The Reformed Olive Press

                                                                 "Before the Foundation of this World"- A Look at Katabole Kosmou There are two words for foundation in the Bible: Katabole and Themelios. I will be focusing on Katabole. The phrase "Before the foundation of this world" in Greek is Katabole Kosmou. It has nothing to do with Predestination. PS I'm a Calvinist too. Katabole has been translated to throw down or lay something down with force. This Greek word is commonly paired with Kosmos - the inhabitants of an organized society. By combining both words Katabole Kosmou, we can conclude with confidence that it can mean "a morally deteriorating society." The closest words I can find in scripture is "Rebellious House" in Ezekiel 12:2. Similar concepts can be found in Isaiah 19:10, Ezekiel 30:4, Galatians 2:9, Psalm 11:3, 82:5. Below, I have rendered each passage with Katabole Kosmou on how it should be properly translated. Matthew 13:

                                                      The 144,000 and Revelation 20   What does the 144,000 and the Beloved City in Revelation 20 and 21 have in common? The last appearance of the 144,000 is their going up to Mt. Zion (Mountains in Pella as a symbol of refuge). See Revelation 14.  They are in the "air" - the top of the mountain-meeting place between Heaven and Earth. See Exodus 19, 24, 1 Thessalonians 4.  While the Dead from Hades went straight to Heaven. See Revelation 15. The imagery of living and dead at Mt Zion is to emphasize that both groups have the same Moses-like access to God in the New Covenant. I propose that in Revelation 21 that the New Jerusalem/NH&NE is actually the 144,000. They are coming down from Mt Zion back to the ruins of Jerusalem. Now, they have received a greater glory than Moses. They have been transfigured. See Exodus 34:29, 2 Corinthians 3:7-8, 18, Matthew 5:14, 17:1-2, Ezekiel 43:12. Once they return to the ruins of Jerusalem

              Bar Kochba Revolt Chart-Ezekiel 37-48 and Revelation 20 Parallel If we consider a Bar Kochba Revolt fulfilment for the latter parts of Revelation 20, we can see how it parallels/inverts the imagery of the Book of Esther.  Below, are some of the issues why a 30AD-70 AD and 26-66AD just doesn't work with the Greek word Phylake. Virgil, Plato, and the Orphics viewed the 1,000 years as a transition of the eternal state. Therefore, it makes sense that we don't see the 1,000 years applied to the living realm. Lastly, Revelation calls Jerusalem the "Great City", not the "Beloved City" until the end of the letter. This wouldn't make sense if we took a look at the gospels. They surely didn't live up to their name, beloved. 

  The Usage of the Heavens and the Earth-Literal or Figurative? Within the Preterist camp, there has been a lot of confusion on the usage of the Heavens and Earth. Some overgeneralize the phrase and apply covenantally across the board. This is problematic to the point that even in Genesis 1 is viewed as the formation of covenant and not the formation of the Earth. In this blog, I will demonstrate that the usage of the Heavens and Earth is multi-faceted and varies upon on its context. The Heavens and Earth-Literal or Figurative? There are both elements of literal and figurative language employed into Genesis 1, Isaiah 65, and Revelation 21. Genesis 1:1 English Standard Version 1 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. NOTE 1: This is the formation of the Earth for human flourishing (after the destruction of the dinosaurs), not the universe or the creation of the Earth. Furthermore, it is not the Adamic Covenant as some may believe. The Adamic Covenant is estab