Chapter 5 Seven Seals are introduced.
5:1 “And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne . . .” (the Lord as referred to in 4:9,10 above)
“a book written within and on the backside, . . .” (Maybe there is meaning here beyond the obvious.)
“sealed with seven seals.” [That book is definitely sealed!]
v. 2 “And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof?”
v. 3 “And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon.”
v. 4 “And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon.”
v. 5 “And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.”
v. 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.”
v. 7 “And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne.”
v. 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.”
v. 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;”
v. 10 “And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.”
Revelation 20:4 “. . . and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.”
v. 6 “. . . but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.”
v. 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;”
[This is a 102 million angels AT MINIMUM!]
v. 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.” [Yea, Lord, Praise thy name, Amen.]
v. 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.”
v. 14 “And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever.” (just like in: 4:10-11)
Chapter 6 Seals 1 – 6 are opened and the future is revealed. (The seventh seal is not opened until chapter 8).
[The seventh seal is set apart because it is special: it is the last seal.]
[SEAL #1] Revelation 6:1 “And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals . . .” [and the future is about to be revealed]
Daniel 12:4,8,9 “the book” is “sealed till the time of the end” (That was true of Daniel’s book.)
Isaiah 29:10-11 “the vision of all is become unto you as the words of a book that is sealed”
(See: Romans 11:25 “. . . blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.”)
Revelation 5:1-5,9 / 22:10 / 1:1 What was sealed is now unsealed! (Revelation is meant to be understood!)(1-2)
“and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see.”
(As in v. 3,5,7) (Nothing is hidden.)
Λ v.2 “And I saw, and behold a white horse . . .” [This is NOT the same “white horse” as in Revelation 19:11.]
SIMILARITIES:
(1) They both “sat” upon “a white horse”.
(2) They both carry a weapon.
(3) They both are connected with war.
(Revelation 19:11-12 “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. 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.”)
(The rider of this first horse is in the business of looking like Christ, but he is not “Faithful and True”.)
Satan is a copy-cat, and so the important things here are the DIFFERENCES, for example:
Revelation 13:11 “and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon.”
(He looks “like a lamb,” but his speech and doctrine are the Devil’s!)
Remember: Isaiah 14:12-14 “I will be like the most High.” (But there are differences showing!)
“and he that sat on him had a bow . . .” (He is a bowman and a “hunter”!)
QUESTION: Why is the “pope’s” so-called staff “bowed”?
ANSWER: Because he doesn’t have any choice? He has to carry “a bow”!
(Why are Rome’s colors “purple and scarlet”? Why is the number that the beast flaunts, “666”?)
Genesis 27:3 (first time “bow” used in bible) “thy weapons, thy quiver, and thy bow” (Esau’s bow)
v. 5 “And Esau went to the field to hunt. . . .” (He was a “hunter.”)
(Romans 9:13 “Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.”)
25:27 “Esau was a cunning hunter. . . .” (the 3rd time “hunter” is used in the bible)
(“hunter” is used only 4 times in the bible, and is Satanic!)
Genesis 10:8-9 “Nimrod the mighty hunter” (the only other named “hunter” in the bible — 1st and 2nd use)
Proverbs 6:26 (example of “hunt” –always Satanic) “the adulteress will hunt. . . .”
v. 32 (what is actually hunted) “he that doeth it destroyeth his own soul.”
Revelation 18:13 (What the “whore” deals in) “. . . and souls of men”
QUESTION: Why does the “pope” hold up his hand with his first two fingers extended together and curved?
ANSWER: He is making the sign of the bowman, or the “bow hunter.”
QUESTION: Why does the “pope” go around making the sign of the bowman in front of everybody?
ANSWER: I’m sure he thinks his mystery antics are cool, but the truth is, he doesn’t have any choice!
[A hunter/bowman carries a bow: a warrior carries a sword.]
Joshua 5:13-15 The Lord came for this battle against Jericho, “with his sword drawn.” (See Heb 2:10 for “captain.”)
Revelation 2:12 “These things saith he that hath the sharp sword with two edges. . . .” (and no bow)
“and a crown was given unto him . . .” (Observe the DIFFERENCES:)
(1) The “pope” wears only one crown, whereas the Lord wears many!
19:12 “and on his head were many crowns.” (Only the Lord God can wear many crowns.)
(2) The “pope’s” crown is given to him, but no one gives the Lord his crown!
“and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.” (The papal system, as any Satanic system, will always bring “war”.
(This reveals 1,700 years of history: the “pope” going forth “conquering, and to conquer.” ( the “crusades,” “conquering the world for Christ,” capturing Jerusalem, “suppressing heresy,” WW II, etc.)
[Yes, I know about the “Bilderburgers,” “Illuminatti,” and “Skull & Bones,” but did you forget that “the woman” rides the beast? – Revelation 17]
“. . . and to conquer” indicates literally the pope’s INTENTION to conquer, although he wasn’t always successful, as in the case of England, initially, or Vietnam, for example.)
QUESTION: How can it be said, “The Pope is a man of peace.”?
ANSWER: For several reasons:
(1) The “pope” is a the world’s lead politician, and like politicians, generally, he is an expert at appearing to want peace while he maneuvers for war. (This has been done by the popes a thousand times throughout history!) The Lord is perfectly honest and up front about revealing that when he comes he also will bring “war” but, unlike the rider of the white horse in Revelation 6, the Lord will do so “in righteousness” – Revelation 19:11.
(2) “Trying to obtain peace” without first having righteousness is a pipe dream that will never succeed, enabling the popes to make the claim of working for peace for ever (until they own and control everything and everybody, or until the Lord destroys their reign, whichever comes first. – see: Revelation 17:16.)
