The Partnership Law Model of the Trinity

This essay briefly introduces the partnership law model of the Trinity, a social and legal model of the Trinity. The model helps to resolve the logical problem of the Trinity, also known as the threeness-oneness problem.

United States corporate general partnerships with three general partners help to model both the threeness and the oneness of the Trinity. For example, in the case of a partnership with three general partners, each partner has complete powers to make binding contracts for the entire partnership. And the three partners are not three partnerships, but only one partnership

Caveats to the partnership law model include the following. First, general partnerships have a beginning in time and face dissolution while the inseparable Trinity has always existed and will always exist. Second, each of the general partners has contractual powers that represent the entire partnership but nothing else about each of the partners represents the entire partnership while the partners in the Trinity always represent the entire Trinity in everything. Third, general partners have equal contractual powers that represent the entire partnership but each partner has different strengths and gifts in other areas while the partners in the Trinity have equal strengths and gifts in everything. Fourth, general partners might work disharmoniously while the partners in the Trinity always work harmoniously.

The partnership law model of the Trinity improves traditional social trinitarianism. For example, a traditional social trinitarian might say that Peter, Paul, and Mary were three members of one group. The three members were not three groups, but only one group. However, none of Peter, Paul, and Mary had powers of the entire group in any area of the group, unless they formed a general partnership with each other. Likewise, partnership law presents a limited analogy of how each person of the Trinity represents the entire tripersonal deity while preserving fundamental Christian doctrine such as monotheism, the original deity of the Son of God, and the social relationship of the Father and Son.



Copyright © 2010 James Edward Goetz

The Kings of the Earth in Heaven

The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it. (Revelation 21:24 NRSV)

Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they will have the right to the tree of life and may enter the city by the gates. (Revelation 22:14 NRSV)

INTRODUCTION
This essay briefly explores the implications of "the kings of the earth" getting slaughtered by the sword while opposing the return of Jesus Christ (Revelation 19:19-21) before "the kings of the earth" enjoy the bliss in the new heaven and the new earth (Revelation 21:24). This article concludes that John the Revelator used these images to teach that various kings of the earth and other people in heaven died lost before enjoying salvation.

John the Revelator borrowed the phrase "the kings of the earth" from various Old Testament passages. For example, 1 Kings 10.23 says Solomon possessed more riches and wisdom than all the kings of the earth. And Psalm 2:2 says the kings of the earth oppose the Lord and his anointed one. And Psalm 89:27 refers to King David as the firstborn among the kings of the earth. And Psalm 102:15 says the nations and the kings of the earth will fear the Lord. And Psalm 138:4-5 says the kings of the earth will praise and sing to the Lord.

The New Testament uses the phrase "the kings of the earth" nine times while John the Revelator used it eight of those times. First, a prayer in Acts 4:24-30 refers to the kings of the earth opposing the Lord while quoting Psalm 2:2. Second, Revelation 1:5 declares Jesus Christ the ruler of the kings of the earth. Third, Revelation 6:15 says that the kings of the earth hide in caves to dodge the wrath of God. Fourth, Revelation 17:2 says the kings of the earth have sex with the great whore. Fifth, Revelation 17:18 says the great whore, Babylon the great, rules over the kings of the earth. Sixth, Revelation 18:3 repeats that the kings of the earth have sex with the great whore. Seventh, Revelation 18:9 says that the kings of the earth will weep and wail over the destruction of the great whore. Eighth, Revelation 19:19-21 says the beast and the kings of the earth gather to fight against the return of Christ before the army of Christ throws the beast into the lake of fire and kills the kings of the earth. Ninth, Revelation 21:24 say the kings of the earth bring their glory into the New Jerusalem in heaven.

The Bible teaches remarkable paradox about the kings of the earth. For example, the Old Testament teaches on one hand that the kings of the earth oppose the Lord and on another hand they will sing praises to the Lord. And Revelation paradoxically implies the following: Christ rules over the kings of the earth while the great whore rules over them; Christ rules over the kings of the earth while they fight against the return of Christ; the kings of the earth transition from getting slaughtered by the returning Christ to enjoying the bliss in heaven.

