You are on page 1of 204

1

2
apokaluqiv
ihsou cristou
The Revelation of Jesus Christ
by
Stephen Simpson

3
Outline
I The Things which Thou hast Seen Rev 1:1-19
II The Things Which Are Rev 1:20-3:22
A) Ephesus
B) Smyrna
C) Pergamos
D) Thyatira
E) Sardis
F) Philadelphia
G) Laodicea
III The Things Which must Be Hereafter 4:1- 22:5
A) Rapture of the Saints Rev 6:1-6
1) 1st Seal
2) 2nd Seal
3) 3rd Seal
B) Reign of AntiChrist
1) 5th Seal
2) 6th Seal
Chapter 7 Parenthetical
Sealing of 144,000/Vision of Tribulation Saints 7:1-17
3) 7th Seal Rev 8:1 God’s restraining hand removed from Earth (7 trumps)
a)1st Trump
b)2nd Trump
c)3rd Trump
d)4th Trump
e)5th Trump -1st Woe Rev 9:1-12
Bottomless pit opened
Stinging Demons released
f)6th Trump - 2nd Woe begins Rev 9:13-21
Demons Released
Chapter 10:1-11:12- Parenthetical
2 Witnessess 11:3-12
2nd Woe ends-
Great Earthquake in Jerusalem 11:13-14
g)7th Trump - (7 vials of wrath)
Praise to God Rev 11:15-19

4
Chapters 12-14 -Parenthetical
History of Satans War Against God 12:1-17
History of the Tribulation Anti Christ Chapter 13
Angelic Prophecies, Harvests, Gospel Preached to All Chapter 14
Martyred saints are in heaven/ praise of God Rev 15
3rd woe begins
Seven Bowl Judgements Rev 16:1- 21
1st vial-sores
2nd vial- sea of blood
3rd vial -rivers of blood
4th vial -scorching of sun
5th vial- darkness
6th vial gathering at armageddon
7th vial Hail/ earth quake/ fall of Babylon

Chapters 17&18- Parenthetical


Review of Babylon’s Rise and Fall Chapters 17 &18

C) Reign of God Rev 19:1-22


1) Christ’s Return 19:1-10
2) Battle of Armageddon 19:11-21
3) Millenial Reign of Christ 20:1-15
a) Reign Rev 20:1-7
b) End of reign 20:8-10
c) Final judgement 20:11-15
4) New Jerusalem 21:1-22:5
5)Conclusion 22:5-21

5
Chapter 1

6
Revelation Chapter 1

Verse 1
Bondage and Liberty in one Man
“The Revelation of the anointed Jesus”, the sum of history in this first
sentence! The final “Revelation “or, “un-veiling” of Christ that John
writes of was known of by other disciples. It was laid open to Daniel
and he was told, “But you, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book,
even to the time of the end.” Saul of Tarsus, after being accosted on the
road to Damascus and not having been taught “Christian” doctrine by
men, was also given this final revelation, or full manifestation of
Christ’s kingdom as reflected in his words to the church in Galatia, ”But
when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me
by his grace, To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the
heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood: Neither went I up to
Jerusalem to them which were apostles before me; but I went into Arabia, and
returned again unto Damascus. Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem
to see Peter, and abode with him fifteen days. But other of the apostles saw I
none, save James the Lord's brother.”
Christ searches for those whom he can lay himself bare to. He does
not desire to show himself to those who seek him at church, or who
learn more by reading books on his attributes. He explained to his
disciples that mere knowledge of him does not equate to knowing him
when he warned,” Not every one that says to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into
the kingdom of heaven; but he that does the will of my Father which is in
heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied
in you name? and in your name have cast out devils? and in your name done
many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you.”
Christ dwells in those who seek and worship him, but not with those
who worship Christianity
The finished work of Christ, which has allowed God’s Spirit to dwell
in the saint, has also restored the authority to carry out God’s original
command to man (Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue
it,), delivering all creation from the bondage of the first Adam referred
to in Paul’s letter to Rome, ”The Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit,
that we are the children of God. And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and
joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also
glorified together. For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not

7
worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. For the
earnest expectation of the creature waits for the manifestation of the sons of
God”. The full consummation of creation’s deliverance will not occur,
however, until Christ’s final reign. Just as one man caused bondage over
all, one ordained liberation:
“by the offence of one (Adam) upon all men came condemnation; likewise, by
the righteousness of one (Jesus) came upon all men justification of life. Since by
one man's disobedience many were ordained devoted to sin, so by the obedience
of one shall many be ordained righteous” (Romans 5:18-19)

Revelation or Wrath?
The word translated as “revelation” is one we are familiar with:
apokaluqiv-(apokalupsis), - “the apocalypse”, which our media culture
markets as a time of sensational destruction. For the Christian, however,
it should sound a note of expectancy and joy, as the word is better
defined as “an unveiling” or “laying bare” something that was
previously hidden.
For example, Simeon uses apokaluqiv in Luke 2 when the infant Christ
is presented to the Lord in Jerusalem. Recognizing the Messiah Simeon
proclaims, “For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared
before the face of all people; a light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of your
people Israel”.
In Romans 8 Paul teaches, ”I reckon that the sufferings of this present time
have no weight towards the glory which shall be revealed in us. For the
earnest expectation of creation looks for the manifestation of the sons of God.”
Several weeks ago there was a month long conflict between Israel and
Lebanon. While I gave it some attention, I had no fear because for as
long as I can remember, every couple of years this same conflict erupts
again. At worst, if this was the end, Christ was soon coming to take me.
At the same time, however, I took phone calls from those close to me,
who profess to be Christians, but are paralyzed by the fear that this was
literally the beginning of World War III. Further fueling the hysteria, a
national preacher was preaching a message that this same crisis was the
sign of the end, a prophetic word I have heard at least 3-4 times over the
past 6-7 years at the onslaught of each new Middle East battle.
Unfortunately, the fears of the world dictate to church culture this very
misunderstanding of the book of Revelation. Christ’s true bride
enthusiastically looks towards the intimate consummation prophesied

8
in this book while the “Chicken Little’s” of Christian culture feed
carnality and sensationalism, seeing every conflict in the Middle-East
as Armageddon incarnate.

God’s Word- The Two Edged Sword


Romans 13 compares the opposite reactions of the carnal Christian
and the true disciple when each is exposed to the word of God, ”For
rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Will you then not be
afraid of the power? do that which is good, and you shall have praise of the
same: For he is the minister of God to you for good. But if you do that which is
evil, be afraid; for he bears not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God,
a revenger to execute wrath upon him that does evil.”
Is it any wonder that mankind, whether they know Christ or not, has a
reaction to end time events? Man has instincts and his unrehearsed
reaction is a sign as to which side of the line his soul has chosen, even if
it be unknowingly.
The citizen of a mighty king comforts in that king’s sword as his
refuge, safety, and protection; he claims deep affection for his dread
sovereign. A rebel or traitor of that same majesty, however, trembles
that the same weapon may be the very instrument of his judgment if he
is found out. To one the sword is security, to the other it is judgment.
The differences between our earthly magistrates and God’s divine reign
are vast however. On earth one may fool the king and temporarily have
the sovereign’s sword for protection as the three traitors did in
Shakespeare’s Henry V. Under divine majesty, however, all was known
to the King before creation began- the one who does not know Christ,
yet claims, “Jehovahnissi- the Lord is my Banner” will suffer the same
fate as Amalek.
The very springs of God waiting to surface through his indwelling
Spirit are stagnating underground because the world’s fear of judgment
influences the church. This should not be so. The impending joy and
consummation that will be ushered in for Christ’s disciples should be
moving outward and changing the world. The final “un-veiling” and
“revelation” of our Lord will affect eternity, and our souls will live in
joy unspeakable! We jump, yell and stomp when our team makes it to
the playoffs, yet temper the joy over our infinite future. We marvel at
athletic skill while yawning at Jehovah Shalom. The only valid reason
for our lack of zeal regarding the glory of the end times is fear of our

9
own conviction and a genuine un-belief, possibly even a hope that the
bridegroom will not return. Admit it. There are things to do before Jesus
takes us away. On our wedding night my wife and I sped through the
dark freeze of Northern Wisconsin to get to the bed and breakfast
before midnight of Y2K, and our desire was without a doubt that Jesus
tarry at least till morning. A humorous story, but it has truth. The
church, presently in un-holy harlotry with the world, lacks passion for
its groom. As a bride she is a virgin that fears experiencing the power of
a husband taking her; it may hurt.
We do not trust him but will not face why. We fear being totally
subject to Christ as we know our groom may have something against us
and may subject ourselves to his anger at our infidelity. We would
rather risk hell than acknowledge the scarlet letter on our breast.

Verse 2
Who bore record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and
of all things that he saw
It was this same John, of whom Jesus said, “If I will that he tarry till I
come, what to thee?”, foreshadowing this later vision of which John now
writes. John lays claim to having recorded a personal witness of Christ
in his previously written Gospel using the terms ,“bore record-
marturew martureo” and “testimony-marturia marturia”- the root word
for these being “martuv martus”, which is also used in verse 5 to
describe Jesus.
In our day the term “martyr” is used of someone who dies or is killed
in the service of a cause greater than themselves. The word’s initial
meaning, however, was that of bearing testimony, or witness to
something. As the church progressed and suffered persecution, to bear
witness of Christ became synonymous with death, leading to our
present day use of the word.
The blessing pronounced to the churches in verses 3-5 proceeds from
the full Godhead, further illustrating the completeness and all
inclusiveness of this book. First from the Father in verse 4 (from he who
is, and was, and is coming), then Jesus in verse 5 with the word kai-(kai) a
word translated as “and” or “also” (And also Jesus Christ, who is the
faithful martyr, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of
the earth) and finally the Spirit (and from the seven Spirits which are before
his throne;). This same use of “seven Spirits” to describe God’s Spirit is

10
seen in Revelation 5:6 and in the book of Isaiah, with the prophet
detailing the seven characteristics of the Spirit of God,”...And there shall
come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his
roots: And the spirit of the Jehovah shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom
and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge
and of the fear of Jehovah”
Verse 3
Blessed is he that reads, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and
keep those things which are written therein. Verse 3 contains the first of
seven beatitudes in the book of Revelation. The reading, hearing, and
keeping of John’s prophecy in our hearts will cause blessing, disclosing
intimacies that past prophets like Daniel were told to keep to
themselves: “But you, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even
to the time of the end”

7 Beatitudes of Revelation
Blessed is...
Re 1:3 he that reads, and they that hear the words of this prophecy,
Re 14:13, the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth:
Re 16:15 he that watches, and keeps his garments,
Re 19:9 they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb.
Re 20:6 he that hath part in the first resurrection
Re 22:7 he that keeps the sayings of the prophecy of this book.
Re 22:14 they that do his commandments, that they may have right to
the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city

Verse 4
John’s letter will be delivered to seven actual first century churches
spread throughout Asia Minor, so he pronounces favor and peace upon
the congregations by the authority given him in Christ. Throughout the
Bible the number seven represents completeness, complimenting that
these seven letters to these seven churches also apply to the whole
church at all times. The word translated here as “church”- (ekklesia ek-
klay-see'-ah) had a different meaning to the readers of John’s day than
we have today. When we hear the word, we think of a building or
group of “Christians” who meet together several times per week. The
deeper meaning has roots in two words, ek(ek) - to come out from, and

11
kalew (kal-eh'-o) - to call aloud, or to give or receive a name or title.
When John is addressing the churches he is speaking to those who have
been called out and separated from the world- those called a new name,
with Jesus himself declaring he gives the new name in Revelation 2:17 &
3:12!

Verses 5-6
Finally, John offers praise to his King in verses 5 & 6 when he says,
”Unto him loving us, and bathing us from our sins in his own blood, And
making us kings and priests unto God the Father himself ; to him be glory and
dominion for ever and ever. Amen.” John confirms the Christian’s true
being in Christ:, that we are kings and priests to the Father just as Jesus
is. The apostle surely remembered Christ’s prayer at Gethsemane, “And
the glory which you gave me I have given them; that they may be one, even as
we are one: I in them, and you in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and
that the world may know that you have sent me, and have loved them, as you
have loved me. (John 17:22-23)
Transliterated from the Hebrew into the Greek of the New Testament,
then still again transliterated into Latin and into English and many other
languages, The word "amen" at the end of verse 6 is practically the
same in any language and almost identical to the Hebrew word Nma-
('aman), meaning to believe or to be faithful.

Verses 7-8
Behold, he comes with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also
which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even
so, Amen. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, says the
Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.
The vision of Jesus coming in the clouds is a description of Christ’s
2nd advent, a return after 7 years of tribulation upon the Earth to begin
his reign of 1000 years, a time of relative peace and prosperity which
man will ultimately rebel against (Revelation, chapters 19 & 20). The
Hebrew prophet Daniel saw this event when he wrote,” I saw in the
night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of
heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before
him. And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all
people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an

12
everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which
shall not be destroyed.” (Da 7:13-14, see Mt24:3, 26:63-64, Mk 13:26)
Verses 9-12
I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the
kingdom and patience of Jesus the anointed, was in the isle that is called
Patmos, on account of the word of God, and the testimony of Jesus Christ. I
became in Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a
trumpet, Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What you
see, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia;
unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and
unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea. And I turned to see the
voice that spoke with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks;
John had been banished to the island of Patmos by the emperor
Domitian in AD 95. Returning to Ephesus in AD 98, he probably
outlived all of the other apostles.
The seven lamp stands in this verse are the church(es) of Christ. Jesus
told his disciples that he had to do the work of the Father while it was
still day, and that he himself was the light. He went on to say that the
night would come when no man can work (meaning his death and
departure into heaven). In the night of his absence, the lamp stands (his
church- the body of Christ) are to provide Christ’s light to the world.
”You are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.
Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick;
and it gives light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before
men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in
heaven. “
Verses 13-17
And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man,
clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden
girdle (see Is 6:1, 11:5) His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white
as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire; (see Da 7:9; Heb 4:13; Ps 11:4)
And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as
the sound of many waters. (see Is 52:7; Jer 25:30-31; Ez 43:2; Ps 29:4, 93:4)
And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp
twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shines in his strength.
(see Heb 4:12; Eph 6:17; Re 2:16, 19:15,21) And when I saw him, I fell at his
feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I
am the first and the last

13
The right hand throughout the bible speaks of authority (Eph 1:20)
with the seven stars in Jesus’ right hand being those he holds in
authority- the seven leaders of the seven churches. Jesus holds these
leaders in his grasp and stands in the very midst of his churches. (Da
12:3).
John had seen Christ before in both his earthly ministry and in his
resurrected body. He had not yet seen Jesus Christ in his glory,
however, causing John to fall down before him as dead in verse 17. This
same Jesus who is manifested in the previous verses as the judge of the
world, now lays his hand on his friend and disciple with words of grace
and love,” Fear not; I am the first and the last “
This juxtaposition of Judge and friend, of majesty versus
condescension is manifest in Psalm 85: “Surely his salvation is nigh them
that fear him; that glory may dwell in our land. Mercy and truth are met
together; righteousness and peace have kissed”
Verses 18-19
I am he that lives and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen;
and have the keys of hell and of death. Write the things which you have seen,
and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter;
John has just completed the first part of the three fold commission
given in verse 19; he has written of, the things you have seen (Rev 1:1-19).
In the letters to the seven churches (Rev 1:20-3:22) the second section of
Christ’s commission is complete in the writing of the things which are,
describing the age of the church from his first century until today.
Finally, chapter 4 begins the third part of his commission, the things
which shall be hereafter.
Verse 20
The mystery of the seven stars that you thou saw in my right hand, and the
seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches:
and the seven candlesticks you saw are the seven churches.
Verse 20 introduces us to what is to follow, namely the words that
Jesus has for each of these churches. The seven angels are the persons in
authority over these seven churches. The word used for angel in this
verse is aggelov (ang'-el-os), also translated elsewhere in the bible as
“messenger” (Mk 1:2, Lu 7:24& 9:52, 2Co 12:7) and is used in regards to
the thorn in Paul’s flesh, the spies that Rahab protected, and the
disciples of both John the Baptist and Jesus.

14
Chapter 2
Revelation Chapters 2&3 -The Seven Churches

The gleanings from the words given to the churches in chapters 2 and
3 depend on the reader’s point of reference. At the time John wrote
Revelation these rebukes and exhortations were delivered to seven
actual first century churches in Asia, likely birthed by missionaries sent
out by Paul from Ephesus. When Jesus’ words here are viewed from a
prophetic hilltop, however, scanning the horizon we see the distant
storms of the church’s chronological history unfolding. We must also
read and apply the messages to ourselves as individuals, a balm of
deliverance for our souls, healing the many spiritual maladies we face.
Finally, Christ’s words must also be taken as instruction and direction
to different congregations in the body of Christ today.
Christ prefixes his examination of each of the churches with, “I know
your works” and adds a promise to all 7,”to he that overcomes”; All 7
messages have the same last sentence,” to he that has an ear let him hear
what the spirit says to the churches” shedding light on our current
dispensation: Christ is in heaven, and it is his Spirit on the earth that
dwells in and speaks to his betrothed church.
In chapter one John fell down before Jesus because he had never seen
Christ in all of his glory before. Now, Jesus’ first remarks to each of the
seven churches declare some aspect of his full glory as a cure to each of
the churches’ ails; He, the fully glorified Son of Man, is able to help all!
To Ephesus he says,” These things say he that holds the seven stars in his
right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks ”; To
Smyrna he says,” These things say the first and the last, which was dead, and
is alive”, and so on. The specific trait of his Glory spoken to each church
reveals the solution to each congregation’s specific need.
Jesus’ comments to each church are evidence of the increasing
immediacy of his return as prophetic church history rolls past us:
The Church in Ephesus- do the first works; or else I will come unto you
quickly, and will remove your candlestick out of his place, except you repent.
The Church in Pergamos-Repent; or else I will come unto you quickly
The Church in Sardis- If therefore you shall not watch, I will come on you
as a thief, and you shall not know what hour I will come upon you.

15
The Church in Philadelphia- Behold, I come quickly
The Church in Laodicea- Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man
hears my voice, and opens the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with
him, and he with me.
Note that Jesus says he is coming quickly, not coming soon. The bible
gives no indication as to the nearness of his return, but says when he
returns it will happen abruptly. We are always to live as if his return
was imminent.
Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But he
answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. Watch therefore, for
you know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man comes (Mt
25:11)

16
The Church in Ephesus
AD 33-100-”Thou art fallen”
Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things says he that holds
the seven stars in his right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden
candlesticks. I know your works, and your labor, and your patience, and how
thou can not bear them which are evil: and you hast tried them which say they
are apostles, and are not, and have found them liars: And have borne, and hast
patience, and for my name's sake have labored, and have not fainted.
Nevertheless I have somewhat against you, because you hast left you first love.
Remember therefore from where you have fallen, and repent, and do the first
works; or else I will come unto you quickly, and will remove your candlestick
out of his place, except you repent. But this you have, that you hate the deeds of
the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. He that has an ear, let him hear what the
Spirit says unto the churches; To him that overcomes will I give to eat of the
tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.

At the time Revelation was written Ephesus was the cosmopolitan


center of the Roman province of Asia, and was devoted to the Goddess
Artemis. Being a center of Pagan worship, the city earned much of its
commerce from the manufacture and sale of idols. Paul threatened the
viability of this trade when he preached there in Acts 19. The Jewish
people were established in significant numbers, with mention of John
the Baptist’s disciples being there. These disciples said they had
received the baptism of John, at which point Paul completed their
conversion by baptizing them in the Spirit.
After establishing the church here, Paul birthed the other 6 churches in
Asia using Ephesus as the hub to send out missionaries. After he had
been imprisoned and was nearing the end of his life, Paul wrote to
Timothy in Ephesus, having ordained Timothy as Pastor there, with
John probably assuming the pastorate of the Ephesian church at the end
of Timothy’s ministry. Afterwards, in an attempt to arrest John’s
influence in Asia, Rome exiled John to the island Patmos, where he
wrote Revelation, again returning to Ephesus after his exile.
The “angel” mentioned in verse 1 is probably one of John’s successors
as pastor, with verses 2&3 portraying the church in Ephesus a laboring
patient church, committed to the work of God as evidenced by their
works. Added to their patience were discipline; discernment and trial of
those who falsely claimed apostleship.

17
Sadly, however, they had forsaken love for their bridegroom.
Churches and marriages blossom at first, and eventually yield to
familiarity and callousness. Actions that were initially rooted in passion
and spontaneity may continue, but habit and comfort soon replace
passion as the hearth of affection. The outward actions in each case
resemble love but the latter heart has grown cold through doctrine and
routine.
Jesus prescribes the antidote for this loss of love; remembrance of the
vibrant beginnings and repentance towards the fervent love that once
warmed the house. He admonishes the church, and us, to return to our
first love. Spouses must purpose to restore the love and passion first felt
for one another. The heart must be disciplined to reflect fondly back on
the innocence of youth in order to return, full circle, to a mature tested
love. If not, then Christ’s warning in this verse holds true; the church
will be removed and the covenant of marriage between groom and
bride will be broken.
Opinions differ on the actual historical meaning in verse 6 regarding
the Nicolaitans. It has been said that the word describes a sect of
Christians who upheld the liberty of eating things sacrificed to idols, as
well as a tolerance and promotion of fornication. The result was,
“destruction of people”, a literal rendering of this Greek word. In his
writings, the early church father Clement regarded the Nicolatians in
this manner. Simply defined the word describes an abuse of grace.
Another view holds that this Greek word is a transliteration of two
other Greek words, nikaw (nik-ah'-o) and laov (lah-os'). nikaw means
conqueror, (see Rev 6:2) and laov means people, but is more accurately
translated as “the laity”, bringing us to the whole definition, ”the
conquerors of the laity”. This view on the nature of the Nicolatians
holds that Jesus is speaking against a system of Bishops, ruling priests,
and religious dignitaries which rule the Laity as an upper class.
A third belief, that the Nicolatians were of the deacon Nicolas of
Antioch, cannot be established with any surety, and is simply another
possible theory.
Prophetically the church in Ephesus is the early, post apostolic church
existing from roughly 33 to 100 AD. The phrase used in chapter 2 verse
5 to describe this period is”thou art fallen”. The people of the early

18
church began to let go of solid doctrine and embrace error. Ephesus is a
word which means “permit able”. The doctrine of working for one’s
salvation entered the church early on along with other Gnostic heresies.
The body of Christ lost view of the need to keep their heart right,
allowing righteous actions to naturally flow forth as fruits of salvation.
Instead, these same “good works” were seen as the means of attaining
salvation. The core of this malady, again, is that they had lost their first
love, the love from which right relationship would naturally flow.

19
20
The Church in Smyrna
AD 100- 300 - And Ye Shall Have Tribulation Ten Days”
And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write; These things says the first
and the last, which was dead, and is alive; I know your works, and tribulation,
and poverty, (but you are rich) and I know the blasphemy of them which say
they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan. Fear none of those
things which you shall suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into
prison, that you may be tried; and you shall have tribulation ten days: be
faithful unto death, and I will give you a crown of life. He that has an ear, let
him hear what the Spirit says unto the churches; He that overcomes shall not
be hurt of the second death.
The prophecy to the church in Smyrna foretells of pure faith amidst
unprecedented trial. From AD 100-300 the church of Christ suffered 10
separate waves of persecution from the Roman Empire. The last wave,
under the last Roman emperor Diocletian, lasted 10 years, “that you may
be tried; and you shall have tribulation ten days”. Believers in Christ were
slaughtered en masse for their faith and refusal to deny Christ. Christ’s
word to Smyrna, as well as to the Philadelphia, is free from rebuke and
there is no threat from Jesus to remove this city as he does the others.
Polycarp, a pupil of John’s along with Ignatius, was bishop over this
church when he was martyred in later years. He may have very well
been a young overseer in Smyrna when this letter was delivered from
his mentor on Patmos.
The Greek word Smyrna literally means “myrrh”, an embalming agent
and pain reliever manufactured in this same metropolis. Like the church
of Christ flourishing under pressure, Myrrh released a sweet fragrance
when crushed. The crown of Smyrna rested atop the hill Pagus, around
which were seashore and a great Greek amphitheater. This Turkish city
is today known as Ismar.
At the birth of Jesus, The magi presented gold frankincense and
myrrh. At the death of Christ he was offered wine mixed with myrrh to
deaden the pain of his crucifixion, which he refused as he had to bear all
of our iniquities and pain for our full redemption. At Jesus’ burial
Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea took Jesus down from the cross
and placed myrrh in his burial garments. In the Bible, myrrh (Smyrna) is
often associated with the birth, death and burial of Jesus but not his

21
glorification. For example, in Isaiah 60:6 the prophet is speaking of the
second coming of Christ. The same gifts brought to Jesus at his birth are
mentioned, with the exception of myrrh. When Jesus comes again he
comes to reign; death pain and myrrh have no place,”all they from Sheba
shall come: they shall bring gold and incense; and they shall show forth the
praises of Jehovah...”

To the church in Smyrna, Jesus identifies himself as the first and the
last (vs. 8), a repetition of the glorified Christ’s character mentioned in
Chapter 1. He mentions this in response to this prideful city’s
persecution of the church; Jesus reassures the church that it is he who is
first and last, to keep their eyes fixed on him because the reputation of
Christ has more value than the reputation of Rome. Smyrna prided itself
on being the jewel of Asia, the center of Caesar worship, its coins
bearing the inscription, “The first city of Asia”. The prideful inhabitants
of Smyrna despised the disciples’ simplicity, lack of lavish temples, and
unwillingness to worship the idolized keeper of the Pax Romana (on
this point a Christian was branded as unpatriotic and was subject to
torture). Christians worshipped in homes, fearful of persecution.
This Church’s trials were not transient and superficial. Church
members were alienated by the cities inhabitants, kept from doing
business, and as a consequence subjected to the unyielding pressure of
poverty. Jesus tells the church in vs. 9 that he knows their sufferings and
destitution, that he is companion to them from his own personal
experience, exhorting them in verses 10 and 11 to overcome and be
faithful, laying out for them the promise of a crown of eternal life
confirmed by James when he wrote, “Blessed is the man that endures
temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the
Lord has promised to them that love him.”

The commands given to today’s suffering Christian parallel those


given to this church, “Fear none of those things which you shall suffer... be
faithful unto death” We have often given and received this advice
regarding trials and tribulations, and at times the hope in these words
has seemed to be nothing but the whistlings of a fearful child in the
dark, void of substance and hope. Total reliance on God and not on
man, however, is the true test of God’s being real and able. One will

22
never experience that God is real, present, and practical unless he
abandons all hope in man and turns to God alone as his rock.
”Fear none of those things which you shall suffer... be faithful unto death ”
This impotent and hollow exhortation that man offers to comfort one in
pain, has substance from the mouth of Christ and is the foundation
Jesus lays for our deliverance. He is the faithful and true companion to
our trials and sufferings. Hebrews 4:15 says,” For we have not an high
priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in
all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.”

23
24
The Church in Pergamos
Ad 300 - 500 AD-The Doctrine of Balaam
And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write; These things say he which
has the sharp sword with two edges; I know your works, and where you dwell,
even where Satan's seat is: and you hold fast my name, and have not denied
my faith, even in those days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was
slain among you, where Satan dwells. But I have a few things against you,
because you have them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to
cast a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto
idols, and to commit fornication. You also have them that hold the doctrine of
the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate. Repent; or else I will come unto you
quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth. He that has
an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says unto the churches; To him that
overcomes will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white
stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knows saving he
that receives it.
Pergamos comes from 2 Greek words, purgov(poor'-gos), meaning
height or elevation, and gamov(gam'-os), meaning marriage. The city
had been the Roman capital of Asia for 400 years when John wrote the
book of Revelation. Prophetically, Pergamos represents the church
during the fall of imperial Rome, when it was married to paganism and
was elevated in its influence around the world.
Constantine became the world ruler when Rome suffered its moral
implosion. In 312A.D, after seeing a vision of the cross before his
victorious battle of the Mulvian bridge near Rome, Constantine and his
successors ”legalized” Christianity and made it the state religion,
thereby marrying the church to the state. Christianity was now lauded
and praised. David Jeremiah says, “The persecuting Caesars gave way
to the patronizing Caesars... Paganism was baptized and the church
effectively corrupted...” As a result the Church of Christ was married to
the idolatrous practices of Rome. Pagan priests were ordained into the
clergy, their temples having been converted to churches. Feast days that
pagans celebrated were now made into Christian holidays and the
worship of Pagan deities was transformed into the adoration and prayer
towards our own dead saints. This marriage of the world and the
church is mentioned in verse 14 when Jesus says,” But I have a few things

25
against you, because you have them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who
taught Balac to cast a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat
things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication.” These are the
foundations of the Roman church.
As with all of the churches he speaks to, Jesus begins this letter with a
picture of him from chapter 1 “These things say he which has the sharp
sword with two edges;” This sword, the word of God, is used in Chapter
19 of Revelation to destroy God’s enemies.
In his examination of the church Jesus gives credit to the church in
that they hold steadfast to his name and do not deny him despite being
in the seat of Satan, illustrating their conviction of faith and firm grasp
of doctrine while experiencing Satan’s influence on this city, with
several heresies birthed and put asunder. Writers outside of the bible
acknowledge Pergamos being Satan’s capital after the fall of Babylon.
The greatest altar to Zeus was in Pergamos, along with temples to
Athene, Apollo, and Aesculapius, “the savior of the world”, the god of
healing. This god’s emblem was a serpent wrapped around a rod and
was probably why the city is called the seat of Satan. A thorough study
of the serpent Moses raised in the wilderness and Israel’s subsequent
worship of it is valuable in seeing this demon’s influence on Pergamos
and also on today’s world.
The church is rebuked in the letter for having those in the
congregation who, while holding fast to Christ’s name, compromise and
cheapen the grace of God using it as a license to sin (the doctrine of
Balaam-Numbers 22-29). While the Ephesian church was praised for not
allowing this heresy to form in their church, Pergamos is plainly
rebuked for entering into this unholy marriage with the world. The
hierarchal system between the clergy and laity that introduced itself into
the early church after Christ’s death was solidified in the Pergamum
church, mirroring the pagan clergies’ practices. With Emperor
Constantine’s so called “conversion” to Christianity, pagan priest’s
payrolls were threatened, so they hurried to their baptisms, converted
pagan temples to churches, and replaced pagan deities with saints.
Instead of worshipping an important pagan goddess, these priests could
now claim legitimacy by revering and bowing down to Mary, ”the
Mother of God” in similar ceremonies. Paul warns of this unholy
marriage with the world in 2Cor 6:14-18”Be not unequally yoked together
with unbelievers: for what fellowship has righteousness with unrighteousness?