(3) “Striving for peace” is the classic excuse used by tyrants to destroy liberty and set up a totalitarian police state.
See: Daniel 8:25 “and by peace shall destroy many”.
(4) Satan, as the “god of this world”, owns the news media, and covers for the “pope,” showing him in the best possible light, as for all of Satan’s politicians and henchmen (George Bush, Hillary Clinton, etc.)
(5) The “popes” keep up appearances of being “peaceful” by sending others to do their “conquering” for them
(like mob bosses who order someone’s execution without having to get up from the dinner table).
DIFFERENCES (between the rider of the first white horse and the second):
(1) The first has “a bow” and no mention of any arrows. The second has “a sword”.
(2) The first has “a crown”. The second has “many crowns”.
(3) The first’s crown “was given unto him”. Not so with the second.
(4) The first comes forth as a result of opening a seal. The second comes out of heaven.
(5) The second “was called Faithful and True”. The first was not.
(6) The first goes “forth conquering, and to conquer”. It is said of the second that “in righteousness he doth judge and make war.”
(7) The second has eyes “as a flame of fire”. No such thing is said of the second.
(8) The second “had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself”.
[SEAL #2] v. 3 “And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, Come and see.”
(This is a revealing!)
v. 4 “And there went out another horse that was red . . .” (By the rule of “first use,” “red” does not bode well:)
Genesis 25:25 “And the first came out red, all over like an hairy garment; and they called his name Esau.”
(See again: Romans 9:13 “Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.”)
v. 30 (the second use) “And Esau said to Jacob, Feed me, I pray thee, with that same red pottage; for I am faint: therefore was his name called Edom.”
(1) The “red pottage” is what Esau exchanged for his birthright.
(2) The “Edomites” were held as accursed by the Lord, as far as I know, forever.
(3) Satan, or the “dragon”, appears in “red”.
Revelation 12:3 “And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon. . . .”
“and power was given to him that sat thereon . . .”(see 6:8; 13:5,7; 16:8) (He does not have this power of himself.)
Job 1:12 “all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand.” (given to Satan)
2:6 (“Behold he is in thine hand; but save his life.” The Lord grants and limits the power of Satan.)
Matthew 28:18 “And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.”
10:1 “And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits. . . .”
(Pilate did not understand this truth, and was corrected by the Lord in the matter.)
John 19:10-11 “Then saith Pilate unto him, Speakest thou not unto me? knowest thou not that I have power to crucify thee, and have power to release thee? Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above. . . .” [Now, read verse 4 again from the beginning.]
“to take peace from the earth . . .” (This is what naturally follows after going “forth conquering, and to conquer”.)
Luke 12:51 “Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division. . . .”
1st Thessalonians 5:3 “For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.”
THINK: What would be the circumstances under which they will all say, “Peace and safety”?
Jeremiah 6:13-14 “saying, Peace, peace, when there is no peace.” (repeated in 8:11)
“and that they should kill one another . . .”
[Have you thought about that? Satan doesn’t kill us directly: we do it to each other under his bidding.]
Exodus 20:13 “Thou shalt not kill.”
“and there was given unto him a great sword.” [He doesn’t have this himself: it must be “given unto him”.]
Matthew 24:6 “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.”
[SEAL #3] v. 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 . . .” (The word black is used only three times in the New Testament.)
[Observe the first use of the word “black” in the old and new testament: they are both associated with “hair”.]
OLD (1st use): Leviticus 13:31 “And if . . . it be not in sight deeper than the skin, and that there is no black hair in it; then the priest shall shut up him that hath the plague of the scall seven days. . . .”
NEW (1st use): “Matthew 5:36 “Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black.”
OLD (3rd use): 1st Kings 18:45 “And it came to pass in the mean while, that the heaven was black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. And Ahab rode, and went to Jezreel.”
[The color “black” has to do with “the face of the sky”, which is related to the “signs of the times” in Matthew 16:3]
NEW (3rd use) Revelation 6:12 “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. . . .”
“and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand.”
(A “pair of balances” is just one ‘balance,” like a “pair of scissors” or a “pair of pants.”)
[In history, until today, a balance is used to symbolize judgment or equity, but probably not in this case; rather the representation is simply that an accurate means will be needed to buy food (“wheat” or “barley”) because it will be scarce and therefore very valuable! The context of this verse makes this clear.]
v. 6 [This verse reveals what naturally follows with war: inflation, shortage, deprivation, and hunger.]
“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 . . .”
[It might be supposed that this verse is forecasting prices will finally come down on food, but this is clearly not so.]
CONSIDER these facts: (I’m holding the bible as a reference point, instead of ourselves and our culture.)
(1) In the bible “a penny” is of considerable value:
(a) It is a day’s pay. (Matthew 20:2)
(b) It is of sufficient value as to serve as “tribute”. (Matthew 22:19) (Under the rampant inflation of the American “federal reserve” so-called “dollar,” a penny is worth so little that the copper in it is worth more than 1/100 of a “dollar,” and we consider the “penny” as virtually worthless. If we use America’s present day bankrupt “money” system as a standard for understanding in the bible, we will miss the point being made here.)
(2) There will be “famine” in the last days (Matthew 24:7 and Revelation 18:8) and “hunger” (6:8).
(3) It will take a day’s pay just to buy a handful of grain to survive on for a day, if you’re lucky.
“and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine.” (In other words, be careful with them, because they are very valuable!)
[SEAL #4] v. 7 “And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see.”
v. 8 [This verse reveals what naturally follows with hunger: “Death”.]
