The Book of Revelation
Accurate and detailed articles on the Book of Revelation. Probably the most symbolic book in the Bible, we will cover this topic in depth. You won't want to miss this.
Revelation Chapter 1
Prologue
The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John,
who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw.
Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it,
for the time is near. (Rev 1:1-3)
It was 95 AD, over 60 years since Jesus had walked among His people. Jerusalem was gone, the Temple burned, leaving the Jews defeated. Paul was dead, beheaded in Rome
nearly 30 years earlier. Peter had been crucified there about the same time. Of all the disciples only John was still alive. He had written his gospel 25 years earlier,
his 3 letters 15 years after that, and had served for a time as the Bishop of the church in Ephesus, having moved there with Mary, the Lord's mother, in about 70 AD.
It's not that the Romans and Jews had left John alone. Tradition has it that several times they'd tried to kill him, even throwing him live into a cauldron of boiling oil,
but the Lord had prevented it, fulfilling His promise of John 21:22. (Responding to Peter's question about what would become of John, Jesus had said, "If I want him to
remain alive until I return, what is that to you?") Finally the Romans had exiled him to Patmos, a prison colony off the coast of modern Turkey, thinking they had heard
the last of him.
But the Lord had other plans, and appeared personally to John, commanding him to write one final letter and send it to seven churches in Asia Minor. As an old man at the
end of his life, John was about to undertake one of his greatest challenges. After writing the Revelation, he died of natural causes in about 100 AD.
By the way, your Preterist friends have had to give the book an early date to get around verse one because they contend that it was all fulfilled by 70 AD, but they
needn't have bothered. In the first place the later date is pretty well established, but the word translated soon or shortly actually means quickly or rapidly and denotes
the speed with which events will unfold once they begin, not their chronological nearness to John's day.
Greeting to the Seven Churches
John, to the seven churches that are in Asia:
Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, and from Jesus Christ the
faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth.
To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood and made us a kingdom (or kings), priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever.
Amen. Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen.
"I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty." (Rev.1: 4-8)
Of the 404 verses in the Book of Revelation, 278 are taken from the Old Testament. In fact, Esther is the only Old Testament book not directly quoted. So it's not surprising
to find these Old Testament constructions like him who is and who was and who is to come and the seven spirits who are before his throne.
The first is an approximate translation of God's name and the second is a name for the Holy Spirit, literally the seven-fold Spirit of God.
We'll see plenty of these through out the book, and in chapter 19 we'll see the un-translated Hebrew word Hallelujah (it means praise the Lord) used four times.
It's the only place it appears in the New Testament. In fact the Revelation has so many Old Testament nuances that some believe that John was actually translating from
Hebrew into Greek as he wrote.
The phrase Alpha and Omega comes from the first and last letters of he Greek alphabet and refers to God the Father and recalls His claim to Israel. "You are my witnesses,"
declares the LORD, "and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no god was formed, nor will there be one
after me. I, even I, am the LORD, and apart from me there is no savior. (Isaiah 43:10-11) Jesus will later use the phrase of Himself.
Vision of the Son of Man
I, John, your brother and partner in the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance that are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos on account of the word of
God and the testimony of Jesus. I was in the Spirit on the Lord's Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet saying, "Write what you see in a book and send it to
the seven churches, to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea." (Rev. 1:9-11)
By this command it's clear that John is actually going to witness some events that the Lord wants him to document and then distribute to the seven churches he has named.
Some contend that John saw all this in a vision on one Sabbath Day, while others say he was actually transported through time to the Day of the Lord. I lean toward the latter.
Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son
of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest. The hairs of his head were white like wool, as white as snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire,
his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth came a sharp
two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength. (Rev. 1:12-16)
Though the man speaking to John was clothed in light and had a distinct otherworldly appearance, John recognized Him. He had seen Him looking like this once before, on the
Mount Of Transfiguration. There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. (Matt. 17:2) It was the Lord!
When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, "Fear not, I am the first and the last, and the living one. I died, and behold I
am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades. Write therefore the things that you have seen, those that are and those that are to take place after this.
As for the mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand, and the seven golden lampstands, the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven
lampstands are the seven churches. (Rev. 1:17-20)
In this way, the Lord divides the Book John will write into three sections. The things John has seen, contained in chapter 1, those that are, which will fill chapters 2 and 3,
and those that will take place after this, chapters 4-22.
The fact that the Lord is seen standing in the midst of the seven lampstands indicates His direct involvement with the church, and that He holds the seven stars in His right
hand speaks of the intimate relationship He has with its leaders. Whether you see them as the pastors or as angelic overseers, He's got them in the palm of His hand.
The number 7 figures prominently in the Book of Revelation. In fact, before we're finished we'll see it used 52 times. And isn't it interesting that 5 plus 2 equals guess what?
Seven!
The Lord's use of first and last here denote the two most important steps in the manufacturing process. The Greek word translated first is protos, from which we get prototype.
It's the original to which all subsequent copies will be compared for accuracy. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he
might be the firstborn among many brothers. (Romans 8:29)
And the word for last is eschatos, the superlative, the perfect example, the highest and best that can be achieved. Though we're destined to look like Him and act like Him,
we can never be Him.
And so ends chapter one, but we're just getting started.
Jump to Menu
Revelation Chapter 2
Seven Letters To Seven Churches.
According to Revelation 1:11, the book was written to seven congregations in Asia, modern Turkey. For 2,000 years scholars have wondered why such an important message would
be sent to these churches since they weren't even the most important of their day, let alone now. True, Ephesus was a leading city of the time, but the church there was small
and so were the others. Why wasn't the book written to the Church in Rome, for example? Surely the Lord knew that Rome would be the capital of Christianity for much of church
history, the perfect addressee for such a timeless message. Or how about Jerusalem, where the Church was born?
The answer lies in the realization that the letters of chapters 2 and 3 have a representative as well as a specific purpose. They can actually be read with four levels of
application.
Four Levels of Application
The first level is historical. These seven churches really existed and each was experiencing the particular problem to which the Lord referred as He dictated the letters to
John. Second, since all the churches were to read all the letters, they were also admonitory to all. Third, since both the challenge and promise with which each letter ends
are personal rather than corporate, the letters were for individuals as well as congregations. And fourth, read in the order in which they appear they outline church history
and so are prophetic. They chronicle the gap between the 69th and 70th weeks of Daniel's 70 weeks prophecy. (Daniel 9:24-27)
The Lord begins each letter with a different one of the 24 titles that are used to describe Him in the book, and the title He selects gives a clue to the letter's theme.
The name of each Church also contains a clue. Each letter can be divided into seven parts, the Lord's title being the first one. Then come a commendation, a criticism, an
admonition, a call, a challenge, and a promise. Two of the seven letters, Sardis and Laodicea, contain no commendation, and in two, Smyrna and Philadelphia, no criticism is
given. Pergamum has no admonition, but has two criticisms. In the last 4 letters the challenge and the promise are reversed.
I'll dissect each letter into its component parts as we go. And since I visited the sites of each of the seven churches a few years ago, I'll include a personal note or two
as well. By the way, each letter also bears an interesting resemblance to one of the 7 Kingdom Parables in Matthew 13, and to one of the 7 letters Paul wrote to churches.
(Paul actually wrote 13 letters, not counting Hebrews, but four were to individuals and two were second letters to churches he had written previously.) With that, let's get
started.
To the Church in Ephesus
(Rev 2:1-7) "To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: Ephesus means darling, or beloved, maiden of choice. Ephesus represents the 1st century church. (Title)
These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands. In using this title the Lord identifies Himself as the One
who came to visit John, the One with authority over the Church, and the One to whom the Church owes affection as well as allegiance.
(Commendation)I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are
not, and have found them false. You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary. The Church in Ephesus had worked tirelessly to remain
true to His Gospel.
(Criticism) Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. Already the church had become so busy in its service to the King that it had forgotten about the
King! The relationship He sought was turning into another religion.
(Admonition) Remember the height from which you have fallen! How many times have we heard friends comment about the "good old days" when they were new believers?
(Call) Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. But you have this in your favor: You hate
the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. Here's the remedy. Go back to doing what you did at first. Remember when you couldn't get enough of the Bible? When you
showed up at church half an hour early, just because you loved being there, and didn't want to leave when the service was over? How you kept up a running conversation with
the Lord that began when you woke up in the morning and didn't end till you fell asleep at night?
The Nicolaitans were a heretical sect that advocated a blending of pagan customs, like eating food sacrificed to idols and sexual immorality, into Christian worship.
There's only One worthy to receive our worship, and worshipping Him is the Church's primary purpose.
The lamp stand is identified in Rev 1:20 as the church, so removing it means removing the church of Ephesus. Though the ruins of Ephesus are extensive and impressive,
requiring most of a day to see, when we were there a few years ago we found only the faintest traces of a 1st century church in Ephesus.
(Challenge) He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. Reach up along each side of your head. Do you have ears there? Then this letter
was written to you. Though the letter to Ephesus describes the Apostolic era, the church struggles with the same problems today. The church as a whole is too distracted
with programs and plans, your congregation is too busy implementing them, and you're too busy helping. We're human beings, not human doings, and once we're saved being
with the Lord in fellowship is our life's purpose.
(Promise)To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God."
Because of the emphasis on good works and programs in the church today, many who call themselves Christians, and rightly consider themselves to be hard working members of their congregations, have never taken the time to
meet the King they claim to serve and receive the pardon He purchased for them with His life. How shocked they'll be to hear Him say, "I never knew you.
Away from me you evil doers." (Matt. 7:23)
The first of the Kingdom Parables, the Sower and the Seed, applies here. It teaches that while the seed was sown in all the world, it only found fertile ground in a
small part. And of course Paul's letter to the Ephesians is the clearest description of how we are already perceived by God, having been saved by grace, not by works lest
anyone boast.
To the Church in Smyrna
(Rev 2:8-11) "To the angel of the church in Smyrna write: Smyrna means crushed. It comes from the same root as Myrrh, an embalming spice the released
its aroma when crushed.
Smyrna represents the 2nd and 3rd Century church that suffered intense persecution.
(Title) These are the words of him who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life again. The emphasis in the title is obvious, overcoming death.
(Commendation) I know your afflictions and your poverty yet you are rich! I know the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.
The first to persecute the church were Jews. Polycarp, the most famous of the early martyrs was the Bishop of Smyrna and was burned at the stake there at age 86.
