Why Jerusalem is Mystically Called Sodom and Egypt

LittleLambofJesus said:

Good reference.
A similar event is shown in Revelation 12 concerning the land swallowing the river of water coming from the Dragon.
Any idea what the "river of water" is symbolizing?

Jude 1:11
Woe to them! For they have gone in the way of Cain,
have run greedily in the error of Balaam for profit,
and perished in the rebellion of Korah.

Berean Study Bible)
Revelation 12:
15 Then from the mouth of the serpent spewed water like a river to overtake the woman and sweep her away in the torrent.
16 But the land helped the woman and opened its mouth to swallow up the river that had poured from the dragon’s mouth

Numbers 16:
31 As soon as Moses had finished saying all this, the ground beneath them split open,
32 and the land opened its mouth and swallowed them and their households, all Korah’s men and all their possessions.
33 They went down alive into Sheol with all they owned. The earth closed over them, and they vanished from the assembly.
34 At their cries, all the people of Israel who were around them fled, saying, “The land may swallow us too!”
35 And fire came forth from the LORD and consumed the 250 men who were offering the incense.

https://www.christianforums.com/threads/allusions-in-revelation-from-old-testament.7588850/

One man studied and found 348 allusions (not illusions, Light) in Revelation from the Old Testament. You see the similarity in wording and the context mirrored in Revelation and the particular Old Testament story, and immediately can recognize the reference source!
That's IF you know the bible well enough to even notice that.

95 of the 348 plain references used in Revelation as taken from the Old Testament are repeated in Revelation.
That makes about 250 Old Testament passages are cited. How many chapters are in Revelation? 22.
That makes about TEN OLD TESTAMENT REFERENCES FOR EVERY CHAPTER!

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We know from Genesis 3:15 that Christ is the seed of the woman who would destroy Satan.

Although I am not sure of this interpretation, it could be a reference to the flood of Noah.

It would be through the descendants of Noah that Christ would come.

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BABerean2 said:

We know from Genesis 3:15 that Christ is the seed of the woman who would destroy Satan.

Although I am not sure of this interpretation, it could be a reference to the flood of Noah.

It would be through the descendants of Noah that Christ would come.

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Great reference. I will have to study on that more in depth when I get time.

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1whirlwind said:

I must disagree. Jerusalem is not "the great city." Jerusalem wasn't mentioned...it is us mistakenly assuming Jerusalem is the place. Jesus was crucified just outside the gates of Jerusalem...not in Jerusalem. In other words, He was crucified in the world for the world is the great city Babylon.

Sodom/wickedness and Egypt/carnal, worldly lusts are where the dead bodies lie.
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Was Jerusalem in Judea?

Luke 21:
20 `When-ever yet ye may be perceiving being surrounded by armies Jerusalem, then be ye knowing that has neared<1448> the desolating of Her;
21 then those in the Judea, let them be fleeing! into the mountains; and those in midst of her, let them be out-coming; and those in the countries, no let them be into-coming into to her;
24
“And they will fall by the edge of the sword, and be led away captive into all nations.
And Jerusalem will be trampled<3961> by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.”

Revelation 11:
1 And was given to me a reed like-as rod saying "rouse! and measure! the Sanctuary of the God and the Altar[Golden Altar] and those worshiping in it
2 and the Court, without of the Sanctuary, be Casting-Out!<1544> out-side, and no it thou should be measuring, that it was given to the nations
and the holy City they shall be trampling<3961> forty two months.



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JamesDAlbright said:

In Rev 11:8 Jerusalem is called Sodom because it is where, when Jesus died and arose from the dead He completely wiped out sin as He did in Sodom when He completely destroyed it by fire and brimstone. Analysis of the ashen remains of Sodom, which was rediscovered by Wyatt Archeological Research, has shown that this comparison is accurate since they could not reignite the ashen remains that they recovered from the site of Gomorrah.
Jerusalem is mystically called Egypt because when Jesus died and arose from the dead in Jerusalem He released us from the captivity of death as He by His power alone released Israel, which symbolizes Christians, from captivity in Egypt.
Rev. 11:8 And their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city which mystically is called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified.
Bro. James D Albright

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This is an interesting topic.
Try to find OT verses comparing Jerusalem to Sodom............

