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Book of Revelation

The End of the World as We Know It 5

Every time we approach our study of the book of Revelation, I am going to emphasize that to understand the book, it must be approached in the chronological order of events, i.e., in proper sequence. So far, we’ve seen Christ set the goals that we must pursue to reflect the glory of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit – and how to increase our efficacy in evangelism.

            Then we were able to see the Jehovah’s throne room, the inhabitants within – including the Holy Spirit, elders, angels, Jesus in His glory, and we watched His opening of the ‘7 seals’, which is an overview of coming events within the ‘tribulation period’: (see Part 1; 2; 3; and 4).

            What happens next, is the sounding of the ‘7 trumpets’, which herald the coming of the wrath of God, in the form of partial disasters, (as Jehovah is still trying to draw as many people as possible to come to repentance for salvation), each more cataclysmic than the one before.

            It begins, where we left off last time, (see Rv. 8:2, 3.), where incense was mixed with the prayers of the saints and offered before God:

Then the angel filled the incense burner with fire from the altar and threw it down upon the earth; and thunder crashed, lightning flashed, and there was a terrible earthquake. Rv. 8:5 NLT

            This first trumpet was filled with God’s judgment, to avenge martyred saints during the tribulations. The result was destruction of 1/3 of the earth’s trees, grasses, and vegetation by a deluge of heavenly hail, fire, and blood – exacerbating the famine brought by the apocalyptic horseman on the black horse.

(Note that these events somewhat parallel the plagues God put upon the Egyptians, that precipitated the freeing of the Hebrews from their taskmasters (see Ex. 9:17-26.)

            The second trumpet sounds:

Then the second angel blew his trumpet, and a great mountain of fire was thrown into the sea. One-third of the water in the sea became blood, one-third of all things living in the sea died, and one-third of all the ships on the sea were destroyed. Rv. 8:8, 9. NLT

            More famine, and mercantile deaths – disastrous for the food-chain supply. (This trumpet has been thought to symbolize extreme volcanic activity.

            And the third:

The third angel blew his trumpet, and a great star, blazing like a torch, fell from heaven. It fell on a third of the rivers and springs of water. The name of the star is Wormwood, and a third of the waters became wormwood. So, many of the people died from the waters because they had been made bitter. Rv. 8:10, 11. CSB (see also Ex. 7:20 – 25).

            (The Greek apsinthos is translated as ‘absinthe’. It produces a bitter oil that is poisonous to the nervous system. Also called ‘wormwood’ because the oil was used to kill intestinal worms.)

            This disaster is thought to be caused by a meteor strike.

            Then the fourth trumpet sounds:

Then the fourth angel blew his trumpet, and one-third of the sun was struck, and one-third of the moon, and one-third of the stars, and they became dark. And one-third of the day was dark, and also one-third of the night. Rv. 8:12 NLT (see also Ex. 10:21 – 29.)

            The fifth trumpet sounds of things demonic. The apostle John shares his vision:

Then I looked, and I heard a single eagle crying loudly as it flew through the air, “Terror, terror, terror to all who belong to this world because of what will happen when the last three angels blow their trumpets.” (The 5th trumpet unleashes the ‘first terror’.)

Then the fifth angel blew his trumpet, and I saw a star that had fallen to the earth from the sky, and he was given the key to the shaft of the bottomless pit. When he opened it, smoke poured out as though from a huge furnace, and the sunlight and air turned dark from the smoke.

Then locusts came from the smoke and descended on the earth, and they were given the power to sting like scorpions. They were told not to harm the grass or plants or trees, but only the people who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads.

They were told not to kill them but to torture them for five months…In those days people will seek death but will not find it. They will long to die, but death will flee from them!

The locusts looked like horses prepared for battle. They had what looked like crowns on their heads and their faces looked like human faces…and teeth like a lion. They wore armor, and their wings roared like an army of chariots rushing into battle…Their king is the angel from the bottomless pit; His name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek, Apollyon – the Destroyer. Rv. 8:13 – 9:9 & 11. NLT

            (These demons are proscribed from harming any plant life. So even though this fifth judgment is commencing, the first one must not be totally fulfilled yet.)

            [The ‘eagle’ is thought to an angel, as is the ‘star’ that falls to earth, this angel being wicked – allowed to release ‘locusts’ (demons) against humans who did not accept Christ. Ruled by Apollyon/ Abaddon, God is using the demons to torment the rebellious.

            The sixth trumpet brings death (the ‘second terror’):

Then the sixth angel blew his trumpet, and I heard a voice speaking from the four horns of the gold altar that stands in the presence of God. And the voice said to the sixth angel who held the trumpet, “Release the four angels who are bound at the great Euphrates River.”

Then the four angels…were turned loose to kill one-third of the people on earth. I heard the size of their army, which was 200 million mounted troops…The riders wore armor…The horses had heads like lions, and fire and smoke and burning sulfur billowed from their mouths…their tails had heads like snakes, with the power to injure people. Rv. 9:13 – 17 & 19. NLT

But the people who did not die in these plagues still refused to repent of their evil deeds and turn to God. They continued to worship demons and idols…And they did not repent of their murders or their witchcraft or their sexual immorality or their thefts. Rv. 9:20, 21. NLT

            This army is from the ‘east’, (some scholars believe from Asia), making it separate from the ‘army of the north’ that attempted to invade Israel, but was decimated by God. This larger army is on the march to Israel for the battle of Armageddon, killing one-third of humankind on its way.