“And I looked, and behold a pale horse . . .” (There is only this one use of the word, “pale” in the new testament.)
(There is only one use of the word, “pale” in the old testament:)
Isaiah 29:22 “Therefore thus saith the Lord, who redeemed Abraham, concerning the house of Jacob, Jacob shall not now be ashamed, neither shall his face now wax pale.”
[The word “pale” is here associated with shame, possibly as in shame because of destitution or want.]
See: Jeremiah 30:6 “Ask ye now, and see whether a man doth travail with child? wherefore do I see every man with his hands on his loins, as a woman in travail, and all faces are turned into paleness?”
[These are not happy days!] (The word, “paleness” is used only once in the bible.)
“and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him.” (Naturally!)
(This gives the clue that the above things, as with the different horse riders, also follow “with”.)
“And power was given unto them . . .” [As before, it is not of their own power to be able to destroy so wonderfully.]
“over the fourth part of the earth . . .” [I understand this to mean “25% of the earth’s population throughout the world.”]
“to kill with sword [see 6:4], and with hunger [6:6], and with death [personified above in this same verse] . . .”
“and with the beasts of the earth.” (see: Foxe’s Book of Martyrs)
[SEAL #5] v. 9 [Verses 9-11 of John’s vision are necessarily an allegory.] “And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held . . .”
[While many religious persons use this verse as literal, for a proof-text to show that the dead aren’t really dead; the point of this allegory is to show that:
(1) born again Christians are “slain for the word of God and for the “testimony” of Jesus Christ,
(See: Revelation 1:9 “. . . John . . . was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.” (You recall that they would not be able to kill John – John 21:22-23.)
(2) which really proves that there is no “pre-tribulation rapture,” and,
(3) although they are dead, the Lord has not forgotten them,
(4) nor is he unconscious of the offense of their murder.]
v. 10 “And they cried with a loud voice, saying . . .”
[This is true in the Lord’s ears because they are his friends that were killed.]
(Example: Genesis 4:10 “The voice of thy brother’s blood crieth unto me from the ground.”)
QUESTION: Did Abel’s blood literally cry unto the Lord?
QUESTION: If you can understand that blood didn’t literally cry why couldn’t you understand that the dead martyrs didn’t either?
QUESTION: If you say John “saw” these souls, so they have to be literal in the scientific sense, then what do you have to say about the fact that John “saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns”? – 17:3
QUESTION: Why am I bothering to make these arguments?
ANSWER: Because I am not willing to make the bible contradict itself in order to please anyone’s religion.
(Ecclesiastes 9:4-6,10 “the dead know not anything . . . for there is no . . . knowledge . . . in the grave. . . .”)
(Psalm 146:3-4 “. . . in that very day his thoughts perish.” This is doctrine.)
“How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?”
[The blood of the saints cries out for vengeance to the Lord who told us not to get vengeance for ourselves.]
(Romans 12:19 “Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.”)
(As the mob was about to murder Stephen, do you remember that the Lord was seen of him“standing”?)
(Acts 7:51-56 “But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God. . . .”) (You are told of this twice here!)
(Compare this with:
Mark 16:19 “So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God.”
Luke 22:69 “Hereafter shall the Son of man sit on the right hand of the power of God.”
Colossians 3:1 “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.”
Hebrews 1:3 “Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high. . . .”
10:12 “But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God. . . .”)
QUESTION: Can you picture the Lord sitting in the throne of his glory?
Psalm 110:1 “The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.”
John saw the Lord there – Revelation 4:2.
QUESTION: Can you picture the Lord sitting in his throne while they stoned Stephan?
(I can’t picture it because I know for a fact he wasn’t sitting!)
(When your time of persecution, torture, and death comes; Satan will want you to think that if the Lord cared about you, he wouldn’t let it happen; and so therefore, he doesn’t care.)
v. 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 . . .”
QUESTION: What does it mean, “rest yet for a little season”: “Kick back on the sofa for a while and drink a coke.” or “Relax and read a magazine.” like while you’re waiting at the dentist’s office?
ANSWER: It’s an allegory and, in other words, they’re just going to stay dead until the time comes for the Lord to rise and do his work.
“until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.”
[In other words, even at this late date, the killing of the Christians isn’t over yet!)
[SEAL #6] v. 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 . . .”
Luke 21:11 “And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.”
v. 25 “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. . . .”
(Read Luke 21:11-36.)
v. 13 “And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth . . .” [The “stars” here are angels, and this “heaven” is “the third heaven” or “kingdom of heaven” – 2nd Corinthians 12:2]
[For “stars”, see: Revelation 1:20; 12:4; etc., compare 9:1 with 20:1]
“even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind.”
v. 14 “And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together . . .”
[There are three heavens: this is referring to the first heaven, the “firmament” or “vault of the sky,” and/or possibly the “universe of the stars,” but obviously NOT the “kingdom of heaven”.]
“and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.”
v. 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;”
v. 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:”
v. 17 “For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?”
(Remember when they were saying, “Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?”?)
[Chapter 7 is almost an interlude of sorts.] (It provides a break from the holocausts prophesied under the four horsemen.)
7:1 “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.”
(This is “the calm before the storm”!)
QUESTION: If it is the Lord’s purpose to create an effect on earth by the stopping of Earth’s wind, what could be done prior to that to accentuate the effect?
ANSWER: Cause the wind to blow more than ever prior to this. (Look at what we read about from Luke under the 6th seal above: “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. . . .” – Luke 21:25 (again)
QUESTION: What causes “the sea and the waves” to roar?