Eze 16
1 Again the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
2 “Son of man, cause Jerusalem to know her abominations,
3 “and say, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD to Jerusalem: “Your birth and your nativity are from the land of Canaan; your father was an Amorite and your mother a Hittite.
53 “When I bring back their captives, the captives of Sodom and her daughters, and the captives of Samaria and her daughters, then I will also bring back the captives of your captivity among them,
55 “When your sisters, Sodom and her daughters, return to their former state, and Samaria and her daughters return to their former state, then you and your daughters will return to your former state.
56 “For your sister Sodom was not a byword in your mouth in the days of your pride,

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Sodom was destroyed by fire in one hour, just like a certain other city in Revelation. Egypt enslaved and pursued God's people, with less-than-favorable results for them. Which is significant, when you consider Revelation is saying Jerusalem PURSUED God's people--not are God's people.

LittleLambofJesus said:

This is an interesting topic.
Try to find OT verses comparing Jerusalem to Sodom............

Eze 16
1 Again the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
2 “Son of man, cause Jerusalem to know her abominations,
3 “and say, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD to Jerusalem: “Your birth and your nativity are from the land of Canaan; your father was an Amorite and your mother a Hittite.
53 “When I bring back their captives, the captives of Sodom and her daughters, and the captives of Samaria and her daughters, then I will also bring back the captives of your captivity among them,
55 “When your sisters, Sodom and her daughters, return to their former state, and Samaria and her daughters return to their former state, then you and your daughters will return to your former state.
56 “For your sister Sodom was not a byword in your mouth in the days of your pride,

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Once again. You overlooked that Jerusalem is a CONGREGATION of God making up of His People in Old Testament and New Testament with "physical Jerusalem" of Old Testament as an example and the Jerusalem of New Testament in Christ revealed! Selah!

Revelation 11:7-8 KJV
[7] And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them.
[8] And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.

This has nothing to do with physical Jerusalem in 70AD! Rather it is with the congregation of Two Witnesses, a body of Christ, where our Lord was crucified for! No matter now, because you still have not explained HOW Two Witnesses received power and prophesy for 1,260 days (if you believe is literal 1,260 days), and THEN was killed by the beast where they were dead in the city for 3-1/2 days before resurrected afterward. How does this fit with your 70AD theory?! You can't insist that the great city of verse 8 be physical city of Jerusalem without explaining all the preceding verses within Revelation 11!

usexpat97 said:

Sodom was destroyed by fire in one hour, just like a certain other city in Revelation. Egypt enslaved and pursued God's people, with less-than-favorable results for them. Which is significant, when you consider Revelation is saying Jerusalem PURSUED God's people--not are God's people.

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Geez-whiz. Can you show me an old testament verse where Sodom was physically destroyed by fire in sixty minutes (one hour) or it is just speculation on your part?

Just read the New Testament itself and the identity isn't so uncertain. The polemic against Judaism gets stronger as the Gospels get later dates- something that is not lost even on secular biblical scholars who deem it "anti-Semitic". It is clear the early church considered Jews who had rejected Jesus as apostate persecutors, so it makes sense they would see Jerusalem as Sodom or Egypt and not a holy place. That is why Revelation points to the real holy city, the New Jerusalem in heaven.

Davy said:

That's really more of a mystical spiritualizing instead of getting at the real reason why that verse is spiritually linking Jerusalem with Sodom and Egypt.