26
And what communion have light with darkness. And what concord have
Christ with Belial? Or what part has he that believeth with an infidel? And
what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the
living God; as God has said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will
be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among
them, and be separate, says the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I
will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and you shall be my sons and
daughters, says the Lord Almighty”.
Jesus’ final word to Pergamos is that they overcome this compromised
church. In overcoming the temptation to resemble the world, they will
be given hidden manna and a white stone with a new name. In ancient
courts of law, when a man was acquitted of a crime a white stone was
cast to proclaim the innocence of the accused, a black stone to convict.
The disciple of Christ is tempted on a daily basis to live out his faith in
a corrupt world. The thought occurs, at times, to present the gospel in a
way that appeals to the world and is palatable to it. If a person
embraces this palatable gospel, he marries a compromised gospel. He
has a distorted image of Christ and may be firm and steadfast to a false
faith. The true believer is to hold fast to teachings in the word of God,
and question all beliefs in regard to Christ. Hidden manna and
revelation can then be entrusted to him without fear of misuse, and he
may dwell with God on earth.

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 will make your belly bitter, but it
shall be in your mouth sweet as honey. 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. And he said unto me, you must
prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings.- Rev
10:9-11

27
28
The Church in Thyatira
500-1500AD-Thou Sufferest that Woman Jezebel,
And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write; These things say the Son
of God, who has eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet like fine brass; I
know your works, and charity, and service, and faith, and your patience, and
your works; and the last to be more than the first. Notwithstanding I have a
few things against you, because you suffer that woman Jezebel, who calls
herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication,
and to eat things sacrificed unto idols. And I gave her space to repent of her
fornication; and she repented not. Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them
that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their
deeds. And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know
that I am he who searches the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one
of you according to your works. But unto you I say, and unto the rest in
Thyatira, as many as have not this doctrine, and which have not known the
depths of Satan, as they speak; I will put upon you no other burden. But that
which you have already hold fast till I come. And he that overcomes, and keeps
my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: And he shall
rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to
shivers: even as I received of my Father. And I will give him the morning star.
He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says unto the churches.
As church history progresses in chapters 2&3, so do idolatry and
immorality in the body of Christ. The Thyatiran period describes the
rise to power of the Roman church begun under the Pergamos church.
Jezebel, the pagan wife of Israel’s King Ahab, did everything she could
to come against God’s chosen people. She persuaded Ahab to build a
temple to her Pagan god (Astarte) and promoted Astarte’s worship
while fearful Ahab did nothing. She supported 800 priests in this cult of
prostitution, using the cult as a means to kill the prophets of Israel.
Likewise, the powerful Roman church’s system sought to rule the
nations and became the real power behind the thrones of Europe. The
word of God was closed to the laity and it was taught that only the
priests had the special revelation to understand God’s will on earth. As
a result of the word of God being removed, the Dark Ages came upon

29
us. This was the time of inquisitions and plagues, lawful slaughter in the
name of Christ (the crusades), and the impartial torture of any who
stood against this apostate church’s authority.
Speaking to Thyatira in verse 18, Jesus refers back to specific aspects
of his glorified nature mentioned in chapter 1. In dealing with Thyatira
he identifies himself as the Son of God, who has his eyes like unto a flame of
fire, and his feet are like fine brass. This speaks to his authority over all
things, and his judgment.
It is obvious from verse 19 that this was an active church, busy doing
the work of God, loving and serving others in increasing amounts.
Unlike the Ephesian church this church maintained its first love to
Christ. The Ephesian church, however, maintained discernment and
discipline, while it is revealed in verse 20 that Thyatira did not. The crux
of the problem was that it was an unholy church. The introduction of
evil into the church via leadership is fundamental to both the historic
and the prophetic Thyatira (the Roman church). Ruled by a false
prophetess, the church’s leadership justified it’s immorality by
portraying itself as deeper and more spiritual than the other “lay”
Christians who just didn’t understand the deep things of God. Jesus
speaks of this depth being Satanic in nature in verse 24.
The prophecies given from verse 21 to 23 are a description of the dark
ages. The dark ages are the result of Pagan worship ensnaring the
church. We see the woman Jezebel here being a prophetic type of
“Mother Mary”, whose adoration reached and still maintains deified
proportions. These worshippers of Mary (and other saints) are the
spiritual “fornicators” mentioned in verses 22-24. Verse 24 refers to
those who truly loved Christ and didn’t enter into her corruption
during these ages. Many were put to death by the false church, but Jesus
reassures them that he will not judge the pure as he will the corrupt. He
simply tells the pure in heart it is enough that they not to do as the
idolaters, “But unto you I say, and unto the rest in Thyatira, as many as have
not this doctrine, and which have not known the depths of Satan, as they speak;
I will put upon you no other burden”
The Thyatiran Christian of today is the one who has a genuine love
for others and serves them. Inside, however he believes he knows better
and has a more perfect knowledge of God than others. He has difficulty
being ministered to yet has a strong desire to minister. Often he is seen
worshipping the more sensuous aspects of Christianity (love, grace, and

30
service to others) while ignoring instruction from someone else on
disciplining himself in areas of immorality in his own life. The spiritual
fornication committed is thus: while saying he has eyes for only Jesus,
he pursues and forges an idol made of Christ’s character (love, service,
depth of spirit, etc). He will not let go of these character traits so that he
may cling to their author. Instead, of KNOWING CHRIST and
experiencing the power and authority of a direct relationship with him,
he KNOWS ABOUT CHRIST, as from a book and tries to emulate him
in his own strength.
“Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the
other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I
thank you, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or
even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.
And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto
heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. I
tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for
every one that exalts himself shall be abased; and he that humbles himself shall
be exalted” (Luke 18:10-14).

31
32
The Church in Sardis
Ad 1500-1700- A Name but Dead
And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things says he that has
the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know your works, that you have
a name that you live, and are dead. Be watchful, and strengthen the things
which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found your works perfect
before God. Remember therefore how you have received and heard, and hold
fast, and repent. If therefore you shall not watch, I will come on you as a thief,
and you shall not know what hour I will come upon you. You have a few
names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall
walk with me in white: for they are worthy. He that overcomes, the same shall
be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of
life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels. He
that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says unto the churches.
Sardis, or “red ones”, was located near the valley of Hermas at the
top of an elevation. Below three sides of the city were cliffs that
dropped straight down, with the fourth side having a river, making it
difficult to attack. Twice in the history of Sardis the “impregnable” city
fell due to overconfidence in the city’s security; once to King Cyrus of
Persia and the 100 years later to Antiochus. 500 years before the book of
Revelation was penned Sardis had been one of the greatest cities in the
world.
Historically, the Sardian church represents AD 1500-1700, the period
of reformation and renaissance, a time when Rome’s influence became
unbearable to the masses. The printing press was invented and the bible
became accessible to common folk. As a result of God’s word coming
back out into the light, art and architecture flourished and a new age of
technology and religious awareness was ushered in. In 1517 Martin
Luther influenced the reformation when scripture leapt out at him,”The
just shall live by faith”, giving impetus to that doctrine and erasing an
idolatrous, works oriented salvation. Over time the Roman state
churches were replaced by protestant state churches, removing some of
Rome’s influence but perpetuating a stagnant, tepid church. While the
doctrine of justification by faith was revealed in the reformation, the
doctrine of the imminent return of Christ remained largely untouched,

33
keeping expectancy and zeal blanketed. This discovery of a faith based
salvation accompanied by the lack of zeal is what verse 1 is speaking of
when it says,” I know your works, that you have a name that you lives, and
are dead.”
Even though Jesus gives mixed praise and rebuke to the previous 4
churches, he has no good thing to say to this church as a whole. Though
outwardly this church looked good, inwardly, they were spiritually
bankrupt. Isaiah 29:13 describes the state of this church: Wherefore
Jehovah said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and
with their lips do honor me, but have removed their heart far from me, and
their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men”
Paul writes to Timothy, “Having a form of godliness, but denying the
power thereof: from such turn away”
In verse 2 Jesus exhorts this church to vigilance and to be watchful of
him. There are denominational churches today with many people
attending, but not believing in the full gospel of Christ, ignorant of the
authority given to believers, and cynical towards any zeal associated
with Pentecost. While they may desire growth, there are tradition and
status-quo to contend with. Christ instructs those who are the true
believers to encourage, build up, and strengthen the others in the
church, “Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready
to die”. Admonishing to turn to the Gospel of Christ that was first
received and to HOLD FAST TO IT, Jesus clarifies that this Gospel
includes the remembrance that he returns soon, “Remember therefore how
you have received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore you shall
not watch, I will come on you as a thief, and you shall not know what hour I
will come upon thee.”
Presently, Sardian churches are preoccupied with attracting new
people and keeping the current members comfortable. Though it may
preach the gospel, this type of church focuses energy on membership,
growth, and stability. It may leave the preaching and teaching to a few
select, while most others in the body are there to support without
directly participating. The stability of the church community takes
precedence over evangelism because there is no fervor that Christ may
return at any moment. Rev. John King of Texas rightly describes this
type of church as, “a rotary club without the beer and cigars”
Jesus’ mission statement to this church is simple: be Christ-like and
preach this gospel to all nations making disciples of Christ.

34
Acknowledging the return of Christ makes one zealous and expectant of
the good things to come, resulting in a name, but alive. Churches and
individuals need to keep this as our focus, allowing room for
administration and service. The opposite of this occurs when a church
gets so consumed in offering programs and social events that it only
allows Jesus Christ a cameo appearance to legitimize their cause and
business. The Sardian tragedy will again have the same finale; it has
already fallen twice due to overconfidence in its impregnable fortress of
pomp.
“And she said, The Philistines are upon you, Samson. And he awoke out of
his sleep, and said, I will go out as at other times, and shake myself free. But he
knew not that Jehovah was departed from him.”(Jud 16:20)

Jesus acknowledges that there are a few names in Sardis which have
not defiled their garments and that they will walk with him in white for
they are worthy. We may understand this as their justification. They
will experience the joy of justification by faith; they shall understand
that the righteousness of Christ is imputed to them, that they have been
washed and made whiter than the newly-fallen snow. Spurgeon adds,
“they shall understand what Solomon meant when he said "Go thy
way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart. Let
thy garments be always white, for God hath accepted thy works." He
who is accepted of God shall wear white garments of joy and gladness,
while he walks in sweet communion with the Lord Jesus. Whence so
many doubts, so much misery, and mourning? It is because so many
believers defile their garments with sin and error, and hence they lose
the joy of their salvation, and the comfortable fellowship of the Lord
Jesus, they do not here below walk in white.”

35
36
The Church in Philadelphia
AD 1700-1930- I Have Set Before Thee an Open Door
And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things say he that
is holy, he that is true, he that has the key of David, he that opens, and no man
shuts; and shuts, and no man opens; I know your works: behold, I have set
before you an open door, and no man can shut it: for you have a little strength,
and have kept my word, and have not denied my name. Behold, I will make
them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do
lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before your feet, and to know
that I have loved you. Because you have kept the word of my patience, I also
will keep you from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the
world, to try them that dwell upon the earth. Behold, I come quickly: hold that
fast which you have, that no man take your crown. Him that overcomes will I
make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will
write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God,
which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I
will write upon him my new name. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the
Spirit saith unto the churches.

The city of Philadelphia is known in modern times as Allah-Shehr-


(city of God) and historically was accustomed to frequent earthquakes.
Philadelphia was geographically located at the intersection of three
countries, and was founded here in order to spread Hellenism to the
surrounding areas. Subsequently it became the perfect location to
spread the gospel from.
Prophetically, this church represents the church in the 18th and 19th
centuries. Great revivals occurred at this time and missionary zeal
throughout the world was rekindled. Concern for the poor and aid to
the needy was prevalent in the church’s mind. Unlike other periods in
church history, this outpouring of “good works” was the result of God’s
presence and not the result of the church’s trying to do good works in
its own strength. Comparisons can be drawn between this time period
and the church described in the book of Acts. While the previous time

37
period lacked zeal (the church of the reformation/Sardis), we now see
zeal re-birthed as the doctrine of the return of Christ is kindled
Before God can call us to be holy, he himself must be holy. In verse 7
Jesus identifies himself as such, and calls the church to do the same.
Peter, in writing to the churches in Asia said,” But as he which has called
you is holy, so be holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be
holy; for I am holy”. Jesus identifies himself as the one who has the key of
David, of whom no one can shut the doors he opens. Usually when
Jesus speaks to each of the churches he has been identifying himself
with one of his titles from chapter 1. Here, however, he recalls a passage
from the old Testament in Isaiah 22:22 “And the key of the house of David
will I lay upon his shoulder; so he shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall
shut, and none shall open” This verse speaks of Eliakim, the one who held
the key to all the treasures. The name means”God raises” or “God sets
up”, an appropriate figure for this age of revival. Jesus assures us that
he is the same; he opens the door, he holds all of the riches. In verse 8
Jesus tells the Philadelphian church that he has opened that door for
them. (See 1Cor 16:8-9, 2Cor 2:12, Col 4:3)
As we continue through verse 8 Jesus acknowledges the weakness of
this church, and strengthens them in their weakness. The source of their
power is God (2Cor 12:9). Though they appear outwardly weaker than
the Sardian church, their reliance is on God instead of themselves, for
which Jesus gives a message of unmixed praise; there is no rebuke
addressed to them. Unlike Sardis, Philadelphia did not deny Christ’s
name, stayed in the integrity of God’s word, and acknowledged the
nearness of Christ. These three doctrines permeate the writings of,
Whitfield, Murray, Finney and others during this period.
In Chapter 2 verse 9, Jesus speaks to the Smyrnan church of the Jews
who are of the synagogue of Satan. Here however, in verse 9, God not
only brings up this same group of people but takes it a step further,
promising Philadelphia that Satan’s synagogue will be put to shame.
As we have rolled on through history, we see verse 10 begin to
proclaim the taking up of Christ’s church in the end times. In
addressing the Philadelphian church of the 18th, 19th, and early 20th
centuries a reference is made that this church will be delivered from the
temptation that will come over the entire world- not from a localized
tribulation. This is a reference to the tribulation that begins in the
unfolding of the scroll later on in Revelation. Unlike Shadrach Meshach

38
and Abednego who were kept from harm while IN the fire, Jesus
assures he will keep this church FROM the fire. In chapters 1 through 3
of Revelation the church is seen 19 times. After chapter 4 the church is
not seen on earth once, nor is the word ever used. In chapter 4:4 we see
the elders with crowns on their heads; in the bible, only God’s church
receives crowns.
Then our ever present Jesus says, “Behold I come quickly” in verse 11.
The last church- the Laodicean church- is the final church, but the
different churches in their respective different periods of time do
overlap. Though the lukewarm church of Laodaicea will be prevalent
when Jesus takes us back, remnants of this vibrant zealous
Philadelphian church will still be present.

39
40
The Church in Laodicea
Ad 1900 to the Rapture- Thou Art Lukewarm
And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things say
the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; I
know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot: I want that you were cold
or hot. So then because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue
you out of my mouth. Because you say, I am rich, and increased with goods,
and have need of nothing; and know not that you art wretched, and miserable,
and poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel you to buy of me gold tried in the
fire, that thou may be rich; and white raiment, that you may be clothed, and
that the shame of your nakedness do not appear; and anoint your eyes with eye
salve, that you may see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous
therefore, and repent. Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear
my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and
he with me. To him that overcomes will I grant to sit with me in my throne,
even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. He
that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says unto the churches.
The Historical Laodicea (meaning, “rights” or “justice of the people”)
had become wealthy under Roman rule, with its chief products being
cloth and wool. The city was surrounded by hot springs from which it
drew hot water, and by mountains from which cool water ran. Pipelines
were laid to draw both hot and cold waters from these outlying areas
but the distance was great enough from each that by the time the water
arrived at the city it became tepid.
Before expounding further, a quote from Harry Ironsides’ Lectures
on the Revelation is noteworthy. At the time he wrote (1920) after WWI,
imperialism was rapidly disappearing and the fight for democracy was
on the rise. He writes prophetically, it seems, past the events of his day
and into ours,
“The masses of the people are realizing their power as never before.
The terrific slogan, vox populi, vox dei (The voice of the people is the
voice of God), is ringing through the world with clarion-like

41
distinctness. Imperialism and every form of aristocratic government is
disappearing ...Statesmen and capitalists never were so anxious and
nervous than at the present time. In the great war we were told our
soldiers were fighting to make the world safe for democracy. In a little
while statesmen will be attempting to raise armies to make the world
safe from democracy. The spirit of this ultra-democratic age has
invaded a large portion of the professed church. The authority of God
and his word is rapidly being denied.”
The Laodicean church exists today; neither hot nor cold, the church
that does not influence the world but continues to allow the world to
influence it, promoting democracy over sovereign monarchy. Its
marriage seminars spout pop psychology and pastors are fearful of
speaking of the biblical roles of man and wife, and of Christ and his
church. The present church as a whole is weak in conviction and
impotent in dealing with the issues of the day. It is a cold and
passionless bride, for which its groom Jesus should be pitied.
Indifference is the motto; the church of the end times, the church that is
manifest when the rapture occurs.
Laodicean Christians of today lack zeal and have a half-hearted love
for Jesus. They may be heaven bound but are nominal and of no effect
here on earth; Christ’s salvation is seen as a future event and not
believed to have a current effect on delivering us today. The reality and
torment of Hell is not preached for fear of offending and losing
popularity, Christ’s being the only way to heaven is avoided out of not
wanting to be intolerant of other religions, and the truth of eternal
damnation is inconvenient to this week’s harvest of nominal believers.
Wholeheartedness and enthusiasm are labeled as fanaticism needing to
be tempered with balance and wisdom. The church is proud of its
ministries and accomplishments; photos of the building projects adorn
the bulletins.
This church is unaware of its condition (vs. 17) and unawares, Jesus is
about to vomit it out of his mouth. In his rebuke to the church he
prophetically tells of a church arriving in these last days before the
rapture, boasting of its prosperity, growth, and self sufficiency, a church
that uses its visibility and influence to promote only lethargy and cheap
grace. God’s forgiving grace is seen as the instrument to justify sin, and
not as the means of his justifying and changing the nature of the sinner.

42
Bonheoffer’s The Cost of Discipleship elaborates that where cheap grace
justifies sin, costly grace justifies the sinner.
The Laodicean church genuinely does not know it is wrong so it can
not receive correction. An ignorant child, it keeps its colors between the
lines of what is commonly accepted to avoid accusations of
wrongdoing, committing no crimes while omitting righteousness in the
process. It is a naive little girl who, terrified of stepping from the routine
and warmth of her parents’ home, refuses to experience the fear, joy,
and riches that accompany being the ravished, consummated bride of
the King
The prescription for the first ail of the Laodicean church is repentance
and zealousness towards the groom who now approaches. The second
ail is the church’s poverty; the fact that the child sees the comforts of
their present world but does not own any of it; it is someone else’s. The
riches will belong to the consummated bride not the comfort driven
child, and Jesus prescribes gold trialed in the fire of becoming his
beloved. To remedy her nakedness Jesus prescribes the churches
sanctification, or setting herself apart. Then, under the covering of his
blood alone, may she be a spotless, righteous bride. Christ’s
righteousness is not only imputed to the saint, but also sanctifies the
saint. Eye salve is the remedy for the church’s spiritual blindness, that
she may see the truth. Now the bridegroom comes to the door to take
her away, an invitation is not only to the individual, but to the last day
church.
Note that Jesus the bridegroom is not in this church, but is standing
outside knocking at the door of this church. If she opens, she may
attend her marriage supper,” Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any
man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with
him, and he with me.”
Rev 19:7 -9 Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the
marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife has made herself ready. And to her
was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the
fine linen is the righteousness of saints. And he said unto me, Write, Blessed
are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he said
unto me, These are the true sayings of God.

43
44
Chapter 3
Revelation 4- A Foreshadowed Rapture of the Saints

Chapter 4 begins the third part of the commission given to John in


Revelation 1:19,” write ...the things which shall be hereafter”. Chapter 4
gives an overview of the rapture, while the opening of the first three
seals gives a more specific reflection of the event.
In Chapters 2&3 Jesus, standing in their midst, addressed each one of
the seven churches both as historical first century churches, and as
future periods of church history up until the present. Chapter 4 marks a
sudden change in emphasis- the removal of the church from the earth.
This change is marked with a door being opened in heaven as well as
other signs.
Between chapter 4 and Christ’s return in chapter 19, the church is not
mentioned as being on the Earth during the tribulation. In addition, the
Spirit of God is transferred to heaven in chapter 4. In chapters 2&3 the
Spirit is seen in the midst of the churches on earth. From chapter 4 on,
the Spirit is in heaven (Rev 4:5). Compare Rev 3:22 ...He that hath an ear,
let him hear what the Spirit says unto the churches... (Pre rapture) to Rev
13:9... If any man have an ear, let him hear... (Post rapture)
Besides being a story of conflict between the disciples, John 21:20-24 is
a prophecy given by Jesus that John will be the one who will still be
alive when Jesus returns. Jesus was actually speaking of giving John this
revelation while on Patmos. Then Peter, turning about, saw the disciple
whom Jesus loved following; which also leaned on his breast at supper, and
said, Lord, which is he that betrays you? Peter seeing him said to Jesus, Lord,
and what shall this man do? Jesus said unto him, If I will that he tarry till I
come, what is that to you? follow thou me Then went this saying abroad
among the brethren, that that disciple should not die: yet Jesus said not unto
him, He shall not die; but, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to

45
you? This is the disciple which testifies of these things, and wrote these things:
and we know that his testimony is true.
As war is going to break out soon with the antichrist’s coming to
power, the saints of God, who are described in the bible as God’s
ambassadors, are removed from the nations just as governments today
remove their own ambassadors when war is imminent. The removal of
the saints before the tribulation and the antichrist’s coming is described
in 2Thess2:6-8, And now you know what withholds that he might be revealed
in his time... For the mystery of iniquity does already work: only he who now
lets will let, until he be taken out of the way. And then shall that Wicked be
revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall
destroy with the brightness of his coming:
The restraining influence of the Holy Spirit dwelling in the believer
today keeps the powers of darkness at bay. Once the church is removed
from the earth, so is the restraining influence of the Holy Spirit, letting
evil freely reign and permitting the wicked one’s revelation. Note also
the phrase “mystery of iniquity does already work”. We will see later that
Babylon is described as this mystery, and has ties to Rome.

Verses 1-12
The Voice, the Trump, the Taking Up
There are three scriptures in the New Testament that almost Parallel
each other in their descriptions of the church’s removal from the Earth.
In each scripture we see a trump of God with a voice, followed in each
case by a change; being caught up in the Spirit.

Verse 1
After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first
voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said,
Come up hither, and I will show you things which must be hereafter... The
phrase translated “the things which must be hereafter” meta tauta-(meta
tauta), is the same phrase used in Revelation 1:19. John is making it
obvious that he is beginning the “hereafter” mentioned in Rev 1:19. The
door opening in heaven is only mentioned twice in the book of
Revelation. The first time is here in 4:1-when the church “goes up” and
the second time is in 19:11-when the church “comes back down”.

Verse 2

46
And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven,
and one sat on the throne... After the voice tells John to come up to
heaven with a trumpet in verse 1, he is in the spirit in heaven as the
symbolic representative of the church, foreshadowing the rapture of the
church. Just as the church is the special loved one of the Lord, so was
John out of the 12 disciples of whom Christ said, “He shall not die; but, If
I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to you?”
The reference to a voice and a trumpet at the time of the churches
being taken up is also in 1Thess 4: 15-17, “For this we say unto you by the
word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the
Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall
descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and
with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which
are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to
meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord”
1Cor 15: 51-54 adds, “Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep,
but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the
last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised
incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on
incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this
corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on
immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is
swallowed up in victory”

Verse 3
And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there
was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald . The
mention of the Jasper and Sardius stone can be traced to Exodus 28:17-
20. 12 stones representing the 12 tribes of were put on the priests
garments, Sardius being the first stone and the Jasper the last. Sardius
would correspond to the tribe of Reuben the firstborn and Jasper, the
last stone, would represent Benjamin the last son; Jesus Christ -the first
and the last! The names of these sons are also a depiction of Jesus
Christ. The name Reuben means, “behold a son” and Benjamin, ”son of
the right hand”. The rainbow in this verse recalls God’s covenant with
Noah. God promised never to fully destroy and bring his judgment
upon mankind without having mercy on a remnant who was not

47
worthy of his judgment, foreshadowing the church’s being removed
from Earth before God’s judgment falls upon it.

Verses 4-5
And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I
saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on
their heads crowns of gold. And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and
thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the
throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.
Lightnings, thunderings and voices were present on Sinai when the
law was given to Moses, and here announce the judgment about to fall
upon the Earth (see Rev 8:5, 10:3, 11:19, 16:18). Since Jesus has
established our salvation to God, the believer (who was taken up before
this thundering throne appeared) does not come to this throne of
judgment, “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may
obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” Heb 4:16
The twenty four crowned elders and the seven lamp stands before the
throne are the raptured church of God inclusive of the saints living
upon the earth when taken up, disciples of Christ that had died, and the
Old Testament saints who knew and walked with God.
Since the Holy Spirit is the evidence of God in the believer the Spirit of
God no longer dwells on earth but in heaven, as Christ’s ambassadors
have now been removed and no longer have authority (the seven spirits
of God) on earth. In addition, the elders clothing (reference with Rev
19:7-8), as well as their song in chapter 5 of Revelation identifies them as
the church, “you have redeemed us to God by thy blood” We now have the
Father, Jesus, the Spirit, and the church in heaven together at last.

Verses: 6-8
And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the
midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes
before and behind. And the first beast was like a lion, and the second beast like
a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast was like a
flying eagle. And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and
they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy,
holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come...” These
beasts are seen in Ezekiel 1 and are the same 4 cherubim angels in

48
Ezekiel 10. These 4 cherubs are executers of judgment upon Earth in
Revelation, and now lead the elders in worship.

Verses 9-11
And when those beasts give glory and honour and thanks to him that sat on the
throne, who lives for ever and ever, The four and twenty elders fall down before
him that sat on the throne, and worship him that lives for ever and ever, and
cast their crowns before the throne, saying ,You are worthy, O Lord, to receive
glory and honour and power: for you have created all things, and for your
pleasure they are and were created”
These verses are another indication that the elders are the church of
God in heaven. The writings of the New Testament speak of the believer
receiving a crown once in heaven. The crown described on the elders
throughout this chapter is not a king’s crown as we might picture a
crown. The Greek word translated here, as the elders’ crowns, is
stefanov (stephanos). This crown is actually the victor’s wreath that one
received as a reward for victory, much like at the early Olympics. These
wreaths have been rewarded to the elders, or to the church of Christ,
and are cast at the feet of Jesus as an acknowledgement that even the
good works that his disciples are awarded for originate from the work
of the Holy Spirit in them. These same crowns are promised to the
believer throughout the bible. Paul writes to the Corinthian church,
“And every man that strives for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now
they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible”. To Timothy
he adds, “Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which
the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but
unto all them also that love his appearing”.
James and Peter both speak of these crowns in their encouragements
to the church of their day, “Blessed is the man that endures temptation: for
when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord has promised
to them that love him” and, “And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, you
shall receive a crown of glory that fades not away.”

49
50
Chapter 4
Revelation Chapter 5-The Lamb and the Scroll

Verses 1-5
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. And I saw a strong angel
proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the
seals thereof? And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was
able to open the book, neither to look thereon. And I wept much, because no
man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon.
And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of
Judah (see Gen 49), the Root of David, has prevailed to open the book, and to
loose the seven seals thereof.
David Jeremiah observes that as far as Jesus’ humanity was
concerned he had his roots in David, coming from the tribe of Judah. He
was, however, also the root of David, confirming Jesus’ divinity. Jesus
was the ancestor of David and his descendant (Matt 22:41-46; John 8:58)
Heaven weeps in Revelation 5 because there is no kinsman redeemer
meeting The Law’s requirements to pay debt of man sealed within the
scroll. Jesus Christ, being the only one to have fulfilled the requirements
to be mankind’s redeemer (Gal 3:13), steps up and begins to break the
seals on the scroll of debt, revealing the final will and testament of our
God. This scroll, or “book” is the title deed to the earth to which Jesus is
sole heir, “I have manifested your name unto the men which you gave me out
of the world: yours they were, and you gave them me; and they have kept your
word.”
The significance of the lamb opening the seals is twofold: God is
redeeming man to himself according to Jewish law (Lev 25:25-48) and is
opening his sealed will and testament according to Gentile practice. He
uses both the Hebrew kinsman redeemer for the Jew, and the Roman
legal system for the understanding of the Gentile.

Verses 6-10

51
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.
And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the
throne. 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 odors, which are the prayers of saints. And they sung a new song,
saying, You are worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for you
were slain, and have redeemed us to God by your blood out of every kindred,
and tongue, and people, and nation; And have made us unto our God kings
and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.
The lamb that had been slain is seen standing, a vision of the risen
Christ. If it were a weak lamb recovering from wounds, the horns on his
head would not be mentioned as throughout the bible horns signify
power. This lamb is not only standing, but is doing so in the midst of
the throne. John is able to recognize the wounds of this lamb (that the
lamb is Jesus) (1Ki 22:11; Ze 1:18-19). The seven horns and seven eyes
are identified as the Spirit of God poured out upon all believers on earth
giving them authority (horns) after the death and resurrection of Christ.
We have seen over and again that since the saints have been raptured,
the Spirit of God is taken from the earth as well, removing any restraint
from evil flourishing on the planet.
These seven eyes are also identified with Jesus in Zechariah 3:8-
9,”Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, you, and your fellows that sit before
you: for they are men wondered at: for, behold, I will bring forth my servant
the BRANCH. For behold the stone that I have laid before Joshua; upon one
stone shall be seven eyes: behold, I will engrave the graving thereof, says
Jehovah of hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day.”
The prophet continues in chapter 4,”For who has despised the day of
small things? for they shall rejoice, and shall see the plummet in the hand of
Zerubbabel with those seven; they are the eyes of Jehovah, which run to and fro
through the whole earth.” The name Zerrubabbel means, “sown in
Babylon” and the prophet here gives us a picture of what is to happen
in the end times, Babylon (the world system) is restrained and will
eventually be destroyed.