ANSWER: Only one thing, the wind!
v. 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,”
[Four angels of God have orders, and are empowered of the Lord, to attack planet earth, but this is temporarily put on hold, for a specific purpose.]
v. 3 “Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.” (The focus shifts, as we get a revealing of what must be done first, and what’s in it for the Lord.)
[Let’s look at the word, and the concept of, a “seal”.]
John 3:33 “He that hath received his testimony hath set to his seal that God is true.”
[You have given your stamp of approval and agreement thereto, as in saying, “Amen”.]
Romans 4:11 “And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed unto them also. . . .”
[This “seal” is defined as a “sign”. (It was cast aside later. – Galatians 6:15, etc.)]
1st Corinthians 9:2 “If I be not an apostle unto others, yet doubtless I am to you: for the seal of mine apostleship are ye in the Lord.” [Proof of authenticity, as wine bottles are sealed.]
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.” [As it were, “secured” by seven seals.]
Revelation 22:10 “And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand.” [As it were, to “lock up” by a seal.]
v. 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.”
v. 5 “Of the tribe of Juda were sealed twelve thousand . . . Reuben . . . Gad . . .”,
v. 6 “. . . Aser . . . Nepthalim . . . Manasses . . .”
(Manasses, Jacob’s grandson through Joseph, replaced Dan.)
v. 7 “. . . Simeon . . . Levi . . . Issachar . . .”
v. 8 “. . . Zabulon . . . Joseph . . . Benjamin. . . .”
Λ COMPARE verses 5- 8 above with Genesis 49. (The names are not the same, neither is the order of the names.)
v. 3 Reuben
v. 5 Simeon and Levi
v. 8 Judah,
(v. 9 “Judah is a lion’s whelp”)
(v. 10 “The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.”)
v. 13 Zebulun
v. 14 Issachar
v. 16 Dan
(v. 17 “Dan shall be a serpent by the way. . . .”)
v. 19 Gad
v. 20 Asher
v. 21 Naphtali
v. 22 Joseph
v. 27 Benjamin
v. 28 “All these are the twelve tribes of Israel. . . .”
NOTES:
(1) Jacob, in Genesis 49, orders the names according to when they were born; but God does not.
(Judah is put first.)
(2) Manasses is not one of Jacob’s twelve sons, but a grandson through Joseph.
(Genesis 41:51 “And Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh: For God, said he, hath made me forget all my toil, and all my father’s house.)
(3) The tribe of Dan has been eliminated from the twelve tribes and replaced by Manasses, just as Judas Iscariot was eliminated from the twelve apostles and replaced by Paul.
(4) In Moses’ blessing of the tribes of Israel, it was said, “Dan is a lion’s whelp. . . .” (Deuteronomy 33:1,22)
(This is exactly what Jacob said of Judah, about Judah, in Genesis 49:9, so that we see the tribe of Dan, which was rejected by God for its wickedness, being, in a way, “like” the tribe of Judah, which it tries to impersonate, just as the white horse rider of Revelation 6:2 is “like,” and tries to impersonate, the white horse rider of Revelation 19:11.)
(5) The tribe of Dan resurrected the “mystery Babylon” religion within Israel, which is the forerunner of the idolatry and perversion of Catholicism, described in Judges 17 & 18 (See: Revelation 17 & 18.)
(See: “Catholicism” file.)
v. 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;” [The people of v. 9 are not the same as the people of vs. 3-8.] (Look at the differences.)
(1) The first people are numbered: the second are without number.
(2) The first are descendants of Jacob, genetically speaking: the second are not.
(3) The first are apparently only male and “virgins”: the second are in this respect simply ordinary.
(Revelation 14:1-4 “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. * * * These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins.”
(4) The first sing a song before the throne which the second cannot learn.
(Revelation 14:3 “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.”
(5) The first “follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth”, which is not said, in so many words, of the second.
(Revelation 14:4 “These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth.”
QUESTION: Is the second group sealed?
John 6:27 “Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.”
2nd Corinthians 1:22 “Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.”
[This sealing is associated with the giving of the Holy Spirit in a promissary contract.]
Ephesians 1:13 “In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise. . . .” [And again.]
Ephesians 4:30 “And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.”
(Did that answer my question?)
NOTES
(1) Both of these groups are still on earth, just prior to the beginning of the destruction of the earth.
(2) Both are hated and persecuted by Satan and his people. (See Revelation 12:16-17.)
(2) Both need to be sealed to protect them from God’s persecution of Satan’s kingdom. (See: Revelation 9:1-6.)
v. 10 “And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb.”
v. 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,”
v. 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.”
v. 13 “And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they?”
v. 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.”
v. 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.”
v. 16 “They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat.”
v. 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.”
John 4:10 “Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.”
[SEAL #7] (Note: 8:1 takes up from chapter 6, just as if chapter 7 weren’t there. Chapter 6 is a pause in the action, providing time to explain things which are important to God that must happen, but are not themselves consequences of the opening of the seals.)
8:1 “And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour.”
Note #1 “the seventh seal” is the LAST seal.
Note #2 “silence in heaven” (is the calm before the storm, as in 7:1 with the winds held back.)
Isaiah 41:1 “Keep silence before me . . . let the people renew their strength. . . .”
(see: 40:31 “they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. . . .”)
Amos 5:13 “Therefore the prudent shall keep silence in that time: for it is an evil time.”
v. 18-20 “Woe unto you that desire the day of the Lord! to what end is it for you? the day of the Lord is darkness, and not light. As if a man did flee from a lion, and a bear met him; or went into the house, and leaned his hand on the wall, and a serpent bit him. Shall not the day of the Lord be darkness, and not light? even very dark, and no brightness in it?”
v. 2 “And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets.”