Rev 11:8
8 And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.
KJV

In that future time of God's 2 witnesses, they will be given to prophesy for 1260 days against the beast. The Antichrist will be in power then over the whole earth. And Jerusalem is where the Antichrist will sit as God (2 Thess.2:3-4). So Jerusalem in that future time will have fallen into false worship, the "abomination of desolation" idol Jesus warned of from the Book of Daniel being setup there.

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The Romans already set up abominations in Jerusalem centuries ago. There is no reason to think it must refer to a future prophecy.

It is obvious to me Jesus was prophesying to the women on the way to Golgotha that a terrible fate was going to befall Jerusalem within the horizon of their lives. "If you think this is bad now, it's only going to get worse". (Luke 23:29-31). Why would he speak to the women about something that was going to happen remotely in time and be of no consequence to them?

TribulationSigns said:

Once again. You overlooked that Jerusalem is a CONGREGATION of God making up of His People in Old Testament and New Testament with "physical Jerusalem" of Old Testament as an example and the Jerusalem of New Testament in Christ revealed! Selah!

Revelation 11:7-8 KJV
[7] And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them.
[8] And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.

This has nothing to do with physical Jerusalem in 70AD! Rather it is with the congregation of Two Witnesses, a body of Christ, where our Lord was crucified for! No matter now, because you still have not explained HOW Two Witnesses received power and prophesy for 1,260 days (if you believe is literal 1,260 days), and THEN was killed by the beast where they were dead in the city for 3-1/2 days before resurrected afterward. How does this fit with your 70AD theory?! You can't insist that the great city of verse 8 be physical city of Jerusalem without explaining all the preceding verses within Revelation 11!

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first Jewish Roman war lasted 7 years, one week of days. It started in 66 and halfway through in 70, the Romans. Took and sacked and raised the city. The physical temple was desecrated at that time. The abomination of Desolation.

The physical temple was desecrated at that time

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The physical temple was desecrated long before that. It's why God allowed it to be destroyed.

usexpat97 said:

The physical temple was desecrated long before that. It's why God allowed it to be destroyed.

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Yes indeed.
So was the Sanctuary inside the Temple.........

Matthew 27:51 and behold! the veil of the Sanctuary is rent into two from upward unto downward, and the land is quaked, and the rocks are rent [Mark 15:38, Luke 23:45]
Mark 15:38 And the veil of the Sanctuary is rent into two from upward to downward.
Luke 23:45 and was darkened the sun and was rent the veil of the Sanctuary midst.

Revelation 11:
1 And was given to me a reed like-as rod saying "rouse! and measure! the Sanctuary<3485> of the God and the Altar[Golden Altar] and those worshiping in it
2 and the Court/fold<833>[water lavar/Altar of Sacrifice] outside of the Sanctuary, be casting-out!<1544> out-side<1854>, and no it thou should be measuring,
that it was given to the nations and the holy City they shall be treading/pathsousin <3961> (5692) forty two months.


http://www.abu.nb.ca/Courses/NTIntro/InTest/JerTem.htm

By house is meant either Temple or the city of Jerusalem, which would include the Temple.

There is some evidence that there were in fact two curtains, a cubit apart (half a meter), separating the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies (m. Yoma 5.1; see Heb 9:3).
Philo explains that the outer curtain was called the "covering" (kalumma) whereas the inner curtain was called the "veil" (katapetasma) (Vita Mos. 2.101).

There are two Greek words, which have been translated as ‘temple’, they are: HIERON, meaning a building, and NAOS, referring to the inner sanctuary.
When the veil was rent asunder, as far as God was concerned, that building ceased to be a temple, naos, and thereafter was just a building, hieron............
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Matthew 23:
37 - “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her!
38 Behold! the House of ye is being left desolate<2048>

Luke 13:
34 - “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her!
35 Behold! the House of ye is being left desolate<2048>,

LittleLambofJesus said:

This is an interesting topic.
Try to find OT verses comparing Jerusalem to Sodom............