            ***The sixth trumpet is humankind’s last warning. There will be no salvation available to anyone once the seventh trumpet is sounded. Still, as you can see from the last Scripture above, there will remain hardened hearts who persist in their rebellion.***

The Second Interlude:

            In this section, God is adding more detail to what has taken place thus far. Just as with the ‘seventh seal’, there is an interlude in heaven just before the seventh trumpet sounds. John’s vision shifts earthward:

Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven, surrounded by a cloud, with a rainbow over his head. His face shone like the sun, and his feet were like pillars of fire. And in his hand was a small scroll that had been opened.

He stood with his right foot on the sea and the left foot on the land. And he gave a great shout like the roar of a lion. And when he shouted, the seven thunders (God) answered. When the seven thunders spoke, I was about to write. But I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Keep secret what the seven thunders said, and do not write it down.” Rv. 10:1 – 4. NLT

            (Some believe the angel to be Christ.) John had readied himself to write down what the angel was going to say, but the angel forbade him. Instead, John was to keep it to himself – some mystery he was privy to, that we do not know…

Then the angel I saw…raised his right hand toward heaven. He swore an oath in the name of the one who lives forever and ever, who created the heavens and everything in them, the earth and everything in it, and the sea and everything in it.

He said, “There will be no more delay. When the seventh angel blows his trumpet, God’s mysterious plan will be fulfilled.” …Then the voice from heaven spoke to me again. “Go and take the open scroll from the hand of the angel…” Rv. 10:5 – 8. NLT

            Thus, the culmination of everything that God has been revealing throughout history, will begin to manifest at the sounding of the seventh trumpet.

So I went to the angel and told him to give me the small scroll. “Yes, take it and eat it,” he said. “It will be sweet as honey in your mouth, but it will turn sour in your stomach!” Rv. 10:9 NLT

            The scroll represents the Gospel – sweet to those who embrace it, and bitter to those who refuse it.      

Then I was told, “You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, languages, and kings.” Rv. 10:11 NLT

            Some biblical scholars believe that the apostle John never left the island of Patmos, and that he is receiving instructions to finish recording his vision of Revelation. Others believe he died of old age in Ephesus – in which case, he would be receiving a directive to preach and teach anew.

            The angel then gives the apostle a new task:

Then I was given a measuring stick, and I was told, “Go and measure the Temple of God and the altar, and count the number of worshipers. But do not measure the outer courtyard, for it has been turned over to the nations. They will trample the holy city for 42 months. Rv. 11:1, 2. NLT

            Forty-two months (3.5 years according to the 30-day months that comprise the Jewish calendar), represents the second half of the tribulation period. The measuring rod is generally interpreted to symbolize God’s protection.

            The Temple of God is seen by some to represent the body of Christ; and the ‘trampling of the holy city’ represents the persecutions set against that body during the tribulations.

            Others interpret this Scripture to refer to a literal ‘new temple’ that will be built in Jerusalem during the first half of the tribulations – after God delivers Israel from the ‘army of the north’, and after Israel accepts Christ as the Messiah.

            Continuing with John’s vision of the ‘second interlude’, (still focused earthward), we listen in on a new revelation from Jesus:

“And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will be clothed in burlap and will prophesy during those 1,260 days.”

These two prophets are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of all the earth. If anyone tries to harm them, fire flashes from their mouths and consumes their enemies…They have the power to shut the sky so that no rain will fall for as long as they prophesy.

And they have the power to turn the rivers and oceans into blood, and to strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they wish. Rv. 11:3 – 6. NLT

            The wearing of burlap by the two witnesses signifies a ‘last call’ to the unbelievers to repent. Others see the ‘witnesses’ as symbolizing the ‘witnessing church’ – either in present time, or in the last half of the tribulations.

            Other interpreters see them to be literal prophets of great power, [also citing that the Bible states that two witnesses are required to corroborate truth (see Dt. 19:15)], and have likened them to Elijah and Enoch, or Moses and John – but they can’t be identified with any certainty.

            Jesus continues:

When they complete their testimony, the beast that comes out of the bottomless pit will declare war against them, and he will conquer them and kill them. And their bodies will lie in the main street of Jerusalem, the city that is figuratively called “Sodom” and “Egypt”, the city where their Lord was crucified. Rv. 11:7, 8. NLT

            We see then that the two witnesses have been preaching is Jerusalem, a city that at that time resembled other cities infamous for their moral degradation. And they are killed by ‘Satan’s beast’. Look too, at the shameful denizens of that city:

Those from the peoples and tribes and languages and nations look at their dead bodies for three and a half days, and will not allow their dead bodies to be laid in a tomb. And those [non-believers] who live on the earth will gloat over them and rejoice; and they will send gifts [in celebration] to one another, because these two prophets tormented and troubled those who live on the earth. Rv. 11:9, 10. AMP

            So, people from all over the world throw a party because these meddlesome prophets had been putting a damper on their immoral and pagan frenzy. However, God is going to have the last word!

But after three and a half days, God breathed life into them, and they stood up! Terror struck all those who were staring at them. Then a loud voice from heaven called to the two prophets, “Come up here!” And they rose to heaven in a cloud as their enemies watched.

At the same time, there was a terrible earthquake that destroyed a tenth of the city. Seven thousand people died in that earthquake, and everyone else was terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.

The second terror is past, but look, the third terror is coming quickly. Rv. 11:11 – 14. NLT

            The resurrection of the two witnesses marks the end of the tribulations. The time for repentance and salvation for unbelievers has gone down the commode.