Verses 11-14

52
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; Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the
Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength,
and honor, and glory, and blessing. 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 honor, and glory, and power, be unto him
that sits upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever. And the four
beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped
him that lives for ever and ever.

The Kinsman Redeemer


We can understand Christ’s role as our kinsman redeemer if we review
the written law of the Hebrews concerning the redemption of people
and property. To redeem people or property in Ancient Israel, a
“redeemer” had to meet requirements to redeem or buy back. The
redeemer had to be a near kinsman in order to keep properties in the
tribe, he had to have the ability to make payment in full, he had to be
willing and not forced to redeem, and he could not put his own
properties in danger or debt when redeeming.

The Law of Redemption


Leviticus 25:24-28 gives God’s law regarding the redemption of
property: And in all the land of your possession you shall grant a redemption
for the land. If your brother be waxen poor, and has sold away some of his
possession, and if any of his kin come to redeem it, then shall he redeem that
which his brother sold. And if the man have no one to redeem it, and himself is
able to redeem it; Then let him count the years of the sale thereof, and restore
the overplus unto the man to whom he sold it; that he may return unto his
possession. But if he be not able to restore it to him, then that which is sold
shall remain in the hand of him that has bought it until the year of jubile: and
in the jubile it shall go out, and he shall return unto his possession.
Verses 39-48 explain the redemption of people: And if your brother that
dwells by you be waxen poor, and be sold unto you; you shall not compel him
to serve as a bondservant: But as an hired servant, and as a sojourner, he shall
be with you, and shall serve you unto the year of jubile: And then shall he
depart from you, both he and his children with him, and shall return unto his

53
own family, and unto the possession of his fathers shall he return… And if a
sojourner or stranger wax rich by you, and your brother that dwells by him
wax poor, and sell himself unto the stranger or sojourner by you, or to the
stock of the stranger's family: After that he is sold he may be redeemed again;
one of his brethren may redeem him.
Verses 48-53 give some of the requirements of the redeemer: After that
he is sold he may be redeemed again; one of his brethren may redeem him:
Either his uncle, or his uncle's son, may redeem him, or any that is nigh of kin
unto him of his family may redeem him; or if he be able, he may redeem
himself. And he shall reckon with him that bought him from the year that he
was sold to him unto the year of jubilee: and the price of his sale shall be
according unto the number of years, according to the time of an hired servant
shall it be with him.If there be yet many years behind, according unto them he
shall give again the price of his redemption out of the money that he was
bought for. And if there remain but few years unto the year of jubile, then he
shall count with him, and according unto his years shall he give him again the
price of his redemption. And as a yearly hired servant shall he be with him: and
the other shall not rule with rigour over him in your sight.

Boaz as Ruth’s Kinsman Redeemer


Before continuing, a review of Ruth is warranted to strengthen one’s
understanding of the redeemer. To summarize: Elimelech (Naomi’s
husband) left Bethlehem with his wife and sons. His property was
mortgaged at some point in the story, but it is unclear as to when. When
Naomi’s husband died, the rights to the land passed to one of her sons.
Those sons took one wife each, and then died. The three ladies are to
return to Bethlehem, destitute and unable to pay the redemption price
for the land, but one of the daughters-in-law goes back to her family,
leaving Naomi and Ruth in Bethlehem to find a redeemer for the land.

Ruth 2:20 And Naomi said unto her daughter in law, Blessed be he of the
LORD, who has not left off his kindness to the living and to the dead. And
Naomi said unto her, The man is near of kin unto us, one of our next kinsmen.
The Hebrew word translated as “next kinsman” is lag (gaw-al') and is
more literally translated as “redeemer” and “deliverer”. lag is used
throughout the Old Testament as redeemer, kinsman, revenger,
avenger, ransom, kinsfolks, kinsman's part, and purchase. The word lag

54
means much more than having a near relative, as the word for close
relative, bwrq (kaw-robe'), already used in the same sentence is
translated as “near of kin”
The redeemer Naomi speaks of is Boaz; Elimelech’s brother and a
prosperous man, fully able to redeem the properties of Naomi. Ruth 2: 1
continues,”And Naomi had a kinsman of her husband's, a mighty man of
wealth, of the family of Elimelech; and his name was Boaz”
He expresses his willingness to redeem the land but there is one
kinsman closer than he that must be given the first chance to redeem.
Ruth 3:12-13 And now it is true that I am your near kinsman: however there
is a kinsman nearer than I. Tarry this night, and it shall be in the morning,
that if he will perform unto thee the part of a kinsman, well; let him do the
kinsman's part: but if he will not do the part of a kinsman to you, then will I
do the part of a kinsman to , as Jehovah lives: lie down until the morning.
Boaz brings the matter to the other kinsman’s attention, and though
able, he is not willing, as he would have to marry Ruth to continue the
family lineage and inheritance rights. The other kinsman defers the right
of redemption to Boaz:
Ruth 4:3-6 And he said unto the kinsman, Naomi, that is come again out of
the country of Moab, sold a parcel of land, which was our brother Elimelech's:
And I thought to advertise you, saying, Buy it before the inhabitants, and
before the elders of my people. If thou will redeem it, redeem it: but if you will
not redeem it, then tell me, that I may know: for there is none to redeem it
beside you; and I am after you. And he said, I will redeem it. Then said Boaz,
The day you buy the field of the hand of Naomi, you must buy it also of Ruth
the Moabitess, the wife of the dead, to raise up the name of the dead upon his
inheritance. And the kinsman said, I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I mar
mine own inheritance: redeem my right to yourself; for I cannot redeem it.
Boaz then buys the property in the presence of witnesses and takes
Ruth for his wife. She conceives, and gives birth to Obed, the ancestor of
Joseph, earthly father to mankind’s kinsman redeemer, Jesus Christ. It is
interesting to note that there is no record of a written title deed here. It
seems, instead, that there were many witnesses that gave to the validity
of the transaction.

Jeremiah as Hanameel’s Kinsman Redeemer

55
Jeremiah 32:6-12 And Jeremiah said, The word of Jehovah came unto me,
saying, Behold, Hanameel the son of Shallum your uncle shall come unto you,
saying, Buy my field that is in Anathoth: for the right of redemption is yours
to buy it. So Hanameel mine uncle's son came to me in the court of the prison
according to the word of the LORD, and said unto me, Buy my field, I pray,
that is in Anathoth, which is in the country of Benjamin: for the right of
inheritance is yours, and the redemption is yours; buy it for yourself. Then I
knew that this was the word of the LORD. And I bought the field of Hanameel
my uncle's son, that was in Anathoth, and weighed him the money, even
seventeen shekels of silver. And I subscribed the evidence, and sealed it, and
took witnesses, and weighed the money in the balances. So I took the evidence
of the purchase, both that which was sealed according to the law and custom,
and that which was open: And I gave the evidence of the purchase unto Baruch
the son of Neriah, the son of Maaseiah, in the sight of Hanameel mine uncle's
son, and in the presence of the witnesses that subscribed the book of the
purchase, before all the Jews that sat in the court of the prison.

The purchase of Hanameel’s field by his cousin Jeremiah gives another


example of the role of the Kinsman. Jeremiah had been telling the
people of Jerusalem that Israel was going to fall to Nebuchadnezzar and
at the end of that time (70 years) they would return. Jeremiah’s cousin
new the land was soon to be of no value and decided to get whatever
money he could out of it while there was still time. God told Jeremiah to
buy the field from prison, knowing that not he, but his heirs, would
inherit it. Since there was no coined money, Jeremiah weighed out about
7 ounces of his silver, paying for the property in full. When he says “I
subscribed the evidence (rpob btkaw) he speaks of signing the deed.
btk(kaw-thab') means to describe, record or write up in a written or
engraved form, and rpo (say'-fer) refers to a book or a scroll. After
signing, he has two copies of the deed, one sealed and one open. The
sealed copy remains sealed to prevent tampering. The open copy of the
deed is used for reference.
In the future only a purchaser of property or an heir will have the
authority to open the seal. They will review the unsealed deed, and then
will open the seal on the “legal” copy to make him the deed owner.
Our word mortgage comes from two words meaning “death” and
“pledge”. When a man would redeem a kinsman’s debt that could not
be paid, the deed to that kinsman’s property would have been sealed at

56
the last transaction. Land could not be purchased back or debt
redeemed by anyone outside of the debtors family as all land had to
stay within the family and returned in the year of Jubilee. Only the
person qualified to redeem the kinsman’s debt or ransom could open
the seals.

Jesus as Earth’s Kinsman Redeemer


The first condition to redeem a debt is that the redeemer be a
kinsman, a close blood relative. This corresponds to Levitical law,
which provided that properties within a family stayed in that tribe. It is
awesome that Jesus was the son of God, but just as marvelous and
emphasized even more in the gospels is that Jesus was the Son of Man.
(Mt16:13,Mk 8:31,Lu 9:44,Jn 13:31)
Hebrews 2: 14-17 Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and
blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he
might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; And deliver
them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. For
verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of
Abraham. Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his
brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things
pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. Had Jesus
been only divine he would not be able to redeem mankind back to
himself and maintain the perfect law of God at the same time. Being
born into the human race made him a member of our blood family and
a near kinsman.
The second condition is that the kinsman redeemer be able to pay the
debt while being debt free himself. Having a debt that is not paid, and
then paying someone else’s debt still leaves debt. The purpose of this
law is not to transfer debt, but remove it. Christ fulfilled this second
condition, as did Boaz in the book of Ruth. Jesus had no sin debt to pay,
thus he did not have the debt of death to pay, for the wages of sin is
death. He did, however, assume our sin debt and die our death. As
Psalm 49 says, man is able to pay the debt of his sin only through death.
“They that trust in their wealth, and boast themselves in the multitude of their
riches; None of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a
ransom for him: (For the redemption of their soul is precious, and it ceaseth for
ever:)That he should still live for ever, and not see corruption” Jesus never

57
sinned. If he had sinned, his death on the cross could only pay the
wages of his own sin, ”For we have not an high priest which cannot be
touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as
we are, yet without sin” Hebrews 7 continues with, ”For such an high priest
became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made
higher than the heavens”
Phi 2:9 Wherefore God also has highly exalted him, and given him a name
which is above every name:
1Peter 1: 18-19 Forasmuch as you know that you were not redeemed with
corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by
tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb
without blemish and without spot:
Eph 1:7 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of
sins, according to the riches of his grace;
Having not sinned, however, it was not even possible for Jesus to die,
unless he bore the iniquities of someone else. His flesh suffered the
wages of our sin, leaving us debt free and immortal.
The third condition is that the redeemer be willing to pay the ransom.
He bore our iniquities upon himself willingly, thus meeting this third
requirement to be our kinsman redeemer. We see Jesus weeping tears of
anguish on Gethsemane asking God to remove this cup of death from
him. At the same time he expresses his willingness to do his father’s will
and die on that cross. He says in John 10,”Therefore does my Father love
me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No man takes it
from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have
power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father”

Roman Law and the Will


Roman law required that a written will be sealed seven times. This is
not found in our bible, but has been proven by historical records;
Roman emperors Augustus Caesar and Vespasian sealed their wills in
this way. When a will was written and sealed, not all seven seals were
on the outside edge of the scroll; only the first of the seven seals was on
this outer edge. The first section of the will would be written, rolled up,
and sealed to the point to which it was rolled. Once the seal was on, the
writer would then add to the will rolling up the scroll more, at which
point he would add the second seal. This process would continue until

58
the seventh and final seal was added onto the very last edge of the
rolled document. When the scroll was unfolded and read the first seal
would be broken, the scroll would be opened and read up until to the
next seal. The next seal would then be broken and the next section read.
This unfolding would continue until the seventh and final seal was
reached.
Once the seventh or innermost seal was broken, the final revelation of
the will’s contents was poured out. When the lamb opens the seventh
seal in revelation, the final unfolding of the earth’s redemption takes
place. All seven trumpets and all seven vials take place at the opening of
this last seal. During the sounding of the seventh seal, all of the earth’s
kingdoms become Jesus’ kingdom.
The human race’s debt is so complete and his fate so determined that
there are a total of seven seals. The breaking of the first 3 of these seals
is the story of the rapture and our redemption. This final unfolding of
the scroll and the “unveiling” of Christ is the end times that Daniel was
told to “shut up” (Da 12:8-9).

59
60
Chapter 5
Revelation Chapter 6 -The Rapture

First Three Seals-Removal of the Saints From God’s Wrath


The opening of the first three seals in the book of revelation is often
misunderstood by saints and sinners alike. They read the verses and see
a time of terror and violence, a time when four horrific figures trample
the earth on powerful draft horses. When one examines the topic of the
four horsemen of the “apocalypse” hermeneutically however, we
witness a vivid description of victory and the rapture of the saints. The
Greek verses of the apocalyptic riders are full of words describing
purity, victory, justice, and the redemption to God of his people.
Verses 1-2
The First Seal
And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the
noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see. And I saw, and
behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given
unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.
The word translated here as white is leukov (lyoo-kos'). It is used to
describe a dazzling whiteness, as in the garments of angels and those
exalted to the heavenly state. It is also used to describe the whitening
color of ripening grain and garments worn on festive occasions. This
word is used when describing Jesus during the transfiguration at the
Mount of Olives and is also used of the angels at Jesus’ tomb, the elders
around the throne, and the garments of the saints throughout
Revelation. (Mt 5:36; 17:2; 28:3; Mk 9:3; 16:5; Lu 9:29; Jn 4:35; 20:12; Ac
1:10; Re 1:14; 2:17; 3:4,5,18; 4:4; 6:2,11; 7:9,13; 14:14; 19:11,14; 20:11)
The Greek word translated as crown in this verse is stefanov (stef'-an-
os), and is used to describe the wreath given to victors in public games.
It’s use is seen in the new testament with Christ’s crown of thorns, and
the crown that saints will receive.(Mt 27:29; Mr 15:17; Jn 19:2,5; 1Co
9:25;Php 4:1; 1Th 2:19;2Ti 4:8; Jas 1:12;1Pe 5:4, Re 2:10; 3:11; 4:4,10; 6:2 ;
9:7; 12:1; 14:14)
The words “conquering” and” to conquer” are translated from the
Greek word nikaw (nik-ah'-o). The meaning of this word goes much
further than just winning. It has the meaning of carrying off a victory, as
when one is arraigned in a court of law and maintains his cause. It is

61
often used in The New Testament to describe the victory of the saints.
(Lu 11:22; Jn 16:33; Ro 3:4; 12:21; 1Jn 2:13,14; 4:4; 5:4,5; Re 2:7,11,26; Re
3:5,12,21; 5:5; 6:2; 11:7; 12:11; 13:7; 15:2; 17:14; 21:7)
We can conclude that the first horseman who appears with the
opening of the first seal brings with him an appearance of festivity,
victory, acquittal, and harvest come at the time of the ripening grain (Ex
34:21; Mt13:37-40; Mk 4:29; Jo 4:35). The opening of the third seal speaks
of wheat and barley, and we know from scripture that the harvest of
wheat and barley occurred concurrently (Ru 2:23).

Verses 3-4
The Second Seal
And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, Come
and see. And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given
to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill
one another: and there was given unto him a great sword.
The Greek words translated here as “take peace” are lambanw (lam-
ban'-o) and eirene (i-ray'-nay). The meaning of the sentence in the
Greek, ”labein thn eirhnhn” has a much deeper meaning than simply
“take peace”, if we examine the words closely. lambanw is used 263
times in the New Testament. An accurate definition of the word is
laying hold of and gathering to one’s self, without violence, that which
is one’s own. Another definition is association with someone, as with a
companion. The use of the word eirene indicates peace and tranquility;
a sense of security.
The belief in evangelical circles is that Adam’s God given authority
over the earth has been presently restored to disciples of Christ, that
this God given authority binds Satan from reclaiming what was
redeemed by the blood, and that when the redeemed are removed from
the earth in the rapture the peace associated with their presence will
also be removed. This view would agree with the Greek definitions
presented above. Verses 3-4 more literally say,”... and power was given to
him that sat thereon to peacefully take back the companions that are his own,
removing tranquility and security from the earth...” Once the saints are
removed, this Horseman will kill no-one despite beliefs to the contrary.
The verse clearly says that mankind will slay one another.
The word translated as “kill” is sfazw(sfad'-zo), which means to slay or
butcher violently. It is the same word used in chapter 5 regarding the

62
lamb that was slain. It is important to note this word is in the
subjunctive form, meaning that the killing was contingent upon the
peace being taken; that slaughter is the purpose behind the peace’s
removal. If we remove from our mind the preconceived idea that the
horsemen are evil, we will see the second horseman as a ruler, a
deliverer, and a judge, depending on our soul’s condition. Paul alludes
to this horseman in his words to Rome, ”Let every soul be subject unto the
higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are
ordained of God. Whosoever therefore resists the power resists the ordinance of
God: and they that resist shall receive damnation. For rulers are not a terror to
good works, but to the evil. Will you then not be afraid of the power? do that
which is good, and you will have praise of the same: For he is the minister of
God to you for good. But if you do that which is evil, be afraid; for he bears not
the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath
upon him that does evil. Wherefore you must be subject, not only for wrath,
but also for conscience sake. For this cause pay tribute also: for they are God's
ministers, attending continually upon this very thing. Render therefore to all
their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to
whom fear; honor to whom honor.” In short, the ruler’s sword is the
enforcer of your security and safety, or it is the wrath of your judgment,
depending on your relation to the one in authority. This is seen
throughout the Old Testament in the stories of the reigns of the many
kings.
Despite the use of different Greek words for sword throughout the
New Testament, the word used above in Ro 13, macaira (makh'-ahee-
rah) , is also used in Re 6:4 and in Heb 4:12: For the word of God is quick,
and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the
dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a
discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Do we not again see the
use of the sword (or word) for dividing and separating?
To summarize the second horseman: the saints of God are raptured
from the Earth; as a result mankind butchers one another. The sword on
the horseman is both the secure protection of the good, and the quick
judgment of the evil. God, having displayed grace upon his children by
his sanctifying sword, may also prove himself to be just by executing
the judgment of this same sword -the word and law of God. We serve a
merciful and a just God.

63
Verses 5-6
The Third seal
And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and
see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a yoke in
his hand. And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of
wheat for a penny and three measures of barley for a penny; and see you hurt
not the oil and the wine.
The one coming forth on the black horse is said to be carrying “a pair
of balances” in the King James Version. The Greek word used here for
the “pair of balances” (or “scale” in other translations) is zugov(dzoo-
gos'). This word is used a total of 6 times in the New Testament, and all
of the other times it is used it speaks specifically of either a heavy or a
light yoke (Mt 11:29, 30; Ga 5:1; Ac 15:10; 1Ti 6:1), not balances. Three of
the other five times that zugov occurs in 3 of the Greek translations
(Textus Receptus, Byzantine Text, Westcott-Hort Nestle) it is the same
spelling and form of the word in Re 6:5 zugon. Add to this that its root
word, zeugov (zeugos) has no other meaning than the pairing of two
(as in yoking draught animals), and that the derivative
zeukteria(zeukteria) means to fasten or band, there is no convincing
reason why the object in the riders hand should not be a yoke brought
to earth instead of scales or balances.
Also consider the view that the second horseman and his sword bring
either wrath or security, depending on which side of it you are on. The
same hold true of this yoke which has now been brought to the earth. In
other scriptures the word zugov is used to describe either the light yoke
of Christ or the yoke of bondage in the law. For most there will be the
yoke of the law, and the judgment of God. Since the rapture has already
happened, or is currently occurring, in the opening of the seals those
under the yoke of Christ will be free from the yoke of the law and its
judgments. People may continue to be saved even after the rapture
occurs. It is these that the voice from the throne speaks of when he says
not to hurt the oil or the wine. Later in Revelation, judgments will come
upon men, but will pass those who are marked with God’s seal.
The word coinix(khoy'-nix) used for the word measure is about the
amount that would support a man for a day. The word penny is
denarion(day-nar'-ee-on) and was also about a man’s wages for the day
(Mt 20:2-16). Since a day to God is as a thousand years, we see that all

64
men will be given their wages in about 1000 years, after the millennial
reign of Christ which will soon begin. God is saying in verse 6 that men
shall receive the wages they have earned: the saints in heaven will be
rewarded according to their works (not salvation, this is a gift), and the
sinner also shall be given his wages (Ro 6:23).

65
Chapter 6
Chapter 6 (cont.)
The Reign of Satan Begins (4th-6th Seals)

66
Verses 7-8
The Fourth Seal
And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast
say, Come and see. And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat
on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto
them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and
with death, and with the beasts of the earth.
The saints of God have been removed from the earth. There are now
no ambassadors left to exercise Christ’s authority over principalities and
Hell literally comes forth to conquer the Earth. As a result Satan and his
angels are no longer restrained and as and one quarter of the planet
experiences death by famine, sword, and beast.
In the Old Testament when God was giving the land into the hands of
the nation of Israel they were allowed to subdue it province by province
lest the beasts in the land overwhelm them. Later, when Israel and
Judah became apostate and backslidden the land was given back to the
beasts, a foreshadowing of the events now taking place in this chapter of
John’s vision. With the opening of each seal the scroll of mankind’s
redemption is being opened according to Levitical law and the wages of
sin are being paid. Death and famine are all a part of the process of the
final legal judgment already written in God’s law for thousands of years
and only those who have accepted Christ as their substitute are exempt.
At this point in time God’s children have received their inheritance in
the last will and testament of Christ, and the unbelieving begin to
inherit their part and receive what they have chosen (death and
separation from God). See comments on Revelation 12:7-13 for a
description of Satan’s being permanently cast out of Heaven.

Verses 9 -11
The Fifth Seal
During the opening of the fifth seal, we see for the first time the saints
that have died.
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: And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and
true, do you not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?
And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them,

67
that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and
their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.
In this text the martyred saints look at the sin and corruption going
on in the earth and plead with God to end injustice upon the earth once
and for all. God does not rebuke them for this supplication, but replies
that it will be done in time. Later, in Revelation 8:3, an angel offers the
incense of these same prayers up to God at which point we see them
being answered in the rapid succession of the seven trumpet judgments.
In Revelation 9:13 this prayer’s fulfillment is seen when a voice from
under this same altar looses four angels upon the earth.
This altar in the heavens (vs.9) is the altar of incense not the sacrificial
altar. Both the altar of sacrifice and the altar of incense were in Moses’
earthly temple (Exodus chaps. 27-30). Since the blood of Jesus has made
the sacrificial system obsolete there is no longer a need for blood
sacrifice in the heavenly temple, but the altar of incense where prayers
to God were offered is not deemed obsolete. When the Antichrist is
revealed, however, he will set up a sacrificial altar in the temple to
perpetuate the lie that the blood of Jesus is impotent.

Verses 12-17
The Sixth Seal
Jesus tells his disciples of the sixth seal in Mk 13:14-27 and Mt 24:15-31.
He tells of the tribulation to come when the abomination is erected,
proceeds to tell that those days will be shortened for the elect’s sake,
and then speaks of sending his angels with the sound of a trumpet to
gather the elect from the 4 winds.
We see Jesus’ words now being fulfilled in Revelation 6 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
the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casts her untimely figs,
when she is shaken of a mighty wind. And the heaven departed as a scroll when
it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their
places. 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; And said to the
mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sits on
the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of his wrath is
come; and who shall be able to stand?

68
69
Chapter7
The sixth seal has been opened, and before the seventh and final seal is
opened we are shown God’s mercy in a time of judgment. Chapter 7
should be read as a “parenthesis” inserted between the sixth and

70
seventh seals, a brief overview of what has just taken place and what is
to come. These parenthetical chapters help clarify some of the past and
future events in Revelation and are not part of the chronological chapter
by chapter timeline unfolding before us. They are inserted between the
sixth and seventh seals, between the sixth and seventh trumpets, and
after the seventh vial (Rev 17). Wherever a parenthetical chapter
appears, the background will appear grey as it does here. This,
hopefully, will aid the reader in keeping the chronology of Revelation in
mind. Chapter 7 contains two different visions. The first vision is Jewish
in nature, the second refers to the church and can be said to be Gentile
in nature. These are two distinct entities throughout the bible, and this
chapter compares and contrasts the two. The church of Christ and the
Jewish people are distinct and separate throughout the bible, and
Christians often make the error of mixing the Jews and the church
together when speaking of the promises of God. Christ’s church can
expect the blessings of Abraham, but the blessings of Jacob (Israel) are
unique to his descendants.

Revelation Chapter 7
Parenthesis between chapters 6 & 8

Verses 1-8
1st Vision-Sealing of 144,000
Jer 30:7 Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of
Jacob's trouble; but he shall be saved out of it.
This first vision involves the Jews living on the earth at the time of the
tribulation. Since Judaism does not confess Jesus Christ as the Messiah,
it is safe to say that those of this religion will be left upon the earth
during the time of God’s judgment. Chapters 30&31 of Jeremiah
prophetically describe God’s judgment upon Israel due to their rejection
of Jesus, and the revival of the remnant during this time of Judgment
known as “the time of Jacob’s trouble” to the prophet Jeremiah.
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. 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, Saying, Hurt
not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of

71
our God in their foreheads. 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. Of the tribe of Juda were sealed twelve thousand. Of
the tribe of Reuben were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Gad were sealed
twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Aser were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe
of Nepthalim were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Manasses were sealed
twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Simeon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the
tribe of Levi were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Issachar were sealed
twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Zabulon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the
tribe of Joseph were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Benjamin were
sealed twelve thousand.

These four angels are restraining winds from blowing upon the earth
and are God’s angels not Satan’s. In Mark 13 and Matt 24 Jesus says he
will return when these four angels are sent out at the sound of a
trumpet to gather his elect from these four winds. The elect mentioned
here are not those who were already taken up but will be those who
accept Jesus as their salvation during this time of great tribulation. No
trumpet has yet sounded; the angels are restraining the winds to protect
the earth and sea from destruction. We see that Jesus has not yet
returned nor have the remaining elect upon the earth been taken to him.
The fifth angel, seen ascending from the East and having authority
over the other 4 angels, speaks of sealing these servants of God. This
sealing for the safety of a remnant people during times of judgment has
biblical precedents. Just as the Antichrist will put the seal of ownership
upon those that are his slaves, God, rich in mercy, does the same for his
chosen people. God sealed Noah and his family in the Ark and Rahab
was sealed from the destruction in Jericho. God set a seal upon Cain lest
those that found him slay him.
One of the most relevant Old Testament descriptions of a sealing
occurs in Ezekiel. God is to judge the nations of Israel and Judah due to
their idolatry. God commands a man with a writing instrument to set a
seal upon the mourners of this idolatry. Orders are then given to men
with weapons to go through the people and slay everyone without the
mark (Eze 9).
The seal in Revelation 7 is clearly set upon Jewish people only, and any
reference to the church or certain redeemed people outside of the Jewish
nation can be only be attributed to an attempt at stretching the text to be

72
inclusive of the church. This seal may refer to an outpouring of the Holy
Spirit, as the bible speaks of the sealing of the Holy Spirit as a sign that
one now belongs to God. (Ephesians chaps 1&4). Paul writes to the
church in Rome,” Esaias also crieth concerning Israel, Though the number of
the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved”
Verses 4 through 8 contain a list of the tribes saved, with 12,000 being
saved in each tribe. A cursory glance at this list is tempting, as lists of
the tribes of Israel occur many times in the bible and are apparently
devoid of instruction from God. A deeper look at these lists of tribes,
however, will reveal that they are not always the same; the same holds
true of this list.
The tribe of Dan is not mentioned here. Dan was an extreme idolater.
In Genesis 49:17 Jacob blesses Dan as a serpent, and in Deut 33:22 Dan is
called a lion. Daniel’s omission from this list and his being referred to as
both a lion and a serpent (Satan being the only other person called both
a serpent and a lion in the bible) has fueled the belief that the antichrist
will emanate from this tribe.
Ephraim and Manasseh are often counted as one tribe in the Old
Testament and other times are mentioned separately. Here, however,
there is no mention of Ephraim in this list.
Rueben, Jacob’s eldest son, lost his birthright due to the sin with his
Father’s concubine (1Chron 5:1-2), hence he is not listed first on this list,
but his younger brother Judah is.
Levi was never listed in the lists of property distribution, as his
people’s inheritance was the Lord. His being on this list seems
appropriate, however, as his was the tribe responsible for the
priesthood in the Old Testament.
Joseph is mentioned on this list as one of the 12 tribes of Israel even
though he was not given an inheritance when the Israelites entered the
Promised Land.

