Category Archives: Type and Anti-type

Keys to Prophecy: Some Types/Symbols are Announced

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There are other terms for symbolism.

“who serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly things, even as Moses was warned by God when he was about to make the tabernacle, for he said, “See, you shall make everything according to the pattern that was shown to you on the mountain.””
Heb 8:5 WEB

So when a person, place, thing, or event in history is symbolic of some future person, place, thing, or event, it might be called a “copy,” or a “shadow,” or a “pattern.” In this verse the word translated “pattern” is the the word tupos, which also sometimes translated as “type,” as for instance in Rom 5:14 in the New American Standard 95 ed., and the New King James Version. Other words are also used at times.

Moses is clearly a “type,” symbolic
of the Christ

As Moses said,

“Yahweh your God will raise up to you a prophet from the midst of you, of your brothers, like me; to him you shall listen;”
Deut 18:15 WEB

Moses was clearly intended to be symbolic of the Christ.

That is an unequivocal statement of symbolism, and has been discussed in more detail in previous posts.

And Adam is announced as a type of the Christ. He is the head and the first of new race of men who will all be like Him.

“Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those whose sins weren’t like Adam’s disobedience, who is a foreshadowing of him who was to come.”
Rom 5:14 WEB

“Foreshadowing” is here another translation of the Greek word tupos or “type.”

The fulfillment of a symbol/type is in Greek sometimes
called an antitype.

The Greek word is anittupos (anti-tupos), and in Greek the word or prefix anti has the idea of replacement. Thus an anti-type is the fulfillment/replacement for the symbol, the type. Antitupos is used in this sense in 1 Peter 3.

“19 … while the ark was being built. In it, few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water. 21 This is a symbol of baptism, which now saves you …”
1Pe 3:19-20 WEB

So Peter says that the waters of Noah’s flood, while destroying the wicked, floated Noah and his family to safety, and that is a “symbol” (antitupos) of baptism. The New King James Version gives a very literal translation here: “There is also an antitype which now saves us—baptism …”

So here is another type which is announced in Scripture, the waters of the flood being symbolic of baptism.

Of course this is NOT saying we are saved
by any work of man.

Baptism is NOT a work of man! You do not DO baptism, rather you ARE baptized. Baptism is something you must SUBMIT to.

“For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.”
1Cor 12:13 KJV

The One who works in baptism is the Holy Spirit of God, changing your soul, and washing you in the blood of Jesus Christ. Otherwise, all you did was to have a bath.

KJV is the King James Version, 1611.

WEB is the World English Bible, a copyright free revision
of the original ASV American Standard Version 1901

Keys to Prophecy: God Commonly Uses Types/Symbols/Parallels

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Part of the Problem is the Astonishing Nature
of Many Future Events.

In truth many things in history are astonishing. Who, ahead of time, would have ever believed that the tiny Greek army at Marathon, could ever have defeated the giant Persian army which was meeting them. The Athenian army numbered a mere 11,000 men. The Persian army is estimated to have been as much as 65,000 men. In normal military terms three to one odds means you will almost automatically lose. Six to one odds? It is almost unbelievable that you could win. And this is verified history. Astonishing!

Or take the Russo-Finnish War at the beginning of World War II. Who would have ever believed that tiny Finland could fight mighty Russia to a standstill? Where other small countries were smashed beneath Russian boots, Finland was able to come out of the war, not conquered, but with a negotiated peace. In ordinary human terms, and in ordinary historical terms, that was an impossibility. However, it happened, and that is verifiable history.

Also, both of these examples are astonishing things happening in history, and in theory, without the influence of an All Powerful God intervening! Or were they? Remember Scripture says,

“The horse is prepared for the day of battle;
But victory is with Yahweh.”
Prov 21:31 WEB

Actually astonishing things happen happen all the time, and we hear or see of them in news, but it only if it linked to an Almighty God that we are not supposed to believe it.

Many coming events will be so astonishing that it is difficult to communicate these things to us

So Scripture again and again uses symbolism, and parallels to teach about things we would otherwise have difficulty understanding or believing. How do you describe God when He literally comes to see us in the flesh! They were told He would be like Moses in many ways, like David, like Solomon, like a passover lamb, and so forth.

Or the secretive merchant intrigues which dominate
kings and nations of the Christian age?
Mystery Babylon the Great.

Revealing the Christian Age talks in detail Mystery Babylon the Great as religio-political-business entity.

How do you communicate what “she” is like, and how “she” operates?