REVELATION 19:11-22:5 & 22:14-15
Revelation 19:11-22:5 teaches about the culmination of human history with vivid images. These verses teach about the return of Christ, the Battle of Harmagedon, the first resurrection, the thousand-year banishment of Satan into the bottomless pit, the thousand-year reign of Christ and his saints, the final satanic battle, the great white throne judgment, and the nations enjoying the bliss in heaven.

Revelation 19:11-16 teaches about Christ and his heavenly armies preparing for the triumphant return of Christ. And Revelation 19:17-21 describe the notorious Battle of Harmagedon (Armageddon), which gets its name from the satanic plot against the Lord in Revelation 16:13-6. Verses 19:17-18 say an angel prophesies that many people great and small who oppose Christ will die. Verse 19:19 follows by quickly describing the demonic beast (Antichrist) leading the kings of the earth with their armies while they gather to battle against Christ. Then verse 19:20 quickly describes the capture of the beast and the false prophet, which finishes with the two of them getting thrown alive into the lake of fire. And verse 19:21 describes the destruction of the kings and armies that oppose Christ.

Revelation 20:1 describes the appearance of an angel holding the key to the bottomless pit and a chain. And verse 20:2-3 says that the angel captures Satan, binds him with the chain, and throws him into the bottomless pit for a thousand years.

The first sentence of Revelation 20:4 describes various thrones with authoritative judges. And the second sentence of 20:4 says that those martyred by the forces of the beast resurrect back to life and reign with Christ for a thousand years, the Thousand Year Reign. And verses 20:5-6 clarify that this is the first resurrection and the rest of dead come to life after the Thousand Year Reign, and those in the first resurrection receive an extraordinary blessing.

Revelation 20:7-10 describes a release of Satan after the Thousand Year Reign. Satan emerges from the bottomless pit and again deceives the nations of the earth to attack the saints of Christ, an attempted repeat of Harmagedon. A satanic army as numerous as the sands of the sea attack the saints in Jerusalem while fire falls from the sky and consumes the satanic attackers. Satan gets thrown into the lake of fire along with the beast and false prophet, and the three of them suffer torment day and night forever.

Revelation 20:11-15 teaches about Judgment Day. God appears on a great white throne while the earth and heaven disappear from the presence of God and his throne. God judges all people according the record of their life. And all people without record in the book of life get thrown into the lake of fire.

Revelation 21:1-8 teaches about the bliss in the new heaven and the new earth. God makes all things new. And God lives with his people while God brings an end to death, mourning, crying, and pain. And outside the new heaven and the new earth are unrepentant sinners in the lake of fire.

Revelation 21:9-27 teaches more about the bliss in heaven while using images of a glorious city. For example, each of the four city walls measure one thousand four hundred miles long and high while they shine like the glory of God. Each wall had three gates made of pearls while the great street of the city was made of pure gold. The city temple is the Lord God and the Lamb while they light the city. The nations walk in the light of God. The kings of the earth bring their glory into the city. And nothing impure ever enters the city.

Revelation 22:1-5 compares the bliss in heaven to the Garden of Eden. The river of the water of life flows from the throne of God down the middle of the great street of gold. And each side of the river stood the tree of life with twelve kinds of fruit bearing fruit each month. And the leaves of the tree bring healing to the nations. And the people will see God while they worship him, and they will reign forever.

Revelation 22:14-15 quotes Christ speaking in the epilogue of Revelation:

[14] Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they will have the right to the tree of life and may enter the city by the gates. [15] Outside are the dogs and sorcerers and fornicators and murderers and idolaters, and everyone who loves and practises falsehood. (Revelation 22:14-15 NRSV)

JUDGMENT AND THE KINGS OF THE EARTH
Focusing on the phrase "the kings of the earth" in Revelation illuminates the paradox of the kings of the earth opposing Christ and getting slaughtered during Harmagedon before the kings of the earth enjoy the bliss in heaven. The juxtaposition of these images implies the postmortem salvation of the kings of the earth and other lost dead. And the paradox in Revelation thickens when comparing the images of postmortem salvation with images of Judgment Day and everlasting torment in the lake of fire.