Verses 9-17
2nd Vision-All Saints Taken from the Tribulation are Seen
The second vision in this chapter is of the believers of Christ who
come to accept Jesus as savior after his church was taken up, have had
to experience the great tribulation upon the Earth, and who have died

73
during that time. The elders present in chapter 5 (the raptured church)
are seen here as a separate entity from this multitude.
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; And
cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sits upon the
throne, and unto the Lamb. 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, Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom,
and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever
and ever. Amen. And one of the elders said unto me, What are these which are
arrayed in white robes? And whence came they? And I said unto him, Sir, you
know. 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.
Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his
temple: and he that sits on the throne shall dwell among them. They shall
hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them,
nor any heat. 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.
The multitude mentioned in verse 9 is not the church that was
already taken up in the opening of the first three seals. We can reason
this as the twenty four elders also described in this scene, and because
in verse 13 when one of the elders asks John who these people are, John
responds with, Sir, you know. This is an English translation of a Greek
idiom meaning, “I don’t know”. If this was the church John would have
recognized some of them as he knew people in the church.
These are all of the people who are won to Jesus as a result of the
preaching of the 144,000 during the tribulation. The multitude “of all
tongues and nations” described in this chapter is a prophetic vision of
the fulfillment of the preaching of the gospel to all nations seen in
chapter 14 (another parenthetical chapter).
We can see this vision as being prophetic because of the wiping away
of tears. Tears will be wiped away by God 2 different times in scripture.
The first time is when saints appear before the judgment seat of Christ
during the seven years of tribulation. The second wiping of tears occurs
in Revelation 21 at the great white throne judgment where all unsaved
are thrown into the lake of fire after the great tribulation has been

74
completed. Either way, both of these wipings occur in the future,
further confirming chapter 7 as not belonging to the current chronology
of Revelation.
These multitudes are the brothers of the martyrs mentioned in
Revelation 6:9-11. Those martyrs were given white robes and were told
to rest until their fellow brethren were killed. Now we see this
multitude, having been killed also, being given clothing made white by
the washing of the blood of the lamb. Along with martyrs of ages past,
the 6th chapter martyrs may well have included the first tribulation
martyrs trickling into heaven as the persecution began. This multitude
will not include those who rejected the Gospel before the church was
taken up. Paul writes in 2 Thessalonians, chapter 2,”...And with all
deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not
the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall
send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be
damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness....” If
one rejects Jesus Christ today, it will be impossible for them to be saved
once the tribulation begins.
These tribulation saints have palms in their hands. The significance of
palms is traced back to the feast of the tabernacles. During this annual
feast the Jews would construct “booths “out of palm branches and live
in them during the feast, celebrating their deliverance from Egypt’s
slavery. The Feast of Tabernacles was celebrated at the Jewish nation’s
return from captivity in Babylon (Ne 8). Palm Sunday is a celebration of
the King’s coming. The palms in these multitudes’ hands celebrate their
deliverance from Satan and their present safety with God.
They have their own song also, as does the raptured church, and the
remnant of the 144,000. The heavenly temple pictured here allows these
people to serve God day and night. In the Old Testament only the
Levite and priest served God day and night. No Gentiles were allowed
near the temple and were restricted to the court of the Gentiles. Here
however, since Jesus Christ has opened a way into the Holy Place, all
have access to the throne of God. Even the Gentile converts pictured
here will sing praises to him and serve eternally, IN HIS PRESENCE
Lastly, we should realize that these people have been starved,
tortured and burned during the tribulation. They withstood all of the
judgments on the earth and did not receive the beast’s mark despite the

75
consequences. They are reassured here that they will suffer no more,
fulfilling the prophesy in Is 49:10.
All gather around the throne and worship God. As he delivered his
church from the tribulation before it began as God our deliverer, he has
now delivered another facet of the body through the tribulation as
Emmanuel, God with us.
As we move on to chapter 8 in Revelation, the “parenthesis” inserted
by chapter 7 now closes and we may continue to read on as the end time
events unfold.

Chapter 8
Revelation Chapter 8- The Seventh Seal

Verse 1
And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the
space of half an hour.

76
The opening of the seventh seal indicates that the final section of the
scroll is going to be opened and read. Prophets down through the ages
have been given visions of the end times, but were often told that the
final revelation of God’s will for mankind, and the final chapter in our
redemption was still sealed and not yet revealed. Here, God finally
gives the Apostle John the revelation of the fulfillment of his plan; he
breaks the final seal. Contained in the seventh seal are all seven of the
trumpets, with the seven final plagues (or vials) being contained within
the seventh trump. The commencement of the seven trumpets begins a
period of time known as “the great day of God’s wrath”. Once the
trumpet soundings have been completed, Jesus Christ returns to Earth
in Chapter 11 to reign for 1000 years,” 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. “

Verses 2-6
7 Trumpets seen
And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given
seven trumpets. And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a
golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer
it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the
throne. And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the
saints, ascended up before God out of the angel's hand. 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. And the
seven angels which had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound.
With the opening of the 5th seal we saw the martyred saints looking
at the sin and corruption going on in the earth and pleading with God to
end injustice upon the earth once and for all. God did not rebuke them
for this supplication, but replied that it would be done in time. Now we
see this prayer’s fulfillment commence as the seventh and final seal is
opened from the scroll; an angel offers the incense of these prayers to
God and the rapid succesion of the seven trumpet judgments begins. In
Revelation 9:13 this prayer’s realization is seen as a voice from under
this same altar loosing four angels upon the earth.
As mentioned in a previous chapter, this altar in the heavens is the
altar of incense not the sacrificial altar. Both the altar of sacrifice and the

77
altar of incense were in Moses’ earthly temple (Exodus chaps. 27-30),
but since the blood of Jesus has made the sacrificial system obsolete
there is no longer a need for blood sacrifice in the heavenly temple. The
altar of incense where prayers to God are offered is still needful,
however.
And whom is this angel priest officiating at the altar? In his Lectures
on Revelation Ironsides makes the valid point that it is Jesus Christ
himself offering these prayers. While the Bible confirms his point is true
(he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him,
seeing he ever lives to make intercession for them), it is important to note
that the Holy Spirit, as well as Christ intercede for us today. In Romans
8 Paul writes, ”Likewise the Spirit also helps our infirmities: for we know not
what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself makes intercession
for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searches the hearts
knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because he makes intercession for the
saints according to the will of God.”
This same spirit is offering our prayers up upon the heavenly altars
with Christ as we pray today, and if we pray according to his will we
can rest assured that our prayers are being heard by our father.

Verses7-12
The 1st Four Trumpets
First trumpet
The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood,
and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and
all green grass was burnt up.
Isaiah 40:7 reads, ”The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit
of Jehovah bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass”, and before
Nebuchadnezzar’s fall Daniel speaks of him as a great tree due to his
pride. The sounding of this first angel unleashes destruction upon 1/3
of all men, in both their weakness and supposed strength before God.
And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree
which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire .(Matt
3:10)
Second trumpet
And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with
fire was cast into the sea: and the third part of the sea became blood; And the

78
third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died; and the
third part of the ships were destroyed.
We learn that The “great mountain burning with fire” in verse 2 is none
other than Babylon when we turn back to Jeremiah 51:25,“Behold, I am
against thee, O destroying mountain, saith the LORD, which destroyest all the
earth: and I will stretch out mine hand upon thee, and roll thee down from the
rocks, and will make thee a burnt mountain.”
Third trumpet
And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning
as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the
fountains of waters; And the name of the star is called Wormwood: and the
third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters,
because they were made bitter.
Stars in prophetic scripture symbolize religious leaders and
dignitaries, both in the spiritual and physical realms. In verse three we
see a great star, possibly a religious leader, fall from his high place,
affecting a third part of the fountains and rivers, turning them bitter.
The French used wormwood to make absinthe, and it is known for its
bitter taste, hence the Greek name “absinthian”, meaning undrinkable.
Pastor Scott Anderson of Kalamazoo, MI has preached in detail of the
wells and the rivers being the presence of the Holy Spirit. The “well”
Christian is saved but only has enough Spirit working in his life to help
himself and those close to him, “But whosoever drinketh of the water that I
shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in
him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.”- simple salvation.
The “river” Christian seeks God every moment, and a result the Holy
Spirit is a river to him, able to supply the needs of many “He that
believeth on me, as the scripture has said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of
living water. (But this spoke he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him
should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was
not yet glorified.)”- Now more than salvation, the immersion in the Spirit.
Whoever this religious dignitary is, or whatever he does, the results
will be the worst type of deception, some of which is seen even in
today’s church. Though the Holy Spirit has left the earth by this time,
people who seek God will still be under the impression that the Spirit
dwells within in them and like many in today’s church will open doors
for a counterfeit Spirit to enter, hence the bitter rivers and bitter
fountains. Brothers in Christ, if you are saved and are asking God’s

79
Spirit to dwell in you continue to seek and it shall be given, it cannot be
forced. Jesse Penn Lewis writes of many who become content with false
spirits because of pressure from others.
Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be
opened unto you. For every one that asks receives; and he that seeks finds; and
to him that knocks it shall be opened. If a son shall ask bread of any of you that
is a father, will he give him a stone?or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give
him a serpent? Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If you
then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much
more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?
Fourth trumpet
And the fourth angel sounded, and the third part of the sun was smitten, and
the third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars; so as the third part of
them was darkened, and the day shone not for a third part of it, and the night
likewise.
The fourth Trump will affect the heavens. Jesus describes to his
disciples these days of terror prior to his second coming in Luke 21
when he says,”And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in
the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and
the waves roaring; Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after
those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be
shaken. And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power
and great glory. And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up,
and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.” The effects of
these judgments will affect even the length of days, and the entire
heavens will be thrown off balance!
Verse 13
Next begin the three woes, with an angel telling us in verse 13 that each
of the next three trumpets will bring a woe with it. 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!
As the final three trumpets sound we are introduced to “the three
woes”, a time when the world is now fully turned over to the Anti-
Christ and his minions.

Revelation Chapter 9-The First Two Woes

80
The First Woe (The Fifth Trumpet)
Verses1-4
And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star having already fallen from
heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit. And
he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the
smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of
the smoke of the pit. And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth:
and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power. And
it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth,
neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not
the seal of God in their foreheads.
This star having already fallen is a personality, just as the leaders in
the seven churches at the beginning of Revelation are called stars. This
star’s name is Lucifer, and Isaiah speaks of him in Is 14:12,”How you are
fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to
the ground, which did weaken the nations!” In Luke 10:18 Jesus also speaks
of this star, “And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from
heaven.”
Recall the story of Job, and the story of Jesus’ temptations. Up to the
death of Christ, Satan had access to both heaven and Earth. Here
however we see him as described as “a star having already fallen from
heaven unto the earth”. After his death, subsequent to having preached to
the Spirits in Hell, Jesus went into the heavenly temple and purified it,
much as the Levites did to the Earthly temple. Jesus’ entering into the
Holy place in Heaven and purifying it with his blood in heaven is
described in the book of Hebrews.
Once purified, heaven could no longer tolerate the presence of Satan
and his angels and they were removed. At the sound of this Fifth
trumpet, the already fallen Satan is given full reign of Earth. God’s
restraint is lifted and the keys to Hades that Jesus took from Satan when
he died are given back to him to open the bottomless pit. The occupants
of the abyss are Satan’s angels who were cast down by God with Satan
in Satan’s rebellion. Many of Satan’s Demons rule the earth to this day,
but there are also those that are bound.
We can see several examples of Demon’s being bound in this pit
throughout scripture. When Jesus met the man in Gadarenes who was
possessed by many Devils, Jesus commanded the Satanic influences to
leave the man. The demons acknowledged the pit and begged Jesus not

81
to send them back there, “And Jesus asked him, saying, What is your name?
And he said, Legion: because many devils were entered into him. And they
besought him that he would not command them to go out into the deep.”
Jude describes of this abyss of it in verse 6,”And the angels which kept
not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he has reserved in
everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day”
There will be those whom God will protect and restrain demonic
activity from influencing. These men who have the seal of God on their
foreheads are the 144,000 of the tribes of Israel who were sealed by the
angel in Re 7:2-8. It may be possible that others will be sealed besides
these, but we should not assume this as the word does not state this. In
fact the bible is clear that it will be difficult for people to get saved once
the tribulation begins as a deception will be upon them so that they
cannot believe.

Verses 5-12
And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should
be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion,
when he strikes a man. And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not
find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them. And the shapes of
the locusts were like horses prepared unto battle; and on their heads were as it
were crowns like gold, and their faces were as the faces of men. And they had
hair as the hair of women, and their teeth were as the teeth of lions. 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. And they had
tails like scorpions, and there were stings in their tails: and their power was to
hurt men five months. 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. One woe is past; and, behold, there come two
woes more hereafter.
The release of these demons introduces Satan’s wrath upon Earth. We
know that during this time of terror it will be like Hell on Earth: men
will be painfully stung yet will be unable to die, attempting suicide only
to find it futile. The king over these Demons is the ruler of the
bottomless pit, Nwddba ('abaddown). This entity is mentioned in the
Psalms, the Proverbs, and the book of Job, and may have very well been
shut up by Christ 2000 years ago when he redeemed mankind.

82
The Second Woe (The Sixth Trumpet)
Verses 13-15
And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the
golden altar which is before God, Saying to the sixth angel which had the
trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates.
And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for this hour, day,
month, and year to slay the third part of men.
These angels are not “good” angels doing the work of God, but dark
angels, servants of Satan. These angels have been restrained for
thousands of years by believers upon the Earth using the authority that
Christ gave them. Once the believers and God’s Spirit were removed
from the earth and set before God’s throne, Satan’s restraint was gone,
fully loosing his animosity upon man during the sounding of the last
three trumpets.
Elsewhere in scripture God’s angels engage in restraining evil (Rev 7).
These four angels are angels that were bound in the river Euphrates and
then let loose, probably along with the other dark angels that were
bound. Even in the tribulation God has still shown mercy, restraining
some evil until its time. Just as Judas was ordained for his role in
Christ’s death, these angels’ destinies reside in this one act of
destruction.
The loosing of these four angels is an answer to the prayer of the
martyrs that were slain for the word who are seen under the altar in
Rev 6:9-11. An angel offered incense with these prayers at that same
altar (Rev 8:3). The voice that commands the loosing of these four angels
comes from the same altar that the martyred saints were beneath.
1) Saints under the altar pray for judgment and vengeance (Rev 6:9-11)
2) An angel offers incense with the prayers at this altar (Rev 8:3)
3) Voice from the altar brings judgment, answering the prayers (Rev
9:13)
4) A description of the judgment (man sowing what he reaps) in answer
to these patient saints in Rev 6:9-11 (Rev 13:10)

Verses 16-21
And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand
thousand: and I heard the number of them. 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

83
their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone. 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. For their power is in their mouth, and in their tails:
for their tails were like serpents, and had heads, and with them they do hurt.
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: Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries,
nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.
The four angels are loosed from under the River Euphrates and set out
influencing mankind to wage a war with armies of 200,000,000 men. It is
described as an army of horsemen and not some type of locust or
demon. This would seem to indicate armies of man made conventional
warfare and not a release of Demons upon the planet.
Satan’s influence in religion can also be seen in these verses. Mankind
will bend to Satan’s desire that he be worshipped and held above all
else; the very reason he was initially expelled with his angelic followers.
Next comes the 3rd woe with the seventh trumpet sounding in.

Chapter 9
Having just witnessed the outpouring of the second woe (sixth trumpet)
announced by the angel in Rev 8:13, chapter 10 brings us to another
“parenthesis” in the book of Revelation before the third woe begins. The
actual chronology of events ceases to exist and we are given an
overview of events occurring at this point in the tribulation. This
parenthesis continues through verse 12 of chapter 11, at which point the
conclusion of the second woe occurs with God’s two witnesses
resurrected followed by a great Earthquake in the same hour.

84
Revelation Chapter 10
Verses 1-2
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: 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,
This angel coming down from heaven has appeared in chapters 7
and 8 of Revelation, and is the angel of God, not one of Satan’s. The
presence of God is associated with clouds throughout the bible in both
the Old and New Testament: so a valid contention is that this angel is in
fact Jesus Christ: “And above the firmament that was over their heads was the
likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone: and upon the
likeness of the throne was the likeness as the appearance of a man above upon
it. And I saw as the colour of amber, as the appearance of fire round about
within it, from the appearance of his loins even upward, and from the
appearance of his loins even downward, I saw as it were the appearance of fire,
and it had brightness round about. As the appearance of the bow that is in the
cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about.
This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of Jehovah. And when I saw
it, I fell upon my face, and I heard a voice of one that spake. ” (Ezekiel 1: 26-
28)
“And the angel of Elohiym, which went before the camp of Israel, removed
and went behind them; and the pillar of the cloud went from before their face,
and stood behind them:” (Ex 14:19)
“And there came a voice out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son:
hear him.” (Lu 9:35)
“And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up;
and a cloud received him out of their sight.” (Ac 1:9)
“Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also
which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even
so, Amen.” (Re 1:7)
This angel is crowned with a rainbow, a reminder that God promised
Noah after the flood that he would never destroy all of the earth again.
The rainbow seen here in chapter 10 reminds us that there will always
be a remnant, and the sign of that same covenant manifests in this time
of judgment.

85
The angel has a shining face and has feet as pillars of fire, the same
description of Jesus Christ offered in Revelation 1. Jesus, the only one
worthy to open the book, holds it open now, all seals broken
Verses 3-11
And cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roars and when he had cried,
seven thunders uttered their voices. 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.
And the angel which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his
hand to heaven, And swore by him that lives for ever and ever, who created
heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that
therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, that there should be
time no longer: 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 has declared to his
servants the prophets. And the voice which I heard from heaven spoke unto me
again, and said, Go and take the little book which is open in the hand of the
angel which stands upon the sea and upon the earth. And I went unto the
angel, and said unto him, Give me the little book. And he said to me, Take it,
and eat it up; and it shall make thy belly bitter, but it shall be in your mouth
sweet as honey. 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. And he said unto me, You must prophesy again before many
peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings.
The lion of the tribe of Judah roars as a fulfillment of Prophecy in Joel
3:16,”Jehovah also shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem;
and the heavens and the earth shall shake: but Jehovah will be the hope of his
people, and the strength of the children of Israel.”.
After our lion roars seven thunders are heard, possibly the same seven
thundering voices of God mentioned in Psalm 29. Spurgeon writes of
this Psalm, ”We may, perhaps, by a prophetic glance, behold in this
Psalm the dread tempests of the latter days and the security of the elect
people “
A Psalm of David.
Give unto Jehovah, O you mighty, give unto Jehovah glory and strength. Give
unto Jehovah the glory due unto his name; worship Jehovah in the beauty of
holiness.
1) The voice of Jehovah upon the waters: El of glory thunders, Jehovah upon
many waters.

86
2) The voice of Jehovah powerful;
3)The voice of Jehovah full of majesty.
4) The voice of Jehovah breaks the cedars; yea, Jehovah breaks the cedars of
Lebanon. He makes them also to skip like a calf; Lebanon and Sirion like a
young unicorn.
5) The voice of Jehovah divides the flames of fire.
6) The voice of Jehovah shakes the wilderness; Jehovah shakes the wilderness of
Kadesh.
7) The voice Jehovah makes the hinds to calve, and discovereth the forests: and
in his temple doth every one speak of glory. Jehovah sits upon the flood; yea
Jehovah sits King for ever; Jehovah will give strength unto his people; Jehovah
will bless his people with peace.

Revelation Chapter 11
Chapter 11 of Revelation is a continuation of chapter 10, as John did not
divide Christ’s letter to the seven churches into chapters when he
originally wrote it 2000 years ago. The verses that follow should be
understood to continue the “parenthesis” begun in chapter 10 that will
continue through until the seventh trump in verse 14.
Verses1-2
And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying,
Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship
therein. But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it
not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under
foot forty and two months.
In these last times Israel’s temple will be restored by the antichrist as a
means of promoting his agenda of world rule. He will make covenant
with the Jewish people and restore their system of temple worship and
sacrifice. By doing this he will be trying to take focus off of Christ and
his one blood sacrifice to all,” Who needeth not daily, as those high priests,
to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people's: for this he
did once, when he offered up himself.”(Heb 7:27). Paul wrote of the
antichrist’s restoring the temple in his second epistle to the Thessalonian
church: Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ,
and by our gathering together unto him, That you be not soon shaken in mind,
or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that
the day of Christ is at hand. Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day
shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be

87
revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposes and exalts himself above all that is
called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sits in the temple of God,
shewing himself that he is God.
The reference to a rod throughout the bible and in these first two
verses and is an indication that God intends to judge this temple and
the people worshipping therein. Moses’ rod judged Egypt, Job
accounted his circumstances to God’s rod, and the prophets of Israel
spoke often of the rod of wrath and judgment.
Revelation 11:2-3 can be synchronized to match 12:14 (a parenthetical
chapter) as the same amount of time is mentioned. The time of the two
witnesses (1260 days- vs. 3) and the Gentiles treading the temple
underfoot (42 months- vs.2) occur during the same period that the Jews
who confess Christ are protected by God after Satan attempts to make
war with the 144,000. (Rev 12:13-17)

Verses3-4
The Two Witnesses-Elijah and Moses/Enoch
And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a
thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth. These are the
two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth.
In the last 3-1/2 years of the great tribulation two prophets of God
will appear in Jerusalem to preach in Jerusalem against the idolatrous
worship that will be going on there. They will be hated but none will
have the power to stop them at first, not even the beast, as they will be
under divine protection until they have finished their message. These
two people are mentioned in Zechariah 4:12-14,”And I answered again,
and said unto him, What be these two olive branches which through the two
golden pipes empty the golden oil out of themselves? And he answered me and
said, Know you not what these be? And I said, No, my lord. Then said he,
These are the two anointed ones, that stand by Jehovah of the whole earth.”
A thorough study of Zechariah is absolutely needed to have a
comprehensive understanding, in context, of the events unfolding in
this tribulation period.
Verses 5-6
And if any man will hurt them, fire proceeds out of their mouth, and devours
their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed.
These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy:

88
and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with
all plagues, as often as they will.
Malachi foresaw in chapter 4 of his writings that one of these
witnesses is the prophet Elijah,” Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet
before the coming of the great and dreadful day of Jehovah And he shall turn
the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their
fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.” In addition his past
authority parallels the God given powers mentioned here in Revelation;
Elijah had the ability to stop rain for 3-1/2years (or about 42 months),
and called fire down from heaven on several occasions. Orthodox Jews
from Jesus day to present know that Elijah must appear before the
coming of the Messiah as evidenced by the cup they place out for Elijah
on Passover and by their questioning of John the Baptist’s being Elijah.
There are two possible Old Testament prophets who have biblical
precedent to fill the role of the second witness. The first prophet is
Moses, as he demonstrated two of the abilities used by the witnesses
here and appeared with Elijah to Jesus on the mount of transfiguration.
In addition, Paul reminds us of an apocryphal writing in which Michael
the archangel disputed with Satan over the body of Moses after his
death, a possible sign that God needed Moses body to fulfill the future
role as one of the two witnesses mentioned here. The second possible
person who some consider to be one of these two prophets is Enoch, as
he was taken up without dying just as Elijah was. The writer of
Hebrews said, “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the
judgment” Heb 9:27. Since neither Elijah nor Enoch have tasted death,
both are potential candidates for these end time prophets. Jude, verses
14-15 identifies Enoch as prophesying the tribulation time written of in
the book of Revelation,”And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied
of these, saying, Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of his saints, To
execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of
all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their
hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.”

Verse 7-10
And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascends out of
the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and
kill them. 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. And

89
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. 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.
Here we see the first mention of the beast in the book of Revelation,
one of two personalities (the antichrist being the other) Satan uses on
the earth to represent him. Upon killing the two witnesses, the beast
enjoys increasing popularity among the people whom they were
tormenting. We have seen news footage of victors in battle dragging the
enemy’s lifeless bodies around, leaving them out in the open to be spit
upon and abused by those who hated them. This scene will be no
different, and will be seen on the news throughout an overjoyed world,
a world that takes pleasure in sin and hates righteousness. Those who
hated them will feel free to vent their ghoulish pride and rage upon the
two now unable defend themselves. When John first wrote of this future
scene there were surely scoffers, as the ability for the whole world to
watch this seen as it unfolded was deemed impossible by that time’s
technology. Up until 10 years ago people would have been shocked to
watch live action combat footage from around the world, and how
many around our planet watched in real time as aircraft slammed into
the World Trade Centers. God, of course, gets the last laugh because as
always, he knows the beginning from the end and his word can be held
as true no matter how outlandish it may seem at the time.

Verses 11-12
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.
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.
Witnesses of an eternal glorious God, these two are televised to the
entire world being resurrected with God’s voice broadcast around the
planet, an undeniable proof that God is omnipotent!!

Verses 13-14
2nd Woe Concludes-Great Earthquake in Jerusalem
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

90
remnant were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven.The second woe
is past; and, behold, the third woe comes quickly.
Chapter 10 began another view, a parenthesis of the events going on
during the tribulation period, and now with the rapture of the two
witnesses and the earthquake in Jerusalem this parenthesis is done; we
have caught up to present events and are about to see the third woe
come to pass. Here in vs. 13-14 we see the hearts of men who give glory
to God because of the calamity that has befallen their lives. These men,
however, are unlikely to be born again and will quickly slide back to
their ways. The praise seen here is not the result of an inward
conversion but of temporary fear that, once passed, will be forgotten
and left to the dark recesses of memory.

91
Chapter 10
The Days of the Seventh Angel Sounding

Revelation Chapter 11 (Cont.)


Chronologically, the heavenly praise in revelation 11:15-19 happens
immediately after the second woe has ended with the great earthquake,
in Jerusalem, and continues without interruption in chapter 15.
Everything written between chapters 12 to 15 is to be considered
another divine overview or “parenthesis” detailing events occurring
during the days of the seventh trump.

92
Verse 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.
The unfolding world history and the eventual kingdom of God
praised here were foreseen by Daniel in Chapters 2, 3, 6& 7 of the book
he penned thousands of years ago. The rest of this chapter in Revelation
is devoted to praise and the manifestation of God’s presence, a
precursor to the third woe beginning in chapter 16 with the outpouring
of the 7 vials of Gods wrath.
Verses 16-18
And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon
their faces, and worshipped God, Saying, We give you thanks, O Lord God
Almighty, who is, and was, and is to come; because you have taken your great
power, and have reigned. And the nations were angry, and your wrath is come
and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that you should give
reward to your servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear
your name, small and great; and should destroy them which destroy the earth.
The elders’ praise in this verse should be understood as a statement
that spans over several centuries. These events will be spread out over
the next 1000 years that the rest of the book of Revelation covers. The
first statement,” And the nations were angry “refers to the nations
gathering together at Armageddon. The dead outside of Christ are
judged in revelation 20 after Christ’s 1000 year reign and are here
spoken of with, ”and the time of the dead, that they should be judged.” The
next sentence,“ and that you should give reward unto your servants the
prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear your name, small and great”
describes the rewarding of God’s saints which takes place during the
tribulation period. The final judgment of Satan and his demons is
addressed with, ”and should destroy them which destroy the earth.”

Verse 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.
In the Old Testament the ark of the testament was the presence of God
amidst the nation Israel. Throughout Israel’s trials and testing there was

93
always protection and deliverance in the presence of the ark. Here we
see that despite the midst of the tribulation upon the earth, God reveals
to the inhabitants of earth that there is still safety and deliverance for
those who call upon God, though few will do so.

Chapter 11
Chapter 12 begins a parenthetical section of Revelation which
continues through chapter 14. The Seventh Trump has sounded and
before the seven bowl judgments contained within the 7th trump begin,
several overviews are given in chapters 12-14.
Chapter 12 is a summation to date of the war in heaven between Satan
and God, resulting in Satan’s being cast out of heaven with his angels
some time past. Chapter 13 gives a review of the tribulation antichrist,
with angels prophetically proclaiming what tribulation events are yet to
come in Chapter 14

94
Chapter 12 can be broken down into two sections. Verses 1-7 are a
history of Satan’s Conflict with Israel and her seed Jesus, and the battle
between Satan’s powers and God’s since as long as man can recall.
Verses 9-17 are Satan’s being cast down to Earth and out of Heaven
permanently sometime in our future (Most likely after the rapture) and
his subsequent attacks on the Jews and persecution of the tribulation
believers
We should first note that the woman seen in verses 1 and 2 is a
“wonder” or a “sign” seen by the prophet John, and not a literal person
which lives in the very end of times. The Greek word which is
translated as wonder here is semeion (say-mi'-on) which is translated in
the New Testament as sign, mark, miracle, wonder or token. This words
root is semainw (say-mah'-ee-no) which means to signify or to make
known; to give a sign (Jn 12:33, 18:32, 21:19; Ac 11:28, 25:27; Re 1:1).

Revelation Chapter 12
Verse 1-2
And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun,
and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars: And
she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered.
This woman is Israel, with the 12 stars being the 12 tribes or sons of
Jacob. Joseph’s similar vision in Genesis contained 11 stars, the missing
12th star being himself. Despite his brothers’ and father’s offence about
this vision, his father did keep it in mind. And he dreamed yet another
dream, and told it his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream
more; and, behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance
to me. And he told it to his father, and to his brethren: and his father rebuked
him, and said unto him, What is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall I
and your mother and your brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to you
to the earth? And his brethren envied him; but his father observed the saying.
The Old Testament alludes to Israel’s sons as being these stars Psalm
147:4 says, “He tells the number of the stars; he calls them all by their
names,” and The prophet Isaiah speaks of Satan’s attempt to exalt
himself over the stars, ”For you have said in your heart, I will ascend into
heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the
mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north

95
The Hebrew word for star in these verses is bkwk (ko-kawb') and is
used elsewhere in the Old Testament for The Messiah as Jacob’s (aka
Israel) descendant (Nu 24:17)
The nation of Israel being pained in delivery of the Messiah is
foreshadowed in Genesis 3. God tells Eve,” I will greatly multiply your
sorrow and your conception; in sorrow you shall bring forth children”. This
pronouncement that God gives to Eve is not a curse but describes what
God must do now that sin has entered the earth.
In John 16 Jesus says, ”Verily, verily, I say unto you, That you shall weep
and lament, but the world shall rejoice: and you shall be sorrowful, but your
sorrow shall be turned into joy. A woman when she is in travail has sorrow,
because her hour is come: but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she
remembers no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world. And
you now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall
rejoice, and your joy no man takes from you.

Verses 3-4
And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon,
having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads. And his
tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and cast them to the earth: and
the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, to devour
her child as soon as it was born. (Is 14, Ez 28)
Verse three again uses the Greek word used in verse one for
“wonder”- the word actually meaning a sign or symbol. The crowns
seen on the dragons head are not the victor’s wreaths as seen in heaven,
but a royal crown, or “diadem”. These crowns represent Satan’s
dominion and the rulers he will use.
This is an event which happened in ages past when Satan was thrown
from heaven (but still had access to it) and 1/3 of the angels went with
him. Some, but not all of the angels were confined to the bottomless pit
(2Pe, Jude). with the word “stars” referring to angels (Job 38, Lucifer is
called the morning star in the Bible). At Jesus’ birth, unsuccessful
attempts were made by Satan to destroy the Messiah as occurred when
Satan influenced Herod to kill all the children in Bethlehem, which he
hoped would include Jesus. The woman here is the Jewish nation.