“She” is like ancient Babylon, she is like the merchant empire of Tyre in Old Testament times. She is like ancient Rome. She is a rich and nasty whore. She is said to be a mystery religion, with which the ancients were well acquainted. (See previous posts on the mystery religions.) She foments conflicts and wars in order to make more money, and all the blood shed on the earth is in her, Rev 18:24.

And when the embodiment of Satan is worshipped
by all the earth?

He will be like the Caesars, like King Ahab of Israel, like Antiochus IV Epiphanes of the Selucid Empire. He will be like a living/corpse idol.

And the end of this present world?

Noah and his sons act on those things they are told.

It will be like it was the days of Noah. It will be like just before Sodom and Gommorah were destroyed. It will be like the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD (read Josephus accounts of this war).

WEB is the World English Bible, a copyright free revision
of the original ASV American Standard Version 1901

Judah in Trouble and Three Prophecies, Part V of VI

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So Isaiah gave Ahaz a sign anyway.

“Behold, the virgin will conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” Isa 7:14 WEB

The World English Bible (WEB) is correct here: “the virgin shall conceive.” The Hebrew word for a virgin is almah, and it describes an unmarried “maiden,” who would in normal circumstances would be a virgin. The word also occurs in Gen 24:43, Ex 2:8, Psa 68:25, Prov 30:19, and Song of Solomon 1:3, 6:8. Jewish translators around 200 BC when translating the Old Testament into Greek, choose to translate the word as the Greek parthenos, which is unequivocally a virgin.

And what will happen with this child born of
a virgin?

It seems to speaking in the immediate context of Ahaz and Judah’s dilemma. It seems to speak of child to born soon. This child will eat curds and honey (KJV) and before the child is old enough to refuse the evil and choose the good (just a small number of years) the land of the two kings who are fighting against Ahaz, will be abandoned,
Isa 1:16!

In other words, Isaiah confirms what he told Ahaz earlier, that Israel and Aram will not be able to overcome Judah … without the interference of any foreign powers.

It is widely debated who the “almah” is.

There is further analysis of Isaiah 7 in Prophecy Principles.

Some say it was a wife of Ahaz. In Prophecy Principles, in the section called “We Sit,” I discussed the prophecy as if it had reference to Isaiah’s wife having a baby, and how that would be analyzed. Other also have done the same or similar things. Clearly Isaiah is telling Ahaz that he should NOT enter treaties with pagan powers, but that he should trust in the Lord, and everything will be alright. This would be the first prophecy.

But as we have already seen, trusting God or believing God, is not in Ahaz vocabulary.

But STILL there is the implicit contradiction of a
virgin (rather “the virgin”) having a baby.

Isaiah has one of his sons with him when he meets Ahaz, Isa 7:3. She is sometimes represented as one of Ahaz’s wives or whoever. But still … how can you call them a “virgin.” That is the implicit tension in the prophecy. These are signs of a type, when something does not really fit.

And of course there is still to be considered
Isaiah’s master subject: the Messiah.

He was to come as a child, and to be “Mighty God, Eternal Father” in Isa 9:6 WEB as discussed in Part III of this series.

So how does “THE virgin” conceive a child?

The answer of the angel is,

“The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore also the holy one who is born from you will be called the Son of God.”
Lk 1:35 WEB

Of course this would be no big trick with the God who made heaven and earth and everything they contain. This would be second prophecy, and the true anti-type of whoever had a baby in the eighth century BC.

Your answer may depend on whether you decide to a priori rule out God as working in history!

KJV is the King James Version, 1611.

WEB is the World English Bible, a copyright free revision
of the original ASV American Standard Version 1901

Multiple Types of the Christ: Jonah

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Jonah tried to run to the far end of his then known world, to Tarshish (Spain), Jon 1:3.

We learn Jonah’s reasons later.

The Ninevites were first of all gentiles, goyim, filth that no Jew would have anything to do with. Also they were vicious and brutal conquerers, absolutely heartless in dealing with conquered peoples. The Northern kingdom Israel was finally destroyed by the Assyrians.

Further God wanted Jonah to preach to them that they must repent or soon be destroyed. Poor Jonah! He was actually afraid that they would repent, and turn, and God would have mercy on them! (Jonah 4.)

But God prevented Jonah’s flight.

In a well know story, God had Jonah swallowed by “a great fish,” Jon 1:17. Much of the description is highly symbolic. Jonah said he called to God, “Out of the belly of Sheol,” Jon 2:2 WEB. Sheol does have associations with the sea, but was he literally in Sheol, the world of the dead. I would have to say no. He says he “went down to the bottoms of the mountains …” Jon 2:6 WEB. Literal? Again I would say no. Still, God heard his prayer and had a perhaps scarred and bleached Jonah go preach to Nineveh … and they repented!