            Those interpreters who see the two witnesses as a symbol of the church, see this resurrection as a symbol of a post-tribulation ‘rapture’ of the martyred church.

            This juncture marks the end of the second interlude. Next time, the seventh trumpet sounds!

            Goodnight and God bless.

The End of the World as We Know It – 4

To fully understand the book of Revelation, you must start at the beginning, to be able to tie all the events together (see part 1, 2, and 3). In part 3, we saw the apostle John taken up, (in the spirit), to the throne room of Jehovah God Himself.

            Once there, John had a Holy Spirit-induced vision that is both heavenward in place, and future-ward in time – where he sees God on the throne, accompanied by the Holy Spirit, 24 ‘elders’ seated around God’s throne, worshiping Him, and 4 angels worshiping Him as well.

            We also saw that God possessed a scroll with seven seals, containing His plan for the redemption of humankind, but that it appeared that no one in heaven was worthy to open the seals, so that the plan may commence.

            Finally, we examined varying biblical scholastic cases for the concept of a ‘rapture’ of the church.

            In the first 3 parts of our examination of the book of Revelation, we have witnessed the ‘setting of the stage’ for the evolution of events that will comprise the timeline leading up to the end of the world as we know it. Now, we are ready for action…

            Last time, we left off with the apostle John weeping, because no one was worthy to set free the scroll with the 7 seals. Today, we will investigate who is, and the meanings behind those seals. Let’s continue:

…one of the twenty-four elders said to me, “Stop weeping! Look, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the heir to David’s throne has won the victory. He is worthy to open the scroll and its seven seals.”

Then I saw a Lamb that looked as if it had been slaughtered, but it was now standing between the throne and the four living beings and among the twenty-four elders. He had seven horns and seven eyes, which represent the sevenfold Spirit of God that is sent out into every part of the earth. Rv. 5:5, 6. NLT

            The ‘Lamb’ is none other that Jesus Christ. ‘He has won the victory,’ i.e., He overcame the forces of Satan, He emerged as the only sinless person in history, and defied death by His resurrection. In so doing, He became the guarantee for the salvation of humankind. The Son of God is the only one who is worthy to open the scroll.

            The ‘Lion of Judah’ indicates that Jesus is the mightiest Warrior of one of the mightiest of the 12 tribes of Israel, also indicating His Jewish ancestry (see Gn. 49:9, 10). The ‘heir to David’s throne’ points to His fulfillment of becoming the Messiah (see 2 Sam. 7:12 – 16.).

            The ‘slaughtered Lamb’ represents Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. However, now, the seven horns symbolize His Herculean power, while the ‘seven eyes’ characterizes Christ’s amalgamation with the Holy Spirit – resulting in His complete omniscience regarding all things, including the very depths of all human souls.

            Jesus acts:

He stepped forward and took the scroll from the right hand of the one sitting on the throne. And when he took the scroll, the four living beings and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp, and they held gold bowls filled with incense, which are the prayers of God’s people. And they sang a new song…

“You are worthy to take the scroll and break its seal and open it. For you were slaughtered, and your blood has ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. And you have caused them to become a Kingdom of priests for our God. And they will reign on the earth.” Rv. 5:7 – 10. NLT

            The angels and ‘every living thing’ worshiped Him as well – foretelling of Jesus’ return, when all people (even those who rejected Him) will pay Christ homage. The song itself reaffirms Jesus’ worthiness.

            Now, one of the angels calls John to witness Christ’s opening of the seals, which constitute part of an ‘overview’ of a seven-year period, referred to as the ‘tribulations’ (adversities, tragedies, suffering):

As I watched, the Lamb broke the first of the seven seals on the scroll. Then I heard one of the living beings say with a voice like thunder, “Come!” Rv. 6:1 NLT

            Jesus opens the first four seals, which reveals the symbolic ‘four horsemen of the apocalypse.’

            The first rider is astride a white horse – interpreted by some as the Antichrist, (counterfeit christ, man of lawlessness), who is loosed upon the earth in the beginning of the tribulations.

            Apostle Paul also received a Holy Spirit-inspired vision regarding this day:

…that day will not come until there is a great rebellion against God and the man of lawlessness is revealed – the one who brings destruction. He will exalt himself and defy everything that people call god and every object of worship. He will even sit in the temple of God, claiming that he himself is God. 2 Thess. 2, 3. NLT

            ‘That day’ is the day of God’s wrath.

            [Some interpreters see this first rider as Christ Himself, but that is problematic. One: the rider is pictured with a bow; two: he is riding out to conquer; and three: he is nothing like the real Christ, who is later depicted in chapter 9.

            Jesus has never been depicted in Scripture with a bow, but with a sword. Also, He does not need to go out to conquer. He has already conquered death and holds the keys to Hades (see Rv. 1:18)].

            The second horseman is riding a red horse:

Its rider was given a mighty sword and the authority to take peace from the earth. And there was war and slaughter everywhere. Rv. 6:4 NLT

            (Some interpret him to be a personification of a coalition of a great army ‘from the north’ – from countries said to comprise the old Soviet Union and those populated by Islamic radicals).

            The third rides a black horse, bringing with it famine, starvation, and disastrous inflation.

            Finally, the fourth represents ‘death’:

…a horse whose color was pale green. Its rider was named Death, and his companion was the Grave. These two were given authority over one-fourth of the earth, to kill with the sword and famine and disease and wild animals. Rv. 6:8 NLT

            Jesus opens the 5th seal, which is unlike the others, which consist of judgment. Instead it is a cry out for vengeance against those who have killed the saints:

When the Lamb broke the fifth seal, I (John) saw under the altar the souls of all who had been martyred for the word of God and for being faithful in their testimony.