Verse 5

96
And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of
iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne. (See Ro 9:1-2)
The nation of Israel is the Mother from whom the physical Messiah was
born. He died, was resurrected, and was caught up to God.

Verse 6
And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she had a place prepared of
God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore
days.
This describes the history of Satan’s attempting to destroy the nation
of Israel, and as with the previous “wonder”, should be seen as a sign, a
vision. The time of 1260 days occurs several times in both the old and
new testaments. What is described here is Israel’s being protected from
the dragon for a period of 3&1/2 years during the tribulation. Daniel
mentions 3&1/2 years of relative world peace followed by 3&1/2 years
of terror after the church is taken up and before Christ returns for his
Millennial reign. Throughout the Old Testament, there are vivid
descriptions of entire royal families being slaughtered but always
leaving one unknown survivor in the blood line of Jesus. In Genesis 3
God tells Satan,” And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and
between your seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and you shall bruise
his heel.” Satan moved Cain to slay his brother, Satan caused Esau to
want to kill his brother, and Pharaoh to slaughter the male newborns in
Egypt. In Esther, Satan moved against King Ashasuharus to kill all Jews,
and moved Herod to kill the children at the time of the birth of Jesus.
When Jesus was finally born Satan even tried to kill him, but didn’t
succeed through Herod. Satan inspired people through out Jesus’ life to
kill him. When Jesus was resurrected, Satan can be seen attempting to
kill the body of Christ through the Roman church itself!

Verse 7
And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the
dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,
Ever since the day that Satan fell there has been a war in heaven and on
Earth. An example of this war in the heavenlies is in the book of Daniel
chapter 10. Daniel had been praying and fasting for 21 days. When an
angel finally shows up he explains that he was held up by the Prince of

97
the kingdom of Persia and had to wait until the archangel Michael
arrived to help him.
The Prince of Persia is not a person, as a human being would not be
able to oppose the power of an angel of God. This prince is a
principality, a delegate of Satan, given responsibility to move the
Powers of Persia towards Satan’s influences and away from God’s (Eph
6:12, Isa 24:21) Persia is the Kingdom of Babylon and throughout the
bible references to Babylon refer to idolatrous, deceptive ways of
Satan’s workings and Kingdom.
Evidence of Satan and his Angels having access to heaven as well as
the earth is found in Job.
Verses 8-10
And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the
great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which
deceives the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were
cast out with him. And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come
salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his
Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before
our God day and night.
In Rev 6:10 we see the same song being sung in heaven by the martyrs.
Rev 12:10 is the same moment in time as Revelation 6:10; Revelation
6:10 is part of the actual chronology of Revelation, Rev 12 is an
overview of Satan’s fall. These two verses are important as they allow
us to synchronize Rev 12 somewhat into the whole book of Revelation.
The Martyrs sing a song of praise here that Satan has been cast down
to Earth. From this we learn the Satan is reigning on Earth and out of
Heaven by the fifth seal. This would also correspond to the saints being
removed from the earth in the 1st to third seals, with Satan’s reign on
earth beginning at the opening of the 4th seal.
Verse 10 gives us another example of Satan’s being in heaven in the
past as it says here that he accused the brethren before our God.

Verses 11-12
And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their
testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death. Therefore rejoice,
heavens, and you that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of
the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he
knows that he has but a short time.

98
Verses 11&12 speak to the tribulation inhabitants of Earth,
acknowledging that Satan has been thrown out of heaven and is now
terrorizing the earth. They rejoice as he is no longer in heaven. It is
written in the Bible that we deal not with flesh and blood but powers
and principalities, that we war in the heavenlies, that what we bind or
loose on earth will be bound or loosed in heaven. Once Satan is cast
down into the pit this will no longer be true, as Satan will have no
authority or place outside of the Earthly realm. Satan’s anger has now
been limited to the planet.
“and they loved not their lives unto the death” There is no guarantee to the
Christian soldier that they not die because of their allegiance to Jesus
Christ. Obedience to God is to be valued as greater than their own lives.
The only way that the Christian can do this is to Overcome by the blood
of the lamb, and the word of their testimony. That testimony is an
essential part of the victory and is expressed not as words but as a
lifestyle.
Verses 13-14
And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the
woman which brought forth the man child. And to the woman were given two
wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place,
where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of
the serpent.
The term a time, and times, and half a time can easily be read as 3 1/2
years, since a “time” represents one year and “times” (plural) is two
years. This period can be harmonized with Rev 11:2-3, the time of the
two witnesses during the 6th trump (42 months) and the amount of time
the Gentiles will tread the temple (1260 days). Rev 12:13 also
harmonizes with Parenthetical Rev 13:5”and power was given unto him to
continue forty and two months.”

Verses 15-17
And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that
he might cause her to be carried away of the flood. And the earth helped the
woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the
dragon cast out of his mouth. And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and
went to
make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God,
and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

99
Verses 15-17 describe Satan’s attack upon the Earth (42 months) Satan
will persecute the Jewish nation as never before but they will be
sheltered by God. Verse 17 tells of the Dragon being angry with the
nation of Israel, and that he goes to make war with the remnant of her
seed-the 144,000. They however, are protected by God’s seal.

Revelation Chapter 13-History of the Tribulation Antichrist

And he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious
holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him. (Dan 11:
45)
Chapter 13 is another parenthetical chapter. It summarizes the history
of the antichrist on the Earth. From this text it appears he will have
power for 3 1/2 years. This coincides with the last half of the tribulation
period from the 4th seal’s opening to the return of Christ. (Compare Rev
13: 5, Rev 11:2-3, and Rev 12:13)

Verses 1-6
And he stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea,
having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon
his heads the name of blasphemy. And the beast which I saw was like a leopard,
and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and
the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority. And I saw
one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed:
and all the world wondered after the beast. And they worshipped the dragon
which gave power to the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is
like the beast? who is able to make war with him? And there was given unto
him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto
him to continue forty and two months. And he opened his mouth in blasphemy
against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in
heaven.
The 10 crowned beast with the attributes of the leopard, lion, and bear
spoken of in verse 2 are also seen in Daniel 7. This beast is Satan, and
the animal's attributes given him here represent the great empires that
have influence the world to this day. These great empires have had their
dominion taken away, yet their lives were prolonged for a season,
meaning that though the empires have vanished, their practices and
systems are still in use today and will be used by Satan.

100
An extremely important note to verse one must be exclamated. Many
translations state, “and I stood upon the sand of the sea” leading to
confusion that this beast which is seen is the antichrist. As pointed out
by H.A, Ironsides, the best manuscripts say, “and HE stood upon the sand
of the sea”, that is Satan-the dragon.

Verses 7-8
And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them:
and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations. And all
that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in
the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
Somewhere between this point and chapter 14 when the tares are
harvested, all remaining believers on the earth will either be martyred
or taken up in the harvest. The beast is given victory over the saints of
God and they are killed, having been martyred and preserved in the
book of life. No one else’s name is blotted from the book of life, nor are
any believers of Christ present on the earth. Somewhere between this
point and chapter 14 all the world will worships the beast, and all will
receive the mark of the beast (vs. 16). All remaining believers will be
gone from the face of the earth until Christ’s return with them to set up
the millennial kingdom.
Verse 9-10
If any man have an ear, let him hear. In chapters 2 and 3 of revelation the
phrase “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says unto the
churches” is used seven times. In this verse here, however, a different
phrase is used to say the same thing. The reason is obvious; no reference
is made to the church or the Spirit anymore because it is no longer
present on the earth.
He that leads into captivity shall go into captivity: he that kills with the
sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the
saints.
Verse 10 has to do with the saints under the altar of God in chapter 6,
who are crying out for justice to be served. They were told to be patient,
or to “rest“until the martyring of saints was complete. Now that there
are no more saints, the inhabitants of the earth will have no more mercy.
Verse 10 tells of those who sow wickedness now reaping wickedness,
these being all the inhabitants of earth.

101
Verses 11-18
And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns
like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon. And he exercised all the power of the
first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to
worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. And he does great
wonders, so that he makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight
of men, And deceives them that dwell on the earth by the means of those
miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that
dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the
wound by a sword, and did live. And he had power to give life unto the image
of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as
many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. And he
caused all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark
in their right hand, or in their foreheads. And that no man might buy or sell,
save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the
beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore
and six.
The bible addresses two separate religious deceptions: a false Christ
and a false church. These are not to be confused with one another. The
false Christ is referred to personally as “he”, and apostate religious
systems are referred to as “she”. The prophetic antichrist is detailed in
Daniel 11:36 on through chapter 12 (see appendix).
The false Messiah will most likely be a Jew who will establish the
Jewish nation, and then cast off restraint and proclaim himself as God

Revelation Chapter 14 -7 Prophetic Visions


Chapter 14 presents a parenthetical chapter and as is the case in
chapter 7, is not to be chronologically “sandwiched” between the
chapters on either side of it. It is a prophetic vision of events yet to
arrive in the actual time line of Revelation
In Chapter 7 we paused at the opening of the seventh seal. Now, at the
sounding of the seventh horn we pause before the seven vial judgments
are poured in chapters 15 & 16. In Chapter 7 (the first parenthetical
section) we see the 144,000 in Ministry; in chapter 14 (the second
parenthetical section) we see the 144,000 receiving their reward from
The Lord AFTER the tribulation will have ended.

102
There are 7 prophetic visions in chapter 14. The first is of the 144,000
receiving their future reward. In a previous chapter it was shown that
the 144,000 are clearly Jewish, and are not to be mistaken for the church.
The remaining 6 visions are prophetic messages given by angels.
Verses 1-5
The 144,000
And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an
hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father's name written in their
foreheads. And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as
the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their
harps: And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the
four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred
and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth. These are
they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they
which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from
among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb. And in their
mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God.

Zeph 3:9-20-A Prophetic Description of the 144,000


For then will I turn to the people a pure language, that they may all call upon
the name of Jehovah, to serve him with one consent. From beyond the rivers of
Ethiopia my suppliants, even the daughter of my dispersed, shall bring mine
offering. In that day you shall not be ashamed for all thy doings, wherein you
have transgressed against me: for then I will take away out of the midst of you
them that rejoice in your pride, and you shall no more be haughty because of
my holy mountain. I will also leave in the midst of you an afflicted and poor
people, and they shall trust in the name of Jehovah. The remnant of Israel shall
not do iniquity, nor speak lies; neither shall a deceitful tongue be found in their
mouth: for they shall feed and lie down, and none shall make them afraid. Sing,
O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel; be glad and rejoice with all the heart, O
daughter of Jerusalem. Jehovah has taken away your judgments, he has cast out
your enemy: the king of Israel, even Jehovah, is in the midst of you: thou shall
not see evil any more. In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem, Fear not: and to
Zion, Let not your hands be slack. Jehovah Elohiym in the midst of you is
mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over you with joy; he will rest in his love,
he will joy over you with singing. I will gather them that are sorrowful
for the solemn assembly, who are of you, to whom the reproach of it was a
burden. Behold, at that time I will undo all that afflict you: and I will save her

103
that halts, and gather her that was driven out; and I will get them praise and
fame in every land where they have been put to shame. At that time will I bring
you again, even in the time that I gather you: for I will make you a name and a
praise among all people of the earth, when I turn back your captivity before
your eyes, saith the Jehovah.

Prophetic Angelic Announcements


Using the Angels as an outline, we can summarize the rest of chapter
14 as 6 prophetic announcements to the remaining people of God on this
earth:
1) 14:6-7 - An angel announces the declaration of the Gospel to the entire
earth
2)14:8 -and there followed another angel
3) 14:9- and there was a third angel
The appearance of these three angels is followed by the appearance
Jesus, then by three more angels
1) 14:15 another angel
2) 14:17 another angel
3) 14:18 another angel

1st Angel -The Preaching of the Gospel to all nations


God in the past had used men to declare the gospel, and God
continued to do so in the tribulation by using the two witnesses and the
sealed 144,000. Now, in this first announcement of chapter 14, God
bypasses the human element, and one last time has the gospel presented
to all of the earth by an angel seen in the heavens. The angel does not
present a call to be saved, nor does he only implore mankind to accept
Christ as savior.
Instead, mankind in these last days must come to know God as
creator of all. This last Gospel announcement is not just the gospel of
salvation, but “the everlasting gospel”: the earth must give all glory and
worship to God who created them.
Verses 6-7
And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting
gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and
kindred, and tongue, and people, Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give
glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made
heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.

104
In Matthew 24:13-14 Jesus tells his disciples: And this gospel of the
kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and
then shall the end come. When you therefore shall see the abomination of
desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso
readeth, let him understand:)
Unfortunately this passage is taken out of context by many who claim
that the second coming of Christ (which they incorrectly identify as the
rapture instead of his millennial kingdom) will be ushered in by the
church’s ability to finally preach the gospel of Christ to the entire world.
Scripture is clear, however that the 144,000 will have a part in this, with
the final fulfillment being the angel seen here. Jesus clearly says ... and
then the end will come... meaning NOT the rapture, but the end.

Verse 8
2nd Angel- The Destruction of Babylon
And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that
great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her
fornication.
While Revelation 17 and 18 are devoted to the destruction of Babylon,
this angel issues a prophetic announcement of its sure fall. The angel
repeats the word fallen several times to emphasize the surety of its
eventual total destruction, as did Isaiah in Is 21:9 when he prophesied
Babylon’s fall in our past.
This historical fall in the Old Testament is a foreshadowing of the
“future fall” of Babylon mentioned here in Revelation. In Genesis 10 and
11 Nimrod founded Babylon and fostered a proud and adulterous
people. In the book of Daniel we see Babylon being used by God as the
instrument of Israel’s punishment. In Isaiah 21:9 Babylon’s destruction
is prophesied. Jeremiah says,” Babylon is the land of Graven images and
they are mad upon their idols”. When we review the bible we see the
word Babylon not only meaning the literal city, but also meaning
Satan’s way of doing things, the world system of the beast.
Verses 9-11
3rd Angel- The Judgment of the Beast’s Followers
And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man
worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his
hand, The

105
same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without
mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and
brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:
And the smoke of their torment ascended up for ever and ever: and they have no
rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever
receives the mark of his name.
Here, God again sends one of his angels to give a clear message to the
world. As it is today, during the tribulation there will be many false
teachings of the way to heaven. God will clearly and simply outline the
truth to the entire world by this angel. Either worship God and be
damned by the beast, or worship the beast and be damned by God. It
will be clear who one worships, as they will be marked already.

Verses 12-13
Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of
God, and the faith of Jesus. And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me,
Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, says the
Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them.
These verses give us the second of seven beatitudes in the book of
revelation, “Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth.“ This
verse can be taken to mean that all those who claim Christ as savior
from this point forth will enter into eternal life, and will be spared from
the tribulation upon the earth. It truly will be better from this point on
to suffer as a martyr for Christ than to live. When Paul wrote,” But if I
live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labour: yet what I shall choose I know
not. For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with
Christ; which is far better: Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for
you.”, it was more needful for him to spread the Gospel of Jesus. In this
dispensation, however, the 144,000 have been commissioned to go forth
and preach-and with God’s protection. The mere convert will not have
much effect in these days.

Rev 14:14-16
The 4th Angel-Separation of the Tares from the Wheat
And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto
the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp
sickle. And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to

106
him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come
for thee to
reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe. And he that sat on the cloud thrust in
his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped.
The Son of Man is first to reap. He reaps the elect which remain on the
earth and they are removed. We see them in heaven at the beginning of
the next chapter. All that remains on the Earth are the unsaved- the
sinner.

Verses17-20
5th and 6th Angels- The Battle of Armageddon/Judgment of the Tares
And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a
sharp sickle. And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over
fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust
in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her
grapes are fully ripe. And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and
gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath
of God. And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of
the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six
hundred furlongs
After the wheat and tares have been separated, the tares will be
burned and judged. This occurs at the upcoming battle of Armageddon.
Remember, the 6 angels in this chapter are making PROPHETIC
ANNOUNCEMENTS - chapter 14 is not meant to be in the chronology.
We will read of these prophecies fulfilled as we continue through the
book. Chapters 38 and 39 of Ezekiel reveal a prophetic description of the
“latter years”, events leading to and including the battle of
Armageddon. Chapter 39:9-12 describes it taking 7 years to dispose of
the weapons used in the battle, and seven months to bury the dead.
Let the heathen be wakened, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat: for
there will I sit to judge all the heathen round about. Put in the sickle, for the
harvest is ripe: come, get you down; for the press is full, the fats overflow; for
their wickedness is great. Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for
the day of Jehovah is near in the valley of decision.The sun and the moon shall
be darkened, and the stars shall withdraw their shining. Jehovah also shall roar
out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth
shall shake: but Jehovah will be the hope of his people, and the strength of the
children of Israel. (Joel 3: 12-16)

107
Psalm 2 also contains a Messianic psalm of this Vision as do the
following verses:

He answered and said unto them, He that sows the good seed is the Son of
man; The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but
the tares are the children of the wicked one; The enemy that sowed them is the
devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. As
therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end
of this world. The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather
out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; And
shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of
teeth. Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their
Father. Who has ears to hear, let him hear. (Matt 13:37-43)
Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea,
and gathered of every kind: Which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and
sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away. So shall it
be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked
from among the just, And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be
wailing and gnashing of teeth. (Matt 13:47-50)
And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which stands for
the children of your people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never
was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time your
people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.And
many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to
everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. And they that be
wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to
righteousness as the stars for ever and ever. (Dan 12:1-3)
And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet and they shall
gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the
other. (Mt 24:31)

108
Chapter 12
Revelation Chapter 15 is the introduction to the last set of sevens in
the book, the seven vial judgments. Both the Greek text and English
translation of verse 1 make it clear that these are the final judgments. All
seven of these vial judgments are included within the seventh trumpet.
Chapters 15 and 16 continue where we left off in chapter 11:15, as
everything from 11:15 to chapter 15 has been an overview, or
parenthesis. Chapters 15 and 16 announce the last judgments before the
second coming of Christ in chapter 19:11. As the preceding chapter (14)
was a parenthetical chapter at the end of the seven trumpets, chapters
17 and 18 will also be parenthetical at the end of the 7 vial judgments
contained in chapters 15 and 16

Revelation Chapter 15
Verses 1-2
And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvellous, seven angels having
the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God. And I saw as it
were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over
the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his
name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God.
Here in verse 2 John is having a vision of heaven, describing it
similarly elsewhere in Revelation. The people here are clearly the
martyred tribulation Christians who did not submit to the beast (see
Rev 13:7-10). This is the fulfillment of the prophetic vision given to John
in Rev 7:9. Harps are given to the martyred saints along with the saints
who were taken up at the beginning of the tribulation (chapter 5) and
the 144,000 (chapter 14)

Verses 3-4
And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb,
saying, Great and marvellous are your works, Lord God Almighty; just and
true are your ways, King of saints. Who shall not fear you, O Lord, and glorify

109
your name? for you alone are holy: for all nations shall come and worship
before you; for your judgments are made manifest.
The Song of Moses was sung in Exodus 15 and this has parallels to the
Israelites’ deliverance from the captivity in Egypt. When using the term
“Song of Moses”, John may be referring to a praise song like this that
speaks in a general way of God’s deliverance. There is however a song
that Moses sang in Deuteronomy 32 that speaks directly to this situation
(De 32:1-43) and could be literally sung by these tribulation saints also

Verses 5-6
And after that I looked, and, behold, the temple of the tabernacle of the
testimony in heaven was opened And the seven angels came out of the temple,
having the seven plagues, clothed in pure and white linen, and having their
breasts girded with golden girdles:
The tabernacle of testimony (The Holy Place) was always closed to
everyone but the high priest who only went in once per year to offer
sacrifice. The absolute purity and justice of God’s judgment only exists
because he is a perfect and holy God. Thus, the Holy place opens, and
the final justice from God emanates in the form of 7 angels clothed in
pure white linen.
God sent his law and his prophets and they were rejected. God sent
his son to redeem the world and he was killed. In the tribulation God
sent 2 witnesses, the 144,000, and the angel who preached the Gospel to
the world and there still remain those who reject God. God’s only
option as a merciful and just God is to now give judgment.

Verses 7-8
And one of the four beasts gave unto the seven angels seven golden vials full of
the wrath of God, who lives for ever and ever. And the temple was filled with
smoke from the glory of God, and from his power; and no man was able to enter
into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled.
When God gave his law Mt Sinai was covered in smoke (Ex 19:18)
When Isaiah was cleansed in the temple there was smoke in the temple
(Is 6:1-4) , and when Aaron offered sacrifice on the day of atonement a
cloud of smoke covered the mercy seat. Smoke is present when
judgment comes.

Revelation Chapter 16- The Third Woe

110
Chapter 16 begins God’s final judgment, or, the third woe which
consists of the remaining vial judgments. The men who will not drink
the cup of God’s mercy and salvation so repeatedly offered to them will
have to drink the cup of his wrath. There are only two choices given and
God, throughout history, has made that fact clear to mankind.
First vial -verses1-2 And I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the
seven angels, Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon
the earth. And the first went, and poured out his vial upon the earth; and there
fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast,
and upon them which worshipped his image.
Second vial -verse 3 And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea;
and it became as the blood of a dead man: and every living soul died in the sea.
Third vial -verses 4-7 And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers
and fountains of waters; and they became blood. And I heard the angel of the
waters say, Thou art righteous, O Lord,who was, and is, and is to come,
because you have judged thus. For they have shed the blood of saints and
prophets, and you have given them blood to drink; for they are worthy. And I
heard another out of the altar say, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and
righteous are your judgments.
Fourth vial-verses 8-9 And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the
sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire. And men were
scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, who had power
over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory.
Fifth vial-verses 10-11 And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat
of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their
tongues for pain, And blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and
their sores, and repented not of their deeds.

Armageddon gathers, Jesus tells John, “I come as a thief”


Sixth vial-verses 12-17 And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the
great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the
kings of the east might be prepared. And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs
come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out
of the mouth of the false prophet. For they are the spirits of devils, working
miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to
gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. Behold, I come as
a thief. Blessed is he that watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked,

111
and they see his shame. And he gathered them together into a place called in the
Hebrew tongue Armageddon.
Christ’s return is imminent now, thus the words, “Behold, I come as a
thief “The third of seven beatitudes in the book of Revelation is also
found in verse 15. Armageddon refers to a mountain which overlooks a
great plain in the northern part of Palestine. Napoleon once commented
that it would make an ideal battlefield for all the armies of the earth.
The river Euphrates is dried up, a thing that would have seemed
impossible in John’s time. This prophecy has already begun to be
fulfilled, however. After the first war in Iraq, many Iraqi ex-patriots
found their way to the United States in Michigan in the mid to late
1990’s. After having moved there in 2001, I became friends with Haider,
a young man whom had spent years in refugee camps before finally
coming to Michigan. He was from a small town that he described was
along the river’s wetland’s, and he told stories of Sadaam’s successful
attempts to strangle their livelihood by slowly cutting off the rivers
supply to his area. At present it would take little effort at all on man’s
part, much less God’s, to stop the flow.
Seventh Vial-verses 17-21 And the seventh angel poured out his vial into
the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the
throne, saying, It is done. And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings;
and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the
earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great. And the great city was divided
into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in
remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness
of his wrath. And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found.
And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the
weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail;
for the plague thereof was exceeding great
God’s judgment upon the earth is complete. There will be no further
judgments upon the earth. The next event to occur in our chronology is
the return of Christ in chapter 19. Before Christ returns, parenthetical
chapters 17 and 18 review the events of Babylon’s rise and its perilous
fall. Remember that the term Babylon does not necessarily apply only to
the city bearing that name, but to the antichrist’s system of governing.

112
Chapter 13
The Rise and Fall of Babylon
I have attempted to be comprehensive in showing that the Babylon
written of in Revelation chapters 17& 18 is in fact the Roman system. It
is superfluous for me elaborate further, as the most thorough and time
tested work of this subject exists in Alexander Hyslop’s book The Two
Babylon’s. I found that the more I elaborated on the woman in
Revelation 17 and the mystery of Babylon, the more I included Hyslop’s
treatise to give a complete picture.
Revelation 17&18 is a retrospective of Babylon’s destruction. In
chapter 14 an angel prophesied Babylon’s imminent destruction,
followed by the actual fall in chapter 16 (6th vial). Now in chapter 17
one of those angels pulls John aside and says, “Let me stop the movie
for a second and show you in detail what just happened”. Chapters
17&18 are not a chronological continuation of Revelation, but a focused
review of Babylon’s rise and fall during the end times
When Babylon is mentioned in the bible, it not only means the literal
past and future cities of Babylon, but the world system of doing things
and the world view of false religion that arose from this city; a religion
which leads away from the true God and towards man and his
glorification.
Babylon first appears in Genesis 10 and was founded by Nimrod and
his wife, Semiramis. She was worshipped in other cultures of the world
as Rhea, the Syrian goddess Astarte, Isis, and Venus. All of these
religions’ worship of a high priestess was founded in the Babylonian
system, as they all include a “queen of heaven”.
According to the Babylonian legend, Rhea’s son, Tammuz, was slain
and then resurrected after his mother wept for forty days. We see here
the beginnings of the idolatrous worship of mother and child, a
Babylonian system echoed in the Assyrian Rhea and son Tammuz, the
Phoenician Astarte and Baal, The Egyptian Isis and Osiris, the Indian Isi
and Iswara, the Asian Cybele and Deoius, the Greek Aphrodite and
Eros, and the Roman Fortuna and Jupiter. The 40 days of weeping is a

113
common denominator in much mother/child worship in the world, and
its present carry-over can be seen in the observation of lent.
In the worship of these idols, cakes and wafers were offered by the
believers to the one known as the queen of heaven. The mourning for
her son was honored by abstaining and fasting for 40 days followed by
a feast for the resurrected son. The Assyrians celebrated the feast of
Ishtar with a huge meal at which participants exchanged “Ishtar eggs”.
Ezekiel 8 portrays the Babylonian religions corruption of Israel.
Women are weeping for Tammuz in the temple, an abomination. God
tells Ezekiel he will deal with the nation furiously, because of this
foreshadowing the same event in Revelation chapter 16. Jeremiah 44:15
describes the Babylonian system defiling pure worship including the
Jews worship of the Queen of Heaven.
At the beginning of the Roman Empire, Emperor Julius Caesar, was
elected” Pontifex Maximus” and deified, with successive Emperors of
Rome maintaining this status. When the Emperors were no more, the
pagan bishops of Rome assumed the emperor’s spiritual responsibilities.
In his work The Two Babylons, Alexander Hyslop describes relates that
the Catholic College of Cardinals, with the Pope as its head, is the
counterpart of the Pagan College of Pontiffs, with the pagan "Pontifex
Maximus," or "Sovereign Pontiff.” This religion was formed in Rome
long before the empire was great. He states that it was based on the
grand original Council of Pontiffs at Babylon. The Pontiff of our day
claims lead in the Church as the successor of Peter, because it was
believed that Jesus gave him alone the keys of the kingdom. However,
few know that up until the Pope was given this office, (for 1000 years
the previous pagan “pontifex” claimed authority of the pagan keys of
Janus and Cybele) there was never a claim to these keys made by the
early church popes.
200 years before Jesus, the worship of Cybele was introduced into
Rome. The same goddess, (named Cardea, with the key) was revered in
Rome with Janus, long before.
Constantine became Emperor (4th century) and legislated
Christianity, ordaining the pagan bishops of Rome into the Pontiffs of
Constantine’s Christianized Roman Empire. In 378AD the bishop of
Rome, Damascus, was appointed Pontifex Maximus and became the
successor to the BABYLONIAN PONTIFFS!! He is the first “pope” of
what we recognize as the current Roman Catholic Church. Instead of

114
recognizing the church of Christ that had existed and suffered under
Roman persecution, Constantine legitimized the Babylonian system.
Under the name Jesus Christ Pagan rituals and rules were now called
Christianity. In 385 (after Pontiff Damascus) the next Roman bishop,
Syricius, introduced the apostasy mentioned in 1Ti 4:3.
The now fulfilled prophecy of the compromised church in Rev 2:18-29
(The Thyatiran church) is the shadow of the apocalyptic false religion
prophesied in our future. In Matthew 13:24-34 Jesus describes this
corruption of God’s kingdom, with the entire chapter being Jesus’
speaking of the end of the world and the Babylonian system.

Revelation Chapter 17
Verses 1-6
And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked
with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto you the judgment of
the great whore that sits upon many waters: With whom the kings of the earth
have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made
drunk with the wine of her fornication. So he carried me away in the spirit
into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of
names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. And the woman was
arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones
and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness
of her fornication: And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY,
BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND
ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. And I saw the woman drunken with
the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I
saw her, I wondered with great admiration.
At this point the reader should read the 51st chapter of Jeremiah, for
the prophesy addresses these verses directly.
Women are often used to illustrate religious systems in Revelation.
Jezebel is used in chapter 2, the woman clothed with the sun is seen in
chapter 12 describing Israel, and the bride of Christ is called the church
of God. This established, the woman here represents the Babylonian
religious system.
Verse 3 speaks of seven heads and ten horns. There are varied
opinions on this symbolism, offering no absolute basis for any single
view. I will agree on the view that these rulers will exist as a political

115
organization established by the beast and the woman during the
tribulation period.
Verses 1-4 affiliate this false religious system with spiritual adultery.
Nowhere in the Bible are heathen nations described as adulterous. Only
those who masquerade as worshipping Jehovah while worshipping and
serving other God’s are deemed adulterers (Jas 4:4). The woman on the
beast is that church that proclaims sanctification from the world into
covenant with one bridegroom, but receives its laurels and value from
the world system. She sits on the beast.
Regarding verse 6, it is estimated that during the reformation of the
mid 16th century, the church in Rome executed close to a million
Protestants in about 30 years. Tens of thousands of Huguenots perished
as martyrs in the Huguenot wars that followed the massacre of 4,000 in
1572. In the 15th- 19th centuries century Spanish believers were
martyred and over 1,000,000 exiled at the orders of the church.
It should be noted that coins minted by the Roman Catholic Church
have actually borne the image of a woman with the golden cup in her
hand. To add insult, she is also coined in the midst of seven hills.