(Admonition) Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days.
The ten days refers to the reigns of 10 Roman Caesars, covering a period of 250 years.
(Call) Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life. There's no promise of deliverance, only of reward in Heaven. The stories of
believers' grace in the face of death while ingenious and diabolical methods were employed to exterminate them as a form of public entertainment have achieved
legendary status.
(Challenge) He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
Many of us in the west have never faced serious threats on account of our faith, but world wide the number of Christian martyrs has averaged over 1 million per year for
the last 10 years. Their number will only grow as the End draws nearer.
(Promise) He who overcomes will not be hurt at all by the second death.
The old adage goes: Born once, die twice. Born twice die once. It's the second death that you have to watch out for. It's the permanent one.
Today a prosperous city called Izmir, third largest in Turkey, stands where ancient Smyrna once was. An incident that clearly displayed the Lord's sense of humor
while emphasizing the point of the letter.
There's no trace of Smyrna today. The church of Smyrna is in heaven.
The parable of the Tares and the Wheat carries similar insights to this letter, as does Paul's letter to the Philippians, the theme of which is joy through suffering.
To the Church in Pergamum
(Rev. 2:12-17) "To the angel of the church in Pergamum write: Pergamum means mixed marriage and represents the merger of pagan and Christian practices in the 4th
century when Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire.
(Title) These are the words of him who has the sharp, double-edged sword. In Hebrews 4:12 the double-edged sword is used to describe God's Word, the source of Truth.
(Commendation) I know where you live - where Satan has his throne. Yet you remain true to my name. You did not renounce your faith in me, even in the days of Antipas,
my faithful witness, who was put to death in your city where Satan lives.
With the establishment of Baghdad as the major distribution center between the Persian Gulf and
the Mediterranean Sea following Alexander's death, Babylon had gone into decline so the original mother/child cult religion moved its headquarters from there to Pergamum.
(It eventually settled in Rome.) The reference to Satan's home there shows the true source of this false religion.
(Criticism 1) Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: You have people there who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin by
eating food sacrificed to idols and by committing sexual immorality.
(Criticism 2) Likewise you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans. These pagan
practices crept into the church at Pergamum, just as they had in Ephesus.
(Call) Repent therefore! Otherwise, I will soon come to you and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.
The truth of the Gospel has always been the best defense
against the cults.
(Challenge) He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
There's still plenty of idolatry in the church. Maybe you parked yours in the parking lot, or shaved its face this morning, or keep it in a bank downtown.
(Promise) To him who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give him a white stone with a new name written on it, known
only to him who receives it.
Just as the black ball was a vote against someone, a white stone was a sign of trust. When an important businessman had to complete a transaction in a distant city, he
didn't travel there. It was too dangerous. Instead he sent a trusted servant empowered to act on his behalf.
The servant carried a coin like form of identification made of baked white clay. The seal of the businessman being represented was pressed into the clay as was a secret name,
known only to the other party in the transaction. By the presentation of the white stone, the servant authenticated himself as being entitled to all the rights and privileges of his master.
In this way, our Lord Jesus will identify us as being entitled to all the rights and privileges due Him, when we enter into the Presence of our Father in Heaven.
Our Lord instructed the Disciples to go into all the world (Matt 28:19-20), but in Pergamus the world came into the church. In the 4th century the Edict of Milan made
Christianity legal and ultimately the official religion of the Empire. When that happened, pagan festivals became Christian holidays. The Feasts of Saturnalia and Ishtar
became Christmas and Easter. This explains why such pagan symbols as the Yule log and evergreen tree, which symbolized the sun dying and being born again at the winter
solstice, are associated with Christmas, while fertility symbols like rabbits and eggs are connected with Easter. Ishtar was the Babylonian goddess of fertility.
The impressive ruins on a hill 1000 feet above the surrounding valleys near modern Bergama are markedly pagan with remains of great temples to Roman gods and emperors but
only faint traces of the church that was there.
The parable of the Mustard Seed tells of a small seed that grows into something it was never intended to be and is a prophecy of what can happen when the world and the church
are mingled. And Paul's letter to the Corinthians, the worldly church, is an obvious parallel.
Children Of A Mixed Marriage It's my belief that the churches in Ephesus, Smyrna, and Pergamus have all disappeared, symbolically and in reality. But the marriage of pagan
and Christian beliefs in Pergamus produced 4 offspring that all survive to this day and are represented by the four remaining letters.
As the Roman Empire grew in prominence, Rome soon became the world's center for the practices and traditions of the Babylonian pagan religion. Pergamum slowly faded from the
scene, but the mixed marriage of Christianity and Paganism begun there has produced four offspring, Roman Catholics (Thyatira), Main Line Protestants (Sardis), Evangelicals
including Pentecostals and Charismatics (Philadelphia) and the Apostate Church (Laodicea). All are alive on Earth today.
To the Church in Thyatira
"To the angel of the church in Thyatira write:
Thyatira means continual sacrifice. (In the Catholic Church, the Lord is still on the cross, and they believe that the
communion wafer becomes His actual body and blood as it's consumed.) It's the first letter with a future in view, which led me to the conclusion that the earlier three
churches are gone. It's also the first whose members are divided into two categories, the saved and the unsaved.
(Title) These are the words of the Son of God, whose eyes are like blazing fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze.
It couldn't be clearer. While born of the Virgin, the One speaking to them with fire in His eyes is to be addressed as the Son of God, not of Mary.
(Commendation) I know your deeds, your love and faith, your service and perseverance, and that you are now doing more than you did at first.
The Catholic Church is known for its efforts in bringing mercy and compassion, as well as the Gospel, to God's children.
(Criticism) Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual
immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols. I have given her time to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling.
The title "Queen of Heaven" by which many Catholics refer to Mary, was first used of Semeramis, wife of Nimrod the founder of Babylon, and mother of Tammuz. Semeramis declared herself a goddess, claimed that Tammuz was born of a supernatural conception involving the Sun god, and began the first counterfeit religion, a mother-child cult.
According to legend, while out hunting one day Tammuz was killed by a wild animal. Semeramis mourned for 40 days at the end of which Tammuz was raised from the dead. A celibate priesthood was formed and the chief priest was declared infallible. The 40 day mourning (now called Lent), the Yule log, evergreen tree, mistletoe and hot cross buns were all used in rituals commemorating the event, and the mother-child cult was begun.
Later the Romans adapted these to the death and re-birth of the Sun at the winter solstice, but in the 4th century the traditions surrounding Semeramis and Tammuz were attributed to Mary and Jesus and came almost unchanged into Catholicism, where they remain to this day.
Semeramis is symbolically called Jezebel in the letter, leading people away from the truth into idolatry. But the real Jezebel is also in view here. She was a daughter of the King of Phonecia, a pagan princess best known for her advice to her Israelite husband King Ahab on how to obtain a vineyard he wanted. She brought trumped up charges against the vineyard's owner, hired witnesses to bear false testimony, and had him convicted and executed. Then she confiscated the vineyard in the name of the King. Centuries later the Catholic Church would obtain much of its wealth in the same way. Fortunes beyond measure were gained during these inquisitions.
Jezebel was also the patron of the 400 priests of Baal who Elijah slew on Mt. Carmel. The Lord views idolatry as infidelity and Jezebel had encouraged the worship of Baal, leading the people into spiritual adultery. The many saints to whom some Catholics pray, and the sacramental works they must perform to attain and keep their salvation are not scriptural and deny the sufficiency of the cross. For these reasons the Catholic Church is often called the "plus religion." Jesus plus Mary. Grace plus works. The Scripture plus tradition. Giving glory for the works of God to anyone else is spiritual adultery, and subjects the giver to severe punishment.
(Admonition) So I will cast her on a bed of suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of her ways. I will
strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds.
Those who insist upon being judged by their works will be granted their wish. Sadly the emphasis on these religious works has clouded the true message of the gospel to the extent that some life-long Catholics never come to know the Lord on a personal basis. The Lord will judge them according to the motives of their hearts. Are their good works performed out of gratitude for the free gift of salvation He offers, or they done in a futile effort to earn it on their own?
(Call) Now I say to the rest of you in Thyatira, to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan's so-called deep secrets (I will not impose any
other burden on you): Only hold on to what you have until I come.
Others will have seen through the layers of traditions and works and saints and rituals and found the face of the Lord looking back at them. Those who do and cling
tenaciously to Him will have their reward.
(Promise) To him who overcomes and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations
'He will rule them with an iron scepter; he will dash them to pieces like pottery - just as I have received authority from my Father.
I will also give him the morning star. They'll join Him on His throne as co-regent of the universe, the Bride of Christ, His beloved church.
We're not in the church because of the pew we occupy, or the name over the door, or the good works we do. We're in the church because we've believed by faith that Christ
died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures. (1 Cor 15:3-4)
(Challenge) He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
Even after we're saved by Grace, we all have our lists of do's and don'ts.
We derive our self- image as a believer from our adherence to this list, judging others by how well they keep our commandments. When we fail, we fall back
on God's grace, but we don't really feel good about ourselves until we're obeying our list again and we always insist upon justice for everyone else who fails.
We forget that grace plus works equals works. The two are like oil and water, they don't mix. To the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked,
his faith is credited as righteousness. (Romans 4:5)
The only negative experience we had in our entire visit to the sites of the seven churches in Turkey took place in Thyatira, called Akhisar today. After a friendly and
helpful guard opened the site where the church once stood for us and gave us material that explained what we were looking at, we left to find some lunch thinking how pleasant our time there had been. Down the street, we spotted an open-air shop where a vendor was selling the barbecued chicken sandwiches that are so popular in Turkey, and that we had come to enjoy as well.
Waiting for our sandwiches, we were approached by a man who appeared to hold some position of authority. His manner was most unfriendly, and his questions conveyed an air of suspicion. We left there quickly wondering if he was a policeman, a government agent, or an official from a religion unfriendly to Christians. Driving away we also discovered our food was not edible. The chicken was bad, as if the innards hadn't been removed before cooking. Re-reading the letter to Thyatira we were struck by the contrasts between good and evil, in the letter and in our visit.
The Kingdom Parable that resembles the Letter to Thyatira is the Parable of the Leaven where a woman wrongly mixed leaven into three measures of meal. Leaven, or yeast, always symbolizes sin and traditionally three measures of meal is the fellowship offering. (Sin in the fellowship. Get it?) Paul's letter to the Galatians fits too and can be summed up in the first three verses of chapter 3. You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard? Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort?