They shouted to the Lord and said, “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you judge the people who belong to this world and avenge our blood for what they have done to us?”

Then a white robe was given to each of them. And they were told to rest a little longer until the full number of their brothers and sisters – their fellow servants of Jesus who were to be martyred – had joined them. Rv. 6:9 – 11. NLT

            Our merciful God gives the world a little more time, to save any of those who may yet make the decision to become His children.

            The sixth seal is opened, and it reveals huge cosmological events:

…there was a great earthquake. The sun became dark as black cloth, the moon became as red as blood. Then the stars fell to the earth like green figs falling from a tree shaken by a strong wind. The sky was rolled up like a scroll, and all of the mountains and islands were moved from their places.

Then everyone – the kings of the earth, the rulers, the generals, the wealthy, the powerful, and every slave and free person – all hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains. And they cried to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of the one who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb. For the great day of their wrath has come, and who is able to survive?” Rv.  6:12 – 17. NLT (See also Joel 2:30, 31; and Is. 2:19 – 21.)

            Before Jesus opens the 7th seal, there is an ‘interlude’ in heaven, within the timeline of the unfolding of God’s judgments upon the unrepentant rebellious. This is the first of three interludes within the book of Revelation – where we get to witness the disposition of the saints during the various phases of John’s visions:

After this I saw four angels stationed at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth so that no wind would blow on the earth or on the sea or any tree. Rv. 7:1 NLT

            No wind? That would indeed require major climactic and cosmological changes.

And I saw another angel coming up from the east, carrying the seal of the living God. And he shouted to those four angels, who had been given power to harm land and sea, “Wait! Don’t harm the land or the sea or the trees until we have placed the seal of God on the foreheads of his servants.” Rv. 7:2, 3. NLT

            Next in John’s vision of the interlude, he describes 144,000 Jewish followers of Christ, (12,000 from each of the 12 cited tribes of Israel) – sealed for salvation.

            John continues:

After this I saw a vast crowd, too great to count, from every nation and tribe and people and language, standing in front of the throne and before the Lamb. They were clothed in white robes…shouting with a great roar,

“Salvation comes from our God who sits on the throne and from the Lamb!” Rv. 7:9, 10. NLT

            Then one of the twenty-four elders turns to John in his vision and asks:

“Who are these clothed in white? Where did they come from?” Rv. 7:13 NLT

            John replies:

“Sir, you are the one who knows.” Then he said to me, “These are the ones who died in the great tribulation. They have washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb and made them white. That is why they stand in front of God’s throne and serve him day and night in his Temple.

And he who sits on the throne will give them shelter. They will never again be hungry or thirsty; they will never be scorched by the heat of the sun. For the Lamb on the throne will be their Shepherd. He will lead them to springs of life-giving water. And God will wipe every tear from their eyes.” Rv. 7:14 – 17. NLT

            This multitude of people are interpreted by some to be all the Gentiles around the globe who have witnessed the rapture of the church, God’s defeat of Israel’s enemies, and the salvation of the Jews by Christ. Thus, they are convinced that Jesus is truly the Messiah. (See Zech. 8:23). This interpretation would require either an additional and / or mid-tribulation only ‘rapture.’

            John’s vision shifts its focus back to the God’s throne room as Jesus opens the last of the seven seals:

When He (the Lamb) broke open, the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour [in awe of God’s impending judgment]. Rv. 8:1 AMP

I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and they were given seven trumpets. Then another angel with a gold incense burner came and stood at the altar. And a great amount of incense was given to him to mix with the prayers of God’s people as an offering on the gold alter before the throne. Rv. 8:2, 3. NLT

            We see that the seventh seal is not associated with God’s judgment. What it does is serve as a preamble to God’s ‘judgments of the trumpets,’ which heralds the coming of cataclysmic events during the tribulations. Next time…

            Goodnight and God bless.

The End of the World as We Know it – 3

In our examination of the book of Revelation so far, we have looked at a general introduction (see End of the World as We Know It), showing us the author, receiver, and the interpretive and literary styles of the content; and we learned how to grow stronger churches by being stronger Christians – simultaneously preparing ourselves for Christ’s second advent (see End of the World as We Know It 2).

            Immediately after John had received the content for the letters to the seven churches, Christ called him up to God’s throne room in heaven:

Then as I looked, I saw a door standing open in heaven, and the same voice I had heard before spoke to me like a trumpet blast. The voice said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must happen after this.”

And instantly I was in the Spirit, and I saw a throne in heaven and someone was sitting on it. The one sitting on it was a brilliant as gemstones…And the glow of an emerald circled his throne like a rainbow. Rv. 4:1 – 3. NLT

            We see then that Revelation is now shifting its perspective both heavenward and towards future events. John is being called up to witness his next divine vision. Jehovah is on His throne, but His visage / glory was so remarkable and transcendent over anything else in the universe that His (invisible) form could not be accurately fathomed by John’s (or our) finite, fleshly vision.

            At this point, we need to explore another biblical concept. This immediately cited Scripture is seen to be, in many biblical scholar’s views, a major example of a ‘rapture’ of the church that delivers the living saints from the wrath of God, which will be poured out upon all unbelievers in the interval of time referred to as the ‘tribulations.’