Verses 7-15
And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell you the
mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carries her, which has the seven
heads and ten horns. The beast that you saw was, and is not; and shall ascend
out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the
earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the
foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and
yet is. And here is the mind which has wisdom. The seven heads are seven
mountains, on which the woman sits. And there are seven kings: five are fallen,
and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he comes, he must continue
a short space,. And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is
of the seven, and goes into perdition. And the ten horns which thou saw are ten
kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one
hour with the beast. These have one mind, and shall give their power and
strength unto the beast. These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb
shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that
are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful. And he said unto me, The
waters which thou saw, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes,
and nations, and tongues.

116
Verse 8 discloses that the woman is in league with the beast. An
obvious reference to Rome is found in verse 9. The world recognizes
that Rome was built upon 7 hills. Virgil, Horace, Propertius, and Martial
have all written of this fact. Even the last pagan Pontifex Maximus,
Symmachus, introduces a friend in a letter, identifying him as, “De
septem montibus virum” translated, “a man from the seven
mountains”. At that time this meant the man was a Roman citizen.
Peter even identifies Rome as Babylon in 1Peter 5:13,”The church that is
at Babylon, elected together with you, saluteth you; and so doth Marcus my
son...”
Verses 10 and 11 describe five kings that are fallen (At the time of
John’s writing these were Julius Caesar, Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius,
and Nero), one that reigns (the reigning Caesar at the time was
Domitian), and the final one yet to come in the true restoration of the
Babylonian system is the Roman ruling antichrist who has yet join to
forces with the end time religion.
The Roman Empire in the book of Daniel (legs of Iron) had ten toes- the
future Roman confederation. We have not seen these ten toes yet. They
will be rulers in league with the end times “Roman Empire”.

Verses 16-18
And the ten horns which thou saw upon the beast, these shall hate the whore,
and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her
with fire. For God has put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and
give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled.
And the woman which thou saw is that great city, which reigneth over the
kings of the earth.
In verse 18 the angel tells John that the woman in this prophetic vision
is the great city that, at the time of John’s writing, ruled the earth -
Rome. No other city or culture has ever affected the world and religion
as it has.
In the end once the world religion no longer serves the antichrist’s
purposes he and the 10 future political pawns of the beast will turn on
the religious system of that day and destroy Rome and its system,
setting himself up as God and the only one to be worshipped. (Rev 14:8,
16:19). This has already been foreshadowed in the fulfilled prophecy of
Daniel 11, when Antiochus made agreements with the Jews, broke those
agreements and desecrated the temple placing an abomination in it.

117
Revelation Chapter 18- Babylon’s fall
Verses 1-3
And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having
great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory. And he cried mightily
with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become
the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every
unclean and hateful bird. For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of
her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her,
and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her
delicacies.
Being a reflection of chronological events, these verses can be
synchronized to the second angel’s prophetic announcement in 14:8,
and also seen to introduce the wrath of the second vial foretold in 16:19.
A review of the word “Babylon’s origin, warrants an important note
here. Most have been taught that the place was first called Babel
because the Bible says it was here that God confused the language of the
earth, this is true. What most “Christians” do not realize is the word’s
other origin as stated in Gerhard Von Rad’s wonderfully dry and
objective Commentary on Genesis.
Von Rad observes, that we should recall God’s judgment at the tower.
Our meaning of the word Babel (from balal,"mix up") was invented, for
Bab-El literally means “gate of God.” What is really revealed in the
story of Bab-El is men reaching for recognition and pride and setting
themselves against God.
Von Rad then explains at length the relationship between repeated sin
in biblical primeval history and God’s repeated judgments against that
sin. During and after the judgments, God’s desire to save is always
reappears, and ‘where sin increased, grace abounded all the more’ (Rom
5:20). The difference about the Tower of Bab-El story is that there is no
word of grace afterwards. It seems as if because of this one event God’s
mercy has changed and he is suddenly unwilling to save. Oh dreadful
thought!! Once the reader realizes this he can then truly appreciate the
strange new “grace” that appears after Bab-El’s fall; the calling and
blessing of Abraham, in whom our faith has an example.

Verses 4-7

118
And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people,
that you be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. For
her sins have reached unto heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities.
Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according to
her works: in the cup which she has filled fill to her double. How much she has
glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her:
for she said in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no
sorrow.
An exhaustive study of Jeremiah and Isaiah will yield volumes on
these final days of Babylon, with many chapters of the other prophets
doing likewise. The visions seen by these men give the horrific details of
both the past and future falls of this city and religious system that so
dominates today’s religion.

Verses 8-10
Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and
famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God
who judges her. And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication
and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they
shall see the smoke of her burning, Standing afar off for the fear of her torment,
saying, Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is
thy judgment come.
Though they helped to establish this new world in the first years after
the saints rapture, The 10 kings and the beast will turn against it once it
has served it’s purpose. Then the antichrist will set himself up as the
one solely to be worshipped. This system is well under way in our day,
and to incorporate the influences of the Roman church and other pagan
religions on our walk with Jesus is to embrace a false savior. Many will
not let go, however, due millennia of idolatry embedding its malignant
tentacles deep into the marrow of our souls.
The kings who have aided in cities destruction now mourn as over
6000 years of instinctive worship ends. Much as Jesus wishes to, Satan
has now removed all forms of idolatry outside of himself, and it seems
all mankind must now embrace their only savior, in the flesh, and admit
he is the Messiah!!

Woe Woe Woe, inhabitants of earth!!

119
Verses 11-19
And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man
buys their merchandise any more: The merchandise of gold, and silver, and
precious stones, and of pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet,
and all her wood, and all manner vessels of ivory, and all manner vessels of
most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble, And cinnamon, and
odors, and ointments, and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and
wheat, and beasts, and sheep, and horses, and chariots, and slaves, and souls of
men. And the fruits that your soul lusted after are departed from you, and all
things which were dainty and goodly are departed from you, and you shall find
them no more at all. The merchants of these things, which were made rich by
her, shall stand afar off for the fear of her torment, weeping and wailing, And
saying, Alas, alas, that great city, that was clothed in fine linen, and purple,
and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls! For in one
hour so great riches is come to nought. And every shipmaster, and all the
company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off, And
cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What city is like unto
this great city! And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and
wailing, saying, Alas, alas, that great city, wherein were made rich all that had
ships in the sea by reason of her costliness! for in one hour is she made desolate.
As the antichrist fortifies his image as the true Messiah, the world now
engages in forced grief over the loss of its carnal pleasures. One can
read centuries of Gnostic and monastic writing in which mortifying
one’s appetites is revered as a path to God. When Jesus Christ is finally
found and God’s Holy Spirit truly dwells in the believer, he undergoes a
reaction of joy and freedom from his carnal nature, and if needed is able
to endure the pain of being refined as there is a real hope set before him
save God’s presence.
Spiritual comfort, however, escapes those that seek the carnal
pleasures which have now been destroyed; they will eternally seek that
which they can never have. This false Messiah is all they can see and
feel; these are the damned of which James writes, “Go to now, ye rich
men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you. Your riches
are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten. Your gold and silver is
cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat
your flesh as it were fire. You have heaped treasure together for the last days.
Behold, the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of
you kept back by fraud, cries and the cries of them which have reaped are

120
entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth. You have lived in pleasure on the
earth, and been wanton; you have nourished your hearts, as in a day of
slaughter. You have condemned and killed the just; and he does not resist you.
Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the
husbandman waits for the precious fruit of the earth, and has long patience for
it, until he receive the early and latter rain. Be yourselves also patient; stablish
your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draws nigh.

Verses 20-24
Rejoice over her, heaven, and you holy apostles and prophets; for God has
avenged you on her. And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone,
and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city
Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all. And the voice of
harpers, and musicians, and of pipers, and trumpeters, shall be heard no more
at all in you; and no craftsman, of whatsoever craft he be, shall be found any
more in you; and the sound of a millstone shall be heard no more at all in you;
And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in you; and the voice of the
bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in you: for your
merchants were the great men of the earth; for by your sorceries were all
nations deceived. And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints,
and of all that were slain upon the earth.
Compare verse 20 here with a description of the same events in
Jeremiah 51:63-64,“And it shall be, when thou have made an end of reading
this book, that you shall bind a stone to it, and cast it into the midst of
Euphrates: And you shall say, Thus shall Babylon sink, and shall not rise from
the evil that I will bring upon her: and they shall be weary. Thus far are the
words of Jeremiah. “
It is clear from chapters 17 and 18 that after the final vial judgments
and the fall of Babylon, there are still nations left to mourn Babylon’s
fall.

121
122
Chapter 14
The corrupt world system has been destroyed and God’s final
judgments upon an un-repentant people have been completed. The
captain of our faith returns to establish his kingdom

Revelation Chapter 19
Verses 1-5
And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying,
Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God:
For true and righteous are his judgments: for he has judged the great whore,
which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and has avenged the blood of
his servants at her hand. And again they said, Alleluia. And her smoke rose up
for ever and ever. And the four and twenty elders and the four beasts fell down
and worshipped God that sat on the throne, saying, Amen; Alleluia. And a
voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all you his servants, and
you that fear him, both small and great.

The Day of the Lord -Christ’s Return


Behold, the day of the LORD comes, and your spoil shall be divided in the
midst of you.For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the
city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of
the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be
cut off from the city.Then shall Jehovah go forth, and fight against those
nations, as when he fought in the day of battle. And his feet shall stand in that
day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the
mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward
the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall
remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south (Zec 14: 1-4.)

123
Verses 6-10
And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many
waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord
God omnipotent reigneth.Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to him: for
the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife has made herself ready.And to
her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for
the fine linen is the righteousnesses the of saints. And he said unto me, Write,
Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he
said unto me, These are the true sayings of God.And I fell at his feet to worship
him. And he said unto me, See you do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of
your brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony
of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy
The fourth of seven beatitudes in the book of Revelation applies to
those attending the marriage supper of the Lamb. Before Jesus died he
told his disciples of this very moment when he said,” But I say unto you,
I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink
it new with you in my Father's kingdom.”
The glory of God’s true church can now be revealed since the false
church, or false bride has been destroyed. The fine linen described in
verse 8 as the “righteousness of the saints” in the KJV, should have been
rendered more literally “the righteousnesses”, meaning that the fine
linen is the “righteous acts of the saints”. This righteousness is not the
imputed righteousness of Christ, but the manifestation of the bride’s
rewards.
Each of us needs to look at our life here on earth and take an honest
inventory of the type of linens we will wear on that day. No doubt there
will be some of us who show up to this supper adorned with the many
great things we did in Christ, as a result of his dwelling within us. There
will be those who arrive at the dinner, however, thankful of being saved
by God’s grace, but having no apparel to wear because they did not act
on God’s gift deposited in them. Pastor Greg Dickow of Chicago put it
well when he said that though you may get into heaven, some will have
a lot more to be thankful of and have more to show for their life on
earth than others,“after the party, someone’s going to have to pick up
the candy wrappers in heaven “

Verses 11-15

124
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 judges and makes 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. And he was clothed with a
vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. And the
armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine
linen, white and clean. And out of his mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it
he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he
treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.
The prophet Isaiah spoke of this event in Isaiah 63,” Who is this that
comes from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? this that is glorious in
his apparel, travelling in the greatness of his strength? I that speak in
righteousness, mighty to save. Why are you red in your apparel, and your
garments like him that treads in the winefat? I have trodden the winepress
alone; and of the people there was none with me: for I will tread them in mine
anger, and trample them in my fury; and their blood shall be sprinkled upon
my garments, and I will stain all my raiment. For the day of vengeance is in
my heart, and the year of my redeemed is come. And I looked, and there was
none to help; and I wondered that there was none to uphold: therefore my own
arm brought salvation unto me; and my fury, it upheld me. And I will tread
down the people in my anger, and make them drunk in my fury, and I will
bring down their strength to the earth.”

Verses 16-21
And he had on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF
KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS. And I saw an angel standing in the sun;
and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of
heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God;
That you may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of
mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh
of all men, both free and bond, both small and great. And I saw the beast, and
the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against
him that sat on the horse, and against his army. And the beast was taken, and
with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he
deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that
worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning
with brimstone. And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat

125
upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were
filled with their flesh.
Here we have the fullfillment of the angels prophecy discussed in Rev
14:17-20: The destruction of the tares.
The rider on the white horse is Jesus Christ, but unlike the church and
elders seen in the previous verses, the crown upon his head is not the
crown of a victor’s wreath (stefanov-stephanos). It is the “diadema-
diadema” this time, the crown of royalty and of Kings. Those riding
forth with him are his church and all saints, including those saints
butchered under the reign of the antichrist.
Another note should be taken in verse 17, as a second supper is
mentioned, the supper of the great God. There are two separate suppers
in chapter 19, they are not both part of the marriage supper of the lamb.
First is the marriage supper of the lamb, a time of joy and festivity, with
clean garments and awards meted out. This occurs in heaven
concurrently with the great tribulation on earth. Afterwards Christ and
his armies return to put an end to the iniquity on earth and prepare for
his thousand year reign. This harvesting of tares by Christ is what is
meant by the supper of the great God. The dragon will be cast into the
lake of fire, and the kings of the earth will be slain by the word
proceeding from Christ’s mouth (his word). The first supper will be
festive, the second unfathomable in its destruction.

Christ Sets Up Millennial Kingdom


The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and
Jerusalem.And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of
Jehovah’s house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be
exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.And many people
shall go and say, Come and let us go up to the mountain of Jehovah, to the
house of the Elohiym of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will
walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of
Jehovah from Jerusalem.And he shall judge among the nations, and shall
rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their
spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither
shall they learn war any more. (Isaiah 2:1-4)

Revelation Chapter 20
Verses 1-7

126
And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless
pit and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old
serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, And
cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that
he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be
fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season. And I saw thrones,
and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the
souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of
God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had
received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and
reigned with Christ a thousand years. But the rest of the dead lived not again
until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. Blessed
and holy is he that has part in the first resurrection: on such the second
death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and
shall reign with him a thousand years.
The fifth of seven Beatitudes in Revelation occurs in verse 6,
“...Blessed and holy is he that has part in the first resurrection...”
Christ returns to the earth with the armies of God and Satan is bound
for 1000 years. This reign of Christ manifests in the lifting of the curse
from Genesis 3, and the remnant of mankind that has survived the final
judgments sees reprieve from the 7 years of tribulation. Clarification is
needed on the term “first resurrection” in verses 5 and 6. The first
resurrection only consists of those that are, or were, believers in Christ.
The first resurrection includes Christ, dead believers that were taken up
with the living in the rapture, the Old Testament saints, and martyred
tribulation believers. These all will live on the earth with the
tribulation’s survivors during these 1000 years of messianic rule; a rule
that was in fact was already evidenced thousands of years ago in Jewish
Talmudic writings.
Just as Pharaoh appointed Joseph over Egypt and Nebuchadnezzar
made Daniel ruler of Babylon, the prophets assert that David will be the
King put in authority by Christ during this millennial reign. 400 years
after David’s death, Jeremiah prophesies of the world tribulation (the
time of Jacob’s trouble) and the subsequent reign of David, “Alas! for
that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob's trouble;
but he shall be saved out of it. For it shall come to pass in that day, says
Jehovah of hosts, that I will break his yoke from off your neck, and will burst
your bonds, and strangers shall no more serve themselves of him: But they

127
shall serve Jehovah their God, and David their king, whom I will raise up unto
them...” Jer 30:7-9.
Confirming David’s future reign in chapter 34:23, Ezekiel prophesies to
the shepherds of Israel who fed themselves instead of their flocks,” And
I will set up one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even my servant
David; he shall feed them, and he shall be their shepherd.”
Finally, another of Jehovah’s spokesmen speaks to Israel’s present
state, and to David’s reigning over their future in Hosea 3:4-5.” For the
children of Israel shall abide many days without a king, and without a prince,
and without a sacrifice, and without an image, and without an ephod, and
without teraphim: Afterward shall the children of Israel return, and seek
Jehovah Elohiym, and David their king; and shall fear Jehovah and his
goodness in the latter days.”
As a reward, many resurrected saints will be given rule over the earth
under Christ and David’s kingdom. Jesus alluded to this in Matt 19:28
when he said,”Verily I say unto you, That you which have followed me, in
the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, you
also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel “
In Matt 16:27 Jesus says that he will come with his angels and reward
every man according to his works. Later in chapter 25, Jesus further
illustrates the hour of his return with the parable of the talents: those
who were good stewards of what the master entrusted them with were
rewarded with varying degrees of rule.
The apostle Paul, in his first epistle to the church at Corinth remarks,
” Do you not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall
be judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters? Know you
not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this
life?”
Biblical accounts of the peace, prosperity and joy during this
dispensation are too numerous to mention when one reads the Prophets
of the Old Testament. Isaiah, Micah and Zechariah all give vivid
descriptions, and even an exhaustive study will only touch the tip of all
that is contained in the bible on this age of unprecedented Monarchy.
What happens next, however, transforms this glory into an abyss of
despair. Just as has been proven time and again over the centuries, the
true depth, depravity, and callousness of soul entrenched in man will
manifest in another rebellion against God’s kingdom. There will be no
doubt in the final judgment that all mankind is corrupt and vile, and

128
that no rule, kingdom, or perfect environment can change his heart. All
knees will bow and acknowledge, in the end, that there is no hope or
salvation outside of the perfect atonement of our Lord Jesus Christ!

End of 1000 year reign


Verses8-10
And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his
prison And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of
the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of
whom is as the sand of the sea. And they went up on the breadth of the earth,
and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came
down from God out of heaven, and devoured them. And the devil that deceived
them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false
prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
The question has been asked, “Why does God release Satan once he
has already bound him. One of the answers that has been given may
also answer why God let him loose on the earth in the first place.
In the 17th chapter of Jeremiah God says, “The heart is deceitful above all
things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? I, Jehovah, search the heart, I
try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to
the fruit of his doings.” With Satan’s release, the true wickedness of man’s
heart will be revealed; again! Even under the reign of Christ, man will
turn to Satan and against God, revealing the enmity that dwells in
man’s heart, even in the best of conditions. At the white throne
judgment there will be no existing defense against the justice of God. All
mouths will be shut as they look back on their wickedness and
acknowledge their recompense.

129
130
Chapter 15
The White Throne Judgment
Chapter 20, Verses 11-15
And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the
earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I
saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened:
and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were
judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their
works.And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell
delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man
according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This
is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life
was cast into the lake of fire.
While John wrote the words of this revelation given to him at Patmos,
Paul echoed in 1Cor 15:24-26,” Then comes the end, when he shall have
delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down
all rule and all authority and power. For he must reign, till he has put all
enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.”
The White Throne judgment occurs about 1000 years after the
judgment seat of Christ, and is also known as the second resurrection.
These resurrected people are dead both physically and spiritually and
were never believers in Christ. Since the bible states that no one is
righteous enough to enter heaven by their own works, all who come to
this white throne judgment in Revelation 20 shall not enter the kingdom
of heaven,”and they were judged every man according to their works”.
According to these passages, all men who have ever died not having
known Christ will be present and judged here. All who were living and
dead who had known Christ prior to his 1000 year reign had either been
taken up in the rapture, or harvested in the Days of the Seventh Angel
Sounding just prior to the vial judgments (Revelation 14) After this
point there are no longer any indications that saved people dwell on the

131
earth, but rather evil wicked ones who have fallen to the Antichrist’s
deceptions.
In John 5 Jesus says,” For as the Father has life in himself; so has he given
to the Son to have life in himself and has given him authority to execute
judgment also, because he is the Son of man. Marvel not at this: for the hour is
coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall
come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they
that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.
God has given all judgment to him! The same Christ who judged the
saints (the quick) during the tribulation at the judgment seat of Christ,
now sits on the white throne to judge the dead,”I charge thee therefore
before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead
at his appearing and his kingdom ”-2Tim 4:3
In the end, there can be no defense at this judgment. Even if one could
claim innocence as he was not under God’s rule, no man on the earth
can be found innocent before his own conscience. Even those who hold
to a different set of values than the Christian or Jew will be found to
have violated their own code of conduct at some point in their life.
If, for he sake of argument, a soul could be found that had never
violated their very own code of conduct, that person could still be
judged out of their very own words just as the wicked servant was
judged in Luke 19,“Lord, behold, here is you pound, which I have kept laid up
in a napkin... For I feared you, because you are an austere man: you take up
that you lay not down, and reapest that you did not sow. And he said unto
him, Out of your own mouth will I judge thee, you wicked servant. you knew
that I was an austere man, taking up that I laid not down, and reaping that I
did not sow...”
Law or no law, there shall be no justification apart from acceptance of
Christ , For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law:
and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law...
Verse 12 of this chapter gives the picture of the judgment of man being
judged guilty by his own conscience (Ro 2:13-15), being condemned by
his own words (Matt 12:36-37), by his own secrets (Ro 2:16, Ecc 12:14),
and by his works (2Co 11:15, Matt 16:27).
There are two types of books presented before the white throne. The
first set of books contains the works of each man by which they will be
judged. The second type of book consists of only one volume, known as
“The Book of Life” (see Ex 32:32-33; Psa 69:28; Da 12:1; Php 4:3; Re 3:5;

132
13:8; 17:8; 20:12,15; 21:27; 22:19) . This lamb’s book of life, at one time,
had written in it all people who ever lived, saint and sinner alike, as
Christ’s work has atoned for all sin. However, names can be blotted out
as one rejects Christ. It may very well be that after Rev 13:8, no man can
be saved, for it tells that all men who are not written in the book of life,
at that point of time, will worship the beast; the book is completed.
Verse 15 completes the dreadful scene, with every soul present before
this white throne being cast into the lake of fire. An erroneous belief is
that there will be some here who will not be cast down, as the chapter
clearly states,”the dead were judged out of those things which were written in
the books, according to their works. and they were judged every man according
to their works... And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was
cast into the lake of fire”. What is forgotten in this presumption is that
since all men at this judgment will be judged according to their works,
they will all be found to be guilty for all have sinned, and come short of the
glory of God... Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works?
Nay: but by the law of faith, and therefore will not be found in the book of
life. In this lake of fire, Dante may have been correct in writing of
varying degrees of punishment, as Jesus said in Luke 12:46-48,“The lord
of that servant will come in a day when he looks not for him, and at an hour
when he is not aware, and will cut him in sunder, and will appoint him his
portion with the unbelievers. And that servant, which knew his lord's will, and
prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with
many stripes. But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes,
shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him
shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they
will ask the more.”

133
134
Chapter 16
New Heaven and New Earth
Chapters 21 -22:5

Revelation Chapter 21
Verses 1-5
And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first
earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy
city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride
adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying,
Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and
they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.
And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more
death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the
former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I
make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and
faithful
The final end of all times is now at hand and John is witness to the
eternal reign of God spoken of by the prophets over the Millennia; the
eternal earth where righteousness dwells (2Pe 3:13, Is 66:22).
Early on in this book time was spent on the fact that God reveals
himself to those that seek him. The scene presented here, with the New
Jerusalem coming to the new earth was not only revealed to John and
Daniel, but Abraham as well.
Abraham was a man who sought God, and is the man through whom
all humanity- Jew and Gentile alike- has been able to receive the
blessings of God, apart from works. As Abraham sought God, God
revealed “secret” things to Abraham and it may well have been these
things that kept Abraham on his mark. The book of Hebrews tells us,

135
”By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he
should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing
whither he went. By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange
country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the
same promise: For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder
and maker is God.”
Spurgeon comments on the verse “...and there was no more sea...”.
“A real physical world without a sea it is mournful to imagine, it
would be an iron ring without the sapphire which made it precious.
There must be a spiritual meaning here. In the new dispensation there
will be no division--the sea separates nations and sunders peoples from
each other. To John in Patmos the deep waters were like prison walls,
shutting him out from his brethren and his work: there shall be no such
barriers in the world to come. Leagues of rolling billows lie between us
and many a kinsman whom to-night we prayerfully remember, but in
the bright world to which we go there shall be unbroken fellowship for
all the redeemed family. In this sense there shall be no more sea. -
Spurgeon

Verses 6-8
And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and
the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life
freely. He that overcomes shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he
shall be my son. But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and
murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall
have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone: which is the
second death.

The New Jerusalem


Verses 9-14
And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full
of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew
you the bride, the Lamb's wife. And he carried me away in the spirit to a great
and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem,
descending out of heaven from God, Having the glory of God: and her light
was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal;
And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve
angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of

136
the children of Israel: On the east three gates; on the north three gates; on the
south three gates; and on the west three gates. And the wall of the city had
twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

Verses 15-17
And he that talked with me had a golden reed to measure the city, and the gates
thereof, and the wall thereof. And the city lies foursquare, and the length is as
large as the breadth: and he measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand
furlongs. The length and the breadth and the height of it are equal. And he
measured the wall thereof, an hundred and forty and four cubits, according to
the measure of a man, that is, of the angel.
When taking these actual measurements literally, this city resembles a
square that measures roughly 1500 miles each way, its walls being 250
feet high.
Verses 18-22
And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold,
like clear glass. And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished
with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second,
sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald; The fifth, sardonyx;
the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz;
the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst. And
the twelve gates were twelve pearls; every several gate was of one pearl: and the
street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass And I saw no
temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.
The wall of the city is made of precious gemstones, with the 12 gates
being 12 giant pearls. The entrance to God’s kingdom is not one of
pleasure, ease and comfort. It requires the ability to suffer,” For it became
him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many
sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through
sufferings.” It is fitting than, that the gates are made from the pearls of
an oysters wounded flesh. The church was birthed from the wounds in
Christ’s side, and Eve was borne from Adam’s wound. Proverbs
clarifies further,” Pr 27:6 Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses
of an enemy are deceitful.”

Verses 23-25
And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the
glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. And the nations

137
of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth
do bring their glory and honor into it. And the gates of it shall not be shut at
all by day: for there shall be no night there.
Verse 23 is the fulfillment of God’s covenant with David reflected
upon in Psalm 89,” My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is
gone out of my lips. Once have I sworn by my holiness that I will not lie unto
David. His seed shall endure for ever, and his throne as the sun before me. It
shall be established for ever as the moon, and as a faithful witness in heaven.
Selah.”

Verses 26-27
And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it. And there
shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defiles, neither whatsoever works
abomination, or makes a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of
life.

Revelation Chapter 22
Verses 1-5
And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out
of the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the midst of the street of it, and on
either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of
fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the
healing of the nations. And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God
and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him: And they shall
see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads. And there shall be no
night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God
gives them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.

His “Swift” Return


Verses 6-7,
And he said unto me, These sayings are faithful and true: and the Lord God of
the holy prophets sent his angel to show his servants the things which must
shortly be done. Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keeps the sayings of
the prophecy of this book.
The KJV translation in verses 6 and 7 is misleading. The phrases,” the
things which must shortly be done” in verse 6, and,” Behold, I come quickly”
in verse seven are read by today’s readers as meaning Jesus is returning

138
very soon with minimal delay, resulting in the doubt as to the reliability
of the bible. “The bible says he is coming soon“ they cry, “yet it has been
2000 years.” Verse 6 would be more accurately translated,” That which,
of necessity, must come to pass” as the word en does not denote a time
frame. It is simply an intermediate word between eiv (towards, against)
and ek (out of, away from). Accordingly, verse 7 should read, “I come
speedily.” as the word tacu takh-oo’ used here is the singualr neuter
form of tacuv takh-oos’, meaning speedily or swiftly. Often in the New
Testament when Jesus speaks of coming “shortly” or “quickly”, he
means not that he is coming soon, but that his advent will be swift once
it begins, Verse seven contains the sixth of seven beatitudes in the book
of Revelation.

Verses 8-10,
The Envy of Angels
And I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen,
I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which shewed me these things.
Then said he unto me, See you do it not: for I am your fellowservant, and of
your brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book:
worship God. And he said unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this
book: for the time is at hand.
After John hearkens to and heeds the divine Revelation given him on
the isle of Patmos, he falls down to worship (proskunew-pros-koo-neh'-
o) the angel, the Greek suffix having the connotation of a dog licking his
master’s hand. This messenger reminds John that he is not of higher
rank than John, but a mere fellow servant of Jehovah’s, similar in role to
the prophets of old and those who obey the Godhead. Unlike Daniel,
who was told not to divulge the mysteries of the end-times- to seal them
up until the appointed season, John is told the time is now at time to
reveal the very same prophecies given to Daniel, confirming John’s Title
of this book in Chapter 1, verse 1: The Revelation (laying bare, the
unveiling) of Jesus Christ. We recall Peter’s epistle to the early
church,”Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us
they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that
have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from
heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.

Verses 11-16

139
He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be
filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is
holy, let him be holy still. And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with
me, to give every man according as his work shall be. I am Alpha and Omega,
the beginning and the end, the first and the last. Blessed are they that do his
commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in
through the gates into the city. For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and
whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and
maketh a lie. I Jesus have sent my angel to testify unto you these things in the
churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning
star.
Verse 14 contains the last of seven beatitudes in the book of Revelation
In his commentary on these verses, Matthew Henry adds, “This
book, thus kept open, will have effect upon men; the filthy and unjust
will be more so, but it will confirm, strengthen, and further sanctify
those who are upright with God. Never let us think that a dead or
disobedient faith will save us, for the First and the Last has declared
that those alone are blessed who do his commandments. It is a book that
shuts out from heaven all wicked and unrighteous persons, particularly
those who love and make lies; therefore cannot itself be a lie. There is no
middle place or condition.”
And Mr. Henry is right! Does not a thorough study of this revelation
strengthen and entrench your faith? Does it not bring out into the light
the doubts and vagueness’s in the word that you have hidden in your
heart, fearful that to test them would lead you to find no God at the end
of you inquiries? Dear saint, you are blessed, you that read, and you
that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are
written therein. For the time is at hand- it is easier for heaven and earth
to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail. At the end of the path lie the
root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star . Do not
widen the gate to allow for any interpretation of Scripture; Ask, and it
shall be given you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto
you:...Enter in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that
leads to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is
the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that
find it.