Eze 16
1 Again the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
2 “Son of man, cause Jerusalem to know her abominations,
3 “and say, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD to Jerusalem: “Your birth and your nativity are from the land of Canaan; your father was an Amorite and your mother a Hittite.
53 “When I bring back their captives, the captives of Sodom and her daughters, and the captives of Samaria and her daughters, then I will also bring back the captives of your captivity among them,
55 “When your sisters, Sodom and her daughters, return to their former state, and Samaria and her daughters return to their former state, then you and your daughters will return to your former state.
56 “For your sister Sodom was not a byword in your mouth in the days of your pride,

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The Book of Jasher.... whatever its origin.... may be helpful.
https://www.sacred-texts.com/chr/apo/jasher/18.htm

https://www.sacred-texts.com/chr/apo/jasher/19.htm

usexpat97 said:

The physical temple was desecrated long before that. It's why God allowed it to be destroyed.

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before, yes

not sure I would use the term long before

but yes inner desecration permits outer gentile conquest

Jesus was flipping tables.

usexpat97 said:

The physical temple was desecrated long before that. It's why God allowed it to be destroyed.

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Allowed it?

According to Matthew 21:33-45, God Himself came and Destroyed it.
& Jesus was the stone that came & fell on them, grinding them to dust.

1whirlwind said:

I must disagree. Jerusalem is not "the great city." Jerusalem wasn't mentioned...it is us mistakenly assuming Jerusalem is the place.

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Jerusalem is the Great City in the book of Revelation (Rev 11:8). She is Babylon, and the Harlot that rode on the Beast's back (her alliance with Ancient Rome) before the Beast turned on her and made her desolate (Rev 17:16; Lk.21:20)

Earthly Jerusalem, by Divine right and calling, was the preeminent city among all nations. The Hebrew/Biblical understanding of Jerusalem is that she is the "Chief of the nations" (Jeremiah 31:7; Ez 5:5), the Queen city of the earth (Lam 1:1/Rev 18:7). She, by Divine right and covenant, was appointed as the head of all nations (Deut 26:19; Deut 15:6; Deut 28:1,10-13), and the gentile kings recognized God's dwelling was at Jerusalem with the Hebrews (1 Ki 10:24; Luke 11:31; Ezra 1:2; Dan 2:47, 3:28-29, 4:1-3, 4:17, 4:34-37; Ezra 1; Ezra 4-7; Ezra 7:15,23).

The Governor of all nations (Ps. 22:28) lived in Jerusalem in his House (Ez 7:15,23), and all the kingdom, power and might over earth was His (1 Chron 29:11-12). Indeed, all kings receive their power to rule from that Divine King (Rom 13:1-2,6; John 19:11; 1 Pet 2:13-14,17; Ez 1:2; Dan 1:1-2; Dan 2:20-21; Dan 2:37-38; Dan 2:47, Dan 3:28-29; Dan 4:1-3,17,34-37.).

Yet, Jerusalem was also famous for becoming The Harlot City -- an unfaithful spouse to her King (Isa 1:21; Jer 3:6-10; Ez 16:37-39). She had become "drunk with the blood of the saints" (Rev 17:6; Rev 18:20,24; 1 Thess 2:15-16) as Christ had prophesied she would (Mt 23:33-36; Lk 11:50-51).

Sadly, the "great city," Jerusalem (Rev 11:8), had fallen, and had become the habitation of demons and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird (Rev 18:2). The Queen City Jerusalem (Rev 18:7/Lam1:1), which had been great among the nations (Lam 1:1), had become a widow (Rev 18:7/Lam1:1). And She, having become an unfaithful Harlot to God, was thus "burned with fire" (Rev 18:8/17:16) as her covenant law demanded for her (Lev 21:9). The blood of all the apostles and prophets who she famously killed (Matt 23:33-36; Matt 21:34-39; Lk 13:33; Acts 7:52; 1 Thess 2:15-16; Lk 11:47; Neh 9:26; 1 Ki 19:14) was avenged upon her (Matt 23:33-36; Rev 16:6; Rev 18:20,24; 1 Thess 2:15-16).