A literal interpretation of Revelation 19:11-22:5 leaves various gaps in the details of sequential events. For example, the kings of the earth go from getting slaughtered during the return of Christ to enjoying heaven while events between the slaughter and heaven include the Thousand Year Reign, the satanic battle after the Thousand Year Reign, and Judgment Day. This sequence of events never clarifies if the kings of the earth would enter salvation before or after Judgment Day.

Revelation never clarifies the chronology of the salvation for the kings of the earth in regards to Judgment Day while the epilogue of Revelation quotes Christ teaching about salvation. For example, Revelation 22:14-15 teaches that "those who wash their robes" enter the gates of heaven as opposed to those outside heaven and presumably inside the lake of fire. This implies that people must wash their robes to enter heaven. Likewise, God requires the condition that people must wash their robes to enter heaven. And this washing of robes relates to Revelation 1:5, which teaches that Christ frees believers from their sins by his blood. Likewise, those who wash their robes accept the gift of salvation from Christ. And those who accept the gift of salvation from Christ genuinely repent from disobedience to Christ such as murder and falsehood.

As stated earlier, various kings of the earth get slaughtered during the return of Christ and enjoy heaven after Judgment Day. And Revelation never clarifies if these kings of the earth accept salvation before or after Judgment Day. If some of them accept salvation before Judgment Day, then they would accept salvation while suffering in Hades during the Thousand Year Reign. And if some of them would accept salvation after Judgment Day, then they would accept salvation after suffering in the lake of fire.

CONCLUSION
The biblical prospect of various kings of the earth accepting salvation in Hades or the lake of fire emphasizes the symbolism of biblical images related to finality during Judgment Day and never ending punishment. And John the Revelator juxtaposes the kings of the earth suffering judicial wrath and accepting salvation. This suggests the possibility of all people eventually accepting salvation, which this essay calls "quasi-universalism". Likewise, John the Revelator taught quasi-universalism.



The New Revised Standard Version, copyright 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Copyright © 2010 James Edward Goetz

Nebuchadnezzar and the Kings in Revelation

INTRODUCTION
Revelation refers to the city of Babylon and Babylonian Kings, which presumably includes the prominent Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar. For example, Revelation symbolically uses the word Babylon a total of seven times while describing the evil capital city of all nations on earth. Revelation moreover describes a beast with seven heads who represents a succession of seven kings followed by an eighth king who eventually rules the earth from the city symbolically called Babylon.

THE FALL OF BABYLON THE GREAT
Revelation (14:8, 18:2) declares, "Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great!" These verses declare the final destruction of the capital city of political and religious forces that oppose God's people while these verses refer to Old Testament judgments against the city of Babylon.

The Old Testament describes two falls of Babylon. First, in 689 BC, Assyrian King Sennacherib sacked Babylon. Second, in 539 BC, Persians ruled by Cyrus the Great overthrew Babylon. Isaiah (13,14:1-23, 21:1-10) presumably describes Sennacherib sacking Babylon while 2 Kings 17:24-28 describes Sennacherib exiling conquered Babylonians to Samaria. Also, Isaiah (46:1-2, 47:1-5), Jeremiah 50-51, Habakkuk 2, and Daniel (2, 5, 7) describe Cyrus overthrowing the Babylonian coregency of King Nabonidus and King Bellshazer.1

THE RISE OF ANCIENT BABYLON
Accounts in Genesis about "Babel" might refer to Babylon while no other known ancient writing or artifacts corroborate these accounts. For example, Genesis 10:8-12 says that "Nimrod" established Babel and six other cities such as Akkad and Nineveh. And Genesis 11:1-9 describes the people of Babel defiantly building a tower or ziggurat to reach the heavens in the sky while the Lord stopped the building plans.

Remains from ancient Babylon lie beside the Euphrates River in modern day Babil Province, Iraq, about fifty-five miles south of Baghdad. The city of Babylon lain in Lower Mesopotamia, which is also southern Iraq. Cities developed in Lower Mesopotamia by 4000 BC while civilization developed in Lower Mesopotamia by 3100 BC. According to the short chronology of the Near Eastern Bronze Age, the earliest discovered written records about Babylon date to the twenty-third century after Sargon of Akkad conquered Mesopotamia. Babylon developed into a polytheistic holy city with many temples while priests ruled the city. Second millennium highlights include the rise and fall of the Old Babylonian dynasty. In 1830, Sumuabum established the Babylonian dynasty. King Hammurabi, the fifth successor, reigned from 1728-1686 while extending his rule and laws in the Code of Hammurabi over all Mesopotamia. Finally, in 1531, the Hittites overthrew the last successor of the Babylonian dynasty.