The sign of Jonah, Mtt 12:39

“For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the whale, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.”
Jon 12:40 WEB

Where Jesus went was the world of the dead, also called Sheol or the abyss (Greek abussos, as in Lk 8:31, Rom 10:7, and Rev 17:8).

What were the key ingredients here?

1. That the gentiles also deserved to have the opportunity for repentance to life. The exaggerated Jewish rejection of all gentiles were very much out of line. As God Himself said,

“Shouldn’t I be concerned for Nineveh, that great city, in which are more than one hundred twenty thousand persons who can’t discern between their right hand and their left hand; and also much cattle?”
Jon 4:11 WEB

The Jews should have learned better just from this prophet, but they didn’t, and haven’t as a group, even to this day.

2. Jonah was to bring this word of repentance even to the gentiles, as Jesus does in our own day.

3. Jonah was at least symbolically in the world of the dead for three days, but Jesus was literally.

And was Jesus reluctant to leave heaven to suffer so that we might live? Well at least he did pray, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass away from me; nevertheless, not what I desire, but what you desire.” Mtt 26:39 WEB

Who could blame Him?

Notice these types are all loosely related

These loose associations of synonyms and descriptions are the key to catching this imagery. There are many more types of the Christ.. For another partial list, consult Naves’s Topical Bible under “Types … ? of the Savior.”

WEB is the World English Bible, a copyright free revision
of the original ASV American Standard Version 1901

Multiple Types of the Christ: A Branch

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Soon after David’s days things began falling apart. These are of course common things in the political world. Because of Solomon’s sins the kingdom of Israel was split, with David’s heirs getting only a minor share of the split kingdom.

Soon the prophets were forecasting the fall
of David’s kingdom.

All of this was in the face of clear prophecies of David’s kingdom that “your throne shall be established forever,” 2Sam 7:16. It was clear that the Davidic kingdom was slipping. So where were the promises of everlasting rule? Were these false prophecies?

Then came predictions of a revival
of David’s kingdom.

Isaiah talked first of a branch of the Lord.

“In that day, Yahweh’s branch will be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the land will be the beauty and glory of the survivors of Israel.”
Isa 4:2 WEB

Jeremiah spoke of a “branch” seemingly from the house of David.

“Behold, the days come, says Yahweh, that I will raise to David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land.”
Jer 23:5 WEB

Further prophecies spoke of this branch coming as seemingly a tender shoot from the stock (should we say, the stump?) of David, or as stated, from David’s father Jesse.

“There shall come forth a shoot out of the stock of Jesse, and a branch out of his roots shall bear fruit.”
Isa 11:1 WEB

Or a few verses later it speaks of if as from the root of the tree itself, as if soon nothing much will be showing above ground.

“It shall happen in that day, that the root of Jesse, who stands for an ensign of the peoples, to him shall the nations seek; and his resting-place shall be glorious.”
Isa 11:10 WEB

But when this root takes hold, it will prosper.

“In days to come shall Jacob take root; Israel shall blossom and bud; and they shall fill the surface of the world with fruit.
Isa 27:6 WEB

And it will bring prosperity to Judah.

“The remnant that is escaped of the house of Judah shall again take root downward, and bear fruit upward.”
Isa 37:31 WEB

It must be commented that Jesus, that branch, has not meant prosperity for Judah so far! Still the prophet says it will come, and it will. This root, this shoot of David, of Jesse, will not be a beautiful or handsome thing after the flesh according to Isaiah.

“For he grew up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he has no form nor comeliness; and when we see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.”
Isa 53:2 WEB

And he is symbolically called “Joshua”

A high priest named Joshua of Zechariah’s time and his assistants “… are men who are a sign: for, behold, I will bring forth my servant, the Branch.” Zech 3:8 WEB. And of course, when the branch came, His name in Hebrew was “Yehoshuah,” or in English, Joshua, or from the Greek, Jesus.

WEB is the World English Bible, a copyright free revision
of the original ASV American Standard Version 1901

Multiple Types of the Christ: Ezekiel

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“Son of man” is frequently found phrase in Scripture for any man, any human being.

