Book of Revelation:
The Book of Revelation is an insight that the Father gave to the Son (The Word) to show to his followers.
I Am The First And The Last:
https://bible.knowing-jesus.com/search?q=I+am+the+first+and+the+last&translation=all
Revelation 1:1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John:This is worth reviewing;
Chuck Missler Book of Revelation
https://www.youtube.com/watchv=Ewny6LF_zXs&list=PLlTRGidk4A1AI9zwIgfnnPDU43f4Tgmx_
Babylon the Great & The Caliph Antichrist - Armageddon News
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uY20IFaWlsQ
Session 1: Introduction
• It’s the only book that has the audacity to say, “read me I’m special.”
Revelation 1:3 Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.
I know of no other book in the Bible that calls you to read it specifically, there are many admonitions to read the Bible in general.
• But only one book rises and says specifically, “hey, read this one and you will get a special blessing.”
And you will, God is faithful and we will watch and see what happens.
This is one of those studies that is often avoided by people who have spent a lot of time in their Bible.
Many pastors won’t teach on it.
They are uncomfortable with the book, and they have their reasons.
Like, “Well there’s lots of viewpoints and so on.”
One of the reasons is that it highlights ones lack of understanding of the Old Testament.
This is a fabulous book for the new believer, it’s such a rewarding study.
The Revelation:
Is singular, not plural. Often the book of Revelation is referred to as “Revelations.”
They assume that because it has all of these visions that it has lots of revelations, it’s a singular revelation.
Apokálypsis (602) - Is a noun it shows up 19 times): it means “revelation” to unveil or uncover.
As a verb it shows up 26 times: meaning “to reveal.”
There are seven epistles in the New Testament written by Jesus Himself.
Why These Seven Churches?:
The Book of Revelation is like cover letter that goes to these seven churches;
Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea.
Many of these churches you may never have heard of except for this book.
What’s astonishing are the ones not listed.
Where’s the church of Jerusalem? The church of Rome?
Even a superficial knowledge of the New Testament would cause you to list a handful of churches that are not listed here.
The scripture John 16:14 tells us
“He Shall Glorify Me”
• The Old Testament – Glorifies Christ in Prophecy
• The Gospels – Glorifies Christ in History
• The Book of Acts – Glorifies Christ in the Church
• The Epistles – Glorifies Christ in Experience
• The Apocalypse – Dramatizes Christ in His coming Glory
• In the Old Testament Christ appears in Prophecy “Behold, He Comes!”
• In the Gospels Christ appears in History “Behold, He Dies!”
• In the book of Acts Christ appears in the Church “Behold, He Lives!”
• In the Epistles Christ appears in Experience “Behold, He Saves!”
• In the Apocalypse Christ appears in coming Glory “Behold, He Reigns!”
To Whom Is This Book Given?
Revelation 1:1,2 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto Him, to show unto
His servants things which must shortly come to pass; and He sent and signified it by his angel unto His servant John: who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw.
The revelation of whom?
• ...”The Revelation of Jesus Christ“...
God gave to whom?
• ...”God gave to Him“..., God gave it to Jesus.
Mark 13:32 But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father ...
• The Father knew when Jesus was coming back, and He was the only one that did.
– It could be that as the Son of Man, He didn’t know, but He knows now.
To show unto whom? …
• ...”to show unto His servants “...
Servants, is the Greek word, doúlos ("bond-slave") it is used with the highest dignity – namely, of believers who willingly live under Christ's authority as His devoted followers.
• ...”and he sent and signified“...
Signified is the Greek word for “signs” from (sémainó).
When?
• ...”things which must shortly come to pass“...
The Greek word shortly implies, that when these things start happening, they are going to follow one after the other in tight order.
• ...”by his angel to His servant John“...
...”who bare record of the word of God“...
• ...”of all things that he saw“...
• Not things that he dreamed up or imagined, John wrote down the things that he saw.
– There will be many visions, and many idioms, these were things that were visual.
• They are not necessarily just 3 dimensional.
…rendered into “signs” (sememes)...
Basic Units of Information:
• Alphabet = The basic unit of a language is of a written language, the alphabet.
• Phonemes = The basic unit of sound or of spoken word is sound;
• Pixels = The basic unit of an image are pixels, the smallest unit of a picture.
• Sememes = The basic unit of meaning is called a sememes.
That is exactly the word used in the Greek as a word where it speaks of a mark, semaino; from sema, a mark it is used 4591 times.
1) to give a sign, to signify, indicate;
2) to make known.
Signified by God = in “code” (1:1) “to give a sign or signal.”
• There are, in the Bible 4,591 semas: The word is translated “sign” (15:1), “wonder” (12:1, 3) and “miracle” (19:20).
Sometimes a “seal.”
• This same word is used by John for the miracles of Christ. It’s a “spiritual code,” understood only by those who know Christ personally.
Revelation is in code:
Every code is explained somewhere else in Scripture (virtually every other book is required)!
This will launch you on a treasure hunt.
The Apocalypse:
• Is a Catastrophic end-crisis of present age
• Spectacular reappearance of the King of Kings in His global empire
• Internment of Satan in the Abousso
• Millennial earth-reign of Christ
• Final insurrection and the abolition of sin
• We are going to see a New Heaven and a New Earth
Where to begin a serious study? Revelation is excellent…Everything begun in Genesis is consummated in Revelation: integrated design…
A Unique Promise:
Revelation 1:3
Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.
This is not history, but prophesy...
...”words of this prophecy“...
There are people who claim that the book of Revelation is not prophesy.
Two Basic Discoveries:
1) The Bible consists of 66 separate books penned by over 40 authors over a period of several thousand years that are an integrated message system.
2) It can be demonstrated that the origin of this message is from outside of our dimensions of space and time.
The Central Theme:
• The Old Testament is an account of a Nation.
• The New Testament is the account of a Man.
• The Creator became a Man. His appearance is the Central Event of all history.
• He died to purchase us and is alive now.
• The most exalted privilege is to know Him. That’s what the Bible is all about.
• There is a Man on the throne of God as we speak.
The Book of revelation is a lens through which we look at the whole Bible.
Our Presuppositions:
• God means what He says and says what He means.
• The Bible is an integrated whole: Every detail is there by design (Matthew 5:17,18).
• Nothing in the text is trivial: All things are written for our learning (Romans 15:4).
• God is His own interpreter. Most of the text is interpreted for us.
Acts 17:11
These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received
the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily,
whether those things were so.
Luke is warning you: Don’t believe anything that anybody says!
Check it out for yourself!
Revelation “The Unveiling”:
• The consummation of all things.
• The only book promising a special blessing to the reader.
• 404 verses containing over 800 allusions from the Old Testament.
• If the book of Revelation seems strange to our ears, it’s because we haven’t done enough studying in the Old Testament.
• Remember they only had the Old Testament at first.
• It presents the climax of God’s Plan for Man.
John, the Author:
• John wrote The Gospel of John.
• John wrote Three Epistles.
1 John, sermon on love; in the form of a letter.
2 John, a personal letter to Mary(?);
3 John, a personal note to Gaius).
And dictated The Revelation of Jesus Christ.
John was born at Bethsaida he was the younger brother of James, to Zebedee and Salome was probably of some means and was a Galilean fisherman; he was a partner with Peter and Andrew.
• John was an early disciple of John the Baptist.
• And seemed to be well connected (High Priest, Nicodemus, et al , cf. John 18:15).
• John was one of the inner circle:
• Mount of Transfiguration (Matthew 17);
• The raising of Jairus’ daughter (Matthew 9:18);
• Olivet Discourse (Matthew 24);
• Gethsemane (Matthew 26:37);
• Jesus assigned the care of Mary to John (John 19:26);
• John ultimately retires to Ephesus after his exile.
The Patmos Exile:
• Patmos is a small island, 6 miles by 10 miles, 40 miles from Miletus and 24 miles from the coast of Turkey.
• John was exiled by Domitian (A.D. 81- 96), was the brother of Titus who destroyed Jerusalem in 70 A.D.
Hyppolytus:
Claimed that John was plunged into boiling oil, and when that didn’t work, he was sent to Patmos in exile.
Victorinus:
Claimed that John was forced to work in the mines that were on the Island of Patmos.
• According to Irenaeus (2nd century A.D.), Revelation was written by John during the
reign of Domitian.
• Irenaeus, Clement, and Eusebius:
Wrote that after Domitian died, John returned to Ephesus, went to the churches, and appointed leaders, and set things in order.
Alternative Views of the Book of Revelation:
• Preterist believes that Revelation was only applicable in the first century Then only
• Historical Some feel that it is History only
• Idealist some feel that the entire book is only Allegorical
• Futurist we feel that the book is Prophetic
The Book of Revelation claims the latter (1:3; 22:7, 10 18-19; cf.10:11).
Why Prophecy?
• The Old Testament:
• The Old Testament has 1,845 references to Christ’s rule on the earth;
• 17 Old Testament books give prominence to the event.
• New Testament:
Of the 216 chapters, there are 318 references to the Second Coming;
– it is mentioned in 23 of the 27 books.
• For every prophecy relating to His First Coming, there are eight treating His Second Coming.
• Still, most people assume that the future is but a linear extrapolation of the present; life will just go on. But the Bible says otherwise.
Amillennial Problems:
• Messianic Promises throughout the Old Testament.
• Destiny of Israel in God’s Covenants.
• Promise given to Mary by Angel Gabriel.
• Numerous reconfirmations in the New Testament.
The Heptadic Structure: The Sevens:
• Seven Churches 1:4,11,20; 2; 3
• Seven Seals 5; 6
• Seven Trumpets 8, 9
• Seven Bowls 15; 16; 17:1; 21:9
• Seven Lampstands 1:12, 13, 20; 2:1
• Seven Spirits 1:4; 3:1; 4:5; 5:6
• Seven Stars 1:16, 20; 2:1; 3:1
• Seven Lamps 4; 5
• Seven “Title-pairs” 2; 3
• Seven Promises to the Overcomer 2;3
• Seven Horns 5:6
• Seven Eyes 5:6
• Seven Angels 8:2,6; 15:1,6,7,8; 16:1; 17:1;21:9
• Seven Thunders 10:3, 4
• Seven Thousand 11:13
• Seven Heads 12:3; 13:1; 17:3, 7, 9
• Seven Crowns 12:3
• Seven Plagues 15:1, 6, 8; 21:9
• Seven Mountains 17:9
• Seven Kings 17:10,11
Seven Beatitudes:
• Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear and keep those things… (Revelation 1:3).
• Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord (Revelation 14:13).
• Blessed is he that watcheth and keepeth his garments (Revelation 16:15).
• Blessed are they who are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb (Revelation 19:9).
• Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection (Revelation 20:6).
• Blessed is he that keepeth the words of the prophecy of this book (Revelation 22:7)
• Blessed are they that wash their robes (Revelation 22:14).
(More Subtle) Sevens:
• Seven Features 1
• Seven Letter Divisions 2, 3
• Seven Personages 12, 13
– Woman, Man-Child, Red Dragon, 7-headed Beast, False Prophet, Michael, Lamb.
• Seven Years of Judgments 11:3; 12:6,14; 13:5
• Seven “I Am’s” of Christ 1:8, 11, 17, 18; 21:6; 22:13,16;
• Seven Doxologies in heaven 4:9-11; 5:8-13; 7:9-12; 11:16-
18; 14:2,3; 15:2-4 ;19:1-6
• Seven New Things 20, 21
...and many, many more. (Seven times as many?)
Tenses of Redemption:
Past Present Future God:
Which Was Which is Which Is to Come
(Revelation 1:4) (Colossians 1:15-17; (Hebrews 7:25) (Revelation 1:7) John 8:58)
Jesus Christ:
The Faithful Witness First Begotten Prince of the Kings
(Revelation 1:5) (John 14:1-3; John 8:14)
of the Dead of the Earth
(Colossians 1:18-20) (Matthew 25:31,32; 1 Corinthians 15:24,25)
Unto Him That:
Loved Us Washed Us from our Made Us Kings/Priests
(Revelation 1:5) (Galatians 2:20; John 3:16)
Sins in His Own Blood (1 Peter 2:9; Luke 19:17; Rev ( Hebrews 7:25; 9:14) 2:26,26; 5:10; 20:4; 22:5)
Write:
The Things Which The Things Which The Things Which Shall
(Revelation 1:19)
Thou Hast Seen Are Be Hereafter
(Revelation 1:12-18) (Revelation 2 & 3) (Revelation 4-22)
Three Tenses of “Being Saved”
• Have been saved: From the penalty of sin;
– Positionally, Ephesians 2:8, 9.
– Called justification salvation.
• Are being saved: From the power of sin;
– Operationally, by the Holy Spirit, moment-by-moment; Romans 6.
– Called sanctification.
• Shall be saved: From the presence of sin;
– Called “the redemption of our body,” Romans 8:23.
Types:
• Abraham & Isaac Genesis 22
• Nebuchadnezzar’s Image Daniel 3
• Redemption of the land Ruth
• Model of the Revelation & Joshua
• The Tabernacle Exodus
Idioms:
• “Friend of God” ( Abraham; and Disciples)
• “Dearly Beloved” (Daniel; and John) receives prophetic insight.
“Whole Counsel of God”
• Christ at the center Revelation 1:1
• “More sure word of prophecy” 2 Peter 1:19
• “Search the Scriptures and they are they which testify of me” John 5:39
• “Volume of the book is written of me” Psalms 40:7
• “Testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy” Revelation 19:10
• “Thy Kingdom Come” Matthew 6:10
[The early church’s hymnal was the Book of Revelation!]
“I was in the spirit…”
• On the “day of the Lord” (at Patmos) Ch. 1:10
• To the throne in heaven Ch. 4:2
• Carried away in the wilderness Ch. 17:3
• Carried to a mountain Ch. 21:10
“Thunders, voices, lightnings, and an earthquake”:
Throne (Revelation 4:5);
Seals (Revelation 8:5);
Trumpets (Revelation 11:19); and,
Bowls (Revelation 16:18).
Climactic Doxologies:
• Glory, dominion (2) Revelation 1:6;
• Glory, honor, power (3) Revelation 4:11;
• Blessing, honor, glory, power (4) Revelation 5:13;
• Blessing, glory, wisdom, thanksgiving, honor, power, might (7) Revelation 7:12.
Worship:
1) Holy, Holy, Holy Ch. 4:8
2) Worthy art thou Ch. 4:11; 5:8-10
3) Unto Him that sitteth Ch. 5:11-13
4) Salvation to our God Ch. 7:9-12
Amen; Blessing...
5) Kingdoms of the world Ch. 11:15-18
We give thee thanks
6) Great & marvelous... Ch. 15:2-4
7) Four hallelujahs Ch. 19:1-8
Things Out of Place:
• Israel v Land
• Church v Heaven
• Lamb v Own throne
• Satan v Bound
The Three Women:
Wife of YHWH Woman of Rev 12 Israel
Virgin Bride Bride of Christ The Church
Harlot Mystery Babylon Woman who rides the Beast
Creation vs Redemption:
Redemption: restoration of that which was lost to the original owner (Luke 21:28; Romans 8:23; Galatians 3:13; Ephesians 1:14; Daniel 8:26; Daniel 12:4, 9).
• The Space:
– Creation: Two chapters in Genesis, few Psalms, few chapters in Job, Isaiah...
– Redemption:
Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Joshua, Ruth, the Prophets, the Gospels...the Epistles...the Revelation!
• The Price:
– Creation: “Breathed from His nostrils…”
– Redemption: Cost God His Son!
Genesis vs. Revelation:
Genesis = Beginning; Creation
Revelation = Redemption; Completion
Genesis Revelation:
Earth Created 1:1
Earth Passed away 21:1
Sun, moon, stars 1:14-16 4:12; 8:12
Earth’s government 37
Earth’s judgment 16:8
Sun to govern Day 1:16
No need of sun 21:23
Darkness called night 1:5
No night there 22:5
Waters He called seas 1:10
No more sea 21:1
A river for earth’s blessing 2:10-14
A river for New Earth 22:1,2
Man in God’s Image 1:26
Man Headed by Satan’s
Image 13
Entrance of sin 3
End of sin 21, 22
Curse pronounced 3:14-17
No more curse 22:3
Death entered 3:19
No more death 21:4
Cherubim first mentioned 3:24
Cherubim final mention 19:4
Man driven out of Eden 3:24
Man restored 22
Tree of life guarded 3:24
Access to Tree of life 22:14
Sorrow & suffering enter 3:17
No more sorrow 22:4
Religion, art, and science
separated from God 4
judged, destroyed 18
Nimrod founds Babylon 10:8-10
Babylon falls 17, 18
Genesis Revelation
God’s Flood to
Destroy evil generation 6 - 9
Satan’s flood to
Destroy elect generation 12
A bow: God’s promise 9:13
A bow for remembrance 4:3; 10:1
Sodom & Egypt:
Corruption, judgement 13, 19
“Sodom & Egypt”
(Jerusalem) 11:8
A confederation vs.
Abraham’s people 14
Abraham’s Seed 12
A bride for Abraham’s son 24
A bride for Abraham’s
Seed 19
Marriage of 1st Adam 2:18-23
Marriage of Last Adam 19
Promised Seed:
Possess gate of enemies 29:8
Promised Seed possessing 19
Man’s dominion ceased and
Satan’s begun 3:24
Satan’s domain ended and
man’s restored 22
One Integrated Design:
The New Testament is in the Old Testament concealed;
The Old Testament is in the New Testament revealed.
Prophetic Scriptures:
• There are 8,362 predictive verses;
• There are 1,817 predictions;
• On 737 separate matters.
J. Barton Payne, Encyclopedia of Biblical Prophecy
Major Prophetic Themes:
• Israel
• Jerusalem
• Temple
• Babylon
• Russia (Magog)
• Rise of China
• European SuperState
• Ecumenical Religion
• Global Government
• Rise of the Occult
Our Challenge:
We are being plunged into a period of time about which the Bible says
more than about any other period in history …including the time when
Jesus walked the shores of Galilee and climbed the mountains of Judea.
The Ultimate Issue:
• We are in possession of message of extraterrestrial origin.
• It portrays us as objects of an unseen warfare.
• Our eternal destiny depends upon our relationship with the ultimate
victor in this cosmic conflict.
• Where do you stand with respect to Him?
How to Study:
• Prayer & relationship with the Author
• Presuppositions
• Note taking
• Your Secret Journal
• Helps (Exegetical and Expositional)
Revelation 1:4,5
John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from Him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the Seven Spirits which are before his throne...
Seven Spirits (Angels?)
Isaiah 11:2
And the Spirit of the YHWH shall rest upon him, the Spirit of Wisdom, the
Spirit of Understanding, the Spirit of Counsel, the Spirit of Might, the Spirit
of Knowledge, and the Spirit of the Fear of the LORD.
Some view this as referring to angels: seven special ones.
Angels appear 74 times mentioned (104 in NT); nine times these seven special ones.
Vision in Chapter 1: Seven Features:
1) Hair; head Daniel 7:9
2) Eyes, Hebrews 1:13; 4:13
Flame of fire 1 Corinthians 3:13; Malachi 3:2
3) Feet, symbol of walk
Brass, judgment [cf. Brazen serpent: Numbers 21]
4) Voice, many waters Ezekiel 1:24; 43:2; Dan 10:6
5) Right Hand: 7 stars, lampstands: in the midst; in His hand
6) Mouth: two-edged sword: Hebrews 4:12; Ephesians 6:17; Isaiah 49:2
Judges unbeliever John 12:48
Earth smitten Isaiah 11:4
Antichrist consumed 2 Thessalonians 2:8
7) Countenance, Sun Matthew 17
[Cf. Programmer’s “Data Declarations”] These “descriptors” will be
used as identities throughout the rest of the Book.
The Divine Outline:
Write the things which thou hast seen
[The Vision of Christ, Chapter 1],
and the things which are
[The Seven Churches, Chapters 2,3],
and the things which shall be hereafter
[That which follows after the Churches, Chapters 4-22]; Revelation 1:19
The Keys are Self-Contained:
Revelation 1:20
The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: And the seven lampstands which thou sawest are the seven churches.
The Seven Churches: “The Things That Are”
Why these seven? Why not Jerusalem? Antioch? Rome? Lystra? Iconium? Et al…[“He that hath an ear…” 7 times elsewhere]
1) Local: actual churches. Researched archaeologically by Sir Wm. Ramsey...
2) Admonitory: “..churches”: all of them. Each message applies to each, to some extent.
3) Homiletic: “He that hath an ear...” Applies to us.
4) Prophetic: In their particular order, they lay out the history of the church.
[They fill the gap implied in Daniel 9:26, and between Rev 12:5 and 6, etc.]
There Are Seven Design Elements In Each of the Letters:
• Name of the Church
• Title of Christ Chosen
• Commendation
• Concern
• Exhortation
• Promise to the Overcomer
• “He that hath an ear, hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”
*
Chapter 1 Outline of Chapter 1
vv. 1-3 Introduction
vv. 4-11 Salutation & Occasion
vv. 12-18 Vision of the Risen Christ
v. 19 Outline of the Book
v. 20 Prep for Chapters 2 & 3
1] The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto Him, to show unto His servants things which must shortly come to pass; and He sent and signified it by his angel unto His servant John:
The Revelation means “Apocalypsis” = the Unveiling (18 times in New Testament)
[Note: The name Revelation is singular, not plural.]
Of whom? “...of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto Him.”
Can Jesus “learn”?
Can the Father reveal to the Son? (Luke 2:52; Mark 13:32; Acts 1:6,7 .)
“servants” = doulos: yielded bondslaves (Exodus 21:6; Deuteronomy 15:17).
“show” = This is not a sealed book (Revelation 22:10). It is to be understood,
In contrast to Daniel, (Daniels 12:4).
This is not “dream” stuff, it is real and tangible.
“shortly” = en taxei: rapidly in execution (tachometer).
“What I begin I will also end” (1 Samuels 3:12; Luke 18:8).
“signified” means rendered into signs (codes).
Symbolic of reality; no prophecy is of private interpretation (2 Peter 1:20).
“Angel” Greek translation angelos: means a messenger.
2] Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw.
“Who bore witness” (this statement is recorded 90 times in John’s writings).
Epistolary aorist tense: he’s projected to where we are, looking back... His frame of reference is from our time frame looking back.
A Unique Promise:
3] Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.
“Read... Hear... Keep”:
This is the only book with a special promise if you do these three things.
4] John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from Him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the Seven Spirits which are before his throne;
“John” has no title. He was well-known to these churches.
Grace (Charis): common Greek greeting; here: a deep theological term!
Peace (Shalom): Peace (of God: profound problem resolved!)
5] And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood.
6] And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to Him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
“...kings and priests”: This designation will prove of paramount importance in Chapters 4 & 5!
7] Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which
pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.
“Every eye shall see Him”: This is personal, and physical (Daniel 7:13; Matthew 26:64; Matthew 24:30);
“pierced him” (Zechariah 12:10). This refers to His Second Coming, not the Rapture.
• If Christ will be coming to the earth at that time, there is no point in being caught up in the air.
• The Rapture has already taken place by this point.
“…pierced Him”: Cf. Zechariah 12:10.
8] I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.
Isaiah 44:6
Thus saith the Lord the King of Israel, and his redeemer the Lord of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God.
Revelation 22:13
I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life,
Isaiah 48:12
Listen to Me, O Jacob, even Israel whom I called; I am He, I am the first, I am also the last.
Isaiah 48:12
Listen to Me, O Jacob, even Israel whom I called; I am He, I am the first, I am also the last.
Alpha And Omega First And The Last:
“John” is specifically referenced five times: 1:1, 4, 9; 21:2; 22:8.
“John was a companion in tribulation”: During Domitian’s reign.
• John was exiled from A.D. 86 to 96.
10] I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of
a trumpet,
“The Day of the Lord” – Is a key term in eschatology.
Is Sunday the “Lord’s Day”?
• It is more like Saturday is "The Lord's Day"
• The Seventh Day was ordained in Eden Genesis 2
• Observed before the giving of the Law
– Did not gather manna on Shabbat Exodus 16
– Law given at Mt. Sinai Exodus 20
• Antichrist will seek “to change the times and the laws” Daniel 7:25
• “Do not move the ancient landmarks…”` Proverbs 22:28
• Millennial Temple only be open on
Shabbat and the new moon Ezekiel 46:1
Colossians 2:16-17
Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.
Yet this is why some prefer to have their worship services on Friday evening. (It also leaves the weekend free for family outings…)
“I Was in the Spirit…”
• The “Day of the Lord” (at Patmos) 1:10
• To the throne in heaven 4:2
• Carried away in the wilderness 17:3
• Carried to a mountain 21:10
Every Christian lives in two locations, an imbalance can lead either to mysticism or materialism.
“I heard”: I turned (v.10), I saw (v.12), I fell at His feet (v.17).
11] Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write
in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea.
Why these seven churches?
• Sixty-three years after Pentecost over 100 churches existed.
• Why not Rome, Jerusalem, Antioch, Colossae, Philipi, Galatia, Iconium, Lystra, Derbe, Miletus, Hierapolis, Troas, etc.?
Vision of the Risen Christ (vv. 12-18):
12] And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven
golden lampstands;
John saw Lampstands (not “candlesticks”) = luchina: light bearers (Exodus 25:31-40)
“I am...” (John 8:12 9:5); “Ye are...” (Matthew 5:14; Philippians 2:15,16).
Every local church is the bearer of God’s light in this dark world (cf. Dan 7:9-14).
• This scene should remind us of the tabernacle. The high priest had the sole oversight of the menorah.
He lighted the lamps, trimmed the wicks, poured the oil. If one of them was unsatisfactory, he was the one who snuffed it out (John 15; 1 John 5:16).
You and I can be set aside.
[But even the Prodigal Son never lost his sonship.]
13] And in the midst of the seven lampstands one like unto the Son of man, clothed
with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle.
“in the midst” = where is He right now?
“Son of Man”: Is stated 85 times in the gospels
(Stated 83 times by Christ Himself), cf. Psalms 3:4; Revelation 14:14 .
Josephus tells us that the priests were girded about the breasts, not the loins. We see Him here as our Great High Priest, in charge—and in control—of His Church.
Jesus’ tasks:
Intercession for us Hebrews 7:25
Cleansing us 1 John 1:9
Advocacy 1 John 2:1
Inspection Revelation 2 & 3 [Largely ignored by the church!]
Garments:
(ours) Used menstrual cloths Isaiah 64:6
(His) Clothed with light Psalms 104:12
Girdle of righteousness Isaiah 11:5
Vesture dipped in blood Revelation 19:13; Isaiah 63
The following physical description is reminiscent of the descriptions found in Matthew 17 (Transfiguration) and Daniel 7 (Ancient of Days).
14] His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire;
1) Hair, head: wool, snow Daniel 7:9, 13, 22
2) Eyes: flame of fire too pure to behold evil Hebrews 1:13 all things are naked Hebrews 4:13; work tried by fire 1 Corinthians 3:13; refiner’s fire Malachi 3:2
“He loves you so much He can’t take His eyes off of you!”
15] And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters.
Numbers 21:6-9 And the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died. Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD, and against thee; pray unto the LORD, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people. And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live. And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived.
“fiery” = “brass.” Makes no sense until Jesus explains to Nicodemus…
John 3:14
And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son
of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish,
but have eternal life.
[This sets the stage for the most famous verse in the entire Bible!...]
John 3:16
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that
whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Genesis 3:15
And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed
and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.
Shoof, to bruise, crush.
16] And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp two-edged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.
“...two-edged sword”:
Hebrews 4:12
For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
Ephesians 6:17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the
word of God:
“The Principle of Expositional Constancy”…
“...his countenance was as the sun...”:
Matthew 16:28 – 17:2
Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom. And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart, And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light.
17] And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last:
JESUS IN THE OLD TESTAMENT: “First and the Last” Yahweh/Jehovah is Jesus: 7 Times
1. Isaiah 41:4 Who hath wrought and done it, calling the generations from the beginning? I the Lord, the first, and with the last; I am he.
2. Isaiah 44:6 Thus saith the Lord the King of Israel, and his redeemer the Lord of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God.
3. Isaiah 48:12 Hearken unto me, O Jacob and Israel, my called; I am he; I am the first, I also am the last.
4. Revelation 1:11 Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and
unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea.
5. Revelation 1:16-17 And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp two-edged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.
17 And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last:
• Revelation 1:17-18 And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last:
18 I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.
6. Revelation 2:8 “was dead and am alive”
• Revelation 2:8 And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write; These things saith the first and the last, which was dead, and is alive;
7. Revelation 22:13 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.
1) Hair, head: wool, snow Daniel 7:9, 13, 22
2) Eyes: flame of fire too pure to behold evil Hebrews 1:13 all things are naked Hebrews 4:13; 1 Corinthians 3:13; 4:13
3) His feet is a symbol of His walk; Brass is judgement; brazen serpent Numbers 21
4) Voice of many waters Ezekiel 1:24; 4:32; Daniel 10:6
5) Right Hand has 7 stars 7 lampstands (they are in His Hands and yet, He is in the midst of them.)
6) His mouth a two-edged sword; Hebrews 4:12; Ephesians 6:17; Isaiah 49:2; He Judges unbelievers John 12:48; Earth is smitten in Isaiah 11; AntiChrist consumed
2 Thessalonians 2:8.
7) Countenance, Sun: Matthew 17
Cf. Programmer’s “Data Declarations. ” These “descriptors” will be used as identities throughout the rest of the Book.
The Divine Outline: Revelation 1:19:
• Write the things which thou hast seen He’s seen the risen Lord.
[The Vision of Christ, Chapter 1]
• and the things which are
[The Seven Churches, Chapters 2, 3]
• and the things which shall be hereafter
[That which follows after the Churches, Chapters 4-22]; Revelation 1:19
“...hereafter,” “after these things” = meta tauta.
The Keys are Self-Contained:
Revelation 1:20
The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the
seven golden lampstands: The seven stars are the angels of the seven
churches: And the seven lampstands which thou sawest are the seven
churches.
• The book all the way through for the most part identifies the idioms for you.
• The lampstands, are translated candlesticks in the old King James version.
• The lampstands in chapters 2 and 3, Jesus stands in the midst of the lampstands that are on the earth.
• In chapter 4 you will discover, they are in Heaven.
Seven Stars Seven Lampstands
20] The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the
seven golden lampstands:
• The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches:
• And the seven lampstands which thou sawest are the seven churches.
• The lampstands in chapter 1 are right now on the earth, the church is to be the light bearers.
The Menorah is the official symbol of Israel, the star of David is their symbol.
The Seven Churches:
“The Things that are”
Why these seven?
• Why not Jerusalem? Or Antioch, Rome, Lystra or Iconium?
• In each letter to the 7 churches they have a peculiar code word.
– ...”He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches“...
[“He that hath an ear…” appears 7 times elsewhere.]
– These seven letters have at least four levels of meaning.
• 4 Levels of Interpretation/Application:
– ”He that hath an ear, let him hear“
This phrase occurs seven times elsewhere in the New Testament, this is not by accident.
Matthew 11:15; Matthew 13:9; Matthew 13:43; Mark 4:9; Mark 4:23; Luke 8:8; Luke 14:35.
1) Local.
First of all they really were local churches:
– Sir William Ramsey, archaeologically researched this area and found out that they really were churches and that they really had these kinds of problems.
– So there is a practical, immediate, local reason for this letter.
2) Admonitory:
• Notice that this says, “..churches”: this is addressed to all of them, they are to all read the letters.
”He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches“
• If you are in Philadelphia, you want to read what is going on in Sardis, etc.
– There is advice here for the churches and their leadership.
3) Homiletic:
“He that hath an ear...”
Applies to us.
– This message is personal to all of the church, you and I to some extent.
4) Prophetic:
In their particular order, they lay out the history of the church, from the apostolic order until today. And if they were in any other order, that would not be true..
[They fill the gap implied in Daniel 9:26, and between Revelation 12:5 and 6, etc.]
These letters lay out the seven periods of the history of the church in their particular order with surprising precision.
If the order of the church was laid out in any other order, it would off.
There Are Seven Design Elements:
Each letter has seven design elements.
– Every church is surprised as to what will be revealed to them.
– The churches who thought that they were doing great were doing terribly.
– And the churches that thought that they were doing terribly were doing great.
– Go to the book of Acts to design church governance.
1. Name of the Church.
– The name of the church turns out to be significance to its message, a specific theme.
2. The Title of Christ Chosen.
– The title that Jesus uses for Himself is different for each letter and it’s appropriate to the mission of that particular church.
3. The Commendation.
– Their report card.
4. The Concern.
– Each church has a concern addressed.
5. The Exhortation.
– Do or continue to do that which is pleasing to God.
6. The Promise to the Overcomer.
– There is a prize promised to the overcomer.
7. “He that hath an ear, hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”
This seems as if it’s the closing passage to each letter.
Letter to Ephesus
The name Ephesus means “Desired One” or “Darling”, it’s a term of courtship.
Seven Churches In Scripture:
1) Ephesus Acts 18-20; Ephesians 3; 5
2) Smyrna Acts 15
3) Pergamos Numbers 22-24; Balaam, Numbers 33; Acts 15; 1 Corinthians 6
4) Thyatira 1 Kings 16; 21; Jezebel, Naboth’s vineyard; 2 Kings 9:36
5) Sardis Galatians; Romans
6) Philadelphia Thessalonians
7) Laodicea Colossians
Prophetic Profile of the Seven Churches:
Ephesus The Apostolic Church
Smyrna The Persecuted Church
Pergamos The Married Church
Thyatira The Medieval Church
Sardis Denominational Church
Philadelphia Missionary Church
Laodicea Apostate Church
• Jesus Christ has 24 titles in the first two chapters of the book of Revelation.
• All seven churches are in the order of prophecy and how the church operated throughout history.
• All seven churches apply to you and me, but they are also a “Prophetic Model” here.
— “He that has an ear” comes before the end of the letter.
• 1st Letter Ephesus “He that has an ear”. Means “Darling”, maiden of choice. They had left their first love, but hated the deeds of the Nicolaitans.
• 2nd Letter Smyrna “He that has an ear”. Means “Myrrh”, got it’s fragrance by crushing, the persecuted church. No correction, no bad news, just endure.
• 3rd Letter Pergamos “He that has an ear”. Means “Mixed marriage” worldly, Balaam and Balak doctrines to cause Israel to fall into idolatry.
— “He that has an ear” now comes after the letter.
The Four Parables:
The woman who hid leaven in the three meal offering.
• 4th Letter Thyatira means “Continual sacrifice” feet like fine bronze, speaks of judgement, Jezebel, to teach, seduce, depths of Satan, etc. Jezebel took the property of Naboth by inquisition. The Catholic Inquisitions. “He that has an ear”.
• 5th Letter Sardis means “Remnant” they have a name that they live, but are dead. Be watchful and strengthen what remains. Dead Orthodox Church. “He that has an ear”.
• 6th Letter Philadelphia means “Love of the Brethren” Has the Key of David, this is a Jewish Church. Has no corrections and the “Rapture” promise. My God appears 4 times to this church (read Psalms 22) “He that has an ear”.
• 7th Letter Laodicea means “” I am rich and increased with goods, am in need of nothing, you are poor and naked... Jesus is standing outside of the Church verse 20 If any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come into him and will sup with him and he with Me....“He that has an ear”.
The Seven Kingdom Parables:
Revelation 2 & 3 Matthew 13
• Ephesus • The Sower and 4 Soils (The Book of Ephesians)
• Smyrna • The Tares and the Wheat (The Book of Philippians)
• Pergamos • The Mustard Seed (The Book of Corinthians)
• Thyatira • The Woman & the Leaven (The Book of Galatians)
• Sardis • The Treasure in the Field (The Book of Romans)
• Philadelphia • The Pearl of Great Price (The Book of Thessalonians)
• Laodicea • The Dragnet (The Book of Colossians)
*
Revelation 2:1-7
Letter to Ephesus “Desired One” or “Darling”
Title of Christ
Revelation 2:1] Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden lampstands;
• A lampstand is a bearer, not a source, of light.
• Oil is emblematic of the Holy Spirit.
• Notice the paradoxical care: “in His [nail-scared] hand” yet walking “in their midst”; Cf. John 10:28.
Commendation:
2] I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not
bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles,
and are not, and hast found them liars:
3] And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name’s sake hast laboured, and
hast not fainted.
[1] I know thy works,
[2] and thy labour,
[3] and thy patience,
[4] and how thou canst not bear them which are evil:
[5] and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars:
“I know thy works”: Matthew 6:2, 5, 16-18...”work... labor... patience,” cf.
1 Thessalonians 1:3 (Love and hope are casualties to the heresy-hunting.)
Testing doctrines:
Paul’s farewell warnings were apparently heeded:
Acts 20:25-31; also, 2 Cor 11:14,15; 1 Thessalonians 5:20,21; 2 John 9, 10. Also
John’s warnings: 1 John 4:1-3.
Background History of Ephesus:
• Tacitus records that the city was founded in 1400 B.C., with an early temple to the Mother Goddess and ancient Hittite fertility deity who subsequently became identified with Diana.
• Ionian colonists from Athens settled there about 1100 B.C.
• In the middle of the 6th century B.C., the Lydians captured the city. Croesus, their king, was routed by the Persians in 541 B.C. and Ephesus was joined to other cities in the Ionian confederation. It was at this time that the tutelary deity became identified with Diana (or Artemis).
• Ephesus was involved to its own disadvantage in the Peloponnesian and Persian wars and served as a key naval base.
• In 334 B.C. it fell to the Macedonians under Alexander. After his death, Lysimachus became master of the city and added great improvements.
• Ephesus unwisely sided with Antiochus of Syria against the Romans.
• It eventually became the Roman capital of the province of Asia. But as a free city,
• Ephesus had its own municipal government and senate (mentioned both by Strabo and Josephus).
Geographic Position:
Ephesus was called the “Queen of Asia”: she was the proud capital of Ionia and chief harbor of proconsular Asia.
• It was an extremely wealthy and beautiful city, located near the mouth of the river Cayster (now Lower Meander).
• It was the principal line of communication between Rome and the eastern provinces.
One major road ran eastward through a pass to Sardis and then to Galatia and beyond. • Another led to Magnesia and up the valley of the river Meander to Iconium; a third ran through Colossae and Laodicea to the Euphrates.
• Trade with Greece and Italy ran through the port regularly.
Architecture:
Architecturally superb, its theater was 495 feet in diameter and held 25,000 people (Acts 19).
• The Marble Way, lined with statues and fountains, ran from the temple of Artemis through the city to the Magnesian Gate.
• The Arcadian Way, another main road from the theater to the harbor, was 1735 feet long and 70 feet wide, lined with columns and shops and illuminated at night.
• The most outstanding architectural feature was the temple of Diana (daughter of Zeus, sister of Apollo).
The Temple of Diana:
• The temple of Diana, one of the “seven wonders” of the ancient world,
• It was four times as large as the Parthenon at Athens, and stood on a platform 425 feet by 220 feet. The building itself was 340 by 165 feet, had 120 Ionic columns, each 60 feet high.
• Ecstatic, sexual rites took place at the temple, involving both male and female prostitutes. Its income was threatened by Paul’s preaching—this led to his departure. The temple was also an asylum for the criminals.
• The first bank (in the world?) functioned at the temple under the chief priests.
New Testament Period:
• In the New Testament period Ephesus was the largest city of its day.
• As the harbor gradually became unusable, traffic diverted to Smyrna.
• Ephesus was the center for the study of arts and magic; renowned over
the world for talismans, incantations, books, charms, etc.
(The burning of such artifacts are recorded in Acts 19:19).
• Paul’s first visit was brief and was directed toward the Jewish community;
• He later made a second visit--he was driven from the synagogue and settled in the school of Tyrannus for two years until the uproar in 58 A.D.
(Acts 19:24-41; 20:1).
• Ephesus later became the center for missionary operations throughout Asia. Imitators followed, but without power.
Seven sons of Siva:
Acts 19:12-17
• Timothy is alleged to have become its first bishop (1 Timothy 1:3).
• John is said to have spent time in Ephesus with Mary, the Lord’s mother.
• According to Eusebius and others, John returned there in 95 A.D. after Patmos, and spent his closing years there.
• His Gospel was apparently written from there.
• Timothy, John, and Mary’s tomb is there.
• After Paul left Ephesus and journeyed through Macedonia, he returned (to Miletus) for his famed farewell to the Ephesian elders.
• It is here that we find Aquila, Priscilla and Apollos. I Corinthians was penned during his second visit.
• (Paul’s Epistle to Ephesus was written from Rome.)
• The reputed home of Mary is now a shrine.
Later History Council of Ephesus:
• The bishop of Ephesus was accorded rank and authority of a patriarch over the churches in the province of Asia.
• In 431 A.D., Emperor Theodosius II called a general church council at Ephesus to consider the hotly argued question of the time whether the Virgin Mary should be described as the mother of God, and 200 bishops at this Third Ecumenical Council decided in the affirmative.
• In 431 A.D.: Summoned by Theodosius II, emperor of the East, and Valentinian III, emperor of the West, to resolve the controversy caused by the heresy known as Nestorianism.
• Nestorius died about 451,
Patriarch of Constantinople, refused to accord the title “Mother of God” to Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ.
• Proponents emphasized the separateness of the human and divine in Christ, claiming in effect that He was actually two separate persons, the one divine and the other human.
• Accordingly, Mary was considered the mother of the man Jesus, and not of the divine Jesus.
• This was opposed to the accepted doctrine that Christ was a single person, at once God and man.
• Under the Leadership of St. Cyril, the Patriarch of Alexandria, the council deposed Nestorius and condemned his doctrine. It declared that Jesus Christ is true God and true man, that He w\has two natures (human and divine) joined in one person.
• As a logical extension of that view, the council approved the title (Greek theotokos, “God-bearer”) for Mary.
– That gets twisted later as the “Mother of God” later.
Later History:
• Ephesus chief rival city was Miletus, but alluvial deposits gradually silted up the harbor of Miletus; Ephesus (for a while) eclipsed its rival in importance.
• (Even in the first century, Paul landed at Miletus—after one of the many dredgings—in Acts 20.)
• After its destruction by the Goths in 262 A.D. it never regained its former glory.
• (Jesus’ letter about 35 years after Paul’s departure.)
• (The Romans stripped the land of its wooded mountain ranges; soil eroded and the resulting silt transformed the harbor to a swamp;
• Today 20 miles of land has cut off the city from the sea.
The present unpretentious village of Seljuk (Ayasaluk?), built by the Byzantines, is but a sad remainder of its former glory.
For background read Acts 18-20, Paul’s Epistle to the Ephesians and John’s Epistles.
Paul’s Farewell to the Elders:
Acts 20:16-20
For Paul had determined to sail by Ephesus, because he would not spend the time in Asia: for he hasted, if it were possible for him, to be at Jerusalem the day of Pentecost. (The Feasts of Shavout, this is one of the three feasts that is obligatory.) And from Miletus he sent to Ephesus, and called the elders of the church. (About 20 miles away.) And when they were come to him, he said unto them, Ye know, from the first day that I came into Asia, after what manner I have been with you at all seasons, Serving the Lord with all humility of mind, and with many tears, and temptations, which befell me by the lying in wait of the Jews: And how I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, but have shewed you, and have taught you publickly, and from house to house,
Home Fellowships:
• Original form of fellowship (all incidents in Book of Acts were in homes).
• Formal churches were established in the 3rd century.
• Home fellowships were ostracized by:
– Medieval Church.
– Reformation Churches Calvin and Luther tried to stamp out the home fellowships.
– Many churches today do not encourage Home Fellowships.
• We happen to believe that is where people really grow, we have seen most of the blossoming occur in small groups.
• We think it is the Viable form for underground churches.
• Dr. J. Vernon McGee predicted that in America, the real Body of Christ is ultimately going to go underground and the attack against it will be led by the Denominational Churches.
Acts 20:21-26
Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. And now, behold, I go bound in the spirit unto Jerusalem, not knowing the things that shall befall me there: Save that the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions abide me. But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God. And now, behold, I know that ye all, among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God, shall see my face no more. Wherefore I take you to record this day, that I am pure from the blood of all men.
Acts 20:27-29
For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God. (A protection against deceit) Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.
35 years later....
“Grievous wolves enter in among you…” the very thing that they apparently anticipated in Jesus’ letter.
Acts 20:30-38
Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears.
And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified. I have coveted no man’s silver, or gold, or apparel. Yea, ye yourselves know, that these hands have ministered unto my necessities, and to them that were with me. I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive. And when he had thus spoken, he kneeled down, and prayed with them all. And they all wept sore, and fell on Paul’s neck, and kissed him, Sorrowing most of all for the words which he spake, that they should see his face no more. And they accompanied him unto the ship.
John’s Epistles (wrote 3):
• 1 John An Epistle to Ephesus
• 2 John A Personal to Mary
• 3 John A Personal to Gaius
John—understandably—emphasizes love to his Ephesian flock! 1 John 4:1-3 also includes warnings about false teachers.
[Even his personal letter to Mary includes warnings about false teachers, etc: 2 John 1:9-11.]
1 John 4:1-3
Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.
2 John 1:7-11
For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist. Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward. Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: For he that biddeth him God speed is partake of his evil deeds.
John is warning Mary not to take a false teacher under her roof?
WHY?
• Because for her to do it would be sanctioning their doctrine as truth.
• Since she was the one that bore Jesus Christ.
Concern:
4] Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.
The Key Line:
This is the key line in this entire letter.
• Protos: first in rank, influence, honor; the chief, principal; the superlative love.
The primary theme of the letter: “thy first love.”
• They were too busy on the business of the King to have time for the King…
Love of Espousal:
• Joy of their salvation: Psalms 51:12; Jeremiah 2:2; 2 Corinthians 11:2; 1 John 4:19.
• First-named fruit of the Spirit is love: Galatians 5:22.
• God uses the marriage to communicate His most intimate truths
The Most Intimate Truth:
The Harpazo (Rapture)!
• 20 references to this grace are found in Paul’s epistle to the Ephesians: Ephesians 5.
See A More Excellent Way, The Way of Agape, Nancy Missler, etc.
Mary/Martha Syndrome:
[Jesus wants Mary’s as well as Martha’s. Luke 10:38-42…]
Luke 10:38-42
Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus’ feet, and heard his word. But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me. And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.
Exhortation:
5] Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy lampstand out of his place, except thou repent.
6] But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.
Remember:
Repent. The Greek word aorist, the tense is used to envisaged no delay. Repent
Repeated. Where is their lampstand (Ephesus) visible today? It’s gone.
Note: He hates the deeds, not the Nicolaitans. These will become doctrines in the Letter to Pergamos.
Nicolaitans:
• A first-century sect claiming apostolic authority for their opinions?
• An untranslated word?
– nika, Nicao Conquer, overcome, rule
– lao, Laos Laity; the tendency is for the clergy to rule over the people.
– Using their clerical stature or position to rule over the laity (vs. washing of feet; John 13).
• Some believe that Nicholas started a 1st century sect and began abusing their liberty in Christ. He may have been one of the seven in the book of Acts 6 that was chosen to minister to the poor in Jerusalem.
• An untranslated word?
– Nicao means to conquer, overcome, rule.
– Laos means Laity or people.
So, the word, the Nicolaitans implies conquering or ruling over the people.
– Jesus did not like the whole concept of using their clerical stature or position to rule over the laity and creating hierarchies.
Jesus told us how to organize:
He that is chief among you must be the servant of all
Matthew 20:27 And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: 28 Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give His life....
– Having some senior elders to do teaching that’s fine, but it doesn’t assume they rule over the people. You can have deacons to help and there’s a whole different concept suggested.
– The formalism in some denominations and the strict following of pastors, etc., in some church buildings is a form of Nicolaitanism.
Nicolas? = One of “the seven” chosen to have the oversight of “the daily ministration” to the poor of the church in Jerusalem (Acts 6:5);
• He was called “a proselyte of Antioch” (the other six were therefore probably Jews by birth).
• Some of the church Fathers (Irenaeus, Hippolytus, Pseudo-Tertullian) state that he was the founder of a sect called “Nicolaitans.”
• Other Fathers suggest that a vain claim made by this sect was in promoting apostolic authority for their opinions. Cf. John 13:14,16; 1 Pet 5:3 (even suggests that Peter might have had a premonition that he himself would be attributed to such abuses...).
John 13:14-16
If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you. Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him.
Paul’s Epistle to the Ephesians:
• Written from Rome four years after his farewell.
• It is simply a letter springing from Paul’s love to the church there, and indicative of his earnest desire that they should be fully instructed in the profound doctrines of the gospel.
• It is similar to The Epistle to the Colossians, which is mainly polemical, designed to refute theosophic errors that had crept into the church there.
3rd Personal Homilies:
David vs. Solomon:
• David pervades the Scripture; Solomon is mentioned only with adverse comments (Matthew 6:28, et al.).
• Solomon sought wisdom, yet later became apostate through his foreign wives.
• David simply sought fellowship: “to dwell in the house of the Lord forever” (Psalm 23:6).
Primary Admonitions:
• Doctrinal purity: abhorrence of heresy.
• Devotion to our King: “They left their first love”; being too busy on the business of the King rather than for the King Himself.
• He wants devotion, not just doctrine.
• First commandment:
Sh’ma: Deuteronomy 6:5 Thou shalt love the Lord thy God....
• No thought of self: “If I speak with the tongues of men....” 1 Corinthians 13:ff.
• First love is the abandonment of all for a love that has abandoned all.
Personal Applications:
• The 3rd Commandment: Thou shalt not take the name of thy God in vain....
Ambassadorship, not vocabulary !
• Devotional life—private worship.
• Commitment, not melodies.
7] He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.
• Notice that the “Promise to the Overcomer” comes after the “Hear that hath an ear” phrase.
• That is a post script statement a p.s.
“Tree of Life” Myths of the heathen:
• The homa-tree of the Persians, growing at the spring Arduisur, which comes from the throne of God.
• The halpasoma-tree of the Hindus, which furnished the water of immortality.
• The tuba-tree of the Arabs.
• The lotus-tree of the Greeks.
• The tree of Assyria adorned by royal figures and guarded by genii, similar to the cherubim; cf. Ezekiel 47:12.
Denouement:
• Paul’s warning in Acts & John’s letter(s): Where’s their lampstand today?
• Ephesus is now over six miles from the sea, unapproachable by ship.
– What was a major harbor is now a marsh dense with reeds.
– What once was the key city in Asia is now a desolation.
Prophetic Profile:
Ephesus represents the Apostolic Church. Even at the end of the first century (when this was written) the church was in trouble.
• Thus, even the “Church Fathers” are not a reliable model. Paul’s letter to Galatians exhorts not to “perfect in the flesh what was begun in the Spirit.”
• The only exemplar model is the Book of Acts.
Study to notice the emphasis on the following:
1) Focus on the teaching of the Word; [Satan’s first challenge is against God’s
Word; and then to castigate His character.) Used Scripture to authenticate their experiences.
2) Commitment to assembly and fellowship.
3) Breaking of Bread (“in remembrance of me”).
4) Commitment to prayer.
Matthew 24 and Luke 21 are not the same thing.
Matthew and Luke have a different Emphasis:
Matthew and Luke have a different focus
• But before all these...Luke 21:12 Luke talks about before them!
False Christs, Wars, Famines, Earthquakes.
• All these are the beginning of sorrows.
• Then shall they...Matthew 24:8,9 Matthew talks about, after them!
Matthew is Jewish focusing on the Times of Jacobs Troubles.
Luke was speaking of The Abominations of Desolations, the eventual Fall of Jerusalem.
*
Session 4: The Letter to the Church at Smyrna
Revelation 2:8-11 Letter to Smyrna
“Suffering” or “Death”
8] And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write;
Smurnai/Smurnaios Mur = Death
The name “Smyrna” comes from the Greek word “Smurna” from the Hebrew root that is translated “myrrh.” Thus… death…
Myrrh:
Myrrh is a bitter gum and costly perfume which exudes from a certain tree or shrub in Arabia and Ethiopia, or is obtained by incisions made in the bark: as an antiseptic it was used for embalming. It was also an ingredient in perfume (Psalms 45:8), prominent in Song of Solomon, etc. It was also an ingredient in holy anointing oil for priests (Exodus 30:23) and the purification of women (Esther 2:12).
• It was used in embalming (John 19:39) and was a gift of the Magi at Christ’s birth (Matthew 2:11):
Gold = royalty;
Frankincense = deity, priesthood;
Myrrh = suffering, death.
In Jesus’ Second Coming gold and frankincense are offered, but NO myrrh (Isaiah 60:6) since his death is now behind him—but it was offered to Christ at cross (Mark 15:23). The body of Jesus was embalmed by Joseph & Nicodemus (John 19:39-40).
Myrrh yields fragrance by being crushed. Note the “death” theme throughout this letter.
Letter to Smyrna:
• Those in Smyrna were probably surprised, because of their poverty they had probably assumed that they had done something wrong.
– It was there locality.
The word Smyrna is a synonym for myrrh, that which speaks of death.
– They were facing death.
– Myrrh is an embalming ointment.
– The word myrrh suggests death.
• When the Magi visited Bethlehem, they brought three gifts, gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
• In the Millennium they are going to bring the Lord gifts, gold, frankincense.
• But no myrrh, because the Magi were prophesying His death.
• In the millennium His death is once and for all behind Him.
Revelation 2:8-11
And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write; [Title of Christ] These
things saith the first and the last, which was dead, and is alive; [Commendation]
I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich)
and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not,
but are the synagogue of Satan. [Exhortation] Fear none of those things
which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison,
that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful
unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life. He that hath an ear, let him
hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; [Promise to the Overcomer]
He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.
Background History Smyrna:
Today Smyrna is called Izmir, and it is the third largest city in Turkey
(population: 300,000; New Testament: 100,000?).
• It exports tobacco, grapes, figs, cotton, olives, and olive oil.
Smyrna possesses an excellent harbor and is encircled by cypress-clad hills (Catalkaya, Pagos or Kadifekale, Nif or Kemalpass, and Yamanlar).
• Smyrna was inhabited by the Asiatic Leleges in about 3000 B.C., with indications of later Hittite influence.
• In the 11th century B.C. Aeolian colonists from Cyme settled in the area. About 900 B.C., according to Herodotus, the area fell into the hands of the Ionians from Colophon, and
there commenced the most glorious phase of Smyrna’s history.
• During this period the poet Homer was born, lived and died in Smyrna.
Three centuries of greatness ended, however, with the attack of the Lydians.
• Smyrna stood at the entrance to the broad fertile valley of Mermus, at the mouth of the river Meles, and on the well sheltered gulf of Smyrna.
• It was strategically placed for trade between Europe and Asia. It was, thus, a rival to Sardis and the Lydian kingdom.
• An expedition under Gyges was defeated and driven back, but a later one under Alyattes, then king of Lydia, was successful. Smyrna was devastated and ceased to exist for three centuries. A pathetic end to a history of two and one-half millennia.
• In the 4th century, Alexander the Great, in response to a dream, ordered Lysimachus, one of his four generals, to build a strong, well-planned city, the most beautiful in Ionia, which became known as “the Flower of Ionia.”
• It prospered into one of the greatest of the then-known world.
• Smyrna came under control of the Romans in 27 B.C., having proved a faithful ally to Rome in the Syrian and Mithridatic wars.
• From 27 B.C. to 324 A.D. she enjoyed great material prosperity. Strabo described it as the most beautiful city in the world.
• It was about 42 miles north of Ephesus and possessed an excellent double harbor. The outer harbor was a deep water mooring ground; the inner (now silted in) had a narrow entrance that could be blocked with a chain.
• The city suffered many vicissitudes. In the reign of Tiberius, it was almost blotted out by an earthquake.
• Between 178 and 180 A.D. it suffered a succession of seismic disturbances which again reduced the vulnerable city to ruins. Marcus Aurelius once more restored it (and parts of
the new agora are still standing).
• In 378 another earthquake demolished the city, but the intrepid Smyrneans again rebuilt. Even today, bustling Izmir has been termed the “Paris of the Levant.”
Pagan Worship:
• Smyrna was richly embellished with temples and splendid buildings, and the perfection and symmetry of those encircling Mount Pagos resulted in the title “the crown of Smyrna.”
• At the foot of the mountain stood the temple of Zeus, the father of the gods, reputed to be the lord of the sky, rain, clouds, and thunder. Along the Golden Street stood the shrines of Apollo the sun-god, Aphrodite the goddess of love and beauty, Aesculapius the god of medicine, and finally, close to the sea, Cybele, a Phrygian nature goddess. At the Agora (the commercial and political center) were statues of Poseidon the sea-god, and Demeter the goddess of corn.
• The priests of the various deities were termed stephanophori, in reference to the laurel or golden crowns which they used to wear in public processions. They were awarded this honor at the end of their year of office. (The term stephanos is alluded to in Revelation 2:10.)
• The tutelary goddess of Smyrna was Cybele (later, the Greek Rhea, the daughter of the sky and the earth and the mother of Zeus, Poseidon and Hades). Her worship was wild and unrestrained. As the giver of wealth, she became recognized in the great cities as the goddess of the settled life and of towns, hence her crown of walled cities.
• She appears on Smyrnead coins depicted as enthroned and wearing a crown of battlements
and towers.
[Goddess of fortresses, (“god of forces”) Daniel 11:38?]
• In addition to the usual deities, Smyrna readily accepted Caesar worship.
• In 196 B.C. the Smyrneans erected a temple to Dea Roma, the goddess of Rome, and they subsequently built one to Tiberius. The worship of the emperor was compulsory.
• Each year a Roman citizen had to burn a pinch of incense on the altar and to acknowledge publicly that Caesar was supreme lord. In return, he received a formal certificate that he had done so. • Originally the action was intended simply as proof of political loyalty, since the individual was permitted to worship whatever god or goddess he chose once he had offered to Caesar.
This was a means of unifying and integrating the many and varied elements in the vast empire of Rome.
• However, this act of worship presented a vital test for the Christian, and many who refused perished at the stake or by wild beasts in the arena.
• In 169 (155?) A.D., the bishop of Smyrna, Polycarp, refused to recant.
• Stating, “Eighty and six years have I served Him, and He never did me wrong. How can I now speak evil of my King who has saved me?” The old man was burned at the stake on the sabbath day, an object of Jewish hatred as well as from the Roman persecution.
Title of Christ:
8] And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write; These things saith the first and the last, which was dead, and is alive;
“First and the Last”
• Isaiah 41:4
• Isaiah 44:6
• Isaiah 48:12
• Revelation 1:11
• Revelation 1:17-18 “was dead and am alive”
• Revelation 2:8
• Revelation 22:13
Commendation:
9] I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich) and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan.
Blasphemy of the non-Jews:
The Church that “replaces” Israel? Appropriating Israel’s promises to themselves?
Tribulation:
• Tribulation = thlipsis. 1) a pressing, pressing together, pressure.
2) metaphor for oppression, affliction, tribulation, distress, straits.
• Not the specific “Great Tribulation”; we all shall have tribulation, trouble, persecution (John 16:33; 2 Timothy 3:12, etc.).
• “Poverty but rich”: vs. Laodicea, rich but poor (Revelation 3:17; 2 Corinthians 8:9).
• Two words for poverty in the Greek: penia, the state of having nothing superfluous; and ptocheia (here), the state of one who has nothing at all; implies beggary.
• “I know your suffering”: John 16:33; 2 Timothy 3:12.
It could have been relieved by simply a pinch of incense offered to Caesar...
Jews “Who Are Not”
• Blasphemy: “Synagogue of Satan.” John knows about blasphemy of Jews (John 8:44).
• Legalism: is the leaven of Galatians
– Demand of Gentile circumcision Acts 15:1,10
– Peter is rebuked by Paul Galatians 2:11f; 3:1-3
– Peter agrees 2 Peter 3:15-16
• Early persecution was brought on by the Jews not the Romans
– in Antioch Acts 13:50
– in Iconium Acts 14:2,5
– in Lystra Acts 14:19
– in Thessalonica Acts 17:5
Tragic heresy of the Church today:
The view that Israel has been “replaced.”
Very early in Church history the Church became antisemitic.
Tragic for the Jews (who suffered atrocities under the banner of “Christ”), but also for the Church because we lost our Jewish “roots.”
Christian knowledge of the Old Testament is tragically lacking.
[Do you feel “Jewish”? Cf. Romans 2:28-29; Deuteronomy 10:16; 30:6.]
Polycarp, Bishop of Smyrna:
• In 166 A.D., the bishop of Smyrna, Polycarp, refused to recant
• “Eighty and six years have I served Him, and He never did me wrong.
How can I now blaspheme my King who has loved me so?”
• The old man was burned at the stake on the sabbath day, an object of Jewish hatred as well as from the Roman persecution
“Tares” Sown in Early Church:
• Legalism: denial of Christ’s completed work.
• Gnosticism: denial of Christ’s humanity.
• Caesar worship: denial of Christ’s Lordship.
Exhortation:
[Note: There is no “Criticism” in this letter. The Lord has no word of complaint.
They were satisfying His heart (2 Corinthians 8:9).]
10] Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast
some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.
“10 Days”:
54-68 Nero (Paul beheaded; Peter crucified upside-down)
95-96 Domitian (John exiled)
104-117 Trajan (Ignatius burned at the stake)
161-180 Marcus Aurelius (Polycarp martyred)
200-211 Septimus Severus ( killed Irenaeus)
235-237 Maximinus (killed Ursula and Hippolytus)
249-251 Decius
257-260 Valerian
270-275 Aurelian
303-313 Diocletian (Worst of all)
10 total 250 years!
Roman Persecution:
• Famine and pestilence falls on Rome.
Diseases brought back from the Parthian wars devastated much of Rome and inundation from the Tiber put much of the grain storehouses under water.
• The Christians were a convenient scapegoat.
These disasters were brought on by this new religion, so Christianity became a crime...
• 5 million believers died for Christ during this period…Fox’s Book of Martyrs.
“Crown”:
The term is Stephanos, not diadem.
• In Smyrna, the priests of the various deities in Smyrna were termed stephanophori, in reference to the laurel or golden crowns which they used to wear in public processions.
• They were awarded the stephanos crown, this was honorary at the end of their year of office.
• A diádema, "is a royal crown").
Crowns Promised:
• “Crowns” are a reward for works (not salvation) James 1:12 Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.
4735 stéphanos – properly, a wreath (garland), awarded to a victor in the ancient athletic games (like the Greek Olympics); the crown of victory (versus 1238 /diádema, "a royal crown").
[4735 (stéphanos) is used of a plaited wreath ("crown"), like the one made of thorns placed on the head of Christ at His trial (Matthew 27:29, Mark 15:17; John 19:2,5).]
• Their reward is with Him: at the “Bema” seat.
• Crown of Life (James 1:12; Revelation 2:10) for those who have suffered for His sake.
• Crown of Righteousness (2 Timothy 4:8) for those who loved His appearing.
• Crown of Glory (1 Peter 5:4) for those who fed the flock.
• Crown Incorruptible (1 Corinthians 9:25) for those who press on steadfastly.
• Crown of Rejoicing (1 Thessalonians 2:19) for those who win souls.