During the first millennium BC, the Assyrian Empire mostly dominated Babylon and the rest of Mesopotamia until 626 when Nabopolassar led Babylon in a successful revolt. In 612, Nabopolassar allied with the Medes from Persia and sacked the capital of the Assyrian Empire, Nineveh, which lain beside the Tigris River near modern day Mosul, Iraq. This victory inaugurated the Neo-Babylonian Empire, also called the Chaldean Empire.

The last of the Assyrians fled to Harran, in modern day southeast Turkey. In 608, Nabopolassar captured Harran. Then the last of the Assyrians fled to Carchemish on the bank of the Euphrates River near modern day Aleppo, Syria. These Assyrians allied with Pharaoh Neco II of Egypt against the Babylonians in the 605 Battle of Carchemish. Babylonian Crown Prince Nebuchadnezzar, the son of Nabopolassar, commanded the Babylonian army while defeating the Assyrians and Egyptians at Carchemish. The Battle of Carchemish turned large parts of southwest Asia into the hands of Babylon. Nabopolassar died around this time and the conquering Crown Prince Nebuchadnezzar returned to Babylon to assume the throne of the Neo-Babylonian Empire.

Nebuchadnezzar became a renown ruler in southwest Asia and the most powerful Neo-Babylonian king. He built many temples and his famous hanging gardens, which historians declared as one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. Nebuchadnezzar also collected tribute from many vassal kings in his empire.

NEBUCHADNEZZAR AND THE KINGDOM OF JUDAH
Habakkuk 1:2-11 and Jeremiah 25-26 prophesied the Babylonian conquest of Judah. And Jeremiah (25:9, 27:6, 43:10) says the Lord sovereignly made Nebuchadnezzar a servant to punish the wicked Kingdom of Judah. In 604, one year after the Battle of Carchemish, King Jehoiachim of Judah paid tribute to Nebuchadnezzar. But three years later, Jehoiachim rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar (2 King 24:1). Nebuchadnezzar proceeded to organize attacks against Judah until the 597 conquest of Judah (2 Kings 24:2-17). Eleven years later in 586, King Zedekiah of Judah rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar and Nebuchadnezzar destroyed Judah including the Temple in the capital city Jerusalem.

DANIEL AND NEBUCHADNEZZAR
Daniel (2, 4) says that the man Daniel held court positions for Nebuchadnezzar. These chapters describe apocalypses dreamed by Nebuchadnezzar and interpreted by Daniel. Daniel 4 also teaches that apocalyptic judgments are conditional2 while Nebuchadnezzar eventually came to his senses and repented.3

THE BEAST IN REVELATION
Revelation (11:7, 13:1-15, 17:1-18, 16:10-16, 19:19-20, 20:10) describes a beast with seven heads and ten horns who will rule the earth from the city of Babylon. Here is a summary of these verses.

Revelation 11:7 says that the beast who comes from the bottomless pit wars against and conquers two powerful prophets. And nothing more is written about the beast until Revelation 13.

Revelation 12 says that the devil, also called Satan, appears as a great red dragon with seven heads, ten horns, and seven crowns. This dragon wars against holy angels and humanity. And the dragon stood on the sand of the seashore.

Revelation 13:1-5 says that the dragon with seven heads and ten horns stood on the sand of the seashore while the beast rose out of the sea. The beast also had ten horns and seven heads while each horn had a crown and the heads had blasphemous names written on them. The beast with seven heads looked like a leopard with feet like a bear and mouths like a lion. The dragon gave its power, throne, and authority to the beast. One of the heads of the beast appeared to die from a deathly wound, but the head recovered from the deathly wound. The recovery from the deathly wound amazed multitudes of humans while all of them worshiped both the dragon and the beast. Nobody thought that they could fight against the beast.

