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Since I learned that nothing is chosen by chance with God, I wondered about the origin of the symbols. In addition, the two time cycles of 7000 years and the jubilee cycles that started with the exodus kept me wondering also.
In considering how God chose the cycles and determined the times I had to consider several things:

1. God does not predestine anyone's fate.
2. God can see the future.
3. God acts at the right time and He does everything He can to convince each person what is right.
4. He made a plan of salvation before the earth was created.
5. He used the law to determine the symbols to use.
6. He used His knowledge of the future to determine the symbols to use.

Creation
So I started with the symbolism that runs throughout all of God's work - the creation. Since God knew that we would sin and since He would be separated from us, it is not unreasonable to believe that some parts of creation were designed just for the temporary time when we would be separated from God.

Day | Separated or Filled | Created | Symbols
--- | --- | --- | ---
1 | Darkness | Light | Lamp, sun, moon, stars, light
2 | Sea | Heaven | Cloud, rain, water, sea
3 | Earth | Earth, trees | Earth, tree, weeds, land, mountain, wilderness, river, spring, fruit, seed, oil, bread, wine
4 | Heavens | Sun, moon, stars | Sun, moon, stars, gospel, Israel
5 | Sea | Birds, fish | Sea monster, bird, frog, dragon, serpent
6 | Earth | Animals, man | Woman, man, lamb, beasts, horn
7 | Covenant | Sabbath | Blood, circumcision, rest

Revelation seems to agree with this when it says there will be no sun or moon in heaven. The lion will lie down with the lamb - there will be only vegetarians among the human and animal kingdom. For this reason, the design of the carnivorous tooth is useful in these times. Other body parts may be just as temporary.
Let us look at what was created each day of creation in terms of how the bad was separated from the good. God treated darkness and the sea as bad symbols.
To explain the symbols I will explore the following concepts:

- The Three Zones. The battle ground is seen in the three sections of the sanctuary complex.
- The Pursuit of the Woman. Satan acts to destroy the man and the woman
  - Landlord and Tenant. God is the owner and the people have a right to use it and lease it but it must be returned to the original owners after a period of time.
  - Sin (Adam and Eve). Sin caused them to lease the property to Satan.
  - Slavery of the Man and Woman. The man and woman sold themselves and their property into slavery. Satan was now their landlord.
  - Redemption. The plan of salvations is the way to buy back their freedom by purchase or exchange.
- The Two Time Tables. Creation (Human decisions occur in this time period) and Recreation (God acts on the covenant at this point)
- The Two Streams. The water cycle and the blood cycle are two streams of life.
- The Purification Process. How the water and blood remove sin and how they are removed.

The Three Zones
The basis of all the symbols are the three zones from which they originate (heaven, sea and earth). The plan of salvation is the process of redeeming all three zones.

1. Heaven. It is freed at the crucifixion. Satan is judged and thrown out of heaven.
2. Sea. It is freed at the Second Coming. The saints go to heaven. The beast and dragon are judged and thrown into the abyss (earth).
3. Earth. It is freed at the Third Coming. Heaven and the sea (people) comes to earth. The wicked people are judged and all receive their final punishment.

   From the time of creation two symbols were declared not good and they came to represent the wicked:

   1. Darkness. Sin and death.
   2. Sea. The raging people.

   The process of creation not only made the earth suitable for man to live, it also separated or purified the environment, leaving us with three distinct environments.

   1. Light and dark were separated.
   2. Heaven was separated from the sea.
   3. Earth was separated from the sea.

Within each of these zones, certain symbols operate. They are positive or negative symbols based on the zone that they are in.

Zone | Type | Access After Crucifixion | Symbols
--- | --- | --- | ---
Heaven | Positive | Humans | Sun, moon, stars, cloud, lightning, rain
Sea | Negative | Dragon, Humans | Dragon, people (good, evil), sea monster
Earth | Mixed | Humans, lamb beast | Wilderness, mountain, people, woman, trees, grass, seed, animals, birds, locusts, amphibious creatures (frogs), lamb, little horn

As time progresses, only certain events and people are allowed to operate in a particular zone. The devil is cast out of heaven after the crucifixion, the dragon cannot go beyond the shores of the sea to the earth - so he sends a human representative. All humans have access to all zones by virtue of God's grace.
Access to the three zones by the dragon changed after key events, he overcomes the difficulty by corrupting those who have access to all three zones (humans) and he sends his agents after the church. In Revelation 13 the dragon stood on the sand of the sea. In Revelation 12: 15 he poured out water in a flood (evil people) after the woman who flees to the wilderness (earth).