“God is not a man, that he should lie,
Neither the son of man, that he should repent: …”
Num 23:19 WEB

However the one and only son of God did become a man. He did have “the form (morph?) of God,” Phil 2:6 WEB, and also took on “the form of a servant,” Phil 2:7 WEB (also morph?). He was fully God, and fully man. So he was indeed a “son of man.” So it came to be that one of Jesus favorite descriptions of Himself was as “the Son of Man,” and such is recorded in all four gospels, a total of 84 times.

Ezekiel was, it seems, a forerunner
of “the Son of Man.”

When Ezekiel is called he first sees a glorious vision of God and His covering angels in Ezekiel chapter one. Then the Lord spoke to him.

“He said to me, Son of man, stand on your feet, and I will speak with you.”
Ezel 2:1 WEB

In fact, Ezekiel is addressed as a “Son of man” 93 times in the book of Ezekiel, a phrase that does not seem to be applied to any other prophet. Ezekiel sometimes seems to miss the list of types of the Christ.

Nonetheless, there are many parallels between
Ezekiel and Jesus.

Ezekiel was a prophet, and of course Jesus was a prophet. In fact Jesus was the great prophet like Moses of Deuteronomy 18.

Ezekiel was a priest, and Jesus, though he was no priest on earth, became the ultimate high priest of all heaven and earth, Heb 3:1.

Ezekiel was serving as priest and prophet “away from his home,” we might say. He was in exile in Babylon. So Jesus came to serve as a prophet away from His home in heaven.

Both men came to serve as watchmen and as shepherds to the lost sheep of Israel. Both men served in times when Israel defiantly did not want to listen, to heed, to change. Ezekiel was warned that they were a rebellious house, and to not fear them.

“You, son of man, don’t be afraid of them, neither be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns are with you, and you do dwell among scorpions: don’t be afraid of their words, nor be dismayed at their looks, though they are a rebellious house.”
Ezek 2:6 WEB

It took stern measures both in Ezekiel’s time and in Jesus’ to get even a few of the Jews to listen.

Both men warned of the fall of Jerusalem.

Ezekiel of Jerusalem’s fall in 586 BC. Jesus of the second scattering the Jews prophesied by Zechariah in Zech 10:9, in 70 AD.

Both pointed to gruesome trials to come, Gog and Magog for Ezekiel, and the abomination of desolation and the end of the world for Jesus.

And both gave us majestic pictures of a new heavens
and a new earth to come.

Yes! All in all, a very profound type of the Christ.

WEB is the World English Bible, a copyright free revision
of the original ASV American Standard Version 1901

Multiple Types of the beast: the Caesars and others.

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The caesars and Rome are definitely in the book of Revelation, and few would bother to deny that. Still, we must realize that Revelation describes what is going on with the early church, and what is going on at the end of this present age. Many an interpretation of Revelation has made a good case for one end of this spectrum or the other, but not both ends of this story.

The caesars did allow themselves to be
set up as “gods.”

The political argument was that Rome needed an empire wide religion, that would give needed political and philosophical unity. The caesars at first accepted such treatment with reluctance, and at times no little embarrassment. Most knew they were not really gods. This was just politics. Domitian was an obnoxious exception in taking all of this very seriously.

Even so, once in place it had to be either enforced or abandoned entirely. So there was persecution of those who refused to appear before the magistrates and offer a pinch of incense on the altar fires, and say “Caesar is Lord.” So far this seems to fit Revelation’s declaration of “things which must happen soon,” Rev 1:1 WEB. However, Jesus also says, “Yes, I come quickly.” Rev 22:20 WEB, and that also is undoubtably true in an eternal perspective.

The liberals treat all of this as very simple.

They say all of this applies to a few of the early caesars, and they give names and dates … However, even the best of these accounts break down upon close examination. Then you are faced with either: discounting their interpretation … OR discounting Revelation as being the Word of the Lord.

Actually there many things missing.

There is much more about Rome and what was missing, in Revealing the Christian Age.
  1. There NEVER WAS any world-wide acknowledgement of the caesars as god, as is clearly pictured of the beast in Rev 13:8. The Romans clearly knew they did NOT rule the entire earth, and they had debates among themselves as to how far it made sense to expand the empire.
  2. They NEVER WAS a “mark” (Rev 13:16) that EVERYONE had to have in order to buy or sell things. Such was imminently expected with so much else going on, but … it NEVER happened. Yet!
  3. The Roman empire did NOT conquer “the saints” as clearly forecast in Rev 13:7. Instead the saints conquered the Roman Empire as clearly forecast in Dan 2:44 and other passages, and this was NOT complete by the end of the first century AD!
  4. Whoever you think was the ultimate beast/caesar was NOT alive to be destroyed by Jesus second coming, as is clearly forecast in 2Thes 2:8 and Rev 19:20.