Revelation 13:6-10 says that the beast spoke proud and blasphemous words while exercising authority over all the nations of the earth for forty-two months. And the beast made war against the saints.

Revelation 13:11-18 describes a second beast with two horns like a lamb and the voice of a dragon. The second beast rose out of the earth while exercising all the authority of the first beast while performing miraculous signs. And the second beast made all people worship the first beast, make an idol in the image of the first beast, worship the idol, and receive a mark on their right hand or forehead, which regulated all commercial trade. And the number of the beast is 666.

Revelation 16:10-11 says that the fifth angel of seven angels of wrath poured his punishment on the throne of the beast while the kingdom of the beast plunged into darkness. The people cursed God because of the pain from the punishment while they did not repent of their evil deeds.

Revelation 16:12-16 says that the sixth angel of seven angels of wrath poured his punishment on the great river Euphrates, which dried up the river. Then three foul spirits came from the mouth of the dragon, from the mouth of the beast, and from the mouth of the false prophet. These foul spirits performed miraculous signs and gathered the kings of the earth to battle in a place called Harmagedon.

Revelation 17:1-6 says that an angel describes the great whore who is seated on the many waters. Then a vision shows a woman sitting on a scarlet beast with seven heads and ten horns. Also, the woman was finely dressed and drunk on the blood of saints.

Revelation 17:7-8 says that the angel started to explain details about the mystery of the whore and the beast with seven heads and ten horns. The beast once existed, stopped existing, will reappear by ascending from the bottomless pit, and then go to destruction. Also, all of the unsaved people on earth will be amazed when they see the beast who stopped existing and then reappeared.

Revelation 17:9-14 explains more details about the mystery of the beast with seven heads and ten horns. The seven heads are both seven mountains and seven kings. Five of the seven kings have already died, and one of the seven kings is living, and the last of the seven kings is yet to come. And the beast that once existed and no longer exists is an eighth king that will come from the seven and go to destruction. Also, the ten horns represent ten regional kings who serve the beast. These ten kings will receive their governmental authority for one hour while joining the beast in a war against the Lamb who is the Lord of lords and King of kings. The Lamb conquers the beast and ten kings.

Revelation 17:15-18 explains that "the waters" where the whore is seated are the nations of the earth and the multitudes of people. And the beast with his ten regional kings will turn with hatred toward the whore and devour her. And the whore represents the great city that rules over the nations of the earth.

Revelation 19:19-20 says that the beast and the regional kings gathered their armies to make war against the returning King of kings and Lord of lords. The beast and the false prophet who is identified as the second beast were captured and throne into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur.

Revelation 20:10 says the the devil was thrown into the the lake of fire that burns with sulfur along with the beast and the false prophet. They will be tormented day and night forever and ever.

TYPOLOGY AND REVELATION 17:8-11
Revelation 17:8-11 quotes an angel who helps to interpret the fluid symbolism of the beast with seven heads while establishing a scriptural precedent for typology:

8The beast that you saw was, and is not, and is about to ascend from the bottomless pit and go to destruction. And the inhabitants of the earth, whose names have not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, will be amazed when they see the beast, because it was and is not and is to come.

9This calls for a mind that has wisdom: the seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman is seated; also, they are seven kings, 10of whom five have fallen, one is living, and the other has not yet come; and when he comes, he must remain for only a little while. 11As for the beast that was and is not, it is an eighth but it belongs to the seven, and it goes to destruction. (Revelation 17:8-11)

Revelation 17:8 summarizes the fate of the beast that is described in Revelation 11:7-20:10. For example, the first sentence in verse 17:8 implies that that the beast appeared, apparently ceased to exist, reappeared, and finally faced destruction.

Revelation 17:9-10 teaches that the "seven heads" of the beast represent both "seven mountains" and "seven kings" while "seven mountains" refers to the seven hills of Rome. And the seven kings formed a succession of kings. This suggests that "Babylon" in Revelation refers to both Babylon during the Neo-Babylonian Empire and Rome during the Roman Empire while the "seven kings" refers to both Neo-Babylonian kings and Roman emperors.