Promise to the Overcomer
11] He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that
overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.
Notice that the “Promise to the Overcomer” comes after the “Hear that hath an ear” phrase.
“Second death”: Revelation 20:6; cf. Jude 12, “twice dead.” Born once, die twice.
Born twice, die once!
Admonitory Level (to all churches)
• Don’t confuse persecution with the specific “Great Tribulation”…
• Cf: Most of the Body, in most of the world, for most of the past 1900 years.
• Underground in America?
• “Non-Jews”? Replacement theology?
Each of the letters = for all churches…More Christians have been killed
in the 20th Century than all the other centuries added together!
Personal Level (Homiletics)
2 Timothy 3:12 Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution
Paul is in Mammertime Prison, knowing his execution is near, and is encouraging Timothy… We are promised persecution.
Why Do Christians Have Trials?
1. To glorify God Daniel 3:16-18, 24-25
2. To Discipline for known sin Hebrews 12:5-11; James 4:17; Romans 14:23; 1 John 1:9
3. To prevent us from falling into sin 1 Peter 4:1-2
4. To keep us from Pride 2 Corinthians 12:7-10
Paul kept from pride by his “thorn in the flesh.” Galatians 4:15; 6:11
5. To build faith 1 Peter 1:6-7
6. To cause growth Romans 5:3-5
7. To teach obedience and discipline Acts 9:15-16; Philippians 4:11-13
8. To equip us to comfort others 2 Corinthians 1:3-4
9. To prove the reality of Christ in us 2 Corinthians 4:7-11
10. For testimony to the angels Job 1:8; Ephesians 3:8-11; 1 Peter 1:12
James 1:2-4
My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing
this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her
perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.
Prophetic Profile:
Smyrna represents the Persecuted Church.
Addendum: The Olivet Discourse
Matthew 24; Mark 13; Luke 21; Matthew 24
Matthew 24:1-8
And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came
to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple. And Jesus said unto them,
See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here
one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down. And as he sat upon
the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us,
when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and
of the end of the world? And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed
that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am
Christ; and shall deceive many. And ye shall hear of wars and rumours
of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass,
but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom
against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes,
in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.
Group of Signs:
Matthew Luke Revelation
• False Christ’s 24:4-5 21:4 6:1-2
• Wars 24:6 21:9,10 6:3-4
• Famines 24:7a 21:11 6:5-6
• Death 24:7b-8 21:12 6:7-8
• Martyrs 24:9 21:24 6:9-11
• Global chaos 24:10-13 21:25 6:12-17
Matthew 24:9-15
Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come. When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)
• Authentication of Daniel.
• Highlights Daniel 9 (“the 70 Weeks”) as the key to end time prophecy.
• Explains precisely what the “Abomination of Desolation” is: stands in the Holy Place. Thus, (a) Temple is standing.
• This is not just for “Pastors”… “whosoever readeth...”
Matthew 24:16-20
Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains: Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house: Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes. And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day:
How can “them which be in Judea” see that which “stands in the Holy Place”?
On Fox News, of course! (CNN might not survive…)
Matthew 24:21-34
For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of
the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should
be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those
days shall be shortened. Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is
Christ, or there; believe it not. For there shall arise false Christs, and false
prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were
possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Behold, I have told you before.
Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth:
behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not. For as the lightning
cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the
coming of the Son of man be. For wheresoever the carcase is, there will
the eagles be gathered together. Immediately after the tribulation of those
days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and
the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be
shaken: And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and
then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man
coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall
send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather
together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth
forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: So likewise ye, when ye shall
see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. Verily I say unto
you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.
Might we have two different (desolations and) generations in view?
Matthew 24:35,36
Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.
But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.
[Mark 13:32 adds, “neither the Son” to the above verse...]
Matthew 24:37-51
But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man
be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and
drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered
into the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away;
so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. Then shall two be in the field;
the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two women shall be grinding at
the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Watch therefore: for ye
know not what hour your Lord doth come. But know this, that if the
goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he
would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken
up. Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son
of man cometh. Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath
made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season? Blessed
is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. Verily
I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods. But and
if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; And
shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the
drunken; The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not
for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, And shall cut him asunder,
and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and
gnashing of teeth.
Luke 21:5-10
And as some spake of the temple, how it was adorned with goodly stones and gifts, he said, As for these things which ye behold, the days will come, in the which there shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down. And they asked him, saying, Master, but when shall these things be? and what sign will there be when these things shall come to pass? And he said, Take heed that ye be not deceived: for many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and the time draweth near: go ye not therefore after them. But when ye shall hear of wars and commotions, be not terrified: for these things must first come to pass; but the end is not by and by. Then said he unto them, Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom:
Group of Signs:
Matthew Luke Revelation
• False Christ’s 24:4-5 21:4 6:1-2
• Wars 24:6 21:9,10 6:3-4
• Famines 24:7a 21:11 6:5-6
• Death 24:7b-8 21:12 6:7-8
• Martyrs 24:9 21:24 6:9-11
• Global chaos 24:10-13 21:25 6:12-17
Luke 21:11-18
And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.
But before all these, they shall lay their hands on you, and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues, and into prisons, being brought before kings and rulers for my name’s sake. And it shall turn to you for a testimony.
Settle it therefore in your hearts, not to meditate before what ye shall answer: For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist. And ye shall be betrayed both by parents, and brethren, and kinsfolks, and friends; and some of you shall they cause to be put to death. And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake. But there shall not an hair of your head perish.
“Not a hair of your head”? (Cf. Daniel 3!)
Escape of Christians from the siege in 70 A.D.: Vespasian distracted by Nero’s death and the subsequent political turbulence in Rome;
Becomes Emperor; his son, Titus, continues with the siege. (Josephus, Wars of the Jews, Book 4, 9:2; Book 5, 5:1ff.)
Luke 21:19-24
In your patience possess ye your souls. And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh. Then let them which are in Judaea flee to the mountains; and let them which are in the midst of it depart out; and let not them that are in the countries enter thereinto. For these be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled. But woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck, in those days! for there shall be great distress in the land, and wrath upon this people. And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.
This seems to focus on the fall of Jerusalem in 70 A.D.
Luke 21:25-35
And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh. And he spake to them a parable; Behold the fig tree, and all the trees; When they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your own selves that summer is now nigh at hand. So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand. Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled. Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away. And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares. For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth.
Is “this generation” the generation which saw the fall of Jerusalem in 70 A.D.?
Luke 21:36-38
Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man. And in the day time he was teaching in the temple; and at night he went out, and abode in the mount that is called the mount of Olives. And all the people came early in the morning to him in the temple, for to hear him.
How may they “escape” all these things and “stand before” the Son of Man?
Apparently Luke’s “Olivet Discourse” didn’t occur on the Mt. of Olives: these are summaries of teachings in the Temple over several days!!
[Contrast Mark’s (Peter’s) rendering which was confined to four insiders.]
Different Emphasis?
• “But before all these…” Luke 21:12
• “All these are the beginning of sorrows.”
• “Then shall they…” Matthew 24:8,9
*
Session 5: The Letter to the Church at Pergamos
Revelation 2:12-17
Letter to Pergamos
The City of the Serpent:
• Means “Mixed Marriage” [bigamy =two; polygamy = many].
– Ephesus, the great political center;
– Smyrna was the great commercial center;
– Pergamos, the great religious center.
Revelation 2:12-16
And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write; [Title of Christ] These
things saith he which hath the sharp sword with two edges;
[Commendation] I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, even where
Satan’s seat is: and thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith,
even in those days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was slain
among you, where Satan dwelleth. [Concern] But I have a few things
against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam,
who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to
eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication. So hast thou also
them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate. [Exhortation]
Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against
them with the sword of my mouth.
• The remedy is the word of God.
[Title of Christ]
These things saith he which hath the sharp sword with two edges;
Background History: Pergamos
• [Pergamos is the feminine form;
• Pergamum is the neuter form of the name; both were used.] Pergamos was located 70 miles north of Smyrna.
Smyrna was the great commercial center;
Ephesus, the great political center;
Pergamos, the great religious center.
Its early history is obscure; there are evidences that it was occupied during the stone and bronze ages, but prior to Alexander the Great, Pergamos was little more than a castle on top of a hill.
Its foundation is ascribed to Arcadian colonists under the Heracleid Telephus (who routed the Achaeans on their landing in Mysia to attack Troy). Its name is said to have been derived from the son of Pyrrhus and Andromache who made himself king of Teuthrania by killing the king in single combat.
• After the defeat of Antigonus at Ipsus in 301 B.C., the northwest Asia Minor was united to the Thracian kingdom of Lysimachus. Its impregnable position lent itself to its use as a treasury.
• However, Philetaerus betrayed Lysimachus’ trust by allying himself with Seleucus, Lysimachus’ rival. Subsequent rulers skillfully established themselves as a dominant power in Asia Minor and one of the principal centers of Hellenistic culture.
• Wisely allying with Rome, it became an extremely wealthy and prosperous city, and for two centuries it became the official capital of the Roman province of Asia. Lacking proximity to the key trade routes, it eventually yields economic advantages to its better located rival, Ephesus. Although not the seat of imperial and judicial authority, Pergamos became the center of the official religion of emperor “Caesar” worship. • Augustus inaugurated emperor worship in order to give the empire a bond of common sentiment, and the first temple of this cult was erected at Pergamos in 27 B.C. Under Vespasian and his successors, it became a test of one’s faith if one would or would not offer incense to the statue of the emperor.
Pergamos is about 18 miles from the sea, about 80 miles north of Smyrna.
The present city of Bergama has a population of only 20,000 (vs. almost 200,000 of old). Zeus is said to have been born there. The great altar stood on a foundation 125 ft by 115 ft, over 50 ft high, set in a colonnaded enclosure (Satan’s throne? Revelation 2:13).
• Aesculapium—health institutions before the scientific medical practice begun by Hippocrates—prospered for eight centuries. Functioning mostly by psychiatry and suggestion; sleep was induced and priests used their own methods (drugs and others) to cause patients to dream, and then interpret, etc. Bathing, whispered consultations, music, plays, and other techniques were employed as therapeutic aids.
Aesculapius:
Long before the New Testament days, Aesculapius had been recognized as a god (the son of Apollo and the virgin
Cornois). He was termed “Savior” and it was claimed that he had the power to avert death. He was originally represented by the Anatolians as a serpent, and the Greeks later
depicted him holding Hermes’ staff (the Caduceus) with the two-headed snake (see graphic, above).
The Caduceus was the official emblem of the city. [Hermes is the god of commerce!] It originally emerged from the brazen serpent of Moses.
This is an example of a “macrocode”: an anticipatory sememe, explained by Christ (John 3:14) and leading to the most famous verse of all: John 3:16. It became a fetish and was destroyed as “Nehushtan”!
Numbers 21:6-9
And the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died. Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD, and against thee; pray unto the LORD, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people. And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live. And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived.
• “...fiery” = “brass.” This makes no sense until Jesus explains to
Nicodemus…
John 3:14-16
And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
2 Kings 18:1-4
Now it came to pass in the third year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel, that Hezekiah the son of Ahaz king of Judah began to reign. Twenty and five years old was he when he began to reign; and he reigned twenty and nine years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name also was Abi, the daughter of Zachariah. And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that David his father did. He removed the high places, and
brake the images, and cut down the groves, and brake in pieces the brasen serpent that Moses had made: for unto those days the children of Israel did burn incense to it: and he called it Nehushtan.
Aesculapius:
Friedlander surveyed 242 logos or insignias of American organizations relating to health or medicine in which the caduceus or staff of Aesculapius (left) formed an integral part dating from the late 1970s to early 1980s. He found that professional associations were more likely to use the staff of Aesculapius (62%) while commercial organizations were more likely to use the caduceus (76%). The exception is for hospitals, where only 37% used a staff of Aesculapius versus 63% for the caduceus (but remember that U.S. hospitals are usually commercial ventures).
[Friedlander, Walter J., The Golden Wand of Medicine: A History of the Caduceus Symbol in Medicine, New York, Greenwood, 1992.]
Title of Christ:
12] And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write; These things saith he which hath the sharp sword with two edges;
• Per = mixed, objectionable (pervert, perturbation, etc.)
• Gamos = marriage (mono(1)gamy, bi(2)gamy, poly(many)gamy, etc.)
“Two-edged Sword” (Hebrews 4:12; cf. Revelation 1).
• Jus gladii: The “Right of the Sword”; the highest official authority; the power of life and death.
Commendation:
13] I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, even where Satan’s seat is: and thou
holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith, even in those days wherein
Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwelleth.
• Antipas “Against All”:
Simeon Metaphrastes has a legendary story that Antipas, in Domitian’s reign, was shut up in a red-hot brazen bull, and ended his life in thanksgivings and prayers.
• Hengstenberg makes the name symbolical, meaning one standing out “against all” for Christ.
Satan Is Real:
In Character:
A murderer (John 8:44); a deceiver (Revelation 12:9; 2 Corinthians 11:3); a liar (John 8:44);
Sinner (1 John 3:8) and Domain:
He has a vast demonic kingdom (Matthew 25:41; Revelation 12:7);
World System (1 John 5:19);
He is Local and he is not omnipresent.
Satan’s Titles:
“adversary” 1 Timothy 5:14; 1 Peter 5:8
“accuser of the Brethren” Revelation 12:10
“god of this world” 2 Corinthians 4:4
“prince of the power of the air” Ephesians 2:2
“the spirit that now works in the children of disobedience” Ephesians 2:2
“the enemy that sowed tares” Matthew 13:39
“the wicked one” 6 times
Spiritual Geography:
• The Locality of Satan & his demons (not omnipresent) and territorial (Daniel 10; Revelation 9:14; 16:12).
• The Migration:
From Babylon to Pergamos to Rome.
• “Holdest fast my name”: always singular; 3rd Commandment:
Ambassadorship!
Concern:
14] But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the
doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication.
15] So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate.
Balaam:
Numbers 22 & 23. Note, too: Nicolaitans have become doctrine!
Compare “the counsel of Balaam,” Numbers 31:16. Cf. Josephus [Antiquities, 4.6.6]
Exhortation:
16] Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.
The Prophet Balaam:
Balaam was a Gentile “soothsayer” (Joshua 13:22) from Mesopotamia (Deuteronomy 23:4,5) by Euphrates, Aram (Numbers 22:5; 23:7) who was hired by Balak, King of Moab. Balaam was rebuked by his donkey (Numbers 22) and refused to curse Israel (Numbers 23, 24) but taught how to defeat Israel (Numbers 31:16).
• “Doctrine of Balaam” Revelation 2:14
– Spiritually unchaste; marriage with the world.
• “Way of Balaam” 2 Peter 2:15
– Hireling = making a “market” for his gift.
• “Error of Balaam” Jude 11
– Sacrificing eternal riches for temporal gain.
Promise to the Overcomer:
17] He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.
Notice that the “Promise to the Overcomer” comes after the “Hear that hath an ear” phrase. Roman entrance ticket: white stone with name written on it(?)
Manna:
• “What is it?”
• Collected daily for 6 days only (Exodus 16).
• Described poetically, “food from heaven” & “bread of the mighty” (Psalms 78:24f ) and “bread of heaven” (Psalms 105:40).
• “I Am the Bread of Life” ( John 6:26-58).
40 years of manna biscuits, manna muffins, manna pancakes,
mannacoti.…(mannachevitz?)
Admonitory Level (to all churches):
• Ephesus Devotion, not just doctrine
• Smyrna Endure persecution
• Pergamos Purify ambassadorship
• Thyatira ...
• Sardis ...
• Philadelphia ...
• Laodicea ...
Stand fast against the world!
Personal Level (Homiletics):
• Ephesus Neglected priorities
• Smyrna Satanic opposition
• Pergamos Spiritual compromise
• Thyatira ...
• Sardis ...
• Philadelphia ...
• Laodicea ...
Strengthen, purify your Ambassadorship: accurately represent your King!
Promises to the Overcomer:
• Ephesus Eat of the Tree of Life
• Smyrna Not hurt of the Second Death
• Pergamos Manna, Stone, New Name
• Thyatira ...
• Sardis ...
• Philadelphia ...
• Laodicea ...
Who is the “Overcomer”?
1 John 5:4,5
For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?
Prophetic Profile:
Pergamos represents the “Married” Church.
Babylonian Legend:
Tammuz was born to Nimrod and Semiramis. He was associated with the sun god; he “dies” at the winter solstice (~Dec 22); is “resurrected” as the days get longer. Thus, celebrated by burning a “yule” log (Chaldean: infant), replaced by a trimmed tree the next morning (Jeremiah 10:1-5).
Also the mistletoe (fertility); wassail, etc. [Hislop, The Two Babylons.]
In addition, celibate priests, purgatory, Mariolatry, all trace their origins to pagan Rome, a thin veneer over the Babylonian system (Cf. Revelation 17:15-18).
Babylonian Roots:
It was Nimrod who founded the original Babylonian religion; virtually identical to Phaethon—or Aesculapius—eventually developing into the worship of his widow Semiramis and his posthumous son:
Semiramis & Tammuz of Babylon
Ashtoreth & Tammus of Phoenicia
Isis & Horus of Egypt
Aphrodite & Eros of Greece
Venus & Cupid of Rome
— Alexander Hislop
The Migrating Priesthood:
When Cyrus conquered Babylon, the Babylonian priesthood and their initiates fled and set up shop in Pergamos. As the centroid of power ultimately shifted to Rome, this same religious system adopted Latin labels and formed the foundation for pagan Rome.
Pontifex Maximus:
When Cyrus conquered Babylon, they founded a new center at Pergamos and that king became Pontifex Maximus, the high priest of that pagan system. [Pember] Subsequent transfer of the cult from Pergamos to Rome, with the appointment of successive Caesars as high priest. By 378 A.D., Damasus, the Bishop of Rome, completed the absorption of
Babylonianism into the Roman Church. [Hislop & Pember]
History of Rome:
753 B.C. Rome founded,
343-272 B.C. Subdued Italy,
264-146 B.C. Conquered Carthage,
215-146 B.C. Greece, Asia Minor,
133- 31 B.C. Spain, Gaul, Briton, Teutons,
63 B.C. Conquered Judea.
In its zenith, it spanned from the Atlantic to Euphrates and from the North Sea to the African Desert. Population: 120 million.
Caesar Worship:
Augustus inaugurated emperor worship in order to give the empire a bond of common sentiment. Although not the seat of imperial and judicial authority, Pergamos became the center of the official religion of emperor worship. The first temple of this cult was erected at Pergamos in 27 B.C. Under Vespasian and his successors, it became a test of one’s loyalty if one would or would not offer incense to the statue of the emperor.
The Rise to the Zenith:
• 46-44 B.C. Julius Caesar
• 31-14 A.D. Augustus Christ was born in his reign.
• 12-37 Tiberius Christ crucified in his reign.
• 37-41 Caligula Unsuccessful attempt at desecration of the Temple.
• 41-54 Claudius
• 54-68 Nero Blamed his burning of Rome on Christians; executed Paul.
• 68-69 Galba, Otho, Vitelius
• 69-79 Vespasian Titus destroyed Jerusalem (70)
• 79-81 Titus
• 81-96 Domitian Most violent; thousands slain; John banished to Patmos.
• 98-117 Trajan Sought to uphold the laws; Christianity regarded illegal.
• 117-138 Hadrian
• 138-161 Antoninus Pius Bar Kochba revolt; Aelia Capitolina replaces Jerusalem.
• 161-180 Marcus Aurelius Severest since Nero. Peak of Roman power.
Decline and Fall:
• 180-192 Commodus
• 192-284 Barrack Emperors Appointed by army. Civil War.
• 193-211 Septimius Severus
• 218-222 Caracalla Tolerated Christianity.
• 218-222 Elagabalus Tolerated Christianity.
• 222-235 Alexander Severus Favorable to Christianity.
• 235-238 Maximinus
• 244-249 Phillips Very favorable to Christianity.
• 249-251 Decius Persecuted Christians furiously.
• 253-260 Valerian Killed Origen.
• 260-268 Galienus Favored Christians.
• 270-275 Aurelian
• 284-305 Diocletian Persecuted Christians most furiously.
Systematically attempted to abolish all by tortuous death.
Constantine:
312 A.D.:
Constantine set out to defeat the forces of Maxentius, his rival, for supreme power in the empire. His father had prospered when he had prayed to the God of the Christians, and Constantine, in his extremity, resorted to the same action. It is said that on the next day he saw a shining cross in the sky with an inscription above it:
in hoc signo vinces :
“In this sign thou shalt conquer.” He defeated Maxentius at the Milvan bridge, and immediately declared his conversion to Christianity
• 325 A.D.: Edict of Toleration established freedom of religion; favored Christians at court; exempted Christian ministers from taxes; issued a general exhortation to all his subjects to become Christians.
• 330 A.D.: Moved the capital of the empire to Byzantium, calling it Constantinople.
Constantine ceased the gladiatorial fights, reduced the killing of unwelcome children, abolished crucifixion as form of execution, repealed the persecution edicts of Diocletian, assumed headship of the church, advanced Christians to high offices, declared Sunday a day of worship (forbid work on Sunday), and reduced slavery.
Marriage Consummated:
• 361-363 Julian, “The Apostate” sought to restore paganism.
• 363-364 Jovian reestablished the Christian religion.
• 378-395 Theodosius made Christianity the state religion, forced conversions filled the churches with unregenerates. Ambition to rule, heathenism, and pomp emerge in the world church.
Perverted Marriage:
• Heathenism was Christianized; pagan temples became Christian churches; heathen festivals were converted into Christian ones.
• Pagan priests slipped into office as Christian priests.
• Change was mostly nomenclature
• What persecution didn’t accomplish marriage to world did…The underground Christians exchanged the rags of oppression for the silks of the court…
*
The Book of Revelation Session 6:
The Letter to the Church at Thyatira Revelation 2:18-29
Review of the Nicolaitans
“Tares” Sown in Early Church:
Legalism (denial of Christ’s completed work)
Gnosticism (denial of Christ’s humanity)
Caesar worship (denial of Christ’s Lordship).
Nicolaitans:
Were they a first-century sect abusing the liberty in Christ? An untranslated word? nika,w Nicao Conquer, overcome, rule.
lao,j Laos Laity; people.
Using their clerical stature or position to rule over the laity (Cf. washing of feet , John 13).
The “deeds” that Ephesus had rejected had became the “doctrine” at Pergamos.
Thyatira:
The road from Istanbul to Izmir runs through the small and unattractive town of Akhisar (population: 30,000) which now occupies the site where once stood the important military city of Thyatira. In New Testament times, the city stood at the junction of three main roads leading to Pergamos, Sardis, and Smyrna.
It was originally a Lydian town bearing the name of Pelopia, then Semiramis, and then Euhippia. It was taken by the Persians and then Alexander, and is ultimately passed to the possession of Lysimachus, one of Alexander’s four generals. In 301 B.C., however, Lysimachus was defeated by his rival Seleucus I (Nicator) and it thus became part of Syria.
The city was converted into a frontier fortress to guard the way to Pergamos.
Nicator named it “Thyatira” (Greek, thygater, for daughter) on being informed that a daughter had been born to him; cf. “Jezebel.”
[Another meaning is “continual sacrifice” which many scholars associate with the doctrine of the mass.]
Growing in commercial importance, Thyatira became a well-known center for trade guilds. Membership in these was compulsory and essential if one was to pursue a trade. These were well- organized corporate bodies, providing specific benefits and taking actions to protect their interests, often owning considerable property. Each guild
was under the patronage of some pagan deity, and all proceedings and feasts commenced with paying homage to the patron god or goddess.
The dilemma of the Christian tradesman continues in our own day: Is it necessary for the believer to participate in the production of films, plays, books, or music which have an essential appeal to the flesh? It is a choice between Christ or the world.
Thyatira was known for its dyes—particularly its purple (which was scarlet rather than purple, derived from the madder-root which is prolific in the area. (Alternatives also included the murex, a shellfish from whose throat a drop of dye could be extracted.) Cf. Lydia, a wealthy sales rep for Thyatira dwelling in Philippi (Acts 16:14,15).
Thyatira portrays the medieval papacy from 600 to 1500 A.D. The dream to establish and enforce the pretensions of the Roman church constitute the major part of the history of the Middle Ages. The Chaldean priest who interpreted the esoteric doctrines of the Babylonian mysteries was called Peter (i.e. “the interpreter”).
He wore an insignia of the two keys of Janus and Cybele, which still appear on the Papal arms as symbols of spiritual authority.
The danger to the church at Thyratira did not arise from the persecutions of imperial Rome nor from the animosity of Jewish attitudes. It arose from within the church itself—all the more serious and dangerous to deal with.
Letter to Thyatira Title of Christ:
18] And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write; These things saith the Son
of God, who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet are like fine brass;
Thyatira:
Formerly named “Semiramis” (consort of Nimrod, mother of Tammuz).
“Son of God”:
The only mention in Revelation! Cf. Peter’s own confession (Matthew 16:16-18) vs. “Queen of Heaven” [cf. Jezebel]?
Jesus asserts His power and authority for judgment: “eyes like fire, feet like brass,”
(similes) = symbols of judgment! This is the central letter (of the seven).
Commendation:
19] I know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy
works; and the last to be more than the first.
“I know thy works...”: He loves us so much He can’t take His eyes off
us! He is always fully informed on our actions and conditions. First the good news: “works..love..faith..service..faith..patience..works”: Jesus names six positives...and tells them they are improving!
Concern:
20] Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols.
21] And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not.
22] Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into
great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds.
The chief sin of this church simply consisted of failing to raise a protest against this woman who led them into idolatrous doctrines and practices.
[Cf. Acts 15:29 injunctions; Elijah at Mt. Carmel (1 Kings18).]
First reference to the Great Tribulation (“except if they repent:” Only the unrepentant church will go in.)
Jezebel:
Jezebel was the daughter of Eth-Baal, King of Sidon, Priest of Astarte, the murderer of his predecessor, Pheles, whom he killed to seize the throne. She married King Ahab to seal a profitable trade alliance between Israel and Phoenicia. Jezebel sought to exterminate prophets of YHWH (1 Kings 18:13). The queen is running things; of all the women seen in the Old Testament, none was more cunning or more daring or more
unscrupulous...she obtained lands through “inquisition.”
Read the incident of Naboth’s Vineyard (1 Kings 21). A vivid picture of the medieval
church for a thousand-year period, including the Dark Ages.
Pagan Worship:
Worshipers of Baal and Astarte (originated in Babylon), she and King Ahab ushered in the worst period in Old Testament (1 Kings 16:30,33):
• Ashtoreth ( Judges 2:13; 10:6 cf. 1 Samuel 31:10; 1 Kings 11:5,33).
• The Groves (phallic symbols) in Deuteronomy 16:21.
• The Abomination of Sidonians (2 Kings 23:3,6,7; Ezekiel 36:15).
• “Queen of Heaven”: A Babylonian concept (Jeremiah 7:18; 44:15-30).
Compare Jezebel with: The Woman & the Leaven parable in Matthew 13. Cf. Leviticus 2; 1 Corinthians 5:7, 8.
Naboth’s Vineyard 1 Kings 21:
• King Ahab desires Naboth’s vineyard.
• Queen Jezebel arranges an Inquisition (false witnesses; condemnation, and execution).
• Naboth’s vineyard seized for the king.
• Naboth’s heirs also slain.
23] And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am
he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works.
“Reins (minds) & hearts”: Jeremiah 17:10 (YHWH);
Romans 8:27. “...your works” vs. My works. There is the implication that only a remnant survives (cf. 3:4). Within this church was an evil for which no remedial measures are
sufficient.
“Bathos” = deep things of Satan vs. Deep things of God (1 Corinthians 2:10).
“Baros” = burden. “: First promise of His Second Coming! This is expressed only in the last four letters.
Exhortation:
24] But unto you I say, and unto the rest in Thyatira, as many as have not this doctrine, and which have not known the depths of Satan, as they speak; I will put upon you none other burden.
25] But that which ye have already hold fast till I come.
Promise to the Overcomer:
26] And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give
power over the nations:
27] And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father.
28] And I will give him the morning star.
29] He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
Was “power over nations” the goal of Jezebel?
“Rod of Iron”:
Psalms 2:7-9; Psalms 110:2.
“Us”: 1 Corinthians 6:2; Daniel 7:18,27.
“Rod” = scepter (Hebrews 1:8).
“Morning star” = before sunrise (Revelation 22:16; also 2 Peter 1:19; cf. Numbers 24:17, Star of Jacob (Balaam).
Admonitory Level (to all churches):
• Ephesus Devotion, not just doctrine.
• Smyrna Endure persecution
• Pergamos Purify ambassadorship
• Thyatira Pagan practices
• Sardis ...
• Philadelphia ...
• Laodicea ...
Stand fast against the world!
Personal Level (Homiletics):
• Ephesus Neglected priorities
• Smyrna Satanic opposition
• Pergamos Spiritual compromise
• Thyatira Pagan practices
• Sardis ...
• Philadelphia ...
• Laodicea ...
Overcomer’s Promises:
• Ephesus Eat of Tree of Life
• Smyrna Not hurt of 2nd death
• Pergamos Manna, Stone, Name
• Thyatira Power over nations
• Sardis ...
• Philadelphia ...
• Laodicea ...
Who is “the Overcomer”?
1 John 5:4,5
For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?
“Depths of Satan”:
• Esoteric mysteries of the Babylonian cults.
• In 378 A.D., Damasus, the Bishop of Rome, took on the office of Pontifex Maximus, (high priest) of the Babylonian religion, which had previously been the prerogative of the Roman emperor, thus combining the “Christian” church with pagan religion.
• The ceremonies, rites, titles, vestments...celibate priests, Mariolatry, image and crucifix worship, veneration of saints, adoration of the host...papal infallibility, transubstantiation, etc...all idolatry thinly veneered by Christian nomenclature.
Prophetic Profile:
Thyatira represents the Medieval Church.
A Review The Papacy:
Pope means “Papa,” or “Father.” Initially it applied to all Western bishops, but at about 500 A.D. it began to be restricted to the Bishop of Rome (for 500 years the Bishops of Rome were NOT popes).
Peter:
The Roman Catholic tradition that Peter was the first pope is fiction, without any historical (or Biblical) basis whatsoever.
• There is no evidence that Peter was ever a Bishop of Rome. (His own foreboding over successors appears in
1 Peter 5:3: “Neither as being lords over [God’s] heritage, but being ensamples to the flock.”)
• Early Roman Bishops attempted to influence and control other bishops, but with no significant effect.
• Silvester I (314-335) was Bishop of Rome when Constantine virtually made Christianity the state religion of the Roman Empire.
• Constantine regarded himself as head of the church, calling and presiding over the Council of Nicaea (A.D. 325).
• The Bishops of Alexandria and Antioch were accorded full jurisdiction over their provinces, as was the Roman Bishop over his, without even a hint that they were subject to Rome.
• By the end of the 4th century the churches and bishops had come to be largely dominated from five primary centers:
• Rome
• Constantinople
• Antioch
• Jerusalem
• Alexandria.
These Bishops had come to be called Patriarchs, of equal authority, each in control of their own province.
• After the division of the Empire (A.D. 395), Antioch, Jerusalem, and Alexander came to acknowledge the leadership of Constantinople. Subsequently, the struggle between Constantinople and Rome began.
The Struggle for Supremacy:
• Siricius (395-398), Bishop of Rome, in his lust for worldly power claimed universal jurisdiction over the church. But unfortunately for him, in his day the Empire divided (395 A.D.) into two separate empires, East and West.
• [This struggle remains to this day: it is the root of the bloodshed in the Croatia-Bosnian-Serbian conflict in the region of Yugoslavia today.
• There are three ethnic traditions, three religions, three different sources of support:
The Roman Catholics, the Eastern Orthodox, and the Muslims.
• There is no “high ground”: they all have accumulated atrocities over the past 1500 years.]
Leo I (440 - 461):
• These “jawbone” attempts continued until Leo I (440-461), whom some historians regard as the first pope.
The east was beset with controversies; the west, under weak emperors, was breaking up before the barbarians.
• He obtained from Emperor Valentinian III imperial recognition for his claim as Primate of All Bishops (445).
• In 452 he persuaded Attila the Hun to spare the city of Rome.
• In 455 he induced Genseric the Vandal to have mercy on the city. His reputation was made. He declared himself Lord of the Whole Church, advocated exclusive universal papacy, resistance to his authority was a sure path to Hell, and he advocated the
death penalty for heresy.
• However, the Ecumenical Council of Chalcedon (451), composed of bishops from all over world, had given the Patriarch of Constantinople equal prerogatives with the Bishop of Rome.
Fall of Rome:
• Simplicius (468-483) was the Roman “Pope” when the Western Empire came to an end (476). Free of civil authority, the fragmented kingdoms of the barbarians left ample opportunity for individual advantageous alliances, and, ironically, the Pope became the most commanding figure in the West.
• Gregory I (590-604) is regarded by many as the first Pope. He appeared at a time of political anarchy throughout Europe. His conspicuous leadership over the various kings stabilized the times. He labored unceasingly over the purification of the church, deposed neglectful or unworthy bishops, opposed the sale of offices (“simony”), etc.
• In his personal life he was a good man, one of the purest and best of the popes.
If more had been as he was the world would have a different estimate of the papacy.
Charlemagne:
• Zacharias (741-752) was instrumental in making Pepin, father of Charlemagne, King of the Franks (a Germanic people occupying western Germany and northern France).
• Stephen II (752-757) requested Pepin to lead his army to Italy and conquer the Lombards, which had pillaged Italy. He succeeded and gave a large part of central Italy to the Pope, which was the beginning of the Papal States, a temporal dominion which
continued for 1100 years (until King Victor Immanuel returned these lands to the Kingdom of Italy in 1870.)
• Pepin’s son, Charlemagne, (who was also the grandson of Charles Martel, who had saved Europe from Islam by his victory at the Battle of Tours, 732) was one of the greatest rulers of all time. He reigned 46 years with many wars and conquests of vast magnitude. His realm included what is now Germany, France, Switzerland, Austria, Hungary, Belgium, and parts of Spain and Italy.
He helped the Pope and the Pope helped him. He was one of the greatest influences in bringing the Papacy to a position of world power. After Charlemagne’s death, the Treaty of Verdun (843) divided his empire into what became the foundations of Germany, France and Italy, and a ceaseless struggle between the Popes and the German and French kings began.
• The “Holy Roman Empire” lasted 1000 years until Napoleon brought it to an end in 1806.
The Isidorian Decretals:
• Nicholas I (858-867) was the first Pope to wear a crown. It was about this time (857) that a book appeared, “The Isidorian Decretals,” which purported to be letters and decrees of Bishops and Councils of the 2nd and 3rd centuries. (Centuries later they were discovered to be deliberate forgeries.) They were designed to exalt the power of the Pope, stamping the Papacy with the authority of antiquity, antedating the Pope’s temporal power by five centuries. They are regarded as the most colossal literary fraud in history.
The Great Cleavage:
• Up to 869 all Ecumenical Councils had been held in or near Constantinople, and in the Greek language.
• Nicholas undertook to interfere in the affairs of the Eastern Church. He excommunicated Photius, Patriarch of Constantinople, who in turn excommunicated him. The claims of the Roman Church became unbearable and the East finally separated itself.
• (The breach became wider through the centuries. The brutal treatment of Constantinople by the armies of Pope Innocent II during the Crusades, and the creation of the dogma of Papal Infallibility in 1870 deepened the chasm even more.)
9th century: Eastern Church separated itself from the West (Rome).
The East: Primitive Christianity + Greek & Oriental paganism.
The West: Primitive Christianity + Greek & Roman paganism.
The Rule of the Harlots (904-963):
• The 200 years between Nicholas I and Gregory VII (870-1050) are called the “midnight of the Dark Ages.” Bribery, corruption, immorality, and bloodshed mark this blackest chapter of the church.
• Sergius III (904-911) had a mistress, Marozia. She, her mother Theodora, and her sisters filled the Papal chair with paramours and bastard sons and turned the Papal den into a den of robbers.
• This is called in history “the Rule of the Harlots” (904-963).
• John X (914-928) was brought from Ravena to Rome and made Pope by Theodora for her more convenient gratification. He was smothered to death by Marozia, who then in succession raised to the Papacy Leo VI (928 929), Stephen VII (929-931), and John XI (931-936), her own illegitimate son.
• Another of her sons appointed the four following Popes:
Leo VII (936-939), Stephen VIII (939 942), Martin III (942-946), and Agapetus II (946-955). • John XII (955-963), a grandson of Marozia, was guilty of almost every crime; he violated virgins and widows, lived with his father’s mistress, made the Papal Palace a brothel, and was killed while in the act of adultery by the woman’s enraged husband.
The Descent Continues (1012-1047):
• Benedict VIII (1012 -1024) and John XIX (1024-1033) bought the Office of the Pope with open bribery.
• Benedict IX (1022-045) was made Pope as a boy 12 years old, through a money bargain with the powerful families that ruled Rome. He committed murders and adulteries in broad daylight;
Robbed pilgrims on the graves of martyrs; a hideous criminal, the people drove him out of Rome. Some call him the worst of all the Popes.
• There were three rival Popes in 1045 - 1046: Benedict IX. Gregory VI, and Sylvester III. Rome swarmed with hired assassins; the virtue of pilgrims was violated.
• Clement II (1046-1047) was appointed Pope by Emperor Henry III of Germany “because no Roman clergyman could be found who was free of the pollution of simony and fornication.”
Golden Age of Papal Power (1049-1294):
• The cry for reform was answered by Hildebrand who led the Papacy into its Golden Age (1049-1294).
He controlled five successive administrations prior to his own:
Leo IX (1049-1054);
Victor II (1055-1057);
Stephen IX (1057-1058);
Nicolas II (1059 1061);
Alexander II (1061-1073).
• He became Gregory VII (1073-1085) and undertook a major reform, especially simony. Practically all bishops and priests purchased their offices from the kings and this brought him in conflict with King Henry IV, Emperor of Germany. Devastating wars followed and Italy was devastated by the opposing armies. Gregory was eventually driven from Rome and died in exile. But he had succeeded in making the Papacy independent of Imperial power.
Innocent III (1198-1216):
• Innocent III (1198-1216) was the most powerful of all the Popes.
• He claimed to be “Vicar of Christ,” “Vicar of God,” “Supreme Sovereign over the Church and the World.” “All things on earth and in heaven and in hell are subject to the Vicar of Christ.” The kings of Germany, France, England, and practically all the monarchs in Europe obeyed his will, including the Byzantine Empire.
• Never in history has any one man exerted more power.
• He ordered two crusades;
• Decreed transubstantiation,
• Confirmed auricular confession,
• Declared papal infallibility,
• Condemned the Magna Carta,
• Forbade the reading of the Bible in the vernacular,
• Instituted the Inquisition,
• Ordered the extermination of heretics, etc.
• More blood was shed under his direction and that of his immediate successors than in any other period of church history (except in the Papacy’s effort to crush the Reformation in the 16th and 17th centuries).
The Inquisition:
• Called “The Holy Office,” it was instituted by Pope Innocent III and perfected by Pope Gregory IX. Under it everyone was required to inform against heretics. Anyone suspect was liable to torture, without knowing the name of his accuser. The proceedings were secret. The Inquisitor pronounced sentence and the victim was turned over to civil authorities to be imprisoned for life or to be burned. The victim’s property was confiscated and divided between the church and the state.
• The Inquisition claimed vast multitudes of victims in Spain, Italy, Germany, and the Netherlands and did its most deadly work against the Albigenses.
• The Albigenses, or Carthari, in southern France, northern Spain and northern Italy preached against the immoralities of the priesthood, worship of saints and images, completely rejected the clergy and their claims, opposed the claims of the Church of Rome, made great use of the Scriptures, and lived self-denying lives with a great zeal for moral purity.
• By 1167 they embraced a majority of the population of southern France and were very numerous in northern Italy.
• In 1208 Pope Innocent III ordered a crusade in which the bloody war of extermination utterly wiped out town after town—the inhabitants murdered without discrimination— until all of the Albigenses were utterly wiped out.
• The Waldenses, a similar but not identical group in the same region emphasizing Bible reading and rejecting clerical usurpation and profligacy were similarly wiped out (but for the few survivors in the Alpine Valleys southwest of Turin who are now the leading Protestant body in Italy).
• It is recorded that in the 30 years between 1540 and 1570 no fewer than 900,000 Protestants were put to death by the Pope’s war for the extermination of the Waldenses.
• For 500 years the Inquisition was the most diabolical thing of human history. For its record, none of the subsequent line of “holy” and “Infallible” Popes have ever apologized. Rather, their leadership and instigators have been elevated to sainthood.
Boniface VIII (1294-1303):
• Boniface VIII (1294-1303), in his famous Bul, Unam Sanctam, he said,
“We declare, affirm, define, and pronounce that it is altogether necessary for salvation that every creature be subject to the Roman Pontiff.”
(However, he was so corrupt that Dante, who visited Rome during his pontificate, called the Vatican a “sewer of corruption,” and assigned him, along with Nicolas III and Clement V, to the lowest parts of Hell.)
French Control of the Papacy (1305-1377):
• The Papacy had been victorious in its 200-year struggle with the German Empire, but met their match in Philip the Fair, King of France, with whom the history of modern France begins.
• After the death of Pope Benedict XI, the Papal Palace was removed from Rome to Avignon on the south border of France and for 70 years the Papacy was the mere tool of the French Court (1305-1377).
• For the next 40 years there were two sets of Popes, one at Rome and one at Avignon, each claiming to be “Vicar of Christ,” hurling anathemas and curses at each other.
Renaissance Popes (1410-1503):
• John XXIII (1410-1415), called by some the most depraved criminal who ever sat on the Papal throne, was guilty of almost every crime.
• As Cardinal in Bologna, 200 maidens, nuns and married women fell victim to his amours;
• As Pope he violated virgins and nuns;
• Lived in adultery with his brother’s wife;
• Was guilty of sodomy and other nameless vices;
• Bought the Papal Office;
• Sold Cardinalates to children of wealthy families;
• And openly denied the future life.
• Pius II (1458-1464) was said to have been the father of many illegitimate children, spoke openly of the methods he used to seduce women, encouraged young men, and even offered to instruct them in methods of self indulgence.
• Paul II (1464-1471) “filled his house with concubines.”
• Sixtus IV (1471-1484): sanctioned the Spanish Inquisition,
• Decreed that money would deliver souls from Purgatory,
• Was implicated in a plot to murder Lorenzo de Medici and others who opposed his policies,
• Used the Papacy to enrich himself and his relatives.
• He made eight of his nephews Cardinals while some of them were mere boys.
• In wealth and pomp he and his relatives surpassed the old Roman families.
Innocent VIII (1484-1492) had 16 children by various married women.
• He multiplied church offices and sold them for vast sums of money
• Decreed the extermination of the Waldenses, appointed the brutal Thomas of Torquemada Inquisitor General of Spain, and ordered all rulers to deliver up heretics to him.
Alexander VI (1492-1503) is called the most corrupt of the Renaissance Popes: licentious, avaricious, depraved; he bought the Papacy, made many new cardinals for money, had a number of illegitimate children whom he openly acknowledged and appointed to high church office while they were yet children—and they with their father murdered cardinals and others who stood in their way. He had for a mistress a sister of the cardinal who became the next Pope, Pius III (1503).
Martin Luther:
In the year 1483 in Eisleben, Saxony, a baby boy was born to a poor coal miner. As he grew up and observed the poverty of his father, this boy, named Martin, chose to pursue a different vocation.
• He decided to become a lawyer and, in 1501, entered the University of Erfurt, where he excelled in his studies.
• As he came to the end of his schooling in 1504, an event took place which changed his life. While he was walking the campus grounds, a storm broke so forcefully that Martin fell on his face in fear. The thunder was deafening and lightning struck all around him, including a tree next to him. Instinctively, he cried out to the patron saint of coal miners, whose name he had heard invoked during his childhood, “Saint Anne! Save me from the lightning. If you save me I will become a monk.” Shortly thereafter the storm stopped.
• Being a man of his word, Martin withdrew from Law school and entered an Augustinian monastery where he applied himself so diligently that he obtained a Doctorate of Theology within a few years. But the more he studied, the more troubled his heart became; for although he was becoming an expert in theology, he lacked peace personally.
• The question he repeatedly wrote in his diary was: “How can a man find favor
with God”?
Disillusioned by a visit to Rome, Habakkuk 2:4 become his life text and on Oct 31, 1517, Luther nails 95 theses to the door at Wittenburg College.
• On. Dec 10, 1520, Bull excommunicated Luther, “retract within 60 days or death.” Luther burned it publicly and the Reformation is born.
The Centuries of Wars:
Diet of Worms:
1521; Charles V, Emperor of “the Holy Roman Empire” (Germany, Spain, Netherlands and Austria) summoned Luther to appear.
“Here I stand; I can do naught else; so help me God.”
The Centuries of Wars began:
• The war on the German Protestants (1566-1609)
• War on Protestants of Netherlands (1566-1609)
• Huguenot Wars in France (1572 -1598)
• Philip’s attempt against England (1588)
• Thirty Years War (1618-1648)
All these wars were started by Roman Catholic Kings urged on by the Pope and Jesuits for the purpose of crushing Protestantism.
The thousands killed at the hands of the Caesars of Pagan Rome are dwarfed by the millions killed at the hands of the Vatican.
The Reformation Popes:
• Julius II (1503-1513) was called the Warrior Pope. The richest of the cardinals with vast income from numerous bishops and church estates, he bought the Papacy. He attained and personally led vast armies and issued indulgences for money.
• Leo X (1513-1521) was Pope when Luther started the Protestant Reformation.
He was made an Archbishop at 8; a Cardinal at 13; was appointed to 27 different church offices, which meant vast income, before he was 13. He appointed Cardinals as young as 7. He maintained the most luxurious and licentious court in Europe. This voluptuary reaffirmed the Unam Sanctam, in which it is declared that every human being must be
subject to the Roman Pontiff for salvation. He issued indulgences for stipulated fees and declared the burning of heretics a divine appointment.
• Adrian VI (1522-1523).
• Paul III (1534-1549) had many illegitimate children. A determined enemy of the Protestants, he offered Charles V an army to exterminate them.
The Jesuits:
Rome’s answer to the Lutheran secession:
• The Inquisition under the leadership of the Jesuits, an order founded by Ignatius Loyola, a Spaniard, on the principle of absolute and unconditional obedience to the Pope, having its object the recovery of territory lost to Protestants and Muslims and the conquest of the entire heathen world for the Roman Catholic Church.
Their supreme aim:
• The destruction of heresy—that is, thinking anything different from what the Pope said or thought.
For this accomplishment anything was justifiable:
• Deception, immorality, vice, even murder.
• In France they were responsible for St. Bartholomew’s Massacre; persecution of the Huguenots, revocation of the Toleration Edict, and the French Revolution. In Spain, Netherlands, south Germany, Bohemia, Austria, Poland, and other countries they led in the massacre of untold multitudes, and thus saved the Papacy from ruin.
St. Bartholomew’s Massacre:
St. Bartholomew’s Massacre:
Catherine de Medici, mother of the King, an ardent Romanist and willing tool of the Pope, gave the order and on the night of August 24, 1572, 70,000 Huguenots were massacred.
There was great rejoicing in Rome.
The Pope and his College of Cardinals went in solemn procession to the Church of San Marco and ordered the Te Deum to be sung in thanksgiving; he then struck a medal in commemoration of the massacre and sent a Cardinal to Paris to bear the King and Queen-Mother the congratulations of the Pope and Cardinals.
Evangelicals & Catholics Together:
• The most significant event in 500 years of church history:
March 29, 1994:
Joint declaration “Evangelicals and Catholics Together:
• The Christian Mission in the Third Millennium.” The compromise of the Gospel lies at the heart of the agreement. But the Gospel hasn’t changed.
A Surprising Acknowledgment:
May 21, 1995: the Pope asked forgiveness for all wrongs and crimes committed and permitted by the Roman Catholic Church throughout their history.
*
The Book of Revelation Session 7:
The Letter to the Church at Sardis Revelation 3:1-6
Letter to Sardis
1] And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write...
“Sardis”: Greek plural of uncertain derivation; lost through antiquity?
[Sardius = “Red stone”?] ‘odem; i.e., the red stone (with a yellow shade);
cf. Exodus 28:17; 39:10; Ezekiel 28:13.
Much used by the ancients for seals, as being tough yet easily worked, beautiful, and susceptible of high polish; the best stone for engraving.
• Josephus (the best authority, being a priest, therefore having often seen the high priest’s breastplate) calls it the sardonyx, the first stone in the high priest’s breastplate, in Ant. 3:7, section 5, but the sard or sardine, B.J. 5:5, section 7.
• Both sardine and sardonyx are varieties of agate.
He on the heavenly throne “was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine” (Revelation 4:3).
As the jasper (or else diamond) represents the divine brightness or holiness, so the red sardine (our cornelian) His fiery wrath; the same union as in Ezekiel 1:4; 8:2; Daniel 7:9. Named from Sardis in Lydia, where it was first found.
The Hebrews got their high priest’s sardines in Arabia, and from Egypt (Ex 12:35).
• Sardion (Greek: sardion): in Rev 4:3; 21:20: the 6th foundation of the New Jerusalem.
• According to the Septuagint, sardion was the 1st stone, 1st row, of the breastplate.
• Vulgate (Jerome’s Latin Bible, 390-405 A.D.) translates sardius;
• The King James Version translates “sardine” (stone) (Revelation 4:3) and “sardius” (Revelation 21:20);
• The Revised Version (British and American) translates “sardius.”
The sarda of Pliny’s time was much used by the seal engravers.
There were three Indian varieties, all of them transparent, one of them red in color; there was then no precious stone in more common use; those of honey-color were less valued. It probably included both the sard and the carnelian of the present day (crypto crystalline silica).
Sardis:
Seven hundred years before this letter was written, Sardis was one of the greatest cities in the world. It is reputed to be one of the oldest cities of Asia. Aeschylus, Thucydides, and other Greek writers mention it as a city of renown. It probably dates back to before 2000 B.C.
• Sardis was the ancient Capital of the Lydian empire (1200 B.C.) and residence of the
royal dynasty of the Mermnades.
• A strategic travel location between Pergamos, Smyrna, Ephesus, Philadelphia and Phrygia, Sardis favored commerce and it became a very wealthy city.
• Gold and silver “Lydian Staters” were the first coins in the world—in about the sixth century B.C.
• At its zenith, Croesus, its king, (and also its river, Pactolus) became proverbial for riches.
• Its patron deity was the goddess Cybele, (known as Diana in Ephesus) whose son, Midas, was the wealthy but effeminate king of Phrygia.
Midas Mythology:
• In Greek mythology, Midas was king of Phrygia in Asia Minor. For his hospitality to the satyr, Silenus, Dionysus, god of wine, offered to grant Midas anything he wished.
• The king requested that everything he touched be turned to gold, but he soon regretted his choice because even his food and water were changed to gold. To free himself from the enchantment, Midas was instructed by Dionysus to bathe in the Pactolus River. It was said that afterward the sands of the river contained gold.
Ostensibly Impregnable:
Sardis was situated on a hill 1000 feet above the broad valley of the Hermus at the foot of Mt. Tmolus. It appeared to be impregnable.
• However, the sheer precipitous cliff was clay, which suffered continual erosion and the untrustworthy mud left occasional cracks which could be exploited.
• This false confidence was reflected in the character of the inhabitants:
False confidence, appearance without reality, promise without performance, outward appearance of strength betrayed by want of watchfulness and diligence.
An example:
When besieged by the Persians in 549 B.C., Croesus, then king of Lydia, left unguarded the precipitous cliffs on three sides of the city.
• After a 14-day siege, Cyrus offered a reward to any man who could find a way of scaling the apparently unscalable cliffs.
One of his soldiers, Hyeroeades, noticed a Lydian soldier accidentally drop his helmet over the battlements and noted his path to retrieve it, thus revealing an unguarded oversight.
In the darkness of the following night, Hyeroeades and a Persian party climbed the cliff and clambered over the unguarded battlements to take the city.
• But the Sardians did not learn their lesson: in 214 B.C. the formidable cliffs again proved susceptible to a hazardous climb when Lagoras repeated the exploit of Hyeroeades and the city was similarly taken by Antiochus.
• Hegel said “History teaches that man learns nothing from history.” The Sardians were not watchful.
Sardis’ Dismal History:
• 549 B.C. Fell to the Persians.
• 501 B.C. Burned by the Ionians.
• 334 B.C. Surrendered to Alexander the Great.
• 322 B.C. Taken by Antigonus.
• 214 B.C. Fell to the Seleucids.
A City of Failure:
• The name Sardis became synonymous with: pretensions unjustified; promise without performance; appearance without reality; and, false confidence that heralded ruin. They betrayed themselves by lack of watchfulness and diligence; Cf. W. M. Ramsay, Letters to Seven Churches.
• By the New Testament time, most of Sardis’ earlier dignity and splendor had disappeared. A severe earthquake in 17 A.D. caused major damage.
The town was destroyed by the Turkic conqueror Tamerlane in 1402.
Archaeological excavations were begun at the site in 1910, but the city itself was not uncovered until 1958. Today the little town of Sart has only fragments of its proud history.
Title of Christ
1] And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath
the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars;
“Seven Spirits of God”:
• The Old Testament idiom for the Holy Spirit. Isaiah 11
• Why does Jesus use this title with this particular church?
• Most denominations today are very uncomfortable with the Holy Spirit—it’s one major cause of division within the church.
Concern
1] ...I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead.
Onoma = label; being covered by a name. This word appears three times in six verses in this letter.
• Sardis has a name [or label] and yet art dead!
[Note: What’s missing? There is no “Commendation” in this letter!?]
The Reformation A Review “The Popes”:
As early as the 13th century the papacy had become vulnerable to attack because of the greed, immorality, and ignorance of many of its officials in all ranks of the hierarchy . Vast tax-free church possessions, constituting as much as 1/5 to 1/3 of the lands of Europe, incited the envy and resentment of the land-poor peasantry.
14th Century
English reformer John Wycliffe boldly attacked the papacy striking at the sale of indulgences, the excessive veneration of saints and the moral and intellectual standards of ordained priests. To reach the common people, he translated the Bible into English rather than Latin.,
15th Century
Wycliffe’s teachings spread to Bohemia, where they found a powerful advocate in Jan Hus (John Huss).
His execution in 1415 led directly to the Hussite Wars, a violent expression of Bohemian nationalism, suppressed with difficulty by the combined forces of the Holy Roman
emperor and the pope. The wars were a precursor of religious civil war in Germany in Luther’s time
French Papacy
The captivity of popes at Avignon in the 14th century, and the ensuing Western schism, gravely impaired the authority of the Papacy and divided its adherents into partisans of one or another pope.
Council of Constance (1414-1418):
Ambitious programs for the reorganization
of the entire hierarchy were debated but no program gained a majority.
1516:
Concordat (1516) between the king and the pope placed the French church substantially under royal authority. Earlier concordats with other national monarchies also prepared the way for the rise of autonomous national churches.
The Gutenberg Press
Invention of printing with movable metal type:
• The Gutenberg Bible is the 1st book so printed, by Johannes Gutenberg in Mainz, Germany, 1455.
• The increased efficiency of printing, and a more literate population, enhanced the spread of ideas.
• Fueling the 16th-century Protestant Reformation in Germany. Scholarly studies laid the basis on which Luther, Calvin, and other reformers claim the Bible rather than the church as the sole authority. Greatly increased the circulation of books and the
spread new ideas throughout Europe.
Martin Luther
In 1483 born to a coal miner; decides to become a lawyer. In 1504, a violent storm changes his course to pursue a doctorate of Theology. Disillusioned by a visit to Rome
• Habbakuk 2:4 become his life text. Oct. 31, 1517:
• Luther nails 95 theses to the door at Wittenburg College. Dec. 10, 1520:
• Bull excommunicated Luther, “retract within 60 days or death.”
Birth of the reformation:
• Diet of Worms: 1521
• Luther burned it publicly and the Reformation is born. Diet of Worms: 1521;
• Charles V, Emperor of “the Holy Roman Empire” (Germany, Spain, Netherlands and Austria) summoned Luther to appear. “Here I stand; I can do naught else; so help me God.”
The Centuries of Wars began:
• The war on the German Protestants (1566- 1609);
• The war on Protestants of Netherlands (1566-1609);
• The Huguenot Wars in France (1572 1598);
• Philip’s attempt against England (1588);
• And the Thirty Years War (1618-1648).
11th - 15th Century
1054 Eastern Orthodoxy
1173 Waldensians Peter Waldo
1379 Lollards John Wycliffe
1415 Hussites Jan Hus
16th Century
1517 Lutheranism Martin Luther
1521 Anabaptists Scandinavian Lutherans
1523 Swinglianism Huldreich Zwingli
1534 Anglicanism Henry VIII
1536 Mennonites Menno Simons
1536 Calvinism John Calvin
1540s German Reformed Church
1550s Hungarian Reformed Church
1560s French Calvinists (Huguenots)
1560s Scottish Presbyterians John Knox
1560s Congregationalism Puritans
1570s Dutch Reformed Church
17th Century
1606 English Baptists John Smyth
1647 Quakers George Fox
1690 Amish Jacom Ammon
18th & 19th Century
1739 Methodism John Wesley
1785 Protestant Episcopal Church
1800 United Brethren in Christ
1819 Unitarianism William Channing
1831 Disciples of Christ Thomas Campbell
1863 Seventh-Day Adventists William Miller
1865 Salvation Army William Booth
1879 Christian Science Mary Baker Eddy
1914 Assemblies of God
[Assemblies of God: approximately 11,900 churches and 2,530,000
members in the United States. Some 175,000 churches are maintained in
158 countries, and the worldwide membership numbers 32 million.]
The Denominational Church
• “Soft” hermeneutical traditions
• Denial of the Millennial Reign
• Denial of Israel’s prophetic destiny
• Absence of Biblical devotional life
• De-emphasis of the Gospel of Christ
• Ordination of homosexuals
The Reformation was a heroic period in church history. “Salvation by faith, not works.” But its failures persist unto this day.
• The allegorization of Scripture (especially those concerning Christ’s rule in the Millennium) is at the top of the list.
The Reformation did not go far enough.
• The Millennium and the Rapture of the Church are not accepted literally in most mainline denominational churches today.
Evangelicals & Catholics Together
March 29, 1994:
• A joint declaration was signed, called “Evangelicals and Catholics Together: The Christian Mission in the Third Millennium.”
• The compromise of the Gospel lies at the heart of the agreement.
• But the Gospel hasn’t changed. This could be the most significant event in 500 years of church history.
Exhortation
2] Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God.
3] Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.
• A call to watchfulness: a rebuttal to those ignoring the times; “…as a thief in the night” was the proverbial downfall of Sardis!
• Apparently He will not come “as a thief” for those who are diligent…
“Be Watchful”
Be vigilant 10 virgins of Matthew 25
Watchfulness Romans 13:11; 1 Corinthians 16:13
We watchful of:
The wiles of the devil 1 Peter 5:8
Temptation Matthew 26:41
His Coming Matthew 24:42, 43; Mark 13:37; 1 Thessalonians 5:6
False Teachers Acts 20:29-31
(Ephesus was watchful)
“Strengthen Things which Remain”
Great truths are being lost: the justification by faith alone; the inerrant Word of God; the depravity of man; redemption by His blood. The great truths of the Reformation are being lost… Christ is looking for something from us.
“...Works Not Complete”
Our love, our fear (our devotional life), our loyalty (our ambassadorship), and our service. Without Him, we can’t. Without us, He won’t.
Matthew 7:21-23
Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
Exhortation (Concluded)
4] Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and
they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy.
“even in Sardis” =? The call to a faithful remnant!
Promise to the Overcomer
5] He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not
blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.
6] He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
Admonitory Level (to all churches)
• Ephesus Devotion, not just doctrine.
• Smyrna Endure persecution
• Pergamos Purify ambassadorship
• Thyatira Pagan practices
• Sardis Watchfulness, diligence
• Philadelphia ...
• Laodicea ...
The Once & Future Church Home Fellowships:
Why is the divorce rate among Christians no better than among unbelievers? What is really meant by “Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain”?
The Regeneration Gap:
Over 2,000 churches planted per week: 150 million (1974) to 650 million (1998).
• Silent exodus of people slipping out the back doors almost unnoticed:
• Attracted but not contained;
• Interested but not inserted into fellowship;
• Harvested but not gathered;
• Touched but not transformed;
• They looked in briefly but were disappointed in what they saw…
Exits:
• 52,000 defections each week from churchdom:
An astounding 94% are leaders! [Charles Crismier, Out of Egypt]
“Cattle are driven; sheep are led.”
• 63% believe the Bible: at a time when the public display and discourse about matters of faith have been under attack, a new poll indicates most Americans – 63 % – believe the Bible is literally true and the Word of God. [WorldNetDaily, 4/26/05]
The Way It All Started:
• A group of 12 alongside a seashore.
• The birth of the church at Pentecost was in a house (Acts 2:2).
• The early church met in houses (Acts 2:46; 5:42; 8:3; 9:11; 12:12; 16:40; 18:7; 20:20; 21:8; Romans 16:5; 1 Corinthians 16:19; Colossians 4:15; 1 Timothy 5:13-14; and Philemon 1:2).
• As a persecuted church, it was the only safe way to meet
Back to Basics:
• The Church: the secret and powerful Society of the Redeemed: a place where people can literally see the Body of Christ, not simply briefly touched by an abbreviated gospel of an evangelistic Blitzkrieg of short duration
• A return to New Testament simplicity and authenticity
• No “models”: let the Spirit lead as He wills…
Eroding Foundations:
• Biblical Illiteracy Extant: Allegorical myths, denying the center piece of Israel and her destiny and the imminent return of Christ.
• The Pagan Fallacies: Evolutionary myths and the denial of absolutes: Relativism.
State Churches:
A.D. 220 Origen introduces infant baptism.
312 Constantine “adopts” Christianity.
325 Edit of Toleration:
Christianity is a state endorsed religion.
The rags of caves are exchanged for silks of the court.
The Clergy is professionalized. Churches are now “fit for a king.”
• 380 House churches outlawed.
• Bishops Theodosius and Gratian order that there should be only one state-recognized Orthodox church.
• Every Roman citizen was forced to be a member and should be made to believe “lex fidei,” the law of faith.
• 431 Council of Ephesus: Mary is worshiped as the “Mother of God.”
• (Infant baptism become compulsory in the western world by 416.)
• 440 Leo the Great: Becomes the “Bishop of Rome.”
445 Valentian confirmed as “Spiritual leader of Western Empire.
500 Common priestly dress code.
565 Justinian: state-ordained church.
First Pope of the Catholic Church?:
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/12272b.htm
On the Catholic website Boniface is listed as #66:
Read “History of the papacy”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_papacy
• 607 Boniface III: Is the 1st “Pope” of Catholic Church. 607 + 1,260 = 1,867 A.D. (1867 Pope Pius IX declares Gorcumse holy martyrs)
709 Kissing Pope’s foot begins.
786 Worship of images and relics develops.
850 Use of holy water begins.
995 Canonization of dead Saints.
998 Fasting on Fridays and before Lent.
1070 Celibacy of the priesthood instituted.
1090 Prayer beads adopted from paganism.
1184 Inquisition begins: Jews, witches, etc. Napoleon’s brother Joseph declares it illegal in 1808. Last heretic hanged in Valencia Spain 1826, 18 years later.