            The word ‘rapture’ is not found anywhere in the Bible. The first description of this concept has been attributed to an evangelist, Nelson Darby, who preached it in the early 1800s.

            ‘Rapture,’ as it is defined in biblical schools of thought, means to be ‘caught up’ or ‘taken away’ – referring to the moment of Christ’s second advent, when it is believed that He will deliver God’s children from harm’s way that will be manifested during the tribulations.

            How and when this rapture occurs (or not), depends on which biblical camp of scholars is doing the interpreting.

            There are also other Scriptures that are used as proofs of this rapture. One of these is spoken by Jesus Himself:

“Watch out! Don’t let your hearts be dulled by carousing and drunkenness, and by the worries of this life. Don’t let that day catch you unaware, like a trap. For that day will come upon everyone living on the earth. Keep alert at all times. And pray that you might be strong enough to escape these coming horrors and stand before the Son of Man.” Lk. 21:34 – 26. NLT

            Another cited Scripture describing this event is from the Holy Spirit-inspired apostle Paul:

For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the believers who have died will rise from their graves. Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever. 1 Thess. 4:16, 17. NLT

            These two scriptures tell of our Savior, (Son of Man), who is urging us to stay in right-standing with Jehovah, remaining on spiritual alert for Jesus’ return, so that we, God’s children, can escape the fate reserved for those who deny Him.

            So, Christ comes and gathers all of God’s children, both dead and alive, and swoops them up to heaven. Why does He do that?

For God chose to save us through our Lord Jesus Christ, not to pour his anger on us. 1 Thess. 5:9 NLT

Listen very carefully, I tell you a mystery [a secret truth decreed by God and previously hidden, but now revealed]; we will not all sleep [in death], but we will all be [completely] changed [wondrously transformed, in a moment, it the twinkling of an eye, at the [sound of] the last trumpet call.

For a trumpet will sound, and the dead [who believe in Christ] will be raised imperishable, and we will be [completely] changed [wondrously transformed]. 1 Cor. 15:51, 52. AMP

            And Jesus gave us a similar promise that He had relayed to the church of Philadelphia, which we saw last time in (part 2) of this series:

Because you have obeyed my command to persevere, I will protect you from the time of testing that will come upon the whole world to test those who belong to this world. Rv. 3:10 NLT

            I understand these Scriptures above to mean that we, (the children of God), will not suffer the tribulations.

            Let’s recap the sequence of events in Revelation so far: After John gathered all of Jesus’ context for the letters to the church, (regarding how to remain a steadfast follower of Christ), he is taken up to heaven.

            Note: Some biblical scholars interpret the ‘risen John’ as a symbol of the raptured church. They see the church caught up to heaven before the tribulations occur, as a hidden event, separate from Christ’s publicly global second advent.

            Others center their interpretation around an Old Testament prophecy in the book of Daniel:

…another king will arise…He will defy the Most High and oppress the holy people of the Most High. He will try to change their sacred festivals and laws, and they will be placed under his control for a time, times, and a half of time. Dn. 7:24, 25. NLT

            Their interpretation of this description of the Antichrist leads them to believe that the saints will have to suffer through the first half of the 7-year tribulation period, before they are ‘raptured.’

            Finally, there are those who consider the final ‘timeline’ that Jesus sequenced in Mt. 24:27 – 31:

For as the lightning flashes in the east and shines to the west, so it will be when the Son of Man comes…Immediately after the anguish of those days, the sun will be darkened, the moon will give no light, the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.

And then at last, the sign that the Son of Man is coming will appear in the heavens, and there will be deep mourning among all the peoples of the earth. And they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he will send out his angels with the mighty blast of a trumpet, and they will gather his chosen ones from all over the world – from the farthest ends of the earth and heaven. Mt. 24:27 & 29 – 31. NLT

            Those who root their apocalyptic reasonings in these Scriptures believe that the ‘rapture’ will unfold after the tribulations.

            The important thing to understand is that these are the best interpretations that humankind has to offer. What we can know with certainty, is that God will indeed rescue His children through Christ at some specific point in time, and separate them from the stiff-necked unbelievers, whose outcome is thankfully not ours…

            Now that we’ve dug through the ‘rapture concepts, let us return to the throne room of our Creator. John is seeing the face of He who fashioned the universe. As you remember, he can only see God’s glory.

            John sees 24 thrones surrounding Jehovah’s throne as well:

Twenty-four thrones surrounded him, and twenty-four elders sat on them. They were all clothed in white and had gold crowns on their heads. Rv. 4:4 NLT

            These ‘elders’ are interpreted by some as a unification of the church consisting of the 12 apostles of Christ and leaders of the 12 tribes of Israel. They feel supported by the apostle Peter’s instructions to the church elders of his time:

As a fellow elder, I appeal to you: Care for the flock God has entrusted to you…lead them by your own good example. And when the Great Shepherd appears, you will receive a crown of never-ending glory and honor. 1 Pt. 5:1 – 4. NLT

            Others see the elders as angels. I cannot find a Scriptural basis for that.

            John continues his throne room vision:

From the throne came flashes of lightning and the rumble of thunder. And in front of the throne were seven torches with burning flames. This is the sevenfold Spirit of God. In front of the throne was a shiny sea of glass, sparkling like crystal. Rv. 4:5, 6. NLT

            The number 7 often denotes ‘complete perfection’ in the Bible. Thus, we see the Holy Spirit in His complete glory. Some interpreters see this as the completed fullness of the Holy Spirit within the saints. Jesus told us that the Holy Spirit would be with the saints forever (see Jn. 14:16).