Revelation 17:11 teaches that the prophecy about the beast resurrecting from physical death and ultimately facing destruction describes an eighth king. Likewise, the activities of this eighth king describes the fate of the beast in according to verses 11:7, 13:1-10, 17:8, 19:19-20 and 20:10.

The eighth king also appears to fit the bill of "the lawless one" in 2 Thessalonians 2:1-10. For example, the lawless one is destined for destruction (2:3), sets himself to be worshiped (2:4), is accompanied by supernatural signs and wonders from Satan (2:9-10), and is destroyed by the return of the Lord (2:8) . Likewise, the lawless one is evidently referred to as "antichrist" in 1 John 2:18, commonly called the Antichrist. Also, Revelation 13:1-10 says that the beast reigns for forty-two months (Daniel 9:37),4 sets up an idol of himself, and attacks the saints, which refers to the desolating sacrilege (abomination) described by Daniel and Jesus (Daniel 8:1-25, 9:20-27, 11:31, 12:11; Matthew 24:15-21; Mark 13:14-23; Luke 21:20-24).

All of these verses help to establish a scriptural precedent for typology. Typology involves "prefiguration" (type) and "postfiguration" (antitype). A prefiguration foreshadows a future person, place or event while a postfiguration analogizes a previous person, place, or event. For example, Babylon and the Babylonian kings are a prefiguration of Rome and the Roman emperors. Likewise, Rome and Roman Emperors are a postfiguration of Babylon and Neo-Babylonian kings. Also, the seven kings described in Revelation 17:9-10 are a prefiguration of the eighth king.

Notable ancient prefigurations of the eighth king include Nebuchadnezzar, Antiochus IV Epiphanies, Nero, and Titus. For example, as stated earlier, Nebuchadnezzar was the most prominent king of the Neo-Babylonian Empire and he organized the 597 BC sack of Jerusalem and the 586 destruction of both Jerusalem and its temple. Likewise, Antiochus IV Epiphanies led the 171 BC overthrow of Jerusalem while slaughtering tens of thousands of Jews and desecrating the temple altar. Also, Roman Emperor Nero sadistically persecuted Christians and reigned until AD 68 during the beginning of the First Jewish-Roman War. And Revelation 13:3 and 17:11 apparently alludes to the Nero Redivivus Legend. Moreover, Titus commanded the Roman military in the First Jewish-Roman War during the 70 destruction of Jerusalem while Titus slaughtered an estimated six hundred thousand to one million two hundred thousand Jews and desecrated the Jewish temple.

THE NATURE OF THE EIGHTH KING
The eighth king who is the beast and the final Antichrist will exist, cease to exist, and reappear. This beast ascends from the bottomless pit. The ascent from the bottomless pit teaches about the demonic nature of the beast. Revelation also says that the eighth king comes from the seven kings, which teaches about the human nature of the eighth king. Likewise, the eighth king is both demonic and human while controversy surrounds interpreting the nature and mechanics of the eighth king.

Different interpretations of the demonic nature of the beast include rejecting that Revelation and 2 Thessalonians 2 teach about the final individual human Antichrist. For example, some say that the beast represents Rome and no individual person while they say Rome represents a demonically controlled worldly system that opposes God. This interpretation helps to explain some of the symbols in Revelation while it appears to miss important teaching about the seven kings and the eighth king.

Some interpretors might conclude that Nero is the eighth king because Revelation 13:3 and 17:11 refer to the Nero Redivivus Legend. This would make Nero a prefiguration of the eighth king while I see no strong argument that says Nero fulfilled all prophecy about the eighth king. And if 13:3 and 17:11 refer to the Nero Redivivus Legend, then these verses would have been written after the origin of the legend while Revelation implies that the eighth king is a future person.

Some interpretors might conclude that the eighth king is an ordinary human leader possessed by an archdemon. However, I doubt that Revelation teaches that the eighth king is merely possessed. For example, both Revelation 16:12-16 and 20:10 imply strong similarities with the devil, the beast, and the false prophet. They appear as a twisted triumvirate or trinity of evil while organizing Harmagedon and suffering in the lake of fire. This strongly suggests that the beast and the false prophet are more than possessed humans while they are archdemons themselves.