1254 Pope Innocence IV officially establishes sale of indulgences.
1215 Transubstantiation of water & wine
1229 Reading the Bible forbidden to laymen.
1414 Communion cup forbidden to lay people.
1439 Doctrine of Purgatory decreed.
1492 Jews outlawed in Spain. Columbus sails.
1545 Tradition granted equal authority with Bible (Council of Trent).
The Reformation:
1517: Luther’s 95 Theses (Zwingli, Melanchton, Calvin, John Knox, and others…).
1526: Reversions to traditional forms of services (vs. “Anabaptists” et al.).
1530: “All lay pastors teaching publicly are to be killed.” Schwenckfeld outlawed; disciples jailed.
1600: 40 translations from the Latin Bible.
1700: Huguenots (Claude Brousson publicly executed before 10,000).
Persecutions Continue:
• 4th century: Canonized by the state.
• Independent fellowships outlawed and persecuted.
• Reformation: Soteriology (Salvation) reformed; other erroneous traditions retained.
• Protestant leadership continues to persecute deviant groups adhering to Biblical doctrines.
Luther reformed it;
Free churches freed it;
The Baptists baptized it;
The Quakers dry cleaned it;
The Salvation Army put it into uniform;
The Pentecostals anointed it;
The Charismatics renewed it…but “church”
was still largely a spectator sport; adaptations of previous (traditional) synagogue rituals.
Protestant Reactions:
• Anabaptists (1535-1546: 30,000 killed).
• Labadie’s Convertible Brotherhoods.
• The Priscillians.
• The Bogomilians.
• Petrobusians.
• Patarenians.
• Waldensians.
• Lollards …et al.
Wesley Revival:
Directed Growth & Discipleship:
• John and Charles Wesley, founders of what became the Methodist Church developed from their emphasis and techniques with small groups.
The Trial Band distinguished the sincere seeker from the casually curious. Sincerity the only requirement. Easy to get out; if you missed three meetings in a quarter, you were out. Prayer, worship, and an element of spiritual accountability; after 2-3 months, recommended for membership in the United Society and Class Meeting. Emphasis on
“prevenient grace”: the grace that goes before belief.
Class Meeting explored “convincing grace”: emphasis on the Mind.
Having responded to the wooing of the Spirit, one had made a commitment to pursue a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Gestation to experiencing “converting grace,” “justification” or new birth was about two years.
Band Meeting: all born-again: How do I grow in grace, live as a disciple?
Level of accountability, and confidentiality, is higher. Separation by gender and marital status. 4-8 people.
Spiritual Maturity: Not separated: living Galatians 3:28, Romans 5:5, etc. Spiritual
adulthood.
— Tom Albin’s article in Christianity Today, August 2003 1768: after 30 years: 40 “circuits”; 27,341 members. By 1800: 1 of 30 Englishmen.
Alternatives:
• The Mega-Church
• The Local Congregational Church
• The Small Study Group
– “Cells” sponsored by the local church
– Home Fellowships
– Home Churches
The Congregational-Church:
• A Building (“Cathedral,” or “Church”)
• A Special Day (Sunday)
• A Professional Leadership (priest, clergyman, pastor)
• A special service, performed for the people (ceremonies, interpretations, motivation)
• A way to maintain itself (tithes and offerings)
— Bill Beckham, The Second Reformation
The Life Cycle of Churches:
• People-oriented Pastor;
• Pulpit-Oriented Pastor;
• Property-oriented Pastorate (Gideon: Snatching Defeat from the Jaws of Victory);
• Power-oriented Pastorate (return of the Nicolaitans);
• Politically-driven decay (accountability; management by hearsay; lack of an “Objective Function”);
The Rock Church (San Diego, CA):
• Everyone in “Sunday Church” is in a Small Group (6-12 people);
• Small Groups meet weekly with their “Facilitator.” They pray, hold themselves accountable, and discuss sermon notes. When Small Group grows beyond 12, it is forced to split into two.
• In first two years, the Rock Church grew to over 4,000.
Advantages of Small Groups:
• Disciplined multiplication (mitosis).
• Free of growth barriers.
• More are “involved” participants.
• Personal transformation & accountability.
• More effective for new Christians.
• Solves the leadership crisis.
• More Biblical.
• Persecution-proof structure.
• More efficient: lower cost.
The True “Church”:
• A Supernatural invention.
• Endowed with immortality.
• The means to disciple each other.
• Transfer of Jesus’ life to each other.
• Turns atheists to apostles; terrorists into teachers; plumbers into pastors, and elders into evangelists.
Theses:
• A way of life, not a series of meetings (“The Way”; Acts 18:26).
• No such thing as “a house of God” (God does not live in temples made by human hands:
• “Chewing gum in the sanctuary!” vs. “sanctuaries are chewing gum!”
• No bureaucratic clergy in the New Testament: no clerical mediators (1 Timothy 2:5); Nicolaitans were adoptions from pagan religions.
• Line vs. staff: overhead or productive?
Some Issues:
• Mission Alternatives: Evangelism; Discipleship; Leadership; Prepared Teachers; Discussion Facilitators.
Korean Fellowships:
• Organized by profession
• Special Invitation only
Characteristics of Small Groups:
• Organic not organized; relational not formal.
• Persecution-proof structure: matures under tears; multiplies under pressure; flourishes in the desert; sees in the dark; thrives on chaos…
• Its only boast is the Lamb.
Koinonia:
• Fellowship, communication, communion, sharing and participating with someone.
• It cannot be “organized”: it must be led by the Spirit to bear meaningful fruit.
• We can revisit the open, organic styles of the New Testament, instead of being limited to the structured approach canonized by the state in the 4th century…there are no hard and fast rules …
Finding the “Right” One:
• Neighborhood groups
• Professional groups
• Start Your Own! It’s easy; God will surprise you…
• He always rewards the diligent. “Staying ahead” a week at a time isn’t hard and we’ll help you…
Storm Clouds on the Horizon
• The Biblical Christian is becoming increasingly “politically incorrect.”
• The true church(es) will eventually be forced underground.
“The attack against them will be led by the ‘liberal’ denominational churches”
— J. Vernon McGee
An Explosion Toward the Past “Back to the Future”:
• A Personal Discovery
• A Modern Trend of Hope
• The Persecuted Church: then and now...as an Impact for You!
Personal Application (Homiletics):
• Ephesus Neglected Priorities
• Smyrna Satanic Opposition
• Pergamos Spiritual Compromise
• Thyatira Pagan Practices
• Sardis Watchfulness, Diligence
• Philadelphia ...
• Laodicea ...
Overcomer’s Promises
• Ephesus Eat of Tree of Life
• Smyrna Not hurt of second death
• Pergamos Manna, Stone, Name
• Thyatira Power over nations
• Sardis Walk with Him in white; name not blotted out
• Philadelphia ...
• Laodicea ...
Prophetic Profile
Sardis represents the Denominational Church.
*
The Book of Revelation Session 8:
The Letter to the Church at Philadelphia Revelation 3:7-13
Letter to Philadelphia (“The Church of Love”)
7] And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write...
Philadelphia
The youngest of the cities, now known as Alashehir, was built in the area acquired by Pergamos in 189 B.C. King Eumenes II, King of Pergamos, had a younger brother, Attalus II, who was his successor, and won the cognomen Philadelphus (“One who loves his brother”), after which the city was named, for his loyalty and affection for Eumenes.
• Philadelphian coins show the two brothers as completely alike in height, features, and dress.
The area was well favored for wine production (Dionysys, the god of wine, was the principal deity) and the city well situated also on the imperial post road from Rome and Troas to Pergamos, Sardis and to the interior of Phrygia.
• It was a virtual gateway to the high central plateau of Asia Minor and thus became a missionary center for spreading the Greek language and manners into the eastern parts of Lydia and Phrygia.
• This missionary character of the city seems to be stressed in the letter to the church of Philadelphia.
• The area (called Katakekaumene, “the Burned Land”) was a highly volcanic region and suffered repeatedly from earthquakes. It was almost completely destroyed in the disaster of 17 A.D., which devastated Sardis and ten other cities. (Tremors were reported for years afterwards).
• Civic and economic disruption lasted for more than twenty years.
• Generous assistance and financial relief from Tiberius caused the citizens to name the rebuilt city Neo-Caesarea (“New City of Caesar”).
• Later, in the time of Vespasian, it was changed to Flavia, his family name.
• The name changes were short-lived and the old name Philadelphia was soon revived.
• Prosperity was never fully regained. The city was under a legal jurisdiction of which Sardis was the center.
• The church suffered at the hands of the large Jewish community in the city. Ignatius, the bishop of Antioch, writing to the Philadelphian church a few years after John’s Revelation referred to the Jews, who had so long persecuted the Christians there, as being converted and turning in contrition to those whose adversity they had caused. This trend is reflected in the letter itself.
Name:
phile, friendship, affection; delphus, city; => City of friendship.
Today:
Allah Shehu, “city of God”; or Alashehir, “red city.” [To be renamed, ultimately, in this letter: “the name of My God”]
Title of Christ
7] And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth;
Who has the “key of David”? Christ.
“Holy”
• “Holy” (Revelation 6:10; Leviticus 11:44; 21:8; Isaiah 57:15); Song of the Seraphim (Isaiah 6:3).
• at His birth (Luke 1:35).
• at His death (Acts 2:27).
• in His present priestly office (Hebrews 7:25).
“True”
• Alethinos, real, genuine; alethes, truth in contrast to falsehood (John 17:3; 1 John 5:20).
• Prophecy of Zacharias (Luke 1:75).
• His kingship rests upon the bedrock of His character (Psalms 2; 24, etc.).
“Key of David”
Isaiah 22:20-25
And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will call my servant Eliakim the son of Hilkiah: And I will clothe him with thy robe, and strengthen him with thy girdle, and I will commit thy government into his hand: and he shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to the house of Judah. And the key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder; so he shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open. And I will fasten him as a nail in a sure place; and he shall be for a glorious throne to his father’s house. And they shall hang upon him all the glory of his father’s house, the offspring and the issue, all vessels of small quantity, from the vessels of cups, even to all the vessels of flagons. In that day, saith the LORD of hosts, shall the nail that is fastened in the sure place be removed, and be cut down, and fall; and the burden that was upon it shall be cut off: for the LORD hath spoken it.
“Key of David”
• Eliakim (when Shebna, Hezekiah’s treasurer was deposed and superseded; cf. Isaiah 22:19-24).
• Full administrative authority: Eliakim carried a heavy key on a loop slung over his shoulder, indicating his power to grant or deny others an audience with the king. He alone provided access to the presence of the king.
• Messianic term:
Isaiah 9:6,7; Luke 1:32-33; Matthew 28:18; Revelation 1:18.
• The “nail” is messianic. The cross is in v.25.
Not “Just to Peter”
• “Keys to the Kingdom”? To Peter (Matthew 16:19); and to all Apostles (Matthew 18:18).
• Door opened to Gentiles (Acts 10).
• Clarified in his 1st Epistle (1 Peter 2:4-9).
“Keys of the Kingdom”
Matthew 16:15-19
He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
Petra {pet’-ra} a rock, cliff or ledge; a large stone.
Petros {pet’-ros} Peter, a stone.
The Foundation Stone?
1 Peter 2:4-8
To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious, Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded. Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed,
the same is made the head of the corner, And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.
A Royal Priesthood?
1 Peter 2:9
But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:
Only Three Are Called Kings and Priests:
Melchizedek, Christ, and the Church “24 Elders representing…” (of Revelation 4).
Matthew 18:19, 20
Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.
We have the authority and power in Christ to bind the enemy (forbid, shut the door on him) and loose his hold on us Psalms 146:7-8; and we have the authority and power to permit or open the door to give the enemy entrance and allow him to bind us (Luke 10:19).
Commendation
8] I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name.
Note:
No expression of “Concern”! (Only Philadelphia and Smyrna so encouraged) Cf. Revelation 2:9 “Synagogue of Satan” = ?
“Open doors”: 1 Corinthians 16:9; 2 Corinthians 2:12; Col 4:3
Door(s) of deliverance:
“I Am the Door,” (John 10:7, 9);
Noah’s Ark: closed by God (Genesis 7:16; 7 days before the flood);
The door at the wedding (Matthew 25:1-10)
“...hast not denied my name”:
In a day when the deity of Christ is blatantly denied by seminary and pulpit, what kind of “ambassador” are you?
9] Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee.
“...synagogue of Satan...”:
Legalists? Cf. Revelation 2:9
“False Jews” = Reconstructionists? Will be compelled to worship (Philippians 2:10,11).
Isaiah 43:1-5
But now thus saith the LORD that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine. When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. For I am the LORD thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour: I gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee. Since thou wast precious in my sight, thou hast been honourable, and I have loved thee: therefore will I give men for thee, and people for thy life. Fear not: for I am with thee…
10] Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.
“Word of His patience”:
2 Thessalonians 3:5 He awaits the millennial kingdom (Psalms 110; Hebrews 10:12, 13).
[One of the principal truths recovered by the evangelical movements of the 19th century was the Lord’s return for His Church.]
King David:
• The anointed King of Israel, for a time exiled from his kingdom and took
refuge in a cave in Adullam (1 Samuel 22:1; 2 Samuel 23:13; 1 Chronicles 11:15). • Refused by his people, he gathered three classes of people around him—men in
debt, danger, and discontented—and he transformed them into the mighty men.
• Ultimately he left Adullam for his crowning.
• Today Christ is earth’s rejected King, but the Anointed King will soon return to take His rightful throne. He will give His city—the New Jerusalem—its new name, and each of His own will be marked with His new name: a badge of triumph.
“Earth Dwellers”
• “Dwell” = not oikeo, but katoideo = identified with (Philippians 3:20; Hebrews 11:13).
• epi teo oikoumenes holes: In the Greek it is very clear: upon all mankind; geographically comprehensive.
• Wrath? Read Revelation 6:17 and 1 Thessalonians 1:10; 5:4,9 vs. those who “dwell on the earth” (Revelation 13:8; 6:10 8:13 11:10 12:12 13:8,12,14 14:6 17:8).
Removal or Immunity?
• “From”: Greek ek = “out of,” removal.
• Definite articles in Greek: The hour and The temptation.
• Upon all the world (Revelation 6 –19).
• Purpose: “to try them that dwell on earth”
– Gentile believers in the tribulation are not protected:
they are killed! Revelation 7:9-17; 11:7; 13:7, 15; 17:8; 20:4
“...the hour of the temptation” = the time of the trial. From the period of, not only the actual tribulation (Luke 21:35-36); vs. Thyatira (2:28).
“Time”: Is Used 108 times: “hour” 89 (specific time), “time” 11, “season” 3, miscellaneous words, 5.
This is the only letter with a promise of keeping them out of the time of the “Great Tribulation.”
[Nowhere are we told to prepare for the Great Tribulation...]
Exhortation
11] Behold, I come quickly: hold fast that which thou hast, that no man take thy
crown.
“Crown” : the subject of great importance in the following chapter!
[Cf. Revelation 2:10 crown promised Smyrna (also without “concerns”).] Jesus will return, just as He promised (John 14:3).
“Quickly” = “suddenly” in the Greek. [If the gathering of His own were to occur after the 70th week of Daniel, there would have to be an intervening period of seven years... no “imminent” return!]
“Thy crown”:
They already have it! “Hold fast”:
“Let No Man Rob You”:
• Esau lost his place to Jacob (Genesis 25:34; 27:36).
• Reuben lost his place to Judah (Genesis 49:4, 8).
• For his action at Meribah, Moses was superseded by Joshua (Numbers 20:12; Deuteronomy 3:26-28).
• Saul lost his place to David (1 Samuel 16:1,13).
• Shebna lost his place to Eliakim (Isaiah 22:15-25).
• Joab and Abiathar lost their places to Benaiah and Zadok (1 Kings 2:25).
• Elijah was superseded by Elisha (1 Kings 19:13-16).
Local Application Holding Fast:
• During the 14th century, the city of Philadelphia stood alone against the entire Turkish empire as a free, self-governing Christian city in the midst of a Turkish land.
• Twice besieged by great Turkish armies, its people reduced to the verge of starvation, they had learned to defend themselves, and resisted to the end. By 1379-1390, it finally succumbed to a combined Turkish and Byzantine army.
• Until then, Philadelphia had held fast.
• Today, the few remaining Christians remain underground, as they generally have to in an Islamic country.
12] Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.
“Pillar”: 1Kings 7:15-22;
Jachin = “He shall establish,” “In His counsel”;
Boaz = “In him is strength.”
For a deeper study, see The Way of Agape.
“New name (Revelation 2:17; 19:16; Jeremiah 23:6; Revelation 21:2)”:
A name written which no one knows but He Himself (Revelation 19:12):
YHWH Shammah, “The Lord is there” (Ezekiel 48:35);
Yeshua name is preeminent (Philippians 2:9).
“My God” is used four times (cf. Psalms 22:1). No tremors here; no need to vacate in fear again.
13] He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
Admonitory Level (to all churches):
• Ephesus Devotion, not just doctrine.
• Smyrna Endure persecution.
• Pergamos Purify ambassadorship.
• Thyatira Pagan practices.
• Sardis Watchfulness, diligence.
• Philadelphia Missionary Outreach.
• Laodicea ...
Both Smyrna and Philadelphia have no criticism; both of these cities are the ones remaining still today. Let’s remember that each of the churches had a different perception of themselves that the Lord Himself had. How sobering to us in our own conceits.
Open Doors?
1 Corinthians 16:8, 9
But I will tarry at Ephesus until Pentecost. For a great door and effectual is opened unto me, and there are many adversaries.
Personal Application (Homiletics):
• Ephesus Neglected Priorities.
• Smyrna Satanic Opposition.
• Pergamos Spiritual Compromise.
• Thyatira Pagan Practices.
• Sardis Watchfulness, Diligence.
• Philadelphia Loyal Ambassadorship.
• Laodicea ...
Overcomer’s Promises:
• Ephesus Eat of Tree of Life.
• Smyrna Not hurt of second death.
• Pergamos Manna, Stone, Name.
• Thyatira Power over nations.
• Sardis Walk with Him in white; name not blotted out.
• Philadelphia Pillar in Temple, name of God, name of His city,
new name.
• Laodicea ...
Prophetic Profile:
Philadelphia represents the Missionary Church.
*
The Book of Revelation Session 9:
The Letter to the Church at Laodicea Revelation 3:14-22
Laodicea
• South of Philadelphia, not far from Colossae, stood the large and prosperous city of Laodicea on the banks of the river Lycus, a tributary of the Meander. It was the twin of Hierapolis, six miles away, which was renowned for its hot springs.
• (The current Turkish government is attempting to harness this geothermal power source.)
• Laodicea stood midway between the hot springs of Hierapolis and the cold waters of
Colossae. (It was fed by an aqueduct from Hieropolis, the water being lukewarm when it arrived.)
• A highly successful commercial and financial center, remains of a theater, aqueducts, baths, gymnasium and stadium still survive to testify of its former luxury.
• It was never militarily defendable, so its strategic posture was one of compromise. The city was originally founded by the Ionians about 2000 B.C. as a relatively small town of Diospolis, but in the 19th century B.C. the Hittites added it to their expanding empire. A thousand years later it was captured by the Phrygians and soon afterwards by the Lydians.
• It was renamed Rhoas, but in about 250 B.C. it was taken by the Syrians, and Antiochus II rebuilt the town and renamed it after his wife, Laodice.
• It became part of the Kingdom of Pergamos about 190 B.C. and ultimately passed into the hands of the Roman Empire. According to Josephus, there was a large Jewish colony there.
Church History:
• The church there was probably founded by Epapras. Colossians 2:1 implies that
it was not visited by Paul, although he addressed a letter to it (Colossians 4:12- 14), which may very well have been a circular letter, a copy of which has been preserved for us as the epistle to the Ephesians.
• On the other hand, Paul’s first letter to Timothy was written by him from Laodicea (1 Timothy 6:21).
• Some 30 years earlier Paul had warned Archippus (thought by some to have been the son of Philemon) to be more diligent in fulfilling his ministry (Colossians 2:1; 4:16, 17). There is a tradition that Archippus had become the bishop of Laodicea. It may have been his weakness which contributed to the spiritual condition of the church here.
Economy:
• It was a city of merchants, bankers, and gold refiners. At the junction of roads leading from Ephesus and Smyrna and handling caravan trade as far east as the Yellow River in Punjab by the China Sea, much wealth flowed through Laodicea. It was a city of merchants, bankers, and gold refiners.
Cicero held court there and did his banking there.
Textile manufacturing was also a source of considerable revenue.
• Laodicea was also known for the quality of black wool produced from a particular strain of sheep bred in the Lycus valley and for the cloth and carpets manufactured from it. A famous school of medicine was there, especially known for an ophthalmic ointment (a mixture of oil and the collyrium powder—described by Aristotle as “Phrygian powder”).
When earthquake destroyed Laodicea in 62 A.D., it was rebuilt by its wealthy citizens, without help from Rome [Tacitus, Annals 14:27.]
Letter to Laodicea
14] And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write…
Lao = people; Diceans = rulers. “Rule of/by the People” = the “self-satisfied” church.
Title of Christ
14] ...These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;
Foundational Character
• Amen = true; verily (Revelation 1:6,7,18 Isaiah 65:16; John 14:6; 1 Corinthians 1:18-22).
• Faithful and True witness (Revelation 1:5; Psalms 89:34-37; Isaiah 55:4; John 18:37).
“Beginning of Creation of God”
• avrvrvrch,,, beginning, first origin, first cause; ruling power, authority, ruler: Cf Revelation 1:8 , a quote from Isaiah 41:4.
• Used of rank and honor (unique expression here and Colossians 1:15 ).
• Paul specifically instructed that Colossae and Laodicea exchange epistles: A rebuttal to the gnostic errors beginning to make their appearance in the Lycus valley.
Concerns
15] I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.
16] So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.
This letter has no “Commendation…”
“I Know thy works”: you cannot hide from God… They were indifferent.
• Lukewarm water is an emetic. Indifference is not tolerable. This is the only church for which our Lord expresses a form of disgust.
• The danger is of disregarded principle; religion enough to lull the conscience, not to save the soul; halting between two opinions (1 Kings 18:21; 2 Kings 17:41; Ezekiel 20:39; Matthew 6:24).
The hot (at Hierapolis) and cold springs near Laodicea illustrate the simile. The certain barrier to truth is the presumption that one already has it.
[How many of the major denominations manifest a true passion for the Gospel today?]
2 Timothy 3:5:
“Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such
turn away.”
Matthew 7:21-23
Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
17] Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:
[The “name it and claim it” bunch are Scriptural!?]
Insensitivity to their spiritual need. God always warns the rich. Contrast with Smyrna: poor, but rich (all these churches suffer from erroneous self-perceptions...).
This is the ultimate rebuttal to affluent contentment and the spiritual complacency that usually results. This church was worse off than any of the previous! It is spiritually poverty-stricken.
Exhortation
18] I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and
white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness
do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.
19] As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.
The Remedies Proposed
He speaks to the businessmen in their own terms; their blindness and
nakedness are not incurable:
• The Ultimate Refiner offers His “Gold”: Psalms 19:7-11; 12:6; cf. 1 Corinthians 3:12 .
• The Bridegroom offers His covering: White raiment, vs. glossy (raven colored) black wool.
• The Great Physician offers His remedy to really open their eyes— the Holy Spirit.
20] Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the
door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
A beautiful evangelistic call; however, consider the context: Jesus is outside, desperately calling “any man…”: here, it is an indictment of this fellowship!
[In the romance of Ruth, in Chapter 3, despite the kinsman redeemer’s (Boaz) love for Ruth, it had to be her move!]
Promise to the Overcomer
21] To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also
overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.
22] He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
On whose throne? Hebrews 1:3 . Over Israel (Luke 22:30); Angels (1 Corinthians 6:3);
Reign with Him (2 Timothy 2:12).
Next session we visit the Throne Room of the Universe: Chapter 4!
“He that hath an ear...”: 7X in Revelation + 7X in the Gospels (Mt 11:15,
13:9,43; Mk 4:23; 7:16; Lk 8:8; 14:35).
Who is “the Overcomer”?
1 John 5:4,5
For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory
that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the
world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?
Thus speaketh Christ our Lord to us:
Ye call Me Master and obey Me not.
Ye call Me Light and see Me not.
Ye call Me Way and walk Me not.
Ye call Me Life and choose Me not.
Ye call Me Wise and follow Me not.
Ye call Me Fair and love Me not.
Ye call Me Rich and ask Me not.
Ye call Me Eternal and seek Me not.
Ye call Me Noble and serve Me not.
Ye call Me Gracious and trust Me not.
Ye call Me Might and honor Me not.
Ye call Me Just and fear Me not.
If I condemn you, blame Me not.
—An inscription on a cathedral in Lubeck, Germany
Prophetic Profile?
Admonitory Level (to all churches)
• Ephesus Devotion, not just doctrine.
• Smyrna Endure persecution.
• Pergamos Purify ambassadorship.
• Thyatira Pagan practices.
• Sardis Watchfulness, diligence.
• Philadelphia Missionary outreach.
• Laodicea Prosperous compromise.
Both Smyrna and Philadelphia have no criticism; both of these cities are the ones remaining still today.
Let’s remember that each of the churches had a different perception of themselves that the Lord Himself had. How sobering to us in our own conceits.
Personal Application (Homiletics):
• Ephesus Neglected Priorities.
• Smyrna Satanic Opposition.
• Pergamos Spiritual Compromise.
• Thyatira Pagan Practices.
• Sardis Watchfulness, Diligence.
• Philadelphia Loyal Ambassadorship.
• Laodicea Materialistic Apostasy.
Overcomer’s Promises:
• Ephesus Eat of the Tree of Life.
• Smyrna Not hurt of the second death.
• Pergamos Manna, Stone, a Name.
• Thyatira Power over the nations.
• Sardis Walk with Him in white; name will not be blotted out.
• Philadelphia Pillar in Temple, name of God, name of His city, new name.
• Laodicea Sit with Him on His throne.
Addendum:
The Kingdom Parables: Matthew 13
Matthew 13
3-9 1: Sower & 4 Soils
10-17 Why Parables?
18-23 Sower & 4 Soils Explained
24-30 2: Tares & Wheat
31-32 3: Mustard Seed
33 4: Woman & Leaven
34-35 Why Parables? (continued)
36-43 Tares & Wheat Explained
44 5: Treasure in the Field
45-46 6: Pearl of Great Price
46-50 7: Dragnet
Why Parables?
Matthew 13:10-12
And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables? He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.
For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.
The parables are given to those who are spiritually enlightened so you can know the mysteries of the kingdom. (Not for those in the darkness.)
• What is He talking about? Spiritual insight.
Matthew 13:13-17
Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive: For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear. For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have
not heard them.
Matthew 13:34, 35
All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spake he not unto them: That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world.
• Jesus only spoke to the multitudes in parables (from Chapter 12 on).
These parables contain truths that are hidden from the Old Testament, otherwise they would not have been “kept hidden from the foundation of the world” (7times here: Matthew 25:34; Luke 11:50; Hebrews 4:3; 9:26; Revelation 13:8; 17:8).
These things that the Lord is talking about in Matthew 13 are first time occasions, not found overtly in other Old Testament books.
Hidden Secret?
Ephesians 3:4-6
Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; That the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:
The Church:
Not just that Gentiles will be converted:
that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs and of the same body and partakers of His promise in Christ Jesus by the gospel. From this mystery, we get the insight that these seven parables have the specific focus in the Church.
The Four Soils:
Matthew 13:3-9
And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow; And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up: Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth: And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away. And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them: But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.
Four Soils: Explained:
Matthew 13:18-23
Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower. When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side. But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it; Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended. He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful. But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.
• God is the Sower and the seed is His Word.
• Who are the birds? See v. 19,
• The evil one takes away the seed;
Birds are bad in parables.
• In stony places, there is a little soil but not enough to take root.
A little pressure, a little persecution, and they are on to the next fad; these have no roots.
• Third, they mean well but they get swept up in the cares of this world.
• The world makes it’s demands on you and the thorns choke out any spiritual fruit.
Tares & Wheat
Matthew 13:24-30
Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares?
He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him,
Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.
The sower is not necessarily asleep (the Lord never sleeps).
“Tares”:
Zizania - a seed in Israel today that looks just like wheat while it is growing, but then while it matures it turns black (it shows its true color).
• If it gets mixed up in the wheat and you bake bread with it, it is poisonous!
• It must be separated out...there will be a separation; a burning of the tares and the wheat into His barn.
Tares & Wheat Explained:
Matthew 13:36-43
Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and went into the house: and his disciples came unto him, saying, Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field. He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man; The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the
reapers are the angels. As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear,
let him hear.
“...end of the age”: Found 6 times (v. 39, 40, 47; 24:3; 28:20; Hebrews 9:26)
• Referring to the = Age of Man. “Who hath an ear...,” from Rev 2 & 3; the letters to Seven churches!
Mustard Seed:
Matthew 13:31, 32
Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field:
Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof.
• Mustard seeds grow into bushes about 3 feet tall.
• Have you ever seen a bird lodge in a small bush?
• This mustard seed apparently grows to become a monstrosity, something larger than it is supposed to.
• It becomes a structure so large and spacious that birds come and lodge in the branches. Birds are the birds that picked up the seed in the first parable; the ministers of Satan!
Woman & Leaven:
Another parable spake he unto them; The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.
• Leaven in Jewish terms is a symbol of sin.
Example: The Passover ceremony was to get the leaven out of the house.
Leaven is sin because it corrupts by puffing up.
• What is the root of all sin? Pride.
• Whose pride? Satan’s (Isaiah 14).
Leaven is used as a type of sin throughout the Old Testament and in the New (2 times Jesus says, and 2 times Paul says, “...a little leaven leaventh the whole lump.”)
“Three measures of meal”:
• To an Arab or a Jew, historically this suggests the Oaks at Mamre (Genesis 18—from that time on, three measures of meal are the fellowship offering.)
• It is wrong to hide leaven in the measures of meal!
• The Church will not be perfect, it will be impure.
• Leaven will be introduced and it will grow and contaminate.
• These parables are prophecies of the Church age!
Treasure in the Field:
Matthew 13:44
Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.
• This is not saying to sell all and buy Jesus Christ, as Jesus is free gift.
• To feel that you can add one thing to that which He has done 100% is arrogance;
• To assume that you can add to that which God has called complete is blasphemy.
• The treasure is hidden in the field, or the world (Exodus 19:5; Psalms 135 – we are described as His peculiar treasure).
• The One that gave up all that He had for the sake of the treasure is Jesus Christ!
• He wanted the treasure, He didn’t buy just one little parcel, He bought the whole field. • He died on the cross for all sinners.
• Who did the buying? He did.
• What did it cost Him? His Blood.
• He purchased what?
You and I! Who is the treasure hid in the field? You and I are!
Pearl of Great Price:
Matthew 13:45, 46
Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.
• Oysters are not kosher; one can only eat seafood with scales.
• This means that pearls were not prized by the Jewish community.
• While they might trade in them because they would sell them to the Gentiles, pearls are distinctly a Gentile ornament, not a Jewish ornament.
• Of all jewels, pearls are the only one that is made by a living organism as a response to
irritation that has been introduced.
• It is then removed from its place of growth to become an item of adornment.
Drag Net:
Matthew 13:47, 48
Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind: Which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away.
• The judgment. Separation of the good and the bad.
Drag Net: Explained:
Matthew 13:49, 50
So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just, And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
Student Diligence:
Matthew 13:51, 52
Jesus saith unto them, Have ye understood all these things? They say unto him, Yea, Lord. Then said he unto them, Therefore every scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old.
“Rightly dividing the Word of Truth,” 2 Timothy 2:15.
The Seven Kingdom Parables Rev. 2 & 3:
• The Sower and 4 Soils Ephesus
• The Tares and the Wheat Smyrna
• The Mustard Seed Pergamos
• The Woman & the Leaven Thyatira
• The Treasure in the Field Sardis
• The Pearl of Great Price Philadelphia
• The Dragnet Laodicea
Paul’s Epistles to Seven Churches:
Paul wrote 13 letters. Three of them are 1 & 2nds, leaving 10 addressees,
three of which are pastors: Paul wrote too seven churches.
Jesus Paul
Ephesus Ephesus
Smyrna Philippians
Pergamos Corinthians
Thyatira Galatians
Sardis Romans
Philadelphia Thessalonians
Laodicea Colossians
Ephesus = Ephesians; Smyrna ~ Philippians (joy through suffering);
Pergamos ~ Corinthians (marriage to the world); Thyatira ~ Galatians
(Religious externalism); Sardis ~ Romans (Definitive orthodoxy); Philadelphia
~ Thessalonians (The raptured Church); Laodicea = Colossians
(only a few miles apart, instructed to trade letters with Laodicea; Greek
phrases unique only to these two letters)
The Divine Outline: Revelation 1:19
Write the things which thou hast seen, (The Vision of Christ, Chapter
1) and the things which are, (The Seven Churches, Chapters 2, 3) and
the things which shall be hereafter; (Which follows after the Churches
Chapters 4-22).
“hereafter,” “after these things” = meta tauta.
Revelation 4:1
After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the firstvoice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said,“Come up hither, and I will show thee things which must be hereafter.”
• This opens the third, and final, section of the book: Chapters 4 through 22.
*
The Book of Revelation Session 10: The Throne Room of Heaven Revelation Chapters 4 - 5
Session Agenda:
• The Harpazo? 4:1
• Throne of God 4:2, 3
• 24 Elders 4:4
• 7 Lamps burning 4:5
• Sea of Glass 4:6
• 4 Living Creatures (Cherubim) 4:6-8
– 4 faces: Lion, Calf, Man, Eagle (Numbers 2)
• The Seven-sealed Scroll Chapter 5
– The identity of the 24 Elders
Real Experiences:
• “I will show thee” Revelation 4:1; 21:10
• “I looked” 70 times in Revelation
• “I saw” 35 times
• “I beheld” 7 times
• “I heard” 23 times
The Harpazo (Summary):
• “A door was opened” 4 times in Revelation
• “Voice ... Trumpet” Cf. 1 Thessalonians 4:16 f
• “Come”
– a real, material Heaven Luke 24:39
– veil Luke 23:45; Hebrews 10:19-20
• Rapture references:
– New Testament:
1 Thessalonians 4:13-17; 1 Corinthians 15:50
– Old Testament:
Isaiah 26:19-21; Zephaniah 2:3; Psalms 27:5
(See our Rapture briefing pack)
The Promise John 14:
John 14:1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.
Jesus Christ
Either He Knew OR He Didn’t Know
Was God Wasn’t God
Liar Lunatic
He is Lord! X
Jesus is either a Liar, Lunatic or LORD, you have to decide for yourself.
John 14:2,3
In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
The Jewish Wedding:
• The Ketubah, Betrothal (Isaiah 61:10; Judges 14:10-11; Jeremiah 2:32; Isaiah 49:18; Psalms 45:8-15):
Payment of the purchase price; set apart (sanctified).
• Bridegroom departs to Father’s House: Prepares room addition; bride prepares for his imminent return.
• Surprise gathering (Jeremiah 7:34; 16:9; 25:10; Psalms 45:8-15; Matthew 25:1-13):
Huppah, Wedding.
• Seven-day Marriage supper ( Judges 14:12; Matthew 9:15; 22:11-14; John 2:1).
The Marriage Fulfilled:
• Covenant established (1 Corinthians 11:25).
• Purchase price (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).
• Bride set apart (Ephesians 5:25-27; 1 Corinthians 1:2; 6:11; Hebrews 10:10; 13:12).
• Reminded of the covenant (1 Corinthians 11:25-26).
• Bridegroom left for the Father’s house…
• Escort to accompany Him upon His return to gather His Bride (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17).
The Process: 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
Job 19:25-27
For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God: Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within me.
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not precede them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
deinde nos qui vivimus qui relinquimur simul rapiemur cum illis in nubibus
obviam Domino in aera et sic semper cum Domino erimus
1 Thessalonians 4:17 (Latin Vulgate)
Rapiemur is the proper tense of rapio: our English words “rapt” and “rapture” come from the past participle of rapio.
Seven “Raptures”:
• Enoch Genesis 5:42; Hebrews 11:5
• Elijah 2 Kings 2:1, 11
• Jesus Mark 16:19; Acts 1:9-11; Revelation 12:5 Harpazo
• Philip Acts 8:39 Revelation 12:5
• Paul 2 Corinthians 12:2-4 1 Thessalonians 4:17
• Body of Christ 1 Thessalonians 4:17
• John Revelation 4:1
The Purpose:
1 Corinthians 15:50-53
Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on
immortality.
“...twinkling of an eye”:
The twinkling of the eye is not a “wink” a wink is a very long time comparatively.
• What is the “...twinkling of an eye”?
• Chuck Missler believes it is the time it takes for light traveling at the speed of light to pass through the lens of the eye.
• And that turns out to be about 10 -43 seconds, it’s the smallest unit of time possible.
Smallest Digital Limit: 10 -43 seconds.
1 Corinthians 15:54-55
So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?
The Physics of Immortality:
• 10 Dimensionality 1 John 3:2
• Oiketerion 2 Corinthians 5:2
1 John 3:2
Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is.
This is a physics statement.
2 Corinthians 5:1,2
For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven:
“...house”: oiketerion (only here and Jude 6).
“clothed upon”: ependuomai (compound of epi, en, duo)
to put on over, one piece of clothing over another presently being worn.
The Doctrine of Imminency:
• Imminent:
Next expectation; not be confused with “immanent,” that God is not only transcendent, or far above us, but that He is always with us and active on our behalf. Nor should it be confused with “eminent,” which is a title of honor reserved for persons of out standing distinction.
• Believers are taught to expect the Savior from heaven at any moment
(Philippians 3:20; Titus 2:13; Hebrews 9:28; 1 Thessalonians 1:10; 4:18; 5:6; Revelation 22:20).
• Expresses hope and a warm spirit of expectancy (1 Thessalonians 1:10).
• Should result in a victorious and purified life (1 John 3:2,3).
• Paul seemed to include himself among those who looked for Christ’s return
(1 Thessalonians 4:15,17; 2 Thessalonians 2:1).
• Timothy was admonished to “keep this commandment without spot, unrebukable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ
(1 Timothy 6:14).
• Jewish converts were reminded that “yet a little while, and He that shall come will come, and will not tarry”
(Hebrews 10:37). “Occupy til I come” (Luke 19:13).
• The expectation of some were so strong that they had stopped work and had to be exhorted: to return to their jobs
(2 Thessalonians 3:10-12);
and have patience (James 5:8).
Rapture & Second Coming Passages:
Rapture
John 14:1-3
Romans 8:19
1 Corinthians 1:7-8
1 Corinthians 15:1-53
1 Corinthians 16:22
Philippians 3:20-21
Colossians 3:4
1 Thessalonians 1:10
1 Thessalonians 2:19
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
1 Thessalonians 5:9
1 Thessalonians 5:23
2 Thessalonians 2:1 (3?)
1 Timothy 6:14
2 Timothy 4:1
Titus 2:13
Hebrews 9:28
James 5:7-9
1 Peter 1:7, 13
1 John 2:28-3:2
Jude 21
Revelation 2:25
Revelation 3:10
Second Coming
Daniel 2:44-45
Daniel 7:9-14
Daniel 12:1-3
Zechariah 14:1-15
Matthew 13:41
Matthew 24:15-31
Matthew 26:64
Mark 13:14-27
Mark 14:62
Luke 21:25-28
Acts 1:9-11
Acts 3:19-21
1 Thessalonians 3:13
2 Thessalonians 1:6-10
2 Thessalonians 2:8
2 Peter 3:1-14
Jude 14-15
Revelation 1:7
Revelation 19:11-20:6
Revelation 22:7, 12, 20
Rapture
Translation of all believers.
Translated saints go to heaven.
Earth not judged.
Imminent, any-moment, signless.
Not in the Old Testament.
Believers only.
Before the day of wrath.
No reference to Satan.
Christ comes for His own.
He comes in the air.
He claims His bride.
Only His own see.
Tribulation begins
Church believers only?
Second Coming
No translation at all.
Translated saints return to earth.
Earth judged; righteousness
established.
Follows definite predicted
signs, including tribulation.
Predicted often in Old Testament.
Affects all men on the earth.
Concluding the day of wrath.
Satan is bound.
Christ comes with His own.
He comes to the earth.
He comes with His bride.
Every eye shall see Him.
Millennial Kingdom begins.
OT saved raised later?
The Marriage Fulfilled
• Covenant established (1 Corinthians 11:25).
• Purchase price (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).
• Bride set apart (Ephesians 5:25-27; 1 Corinthians 1:2; 6:11; Hebrews 10:10; 13:12).
• Reminded of the covenant (1 Corinthians 11:25-26).
• Bridegroom left for the Father’s house…
• Escort to accompany Him upon His return to gather His Bride (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17).
The Throne Room of Heaven Revelation 4 & 5:
1] After this I looked, and behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice
which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.
“Come up (Anaba) Verb - Strong's Greek 305: To go up, mount, ascend; of things: I rise, spring up, come up. From ana and the base of basis; to go up.
2] And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne.
Harpazo Caught Up:
726 harpázo – properly, seize by force; snatch up, suddenly and decisively – like someone seizing bounty (spoil, a prize); to take by an open display of force (i.e. not covertly or secretly).
Matthew 11:12 And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence , and the violent take it by force.
• By Force 726 harpázo
NAS: and violent men take it by force.
KJV: take it by force.
INT: and [the] violent seize it
Revelation 12:5 And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and [to] his throne.
• Is this (Revelation 12:5) in reference to the Church also?
Matthew 12:29
NAS: house and carry off his property,
INT: goods of him to plunder if not
• Matthew 13:19
NAS: [one] comes and snatches away what
KJV: [one], and catcheth away that which
INT: evil one and snaches away that which was sown
• John 6:15
NAS: to come and take Him by force to make
KJV: take him by force, to make
INT: to come and seize him that
• John 10:12
NAS: and the wolf snatches them and scatters
KJV: and the wolf catcheth them, and
INT: the wolf snatches them and
• John 10:28
NAS: one will snatch them out of My hand.
KJV: shall any [man] pluck them out of
INT: and never will seize anyone them
• John 10:29
NAS: is able to snatch [them] out of the Father's
KJV: [man] is able to pluck [them] out of
INT: no one is able to seize out of the
• Acts 8:39
NAS: of the Lord snatched Philip
KJV: of the Lord caught away Philip,
INT: [the] Spirit of [the] Lord carried away Philip
• Acts 23:10
NAS: to go down and take him away from them by force, and bring
KJV: and to take him by force from among
INT: troop having gone down to take by force him from
• 2 Corinthians 12:2
NAS: such a man was caught up to the third
KJV: such an one caught up to
INT: God knows having been caught up such a one
• 2 Corinthians 12:4
NAS: was caught up into Paradise and heard
KJV: How that he was caught up into
INT: that he was caught up to
• 1 Thessalonians 4:17
NAS: and remain will be caught up together
KJV: [and] remain shall be caught up together
INT: with them will be caught away in [the] clouds
• Jude 1:23
NAS: save others, snatching them out of the fire;
KJV: fear, pulling [them] out of
INT: out of fire snatching [them] others moreover
• Revelation 12:5
NAS: and her child was caught up to God
KJV: her child was caught up unto God,
INT: iron and was caught away the child
Thrones:
• The word “throne” appears 58 times in the New Testament;
• Throne appears 43 times in Revelation; and 14 times in Chapter 4.
• Messiah will sit: on His Father’s Throne Psalms 110:1; Revelation 3:21
– on the “Throne of His Mercy” Hebrews 4:16
– on the “Throne of David” Isaiah 9:7 Luke 1:32
• The 12 apostles will sit on 12 thrones and judge the 12 tribes and the angels (Matthew 19:28; 1 Corinthians 6:3).
• 24 Elders sit on thrones (Revelation 4:4).
• Unbelievers will be judged at a “Great White Throne” (Revelation 20:12).
3] And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald.
Rainbow:
• “Rainbow” is the Greek word iris, which can also mean “halo.”
• “Emerald”: Genesis 9:11-17; Exodus 24:10.
• The 12th stone Jasper was as clear as crystal, you and I may refer it to a “diamond” will also later appear as first in both the wall and foundation of the New Jerusalem (Revelation 21:11, 18-19).
• The 1st stone is Sardius in the breastplate of the high priest, representing Reuben, the firstborn of Jacob. (Jesus was the firstborn of the dead.)
• The 12th stone was Jasper representing Benjamin, the son of my right hand, the first and the last, alpha and omega.
• Sardius is also the sixth stone in the foundation of the New Jerusalem (Revelation 21:20).
• Pliny says it was discovered in Sardis and its color was a fiery red.
4] And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold.
24 Elders:
• David’s 24 courses (1 Chronicles 24:1-19): Each course relieved each Sabbath.
• Non-Levitical Priesthood Orders:
– Jethro Exodus 3:1
– Jacob’s tithes? Genesis 28:22
– Melchizedek Genesis 14:18-20
– Messianic Psalms 110:4; Hebrews 5,6,7
Who Are the 24 Elders?
• Represent completed group 1 Chronicles 24
• They Cannot be
– Not Tribulation Believers Revelation 7:13-14
– Not Angels Revelation 7:11
– Not Nation of Israel Revelation 7 & 12
• Distinguishing Characteristics:
– Thrones Revelation 3:21
– White Raiment Revelation 3:25
– Crowns of gold Revelation 2:10; 3:11
– Song of the Redeemed Revelation 5:9,10
– Called “Elders,” “Kings & Priests” Revelation 5:10
Elders (presbuteros) in New Testament are the highest officials in the church; Representative of the whole church (Titus 1:5; Acts 15:6; 20:28; 1 Peter 2:5, 9).
Cf. Daniel 7:13,14: no 24 elders: Ephesians 3.3-7!
Crowns Promised:
• Crown of Life (James 1:12; Revelation 2:10) for those who have suffered for His sake.
• Crown of Righteousness (2 Timothy 4:8) for those who loved His appearing.
• Crown of Glory (1 Peter 5:4) for those who fed the flock.
• Crown Incorruptible (1 Corinthians 9:25) for those who press on steadfastly.
• Crown of Rejoicing (1 Thessalonians 2:19) for those who win souls.
5 classic crowns mentioned, there are more.
Crowns (stephanos): 1 Corinthians 9:25; 1 Thessalonians 2:19; 2 Timothy 4:8; James 1:12; 1 Peter 5:4.
Reward for works (not salvation) James 1:12. Never promised to angels; reward is with Him: “Bema” seat.
5] And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there
were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.
6] And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts (living creatures) full of eyes before and behind.
7] And the first beast was like a lion, and the second beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle.
Sea of glass:
• In the Tabernacle, the sea was the laver—now it is crystal: no washing needed (mingled with fire: Revelation 15:2).
• “Four beasts...”: Zoa, living creatures (our word for “zoo.”)
God = “He that dwelleth between the cherubim.”
8] And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.”
Cf. Isaiah 6:2-3; Holy, holy, holy, reference to the Trinity (see our briefing package, The Trinity).
2 Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. 3 And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.
The Four Faces Before the Throne of God
Isaiah 6; Ezekiel 1, 10; The Four Gospels; Numbers 2
Ezekiel 10:14
And every one had four faces: the first face was the face of a cherub, and the second face was the face of a man, and the third the face of a lion, and the fourth the face of an eagle.
The Design of the Gospels:
The Camp of Israel: Numbers 2
• Every detail by Design?
• What might be hidden behind the details of the Camp of Israel?
• “The volume of the Book is written of Me” (Psalms 40:7; Hebrews 10:7).
Judah 74,600
Issachar 54,400
Zebullun 57,400 = 186,400
Reuben 46,500
Simeon 59,300
Gad 45,650 = 151,450
Rabbinical Precision:
• The Camp of Judah: East of Levites.
• The Camp of Reuben: South of Levites.
• Strict obedience denies area Southeast; thus, only cardinal directions ordained.
• Only width of Levite’s camp allowed; length proportional to population.
9] And when those beasts give glory and honour and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever,
10] The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying,
11] “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.”
The Seven-Sealed Scroll Revelation 5:
The Ultimate Escrow Closing….
Books were scrolls prior to 2nd century A.D.
• A book with pages is known as a “codex.”
• A sealed book, with conditions on the exterior and sealed, suggests a title deed.
• Roman law required that a Will be sealed with seven seals (as was illustrated in the wills left by Augustus and Vespasian).
The Seven-sealed Scroll:
1] And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals.
Papyrus:
Papyrus, or bulrushes were 15 ft high, 6 ft under water, and thick as a man’s wrist.
• Pith was extracted and cut into thin strips with a sharp knife.
• Rows were laid out vertically and then horizontally. Moistened with water and glue, they were pressed together, beaten with a mallet, and smoothed with pumice stone.
• Recto, The front side, with horizontal grain, (where writing was normally done);
• Verso, (vertical grain) back side. A sheet written on the back was called an opisthograph, a sheet “written behind.”
This was unusual since it was rougher and uneven.
• Made into 8 x 10 inch sheets, joined horizontally;
• Written in narrow (3 inch) columns; 2 ½ inch top & bottom margins; 3/4 in between columns;
Rolled on a wooden roller:
Jude, II & III John, Philemon, 1 sheet each;
Romans, 11 ½ feet long;
Mark, 19 feet;
John, 23 ½ feet;
Matthew, 30 ft.;
Luke and Acts, 32 feet ea.;
and Revelation, 15 feet.
Example in Jeremiah 32:6-27:
• Purchase of land for later redemption (even though Jeremiah knew the Babylonian invaders would usurp the land for 70 years (Jer 25:11).
[It was an evidence that God promised them that they would return…]
2] And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to ope the book, and to loose the seals thereof?”
3] And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon.
4] And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon.
A dramatic mystery thriller!
A man is sought: a kinsman of Adam, able to qualify as a Goel…
[They reviewed the potential inventory in three places: heaven, in earth, and under the earth.
Why?] We may be confused; John was not. He understood and “sobbed convulsively
(Romans 8:22, 23).”
The Book of Ruth:
• Boaz = the Goel, the Kinsman-Redeemer.
• Law of Redemption: land for Naomi.
• Law of Levirate Marriage; Ruth, the Gentile bride (Leviticus 25:23-25).
• Redemption sealed: Cf. Daniel 12:4-9; Revelation 10:8-11; Ezekiel 2:10; Zechariah 5:1-4; Isaiah 29:11f. [See our briefing package Romance of Redemption.]
• The Kinsman-Redeemer; the “Goel” had to be a kinsman;
• He had to be able;
• He had to be willing;
• He had to assume all the obligations of the beneficiary...
• He was also the “avenger of blood…”
5] And one of the elders saith unto me, “Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.”
6] And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.
These are all Jewish titles:
• Lamb is not referred to in the “seven churches”
letters. Cf. John 1:29,36; Acts 8:32; 1 Peter 1:19.
“Lamb,” as John first introduces Him publicly. In other places in the New Testament, the world is amnos,
• As in John 1:29, 36; 1 Peter 1:19; Acts 8:32 (Isaiah 53:7).
• Here it is the word that Jeremiah uses, “I was like a lamb or an ox that is brought to the slaughter,”
Jeremiah 11:19, arnion.
• This emphasizes, “as it had been slain.”
The Lamb = His 1st Coming;
The Lion = His 2nd Coming.
Note: He is to reign from Mount Zion (Jerusalem). Cf. Psalms 2:6.
• “Seven horns”:
Are a Symbol of power: Deuteronomy 22:17; 1 Kings 22:11; Zechariah 1:18; Psalms 75:4.
Also, honor: 1 Samuel 2;1-10; Psalms 89:17, 24; Psalms 112:9, 10; 148:14.
• “Seven Eyes”: Seven Spirits of God: Zechariah 3:8,9; 4:10.
Yeshua Ha Mashiach:
Note: 24 titles were used of Jesus Christ in Chapters 1-3.
• These titles apply to Him in His present role and revealed to the Church.
• From now on we see Jewish titles emphasized.
• Israel is coming back to center stage as the end of human history approaches. All of earth’s history is moving toward a climax, and the key to it all is the nation Israel.
Key Insight:
Distinguish between Israel and the Church.
Earthly promises (to Israel) are now to be fulfilled.
The Holy Spirit is addressing physical descendants in the 75 references (in 73 verses) to Israel in the New Testament. (Cf. Romans 9, 10, 11).
• Lion:
Jacob’s final blessing on his sons: Genesis 49:8-10 (cf. Hosea 5:14; Hebrews 7:14
• Root of David:
Isaiah 11:1, 10; Jeremiah 23:5, 6; Romans 15:12; Revelation 22:16; Matthew 1:1
• He was the result of David’s line, yet He was the one who brought David (and the line) into existence!
• He used this paradox to baffle the Pharisees (Matthew 22:41-46).
• In God’s covenant with David, his line was to rule over all the whole earth (2 Samuel 7; Psalms 2:8); this was confirmed to Mary (Luke 1:33).
Pilate’s Epitaph:
John 19:19-22
And Pilate wrote a title, and put it on the cross. And the writing was, “Jesus Of Nazareth The King Of The Jews.” This title then read many of the Jews: for the place where Jesus was crucified was nigh to the city: and it was written in Hebrew, and Greek, and Latin. Then said the chief priests of the Jews to Pilate, “Write not, The King of the Jews; but that he said, I am King of the Jews.” Pilate answered, “What I have written I have written.”
7] And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne.
8] And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints.
That’s real access!
“It is finished”: tetelestai (Colossians 2:14; John 19:30)
“Paid in full” (Hebrews 2:8).
Incense, odors are prayers (Revelation 8:3,4; Psalms 141:2).
• These are the prayers of God’s dedicated people. We, the redeemed, actually contribute to the work of redemption through our prayers!
• Prayer is God’s way of enlisting you in what He is doing (1 Timothy 2:1-4; cf. “Thy Kingdom come”). [A Praise Chorus ensues: 5:7-14…]
9] And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;
10] And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.
“...new song”:
Very common in the Psalms (Psalms 33:3; 40:3; 96:1; 98:1; 144:9; 149:1).
However, this is closer to Isaiah (42:9,10 Behold, the former things are come to pass, and new things do I declare: before they spring forth I tell you of them. 10 Sing unto the Lord a new song, and his praise from the end of the earth, ye that go down to the sea, and all that is therein; the isles, and the inhabitants thereof.)
NOTE: “us” in 4 manuscripts, including Codex Siniaticus; Basilianus (Vatican); Latin
Coptic, Memphitic;
(vs. “them”: only 1: Codex Alexandrinus).
[“Some churches tend to delete “by thy blood” from their hymnals (and sermons.)
• Perhaps that’s why the Lord isn’t going to embarrass them by taking them into heaven because they would have to sing about the blood up there.” J. Vernon McGee]
Revelation 1:6 settles the identity issue!
Revelation 1:6
Unto Him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to Him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
11] And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands;
12] Saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.”
• He is worshipped for who He is; where He is (not in a manger, in Jerusalem, nor on the cross, nor in the tomb).
He is in the center of the Throne; and for what He does.
Harps are instruments of praise throughout the Psalms. Just as the strings of a harp vibrate in harmony, so the whole of creation will vibrate in harmonious worship.
• (It is interesting that the Scriptures always allude to “10 strings.”
This is particularly provocative in view of current physics which views all of creation on the basis of 10-dimensional strings! See Beyond Perception briefing package, or our Genesis Commentary.)
Seven Possessions:
1) Power:
He is not one who can dream and never realize; plan but never achieve. He is able (Matthew 28:18; 1 Corinthians 1:24; Colossians 1:16-17; Hebrews 1:3; Mark 5:1-20, 25-29, 35-43).
2) Riches:
There is no claim on Him which He cannot satisfy, no promise He cannot carry out (2 Corinthians 8:9; Ephesians 3:8).
3) Wisdom:
Both secrets and practical knowledge (1 Corinthians 1:24; James 1:5).
4) Strength:
Which can even disarm the powers of evil and overthrow Satan (Psalms 24:8; Matthew 12:29; Luke 11:22).
5) Honor:
Before whom every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that He is Lord indeed (Philippians 2:11; Psalms 104:1; Psalms 8:5; cf. Hebrews 2:7, 9).
6) Glory:
Which is His alone (John 1:14; 2:11; 11:4, 40; 17:5, 24).
7) Blessing:
The inevitable climax of it all: He pours this all out of us— you and me (Psalms 103:1-2).
13] And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth,
and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, “Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.”
14] And the four beasts said, “Amen.” And the four and twenty elders fell down
and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever.
*
The Book of Revelation Session 11:
Daniel 9 “The 70 Weeks” Jesus’ Confidential Briefing
• Four disciples (Peter, James, John and Andrew) ask about His Return.
Jesus’ response is recorded in three Gospels (Matthew 24, 25; Mark 13; Luke 21).
The Olivet Discourse:
Matthew 24:3-8
And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, When shall these things be? And What shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world? And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. And ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.
All these are “non-signs”: the end is NOT yet.
The Key Event:
Matthew 24:15-16
When ye therefore shall see the Abomination of Desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) Then let them which be in Judea flee into the mountains...
• Jesus highlighted this very passage in Daniel as the key to prophecy in Matthew 24:15.
• He authenticates Daniel as a prophet, and the author of this book! He also holds us responsible to understand this passage.
[Note its Jewishness: “In Judea… not on the Sabbath Day.”]
The Flight from Judea:
Matthew 24:17-20
Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house: Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes. And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the Sabbath day:
The Great Tribulation:
Matthew 24:21-22
For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened.
Old Testament (Tenach) Texts:
• Original Hebrew (“Vorlage”):
In the days of Ezra and Nehemiah.
• Septuagint Translation (LXX):
From 285-270 B.C., Ptolemy Philadelphus II commissioned 70 top scholars at Alexandria to translate the Hebrew Tenach (Old Testament) into the common Greek of that day.
It is the primary quoted text in the New Testament.
• Masoretic Text (MT): Derived from the Council of Jamnia, A.D. 90.
Daniel Chapter 9:
• Daniel’s Prayer vv. 1 - 19
• Gabriel’s Visit vv. 20 - 23
• The Seventy Weeks vv. 24 - 27
1] In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of the seed of the Medes, which was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans;
2] In the first year of his reign I Daniel understood by books the number of the years, whereof the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah the prophet, that he would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem.
“Darius”:
Uncle of Cyrus? [Same as Chapter 6?] “...was made”: passive recipient.
Here he was reading Jeremiah’s prophecy.
Daniel took it literally! (Jeremiah 25:11,12; 29:10).
YHWH: 7 times in this chapter only.
Jeremiah 25:11, 12
And this whole land shall be a desolation, and an astonishment; and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years. And it shall come to pass, when seventy years are accomplished, that I will punish the king of Babylon, and that nation, saith the LORD, for their iniquity, and the land of the Chaldeans, and will make it perpetual desolations.
Note: It is the “servitude of the nation” in view here, not the city only.
Jeremiah 29:10
For thus saith the LORD, That after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place.
Here also the “servitude of the nation” is in view here, not the destiny of the city.
3] And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with
fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes:
4] And I prayed unto the LORD my God, and made my confession, and said, O Lord, the great and dreadful God, keeping the covenant and mercy to them that love him, and to them that keep his commandments;
Sixty-seven of seventy years had passed... Notice Daniel’s response:
he goes to prayer. Prayer (for that which was certain?):
Daniel is, again, our example:
He is “in the Word” and in Prayer! (Prayers: Ezra 9; Nehemiah 9?)
[Cf. “Thy Kingdom Come.” Prayer is God’s way of enlisting you in what He is doing. Fasting in New Testament :
Matthew 9:14,15; Acts 13:2,3; 14:23; 1 Corinthians 7:5; 2 Corinthians 6:5; 11:27.]
5] We have sinned, and have committed iniquity, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled, even by departing from thy precepts and from thy judgments:
6] Neither have we hearkened unto thy servants the prophets, which spake in thy name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land.
“We have sinned...”:
Only two people in the Old Testament of which no evil is spoken of:
Joseph and Daniel. His prayer is corporate on behalf of his people…
7] O Lord, righteousness belongeth unto thee, but unto us confusion of faces, as at this day; to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and unto all Israel, that are near, and that are far off, through all the countries whither thou hast driven them, because of their trespass that they have trespassed against thee.
8] O Lord, to us belongeth confusion of face, to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers, because we have sinned against thee.
9] To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesses, though we have rebelled
against him;
10] Neither have we obeyed the voice of the LORD our God, to walk in his laws, which he set before us by his servants the prophets.
11] Yea, all Israel have transgressed thy law, even by departing, that they might not obey thy voice; therefore the curse is poured upon us, and the oath that is written in the law of Moses the servant of God, because we have sinned against him.
• Their national destiny determined by their behavior (2 Chronicles 7:14)!
12] And he hath confirmed his words, which he spake against us, and against our judges that judged us, by bringing upon us a great evil: for under the whole heaven hath not been done as hath been done upon Jerusalem.
13] As it is written in the law of Moses, all this evil is come upon us: yet made we not our prayer before the LORD our God, that we might turn from our iniquities, and understand thy truth.
14] Therefore hath the LORD watched upon the evil, and brought it upon us: for the LORD our God is righteous in all his works which he doeth: for we obeyed not his voice.
15] And now, O Lord our God, that hast brought thy people forth out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand, and hast gotten thee renown, as at this day; we have sinned, we have done wickedly.
16] O Lord, according to all thy righteousness, I beseech thee, let thine anger and thy fury be turned away from thy city Jerusalem, thy holy mountain: because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and thy people are become a reproach to all that are about us.
Focus: Jerusalem and God’s people…
17] Now therefore, O our God, hear the prayer of thy servant, and his supplications, and cause thy face to shine upon thy sanctuary that is desolate, for the Lord’s sake.
Note the increasing tempo of the verbs of action...
18] O my God, incline thine ear, and hear; open thine eyes, and behold our desolations, and the city which is called by thy name: for we do not present our supplications before thee for our righteousnesses, but for thy great mercies.
19] O Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, hearken and do! defer not, for thine own sake! O my God: for thy city and thy people are called by thy name…
• You can even discern Daniel’s trembling—even through the translation…
The Interrupted Prayer:
20] And whiles I was speaking, and praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the LORD my God for the holy mountain of my God;
21] Yea, whiles I was speaking in prayer, even the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening oblation.
“man”: ish, man or servant.
Gabriel: Always on a mission of Messianic announcement.
“at the beginning”: Daniel 8:15-16.
22] And he informed me, and talked with me, and said, O Daniel, I am now come forth to give thee skill and understanding.
23] At the beginning of thy supplications the commandment came forth, and I am come to shew thee; for thou art greatly beloved: therefore understand the matter, and consider the vision.