Verses 17-18

140
And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that hears say, Come.
And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of
life freely. For I testify unto every man that hears the words of the prophecy of
this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the
plagues that are written in this book:
Those who walk in the Spirit and Word of God have no choice but to
say, “Come Lord Jesus, return!” as is said in verse 17. Accordingly, the
heart of the evangelist bride has no other desire towards a parched
world but to say,” Come!”
And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water
of life freely. Jesus said of his church,” Ye are the salt of the earth”. Just as
salt will cause one to desire water, so, the presence of the Christian
ought to have the effect that those who come into contact with him have
a new thirst for the water of life contained only in Christ, for he says,
“But whosoever drinks of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but
the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into
everlasting life.” Whosever wants this water is free to come and partake
of it; its price has already been paid. Even the woman in Samaria, whose
people were despised and rejected by Israel, asked for this water,”The
woman said to him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come
hither to draw.” And then, after Jesus had tarried several days with her
people they proclaimed,”And many more believed because of his own word;
And said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of your saying: for we
have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour
of the world.“

In his devotional writings, perhaps Spurgeon is best suited to


expound on verse 17:
"Whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely."
--Revelation 22:17
Jesus says, "Take freely." He wants no payment or preparation. He
seeks no recommendation from our virtuous emotions. If you have no
good feelings, if you be but willing, you are invited; therefore come!
You have no belief and no repentance,--come to him, and he will give
them to you. Come just as you are, and take "Freely," without money
and without price. He gives himself to needy ones. The drinking
fountains at the corners of our streets are valuable institutions; and we
can hardly imagine any one so foolish as to feel for his purse, when he

141
stands before one of them, and to cry, "I cannot drink because I have not
five pounds in my pocket." However poor the man is, there is the
fountain, and just as he is he may drink of it. Thirsty passengers, as they
go by, whether they are dressed in fustian or in broadcloth, do not look
for any warrant for drinking; its being there is their warrant for taking
its water freely. The liberality of some good friends has put the
refreshing crystal there and we take it, and ask no questions. Perhaps
the only persons who need go thirsty through the street where there is a
drinking fountain, are the fine ladies and gentlemen who are in their
carriages. They are very thirsty, but cannot think of being so vulgar as
to get out to drink. It would demean them, they think, to drink at a
common drinking fountain: so they ride by with parched lips. Oh, how
many there are who are rich in their own good works and cannot
therefore come to Christ! "I will not be saved," they say, "in the same
way as the harlot or the swearer." What! Go to heaven in the same way
as a chimney sweep. Is there no pathway to glory but the path which led
the thief there? I will not be saved that way. Such proud boasters must
remain without the living water; but, "WHOSOEVER WILL, LET HIM
TAKE THE WATER OF LIFE FREELY." - CH Spurgeon

Verses 19-21
And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy,
God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and
from the things which are written in this book. He which testifies these things
says, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. The grace of our
Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

142
A Psalm Song for the sons of Korah

His foundation in the holy mountains.


Jehovah loveth the gates of Zion more than
all the dwellings of Jacob. Glorious things are
spoken of thee, O city of Elhohiym. Selah.
I will make mention of Rahab and Babylon
to them that know me: behold Philistia, and
Tyre, with Ethiopia; this was born there.
And of Zion it shall be said, This and that
man was born in her: and the highest himself
shall establish her.
Jehovah shall count, when he writeth up the
people, this was born there. Selah.
As well the singers as the players on
instruments: all my springs in thee.

143
Psalm 87

144
Appendixes

145
Daniel
Daniel Chapter 2
The Vision

146
Dan 2:31-36 Thou, O king, sawest, and behold a great image. This great
image, whose brightness was excellent, stood before thee; and the form thereof
was terrible.This image's head was of fine gold, his breast and his arms of
silver, his belly and his thighs of brass, His legs of iron, his feet part of iron and
part of clay. Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which
smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to
pieces. Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to
pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors; and
the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone
that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth. This
is the dream; and we will tell the interpretation thereof before the king.

Babylon
Daniel 2: 37-38 Thou, O king, art a king of kings: for the God of heaven hath
given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory. And wheresoever the
children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the heaven hath he
given into thine hand, and hath made thee ruler over them all. Thou art this
head of gold.
This prophetic interpretation occurred in approximately 602 BC and
was given to Nebuchadnezzar, King of the Babylonian Empire. It is this
Empire that is the Head of Gold. Daniel lived to see the first part of this
prophecy fulfilled. King Cyrus of Persia laid to siege Babylon in 539 or
538 BC, conquering it in 536 BC and it is recorded in Da 1:21 that he
continued until at least 536 BC.

Medeo-Persia and Greece


Daniel 2:39 And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee, and
another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth.
Upon the death of the Babylonian King Belshazzar Darius the Mede
took control of Babylon, while it was still under siege from the Persians.
It was a short reign as Persia shortly thereafter took Babylon. This is the
“inferior kingdom” mentioned in this verse, the chest and arms of
silver. Cyrus, the Persian King at the time, restored the Jews to
Jerusalem (Ezra 1:2-4). After ruling for two centuries, The Persian
Empire collapsed to Alexander the great in 330 BC. He and his
successors, the Ptolemaic and Seleucid kings are the belly and thighs of
brass of the statue. It is these dynasties that are so accurately outlined
for us in Daniel chapter 11 verses 1 through 35. Incidentally, brass was

147
not invented until the 13th century; this is a mistranslation. The word
mistranslated as brass in the King James Version of the bible is the
Hebrew word tvxn {nekh-o' sheth}. It actually means copper or bronze,
or an alloy of such.

Rome
Daniel 240 And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron: forasmuch as iron
breaketh in pieces and subdueth all things: and as iron that breaketh all these,
shall it break in pieces and bruise. Just as the Ptolemaic and Seleucid kings
are outlined for us in the first part of Daniel 11, so follows the Roman
Empire towards the end of chapter 11. This succession is confirmed here
in chapter 2 of Daniel. The Roman Empire shaped and changed the
history of the world, beginning in the 1st century BC and reaching its
height in the 2nd to third century AD. It literally destroyed or
assimilated every culture it came into contact with.

The Divided Kingdom


Daniel 2:41-43 And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potters' clay,
and part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; but there shall be in it of the
strength of the iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay.
And as the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom
shall be partly strong, and partly broken. And whereas thou sawest iron mixed
with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they
shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay.
The late 3rd century saw the splitting of Rome into different provinces
and sections, and then finally in 410 Rome was taken by Alaric. The last
emperor of the Western Roman Empire, Romulus Augustulus, was
deposed by the Goths under the command of Odoacer. The Byzantine
Empire (that which was formerly the Eastern Roman Empire) continued
to exist into the 15th century.
When Daniel speaks of the clay and iron continuing to mingle with
one another he speaks of the fingerprints that the Roman Empire left
behind in her wake. Traditions and languages can be traced to her
presence. Italy itself continued to feel the results of Rome’s collapse into
the 18th century. The strength of the Empire that once existed, however,
ceases to hold the peoples together. Though Europe is a strong
continent, the cleaving mentioned here in verses 41 to 43 do not exist.

148
The Divine Kingdom
Daniel 2:44-45 And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a
kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to
other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it
shall stand for ever. Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the
mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the
clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what
shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation
thereof sure.
This describes the culmination of Revelation with God’s eternal reign
of in the New Jerusalem.

149
Daniel Chapter 9
Verses 1&2 In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of the seed of
the Medes, which was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans; In the first
year of his reign I Daniel understood by books the number of the years, whereof

150
the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah the prophet, that he would accomplish
seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem.
It is 538 B.C. and Daniel realizes that there are only two years until the
exile prophesied by Jeremiah are over. In 606 B.C. Jeremiah prophesied
about the 70 year exile beginning that same year (Jer 25:1). 606 B.C. is
the same year Daniel and his friends were taken to Babylon by
Nebuchadnezzar
Verses 3-7 And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and
supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes: And I prayed unto the
LORD my God, and made my confession, and said, O Lord, the great and
dreadful God, keeping the covenant and mercy to them that love him, and to
them that keep his commandments; We have sinned, and have committed
iniquity, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled, even by departing from
thy precepts and from thy judgments: Neither have we hearkened unto thy
servants the prophets, which spake in thy name to our kings, our princes, and
our fathers, and to all the people of the land. O Lord, righteousness belongeth
unto thee, but unto us confusion of faces, as at this day; to the men of Judah,
and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and unto all Israel, that are near, and that
are far off, through all the countries whither thou hast driven them, because of
their trespass that they have trespassed against thee.
Daniel prays to God for forgiveness for his people. Though God said
that he would put them in exile for 70 years, Daniel realizes that the
Jews living in exile have not repented nor turned back to God. He is
further anguished that there are only two years left until the exile is to
be over, and senses the immediacy of his peoples need to repent soon
lest worse consequences come upon them. Already during the time of
the 70 year exile, God has extended Israel and Judah’s exile due to
unrepentance (390 yrs & 40 yrs respectively). He did this in 594 B.C.
(Eze 1:1) through the prophet Ezekiel (Eze 4:1-6)

Verses 8-11 O Lord, to us belongeth confusion of face, to our kings, to our


princes, and to our fathers, because we have sinned against thee. To the Lord
our God belong mercies and forgivenesses, though we have rebelled against
him; Neither have we obeyed the voice of the LORD our God, to walk in his
laws, which he set before us by his servants the prophets. Yea, all Israel have
transgressed thy law, even by departing, that they might not obey thy voice;
therefore the curse is poured upon us, and the oath that is written in the law of
Moses the servant of God, because we have sinned against him.

151
Not only does Daniel see his nations need to repent immediately, he
also recognizes that if they do not repent their punishment will continue
for 7 times as long under Levitical law (Le 26:13-18) It is interesting to
note that the first 70 years of exile began on the 1st day of the
Babylonian month of Nissan, 606 B.C. It follows that that Ezekiel’s
prophecy of 390 years began at the end of the initial 70 year exile (1st of
Nissan 536 B.C). If we take that 390 years and multiply it by 7, as Daniel
realized would occur (Le 26:13-18), we have 2485 years until the exile is
to be finished. That seems like an unreasonable amount of time.
However, that exact Babylonian date is the 1st of Nissan 1948, or May
14 1948. This is the exact day that Israel was restored to the status of a
nation!!
Verses 12-21 And he hath confirmed his words, which he spake against us,
and against our judges that judged us, by bringing upon us a great evil: for
under the whole heaven hath not been done as hath been done upon Jerusalem.
As it is written in the law of Moses, all this evil is come upon us: yet made we
not our prayer before the LORD our God, that we might turn from our
iniquities, and understand thy truth. Therefore hath the LORD watched upon
the evil, and brought it upon us: for the LORD our God is righteous in all his
works which he doeth: for we obeyed not his voice. And now, O Lord our God,
that hast brought thy people forth out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand,
and hast gotten thee renown, as at this day; we have sinned, we have done
wickedly. O Lord, according to all thy righteousness, I beseech thee, let thine
anger and thy fury be turned away from thy city Jerusalem, thy holy
mountain: because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem
and thy people are become a reproach to all that are about us. Now therefore, O
our God, hear the prayer of thy servant, and his supplications, and cause thy
face to shine upon thy sanctuary that is desolate, for the Lord's sake. O my
God, incline thine ear, and hear; open thine eyes, and behold our desolations,
and the city which is called by thy name: for we do not present our
supplications before thee for our righteousnesses, but for thy great mercies. O
Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive; O Lord, hearken and do; defer not, for thine own
sake, O my God: for thy city and thy people are called by thy name. And whiles
I was speaking, and praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people
Israel, and presenting my supplication before the LORD my God for the holy
mountain of my God; Yea, whiles I was speaking in prayer, even the man
Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly
swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening oblation.

152
layrbg (gab-ree-ale') , despite some religion’s beliefs, is not Jesus Christ
in his pre-incarnate form. The name is actually a combination of the
words rbg (gheh'-ber) and la (ale). rbg means champion, strongman or
warrior and la means godlike or mighty. The word la is also used in the
Old Testament to speak of false gods and is never used in association
with Jehovah or the Messiah.
layrbg is as a proper name and was sent to the prophet Daniel to
explain the vision of the ram and the goat and to give the prediction of
the seventy weeks (Da 8:16, 9:21-27). It was he who announced the birth
of John the Baptist and the Messiah in the gospel of Luke. He says of
himself in Luke 1:19,” I am Gabriel, who stand in the presence of God".
In the bible he is sent to give messages to Daniel, Zacharias and Mary.
The Evening oblation in this verse is the evening sacrifice; there was to
be both a morning and evening sacrifice according to the law.
Verses 22-24 And he informed me, and talked with me, and said, O Daniel,
I am nowcome forth to give thee skill and understanding. At the beginning of
thy supplications the commandment came forth, and I am come to shew thee;
for thou art greatly beloved: therefore understand the matter, and consider the
vision. Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city,
to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make
reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to
seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy As soon as
Daniel began to pray the commandment went forth from God to answer
Daniel. It does not say here that it was because of Daniel’s perseverance
or persistence in prayer, but because of God’s love for him.
Seventy weeks is a time period of 490 years (70x7). Gabriel is saying
that 490 years have been determined to accomplish the 6 goals
mentioned in verse 24. To summarize, the goals are the removal of sins,
consecration of the temple and fulfillment of prophecy in the Old
Testament.
Verse 25 Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the
commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince
shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built
again, and the wall, even in troublous times.
Gabriel reassures Daniel that though God’s judgment will be carried
out, he may find comfort that the deliverance of his people by the
Messiah will happen 49 years after the commandment is given to
rebuild Jerusalem’s temple. In 587 B.C God spoke to Jeremiah (Jer 32)

153
telling him of the end of Israel’s captivity and the rebuilding of the
temple. 49 years later (seven weeks, Dan 9:25) in 538 BC, King Cyrus
ended Israel’s captivity and issued instructions to rebuild the temple. .
In Isaiah 45 King Cyrus is called by God “his anointed”(xyvm maw-
shee'-akh), which is the same word used in Daniel 9:25 for “Messiah”.
The “threescore and two weeks”, or 434 years does not begin at the
termination of the 49 years. There are no scenarios presented to allow
for this without allowing extremely liberal interpretation of meanings
and times. Allowing a gap between these two time periods is the only
way to maintain the simple integrity of the text and keep time frames
literal and not metaphorical. The fact that the time periods are distinct
from one another instead of being a whole 69 weeks supports allowing
for a gap between times, along with the use of these gaps already
having precedents in prophetic scripture (Dan 11:2-3, Micah 5:1-2).
The one date that allows these 434 years to begin while fitting into
world history is 440 BC, the year that Nehemiah began rebuilding the
temple. According to Ne 2:1, Nehemiah requested to return to
Jerusalem in April of 444 BC. According to the Jewish historian
Josephus, he went to Babylon to get more volunteers to help him in the
re-building of the temple (Antiquities XI), arriving in Jerusalem in 440
BC to initiate the re-building process.

587 B.C. ("issuing of a word" from God to rebuild Jerusalem)


        -49 years ("seven sevens")
        538 B.C. ("an anointed one, a prince" Cyrus, ends Jewish captivity)

(gap of unspecified duration)

        440 B.C. ("street and moat return in times of distress")


        -434 years ("sixty-two sevens")
        6 B.C. (birth of Jesus Christ)

Verses 26-27 And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but
not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the
city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the
end of the war desolations are determined. And he shall confirm the covenant
with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the
sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he

154
shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall
be poured upon the desolate.
The text tells us that after the 62 weeks these events will pass. It is
meant not as an event which begins at the exact end of the 62 weeks, but
as an event which occurs at some date afterwards. The Messiah here
cannot be the same one spoken of in the previous verses, even if one
were to make the 69 weeks consecutive; too much time has passed for
the Messiah to be the same person. Jesus Christ is the only one who now
fits into this time frame. The destruction of the Temple spoken of here is
the event which came to pass in 70 AD when Rome destroyed the city.

155
Daniel Chapter 11
The Abomination That Causes Desolation
In Matthew 24 Jesus describes to his disciples what events will pass
before “the end” is to come. They are: False Christs (anointed ones),
wars and rumors of wars, nation rising against nation and kingdom

156
against kingdom, famines and pestilences, earthquakes. Martyrdom and
hatred will abound towards Disciples of Christ, with offense, betrayal
and hate within the “church. Iniquity will abound and the love of many
will wax cold; then the gospel is preached to the entire world , “and then
shall the end come”...
In Mark 13 Jesus speaks of “the abomination that causes desolation”
as being the marker event to the end’s having begun, followed by a
great affliction: But when ye shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of
by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not, (let him that readeth
understand,) then let them that be in Judaea flee to the mountains....For in
those days shall be affliction, such as was not from the beginning of the
creation which God created unto this time, neither shall be. And except that the
Lord had shortened those days, no flesh should be saved: but for the elect's sake,
whom he hath chosen, he hath shortened the days...
Since Jesus points us to the prophet Daniel, we must examine this text
to be clear on this seemingly bench mark event which marks the end.
We will first go over the prophetic events in Daniel 11 and 12 to see that
the abomination had already occurred when Jesus mentioned it. He
must have been referring to a future abomination that had already been
foreshadowed before his birth.
Daniel 11 and 12 mention the abomination. We will review these
chapters thoroughly so that we know what prophecies have been
fulfilled, and which still need to occur. First Daniel 11 specifically and
chronologically outlines the wars and reigns’ of the Ptolemies and the
Seleucids two three centuries before they occurred, and two centuries
before Christ was born. The abomination in verse 31 was the placement
of pagan gods in the sanctuary by Antiochus IV. We can define
“abomination” by finding the things that God calls an abomination
elsewhere in the bible (De 7:25-26, 17:1, 27:15, Pr 16:12, Eze 18:12). After
defining we can see that Antiochus IV committed abominations, and
was an abomination to God. We can also see in Daniel chapters 11 and
12 the use of the Hebrew word,” Uwqqv (shik-koots'), which literally has
the meaning of a detestable thing or idol, further supports the claim that
the abomination spoken of by Daniel, and subsequently by Jesus in
referring to the prophet, was the placement of the idol on the altar.
Verses 1-4 Alexander the Great
Also I in the first year of Darius the Mede, even I, stood to confirm and to
strengthen him. And now will I shew thee the truth. Behold, there shall stand

157
up yet three kings in Persia; and the fourth shall be far richer than they all: and
by his strength through his riches he shall stir up all against the realm of
Grecia. The first three kings of Persia are Cambyses, Smerdes and
Darius. The Fourth, Xerxes, stirred up the eastern countries to a war
with Alexander the Great, king of Grecia, (Da 8:21 10:20 Zec 9:13).The
word used here for Grecia is Nwy(Yavan). Nwy was the fourth "son" of
Japheth (Ge 10:2) whose descendants settled in Greece. Eastern nations
used this word of the Greek race.
And a mighty king shall stand up, that shall rule with great dominion, and
do according to his will. And when he shall stand up, his kingdom shall be
broken, and shall be divided toward the four winds of heaven; and not to his
posterity, nor according to his dominion which he ruled: for his kingdom shall
be plucked up, even for others beside those. Alexander the great died in 323
B.C. and his kingdom was divided between his four generals. Seleucus I
Nicator (312-281 BC) had Syria, Antigonus had Asia Minor, Cassander
had the kingdom of Macedonia, and Ptolemy I Soter had Egypt. None of
these four were as powerful as Alexander.

Verses 5-9 The Early Ptolemaic and Seleucid Dynasties


And the king of the south shall be strong, and one of his princes; and he shall
be strong above him, and have dominion; his dominion shall be a great
dominion. The king of the south is Ptolemy I Soter (BC 323-285) the
prince is Antiochus I Soter, the son of Seleucus I. Antiochus I became
more powerful in that he gained both Asia and Syria.
And in the end of years they shall join themselves together; for the king's
daughter of the south shall come to the king of the north to make an agreement:
but she shall not retain the power of the arm; neither shall he stand, nor his
arm: but she shall be given up, and they that brought her, and he that begat
her, and he that strengthened her in these times. Bernice is the daughter of
Ptolemy II Philadelphus (BC 285-247) the next king of the south. She
was given in marriage to Antiochus Theos, in an attempt to keep peace
between Syria and Egypt. Bernice and her young son were slain by
Seleucus Calinieus the son of Laodice, the lawful wife of Antiochus
Theos, who had been put away for Bernice’s sake.
But out of a branch of her roots shall one stand up in his estate, which shall
come with an army, and shall enter into the fortress of the king of the north,
and shall deal against them, and shall prevail: And shall also carry captives
into Egypt their gods, with their princes, and with their precious vessels of

158
silver and of gold; and he shall continue more years than the king of the north.
So the king of the south shall come into his kingdom, and shall return into his
own land. Ptolemy III Euergetes I (B.C. 246-221), was the oldest son of
Ptolemy II Philadelphus, and the brother of the slain Bernice. He
invaded (BC 246) Antiochus Calinicus king of Syria, returning to Egypt
afterwards and reigning for 46 years.

Verses 10-12 Ptolemy IV Philopater-King of the South


But his sons shall be stirred up, and shall assemble a multitude of great
forces: and one shall certainly come, and overflow, and pass through: then shall
he return, and be stirred up, even to his fortress. The sons of Antiochus
Calinicus; Seleucus III Soter (murdered 223 BC) and Antiochus III
(Antiochus the Great 223-187 BC), made war against Ptolemy IV
Philopater (221-205 BC), the son of Ptolemy III Euergetes I. Ptolemy IV
ruled with his wife/sister Arsinoe III until 203 BC. Antiochus III took
much of Syria away from Philopater IV.
And the king of the south shall be moved with choler, and shall come forth
and fight with him, even with the king of the north: and he shall set forth a
great multitude; but the multitude shall be given into his hand. And when he
hath taken away the multitude, his heart shall be lifted up; and he shall cast
down many ten thousands: but he shall not be strengthened by it. This is a
description of Ptolemy IV Philopater’s victory at Raphia over
Antiochus III Seleucid army (217 BC). His Egyptian army had 6000
horses and riders, and 60000 foot soldiers. Ptolemy IV Philopater
offered sacrifices at the temple in Jerusalem after his victory, and when
he attempted to enter the sanctuary was struck with paralysis. He went
back to Alexandria and punished the Jews in that town for his
disappointment in Jerusalem.

Verses 13 -19 Antiochus III - “Antiochus The Great”-King of the


North
For the king of the north shall return, and shall set forth a multitude greater
than the former, and shall certainly come after certain years with a great army
and with much riches .And in those times there shall many stand up against
the king of the south: also the robbers of thy people shall exalt themselves to
establish the vision; but they shall fall. By 212 BC Antiochus III embarked
on a 7 year military campaign against the East, conquering Armenia.
After the death of Ptolemy IV Philopater, his son, Ptolemy V Epiphanes

159
(205-181 BC), became heir at the age of 4. Seizing the opportunity and
allying himself with King Phillip III of Macedonia, Antiochus III
invaded Ptolemy V Epiphanes’ and took control of Palestine as well as
parts of Ptolemy’s Anatolia. Egyptians revolted often because Ptolemy’s
guardian (Agathocles), who ruled in the young king’s name, was
arrogant with the people in his ruling.
So the king of the north shall come, and cast up a mount, and take the most
fenced cities: and the arms of the south shall not withstand, neither his chosen
people, neither shall there be any strength to withstand. The most fenced city
is the Phoenician seaport of Sidon. At Paneas (Caesarea Phillipi), in 198
BC Antiochus III drove Egypt’s General Scopas into Sidon. Antiochus
laid siege and built a rampart, taking the city. The same year he then
marched on to Jerusalem and Judah (...neither his chosen people...) taking
it from Egypt. In 196BC, as the Romans were withdrawing from Greece,
Antiochus crossed into Europe and took the coast of Thrace as another
part of his Empire.
But he that cometh against him shall do according to his own will, and none
shall stand before him: and he shall stand in the glorious land, which by his
hand shall be consumed Antiochus III not only afflicted the Egyptian land
that he invaded, but since he attacked Jerusalem, the Jews as well.
Overall, however, he was conciliatory to the Jews as was his son.
He shall also set his face to enter with the strength of his whole kingdom, and
upright ones with him; thus shall he do: and he shall give him the daughter of
women, corrupting her: but she shall not stand on his side, neither be for him.
Antiochus III and King Phillip’s invasion into Egypt was stopped when
the Roman Empire interfered. The guardians of Ptolemy V formed an
alliance with Rome. In order to maintain the provinces of Cole-Syria,
Phoenicia, and Judea (Rome wanted their surrender to Roman rule),
Antiochus III gave his daughter to Ptolemy V Epiphanes. This woman
was Cleopatra Thea I, and they were married in 193 BC. She did not
take her father’s side, but supported her husband and his alliance with
Rome when war broke out again. Rome had defeated Antiochus III in
190 BC. Ptolemy V was poisoned (181 BC) while preparing to take back
the provinces from the successor of Antiochus III, Seleucus. Cleopatra I
held the regency for her son Ptolemy VI Philometer (181-145BC) until
her death in 173 BC, at which point the weakness in Ptolemy VI throne
became evident. He shared the throne with his brother Ptolemy VII.

160
After this shall he turn his face unto the isles, and shall take many: but a
prince for his own behalf shall cause the reproach offered by him to cease;
without his own reproach he shall cause it to turn upon him. In 192 BC a war
broke out in Greece, and Antiochus III returned. Once there he tried to
capture additional territories, and Rome went to war with him,
resulting in a horrible defeat for Antiochus at Thermopylae. The Battle
of Magnesia near Smyrna (190 BC) gave the Romans another victory
over Antiochus III. Seleucus IV was present at the defeat.
Then he shall turn his face toward the fort of his own land: but he shall
stumble and fall, and not be found.. Having lost nearly all his fleet at
Magnesia, Antiochus fled home to Syria. The Roman forces, led by
Cornelius Scipio (soon to be called Scipio Asiaticus) and his brother
Scipio Africanus, crossed the Hellespont to pursue Antiochus. They
forced the Syrian to surrender all his European and Asiatic possessions
as far as the Taurus Mountains, to pay 15,000 talents over a period of 12
years, and to surrender Hannibal (who escaped). Antiochus III died in
187 BC.

Verse 20 is Seleucus IV Philopater, Antiochus III’s son (BC 187-175)


Then shall stand up in his estate a raiser of taxes in the glory of the kingdom:
but within few days he shall be destroyed, neither in anger, nor in battle. After
gaining the throne upon his father’s death, Seleucus IV reigned 12 years.
He had to tax his territories heavily due to the monies owed to Rome
now. He was murdered by Heliodorus, a courtier of his. His son,
Demetrius Soter I, did not gain the crown at his father’s death (He did
gain the crown later in BC 162).

Verses 21 to 32 tell of Antiochus Epiphanes IV (BC 175-164)


Believed to have conspired in the death of Seleucus IV Soter,
Antiochus IV (Antiochus III’s brother) usurped the throne from the slain
Seleucus’ son and came in revenge against Jerusalem destroying it. In
the process he cruelly killed multitudes Jews who were living there.
During his reign the Maccabean revolts occurred and were successful
against Antiochus’ armies. In BC 164 Antiochus IV came with his armies
to destroy the Jewish nation one last time, but on the way there he died.

161
And in his estate shall stand up a vile person, to whom they shall not give the
honour of the kingdom: but he shall come in peaceably, and obtain the kingdom
by flatteries.
And with the arms of a flood shall they be overflown from before him, and shall
be broken; yea, also the prince of the covenant. Countries favorable towards
Demetrius I Soter’s rule were overthrown, Ptolemy Philopater’s son
(Demetrius I Soter’s cousin) is the prince of the covenant.
And after the league made with him he shall work deceitfully: for he shall
come up, and shall become strong with a small people. Seleucus IV
Philometer had made a league with his uncle, Antiochus IV, not
suspecting that Antiochus would have him killed, usurping the crown
from his son.
He shall enter peaceably even upon the fattest places of the province; and he
shall do that which his fathers have not done, nor his fathers' fathers; he shall
scatter among them the prey, and spoil, and riches: yea, and he shall forecast
his devices against the strong holds, even for a time. The fattest province is
Egypt, And Antiochus IV would be satisfied with the small victories for
a time, but would desire in his heart the larger ones. We should note the
Hebrew words for strongholds at this point, as several different Hebrew
words are used to translate it through out Daniel. The differences have
an impact on the prophecies. In this verse (24) the Hebrew word used
for strong holds is rubm (mib-tsawr'), which simply means “fortified
city”
And he shall stir up his power and his courage against the king of the south
with a great army; and the king of the south shall be stirred up to battle with a
very great and mighty army; but he shall not stand: for they shall forecast
devices against him..
Yea, they that feed of the portion of his meat shall destroy him, and his army
shall overflow: and many shall fall down slain. And both these kings' hearts
shall be to do mischief, and they shall speak lies at one table; but it shall not
prosper: for yet the end shall be at the time appointed. Then shall he return
into his land with great riches; and his heart shall be against the holy covenant;
and he shall do exploits, and return to his own land.
At the time appointed he shall return, and come toward the south; but it
shall not be as the former, or as the latter. For the ships of Chittim shall come
against him: therefore he shall be grieved, and return, and have indignation
against the holy covenant:. In 170 BC Antiochus invaded Egypt and within
two years declared himself King. He then went on his way to invade

162
Alexandria when he was turned away by the Romans, who ordered that
he withdraw. On the return trip of the failed Alexandrian invasion,
Antiochus entered Jerusalem with no resistance from the Jews; his own
men opened the gate. He plundered the temple and returned to Antioch

Verses 31-35 the Abomination and the Persecution of the Jews under
Antiochus
It is strongly recommended that the reader review Josephus’
“Antiquities of the Jews”, book 13.
so shall he do; he shall even return, and have intelligence with them that
forsake the holy covenant And arms shall stand on his part, and they shall
pollute the sanctuary of strength, and shall take away the daily sacrifice, and
they shall place the abomination that maketh desolate. And such as do wickedly
against the covenant shall he corrupt by flatteries: but the people that do know
their God shall be strong, and do exploits. Many wicked Jews joined
Antiochus when he again came to Jerusalem and attempted to persuade
other Jews to accept his Pagan practices. Antiochus kept the wicked
Jews on his side by flattering them while the true Jews worshipped God.
In 168 BC on the 25th of Kislev, Antiochus IV entered Jerusalem and
entered the Holy of Holies. He desecrated the sanctuary by offering
unclean animals upon the altar of burnt offerings and polluted the entire
building by sprinkling it with water in which flesh had been boiled. He
plundered the temple once more, this time taking even the veil and all
of the items from within the holy of holies. He slew many in and about
the temple and took 10,000 captive. Outlawing Judaism, he erected a
statue of the God Jupiter Olympius (aka Zeus) and plundered the
temple, removing its treasures. This triggered the Maccabean revolt by
the Hasmoneans, who eventually took Jerusalem back from Antiochus.
And they that understand among the people shall instruct many: yet they
shall fall by the sword, and by flame, by captivity, and by spoil, many days.
Now when they shall fall, they shall be holpen with a little help: but many shall
cleave to them with flatteries. And some of them of understanding shall fall, to
try them, and to purge, and to make them white, even to the time of the end:
because it is yet for a time appointed.
The true Jews will remain faithful and continue to teach by their
example, though they are persecuted by the tyrant Antiochus. He
tortured those that refused to stop practicing the religion of the Jews.