I propose that both the beast and false prophet are an archdemon who incarnated into an angelic-human hypostatic union. I borrow the phrase hypostatic union from the Third Ecumenical Council teaching about how Jesus Christ is the union of a divine nature and a human nature while Christ is both completely God and completely human.

I proposed that Genesis 18:1-19:25 teaches about angelic humans.5 For example, Genesis 18:1-19:25 begins with the Lord appearing to Abraham while Abraham sees three men. These men are three angels (or the Lord and two angels) visiting Abraham. The angels conversed, ate, and drank with Abraham. Later, the men from Sodom wanted to sexually rape two of the angels. These details teach that the angels had a digestive tract and sex appeal, which implies that these angels appeared in human bodies. Since angels in the Old Testament tended to suddenly appear and disappear, then I suppose that these adult human bodies were suddenly created instead of conceived in a woman. Regardless of the origin of these human bodies, we see people who are both angel and human while I believe these are examples of an angelic-human hypostatic union.

Other possible Old Testament cases of angels appearing as men include Genesis 6:1-4 and Numbers 13:33. Apocryphal interpretation of these verses teach that fallen angels had sex with human women while producing hybrid giant "Nephilim". However, the Apocryphal teaching about angel-human hybrids is inconsistent with Numbers 13:33 saying that the Anakites descended from the Nephilim, because mammalian hybrids have little or no ability to reproduce. Likewise, the case of the Anakites implies that the Nephilim had both a human father and a human mother, which would be the case if the father were an angelic human. Also, I suppose that Genesis 6:1-4 and Numbers 13:33 teach that fallen, angelic human men impregnated the human mothers of the Nephilim.

The Mosaic tradition of fallen angels appearing as human men helps us to understand the nature of the beast and the false prophet apart from the difference that the beast and false prophet supposedly have human parents. Also, I suppose God sovereignly allows the union of an archdemon with a human zygote, which results in an fallen, angelic human in the cases of the beast and false prophet.

TYPOLOGY AND THE REPENTANCE OF NEBUCHADNEZZAR
I find Nebuchadnezzar the most interesting prefiguration of the beast because Nebuchadnezzar repented according to Daniel 4. Most futurists assume that the beast cannot repent and has no choice but to fulfill his or her scriptural destiny of doom. However, as stated in the section "DANIEL AND NEBUCHADNEZZAR", Daniel 4 teaches that apocalyptic judgments are conditional. Likewise, we see that apocalyptic judgments are subject to conditions and Nebuchadnezzar is a repentant prefiguration of the beast.

The dynamics of apocalyptic judgments implies that we do not know if the beast or the false prophet will repent instead of facing their apocalyptic doom while we learn some important lessons from this. For example, there is a lot of dogmatic teaching in evangelical circles that ignores the conditional dynamics of apocalyptic judgments while some of this misdirected dogma generates misdirected hype. Likewise, we want to avoid misinterpreting scripture. Also, this teaches us more about 1 Timothy 2:1-4:

1First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings should be made for everyone, 2for kings and all who are in high positions, so that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and dignity. 3This is right and is acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour, 4who desires everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. (1 Timothy 2:1-4 NRSV)

Paul wrote this during the reign of Nero and it applies for every generation of Christians. Christians need to pray for the salvation of every political leader, even if the leader turns out to be the beast. In sum, the Lord desires that the beast and every prefiguration of the beast will be saved.
__________
1Controversy surrounds the dating and authorship of many verses in Isaiah, Daniel, and the rest of the Old Testament. See William Sanford LaSor et al., Old Testament Survey: The Message, Form, and Background of the Old Testament, 2nd Edition, (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1996).
2James Goetz, "The Conditional Apocalypse of King Nebuchadnezzar", (TheoPerspectives, 2009), http://theoperspectives.blogspot.com/2009/02/conditional-apocalypse-king.htm.
3James Goetz, "Conditional Futurism in Sum", (TheoPerspectives, 2008), http://theoperspectives.blogspot.com/2008/11/conditional-futurism.html.
4Forty-two months refers to the "half of the week" (half of seven years) of "abomination that desolates" in Daniel 9:37.
5James Goetz, "Orthodoxy and Gregory of Nyssa's Universalism", (TheoPerspectives, 2009), http://theoperspectives.blogspot.com/2007/10/orthodoxy-and-gregory-of-nyssas.html.