“Beloved”: Cf.
Abraham, and the disciples:
Were called “friends” => prophetic insights
Daniel, and John:
Were called “beloved” => apocalyptic details.
The “70 Weeks” of Daniel:
The Scope -
Daniel 9:24 Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.
The 69 Weeks -
Daniel 9:25 Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.
(The Interval) -
Daniel 9:26 And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.
The 70th Week -
Daniel 9:27 And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.
The Scope (verse 24):
24] Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish
the transgression, to make an end of sins, to make reconciliation for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy Place.
Shabu’im = sevens, “week.” (Genesis 29:26-28; Leviticus 25, 26).
Hatak, determined, reckoned.
1) The focus of the passage is on the Jews, not the Church or the Gentile world.
2) The six major items listed have yet to be completed…to seal up (close authority of) the vision; to anoint the godesh gadashim, the Holy of Holies, etc.
Unfulfilled in over 2000 years: v.26 will detail an intervening Interval between the 69th and 70th Weeks.
• A key to understanding this passage is to realize that the 70 “Weeks” are not all contiguous.
“Weeks” = ?
Days: Sabbath on the 7th Day (Genesis 2:2; Exodus 20:11);
Weeks: Feast of Weeks (Leviticus 23:15,16);
Months: Nisan to Tishri (Exodus 12:2; Leviticus 23:24);
Years: Sabbatical Years for the Land (Leviticus 25:1-22; 26:33-35; Deuteronomy 15; Exodus 23:10,11; 2 Chronicles 36:19-21).
Note:
The focus of entire prophecy is Israel, not the Gentile world (Daniel 9:24).
Seventy “Sevens” imply weeks of years (Genesis 29:27, et al.).
Sabbath for the land ordained and failure to keep the sabbath of the land was the very basis for the 70 years of captivity (2 Chronicles 36:19-21).
The 69 Weeks (verse 25):
25] Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the King shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.
The Trigger (terminus ad quo):
The Decrees to “Rebuild Jerusalem”?
1) Cyrus, 537 B.C. Ezra 1:2-4
2) Darius Ezra 6:1-5, 8, 12
3) Artaxerxes, 458 B.C. Ezra 7:11-26
4) Artaxerxes, 445 B.C. Nehemiah 2:5-8, 17, 18
(1) (2) and (3) were to build the Temple.
• (Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes)
Only the last one (4) was to rebuild the city, the walls, etc.
Note: rehob, means “street”; haruts, means moat, fortification.
Why “7 + 62”?
Time to build the city?
Time to close the Old Testament canon?
Time between Testaments?
Nominal 360-day Years:
• Biblical Usage: Genesis (Genesis 7:24; 8:3,4); Daniel (Daniel 9:27; 12:6); Revelation (Revelation 11:2,3; 13:5).
• Ancient calendars were based on 360-day years.
• Assyrians, Chaldeans, Egyptians, Hebrews, Persians, Greeks, Phoenicians, Chinese, Mayans, Hindus, Carthaginians, Etruscans, Teutons, et al.
• All of these calendars were based on a 360-day year; typically, twelve 30-day months. (In ancient Chaldea, their calendar was based on a 360-day year and it is from this Babylonian tradition that we have 360 degrees in a circle, 60 minutes to an hour, 60 seconds in each minute, etc.)
• Orbital Changes?
The Long day of Joshua (Joshua 10:12, 13) due to Mars pass-bys?
[Strangely corroborated by Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels, which draws on eye witness account of the two moons of Mars before adequate telescopes available. Cf. Joshua Commentary or our briefing package, Signs in the Heavens..]
• In 701 B.C., all calendars appear to have been reorganized.
• Numa Pompilius, the second King of Rome, reorganized the original calendar of 360 days per year, by adding 5 days per year.
• King Hezekiah, Numa’s contemporary, reorganized his Jewish calendar by adding a month each Jewish leap year (on a cycle of 7 among every 19 years).
The Target (terminus ad quem)
The Meshiach Nagid:
“The Messiah the King.”
The prediction is to the presentation of the Messiah the King (Nagid is first used of King
Saul).
• On several occasions in the New Testament when they attempted to take Jesus as a King, He invariably declined, “Mine hour is not yet come.” (John 6:15; 7:30, 44; etc.)
Then one day, He arranges it.
The Triumphal Entry:
Zechariah 9:9
Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: He is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.
All four Gospels, Matthew 21:1-9; Mark 11:1-10; Luke 19:29-39; John 12:12-16. Nisan 10:
“take to everyone a lamb.” Jesus deliberately arranges to fulfill Zechariah 9:9. This
is the only day He allows them to proclaim Him King (Luke 19:38).
Luke 19:38
Saying, Blessed be the King that cometh in the name of the Lord: peace in heaven, and glory in the highest.
…quoting Psalm 118.
Luke 19:39
And some of the Pharisees from among the multitude said unto him,
“Master, rebuke thy disciples.”
Why? What for? The Pharisees assure our noticing the significance!
Luke 19:40
And He answered and said unto them, “I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out.”
Jesus held them accountable to recognize this very day (Luke 19:41-44). This
was the 10th of Nisan, prior to the Passover on the 14th of Nisan, A.D. 32.
Chronology of His Ministry:
Christ’s ministry began in fall A.D. 28 (Tiberius was appointed in A.D. 14.)
Augustus died August 19, A.D. 14 (within the) 15th year of Tiberius ( Luke 3:1).
• 4th Passover: April 6, A.D. 32 [Sir Robert Anderson, 1894].
• (Other chronologies presume a Friday crucifixion)
[Other examples of Precision: Genesis 8:4, Noah’s new beginning, 7th month,
17th day.
(Exodus 12:2: Nisan becomes 1st month.) Jesus resurrected on the anniversary of the “New Beginning” under Noah!]
The 69 Weeks:
Judgment Declared:
Luke 19:41, 41
And when He was come near, He beheld the city, and wept over it, Saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes.
Luke 19:43, 44
For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side, And shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another …because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation.
*
The Book of Revelation Session 12: Daniel 9 (Part 2)
The 70th Week The Interval (Daniel 9:26)
26] And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself:
and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.
An interval, or gap, is clearly required by v. 26: events described are after the 69th and prior to the 70th week.
“cut off”: karat, to cut off, eliminate, kill, execute; death penalty (Leviticus 7:20; Psalms 37:9; Proverbs 2:22).
“not for Himself”:
nothingness: rejection, substitution.
• The people of “the prince that shall come” = are historically, the Romans.
• Thus, the Prince to come will be of the Roman Empire (but NOT necessarily from Europe!) Sanctuary destroyed, etc. 38 years are included with the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70.
• Over 1970 years have transpired so far.
“...flood”: diaspora. Titus Vespasian: 38 years later; (not 3½!).
Daniel 9:26 Rabbinical Confirmations:
• Messianic; prior to the Temple destroyed [Yalkut, Vol II, 32b, p.79 Nazir edition.]
• Messiah to exit prior to A.D. 33. [Midrash Berishit, p.243 Warsaw edition; re: Yakov Prasch.]
The Destiny of Israel:
The Missing Key of “Systematic” Theology
Divisions of Theology
• Bibliology The Study of - The Bible
• Theology The Study of - Proper Attributes of God
• Christology The Study of - Lord Jesus Christ
• Pneumatology The Study - of Holy Spirit
• Angelology The Study of - Angels, fallen and unfallen
• Anthropology The Study of - Man
• Soteriology The Study of - Salvation
• Ecclesiology The Study of - The Church
• Eschatology The Study of - End Times; Last Things
Notice what’s missing? There is a topic that constitutes 5/6 of the Bible, that is not mentioned as a study in itself.
Israelology = the study of Israel as an instrument in God’s program for man.
• Israelology is "The Missing Key" The Study of - Israel
• 5/6 of the Bible has to do with Israel.
Israel and the Church:
Distinctions:
different origins, missions, destinies.
• “Replacement” views deny Israel her place in God’s program (Romans 9, 10, 11);
It makes God a liar and laid the basis for Christian Anti-Semitism.
• The “70 Weeks” deal specifically with Israel.
Also, Paul’s trichotomy: Jews, Gentiles, and the Church
(1 Corinthians 10:32). Distinctives reappear after Revelation 4.
Blindness Declared:
Luke 19:42 Saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things
which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes.
For How Long?
Romans 11:25
For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the Fullness of the Gentiles be come in.
The Interval:
Interval also implied:
Daniel 9:26; Isaiah 61:1,2 (re: Luke 4:18-20); Revelation 12:5,6.
Also: Isaiah 54:7; Hosea 3:4,5; Amos 9:10,11 (Acts 15:13-18); Micah 5:2,3; Zechariah 9:9,10; Luke 1:31,32; 21:24.
Interval defined:
Luke 19:42 until Romans 11:25.
This interval is the period of the Church, an era kept secret in Old Testament:
Matthew 13:34,35; Ephesians 3:5,9.
• Born at Pentecost:
Colossians 1:18; 1 Corinthians 12:13; Acts 1:5, 11:15-16.
• Prerequisites: Atonement (Matthew 16:18, 21); Resurrection (Ephesians 1:20-23); Ascension: (Ephesians 4:7-11—spiritual gifts only after ascension).
[Interval implied in 24 references]
• “Israel” is never used of the Church (73 times).
• Galatians 6:16 is misunderstood, by ignoring the kai in the Greek which
clearly distinguishes the two groups. It seems that the Lord deals with
Israel and the Church mutually exclusively. [Example: Chess Clock]
The Church Mystery Character:
• Body Concept Ephesians 3:3-5,9
• Indwelling every believer Colossians 1:26-27
• Bride of Christ Ephesians 5:22-32
• Harpazo, (“Rapture”) 1 Corinthians 15:50-58
• One “New Man” Ephesians 2:15; Cf. Revelation 12:5
• Distinguished from Jews or Gentiles 1 Corinthians 10:32
Our need: Ecclesiology, not Eschatology!
The 70th Week
27] And he (“the prince that shall come”) shall enforce the covenant with [the] many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.
The Covenant Enforced with “the many” :
• “The many” is an idiom for Israel.
• This is the “Covenant with Hell,” Isaiah 28:15; Zechariah 11:15-17 etc.
“...midst of the week...” :
The most documented period of time in the Bible. Time, times, and the dividing of time (Daniel 7:25; 4:16, 23, 25).
Which “Prince”?
Antecedent:
• “The Prince that shall come...” After death of Nero, General Galba was recalled to become Emperor. A conspiracy had him assassinated.
• After Galba, Ortho was made emperor; he was unfit and committed suicide.
• After the revolution and political instability, the general-in-command of the Roman-Israeli expedition was recalled to restore order and become Emperor.
• General Vespasian, father of Captain Titus who remained general in charge of the siege. Just a few days before the final assault on Jerusalem, Vespasian was crowned Emperor of the Roman Empire, making Titus a prince (Titus may have been a descendant of Antiochus IV).
“Time, Times, and ½ Time”:
“Times” = dual, later lost in Aramaic: 1 + 2 + ½ = 3 ½
• 3½ years Daniel 12:7
• 42 months Revelation 11:2; 13:5
• 1260 days Revelation 11:3; Daniel 12:6
• ½ “week” Daniel 9:27
Every Detail by Design?
John 10:22…and it was at Jerusalem the Feast of the Dedication, and it was winter.
Which “Feast of Dedication”was it?
• Solomon’s Temple? Autumn 1 Kings 8:2
• Zerubbabel’s Temple? Spring Ezra 6:15,16
• The Rededication Winter 25th of Kislev
The “Abomination of Desolation”
Antiochus IV (“Epiphanes”) 175-164 B.C.
Antiochus IV was the 8th king of the Syrian dynasty and infamous brother of Cleopatra.
“Epiphanes” = “Illustrious.” [Called “Epimanes,” the mad man.]
• He made Torah reading punishable by death;
• He slaughtered a sow on the Altar and erected an idol to Zeus in the Holy of Holies;
• He incited the Maccabean Revolt, which succeeded in rededicating the Temple, 25th
Kislev, 165 B.C.
• This is still commemorated at Hanukkah.
• (Authenticated by the Holy Spirit: John 10:22.)
• The sacrifices and oblations cease; 2 Thessalonians 2:4.
• These require a Temple previously consecrated in Jerusalem.
(Preparations have begun!)
The Great Tribulation:
Matthew 24:21,22
For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened.
This “Time of Jacob’s Trouble” climaxes in the “Day of the Lord”: Isaiah 61:2; Zechariah 12, 14; Revelation 19:19; et al. (Note that this is 3½ years, not 7, as is so often assumed.)
• Revelation 6 -19 is essentially an elaboration of the events during the “70th Week” of Daniel 9.
The “Time of Jacob’s Trouble” (Jeremiah 30:7):
Daniel 12:1
And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.
Hosea 5:15
I will go and return to my place, till they acknowledge their offence, and seek my face: in their affliction they will seek me earnestly.
The Prince that Shall Come The Seed of the Serpent:
Old Testament Allusions (out of 33):
• Seed of the Serpent Genesis 3:15
• Idol Shepherd Zechariah 11:16, 17
• Little Horn Daniel 7:8-11,21-26, Daniel 8:9-12, 23-25
• Prince that shall come Daniel 9:26
• Willful King Daniel 11:36
New Testament Allusions (out of 13):
• The Beast Revelation 11:7; 13
• False Prophet Revelation 13
• Anti/pseudo-Christ 1 John 2:22
• Lawless One 2 Thessalonians 2:8
• Man of Sin 2 Thessalonians 2:3
• Comes in his own name John 5:43
• Son of Perdition 2 Thessalonians 2:3
He will be:
An intellectual genius:
Daniel 7:20; 8:23; Ezekiel 28:3
An persuasive orator:
Daniel 7:20; Revelation 13:2
A political manipulator:
Daniel 11:21
A commercial genius:
Daniel 8:25; Revelation 13:17; Psalms 52:7; Daniel 11:38, 43; Ezekiel 28:4,5
A military leader:
Daniel 8:24; Revelation 6:2; Revelation 13:4; Isaiah 4:16
A powerful organizer:
Revelation 13:1,2; 17:17
A religious guru:
2 Thessalonians 2:4 (“Allah”?); Revelation 13:3, 14, 15
He will be able to appeal to Jew and Muslim alike!
2 Thessalonians 2:4 (includes Allah!) See also: Psalms 10, 52, 55; Isaiah 10,11,13,14; Jeremiah 49-51; Zechariah 5; Revelation 18, et al.
His physical description:
Zechariah 11:17
Jew or Gentile?
The Leader will be the Son of Satan, the “Seed of the Serpent”:
Genesis 3:15; Isaiah 27:1; Ezekiel 28:12-19; Revelation 13.
Some believe this leader will be a Jew:
Ezekiel 21:25-27; 28:2-10 (of the circumcision); Daniel 11:36, 37; John 5:43
(Allos, not heteros:
Thus, a Jew, not a Gentile).
• He will be received by Israel (John 5:43; Psalms 55);
• Some believe he will be a Gentile, a Roman Prince, etc.
• Remember there are two players (Revelation 13).
The First Beast (of 2):
Revelation 13:1,2
And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy. And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.
Revelation 13:3
And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast.
His Physical Description:
Zechariah 11:17
Woe to the idol shepherd that leaveth the flock! the sword shall be upon his arm, and upon his right eye: his arm shall be clean dried up, and his right eye shall be utterly darkened.
2nd Beast “False Prophet”:
Revelation 13:11, 12
And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon. And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.
Revelation 13:14, 15
And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live. And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.
Revelation 13:16-18
And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.
666: Whose Number?
Many point to bar codes, insertable chips, etc. for implementation technology and controls; they overlook that it is His number and name that is the critical identity issue.
Israel God’s Timepiece:
The “Seventy x Sevens” of Israel
1) Abraham to the Exodus
Promise (Genesis 12:4) 75 years
Galatians 3:17 +430
505
Ishmael (Genesis 16:16;21:5) -15
490 years
2) Exodus to the Temple
Begun: 1 Kings 6 - 8 594
Completed: 1 Kings 6:38; + 7
601
Servitudes: Judges
Mesopotamia 3:8 8
Moabites 3:12-14 18
Canaanites 4:2,3 20
Midianites 6:1 7
Ammonites 10:7,8 18
Philistines 13:1 40
-111
490 years
3) The Temple to the Edict of Artaxerxes
1 Kings 8:1-66 1005 B.C.
Nehemiah 2:1 445 B.C.
560
Babylonian Captivity -70
490 years
4) Artaxerxes to the Second Coming
Artaxerxes to the 1st Advent
“The Sixty Nine Weeks” 483
[Church interval] ?
The Seventieth Week” +7
490 years
Alternative “Tribulation” Views
Post-Tribulation Problems:
Denies the New Testament teaching of imminency; we are to expect Him at any moment.
Requires the Church be on earth during the 70th Week;
Israel and the Church are mutually exclusive (Daniel 9:26).
The Church would experience God’s Wrath; promised not to experience it
(1 Thessalonians 5:9; Revelation 3:10).
How can the Bride come with Him? Who will populate the Millennium? Who are in the “Sheep and Goat” Judgment of Matthew 25? How can the virgins of Matthew 25 buy oil without the Mark of the Beast?
Rapture Precedes the Tribulation:
The 70th Week is defined by a covenant enforced by the Antichrist (Daniel 9:27). The “Great Tribulation” = last half of 70th Week (Matthew 24:15, 21).
He can’t be revealed until after the Rapture (2 Thessalonians 2:6-9).
Pre-Tribulation Eschatology:
Epistle of Barnabas, (a.d. 100); Irenaeus, in Against Heresies; Hippolytus, a disciple of Irenaeus (2nd century); Justin Martyr, Dialogue with Trypho; Ephraem, the Syrian (4th century—see quote below); Peter Jurieu, The Approaching Deliverance of the Church, 1687; Philip Doddridge’s Commentary on the New Testament, 1738; Dr. John Gill, Commentary on the New Testament, 1748; James Macknight, Commentary on the Apostolical Epistles, 1763; Thomas Scott, Commentary on the Holy Bible, 1792.
For all the saints and Elect of God are gathered, prior to the tribulation that is to come, and are taken to the Lord lest they see the confusion that is to overwhelm the world because of our sins.
Ephraem of Nisibis (306-373 AD)
On the Last Times, the Antichrist, and the End of the World
Pre-Trib Popularization:
Emanuel Lacunza (Ben Ezra), 1812; Edward Irving, 1816; John N. Darby, 1820; Margaret McDonald, 1830.
Revelation Architecture:
• The Lampstands:
• Identified as the Church (Revelation 1:20);
• Who are in heaven when John arrives (Revelation 4:5).
• 24 Elders: identified as the Redeemed (Revelation 5:9,10);
• worship before Lamb receives the Scroll;
• Tribulation begins when Scroll is unsealed;
• 70th Week detailed (Revelation 6-19).
Prophetic Profile of 7 Churches:
Two Extremes:
• Rapturemania (The Date Setters).
• Rapture-itis (Rapture paralysis): Is probably uniquely an American dementia.
• Raptureitis is probably A uniquely American dementia, just because we can prove that the Church will not go through the “Great Tribulation” and I think that we can.
• Where do we get the arrogance to assume that we will escape what most of the Body of Christ in most of the world for most of the past 2,000 years has had to endure, it’s called persecution.
• Does not mean that we will not suffer persecution.
• Don’t confuse tribulation in the general sense with that specific period of time for 3 ½ years labeled the “Great Tribulation”.
• This does not mean that there might not be really dark days ahead for us here in America.
• There are many experts that really believe that the “Body of Christ” here in America will have to go underground.
• It’s becoming increasingly Biblically incorrect to be a Biblical Christian in this country.
• J. Vernon McGee stated “Not only will the “Body of Christ” have to go underground but the attack against them will be led by the Denominational Churches.”
• I believe that it has already started.
Matthew 24:44
Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.
• We have an opportunity to improve our report cards.
• How many people that you know of, that you love, who has yet to discover the redemption that God has given us through Jesus Christ?
Have you noticed that your attempts to witness are counter productive?:
• Have you noticed that your attempts to witness are counter productive?
• The closer they are the more resistant they are to receive anything that you may have to offer.
• Every one of us are the beneficiary of someones prayer.
• You have an opportunity to pray these people in, and everyday that goes by, gives God an opportunity to bring into their path, those influences, those insights, that might blindfold their prejudices and cause them to discover the extremes that God has gone to that they might live, that they might fellowship with Him throughout eternity.
The Book of Revelation Session 13: Opening the Sealed Scroll
Revelation Chapter 6 The Divine Outline: Revelation 1:9
Write the things which thou hast seen [The Vision of Christ, Chapter 1],
and the things which are [The Seven Churches, Chapters 2,3],
and the things which shall be hereafter [That which follows after the Churches,
Chapters 4-22]
“...hereafter,” “after these things” = meta tauta.
Ekklesia:
• The rapture takes place in the “Philadelphian” period.
• The very term ekklesia means a group called out (of the world!). The scene now shifts
to heaven itself.
Revelation 4:1
After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first
voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said,
“Come up hither, and I will show thee things which must be hereafter.”
Who Are the 24 Elders?
• Represent completed group 1 Chronicles 24
• They Cannot be:
– Tribulation Believers Revelation 7:13-14
– Angels Revelation 7:11
– Nation of Israel Revelation 7 & 12
• Distinguishing Characteristics:
– Thrones Revelation 3:21
– White Raiment Revelation 3:25
– Crowns of gold Revelation 2:10; 3:11
– Song of Redeemed Revelation 5:9,10
– Called “Elders,” “Kings & Priests” Revelation 5:10
The Seven-Sealed Scroll Revelation 5:
Revelation 5:1
And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals.
Books were scrolls prior to 2nd century A.D.
A book with pages is known as a “codex.”
Jeremiah 32:6-27: Purchase of land for later redemption (even though Jeremiah knew the Babylonian invaders would usurp the land for 70 years (Jeremiah 25:11).
Revelation 5:2-4
And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof?” And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon. And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon.
Review of the Book of Ruth:
• Boaz = the Goel, the Kinsman-Redeemer.
• Law of Redemption: land for Naomi.
• Law of Levirate Marriage; Ruth, the Gentile bride (Leviticus 25:23-25).
• Redemption sealed: Cf. Daniel 12:4-9; Revelation 10:8-11; Ezekiel 2:10; Zechariah 5:1- 4; Isaiah 29:11f.
Typological Analysis:
• Goel = Kinsman-Redeemer: must be a Kinsman; must be able to perform; must be willing; must assume all the obligations.
• Boaz = The Lord of the Harvest; the Kinsman-Redeemer.
• Naomi = Israel.
• Ruth = Gentile Bride.
Observations:
• In order to bring Ruth to Naomi, Naomi had to be exiled from her land.
• What the Law could not do, Grace did.
• Ruth does not replace Naomi.
• Ruth learns of Boaz’s ways thru Naomi
• Naomi meets Boaz thru Ruth
• No matter how much Boaz loved Ruth, he had to wait for her move.
• Boaz, not Ruth, confronts the Nearer Kinsman.
Revelation 5:5, 6
And one of the elders saith unto me, ”Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof. “ And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.
Clouds on the Horizon:
• Man tells us that the world is getting better;
• God says they will become increasingly worse.
• Man says that peace among nations is close at hand;
• God says there will be wars and rumors of wars, kingdom against kingdoms...
• Man expects to win the battle against disease, famine, and hardship;
• God says there is to be fearful judgments of disease, famine, and hardship.
The Interval Judgments:
The Seventieth Week:
Christ’s unfulfilled mandate (Isaiah 61:1,2) as our “Avenger of Blood” (Isaiah 61:2) is about to begin.
The Great Tribulation:
Matthew 24:21,22
For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened.
Defined by Jesus, quoting from Daniel 12...
Daniel 12:1
And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.
The “Time of Jacob’s Trouble”:
Jeremiah 30:7
Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob’s Trouble; but he shall be saved out of it.
The Purpose of the Tribulation:
Hosea 5:15
I will go and return to my place, till they acknowledge their offence, and seek my face: in their affliction they will seek me earnestly.
Sequence:
• Tribulation doesn’t begin until the Lamb opens the seal.
• The Lamb doesn’t receive the Scroll until after the 24 Elders place their crowns on the glassy sea.
• The 24 Elders (and the seven lampstands) are in heaven when the Tribulation begins.
The Tribulation Begins:
• “For the great day of the wrath of the Lamb wrath is come, and who shall be able to stand?” (Revelation 6:16,17).
• “...in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished” (Revelation 10:7).
• “...and thy wrath is come” (Revelation 11:18).
• “...seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God” (Revelation 15:1).
• “...pour out the bowls of the wrath of God upon the earth” (Revelation 16:1).
• “...it is done” (Revelation 16:17).
[We will see more of “the wrath of God”: 11:18; 14:10; 16:19; 19:15.
• We are not appointed to the “Day of wrath”: 1 Thessalonians 5:9; Psalms 2; Hebrews 10:26-31.]
“Day of the Lord”:
• 20 times in 8 Old Testament prophetic books; 3 times in New Testament (Acts 2:20 qv. Joel 2:31; 1 Thessalonians 5:2; 2 Peter 3:10).
• “day of God” (2 Peter 3:12).
• “day of wrath” (Zephaniah 1: 15).
• “day of the Lord’s wrath” (Zephaniah 1:18).
• “day of darkness” (Joel 2:2; Zephaniah 1:15).
[In no previous period of mankind have “the kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of the Lord and of His Christ.” (Revelation 11:15)]
The Opening of the Sealed Scroll:
Revelation 6
• As we embark on the next 14 action-filled chapters that detail the “70th Week” of Daniel, recognize that the style of communication has been engineered to provide a timeless message of truth to every generation, not just to those who are alive when these events occur (13:9, 16:15, 22:7, 18-20 highlight the timelessness of the message).
1] And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four living creatures, Come and see.
• “Come” erchomai = Proceed; follow. The middle voice of a primary verb: ; to come from one place to another, used of persons arriving; to appear, come forth, to go, to follow one.
[When the subject concerns heaven, the elders speak. When it concerns the earth, the
living creatures speak.]
1st Seal: The White Horse/The Overcoming Conqueror:
2] And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.
• “Horses” = judgments (2 Kings 6:15-18; Jeremiah 46:9-10; Joel 2:3-11; Nahum 3:1-7; Zechariah 1:8-11; 6:1-7).
• “Crown”: stephanos, the victor’s crown, not a diadem.
• Christ will wear a diadema, the crown of a sovereign, reigning monarch (Revelation 19:12).
• [The Rider is NOT Christ: this guy keeps bad company.
• Christ is opening the seals: He is not inside them.
• This rider will resemble Christ;
• It is interesting how many commentators are also fooled!
• Furthermore, this one is called by the living creatures; hardly fitting for Christ Himself.]
A Bow?
• “Bow”: Darts, arrows vs. sword? (Revelation 19:15; Ephesians 6:16; Matthew 10:34).
– Symbol of Nimrod the hunter?
– Same word as the token of the covenant with Noah (Genesis 9:13
• Hebrew: qesheth Greek (LXX): toxon a weapon; also, rainbow.
Daniel 8:25
And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes; but he shall be broken without hand.
Daniel 9:27
And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.
The Prince that Shall Come:
The Seed of the Serpent
Old Testament Allusions (from 33)
• Seed of the Serpent Genesis 3:15
• Idol Shepherd Zechariah 11:16, 17
• Little Horn Daniel 7:8-11, 21-26; 8:9-12, 23-25
• Prince that shall come Daniel 9:26
• Willful King Dan 11:36
New Testament Allusions (from 13)
• Beast Revelation 11:7; 13
• False Prophet Revelation 13
• Antichrist (Pseudo-Christ) 1 John 2:22
• Lawless One 2 Thessalonians 2:8
• Man of Sin 2 Thessalonians 2:3
• One come in his own name John 5:43
• Son of Perdition 2 Thessalonians 2:3
His Characteristics:
• An intellectual genius Daniel 7:20; 8:23; Ezekiel 28:3
• An persuasive orator Daniel 7:20; Revelation 13:2
• A shrewd politician Daniel 11:21; Daniel 8:25;
• A financial genius Revelation 13:17; Ezekiel 28:4, 5; Psalms 52:7; Daniel 11:38, 43;
• A forceful military leader Daniel 8:24; Revelation 6:2; Revelation 13:4; Isaiah 4:16
• A powerful organizer Revelation 13:1,2; 17:17
• A unifying religious guru 2 Thessalonians 2:4; Revelation 13:3, 14, 15 Cf. Psalms 10, 52, 55; Isaiah 10,11,13,14; Jeremiah 49-51; Zechariah 5; Revelation 1.
His Physical Description:
Zechariah 11:17
Woe to the idol shepherd that leaveth the flock! the sword shall be upon his arm, and upon his right eye: his arm shall be clean dried up, and his right eye shall be utterly darkened.
2nd Seal The Red Horse/Wars:
3] And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, Come
and see.
4] And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that
sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword.
Red is associated with terror and death:
The red dragon (12:3) and the red beast (17:3). Cf. Matthew 24:6,7; Mark 13:7,8; Luke 21:9,10; Daniel 11:36.
“Sword”: (Machaira). Ezekiel 38:21; Jeremiah 25:15-33 (29); Micah 7; Daniel 11:33.
3rd Seal The Black Horse/ Famine:
5] And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and
see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances
in his hand.
6] And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for
a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the
oil and the wine.
Black is often connected with famine (Lamentations 4:4-8; 5:10; Jeremiah 14:1,2).
“To eat bread by weight” is a Jewish expression indicating that food is scarce
( Leviticus 26:25-33; cf. Ezekiel 4:10,11,16).
• Choenix (2 pints): measure of wheat, for a full day’s work;
• Homer (Odyssey XIX:XXVIII). Herodotus (VIII:CLXXXVII), gives this as consumed by
each soldier in the army of Xerxes.
• “Denarius”: Matthew 20:2, 9-11; a day’s wage.
• “Oil and wine”: equivalent, in our culture, to toiletries, beauty aids and liquor. Luxuries. This is more than famine alone. It describes global rationing and controls.
• The Coming World Leader will control the economy (Revelation 13:17). Cf. Amos 8:11.
4th Seal The Livid (Pale) Horse/Death:
7] And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see.
8] And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.
• Chloros, pale, ghastly green; word from which we get chlorine.
In Leviticus, the color of leprosy. Cf. Mark 6:39; Revelation 8:7, 9:4.
• Death: Devil Heb 2:14 (vs. Rev 1:18). Two personages.
• Death claims the body;
• Hades claims the soul.
• John saw these enemies going forth to claim their prey, armed with the weapons of the sword, hunger, pestilence (death) and wild beasts.
[Some of the most dangerous “beasts” are microscopic…] Cf. Leviticus 26:21-26; Ezekiel 14:12-23
Ezekiel 14:29
For thus saith the Lord GOD; How much more when I send my four sore judgments upon Jerusalem, the sword, and the famine, and the noisome beast, and the pestilence, to cut off from it man and beast?
9] And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that had been slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held:
10] And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?
• Souls are conscious (not “sleeping”) 1 Thessalonians 4:14-16; 2 Corinthians 5:8; Philippians 1:23.
• Greek word, martus, gives us our English word martyr, which means “witness.”
(The “Word of God” is also a synonym for Christ.)
• “How long, O Lord?” has been the cry of God’s suffering people throughout the ages (cf. Psalms 74:9-10; 79:5; 89:46; 94:3-4; Habakkuk 1;2).
• “Thy kingdom come” echoes their petition. Blood of Abel? (2 Chronicles 24:22);
• Song of Moses (Deuteronomy 32:43; 2 Kings 9:7).
11] And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellow servants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.
• Others will join them (11:7; 12:11; 14:13; 20:4-5).
• It is not personal revenge they seek, but vindication of God’s holiness and the establishment of God’s justice.
• Today it appears that the enemy is winning; but God will have the last word.
[Hatred of the world: Romans 8:7; Genesis 3:15; Revelation 12]
• Intolerance by the ungodly is increasing, especially among the so-called “liberals.”
Avenging the Blood of the Saints:
• “How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?” (Revelation 6:10).
• “...for they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink” (Revelation 16:6).
• “And I saw the woman drunk with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus (Revelation 17:6).
• “...for God hath avenged you on her” (Revelation 18:20).
• “...and in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth” (Revelation 18:24).
• “...and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand.” (Revelation 19:2).
12] And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great
earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood;
13] And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind.
14] And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.
Earthquakes:
• 1st of three (Revelation 6:12; 11:13;16:18-19).
• Literal earthquakes (Ex 19:18; 20:18-19; 1 Kings 19:11; Matthew 27:51-52).
• Earthquakes and sun turning dark (Joel 2:2,10, 30-31; cf. Matthew 24:39; Mark 13:24, 25; Luke 21:25).
• Seismos = shaking (Isaiah 24:1,3,4,19,23; 34:2-4; Psalms 148:3-6; Hebrews 12:26-29; Haggai 2:6; Joel 2:1, 10-12, 30-31; 3:15; Zephaniah 1:15; Isaiah 13:9-10; 34:2- 4; Ezekiel 32:7,8).
Cosmic Upheavals:
• Sun “became black as sackcloth” (Isaiah 13:10; Joel 2:10).
• Moon “became like blood” (Isaiah 13:10; 24:23; Joel 2:51 Matthew 24:29).
• Stars “fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs” (Matthew 24:29).
• Sky “and the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together” (Isaiah 34:1-8).
• “Every mountain and island were moved out of their places” (Jeremiah 4:23-24; Revelation 16:20).
“Stretching the Heavens”
The Fabric of Space More Than a Metaphor?
• Who alone stretches out the heavens (Job 9:8).
• Stretching out heaven like a tent curtain (Psalms 104:2).
• Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them out like a tent to dwell in (Isaiah 40:22).
• He has stretched out the heavens (Jeremiah 10:12).
• The Lord who stretches out the heavens (Zechariah 12:1).
“Stretching the Heavens”:
• 2 Samuel 22:10 • Isaiah 44:24
• Job 9:8 • Isaiah 45:12
• Job 26:7 • Isaiah 48:13
• Job 37:18 • Isaiah 51:13
• Psalm 18:9 • Jeremiah 10:12
• Psalm 104:2 • Jeremiah 51:15
• Psalm 144:5 • Ezekiel 1:22
• Isaiah 40:22 • Zechariah 12:1
• Isaiah 42:5
Space is not an empty vacuum—it is:
• “torn”:
Isaiah 64:1
• “worn out” like a garment:
Psalms 102:25
• “shaken”:
Hebrews 12:26 ; Haggai 2:6; Isaiah 13:13
• “burnt up”:
2 Peter 3:12
• “split apart” like a scroll:
Revelation 6:14
• “rolled up” like a mantle:
Hebrews 1:12
... or a scroll:
Isaiah 34:4
“Rolled up?”
• There is some dimension in which space must be “thin”;
• If space can be “bent”; hen there is a direction it can be bent toward;.
• Thus, there are additional spatial dimensions.
15] And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains;
16] And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:
17] For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?
Kings hide in caves:
Isaiah 2:10-19; Joshua 10:16
The Book of Joshua appears to be a model of the Book of Revelation. See notes on Chapter 8.
Joshua vs. Revelation:
• (Yehoshua is a variant of Yeshua).
• A military commander dispossessing the usurpers.
• 7 year campaign.
– Against 7 (of an original 10) nations.
• Torah ignored at Jericho: (Sabbath ignored; Levites involved).
– First sent in “Two Witnesses.”
– Seven Trumpet Events.
– (preceded by “Silence in heaven for ½ hour”).
• Enemies confederated under a leader in Jerusalem.
– Adoni-Zedek, “Lord of Righteousness.”
• Ultimately defeated with:
– Hailstones and fire from heaven.
– Signs in the Sun, Moon, etc.
• Kings hide in caves; (“Rocks fall on us…”)
Isaiah 23:9
The LORD of hosts hath purposed it, to stain the pride of all glory, and to bring into contempt all the honourable of the earth.
The Seven-Sealed Scroll:
Group of Signs:
Matthew Luke Revelation
• False Christs 24:4-5 21:4 6:1-2
• Wars 24:6 21:9,10 6:3-4
• Famines 24:7a 21:11 6:5-6
• Death 24:7b-8 21:12 6:7-8
• Martyrs 24:9 21:24 6:9-11
• Global upheaval 24:10-13 21:25 6:12-17
The Heptadic Structure (Sevens):
• In each of the major series of “sevens”—the seals, trumpets, and bowls—we notice that there always appears to be an inserted parenthetical passage between the 6th and 7th of each series.
Having completed 6 of the 7 seals, Chapter 7 pauses for some amplification before we continue with the 7th seal in Chapter 8.
Israel is the center piece in the Old Testament; and it now reemerges as the centerpiece of God’s climax in Revelation. (It is also the centerpiece in the New Testament, but there is a lot of misunderstanding just how.)
The Book of Revelation Session 14: The Sealing of the 144,000
Revelation Chapter 7
Chapter 6 concludes with the statement, “For the great day of His wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?”
This next chapter seems to respond to that question...
Revelation 7: “Who shall be able to stand?”
• Sealed Servants Chapter 7:1-8
– 144,000 from 12 Tribes
• Saved Servants Ch. 7:9-17
– From out of the Tribulation
1] And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth,
holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree.
2] And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea,
• These four angels are apparently the four who will blow the first four trumpets in Chapter 8…
3] Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.
4] And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel.
• This 144,000 preserved through (sealed) the Tribulation, not “kept out” of it, as in Revelation 3:10.
Note: The Gifts and calling of God are without repentance (Romans 11:29).
5] Of the tribe of Judah were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Reuben were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Gad were sealed twelve thousand.
6] Of the tribe of Aser were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Nephthalim were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Manasseh were sealed twelve thousand.
7] Of the tribe of Simeon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Levi were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Issachar were sealed twelve thousand.
8] Of the tribe of Zabulon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Joseph were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Benjamin were sealed twelve thousand.
• Judah is listed first: 1 Chronicles 5:1,2.
There are 14 names to choose from:
Joseph provides a “baker’s dozen” with Manasseh and Ephraim.
Leviticus: Deuteronomy 18:1,2; Joshua 13:14.
Note:
Jewishness since Chapter 4 and following: “Lion,” “Lamb,” “Root of David,” etc.
Two Tribes Missing:
Dan and Ephraim.
The Twelve Tribes:
The Myth of “Ten Lost Tribes”
• No real Biblical basis (epistles of James, 1 Peter: “to 12 tribes”).
• Prophecies of 12 Tribes (Jacob: Genesis 49; Moses: Deuteronomy 33).
• The myth is based on a misconception derived from the misreading of passages as
2 Kings 17:7-23, 2 Chronicles 6:6-11.
The Kingdom Divided:
930 B.C.:
• Jeroboam ruled the Northern Kingdom from his capital in Samaria (1 Kings 11:43-12:33).
• When Jeroboam turned the Northern Kingdom to idolatry, the Levites (and others who desired to remain faithful) migrated south to Rehoboam (2 Chronicles 11:14-17).
• Even before the Assyrian captivity, substantial numbers from the northern tribes had identified themselves with the house of David (1 Kings 12:16-20; 2 Chronicles 11:16-17).
• Many to repudiated the Northern Kingdom and united with the southern kingdom in a common alliance to the house of David and to worship the Lord (2 Chronicles 19:4; 30:1,10,11,25,26; 34:5-7,22; 35:17,18).
• Horrified that Jeroboam set up a rival religion with golden calf worship at Bethel and Dan, many Northerners moved south, knowing that the only place acceptable to God was the Temple on Mt. Moriah (Deuteronomy 12:5-7; 16:2-6; Isaiah 18:7).
Those Who Favoured Idolatry:
• Those who favored idolatry migrated north to Jeroboam.
• Later, when Asa reigned as king in the south, another great company came from the north (2 Chronicles 15:9).
• Years after the deportation by Assyria, King Hezekiah of Judah issued a call to all Israel to come and worship in Jerusalem and celebrate Passover (2 Chronicles 30:5-21).
• Eighty years later, King Josiah of Judah also issued a call, and an offering for the temple was received from “Manasseh and Ephraim and all the remnant of Israel...”
(2 Chronicles 34:9).
• Eventually, all 12 tribes were represented in the south:
God addresses the 12 tribes in the south:
“Speak unto Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all Israel in Judah and Benjamin...” (2 Chronicles 11:3).
• The “Tribe of Judah” is sometimes used idiomatically for the Southern Kingdom
(2 Kings 17:18, et al. Cf. 1 Kings 11:13,32, etc.) .
• When encountering tribal designations, it is important to distinguish between the territories allocated to the tribes and the people themselves.
The Northern Kingdom Falls:
• 724 B.C.: Shalmaneser V besieged Samaria for three years. King Hoshea of Israel attempted to revolt against paying Assyrians annual tribute money (a treaty with Pharaoh of Egypt did not help) and Samaria, Jeroboam’s capital, fell in 722 B.C.
(2 Kings 18:2).
721 B.C.:
• Sargon II seized power. Assyrians pulled down towers, took 27,290 captive, placed an Assyrian ruler over the city, and looted it.
Mixing Peoples:
• The Assyrians implemented their infamous policy of mixing conquered peoples to keep them from organizing a revolt.
• The Israelite captives were mixed with Persians and others; strangers from far-off lands were resettled in Samaria.
• The resulting mixed, quasi-Jewish populations resulted in the “Samaritans” (John 4:20 f).
• Not all from the northern kingdom was deported. Archaeologists have uncovered annals of the Assyrian Sargon, in which he tells that he carried away only 27,290 people and 50 chariots (Biblical Archaeologist, VI, 1943, p.58).
• Estimates of the population of the northern kingdom at that time range from 400,000 to 500,000;
Less than 1/20th were deported— mostly the leadership from around the capital, Samaria.
The Babylonians Take Over:
722 B.C.:
• When the Northern Kingdom went into captivity all 12 tribes were also represented in the south.
Slaves:
• (The Northern Kingdom was taken by Assyria as slaves, which were a valuable commodity. (It is difficult to view them as careless enough to let them wander off to Europe.)
• In 586 B.C., when the Babylonians took the Southern Kingdom into captivity, members of all 12 tribes of Israel were involved. When the Babylonians took over Assyria, the descendants of the captives from the North were probably again commingled with the captives of Judah.
Isaiah, prophesying to Judah, refers to them as the “House of Jacob, which are called by the name of Israel...” (Isaiah 48:1; cf. vv12-14).
Commingled Terminology:
Even before the death of Rehoboam, God looked upon all the tribes as a unity, seeing “all Israel in Judah and Benjamin” (2 Chronicles 11:3).
After the Babylonian captivity, the terms Jew and Israelite are used interchangeably:
• Ezra calls the returning remnant “Jews” 8 times,
• “Israel” 40 times.
• Ezra speaks of “all Israel” (Ezra 2:70; 3:11; 8:35; 10:25, et al.).
• Nehemiah calls them Jews 11 times,
• And Israel 22 times.
Nehemiah speaks of “all Israel being back in the land (Nehemiah 12:47).
The remnant who returned from Babylon is represented as “the nation” (Malachi 1:1).
New Testament Nomenclature:
• Our Lord is said to have offered Himself to the nation, “the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Matthew 10:5-6; 15:24).
• The New Testament speaks of “Israel” 75 times
• And “Jew” 174 times (Acts 21:39; 22:3; Romans 11:1; 2 Corinthians 11:22; Philippians 3: ,etc.);
• “The twelve tribes” (Acts 26:7; Jas 1:1).
• Anna knew her tribal identity (the tribe of Asher; Luke 2:30);
• Paul knew he was of the tribe of Benjamin: a “Jew” and an “Israelite,” Romans 11:1);
• Peter cries: “Ye men of Judea” (Acts 2:14) and “ye men of Israel...” (Acts
2:22 ) and “All the house of Israel” (Acts 2:36).
Regathered as One:
The Dry Bones Vision declares Judah (“Jews?”) and Israel (“10 tribes?”)
• Shall be joined as one in the regathering (Ezekiel 37:16-17, 21-22).
• This is true today. [The total physical descendants were not the people to
whom the promises were made (Romans 9:4-7 Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises; 5 Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen. 6 Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel: 7 Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called).]
• Accompanying some of the legends of the so-called “10 Lost Tribes” are aspersions on the present State of Israel and the people being regathered in the Land.
• These various theories such as “British Israelism” are by their nature anti-Semitic (and blasphemous) because they deny the Jewish people their proper place in the plan of God.
The Sealing of the 144,000: Why Wasn’t Dan Listed?
• Prophecies:
– Jacob: “A serpent…” (Genesis 49:17)
– Moses: “Leap from Bashan” ( Deuteronomy 33:22)
• Left allocated territories ( Judges 18)
– Deborah: “Didn’t leave his ships” (Judged 5:17)
• Omitted from genealogies (1 Chronicles 1-8)
• Not sealed in the Tribulation (Revelation 7)
• Tribe through which idolatry entered the land (Leviticus 24:10-16; Judges 18:1,2,30-31)
• A leader in apostasy under Jeroboam (1 Kings 12:28-30)
– and 100 years later (2 Kings 10:29)
– the “Voice of Calamity” (Jeremiah 4:14; Hebrews); Amos 8:14; Hebrews)
– Curse: Jeremiah 8:16
• Idolaters name to be blotted out (Deuteronomy 29:18-21)
Deuteronomy 29:18-21
Lest there should be among you man, or woman, or family, or tribe, whose heart turneth away this day from the LORD our God, to go and serve the gods of these nations; lest there should be among you a root that beareth gall and wormwood; And it come to pass, when he heareth the words of this curse, that he bless himself in his heart, saying, I shall have peace, though I walk in the imagination of mine heart, to add drunkenness to thirst:
The LORD will not spare him, but then the anger of the LORD and his jealousy shall smoke against that man, and all the curses that are written in this book shall lie upon him, and the LORD shall blot out his name from under heaven. And the LORD shall separate him unto evil out of all the tribes of Israel, according to all the curses of the covenant that are written in this book of the law:
• And yet, Dan shall judge his people as one of the tribes of Israel (Genesis 49:16) and Dan inherits in the Millennium (Ezekiel 48:1).
Ephraim Also Omitted:
• Ephraim is also referred to only elliptically: Joseph = Manasseh + Ephraim. Thus: Joseph - Manasseh = Ephraim.
• Ephraim was also associated with Jeroboam’s idolatry (Hosea 4:17).
9] After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;
10] And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb.
• This throng preserved through (sealed) the Tribulation, not “kept out” of it, as in Revelation 3:10 .
Note:
• The Gifts and calling of God are without repentance (Romans 11:29).
• Here, the greatest harvest of souls the world has ever seen will take place!
(Written in Isaiah 49:10-12; 60:1-3.)
Joel 2:28-32 (quoted in Acts 2:16-21)
• Links with these prophecies of the Great Tribulation.
And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions:
Joel 2:28-32 And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit. 30 And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. 31 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of the Lord come. 32 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the Lord hath said, and in the remnant whom the Lord shall call.
Acts 2:16-21 But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; 17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: 18 And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy: 19 And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke: 20 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and notable day of the Lord come: 21 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.
“Palm branches”:
• As on “Palm Sunday,” cf. John 12:13 .
• Also, there is a possible link with the Feast of Tabernacles (Leviticus 23:39,43; 2 Chronicles 20:19; Ezra 3:11-12; John 12:12-13; Nehemiah 8:15-17).
11] And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God,
12] Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen.
13] And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they?
14] And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
• [John apparently doesn’t recognize who they are. Why are they distinguished from those prior to the tribulation? Their predecessors are already in heaven!]
15] Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his
temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them.
16] They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat.
Millennial Temple:
In heaven there is no night nor temple (Revelation 21:25; 22:5).
17] For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.
Revelation 14:1-5
And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father’s name written in their foreheads. And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps: And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth. These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb. And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God.
• The 144,000 are destined to be the elite (Revelation 14:4).
Contrasts:
Tribulation Saints 24 Elders
• Not Crowned • Crowned
• Palms in their hands • Harps, No Palms
• Saved “out of” the Tribulation • “Kept out” of the Tribulation (Revelation 3:10)
• These stand before thrones
• These serve Him day and night • Sit on thrones (1 Corinthians 6:2,3; 1 Peter 2:9; Revelation 1:6
• Not recognized by John • Reign as kings & priests (1 Corinthians 6:2,3; 1 Peter 2:9; Revelation 1:6
The Book of Revelation Session 15:
The Seven Trumpets Revelation Chapters 8-9
1] And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour.
2] And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets.
“...seven trumpets...”
• The Trumpet of God sounded when the law was given (Exodus 19:16-19);
• There were seven trumpets at Jericho (Joshua 6:13-16).
[These angels have names in the Apocrypha:
Uriel, Raphael, Raguel, Michael, Sarakiel, Grabriel, and Phanuel.]
Don’t confuse the 7th trumpet judgment with the “last trump” of 1 Corinthians 15:52. There will be trumpets in the Millennium.
Joshua vs. Revelation:
Joshua 6:10
And Joshua had commanded the people, saying, Ye shall not shout, nor make any noise with your voice, neither shall any word proceed out of your mouth, until the day I bid you shout; then shall ye shout.
• Who really fought the battle of Jericho?
• It was Jesus (Joshua 5:13-15).
• He crossed over the Jordan on the 10th of Nisan;
• He was circumcised, the 14th of Nisan
(Triumphal Entry:
• Was the 10th of Nisan;
His Crucifixion:
Was on the 14th of Nisan).
Why were “two witnesses” sent:
• Certainly not for military intelligence to develop this battle plan! ...it was to save a Gentile woman.
• Silence preceded the engagement; cf. Revelation 8:1.
Jubilee Year:
• Begins after Joshua’s conquest.
• All debts forgiven.
• Land returns to original owners.
• Slaves go free (Leviticus 25:8-16,23-55; 27:16-25; Numbers 36:4).
• No legislator would have enacted such an institution, and no people would have long submitted to it, unless both had believed that a divine authority had dictated it and a special providence would facilitate its execution.
• Nothing could have produced this conviction but the experience of miraculous interposition such as the Torah describes.
The very existence of this law is a standing monument that when it was given the Mosaic miracles were fully believed; moreover this law, in the Torah which the Jews always have received as written by Moses, is equivalent to the witnesses of the miracles: therefore the reality of the Mosaic miracles is undeniable.
• “The time of the restitution of all things” (Acts 3:21).
1) In the restoring of all that was perverted by man’s sin.
2) In the removing of all slavery of sin.
3) In the delivering of the creation from the bondage of corruption to which it was subjected on account of man’s depravity.
• The deepest meaning of the Jubilee Year is to be found in the Greek:
apokatastasis tes basileias tou theou
• [Why does this begin on Yom Kippur rather than Rosh Hashanna? Are we about to enter the 70th Jubilee Year?]
3] And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there
was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne.
4] And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel’s hand.
• “Another” Greek, allos, of the same kind (thus, not Christ).
“Censer”:
cf. frankincense; priestly duty.
“All saints”:
None lost (John 6:37-40; 17:12; Hebrews 10:26-31).
“Altar”:
Tabernacle and Temple are but “figures” of the true altar in heaven (Hebrews 9:23,24; 8:5).
Adam, Noah, Abraham, David, and Paul prayed this prayer:
“Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done.”
Indeed (cf. Psalms 7,26,35,52,55,58,et al.).
• The purpose of prayer is not to get man’s will done in heaven, but God’s Will done on earth.
5] And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast it into the earth: and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake.
6] And the seven angels which had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound.
“earthquake”:
Cf. Isaiah 6:5-7, the Vision of Jesus (John 12:41).
7] The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.
“Hail” = always used of judgment (Isaiah 28:2; Job 38:22,23; cf. Egypt, Exodus 9:23-25). Also compare with the 7th plague against Egypt (Exodus 9:18-26; Joel 2:30).
“Trees”:
Greek word, dendron = “fruit trees.”
8] And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea: and the third part of the sea became blood;
9] And the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died; and the third part of the ships were destroyed.
Cf. 1st Egyptian plague (Exodus 7:19-21; Psalms 105:29; cf. Jeremiah 51:25; Matthew 21:21).
More than 3/4 earth’s surface is ocean.
[Atlantic = 1/3?]
There are over 25,000 ocean-going merchant ships registered; Hosea 4:3; Zephaniah 1:3; Isaiah 2:16.
10] And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters;
11] And the name of the star is called Wormwood: and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter.
Figurative? John 4:13,14; Psalms 84:6,7 (Hebrews).
Literal: Exodus 15:23, 25; Jeremiah 9:14-15; 23:15.
“Wormwood”:
Greek: absinthe. Undrinkable without harm.
Old Testament: Synonymous with sorrow, calamity; hemlock, bitterness
(Jeremiah 9:15; 23:15; Lamentations 3:15, 19; Amos 5:7).
[Figurative? Deuteronomy 29:18; Proverbs 5:4; 1 Timothy 4:1; 2 Thessalonians 2:10,11.]
• Russian word for “wormwood” = Chernobyl? Chernobyl. or Chor·no·byl' A city of northern Ukraine near the border of Belarus.
(Chernobyl, (botany) Any of several aromatic plants of the genus Artemisia native to Europe and Asia.
• Artemisia vulgaris, also common wormwood, used as a herb in cooking.)
National Geographic Society lists about 100 principal rivers.
The U.S. Geological Survey: 30 large rivers are in the U.S.
“A Star Fell from Heaven”
• Study of Satan (Isaiah 14, Ezekiel 28)
– 54 times in the Bible; 36 times in the New Testament; 7 times in Revelation
– Angel of Abousso?
• Will be imprisoned there
– Fallen: Isaiah 14:12; Luke 10:18; Revelation 8:10.
– Will lose access: Revelation 12:7-12 cf. Job 1:6-12
• Demons are evil spirits; they always seek embodiment; they are destined for torment (Matthew 8:29; 25:41) and they must obey Christ (Mark 1:23-27; 5:1-15; 1 John 4:4).
12] And the fourth angel sounded, and the third part of the sun was smitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars; so as the third part of them was darkened, and the day shone not for a third part of it, and the night likewise.
Ninth plague on Egypt:
Exodus 10:21-23 (3 days);
Amos 5:18; cf. Revelation 16:8-9;
Matthew 24:29-30; Luke 21:25-28. Luke 21:25,26:
“Powers of the heavens be shaken” = Ouranos (“uranium”),
• Dunamis, (“dynamite”),
• Saleo (“to be set off balance”); cf. Hebrews 12:26-28; Isaiah 30:26; Joel 2:1-2, “Darkness.”
(The 1st four are “natural”; the next two are “demonic”...)
• 1st Trumpet: Aimed at the earth; 1/3 trees, grass dies.
• 2nd Trumpet: Aimed at the Sea; 1/3 of fish, ships destroyed.
• 3rd Trumpet: Aimed at the waters; 1/3 part dies. Star called “Worm wood.”Chernobyl. or Chor·no·byl' A city of northern Ukraine near the border of Belarus. (Chernobyl, (botany) Any of several aromatic plants of the genus Artemisia native to Europe and Asia.
Artemisia vulgaris, also common wormwood, used as a herb in cooking.)
• 4th Trumpet: Aimed at the Sun, moon, stars: 1/3 sky darkened.
The final 3 Trumpets are also called “3 Woes.” [Chapter 9.]
There appears to be a “logarithmic” progression in the various judgments: Seals (Chapter 6), Trumpets (Chapter 8 & 9), and Bowls (Chapter 15 & 16).
13] And I beheld, and heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with
a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabiters of the earth by reason of the other
voices of the trumpet of the three angels, which are yet to sound!
Aietos = eagle (Revelation 12:14; Matthew 24:28; Luke 17:37).
“Inhabiters of the earth” (12 times): Revelation 3:10; 6:10; 8:13; 11:10; 12:12; 13:8,12,14; 14:6; 17:2,8.
[Contrasted with citizens of heaven: Philippians 3:18-21.]
Earth-dwellers are not born again: Revelation 13:8.
Revelation 9
Two Demon Armies:
(Cf. Joel 2:1-9,15,28; 3:2,9-16; 2 Peter 3:10, etc.)
Supernatural armies have previously appeared in the Scriptures:
• Horses and a chariot of fire separated Elijah from Elisha when Elijah was taken up into heaven (2 Kings 2:11);
• When Dothan was besieged by the army of Syria, God opened the eyes of Elisha’s servant and he saw the horses and chariots of fire (2 Kings 6:13-17).
[The Lord Jesus Christ will also be attended by the armies of heaven riding on white horses.]
1] And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit.
2] And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit.
3] And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power.
“Star”: already fallen. Star = angel? Daniel 12:3; Isaiah 14:12-16.
“Him” (a person): given a key; a king over the beings in the pit (v.11).
• Authority not complete—key had to be given to him.
[Satan beheld as lightning falling from heaven: Luke 10:18; prophesied by Isaiah 14:12
Abousso: “bottomless pit”; 9 times in New Testament; 30 times in Old Testament; seven times in Revelation (9:1,2,11; 11:7; 17:8; 20:1,3).
• Angels that sinned (Genesis 6:2,4; 2 Peter 2:4; Jude 6)
[See Return of the Nephilim..]
• Demons beg to avoid abousso (Luke 8:31); after “many days,” the abousso will be visited (Isaiah 24:21,22);
• Satan will be imprisoned there in Revelation 20:10.
“Smoke”: Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 19:28); Giving of the Law (Exodus 19:18).
4] And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads.
5] And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man.
6] And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them.
Sealed of God. He knows who are His (2 Timothy 2:19).
Tormented five months? 150 days: cf. Noah’s flood (Genesis 7:24).
“Scorpion”: Isaiah 9:15: “ the prophet that teacheth lies, he is the tail” (cf. Joel 2:2,4; Ephesians 6:12).
[“Seek death and not find it”? I cannot imagine what that means…]
7] And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared unto battle; and on
their heads were as it were crowns like gold, and their faces were as the faces of men.
8] And they had hair as the hair of women, and their teeth were as the teeth of lions.
9] And they had breastplates, as it were breastplates of iron; and the sound of their
wings was as the sound of chariots of many horses running to battle.
• Even natural locusts have the appearance of horses equipped with armor:
The German term is Heupferd, “hay-horse”;
The Italian, cavaletta, “little horse.”
“teeth of lions”: Cf. Joel 1:6. Even the sound of natural locusts are terrifying. But these are demonic creatures...
10] And they had tails like unto scorpions, and there were stings in their tails: and their power was to hurt men five months.
11] And they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon.
Abaddon (Hebrew), Apollyon (Greek).
Abaddon: 6 times in Old Testament (Job 26:6; 28:22; 31:12; Psalms 88:11; Proverbs 15:11; 27:30).
Apollyon: “destroyer,” John 10:10.
“Prince of the Air”: Ephesians 2:2; John 14:30; Isaiah 14:15.
12] One woe is past; and, behold, there come two woes more hereafter.
Proverbs 30:27 The locusts have no king, yet go they forth all of them by bands;
Amos 7:1 (MT)
Thus hath the Lord GOD shewed unto me; and, behold, he formed grasshoppers in the beginning of the shooting up of the latter growth; and, lo, it was the latter growth after the king’s mowings.
Amos 7:1 (LXX)
The Lord hath shewn me and behold a swarm of locusts were coming, and behold one of the young devastating locusts was Gog the King.
• This illuminates “Gog” of Ezekiel 38. (More later, re: Chapter 20:8.)
13] And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden
altar which is before God,
14] Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates.
15] And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men.
• This is at the Altar of Incense featured in Revelation 8:3-5.
• The Avenger of Blood is about to answer those prayers.
[Note: Blood offered here, too, on Yom Kippur (Exodus 30:10; cf. 1 Kings 13:2,3).
200,000,000 army of horsemen…
“...four angels...”: Four seems to be the number of creation.
• Could this be because we know only 4 of the 10 dimensions of the universe?]
These are apparently wicked angels since they are bound and must be loosed.
• Since 1/4 were killed already (Revelation 6:8), this means that over half of the world’s population will be dead by the time the 6th trumpet is completed.
Euphrates:
The river Euphrates is the eastern boundary of Israel (Genesis 15:18; cf. Deuteronomy 1:7; Joshua 1:4; 1 Kings 4:21,24).
• Also, it’s the traditional boundary of east and west—the Romans lived in constant fear of the Parthian Empire on the other side of the river.
• Reference to this river dates from Eden
• Sin began here (Genesis 2:14,15; 3:6,7);
The first murder (Genesis 4:8);
Nimrod - “We will rebel” (Genesis 10, 11);
Tower of Babel = Babylon:
The fountainhead of idolatry and false worship.
Babylon will be the scene of the last stand (Zechariah 5:5-11).
[See The Mystery of Babylon.]
• A divided kingdom cannot stand.
• This appears to be a division in Satan’s kingdom.
• As far as Asia is concerned, demon religions are all east of the Euphrates.
• India is said to have 33 million gods.
• All the gods of the heathen are demons (Psalms 96:5 LXX).
• It is interesting that in the 1991 Gulf War, the U.S. Army’s 24th Mechanized and 101st Airborne Divisions trapped the elite Republican Guard of Iraq by pinning it against the
Euphrates River.
16] And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand: and I heard the number of them.
17] And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone: and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone.
• A 200-million man army?
• A demonic “army” from the Far East?
[The enormous population of China is one of its most powerful weapons.
• Russia is terrified of the growing emigration jeopardizing its eastern border.]
• Colors are as striking as the creatures are unnatural: fiery red, dark blue, bright yellow. • If you believe, you scarcely need any comment.
Difficulties with the passage emerge from lack of belief. Demonic forces are at work here.
18] By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths.
19] For their power is in their mouth, and in their tails: for their tails were like unto serpents, and had heads, and with them they do hurt.
20] And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk:
21] Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.
• These judgments are not remedial, but retributive.
• Men persist in their sins.
Romans 3:11 “There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after
God.”
• This is demon worship (1 Corinthians 10:19-21). The insanity of worshipping the gods that are not and the demons that are!
Idols can include work of their own hands, buildings, machines, cities, et al.
• Dead sinners worshipping dead gods (Psalms 115).
• We become like what we believe and worship (Psalms 135:18).
Characteristic of Today:
• Murders: we even subsidize murders prior to birth.
• Sorcery: pharmakia, use of drugs.
• Fornication: the preoccupation of today’s culture.
• Theft: institutional as well as individual
• It is interesting that even ancient pagan cultures had laws to protect the family, since it was the source of young men to man the armies.
• Population growth was a primary strategic resource.
• Abortion was a capital crime.
• Drug trade is the largest economic constituency in Washington D.C., and the primary source of funds to the covert intelligence community which some believe presently control the affairs in political life.
• Theft includes socialized abrogation of property rights.
• Plunder and confiscation is not limited to individuals, but its most insidious forms
include social policy and institutionalized theft.
• Socialism is the plundering of the productive by the unaccountable.