Jesus was crucified just outside the gates of Jerusalem...not in Jerusalem.

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1whirlwind:
"Jesus was crucified just outside the gates of Jerusalem...not in Jerusalem."

Jesus Christ:
"Nevertheless I must journey on today and tomorrow and the next day; for it cannot be that a prophet would perish outside of Jerusalem. (Lk 13:33)

1whirlwind:
"Jesus was crucified just outside the gates of Jerusalem...not in Jerusalem."

Luke the Inspired Gospel Writer:
"One of them, named Cleopas, answered and said to Him, 'Are You the only one visiting Jerusalem and unaware of the things which have happened here in these days?'" (Luke 24:18)

ewq1938 said:

In Rev 11:2 before the GT starts, Jerusalem is called "the holy city". Only during the 42 months of the AC's reign does the city become "Sodom and Egypt" because the abomination causes a spiritual desolation. By 11:8 the GT is almost over.

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Interesting post ewq.

The phrase "holy city" is used in 10/11 verses in the entire Bible.

Neh 11
1 Now the leaders of the people settled in Jerusalem.
The rest of the people cast lots to bring one out of every ten of them to live in Jerusalem, the holy city, while the remaining nine were to stay in their own towns.
18 The Levites in the holy city totaled 284.
Isa 48:2
you who call yourselves citizens of the holy city and claim to rely on the God of Israel— the LORD Almighty is his name:
Isa 52:1
Awake, awake, Zion, clothe yourself with strength! Put on your garments of splendor, Jerusalem, the holy city.
The uncircumcised and defiled will not enter you again.
Dan 9:24
‘Sevens, seventy are determined for thy people, and for thy holy city, to shut up the transgression, and to seal up sins, and to cover iniquity, and to bring in righteousness age-during, and to seal up vision and prophet, and to anoint the holy of holies.
Mat 4:5
Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple.
Mat 27:53
They came out of the tombs after Jesus' resurrection and went into the holy city and appeared to many people.
Rev 11:2
2 and the Court/fold<833, without of the Sanctuary, be casting-out!<1544> out-side, and no it thou should be measuring, that it was given to the nations
and the holy City they shall be treading<3961> forty two months.
Rev 21:2
I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.
Rev 21:10
And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God.
Rev 22:19
And if anyone takes words away from this scroll of prophecy,
God will take away from that person any share in the tree of life and in the Holy City, which are described in this scroll.
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There are 2 different Hebrew and Greek words for "Jerusalem" in the Bible:

Pre70ad Jerusalem: drawing of "old city" and "new city"

NT
2414. Hierosoluma of Hebrew origin (3389);
Hierosolyma (i.e. Jerushalaim}, the capitol of Palestine:--Jerusalem. Compare 2419.
G2414 matches the Greek (Hierosolyma), occurs 59 times in 59 verses

2419. Hierousalem of Hebrew origin (3389);
Hierusalem (i.e. Jerushalem), the capitol of Palestine:--Jerusalem. Compare 2414.
G2419 matches the Greek (Ierousalēm), occurs 83 times in 80 verses
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OT

3389 Yruwshalaim rarely Yruwshalayim {yer-oo- shaw-lah'-yim};
a dual (in allusion to its two main hills (the true pointing, at least of the former reading, seems to be that of 3390)); probably from (the passive participle of) 3384 and 7999; founded peaceful; Jerushalaim or Jerushalem,
the capital city of Palestine:--Jerusalem.
"jerusalem"
occurs 821 times in 772 verses in the NKJV.

3390 Yruwshalem (Chald)
Jerusalem = "teaching of peace" the chief city of Palestine and capital of the united kingdom and the nation of Judah after the split
Strong's Number H3390 matches the Hebrew יְרוּשְׁלֵם (Yĕruwshalem (Chald)),
which occurs 26 times in 25 verses