1. Sin. The dragon was allowed to rule the earth.
2. Before Crucifixion. The dragon had access to heaven.
3. After Crucifixion. The dragon was restricted to the earth and the sea. Jesus said that at that time the prince of the world was judged (John 16: 11).
   For this reason, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them. Woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, knowing that he has only a short time. (Revelation 12: 12)

On the earth the little horn and the lamb who speaks like a dragon carries out the work of the beast from the sea and they begin acting just like that old beast. Just as Adam's sin gave him access to the three zones, the betrayal of the church by the lamb and the false prophet gives him access to the remnant in the earth.

The Pursuit Of The Woman
The symbol of the woman as the church is based on the events in the garden of Eden. Adam and Eve were the formal rulers of the earth. Satan pursued the woman and caused her to sin, after they both sinned he took formal possession of the earth and subjected them to slavery. God allowed him to rule for about 1656 years and then he destroyed the world and saved a remnant.
Fast forward another 1600 years and we arrive at the time of Christ - the new Adam. He and the woman were again pursued by the dragon. Unlike Adam, He did not sin and He was taken back to heaven. But the woman remained behind in the sea and she was pursued. God gave Satan another 1700 years, then he made a way in the earth for the woman to escape (The United States).
It is very significant that the flood happened after 1656 years and the pilgrims landed in the United States 1600 years after the crucifixion.

The Two Time Tables
Two separate time tables were in operation. I will refer to one as human history and the other as salvation history.

1. Human History (Creation). This is the 7000 years of earth history. God based this time on the Sabbath cycle. This is creation history.
2. Salvation History (Recreation). God based this time on the jubilee cycle. It reflects God's actions in human history to fulfill the terms of the covenant. He carved out a specific amount of time from the 7000 years. This day started during the third day of human history. On the third day of creation, the first signs of life appeared. This is recreation history.

Normal Time

Day | Years | Sanctuary | Event | Created | Human History | Salvation History
--- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
1 | 1000 | Covenant | Sin | Light, dark | Darkness entered the world with sin. Satan pursued the woman Eve. | The covenant is made. A seed of the woman is promised
2 | 2000 | Laver | Flood | Heaven, water | A flood destroys the earth | God starts over and renews the covenant with a remnant.
3 | 3000 | Sacrifice | Israel, Exodus | Water, earth, trees, seed | Israel is called, salvation history begins with a remnant. | The seed of the woman keeps the covenant. The lamb is sacrificed.
4 | 4000 | Lamp | Church, Christ | Sun, moon, stars | Church is spread around the world. The light shines. | Man escaped to heaven, Heaven rejoices. Heaven is free.
5 | 5000 | Shewbread | Little horn | Sea monster | Dragon corrupts the woman in the sea. | The church is martyred. Their blood is spilled, body is broken.
6 | 6000 | Incense | Remnant | Man and animals | Little horn pursues the woman on the earth. The remnant are faithful. Man triumphs over the beast and the sea monster. A new body is created for man. | The formal judgment condemns the little horn. Their prayer is answered.
7 | 7000 | Ark | Rest | Sabbath | Dragon confined to the abyss on earth to rest from evil | Woman escapes to heaven to rest

The table above really shows the origins of the symbols. Each millennium represents the work accomplished on that day of creation. The pattern shows a major event accomplished in each 1000 years of history that is similar to that day of creation.

The Jubilee

Day | Normal Time | Jubilee Time | Battle Ground | Event | Created | Comment
--- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
1 | 1000 |  | Heaven, sea, earth | Sin | Light, dark | Man and woman is pursued and defeated. A covenant is made. Darkness wins.
2 | 2000 |  | Heaven, sea, earth | Flood | Heaven, water | Satan stopped after 1656 years - 8 righteous are saved. The light is separated from the darkness.
3 | 3000 | 1, 2 (1) | Heaven, sea, earth | Israel, exodus | Water, earth, trees, seed | The promised Seed of the woman triumphs and keeps the covenant.
4 | 4000 | 3,4 (2, 3) | Sea, earth | Church, Christ | Sun, moon, stars | The Man escaped to heaven, Heaven rejoices.
5 | 5000 | 5,6 (4, 5) | Sea, earth | Little horn | Sea monster | Dragon defeats the woman in the sea for 1700 years. Woman is pursued and finds help in the wilderness.
6 | 6000 | 7, 8 (6, 7) | Earth | Remnant | Man and animals | Little horn pursues the woman on the earth
7 | 7000 | 9, 10 (8) | Earth | Heaven | Sabbath | Woman escapes to heaven