These same interpreters see this coming together of John with the unified Holy Spirit as an indicator that the saints are ‘raptured’ at this time, before the tribulations, because they cannot be separated from the Holy Spirit after being unified with Him.

Regarding the ‘sea of glass,’ some interpret it to represent ‘tranquility;’ others claim that when the word ‘sea’ is not used in the Bible to describe a body of water, it refers to a vast throng of people. So, they see this sea of glass as a symbol for the redeemed saints. (Seems a bit of a stretch to me.)

What else does John see in the throne room?

In the center and around the throne were four living beings, each covered with eyes, front and back. The first of these living beings was like a lion; the second was like an ox; the third had a human face; and the fourth was like an eagle in flight.

Each of these living beings had six wings, and their wings were covered all over with eyes, inside and out. Day after day and night after night they keep on saying, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty – the one who always was, who is, and who is still to come.”

            These ‘living beings’ are the ‘cherubic’ form of angels (see Eze. Ch. 1 & Is. Ch. 6.), all-seeing, praising God for His timeless rule.

            This spurs the elders on to worship as well:

Whenever the living beings give glory, honor, and thanks to the one seated on the throne, the one who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before the one seated on the throne and worship the one who lives forever and ever.

They cast their crowns before the throne and say, “Our Lord and God, you are worthy to receive glory and honor and power, because you have created all things, and by your will they exist and were created.” Rv. 4:9 – 11. CSB

            Finally, we look at the beginning of the purpose for John to see the machinations of the almighty Jehovah God – as told straight from the apostle himself:

Then I saw a scroll in the right hand of the one who was sitting on the throne. There was writing on the inside of the scroll, and it was sealed with seven seals. And I saw a strong angel, who shouted with a loud voice: “Who is worthy to break the seals on this scroll and open it?”

But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll and read it. Then I began to weep bitterly because no one was found to open the scroll and read it. Rv. 5:1 – 4. NLT

            The scroll contains God’s final plan for redemption – the Revelation of Jesus Christ. It is written on both sides and sealed, denoting its completeness. There will be no further additions.

            When no one steps up to open the scroll, John begins to despair. But Jehovah did not bring him to the throne room to languish in hopelessness. There is someone who can open the scroll.

            Everything is set in motion. Hold onto your seats. Next time…

            Goodnight and God bless.

The End of the World as We Know It – 2

Last time, we traveled together through an introduction to the last book of the Bible, (see End of the World as We Know It), i.e. The Revelation of Jesus Christ. We learned who wrote it, who spoke it into being, what the contents concerned itself with, its literary style, and human interpretation ‘camps’ that insert their own opinions.

            Today, we begin, in what you could call ‘Christ and the Seven Churches,’ examining what the Bible says, and let the Holy Spirit show us the truth. Let us commence our journey:

This is the revelation of Jesus Christ [His unveiling of the divine mysteries], which God [the Father] gave to Him to show His bond-servants (believers) the things which must soon take place [in their entirety]; and He sent and communicated it by His angel (divine messenger) to His bond-servant John, who testified and gave supporting evidence to the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to everything he saw [in his visions]. Rv. 1:1, 2. AMP

God blesses the one who reads the words of this prophecy to the church and he blesses all who listen to its message and obey what it says, for the time is near. Rv. 1:3 NLT

            The apostle John leaves no doubt that the revelations that he has transcribed, were relayed directly to him from an angel, who was made aware of them, by Christ Himself, who, received them from His Father, and he declares that every aspect of these divine disclosures will, without doubt, come to a complete fruition.

            In addition, we are informed that reading and acting upon these revelations, including making churches aware of them, so that they may act likewise, will bring blessings upon them. In fact, it is the only book of the Bible to make this claim.

            Obviously then, Revelation is not to be feared, but devoured with joyful expectation.

            John begins this process by bringing Christ’s revelatory messages to each of the seven churches, who would be instrumental in teaching them to the laity, and to unbelievers. Simultaneously, Jesus’ dispatch would include individual messages for each of the churches, to help them reach their greatest efficacy. He opens with a general greeting from the entire Godhead:

This letter is from John to the seven churches in the province of Asia. Grace and peace be to you from the one who is, who always was, and who is still to come; from the sevenfold Spirit before his throne; and from Jesus Christ. He is that faithful witness to these things, the first to rise from the dead, and the ruler of all the kings in the world.

All glory to him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by shedding his blood for us. He has made us a Kingdom of priests for God his Father. All glory and power to him forever and ever! Amen.

Look! He comes with the clouds of heaven. And everyone will see him – even those who pierced him. And all the nations of the world will mourn for him. Rv. 1:4 – 7. NLT

            The greeting is from God the Father, the Holy Spirit, and Christ the Son. Jesus is referred to as the ‘faithful witness,’ because He faithfully delivered and stayed true to the testimony of His Father (the Gospel). He is the firstborn of the dead, raised to eternal life, which took place at His resurrection, which facilitated our salvation.

            The Son of God is also the ruler of all the kings on the earth because His name is above all names (see Phil. 2:9, 10).

            We also see that Jesus already loves us, has already removed the stain of our sins with His blood, and has already made us Kingdom priests for Jehovah, wherein we now hold an honor like the children of Israel (see Ex. 19:6).

            Finally, we will be together with everyone who has ever lived, seeing Christ’s return simultaneously, even those who crucified Him. And those who denied Him, will mourn. (This invalidates some religions that claim Jesus returned during WW1 or visited some indigenous tribes in Latin America with a ‘new gospel’).