Jump to Menu
Revelation Chapter 3
To the Church in Sardis
"To the angel of the church in Sardis write:
Sardis means remnant. As He did in the Letter to Thyatira, the Lord distinguishes between the lost and the saved
(the remnant) in Sardis. The church in Sardis represents the Protestant Reformation.
When Luther and others led the way out of Catholicism, it was in search of truth. The Catholics had distorted God's word into something it was never intended to be, adding to the Scriptures and imposing heavy spiritual burdens on their followers.
The call of the reformation was "Sola fides (only through faith), sola gratia (Only by grace), solus Christus (only with Christ), and sola Scriptura (Only His Word)."
(Title) These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars.
The Lord reminds the Church in Sardis just Who is writing to them. He is the Giver of the Holy Spirit, and the Guardian of the angel who shepherds them.
(Criticism) I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead.
Jesus told the woman at the well, "God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth." (John 4:24) In their quest for the truth, the Protestants neglected the things of the Spirit and for several hundred years almost never heard the rustlings of the Ruach Elohim (Spirit of God) in their midst. When the Great Awakening of the late 1800's and early 1900's brought the Gifts of the Spirit into the open again, they rejected the idea, giving birth first to the Pentecostal and then the Charismatic movements.
(Admonition) Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your deeds complete in the sight of my God.
When the German School of Higher Criticism invaded their seminaries with its godless theories about the "real" authorship of the Bible and the Modern Rationalists they spawned explained away its miracles, there was no Spiritual discernment to resist them. And so, having earlier rejected the Spirit, they now lost the Truth as well.
(Call) Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; obey it, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I
will come to you. Yet you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes. They will walk with me, dressed in white, for they are worthy.
As is the case in Thyatira, there remains but a remnant who are saved. The rest, having worked so hard to make God small enough to fit in their minds, now find Him too small to meet their needs. They will be among the most surprised to find themselves left behind as End Times events unfold. (Notice, the Lord doesn't promise to come for them, but to them.)
(Promise) He who overcomes will, like them, be dressed in white.
I will never blot out his name from the book of life, but will acknowledge his name before my Father and his angels. But to the believing remnant He will bring the white robes of the righteousness that comes by faith, and will be pleased to introduce them to His Father as members of God's Forever Family.
(Challenge) He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
There are two extremes in Christianity. The dead orthodoxy of main line Protestantism, and the "zeal without knowledge" of Charismania. Too great a focus on either will cause the loss of both spirit and truth.
The most significant site in Sardis today is the huge abandoned synagogue and gymnasium (school). As I stood there I was reminded how the protestant church has abandoned its Jewish roots and ignores the Old Testament, even doubting its veracity. Having learned what the Lord did from their New Testament but not understanding why He did it because they've never read the Old, they've lost the last of the meaning that once validated their theology. It's become form without substance.
The Parable of the Treasure in the Field describes the Church in Sardis. Upon discovering buried treasure in a vacant field, the Lord bought the whole field just to get the treasure. For God so loved the (whole) world that He gave His only son, that who so ever believed ... The pardon purchased with His blood is available to everyone in Sardis, but only a remnant will accept it. Paul's Letter to the Romans, the "Gospel according to Paul" is his contribution to our understanding.
These two children defined Christianity until the 1800's when the Lord again did a remarkable thing and the Church was born again in the 3rd child of Pergamus.
To the Church in Philadelphia
"To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write:
Philadelphia means City of Brotherly love.
In the chronicle of church history, Philadelphia represents the evangelical church born in the 1800's during the 2nd Great Awakening. (The first took place about 100 years earlier primarily in the Northern colonies.)
For centuries scholars had taught an allegorical interpretation of scripture, especially prophecy, but in the mid 1800?s the rank and file was energized by a return to the literal interpretation. The pre-tribulation rapture and 1000 year reign of the Lord on Earth, views that were prevalent during the 1st century but abandoned with the allegorical interpretation were once again popular. The church was born again.
(Title) These are the words of him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open.
Jesus is the Messiah who holds the keys to the Davidic Kingdom. He alone has the authority to grant and refuse entry.
(Commendation) I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and
have not denied my name. I will make those who are of the synagogue of Satan, who claim to be Jews though they are not, but are liars? I will make them come and
fall down at your feet and acknowledge that I have loved you.
The open door is the one through which John will enter heaven in chapter 4 to stand before the Throne of God, a type of the Rapture. The Church in Philadelphia,
receiving no criticism, is also granted admission. This is symbolic of the fact that for those saved by grace through faith, it's as if no sin was ever committed.
In the 1st Century Philadelphia, like other gentile churches of the day, was beset by "Judiazers." They insisted that before a Gentile could become a Christian, he had to become a Jew and keep the law. They'll be forced to admit that the path to Christianity did not lie through Judaism, but went straight to the foot of the cross.
In the latter days, the advocates of Replacement Theology (those believing the church has replaced Israel) and other groups claiming Israel's inheritance as the favored of God, will also be required to bow down before the true church and admit the error of their ways.
(Admonition) Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world
to test those who live on the earth.
The promise of a pre-trib rapture. The Greek word translated "from" in this passage literally means "out of altogether" and excludes us from the time, place, and cause
of the end times judgments. Only one "hour of trial" is prophesied to be world-wide, and only one is designed for the Earth dwellers.
It's the Great Tribulation. Throughout the balance of Revelation the church is referred to as those who dwell in Heaven.
(Call) I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown.
Here's one of those places that distinguishes the free gift of salvation from the crowns we'll earn as prizes for our work done in the Lord's name out of gratitude for His gift. One of those crowns is reserved for those who long for His appearing (2 Tim. 4:8) and that describes the attitude of the Church in Philadelphia perfectly.
The Greek word translated soon in the NIV actually means speedily. When He comes, He'll come suddenly, without warning. Don't let anyone talk you out of the promise of His coming. Don't lose hope!
(Challenge) Him who overcomes I will make a pillar in the temple of my God.
Never again will he leave it. I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on him my new name. Who is it that overcomes the world, John asks? Only those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God. (1 John 5:5) The New Jerusalem is the home of the church. Nothing impure can ever enter it, only those whose names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life. (Rev. 21:27) With all that identification, there'll be no doubt as to who is authorized to live there.
(Promise) He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
Once again we're admonished to stick to the basics of the Gospel. Keep to His Word. Don't deny His name. Hold on to your convictions. Keep looking up.
It was a clear and beautiful day when we arrived in Philadelphia, modern Alashehir, just after lunch. Perfect timing, I thought, since historical sites in Turkey often close at 3:00 PM. We spotted the signs pointing the way to the church site and arrived without difficulty about 1:30. It was a quiet neighborhood and the site itself was like a park, green and clean.
The sign on the gate told us we were there during visiting hours and, as at the other sites we had visited, there was a little office for collecting fees and distributing literature. But unlike every other place, though we stayed for almost an hour, we saw neither visitor nor employee. It was as if everyone had vanished, just like the Lord promised.
The Kingdom Parable that describes the Church at Philadelphia is the Pearl of Great Price. Pearls are uniquely Gentile, since oysters are not kosher (Lev. 11:9-12). A pearl is the only gem that's formed from a living organism. It grows in response to an irritant while hidden in the sea. At harvest time, it's removed from its natural habitat to be set apart as an object of adornment. Sounds just like the church. And of course Paul's Letters to the Thessalonians, that introduced the Rapture on Earth, match beautifully as well.
To the Church in Laodicea
"To the angel of the church in Laodicea write:
Laodicea means "the people rule." The Laodicean church represents the apostate church at the end of the age. Many in the New Age and Emergent Church movements are part of this church.
(Title) These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God's creation.
He's letting them know that they don't rule the church, He does.
(Criticism) I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm neither hot nor cold I am
about to spit you out of my mouth. You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful,
poor, blind and naked. Laodicea receives no commendation, only this criticism, rich in symbolic sarcasm.
Laodicea got its water from nearby Heiropolis, a hot spring resort that still flourishes today, now called Pamukkale. The water came across the valley in an open aqueduct. Having begun its journey fresh from the hot springs, it was luke warm by the time it arrived. Too cool to be used for cleaning or bathing, and too warm to be refreshing, it was unfit for use until it could be either heated up or cooled down.
The fire of the Spirit had gone from the Church in Laodicea leaving its members engaged in "form without substance" ritual. Not that they minded. They were happy as clams with their no commitment, no responsibility religion. So it is in much of the emergent church today. They look like a church and do some things that a church does, but you won't detect the power of the Holy Spirit there and the gospel of our salvation is only obvious by its absence. Even though their congregations are often large and well financed, their spiritual condition is one of poverty.
(Admonition) I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness;
and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.
Laodicea was a prosperous regional banking center, also famous for a rich black wool cloth its residents produced, and a soothing salve that helped reduce the painful effects of eye strain caused by astigmatism. They were rich in the worldly sense but poor in the things of the Spirit, thought themselves well dressed in their shiny black wool, but lacking the white robes of righteousness were actually naked, able to see all the opportunities for worldly gain, but in need of a healthy dose of the Lord's eye salve to restore their eternal perspective. Sound like anyone you know? The Church of Laodicea is alive and prospering in the 21st Century.
(Call) Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline.
So be earnest, and repent. Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me. Often called the great evangelistic call, this passage screams out one extraordinary fact. The Lord's standing outside! He's knocking on the door trying to get in, hoping (dare I say praying?) that someone, anyone, will hear His voice and invite Him in. If they do, He'll say, "Better change your mind about your need for a savior. Time's about up."
(Challenge) To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne.
Right up until the time of the Rapture, anyone in the Church of Laodicea can recognize his or her need for a savior and look to the Lord for salvation. And even if it makes them the very last member of the Body of Christ they'll receive full rights and privileges. The number's almost complete. If you're a Laodicean reading this, you just may be the one we're all waiting for.
(Promise) He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
There's a bit of the Laodicean in all of us. Some part of the Word we're lukewarm about, some area of our life where we think we're self-sufficient, some sin we've blinded ourselves to. Let's get right about it while there's time.
As we stood beside the Greek amphitheater that morning (Laodicea has both Greek and Roman amphitheatres) it was clear that the Laodiceans did not hear the Lord knocking at their door. What remained of the church was but an empty shell.
