Mystery Babylon: Chapter 15C

The Merchant's Merchandise (Continued)

OINTMENTS

When we go to the New Testament we find that 42*ointment is a word derived by the ancients from "muro," meaning "to flow," or from "murra," meaning "myrrh-oil"; (it is probably of foreign origin, see MYRRH). This "ointment" is mentioned in connection with the anointing of the Lord on the occasions recorded in Matt. 26:7, 9:12; Mark 14:3-4; Luke 7:37-38, 46; John 11:1; 12:3,5.

In the Old Testament we find from Exodus 30:25 that this "ointment" was derived from, and in conjunction with, myrrh; cinnamon, calamus, cassia, and olive oil. It was to be used specifically as a holy anointing oil. The Old Testament uses four different Hebrew words that translate as 43*"ointments."

Hezekiah, king of Judah, whose name means "strength of Jehovah" was one of the best kings to reign over Judah. He was one of the many types of God in Old Testament scripture. We read in II Kings 20:13 that his house contained a great many precious things, including silver, gold, spices, and ointments. These too being a part of the instruments for temple worship.

Psalm 133:1-2 gives us a great insight as to how God defines the word ointments in spiritual terms:

"Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity."
"It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down the beard, even Aaron's beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments."

God clearly associates ointments with the unity of the saints. It is like precious ointments upon the head. God may be using Aaron in this example because he was a high priest and therefore a type of Christ, who is every believer's eternal High Priest. The unity of the true Church is like ointment upon the head of Christ, running down His beard and continuing down to His garment. In other words Christ is spiritually anointed with oil, which signifies (throughout scripture) the spiritual anointing of the Holy Spirit. Aaron's head was anointed with oil. In the twenty-third Psalm we read: "...thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over." God elsewhere equates ointments with the unity of believers, as we see in Proverbs 27:9:

"Ointment and perfume rejoice the heart: so doth the sweetness of a man's friend by hearty counsel."

Song of Solomon 1:3 speaks of Christ, our Bridegroom this way:
"Because of the savour of thy good ointments thy name is as ointment poured forth, therefore do the virgins love thee." (The virgins being representative of all true believers in Christ, Revelation 14:4).

All of unsaved humanity is described as exhibiting spiritual wounds, bruises, and putrefying sores, of which have not been closed up; neither have they been bound up or cured with God's eternal cure of Christ Jesus, as we read from Isaiah 1:6:

"From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrefying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up [cf. Christ came to bind up the brokenhearted, Is. 61:1], neither mollified with ointment," (Isaiah 1:6)

The only spiritual cure for one's sin-sick soul (of which all of humanity inherits), is God's holy anointing oil or ointment, which typifies one being born-again and baptized with the "holy ghost," symbolized by ointment or oil. It must be acknowledged that ointment may not always be symbolic in scripture for the holy spirit. Once again we see that the biblical word "ointment" has nothing to do with material wealth or possessions. Mystery Babylon no longer (corporately) possesses the true ointments of God; this ointment (the holy ghost?) will be taken from her as judgment upon the unsaved corporate church. "For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he [holy spirit: oil, ointment] who now letteth [restrain] , until he [holy spirit: oil, ointment] be taken out of the way [cf. Rev. 18:11-13 "for no man buyeth their merchandise any more"?]." "And then shall that Wicked be revealed [The Abomination of Desolation], whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming," II Thessalonians 2:7-8.

FRANKINCENSE

Frankincense is another word that is closely associated with incense. It is derived from a Hebrew word meaning 44*"white," and is defined as frankincense (from its whiteness or perhaps that of its smoke: -frank- incense). Frankincense was a pertinent ingredient of the Old Testament meat offering. We know that all offerings and sacrifices in the Old Testament ultimately pointed to the sacrifice of Christ Himself for the sins of all who would become saved. Concerning frankincense, we read of it in Leviticus 2:1:

"And when any will offer a meat offering unto the LORD, his offering shall be of fine flour; and he shall pour oil upon it, and put frankincense thereon:"

Frankincense was again used with other spices in the making of an holy perfume. This perfume was to be placed before the testimony in the tabernacle of the congregation, where God tells Moses "... where I will meet with thee: it shall be unto you most holy," (Exodus 30:36). The Israelites were forbidden to make this perfume for themselves, and whosoever made this perfume for use, other than for the LORD, would be cut off from the people (Exodus 30:37-38).