This is just a short list. Other issues are discussed in Revealing the Christian Age.

So either Revelation is a false prophecy,
a failure in the first century,
OR
The caesars and Rome are merely
types and shadows of
what is yet to come.

The mystery of lawlessness (2Thes 2:7) and Mystery Babylon are Christian Age long entities. All through our age we have had to guard against new attempts at a world-wide antichrist hegemony.

And it hasn’t even discussed two of the main types of the beast: Antiochus IV Epiphanes, and the original “abomination of desolation,” both of which are discussed in detail in the books.

WEB is the World English Bible, a copyright free revision
of the original ASV American Standard Version 1901

Multiple Types of the beast: Judas Iscariot

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Jesus answered them, “Didn’t I choose you, the twelve,

“and one of you is a devil,” Jn 6:70 WEB

The Greek word used here is diabolos. Its basic meaning is to slander or falsely accuse someone, and is often translated as “devil,” meaning the Satan himself or one of his angels (Mtt 25:41). It comes from the Greek word diabello which has the idea of bringing false charges in order to create a quarrel or a fight.

He is one who has rich gifts from God.

Everything good, everything worthwhile, comes from God, Jas 1:17.

“For who makes you different? And what do you have that you didn’t receive? But if you did receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?”
1Cor 4:7 WEB

The Most Holy God made both you and I, but also all the angels, and everything that exists, and Judas Iscariot, and the man of lawlessness. Whatever good that is in him came from God, and whatever good he has also is from God.

In the case of Judas Iscariot he shared in the blessings of Christ with the rest of the apostles. When the apostles were sent on the limited commission Judas was there. When they returned rejoicing that “even the demons are subject to us,” Lk 10:17 WEB, Judas was there. Power to preach, power to heal, daily needs all covered … it was all there.

But a heart prepared with greed.

In whatever combination of circumstances, Judas had a love of money that was part of his undoing. So when some expensive oinment was poured over Jesus feet, Judas asked.

“5 “Why wasn’t this ointment sold for three hundred denarii,a and given to the poor?” 6 Now he said this, not because he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and having the money box, used to steal what was put into it.”
Jn 12:5-6 WEB

Characterized by destructive behavior

Oh to have been an actual apostle of Jesus the Christ, to have the opportunity for such a great standing in all eternity. Judas had all of this but was focused on worldly immediate things.

Jesus calls Judas “the son of destruction,” Jn 17:12 WEB, and the man of lawlessness/ the man of sin is also called “the son of destruction,” 2Thes 2:3 WEB (the same Greek word is used in both Scriptures). Both have destructive behavior. They destroy themselves, and bring ruin on many others. If we use Judas as a type of the beast, then there is,

Not quite repentance, but clear remorse, Mtt 27:3.

“4 saying, “I have sinned in that I betrayed innocent blood.” But they said, “What is that to us? You see to it.” 5 He threw down the pieces of silver in the sanctuary, and departed. He went away and hanged himself.”
Mtt 27:4-5 WEB

And eternally cursed.

Terrifying curses are in Psa 69:19-28 of Judas and the others involved. I will only quote a verse.

“Pour out your indignation on them.
Let the fierceness of your anger overtake them”
Psa 69:24

I am inclined to take these verses of the beast also.

WEB is the World English Bible, a copyright free revision
of the original ASV American Standard Version 1901

Multiple Types of the beast: Kings of Babylon

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The word “Mystery” in Mystery Babylon seem to indicate her secret or semi-secret nature. The beast and Mystery Babylon seem to work together to suppress Christianity. The beast at the last turns on Babylon the Great and destroys her (Revelation 18), within history because it is the will of God that he do this.

Now Mystery Babylon the Great has no problem
with false gods,

Further it is no exaggeration to say that she loves dictatorships. It is the beast organization (of Rev 13:1-2, and Rev 17:7) that “carries” Mystery Babylon the Great (Rev 17:7) to success.

Now the great harlot sits on seven mountains that are also seven kings, Rev 17:9-10. The beast is one of those seven kings on which the harlot sits, one of the main supports of Babylon the Great. You might say he is one the kings of Mystery Babylon the Great, but he secretly hates the Great Harlot who organizes all the wars and conflicts of this age.

“In her was found the blood of prophets and of saints, and of all who have been slain on the earth.”
Rev 18:24 WEB

Clearly Ancient Babylon is a model for Mystery
Babylon the Great.