The Parable of the Net describes how things will turn out for those who ignore His call. This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. (Matt. 13:49-50) Paul's Letter to the Colossians is the appropriate match here. Colosse was just a few miles down the highway from Laodicea.
Let's Get Personal
As you sit in your seat each Sunday, regardless of the sign on the church door, you're joined by folks from Thyatira. They're the ones who add to the Gospel:
Jesus plus someone or something else, grace plus works, scripture plus tradition. There are also some from Sardis. They subtract from the Gospel.
You don't need to be born again, just join the church, give some time and money, you'll be fine. And then there?s the group from Laodicea. Jesus was a great man
and teacher, and lived a life of such gentleness and grace that it's ALMOST as if he was God. Just love everybody like he did.
The good life you live is an obvious sign of your favor with God, and everyone knows there's no real heaven, I mean come on.
But if you know you're a sinner and have given your heart to Jesus because He gave His life for you, then you're from Philadelphia.
There may be some others there with you, but you'll never really know for sure how many till you all vanish together some day soon. And don't be surprised when '
you're joined by some who're Catholic, some who're Protestant, some conservatives, some liberals, and even some who didn't appear to attend any church at all.
After all it's not what you say you are, but what you believe in your heart that matters.
Jump to Menu
Revelation Chapter 4
The Rapture
After this I looked, and there before me was a door standing open in heaven. And the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, "Come up here,
and I will show you what must take place after this." (Rev. 4:1)
Having reviewed the things that have been (Rev. 1) and the things that are (Rev. 2-3), we have now arrived at part three of the book, the things that will be after this.
John looked up and saw an open door, the one he had first heard about when he wrote down the letter to the Church in Philadelphia. And just like Paul said would happen
to us (1 Thes. 4:16) he heard a loud command, "Come up here!"
The Throne in Heaven
At once I was in the Spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it. And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian.
A rainbow, resembling an emerald, encircled the throne. (Rev. 4:2-3)
In the twinkling of an eye, John was catapulted forward in time to the day we all dream of, the Rapture of the Church.
Since he was traveling through time, he had to have what we call an out of body experience, because he wasn't given a resurrection body, like we will be, and would soon
be going back. He called it being in the spirit.
The same thing had happened to Paul about 40 years earlier, when he also was taken to the Throne of God (2 Cor. 12:1-4). Paul wasn't allowed to tell about it, but its
memory provided more than enough motivation for him to withstand the severest forms of persecution and suffering. Unlike Paul, John was told to record every thing he saw.
The Jasper and Carnelian he saw are the first and last stones on the High Priest's breastplate and may summarize them all, and the rainbow is a symbol of God's mercy.
Surrounding the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on them were twenty-four elders. They were dressed in white and had crowns of gold on their heads.
(Rev. 4:4)
These 24 elders confuse some people, but they shouldn't. Their appearance gives them away. They have thrones, so they're rulers. They surround the Throne of God,
so they're assisting Him. They're seated, so their work is done. They're dressed in white, so they're righteous. They're wearing the Greek "stephanos" crown,
so they're victors, over comers. They're called Elders, a title associated more with Christianity than Judaism.
So far we have a pretty strong case for them representing The Raptured Church. But there's more.
Throughout the Bible there are a number of "peak-to-peak" prophecies, as Clarence Larkin began calling them over 100 years ago. They take in the first and second comings
in a single passage, sometimes in a single sentence. He likened them to mountain peaks between which was a valley, hidden from the prophet's view. One of the best known
is Isaiah 9:6-7.
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father,
Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with
justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this.
Of this entire prophecy, only the first half of the first sentence has actually been fulfilled. The Child was born and the Son was given. The rest awaits the 2nd Coming,
leaving a span of time between the giving of the Son and His assumption of world government.
Daniel's 70 weeks prophecy contains a similar gap between verse 26, where the people of the ruler who will come destroy the city and the sanctuary and verse 27,
where the ruler himself confirms a covenant with Israel.
And the same is true of Isaiah 61:1-3.
The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom
for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor, and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and
provide for those who grieve in Zion to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a
spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor.
Jesus quoted from this passage at the beginning of His ministry in Nazareth, but stopped at the comma following "the year of the Lord's favor." (Luke 4:18-19)
The rest of the prophecy describes the Great Tribulation and Kingdom age yet to come.
Each of these prophecies contains a hidden span of time that lasts from the 1st Coming to the 2nd like an otherwise complete puzzle with one piece missing.
The Church Age is always the missing piece. These three are but a sample of Larkin's "peak to peak" prophecies. In the Bible there are a total of 24 of them, each with a
gap where the Church fits, the same number as the elders surrounding God's Throne.
From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder. Before the throne, seven lamps were blazing. These are the seven spirits of God. Also before the
throne there was what looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal. (Rev. 4:5)
Literally, the seven-fold Spirit of God, an Old Testament idiom for the Holy Spirit. The sea of glass was characterized on Earth by the bronze laver or wash- basin that
stood outside the Holy Place. It symbolizes God's Word. On Earth we wash in His Word (Ephesians 5:26). In Heaven we "stand on it." (Remember the old hymn "Standing on the
Promises"?)
In the center, around the throne, were four living creatures, and they were covered with eyes, in front and in back. The first living creature was like a lion, the
second was like an ox, the third had a face like a man, the fourth was like a flying eagle. Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes
all around, even under his wings. Day and night they never stop saying: "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come." (Rev. 4:6-8)
These are the four cherubim who guard the throne of God. In the beginning there were five, but their leader betrayed both them and his trust, rebelling against God and causing the introduction of a second will in the universe. We call him by his primary activity, Satan, (it means accuser in Hebrew) but in Ezekiel 28:14 he's called "the anointed cherub." The Hebrew from Isaiah 14:12 gives us his name, "Heleyl ben Shachar" the shining one, son of the dawn. When the Bible was translated into Latin in the 4th Century this became Lucifer, which means light bearer, and early English translations kept the name. He is not the Morning Star, as some modern versions contend. That's a title the Lord Jesus uses only of Himself.
Ezekiel's vision of God's Throne showed each cherub with four faces, Isaiah doesn't describe their faces at all and John gives them each only one, but whether on one or all four, the faces are the same. A lion, an ox, a man, and an eagle. They can be likened to the ensigns of the four camps of Israel.
The Four Camps
When the Jews camped in the wilderness after leaving Egypt, they were instructed to set up in 4 sub-camps, one for each point of the compass with the tabernacle in the center.
The first was called the Camp of Judah and included Issachar and Zebulon. Members of those 3 tribes would look for the ensign of Judah, a flag with a large lion embroidered
on it, to locate their campground. It was always due east of the tabernacle. The second camp was called Ephraim and included Manasseh and Benjamin and was positioned opposite
to the west. Ephraim's flag depicted the figure of an ox. The third camp was headed by Reuben and included Simeon and Gad. Reuben's flag showed the face of a man. They were
located south of the tabernacle. The fourth camp was that of Dan with Asher and Napthali included and was located on the North. Dan's flag pictured a large eagle.
Looking down from above God would see the camp of Israel with the tabernacle in the Center and the 4 sub-camps around it. The large flag waving in the East pictured the Lion,
and opposite it was the Ox. To the south was the face of a Man and opposite it was the Eagle. Was God modeling His throne in the Camp of Israel with the four flags
representing the four faces of the cherubim?
The Four Gospels
Some also see the four gospels symbolized in the four faces, the Lion for Matthew, the Ox, being a beast of service, for Mark, the Man for Luke and the Eagle, a symbol of
royalty, for John.
Matthew was written to the Jews. His purpose was to demonstrate who Jesus was; presenting overwhelming evidence that Jesus was Israel's long awaited Messiah: The Lion of
Judah. The genealogy in Matthew begins with Abraham and runs through King David (Matt 1:1-17). The most frequently used phrase in Matthew's Gospel is "it was fulfilled."
There are more references to events foretold in Old Testament prophecy and fulfilled in the Life of Jesus in Matthew than in any other gospel account.
Partial copies discovered in the caves at Qumran suggest that Matthew may have originally been written in Hebrew. The first miracle, the cleansing of a leper, was highly
symbolic for Israel. Leprosy was viewed as a punishment for sin, and cleansing a leper signified taking away the sin of the nation. Matthew's gospel ends with the
resurrection signifying God's promise that David's Kingdom would last forever.
Mark's gospel is actually Peter's account and was written to the Romans. His purpose was to portray Jesus as the obedient servant of God. Since no one cares about the
heritage of a servant there is no genealogy in Mark. The most frequently used phrase in Mark's Gospel is "straight away" sometimes translated immediately, so Mark is called
the snapshot gospel, giving us picture after picture of Jesus in action. The first miracle is the casting out of a demon, demonstrating that the God whom Jesus served was
superior to all other gods, a matter of great importance in Rome's polytheistic society. Mark's gospel ends with the ascension, signifying that the servant's job was
finished and He was returning home.
Luke's account portrays Jesus as the Son of Man, a title Jesus often used of Himself, and was written to the Greeks. It presents the human side of Jesus and emphasizes his
teaching. Greeks were famous for their story telling form of oratory, so the most frequent phrase in Luke is "and it came to pass." Most movies of the life of Jesus rely
primarily on Luke's gospel because of its flowing narrative form. Luke's genealogy traces Jesus all the way back to Adam, the first man (Luke 3:21-38).
Since the Greeks, like the Romans, were a polytheistic society, Luke used the casting out of a demon as his first miracle, and ended his gospel with the promise of the
Holy Spirit, uniting man with God.
John wrote to the church describing how Jesus felt about peoples' reaction to His ministry. His gospel is the most unique, based upon 7 miracles, 7 "I Am" statements and
7 discourses. John pays little attention to chronology, sometimes placing events out of order (like the Temple Cleansing in Chapter 2) for their effect in presenting Jesus
as the Son of God. John's gospel covers only about 21 days out of the Lord's 3 and one half year ministry. 10 chapters are devoted to one week and 1/3 of all the verses in John
describe one day. His genealogy begins before time and identifies Jesus as the Eternal One Who was with God and Who was God (John 1:1-2). The most frequently used phrase
in John is "Verily, verily", or truly, truly. His first miracle was changing water into wine, an act of enormous symbolism by which He "revealed His Glory and His disciples
put their faith in Him" (John 2:11). John's Gospel ends with the promise of the 2nd Coming.
Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before him who
sits on the throne, and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say: "You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and
honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being."(Rev. 4:9-11)
Another hint as to the identity of the 24 elders. Reading it always calls to mind the words of the old hymn I sang as a boy, "Holy, Holy, Holy," particularly the verse
that goes "casting down their golden crowns upon the glassy sea." It's author, Reginald Heber, was an Anglican clergyman. He was writing about the Church.
Jump to Menu
Revelation Chapter 5
The Scroll and the Lamb
Then I saw in the right hand of him who sat on the throne a scroll with writing on both sides and sealed with seven seals. And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a
loud voice, "Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?" But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth could open the scroll or even look
inside it. I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside. (Rev 5:1-4)
This scroll has been called the title deed to planet Earth. Scrolls normally had writing on one side only, but in a few cases the Lord writes on both sides.
When He does it indicates that there's a judgment coming.
In Ezekiel 2 a scroll with writing on both sides meant that Israel was about to be judged, and Ezekiel was being chosen to bring the news to the other captives in Babylon
that soon the whole nation would be joining them for a 70 year stay. In Zechariah 5, a flying scroll the same size as the tabernacle's Holy Place warned that those who
failed to keep the Law would be banished from God's presence and their homes destroyed. Although this scroll mentioned only the commandment against theft on one side and
only the one against false witness on the other, the fact that one was in the middle of the first stone tablet and the other was in the middle of the second one leads
scholars to believe that they represent all 10 Commandments.
The reason John wept so bitterly is because he knew what was at stake here. Only someone who could redeem Planet Earth and return it to its rightful owner would be able
to open the scroll, and no one could be found. Not in Heaven, not on Earth, not under the Earth. Without a qualified redeemer Earth would be lost for all eternity.
Then one of the elders said to me, "Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its
seven seals." Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing in the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders.
He had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. (Rev. 5:5-6)
There is someone worthy to open the scroll, after all! The fact that the word Lamb is capitalized here means that this is The Lamb of God from John 1:29. He's also the
Lion of Judah from Genesis 49:9-10 and the Root of David from Isaiah 11:1-3.
Since John describes Him as a Lamb looking as if it had been slain, we know He's still in human form, and still bears the scars of His crucifixion.
This Lamb is the giver of the Holy Spirit, confirming that it's the Lord who has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals because He redeemed the
planet at the same time He was saving us. (Romans 8:19-21)
How the earth was Lost
How was the Earth lost in the first place? Some believe that in Eternity past, the one we call Satan was given the Earth as his kingdom. It was a gift in keeping with his
stature as both the anointed cherub, in charge of the ones who guard the very Throne of God, and Worship Leader in the heavenly realms as well. He truly was the light bearer
then (Lucifer means light bearer in Latin) clothed in every precious stone with a voice like a pipe organ. He was the model of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in
beauty, the ultimate created being.
But puffed up in the arrogance of self love and pride, he rebelled and was driven out in disgrace, his positions and his possessions taken from him, his kingdom laid waste.
(Ezek. 28:13-17) He sat there amidst the ruin for who knows how long, powerless to do anything, until God said, "Let there be light," and all the angels shouted for joy.
(Job 38:7)
When God created Adam five days later and gave him dominion over the Earth, Satan conspired to get it back. Indwelling a serpent, he tricked Adam and Eve out of their land,
gaining back through deception that which he had lost through rebellion. In the process he had also divested Adam and Eve of their immortality, causing their deaths and the
deaths of all their children. He immediately set about to rebuild his kingdom, becoming the prince of this world (John 12:31) and the god of this age (2 Cor. 4:4).
God's law requires that a next of kin redeem that which a family member has lost. According to the law a son could redeem what his father had lost, but in the transaction
Adam had become a sinner, disqualifying all of his sons from ever redeeming him. The coin of redemption was the blood of a sinless man, and all of Adam's sons were sinners,
having been born in their father's likeness. (Gen. 5:3) Adam was a son of God (Luke 3:38) so only another son of God would suffice.
Since the sins of the fathers are visited upon the sons (Exod. 20:5) a woman could give birth to a sinless man, but only if she could do so without the aid of a husband.
Thus, in the garden God announced that the seed of the woman would redeem what Satan had stolen, (Gen 3:15) a prophecy of the virgin birth.
In due time, the Son of God, born of a virgin, gave His life to pay mankind's debt of sin and redeem Adam's stolen property, Planet Earth. All God (sinless) and all human
(man), He is the only One in creation worthy to take the scroll and open its seals.
As Adam's Kinsman Redeemer, He paid the debt of sin owed by Adam's progeny and redeemed the property that Adam lost as well. Now He's come to take possession of that
which He's paid for. Since the next of kin was also responsible for avenging the death of a family member, He also comes as Adam's Avenger of Blood, and that's one of the
reasons why the rest of this book is the story of great judgments.
He came and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne. And then he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down
before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song:
"You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men (us) for God from every tribe and language and
people and nation. You have made them (us) to be a kingdom (kings) and priests to serve our God, and they (we) will reign on the earth." (Rev. 5:7-10)
I've placed the more accurate translations of this passage in parentheses. The Greek word used here is a first person pronoun, the plural of me. It appears 173 times in the
Bible as us and we, never as third person words like men or them or they. Also the Greek language uses the same word for king and kingdom, so you have to decide which one
to use from the context. Kings fits better than kingdom. All my substitutions are consistent with the KJV translation.
Some of the modern translations take either the post trib or a-milliennial view or both and are therefore reluctant to show the raptured church in Heaven in Revelation 5.
Instead, by changing the passage to the third person, they have the 24 elders sing about the church as if we're still on earth. But it doesn't work.
The 24 elders are the church. This is a song for the redeemed and only the church can sing it. The King James version is correct.
Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the
living creatures and the elders. In a loud voice they sang: "Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor
and glory and praise!"
Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing: "To him who sits on the throne and
to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!"
The four living creatures said, "Amen," and the elders fell down and worshiped. (Rev. 5:11-14)
The powerful work done by George Frederic Handel in setting these words to music in his "Messiah" will pale into insignificance when compared to this angelic choir.
No one knows just how big this choir is. Ten thousand was the largest number in use in those days. Writing today John might have used "millions and millions" just as easily.
C.H. Spurgeon wrote that the Greek word translated all (or every) had seven or eight different uses, and only on rare cases did any of them literally mean each and every one.
More likely John meant that every classification of mankind was represented, the rich, the poor, the free, the enslaved, the Jew, the Gentile, etc. These were joined by
the animals on land, the birds in the air, the fish of the sea, and even those in the underworld, who though they rebelled and await their judgment in chains, recognize
the authority of The Christ. (James 2:19)
Jump to Menu
Revelation Chapter 6
Who was on the White Horse?
Now I watched when the Lamb opened one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures say with a voice like thunder, "Come!" and I looked,
and behold, a white horse! And its rider had a bow, and a crown was given to him, and he came out conquering, and to conquer. (Rev 6:1-2)
The first of the seven seals is broken early in the 70th week of Daniel, after the church has disappeared. Liberal scholars often identify the rider of the white horse
as the Lord Jesus, pointing to his crown and the fact that he's a conqueror. I think some part of their conclusion comes from watching all those TV westerns as kids,
where the good guys always rode white horses. I say that because this rider is most definitely not Jesus. He's the anti-Christ.
What Makes You Think So?
In the first place he carries a bow. The Lord's weapon of choice is a sword. The reason he has no arrows is that he won't use force to make his initial impact on Earth.
He comes as a peacemaker (Daniel 8:25). Since the Book of Revelation is filled with symbolism explained elsewhere in the Bible, I looked for the first mention of a man
with a bow, hoping to get an additional clue to this rider's identity. I found it in Genesis 21:20, referring to Ishmael.
As details of Islamic eschatology become more widely known, prophecy students are discovering a striking similarity between descriptions of al Mahdi, a Messianic figure
from the Shiite tradition, and a figure Christians call the anti-Christ. (I'm not saying that al Mahdi is the Moslem anti-Christ, called the Dajjal, but that he resembles
the Christian anti-Christ.) Both come on the scene during a time of great turmoil on Earth, both come claiming a desire to restore peace, both have a seven year reign,
both head a one world religion and one world government, both claim supernatural origins, and both reigns end in a battle between good and evil that brings Earth's final
judgment.
The number of similarities between the two defies coincidence and continues to grow as knowledge of al Mahdi increases. Now with the connection between the Bible's first
archer and the man with a bow in Rev. 6, another piece of the puzzle may have fallen into place. Mohammed was descended from Kedar, second son of Ishmael, and Al Mahdi is
the 12th Iman descended from Mohammed. Jack Kinsella, in his commentary entitled "The Third Pillar of anti-Christ" makes an excellent case for Islam being the religion of
anti-Christ. (The Omega Letter Intelligence Digest Vol: 53 Issue: 25 - Saturday, February 25, 2006 www.omegaletter.com) When you read it, you'll understand that after the
Church is gone, those who also call themselves the church, but have been left behind, won't have much trouble at all accepting Islam. And like Paul said, the addition of
a few "miracles" into the mix will be all it takes to deceive the whole world (2 Thes.2:9).
Got Anything Else?
In the second place this guy's wearing the wrong kind of crown. The Greek word for a king's crown is diadem. But this one wears a stephanos, or victor's crown. It was the
award given to winners in the ancient Olympics and other public games. It was typically an ivy wreath, and in fact the word stephanos comes from a root meaning wreath.
It identifies the wearer as a conqueror, but not as royalty. And in Revelation 13 where the Great Tribulation begins, we're told that He was given power to make war against
the saints and to conquer them. And he was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation. (Rev. 13:7) Why would Jesus make war with the tribulation saints
to conquer them? Like I said, while he fools people into thinking he's the Christ, he's really the anti-Christ.
When he opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, "Come!" And out came another horse, bright red. Its rider was permitted to take peace from the earth,
so that men should slay one another, and he was given a great sword. (Rev. 6:3-4)
The Anti-christ turns to war
This is the point at which the anti-christ turns to war to establish his authority over human governments and move the world toward his religion. The Moslem prophecies
say this will be Islam, of course, and the Koran teaches conversion or death as the only alternatives available to non-believers. Current studies speculate that Europe,
far into its post Christian era, may already be on the verge of yielding to the growing Moslem influence, but other parts of the world will resist, causing much bloodshed.