“seven angels” (see: 1:20; 8:6; 15:1,6,7,8; 16:1; 17:1; 21:9)
“and to them were given seven trumpets”
Joshua 6:1-24 (It’s all here!)
1st Corinthians 15:52 “. . . at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised. . . .”
v. 3 “And another angel . . .” (used many times in Revelation)
Zechariah 2:3 The only place outside Revelation where “another angel” is used.)
(notice vs. 10-13 “Be silent, O all flesh, before the Lord: for he is raised up out of his holy habitation.”)
Acts 7:55-56 Stephen saw “. . . Jesus standing on the right hand of God. . . .”
Luke 22:69 who normally sits there.
“came and stood at the altar . . .” (the last time we were “at the altar” was in 6:9, and the subject was vengeance.)
“having a golden censer . . .” (Have we seen this before?)
Hebrews 9:2-4 “And after the second vail . . . the golden censer”
(see 8:1-5 “Who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things . . . according to the pattern shewed”)
Numbers 16:46-50 “Take a censer, and put fire therein from off the altar . . .” (see: Revelation 8:5)
“and put on incense . . .” (see: Revelation 8:3,4)
“for there is wrath gone out from the Lord; the plague is begun.” (Exactly!)
(Revelation 16 –the wrath and plagues of God cast down to the earth)
Leviticus 10:1-2 “and offered strange fire before the Lord” (What was wrong with that fire?)
16:12 “he shall take a censer full of burning coals of fire from off the altar before the Lord”
16:13 “that the cloud of the incense may cover the mercy seat . . . that he die not” (see: Revelation 3:4)
“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.”
v. 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.”
“with the prayers of the saints” (is repeated from v. 3) (What are the prayers of the saints at this time?)
Revelation 22:17 “And the Spirit and the bride say, Come.”
v. 20 “. . . Even so, come Lord Jesus.”
1st Peter 3:12 “and his ears are open unto their prayers” (So, what’s the holdup?)
2nd Peter 3:9 “The Lord is . . . not willing that any should perish, but . . . should come to repentance.”
vs. 6-7 Remember Methuselah!
v. 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.”
v. 6 “And the seven angels which had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound.” (“Seven” is complete.)
v. 7 “The first angel sounded, [the first trump,] and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood . . .”
Exodus 9:23-26 “. . . the Lord sent . . . hail, and fire mingled with the hail. . . .”
“and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.”
[We’re going to be reading a lot about a “third part” of things on earth being destroyed by the Lord.]
v. 8 “And the second angel sounded, [the second trump,] and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea . . .”
(See: Matthew 21:21 The Lord said this just after cursing and destroying a fig tree that didn’t bear fruit!)
Exodus 3:1-6,12 This mountain had fire on it the first time it was ever mentioned.
Deuteronomy 4:10-11 “and the mountain burned with fire. . . .” (when the children of Israel showed up)
5:23 “(for the mountain did burn with fire,)” (it bears repeating!)
Daniel 2:35 (Hints of this mountain were given earlier.)
(v. 36-44 for the interpretation)
“and the third part of the sea became blood . . .”
(see Ezekiel 5:1-2 The Lord divided this cursing into thirds also.)
v. 12-15 “So it shall be a reproach and a taunt, an instruction . . . unto the nations. . . .”
NOTE: the term “third part” is used eleven times in chapter 8 and twice in 9, v. 15 & 18
(The Lord is attacking, destroying, and killing a third of Satan’s kingdom! Why?)
Revelation 12:3-4 “And his [Satan’s] tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven. . . .”
(Deuteronomy 32:34-35, & 22 “To me belongeth vengeance, and recompense. . . .”)
(Why “blood?”)
Genesis 4:10 The first time “blood” is ever used. (Who started this fight? Hint: Satan)
Leviticus 17:13 “for the life of all flesh is the blood thereof. . . .” (So, of course, we have blood rites!)
Micah 3:9-10 “They build up Zion with blood. . . .”
7:2 “. . . they all lie in wait for blood; they hunt every man his brother with a net.”
Matthew 23:29-35 “That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth. . . .”
27:24-25 “His blood be upon us, and on our children.” (These murderers cry out for the Lord’s blood to be shed.)
(Revelation 1:5 For 2,000 years the Lord made this blood available, but they didn’t want this blood!)
Revelation 17:6 “And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints. . . .” (They love blood!)
18:24 “And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth.”
16:5-6 “For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy.”
Again: “and the third part of the sea became blood. . . .” (and it’s going to get a lot worse for Satan’s kingdom)
v. 9 “And the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died . . .” (Oh, save the whales!)
“and the third part of the ships were destroyed.” (At the least! Can you imagine what a burning mountain cast into the sea will do for the coastal cities on that side of the planet, not to mention the Dow-Jones averages?)
v. 10 “And the third angel sounded, [the third trump,] 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;”
v. 11 “And the name of the star is called Wormwood . . .” (Not many angels have their names revealed in the bible.)
(see: Judges 13:17-18 “Why askest thou thus after my name, seeing it is secret?”)
“and the third part of the waters became wormwood . . .”
[And a third of the planet’s water supply is fouled. (So much for the “clean water act.”)]
“and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter.” [The news media has never complained in the past and won’t complain in the future when a fourth of the world’s population (Rev 6:8) will be killed as a result of the “Pope’s peace policies” – so they shouldn’t have anything to complain about here, either.]
v. 12 “And the fourth angel sounded, [the fourth trump,] 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.” [The celestial lights are being turned off.] (Last call for alcohol!)