Plagues of Egypt
Warning #1 1) Waters turned to blood 7:14-25
Warning #2 2) Frogs on land, homes 8:1-5
(none) 3) Lice on persons 8:10-19
Warning #3 4) Flies on homes 8:20-24
Warning #4 5) Disease on Cattle 9:1-7
(none) 6) Boils, sores: man & beast 9:8-12
Warning #5 7) Thunder, hail 9:18-35
Warning #6 8) Locusts 10:1-20
(none) 9) Darkness (3 days) 10:21-29
Warning #7 10) Firstborn, Man and Beast 11 & 12
• Judgment against the gods they worshipped (Numbers 33:4; Judges 10:14);
• Public display of power (Exodus 9:16);
• Warning to other nations (Joshua 2:8,9);
Philistines (1 Samuel 4:8; cf. Genesis 12:3). Beelzebub = “Fly” God.
This prevented worship by their priests (8:18); they could not reproduce this one.
(3 times they did: rods into serpents 7:12 (2 Timothy 3:8);
• Water into blood, 7:22;
• Frogs, 8:12)
Note also miracles by enemies: Revelation 16:14
Pharaoh: “I have sinned”; Exodus 4:22, Israel = “firstborn.”
Exodus vs. Revelation:
1) Jacob’s trouble: affliction (Isaiah 60:14; Jeremiah 30:5-8).
2) Cry to God; heard (Jer 31:18-20).
3) God will command oppressors: let them go (Isaiah 43:6).
4) 2 witnesses, with miracles before enemies (Revelation 11:3-6).
5) Enemies will also perform (Revelation 13:14,15).
6) Sore judgements from God (Jeremiah 25: 15,6).
7) God will protect His people (Revelation 7:4; 12:6; 14-16).
8) Water turned to blood (Revelation 8:8; 11:6; 16:4,5).
9) Satanic frogs (Revelation 16:13).
10) Plague of locusts (Revelation 9:2-11).
11) Boils and pains (Revelation 16:2).
12) Hailstones from heaven (Revelation 8:7).
13) Darkness (Isaiah 60:2; Revelation 16:10).
14) Hearts hardened (Revelation 9:20, 21).
15) Death to multitudes (Revelation 9:15).
16) Israel to be delivered (Zechariah 14:3,4; Romans 11:26).
The Seven Trumpet Judgments:
The Book of Revelation Session 16:
The Little Book/The Two Witnesses
Revelation Chapters 10-11
Chapter 10: The “Little Book” and The Seven Thunders.
Chapter 11: The Temple and The Two Witnesses.
Revelation 10
The Little Book:
• Parenthetical (Chapters 10-14):
– 7th trumpet ushers in the Bowls of Wrath.
• Mighty Angel with the “Little Book”:
– Book is now unsealed: digest it.
– Written “within and on the backside.”
– “Thou must prophesy again…”
• The Seven Thunders utter their voices:
– John was about to write, but forbidden to.
1] And I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven, clothed with a cloud:
and a rainbow was upon his head, and his face was as it were the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire:
This is the third appearance of a distinctive messenger:
– Holding back judgments for a special work of grace (Revelation 7:2).
– Messenger of the covenant, pouring fire of judgment (Revelation 8:5).
– Here: Prophet, Priest, and King (Revelation 10:1).
Christ?:
• Clouds (Exodus 16:10; 19:9; 24:15ff; 34:5; Psalms 104:3; Matthew 17; Luke 21:27; Acts 1:9; Revelation 1:7).
• Rainbow (Psalms 89:1,8,33-37; Revelation 4:3).
• Sun (Revelation 1:16; Matthew 17).
• Feet (Revelation 1:15).
• Lion (v.3) Job 4:9-10; Isaiah 31:4-5; Hosea 5:14; 11:10; Amos 3:8; Revelation 5:5.
• Jesus often appeared in the Old Testament as “the Angel of the Lord” (Exodus 3:2;
Judges 2:4; 6:11-12, 21-22; 2 Samuel 24:16).
In any case, he appears to have the authority of God’s throne.
“Another”: allos, not heteros. Gabriel = “strength of God” ?
Michael:
“who is like God”? (only archangel; cf. Daniel 10:13; 12:1; Jude 9)
2] And he had in his hand a little book open: and he set his right foot upon the sea,
and his left foot on the earth,
3] And cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roareth: and when he had cried, seven
thunders uttered their voices.
“Lion’s roar”:
Proverbs 19:12; Joel 3:16.
[When the Father spoke to the Lord Jesus on the earth, “The people that stood by heard it and said it thundered” (John 12:28-29).]
4] And when the seven thunders had uttered their voices, I was about to write: and I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Seal up those things which the seven thunders uttered, and write them not.
• This is the only “sealed” thing in this unsealed book.
(cf. Daniel 12:9; Revelation 22:10).
[Note: Seven voices thundering in Psalm 29.]
3 The voice of the Lord is upon the waters: the God of glory thundereth: the Lord is upon many waters.
4 The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is full of majesty.
5 The voice of the Lord breaketh the cedars; yea, the Lord breaketh the cedars of Lebanon.
7 The voice of the Lord divideth the flames of fire.
8 The voice of the Lord shaketh the wilderness; the Lord shaketh the wilderness of Kadesh.
9 The voice of the Lord maketh the hinds to calve, and discovereth the forests: and in his temple doth every one speak of his glory.
The Gifts of the Spirit:
• There is a belief that when the Canon of Scripture was complete the gifts of the Spirit were no longer necessary.
• The tragedy of that is all you have to find is one or two valid examples of the gifts and you shred that doctrinal position.
• That doesn’t mean that everything that masquerades as spiritual gifts are.
• The seven thunders were given so doctrine can be built upon the “Canon” being complete until the seven thunders are recorded.
Many misapply 1 Corinthians 13:10
—The gifts of the Spirit are documented in early four centuries: See The Spiritual Gifts
briefing pack.
5] And the angel which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his
hand to heaven,
6] And sware by him that liveth for ever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, that there should be time no longer:
• Time no longer means there will be no more delays.
• (This is why some do not see this “mighty angel” as Christ.)
God Can Swear By Himself:
• God put Himself under oath when He made His covenant with Abraham
(Hebrews 6:13-20);
• When He declared His Son to be high priest (Hebrews 7:20-22);
• When He promised David that the Christ would come from his family (Acts 2:29-30).
• “Delay” no longer. He has been delaying His judgments so that lost sinners will have time to repent (2 Peter 3:1-9).
• Time’s up. The prayers of the martyred saints (Revelation 6:10-11) are about to be answered.
• Time for repentance is now over.
• The Lord Jesus will now pray for the world!
• There is no record of Jesus ever praying for the world in its evil state (cf. John 17:6, 9).
Why?
1 John 5:19 And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness.
20 And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.
Psalm 2 tells the whole story.
7] But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets.
Which mystery?
The problem of evil in the world. Evil has been permitted to increase until the world is ripe for judgment (2 Thessalonians 2:7ff; Revelation 14:14-20).
• The price has been paid. It may come as a surprise to learn that God has never reigned on the earth.
• Surely He is, indeed, the sovereign King over all of the universe—over both heaven and earth.
• He has ruled, overruled, and intervened upon the earth. He governs in a manner that seems remote and incomplete.
He has never used His absolute power to bring about an end to demonic evil, human rebellion, and global injustice and suffering.
• And He does not receive the worship and honor that is His due. That is all about to change.
• That is what we pray for when we pray, “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” This reign will be inaugurated in Revelation 11:17.
Two Extremes:
• Rapturemania (The Date Setters).
• Rapture-itis (Rapture paralysis): Is probably uniquely an American dementia.
• Raptureitis is probably A uniquely American dementia, just because we can prove that the Church will not go through the “Great Tribulation” and I think that we can.
• Where do we get the arrogance to assume that we will escape what most of the Body of Christ in most of the world for most of the past 2,000 years has had to endure, it’s called persecution.
• Does not mean that we will not suffer persecution.
• Don’t confuse tribulation in the general sense with that specific period of time for 3 ½ years labeled the “Great Tribulation”.
• This does not mean that there might not be really dark days ahead for us here in America.
• There are many experts that really believe that the “Body of Christ” here in America will have to go underground.
• It’s becoming increasingly Biblically incorrect to be a Biblical Christian in this country.
• J. Vernon McGee stated “Not only will the “Body of Christ” have to go underground but the attack against them will be led by the Denominational Churches.”
• I believe that it has already started.
Matthew 24:44
Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.
• We have an opportunity to improve our report cards.
• How many people that you know of, that you love, who has yet to discover the redemption that God has given us through Jesus Christ?
Have you noticed that your attempts to witness are counter productive?:
• Have you noticed that your attempts to witness are counter productive?
• The closer they are the more resistant they are to receive anything that you may have to offer.
• Every one of us are the beneficiary of someones prayer.
• You have an opportunity to pray these people in, and everyday that goes by, gives God an opportunity to bring into their path, those influences, those insights, that might blindfold their prejudices and cause them to discover the extremes that God has gone to that they might live, that they might fellowship with Him throughout eternity.
*
The Book of Revelation Session 13: Opening the Sealed Scroll
Revelation Chapter 6 The Divine Outline: Revelation 1:9
Write the things which thou hast seen [The Vision of Christ, Chapter 1],
and the things which are [The Seven Churches, Chapters 2,3],
and the things which shall be hereafter [That which follows after the Churches,
Chapters 4-22]
“...hereafter,” “after these things” = meta tauta.
Ekklesia:
• The rapture takes place in the “Philadelphian” period.
• The very term ekklesia means a group called out (of the world!). The scene now shifts
to heaven itself.
Revelation 4:1
After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first
voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said,
“Come up hither, and I will show thee things which must be hereafter.”
Who Are the 24 Elders?
• Represent completed group 1 Chronicles 24
• They Cannot be:
– Tribulation Believers Revelation 7:13-14
– Angels Revelation 7:11
– Nation of Israel Revelation 7 & 12
• Distinguishing Characteristics:
– Thrones Revelation 3:21
– White Raiment Revelation 3:25
– Crowns of gold Revelation 2:10; 3:11
– Song of Redeemed Revelation 5:9,10
– Called “Elders,” “Kings & Priests” Revelation 5:10
The Seven-Sealed Scroll Revelation 5:
Revelation 5:1
And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals.
Books were scrolls prior to 2nd century A.D.
A book with pages is known as a “codex.”
Jeremiah 32:6-27: Purchase of land for later redemption (even though Jeremiah knew the Babylonian invaders would usurp the land for 70 years (Jeremiah 25:11).
Revelation 5:2-4
And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof?” And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon. And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon.
Review of the Book of Ruth:
• Boaz = the Goel, the Kinsman-Redeemer.
• Law of Redemption: land for Naomi.
• Law of Levirate Marriage; Ruth, the Gentile bride (Leviticus 25:23-25).
• Redemption sealed: Cf. Daniel 12:4-9; Revelation 10:8-11; Ezekiel 2:10; Zechariah 5:1- 4; Isaiah 29:11f.
Typological Analysis:
• Goel = Kinsman-Redeemer: must be a Kinsman; must be able to perform; must be willing; must assume all the obligations.
• Boaz = The Lord of the Harvest; the Kinsman-Redeemer.
• Naomi = Israel.
• Ruth = Gentile Bride.
Observations:
• In order to bring Ruth to Naomi, Naomi had to be exiled from her land.
• What the Law could not do, Grace did.
• Ruth does not replace Naomi.
• Ruth learns of Boaz’s ways thru Naomi
• Naomi meets Boaz thru Ruth
• No matter how much Boaz loved Ruth, he had to wait for her move.
• Boaz, not Ruth, confronts the Nearer Kinsman.
Revelation 5:5, 6
And one of the elders saith unto me, ”Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof. “ And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.
Clouds on the Horizon:
• Man tells us that the world is getting better;
• God says they will become increasingly worse.
• Man says that peace among nations is close at hand;
• God says there will be wars and rumors of wars, kingdom against kingdoms...
• Man expects to win the battle against disease, famine, and hardship;
• God says there is to be fearful judgments of disease, famine, and hardship.
The Interval Judgments:
The Seventieth Week:
Verse 25 Verse 26 Verse 27
7 62 Weeks (Interval) 70th Week
Christ’s unfulfilled mandate (Isaiah 61:1,2) as our “Avenger of Blood” (Isaiah 61:2) is about to begin.
The Great Tribulation:
Matthew 24:21,22
For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened.
Defined by Jesus, quoting from Daniel 12...
Daniel 12:1
And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.
The “Time of Jacob’s Trouble”:
Jeremiah 30:7
Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob’s Trouble; but he shall be saved out of it.
The Purpose of the Tribulation:
Hosea 5:15
I will go and return to my place, till they acknowledge their offence, and seek my face: in their affliction they will seek me earnestly.
Sequence:
• Tribulation doesn’t begin until the Lamb opens the seal.
• The Lamb doesn’t receive the Scroll until after the 24 Elders place their crowns on the glassy sea.
• The 24 Elders (and the seven lampstands) are in heaven when the Tribulation begins.
The Tribulation Begins:
• “For the great day of the wrath of the Lamb wrath is come, and who shall be able to stand?” (Revelation 6:16,17).
• “...in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished” (Revelation 10:7).
• “...and thy wrath is come” (Revelation 11:18).
• “...seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God” (Revelation 15:1).
• “...pour out the bowls of the wrath of God upon the earth” (Revelation 16:1).
• “...it is done” (Revelation 16:17).
[We will see more of “the wrath of God”: 11:18; 14:10; 16:19; 19:15.
• We are not appointed to the “Day of wrath”: 1 Thessalonians 5:9; Psalms 2; Hebrews 10:26-31.]
“Day of the Lord”:
• 20 times in 8 Old Testament prophetic books; 3 times in New Testament (Acts 2:20 qv. Joel 2:31; 1 Thessalonians 5:2; 2 Peter 3:10).
• “day of God” (2 Peter 3:12).
• “day of wrath” (Zephaniah 1: 15).
• “day of the Lord’s wrath” (Zephaniah 1:18).
• “day of darkness” (Joel 2:2; Zephaniah 1:15).
[In no previous period of mankind have “the kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of the Lord and of His Christ.” (Revelation 11:15)]
The Opening of the Sealed Scroll:
Revelation 6
• As we embark on the next 14 action-filled chapters that detail the “70th Week” of Daniel, recognize that the style of communication has been engineered to provide a timeless message of truth to every generation, not just to those who are alive when these events occur (13:9, 16:15, 22:7, 18-20 highlight the timelessness of the message).
1] And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four living creatures, Come and see.
• “Come” erchomai = Proceed; follow. The middle voice of a primary verb: ; to come from one place to another, used of persons arriving; to appear, come forth, to go, to follow one.
[When the subject concerns heaven, the elders speak. When it concerns the earth, the
living creatures speak.]
1st Seal: The White Horse/The Overcoming Conqueror:
2] And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.
• “Horses” = judgments (2 Kings 6:15-18; Jeremiah 46:9-10; Joel 2:3-11; Nahum 3:1-7; Zechariah 1:8-11; 6:1-7).
• “Crown”: stephanos, the victor’s crown, not a diadem.
• Christ will wear a diadema, the crown of a sovereign, reigning monarch (Revelation 19:12).
• [The Rider is NOT Christ: this guy keeps bad company.
• Christ is opening the seals: He is not inside them.
• This rider will resemble Christ;
• It is interesting how many commentators are also fooled!
• Furthermore, this one is called by the living creatures; hardly fitting for Christ Himself.]
A Bow?
• “Bow”: Darts, arrows vs. sword? (Revelation 19:15; Ephesians 6:16; Matthew 10:34).
– Symbol of Nimrod the hunter?
– Same word as the token of the covenant with Noah (Genesis 9:13
• Hebrew: qesheth Greek (LXX): toxon a weapon; also, rainbow.
Daniel 8:25
And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes; but he shall be broken without hand.
Daniel 9:27
And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.
The Prince that Shall Come:
The Seed of the Serpent
Old Testament Allusions (from 33)
• Seed of the Serpent Genesis 3:15
• Idol Shepherd Zechariah 11:16, 17
• Little Horn Daniel 7:8-11, 21-26; 8:9-12, 23-25
• Prince that shall come Daniel 9:26
• Willful King Dan 11:36
New Testament Allusions (from 13)
• Beast Revelation 11:7; 13
• False Prophet Revelation 13
• Antichrist (Pseudo-Christ) 1 John 2:22
• Lawless One 2 Thessalonians 2:8
• Man of Sin 2 Thessalonians 2:3
• One come in his own name John 5:43
• Son of Perdition 2 Thessalonians 2:3
His Characteristics:
• An intellectual genius Daniel 7:20; 8:23; Ezekiel 28:3
• An persuasive orator Daniel 7:20; Revelation 13:2
• A shrewd politician Daniel 11:21; Daniel 8:25;
• A financial genius Revelation 13:17; Ezekiel 28:4, 5; Psalms 52:7; Daniel 11:38, 43;
• A forceful military leader Daniel 8:24; Revelation 6:2; Revelation 13:4; Isaiah 4:16
• A powerful organizer Revelation 13:1,2; 17:17
• A unifying religious guru 2 Thessalonians 2:4; Revelation 13:3, 14, 15 Cf. Psalms 10, 52, 55; Isaiah 10,11,13,14; Jeremiah 49-51; Zechariah 5; Revelation 1.
His Physical Description:
Zechariah 11:17
Woe to the idol shepherd that leaveth the flock! the sword shall be upon his arm, and upon his right eye: his arm shall be clean dried up, and his right eye shall be utterly darkened.
2nd Seal The Red Horse/Wars:
3] And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, Come
and see.
4] And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that
sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword.
Red is associated with terror and death:
The red dragon (12:3) and the red beast (17:3). Cf. Matthew 24:6,7; Mark 13:7,8; Luke 21:9,10; Daniel 11:36.
“Sword”: (Machaira). Ezekiel 38:21; Jeremiah 25:15-33 (29); Micah 7; Daniel 11:33.
3rd Seal The Black Horse/ Famine:
5] And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and
see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances
in his hand.
6] And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for
a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the
oil and the wine.
Black is often connected with famine (Lamentations 4:4-8; 5:10; Jeremiah 14:1,2).
“To eat bread by weight” is a Jewish expression indicating that food is scarce
( Leviticus 26:25-33; cf. Ezekiel 4:10,11,16).
• Choenix (2 pints): measure of wheat, for a full day’s work;
• Homer (Odyssey XIX:XXVIII). Herodotus (VIII:CLXXXVII), gives this as consumed by
each soldier in the army of Xerxes.
• “Denarius”: Matthew 20:2, 9-11; a day’s wage.
• “Oil and wine”: equivalent, in our culture, to toiletries, beauty aids and liquor. Luxuries. This is more than famine alone. It describes global rationing and controls.
• The Coming World Leader will control the economy (Revelation 13:17). Cf. Amos 8:11.
4th Seal The Livid (Pale) Horse/Death:
7] And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see.
8] And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.
• Chloros, pale, ghastly green; word from which we get chlorine.
In Leviticus, the color of leprosy. Cf. Mark 6:39; Revelation 8:7, 9:4.
• Death: Devil Heb 2:14 (vs. Rev 1:18). Two personages.
• Death claims the body;
• Hades claims the soul.
• John saw these enemies going forth to claim their prey, armed with the weapons of the sword, hunger, pestilence (death) and wild beasts.
[Some of the most dangerous “beasts” are microscopic…] Cf. Leviticus 26:21-26; Ezekiel 14:12-23
Ezekiel 14:29
For thus saith the Lord GOD; How much more when I send my four sore judgments upon Jerusalem, the sword, and the famine, and the noisome beast, and the pestilence, to cut off from it man and beast?
9] And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that had been slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held:
10] And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?
• Souls are conscious (not “sleeping”) 1 Thessalonians 4:14-16; 2 Corinthians 5:8; Philippians 1:23.
• Greek word, martus, gives us our English word martyr, which means “witness.”
(The “Word of God” is also a synonym for Christ.)
• “How long, O Lord?” has been the cry of God’s suffering people throughout the ages (cf. Psalms 74:9-10; 79:5; 89:46; 94:3-4; Habakkuk 1;2).
• “Thy kingdom come” echoes their petition. Blood of Abel? (2 Chronicles 24:22);
• Song of Moses (Deuteronomy 32:43; 2 Kings 9:7).
11] And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellow servants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.
• Others will join them (11:7; 12:11; 14:13; 20:4-5).
• It is not personal revenge they seek, but vindication of God’s holiness and the establishment of God’s justice.
• Today it appears that the enemy is winning; but God will have the last word.
[Hatred of the world: Romans 8:7; Genesis 3:15; Revelation 12]
• Intolerance by the ungodly is increasing, especially among the so-called “liberals.”
Avenging the Blood of the Saints:
• “How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?” (Revelation 6:10).
• “...for they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink” (Revelation 16:6).
• “And I saw the woman drunk with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus (Revelation 17:6).
• “...for God hath avenged you on her” (Revelation 18:20).
• “...and in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth” (Revelation 18:24).
• “...and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand.” (Revelation 19:2).
12] And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great
earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood;
13] And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind.
14] And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.
Earthquakes:
• 1st of three (Revelation 6:12; 11:13;16:18-19).
• Literal earthquakes (Ex 19:18; 20:18-19; 1 Kings 19:11; Matthew 27:51-52).
• Earthquakes and sun turning dark (Joel 2:2,10, 30-31; cf. Matthew 24:39; Mark 13:24, 25; Luke 21:25).
• Seismos = shaking (Isaiah 24:1,3,4,19,23; 34:2-4; Psalms 148:3-6; Hebrews 12:26-29; Haggai 2:6; Joel 2:1, 10-12, 30-31; 3:15; Zephaniah 1:15; Isaiah 13:9-10; 34:2- 4; Ezekiel 32:7,8).
Cosmic Upheavals:
• Sun “became black as sackcloth” (Isaiah 13:10; Joel 2:10).
• Moon “became like blood” (Isaiah 13:10; 24:23; Joel 2:51 Matthew 24:29).
• Stars “fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs” (Matthew 24:29).
• Sky “and the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together” (Isaiah 34:1-8).
• “Every mountain and island were moved out of their places” (Jeremiah 4:23-24; Revelation 16:20).
“Stretching the Heavens”
The Fabric of Space More Than a Metaphor?
• Who alone stretches out the heavens (Job 9:8).
• Stretching out heaven like a tent curtain (Psalms 104:2).
• Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them out like a tent to dwell in (Isaiah 40:22).
• He has stretched out the heavens (Jeremiah 10:12).
• The Lord who stretches out the heavens (Zechariah 12:1).
“Stretching the Heavens”:
• 2 Samuel 22:10 • Isaiah 44:24
• Job 9:8 • Isaiah 45:12
• Job 26:7 • Isaiah 48:13
• Job 37:18 • Isaiah 51:13
• Psalm 18:9 • Jeremiah 10:12
• Psalm 104:2 • Jeremiah 51:15
• Psalm 144:5 • Ezekiel 1:22
• Isaiah 40:22 • Zechariah 12:1
• Isaiah 42:5
Space is not an empty vacuum—it is:
• “torn”:
Isaiah 64:1
• “worn out” like a garment:
Psalms 102:25
• “shaken”:
Hebrews 12:26 ; Haggai 2:6; Isaiah 13:13
• “burnt up”:
2 Peter 3:12
• “split apart” like a scroll:
Revelation 6:14
• “rolled up” like a mantle:
Hebrews 1:12
... or a scroll:
Isaiah 34:4
“Rolled up?”
• There is some dimension in which space must be “thin”;
• If space can be “bent”; hen there is a direction it can be bent toward;.
• Thus, there are additional spatial dimensions.
15] And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains;
16] And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:
17] For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?
Kings hide in caves:
Isaiah 2:10-19; Joshua 10:16
The Book of Joshua appears to be a model of the Book of Revelation. See notes on Chapter 8.
Joshua vs. Revelation:
• (Yehoshua is a variant of Yeshua).
• A military commander dispossessing the usurpers.
• 7 year campaign.
– Against 7 (of an original 10) nations.
• Torah ignored at Jericho: (Sabbath ignored; Levites involved).
– First sent in “Two Witnesses.”
– Seven Trumpet Events.
– (preceded by “Silence in heaven for ½ hour”).
• Enemies confederated under a leader in Jerusalem.
– Adoni-Zedek, “Lord of Righteousness.”
• Ultimately defeated with:
– Hailstones and fire from heaven.
– Signs in the Sun, Moon, etc.
• Kings hide in caves; (“Rocks fall on us…”)
Isaiah 23:9
The LORD of hosts hath purposed it, to stain the pride of all glory, and to bring into contempt all the honourable of the earth.
The Seven-Sealed Scroll:
Group of Signs:
Matthew Luke Revelation
• False Christs 24:4-5 21:4 6:1-2
• Wars 24:6 21:9,10 6:3-4
• Famines 24:7a 21:11 6:5-6
• Death 24:7b-8 21:12 6:7-8
• Martyrs 24:9 21:24 6:9-11
• Global upheaval 24:10-13 21:25 6:12-17
The Heptadic Structure (Sevens):
• In each of the major series of “sevens”—the seals, trumpets, and bowls—we notice that there always appears to be an inserted parenthetical passage between the 6th and 7th of each series.
Having completed 6 of the 7 seals, Chapter 7 pauses for some amplification before we continue with the 7th seal in Chapter 8.
Israel is the center piece in the Old Testament; and it now reemerges as the centerpiece of God’s climax in Revelation. (It is also the centerpiece in the New Testament, but there is a lot of misunderstanding just how.)
*
The Book of Revelation Session 14: The Sealing of the 144,000
Revelation Chapter 7
Chapter 6 concludes with the statement, “For the great day of His wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?”
This next chapter seems to respond to that question...
Revelation 7: “Who shall be able to stand?”
• Sealed Servants Chapter 7:1-8
– 144,000 from 12 Tribes
• Saved Servants Ch. 7:9-17
– From out of the Tribulation
1] And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth,
holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree.
2] And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea,
• These four angels are apparently the four who will blow the first four trumpets in Chapter 8…
3] Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.
4] And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel.
• This 144,000 preserved through (sealed) the Tribulation, not “kept out” of it, as in Revelation 3:10.
Note: The Gifts and calling of God are without repentance (Romans 11:29).
5] Of the tribe of Judah were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Reuben were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Gad were sealed twelve thousand.
6] Of the tribe of Aser were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Nephthalim were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Manasseh were sealed twelve thousand.
7] Of the tribe of Simeon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Levi were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Issachar were sealed twelve thousand.
8] Of the tribe of Zabulon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Joseph were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Benjamin were sealed twelve thousand.
• Judah is listed first: 1 Chronicles 5:1,2.
There are 14 names to choose from:
Joseph provides a “baker’s dozen” with Manasseh and Ephraim.
Leviticus: Deuteronomy 18:1,2; Joshua 13:14.
Note:
Jewishness since Chapter 4 and following: “Lion,” “Lamb,” “Root of David,” etc.
Two Tribes Missing:
Dan and Ephraim.
The Twelve Tribes:
The Myth of “Ten Lost Tribes”
• No real Biblical basis (epistles of James, 1 Peter: “to 12 tribes”).
• Prophecies of 12 Tribes (Jacob: Genesis 49; Moses: Deuteronomy 33).
• The myth is based on a misconception derived from the misreading of passages as
2 Kings 17:7-23, 2 Chronicles 6:6-11.
The Kingdom Divided:
930 B.C.:
• Jeroboam ruled the Northern Kingdom from his capital in Samaria (1 Kings 11:43-12:33).
• When Jeroboam turned the Northern Kingdom to idolatry, the Levites (and others who desired to remain faithful) migrated south to Rehoboam (2 Chronicles 11:14-17).
• Even before the Assyrian captivity, substantial numbers from the northern tribes had identified themselves with the house of David (1 Kings 12:16-20; 2 Chronicles 11:16-17).
• Many to repudiated the Northern Kingdom and united with the southern kingdom in a common alliance to the house of David and to worship the Lord (2 Chronicles 19:4; 30:1,10,11,25,26; 34:5-7,22; 35:17,18).
• Horrified that Jeroboam set up a rival religion with golden calf worship at Bethel and Dan, many Northerners moved south, knowing that the only place acceptable to God was the Temple on Mt. Moriah (Deuteronomy 12:5-7; 16:2-6; Isaiah 18:7).
Those Who Favoured Idolatry:
• Those who favored idolatry migrated north to Jeroboam.
• Later, when Asa reigned as king in the south, another great company came from the north (2 Chronicles 15:9).
• Years after the deportation by Assyria, King Hezekiah of Judah issued a call to all Israel to come and worship in Jerusalem and celebrate Passover (2 Chronicles 30:5-21).
• Eighty years later, King Josiah of Judah also issued a call, and an offering for the temple was received from “Manasseh and Ephraim and all the remnant of Israel...”
(2 Chronicles 34:9).
• Eventually, all 12 tribes were represented in the south:
God addresses the 12 tribes in the south:
“Speak unto Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all Israel in Judah and Benjamin...” (2 Chronicles 11:3).
• The “Tribe of Judah” is sometimes used idiomatically for the Southern Kingdom
(2 Kings 17:18, et al. Cf. 1 Kings 11:13,32, etc.) .
• When encountering tribal designations, it is important to distinguish between the territories allocated to the tribes and the people themselves.
The Northern Kingdom Falls:
• 724 B.C.: Shalmaneser V besieged Samaria for three years. King Hoshea of Israel attempted to revolt against paying Assyrians annual tribute money (a treaty with Pharaoh of Egypt did not help) and Samaria, Jeroboam’s capital, fell in 722 B.C.
(2 Kings 18:2).
721 B.C.:
• Sargon II seized power. Assyrians pulled down towers, took 27,290 captive, placed an Assyrian ruler over the city, and looted it.
Mixing Peoples:
• The Assyrians implemented their infamous policy of mixing conquered peoples to keep them from organizing a revolt.
• The Israelite captives were mixed with Persians and others; strangers from far-off lands were resettled in Samaria.
• The resulting mixed, quasi-Jewish populations resulted in the “Samaritans” (John 4:20 f).
• Not all from the northern kingdom was deported. Archaeologists have uncovered annals of the Assyrian Sargon, in which he tells that he carried away only 27,290 people and 50 chariots (Biblical Archaeologist, VI, 1943, p.58).
• Estimates of the population of the northern kingdom at that time range from 400,000 to 500,000;
Less than 1/20th were deported— mostly the leadership from around the capital, Samaria.
The Babylonians Take Over:
722 B.C.:
• When the Northern Kingdom went into captivity all 12 tribes were also represented in the south.
Slaves:
• (The Northern Kingdom was taken by Assyria as slaves, which were a valuable commodity. (It is difficult to view them as careless enough to let them wander off to Europe.)
• In 586 B.C., when the Babylonians took the Southern Kingdom into captivity, members of all 12 tribes of Israel were involved. When the Babylonians took over Assyria, the descendants of the captives from the North were probably again commingled with the captives of Judah.
Isaiah, prophesying to Judah, refers to them as the “House of Jacob, which are called by the name of Israel...” (Isaiah 48:1; cf. vv12-14).
Commingled Terminology:
Even before the death of Rehoboam, God looked upon all the tribes as a unity, seeing “all Israel in Judah and Benjamin” (2 Chronicles 11:3).
After the Babylonian captivity, the terms Jew and Israelite are used interchangeably:
• Ezra calls the returning remnant “Jews” 8 times,
• “Israel” 40 times.
• Ezra speaks of “all Israel” (Ezra 2:70; 3:11; 8:35; 10:25, et al.).
• Nehemiah calls them Jews 11 times,
• And Israel 22 times.
Nehemiah speaks of “all Israel being back in the land (Nehemiah 12:47).
The remnant who returned from Babylon is represented as “the nation” (Malachi 1:1).
New Testament Nomenclature:
• Our Lord is said to have offered Himself to the nation, “the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Matthew 10:5-6; 15:24).
• The New Testament speaks of “Israel” 75 times
• And “Jew” 174 times (Acts 21:39; 22:3; Romans 11:1; 2 Corinthians 11:22; Philippians 3: ,etc.);
• “The twelve tribes” (Acts 26:7; Jas 1:1).
• Anna knew her tribal identity (the tribe of Asher; Luke 2:30);
• Paul knew he was of the tribe of Benjamin: a “Jew” and an “Israelite,” Romans 11:1);
• Peter cries: “Ye men of Judea” (Acts 2:14) and “ye men of Israel...” (Acts
2:22 ) and “All the house of Israel” (Acts 2:36).
Regathered as One:
The Dry Bones Vision declares Judah (“Jews?”) and Israel (“10 tribes?”)
• Shall be joined as one in the regathering (Ezekiel 37:16-17, 21-22).
• This is true today. [The total physical descendants were not the people to
whom the promises were made (Romans 9:4-7 Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises; 5 Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen. 6 Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel: 7 Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called).]
• Accompanying some of the legends of the so-called “10 Lost Tribes” are aspersions on the present State of Israel and the people being regathered in the Land.
• These various theories such as “British Israelism” are by their nature anti-Semitic (and blasphemous) because they deny the Jewish people their proper place in the plan of God.
The Sealing of the 144,000: Why Wasn’t Dan Listed?
• Prophecies:
– Jacob: “A serpent…” (Genesis 49:17)
– Moses: “Leap from Bashan” ( Deuteronomy 33:22)
• Left allocated territories ( Judges 18)
– Deborah: “Didn’t leave his ships” (Judged 5:17)
• Omitted from genealogies (1 Chronicles 1-8)
• Not sealed in the Tribulation (Revelation 7)
• Tribe through which idolatry entered the land (Leviticus 24:10-16; Judges 18:1,2,30-31)
• A leader in apostasy under Jeroboam (1 Kings 12:28-30)
– and 100 years later (2 Kings 10:29)
– the “Voice of Calamity” (Jeremiah 4:14; Hebrews); Amos 8:14; Hebrews)
– Curse: Jeremiah 8:16
• Idolaters name to be blotted out (Deuteronomy 29:18-21)
Deuteronomy 29:18-21
Lest there should be among you man, or woman, or family, or tribe, whose heart turneth away this day from the LORD our God, to go and serve the gods of these nations; lest there should be among you a root that beareth gall and wormwood; And it come to pass, when he heareth the words of this curse, that he bless himself in his heart, saying, I shall have peace, though I walk in the imagination of mine heart, to add drunkenness to thirst:
The LORD will not spare him, but then the anger of the LORD and his jealousy shall smoke against that man, and all the curses that are written in this book shall lie upon him, and the LORD shall blot out his name from under heaven. And the LORD shall separate him unto evil out of all the tribes of Israel, according to all the curses of the covenant that are written in this book of the law:
• And yet, Dan shall judge his people as one of the tribes of Israel (Genesis 49:16) and Dan inherits in the Millennium (Ezekiel 48:1).
Ephraim Also Omitted:
• Ephraim is also referred to only elliptically: Joseph = Manasseh + Ephraim. Thus: Joseph - Manasseh = Ephraim.
• Ephraim was also associated with Jeroboam’s idolatry (Hosea 4:17).
9] After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;
10] And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb.
• This throng preserved through (sealed) the Tribulation, not “kept out” of it, as in Revelation 3:10 .
Note:
• The Gifts and calling of God are without repentance (Romans 11:29).
• Here, the greatest harvest of souls the world has ever seen will take place!
(Written in Isaiah 49:10-12; 60:1-3.)
Joel 2:28-32 (quoted in Acts 2:16-21)
• Links with these prophecies of the Great Tribulation.
And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions:
Joel 2:28-32 And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit. 30 And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. 31 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of the Lord come. 32 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the Lord hath said, and in the remnant whom the Lord shall call.
Acts 2:16-21 But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; 17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: 18 And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy: 19 And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke: 20 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and notable day of the Lord come: 21 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.
“Palm branches”:
• As on “Palm Sunday,” cf. John 12:13 .
• Also, there is a possible link with the Feast of Tabernacles (Leviticus 23:39,43; 2 Chronicles 20:19; Ezra 3:11-12; John 12:12-13; Nehemiah 8:15-17).
11] And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God,
12] Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen.
13] And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they?
14] And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
• [John apparently doesn’t recognize who they are. Why are they distinguished from those prior to the tribulation? Their predecessors are already in heaven!]
15] Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his
temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them.
16] They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat.
Millennial Temple:
In heaven there is no night nor temple (Revelation 21:25; 22:5).
17] For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.
Revelation 14:1-5
And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father’s name written in their foreheads. And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps: And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth. These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb. And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God.
• The 144,000 are destined to be the elite (Revelation 14:4).
Contrasts:
Tribulation Saints 24 Elders
• Not Crowned • Crowned
• Palms in their hands • Harps, No Palms
• Saved “out of” the Tribulation • “Kept out” of the Tribulation (Revelation 3:10)
• These stand before thrones
• These serve Him day and night • Sit on thrones (1 Corinthians 6:2,3; 1 Peter 2:9; Revelation 1:6
• Not recognized by John • Reign as kings & priests (1 Corinthians 6:2,3; 1 Peter 2:9; Revelation 1:6
*
The Book of Revelation Session 15:
The Seven Trumpets Revelation Chapters 8-9
1] And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour.
2] And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets.
“...seven trumpets...”
• The Trumpet of God sounded when the law was given (Exodus 19:16-19);
• There were seven trumpets at Jericho (Joshua 6:13-16).
[These angels have names in the Apocrypha:
Uriel, Raphael, Raguel, Michael, Sarakiel, Grabriel, and Phanuel.]
Don’t confuse the 7th trumpet judgment with the “last trump” of 1 Corinthians 15:52. There will be trumpets in the Millennium.
Joshua vs. Revelation:
Joshua 6:10
And Joshua had commanded the people, saying, Ye shall not shout, nor make any noise with your voice, neither shall any word proceed out of your mouth, until the day I bid you shout; then shall ye shout.
• Who really fought the battle of Jericho?
• It was Jesus (Joshua 5:13-15).
• He crossed over the Jordan on the 10th of Nisan;
• He was circumcised, the 14th of Nisan
(Triumphal Entry:
• Was the 10th of Nisan;
His Crucifixion:
Was on the 14th of Nisan).
Why were “two witnesses” sent:
• Certainly not for military intelligence to develop this battle plan! ...it was to save a Gentile woman.
• Silence preceded the engagement; cf. Revelation 8:1.
Jubilee Year:
• Begins after Joshua’s conquest.
• All debts forgiven.
• Land returns to original owners.
• Slaves go free (Leviticus 25:8-16,23-55; 27:16-25; Numbers 36:4).
• No legislator would have enacted such an institution, and no people would have long submitted to it, unless both had believed that a divine authority had dictated it and a special providence would facilitate its execution.
• Nothing could have produced this conviction but the experience of miraculous interposition such as the Torah describes.
The very existence of this law is a standing monument that when it was given the Mosaic miracles were fully believed; moreover this law, in the Torah which the Jews always have received as written by Moses, is equivalent to the witnesses of the miracles: therefore the reality of the Mosaic miracles is undeniable.
• “The time of the restitution of all things” (Acts 3:21).
1) In the restoring of all that was perverted by man’s sin.
2) In the removing of all slavery of sin.
3) In the delivering of the creation from the bondage of corruption to which it was subjected on account of man’s depravity.
• The deepest meaning of the Jubilee Year is to be found in the Greek:
apokatastasis tes basileias tou theou
• [Why does this begin on Yom Kippur rather than Rosh Hashanna? Are we about to enter the 70th Jubilee Year?]
3] And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there
was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne.
4] And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel’s hand.
• “Another” Greek, allos, of the same kind (thus, not Christ).
“Censer”:
cf. frankincense; priestly duty.
“All saints”:
None lost (John 6:37-40; 17:12; Hebrews 10:26-31).
“Altar”:
Tabernacle and Temple are but “figures” of the true altar in heaven (Hebrews 9:23,24; 8:5).
Adam, Noah, Abraham, David, and Paul prayed this prayer:
“Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done.”
Indeed (cf. Psalms 7,26,35,52,55,58,et al.).
• The purpose of prayer is not to get man’s will done in heaven, but God’s Will done on earth.
5] And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast it into the earth: and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake.
6] And the seven angels which had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound.
“earthquake”:
Cf. Isaiah 6:5-7, the Vision of Jesus (John 12:41).
7] The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.
“Hail” = always used of judgment (Isaiah 28:2; Job 38:22,23; cf. Egypt, Exodus 9:23-25). Also compare with the 7th plague against Egypt (Exodus 9:18-26; Joel 2:30).
“Trees”:
Greek word, dendron = “fruit trees.”
8] And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea: and the third part of the sea became blood;
9] And the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died; and the third part of the ships were destroyed.
Cf. 1st Egyptian plague (Exodus 7:19-21; Psalms 105:29; cf. Jeremiah 51:25; Matthew 21:21).
More than 3/4 earth’s surface is ocean.
[Atlantic = 1/3?]
There are over 25,000 ocean-going merchant ships registered; Hosea 4:3; Zephaniah 1:3; Isaiah 2:16.
10] And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters;
11] And the name of the star is called Wormwood: and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter.
Figurative? John 4:13,14; Psalms 84:6,7 (Hebrews).
Literal: Exodus 15:23, 25; Jeremiah 9:14-15; 23:15.
“Wormwood”:
Greek: absinthe. Undrinkable without harm.
Old Testament: Synonymous with sorrow, calamity; hemlock, bitterness
(Jeremiah 9:15; 23:15; Lamentations 3:15, 19; Amos 5:7).
[Figurative? Deuteronomy 29:18; Proverbs 5:4; 1 Timothy 4:1; 2 Thessalonians 2:10,11.]
• Russian word for “wormwood” = Chernobyl? Chernobyl. or Chor·no·byl' A city of northern Ukraine near the border of Belarus.
(Chernobyl, (botany) Any of several aromatic plants of the genus Artemisia native to Europe and Asia.
• Artemisia vulgaris, also common wormwood, used as a herb in cooking.)
National Geographic Society lists about 100 principal rivers.
The U.S. Geological Survey: 30 large rivers are in the U.S.
“A Star Fell from Heaven”
• Study of Satan (Isaiah 14, Ezekiel 28)
– 54 times in the Bible; 36 times in the New Testament; 7 times in Revelation
– Angel of Abousso?
• Will be imprisoned there
– Fallen: Isaiah 14:12; Luke 10:18; Revelation 8:10.
– Will lose access: Revelation 12:7-12 cf. Job 1:6-12
• Demons are evil spirits; they always seek embodiment; they are destined for torment (Matthew 8:29; 25:41) and they must obey Christ (Mark 1:23-27; 5:1-15; 1 John 4:4).
12] And the fourth angel sounded, and the third part of the sun was smitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars; so as the third part of them was darkened, and the day shone not for a third part of it, and the night likewise.
Ninth plague on Egypt:
Exodus 10:21-23 (3 days);
Amos 5:18; cf. Revelation 16:8-9;
Matthew 24:29-30; Luke 21:25-28. Luke 21:25,26:
“Powers of the heavens be shaken” = Ouranos (“uranium”),
• Dunamis, (“dynamite”),
• Saleo (“to be set off balance”); cf. Hebrews 12:26-28; Isaiah 30:26; Joel 2:1-2, “Darkness.”
(The 1st four are “natural”; the next two are “demonic”...)
• 1st Trumpet: Aimed at the earth; 1/3 trees, grass dies.
• 2nd Trumpet: Aimed at the Sea; 1/3 of fish, ships destroyed.
• 3rd Trumpet: Aimed at the waters; 1/3 part dies. Star called “Worm wood.”Chernobyl. or Chor·no·byl' A city of northern Ukraine near the border of Belarus. (Chernobyl, (botany) Any of several aromatic plants of the genus Artemisia native to Europe and Asia.
Artemisia vulgaris, also common wormwood, used as a herb in cooking.)
• 4th Trumpet: Aimed at the Sun, moon, stars: 1/3 sky darkened.
The final 3 Trumpets are also called “3 Woes.” [Chapter 9.]
There appears to be a “logarithmic” progression in the various judgments: Seals (Chapter 6), Trumpets (Chapter 8 & 9), and Bowls (Chapter 15 & 16).
13] And I beheld, and heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with
a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabiters of the earth by reason of the other
voices of the trumpet of the three angels, which are yet to sound!
Aietos = eagle (Revelation 12:14; Matthew 24:28; Luke 17:37).
“Inhabiters of the earth” (12 times): Revelation 3:10; 6:10; 8:13; 11:10; 12:12; 13:8,12,14; 14:6; 17:2,8.
[Contrasted with citizens of heaven: Philippians 3:18-21.]
Earth-dwellers are not born again: Revelation 13:8.
Revelation 9
Two Demon Armies:
(Cf. Joel 2:1-9,15,28; 3:2,9-16; 2 Peter 3:10, etc.)
Supernatural armies have previously appeared in the Scriptures:
• Horses and a chariot of fire separated Elijah from Elisha when Elijah was taken up into heaven (2 Kings 2:11);
• When Dothan was besieged by the army of Syria, God opened the eyes of Elisha’s servant and he saw the horses and chariots of fire (2 Kings 6:13-17).
[The Lord Jesus Christ will also be attended by the armies of heaven riding on white horses.]
1] And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit.
2] And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit.
3] And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power.
“Star”: already fallen. Star = angel? Daniel 12:3; Isaiah 14:12-16.
“Him” (a person): given a key; a king over the beings in the pit (v.11).
• Authority not complete—key had to be given to him.
[Satan beheld as lightning falling from heaven: Luke 10:18; prophesied by Isaiah 14:12
Abousso: “bottomless pit”; 9 times in New Testament; 30 times in Old Testament; seven times in Revelation (9:1,2,11; 11:7; 17:8; 20:1,3).
• Angels that sinned (Genesis 6:2,4; 2 Peter 2:4; Jude 6)
[See Return of the Nephilim..]
• Demons beg to avoid abousso (Luke 8:31); after “many days,” the abousso will be visited (Isaiah 24:21,22);
• Satan will be imprisoned there in Revelation 20:10.
“Smoke”: Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 19:28); Giving of the Law (Exodus 19:18).
4] And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads.
5] And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man.
6] And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them.
Sealed of God. He knows who are His (2 Timothy 2:19).
Tormented five months? 150 days: cf. Noah’s flood (Genesis 7:24).
“Scorpion”: Isaiah 9:15: “ the prophet that teacheth lies, he is the tail” (cf. Joel 2:2,4; Ephesians 6:12).
[“Seek death and not find it”? I cannot imagine what that means…]
7] And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared unto battle; and on
their heads were as it were crowns like gold, and their faces were as the faces of men.
8] And they had hair as the hair of women, and their teeth were as the teeth of lions.
9] And they had breastplates, as it were breastplates of iron; and the sound of their
wings was as the sound of chariots of many horses running to battle.
• Even natural locusts have the appearance of horses equipped with armor:
The German term is Heupferd, “hay-horse”;
The Italian, cavaletta, “little horse.”
“teeth of lions”: Cf. Joel 1:6. Even the sound of natural locusts are terrifying. But these are demonic creatures...
10] And they had tails like unto scorpions, and there were stings in their tails: and their power was to hurt men five months.
11] And they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon.
Abaddon (Hebrew), Apollyon (Greek).
Abaddon: 6 times in Old Testament (Job 26:6; 28:22; 31:12; Psalms 88:11; Proverbs 15:11; 27:30).
Apollyon: “destroyer,” John 10:10.
“Prince of the Air”: Ephesians 2:2; John 14:30; Isaiah 14:15.
12] One woe is past; and, behold, there come two woes more hereafter.
Proverbs 30:27 The locusts have no king, yet go they forth all of them by bands;
Amos 7:1 (MT)
Thus hath the Lord GOD shewed unto me; and, behold, he formed grasshoppers in the beginning of the shooting up of the latter growth; and, lo, it was the latter growth after the king’s mowings.
Amos 7:1 (LXX)
The Lord hath shewn me and behold a swarm of locusts were coming, and behold one of the young devastating locusts was Gog the King.
• This illuminates “Gog” of Ezekiel 38. (More later, re: Chapter 20:8.)
13] And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden
altar which is before God,
14] Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates.
15] And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men.
• This is at the Altar of Incense featured in Revelation 8:3-5.
• The Avenger of Blood is about to answer those prayers.
[Note: Blood offered here, too, on Yom Kippur (Exodus 30:10; cf. 1 Kings 13:2,3).
200,000,000 army of horsemen…
“...four angels...”: Four seems to be the number of creation.
• Could this be because we know only 4 of the 10 dimensions of the universe?]
These are apparently wicked angels since they are bound and must be loosed.
• Since 1/4 were killed already (Revelation 6:8), this means that over half of the world’s population will be dead by the time the 6th trumpet is completed.
Euphrates:
The river Euphrates is the eastern boundary of Israel (Genesis 15:18; cf. Deuteronomy 1:7; Joshua 1:4; 1 Kings 4:21,24).
• Also, it’s the traditional boundary of east and west—the Romans lived in constant fear of the Parthian Empire on the other side of the river.
• Reference to this river dates from Eden
• Sin began here (Genesis 2:14,15; 3:6,7);
The first murder (Genesis 4:8);
Nimrod - “We will rebel” (Genesis 10, 11);
Tower of Babel = Babylon:
The fountainhead of idolatry and false worship.
Babylon will be the scene of the last stand (Zechariah 5:5-11).
[See The Mystery of Babylon.]
• A divided kingdom cannot stand.
• This appears to be a division in Satan’s kingdom.
• As far as Asia is concerned, demon religions are all east of the Euphrates.
• India is said to have 33 million gods.
• All the gods of the heathen are demons (Psalms 96:5 LXX).
• It is interesting that in the 1991 Gulf War, the U.S. Army’s 24th Mechanized and 101st Airborne Divisions trapped the elite Republican Guard of Iraq by pinning it against the
Euphrates River.
16] And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand: and I heard the number of them.
17] And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone: and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone.
• A 200-million man army?
• A demonic “army” from the Far East?
[The enormous population of China is one of its most powerful weapons.
• Russia is terrified of the growing emigration jeopardizing its eastern border.]
• Colors are as striking as the creatures are unnatural: fiery red, dark blue, bright yellow. • If you believe, you scarcely need any comment.
Difficulties with the passage emerge from lack of belief. Demonic forces are at work here.
18] By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths.
19] For their power is in their mouth, and in their tails: for their tails were like unto serpents, and had heads, and with them they do hurt.
20] And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk:
21] Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.
• These judgments are not remedial, but retributive.
• Men persist in their sins.
Romans 3:11 “There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after
God.”
• This is demon worship (1 Corinthians 10:19-21). The insanity of worshipping the gods that are not and the demons that are!
Idols can include work of their own hands, buildings, machines, cities, et al.
• Dead sinners worshipping dead gods (Psalms 115).
• We become like what we believe and worship (Psalms 135:18).
Characteristic of Today:
• Murders: we even subsidize murders prior to birth.
• Sorcery: pharmakia, use of drugs.
• Fornication: the preoccupation of today’s culture.
• Theft: institutional as well as individual
• It is interesting that even ancient pagan cultures had laws to protect the family, since it was the source of young men to man the armies.
• Population growth was a primary strategic resource.
• Abortion was a capital crime.
• Drug trade is the largest economic constituency in Washington D.C., and the primary source of funds to the covert intelligence community which some believe presently control the affairs in political life.
• Theft includes socialized abrogation of property rights.
• Plunder and confiscation is not limited to individuals, but its most insidious forms
include social policy and institutionalized theft.
• Socialism is the plundering of the productive by the unaccountable.
Plagues of Egypt
Warning #1 1) Waters turned to blood 7:14-25
Warning #2 2) Frogs on land, homes 8:1-5
(none) 3) Lice on persons 8:10-19
Warning #3 4) Flies on homes 8:20-24
Warning #4 5) Disease on Cattle 9:1-7
(none) 6) Boils, sores: man & beast 9:8-12
Warning #5 7) Thunder, hail 9:18-35
Warning #6 8) Locusts 10:1-20
(none) 9) Darkness (3 days) 10:21-29
Warning #7 10) Firstborn, Man and Beast 11 & 12
• Judgment against the gods they worshipped (Numbers 33:4; Judges 10:14);
• Public display of power (Exodus 9:16);
• Warning to other nations (Joshua 2:8,9);
Philistines (1 Samuel 4:8; cf. Genesis 12:3). Beelzebub = “Fly” God.
This prevented worship by their priests (8:18); they could not reproduce this one.
(3 times they did: rods into serpents 7:12 (2 Timothy 3:8);
• Water into blood, 7:22;
• Frogs, 8:12)
Note also miracles by enemies: Revelation 16:14
Pharaoh: “I have sinned”; Exodus 4:22, Israel = “firstborn.”
Exodus vs. Revelation:
1) Jacob’s trouble: affliction (Isaiah 60:14; Jeremiah 30:5-8).
2) Cry to God; heard (Jer 31:18-20).
3) God will command oppressors: let them go (Isaiah 43:6).
4) 2 witnesses, with miracles before enemies (Revelation 11:3-6).
5) Enemies will also perform (Revelation 13:14,15).
6) Sore judgements from God (Jeremiah 25: 15,6).
7) God will protect His people (Revelation 7:4; 12:6; 14-16).
8) Water turned to blood (Revelation 8:8; 11:6; 16:4,5).
9) Satanic frogs (Revelation 16:13).
10) Plague of locusts (Revelation 9:2-11).
11) Boils and pains (Revelation 16:2).
12) Hailstones from heaven (Revelation 8:7).
13) Darkness (Isaiah 60:2; Revelation 16:10).
14) Hearts hardened (Revelation 9:20, 21).
15) Death to multitudes (Revelation 9:15).
16) Israel to be delivered (Zechariah 14:3,4; Romans 11:26).
The Seven Trumpet Judgments:
*
The Book of Revelation Session 16:
The Little Book/The Two Witnesses
Revelation Chapters 10-11
Chapter 10: The “Little Book” and The Seven Thunders.
Chapter 11: The Temple and The Two Witnesses.
Revelation 10
The Little Book:
• Parenthetical (Chapters 10-14):
– 7th trumpet ushers in the Bowls of Wrath.
• Mighty Angel with the “Little Book”:
– Book is now unsealed: digest it.
– Written “within and on the backside.”
– “Thou must prophesy again…”
• The Seven Thunders utter their voices:
– John was about to write, but forbidden to.
1] And I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven, clothed with a cloud:
and a rainbow was upon his head, and his face was as it were the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire:
This is the third appearance of a distinctive messenger:
– Holding back judgments for a special work of grace (Revelation 7:2).
– Messenger of the covenant, pouring fire of judgment (Revelation 8:5).
– Here: Prophet, Priest, and King (Revelation 10:1).
Christ?:
• Clouds (Exodus 16:10; 19:9; 24:15ff; 34:5; Psalms 104:3; Matthew 17; Luke 21:27; Acts 1:9; Revelation 1:7).
• Rainbow (Psalms 89:1,8,33-37; Revelation 4:3).
• Sun (Revelation 1:16; Matthew 17).
• Feet (Revelation 1:15).
• Lion (v.3) Job 4:9-10; Isaiah 31:4-5; Hosea 5:14; 11:10; Amos 3:8; Revelation 5:5.
• Jesus often appeared in the Old Testament as “the Angel of the Lord” (Exodus 3:2;
Judges 2:4; 6:11-12, 21-22; 2 Samuel 24:16).
In any case, he appears to have the authority of God’s throne.
“Another”: allos, not heteros. Gabriel = “strength of God” ?
Michael:
“who is like God”? (only archangel; cf. Daniel 10:13; 12:1; Jude 9)
2] And he had in his hand a little book open: and he set his right foot upon the sea,
and his left foot on the earth,
3] And cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roareth: and when he had cried, seven
thunders uttered their voices.
“Lion’s roar”:
Proverbs 19:12; Joel 3:16.
[When the Father spoke to the Lord Jesus on the earth, “The people that stood by heard it and said it thundered” (John 12:28-29).]
4] And when the seven thunders had uttered their voices, I was about to write: and I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Seal up those things which the seven thunders uttered, and write them not.
• This is the only “sealed” thing in this unsealed book.
(cf. Daniel 12:9; Revelation 22:10).
[Note: Seven voices thundering in Psalm 29.]
3 The voice of the Lord is upon the waters: the God of glory thundereth: the Lord is upon many waters.
4 The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is full of majesty.
5 The voice of the Lord breaketh the cedars; yea, the Lord breaketh the cedars of Lebanon.
7 The voice of the Lord divideth the flames of fire.
8 The voice of the Lord shaketh the wilderness; the Lord shaketh the wilderness of Kadesh.
9 The voice of the Lord maketh the hinds to calve, and discovereth the forests: and in his temple doth every one speak of his glory.
The Gifts of the Spirit:
• There is a belief that when the Canon of Scripture was complete the gifts of the Spirit were no longer necessary.
• The tragedy of that is all you have to find is one or two valid examples of the gifts and you shred that doctrinal position.
• That doesn’t mean that everything that masquerades as spiritual gifts are.
• The seven thunders were given so doctrine can be built upon the “Canon” being complete until the seven thunders are recorded.
Many misapply 1 Corinthians 13:10
—The gifts of the Spirit are documented in early four centuries: See The Spiritual Gifts
briefing pack.
5] And the angel which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his
hand to heaven,
6] And sware by him that liveth for ever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, that there should be time no longer:
• Time no longer means there will be no more delays.
• (This is why some do not see this “mighty angel” as Christ.)
God Can Swear By Himself:
• God put Himself under oath when He made His covenant with Abraham
(Hebrews 6:13-20);
• When He declared His Son to be high priest (Hebrews 7:20-22);
• When He promised David that the Christ would come from his family (Acts 2:29-30).
• “Delay” no longer. He has been delaying His judgments so that lost sinners will have time to repent (2 Peter 3:1-9).
• Time’s up. The prayers of the martyred saints (Revelation 6:10-11) are about to be answered.
• Time for repentance is now over.
• The Lord Jesus will now pray for the world!
• There is no record of Jesus ever praying for the world in its evil state (cf. John 17:6, 9).
Why?
1 John 5:19 And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness.
20 And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.
Psalm 2 tells the whole story.
7] But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets.
Which mystery?
The problem of evil in the world. Evil has been permitted to increase until the world is ripe for judgment (2 Thessalonians 2:7ff; Revelation 14:14-20).
• The price has been paid. It may come as a surprise to learn that God has never reigned on the earth.
• Surely He is, indeed, the sovereign King over all of the universe—over both heaven and earth.
• He has ruled, overruled, and intervened upon the earth. He governs in a manner that seems remote and incomplete.
He has never used His absolute power to bring about an end to demonic evil, human rebellion, and global injustice and suffering.
• And He does not receive the worship and honor that is His due. That is all about to change.
• That is what we pray for when we pray, “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” This reign will be inaugurated in Revelation 11:17.
“Mysteries” of...
• The Kingdom of Heaven Matthew 13:11
• The Kingdom Mark 4:11
• Israel’s blindness Romans 11:25
• The Rapture 1 Corinthians 15:51
• His Will Ephesians 1:9
• Christ and the Church Ephesians 5:32
• The Gospel Ephesians 3:4; Colossians 1:26-27; 4:3
• Iniquity 2 Thessalonians 2:7
• God and Christ Colossians 2:2
• The Faith 1 Timothy 3:9
• Godliness 1 Timothy 3:16
• The Seven Stars & Golden Lampstands Revelation 1:20
• Babylon the Great Revelation 17:5
• The Harlot Revelation 17:7
8] And the voice which I heard from heaven spake unto me again, and said, Go and take the little book which is open in the hand of the angel which standeth upon the sea and upon the earth.
9] And I went unto the angel, and said unto him, Give me the little book. And he said unto me, Take it, and eat it up; and it shall make thy belly bitter, but it shall be in thy mouth sweet as honey.
• Is this the book of Revelation 5?
• The seven seals have been loosed, and the book is now completely open.
• Only Christ was able to take it. He has the posture of a conqueror taking possession.
• He is claiming the whole world (Deuteronomy 11:24; Joshua 1:1-3; 1 Corinthians 10:26, 28; Colossians 1:16).
• “All things must be put under His feet” (Psalms 8:6; Hebrews 2:8).
We are but tenants.
The owner is coming.
The “Meat”of the Word:
• God’s Word often compared to food:
• Bread (Matthew 4:4);
• Milk (1 Peter 2:2);
• Meat (1 Corinthians 3:1-2);
• Honey (Psalms 119:103).
• Assimilation is essential.
Seeing, taking, knowing... isn’t enough.
• It is only after assimilating the book that John is able to “prophesy again.”
There is pain in change, and anguish in true obedience:
• God does not expect to convert the world through judgment. His plan is to save us
through His grace. Yet His forthcoming judgment should cause us to listen and to think soberly and seriously.
• It should melt our pride, silence our excuses, and prepare our hearts to humbly receive His grace.
[Revelation 10:11: John is to prophesy again concerning (not “before”) many peoples, nations, tongues and kings.]
10] And I took the little book out of the angel’s hand, and ate it up; and it was in my mouth sweet as honey: and as soon as I had eaten it, my belly was bitter.
11] And he said unto me, Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings.
Cf. Jeremiah 15:16 and Ezekiel 2:9-3:4.
• The reality of the futility of this world and mankind is bitter. It starts out sweet.
• What we call achievement and civilization is seen to be rebellion and apostasy crying out to God for judgment.
• Political, economic, and ecclesiastical life is emptiness. God will be vindicated from all of the blasphemies of men. Our entire hope is in the Lord Jesus Christ.
[Some see John as one of the Two Witnesses that follows (I don’t).]
Revelation 11:
The place:
Jerusalem.
The time: the fist half of the 70th week of Daniel.
Israel has a restored the Temple.
In Chapters 11-14, we will get an amplification of the elements.
• Note the distinction between Jews and Gentiles reappearing, suggesting the Old Testament dispensation.
• This chapter begins on the earth but ends in heaven (v.19).
[Mid-point of the book?]
Chapters 11-14 are parenthetical. The 7th trumpet will signal the completion of the wrath of God (15:1).
– The Temple
– The Two Witnesses
• Temple Measured
– Outer Court to Gentiles 42 months
• Two Witnesses empowered 1,260 days
1] And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein.
Measuring rod: staff (shevet) Psalms 64:2; Jeremiah 10:16; 51:19.
• In Revelation, an instrument of chastisement (2:27; 12:5; 19:15).
• Measurements indicate preamble to judgment (Jeremiah 31:38-39; Zechariah 2);
Preamble to destruction:
Lamentations 2:8; 2 Kings 21:13; Isaiah 34:11; Amos 7:8.
• Judgment begins at the House of God. In Ezekiel 40:2ff and Zechariah 2:1,2, measurement is in preparation of the Lord’s coming to dwell upon the earth.
2] But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months.
• This reckoning or measuring is tantamount to claiming it. The rebuilding of the Temple is required for this verse to take place.
• Temple: naos; holy place (vs. heiron, temple area as a whole).
“Leave out”: ekbale, throw out, cast out.
The Gentiles have taken over Jerusalem (!) Luke 21:24 (until Zechariah 14:3-4).
“The holy city”is Jerusalem: no other so designated (Nehemiah 11:1,18; Isaiah 52:1; Daniel 9:24; Matthew 4:5; 27:52,53).