The Two Streams Of Life
When Jesus died, two streams flowed from His side - blood and water for cleansing.
but one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out. (John 19: 34)
This was represented by the water and the wine at the feast of tabernacles. These streams represents cleansing from sin - which eventually leads to life.
In that day a fountain will be opened for the house of David and for the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for sin and for impurity. (Zechariah 13: 1)

1. The Blood Cycle. It represents justification from sin - what Christ did to set us right with God.
2. The Water Cycle. It represents sanctification from impurity - what the Holy Spirit is doing to make us holy by making us perfect.
3. Fire Cycle. Whatever can pass through fire must also be cleansed by fire. Fire is a third stream that represents total perfection. This is why we go through "fiery trials". This stream changes us at the Second Coming. This stream also permanently removes evil from all the zones of creation.

The Stream Of Water
The symbolism of cleansing is seen in the baptism, the laver and the former and latter rain. On a grand scale we see this cleansing by water in the flood and the baptism of Israel in the Red Sea.
Revelation links water to life when it talks about the river of life flowing from the throne of God.

- The Clouds. The image of God in the cloud during the exodus and at the second coming, now makes more sense. He is the source of this life giving stream that rains on the earth in a purified form.
- Sea. As the water cleans away the dirt and sin, it becomes impure. In the water cycle, the sea becomes the place where all the dirty water is deposited. It never gives up the dirt but it does give up the water. Therefore, the sea and any standing body of water becomes a symbol of evil because it can never get clean, it just gets dirtier.
- Fresh Water. In contrast, flowing or fresh water from a spring or a stream is a good symbol. In the sanctuary, any water in the laver at the end of day must be emptied because it becomes impure. In the morning, before the services begin, the laver must be filled from a stream of flowing water.
  » The Fresh Water Cycle
  - Rain Descends. The Holy Spirit descends to the earth.
  - Run Off. Water from the land flows to the sea as baptism washes away sin.
  - Infiltration. The earth is watered and the seeds grow. People are changed by the gentle rain from the Spirit.
  - Water Usage. Water causes the harvest to grow and new people turn to God.
  - Transpiration. Water flows from the righteous.
  - Evaporation. The fresh water returns to heaven as the righteous ascend with the clouds at the Second Coming.
  » The Feasts of Israel. The three major feasts of Israel are part of the water cycle. The rain causes these three harvests to grow.
  - Spring Harvest (Former Rain). It grows the righteous.
    » Barley (Passover). Jesus crucified and resurrected (first fruits from the dead earth).
    » Wheat (Pentecost). Holy Spirit sent
  - Fall Harvest (Latter Rain). It separates the righteous from the wicked.
    » Fruit Harvest (Tabernacles). Olive oil, grapes and pomegranates.

The Stream Of Blood
The symbolism of life is seen in the blood. The blood of the innocent is the only sacrifice that can restore life. Giving life as a sacrifice is good, taking or drinking blood is bad with the exception of the blood of Christ. This is the only blood that gives life.

- The Sacrifice. Christ comes to the earth and is sacrificed for the sin of all. We have access to the stream of blood through prayer that ascends to God like a cloud.
  » The Sanctuary. The blood cycle is represented in the sanctuary and blood is sprinkled on the objects in the sanctuary.
  - Altar of Sacrifice. The lamb is sacrificed.
  - Shewbread (Bread and Wine). Christ was broken and his blood spilled as a sacrifice.
  - Altar of Incense. Our prayers are backed up by the sacrifice.
  - Lamp. Christ was the light that came to the world.
  - Veil. The body of Christ was torn for sin.
  - Mercy Seat. Our sins are covered.
- The Earth. It is the place where the blood is absorbed and becomes unclean and symbolizes the place where death exists. So the earth must be burned up by fire to be cleansed.
  » The Cycle
  - The sacrifice descends - Christ the sacrifice descends to the earth as a human.
  - Prayers rise to God - Man can communicate with God.
  - The righteous accept the sacrifice by faith and grow in grace.
  - Blood flows into the earth - the lake of fire cleanses the earth.

The Stream Of Fire: The Purification Process
Water can temporarily purify. The impure water runs to the sea. Blood can purify us from sin. The spilled blood is absorbed by the earth. In the temple sacrifices, the blood is stored on the altar and once each year at the cleansing of the sanctuary, the stored blood is removed and placed on the horns of the scapegoat. This goat dies in the wilderness and is absorbed by the earth.
Therefore both the earth and the sea absorbs the unclean. Both must be cleansed. The only thing that ultimately cleanses both is fire.
The saints are cleansed by fire with the ministry of the Holy Spirit. The earth and the wicked are cleansed by fire at the final judgment.