Matthew 24:29 We were warned about this many times before. (and given examples)
As in Exodus 10:21-23 “and there was a thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days. . . .”
“. . . but all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings.”
And again in 14:19-20 during the exodus
Revelation 9:2 It’s getting still darker!
16:10 Lights out! (Do the Christians have light?)
John 1:6-9 (First, what is true “Light?”) “That was the true Light, which lighteth every man. . . .”
8:12 “I am the light of the world. . . .”
Psalm 23:4 “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil. . . .”
Isaiah 9:2 “The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light. . . .”
Luke 2:25-32 “A light to lighten the Gentiles. . . .”
v. 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!”
(The angel isn’t stuttering, there are three “woes” under the 5th, 6th, & 7th trumpets. – 9:1, 13, & 11:14)
[Bad news for the world, it isn’t near over yet, it’s just going to get worse!]
9:1 “And the fifth angel sounded, [the fifth trump, (first “woe”)], and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth . . .”
(just like “Wormwood” in 8:10-11)
“and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit.”
COMPARE with: Revelation 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.” (See, Revelation repeats itself and isn’t chronological!)
(What about keys?)
Remember Revelation 3:7 “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. . . .”
Matthew 16:19 Which the Lord had given away also (to “his disciples” –see v. 20).
18:1,18 “the disciples” (Peter isn’t even specifically mentioned, let alone his “descendants.”)
Revelation 1:18 “. . . behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.”
(The pope’s keys are fake and don’t open anything.)
v. 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 . . .”
Exodus 10:21-22 “And the Lord said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even darkness which may be felt. And Moses stretched forth his hand toward heaven; and there was a thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days. . . .”
14:19-20 “. . . and it was a cloud and darkness to them, but it gave light by night to these. . . .”
“by reason of the smoke of the pit.” (Let’s look at this “pit”.)
see: 9:1 again: “unto the earth” (That’s where the angel came with the key!)
and: 9:2 “and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit.” (like Mount St. Helen)
[The smoke from the pit went into the air and came between the sun and the surface of the earth.]
Isaiah 24:17-22 “he who fleeth from the noise of the fear shall fall into the pit. . . .”
(v.22 is a reference to Revelation 20:3,7 “. . . when the thousand years are expired. . . .”)
1st Peter 3:18-19 “. . . he went and preached unto the spirits in prison. . . .” (Where did he do that?)
Ephesians 4:9 “. . . he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?”
Jeremiah 48:41-44 the same “fear, pit, snare.” (You mean “the pit” is in the earth?)
Ezekiel 26:20 “into the pit . . . in the low parts of the earth. . . .” [Tyrus] (How does this happen?)
Revelation 12:16 “and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood. . . .” (Is this new?)
Numbers 16:28-32 “. . . and they go down quick into the pit. . . .” (This pit has been opened before. –What is it?)
Isaiah 14:12-15 “Yet thou [Satan] shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.” (the same thing!)
Revelation 20:1-2 (the fulfillment) “And he laid hold on the dragon . . . and bound him a thousand years. . . .”
Isaiah 14:9 “Hell from beneath. . . .”
QUESTION: Where does hell go when the earth is destroyed?
ANSWER: Revelation 20:13-14 “And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire.”
v. 3 “And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth . . .” (See, it’s on the earth!)
(See: Exodus 10:3-5 As before, the locusts follow the hail. The Lord sticks with a winning plan.)
“and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power.” (How’s that?)
see: v. 5 “and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man.”
Deuteronomy 8:15 “Who led thee through . . . wherein were fiery serpents, and scorpions. . . .” (Are we afraid?)
(Luke 10:17-19 “. . . I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions . . . .”)
v. 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 . . .”
(This compares exactly with Revelation 7:3)
John 6:27 “. . . for him hath God the Father sealed.” (But what about us?)
2nd Corinthians 1:21-22 “. . . Who hath also sealed us. . . .” (What seal is that?)
Ephesians 1:11-14 “. . . after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise. . . .”
4:30 “. . . ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.”
“in their foreheads.” (The Lord has shown this earlier in a vision:)
Ezekiel 9:3-6 “. . . and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh . . . for all the abominations. . . .”
Revelation 7:3 “Hurt not . . . till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.”
(14:1 “. . . having his Father’s name written in their foreheads.”)
v. 5 “And to them [the locusts] it was given that they should not kill them . . .”
(The killing starts under the next woe, vs. 15, 18 “ by fire, smoke, & brimstone “was the third part of men killed”.)
(Job 1:12 & 2:6 The Lord is sovereign and allows (but also limits) the power of everything he wills.)
“but that they should be tormented five months . . .” (Why should they be tormented?)
Hebrews 11:36-38 “And others [the Lord’s people] . . . wandered about . . . being . . . tormented. . . .” (Pay backs!)
Romans 12:19 “Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.”
(Why should they be tormented “five months”?)
[This period of time is important enough to repeat it in v. 10.]
“and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man.”
v. 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.” (This is essentially a foretaste of the eternal damnation of hell.) (See: Revelation 14:9-10)
v. 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.”
(They are called “locusts,” that come up out of the pit, but they don’t look like locusts.)
v. 8 “And they had hair as the hair of women, and their teeth were as the teeth of lions.”
(They look just like some of today’s generation!) (Who’s imitating whom?)
1st Corinthians 11:14-15 “. . . if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him. . . .”
v. 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.”
v. 10 “And they had tails like unto scorpions, and there were stings in their tails: and their power was to hurt men five months.” (This time period is repeated from v. 5)
v. 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.”
(Devils seem to hang out in ranks, according to their “kind”.)