Half-Week Designations:
• This is the most documented period of time in the Bible, and more definitely marked for literal interpretation than that which limits the time of future judgment upon the earth preceding the Millennium.
[The literalness of the fulfillment of the 69 weeks of Daniel 9:25 is a guarantee of the literalness of the seven-year duration of the 70th week.]
• Half of the (70th) week of years Daniel 9:27; Revelation 12:14
• 1260 days [1st half?] Revelation 11:3; 12:6
• 42 months [2nd half?] Revelation 11:2; 13:5
• Time, times, the dividing of time [2nd half?] Daniel 7;25; 12:7 Revelation 12:14
– Time is alluded to as singular “one”.
– “Times” here is alluded to as dual “two”; used of years Daniel 4:16, 23, 25
• This is the most documented period of Time in the Old and in the New Testament.
The Rebuilding of the Temple:
Jesus: - Matthew 24:15 When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) 16 Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains: 17 Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house: 18 Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes. 19 And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! 20 But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day: 21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
Paul: - 2 Thessalonians 2:2-4 That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. 3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; 4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
John: - Revelation 11:1-2 And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein. 2 But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months.
The Temple of God:
• Tabernacle
• 1st Solomon’s Temple he built the permanent temple, it has never been matched.
• 2nd Zerubbabel’s Temple, was a very modest temple
• Herod’s Temple (“2nd Temple”) an expansion of Zerubbabel’s temple.
• “3rd” Temple Revelation 11
• Millennial Temple (Last temple)
• Heaven
Northern Conjecture
Traditional View
Southern Conjecture
A More Up To Date View:
Robert Cornuke Official Site:
Bob Cornuke's Temple theory according to the Biblical account place's the Temple in the City of David:
This theory is based on 5 main points:
1. Location over the Gihon Springs
2. The water for the Temple was supplied from the Gihon Spring.
3. No stone would be left upon another, including retaining walls.
4. The Temple Mount was Fort Antonia.
5. The Temple was within the City of David.
6. How many Roman soldiers stationed at Fort Antonia
Traditional View:
The Temple has been traditionally assumed to have been located where the Muslim Dome of the Rock is located. Most experts currently doubt this location and suspect that it was either north or south of the traditional location.
Northern Conjecture:
The Northern Hypothesis is suggested by Dr. Asher Kaufman (his book is published in Hebrew, except for an acknowledgment page which credits Chuck Missler as a sponsor of his research).
Based on alignment with Golden (Shushan) Gate, certain rock outcropping, etc. He believes that actual site of Holy of Holies and the Ark of the Covenant was at the Dome of the Tablets (also known as the Dome of the Spirits).
Note: This conjecture suggest that the Dome of the Rock is actually in the Outer Court (The Court of the Gentiles) and this is particularly provocative in light of Revelation 11:1,2.
Tuvia Sagiv: The Southern Conjecture:
Why south of the Dome of the Rock is also likely:
The Hulda Gates:
According to the Mishna, difference in heights between the Hulda Gates and the Holy of Holies was approximately 10 meters, with about 39° between the entrance to the Temple Mount and the level of the Temple. Dome of the Rock proposals require 20 meters and 80° separations. Current assumptions of tunnels is not mentioned in ancient sources. This suggests a lower, more southern location.
Where was Antonia’s Tower?
The Antonia was located to the north, according to ancient sources, on a hill about 25 meters high. The current El Omriah school building is on a rock only 5 meters high. For many stratigraphic and other considerations it is doubtful that this was the actual location of the Antonia.
The Moat (Fosse):
According to ancient sources, the Antonia and the Temple Mount were adjacent to each other. The moat would be to the north of the Tower for protection, placing the Antonia about where the Dome of the Rock stands today.
The View from the North:
Josephus Flavius describes the fact that the Bizita Hill was located north of the Temple Mount and obscured the view of the Temple from the north.
Background History:
70 A.D. Fall of Jerusalem
132 A.D. Bar Kochba has his Revolt
135 A.D. Romans regain Jerusalem and plow Jerusalem over
– Aelia Capitolina a Roman city was built over the city ruins
– Temple to Jupiter built over the site of the Jewish Temple
– An Equestrian Statue of Hadrian was installed over the Holy of Holies
Jerome’s equestrian statue of Hadrian—marking the location of the Holy of Holies would be where the Al-Kas fountain is today.
[This, incidentally, would prevent anyone from inadvertently walking over that spot…]
Three defendable alternatives; only careful archaeological investigation will resolve this. • Aggressive attempts by the WAQF (Jordan High Council) to obliterate all evidences of Jewish historical presence is destroying artifacts by the truckload. Time will tell…
3] And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.
“The two witnesses of mine”:
• Joshua sends only two on a mission, (versus 12 spies by Moses 40 years earlier)
Two: Required number of witnesses before the law (Deuteronomy 17:6; Matthew 18:16).
Matthew 28:2 And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it.
Luke 24:4 While they were perplexed about this, suddenly two men stood by them in dazzling clothes.
From aggello; a messenger; especially an 'angel'; by implication, a pastor.
[Note: always two men—after resurrection, at the ascension, Genesis 18, etc.]
• Moses and Elijah at the resurrection? These are specifically called prophets (v.3,6) in the Old Testament sense; they perform miracles.
“Sackcloth”: Speaks of the law rather than grace; repentance. Everything here speaks of the Old Testament.
4] These are the two olive trees, and the two lampstands standing before the God of the earth.
Zerubbabel was the leader & Joshua was the priest, who reestablished Israel (Zechariah 4:10-14); olive tree (menorah) as a continuous filling by the Holy Spirit (Zechariah 4:12).
5] And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed.
6] These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy: and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will.
Identities:
• 3 identities were expected (John 1:20,21):
Messiah (Malachi 3:1-3, 5,6);
Elijah (Malachi 4:5,6);
Moses (Deuteronomy 18:15-19).
• John the Baptist:
Said, “I am not.” John 1:19,20; Matthew 11:14; 17:10-11.
He did not “turn the hearts of the children” as Malachi predicted, nor usher in the “great and dreadful day,” etc.
• Two Ministries in the Old Testament That Were Unfinished:
Moses (Numbers 20:12; Deuteronomy 3:26-28)
Elijah (1 Kings 17:1; 19:13-16; 2 Kings 2:11).
• They Had a Staff Meeting with Jesus? (Matthew 17)
– Connected with Second Coming (Luke 9:31; (24:4-7?); 1 Peter 1:10-12; 2 Peter 1:6-18).
Unique Powers:
• Elijah:
• Called Fire from heaven (1 Kings 18:37; 2 Kings 1:10,12; Jeremiah 5:14);
• Shut up heaven (1 Kings 17:1; 3½ years! Luke 4:25; James 5:17,18). vs. ministers
of Church to be harmless: Philippians 2:15; Romans 16:19.
• James and John would have duplicated Elijah’s acts, but Jesus rebuked them (Luke 9:54-56).
• Moses:
• Water into blood (Exodus 7:19,20);
• Plagues (Exodus 8 – 12).
Alternatives:
• Enoch?
– “Once to die…?” (Hebrews 9:27);
General Rule; Exceptions:
People who died twice Lazarus, Jairus’ daughter, the widow of Nain’s son, et al.
• Enoch wasn’t Jewish, the Witnesses are Jewish.
• Is Enoch a model of the Rapture? Born, translated, on his birthday, the Feast of Shavout?
• John, the Apostle (and writer)?
• John the Baptist?
Two Witnesses Empowered:
– Call down fire from heaven Elijah?
– Shut heaven, no rain Elijah?
– Turn water into blood Moses?
– Smite earth with plagues Moses?
Two Witnesses:
• Transfiguration Matthew 17:3
• Resurrection Luke 24:4-7
• Ascension Acts 1:9-11
7] And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them.
8] And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.
• Spiritually speaking, Sodom in terms of immorality and Egypt in terms of idolatry.
• Jerusalem (where also our Lord was crucified) = “Sodom” (Isaiah 1:9,10; 3:8,9; Jeremiah 23:14; Deuteronomy 32:30-33)
• Jerusalem = “Egypt” (Ezekiel 23:3,4,8,19)
• They are invulnerable until their testimony is completed. (So are you!)
• [Moses and Elijah had their previous ministries interrupted.]
Antichrist is now in power (first mention).
• Note the origin of this beast.
• And notice that he is able to overcome them—in contrast to the church.
(vs. Matthew 16:18) More on him in Chapter 13. (Cf. 13:7, 15)
9] And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead
bodies three days and an half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves.
10] And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth.
A CNN exclusive? ? [Same coverage as Matthew 24:15?] Cf. Revelation 4:1
• Only celebration on the earth in the book of Revelation! A “Satanic Christmas”?
11] And after three days and an half the Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them.
12] And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them.
A CNN exclusive? ? [Same coverage as Matthew 24:15?] Cf. Revelation 4:1
13] And the same hour was there a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell, and in the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand: and the remnant were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven.
14] The second woe is past; and, behold, the third woe cometh quickly.
• A great earthquake occurred when the 6th seal was opened (6:12); a greater one when the 7th bowl is poured out (16:18-20).
• (The greatest fault line on the earth runs east of Jerusalem down the Jordan called the Great Rift Valley, running underneath the Dead Sea into Africa.)
“Tenth”: expressly declared that the tenth belonged to the Lord: Leviticus 27:30-34.
• “Seven thousand names of men were killed in the earthquake.”
Idiom suggests men of prominence.
[The same number that Elijah was unaware of: 1 King 19:18. (Cf. 1 Kings 20:15ff.)]
• This ends the parenthetical section between 6th - 7th trumpets.
This Opens up the Seven Personalities in Chapters 12 & 13.
All this was part of the “2nd Woe!”
The 3rd Woe (the 7th Trumpet Judgment) will bring the final Seven Bowl Judgments.
15] And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying,
The kingdom(s) of this world are become the kingdom(s) of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.
• Basileia Kingdom (singular). Satan has had the world under his control (Matthew 4:8-9; 12:26; John 12:31; 14:30; 16:11).
• Announcement of victory. Satan had offered a shortcut (Matthew 4:8-9).
• Jesus did it the way the Father wanted it done.
[Note that this is the trumpet of an angel, not the “Trumpet of God” which occurs at Sinai (Exodus 19) and at the rapture (1 Thessalonians 4:16,17).
The Seventh angel yields seven bowls of wrath.]
16] And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God,
17] Saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned.
• Threefold acclamation of praise (11:16-18).
• Christ reigns supremely (v.17);
• He judges righteously (v.18);
• He rewards graciously (v.18). In Rev 4:10-11,
The elders worshipped the Creator; in 5:9-14 they worshipped the Redeemer; here, the emphasis is on the Conqueror and King.
“Thou hast begun to reign” is more accurate (ingressive first aorist active indicative).
18] And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth.
“Destroy” = corrupt. Not an ecological statement, but referring to those who follow the one called the Destroyer.
However, man cannot be an acceptable steward if he denies the Owner.
Why are the nations angry?
• They want to have their own way (Psalms 2:1-3).
They want to cast off all restraint.
God will permit them to do so.
The result of their “utopia” is Revelation 17-18.
Their anger will lead to Armageddon.
“Thy wrath is come”:
“Angry” is the verb form of the word translated “wrath.”
Only the last half of the 70th week will reveal the wrath of God (11:18; 14:10; 16:19; 19:15).
Two Greek words used: orge, used here (4 times), indignation, a settled attitude of wrath; and thumos (7 times: 14:10, 19; 15:1, 7; 16:1, 19; 19:15), “rage, passionate anger.” • God’s anger is not dispassionate, for He hates sin and loves righteousness and justice; • He is neither temperamental nor unpredictable.
[In contrast to Allah who is presented as capricious...]
19] And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail.
• The “original” Ark has always been there: the one on the earth was but a replica (Hebrews 9:23).
• It is the view of some that the Mercy Seat will be the very throne that Christ will reign from. See The Seat of Mercy briefing pack for a detailed background.
Seven Great Openings:
• A door opened in heaven Revelation 4:1
• The seals are opened Revelation 6:1-8:1
• The Abyss opened Revelation 9:2
• Temple of God opened Revelation 11:19
• Tabernacle of testimony opened Revelation 15:5
• Heaven is opened Revelation 19:11
• Books of Judgment opened. Revelation 20:12
*
The Book of Revelation Session 17: The Woman, Man Child & Dragon
Revelation Chapter 12
Revelation 11:19
And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail.
The end of the last chapter, Revelation 11:19, really introduces Chapter 12.
The Woman and the Dragon:
This is one of the most important chapters in the Bible:
• An overview of the enigma of Israel, without which the Bible cannot be fully understood.
Pattern for the Ark:
Hebrews 8:5
Who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle: for, See, saith he, that thou make all things according to the pattern shewed to thee in the mount.
The Mercy Seat:
2 Samuel 6:2 (NAS)
And David arose and went with all the people who were with him to Baale-Judah, to bring up from there the ark of God which is called by the Name, the very name of the LORD of hosts who is enthroned above the cherubim.
1] And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars:
2] And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered.
Four Women of Revelation:
1) Jezebel Revelation 2:20
2) The Harlot Revelation 17, 18
3) (This one) Revelation 12, Jeremiah 3:20
4) The Bride Revelation 19:7; 21:2, 9
– Espoused Virgin 2 Corinthians 11:2
• Women = religion… 2 good; 2 evil.
If this woman is the bride, she is in a lot of trouble—she’s pregnant! Jeremiah 3:20,22
– “Israel as wife of YHWH”
1 Corinthians 10:32:
The Jews, the Gentiles, and the Church are distinct.
Her identity is interpreted for us by Jacob in Genesis 37:5-11:
Genesis 37:5-11
And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it his brethren: and they hated him yet the more. And he said unto them, Hear, I pray you, this dream which I have dreamed: For, behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and, lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright; and, behold, your sheaves stood round about, and made obeisance to my sheaf. And his brethren said to him, Shalt thou indeed reign over us? or shalt thou indeed have dominion over us? And they hated him yet the more for his dreams, and for his words.
And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me. And he told it to his father, and to his brethren: and his father rebuked him, and said unto him, What is this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth? And he told it to his father, and to his brethren: and his father rebuked him, and said unto
him, What is this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth?
And his brethren envied him; but his father observed the saying.
The Woman:
• Israel is described as a woman in travail in the Old Testament (Isaiah 54:5; 66:7; Jeremiah 3:6 f; Micah 4:10; 5:2-3);
• She gives birth to the man-child (Revelation 12:5; Psalms 2:9; Revelation 2:27; Revelation 19:15).
• This is Israel, not the Church (Micah 4:9; 5:2).
– “Unto us a child is born...” (Isaiah 9:6).
– “Seed of woman” (Galatians 3:16; Jeremiah 31:31).
– The Messianic Line begins (Genesis 3:15).
“Replacement Theology”:
There is a widely held view that:
A) When Israel rejected her messiah she forfeited the promises to her;
B) These promises devolve upon the Church, thus, becoming “spiritual Israel.”
• Israel appears 75 times in the New Testament;
Each time it refers to national Israel—including the solitary ostensible exception in Galatians 6:16:
• The Kai grammatically sets apart the “Israel of God” from the church, and prevents any synonymy [Lindsey; Johnson; Fruchtenbaum; et al.]
Major Problems:
• The promises involved were unconditional.
• The Book of Romans stresses that God is not finished with Israel (Romans 9, 10, 11).
• The 70 Week Prophecy outlines the prophetic role of Israel after the “interval” of the Church period.
• Only during the interval between the 69th and 70th week is the period of the Church on the earth (Daniel 9:26).
• Jesus has yet to fulfill the promise given to Mary to take David’s Throne (Luke 1:21).
From Augustine to Auschwitz to Armageddon:
• Origen’s allegorical interpretations
• Augustine’s Amillennial Eschatology
• Medieval church’s quest for power
• Reformation’s failure to address eschatological issues
• The Holocaust in Germany
• The Great Tribulation
• We will address these issues when we get to Revelation 20.
3] And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon,
having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads.
• “Red” only used 2 times: Here, and Red horse (Revelation 6:5)!
• Associated with death (6:4).
4] And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born.
Revelation 12:9
And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
• “Devil” = slanderer, in Greek;
• “Satan” = adversary, in Hebrew.
5] And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.
“Rule with a Rod of Iron”:
• Messianic Destiny:
Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel (Psalms 2:9).
• Letter to Church in Thyatira:
And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father (Revelation 2:27).
• Adversary of the Woman:
And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne (Revelation 12:5).
• The King of Kings:
(Revelation 19:15-16)
And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.
5] And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron:
and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.
• Harpazo to seize, carry off by force; to seize on, claim for one’s self eagerly; to snatch out or away.
• G.H. Pember was among the first to suggest that this verse may actually refer to the “Body of Christ” rather than the Ascension.
[One of 24 similar “gaps” occur between verse 5 & 6…]
6] And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God,
that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.
7] And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon;
and the dragon fought and his angels,
8] And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.
“And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven”:
Luke 10:18; John 16:11; 12:31.
Michael:
• One of chief princes Daniel 10:13
• The Archangel Jude 1:9; 1 Thessalonians 4:16
• Daniel’s prince Daniel 10:21
• Warrior for Israel Daniel 12:1
• Fights for the body of Moses Jude 9
• Fought in “Wars of the Lord” Zechariah 14:3; Numbers 21:14
9] And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
Red Dragon Satan:
• Origin Ezekiel 28:2-15
• Rebellion in heaven Isaiah 14:12-17
– [Gap?] Genesis 1:2 vs. Isaiah 45:18
– Ancient = beginning Genesis 3
– Stars = angels Jude 1:13
• Deceives the whole world 2 Corinthians 4:3,4
• Liar from the beginning Genesis 3:4, 5; John 8:44
• Enmity with Man Genesis 3:14-15
• Seven heads, 10 horns Revelation 13:1; 17:3; cf. Daniel 7, et al.
Daniel 8:9, 10
And out of one of them came forth a little horn, which waxed exceeding great, toward the south, and toward the east, and toward the pleasant land. And it waxed great, even to the host of heaven; and it cast down some of the host and of the stars to the ground, and stamped upon them.
Spiritual Warfare:
• Background: 2 Corinthians 2:11; Revelation 9, cf. Amos 7:1 (LXX); Ephesians 6:10-13; Isaiah 59:17
– Elisha’s servant 2 Kings 6:16
– Powers behind Daniel 10:12-20 major empires
• Satan’s Methods:
Genesis 3;
– Deceit 2 Corinthians 4:3-4; John 8:44
– Ultimate lie 2 Thessalonians 2:11
• The ultimate victory 1 John 4:4; 2 Kings 6:16; Romans 8:25-38
• Satan already defeated 1 John 3:8; Hebrews 2:14; James 4:7; Ephesians 1:20-21;
Hebrews 10:12, 13; Philippians 2:9f; Psalms 110:1; Revelation 12:10
The Stratagems of Satan:
• Cain’s murder of Abel Genesis 4
• Corruption of Adam’s line Genesis 6
• Abraham’s seed Genesis 12, 20
• Famine Genesis 50
• Destruction of male line Exodus 1
• Pharaoh’s pursuit Exodus 14
• The populating of Canaan Genesis 12:6
• Against David’s line 2 Samuel 7
Satan attempts to thwart the Plan of God by destroying the nation and the Messianic line:
Attacks on David’s Line:
• Jehoram kills his brothers 2 Chronicles 21:16
• Arabians slew all (but Ahazariah)
• Athaliah kills all (but Joash) 2 Kings 11:1-3; 2 Chronicles 22
• Hezekiah assaulted, etc. Isaiah 36, 38
• Blood curse on Jeconiah Jeremiah 22:30
– thus, the Virgin Birth
• Haman’s attempts Ester 3
New Testament Stratagems:
• Joseph’s fears Matthew 1
• Herod’s attempts Matthew 2
• At Nazareth Luke 4
• 2 storms on the Sea Mark 4; Luke 8
• The Cross
• Summary: Revelation 12
…and he’s not through: Revelation 13
…in your life and mine! Ephesians 6:10-18
10] And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.
11] And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.
How Did They Overcome?:
• His Blood Hebrews 9:12
• Word of testimony Matthew 4:4,7,10; Ephesians 6:10-18; Isaiah 59:17
– Book of Life Exodus 32:32; Daniel 12:1
• Loved not their lives Romans 6:11-13; 2 Timothy 1:12; Acts 20:24;
– cf. 2 witnesses of Chapter 11
Exodus 32:31-33
And Moses returned unto the LORD, and said, Oh, this people have sinned a great sin, and have made them gods of gold. Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin—; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written. And the LORD said unto Moses, Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book.
Daniel 12:1
And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.
12] Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.
The Third woe? Cf. 11:14ff.
13] And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child.
14] And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.
Focus :
The focus is on Israel, particularly the faithful (Jeremiah 30:7; Matthew 24:15-22).
Israel’s Respite:
• Eagle: Exodus 19:4; Deuteronomy 2:9-11
– Eagles’ wings from Egypt Exodus 19:4
– wilderness Deuteronomy 32:11-12
– return from Babylon Isaiah 40:31
• Wilderness: Matthew 24:16
– Edom, Moab, Ammon Daniel 11:41; Isa 11:16;
escape Antichrist Ezekiel 20:35-38
– Door of hope Hosea 2:14, 15; Exodus 15; Zephaniah 2:3
• Earth swallows enemies of God Numbers 16:31,33; Micah 7:15
15] And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood.
16] And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth.
17] And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.
[Cf. Psalm 124]
The Conflict Between Two Seeds:
• The “Seed of the Woman.”
• The “Seed of the Serpent” (Satanic Trinity):
– The Red Dragon: Satan.
– The Coming World Leader.
– The False Prophet.
• Forces behind world powers today.
*
The Book of Revelation Session 18: The Two Beasts
Revelation Chapter 13
The Seven Personages
• The Woman
• Man-Child
• Red Dragon
• Michael
• The Remnant of Israel
• The Beast out of the Sea
• The Beast out of the Earth...both are featured in this chapter.
The Seventh Trumpet introduces seven personages:
[Note: the Jewishness of these parenthetical passages!]
• The Woman Genesis 3:15 there are two seeds at war,
The seed of the woman
The seed of the serpent
– The Red Dragon
– The Coming World Leader Satanic Trinity
– The False Prophet
• The very same forces behind the world today!
– Look what Allah does to women.
• Man-Child
“Rule with a Rod of Iron” Revelation 12:5 caught up = Harpazo
• Messianic Destiny Psalms 2:9
• Letter to the Church in Thyatira Revelation 2:27
• Adversary of the Woman Revelation 12:5
• The King of Kings Revelation 19:15, 16
• Red Dragon
• Michael
• The Remnant of Israel
The Beast out of the Sea:
1] And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.
Crowns here are diadems, Christians will be rewarded with Stephanos.
Manuscript evidence:
“I” is a mistake, this is in last verse of Chapter 12;
And the dragon stood on the sand of the seashore. New American Standard Bible
“He stood…” the dragon that John saw.
John “saw”…the dragon standing on the sand.
Beast is therion, beast of prey not to be compared with “zoa”, “the living creatures” before the throne of God.
Strong's Concordance 285 ammos; sand:
• Sand; see. to a Hebrew comparison are used for an innumerable multitude, Romans 9:27 And Isaiah cries out concerning Israel: “Though the number of the sons of Israel be as the sand of the sea, only a remnant of them will be saved, Hebrews 11:12 Therefore sprang there even of one, and him as good as dead, so many as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as the sand which is by the sea shore innumerable.; Revelation 20:8, equivalent to Revelation 12:18 (Revelation 13:1). According to the context sandy ground, Matthew 7:26. The 1st beast, mentioned 36 times in Revelation, is from the sea:
• Sea = peoples;
• Is he a Gentile? There is a duet, not one person. (Revelation 17:15; Isaiah 57:20, 21). More than just Rome (Luke 4:6,7).
[Review the “Little Horn” of Daniel 7.]
• Blasphemy (988 /blasphemía) "switches" right for wrong (wrong for right), i.e. calls what God disapproves, "right" which "exchanges the truth of God for a lie"
Matthew 12:24, 31 But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils. 34 Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven.
The Pharisees called the power of the Holy Spirit Beelzebub.
(Romans 1:25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, ). See 987 (blasphemeo).
Slander, detraction, speech injurious to another's good name: Matthew 12:31; Matthew 15:19; Mark 3:28; Mark 7:22; Ephesians 4:31; Colossians 3:8; 1 Timothy 6:4; Jude 1:9 equivalent to 2 Peter 2:11, a judgment pronounced in reproachful terms); Revelation 2:9.
• Ten horns = 10 kings (Revelation 17:12) and 7 Heads = 7 Kingdoms (Revelation 17:9- 10):
• Sumeria (Nimrod, Bab-El), Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Medo-Persian, Greece, (Daniel 2:39; 8:21; 11:2,3)
• Rome (in two phases, separated by a “gap”).
[Contrast conquest of Canaan: original ten; Amalekites (Edomites),
Moabites, Midianites, three; seven left for Joshua.]
2] And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.
Lion, Bear, Leopard:
(This order reversed) in Daniel 7:3-8.
Daniel 7:17 These great beasts, which are four, are four kings, which shall arise out of the earth.
SYMBOLS
Primary Sense and Secondary Sense
BEASTS KINGS / POLITICAL POWER / KINGDOMS / NATIONS? / SUPER POWERS?
HORNS - KING / KINGDOM / POWER
WATERS or SEA - PEOPLE / DENSELY POPULATED AREA
BLASPHEMY - #1 CLAIMS TO BE GOD - #2 CLAIMS TO HAVE THE POWER TO FORGIVE SINS
DRAGON - SATAN / PAGAN ROME etc.
SWORD - BIBLE / CIVIL POWER
Image - Likeness
Worship - To bow down and prostrate one-self in submission and obedience to someone or something.
• The lion communicates arrogantly
• The bear controls extensively (Persian Empire)
• The leopard conquers swiftly! (Alexander the Great)
3] And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast.
Is this head wound literal or an allegory?:
• Allegory alludes to a Nation or a Kingdom.
• Literal is an actual person.
• Both attributes can be true.
• Head wound identifier Revelation 13:3 ,12, 14... which had the wound by a sword, and did live.
Literal Belief:
• This head wound becomes a major identifier of this religious leader.
• A physical description of the anti-Christ in the Old Testament.
The Shepherd of Idolatry(False Worship):
Zechariah 11:17
Woe to the idol shepherd that leaveth the flock! the sword shall be upon his arm, and upon his right eye: his arm shall be clean dried up, and his right eye shall be utterly darkened.
• This seems to be an allusion to this final world Leader.
• This would explain why his followers will identify with him by taking a mark upon the forehead or hand.
4] And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? Who is able to make war with him?
Who Is the Dragon?:
Revelation 20:2 And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,
• There is Satan worship going on today, Allah (The Koran), the Pope, etc.
• He appears to be invincible.
They worshipped him!
5] And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.
• He is a boaster.
“Mr. Big Mouth”:
Cf. Daniel 7:8, 25; 11:36-38; 2 Thessalonians 2:4.
• 42 months is equivalent to time, times, and half a time, 3 ½ years or 1,260 days or 1,260 years.
• This is the most documented period of time in the scriptures.
• In the Hebrew Calender there are only 30 days per month, 30 x 12= 1,260 days
• The Popes reigned from 538 B.C. to 1798 B.C.
• And killed millions of Christian Martyrs.
Revelation 12:6 6 And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days (1,260 days).
• Jesus had to live in Nazareth until Herod died 1,260 days??? or 3 ½ years?
1,260 years from Jesus until what time equals what?
33 A.D. minus 1,260 years = 1,227 A.D.
What happened in Jerusalem in 1,227 A.D.?
The Sixth Crusade:
The Sixth Crusade started in 1228 as an attempt to regain Jerusalem. It began seven years after the failure of the Fifth Crusade and involved very little actual fighting. The diplomatic maneuvering of the Holy Roman Emperor, Frederick II, resulted in the Kingdom of Jerusalem regaining some control over Jerusalem for much of the ensuing fifteen years (1229–39, 1241–44)[1] as well as over other areas of the Holy Land.
6] And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.
• He blasphemes the name of God, tabernacle and those that dwell in heaven.
• THERE IS A GROUP OF PEOPLE MISSING THAT ARE IN HEAVEN.
• Does this confirm the Rapture? The Harpazo?
7] And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.
He overcomes the saints?
Daniel 7:25 And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time (3 ½ years).
(Daniel 7:21; 8:12,24; 11:31; Revelation 11:7).
A Believer During This Time Means Death:
• All Saints are not in the same category.
• This group shall be overcome.
Compare with Matthew 16:18 (all saints not necessarily “Church”) and John the Baptist,
(Matthew 11:11-13).
8] And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written
in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
“They that dwell upon the earth”:
13 times Cosmos = world: Matthew 4:8-9; John 12:31; 14:30; 18:36; Ephesians 2:2; 6:12; 1 John 2:15-17.
“Book of Life”:
Was known to Moses, Exodus 32:32; Daniel 12:1 (Isaiah 4:3?); 1 Peter 1:19,
20 (“from the foundation” refers to “written,” not “slain”); Luke 10:17-20.
9] If any man have an ear, let him hear.
10] He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.
SECTION 2:
The Beast out of the Earth:
BEAST #2: (He may be Jewish)
11] And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon.
The second beast (v.11) is from the earth: eretz (Israel?) John 5:43; 3 times:
“False prophet”
This leader may be a Jew:
Ezekiel 21:25-27; Ezekiel 28:2-10 (of the circumcision);
Daniel 11:36, 37;
John 5:43 I am come in my Father's name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive.
Another:
John 5:43 (allos, not heteros)
• Strong's Greek 243; allos: Other, another (of more than two), different. A primary word; 'else, ' i.e. Different.
• He is received by Israel (Psalms 55:11 Wickedness is in the midst thereof: deceit and guile depart not from her streets. 12 For it was not an enemy that reproached me; then I could have borne it: neither was it he that hated me that did magnify himself against me; then I would have hid myself from him: 13 But it was thou, a man mine equal, my guide, and mine acquaintance. 14 We took sweet counsel together, and walked unto the house of God in company.)
“Horns” = authority, dominion.
“Spake”: Genesis 3:1; 49:17; 2 Corinthians 11:3.
12] And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.
The Second Beast causes the world to worship Beast #1:
• Whose deadly wound was healed, this is apparently a guy who is healed of a deadly wound.
• A false resurrection.
• Duplicating miracles of the Old Testament, Moses experienced this Jannes & Jambres: Exodus 7:11.
Spirit possessed:
Acts 16:16-18; 19:15, 16.
Satan + the 1st and 2nd beasts = Satanic trinity?
13] And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men,
14] And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.
[Note the head wound as his identifier, again.]
• Whose deadly wound was healed, this is apparently a guy who is healed of a deadly wound.
• Signs, miracles, see Jannes & Jambres: Exodus 7:11; 2 Timothy 3:8; 2 Thessalonians 2:9-11 (cf. 2 witnesses).
• Prophecy, not “signs and wonders” is Jesus’ primary evidence: Matthew 11:1-6.
“Image”: 7 passages—13:15; 14:9,11; 15:2; 16:2; 19:20; 20:4; cf. Daniel 2, 3;
Psalms 73:20
15] And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.
• Meshach, Shadrach, and Abednego experienced this.
16] And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:
17] And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
“Mark”:
• It’s his mark.
Charagma: This is a brand, or seal.
A mark is prohibited:
Leviticus 19:28;21:5; Deuteronomy 14:1; Isaiah 49:16; Ezekiel 9:4; Exodus 13:9, 16.
Zechariah 11:17
Woe to the idol shepherd that leaveth the flock! the sword shall be upon his arm, and upon his right eye: his arm shall be clean dried up, and his right eye shall be utterly darkened.
• People will willingly take this mark to identify with this leader.
18] Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast:
for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.
6 = number of man:
The Sabbath was made for man, (6 days +1);
Goliath: 6 cubits; 6 shekel spear; 6 pieces of armor; etc.
Nebuchadnezzar’s image: 60 cubits high, 6 cubits wide; 6 instruments of music.
Solomon as a Type? 666: 1 Kings 10:14; 2 Chronicles 9:13; [Ezra 2:13 vs. Nehemiah 7:18];
Queen of Sheba? Goddess of Fortresses?
Six steps to the throne; founded commerce, banking, trading in horses (vs. Deuteronomy 17:16);
“Magen David” = occultic “Seal of Solomon.”
666
Letters in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin have numerical equivalents.
Roman numerals add up to 666;
Arabic numbers from 1 to 62 (36) add up to 666 (some MSS read 616);
It is the number of man, not God! See chart.
Christos
The Antichrist:
Greek, anti = “over against”; “instead of.” [Cf. Latin, Vicar of Christ.]
C x j Antichrist means Pseudo-Christ (In the place of Christ.)
x 600 hexakosioi
e 60 hexakonta
g 6 hex
666
Forms of Gematria:
• Ragil (nominal)
• Kolel, the ragil values plus the number of letters in the word.
• Katan, small values; all tens and hundreds reduced to 1 - 9 by summing the digits. (Also called “reduced” values.)
• Hakadmi, nominal values plus the values of each letter preceding it.
• Hameruba Haklali, the value of the word squared.
• Hameruba Haperati, the sum of the squares of each individual letter.
• Miluy, the sums of the values of the names of each letter that makes up the word. (Also called “filling.”)
If you torture the data long enough, it will confess to anything.
Whose Number?
• Insertable chips, RFID, bar codes, etc. for implementation?
• Remember: it is His number and name that are the critical identity issues.
“Son of Perdition”?
• Judas Iscariot “Reincarnated”? Psalms 55:11-14;
• Death & Hell (Isaiah 28:18, Revelation 6:8; Matthew 12:41-43; John 17:12; John 6:7; 2 Thessalonians 2:3; Acts 1:25, with Revelation 11:7).
• You have to willingly take his mark as a sign of allegiance, this will become an irreparable barrier to being saved.
Old Testament Allusions:
• Adversary Psalms 74:8-10; Isaiah 59:19; Lamentations 4:11,12; Amos 3:11
• Assyrian Isaiah 10:5, 12; Micah 5:5, 6
• Belial Nahum 1:15
• Bloody and Deceitful Man Psalms 5:6
• Branch of the Terrible Ones Isaiah 25:5
• Chief Prince Exodus 38:2
• Crooked Serpent Job 26:13; Isaiah 27:1
• Cruel One Jeremiah 30:14,23
• Destroyer of the Gentiles Jeremiah 4:7
• Enemy Ps 55:3; Jeremiah 30:14, 23
• Evil Man Psalms 140:1
• Head over many countries Psalms 110:6
• Head of Northern Army Joel 2:20
• Idol Shepherd Zechariah 11:16, 17
• King of Princes Hosea 8:10
• King of Babylon Isaiah 14:11-20
• Little Horn Daniel 7:8f; 8:9f
• Man of the Earth Psalms 10:18
• Merchant, with balances of deceit Hosea 12:7
• Mighty Man Psalms 52:1
• Nail Isaiah 22:25
• Prince that shall come Daniel 9:26
• Prince of Tyre Ezekiel 28:2-10
• Profane Wicked Prince of Israel Ezekiel 21:25-27
• Proud Man Habakkuk 2:5
• Rod of God’s anger Isaiah 10:5
• Seed of the Serpent Genesis 3:15
• Son of the Morning Isaiah 14:12
• Spoiler, Destroyer Isaiah 16:4,5
• Vile Person Daniel 11:21
• Violent Man Psalms 140:1f
• Wicked One Psalms 9:17; 10:2,4; Isaiah 11:4; Jeremiah 30:14, 23
• Wilful King Daniel 11:36
New Testament Allusions:
• Angel of the Bottomless Pit Revelation 9:11
• Antichrist, (Pseudo-Christ) 1 John 2:22
• Beast Revelation 11:7; 13
• False Prophet Revelation 13
• Father of the lie John 8:44; 2 Thessalonians 2:11
• Lawless One 2 Thessalonians 2:8
• Man of Sin 2 Thessalonians 2:3
• One come in his own name John 5:43
• Prince of Darkness 1 Thessalonians 5
• Son of Perdition 2 Thessalonians 2:3
• Star Revelation 8:10; 9:1
• Unclean Spirit Matthew 12:43
• Vine of the earth Revelation 14:18
The “70 Weeks” of Daniel (see Sessions 11 & 12)
The Scope 9:24
The 69 Weeks 9:25
(The Interval) 9:26 We are in this interval.
The 70th Week 9:27
The Interval:
Daniel 9:26
And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come (Romans) shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.
• The Eastern Leg of the Roman Empire outlasted the Western Leg by 1,000 years.
• Legs of Iron?
Daniel 7:17-22
These great beasts, which are four, are four kings, which shall arise out of the earth. But the saints of the most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever. Then I would know the truth of the fourth beast, which was diverse from all the others, exceeding dreadful, whose teeth were of iron, and his nails of brass; which devoured, brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with his feet; And of the ten horns that were in his head, and of the other which came up, and before whom three fell; even of that horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spake very great things, whose look was more stout than his fellows. I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them; Until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom.
10 + 1 = an 11th horn.
• This Beast has 11 Heads and another shall rise after them.
Daniel 7:23-25
Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces. And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings. And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.
The 11th horn. 1 + 2 + 1/2 = 3 1/2 years; 42 months; 1260 days.
Daniel 7:26-28
But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end. And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him. Hitherto is the end of the matter. As for me Daniel, my cogitations much troubled me, and my countenance changed in me: but I kept the matter in my heart.
After Alexander’s Death:
Four Generals divide the empire:
Cassander - Macedonia and Greece:
Lysimachus - Asia Minor and Thrace:
Seleucus - Syria and Babylon:
Ptolemy - Egypt, Arabia, and Israel:
Daniel 8:23-25
And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences, shall stand up. And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power: and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practise, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people. And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes; but he shall be broken without hand.
The Period Between the Old and New Testaments Daniel 11:
Ptolemy (Daniel 11:5-35)
Daniel 11:36-45
And the king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done. Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all. But in his estate shall he honour the God
of forces: and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honour with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things. Thus shall he do in the most strong holds with a strange god, whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory: and he shall cause them to rule over many, and shall divide the land for gain. And at the time of the end shall the king of the south push at him: and the king of the north shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over.
He shall enter also into the glorious land, and many countries shall be overthrown: but these shall escape out of his hand, even Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon. He shall stretch forth his hand also upon the countries: and the land of Egypt shall not escape. But he shall have power over the treasures of gold and of silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt: and the Libyans and the Ethiopians shall be at his steps. But tidings out of the east and out of the north shall trouble him: therefore he shall go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many. And he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him.
Satan’s Seven Super-Kingdoms:
• Egypt
• Assyria
• Babylon
• Persia
• Greece
• Rome
• Rome II
10 Horns
The 11th Horn
(Daniel 7:8, 20-26; 8:9-14)
Revelation 12:3 Revelation 17:10
And there appeared another wonder in heaven; And there are seven kings: five are fallen,
and behold a great red dragon, and one is, and the other is not yet come;
having seven heads and ten horns, and when he cometh, he must continue
and seven crowns upon his heads. a short space.
Revelation 17:11
And the beast that was, and is not,
even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition.
The Assyrian:
Micah 5:5-6
And this man shall be the peace, when the Assyrian shall come into our land: and when he shall tread in our palaces, then shall we raise against him seven shepherds, and eight principal men. And they shall waste the land of Assyria with the sword, and the land of Nimrod in the entrances thereof: thus shall he deliver us from the Assyrian, when he cometh into our land, and when he treadeth within our borders.
Cf. Isaiah 10:5, 12, 24;
[Note: the Pharaoh of the Exodus “That knew not Joseph” was an Assyrian: Isaiah 52:4]
Recent Re-emergences:
• Nineveh was thought to be a myth up until 1849.
• Nineveh was the Capital of Assyria.
The Coming World Leader:
• Has a “Big Mouth” (6 times!):
Daniel 7:8,11,20; 11:36; Psalms 52; 2 Thessalonians 2:4.
• The Leader will be the Son of Satan:
Genesis 3:15; Isaiah 27:1; Ezekiel 28:12- 19; Revelation 13.
• He will be an intellectual genius:
Daniel 7:20; 8:23; Ezekiel 28:3.
• He will be an oratorical Genius:
Daniel 7:20; Revelation 13:2.
• He will be a political genius:
Daniel 11:21.
• He will be a commercial genius:
Daniel 8:25; Revelation 13:17; Psalms 52:7; Daniel 11:38, 43; Ezekiel 28:4,5.
• He will be a military genius:
Daniel 8:24; Revelation 6:2; Revelation 13:4; Isaiah 14:16.
• He will be a governmental genius:
Revelation 13:1, 2; 17:17.
• He will be a religious genius:
2 Thessalonians 2:4 (“Allah”?); Revelation 13:3,14,15.
• See also: Psalms 10, 52, 55; Isaiah 10,11,13,14; Jeremiah 49-51; Zechariah 5; Revelation 18
The Two Beasts of Revelation 13
• Beast out of the Sea:
– 7 Heads, 10 Horns.
– Heads with the name of blasphemy.
– One of heads: deadly wound healed.
– Powered by the Dragon for 42 months.
– Overcomes the Saints.
– Earth-Dwellers worship.
• All those not written in the Book of Life.
• Beast out of the Earth (“False Prophet”):
– Two horns like Lamb.
– Speaks as the Dragon.
– Causes Earth to worship the 1st Beast.
– Deceives the Earth with miracles.
– Forces worship of an image of 1st Beast.
• All receive mark in right hands or foreheads.
• No man may buy or sell without the name or number of the 1st Beast:
666.
The Mark of the Beast – What Your Church May Not Be Telling You: https://midnightwatcher.wordpress.com/2011/03/22/the-mark-of-the-beast-what-your-church-may-not-be-telling-you/
Consider these recent new stories, for instance:
• ‘Islamic State’ Orders Muslim Employers To Fire All Christians
• Egypt: Businesses Told Not To Sell To, Or Buy From, Christians
• Muslims Demand Christian Bookstores Stop Selling Christian Material
• Muslim Mobs Attacking Christian Businesses And Pharmacies In Egypt
• Iran Refusing Business License For Christians, ‘Do Not To Employ Them’
• Pakistan: Armed Muslims Attack Money-Making Christians In Sheikhupura
• Say The Islamic Statement Of Faith, Or You Cannot Buy From Muslim Stores
• Syrian Rebels To Christians: Comply With Islamic Law, Otherise It’s No Jobs, Death
• Egypt: No Business, No Money, No Home: Christians Flee As Islamists Seek Take Over
• Egypt: ‘When I Apply To Any Job And They Know That I’m Christian, They Refuse Me’
• Iraq: Islamists Destroy Christian Businesses, ‘If Anyone Reopens His Store, We’ll Kill Him’
• Iraq: ISIS Terrorists Stop Christians From Selling Homes, Kill Real Estate Agents For Doing Business With Them
And these are simply some of the incidents that we know about.
Israel is Marked for attacks The 6 Day War:
The Reason For War:
See full article:
Psalm 83:1-5
O God, do not remain silent; do not turn a deaf ear, do not stand aloof, O God.
See how your enemies growl, how your foes rear their heads.
With cunning they conspire against your people; they plot against those you cherish.
“Come,” they say, “let us destroy them as a nation, so that Israel’s name is remembered no more.”
With one mind they plot together; they form an alliance against you.
Psalm 83:6-8
The tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites, of Moab and the Hagrites, Byblos, Ammon and Amalek, Philistia, with the people of Tyre.
Even Assyria has joined them to reinforce Lot’s descendants.
Psalm 83:17-18
May they ever be ashamed and dismayed; may they perish in disgrace.
Let them know that you, whose name is the Lord—that you alone are the Most High over all the earth.
Through miracle after miracle, Israel won a decisive victory. Though nearly 1,000 Israeli troops were killed, some 10,000 Arab soldiers perished and Israel took possession of the Golan Heights, Gaza Strip, West Bank, and Sinai Peninsula. Most importantly, the Jews took back their ancient capital of Jerusalem, including the sacred Temple Mount (although on June 17, 1967 the Israeli government voluntarily gave the Temple Mount back to the Jordanian Waqf).
• Arab forces withdrew in disgrace just as Psalm 83 prophesied and to this day Arabs call the war an-Naksah, "The Setback".
• If indeed the Six-Day War was the prophetic fulfillment of Psalm 83 it is amazing that Psalm 83 coincided with Israel recapturing Jerusalem. That in and of itself shines a whole new light on the miracle of June 7th, 1967 and should wake us up to the fact that 2017 is indeed the Jubilee of Jerusalem.
The Book of Revelation Session 19: Prelude to the Bowls
Revelation Chapter 14
Table of Contents:
• The Lamb on Mount Zion With His 144,000 Commandos.
• Seven Angels in Chapter 14:
– 1st Angel: With the Eternal Gospel.
– 2nd Angel: Announces the Doom of Babylon.
– 3rd Angel: Announces the Fury on the Beast Worshipers.
– (4th Angel?) Voice: Speaks to the Righteous Dead.
– 5th Angel.
– 6th Angel. There Are Three Other Angels That Call For The Grape Harvest.
– 7th Angel.
– The Grape Harvest is a bloody climactic harvest.
1] And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Zion, and with him an hundred
forty and four thousand, having his Father’s name written in their foreheads.
Not 143,999: none are missing! “I have lost none.” Noah’s Ark, none were lost.
John 17:12 While I was with them, I protected and preserved them by Your name, the name You gave Me. Not one of them has been lost, except the son of destruction, so that the Scripture would be fulfilled.
• They have come through the Tribulation miraculously, because they were sealed, just like the three Hebrews in Daniel 3—by the way, where was Daniel?
• Nebuchadnezzar’s image was a foreshadowing of the anti-Christ’s image and the fiery furnace was a foreshadowing of the Great Tribulation.
• The three Hebrews are a type for the 144,000.
• Then Daniel would represent the Harpazo, the raptured saints, because he is nowhere to be found.
Note:
They are standing, with Jesus Christ, on Mount Zion.
• We think of heaven as being remote; it seems more likely that it is another dimension of present existence—not necessarily too far removed from ours.
[Boehm et al.]
• Who preserves (even us) today? Jesus Christ. Not methods or programs: the person.
• When was the last time you told Him you loved Him?
Zion:
• David Captured Mount Zion from the Jebusites (2 Samuel 5).
• “A cup of trembling; a burdensome stone...”(Zechariah 12:2,3).
– Even now, Israel is Satan’s focus.
– Even Islam ignored it for over 1,000 years; until Israel regained it…
• “Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion” (Psalm 2:6 The world going to war against God).
“Zion”:
This is the only mention in Revelation. It’s the Father’s intention to place Jesus upon the throne of David—
• Not the Palestinians—in Jerusalem; specifically, on Mt. Zion. [Cf. Luke 1:32]
30 Psalms of Zion:
• Psalms 20 Deliverance (of 144,000?).
• Psalms 48 Kings of earth gathered (woman in travail).
• Psalms 74 “Purchased” singers.
• Psalms 76 Cutting off kings of earth.
• Psalms 102 “Set time” is come.
• Psalms 110 Melchizedek; rod to rule; at right hand.
• Psalms 132 13, 14, 17, 18 The Lord has chosen Zion.
• Psalms 133 Israel united (Hermon, N + Zion).
• Psalms 137 Babylon to be destroyed (14:8).
• Psalms 146 Trust not in princes; Son of man.
• Psalms 149 Vengeance upon all nations.
Summarized: Isaiah 2:2-4 = Micah 4:1-4.
• Both names: Father + Son (John 14:23, “we”).
2] And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps:
3] And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts (living creatures), and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth.
New Song:
Psalms 3:3; 40:3; 96:1; 98:1;107:1,2; 144:9; 149:1
4] These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb.
“Virgins?”
• Is this literal? Jeremiah forbidden to marry (Jeremiah 16:1-4);
• Jesus’ warning (Matthew 24:19 And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days!).
• Or figurative?
Idolatry = spiritual fornication (Ezekiel 16)
Church:
“Is to be chaste virgin to Christ” (Ephesians 5:26,27) vs. Jezebel (2 Corinthians 11:2).
Probably both. They kept themselves for the Lord alone.
• Jeremiah, on the threshold of the Babylonian captivity, was forbidden to marry; also
note Jesus’ warning: “woe to those giving suck…”
• Idolatry was labeled as (spiritual) fornication (Ezekiel 16).
[Church: Chaste virgin to Christ (Ephesians 5:26, 27); Chaste (vs. Jezebel) in
2 Corinthians 11:2.]
“Firstfruits”: the very finest, from an expected harvest (cf. Romans 11:15-16). Israel will enjoy a unique role in the Millennial Kingdom.
These may well be the “brethren” in Matthew 25.
5] And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God.
• They were not taken in by “The Lie” (2 Thessalonians 2:11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:).
• They are “Without fault or blemish” since they are clothed with the righteousness of the Lamb.
6] And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people,
Angel #1:
• Today, we have the Gospel of Grace, that is proclaimed by men.
• Then, the gospel will be proclaimed by angels, who are indestructible (even the two witnesses in chapter 11 are killed by the World Leader).
7] Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.
The Final Call:
This one is “good news” for God’s people—but bad news for the rebellious “earth dwellers”: this is their last chance.
“Fear God...” “Judgment is come.”
• and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.
• Notice here that the emphasis is on God as the Creator and His creation.
• The first step in one’s contiencenance is to recognize God as the creator.
• Romans 1 America, the failure to recognize God as the Creator.
Other “Gospels - False Gospel”:
• False gospels (2 Corinthians 11:4; Galatians 1:6);
• Gabriel announcing birth of John the Baptist (Luke 1:19);
• Angelic hosts to shepherds (Luke 2:10);
• Paul gets the News of the spiritual growth of the Thessalonian church (1 Thessalonians 3:6);
• 7th angel: Mystery of God will be finished (Revelation 10:7);
• Preaching of the Kingdom (Matthew 24:14, etc.).
[There is difficulty finding the true Gospel in many of our modern “mega” pulpits...]
Creation Oriented:
• Arrogance of anti-God “science” (Colossians 2:8 vs. Psalms 19, Romans 1).
• Science used to be the pursuit of truth.
• Johannes Kepler (1571-1630):
– Regarded God as the “Divine Mathematician” whose mind could be discovered in the precise mechanics of the universe.”
• Sir Isaac Newton (1643-1727):
• Regarded God as the “Divine Presence” who set the universe in motion: “This most beautiful system of the Sun, planet and comets could only proceed from the counsel and dominion of the intelligent and powerful Being.”
• The king granted him that he did not have to be apart of the Catholic Church.
(Newton also wrote over a million words of Biblical commentary, regarding it all literally.)
8] And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.
Angel #2:
• First mention of Babylon: it will take enter stage in Chapters 17 & 18.
• Babylon has been Satan’s Headquarters from the beginning.
• The worship of Semiramis—and the female principal in the deity; the fountainhead of false religions.
“Is fallen, fallen”: Cf. Jeremiah 51:6-9; Genesis 41:32 ...the dream was doubled unto Pharaoh twice; it is because the thing is established by God,....;
Aorist tense: “It’s history,” as we might say. Babylon is yet to be destroyed as the Bible predicts;
Thus, yet to emerge again (Jeremiah 51:7; Isaiah 13:11; Jeremiah 25:15-26; Isaiah 13:19). Read: Alexander Hislop, The Two Babylons, Briefing Package, The Mystery of Babylon, etc.)
The mark of the Beast:
9] And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand,
10] The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:
Angel #3:
A fatal choice. This does not involve the Church, which has been redeemed.
[ (“Enduring to the end” Matthew 24:13) was addressed to those in this period.]
Matthew 24:13,14
But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.
11] And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.
Punishment is eternal:
• “ages of ages” 12 times in the book:
• 8 times, glory of Father & Christ;
• 3 times duration of punishment of Devil and his;
• 1 time (here) people who insist on following him.
“Fire”: symbolic?
Matthew 13:36-42 implies that it is literal.
The literalness of “hell” is a serious issue (which we tend to avoid addressing).
• God will not mix mercy with this judgment (Psalms 75:8; Habakkuk 3:2).
The Seven Bowls are coming. We may not like the concept of torment, but we are dealing with holy love—both words are paramount. True righteousness is also
the issue. The time to deal with this is now, not then. “Then” is too late.
12] Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.
13] And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them.
(Voice = 4th Angel?) Strange assurance—“from now on.”
• This reassurance is only relevant if they feel they have missed the resurrection!
• (This was the anxiety of the Thessalonians when the Roman persecutions under Nero began, and led to Paul’s disclosures in 1 Thessalonians 4:13ff.) cf. Philippians 1:23-26.
14] And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle.
• Jesus is sitting on the white cloud.
15] And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe.
Matthew 24:30 (cf. Revelation 19:15; Jeremiah 25:30).
Sickle: occurs 12 times in the Scriptures: 7 times in this section.
“Sharp” occurs 7 times in Revelation (4 times in this chapter).
Angel #5:
Overripe means that the fruit is withered (James 1:11; cf. Matthew 21:19-20; Mark 3:1,3; John 15:6).
[Some would argue that we are not called to harvest today: this harvest is the end of the world (Luke 3:8-17; Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43; also Joel 3:13-14).
We are called to sow: to sow the Word of God.]
Shekinah (Cloud) Old Testament:
• The Shekinah is a manifestation of the Holy Spirit.
• Wilderness Exodus 13:21,22; 14:19-24
• Manna Exodus 16:10
• Giving of law Exodus 19:9, 16, 18; 24:15-18
• 2nd time Exodus 34:1-5
• Tabernacle Exodus 40:34, 35
• Mercy Seat Numbers 9:16-22
• 70 elders chosen Numbers 11:25
• Filled Temple 1 Kings 8:10,11
• Departs Ezekiel 9:3; 10:4,18,19; 11:22, 23
Shekinah (Cloud) New Testament:
• The Shekinah is a manifestation of the Holy Spirit.
• Overshadows Mary Luke 1:35
• Flocks of Shepherds Luke 2:9
• Transfiguration Matthew 17:5; 1 Peter 1:17-19
• Ascension Acts 1:9
• Rapture 1 Thessalonians 4:17
• Return Matthew 24:30; 26:64; Revelation 1:7; Luke 21:27
16] And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped.
17] And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle.
Angel #6:
18] And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe.
• This is not a wheat harvest, this is a grape harvest.
• Wine press is the blood of the nations.
19] And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God.
Angel # 7:
Note this harvest of vv.17-20 is of grapes, not wheat, as in vv.14-16.
There, the angels separate the tares from the wheat, etc.
Gathering of the unrighteous:
Joel 3:1, 2, 9-17; Isaiah 63:1-6; Zechariah 14:1-3. Isaiah 34:1-3, 6.
• I don’t believe this is for the Church. There are several vine idioms—the grape harvest is often the idiom for the Day of the Lord (Joel 3:13ff).
• Israel was God’s vine, planted in the land to bear fruit for God’s glory, but failed and had to be cut down (Psalms 80:8-16; Isaiah 5:1-7; Matthew 21:3-46).
[Christ is the True Vine and the believers are branches in Him (Psalms 80:8; John 15).
• Also, the Menorah appears to portray this light bearing.]
Jeremiah 25:30
Therefore prophesy thou against them all these words, and say unto them, The LORD shall roar from on high, and utter his voice from his holy habitation; he shall mightily roar upon his habitation; he shall give a shout, as they that tread the grapes, against all the inhabitants of the earth..
20] And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the
winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs.
• The blood will be four feet deep and 1,600 furlongs = 180 miles (Megiddo to Bozrah, which is 20 miles South East of the Dead Sea).
We will explore this in more detail when we get to Chapter 19. (1 furlong = 600 feet.)
• We tend to think of nuclear weapons. The 70,000 extinguished at Hiroshima pales before the 125,000 killed by firearms and bayonets at Iwo Jima earlier that same year.
• We also forget our own bloody Civil War, which was so vast and terrible that it consumed more American lives than World War I and II, Korea, and Vietnam combined—all with merely bayonets, firearms, and cannonballs.
[Richardson: Statistics of Deadly Quarrels: now applies to terrorism.]
Isaiah 63:1-6
Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? this that is glorious in his apparel, travelling in the greatness of his strength? I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save. Wherefore art thou red in thine apparel, and thy garments like him that treadeth in the winefat? I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the people there was none with me: for I will tread them in mine anger, and trample them in my fury; and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my raiment. For the day of vengeance is in mine heart, and the year of my redeemed is come.
And I looked, and there was none to help; and I wondered that there was none to uphold: therefore mine own arm brought salvation unto me; and my fury, it upheld me. And I will tread down the people in mine anger, and make them drunk in my fury, and I will bring down their strength to the earth.
From Megiddo (Top )
1,600 Furlongs = 180 miles
To Petra (Not seen Bottom)
From Megiddo to Petra is 1,600 miles.
• This wine pressing is a judgment for apostasy, which Jeremiah 30 calls “the time of
• Jacob’s Trouble”: denying the God of the Old Testament, and the relevance of the Scriptures to their own destiny. We need make no apology for this judgment. Sin is an awful thing. Sin is in the world.
• You and I are sinners. Christ is the only remedy for us. This judgment will inevitably come upon Christ-rejecters.
Those who think that the Church is going through the Great Tribulation are wrong:
• Those who think that the Church is going through the Great Tribulation (The Great Day of God’s Wrath) understand neither the nature of the Church, nor the nature of the Tribulation. They underestimate both.
• Before that morning dawns, the long night of the human race will grow darker. Much darker. This chapter was just a prelude to the bowls that are coming in the next two chapters.
1] And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvellous, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God.
The Doctrine of Endless Punishment:
• Salvation supposes a prior damnation.
• In order to escape danger, one must believe in it.
• No error is more fatal than that of Universalism.
• It blots out the attribute of retributive justice;
• Transmutes sin into simply misfortune;
• Turns all suffering into chastisement;
• Relegates the sacrifice of Christ into simply moral influence;
• Makes it a debt due to man, instead of an unmerited boon from God. Throughout the Bible, we see God’s love and grace freely available to all who will accept it.
• We are so far below God, we can’t understand the Holiness of God, of how unclean we are and how clean He is.
• The entire Bible is a record of the extremes He has gone to in order to allow us to avoid the destiny of our fallen state.
People’s response:
“No, God, I do not want to love you”; “I want to run things my own way.”
God’s Three Alternatives:
• He can indulge it and allow it to go on forever, but in that case all the cruelty, injustice, hatred, pain, and death that now prevails on the earth will go on forever, too. – God does not want that and neither does man.
• He can force man into automata, However, removing our free will would also take away our capacity to give our love to God freely.
– Love cannot be forced. Or...
• He can withdraw Himself from those who refuse His love. He must let them have their own way forever.
• Since God is necessary for our existence, the decision to reject God is a decision to plunge ourselves into the most terrible sense of loneliness and isolation a human being can know—and to endure this eternally, without any hope.
Two Deaths:
• Physical death is the separation of the soul from the body
• Spiritual death is the separation of the soul from the Spirit of God Himself (Jude 1:12; Revelation 2:11; 20:6,14; 21:8).
• Ultimately it is we ourselves who choose whether God will judge us.
• It is we ourselves who decide either to accept or refuse His grace, love, and forgiveness.
• It is we ourselves who choose everlasting life—or everlasting death.
The Book of Revelation Session 20: The Seven Bowls of Wrath
Revelation Chapters 15-16
Revelation 15: The Shortest Chapter in Revelation:
1] And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvellous, seven angels having the
seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God.
“Another sign”:
Connects this with the series that began with Chapter 12.
Recapitulation Style; Cf. Genesis 1 & 2; Exodus and Deuteronomy; all of the four Gospels, etc.
• “...is filled...” is another word for saying “was finished.” Cf. Psalms 110:1.
2] And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God.
“Sea of glass”:
• The saints were standing on it, (not “beside” it, as in NIV, Greek preposition could mean by, upon, or over).
• The sea of glass was sort of modeled in the Tabernacle with the Brass Laver in which the priest washed in it, this links with Ephesians 4:26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,...
• The word of God is what they are standing on in Heaven, the Holy Spirit is dealing deliberately in puns there.
• The Sea of Glass is mingled with fire, fire always depict judgement;
• The world viewed them as losers; they were captured, reviled, persecuted, and hated. They were on a shuttle service to heaven!
[Perhaps the most pervasive human defect is our stubborn insistence that our perceptions and illusions should be taken for objective reality.]
3] And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints.
King of “Ages”:
Jeremiah 10:40; 1 Timothy 1:17.
[Various ancient manuscripts have three different renderings: King of the saints, King of the nations; King of the Ages (cf. Jer 10:7,10);
King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God (1 Timothy 1:17).]
“Song of Moses”:
Can be found in Exodus 15:1-21; Deuteronomy 32:1-43.
[this was sung before the giving of the Law in Exodus 19ff.]
“Song of the Lamb”:
Revelation 5:9-12.
• Note that there is never any word about the martyr’s achievements.
• The real achievement here is the achievement of Jesus Christ. The only pronouns refer to God.
• Remember: Revelation is Christocentric.
Don’t be distracted by the four horsemen, seven trumpets, et al:
Who is being unveiled in this Book?
• This is the unveiling of Jesus Christ, which God gave to whom? Jesus Christ.
4] Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest.
• Note the decline of the fear of God in our age...
• There is little reverential fear of God, even among believers....
• You learn about God in your studies, but you grow to reverence and respect God in your devotional time.
“Nations shall come and worship...”:
• This is not true today. The immorality, godlessness, and injustice—even in our own country—is increasingly conspicuous (Psalms 7:9; 11:7; 107:1, 40, 42; cf. Psalms 2:8; Philippians 2:9-11).
Judgment proceeds out of the heart of His holiness: inner Temple; expands 7th Trumpet
(11:18).
5] And after that I looked, and, behold, the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened:
• The temple is mentioned 15 times in this book, but not until Chapter 4, when the Church is removed the Temple is the topic.
• From then on, God is dealing with a people who have had a temple—a replica of things in heaven (Exodus 25:40; Hebrews 9:23).
• The real Temple is in Heaven.
6] And the seven angels came out of the temple, having the seven plagues, clothed in pure and white linen, and having their breasts girded with golden girdles.
Clothed in linen? Variant reading: precious stones!?
7] And one of the four beasts gave unto the seven angels seven golden bowls full of the wrath of God, who liveth for ever and ever.
Bowls, vials:
It’s more like a censer
(Revelation 5:8); flat saucers as used in worship.
8] And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from his power; and no man was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled.
“Smoke”:
Isaiah 6:1-4; Leviticus 16:12, 13;
• Aaron, on Day of Atonement, was to carry the censer of coals from the altar, on Yom Kippur so that he die not.
• Even the redeemed are denied access.
• God suffers alone for the horror of sin. These seven angels with these seven bowls make it clear that these judgments proceed from God, not man’s mistakes or Satan’s enmity.
• Beware the Wrath of the Lamb.
[We had Seven churches that represented all Churches = 7 means complete history of the church.
Each series of seven may involve parallelism among them...]
The tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites, of Moab and the Hagrites, Byblos, Ammon and Amalek, Philistia, with the people of Tyre.