If You Think This Is Bad ...
Historically, the great sword was a long two-handed weapon wielded by mighty warriors who received double the average soldier's wage. With overwhelming strength they
hacked their way through enemy lines, leaving a gaping hole for the regular troops who followed. In just this way the anti-Christ will use supernatural power to tighten
his grip on the world, enforcing his will upon the people of Earth. And remember, the Seal judgments are just the beginning of Daniel's 70th week. The last half, called
the Great Tribulation, is still to come and is significantly more deadly.
When he opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, "Come!" And I looked, and behold, a black horse! And its rider had a pair of scales in his hand.
And I heard what seemed to be a voice in the midst of the four living creatures, saying, "A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a
denarius, and do not harm the oil and wine!" (Rev 6:5-6)
Two things result when the world is plunged into uncertainty and wars erupt. First comes inflation, causing the prices of everything to skyrocket.
When John wrote this, a denarius was the average pay for a day's work, and that's what it will cost to buy a quart of wheat, about enough food for one person for one day.
Think of it. For many, a whole days wages will barely buy their food for that day. The next day it starts all over again. No money left for anything else. Of course,
the wealthy always benefit from inflation. When they see it coming, they're able to convert their wealth into things that are either inflation proof, or actually increase
in value during periods of inflation. The earliest example of this is comes from the Book of Genesis, when Joseph, who gained control of the world's wheat supply on Pharaoh's
behalf, eventually acquired the entire wealth of Egypt in exchange for it. That's what John meant by not harming the oil and wine, commodities that in his day were symbols
of wealth. The vision he saw was famine amidst plenty. Both the Book of Daniel and the Moslem prophecies speak of the anti-Christ/al Mahdi showering lavish gifts on his
followers while forcing his enemies into submission. (Daniel 11:39)
When he opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, "Come!" And I looked, and behold, a pale horse! And its rider's name was Death,
and Hades followed him. And they were given authority over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword and with famine and with pestilence and by wild beasts of the earth.
(Rev. 6:7-8)
The second result of war is famine and pestilence. Crops and food processing facilities are destroyed. Transportation networks are disrupted. Dead bodies are left where
they fall and public health systems break down. Mass starvation and rampant disease often claim more victims than the battles that caused them. Animals become desperate
for food and attack humans. Some think the phrase "a fourth of the Earth" relates to geography and some think it describes the number of people involved. Either way, many
will suffer and die during this time, while those not in the direct path of war will enjoy a false sense of peace and prosperity.
When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne. They cried out with a
loud voice, "O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?" Then they were each given a white robe
and told to rest a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brothers should be complete, who were to be killed as they themselves had been.
(Rev. 6:9-11)
Just as the church has a fixed number to achieve before its time on Earth is fulfilled (Romans 11:25) so it is for believers who're martyred for their faith following the
Church's disappearance.
An Eye For An Eye
In Hebrew the word translated "kinsman redeemer" also means "avenger of blood." The same next of kin who was responsible for buying a relative out of debt related servitude
or redeeming his lost property, was also responsible for avenging physical attacks against a relative that resulted in death. The tribulation martyrs are calling for
enforcement of this law.
Our Lord Jesus is our Kinsman Redeemer, come to pay our debts and buy back that which our father Adam lost. But He's also our Avenger of Blood, responsible for bringing
to justice the one who maliciously murdered our first parents and therefore us. Everyone who sides with Satan, called those who dwell on the Earth in Revelation, will share
his punishment, just as we who side with the Lord, called those who dwell in heaven, will share His inheritance.
When he opened the sixth seal, I looked, and behold, there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black as sackcloth, the full moon became like blood, and the stars
of the sky fell to the earth as the fig tree sheds its winter fruit when shaken by a gale. The sky vanished like a scroll that is being rolled up, and every mountain and
island was removed from its place. (Rev. 6:12-14)
As you would expect, since the Tsunami of 2004 scientists have been watching the recent spate of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions in the Far East very closely.
They've found that during the three year period ending in 2005 when the study was conducted, the incidence of underwater quakes and volcanic eruptions had increased
by 88% over the norm while continental earthquakes had gone up by 62%. In a single four month period the earth experienced the three largest earthquakes in the last two
hundred years. Most of this increased activity came in the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, a chain of 160 active volcanoes stretching from the East Asia rim to the West
Coast of the Americas.
During the same time the magnetic North pole has begun drifting across Canada and is headed for Siberia. Also, the strength of the Earth's magnetic field has weakened
noticeably, being about 10% weaker now than when scientists began measuring it in 1845. Based on these findings, some scientists are now convinced that a reversal of the
Earth's magnetic poles is underway. They're predicting that in 2012 this reversal will be suddenly and dramatically completed with the North pole having the polarity of
the South pole and vice versa.
In 2012 the Sun will also experience a polar reversal. Although the Sun's magnetic poles reverse every eleven years, the Earth has never experienced one in the memory of man.
This double shift could produce even greater occurrences of massive quakes and volcanic eruptions of a magnitude that could actually cause a significant continental shift.
The Earth's magnetic field helps protect us against harmful rays from the sun, and a polar reversal could cause this field to collapse just like the water vapor canopy around
the earth collapsed at the time of the Great Flood. That event brought violent weather and drastically shortened life spans.
The effects of a magnetic field collapse would be even more severe. According to some projections, the electromagnetic energy released from the sun during a polar
reversal could cause Earth's upper atmosphere to "erupt in flames" if our magnetic field isn't there to deflect it. Was John referring to this in saying the sky
vanished like a scroll being rolled up? No one knows. We can only imagine what a sudden reversal of magnetic poles would do to life on Earth. Predictions range all the
way from a temporary increase in the frequency and severity of volcanic eruptions and earthquakes to a worldwide disaster of "Biblical proportions." The convergence of
other prophetic timelines leads me to believe that the 6th Seal Judgment might very well be John's description of this coming dual Magnetic Polar Reversal.
What's more, in 2005 a branch of Orthodox Judaism announced that their messiah figure (not Jesus) would arrive in 7 years. That's 2012. And 2012 is one of
those "hot button" dates in occult and new age prophecies. The ancient Mayan calendar ends in December of 2012, and pagans view this as a sign that this age is
coming to an end, and our utopian future is just over the horizon. The internet is bulging with websites on the subject, so be careful as you research this critical date.
And above all, remember that the Rapture of the Church comes in Revelation 4. Revelation 6 happens after we're gone.
Then the kings of the earth and the great ones and the generals and the rich and the powerful, and everyone, slave and free, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks
of the mountains, calling to the mountains and rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, for the great
day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?" (Rev. 6:15-17)
It's no surprise that verse 15 is reminiscent of Joshua 10:16. Of the 404 verses in Revelation, 280 are taken from the Old Testament. As they hide, the kings of the Earth
unknowingly utter a prophecy we should all read carefully. "The great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?" This passage has always been associated with the
beginning of God's wrath. The view that His wrath begins with the bowl judgments of Revelation 16 is a newcomer to studies of prophecy, and is incorrect. The Wrath of God
begins in chapter 6, placing the Pre-Wrath Rapture of the Church in Chapter 4, right where pre-Trib Rapture believers have seen it all along.
Jump to Menu
Revelation Chapter 7
Between the 6th and 7th seals there's a pause where two important events take place, one on Earth and the other in Heaven. Both involve the disposition of a group of God's
people, but neither one is the Church. It won't be seen or heard from as a group again until the end of chapter 17.
144,000 Sealed
After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth to prevent any wind from blowing on the land or on the
sea or on any tree. Then I saw another angel coming up from the east, having the seal of the living God. He called out in a loud voice to the four angels who had
been given power to harm the land and the sea: "Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of
our God." Then I heard the number of those who were sealed: 144,000 from all the tribes of Israel.
From the tribe of Judah 12,000 were sealed, from the tribe of Reuben 12,000, from the tribe of Gad 12,000, from the tribe of Asher 12,000,
from the tribe of Naphtali 12,000, from the tribe of Manasseh 12,000, from the tribe of Simeon 12,000, from the tribe of Levi 12,000,
from the tribe of Issachar 12,000, from the tribe of Zebulun 12,000, from the tribe of Joseph 12,000, from the tribe of Benjamin 12,000. (Rev. 7:1-8)
The multiple use of the number four here emphasizes that the Creation is in focus, because by the end of the Fourth Day of Creation light had been separated from darkness,
the atmosphere had been formed, the land had been separated from the water, vegetation had begun to grow and with the addition of the sun, moon, and stars, day had been
distinguished from night. As of Day Four the Creation was now complete and ready to support habitation, and so the number four is the number of Creation.
But the judgment upon the Creation will be delayed until one other event takes place. This is the commissioning of the 144,000 Jews who many believe will evangelize the
world during Daniel's 70th week. Carrying the seal of God on their foreheads protects them from the coming judgments. In Ezekiel 9:4 we read of a similar case where before
the City of Jerusalem was destroyed by the Babylonians, angels went through out, searching for and sealing the faithful to protect them from the destruction. Here the Lord
again delays the coming judgments until His faithful can be sealed.
After Jacob adopted Joseph's sons Ephraim and Manasseh, there were fourteen names to choose from in naming the tribes of Israel. But the Bible never lists more than 12 at
a time, so sometimes the mix is different. The Levites received no land and never went to war, so they're often omitted. Joseph was also left out when Ephraim and Manasseh
were included, since each of them received half of his tribe as an inheritance. But in this listing Levi and Joseph are included while Dan and Ephraim are not.
Most scholars believe that Dan was omitted because it was through the tribe of Dan that idolatry was introduced into the land after Solomon died. (1 Kings 12:28-30) Jacob
had prophesied in Genesis 49:17 that Dan will be a serpent by the roadside, a viper along the path, that bites the horse's heels so that its rider tumbles backward hinting
that Dan would be responsible for Israel's fall back into idolatry. There's a tradition that Dan was a ringleader in the kidnapping and sale of Joseph into slavery, and
another one that the anti-Christ will come from the tribe of Dan. For these or other reasons, no one from the tribe of Dan is sealed. But God is merciful, and at the
beginning of the Kingdom Age when the land is re-distributed, Dan receives the first share. (Ezekiel 48:1)
Although Ephraim is not mentioned by name, his people are included since they make up the group called Joseph here. Remember, the tribe of Joseph was divided between
Ephraim and Manasseh. By naming Joseph and Manasseh to the list the people from both halves of Joseph's tribe are sealed without mentioning Ephraim's name. 1 Kings 12:28-30
also tells us that a golden calf was set up in Bethel, in the land of Ephraim, in addition to the one in Dan. The Lord hates idolatry.