(Matthew 17:21 “. . . this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.”)
v. 12 “One woe is past; and, behold, there come two woes more hereafter.”
[This five month torment by the “locusts” under the sounding of the fifth angel is the first “woe”.]
v. 13 “And the sixth angel sounded . . .”
[This is the second “woe”.]
and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God . . .”
(Is it “the four horns” talking, or the “voice” of the One behind it? Speculation follows.)
Genesis 3:8 “they heard the voice of the Lord God. . . .” (the first use of the word)
Numbers 7:88 – 8:1 “. . . Moses . . . heard the voice of one speaking unto him from off the mercy seat. . . .”
Deuteronomy 4:12 “out of the midst of the fire . . . ye heard the voice . . . but saw no similitude. . . .”
Exodus 27:1-2 “. . . thou shalt make an altar . . . the horns of it upon the four corners thereof. . . .”
Ezekiel 43:5,15 “So the altar shall be four cubits; and from the altar and upward shall be four horns.”
v. 14 “Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates.”
(1) This “voice”, in verse 13, tells angels what to do.
(2) These “angels” are devils, unless the Lord binds his servants.
(Example: Revelation 20:2-3 “. . . and bound him a thousand years . . . after that he must be loosed. . . .”)
(3) This “Euphrates” river is significant as far as rivers are concerned.
Genesis 15:18 “. . . Unto thy seed have I given this land . . . unto the great river, the river Euphrates. . . .”
Deuteronomy 1:7-8 “. . . unto the great river, the river Euphrates . . . go in and possess the land. . . .”
Joshua 1:1-6 ditto to Joshua
(Luke 19:11-13 “Occupy till I come. But his citizens hated him . . . .”)
2nd Samuel 8:3 “David smote also Hadadezer . . . to recover his border at the river Euphrates.”
(Acts 13:21-22 “I have found David . . . a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfil all my will.”)
Revelation 16:12 “And the sixth angel (same as in 9:14) poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates”
v. 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.”
[For 13 months and 25 hours these four devils are given authority to kill one third of the population of earth.]
(This is, essentially, 13 months; for a total, so far, of 18 months of “woe”.)
v. 16 “And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand . . .”
(1) That’s two hundred million “horsemen”.
(2) Do we take this literally as given, concerning “horsemen”, in a natural sense, and then assume:
(a) that the world has run out of gasoline by this time, or
(b) that the use of horses is a tactical strategy on the part of the Chinese army, or
(c) something else entirely? or
(3) do we understand these “horsemen” as being literally described, but spiritually produced, and that:
(a) this invasion is not human at all, but comes out of the Euphrates river the way the locusts come out of the bottomless pit, or
(b) something else? or
(3) do we take this figuratively, and that:
(a) the description that follows is a stylized description of modern mechanized equipment, or
(b) something else?
and I heard the number of them.” (In other words, he didn’t have to count them.)
v. 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.”
v. 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.”
v. 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.”
v. 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:” (None of this causes the remaining 2/3 of men to repent: they still trust in graven images.)
(Jeremiah 10:10 “But the Lord is the true God, he is the living God, and an everlasting king: at his wrath the earth shall tremble, and the nations shall not be able to abide his indignation.”)
v. 21 “Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.”
(2nd 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.”)
Chapter 10 [This chapter is another pause before the action.]
v. 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:”
Matthew 17:1-2 “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. . . .”
Exodus 34:29-35 “And when . . . all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone. . . .”
Acts 6:9-15 “And all that sat in the council . . . saw his face as it had been the face of an angel.”
QUESTION: What are we being told here? Was this a natural phenomena, or spiritually caused by the Lord?
Philippians 3:20-21 “For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.”
Romans 6:5 “For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection. . . .”
1st 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. . . .”
Revelation 1:15-16 “And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace . . . and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.”
QUESTION: Why might the Lord transfigure Stephan at that time? (just before they stoned him)
ANSWER: Was it not to serve as a testimony against them, concerning what they were about to do to Stephan?
See: John 18:1-6 “As soon then as he had said unto them, I am he, they went backward, and fell to the ground.”
(just before they laid hands on the Lord to take him to be crucified)
ANSWER: They were about to cross a line, and a warning was given them so they have no excuse.
v. 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,”
v. 3 “And cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roareth: and when he had cried, seven thunders uttered their voices.”
v. 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.”
Daniel 12:4, 8-9 “. . . for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end”.
v. 5 “And the angel which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to heaven,”
v. 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. . . .”
[This fact is emphasized in connection with WHAT God we’re dealing with here.]
Exodus 20:11 “For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.”
Psalm 146:5-6 “Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the LORD his God: which made heaven, and earth, the sea, and all that therein is. . . .”
Acts 4:18-24 (It’s common knowledge with the Lord’s servants.)
14:8-15 “. . . turn from these vanities unto the living God, which made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are therein. . . .”
[If Satan can get you to deny a little of the truth, he can eventually get you to deny all of it!]
“that there should be time no longer:” (In other words, Satan and his people are OUT OF TIME!
HINT: Revelation 20:2-7 deals with a “thousand years” in the future coming after this, so this isn’t “time” in a physics sense, or as in “the fourth dimension”.
See: Luke 21:24 “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.”
[It can be understood from this, in Revelation 10:6, that the government of the world by Satan and uncircumcised men has come to its end, it is finished!]
v. 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.”
v. 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.”
v. 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.”
v. 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.”
v. 11 “And he said unto [John], Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings.”
[It isn’t stated directly why John “must” do this but it is revealed by inference in the gospels.
(1) Matthew 10:18 (said to the twelve disciples) “And ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them . . . .”