Even Assyria has joined them to reinforce Lot’s descendants.
Psalm 83:17-18
May they ever be ashamed and dismayed; may they perish in disgrace.
Let them know that you, whose name is the Lord—that you alone are the Most High over all the earth.
Through miracle after miracle, Israel won a decisive victory. Though nearly 1,000 Israeli troops were killed, some 10,000 Arab soldiers perished and Israel took possession of the Golan Heights, Gaza Strip, West Bank, and Sinai Peninsula. Most importantly, the Jews took back their ancient capital of Jerusalem, including the sacred Temple Mount (although on June 17, 1967 the Israeli government voluntarily gave the Temple Mount back to the Jordanian Waqf).
• Arab forces withdrew in disgrace just as Psalm 83 prophesied and to this day Arabs call the war an-Naksah, "The Setback".
• If indeed the Six-Day War was the prophetic fulfillment of Psalm 83 it is amazing that Psalm 83 coincided with Israel recapturing Jerusalem. That in and of itself shines a whole new light on the miracle of June 7th, 1967 and should wake us up to the fact that 2017 is indeed the Jubilee of Jerusalem.
*
The Book of Revelation Session 19: Prelude to the Bowls
Revelation Chapter 14
Table of Contents:
• The Lamb on Mount Zion With His 144,000 Commandos.
• Seven Angels in Chapter 14:
– 1st Angel: With the Eternal Gospel.
– 2nd Angel: Announces the Doom of Babylon.
– 3rd Angel: Announces the Fury on the Beast Worshipers.
– (4th Angel?) Voice: Speaks to the Righteous Dead.
– 5th Angel.
– 6th Angel. There Are Three Other Angels That Call For The Grape Harvest.
– 7th Angel.
– The Grape Harvest is a bloody climactic harvest.
1] And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Zion, and with him an hundred
forty and four thousand, having his Father’s name written in their foreheads.
Not 143,999: none are missing! “I have lost none.” Noah’s Ark, none were lost.
John 17:12 While I was with them, I protected and preserved them by Your name, the name You gave Me. Not one of them has been lost, except the son of destruction, so that the Scripture would be fulfilled.
• They have come through the Tribulation miraculously, because they were sealed, just like the three Hebrews in Daniel 3—by the way, where was Daniel?
• Nebuchadnezzar’s image was a foreshadowing of the anti-Christ’s image and the fiery furnace was a foreshadowing of the Great Tribulation.
• The three Hebrews are a type for the 144,000.
• Then Daniel would represent the Harpazo, the raptured saints, because he is nowhere to be found.
Note:
They are standing, with Jesus Christ, on Mount Zion.
• We think of heaven as being remote; it seems more likely that it is another dimension of present existence—not necessarily too far removed from ours.
[Boehm et al.]
• Who preserves (even us) today? Jesus Christ. Not methods or programs: the person.
• When was the last time you told Him you loved Him?
Zion:
• David Captured Mount Zion from the Jebusites (2 Samuel 5).
• “A cup of trembling; a burdensome stone...”(Zechariah 12:2,3).
– Even now, Israel is Satan’s focus.
– Even Islam ignored it for over 1,000 years; until Israel regained it…
• “Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion” (Psalm 2:6 The world going to war against God).
“Zion”:
This is the only mention in Revelation. It’s the Father’s intention to place Jesus upon the throne of David—
• Not the Palestinians—in Jerusalem; specifically, on Mt. Zion. [Cf. Luke 1:32]
30 Psalms of Zion:
• Psalms 20 Deliverance (of 144,000?).
• Psalms 48 Kings of earth gathered (woman in travail).
• Psalms 74 “Purchased” singers.
• Psalms 76 Cutting off kings of earth.
• Psalms 102 “Set time” is come.
• Psalms 110 Melchizedek; rod to rule; at right hand.
• Psalms 132 13, 14, 17, 18 The Lord has chosen Zion.
• Psalms 133 Israel united (Hermon, N + Zion).
• Psalms 137 Babylon to be destroyed (14:8).
• Psalms 146 Trust not in princes; Son of man.
• Psalms 149 Vengeance upon all nations.
Summarized: Isaiah 2:2-4 = Micah 4:1-4.
• Both names: Father + Son (John 14:23, “we”).
2] And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps:
3] And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts (living creatures), and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth.
New Song:
Psalms 3:3; 40:3; 96:1; 98:1;107:1,2; 144:9; 149:1
4] These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb.
“Virgins?”
• Is this literal? Jeremiah forbidden to marry (Jeremiah 16:1-4);
• Jesus’ warning (Matthew 24:19 And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days!).
• Or figurative?
Idolatry = spiritual fornication (Ezekiel 16)
Church:
“Is to be chaste virgin to Christ” (Ephesians 5:26,27) vs. Jezebel (2 Corinthians 11:2).
Probably both. They kept themselves for the Lord alone.
• Jeremiah, on the threshold of the Babylonian captivity, was forbidden to marry; also
note Jesus’ warning: “woe to those giving suck…”
• Idolatry was labeled as (spiritual) fornication (Ezekiel 16).
[Church: Chaste virgin to Christ (Ephesians 5:26, 27); Chaste (vs. Jezebel) in
2 Corinthians 11:2.]
“Firstfruits”: the very finest, from an expected harvest (cf. Romans 11:15-16). Israel will enjoy a unique role in the Millennial Kingdom.
These may well be the “brethren” in Matthew 25.
5] And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God.
• They were not taken in by “The Lie” (2 Thessalonians 2:11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:).
• They are “Without fault or blemish” since they are clothed with the righteousness of the Lamb.
6] And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people,
Angel #1:
• Today, we have the Gospel of Grace, that is proclaimed by men.
• Then, the gospel will be proclaimed by angels, who are indestructible (even the two witnesses in chapter 11 are killed by the World Leader).
7] Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.
The Final Call:
This one is “good news” for God’s people—but bad news for the rebellious “earth dwellers”: this is their last chance.
“Fear God...” “Judgment is come.”
• and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.
• Notice here that the emphasis is on God as the Creator and His creation.
• The first step in one’s contiencenance is to recognize God as the creator.
• Romans 1 America, the failure to recognize God as the Creator.
Other “Gospels - False Gospel”:
• False gospels (2 Corinthians 11:4; Galatians 1:6);
• Gabriel announcing birth of John the Baptist (Luke 1:19);
• Angelic hosts to shepherds (Luke 2:10);
• Paul gets the News of the spiritual growth of the Thessalonian church (1 Thessalonians 3:6);
• 7th angel: Mystery of God will be finished (Revelation 10:7);
• Preaching of the Kingdom (Matthew 24:14, etc.).
[There is difficulty finding the true Gospel in many of our modern “mega” pulpits...]
Creation Oriented:
• Arrogance of anti-God “science” (Colossians 2:8 vs. Psalms 19, Romans 1).
• Science used to be the pursuit of truth.
• Johannes Kepler (1571-1630):
– Regarded God as the “Divine Mathematician” whose mind could be discovered in the precise mechanics of the universe.”
• Sir Isaac Newton (1643-1727):
• Regarded God as the “Divine Presence” who set the universe in motion: “This most beautiful system of the Sun, planet and comets could only proceed from the counsel and dominion of the intelligent and powerful Being.”
• The king granted him that he did not have to be apart of the Catholic Church.
(Newton also wrote over a million words of Biblical commentary, regarding it all literally.)
8] And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.
Angel #2:
• First mention of Babylon: it will take enter stage in Chapters 17 & 18.
• Babylon has been Satan’s Headquarters from the beginning.
• The worship of Semiramis—and the female principal in the deity; the fountainhead of false religions.
“Is fallen, fallen”: Cf. Jeremiah 51:6-9; Genesis 41:32 ...the dream was doubled unto Pharaoh twice; it is because the thing is established by God,....;
Aorist tense: “It’s history,” as we might say. Babylon is yet to be destroyed as the Bible predicts;
Thus, yet to emerge again (Jeremiah 51:7; Isaiah 13:11; Jeremiah 25:15-26; Isaiah 13:19). Read: Alexander Hislop, The Two Babylons, Briefing Package, The Mystery of Babylon, etc.)
The mark of the Beast:
9] And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand,
10] The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:
Angel #3:
A fatal choice. This does not involve the Church, which has been redeemed.
[ (“Enduring to the end” Matthew 24:13) was addressed to those in this period.]
Matthew 24:13,14
But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.
11] And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.
Punishment is eternal:
• “ages of ages” 12 times in the book:
• 8 times, glory of Father & Christ;
• 3 times duration of punishment of Devil and his;
• 1 time (here) people who insist on following him.
“Fire”: symbolic?
Matthew 13:36-42 implies that it is literal.
The literalness of “hell” is a serious issue (which we tend to avoid addressing).
• God will not mix mercy with this judgment (Psalms 75:8; Habakkuk 3:2).
The Seven Bowls are coming. We may not like the concept of torment, but we are dealing with holy love—both words are paramount. True righteousness is also
the issue. The time to deal with this is now, not then. “Then” is too late.
12] Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.
13] And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them.
(Voice = 4th Angel?) Strange assurance—“from now on.”
• This reassurance is only relevant if they feel they have missed the resurrection!
• (This was the anxiety of the Thessalonians when the Roman persecutions under Nero began, and led to Paul’s disclosures in 1 Thessalonians 4:13ff.) cf. Philippians 1:23-26.
14] And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle.
• Jesus is sitting on the white cloud.
15] And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe.
Matthew 24:30 (cf. Revelation 19:15; Jeremiah 25:30).
Sickle: occurs 12 times in the Scriptures: 7 times in this section.
“Sharp” occurs 7 times in Revelation (4 times in this chapter).
Angel #5:
Overripe means that the fruit is withered (James 1:11; cf. Matthew 21:19-20; Mark 3:1,3; John 15:6).
[Some would argue that we are not called to harvest today: this harvest is the end of the world (Luke 3:8-17; Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43; also Joel 3:13-14).
We are called to sow: to sow the Word of God.]
Shekinah (Cloud) Old Testament:
• The Shekinah is a manifestation of the Holy Spirit.
• Wilderness Exodus 13:21,22; 14:19-24
• Manna Exodus 16:10
• Giving of law Exodus 19:9, 16, 18; 24:15-18
• 2nd time Exodus 34:1-5
• Tabernacle Exodus 40:34, 35
• Mercy Seat Numbers 9:16-22
• 70 elders chosen Numbers 11:25
• Filled Temple 1 Kings 8:10,11
• Departs Ezekiel 9:3; 10:4,18,19; 11:22, 23
Shekinah (Cloud) New Testament:
• The Shekinah is a manifestation of the Holy Spirit.
• Overshadows Mary Luke 1:35
• Flocks of Shepherds Luke 2:9
• Transfiguration Matthew 17:5; 1 Peter 1:17-19
• Ascension Acts 1:9
• Rapture 1 Thessalonians 4:17
• Return Matthew 24:30; 26:64; Revelation 1:7; Luke 21:27
16] And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped.
17] And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle.
Angel #6:
18] And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe.
• This is not a wheat harvest, this is a grape harvest.
• Wine press is the blood of the nations.
19] And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God.
Angel # 7:
Note this harvest of vv.17-20 is of grapes, not wheat, as in vv.14-16.
There, the angels separate the tares from the wheat, etc.
Gathering of the unrighteous:
Joel 3:1, 2, 9-17; Isaiah 63:1-6; Zechariah 14:1-3. Isaiah 34:1-3, 6.
• I don’t believe this is for the Church. There are several vine idioms—the grape harvest is often the idiom for the Day of the Lord (Joel 3:13ff).
• Israel was God’s vine, planted in the land to bear fruit for God’s glory, but failed and had to be cut down (Psalms 80:8-16; Isaiah 5:1-7; Matthew 21:3-46).
[Christ is the True Vine and the believers are branches in Him (Psalms 80:8; John 15).
• Also, the Menorah appears to portray this light bearing.]
Jeremiah 25:30
Therefore prophesy thou against them all these words, and say unto them, The LORD shall roar from on high, and utter his voice from his holy habitation; he shall mightily roar upon his habitation; he shall give a shout, as they that tread the grapes, against all the inhabitants of the earth..
20] And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the
winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs.
• The blood will be four feet deep and 1,600 furlongs = 180 miles (Megiddo to Bozrah, which is 20 miles South East of the Dead Sea).
We will explore this in more detail when we get to Chapter 19. (1 furlong = 600 feet.)
• We tend to think of nuclear weapons. The 70,000 extinguished at Hiroshima pales before the 125,000 killed by firearms and bayonets at Iwo Jima earlier that same year.
• We also forget our own bloody Civil War, which was so vast and terrible that it consumed more American lives than World War I and II, Korea, and Vietnam combined—all with merely bayonets, firearms, and cannonballs.
[Richardson: Statistics of Deadly Quarrels: now applies to terrorism.]
Isaiah 63:1-6
Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? this that is glorious in his apparel, travelling in the greatness of his strength? I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save. Wherefore art thou red in thine apparel, and thy garments like him that treadeth in the winefat? I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the people there was none with me: for I will tread them in mine anger, and trample them in my fury; and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my raiment. For the day of vengeance is in mine heart, and the year of my redeemed is come.
And I looked, and there was none to help; and I wondered that there was none to uphold: therefore mine own arm brought salvation unto me; and my fury, it upheld me. And I will tread down the people in mine anger, and make them drunk in my fury, and I will bring down their strength to the earth.
From Megiddo (Top )
1,600 Furlongs = 180 miles
To Petra (Not seen Bottom)
From Megiddo to Petra is 1,600 miles.
• This wine pressing is a judgment for apostasy, which Jeremiah 30 calls “the time of
• Jacob’s Trouble”: denying the God of the Old Testament, and the relevance of the Scriptures to their own destiny. We need make no apology for this judgment. Sin is an awful thing. Sin is in the world.
• You and I are sinners. Christ is the only remedy for us. This judgment will inevitably come upon Christ-rejecters.
Those who think that the Church is going through the Great Tribulation are wrong:
• Those who think that the Church is going through the Great Tribulation (The Great Day of God’s Wrath) understand neither the nature of the Church, nor the nature of the Tribulation. They underestimate both.
• Before that morning dawns, the long night of the human race will grow darker. Much darker. This chapter was just a prelude to the bowls that are coming in the next two chapters.
1] And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvellous, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God.
The Doctrine of Endless Punishment:
• Salvation supposes a prior damnation.
• In order to escape danger, one must believe in it.
• No error is more fatal than that of Universalism.
• It blots out the attribute of retributive justice;
• Transmutes sin into simply misfortune;
• Turns all suffering into chastisement;
• Relegates the sacrifice of Christ into simply moral influence;
• Makes it a debt due to man, instead of an unmerited boon from God. Throughout the Bible, we see God’s love and grace freely available to all who will accept it.
• We are so far below God, we can’t understand the Holiness of God, of how unclean we are and how clean He is.
• The entire Bible is a record of the extremes He has gone to in order to allow us to avoid the destiny of our fallen state.
People’s response:
“No, God, I do not want to love you”; “I want to run things my own way.”
God’s Three Alternatives:
• He can indulge it and allow it to go on forever, but in that case all the cruelty, injustice, hatred, pain, and death that now prevails on the earth will go on forever, too. – God does not want that and neither does man.
• He can force man into automata, However, removing our free will would also take away our capacity to give our love to God freely.
– Love cannot be forced. Or...
• He can withdraw Himself from those who refuse His love. He must let them have their own way forever.
• Since God is necessary for our existence, the decision to reject God is a decision to plunge ourselves into the most terrible sense of loneliness and isolation a human being can know—and to endure this eternally, without any hope.
Two Deaths:
• Physical death is the separation of the soul from the body
• Spiritual death is the separation of the soul from the Spirit of God Himself (Jude 1:12; Revelation 2:11; 20:6,14; 21:8).
• Ultimately it is we ourselves who choose whether God will judge us.
• It is we ourselves who decide either to accept or refuse His grace, love, and forgiveness.
• It is we ourselves who choose everlasting life—or everlasting death.
*
The Book of Revelation Session 20: The Seven Bowls of Wrath
Revelation Chapters 15-16
Revelation 15: The Shortest Chapter in Revelation:
1] And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvellous, seven angels having the
seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God.
“Another sign”:
Connects this with the series that began with Chapter 12.
Recapitulation Style; Cf. Genesis 1 & 2; Exodus and Deuteronomy; all of the four Gospels, etc.
• “...is filled...” is another word for saying “was finished.” Cf. Psalms 110:1.
2] And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God.
“Sea of glass”:
• The saints were standing on it, (not “beside” it, as in NIV, Greek preposition could mean by, upon, or over).
• The sea of glass was sort of modeled in the Tabernacle with the Brass Laver in which the priest washed in it, this links with Ephesians 4:26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,...
• The word of God is what they are standing on in Heaven, the Holy Spirit is dealing deliberately in puns there.
• The Sea of Glass is mingled with fire, fire always depict judgement;
• The world viewed them as losers; they were captured, reviled, persecuted, and hated. They were on a shuttle service to heaven!
[Perhaps the most pervasive human defect is our stubborn insistence that our perceptions and illusions should be taken for objective reality.]
3] And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints.
King of “Ages”:
Jeremiah 10:40; 1 Timothy 1:17.
[Various ancient manuscripts have three different renderings: King of the saints, King of the nations; King of the Ages (cf. Jer 10:7,10);
King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God (1 Timothy 1:17).]
“Song of Moses”:
Can be found in Exodus 15:1-21; Deuteronomy 32:1-43.
[this was sung before the giving of the Law in Exodus 19ff.]
“Song of the Lamb”:
Revelation 5:9-12.
• Note that there is never any word about the martyr’s achievements.
• The real achievement here is the achievement of Jesus Christ. The only pronouns refer to God.
• Remember: Revelation is Christocentric.
Don’t be distracted by the four horsemen, seven trumpets, et al:
Who is being unveiled in this Book?
• This is the unveiling of Jesus Christ, which God gave to whom? Jesus Christ.
4] Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest.
• Note the decline of the fear of God in our age...
• There is little reverential fear of God, even among believers....
• You learn about God in your studies, but you grow to reverence and respect God in your devotional time.
“Nations shall come and worship...”:
• This is not true today. The immorality, godlessness, and injustice—even in our own country—is increasingly conspicuous (Psalms 7:9; 11:7; 107:1, 40, 42; cf. Psalms 2:8; Philippians 2:9-11).
Judgment proceeds out of the heart of His holiness: inner Temple; expands 7th Trumpet
(11:18).
5] And after that I looked, and, behold, the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened:
• The temple is mentioned 15 times in this book, but not until Chapter 4, when the Church is removed the Temple is the topic.
• From then on, God is dealing with a people who have had a temple—a replica of things in heaven (Exodus 25:40; Hebrews 9:23).
• The real Temple is in Heaven.
6] And the seven angels came out of the temple, having the seven plagues, clothed in pure and white linen, and having their breasts girded with golden girdles.
Clothed in linen? Variant reading: precious stones!?
7] And one of the four beasts gave unto the seven angels seven golden bowls full of the wrath of God, who liveth for ever and ever.
Bowls, vials:
It’s more like a censer
(Revelation 5:8); flat saucers as used in worship.
8] And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from his power; and no man was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled.
“Smoke”:
Isaiah 6:1-4; Leviticus 16:12, 13;
• Aaron, on Day of Atonement, was to carry the censer of coals from the altar, on Yom Kippur so that he die not.
• Even the redeemed are denied access.
• God suffers alone for the horror of sin. These seven angels with these seven bowls make it clear that these judgments proceed from God, not man’s mistakes or Satan’s enmity.
• Beware the Wrath of the Lamb.
[We had Seven churches that represented all Churches = 7 means complete history of the church.
Each series of seven may involve parallelism among them...]
Revelation 16 Bowls on the Kingdom of the Beast:
1] And I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels, Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth.
2] And the first went, and poured out his vial upon the earth; and there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast, and upon them which worshipped his image.
“Earth”: Sores on Beast-worshipers (the 6th plague of Exodus 9:8-11);
Unfulfilled prophecy, Deuteronomy 28:27, 35.
• Sores = outward sign of inward corruption (cf. Matthew 23:27, 28).
Moses : “no graven image”; they are not to worship the hosts of heaven (Deuteronomy 4:19;17:2, 3; 2 Kings 17:9-11, 16, 17).
• Devil worship in the House of God: Exodus 8:17,18; 9:1
• Viral warfare [cf. AIDS, et al.] Cf. first bowl with 6th plague (Exodus 9:8-12):
• Plague of boils predicted, not yet fulfilled (Deuteronomy 28:15,27);
These plagues are incurable (Deuteronomy 28:35).
3] And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea; and it became as the blood
of a dead man: and every living soul died in the sea.
“Blood”: Literal blood? (Psalms 105:29; Leviticus 17:11), cf. first plague (Exodus 7:20- 25).
Compare this to the “Red Tide,” occasionally observed from excessive growth of microorganisms. All sea life in the region dies. [Also, cf. Exxon Valdez spill, Persian Gulf spills unleashed by Iraqis in 1991, et al.]
4] And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters; and they became blood.
• Mankind living without water,
5] And I heard the angel of the waters say, Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art, and wast, and shalt be, because thou hast judged thus.
“Rivers”: Beast-worshipers cannot find anything to drink but blood! (Exodus 7:20, 21).
[Greek leaves out “and shall be.” “The existing One, the One who was, the Holy One.” There is no point in speaking of the One who shall come!]
6] For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy.
• They worship the beast and killed the saints and have blood to drink. 7] And I heard another out of the altar say, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments.
The old saying, “what goes around, comes around.” The altar speaks:
The cross? (5th Seal Revelation 6:9-11).
This altar was the shelter of the martyrs...is it yours?
Note: The first three bowls were for men dwelling on the earth. The last four, are for men linked with Babylon.
8] And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire.
9] And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory.
• They never repent!
“Host of heaven”:
Deuteronomy 4:19; 17:2,3; 2 Kings 17:9-11,16,17.
Sun Worship:
• The earliest form of Paganism, originating on the plain of Shinar.
• Nimrod (Genesis 10:8-10).
Nimrod comes from the Hebrew word, marad, “to rebel”;
– Future tense, “we will rebel.”
– The final global dictator will be an Assyrian: (“Nimrod II”?) Micah 5:5,6; Isaiah 10.
Genesis 10:8-10
And Cush begat Nimrod: he began to be a mighty one in the earth. He was a mighty hunter before the LORD: wherefore it is said, Even as Nimrod the mighty hunter before the LORD. And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar.
• The word “Before” should say, be “in defiance of” the Lord.
The sun was first worshipped by Nimrod and his followers on the plains of Shinar and Bab-El was the site of the first temple to the sun. Genesis 11:4.
• The Mazzeroth was corrupted to the zodiac.
[See Signs in the Heavens and Monuments: Sacred or Profane?]
• All paganism is derived from this beginning. This also accounts for the parallelism in the pagan myths in all parts of the world.
Nimrod:
• Nimrod persuaded mankind not to ascribe their happiness to God, but to think that his own excellency was the source of it. And he soon changed things into a tyranny, thinking that there was no other way to wean men from the fear of God, than by making them rely upon his own power.
Josephus, Antiquities of Jews, I.c.4.2
• From the foundation of the world none was ever found like Nimrod, powerful in hunting, and in rebellions against the Lord.
Targum of Jonathan
• He was powerful in hunting and in wickedness before the Lord for he was a hunter of the sons of men, and he said to them, ‘Depart from the judgment of the Lord, and adhere to the judgment of Nimrod!’ There is it said, ‘As Nimrod is the strong one, strong in hunting, and in wickedness before the Lord.’
Jerusalem Targum
Cush begat Nimrod, who began to prevail in wickedness, for he shed innocent blood, and rebelled against Jehovah.
The Chaldee paraphrase of 1 Chronicles 1:10 Quotes from Barnhouse, Revelation.]
• The first global dictator was Nimrod, was an Assyrian, the final global dictator will also, be an Assyrian (Nimrod 2).
Micah 5:5-6 And this man shall be the peace, when the Assyrian shall come into our land: and when he shall tread in our palaces, then shall we raise against him seven shepherds, and eight principal men. 6 And they shall waste the land of Assyria with the sword, and the land of Nimrod in the entrances thereof: thus shall he deliver us from the Assyrian, when he cometh into our land, and when he treadeth within our borders.
Isaiah 10:1-34
8] And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire.
9] And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory.
• Amazing they don’t repent Psalms 2, the world taking up arms against God.
“Heat”: Deuteronomy 32:22,24; Malachi 4:1; Isaiah 24:4-6; 2 Peter 3; Luke 21:25, cf.
The Anthropic principle (Beyond Coincidence, et al.).
“...repented not...”:
• “It is easier to denature plutonium than to denature the evil spirit of man.”
[Albert Einstein]
10] And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain,
• The seat [throne] of the beast (must be a man!).
• Remember the question of Revelation 13: “Who is able to make war with the beast?”
Here is the answer:
• God is able to make war with him!
With the 9th plague—Darkness (Genesis 1:2).
• Darkness which could be felt (Exodus 10:21-23). Cf. Isaiah 60:2; Joel 2:1-2, 31; Nahum 1:8; Mark 13:24,25.
[a Nova?]
Darkness Unexplained:
• Unexplained examples of darkness:
– May 19, 1780, New England, “The Dark Day.”
– March 19, 1886, Central Wisconsin (10 minutes)
– December 1904, Memphis, Tennessee
– March 1911, Louisville, Kentucky
Spiritual darkness:
• In a cultural war, truth is the first casualty:
• There is no evidence for Evolution.
• Psychology is frail because it is built upon that unstable foundation.
• The Palestinian State is a myth. Read Joan Peters work, etc.
• Islam the whole foundation of Islam is strange, the Koran is full of Arabic errors, it’s self contradictory. And yet it is extolled as if it’s equivalent to the Holy Bible, it’s Satanic.
• Legalism Christian legalism is a killer.
• Media there is little to no truth at all.
• Government Schools is a far cry from truth and learning; etc.
11] And blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds.
• A denial of accountability, Socialism is the denial of productive activity by the unaccountable.
“God of Heaven” title of Daniel 2:18,19,28,37,44.
12] And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.
Euphrates:
• A barrier between India and China, it’s not a very big river.
• This was the cradle (and will eventually be the grave) of man’s civilization ( Zechariah 10:11; Isaiah 11:15,16).
• It was the Eastern boundary and the Land Grant of God to Israel (Genesis 15:18) and the Eastern Boundary of the Roman Empire...
• The river Euphrates is mentioned 25 times in the Bible:
to dry-up (cf. Red Sea, Jordan).
• It is 1800 miles long; 300-1200 yards wide; 10-30 feet deep; often deeper, wider...in the 1991 Gulf War, armies of 30 countries bottled up Saddam Hussein’s forces against the Euphrates.
“Kings of the Rising Sun”:
10 times in the New Testament;
3 times in the Old Testament (LXX).
Oh, East is East, and West is West, and never the twain shall meet.
Till Earth and Sky stand presently at God’s great Judgment Seat.
Rudyard Kipling, The Ballad of East and West
13] And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.
14] For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.
“The dragon (Satan)...the beast (the World Leader)...false prophet (the World Religious Leader)”:
• The Unholy trinity?
Frogs: 2nd plague, (Exodus 8:2-5, 14)
• It is noted that during Alien encounters the Reptilians look like a grotesque kind of frogs.
• Working miracles, remember Ann (whom we “Nicknamed: Frog”) made the sound of water flowing from upstairs.
• Locusts as demons [Revelation 9; Amos 7:1 (Septuagint translation LXX); Ezekiel 38 (frogs responded to Pharaoh’s magicians).]
[Aristophanes tells of a special costume worn on the Greek stage, the
bactrachis, or frog-garment: used as sex symbol, representing fecundity.]
• Battle against whom? God Almighty. Where? Israel!
15] Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments,
lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.
Garments:
Old English “habit” = manner of living; French, one’s clothing...
1 Thessalonians 5:4 “But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief....”
There are two groups:
• Saints - Ye are of the day and not of darkness.
• Unrepented Man, are surprised! Because He comes as a thief.
16] And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.
Zephaniah 3:8; 2 Chronicles 35:22; Joshua 5:14; Zechariah 12:11. 60 miles North of Jerusalem.
Megiddo:
• It’s about 60 miles North of Jerusalem.
• This where Jabin and 900 chariots were overwhelmed
• Gideon’s 300 men defeated the Midianites, Amalekites & children of the east
• Samson triumphed over the Philistines
• Barak & Deborah defeated Sisera
• Saul was slain by the Philistines
• Ahaziah was slain by the arrows of Jehu
• Pharaoh Necho slew King Josiah
• Saracens, Christian crusaders, Egyptians, Persians, Druses, Turks, Arabs, et al.
• This is where Napoleon’s disastrous march started from Egypt to Syria
17] And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done.
“The air”:
“Prince of the power of the Air” (Ephesians 2:2) The last sphere of Satan’s influence.; “high places” (Ephesians 6:12) = “heavenlies” (Ephesians 1:20; 3:10).
“It is finished” vs. “It is done.” (Tetelestai = “paid in full.”)
“Temple”: The last reference. Mentioned 6 times with the bowls of wrath.
18] And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great.
“Earthquake”: Isaiah 29:6; Psalms 50:3,4; Zechariah 14:4; 13:9; Haggai 2:6,7.
19] And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath.
20] And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found.
Cf. Revelation 11:13; Zechariah 14:4; Ezekiel 47; Zechariah 13:8,9.
• This has to do with “Babylon” mentioned in Revelation 14:8. Chapters 17 & 18 coming.
• God made the country; man made the cities.
The corruption, the graft, the buying and selling of justice, the deification of money, the exaltation of lust, the exploitation of the masses in their lightless and vapid lives.... Verse 20 cf. Haggai 2:6,7; Jeremiah 4:23-27.
21] And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great.
Hail: Job 38:22,23; Jeremiah 4:23-27.
A Talent:
• Greek talent weighs 86 lbs.
Hebrew talent (silver) weighs 110 lbs.
Troy; 96 avoirdupois; other, 135 lbs.
Babylonian talent: heavier... Attic, 57.7 lbs. (Cf. Beth-Horon, Joshua 10:11.)
Josephus stated:
Roman catapults threw stones the weight of a talent into Jerusalem in 70 A.D. when Titus leveled the city.
The Penalty for blasphemy:
Was stoning!
[Hail also accompanies nuclear effects...]
Note:
These judgments are not the “blessed hope”:
Titus 2:13
“Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ”
• Many are trying to reduce the population of the earth; it seems more appropriate to reduce the population of hell!
• Preaching Judgment cannot produce repentance; it was never intended to.
• What draws people to Christ is His grace,
• Moses was drawn to the Burning Bush because the Bush was burning but not consumed.
• The thorn bush is a symbol of sin and fire is the symbol of judgement.
• Sin was bring burned but not consumed.
• Grace attracted Moses not God’s judgement.
• God changes hearts through His grace and mercy.
This book was sent to the seven churches:
It was given to us in order to change our lives right now!
*
The Book of Revelation Session 21: The Mystery of Babylon
Revelation Chapters 17-18
Genesis 10:8-10
And Cush begat Nimrod: he began to be a mighty one in the earth. He was a mighty hunter before the LORD: wherefore it is said, Even as Nimrod the mighty hunter before the LORD. And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar.
THE COMPLETE VATICAN TOUR WITH VATICAN MUSEUMS, SISTINE CHAPEL & ST. PETER’S BASILICA.
Global Dictator:
Nimrod: Hebrew, marad, “to rebel”; future tense, “we will rebel.” The final global dictator will be an Assyrian: (“Nimrod II”?) Micah 5:5,6; Isaiah 10.
Spiritual Babylon:
• All forms of occultic practices have had their origins in the original city of Babylon (Isaiah 47).
• Tammuz, the son of Nimrod and his queen, Semiramis, Semiramis was the earlier name for Thyatira was identified with the Babylonian Sun God, and worshipped following the winter solstice:
• These three were identified with the Sun god, who was thought to die at the Winter Solstice when days are shorter and the nights are longer.
• The ancients regard that as the death of the Sun god who then gets reborn is the idea.
~ December 22-23.
• They celebrated his death by burning a yule log in the fire place, “yule” is the Chaldean word for infant.
• And the next morning having a trimmed tree in it’s place and that was the way they celebrated the resurrection of the Moon god.
• The rebirth would be about;
~ December 24-25th.
• As Christianity was established as the official state religion of Rome, many of the religious traditions and practices of the earlier pagan worship were adapted and incorporated, including many of our traditions surrounding Christmas.
• All of our Christianized holidays are Babylonian Holidays repackaged.
• The Babylonian worship of Ishtar, the Golden Egg of Astarte, and the fertility rites of spring give us Easter.
• Rabbits are very prolific, but do not lay eggs, so the Babylonians created a strange co-mingling of the Easter Bunny with the egg.
• Passover in your Bible is suppose to be what they call Easter.
• As Babylon was conquered by subsequent empires, the priests always follow the money.
• The entire religious system was transplanted, first to Pergamos (Revelation 2:12-17) and then to Rome.
• Roman Catholic Church.
• And the calendar year-end on October 31, and its associated occultic rituals, gave us our Halloween.
• This was related to worship of Baal another name for Mars, and may have been stimulated by the perturbations of the orbit of the earth associated with the planet Mars.
The Two Women Mystery Babylon: Revelation 17 & 18
• The Great Whore Ch. 17
– The Woman Rides the Beast with 7 heads, 10 horns
– She is the Mother of Harlots and Abominations
– Drunk with the blood of the saints, she is guilty of more carnage among believers than any other group.
• Babylon the Great (City) Chapter 18:
– Kings
– Merchants
– Those that trade by sea
There are those who believe the Church will go through the Tribulation.
In a way, they are right. There is a church that will: Thyatira is promised in Revelation 2:22.
• This woman receives more attention than any other symbol in the book.
• She is surrounded by more identifying clues than any other symbol in the book.
• The Bible is a Tale of Two Cities, The City of God and The City of Man.
• Babylon is mentioned over 300 times in the Bible and is even alluded to three times in Christ’s genealogy.
• It was the capital of the 1st World Dictator and will be also the capital of the last World Dictator.
• To the Greek mind the Western mind, prophecy is “Prediction and Fulfillment”.
• To the Hebrew mind “Prophecy is Pattern”.
• Babylon is a “Litmus Test” for the literal view of Scripture…
• May 14, 1948 as quoted by Ezekiel.
• A literal Babylon is present.
The Great Whore: Revelation 17:
1] And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters:
• (Many waters is explained in verse 15)
2] With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.
• (Harlotry is a form of false devotion, a feigned love, a pretended affection, an intimacy for favors.)
3] So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.
• Daniel 7 and Revelation 13, as well as other passages explains the heads and the horns.
• The Vatican has adopted the scarlet color as it primary thematic color.
World System:
Christ does not pray for the world (John 17:9; 15:18,19).
Harlotry = false devotion, flatteries (Jeremiah 3:6, 8, 9; Ezekiel 16:32; Hosea 1:2; Revelation 2:22); feigned love, pretended affection, intimacy for favors.
[Called a “harlot” four times in this chapter.
Called a great “city” eight times.]
Also, Jerusalem was called a harlot (Isaiah 1:21); Tyre was a harlot (Isaiah 23:16-17);
as was Nineveh (Nahum 3:4).
“Waters”: see v.15.
Lenin was correct:
• Religion is the opiate of the people: they are “drunk with wine.”
• Religion is mans attempt to cover himself with God, to make things right and he can’t, Adam and Eve tried that.
• The control of the state by “religion” is one of the most dangerous trends in history and in the current day.
• Watch that, it’s going to increase.
• The enforced paganism in our government and our schools is frightening they are shredding the fabric of our heritage and they are destroying the character of our nation —and this is just the beginning.
4] And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication:
• Purple was the predominant color of Roman imperialism;
• Every senator and consul wore a purple stripe as a badge of his position;
• The emperor’s robes were purple.
• Scarlet is the color adopted by Roman Catholicism.
“Golden cup” (cf. Jeremiah 51:7).
“Abominations” = idolatry (Isaiah 44:19)
High places (2 Kings 23:13).
• The Church was not meant to rule until her rejected Lord returns in power.
• (Blasphemy includes any doctrine that attempts to add to what God has completed:
• Salvation by works denies God’s glory = blasphemy. )
5] And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.
• Musterion means; a secret that’s now revealed. It’s sort of like disclosing a password,
once it’s out, it’s no longer a mystery.
– (South Park did a skit on “Mysterion Rises” South Park (Season 14, Episode 12).
• Mystery Babylon vs. Mystery of the “True Church” (Ephesians 3:1-9).
• Mother of harlots (note the plural: a brothel!)
Thus, also, Mother of Protestants?
Ecclesiasticism leads to harlotry and idolatry (Revelation 18:7)
6] And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration (awe, astonishment, awareness).
• Get the book, “A Woman Rides the Beast - by Dave Hunt” I have the pdf.
• The Pope is not the Anti-Christ, the Vatican rides the Beast.
• There is a clear linkage to the Vatican, that does not mean that it is limited to the Vatican.
• There is no organization on the planet earth that has murdered more Christians than the Roman Catholic Church!
• One Pope, one afternoon, murdered more Christians than all of the Roman emperors put together.
• You can’t find a second choice that comes close to this identity here.
• That may be why John wondered with great astonishment, to find the so-called Christian Church guilty of being the source of martyrdom.
7] And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns.
The system will eventually turn and consume the Whore.
Drunk with blood of saints:
(Why did John “wonder”?
• It would have been no surprise if pagan Rome should persecute believers. The love of a harlot is a feigned love; a pretended affection to gain favors.)
8] The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.
• This political system Roman Empire existed one time then disappeared, and now has reemerged.
• Out of the pit (abousso) is not simply a “revival” of an earthly empire:
• It is supernatural (Revelation 9:1,2,11; 11:7; 20:1, 3).
• Rome was not conquered it fell into pieces, and each of those pieces has had a bid towards world dominion. The Dutch, the French, Spain the Germans and so on.
• Daniel 2 says that these pieces will re-coalesce and reemerge into the revived Roman Empire.
Be not ignorant of Satan’s devices (2 Corinthians 2:11).
Seed of serpent (Genesis 3:15);
Serpent = Satan (Revelation 12:9);
Man-child = Christ (Galatians 3:16).
Brood of serpent: “Generation of vipers” (Matthew 12:34).
Not Gentiles; children of wrath, disobedience (Ephesians 2:2, 3)
Children of Satan (John 8:44; 1 John 4:1-3).
9] And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.
• Daniel 4, a mountain is a government.
10] And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space.
11] And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition.
“...seven mountains”:
• Mountains = governments in prophecy (Daniel 2:25,44 et al.).
Horace wrote,
“The gods, who look with favor on the seven hills...” Ovid: “But Rome looks around on the whole globe from her seven mountains, the seat of empire and abode of the gods.”
Augustine wrote,
“Babylon is a former Rome, and Rome is a later Babylon.”
• [Even Peter is regarded by some as using Babylon as a “code name” for Rome
(1 Peter 5:13),
• Although we take it as literal: Babylon became a Jewish center; the Babylonian Talmud is the authoritative one over the Jerusalem Talmud
(which was written in Tiberias).]
Revelation 12:3 the Red Dragon is behind all of this.
Satan’s Seven Super-Kingdoms:
• Egypt And there are seven kings:
• Assyria five are fallen, and one is, • Rome
• Babylon and the other is not yet come; • Rome II
• Persia and when he cometh,
• Greece he must continue a short space.
10 Horns:
Daniel 2, Daniel 7, Revelation 13:7, 17, etc.
• When Daniel was writing he was writing about the time of Babylon, Egypt ans Assyria for him were history.
• So he’s talking about the present system as Babylon.
• Babylon and the other is not yet come; • Rome II
• Persia and when he cometh,
• Greece he must continue a short space.
• Daniel’s vision spells these all out, he speaks of four beasts.
• There were four metals in the image gold, silver, brass, iron, and iron mixed with clay.
• The fourth empire in Daniel is Rome 1 and Rome 2.
10] And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space.
Five are fallen:
1. Egypt And there are seven kings:
2. Assyria five are fallen, and one is,
3. Babylon and the other is not yet come;
4. Persia and when he cometh,
5. Greece he must continue a short space.
And one is:
6. Rome 1
And the other is not yet come:
7. Rome 2
Daniel 7 & 8 a little horn sprouts up the 11th:
11] And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition.
• The 8th is the 11th Horn, he puts down 3.
• He is of the 7th Micah 5 and Isaiah 10, the leader will be an Assyrian.
12] And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no
kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.
13] These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.
• Speculations are futile: they have no kingdom as yet! Cf. Daniel 7:7.
14] These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.
15] And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.
• Here the “waters” are interpreted for you. Isaiah 8:7 Now therefore, behold, the Lord bringeth up upon them the waters of the river, strong and many, even the king of Assyria, and all his glory: and he shall come up over all his channels, and go over all his banks:
16] And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire.
• Kings eventually destroy the harlot.
The harlot is not the beast: it rides, but then is destroyed by, the beast. Cf. Dave Hunt, The Woman Rides the Beast.
• The Church of Thyatira going through the Great Tribulation. Revelation 2:
17] For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled.
18] And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.
• The great city during the time of John was Rome. Rome existed in John’s day.
• During the Mediaeval Period, the Popes were struggling trying to control kings, by acquiring power, lands, etc.
• Italy finally rescues itself and left them just the city.
• The whole history of Europe is a struggle involving the Papacy.
• The Reformation is but a part of that struggle.
• It could be relocated to the plain of Shinar (7 times = literal Babylon).
Revelation 17 Review:
• Notice that the prostitute is not the beast, but rides the beast. She initially exploits the beast, but is eventually destroyed by him (Revelation 17:16,17).
• The reference to the “golden cup” is another link with Jeremiah, et al.
• Mystery Babylon as a false religious system has been identified with the city of Rome from the early centuries until this present hour.
JOHN DID NOT USE THE TERM ANTI-CHRIST IN REVELATION!
They are a Political Leader and a Religious Leader working together.
Ten Clues to The Identity of Babylon:
1) A prostitute. Ultimate in promiscuous, unfaithful behavior; depicts unfaithfulness to God on the part of someone who claims to honor God.
2) Has universal influence; over all the world (the Pope).
3) She is seated upon the beast (steers, dominates).
4) Purple, Scarlet, Gold, and Jewels.
She is conspicuously wealthy and expensively adorned; outwardly attractive.
5) Golden cup:
Precious, shining, pleasant to behold; ostensibly, a utensil in God’s service; yet a counterfeit, filled with abominable things.
6) Mystery, Babylon the Great. A mystery, linked with Babylon of Nimrod.
Cf. Revelation 11:8, as an idiom.
7) Mother of Prostitutes:
Has spiritual offspring. She is not alone, there are many arms in this system.
The Pope calls himself the Vicar of Christ (In the place of Christ)
8) Persecutor of Christians (true believers).
In fact, revels in their blood. (Cf. Dave Hunt.)
9) Seven Hills. Rome is built on seven hills:
Aventine, Caelian, Capitoline, Esquiline, Latine, Quirinal, and Viminal.
10) The Great City that rules over the kings of the earth. In John’s day, could only be Rome.
Today:
List of meetings between the Pope and the President of the United States and 1 First Lady:
• Having the status of a separate, sovereign nation within the City of Rome:
The Vatican.
The Vatican City | Documentary:
• It has its own diplomatic embassies in the major capitals of the world.
• Its history of atrocities upon believers is unparalleled in history.
[Dave Hunt, A Woman Rides the Beast, Harvest House, 1994, is a must-read for any serious student of this issue.]
The Vatican Won't Tell You This!
Pope Means Papa:
• The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, and thereby the world leader of the Catholic Church. • The word comes from the Latin papa, which means “father.”
Matthew 23:9
And call no [man] your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven.
• I believe this means “Call no man your Heavenly Father”.
• Abbá (Papa) – "Father," also used as the term of tender endearment by a beloved child – i.e. in an affectionate, dependent relationship with their father; "daddy," "papa."
• This is a term used of God.
Mark 14:36 And he said, Abba (Papa), Father, all things [are] possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt.
Romans 8:15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba (Papa), Father.
Galatians 4:6 And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba (Papa), Father.
Revelation 18 Babylon the Great (The City):
Sea port, destroyed by God (Revelation 18:8-10,19,21) vs. City of seven hills, destroyed by political beast (Revelation 17:16).
Note: Alexander had planned to create a harbor for 1,000 ships…
Babylon of Chapter 17 = Babylon of Chapter 18: The usage of the word
• “Babylon” is never used of the beast or its heads (17:5, 18). Cf. the context before and after Revelation 18 (cf. 16:19; 17:1, 18; 18:2-3; 19:2) and the statements of Revelation 18:3, 24 with 6:9-11.
1] And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory.
2] And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.
Meta tauta: after what things?
“...is fallen, is fallen”:
• Joseph referenced that to Pharaoh, because you dreamed it twice it is certain.
Isaiah 21:9; Revelation 14:8.
Sevenfold call:
Isaiah 48:20; 52:11; Jeremiah 50:8,9; 51:6,8; Zechariah 2:6,7; 2 Corinthians 6:17,18; Revelation 18:4.
• Repository of demons and unclean birds?
• Birds are associated with Satan in Matthew 12:31-32.
• And they are the ministers of Satan, they take the seed.
[Incarcerated during the Millennium?]
• Alien conjectures; cf. Isaiah 13:19-22; Jeremiah 50:38-40.
3] For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.
4] And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.
• Remember, the 144,000 all made it; none were lost.
• Remember also, the shepherd didn’t end up with just 99... John 17 I have lost none...cf. Deuteronomy 4:30-31; Jeremiah 51:5-6, 45; Isaiah 48:20.
5] For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.
Separation commanded (Romans 16:17-18; 2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1).
6] Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double.
7] How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow.
“I am no widow...”:
• Strange boast! Cf. Israel, the widow of YHWH.
Widow, non-virgin, unacceptable bride of priest (Leviticus 22:13).
Jerusalem is referred to as a “widow”
(Lamentations 1:1; cf. Isaiah 47)
8] Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her.
9] And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning,
10] Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come.
• This sudden and catastrophic.
• Note three groups of people singled out:
Kings, merchants, and those who trade by sea...
11] And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth
their merchandise any more:
12] The merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and of pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and all thyine wood, and all manner vessels of ivory, and all manner vessels of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble,
13] And cinnamon, and odours, and ointments, and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and beasts, and sheep, and horses, and chariots, and slaves, and souls of men.
14] And the fruits that thy soul lusted after are departed from thee, and all things which were dainty and goodly are departed from thee, and thou shalt find them no more at all.
• There are 28 (4 x 7) cargoes listed here:
• These are literal, not symbolic. They are listed!
“slaves”:
• In Rome, 1/3 population were slaves; 10,000 traded per day in the Empire; over 50 million estimated.
Do we have slaves today?
• What about economic slavery? 60% in taxes; economic bondage to corporations,
luxury, etc., unable to break loose from the “system.”
15] The merchants of these things, which were made rich by her, shall stand afar
off for the fear of her torment, weeping and wailing,
16] And saying, Alas, alas, that great city, that was clothed in fine linen, and purple,
and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls!
17] For in one hour so great riches is come to nought. And every shipmaster, and all the
company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off,
• The European Common Market males a common control of gold, iron, and steel, etc.
• The European Community’s roots are on world trade.
18] And cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What city is like unto
this great city!
19] And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas,
alas, that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason
of her costliness! for in one hour is she made desolate.
20] Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath
avenged you on her.
• This is the first time in this book that the command is to rejoice is given! Jeremiah 51:56; 59-64.
[What do you rejoice over?
• This is a big deal.
What is your heart fixed on today?]
21] And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the
sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down,
and shall be found no more at all.
22] And the voice of harpers, and musicians, and of pipers, and trumpeters, shall
be heard no more at all in thee; and no craftsman, of whatsoever craft he be, shall
be found any more in thee; and the sound of a millstone shall be heard no more
at all in thee;
Factories close. Lights are off. It’s all over.
23] And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the
bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants
were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived.
24] And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were
slain upon the earth.
Cf. Revelation 17:6; Matthew 23:35.
The Origin of Babylon:
• Nimrod built the famous Tower of Babel as the centerpiece of his rebellion against God. God disrupted this rebellious coalition through the “confusion of tongues” in Genesis 11.
• This rebellion against God is still with us. The residuals from Babylon include most of the traditions of idol worship, astrology, and the occult that continue to the present day.
• The original Biblical significance of the zodiac (or “Mazzeroth”) was corrupted by the Babylonian religious system and continues in all cultures to this day.
The Conquest of Babylon:
• On October 12, 539 BC, Cyrus’ general captured Babylon without a battle. The Persians diverted the River Euphrates into a canal upriver so that the water level dropped “to the height of the middle of a man’s thigh,” which rendered the flood defenses useless and enabled the invaders to march through the river bed to enter by night. [Herodotus]
The Handwriting on the Wall:
Mene : Numbered, Reckoned.
"God hath numbered thy kingdom and finished it."
Your number is up.
Tekel : Weighed.
"Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting."
Peres : Broken, Divided.
"Thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes
and the Persians."
(Paras is also the word for Persians.)
The Letter to Cyrus:
Cyrus was able to boast that the conquest was almost bloodless with no significant damage to the city. Daniel lived at least until the third year of Cyrus) presented Cyrus with the writings of Isaiah, which contained a personal letter addressing him by name. [Josephus, Antiquities, XI, I, 2.]
• Isaiah had died 150 years before Cyrus was born!
• Daniel goes out and meets Cyrus and reads to him these prophesies.
Isaiah 44:27-28
That saith to the deep, Be dry, and I will dry up thy rivers: That saith of Cyrus, He is my shepherd, and shall perform all my pleasure: even saying to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be built; and to the temple, Thy foundation shall be laid.
Isaiah 45:1-5
Thus saith the LORD to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden, to subdue nations before him; and I will loose the loins of kings, to open before him the two leaved gates; and the gates shall not be shut; I will go before thee, and make the crooked places straight: I will break in pieces the gates of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron: And I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that thou
mayest know that I, the LORD, which call thee by thy name, am the God of Israel. For Jacob my servant’s sake, and Israel mine elect, I have even called thee by thy name: I have surnamed thee, though thou hast not known me. I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me:
Cyrus’ Response:
Cyrus was duly impressed. He freed the captives and returned the vessels that had been plundered from the Temple 70 years earlier. He even gave them incentives to return to their homeland and rebuild their temple (2 Chronicles 36:22; Ezra 1:1-4). Only about 50,000 Jews responded to this royal proclamation and returned to Jerusalem under the leadership of Zerubbabel.
The Cylinder of Cyrus:
This cylinder, discovered by Hormuzd Rassam in the 19th century, can presently be seen in the British Museum in London.
King Cyrus boasts“...without any battle, he entered the town, sparing any calamity; ... I returned to sacred cities on the other side of the Tigris, the sanctuaries of which have been ruins for a long time... and established for them permanent sanctuaries. I also gathered all their former inhabitants and returned to them their habitations.”
British Museum, London
Ezra 1:2-3
Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, “The LORD God of heaven hath given me all the kingdoms of the earth; and he hath charged me to build him an house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Who is there among you of all his people? his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the house of the LORD God of Israel, (he is the God,) which is in Jerusalem.”
The Decline:
• Cyrus claimed the title “King of Babylon.” He made his son Cambyses as his viceroy in Babylon in 538 B.C. Things remained peaceful until his death in 522 B.C.
• In the reign of Darius II (521-486 B.C.) a further return of exiles to Jerusalem was allowed. His rule did not go unchallenged and several local Babylonians controlled the city for varying periods, usually taking the throne-name of “Nebuchadnezzar” to bolster their claims—Nidintu-Bel (Nebuchadnezzar III”) 522 B.C. and Araka (“Nebuchadnezzar IV”) 521 B.C.
• In the fourth year of Xerxes (485-465 B.C.) the Babylonians made another attempt to gain their independence. Bel-shimanni and Shamash-eriba claimed the throne in 482 B.C. and this revolt was suppressed with much cruelty and damage to Babylon. On his visit in 460 B.C., Herodotus reported that the city was virtually intact, however.
Xerxes and his successors (Artaxerxes I - Darius III, 464-332 B.C.) had little to spare for Babylon amid their lengthy and expensive wars with Greece.
Irrigation work was neglected and the diversion of trade to the main Persian road from Sardis to Susa aided the decline of the city’s influence.
The Rise of Greece:
• On October 1, 331 B.C. Alexander (III, “the Great”) was welcomed by the Babylonians when he entered the city after his victory over the Medes at Gaugamela. He was acclaimed king and on his return from the east nine years later he planned extensive renovations including the creation of a port for the city large enough for 1000 warships.
• Though the site of Esagila was cleared, work ceased on Alexander’s ambitious plans at his death in Babylon on June 13, 323 B.C. The career of Alexander is detailed in Daniel 8. His successors, in Daniel 11.
• Alexander died at age of 32; the Greek Empire took 22 years to divide.
• The “silent years” (between the testaments) is profiled in advance in Daniel 11:5-35.
The Greek Empire
Alexander is succeeded by his four generals:
– Cassander Macedonia & Greece
– Lysimacus Thrace, Bithynia, most of Asia Minor
– Ptolemy Egypt, Cyrene, Arabia
Sponsored the Septuagint Translation: LXX (270 B.C.)
– Seleucus Syria and East to India
Antiochus Epiphanes (The “Little Horn” of Daniel 8)
Atrophy & Decay:
The foundation of a new rival capital city, Selucia, on the River Tigris expedited the decline of the ancient metropolis. The dispersal of Jews from Babylon is reported by Josephus (Antiq. XVIII, ix 6-9).
The city subsequently underwent a gradual decay, even though the ruins remained occupied. Documents on clay from a school for priests in the city continued at least until A.D. 100.
Early in the first century A.D. a colony of merchants from Palmyra brought brief prosperity, but they left about A.D. 75 (Garner, p 7-8).
The city was visited by Trajan in A.D. 115. Babylon was first reported deserted by Septimus Severus 84 years later.
As recently as the 1800s the village of Hillah, containing over 10,000 inhabitants, stood on the site of ancient Babylon (Rich, p. 157).
In the late nineteenth century, the German archeologist Robert Koldewey conducted extensive studies at Babylon and the four Arab villages situated on the site. Babylon had been inhabited for some time even before his arrival.
• The great prophecies concerning the city of Babylon in Isaiah chapters 13 and 14 and Jeremiah 50 and 51 have never been fulfilled. In Isaiah 13 and 14, the destruction of Babylon is predicted. In vigorous terms, Isaiah describes how Babylon will be destroyed and then will never again be inhabited. This identifies the time of the destruction as that particular period known as the “Day of The Lord” that is mentioned throughout the scripture and is associated with the final day of God’s vengeance.
(Joel 2:10; Mal 4:5; Dan 12:1; Matt 24:21-22.)
• When God destroys Babylon, he will destroy all the evil in the world.
The Doom of Babylon:
• Fall of Babylon in 539 BC
– Without a battle
– Became Alexander’s capital
– Atrophied over the centuries
– Presently being rebuilt
• Destruction of Babylon (Isaiah 13, 14; Jeremiah 50, 51)
– “Never to be inhabited”
– “Building materials never reused”
– “Like Sodom and Gomorrah”
• “Mystery Babylon?” (Revelation 17-18)
Destruction of Babylon:
Isaiah 13
1] The burden of Babylon, which Isaiah the son of Amoz did see.
2] Lift ye up a banner upon the high mountain, exalt the voice unto them, shake
the hand, that they may go into the gates of the nobles.
3] I have commanded my sanctified ones, I have also called my mighty ones for
mine anger, even them that rejoice in my highness.
4] The noise of a multitude in the mountains, like as of a great people; a tumultuous
noise of the kingdoms of nations gathered together: the LORD of hosts
mustereth the host of the battle.
5] They come from a far country, from the end of heaven, even the LORD, and the
weapons of his indignation, to destroy the whole land.
6] Howl ye; for the day of the LORD is at hand; it shall come as a destruction from
the Almighty.
7] Therefore shall all hands be faint, and every man’s heart shall melt:
8] And they shall be afraid: pangs and sorrows shall take hold of them; they shall
be in pain as a woman that travaileth: they shall be amazed one at another; their
faces shall be as flames.
9] Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger,
to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it.
10] For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light:
the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her
light to shine.
This exact imagery is used in Revelation 6 to describe the judgment
of the Tribulation just before the Second Coming.
11] And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and
I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness
of the terrible.
12] I will make a man more precious than fine gold; even a man than the golden wedge
of Ophir.
• This startling idea parallels Matthew 24:21-22. We can’t say that the world’s population has been on the brink of annihilation before.
13] Therefore I will shake the heavens, and the earth shall remove out of her place,
in the wrath of the LORD of hosts, and in the day of his fierce anger.
14] And it shall be as the chased roe, and as a sheep that no man taketh up: they
shall every man turn to his own people, and flee every one into his own land.
This clearly is yet future.
15] Every one that is found shall be thrust through; and every one that is joined unto
them shall fall by the sword.
16] Their children also shall be dashed to pieces before their eyes; their houses shall
be spoiled, and their wives ravished.
17] Behold, I will stir up the Medes against them, which shall not regard silver; and
as for gold, they shall not delight in it.
• This reference to the Medes is one of the reasons why many have viewed this as referring to the events of 539 B.C. However, nothing prohibits the Medes from being involved in the future. The Medes were a people who occupied the mountainous area of northwestern Iran and northeastern Iraq, presently occupied by the Kurds today.
• They have been fighting Turkey, Iran, and Iraq in an attempt to establish their own independent country of Kurdistan. Hundreds of Kurdish women and children were
the victims of Saddam Hussein’s poison gas attacks in 1987 and 1988 and the hatred by the Medes for the Babylonians runs deep.
18] Their bows also shall dash the young men to pieces; and they shall have no pity
on the fruit of the womb; their eye shall not spare children.
19] And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the beauty of the Chaldees’ excellency,
shall be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah.
• “The glory of the Babylonians’ pride”: not Rome, nor is it allegorical:
• This is literally, the Chaldeans’ pride. Overthrown like Sodom and Gomorrah,
that is, with “fire from heaven.”
• This has yet to happen to Babylon.
20] It shall never be inhabited, neither shall it be dwelt in from generation to
generation: neither shall the Arabian pitch tent there; neither shall the shepherds
make their fold there.
• After the Fall of Babylon under the Persians, it was inhabited, even by Alexander and subsequently, even into the current period.
21] But wild beasts of the desert shall lie there; and their houses shall be full of doleful
creatures; and owls shall dwell there, and satyrs shall dance there.
22] And the wild beasts of the islands shall cry in their desolate houses, and dragons
in their pleasant palaces: and her time is near to come, and her days shall not
be prolonged.
Isaiah 14
1] For the LORD will have mercy on Jacob, and will yet choose Israel, and set them
in their own land: and the strangers shall be joined with them, and they shall
cleave to the house of Jacob.
• It is also important to note that this judgment on Babylon will take place at a time when Israel is resettled in their own land from many nations.
• This cannot be applied to the fall of Babylon to the Persians, during which Israel was still in captivity and in exile from the land.
2] And the people shall take them, and bring them to their place: and the house of
Israel shall possess them in the land of the LORD for servants and handmaids: and they shall take them captives, whose captives they were; and they shall rule over their oppressors.
28] In the year that king Ahaz died was this burden.
29] Rejoice not thou, whole Palestina, because the rod of him that smote thee is
broken: for out of the serpent’s root shall come forth a cockatrice, and his fruit
shall be a fiery flying serpent.
30] And the firstborn of the poor shall feed, and the needy shall lie down in safety:
and I will kill thy root with famine, and he shall slay thy remnant.
31] Howl, O gate; cry, O city; thou, whole Palestina, art dissolved: for there shall
come from the north a smoke, and none shall be alone in his appointed times.
32] What shall one then answer the messengers of the nation? That the LORD hath
founded Zion, and the poor of his people shall trust in it.
Jeremiah 50
1] The word that the LORD spake against Babylon and against the land of the
Chaldeans by Jeremiah the prophet.
2] Declare ye among the nations, and publish, and set up a standard; publish, and
conceal not: say, Babylon is taken, Bel is confounded, Merodach is broken in
pieces; her idols are confounded, her images are broken in pieces.
3] For out of the north there cometh up a nation against her, which shall make her
land desolate, and none shall dwell therein: they shall remove, they shall depart,
both man and beast.
4] In those days, and in that time, saith the LORD, the children of Israel shall come,
they and the children of Judah together, going and weeping: they shall go, and
seek the LORD their God.
Does the “nation from the north” refer to Magog or the Russians? And
again, the spiritual position of Israel is described.
9] For, lo, I will raise and cause to come up against Babylon an assembly of great
nations from the north country: and they shall set themselves in array against
her; from thence she shall be taken: their arrows shall be as of a mighty expert
man; none shall return in vain.
“Arrow”: khayts
• literally, shot from engine of war; or shot from a bow by hand;
• LXX: boli.j (noun nominative feminine singular common): a missile; or anything thrown, such as an arrow or javelin; “as of a mighty expert.”
Israel has a smart bomb called "Arrow."
Israel has a smart bomb called "Arrow."
“As of a Mighty Expert”: sakal
• to be prudent, be circumspect, wisely understand, prosper;
• Hiphil participle masculine singular absolute: to have insight; to
give attention to, consider, ponder, be prudent; have comprehension;
• LLX: suneto,j, intelligent, possessing understanding.
• NAS: “Their arrows will be like an expert warrior who does not return empty-handed.”
• NIV: “Their arrows will be like skilled warriors who do not return empty-handed.”
• The intelligence is in the arrow; they can’t miss!
– These are “smart weapons”: missiles, bombs, etc.
13] Because of the wrath of the LORD it shall not be inhabited, but it shall be wholly
desolate: every one that goeth by Babylon shall be astonished, and hiss at all
her plagues.
14] Put yourselves in array against Babylon round about: all ye that bend the bow,
shoot at her, spare no arrows: for she hath sinned against the LORD.
19] And I will bring Israel again to his habitation, and he shall feed on Carmel and
Bashan, and his soul shall be satisfied upon mount Ephraim and Gilead.
20] In those days, and in that time, saith the LORD, the iniquity of Israel shall be
sought for, and there shall be none; and the sins of Judah, and they shall not be
found: for I will pardon them whom I reserve.
• The repeated references to the forgiveness of Israel imply a time that is after the New Testament period alluded to in Romans 11:25. It certainly cannot be applied to Israel at the time of her return from the Babylonian captivity (Zech 12:10; 13:1).
24] I have laid a snare for thee, and thou art also taken, O Babylon, and thou wast
not aware: thou art found, and also caught, because thou hast striven against the
LORD.
25] The LORD hath opened his armoury, and hath brought forth the weapons of
his indignation: for this is the work of the Lord GOD of hosts in the land of the
Chaldeans.
39] Therefore the wild beasts of the desert with the wild beasts of the islands shall
dwell there, and the owls shall dwell therein: and it shall be no more inhabited
for ever; neither shall it be dwelt in from generation to generation.