            With regards to these ‘seven churches,’ they were singled out because they represented specific examples of congregant and / or clerical behavior, that either brought blessings or curses to the churches, in ways that we can ferret out today as well.

            Next, the apostle shares a direct greeting from Jehovah God Himself:

“I am the Alpha and the Omega [the Beginning and the End],” says the Lord God, “Who is [existing forever] and Who was [continually existing in the past] and Who is to come, the Almighty [the Omnipotent, the Ruler of all.]” Rv. 1:8 AMP

            God is asserting His authority as the Author ad Creator of all things – declaring that what is about to be revealed is by His own hand, and that it will come to pass. That He is the ‘beginning and the end,’ means that all things began with God, and that He, and He alone, will determine their final fate at the end of time…

            We will now begin to examine the apostle’s divine visions, which, he received when he was banished to the island of Patmos, (a Roman penal colony in the Aegean Sea, 60 miles from the city of Ephesus), for the crime of spreading the Gospel. John begins:

I was in the Spirit [in special communication with the Holy Spirit and empowered to receive and record the revelation from Jesus Christ] on the Lord’s Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like the sound of a trumpet, saying, “Write on a scroll what you see [in this revelation], and send it to the seven churches – to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea.” Rv. 1:10, 11. AMP

            Note that all the churches were located in Modern-day Turkey.

            John turns around to see Christ as He appears today, in His complete transcendent glory:

When I turned to see who was speaking to me, I saw seven gold lampstands. And standing in the middle of the lampstands was someone like the Son of Man. He was wearing a long robe with a gold sash across his chest. His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow.

And his eyes were like flames of fire. His feet were liked polished bronze refined in a furnace, and his voice thundered like mighty ocean waves. He held seven stars in his right hand, and a sharp two-edged sword came from his mouth. And his face was like the sun in all its brilliance. Rv. 1:12 – 16. NLT

            Jesus’ white hair symbolizes the wisdom of His Father (see Dn. 7:9), the flaming eyes, His omniscience, purity and judgment, the feet of brass His omnipotence, the voice of many waters represents His power and authority to speak for God (see Eze. 1:24); and finally, the two-edged sword depicts His ability to use God’s word to discern the truth (see Heb. 4:12).  

            The apostle is so taken aback by Christ’s glory and majesty, that he falls at His feet, sorely afraid. However, our majestic Savior lays His right hand upon John and says:

“Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last [absolute Deity, the Son of God], and the Ever-living One [living beyond all time and space]. I died, but see, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of [absolute control and victory over] death and of Hades (the realm of the dead).” Rv. 1:17, 18. AMP

            Jesus is saying exactly what His Father said earlier, (Rv. 1:8), where He talks about being the ‘Alpha and the Omega’ – immortal, and in absolute victorious control over life and death and the devil. Hmmm…

            Next, Jesus tells John to write down everything he sees in his visions, be it in past, present, or future time frames. Then, He interprets the symbolism of the stars and lampstands:

As for the mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: the seven stars are the angels (divine messengers) of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches. Rv. 1:20 AMP

            The angels are thought to be literal guardians for each church, and the church itself, (the lampstand), as a source of divine light, illuminating a dark world.

            Regarding the seven churches that Christ will have the apostle write letters of praise or correction to, some biblical scholars feel that they each represent a particular church age in history. But I see no biblical support for that.

            Nevertheless, if it is a ‘correction’ letter, it will consist of an urgent message to get right with Him, before He returns, or it will be too late.

            Christ begins His letters before His apostolic scribe. To the church of Ephesus, He says:

“I know all the things that you do. I have seen your hard work and your patient endurance. I know you don’t tolerate evil people. You have examined the claims of those who say they are apostles but are not. You have discovered they are liars. You have patiently suffered for me without quitting.

But I have this complaint against you. You don’t love me or each other as you did at first! Look how far you have fallen! Turn back to me and do the works you did at first. If you don’t repent, I will come and remove your lampstand from its place among the churches.” Rv. 2:2 – 5. NLT

            He is telling them that they have become doctrinally rigid and ritualistic, rather than a church of love. Jesus is saying that they (possibly we) need to return to our initial love and zeal for Him, keeping Him as our center focus, and repent of all behavior that diminishes that.

            Note that Christ also ends His ‘constructive criticism’ with the hope of a divine reward, for the successful addressers of any wrongdoing:

“Let everyone who has ears to hear listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God. Rv. 2:7 CSB (That of course, would result in immortality).

            Jesus then dictates His letter to the church of Smyrna:

“I know your affliction and poverty, but you are rich. I know the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but a synagogue of Satan. Look, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison to test you, and you will experience affliction for ten days. Be faithful to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life.” Rv. 2:9, 10. CSB

            Christ recognizes their material poverty but assures them that their greater rewards will come because of their spiritual largesse. He recognizes their suffering from persecution, by Satan-inspired Jews who attack the Gospel. Jesus tells them that if they will persevere in opposition to the world’s ways and the short time of suffering it will bring, (symbolized by ‘ten days of affliction’) they will not be hurt by the ‘second death,’ promised to those whose destination is hell. Offering again, eternal life in heaven. (Rv. 2:11)

            In His message to the church of Pergamum (also called Pergamos), He finds a serious transgression:

“I know that you live in the city where Satan has his throne, yet you have remained loyal to me.