Efforts to spiritualize this passage into a group symbolic of all believers are a woefully inadequate attempt by replacement theology advocates to deprive Israel of its
End Times role in God's redemptive plan. The passage is simply too clear to justify allegorizing.
And those who say the list can't be accurate because 10 tribes disappeared in 721 BC when the Northern Kingdom was scattered would do well to read 2 Chronicles 11:16.
Those from every tribe of Israel who set their hearts on seeking the LORD, the God of Israel, followed the Levites to Jerusalem to offer sacrifices to the LORD, the God
of their fathers. Josephus reported that this caused a substantial increase in Jerusalem's population. God has always maintained a faithful remnant of His people.
The Great Multitude in White Robes
After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in
front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice: "Salvation belongs to our God, who
sits on the throne, and to the Lamb."
All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God,
saying: "Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!"
Then one of the elders asked me, "These in white robes who are they, and where did they come from?"
I answered, "Sir, you know."
And he said, "These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore, "they are
before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them. Never again will they hunger; never again
will they thirst. The sun will not beat upon them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of
living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes." (Rev. 7:9-17)
There are differing opinions as to who this multitude is. By their white robes and their declaration as to the Author of their salvation, everyone agrees that they're
believers from Earth.
But the facts that John, the disciple most closely associated with the Church, didn't recognize them, their arrival in Heaven follows the Rapture by three chapters,
and their destiny is that of servants in the Temple and not co-regents of the Universe, mean they are post rapture believers and not part of the Church. They've been
caught up in the destruction on Earth during the first half of the 70th Week and have paid the ultimate price for their new-found faith. They're called Tribulation
martyrs or Tribulation saints, but technically that's not accurate either, because the Great Tribulation hasn't begun yet. We're still in the first half of the 70th week.
How do we know that? The Greek word translated "out of" in the phrase "these are they who have come out of the Great Tribulation" is the same word that's translated "from"
in Rev 3:10 where the Lord promised deliverance for the Church. Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is
going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth. According to The Strong's Concordance it's a primary preposition denoting origin. It means "from,
or out of, the place, time, or cause" of a specified event.
So, like the Church, these saints have been removed from the place, the time, and the cause of the Great Tribulation. They didn't come to faith in time for the Rapture so
they won't share in the Church's unique destiny and blessing. But most likely being finally persuaded to faith by the Church's disappearance, they'll be martyred early in
the 70th week, and so will escape the worst of it. Later on the living will envy the dead so much that they'll long for death, but death will elude them. (Rev. 9:6)
These saints will have a privileged existence in eternity, always in the presence of the Lord. They'll serve Him day and night in His Temple and will never want for anything.
The Lord will spread His tent over them, meaning that He'll be personally responsible for their welfare. They'll neither hunger nor thirst, and the Lord will remove every
regret from their minds, wiping every tear from their eyes.
But neither will they ever sit on a throne at the side of their Beloved, examples for all the Universe to see of the incomparable riches of God's grace, expressed
in His kindness to the Church, His work of art (Ephes. 2:6-10). They'll never share in His inheritance nor be counted among the most favored group in all of Creation.
When push came to shove they needed one final incontrovertible sign that it was right to believe. Lacking the faith to accept what they could not see, they required evidence.
That evidence came to them in the form of the Rapture of the Church, when those who believed by faith alone disappeared before their very eyes. Too late, they finally
believed. As the Lord said to Thomas, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." (John 20:29)
Jump to Menu
Revelation Chapter 8 and 9
Revelation 8
The first cycle of judgments is ending. The 144,000 have been commissioned and a huge group of martyrs has arrived in Heaven. In many places on Earth war rages unchecked,
with its attendant famine and pestilence, and yet in other places peace still prevails. Those lucky enough to enjoy it are fooled into thinking that soon the rest of the
world will settle down too, and it'll be business as usual. Since the anti-Christ has not yet been revealed as Satan's man for Planet Earth, many still see him as a
talented world leader doing his best to restore order, and despite the unprecedented death tolls and all the missing people, they still give him high ratings.
But in Heaven it's a different story, because God is about to unleash the 7 Trumpet judgments. It gives Him no pleasure to do this. But as bad as they were, the now
concluding Seal Judgments simply weren't severe enough to turn man's stubborn heart back to Him. Alas, He knew it all along, but that doesn't make matters any easier.
If only He didn't love them so much, He could just let them destroy each other. But while His righteousness demands justice, His love requires that He keep on trying to
save them.
The Seventh Seal and the Golden Censer
When he opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.
And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and to them were given seven trumpets.
Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all the saints, on the golden
altar before the throne. The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of the saints, went up before God from the angel's hand.
Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and hurled it on the earth; and there came peals of thunder, rumblings,
flashes of lightning and an earthquake. (Rev. 8:1-5)
The half hour of silence fills Heaven with a sense of foreboding, as if all the angels are holding their breath, waiting for the Lord to act. The post-Rapture believers
on Earth know what's coming too, and their urgent prayers come up before the Throne in a giant cloud of incense.
But the time for mercy ended with the Rapture. This is a time for justice and as the angel hurls fire from the altar, God announces the coming judgments in
His traditional way, with thunder, lightning and earthquakes.
The Trumpets
Then the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared to sound them.
The first angel sounded his trumpet, and there came hail and fire mixed with blood, and it was hurled down upon the earth. A third of the earth was burned up,
a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up. (Rev. 8:6-7)
Reminiscent of the plagues of Egypt the first judgment is upon the land. Fire breaks out over a third of the Earth, the acrid smoke from the grass and trees filling the
skies above.
The second angel sounded his trumpet, and something like a huge mountain, all ablaze, was thrown into the sea. A third of the sea turned into blood, a third
of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed. (Rev 8:8-9)
This judgment appears to be a giant asteroid or meteor crashing into the Earth's oceans. This has happened to Earth hundreds of times in it's history.
The latest was on June 9, 2006 when a meteor slammed into Northern Norway with an impact force equal to the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima, Japan.
Astronomers are currently watching 736 potentially hazardous Near Earth objects (NEO). As of now none are projected to collide with Earth but these scientists caution us
that NEO's often appear suddenly and with very little warning. How many of us knew that one was about to strike Norway?
The meteor strike referenced in this passage causes astounding devastation, turning 1/3 of the world's oceans a poisonous red color, killing 1/3 of marine life and destroying
over 43,000 ships. (In 2005 there were 130,000 ships registered in 195 countries.)
The third angel sounded his trumpet, and a great star, blazing like a torch, fell from the sky on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water?
the name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the waters turned bitter, and many people died from the waters that had become bitter. (Rev. 8:10-11)
Now judgment falls on the world's fresh water supply. One third of it becomes poisonous because of something like a shooting star that fell from the sky.
The star is named Wormwood, from the Greek word apsinthos (absinthe). Because of this, some commentators believe that the agent making the waters poisonous is radioactive
contamination.
They say this because, although it's not free of controversy, the Russian word chernobyl can be translated as wormwood and on April 25 and 26 of 1986 the world's worst
nuclear disaster occurred in the Ukranian city by that name. A nuclear reactor in the Chernobyl power plant exploded during testing, releasing amounts of radioactive
fallout into the atmosphere 300 times greater than the atomic bomb exploded in Hiroshima. If you saw the movie "China Syndrome" you learned that out of control
reactors can burrow into the ground and once that happens are all but unstoppable.
There's no official word on whether that did or can happen at Chernobyl. But containment efforts are still ongoing 20 years later, and if European aquifers become
contaminated, it's easy to see how this view of Rev. 8:11 could be accurate.
The fourth angel sounded his trumpet, and a third of the sun was struck, a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of them turned dark. A third of
the day was without light, and also a third of the night. (Rev. 8:12)
Between the smoke from the grass and forest fires, and particulates thrown into the air by the meteor strike the atmosphere has become so dense that 1/3 of the
light from the heavenly bodies is blocked. I'm reminded of TV footage from the fires that Saddam's troops set in Kuwait's oil fields while retreating. The smoke
was so dense that it was like night during the day, the sun like a dark red ball floating in the blackened sky above. That's about what it'll look like as the
world awaits the fifth trumpet.
As I watched, I heard an eagle that was flying in midair call out in a loud voice: "Woe! Woe! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth, because of the trumpet blasts
about to be sounded by the other three angels!" (Rev 8:13) This is no ordinary eagle. The Greek text uses the word normally translated angel, indicating some kind of
supernatural messenger, sent to prepare the world for what's ahead. Four of the trumpets have sounded, and the Earth is reeling from this onslaught.
But now the judgments turn supernatural and are directed at man himself. It's about to get personal.
Revelation 9
The fifth angel sounded his trumpet, and I saw a star that had fallen from the sky to the earth. The star was given the key to the shaft of the Abyss.
When he opened the Abyss, smoke rose from it like the smoke from a gigantic furnace. The sun and sky were darkened by the smoke from the Abyss. (Rev. 9:1-2)
This star had fallen some time previous to the 5th angel's trumpet, and by using a personal pronoun, John identifies him as a living being. In Luke 10:18
Jesus said that He had seen Satan fall like lightning from Heaven, so it can be assumed that the star is Satan and he's been told to open the shaft of the Abyss
to release a swarm of "locusts."
And out of the smoke locusts came down upon the earth and were given power like that of scorpions of the earth. They were told not to harm the grass of the earth or
any plant or tree, but only those people who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads. They were not given power to kill them, but only to torture them for five months.
And the agony they suffered was like that of the sting of a scorpion when it strikes a man. During those days men will seek death, but will not find it; they will long to
die, but death will elude them.
The locusts looked like horses prepared for battle. On their heads they wore something like crowns of gold, and their faces resembled human faces. Their hair was like
women's hair, and their teeth were like lions' teeth. They had breastplates like breastplates of iron, and the sound of their wings was like the thundering of many horses
and chariots rushing into battle. They had tails and stings like scorpions, and in their tails they had power to torment people for five months. They had as king over them
the angel of the Abyss, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek, Apollyon. (Rev 9:3-11) They're unlike any locusts ever seen on Earth before. Normal locusts are
vegetarian, but these are prevented from eating the grass, plants, or trees. Instead they attack people, but only unbelievers, and when they do they sting them like a
scorpion would, causing pain so intense that their vistims will pray for death. And their leader is the angel of the Abyss, whose name means "Destroyer" in both languages.