40] As God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah and the neighbour cities thereof, saith the
LORD; so shall no man abide there, neither shall any son of man dwell therein.
A repeated comparison to the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah, which
has never yet happened to Babylon.
41] Behold, a people shall come from the north, and a great nation, and many kings
shall be raised up from the coasts of the earth.
42] They shall hold the bow and the lance: they are cruel, and will not shew mercy:
their voice shall roar like the sea, and they shall ride upon horses, every one put
in array, like a man to the battle, against thee, O daughter of Babylon.
A multinational force, not just the Persians.
Jeremiah 51
5] For Israel hath not been forsaken, nor Judah of his God, of the LORD of hosts;
though their land was filled with sin against the Holy One of Israel.
6] Flee out of the midst of Babylon, and deliver every man his soul: be not cut off
in her iniquity; for this is the time of the LORD’S vengeance; he will render unto
her a recompense.
7] Babylon hath been a golden cup in the LORD’S hand, that made all the earth
drunken: the nations have drunken of her wine; therefore the nations are mad.
8] Babylon is suddenly fallen and destroyed: howl for her; take balm for her pain,
if so be she may be healed.
• A reading of the language clearly links this with Revelation 17 and 18.
23] I will also break in pieces with thee the shepherd and his flock; and with thee
will I break in pieces the husbandman and his yoke of oxen; and with thee will
I break in pieces captains and rulers.
24] And I will render unto Babylon and to all the inhabitants of Chaldea all their evil
that they have done in Zion in your sight, saith the LORD.
25] Behold, I am against thee, O destroying mountain, saith the LORD, which
destroyest all the earth: and I will stretch out mine hand upon thee, and roll thee
down from the rocks, and will make thee a burnt mountain.
26] And they shall not take of thee a stone for a corner, nor a stone for foundations;
but thou shalt be desolate for ever, saith the LORD.
Again, a reference to the non-reuse of remaining materials. When Robert
Koldewey arrived in Babylon in the late 1800s, he found entire sections
of the old city being mined for bricks. (Kodewey, p. 168.)
27] Set ye up a standard in the land, blow the trumpet among the nations, prepare
the nations against her, call together against her the kingdoms of Ararat, Minni,
and Ashchenaz; appoint a captain against her; cause the horses to come up as
the rough caterpillers.
28] Prepare against her the nations with the kings of the Medes, the captains thereof,
and all the rulers thereof, and all the land of his dominion.
29] And the land shall tremble and sorrow: for every purpose of the LORD shall
be performed against Babylon, to make the land of Babylon a desolation without
an inhabitant.
30] The mighty men of Babylon have forborn to fight, they have remained in their
holds: their might hath failed; they became as women: they have burned her
dwellingplaces; her bars are broken.
33] For thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; The daughter of Babylon
is like a threshingfloor, it is time to thresh her: yet a little while, and the time
of her harvest shall come.
34] Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon hath devoured me, he hath crushed me,
he hath made me an empty vessel, he hath swallowed me up like a dragon, he
hath filled his belly with my delicates, he hath cast me out.
37] And Babylon shall become heaps, a dwellingplace for dragons, an astonishment,
and an hissing, without an inhabitant.
38] They shall roar together like lions: they shall yell as lions’ whelps.
39] In their heat I will make their feasts, and I will make them drunken, that they
may rejoice, and sleep a perpetual sleep, and not wake, saith the LORD.
40] I will bring them down like lambs to the slaughter, like rams with he goats.
41] How is Sheshach taken! and how is the praise of the whole earth surprised! how
is Babylon become an astonishment among the nations!
42] The sea is come up upon Babylon: she is covered with the multitude of the waves
thereof.
43] Her cities are a desolation, a dry land, and a wilderness, a land wherein no man
dwelleth, neither doth any son of man pass thereby.
44] And I will punish Bel in Babylon, and I will bring forth out of his mouth that
which he hath swallowed up: and the nations shall not flow together any more
unto him: yea, the wall of Babylon shall fall.
The Woman in the Ephah: Zechariah 5:5-11
• Ephah containing a Woman called “Wickedness.”
• She is sealed in with a talent of lead
• Carried by two women with wings of a stork between the earth and
heaven...
Where are they going?
• Back to Babylon
“To build it a house in the land of Shinar: and it shall
be established, and set there upon her own base.”
• The strange vision in Zechariah 5 suggests that there will be an appropriate time when the commercial and religious power center of the Planet Earth will, once again, migrate back to its original site of the literal city of Babylon.
• Note that the “ephah” and the “talent” were the standard commercial measures of volume and weight, respectively.
• The two carriers had the “wings of a stork” which is an unclean bird. The captive woman called “wickedness” may be a reference to the harlot of Revelation 17 and 18.
• The broadly overlooked possibility is that there will yet be a global power shift from Rome to Babylon—to where it all began and where it will finally be judged.
5] Then the angel that talked with me went forth, and said unto me, Lift up now
thine eyes, and see what is this that goeth forth.
6] And I said, What is it? And he said, This is the ephah that goeth forth. He said
moreover, This is their appearance in all the land
7] (and, behold, there was lifted up a talent of lead); and this is a woman sitting
in the midst of the ephah.
8] And he said, This is Wickedness: and he cast her down into the midst of the
ephah; and he cast the weight of lead upon the mouth thereof.
9] Then lifted I up mine eyes, and saw, and, behold, there came forth two women,
and the wind was in their wings; now they had wings like the wings of a stork;
and they lifted up the ephah between earth and heaven.
10] Then said I to the angel that talked with me, Whither do these bear the ephah?
11] And he said unto me, To build her a house in the land of Shinar: and when it is
prepared, she shall be set there in her own place.
The “Fifth Horseman”: Revelation 19:11-16
11] And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him
was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.
12] His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had
a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.
13] And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The
Word of God.
• Not His blood: of His enemies: Isaiah 63…
14] And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed
in fine linen, white and clean.
15] And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the
nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth
16] And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS,
AND LORD OF LORDS.
*
The Book of Revelation Session 22: Return of the King
Revelation Chapter 19
The Restrainer:
• The Restrainer may be “restraining” far more than we have any idea!
• There will be strange things unleashed—
• • Some may already have begun, but are restrained until the Body of Christ has been removed from the scene...
Synopsis of Final Section
Chapter 17 Mystery Babylon
Chapter 18 Mystery Babylon
Chapter 19 The Return of the King
Chapter 20 The Millennium
Chapter 21 Eternity
Chapter 22 Conclusion
Revelation 19 The Return of the King:
Luke 1:31-33
And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.
• Do we take this promise seriously?
• The throne of David did not exist then. And it hasn’t since.
Has this promise been fulfilled yet?
Will it be fulfilled in the future?
What does it really mean?
God’s Promise:
• The Davidic Covenant (2 Samuel 7:11-16 And as since the time that I commanded judges to be over my people Israel, and have caused thee to rest from all thine enemies. Also the Lord telleth thee that he will make thee an house. 12 And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom.13 He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever. 14 I will be his father, and he shall be my son. If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men: 15 But my mercy shall not depart away from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away before thee. 16 And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever.).
• God promised David a royal dynasty (Isaiah 7:13 And he said, Hear ye now, O house of David; Is it a small thing for you to weary men, but will ye weary my God also?).
• An eternal throne (2 Samuel 7:13, 16, 19; 1 Chronicles 17:12; 22:10; Isaiah 55:3;
Ezekiel 37:25).
• A political kingdom (Genesis 17:2-8).
• It was even confirmed by oath (Psalms 132:11; 89:3, 4, 34).
• This cannot be applied to the Church (Ezekiel 37:21-28). The majority of the churches in America has adopted a theology that says the church has replaced Israel.
• This has a tendency to make God a liar, because God made some very, very specific promises to Israel concerning her future as a nation and as a kingdom.
• It was this future throne that was recognized by the First Church Council in Acts 15 (Acts 15:16-18, James quoted Amos 9:11-12 verse 11 In that day will I raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen, and close up the breaches thereof; and I will raise up his ruins, and I will build it as in the days of old:. Cf. Jeremiah 30:7, 11, 18).
The Oldest Prophesy Uttered By A Prophet In The Bible:
• Is of the “Second Coming” by the Prophet Enoch.
Jude 1:14,15
And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, “Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, to execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him”.
The Oldest Prophecy Uttered by A Prophet: before the Flood of Noah!
19:1] And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying,
Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God:
2] For true and righteous are his judgments: for he hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand.
Meta tauta: (4 times) 4:1, 7:1, 18:1; 19:1.
• “After the Church things...”
Alleluia is the Greek form of the Hebrew Hallelujah: (4 times) only occurrences
in the New Testament are here in Revelation.
It means “Praise Yahweh.” It occurs 24 times in Psalms (Psalms 146-150).
First use: 1 Chronicles 16:4 (Hebrew) to celebrate the ark of God in the midst of Zion.
It Is Sung for three reasons:
• God has judged His enemies (19:1-4);
• God is reigning (19:5-6);
• The Bride is ready (19:7-10).
Romans 8:18-23!
• The Dragon Lady again. “Rejoice over her” was commanded when she fell (18:20).
This section is a response to that command.
• [Believers are forbidden to avenge themselves (Romans 12:19).]
3] And again they said, Alleluia. And her smoke rose up for ever and ever.
“...for ever and ever”:
That’s a long time. God’s throne and altar are related to His judgments; cf. v.3 with Revelation 14:10-11; v.4 with Revelation 5:6-10.
4] And the four and twenty elders and the four beasts (living creatures) fell down and worshipped God that sat on the throne, saying, Amen; Alleluia.
• This is the last appearance of the 24 elders. They apparently become the Bride.
• The unique “Amen” speaks volumes: “verily, verily...”
5] And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great.
• Revelation, indeed, is the book of the throne (Psalm 110:1).
6] And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many
waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord
God omnipotent reigneth.
• What percent of this book is praise and worship?
7] Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb
is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.
8] And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white:
for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.
• Granted, not earned (cf. Psalms 45).
9] And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage
supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.
• This is the first of two suppers.
• The second is the birds will feast on the dead bodies of those that warred against the Lamb.
• Fourth of seven “beatitudes.”
The Bride?
• Is it Israel? “Wife of Yahweh” (Isaiah 54:1,4);
• Harlot (Ezekiel 16:35).
Hosea’s Object Lessons (Hosea 2:14-23):
• Wife from whoredoms;
• Gifts to lovers to prevent want;
• Bought at slave market:
Hosea was to love her anyway.
Israel Idolatrous Wife:
Hosea’s three children:
• Jezreel (cast away; sowed for a later harvest);
• Lo-Ruhamah (unpitied; without mercy, cf. Hosea 1:6) and
• Lo-Ammi (not my people vs. Romans 11:1).
• But not permanently cast away: Hosea 1:11,2:23; Romans 9,10,11; Zechariah 12:10; Isaiah 62:5.
• But the names of the children were changed (Hosea 2:1, 14,15).
• Israel will not be cast away forever (Romans 11:1).
• Paul, in his definitive statement of doctrine called the Epistle to the Romans, spends three chapters hammering away on the theme that Israel is not cast away forever, but will be the path of blessing (Romans 11:11,12,15).
• Israel appears 73 times in the New Testament—each time referring to national Israel.
Strange Contrast:
• Mystery Babylon:
• “She saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow.” (Revelation 18:7)
• Israel:
“Divorced” (Isaiah 54:4-9; Jeremiah 3:8,14; Hosea 2:14-19)
“Widowed” (Lamentations 1:1; Isaiah 54:4).
• The High Priest is forbidden to marry a divorced or widowed woman!
(Leviticus 21:10,13,14).
The Bride of Christ:
• The Church 2 Corinthians 11:2
– Chaste virgin Ephesians 5:22-3 (The Blood of Christ has cleansed Her.)
• Jesus is the Bridegroom John 3:22
• The Church is described as the virgin waiting for her bridegroom’s
coming (2 Corinthians 11:2; also, Ephesians 5:22-23).
• The Church is “engaged” to Him even though we have not seen Him (1 Peter 1:8).
• One day He will return to take His bride to heaven (John 14:1-6; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18).
This all sounds like the Song of Solomon.
The Jewish Wedding:
• The Ketubah, Betrothal:
• Betrothal (shiddukhin):
• The prospective groom’s traveling from his father’s house to the home of the prospective bride, paying the purchase price, and thus establishing the marriage covenant (ketubah).
• Usually arranged by the parents.
• Binding and could only be broken by a form of divorce. Any unfaithfulness during the engagement was considered adultery.
• Bridegroom departs to Father’s House:
The groom returns to his father’s house and remained separate from his bride, during which time he prepared the living accommodations for his bride in his father’s house;
• The groom comes for his bride at a time not known exactly to her.
• She lived in expectation until he surprises her on his return, usually at night.
• Surprise gathering:
• His return with her to the groom’s father’s house for the huppah (wedding ceremony), to consummate the marriage and to celebrate the wedding feast.
• For the next seven days (during which the bride remained closeted in her bridal chamber).
The Marriage Fulfilled:
• Covenant established: 1 Corinthians 11:25
• Purchase price: 1 Corinthians 6:19-20
• Bride set apart: Ephesians 5:25-27; 1 Corinthians 1:2; 6:11; Hebrews 10:10; 13:12
• Reminded of the covenant: 1 Corinthians 11:25-26
• Bridegroom left for the Father’s house…
• Escort to accompany Him upon His return to gather His Bride: 1 Thessalonians 4:16,17
• Jesus is the Last Adam. Adam chose to fall with Eve because he loved her so much.
1 Timothy 2:14 And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.
• Jesus loves us so much, that He chose to die in our place, He took our sins upon Himself.
• In the Old Testament there were seven Gentile Brides, but none of their deaths were recorded, an allusion to the harpazo, the rapture?
Luke 22:15-18; Mark 14:25; Matthew 26:29
And he said unto them, With desire I have desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer: For I say unto you, I will not any more eat thereof, until it be fulfilled in the kingdom of God. And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, Take this, and divide it among yourselves: For I say unto you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom of God shall come.
• The Passover consisted of four cups, and the Cup of Blessing is the third cup, Jesus didn’t drink the fourth cup.
The Bridegroom:
Matthew 9:15; 22:1-13; 2 Corinthians 11:2; Ephesians 5:23-32
• John the Baptist (Friend of Bridegroom, not the Bride):
John 3:29; Luke 16:16; Matthew 11:11-13
• Banquet: Isaiah 25:6-10; 26:1-4,19; cf. Luke 22:15,16; Matthew 26:39
• Bride enjoys a unique relationship: cf. John 17:23-26
[Virgins of Matthew 25:1-13 are not the bride.]
• Many scholars suggest that the Old Testament saints apparently are not in view.
[Some see this differently:
• They see Israel and the Church combined here.
Israel is also figured in Hosea 2:14-23; Isaiah 62:5. There are some outstanding scholars (Barnhouse, et al.) who suggest that both are in view.
• They certainly appear to be combined ultimately in the New Jerusalem in Chapters 21 and 22.]
10] And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.
“Hora me”: these are two staccato words in the Greek.
• This angel was not about to be ensnared as was Lucifer in Isaiah 14.
• Worshipping angels was wrong (Colossians 2:18) and John knew this.
The angel was only a servant of God (Hebrews1:14) and we do not worship servants (Acts 10:25-26).
• John was overwhelmed; and he even repeats this later (Revelation 22:8-9)!
• Daniel made the same mistake.
Jesus permits worship:
• Simon Peter (Luke 5:8);
• Thomas (John 20:28)
• Joshua (Joshua 5:13-15), etc.
“The volume of the book is written of me.” Psalm 40:7.
11] And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.
Heaven opened;
• (As at His baptism). His enemies know He is coming;
Revelation 12:12; Matthew 24:29-30; 26:64;
Under Oath! Acts 1:11; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-10.
• This rider is distinct from the first horseman of Revelation 6.
• Here He is not coming in the air to take His people home (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18), but to the earth with His people, to conquer His enemies and establish His kingdom.
“Faithful and True”:
(1:5, 3:7, and to the last of the seven churches, Isaiah 3:14).
Isaiah 61:1-,2
The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God…
• Jesus, reading at the synagogue at Nazareth (Luke 4:10-21), stopped at this comma, and declared, “This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.”
• and the day of vengeance of our God…
He now is completing this mandate.
12] His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns (diadems); and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.
13] And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.
These are Diadems, not stephanos.
Diadems are crowns for nations.
Stephanos are rewards.
He has many sovereignties (cf. Matthew 28:18; Luke 19:12).
Note the emphasis on His names (vv.11-13, 16);
“Secret name” is the same as “new name” in 3:12?
Matthew: King of Kings
Mark: Faithful and True
John: The Word of God
Luke: Son of Man.
Vesture sprinkled (not “dipped”) in blood (A.T. Robertson correction):
Isaiah 63:1-4; Revelation 14:20.
Review of Chapter 14:
• Lamb on Zion & 144,000 Commandos.
• Seven Angels.
– 1st Angel: With the Eternal Gospel.
– 2nd Angel: The Doom of Babylon.
– 3rd Angel: Fury on Beast Worshipers.
– (4th Angel?) Voice: Righteous Dead.
– 5th Angel
– 6th Angel
– 7th Angel
Revelation 14:20
And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs.
Isaiah 63:1-6
Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? this that is glorious in his apparel, travelling in the greatness of his strength? I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save. Wherefore art thou red in thine apparel, and thy garments like him that treadeth in the wine fat (blood)? I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the people there was none with me: for I will tread them in mine anger, and trample them in my fury; and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my raiment. For the day of vengeance is in mine heart, and the year of my redeemed is come.
And I looked, and there was none to help; and I wondered that there was none to uphold: therefore mine own arm brought salvation unto me; and my fury, it upheld me. And I will tread down the people in mine anger, and make them drunk in my fury, and I will bring down their strength to the earth.
• Jesus warned the dwellers in Judea that when they see the Abomination of Desolation" desecrating idol installed in the Holy of Holies of the Temple"to immediately flee to the mountains. The remnant of Israel will find refuge there for three-and-a-half years while God protects them and provides for them.
• From other passages, we learn that the remnant will flee to Bozrah in the mountains of Edom.
• From Megiddo to Petra is 1,600 furlongs.
• Bozrah means “Sheepfold”.
• The Siq is the main entrance to the ancient Nabatean city of Petra in southern Jordan. • Also known as Siqit, the main entrance in Petra is a dim, narrow gorge
• Petra is like a sheepfold it has one entrance, it can hold 1 million people, but you have to go by foot because it’s very narrow.
Daniel 11:41
He shall enter also into the glorious land, and many countries shall be overthrown: but these shall escape out of his hand, even Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon.
– Ammon is now Amman, the capital of Jordan. It appears this is one of the few areas that escape the rule of the coming world leader (commonly known as the Antichrist).
14] And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.
• He leaves heaven to come to the earth for the last battle...
• He warned them of this while under oath before the high priest (Matthew 26:64).
• At Pentecost, Peter also referred to this day (Acts 2:19, 20).
“Armies”:
• Jude 14; Zechariah 14:5.
• Angels are with Him (Matthew 13:41; 25:31; 2 Thessalonians 1:7);
• But also we are with Him (1 Thessalonians 3:13; 2 Thessalonians 1:10; Hebrews 2:10;
Colossians 3:4; Zechariah 14:5).
15] And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.
“Sword”:
Isaiah 11:4; 2 Thessalonians 2:8; Hebrews 4:12; Ephesians 6:17; Revelation 1:16; 2:16; 19:15, 21.
Also, Psalms 149:6; Isaiah 49:2.
• The Word is “living and powerful” (Hebrews 4:12);
• The Word fulfills His purposes on earth (Revelation 17:7; 6:11; 10:7; 15:1).
• Enemies are consumed with the spirit of His mouth (2 Thessalonians 2:8; Isaiah 11:4).
“Rod of Iron”:
Psalms 2:9; Revelation 2:27; 12:5 & here.
“When I begin I will also make an end” (1 Samuel 3:12).
• Not the Rapture, but the Revelation!
• Not in the air, but to the earth!
• Not FOR the saints, but WITH the saints!
• Not to comfort, but to conquer!
• Not to protect us in heaven but to rule with us on earth!
16] And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.
Genesis 24:2, 9; 32:25, 31, 32; 47:29; cf. Daniel 2:47; Deuteronomy 10:17; 1 Timothy 6:15.
17] And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God;
18] That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great.
[There are two “suppers”:
Let’s not get them confused!] Luke 17:37; Matthew 24:28.
“Flesh” occurs 6 times in this paragraph (v.18..21); cf. Revelation 14:14-20; 16:13-16; Ezekiel 39:17-20?
19] And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together
to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army.
This Is Bizarre:
• Man is knowingly making war against God! (Psalms 2:1-9).
• The “battle” is the laughter of God against man’s arrogance. Headquartered in Palestine (Daniel 11:45), the Coming World Leader will go forth in great fury (Daniel 11:44; Joel 2; Daniel 11; Isaiah 24).
• A great motorized army (Nahum 3:2),
• Arrayed in red (!) (Nahum 2:3) will swing into the area.
Prerequisite to the Second Coming:
A petition by the remnant, taking refuge in the east: Hosea 5:15, et al.
(Re: Fruchtenbaum) ...There is not the slightest mention of any struggle...
2 Thessalonians 2:8.
• Psalm 2 records a conversation among the Trinity!
• They are laughing at the arrogance of the kings of the earth who are taking up arms against God!!?
20] And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.
They are still there 1000 years later (Revelation 20:10).
• Two are cast alive into Gehenna [vs. two (Moses & Elijah) taken alive into Heaven (Ch. 11).]
21] And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.
Note:
• There is no resurrection here. The rapture has already occurred.
• The “Second Resurrection” occurs 1,000 years later.
• Unbelievers, when they die, go to Hades, the unseen world, the (temporary) realm of the dead.
• Believers go immediately into the presence of the Lord (Philippians 1:19-23; 2 Corinthians 5:6-8).
• Hades will be emptied of its dead in Revelation 20:13.
• Jesus now takes the throne upon the earth—the Throne of David (Isaiah 9:6, 7; Luke 1:32, 3).
Zechariah 14:2-4
For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city. Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle. And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south.
*
The Book of Revelation Session 23: The Millennium
Revelation Chapter 20
Synopsis of Final Section
Chapter 17 Mystery Babylon
Chapter 18 Mystery Babylon
Chapter 19 The Return of the King
Chapter 20 The Millennium
Chapter 21 Eternity
Chapter 22 Conclusion
Millennium:
• From Latin, mille (1000) and annum (year).
• Also, chiliasm, from the Greek, which is the way the early church spoke of it.
Luke 1:31-33
And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.
Do we take this promise seriously? The throne of David did not exist then. And it hasn’t since. Has this promise been fulfilled yet? Will it be fulfilled in the future? What does it really mean?
God’s Promise:
• The Davidic Covenant (2 Samuel 7:11-16 And as since the time that I commanded judges to be over my people Israel, and have caused thee to rest from all thine enemies. Also the Lord telleth thee that he will make thee an house. 12 And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom.13 He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever. 14 I will be his father, and he shall be my son. If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men: 15 But my mercy shall not depart away from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away before thee. 16 And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever.).
• God promised David a royal dynasty (Isaiah 7:13 And he said, Hear ye now, O house of David; Is it a small thing for you to weary men, but will ye weary my God also?).
• An eternal throne (2 Samuel 7:13, 16, 19; 1 Chronicles 17:12; 22:10; Isaiah 55:3;
Ezekiel 37:25).
• A political kingdom (Genesis 17:2-8).
• It was even confirmed by oath (Psalms 132:11; 89:3, 4, 34).
• This cannot be applied to the Church (Ezekiel 37:21-28). The majority of the churches in America has adopted a theology that says the church has replaced Israel.
• This has a tendency to make God a liar, because God made some very, very specific promises to Israel concerning her future as a nation and as a kingdom.
• It was this future throne that was recognized by the First Church Council in Acts 15 (Acts 15:16-18, James quoted Amos 9:11-12 verse 11 In that day will I raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen, and close up the breaches thereof; and I will raise up his ruins, and I will build it as in the days of old:. Cf. Jeremiah 30:7, 11, 18).
The Bride:
The Church is described as the virgin waiting for her bridegroom’s coming
(2 Corinthians 11:2; also, Ephesians 5:22-23).
The Church is “engaged” to Him even though we have not seen Him (1 Peter 1:8).
One day He will return to take His bride to heaven (John 14:1-6; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18).
The Marriage Fulfilled:
• Covenant established: 1 Corinthians 11:25
• Purchase price: 1 Corinthians 6:19-20
• Bride set apart: Ephesians 5:25-27; 1 Corinthians 1:2; 6:11; Hebrews 10:10; 13:12
• Reminded of the covenant: 1 Corinhians 11:25-26
• Bridegroom left for the Father’s house…
• Escort to accompany Him upon His return to gather His Bride 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17
• Bridegroom Matthew 9:15; 22:1-13; 2 Corinthians 11:2; Ephesians 5:23-32
• John the Baptist (Friend of Bridegroom, not the Bride) John 3:29; Luke 16:16; Matthew 11:11-13
• Banquet Isaiah 25:6-10; 26:1-4,19; cf. Luke 22:15,16; Mt 26:39
• Bride enjoys a unique relationship cf. John 17:23-26
Divisions of Theology:
• Bibliology The Bible
• Theology Proper Attributes of God
• Christology Lord Jesus Christ
• Pneumatology Holy Spirit
• Angelology Angels, fallen and unfallen
• Anthropology Man
• Soteriology Salvation
• Ecclesiology The Church
• Eschatology End-Times; Last Things
• Notice what’s missing? 5/6ths of the Bible! Israelology = the study of Israel as an instrument in God’s program for man.
Why study eschatology?
It is the final test of hermeneutics. We are apparently being plunged into a period of time about which the Bible says more than any other period of history.
Prophetic Scriptures:
• 8,362 predictive verses;
• 1,817 predictions;
• 737 separate matters.
J. Barton Payne, Encyclopedia of Biblical Prophecy
The Messianic Ruler:
• 1,845 references in the Old Testament.
• 17 books give prominence to the event.
• 318 references in the New Testament.
• 216 chapters.
• 23 of 27 books give prominence to the event.
• For every prophecy of Christ’s 1st Coming there are 8 of His 2nd Coming!
The History of Amillennialism:
• Origen: Allegorization of Scripture.
• Augustine: Formed an eschatology that looked upon the Millennium as just an allegory the birth of Amillennialism. Augustine could not threaten the Roman Catholic Church because they paid his salary.
• This is the Roman Catholic Church Eschatology today, that Christ is coming to rule in our hearts only.
• The Reformation did a marvelous job on the issue of Soteriology, the issue of Salvation by faith alone.
• Reformation Millions of Christians willingly were willing to be burned at the stake for their beliefs.
• Reformation failed to address the eschatology of Amillennialism…most Protestant denominations are Amillennial and Post-Tribulational in their eschatological views.
Amillennial Problems:
• Messianic Promises throughout the Old Testament.
• Destiny of Israel in God’s Covenants.
• Israel appears 75 times in the New Testament in 73 different verses, all refer to a National Israel.
• Promise given to Mary by Angel Gabriel.
• Numerous reconfirmations in the New Testament.
Source of antisemitism: From Augustine to Auschwitz...and it will occur again!
Israel and the Church:
• Distinctions: different origins, missions, and destinies
• The Church was born in Acts Chapter 2.
• Israel was born in Exodus 4, they went into Egypt as a family and came out as a Nation.
• “Replacement” views deny Israel its place in God’s program and makes God a liar.
• These view laid the basis for Christian Anti- Semitism, from.
• The judgement due the United States is shielded so far, by our commitment to Israel.
• Paul and Israel in Romans 9, 10, and 11.
• The “70 Weeks” deal specifically with Israel.
• Paul’s points out the dichotomy that there are three groups pf people: The Jews + the Gentiles + the Church.
• That distinctives reappear after Revelation 4. The Jewishness from Revelation 4 and on is distinctive.
• Ezekiel 36 and 37 deals with Israel regathering in their land May 14, 1948 onward 38 and 39 deals with the coming invasion.
Ezekiel 36:16-24
Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Son of man, when the house of Israel dwelt in their own land, they defiled it by their own way and by their doings: their way was before me as the uncleanness of a removed woman. Wherefore I poured my fury upon them for the blood that they had shed upon the land, and for their idols wherewith they had polluted it: And I scattered them among the heathen, and they were dispersed through the countries: according to their way and according to their doings I judged them.
• This explains the diaspora.
And when they entered unto the heathen, whither they went, they profaned my holy name, when they said to them, These are the people of the LORD, and are gone forth out of his land. But I had pity for mine holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the heathen, whither they went. Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord GOD; I do not this for your sakes, O house of Israel, but for mine holy name’s sake, which ye have profaned among the heathen, whither ye went. And I will sanctify my great name, which was profaned among the heathen, which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, saith the Lord GOD, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes. For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land.
Ezekiel 37:21-22
And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the heathen, whither they be gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land: And I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king to them all: and they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all: The Northern and the Southern Tribes.
The Millennium:
• Promised to David (2 Samuel 7:12-17; 23:5) under oath (Psalms 89:34-37).
• Predicted in the Psalms (Psalm 2; 110).
• Predicted in the Prophets (Isaiah 2:1-5; 4:1-6; 11:1-9; 12:1-6; 30:18-26; 35:1-10; 60, 61:3-62; 66; Jeremiah 23:3-8; 32:37-44; Ezekiel 40-48; Daniel 2:44- 45; 7:13-14; 12:2-3; Micah 4:1-8; Zech 12:10-14:21.
To King David:
2 Samuel 7:12-16
And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever. I will be his father, and he shall be my son. If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men: But my mercy shall not depart away from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away before thee. And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever.
Psalm 89:34-37
My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips. Once have I sworn by my holiness that I will not lie unto David. His seed shall endure for ever, and his throne as the sun before me. It shall be established for ever as the moon, and as a faithful witness in heaven. Selah.
The Millennium (cont.)
• It was promised to Promised to Mary (Luke 1:32; Micah 5:2; Isaiah 9:6, 7; Daniel 2:44) and reaffirmed to apostles (Luke 22:29-30).
• When we pray the Lord’s Prayer: “Thy Kingdom come” (Matthew 6:10, 13; Acts 1:6; Psalms 45, 46, 47, 48).
• Rule (Psalms 2; 110);
“Rod of Iron” (Revelation 12:5; 19:15);
“Every knee will bow,” (Philippians 2:6-11).
Revelation Chapter 20:
1] And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless
pit and a great chain in his hand.
• This really a continuation of chapter 19, it’s a convenient break.
• The chapter divisions are not “inspired.
• They were devised by Stephen Langton, the Archbishop of Canterbury in the early 13th century.
• Many of these breaks are in the wrong place and awkward placements.
• As students of the word, we may have to be blind to chapter divisions.
The bottomless pit or the abousso.
“Abousso”: It occurs 7 times in Revelation 9:1, 3,11; 11:7; 17:8; 20:1,3. [Geocentric?]
2] And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan,
and bound him a thousand years,
3] And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.
• Some believe the Millennium has already begun.
• Dr. Chuck Smith said, if so, then Satan’s chain is too long...
• Who bound Satan?
• An angel, a plain old angel, not God.
This is a powerful base to believe that God is able to save our families if we continue to pray for them.
2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
• Satan is not a counter part to Jesus Christ, Jesus created the angels.
• Be careful trying to bind Satan, pray that the Lord would do that.
The demons at Gadara knew who Jesus was, and knew that they were destined for the abousso.
• Paul was certain that Satan was loose (Ephesians 6:10ff; John agreed with him: Revelation 2:13; 3:9).
He was cast out of heaven in Revelation 12:9; now he is cast out of earth.
“...a thousand years”:
• The Millennium is duration of a literal thousand years and is specified six different times in this chapter.
• In Psalms 90:4 and 2 Peter 3:8 are used to justify the unscriptural “allegorization”: of 1000 years = 1 day.
• Verse 3 ...that he should deceive the nations no more...
• That tells us where the nations are getting their deception, if you think that our nation is confused, here is the answer.
How many times does God need to say it before it is true?
4] And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
Four Classes of People Are Here:
• Old Testament Saints Daniel 12:1-4; Isa 25:8-9
• Church Revelation 5:10; 2:26-28; 3:12, 21 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; 2 Timothy 2:12
• Tribulation Martyrs Revelation 6:9
• Tribulation Saints, living, that “worshipped not the beast.”
There Are The Two Resurrections:
• The First and Second resurrections (“of the just”) are not events, they are categories not a single event.
Daniel 12:2; John 5:28-29; Acts 24:15; Luke 14:14
• The first one of the “First Resurrection” is Jesus Christ, that began in the Garden Tomb.
• And the First Fruits required a plurality, if you understand the Torah, the Feasts of the First Fruits are plural.
• Jesus Christ had to be a fulfillment of that but to fulfill that there had to be more than one.
• In the book of Matthew 27, the graves were opened and there were lots of others who wandered around and identified themselves.
• They had been in Paradise, a section of the underworld that was reserved for the Saints until the Messiah had been killed.
They were now released to enter into Heaven to be with the Messiah.
The First Fruits:
Matthew 27:50-53 Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. 51 And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; 52 And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, 53 And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.
• The “Rapture or Harpazo” is included in this First Fruits.
• And Revelation 20:4 are included in this category.
• ...and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
Anastasei: “to stand up”; a bodily resurrection. The thrones are literal; the martyrs are literal; Jesus is literal; the resurrection is literal; the thousand years are literal.
• This whole category is the first resurrection...they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.
• They shall be Priests and reigning with Christ.
In Contrast The Second Resurrection:
• The Second Resurrection is after the 1,000 years.
Daniel 12:2; John 5:28-29; Acts 24:15; Luke 14:14
1) Physical Death: Separation of the body and soul.
2) Spiritual Death: Separation of the soul from God.
5] But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished.
This is the first resurrection.
6] Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second
death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.
Sixth of the seven beatitudes in Revelation.
(Final: 21:70); cf. Revelation 2:11; 20:6, 14; 21:8. Kings and priests: Reigning with Him; incredible!! [Cf. 24 Elders...]
The Millennium
Creation changed:
• Physical changes Zechariah 4:9,10; Isaiah 35:1-10
• Curse lifted Isaiah 11:6-9
• Creation redeemed Genesis 3 vs. Romans 8:20-22
• Earth in full of knowledge of the Lord Isaiah 11:9; Habbakuk 2:14
Yet, not eternity but the Millennium: Isaiah 65
• There will be death and sin Isaiah 65:20
• Each to have land Micah 4:15
• Fruitful Amos 9:13
Not in “heaven”:
• vs. Eternal State which follows
• Not the “New Earth” Isaiah 65:17; 66:22; 2 Peter 3:13; Rev elation21:1
• Not “where righteousness dwells” but where righteousness is enforced. Man is still rebellious!
• Limited evil, judged immediately Isaiah 11:1-16
Millennial Longevity:
• Death is for unbelievers only Isaiah 65:17
• Nowhere is there a resurrection of Millennial saints.
• Tribulation saints complete the “first resurrection” Revelation 20:4-6
• No Jewish unbelievers? Jeremiah 31:31-34
– All accept by 100th year Isaiah 65:20 There shall be no more thence an infant of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days: for the child shall die an hundred years old; but the sinner being an hundred years old shall be accursed.
– Thus, death only among Gentiles?
The Millennial Temple Ezekiel 40-48:
• The description of the Millennial Temple is highly detailed (not simply symbolic)
– All nations to worship there
– Offerings and sacrifices resumed
– It is open only on the Sabbath Day (Saturday) and New Moons.
The Tabernacle Speaks Of (Yehoshua) Jesus Christ:
The Second Temple of Solomon:
Ezekiel’s Temple:
• Will be vastly larger than the previous temples.
• It will be 40 miles North of Jerusalem.
• A plot of ground that will 50 miles x 50 miles in size.
Topography significantly altered…tribes’ inheritances different from Joshua’s (see chart on next page).
Division of the Land: Ezekiel 48:
His Throne:
Isaiah 16:5
And in mercy shall the throne be established: and he shall sit upon it in truth in the tabernacle of David, judging, and seeking judgment, and hasting righteousness.
Matthew 25:31
When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:
Zechariah 6:12-13
And speak unto him, saying, Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, Behold the man whose name is The BRANCH; and he shall grow up out of his place, and he shall build the temple of the LORD: Even he shall build the Temple of the LORD; and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon his Throne; and he shall be a priest upon his throne:
Jeremiah 3:16-17
And it shall come to pass, when ye be multiplied and increased in the land, in those days, saith the LORD, they shall say no more, The ark of the covenant of the LORD: neither shall it come to mind: neither shall they remember it; neither shall they visit it; neither shall that be done any more. At that time they shall call Jerusalem the throne of the LORD; and all the nations shall be gathered unto it, to the name of the LORD, to Jerusalem: neither shall they walk any more after the imagination of their evil heart.
• A conjecture of Isaiah 18, that Ethiopia presents the Mercy Seat to the Lord. (Verse 7 In that time shall the present be brought unto the Lord of hosts of a people scattered and peeled, and from a people terrible from their beginning hitherto; a nation meted out and trodden under foot, whose land the rivers have spoiled, to the place of the name of the Lord of hosts, the mount Zion.)
• During the Millennium, the Ark is no longer the focus of worship in Jerusalem.
• It will be replaced by the Throne of the Lord as all nations shall be gathered to it.
• The real issue is not the Ark but the Mercy Seat.
(The Ark and Mercy Seat were two separate objects in the Scripture.)
7] And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,
8] And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.
• This is not to be confused with Ezekiel 38-39, which is from the north, not from the four corners of the earth, and is before the Second Coming, etc.
• The time, place, and participants are all different.
• Gog and Magog show up again?
• Magog is a people;
• But how can Gog still be alive after 1000 years?
• Because he is a demon king.
Amos 7:1 (The Septuagint translation LXX): “King of the Locusts”
• (vs. Prov 30:27; cf. Revelation 9 notes.)
[Gog and Magog has become an idiom by then. This is a second occurrence of a similar battle.]
9] And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.
• There will probably be more people in this period than any other due to the perfect environment: no disease or lack of anything, etc.
• Even after a thousand years of perfect rule, there is enough evil resident in the heart of man that, given an opportunity, he still rebels...
• We belong to a fallen race, and every human being is born with an essentially evil nature. A perfect environment still reveals the fallen nature of man. A perfect environment cannot produce a perfect heart. The serious nature of our own heart can only be known by the Word of God (Jeremiah 17:9).
10] And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
• After 1000 years, the “terrible twosome” is still there; there is no “annihilation” in the Bible...
11] And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth
and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.
• Not to be confused with the Bema Seat, saints get rewards for their service.
The Great White Throne Judgment (Dead):
vs. Revelation 4; Daniel 7:9-11; Isaiah 6; Ezekiel 1; 1 Kings 22:19; Exodus 24:9-11.
• The Judge is Christ: John 5:22, 27, 29; Matthew 19:28; Acts 10:42; 17:31.
• No believers (John 5:24; cf. Matthew 7:22-23).
Note: Ecologists are doomed to failure—you cannot save the earth (Isaiah 65:17; Matthew 24:35; 2 Peter 3:10-12; Hebrews 1:10-12).
12] And I saw the dead (the unsaved), small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
What books? [note the plural.]
God’s Word: “the Word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day” (John 12:48).
“Works” do not save; they simply mitigate sentences.
A judge, but no jury;
A prosecution, but no defense;
A sentence, but no appeal.
Note “dead” occurs 7 times in v.12-14.
[If you know the right people, you can avoid the whole thing: get God’s Son to stand in your place...]
Before God can usher in His new heavens and new earth, He must finally deal with sin; this He will do at the Great White Throne.
13] And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the
dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
Judged by works—deadly! Even by their own standards, they fail.
[Pember, et al: demon forces agitated the sea (Matthew 8:26);
Demons took temporary refuge in the sea (Matthew 8:30);
Disembodied spirits from earlier inhabitants??...]
14] And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
The death of death (see v.6).
• Hades, sheol, is temporary.
• Gehenna is “permanent”; that is, outside our time domain.
A Paradigm of Death:
Revelation 2:11
Revelation 20:6, 14
Revelation 21:8
Jude :12
• The second death is the separation of the soul and the spirit.
15] And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
Whose book? Who keeps it?
“Book of Life”: Exodus 32:32, 3; Psalms 69:28; Revelation 21:27; Philippians 4:3; Revelation 13:8; 17:8.
Names of believers, not deeds Luke 10:20; works: Rom 2:11,12.
[Book of Remembrance, Malachi 3:16, “them that thought upon His name,” vs.
1 Corinthians 3:14,15?]
• Hell is a witness to the righteous character of God;
• Hell is a witness to man’s responsibility.
• God does not send people to hell:
• They send themselves by rejecting the Saviour (John 3:16-21; Matthew 25:41).
• If we saw sin as God sees it, we would understand why a place such as hell exists.
• Are you written in the Lamb’s Book of Life?
• Or are you planning on defending yourself before the final judgment?
[It’s not what you know, but who you know!]
Key Questions:
• What happens when you die?
• Is there really an “afterlife”?
• What is heaven like?
• Is there really a “hell”?
• What is the nature of eternity? and the “reality” we find ourselves in?
The concept of “really”—our actual reality—underlies any basis of understanding. The nature of time itself, and the actual nature of the “reality” we find ourselves in, constitutes some basic understandings that must precede any serious discussion of these issues.
Heaven Bound?
• Although the lifestyles, values, and self-perceptions of most adults have undergone significant changes—and millions have embraced many elements of a postmodern world view, the majority continues to believe that there is life after death, that everyone has a soul, and that Heaven and Hell probably do exist.
• Yet, over 50 million Americans are uncertain about their personal fate:
• Nearly 2/3 of Americans believe they will go to Heaven.
• One in four admitted they have no idea what will happen after they die.
• Less that ½ of 1% expect to go to Hell upon their death.
• One in 20 believes he/she will come back as another life form (5%).
The same proportion believe they will simply cease to exist.
Let’s examine the beliefs of those who believe they are “Heaven Bound”:
• 43% because they have “confessed their sins and accepted Jesus Christ as their savior.”
• 15% because they have tried to obey the 10 Commandments.”
• 15% because “they are basically a good person.”
• 6% because “God loves all people and will not let them perish.”
Contradictory Findings:
• Among born-again Christians:
10% believe that people are reincarnated after death;
29% claim it is possible to communicate with the dead;
50% contend that a person can earn salvation based upon good works;
• And many believe there are multiple options for gaining entry into heaven.
Logical contradictions prevail, even among born-again Christians.
• Many have redefined grace to mean that God is so eager to save people from Hell that He will change His nature and universal principles for their individual benefit.
• Atheists and agnostics are also confused:
50% believe that every person has a soul;
Heaven and Hell do exist;
And that there is life after death;
12% believe that accepting Jesus Christ probably makes life after death possible. Atheists and Agnostics also harbor contradictions in their thinking.
• Labels are not descriptive:
Evidences the adoption of simplistic views from novels, movies, etc.
Lazarus and the Rich Man Luke 16:
19 There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and
fared sumptuously every day: 20 And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, 21 And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. 22 And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried;
There’s only one who has returned from the grave:
He alone “has the floor.” This is one of the few reliable passages on this subject.
Notice that this is not a parable: these are real historical characters with names.
23 And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off,
and Lazarus in his bosom. 24 And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. 25 But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.
• There is no “soul sleep” here! There is consciousness and awareness.
26 And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they
which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that
would come from thence. 27 Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father’s house: 28 For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment.
He is very concerned for his family; he also understands what it would take to avoid his predicament…
29 Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them 30 And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent 31 And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.
[It is interesting that one named Lazarus did come back from the dead…]
The Underworld:
This is the Old Testament picture. After the Cross, Jesus came, declared His victory
and took those in “Abraham’s Bosom” with Him (Matthew 27).
Some Insights:
• The man in Hades was fully conscious: he had memory; he was speaking; was in pain; and had desires.
A Holographic Universe?: Featured Briefing – Dr. Chuck Missler
• His eternal destiny was irrevocably fixed.
• He knew that what he was experiencing was fair and just.
He also knew what his brothers needed to do to avoid his own fate: repent!
• (He was not yet in Hell, but only Hades).
The Underworld:
1 Peter 3:18-20
For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison; Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.
Isaiah 61:1,2
The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God;
• Quoted by Jesus in His opening statement at Nazareth (Luke 4:17-21).
Matthew 27:52,53
And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.
Annihilationism?
Matthew 10:28
And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
“destroy”apollumi,:
Destroy means “to be delivered up to eternal misery”
(Thayer’s Greek Lexicon). Nowhere used to mean “annihilate” Matthew 9:17; Luke 15:4; John 6:12, 27.
Matthew 25:46 And these shall go away into eternal punishment: but the righteous into
eternal life.
“eternal”: aionios, everlasting, eternal.
Daniel 12:2
And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.
Revelation 14:10,11
The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.
Revelation 20:10
And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
After 1,000 years, the beast and false prophet are still being tormented, not annihilated.
*
The Book of Revelation Session 24: Eternity
Revelation Chapters 21-22
1] And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
New heaven and new earth (Matthew 24:35; Isaiah 65:17 For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.; 66:22; Hebrews 11:13-16; 2 Peter 3:7-13).
“...in earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10).
Heaven and Earth to disappear! Outside of “time” => Eternity (Hebrews 1:10-12; 12:26, 27).
“...no more sea”:
Why? Not needed for its cleansing action:
• 70% of the earth is covered to an average depth of 2.3 miles, antiseptic salinity (3.5%)
purges, cleanses, and preserves our planet.
• Is the sea evil? (Matthew 8:26, Jesus “rebuked”?)
End of old order? (Ex 20:11; Ezekiel 48:28);
Beast out of the sea (Daniel 7:1-3, 17; Revelation 13:1, 6-8);
Demonized swine take refuge in the sea (Matthew 8:30); Job 26:5-6; Isaiah 27:1; Jonah 2:1-6; Luke 8:30-3; Psalms 69:14-15.
In John’s day, the sea meant danger, storms, separation—he was on an island at the time!
2 Peter 3:10-13
But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?
Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.
2] And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
Hebrews 11:10, 16. “Down, out of heaven”:
Doesn’t necessarily touch the earth!
• Heaven is a definite place. A new home. The Ultimate UFO!
3] And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.
Cf. John 1:14; Matthew 12:6. Jerusalem; Jireh-shalom, provides peace: Matthew 23:37-
39, “see me henceforth...”; John 14:2, 3, “go to prepare a place...”; Hebrews 11:10,
16, “...look for a city; John 1:14, “tabernacled among us”; 2 Corinthians 5:17, “all
things new”; Exodus 40:34; 1 Kings 8:10, 11, “always fills.”
4] And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
• Why would there be tears in heaven, lost opportunities?
5] And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.
6] And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.
7] He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.
• A fresh start! (I sure could use that!)
Can we even imagine what this means? All things!
“Overcomer” = 1 John 5:4
8] But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
• “Fearful” is a lack of awe of God.
• Note “the fearful” and “the unbelieving”;
Cf. Mark 4:40; John 14:27; 2 Timothy 1:7,8.
Notice also: the status of the lake of fire and the lost is unchanged;
Sin and its potential is totally excluded;
And, the lake of fire is eternal; final.
9] And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb’s wife.
10] And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,
11] Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal;
• Jasper “ice: clear, diamond.
• Mountain (Daniel 2...) Abraham looked for this city (Hebrews 11:10).
• [In contrast to the false bride, the prostitute Mystery Babylon, also both a city and a woman, the New Jerusalem will be to eternity what the earthly Jerusalem is to the Millennium.]
“She that hath the bridegroom is the bride” (John 3:29).
The citizens are identified with the city in Revelation 22:3,6,19.
• “Descending out of heaven...” No reason to limit it to any specific number of dimensions... cf. Beyond Perception, et al. (It is not stated that it comes to the earth.)
[2 x 1016 feet/side; 8 1048 cubic feet. Assuming 6 billion inhabitants: 1.3 x 1039 cubic feet/ person; 1 cubis mi = 1.47 1011 cubis feet; 1.7 x 1028 cubic miles/person…] Similarity between the Hebrew word for crystal in Ezekiel 1:22 and the Hebrew word for “ice”; suggests a diamond.
A diamond in a gold setting—appropriate for the bride.
Hyperspaces (Spaces of more than 3 dimensions):
There are only two kinds of people seem able to deal with hyperspaces: mathematicians with special training and small children,
• It’s harder to and gain insight by trying to go up in our understanding of dimensions but we can gain some useful insights by examining a two-dimensional universe…
“Mr. and Mrs. Flat.” Only 2 dimensions, length and width, but no depth.
I could be closer and more real to them individually than they can be with each other.
Ephesians 3:17-19
That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the
breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.
Four Dimensions:
• Paul mentioned four dimensions, one has to do with time.
The tesseract.
• In geometry, the tesseract is the four-dimensional analogue of the cube; the tesseract is to the cube as the cube is to the square.
Just as the surface of the cube consists of six square faces, the hyper surface of the tesseract consists of eight cubical cells.
Just as the surface of the cube consists of six square faces, the hyper surface of the tesseract consists of eight cubical cells.
The New Jerusalem:
• The New Jerusalem may not be in three dimensions.
Here are a few depictions.
• The New Jerusalem may not be in three dimensions.
Here are a few depictions.
12] And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve
angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of
the children of Israel:
13] On the east three gates; on the north three gates; on the south three gates; and
on the west three gates.
14] And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the
twelve apostles of the Lamb.
“...Twelve tribes”: a perpetual reminder that “salvation is of the Jews.”
Access to the city is through Israel. No middle wall (Ephesians 2:14-18); no Temple (John 4:21-24).
• Suggests the order of Israel’s encampment around the Tabernacle in Numbers 2.
• Israel on the earth will enjoy the same relationship to the city that they did toward the wilderness tabernacle, and later, the temple (Song 8:5).
[Notice that Peter isn’t guarding any of them!]
• The Apostles are the foundation;
• Christ is the chief cornerstone.
15] And he that talked with me had a golden reed to measure the city, and the gates
thereof, and the wall thereof.
16] And the city lieth foursquare, and the length is as large as the breadth: and he
measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs. The length and the breadth and the height of it are equal.
John was told to measure the old city (Ch. 11); now he reckons the New City.
Furlongs (stadia): If taken as 600 feet (measures differed in ancient days) the city would be about 1500 (Roman) miles square (1378 miles)!
Is It A Pyramid?
A Cube?
[A Hinton Cube?] [The Holy of Holies was a cube.]
17] And he measured the wall thereof, an hundred and forty and four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of the angel.
“Cubit,” from Latin cubitus, elbow; while there are many variations, all approximate 18 inches.
216 feet thick (or high?)!
If viewed as a cube, wall thickness (rather than height) seems more likely.
[Herodotus describes the walls of Babylon as 50 cubits thick and 200 cubits high.]
18] And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like
unto clear glass.
19] And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald;
20] The fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst.
God is a God of beauty; Peter wrote of the “manifold” grace of God (1 Peter 4:10): manifold = variegated, many colored.
Precious Stones:
• Clothe in light?
• Breastplate of the high priest (Exodus 28:15-21; 31-34; 39:10-14).
• Connected to the Mazzeroth (Josephus, Ant. iii.7.7; Philo, De Monarchia, ii.5; cf.Vit. Mos. iii. 14).
• John’s order is the reverse of the zodiacal order.
• Alluded to the heavenly Eden (Ezekiel 28:13) predated to the vegetative Eden.?
These stones may also be related to the stones in the breastplate of the high priest (Exodus 28:15-21; 31-34; 39:10-14).
There is great difficulty in associating the specific stones since the terminology is not consistent throughout the literature, and John is also making his own translation
from the Hebrew to Greek equivalents. Cf. Isaiah 54:11-12.
• Jasper (iaspis): clear. Associated with Pisces, and Simeon.
• Sapphire (sappheiros): blue. Exodus 24:10, the foundation of God.
– Moffatt: blue; Pliny, opaque with gold specks Petrie agrees.
– Associated with Aquarius, Reuben.
• Chalcedony (chalkedon): greenish.
– Robertson, green silicate of copper.
– Associated with Capricorn, Naphtali.
• Emerald (smaragdos): green.
– Associated with Saggitarius, Asher.
• Sardonyx (sardonux): red.
– Robertson: white with layers of red.
– Associated with Scorpio, Dan.
• Sardius (sardios): fiery red.
– Pliny, red for Sardis; Swete, fiery red.
– Associated with Libra, Levi.
• Chrysolyte (chrusolithos): golden yellow.
– Moffatt, golden hue.
– Robertson, golden like our topaz.
– Associated with Virgo, Zebulon.
• Beryl (berullos): green.
– Robertson, like an emerald; Pliny, sea green.
– Associated with Leo, Judah.
• Topaz (topazion): greenish yellow.
– Robertson, golden greenish stone.
– Associated with Cancer, Issachar.
• Chrysoprasus (chrusoprasos): gold-green.
– Robertson, a golden leek.
– International Bible Encyclopedia, sea green.
– Associated with Gemini, Benjamin.
• Jacinth (huakinthi): violet; hyacinth.
– Associated with Taurus, Joseph.
• Amethyst (amethustos): purple.
– Associated with Aries, Gad.
21] And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass.
22] And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.
23] And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.
• Pearls were not “kosher”: they are a Gentile stone cf. Matthew 13:45, 46.
• They come from the sea, not the land;
• They grow in response to an external irritation;
• They grow by accretion;
• They are removed from their place of growth to become an item of adornment.
• The church will be the fairest jewel of all (Malachi 3:17, 18).
Gates are never closed: cf. v.25.
24] And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it.
25] And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there.
It does not say they will live there; the New Jerusalem will give light unto the earth.
26] And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it.
27] And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life.
• God has apparently accomplished His original purpose with man (Ephesians 2:7).
Revelation 22
1] And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.
2] In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
3] And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him:
“Every month”: there will be a form of time there.
“Leaves”: no sickness, yielding continuous health. No more sin; no more death. Nothing will be lost.
[Entropy will be conserved: the “second law” of thermodynamics will be repealed...information will never more be confused, ordered systems will not deteriorate, etc.]
• Heaven will be a place of ceaseless activity.
4] And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads.
5] And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.
6] And he said unto me, These sayings are faithful and true: and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to shew unto his servants the things which must shortly be done.
Immanuel = “God with us,” finally fulfilled. [Cf. Shannon’s verifiability definition of meaning...
That which cannot be verified is, in a real sense, meaningless.]
The Lord is talking about reality. Heaven is more than a destination: it is a motivation!
7] Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book.
8] And I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which shewed me these things.
9] Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God.
• See Joshua 5 Jesus is the Commander.
Christ is the centerpiece of this book.
“Quickly” = tachu, rapidly, rapid succession (7 times in Revelation;
3 times in this chapter v.7,12,20).
[Not shortly means, immediately, or soon.]
“Book,” 7 times this chapter 7, 9, 10, 18(2X), 19(2X).
Faith = more than just believing (James 2:19,20).
10] And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand.
The Book of Daniel is Now unsealed:
Time is at hand (kairos, opportunity; next event, vs. chronos, time, vs.
Sealed (Daniel 8:26; 12:4,9 which was sealed).
11] He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.
• The sinful condition of the lost is a permanent and eternal thing.
“All things continue” (2 Peter 3:1-4).
12] And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man
according as his work shall be.
“Quickly” again...It is unbiblical to become careless and lazy just because we believe Jesus is coming soon.
13] I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.
Isaiah 44; 48 Jehovah God for the door knockers.
Revelation 1:8 who was dead and am alive forevermore...
14] Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.
15] For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.
Alpha and Omega (4 times: 1:8, 11; 21:6; 22:13).
What He starts, He will finish.
• Seventh beatitude in this book (1:3; 14:13; 16:15; 19:9; 20:6; 22:7,14).
Obedience is a mark of true salvation
• Dogs come off rather badly in Scripture: (Isaiah 66:3; Matthew 7:6; Psalms 22:16, 20;
Jeremiah 15:3; Deuteronomy 23:18; 2 Peter 2:22);
• They were the scavengers of the ancient world, and considered unclean.
Also, “dogs” were a designation for Gentiles (Matthew 15:21-28) and Paul’s label for Judaizers (Philippians 3:2).
Seven Glories of Redeemed:
1) No curse
2) Throne of God and Lamb
3) His servants shall serve Him
4) Eternal vision: of His face
5) His Name shall be in their foreheads
6) Eternal day; no night
7) Eternal Reign
Amen. Even so, Come, Lord Jesus!
16] I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.
17] And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.
• This is available for the asking!
• Sun of righteousness (Malachi 4:2). 3 times in this chapter:
“I come quickly” (vv 7, 12, 20).
18] For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:
19] And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.
• Similar to Deuteronomy 4:2, “Ye shall not add to the word which I command you,
neither shall ye diminish ought from it.”
Psalms 138:2 “For thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name”
[I shudder to think what will happen to the members of the “Jesus Committee” or the publishers of the “politically correct” Bibles!]
2 Peter 3:16
“They that are unlearned and unstable who wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction”
20] He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so,
come, Lord Jesus.
21] The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.
• Are you ready? Let us remember that this book was written not only to inform the believer, but was also written to warn the lost of their eternal doom and to bid them to seek the Savior who alone can deliver them from a godless eternity.
• How far away is eternity? Only a heartbeat, for all of us.
What Is the “Gospel”?
1 Corinthians 15:1-8
Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles. And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.
THE GOSPEL:
• Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
• And that he was buried,
• And that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
Why couldn’t I convince you that “JFK was killed by a bow and arrow”?
Too many eye witnesses present…
1 Corinthians 15:20-26
But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming. Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.
1 Corinthians 15:54-57
Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
The Plan of Redemption:
The First Act of “Religion”:
Genesis 3:7 And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons [covering, armor].
• They were clothe with light until they fell.
God’s Plan of Redemption:
Genesis 3:21 Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them.
• Teaching them that only by the shedding of innocent blood they would be covered (on another tree in another garden, Gethsemane).
The Scarlet Thread
• From the Seed of the Woman Gen 3
• The Call of Abraham Gen 12
• The Tribe of Judah Gen 49
• The Dynasty of David 2 Sam 7
• The Virgin Birth in Bethlehem Isa 7
• To another tree…in another garden, Gethsemane
The Attributes of God
• Omnipotence: Infinite Power.
• Omniscience: Infinite Knowledge.
– The Creation manifests both of these.
• Infinite Love?
– Knowing that Man, if left free to choose, would enter a predicament that only the death of God would suffice to extricate him:
John 15:13 “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”
Acts 4:12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under
heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
John 3:36
He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.
• God makes the rules. He has chosen to measure all things through His Son.
• His righteousness is the only one that qualifies.
• No one will enter heaven without the proper credentials.
• No visas are granted on the other side of the border; you need to arrange them here first.
The Basis of Your Fate?
• “I’m as good as the next guy Strike 1
• “I’m doing the best I can” Strike 2
• “I try to live by the Ten Commandments and the Sermon on the Mount” Strike 3
1 Corinthians 3:10-15
According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.
Why Now?
• Your eternity is only a heartbeat away...a car crash…a stray bullet… an unexpected stroke…
• You have an appointment; there are no “accidents” in God’s Kingdom.
• Where will you find yourself?
• How sure are you?
• What is your basis of conviction?
The statistics on death are impressive: it is still 100%: one for one.
Incidentally, there are no “if onlys…” in God’s Kingdom.
The appointments are entirely in His lap.
Matthew 7:21-23
Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
• ...this is my beloved Son, hear ye Him.
Our Coming King (Inspired by Pastor S. D. Lockridge)
He is King of the Jews (racial king);
King of Israel (national king);
King
of all the the Ages;
King of Heaven;
King of Glory;
King of Kings...and
Lord of Lords.
Do you know Him? Do you really?
He is a prophet before Moses;
a priest after Melchizedek;
a champion like Joshua;
an offering in place of Isaac;
a king from the line of David;
a wise counselor above Solomon;
a beloved/rejected/exalted son like
Joseph. And yet far more...
The Heavens declare His glory and the firmament shows His handiwork.
He who is, who was, and who always will be; the first and the last; He
is the Alpha and Omega, the Aleph and the Tau, the A and the Z; He is
the first fruits of them that slept.
He is the evgw. eivmi, the hy<h.a, rv,a] hy<h.a the “I AM that I AM” The voice
of the Burning Bush!
He is the Captain of the Lord’s Host;
the conqueror of Jericho.
He is enduringly strong, entirely sincere, eternally steadfast;
He is immortally graceful,
imperially powerful,
impartially merciful;
In Him dwells the fullness of the Godhead bodily,
The very God of very God.
He is our Kinsman-Redeemer and He is our Avenger of Blood;
He is our City of Refuge,
Our Performing High Priest,
Our Personal Prophet,
Our Reigning King.
• He’s the loftiest idea in Literature;
• He’s the highest personality in Philosophy;
• He’s the fundamental doctrine of Theology;
• He’s the Supreme Problem in “higher criticism”!
• He’s the Miracle of the Ages;
the superlative of everything good.
We are the beneficiaries of a love letter:
it was written in blood, on a
wooden cross erected in Judea 2,000 years ago.
He was crucified on a cross of wood; yet He made the hill on which it stood.
By Him were all things made that were made;
without Him was not anything made that was made;
by Him are all things held together!
What held Him to that cross?
It wasn’t the nails!
(At any time He could have declared, “I’m out of here!”)
It was His love for you and me.
He was born of a woman so that we could be born of God;
He humbled Himself so that we could be lifted up;
He became a servant so that we could be made co-heirs;
He suffered rejection so that we could become His friends;
He denied Himself so that we could freely receive all things;
He gave Himself so that He could bless us in every way.
He is available to the tempted and the tried;
He blesses the young;
He cleanses the lepers;
He defends the feeble;
He delivers the captives;
He discharges the debtors;
He forgives the sinners...
He franchises the meek;
He guards the besieged;
He heals the sick;
He provides strength to the weak;
He regards the aged;
He rewards the diligent;
He serves the unfortunate;
He sympathizes and He saves!
His Offices are manifold;
His Reign is righteous;
His Promises are sure;
His Goodness is limitless;
His Light is matchless;
His Grace is sufficient;
His Love never changes;
His Mercy is everlasting;
His Word is enough;
His Yoke is easy and His burden is light!
He’s indescribable;
He’s incomprehensible;
He’s irresistible;
He’s invincible!
The Heaven of heavens cannot contain Him;
man cannot explain Him;
the Pharisees couldn’t stand Him (and learned that they couldn’t stop Him);
Pilate couldn’t find any fault with Him;
the witnesses couldn’t agree against Him;
Herod couldn’t kill Him;
death couldn’t handle Him;
the grave couldn’t hold Him!
He has always been and always will be;
He had no predecessor and will have no successor;
You can’t impeach Him and he isn’t going to resign!
His name is above every name; that at the name of Yeshua every knee
shall bow, every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord! His is
the kingdom, the power, and the glory... for ever, and ever...Amen!
* * *
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