God also commanded Moses to have lamps burning from evening to morning continually in the tabernacle of the congregation. These lamps were to be placed upon the pure candlesticks before the LORD continually (Leviticus 24:4). Then God commands Aaron to order the baking of twelve cakes, which were to be placed upon the pure table in two rows, six per row. Pure frankincense was then to be placed upon each row, that it may be on the bread for a memorial, which was an offering made by fire unto the LORD. This was to be placed there before the LORD continually every sabbath from the children of Israel by an everlasting covenant (see Leviticus 24:1-8).

Frankincense, as we have seen, is another important ingredient that God has placed in the tabernacle of the congregation. Every article of clothing worn by the High Priest was not without its spiritual symbolism and significance. Every instrument and vessel in the tabernacle had its spiritual meaning as well. All, ultimately and finally points to Christ - the true Temple of God. Let us, once again, draw from the spiritual portraits laid out in Song of Solomon.

"Who is this that cometh out of the wilderness like pillars of smoke, perfumed with myrrh and frankincense, with all powders of the merchants?"

This of course could only be Christ, our Temple, and His bride - (the merchants?) - the Church. God speaks specifically of His bride in Song of Solomon chapter four.

"Until the day break, and the shadows flee away, I will get me to the mountain of myrrh, and to the hill of frankincense," (Song of Solomon 4:6)

The Kingdom of God is spoken of here as the "hill of frankincense." God does not use names, symbols, terms, phrases, or numbers without comprising some hidden spiritual link to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

"Thy plants are an orchard of pomegranates, with pleasant fruits; camphire, with spikenard,"

"Spikenard and saffron; calamus and cinnamon, with all trees of frankincense; myrrh and aloes, with all the chief spices:" (Song of Solomon 4:13-14)

Believers are depicted in scripture as trees, thus trees of frankincense in verse fourteen.

In Jeremiah 17:19-27 we read about God's commands for keeping the sabbath, which He directs to the kings of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. Spiritually and ultimately these are all believers who stand to inherit the eternal and heavenly city of Jerusalem. By keeping God's laws, God responds to us in the following way, keeping in mind that Old Testament Israel is a picture of the New Testament Church:

"Then shall there enter into the gates of this city kings and princes sitting upon the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses, they, and their princes, the men of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem: and this city shall remain for ever."

"And they shall come from the cities of Judah, and from the places about Jerusalem, and from the land of Benjamin, and from the plain, and from the mountains, and from the south, bringing burnt offerings, and sacrifices, and meat offerings, and incense [same word as frankincense], and bringing sacrifices of praise, unto the house of the LORD." (Jeremiah 17:25-26)

These Old Testament offerings and sacrifices were only a shadow of the Christian spiritual sacrifices that we are to bring into the house or Temple of God; which is the Lord Jesus Christ, our eternal Holy Temple. To this cause the wise men sought out the long prophesied arrival of the Christ child, Israel's Messiah. Upon falling down and worshiping Him, they presented gifts, of which were gold, frankincense, and myrrh. This was done, no doubt, in keeping with God's appropriate law concerning what was allowed to be brought into the temple as a sacrifice.

Once more we have total harmony of scripture when we look at the merchandise that is no longer found in the religious harlot - Mystery Babylon - of Revelation chapter eighteen. Certainly, no one knows precisely how all of this merchandise (symbolized by Old Testament historical and literal events) is linked to the holy possessions of Christ and His Church. We do know that it is all typified by much food and drink for sacrificial offerings in the Old Testament tabernacle of the congregation, as well as in Jerusalem's Temple. Many tools utilized in the religious services are not without their symbolic gestures; displaying that which was spiritual and which was to come. Even throughout the Old Testament God uses this same symbolic language, drawn from the tabernacle in the wilderness, as we find in the Book of Revelation. We see this allegorical language being displayed throughout scripture, of which reveals Christ and His wonderful plan of salvation for His Church.

WINE, OIL, FINE FLOUR, AND WHEAT

The spiritual goods that belong to Christ and His Church are no longer being taught in the corporate church of Jesus Christ. These goods also include her spiritual goods of wine, oil, fine flour, and wheat.

"For the LORD hath redeemed Jacob, and ransomed him from the hand of him that was stronger than he."