Promised Land | Fed in the Wilderness | Slavery
--- | --- | ---
Clean | Cleansing | Unclean
Most Holy Place | Holy Place | Laver | Outer Court (Altar of Sacrifice)
? | The Covenant | Table of Shewbread
- | Shekinah Glory (Ark) |
| Altar of Incense |
- | Menorah | Water | Blood
Tabernacles | Shavu'ot | Passover
Heaven | Earth | Sea
Light | Dawn | Darkness

The Sanctuary And The Covenant
He used the order of creation as the pattern for the symbols that he would use in our recreation. God introduced the concept of the sanctuary and feasts and all the furniture to represent the recreation. He used the jubilee time to fit these actions into human time.
The Plan of Salvation combines all these symbols into several major systems that demonstrate how salvation will be accomplished. Next, He called Israel to demonstrate His plan to the Universe. All prophecies take their symbols from these two institutions and the history of these people.

- The Sanctuary. It illustrates the phases of the Plan of Salvation as we move with the King from the outer court in the east to the Most Holy Place in the west.
  1. Light (Jesus Christ). Sin brought darkness because God, the primary source of light, must conceal Himself. So Jesus came as the light in the darkness to reveal the God in the Most Holy Place. He initiated the process by giving His blood and submitting to death.
  2. Sky and Sea (Holy Spirit). He came from heaven to live with us and wash away our sins by writing the laws of the covenant in our hearts.
  3. Earth and Trees (The Righteous). The table of shewbread gives food and the menorah is designed like an almond tree. The righteous are described as trees which must bear fruit. So as the Holy Spirit waters us between the time of the first and Second Comings we must grow and mature and bear fruit.
  4. Sun and Moon and Stars (The Messengers of God). The menorah gives light. This interaction between the righteous trees and God creates a mighty system that gives light to the world. As God is physically concealed, several secondary sources of light are given to the world.
     - Sun. It represents what God is to the world. He gives life and light from afar, but we are vulnerable to His presence in our current state. So God packaged Himself in Jesus Christ. The sun was concealed in the cloak of a human body.
     - Moon. The church reflects the light of God as the moon reflects the sunlight.
     - Stars. Prophets point the way in the darkness.
     - Bible. The words of God are like a lamp guiding us in the dark.
     The next days of creation describe how one group is separated from the other.
  5. Fish and Birds. The church goes fishing in the turbulent sea for men who will eventually go to heaven.
  6. Animals and Man. Man is recreated while the wild beasts are destroyed.
  7. Sabbath (Heaven). We have rest in Heaven where we can approach the shekinah glory of God sitting on His throne.
- The Feasts. This is the schedule by which the Plan will be executed.
  - Outer Court (Passover). Jesus Christ dies for our sins and covers us.
  - Holy Place (Shavu'ot). The Holy Spirit comes to live with us.
  - Most Holy Place (Tabernacles). The righteous go to live with God temporarily.
- The Covenant. It is the legal agreement between heaven and earth that defines the boundaries of the Plan. Although these laws were formally written in detail on Mount Sinai, they were introduced to Adam and Eve in Eden.
  - Curses. These are the rewards of the wicked. The original curse in Genesis 3: 13-19 was on three groups.
    - Serpent (Enmity). This curse promised that the children of Eve would hate the the offspring of Satan. Those who are like Satan will not be reconciled to God while the children of Eve would. Eventually this curse points to the work of the sanctuary. Through the ministration symbolized in the sanctuary, God will reconcile the world to Himself. Reconciliation with God naturally means enmity with Satan.
      Enmity With The World. You adultereresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility towards God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. (James 4: 4)
    - Eve (Children). This curse affected the children and the woman, there would be loss of children and submission.
    - Adam (Land). This curse affected the land. There would be hard labor on an uncooperative land.
    So the sanctuary, the nation of God and the land of God are subjects of the prophecy because they are the battle field where the blessings and curses are displayed.
  - Blessings. These are the original estate of the righteous and the rewards which the Plan of Salvation is designed to restore.
    The Plan of Salvation will be completed in the order in which the curses were handed down. First, the righteous will hate the things of this world when they have complete enmity with the values of Satan. Then the righteous nation will be gathered during tribulation and born again into the house of God. Then they will inherit the Promised Land that is not cursed.
    So the covenant will be kept and the sanctuary will be rebuilt forever and the original blessings will be restored..
- The Exodus of Israel. It is the journey from slavery to the Promised land. God feeds us with bread and water and guides us with a pillar of cloud and fire.
  - Outer Court. The times of slavery when Satan was our representative.
  - Holy Place. The world under the representation of Jesus Christ.
    » Table of Shewbread. Bread and water.
    » Menorah. Pillar of fire.
    » Altar of Incense (Prayer). Pillar of clouds.
  - Most Holy Place. The Promised Land.
  He taught Israel the concept of clean and unclean things to show that something good can be corrupted and that there must be a process of cleansing.

