it as a divine guarantor on their treaties and observing rites in its honor.[6]
The present push by world powers regarding global warming is directly related to “storm god worship”. The Lord God, creator of Heaven and earth maintains and sustains the weather systems of the universe.
The ancient port of Ugarit (modern Ras Shamra) lies 30 kilometers (19 mi) to its south. Texts discovered there in the 1920s, including the Baal Cycle, showed its residents considered the peak of Mount Sapan (Zaphon) to house the lapis and silver palace of their storm god Baʿal (lit. "The Lord") and his sister ʿAnat.[7] Baʿal is now often identified with Hadad and his variations understood as local cults. The form Baʿal Zephon was worshipped widely: his temple at Ugarit held a sandstone relief dedicated to him by a royal scribe in Egypt and the king of Tyre called on him as a divine witness on a treaty with the emperor of Assyria in 677 BCE.[8]
It appears in the Hebrew Scriptures as Mount Zaphon (Hebrew: צפון).[6][n 1] In Canaanite religion, Mt Sapan was sometimes accounted as the home of all the gods, not only Baʿal and his sister. As Mt Zaphon, it appears in that role in the Hebrew Scriptures' Book of Isaiah.[12] From its importance and its position at the northern end of Canaan, it also became a metonym[13][14][15] and then the word for the direction "north" in the Hebrew language closer, the earliest Hellenic foothold in the Levant lies at the beach on its northern flank at Al Mina.
The”L” in ISIL stands for the Levant.
The cult of the god of the mountain was transferred, by interpretatio graeca, to Zeus Kasios, the "Zeus of Mount Kasios",
As I studied the “north” throughout the Bible, it is often used as a “metonymy” describing Mount Zaphon and that region.
( metonymy: a figure of speech consisting of the use of the name of one thing for that of another of which it is an attribute or with which it is ...)
Example:
Psalm 48:2: “Beautiful for situation, they joy of the whole earth is mount Zion on the sides of the north, the city of the great king.” K.J.V.
“Beautiful in its loftiness, the joy of the whole earth, like the heights of Zaphon is Mount Zion, the city of the Great King.” (N.I.V.)
Out of Syria (the north), the terrorist regime of ISIL arose.
This group claims religious authority over all Muslims. They aspire to bring the Muslim inhabited regions of the world under its direct control. The area they aspire to rule is known as the Levant region in the eastern Mediterranean, which includes Jordan, Israel, Palestine, Lebanon, Kuwait, Syria, and southern Turkey.
These are Sunni Muslims who have acted with brutal violence directed at Shia Muslims and Christians.
President Obama has continually sought to give the U.N. more authority over the U.S.A. This appears to be one more step toward ruler ship over a one world government by the man who would be king over all nations! Netanyahu knows Barack Hussein Obama’s insidious plans for himself and the nation of Islam. He knows that Obama is not who he claims to be (Christian)! A wolf in sheep’s clothing. He also knows of Obama’s bias toward Islam and against Israel.
So why does this matter? Daniel 12:10: “Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly; and one of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand.?
There is so much in the Holy Bible that we cannot “see” unless it is opened up to us by revelation.
The scriptures prophesying of the anti-Christ point clearly to the Islamic regime. My discovery concerning “the north” as a metonymy for Mount Zaphon and the region is to me another clear sign of the times and another sign pointing to the anti-Christ and the spirit of the anti-Christ, in whoever it may be.
In Revelation 15, where we began this message, the seven golden-girdled angels came forth from the opened temple, bearing in their hands the cups of bowls of wrath to be poured on an apostate church and an apostate world. John has his attention directed to another “sign in heaven”. It is a sea, calm as glass, mingled with fire. A crowd of victors are seen on its shores, uniting with harp and voice in a song of adoration.
These celestial harpers are celebrating the downfall of all evil. They rejoice at the love, wisdom and faithfulness of God’s every dealing. This is their joyful testimony and experience on these blissful shores--- “We went through fire and through water, but you brought us out into a wealthy place.”
Every billow of tribulation is hushed. All is changed into calm, reflecting the glory of the Everlasting Hills, and the Sun of Righteousness.
A triumphant and overcoming church on earth is emerging. Let us count it all joy. Let us run the race. Let us join with Heaven’s song to rise above our carnal soul and rejoice in the victory of Christ.
“ Covenant relationships with others in the body of Christ will be critical. This will increase oneness and the needed spiritual authority at the local level. Church divisions and disagreements will take a back seat in order to “…attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God – to mature manhood…” (Ephesians 4:13). Generational mantles and blessings will be fulfilled in and through families revealing the love and promise of the Father (Acts 3:25).
Five-fold ministers at every level will emerge in equipping the saints to do the work that’s needed in every sphere of society. Apostolic and prophetic authority will become more localized as God’s prepared leaders will equip and train the saints to do the work. Individuals who seek to build their own ministries and reputations will prove ineffective unless they are multiplying their gifts and becoming spiritual fathers and mothers to the next generation.” (Wanda Alger)
This is another one of my “strange messages” using my “strange sword” (Isa. 28:21) the Lord put in my hand many years ago. I make no apologies. As with other messages, we will understand in due season.
I remember when I brought forth the messages about ISIS in July 2014. We watched it unfold and so it is over the years. I doubt if Isaiah knew what he was writing about either.
Carolyn Sissom, Pastor
Eastgate Ministries Church
Scripture quotes as indicated. All other quotes are noted in the body of the sermon.