(In one of those precious little tidbits of wisdom that God's word is noted for, Proverbs 30:27 informs us that normal locusts have no king lending credence to the idea
that these "locusts" are something else.)
John had certainly never seen such a thing before, and in describing them he exceeded even the limits of his imagination. You've got to appreciate the nature of his
challenge here. He was a first century man called upon to describe twenty first century warfare. But he had to do it in such a way that all the generations in between
could interpret it as well. Even today we can't relate these so-called locusts to anything in our world. They're clearly a demonic manifestation of some sort.
So why are they only attacking unbelievers? Good question. Certainly it's a God ordained judgment, but did Satan willingly turn these little monsters loose on his own people?
Was he ordered to, or is it some diabolical scheme to further inflame the hatred of the people of Earth toward God? After all, His followers aren't suffering.
Did Satan deliberately do this so he could blame God for it, advancing his strategy of turning Darkness into Light and the Lie into the Truth? A little later John will
inform us that none of these torments turned the people of Earth from their rebellious ways.
The first woe is past; two other woes are yet to come.
The sixth angel sounded his trumpet, and I heard a voice coming from the horns of the golden altar that is before God. It said to the sixth angel
who had the trumpet, "Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates." And the four angels who had been kept ready for this very hour and
day and month and year were released to kill a third of mankind. The number of the mounted troops was two hundred million. I heard their number.
The horses and riders I saw in my vision looked like this: Their breastplates were fiery red, dark blue, and yellow as sulfur. The heads of the horses resembled
the heads of lions, and out of their mouths came fire, smoke and sulfur. A third of mankind was killed by the three plagues of fire, smoke and sulfur that came
out of their mouths. The power of the horses was in their mouths and in their tails; for their tails were like snakes, having heads with which they inflict injury.
(Rev. 8:12-19)
Traditionally, the Euphrates River has been the territorial, cultural and religious boundary between East and West. Rarely have customs, traditions or philosophies crossed
from either direction. As a result the Eastern world is far different in almost every respect from its Western counterpart. This passage helps to explain why that's so.
There's been a boundary in the spiritual world as well. But with this command from the very throne of God the boundary comes down and the effect is deadly beyond comparison.
The combatants released by the lowering of this barrier wind up killing 1/3 of the remaining population of Earth. Remember 1/4 of mankind met their end in the seal judgments.
With this additional third that means that over 3 billion people will have died by the time this is over, and the Great Tribulation hasn't even begun yet.
The cause of this destruction is the release of angels at the Euphrates River, but the River hasn't been dried up yet allowing the Kings of the East to cross.
That comes later in Rev. 16:12. I think this passage is describing warfare that takes place in the Far East where over 40% of the world's population lives
(many in crowded conditions increasing the potential for mass casualties) where religious and ethnic tensions are traditionally high, and where several countries
can mount huge armies. I think it's the coalition formed by the winners of this war that storms across the dried up Euphrates while the anti-Christ is distracted by
other uprisings. (Daniel 11:40-44)
The rest of mankind that were not killed by these plagues still did not repent of the work of their hands; they did not stop worshiping demons, and idols of gold, silver,
bronze, stone and wood?idols that cannot see or hear or walk. Nor did they repent of their murders, their magic arts, their sexual immorality or their thefts. (Rev. 9:20-21)
You'd think that with those demonic locusts attacking only non-believers and 3 billion people dying from wars and other disasters, people would be flocking to the Lord in
search of comfort and security. But this just doesn't happen, and I'll tell you why.
There is a belief floating around that's as old as mankind but in the last days will become a religion that deceives almost everybody. It's called the Luciferian Doctrine
and understanding it helps explain why the world won't turn to its Creator in this, the worst time in human history. The Luciferian doctrine is named of course
after Lucifer, a Latin name meaning, "light bearer." It holds that Lucifer is the good guy trying to enlighten the people of the world in preparation for the spiritual
evolution necessary to bring peace to all mankind. According to Luciferian Doctrine our physical evolution is finished and all we need to do now is throw off the bonds
of Judeo-Christian thinking to complete our spiritual evolution and enter into our long awaited Utopian Era.
But Lucifer's being hindered in all this by the evil Adonai (Hebrew for Lord) Who, along with His followers, is working to thwart Lucifer's grand plan by requiring
everyone to adhere to His reactionary religion, effectively preventing our spiritual evolution. In order for humanity to achieve Utopia those who insist on clinging to
their obsolete Judeo- Christian faith have to be eliminated. The Great Tribulation is characterized in Luciferian Doctrine as the evil Adonai's last great effort to
destroy mankind's "light bearer" and prevent our ascension into Utopia, keeping us in bondage to Him.
Following the church's disappearance the Truth will become pretty scarce on Earth and the whole world will be deceived into believing the Luciferian Doctrine just as
Paul warned would happen (2 Thes. 2:9-12). So naturally, thinking the Lord is the bad guy, they became even more intense in their worship of Lucifer, hoping that he'll
prevail and bring an end to their suffering. (There is a way that seems right to man, but the end thereof is death ... Prov. 14:12) Lucifer, of course, is also widely
known as Satan or The Devil.
Jump to Menu
Revelation Chapter 10-11:14
We take a break from the Trumpet Judgments now to give the world its final warnings before the Great Tribulation begins. These are the Seven Thunders and the Two
Witnesses that God has sent to Israel to warn His people to "get right with God" while there's still time.
Remember, at the end of the Battle of Ezekiel 38-39, God will bring every living Jew to Israel, leaving none behind. (Ezek. 39:28) Even though many will be martyred,
especially among those who've found the Messiah, there'll still be a huge population of Jews in Israel with a fully functioning Temple. In the sequence of events,
the Abomination of Desolation hasn't happened yet so they haven't had to flee into the mountains of Jordan. The 144,000 and the Tribulation Saints will help complete
this world wide evangelistic "last call."
REVELATION 10
The Angel and the Little Scroll
Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven. He was robed in a cloud, with a rainbow above his head; his face was like the sun, and his legs were
like fiery pillars. He was holding a little scroll, which lay open in his hand. He planted his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land, and
he gave a loud shout like the roar of a lion. When he shouted, the voices of the seven thunders spoke. And when the seven thunders spoke, I was about to
write; but I heard a voice from heaven say, "Seal up what the seven thunders have said and do not write it down." (Rev 10:1-4)
Lots of things in this passage hint at the possible identity of this angel. He's clothed in a cloud and his legs are like pillars of fire, which reminds us of the Angel
of the Lord who protected the Israelites in the wilderness. The Rainbow over his head is symbolic of God's mercy. His voice is like the roar of a lion.
The voice of the Lord is compared to thunder seven times in Psalm 29. Could it be the Lord? His identity is not specified but whether he is or not doesn't really
impact our understanding of the passage.
The Seven Thunders most probably contain an undisclosed warning by God between the 6th and 7th Trumpets. John was about to detail this for us when the Lord told him not to.
In Psalm 29 the voice of the Lord is mentioned seven times and is compared to the sound of thunder. The name of the Lord is given four times in the two-verse introduction
of the Psalm and four times more in the two-verse conclusion (four is the number of Creation). It appears ten times in verses 3 through 9 (ten is a number that denotes
the completeness of Divine Order) and the phrase "Voice of the Lord" is repeated seven times (seven is the number of perfection). Psalm 29 is often called "the Seven
Thunders of God" as well.
With the coming Seventh Trumpet, we'll be told that the Kingdoms of the world have become the Kingdom of our Lord (Rev. 11:15) and for the first time the traditional
translation of God's name as "the One Who is and Who was and Who is to come" is changed to just "the One Who is and Who was" (Rev. 11:17) also indicating that His reign
has begun. (Some translations put the "Is to Come" part back in but the Greek text doesn't include it.)
This means that in the Heavenly view, the Great Tribulation will have begun. After Satan's losing battle in Heaven and confinement to Earth in Rev. 12, the anti-Christ
makes his official appearance on Earth as Satan's host at the beginning of Rev. 13. (He first came on the scene in Rev. 6 as a mere man.) This signals the start of the
Great Tribulation on Earth. The seven Bowl judgments begin soon thereafter.
Put all this together and you can make a circumstantial case that the Seven Thunders will announce that the Great Tribulation with its Bowl Judgments will complete the
Divine Order, perfectly satisfying God's righteous requirement that the people of Earth be judged for their sins, and leaving Earth in a condition of readiness to
receive her King.
Then the angel I had seen standing on the sea and on the land raised his right hand to heaven. And he swore by him who lives for ever and ever, who created the heavens
and all that is in them, the earth and all that is in it, and the sea and all that is in it, and said, "There will be no more delay! But in the days when the seventh
angel is about to sound his trumpet, the mystery of God will be accomplished, just as he announced to his servants the prophets."
Then the voice that I had heard from heaven spoke to me once more: "Go, take the scroll that lies open in the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land."
So I went to the angel and asked him to give me the little scroll. He said to me, "Take it and eat it. It will turn your stomach sour, but in your mouth it will
be as sweet as honey." I took the little scroll from the angel's hand and ate it. It tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it, my
stomach turned sour. Then I was told, "You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, languages and kings." (Rev. 10:5-11)
The Lord told John to take the scroll and eat it. At first taste, it seemed sweet as honey, but after he swallowed it, his stomach turned sour. This is to signify that as followers of the Lord, we anticipate the fulfillment of End Times prophecy with much excitement and joy. We join with the souls of the righteous slain in crying, "How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?" (Rev. 6:10) We know His judgment is righteous, and that He's been long-suffering, patient almost to a fault. But because our enemy is so intent upon succeeding in his rebellion against God, the horror and carnage of the warfare necessary to accomplish his defeat is enough to make you sick.
REVELATION 11:1-14
The Two Witnesses
I was given a reed like a measuring rod and was told, "Go and measure the temple of God and the altar, and count the worshipers there. (Rev. 11:1)
Here's evidence along with Daniel 9:27 and 2 Thes. 2:4 that a Temple will exist before the beginning of the Great Tribulation. Having seen the miraculous way in which God
delivered them from certain defeat in the battle of Ezekiel 38-39, Jews from all over the world will respond to His offer of reconci