Creating Prophecy

Paradise | Paradise Lost | Adrift in the Dark on the Sea | Earth (Dry Land) | Paradise Restored
--- | --- | --- | --- | ---
Garden |  |  |  |  | Sea |  | Sea |  | War | Revenge |  |  |  |  |  | Garden
Tabernacles | Trumpets | Passover and Yom Kippur | Shavu'ot | Tabernacles
Most Holy Place | Outer Court | Holy Place | Most Holy Place
Naked | Unclean | Blood | Water | Fire | Covered
Blessings | Curses | Enmity and Separation | Children Born | Land Restored

Meaning | Sanctuary | Evil Version
--- | --- | ---
Truth | Lamp, light | Darkness
Clean | Running water, springs | Sea (dirty water)
Pure, Uncorrupted | Grape drink | Wine, leaven, dregs
Life (Body) | Bread | Raw Meat
Life | Giving blood | Drinking blood
Prayer | Incense | Sorcery, divination
Sacrifice | Clean animals | Dogs
Jesus | Lamb | Dragon
Teachers | Priest | Sorcerers
Word of God | Commandments | Disobedience
Church | Woman | Whore
People | Fruit Tree | Weeds
For every truth there is an evil copy. This is created by using an unclean version, mixing the pure with the unclean or changing its color.

God looked at human history and made code names of the activity and described prophetic events in terms of these code words. Some symbols derive their meanings from the object, others derive or modify their meaning from the colors or actions on the object or interaction between symbols.
We begin prophecy with the dragon in heaven who is thrown to earth. There he pursues the woman to corrupt and try to kill her. She is set adrift in the darkness and on a turbulent sea. The woman gives birth to a child who is killed by the dragon. Through His death He brings light and makes a path through the sea so that the woman is on dry land. After the Man child is resurrected, the dragon is restricted to the sea. He then sends his representatives, the little horn and the false prophet to the earth to continue his work.
The woman is now a bride who tries to get ready for the wedding, but the evil forces try to corrupt or kill her. Then the man returns in power to take back the earth for His bride. The dragon and his forces are defeated and the earth is cleansed and made ready for the man and his bride.
It is in the context of this general story, that the details of all other prophecy takes place. Every other prophecy involves the following events:

- Paradise. God creates paradise for the man and woman after removing the darkness and the sea.
- Paradise Lost. The dragon corrupts the woman, drowning the world in darkness.
- Adrift. The woman is set adrift on a wild sea in the darkness.
- Ark of the Covenant. A Promised Son is sent to make a dry path through the sea.
- Dry Land. The battle between the forces of good and evil moves to the land where the forces of evil assist the devil. God sends light through the Holy Spirit who assists the righteous.
  - War. The dragon and his agents try to destroy the woman and her children.
  - Rescue. God rescues His children and takes them to heaven.
  - Destruction. God destroys the evil.
- Paradise Restored. God returns to the earth and recreates it for the man and woman.

The great rescues of Noah and the exodus follow this pattern.

God protected the message by hiding it in symbols and in rituals that Israel practiced for centuries. I can imagine that even Satan did not realize how important every single detail was. God choose the foolish things of this world to shame the wise. (1 Corinthians 1: 27)

Satan
It is my belief that Satan did not understand the meaning of these symbols. If he did, he would have made a greater effort to stamp out the Bible and the prophecies. Instead you will find him corrupting those symbols that he already knows. The Pagan religions corrupt these basic symbols.
His goal is to gain the worship that God has. As a result, he used and corrupted symbols already familiar to him from heaven.
Therefore, you will find the Israelites worshipping under green trees. This is taken straight from the throne of God which is surrounded by an emerald rainbow over a sapphire blue floor with a tree on each side. You will also find Satan setting up worship on a mountain just as God sits on a holy mountain named Zion.

Jesus said to him, I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me. (John 14: 6) | Time: 50 minutes Print: 7 pages
Copyright Updated : June 25, 2002. 2010 Author: Laverna Patterson. Editor: Credits: The information was compiled from my thoughts.