"Therefore they shall come and sing in the height of Zion, and shall flow together to the goodness of the LORD, for wheat, and for wine, and for oil, and for the young of the flock and of the herd: and their soul shall be as a watered garden; and they shall not sorrow any more at all." (Jeremiah 31:11-12)

Is the above verse not speaking salvation language? Once we have become saved we come and sing in the height of Zion (spiritual Israel; the Church; the congregations). Doesn't God speak of His Church as a watered gardened in scripture? Yes, He does. We shall not sorrow any more at all. This statement will become more meaningful at the last day when our salvation is completed and we receive our eternal resurrected bodies. God speaks, in the above verse, of all of His children (those whom He has redeemed) flowing together to the goodness of the Lord, for wheat, and for wine, and for oil. Does the Lord have need of literal wheat, wine, and oil? Of course these are merely figures of the Holy Spirit, and of Christ, and of the believer. Wheat is very often used to represent the true believer. "...and he will thoroughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire," Matthew 3:12. Oil is symbolic for the Holy Spirit. "Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows," Hebrews 1:9. When one is anointed by God with the "oil of gladness," it can mean only one thing; you have been spiritually baptized in the Holy Spirit and have become a new creature in Christ. You have become eternally saved. When scripture speaks of the wine, it is most often in reference to the shed blood of Christ, which was absolutely necessary to shed in order that God's elect would become saved. At the Last Supper Jesus took a cup representing the wine, held it up and stated to His disciples: "This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink , in remembrance of me," I Corinthians 11:25. Yes, these are all spiritual symbols of varying features of the Gospel of Christ.

Christ spoke a parable of a man who fell among thieves, was wounded and left half dead as he journeyed down from Jerusalem to Jericho. A priest came by, and immediately crossed the road so he would not have to look on him. Likewise, a Levite did the same thing. But when a certain Samaritan passed by, he had compassion on him and he poured oil and wine into his wounds and bound them up in order that he would become healed. Who was this certain Samaritan? And who was this man left half dead? Would oil and wine be a superior cure for him, by pouring it into his wounds? Only in the spiritual sense. The Samaritan was portraying the Son of God - God incarnate - as He had compassion on this "half dead" man (Luke 10:30). Man is half dead before Christ saves him. He is spiritually dead first, and will soon become physically dead as well. But Christ, our good Samaritan, saved this destitute man by giving him the oil of His Holy Spirit and the wine, which was the shed blood of Christ. Wounds in scripture pertain many times to our sins. By having received the Holy Spirit and the blood of Christ (oil and wine), this man's sins were healed. No priest, no Levite, no man can accomplish this miraculous task but Christ the Messiah.

When Revelation chapter eighteen speaks of the oil, the wine, the fine flour, and the wheat, we know we must search the scriptures to find their true meanings. The Old Testament is full of types and symbols pointing to Christ and His salvation plan. Every offering spoken of in the Old Testament ultimately pointed to God offering His only Begotten Son for our redemption. Oil and fine flour were pertinent ingredients in the meat offering. Oil was also used as an anointing oil and also as an anointing oil for the high priest. Finally, this anointing oil would come to represent the Holy Spirit of God as He anoints His chosen from the four corners of the earth. We cannot possibly do an adequate study on wine, oil, fine flour, and wheat, since this would require a great deal of research and space. We do know that they are (as given in Revelation) not without great spiritual significance.

The land that God promised to Abraham and to his "spiritual" seed (Genesis 17:7,8) is the eternal and spiritual "promise land," of which the literal promise land of Canaan was merely a type or representation. God speaks of this eternal land in the following two verses:

"For the LORD thy God bringeth thee into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and depths that spring out of valleys and hills;"
"A land of wheat, and barley, and vines, and fig trees, and pomegranates; a land of oil olive, and honey;" (Deuteronomy 8:7-8)

"There is treasure to be desired and oil in the dwelling of the wise; but a foolish man spendeth it up." (Proverbs 21:20) [Remember the five wise virgins who had oil at the coming of Christ? And the five foolish who had no oil?]

Joel 1:10 speaks ultimately of the abomination of desolation in the great tribulation:

"The field is wasted, the land mourneth; for the corn is wasted; the new wine is dried up, the oil languisheth." [The land (the corporate church turned religious harlot) no longer preaches the true Gospel, hence the spiritual merchandise of wine and oil is no longer found in her!]