(2) Mark 13:9 (said to Peter, James, John, & Andrew) “. . . ye shall be brought before rulers and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them.”
(3) Luke 21:9-13 (12) (said to “some”) “. . . being brought before kings and rulers for my name’s sake.”
(4) The gospel of John, doesn’t have this passage, because John has it in Revelation 10:11)!
QUESTIONS: Isn’t John marooned on Patmos?
Won’t he have to get off the island to preach to anybody?
Does he need to be in a hurry to do this?
(See: John 21 (vs. 20-23) “If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee?”
11:1 “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.” (This appears to be inventory assessment, as in “taking stock.”)
(Ezekiel 40:1-3 “And he brought me thither, and, behold, there was a man, whose appearance was like the appearance of brass, with a line of flax in his hand, and a measuring reed; and he stood in the gate.”)
[This measuring of the temple withing the city of (possibly) New Jerusalem (or at least a rebuilt temple in a rebuilt Jerusalem), basically culminates in a giving forth of the reason for its measure in 43:10:
Ezekiel 43:1-10 “Thou son of man, shew the house to the house of Israel, that they may be ashamed of their iniquities: and let them measure the pattern.”]
(Zechariah 2:1-13 (1) “a man with a measuring line in his hand. . . . To measure Jerusalem, to see what is the breadth thereof, and what is the length thereof.”
(Revelation 21:15 “And he that talked with me had a golden reed to measure the city, and the gates thereof, and the wall thereof.”)
v. 2 “But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles. . . .”
[In other words, that part doesn’t belong to the Lord: it belongs to Satan.]
“and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months.” (exactly 31/2 years)
Λ v. 3 “And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.” (exactly 31/2 years)
v. 4 “These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth.”
Zechariah 4:11-14 “Then answered I, and said unto him, What are these two olive trees. . . ? . . . Then said he, These are the two anointed ones, that stand by the LORD of the whole earth.” (Moses and Elijah, no doubt)
v. 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.”
v. 6 “These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy . . .”
QUESTION: How long is “the days of their prophecy”?
ANSWER: The bible tells us: 31/2 years. (We just read it in Revelation 11:3) Also:
1st Kings 17:1 “And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, As the LORD God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word.”
QUESTION: How may years were “these years”?
ANSWER: The bible gives us the answer: again, 31/2 years:
Luke 4:25 “But I tell you of a truth, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elias, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when great famine was throughout all the land. . . .”
James 5:17 “Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months.”
[These two “candlesticks” are “standing before the God of the earth”, remember!]
QUESTION: Where is Elijah buried?
ANSWER: HE’S NOT!
(2nd Kings 2:11 “And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.”)
QUESTION: How about the other “witness” (“olive tree” / “candlestick”)?
ANSWER: Look at the second half of verse 6:
“and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will.”
QUESTION: Consider him who has already turned the waters of Egypt (a type for the world) into blood, and was given power to smite Egypt with plagues?
(You can read all about it in Exodus, or get the abbreviated version from David the king.
Psalm 105:29 “He turned their waters into blood, and slew their fish.”
v. 30 “Their land brought forth frogs in abundance, in the chambers of their kings.”
v. 31 “He spake, and there came divers sorts of flies, and lice in all their coasts.”
v. 32 “He gave them hail for rain, and flaming fire in their land.”
v. 33 “He smote their vines also and their fig trees; and brake the trees of their coasts.”
v. 34 “He spake, and the locusts came, and caterpillers, and that without number,”
v. 35 “And did eat up all the herbs in their land, and devoured the fruit of their ground.”
v. 36 “He smote also all the firstborn in their land, the chief of all their strength.”
v. 37 “He brought them forth also with silver and gold: and there was not one feeble person among their tribes.”
(When Israel was delivered, they didn’t leave poor! – THEY LEFT RICH!)
v. 38 “Egypt was glad when they departed: for the fear of them fell upon them.”
QUESTION: Isn’t Moses dead, and wasn’t he buried by the Lord after Israel passed over the Red Sea?
ANSWER: Yes, but he apparently didn’t stay buried:
Jude 9: “Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.”
QUESTION: Isn’t it a little far fetched to think that Moses and Elijah come down out of heaven to be witnesses in the last days against the evil of this world?
ANSWER: Isn’t it just as far fetched to believe that Moses and Elijah came down from heaven once already?
Matthew 17:1-4 “And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him.”
Mark 9:2-5 “And there appeared unto them Elias with Moses: and they were talking with Jesus.”
Luke 928-:33 “And, behold, there talked with him two men, which were Moses and Elias. . . .”
(Is this more far fetched than fire coming out of their mouths and devouring their enemies?)
(If you’re having a problem with any of this, you just don’t know who the Lord is.)
7 “And when they shall have finished their testimony . . .”
QUESTION: When is that?
ANSWER: At the end of the three and a half years. (Revelation 11:3)
“the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them.”
v. 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.”
v.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.”
v. 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.”
v. 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.”
v. 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.”
v. 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.”
v. 14 “The second woe is past; and, behold, the third woe cometh quickly.”
[Remember, the three “woes” are the last three of the seven trumpets: the “third woe” is the “last trump”.]
1st Corinthians 15:51-54 “. . .at the last trump . . . the trumpet shall sound . . . then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.” (The Lord has power over death.)
(In the short run view, Satan is going to win, and he will kill us. We can’t win against this world, but we don’t have to, and aren’t supposed to: the Lord will fight for us, and he told us, “. . . resist not evil. . . .” – Matthew 5:39)
v. 15 “And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.”
v. 16 “And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God,”
v. 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.”
v. 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.”
v. 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.”