The New Revised Standard Version, copyright 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Copyright © 2009 James Edward Goetz

The Conditional Apocalypse of King Nebuchadnezzar

Many Christian scholars hold to futurism, which teaches that apocalyptic judgments such as the judgments in Revelation are unconditional future prophecy. However, careful Bible study indicates that the outcome of prophetic judgments are conditional. For example, the apocalypse in Daniel 4:19-27 along with classical prophecies in Jeremiah 18:5-10 and Ezekiel 33:12-16 teach that the outcome of prophetic judgments are conditional. When the Lord speaks a prophetic judgment against a nation or individual human, then genuine repentance of the nation or human will alter the outcome of the judgment. The word and purposes of the God never alter while the outcome of the word of the God can vary.1

This brief article examines the scriptural precedence in Daniel 4:19-27, which indicates that apocalyptic judgments are subject to conditions:

Then Daniel, who was called Belteshazzar, was severely distressed for a while. His thoughts terrified him. The king said, "Belteshazzar, do not let the dream or the interpretation terrify you." Belteshazzar answered, "My lord, may the dream be for those who hate you, and its interpretation for your enemies! The tree that you saw, which grew great and strong, so that its top reached to heaven and was visible to the end of the whole earth, whose foliage was beautiful and its fruit abundant, and which provided food for all, under which animals of the field lived, and in whose branches the birds of the air had nests--it is you, O king! You have grown great and strong. Your greatness has increased and reaches to heaven, and your sovereignty to the ends of the earth. And whereas the king saw a holy watcher coming down from heaven and saying, 'Cut down the tree and destroy it, but leave its stump and roots in the ground, with a band of iron and bronze, in the grass of the field; and let him be bathed with the dew of heaven, and let his lot be with the animals of the field, until seven times pass over him’--this is the interpretation, O king, and it is a decree of the Most High that has come upon my lord the king: You shall be driven away from human society, and your dwelling shall be with the wild animals. You shall be made to eat grass like oxen, you shall be bathed with the dew of heaven, and seven times shall pass over you, until you have learned that the Most High has sovereignty over the kingdom of mortals, and gives it to whom he will. As it was commanded to leave the stump and roots of the tree, your kingdom shall be reestablished for you from the time that you learn that Heaven is sovereign. Therefore, O king, may my counsel be acceptable to you: atone for your sins with righteousness, and your iniquities with mercy to the oppressed, so that your prosperity may be prolonged." (Daniel 4:19-27 NRSV)

Daniel interpreted the symbols in the apocalypse dreamt by Nebuchadnezzar. The Most High, who is God Most High, decreed that Nebuchadnezzar would live like a wild animal for seven periods of time until he would acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over the kingdoms of the earth. This implies that Nebuchadnezzar would lose his throne for seven periods of time. Many scholars interpret that the seven periods of time mean "seven years" while the seven periods of time could mean "seven indefinite periods of time". Daniel also interpreted that Nebuchadnezzar could repent and alter the outcome of the decree of God in this apocalyptic judgment. For example, Daniel advised Nebuchadnezzar to turn from sin to righteousness and mercy for the oppressed so that Nebuchadnezzar might avoid the judgment decreed by God. This agrees with Jeremiah 18:5-10 and Ezekiel 33:12-16 teaching that genuine repentance of a wicked nation or a wicked person alters the outcome of a prophetic judgment. Likewise, this scriptural apocalypse dreamt by King Nebuchadnezzar teaches a precedent that the outcome of apocalyptic judgments with apparent set periods of time are conditional.

1James Goetz, "Conditional Futurism in Sum", (TheoPerspectives, 2008), http://theoperspectives.blogspot.com/2008/11/conditional-futurism.html; F. Furman Kearley, "The Conditional Nature of Prophecy: A Vital Exegetical and Hermeneutical Principle", (Montgomery: Apologetics Press, undated), http://www.apologeticspress.org/rr/reprints/Conditional-Nature-of-Prophecy.pdf.



Copyright © 2009 James Edward Goetz

The New Revised Standard Version, copyright 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.