But I have a few complaints against you. You tolerate some among you whose teaching is like that of Balaam, who showed Balak how to trip up the people of Israel. He taught them to sin by eating food offered to idols and by committing sexual sin…Repent of your sin, or I will come suddenly and fight against them with the sword of my mouth. Rv. 2:13, 14 & 16. NLT

            Jesus condemns them for polluting their doctrine (alluded to, by Christ having to do battle with the sword in his mouth), against worldly behavior and false religion. He is commanding immediate repentance. The only doctrine that belongs in church is the Bible.

            Their reward for their compliance would consist of spiritual blessings (‘heavenly manna’) and a white stone engraved with a new name. Again, inferring new life.

            Moving onto the fourth church, Thyatira, was a church filled with love, faith, and service, yet they have allowed a so-called ‘prophetess’ in the church, analogous symbolically to Jezebel, the evil wife of King Ahab, in ancient Israel, who, advocated satanic paganism. Our Savior had this to say:

“I know all the things that you do. I have seen your love, your faith, your service, and your patient endurance. And I can see your constant improvement in all these things.

But I have this complaint against you. You are permitting that woman that Jezebel who calls herself a prophet – to lead my servants astray. She teaches them to commit sexual sin and to eat food offered to idols.

I gave her time to repent, but she does not want to turn away from her immorality. Therefore, I will throw her on a bed of suffering, and those who commit adultery with her will suffer greatly unless they repent and turn away from her evil deeds.

Then all the churches will know that I am the one who searches out the thoughts and intentions of every person. And I will give to each of you whatever you deserve. Rv. 2:19 – 23. NLT

            Wow! Jesus don’t mess around with people putrefying His church with unrelenting, unrepentant sin. However, in His mercy, He always shows a better path, and motivates us to take it:

I say to the rest of you in Thyatira, who do not hold onto this teaching, who haven’t known “the so-called secrets of Satan” – as they say – I am not putting any further burdens on you. Only hold on till I come. The one who conquers and who keeps my works to the end: I will give him authority over all nations…I will give him the morning star.” Rv. 2:24 – 26, & 28. CSB

            Well, the ‘Morning Star’ is Christ Himself! (See Rv. 22:16)

            Jesus moves on to the church of Sardis:

“I know all the things you do, and that you have a reputation for being alive – but you are dead. Wake up! Strengthen what little remains, for even what is left is almost dead. I find that your actions do not meet the requirements of my God. Go back to what you believed at first; hold to it firmly. Repent and turn to me again. If you don’t wake up, I will come to you suddenly, as unexpected as a thief.” Rv. 3:1- 3. NLT

            This fifth church had lost the presence of the Spirit because of their ho-hum, incomplete approach to doing church, losing their spiritual juice in day-to-day familiarness with the world. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want Jesus coming for me as a thief!

            Nevertheless, our Savior never forgets those who are doing their best to walk His walk:

“Yet there are some in the church in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes with evil. They will walk with me in white, for they are worthy. All who are victorious will be clothed in white. I will never erase their names from the Book of Life, but I will announce before my Father and his angels that they are mine.” Rv. 3:4, 5. NLT

            Our King of kings moves on to the church where He finds that all they do is praiseworthy – the church of Philadelphia. Praise God for a good and godly example:

“This is the message from the one who is holy and true, the one who has the key of David. What he opens, no one can close; and what he closes, no one can open. Rv. 3:7; (See also Is. 22:22) Note, too, that Jesus has the ‘key of David.’ Thus, He has sole authority over who enters the Kingdom of God and who doesn’t. (Again, see Is. 22:22)

“I know all the things you do, and I have opened a door for you that no one can close. You have little strength, yet you obeyed my word and did not deny me…Because you have obeyed my command to persevere, I will protect you from the time of testing that will come upon the whole world to test those who belong to this world. Rv. 3:8 & 10. NLT

I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take away your crown. All who are victorious will become pillars in the Temple of my God, they will never have to leave it. And I will write on them the name of my God, and they will be citizens in the city of my God – the new Jerusalem that comes down from heaven from my God. Rv. 3:11, 12. NLT

            The testing of the world’s inhabitants shall not come upon the true children of God. (Note that some biblical scholars see that as being a reference for a ‘rapture’ that delivers Christians from the time of the ‘tribulations.’)

            The Son of God wraps up His letters to the seven churches with the seventh one, delivered to a church where He found no redeeming qualities – the church or Laodicea:

“I know all the things that you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish that you were one or the other! But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth! You say, ‘I am rich. I have everything I want. I don’t need a thing!” And you don’t realize that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked.

So I advise you to buy gold from me – gold that has been purified by fire. Then you will be rich. Also buy white garments from me so you will not be shamed by your nakedness, and ointment for your eyes so that you will be able to see.

I correct and discipline everyone I love. So be diligent and turn from your indifference. Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends. Those who are victorious will sit with me on my throne… Rv. 3:15 – 21. NLT

            Jesus is telling this materially minded church, filled with uncommitted ‘fence sitters,’ that He still loves and cares for them. That’s why He’s busting their chops. He tells them to return to the ‘gold’ in His word, pleading with them to open the door to their hearts, because they hold the key; and He can’t come in unless they unlock it.

            What is our Savior telling the seven churches? Is it not to repent, remain righteous, to build a stronger church by building stronger Christians? We must endure our trials as we wait for His return, separate ourselves from the unrepentant ungodly, emulate Christ, stay in the pure Word, and carry the Gospel to as many as we can…

            Next time, we go to the throne room of God Himself! Goodnight and God bless.

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