Wheat is usually a word representative of true believers. It can also be representative of Christ. Jesus said "...whoso eateth my flesh, [wheat] and drinketh my blood [wine] hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day," John 6:54. Why do we say that Christ's flesh is pictured in scripture as wheat? Because Jesus plainly stated that He was the bread (which is wheat) of life (John 6:35). Many times we read that Christ was that spiritual "bread" or "manna" which came down from heaven. Wheat pictured Christ in Old Testament symbolism, as did wine and oil.

Fine flour was used in the meat offering, being mingled with oil (Leviticus 2:1,4,7; 14:10,21; 23:13). Fine flour was also used in the sin offering without the oil or the frankincense (Leviticus 5:11). Fine flour was again used for the peace offering (Leviticus 7:11,12). Christ is surely our sin offering, our peace offering, and our meat offering. When we come to Ezekiel chapter sixteen we find a highly symbolical portrait of the House of God; the Old Testament congregations and the New Testament congregations are both ultimately in view. Before both national Israel of old and spiritual Israel (corporate church) turned to harlotry, she is partially described as follows:

"Thus was thou decked with gold and silver; and thy raiment was of fine linen, and silk, and broidered work; thou didst eat fine flour, and honey, and oil: and thou wast exceeding beautiful, and thou didst prosper into a kingdom." (Ezekiel 16:13)

"My meat also which I gave thee, fine flour, and oil and honey, wherewith I fed thee, thou hast even set it before them for a sweet savour: and thus it was, saith the Lord God." (Ezekiel 16:19)

"But thou didst trust in thine own beauty, and playedst the harlot because of thy renown, and pouredst out thy fornications on every one that passed by; his it was." (Ezekiel 16:15)

God displays to us the final outcome of this religious harlot who was once God's true representation upon the earth. This earthly embodiment of the Church of Christ will always be known as God's CITY, the heavenly and spiritual Jerusalem. However, it is destined (as prophesied from scripture) to spiritually fall into irreversible judgment from God near the end of time. All true believers will go on to become an eternal part of God's never ending heavenly city. The earthly outward shell (the corporate church), however will become apostate, being led by Satan, while continuing to retain the biblical term "city," even though it is a false church, and thus a fallen city in spiritual terms.

"...come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters:" (Revelation 17:1)

"With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication [harlotry], and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication." (Revelation 17:2)

"And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication:" (Revelation 17:4)

"And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH." (Revelation 17:5)

"And the woman which thou sawest is the great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth." (Revelation 17:18)

"Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come." (Revelation 18:10)

"And saying, Alas, alas, that great city, that was clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones, pearls! For in one hour so great riches is come to nought..." (Revelation 18:16-17)

"And cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What city is like unto this great city!" (Revelation 18:18)

"And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas, that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness! for in one hour is she made desolate." (Revelation 18:19)

The identity of the "great city" found in Revelation eighteen is unquestionably provided to us in Revelation 17:18. This woman, this religious harlot is that great city. This great city was once the corporate House of God here on earth. Numerous verses attest to this fact, of which we will list only a few:

"And they shall call them, The holy people, The redeemed of the LORD; and thou shalt be called, Sought out, a city not forsaken." (Isaiah 62:12)

"How is the faithful city.....BECOME AN HARLOT! It was full of judgment; righteousness lodged in it; but now murderers." (Isaiah 1:21)

"That thou shalt take up this proverb against the king of Babylon, and say, How hath the oppressor ceased! the golden city ceased!" (Isaiah 14:4) [Could the "golden city" be representative of - not the world - but the faithful "city" before its fall? Now Satan's imitation "great city"?]

"In that day shall this song be sung in the land of Judah; We have a strong city; salvation will God appoint for walls and bulwarks." (Isaiah 26:1)

"And there he maketh the hungry to dwell, that they may prepare a city for habitation;" (Psalm 107:36)

"But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city." (Hebrews 11:16)

As mentioned earlier, this Holy and Great City will be holy and great throughout eternity. It has never fallen while sojourning on this earth. Its outer shell, or its outer court, is comprised of non-believers only; being led by Satan. They make up a major part of the earthly "city" of God, but they will not inherit the kingdom of God; for they have never become born-again.

Back : Chapter 15B - The Merchant's Merchandise: No Longer Found in Her

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