Both are associated with great power and with great luxury. As Mystery Babylon the Great (working with the beast who has a mortal wound that is healed) overcomes Christianity; so also ancient Babylon conquered the people of God of ancient times: Israel and Judah. There are other points of similarity between the ancient and the entity of Revelation.

Both ancient Babylon and Mystery Babylon the Great are known for their immorality.

Both seem impossible to overcome. Ancient Babylon had great walls and great armies, and plenty of money. Mystery Babylon is seated on a beast with seven heads and ten horns. The beast is one of those seven heads, and those ten horns seems to indicate ten rulers. Also she is seated on “many waters” Rev 17:1, which is “peoples, multitudes, nations, and languages,” Rev 17:15.

Both fall because of their overwhelming immorality.

But back to the Kings of Babylon.

They both employ God’s people in their work. In ancient times it included Daniel and those with him. God’s people are warned to come out of her or they will go down with her (Jer 51:6 and Rev 18:4).

Once again the superiority of God’s ways are clearly demonstrated to the kings of Babylon, through Daniel, and Meshak, Shadrach, and Abednego and others.

Like the other types, the King of Babylon comes
close to complete repentance.

Nebuchadnezzar actually praises God when he writes about what happened to him in Daniel chapter 4. Read his abject confession there. But at the last, repentance doesn’t last, and the kings of Babylon must go down to defeat. So the King of Babylon is pictured as entering the world of dead as almost alive, though deprived of all strength in Isaiah 14, and maggots are his bed and worms are his covering, Isa 14:11.

It seems that the kings of ancient Babylon are types of the beast of Revelation, and this short essay only touches the surface.

WEB is the World English Bible, a copyright free revision
of the original ASV American Standard Version 1901

Multiple Types of the beast: Ahab, King of Israel

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In most important things, Scripture gives us more than one opportunity to see, and understand, and be ready, for what will be. In prophecy, if something is very important, quite often times God gives us more than one opportunity to understand.

Ahab has a kingdom that is united
around false religion.

Subversion of God’s Holy religions began with the first king of the northern kingdom of Israel. It was all about subverting true religion to serve the political purposes of government. Many rulers, as perhaps mini-types of the beast, fall guilty to such temptations. Ahab then increased the turn to evil religion.

He did “evil in the sight of Yahweh above all that were before him,” 1Kgs 16:30.

Ahab toke as a wife a Sidonian worshipper of Baal: Jezebel. She soon organized the extermination of the prophets of God, 1Kgs 18:4; and Ahab began in Israel the worship of the Mother Earth “goddess” Asherah, the covert passion of the modern ecology movement. It was a fertility cult involving religious prostitution and infanticide.

Elijah responded,

“… As Yahweh, the God of Israel, lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word. ”
1Kgs 17:1 WEB

James tells us,

“Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain, and it didn’t rain on the earth for three years and six months.”
Jas 5:17 WEB

That is exactly the amount of time that the beast rules in Revelation. This amount of time is variously expressed as “three years and six months, 1,260 days, forty-two months, or as “time, times, and half a time.”

Also the two witnesses in Revelation 11,
for 1,260 days, Rev 11:3

“have the power to shut up the sky, that it may not rain during the days of their prophecy.” Rev 11:6 WEB. Indeed, the two witnesses seem a little like Moses, and a little like Elijah.

Elijah even proved to Ahab that Yahweh, the Lord our God, was superior to Baal at the dramatic confrontation on Mont Carmel in 2Kings 18.

And Ahab, multiple times, was close
to true and lasting repentance.

When his conscience afflicted him over the murder of Naboth in 1Kings 21, it says,

“… when Ahab heard those words, that he tore his clothes, and put sackcloth on his flesh, and fasted, and lay in sackcloth, and went softly.”
1Kgs 21:27 WEB

His repentance was sincere enough to touch God’s heart, 1Kgs 21:29;

but Ahab never let his repentance last.

So in the end he had to be lured to his death, as is clearly depicted in 1Kings 22. In the end, the dogs of Samaria licked up his blood, 1Kgs 22:38.

Of the beast himself, he is destroyed in the great battle against God at the Second coming of Christ, Revelation 19 and many other passages, and is thrown alive into hell, Rev 19:20, where the worms will eternally eat on them.

“… for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be an abhorring to all flesh.”
Isa 66:24 WEB

WEB is the World English Bible, a copyright free revision
of the original ASV American Standard Version 1901