163
Most who have studied the book of Daniel are in agreement that the
first 35 verses of Daniel 11 have already occurred as described
previously. From verse 36 on, however, there is a variety of opinion. I
have continued with the rest of the chapter for continuity’s sake, but the
following descriptions are my own opinion and should not be taken as
fulfilled prophecy, as I believe the first 35 verses are.

We have, at this point, solidified the purpose for this study; that
when Jesus spoke to his disciples in Matthew 24 and Mark 13,
Daniel’s abomination had already occurred. We are to view this
occurrence as the foreshadowing of an event sometime in the
disciples’ future that marks the beginning of the end.

Verses 36-39 The Roman Empire’s Influence


Admittedly, this writer’s simply changing the King to whom Daniel is
referring at this point has the appearance of manipulating the text to
serve my attempt to chronologically outline this prophetic fulfillment; as
mentioned earlier it is at this point that people begin to disagree on the
rest of the prophecy’s direction. However, there are reasons that I
choose this as the most equitable direction:
1) Up to this point in the prophecy, Daniel frequently is seen changing
the king to whom he is referring without clearly stating that he is
changing the subject. To assume that Daniel will not continue to do this
for the remainder would actually be a disservice to the context and style
of prophecy.
2) It seems unlikely that God would allow over 2000 years to pass
between two sentences without, at the very least, giving some nebulous
reference of time’s passing as he does elsewhere in Daniel (11:6, 8, 20,
27, 2935-36, 40). In fact, in chapter 8 God tells us the exact number of
days from the placement of the abomination until the temple’s
cleansing.
3) The Roman Empire seems the most likely candidate. Its influence
begins to increasingly dominate the region being spoken of. Rome
continued dictating to the Syrian dynasty after Antiochus IV fled there
and died. For all practical purposes Syria stopped being the king of the
north. Syria finally became a Roman province in 64 BC. Rome’s
influence in ruling Egypt is seen in the following verses. Ptolemy VI
relied heavily on his alliance with Rome from 168 BC on. Cleopatra was

164
the last Ptolemaic queen. After her defeat to the Romans at the battle of
Actium and her subsequent suicide, Egypt became a Roman province in
30 BC. Rome had undisputed supremacy over Egypt as well as Syria.
4) The prophecy seems to be describing a new king as we are told that
the kings of the north and south (Antiochus and Ptolemy) will come
against “him” .
5) The Roman Empire “fits” into place in the statue seen by the king and
explained by the prophet Daniel in chapter 2. (See Appendix S)

And the king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and
magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the
God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that
that is determined shall be done. Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers,
nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself
above all. But in his estate shall he honour the God of forces: and a god whom
his fathers knew not shall he honour with gold, and silver, and with precious
stones, and pleasant things. The worship of Pagan God’s in the both the
Seleucid and Roman empires was commonplace, and there seemed little
continuity in worship of Gods. Each would worship the gods that they
had chosen, and the blending of religions was frequent. In 42 BC the
Roman Triumvirate deified Julius Caesar and erected a temple to him.
The “God of forces” spoken of here has ties to the “strong holds”
mentioned in verse 24 In the Hebrew root words are hhwla 'elowahh (el-
o'-ah) meaning God (also false god), and zwem ma`owz (maw-oze'),
meaning harbor or refuge (same word is used in Daniel 19). The word
hhwla is used almost exclusively in the writings of the prophets in the
bible, and in Daniel is used several times to speak of a false God. We
now see the whole set of words as meaning “god of strongholds”. The
“god of fortresses” was Jupiter to whom Antiochus built an altar in
Jerusalem’s temple. Throughout the book of Daniel the “god of
strongholds” or “forces” leads back to the idol worship of the god
Jupiter. Note that after Rome destroyed the Temple in Jerusalem (70
AD), a temple was erected to the god Jupiter on the old temple’s site
(132 AD) under Emperor Hadrian.
Thus shall he do in the most strong holds with a strange god, whom he shall
acknowledge and increase with glory: and he shall cause them to rule over
many, and shall divide the land for gain. Both the Roman and Syrian
empires built idols to the god Jupiter.

165
From this point on it becomes difficult to pinpoint past events that
have occurred in connection with Daniel’s prophecy. I break at this
point because Daniel begins to use the term, “at time of the end” from
this verse on. Verses 40-45 can be connected to continued events in the
Roman Empire. One problem with associating verses 40-45 with the
Roman Empire is that upon arriving at chapter 12, it is clear that this
chapter deals with at the end of time; you have leaped 2000 years in one
verse. The words themselves make it apparent that 11:45 and 12:1 are
occurring at the same time. We must be careful to consider chapters and
verses as guides to locate scripture easily, and not as breaks between
events or separations in periods of time. Chapters 11 and 12 in Daniel
are the same prophecy, and when first recorded were not broken into
verses and chapters.
What follows is the remainder of chapter 11, tying verses 40-45 to past
events in the Roman Empire. This is only being done to give an example
of how the rest of the chapter can be applied to past events, albeit not as
specifically. As stated above, the problem arises when you regard 11:45
as applying to the Roman world, and then read 12:1-2 (a continuation of
the same prophecy) described as a time of great tribulation followed by
the resurrection of the dead. We know that the resurrection of the dead
has not yet occurred.

Vs 40-45 The End of the Empire (Problematic Example)


And at the time of the end shall the king of the south push at him: and the king
of the north shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with
horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall
overflow and pass over. “At the time of the end” refers to the end of the
reigns of the Egyptian and Syrian dynasties which we have been
following in the previous 40 verses. Both the kings of the north and
south eventually succumb to the Roman Empire. We have already seen
the increasing Roman influence over this region. The Roman Empire,
eventually annexes Egyptian and Syrian territories until they are vassal
states. Rome now becomes “The King” spoken of by Daniel. We see the
use of the words “strong” and “holds” again here, with different
Hebrew root words. The word zwem ma`owz is used again, but this
time with the word rubm (mib-tsawr') which was also used in Dan.
11:15.

166
He shall enter also into the glorious land, and many countries shall be
overthrown: but these shall escape out of his hand, even Edom, and Moab, and
the chief of the children of Ammon. He shall stretch forth his hand also upon
the countries: and the land of Egypt shall not escape. By the 60’s-50’s BC
Rome’s influence was felt in Egypt. An example is when Ptolemy (55-51
BC) was unseated by the Alexandrians due to his misrule. Rome’s
general Pompeii restored him to power, and was named guardian to
Ptolemy’s son.
But he shall have power over the treasures of gold and of silver, and over all
the precious things of Egypt: and the Libyans and the Ethiopians shall be at his
steps. But tidings out of the east and out of the north shall trouble him:
therefore he shall go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away
many. “Tidings out of the east” would refer to Marc Antony’s defeat by
Parthian forces in 36 BC and his subsequent retreat to Armenia where
he openly married Cleopatra; this despite his existing marriage to
Octavian’s sister Octavia. Octavian, (the future Roman Emperor), set
out and defeated Antony and Cleopatra at the battle of Actium in 31
BC, regaining what Marc Antony had lost to the Parthians. Tidings from
the north may refer to the Roman Empire’s conquest of Gaul and the
British isles. After Julius Caesar’s many campaigns there in the 50’s and
his death, Augustus became emperor. In the mid 30’s BC to the mid 20’s
BC at least 3 known campaigns against the north were planned by
Augustus but were cancelled due to revolts in the empire.
And he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the
glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him.
Temples to all of the Roman emperors abounded throughout the
empire, but Rome fell in the 4th century.
We will continue into chapter 12 (as that applies to the end times and
not to past events) in the next section. Our goal in this section was to
show evidence that the future abomination mentioned by Jesus in Mark
13 would resemble the abomination that had already occurred in the
2nd century BC, which the prophet Daniel had prophesied centuries
earlier. It should be noted that even after Jesus’ death, the Romans did
place idols in the temple in Jerusalem. The events described in Mark 13
and Matthew 24 need to occur first as signs that the end is approaching,
and then the abomination will be set up in the most holy place, marking
the beginning of the end.

167
Daniel Chapter 12
The transition from Daniel 11:45-12:1 can be difficult to make in the
context provided in this book. It appears as if one moment we are
reading about the Roman Empire of 2000 years ago and then jump into
the resurrection of the dead which has not yet occurred. This however is
not the case. Daniel 11:1-45 can be read firstly as a prophecy of events
that had yet to occur in Daniel’s time, and have already occurred in our
time. Secondly since Jesus says to watch for those events as a sign of the
end, we can also read Da 11:1-45 as prophetic for this current generation
if we read on through Daniel 12.
Some of the events which are prophesied as applying to our current
generation in Daniel 11:1-30 may have already occurred, but I will not
elaborate on these as there are already many who claim to have done
this, with varied opinions. Without a doubt, however, the events in
Daniel 12 have not yet occurred as they speak of the deliverance of
God’s people from horrible persecution and the resurrection of all of the
dead, saint and sinner alike.
We can see that Daniel 11:30-45 coincides with the times spoken of in
Revelation 12:17-13:15; the times of the post-rapture antichrist. Since
Daniel 11 is the foreshadowing spoken of by Jesus of the end time
events in Matthew 24 and Mark 13, we now move more easily into
chapter 12 of Daniel, which briefly mentions the rapture, and then the
resurrection of both the saints and the sinners in the final judgment:
1 And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth
for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never
was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy
people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book...
This speaks of the taking up of the saints out of the tribulation period.

2-3 And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to
everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. And they that be
wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to
righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.... This verse continues into the
times of the final judgment, when both saints and sinners alike will have
been resurrected from the dead

168
Verses 4-6 But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to
the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be
increased. Then I Daniel looked, and, behold, there stood other two, the one on
this side of the bank of the river, and the And one said to the man clothed in
linen, which was upon the waters of the river, How long shall it be to the end of
these wonders?
There are many words in Hebrew used to describe different types of
linen. The word used here is db(bad), which is also used in Ex 28:42,
39:28, Le 6:10, 16:4,23,32, 1Sa 2:18, and 2Sa 6:14. It is uniformly used
throughout the Old Testament scriptures to describe the sacred articles
of clothing which priests wore. Its root, ddb (baw-dad'), signifies
seperation. This man standing upon the waters may well be Christ
foreshadowing his walking on the water during his earthly ministry. In
Hebrew, the phrase translated as upon the waters here is used only in
Daniel 12:6-7. The English phrase “upon the waters” is used many times
in the Old Testament, often referring to the hand of the Lord or God
being upon the waters. The English translation, however, is not of the
same Hebrew wording used in Da 12:6-7.

7 And I heard the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river,
when he held up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven, and sware by
him that liveth for ever that it shall be for a time, times, and an half; and when
he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these
things shall be finished.
God swearing by himself has established precedents in scripture (Heb
6:13, Gen 22:16, Isa 45:23, Jer 22:5, 49:13). The phrase “for a time, times,
and an half” is 3&1/2 years- for a time (one year), times (plural-2 years),
and an half (1/2 year).

8-9 And I heard, but I understood not: then said I, O my Lord, what shall be
the end of these things? And he said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are
closed up and sealed till the time of the end...
Daniel was not given the full revelation of events at the end of our
world. He was told that the final words were sealed up. These very
words are opened and told to us by John in the book of Revelation.
Since prophecy was sealed to Daniel, it is revealed in the breaking of the
seals by the Lamb of God in Revelation 5

169
10-13 Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall
do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall
understand. And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and
the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two
hundred and ninety days. Blessed is he that waiteth, and cometh to the
thousand three hundred and five and thirty days. But go thou thy way till the
end be: for thou shalt rest, and stand in thy lot at the end of the days.
The word used here for rest is not used in the Old Testament for
death, but for a state of rest. The phrase, “stand in thy lot” more literally
means “firmly station yourself in your portion”.

170
Isaiah
Isaiah 2

Verses 1-4
The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.
And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD'S
house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted
above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. And many people shall go
and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house
of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his
paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from
Jerusalem. And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many
people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into
pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they
learn war any more.
Isaiah begins by stating that this word relates to Judah and Jerusalem
and progresses to describe what can only be seen as their future roles in
God’s future reign of mankind. After the seven year tribulation Jesus
Christ returns to rule for 1000 years upon the earth, a time of no death,
famine, or war. The survivors of the great tribulation will yield to the
will of God and be ruled from the City of Jerusalem.

Verses 5-9
O house of Jacob, come ye, and let us walk in the light of the LORD Therefore
thou hast forsaken thy people the house of Jacob, because they be replenished
from the east, and are soothsayers like the Philistines, and they please
themselves in the children of strangers. Their land also is full of silver and
gold, neither is there any end of their treasures; their land is also full of horses,
neither is there any end of their chariots: Their land also is full of idols; they
worship the work of their own hands, that which their own fingers have made:
And the mean man boweth down, and the great man humbleth himself:
therefore forgive them not.
After describing the glory to come, Isaiah turns to Israel, lamenting
their rebellion towards God which was occurring, and pleading with
them to turn from their ways lest they not be partakers in this salvation!

171
Verses 10-22
Enter into the rock, and hide thee in the dust, for fear of the LORD, and for the
glory of his majesty. The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the
haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and the LORD alone shall be exalted
in that day. For the day of the LORD of hosts shall be upon every one that is
proud and lofty, and upon every one that is lifted up; and he shall be brought
low: And upon all the cedars of Lebanon, that are high and lifted up, and upon
all the oaks of Bashan, And upon all the high mountains, and upon all the
hills that are lifted up, And upon every high tower, and upon every fenced
wall, And upon all the ships of Tarshish, and upon all pleasant pictures. And
the loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and the haughtiness of men shall be
made low: and the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day. And the idols he
shall utterly abolish. And they shall go into the holes of the rocks, and into the
caves of the earth, for fear of the LORD, and for the glory of his majesty, when
he ariseth to shake terribly the earth. In that day a man shall cast his idols of
silver, and his idols of gold, which they made each one for himself to worship,
to the moles and to the bats; To go into the clefts of the rocks, and into the tops
of the ragged rocks, for fear of the LORD, and for the glory of his majesty,
when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth. Cease ye from man, whose breath is
in his nostrils: for wherein is he to be accounted of?
The imagery presented here is consistent with Jesus’ sayings and with
the events foretold to occur before the opening of the 7th seal just prior
to Jesus’ 1000 year reign (Rev 6:16, Luke 21:20-27). Zechariah 12-13
continues on with a vivid description of the end of the tribulation and
Christ’s rule.

172
Isaiah Chapters 11-14
The 1000 year reign
Verses 1-2 And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a
Branch shall grow out of his roots: And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon
him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might,
the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD;
These seven attributes of God’s Spirit are also seen in Revelation 1:4,
3:1, 4:5, and 5:6.

Verses 3-7 And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the
LORD: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after
the hearing of his ears: But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and
reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with
the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.
And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of
his reins. The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie
down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together;
and a little child shall lead them. And the cow and the bear shall feed; their
young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
It is interesting to note that the animals given in this description of the
1000 year reign of Christ also appear in Daniel 7 in his prophesies of the
future kingdoms of the earth, and in Revelation 13:2.

Verses 8-11 And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the
weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice' den. They shall not hurt nor
destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of
the LORD, as the waters cover the sea. And in that day there shall be a root of
Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek:
and his rest shall be glorious. And it shall come to pass in that day, that the
Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his
people, which shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros,
and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from
the islands of the sea.
The remnant of Israel shall be gathered back to their Holy city in the
end

173
Verses 12-16 And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble
the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four
corners of the earth. The envy also of Ephraim shall depart, and the adversaries
of Judah shall be cut off: Ephraim shall not envy Judah, and Judah shall not
vex Ephraim. But they shall fly upon the shoulders of the Philistines toward
the west; they shall spoil them of the east together: they shall lay their hand
upon Edom and Moab; and the children of Ammon shall obey them. And the
LORD shall utterly destroy the tongue of the Egyptian sea; and with his
mighty wind shall he shake his hand over the river, and shall smite it in the
seven streams, and make men go over dryshod. And there shall be an highway
for the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria; like as it was to
Israel in the day that he came up out of the land of Egypt.
These raised roads for public use were not found in Palestine;
therefore there is an assumption describing the return of the captives
and the advent of the Messiah (Isa 11:16 35:8 40:3 62:10) This
preparation for the millennial rule of Jesus may occur some time during
the 6th seal of Revelation 16:12, “...And the sixth angel poured out his
vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up,
that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared. “

Chapter 12
This continuation of chapter 11 exudes the perfect joy and peace
manifest in our Sovereign’s future domain:
And in that day thou shalt say, O LORD, I will praise thee: though thou
wast angry with me, thine anger is turned away, and thou comfortedst me.
Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD
JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation.
Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation. And in
that day shall ye say, Praise the LORD, call upon his name, declare his doings
among the people, make mention that his name is exalted. Sing unto the
LORD; for he hath done excellent things: this is known in all the earth. Cry
out and shout, thou inhabitant of Zion: for great is the Holy One of Israel in
the midst of thee.

Chapter 13
Verses 6-12 Howl ye; for the day of the LORD is at hand; it shall come as a
destruction from the Almighty. Therefore shall all hands be faint, and every

174
man's heart shall melt: And they shall be afraid: pangs and sorrows shall take
hold of them; they shall be in pain as a woman that travaileth: they shall be
amazed one at another; their faces shall be as flames. Behold, the day of the
LORD cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate:
and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it. For the stars of heaven and the
constellations thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in his
going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine. And I will punish
the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the
arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible.
I will make a man more precious than fine gold; even a man than the golden
wedge of Ophir. Therefore I will shake the heavens, and the earth shall remove
out of her place, in the wrath of the LORD of hosts, and in the day of his fierce
anger. And it shall be as the chased roe, and as a sheep that no man taketh up:
they shall every man turn to his own people, and flee every one into his own
land.
The events seen in chapter 13 are events which, at the time Isaiah
prophesied them, had not yet occurred. It was a message to the nation
of Israel regarding God’s impending judgment against them which was
fulfilled several thousand years ago when the surrounding nations laid
siege and pillaged the nation. Like much of the bible, however, it is a
foreshadowing of end time events not yet seen. It is a description of the
terror and anguish suffered by all those living after the church is
raptured. Verses 6-10 specifically detail events that have not yet
happened to the city, but are spoken of by Jesus in Mark 13:23-25, and
which will occur during the tribulation as seen in Revelation 6:12 & 8:12.

Chapter 14
Chapter 14 continues as an already fulfilled prophecy, but like chapter
13, is a foreshadowing of Jesus’ return and has details of events of this
time. Verses 1 through 8 continue the rejoicing surrounding Israel’s
return to Jerusalem, and the fall of Satan and his world order, described
as “Babylon” both here and in Revelation.
Verses 9 through 21, however are vivid portrayals of Satan are being
cast down to the pit during this 1000 year reign of Christ. Chapter 14
will not be displayed on this written page, however, as space does not
permit, nor is further exposition warranted on so clear a word.

175
176
Isaiah 24
Verses 1-4
Behold, the LORD maketh the earth empty, and maketh it waste, and turneth
it upside down, and scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof And it shall be, as
with the people, so with the priest; as with the servant, so with his master; as
with the maid, so with her mistress; as with the buyer, so with the seller; as
with the lender, so with the borrower; as with the taker of usury, so with the
giver of usury to him. The land shall be utterly emptied, and utterly spoiled:
for the LORD hath spoken this word. The earth mourneth and fadeth away, the
world languisheth and fadeth away, the haughty people of the earth do
languish.
A description of the desolate state of all creation left to Satan and
man’s devices during the seven year absence of God’s restraining
power. This chapter most describes the destruction brought upon the
Earth when Jesus Christ returns to establish his millennial kingdom
upon the Earth.
Isaiah seems to use some of the same language our Lord and his
disciples used. When telling the disciples of the signs to occur to the
generation of those living upon his return, Jesus says, “And then shall
they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. And
when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads;
for your redemption draweth nigh. And he spake to them a parable; Behold the
fig tree, and all the trees. When they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your
own selves that summer is now nigh at hand. So likewise ye, when ye see these
things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand. Verily I
say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled. Heaven
and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.-Luke 21 verses
28-33
Peter, likewise describes Christ’s return in the 3rd chapter of his 2nd
epistle, writing,”This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you...:That ye
may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets,
and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour: Knowing
this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own
lusts, And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell
asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation....

177
But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in
store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly
men. But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the
Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. ... But the day of
the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass
away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the
earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up...Seeing then that
all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all
holy conversation and godliness, Looking for and hasting unto the coming of
the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the
elements shall melt with fervent heat? (Verses 1-12)

Verses 5-12
The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because they have
transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant.
Therefore hath the curse devoured the earth, and they that dwell therein are
desolate: therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men left.
The new wine mourneth, the vine languisheth, all the merryhearted do sigh.
The mirth of tabrets ceaseth, the noise of them that rejoice endeth, the joy of the
harp ceaseth. They shall not drink wine with a song; strong drink shall be bitter
to them that drink it. The city of confusion is broken down: every house is shut
up, that no man may come in. There is a crying for wine in the streets; all joy
is darkened, the mirth of the land is gone. In the city is left desolation, and the
gate is smitten with destruction.
The images presented in these verses haunt the imagination when one
stops praying for understanding and just meditates on God’s word,
allowing it to become part of your soul. It is a medieval scene, matching
that dark period of our history when the word of God was kept from
the masses, the religious leaders fleeced the masses, and the known
world stagnated economically, spiritually, and culturally.
Verse 5 is a point in time we can reference elsewhere in the bible. The
antichrist will think nothing of changing basic laws of God and will
institute his own plan of worship to himself, setting up ordinances and
times of worship for him. This same man is seen in both Daniel 7:25,”...
And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the
saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be
given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.”

178
Verses 13-16
When thus it shall be in the midst of the land among the people, there shall be
as the shaking of an olive tree, and as the gleaning grapes when the vintage is
done. They shall lift up their voice, they shall sing for the majesty of the
LORD, they shall cry aloud from the sea. Wherefore glorify ye the LORD in
the fires, even the name of the LORD God of Israel in the isles of the sea. From
the uttermost part of the earth have we heard songs, even glory to the
righteous. But I said, My leanness, my leanness, woe unto me! the treacherous
dealers have dealt treacherously; yea, the treacherous dealers have dealt very
treacherously.
Jesus returns to begin his reign of 1000 years and the earth breaks into
joy at his arrival! The Jewish nation, persecuted during the tribulation
(Rev 12:6) adds another refrain, petitioning their God for justice for the
treatment they have received, and matching the chorus of the martyred
saints seen at the opening of the 5th seal in Revelation 6,”How long, O
Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that
dwell on the earth”

Verses 17-23
Fear, and the pit, and the snare, are upon thee, O inhabitant of the earth. And
it shall come to pass, that he who fleeth from the noise of the fear shall fall into
the pit; and he that cometh up out of the midst of the pit shall be taken in the
snare: for the windows from on high are open, and the foundations of the earth
do shake. The earth is utterly broken down, the earth is clean dissolved, the
earth is moved exceedingly. The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and
shall be removed like a cottage; and the transgression thereof shall be heavy
upon it; and it shall fall, and not rise again. And it shall come to pass in that
day, that the LORD shall punish the host of the high ones that are on high, and
the kings of the earth upon the earth. And they shall be gathered together, as
prisoners are gathered in the pit, and shall be shut up in the prison, and after
many days shall they be visited. Then the moon shall be confounded, and the
sun ashamed, when the LORD of hosts shall reign in mount Zion, and in
Jerusalem, and before his ancients gloriously.
The reign of our newly returned King is also detailed in Revelation,
chapters 19 and 20. Satan and his cohorts are thrown into the pit for
1000 years. Micah elaborates as the earth is shaken as the reign begins,
“Hear, all ye people; hearken, O earth, and all that therein is: and let the Lord
GOD be witness against you, the Lord from his holy temple. For, behold, the

179
LORD cometh forth out of his place, and will come down, and tread upon the
high places of the earth. And the mountains shall be molten under him, and
the valleys shall be cleft, as wax before the fire, and as the waters that are
poured down a steep place.”
God gives Isaiah another word in chapter 40 on Christ’s return. While
Luke correctly sees it as a prophecy of John the Baptist, it is still be seen
today as a yet unfulfilled prophecy,” Comfort ye, comfort ye my people,
saith your God. Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her
warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of
the LORD'S hand double for all her sins. The voice of him that crieth in the
wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a
highway for our God. Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and
hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough
places plain: And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall
see it together: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it .

180
Chapter 49
Vs 10 (see rev 7:16-17)

Isaiah Chapter 66

Isaiah 66 is a wonderful specific prophetic vision of the events seen in


revelation, specifically chapter 12

Verses 1-3
Thus saith the LORD, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool:
where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest?
For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith
the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a
contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word. He that killeth an ox is as if he slew
a man; he that sacrificeth a lamb, as if he cut off a dog's neck; he that offereth
an oblation, as if he offered swine's blood; he that burneth incense, as if he
blessed an idol. Yea, they have chosen their own ways, and their soul delighteth
in their abominations.
In the book of revelation by the time we read to chapter 12 the man of
lawlessness has been revealed. He reinstitutes the old Jewish sacrificial
system of things. This system of sacrifices is now obsolete due to the
blood of Christ being shed and actually is an abomination to God as
sacrifice is no longer needed. The continuation of a sacrificial system
Undermines and does not acknowledge the completed work of Christ
on the cross. The need for continued sacrifice indicates a core belief that
there is still some work that man can do to be pure before God; that the
sacrifice of Jesus was not enough
Verses 4-6
I also will choose their delusions, and will bring their fears upon them; because
when I called, none did answer; when I spake, they did not hear: but they did
evil before mine eyes, and chose that in which I delighted not. Hear the word of

181
the LORD, ye that tremble at his word; Your brethren that hated you, that cast
you out for my name's sake, said, Let the LORD be glorified: but he shall
appear to your joy, and they shall be ashamed. A voice of noise from the city, a
voice from the temple, a voice of the LORD that rendereth recompence to his
enemies.

Verses 7-9
Before she travailed, she brought forth; before her pain came, she was delivered
of a man child. Who hath heard such a thing? who hath seen such things?
Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day? or shall a nation be born at
once? for as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children. Shall I
bring to the birth, and not cause to bring forth? saith the LORD: shall I cause
to bring forth, and shut the womb? saith thy God.
This is a clear description of the woman in Revelation 12:1-5

Verses 10-13
Rejoice ye with Jerusalem, and be glad with her, all ye that love her: rejoice for
joy with her, all ye that mourn for her: That ye may suck, and be satisfied with
the breasts of her consolations; that ye may milk out, and be delighted with the
abundance of her glory. For thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will extend peace
to her like a river, and the glory of the Gentiles like a flowing stream: then shall
ye suck, ye shall be borne upon her sides, and be dandled upon her knees. As
one whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you; and ye shall be
comforted in Jerusalem.
This is described in Revelation 12:6

Verses 14-21
And when ye see this, your heart shall rejoice, and your bones shall flourish
like an herb: and the hand of the LORD shall be known toward his servants,
and his indignation toward his enemies. For, behold, the LORD will come with
fire, and with his chariots like a whirlwind, to render his anger with fury, and
his rebuke with flames of fire. For by fire and by his sword will the LORD
plead with all flesh: and the slain of the LORD shall be many. They that
sanctify themselves, and purify themselves in the gardens behind one tree in the
midst, eating swine's flesh, and the abomination, and the mouse, shall be
consumed together, saith the LORD. For I know their works and their
thoughts: it shall come, that I will gather all nations and tongues; and they
shall come, and see my glory. And I will set a sign among them, and I will

182
send those that escape of them unto the nations, to Tarshish, Pul, and Lud, that
draw the bow, to Tubal, and Javan, to the isles afar off, that have not heard my
fame, neither have seen my glory; and they shall declare my glory among the
Gentiles. And they shall bring all your brethren for an offering unto the LORD
out of all nations upon horses, and in chariots, and in litters, and upon mules,
and upon swift beasts, to my holy mountain Jerusalem, saith the LORD, as the
children of Israel bring an offering in a clean vessel into the house of the
LORD.
21 And I will also take of them for priests and for Levites, saith the LORD.

Verses 22-23
For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain
before me, saith the LORD, so shall your seed and your name remain. And it
shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath
to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the LORD.
This describes Revelation chapter 21 verses 1-7 when God comes to
dwell with man forever

Verse 24
And they shall go forth, and look upon the carcases of the men that have
transgressed against me: for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be
quenched; and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh.
A description of Revelation 21:8

183
184
Jeremiah

Chapter 30&31

Chapter 51

This chapter of Jeremiah gives another detailed account of the


destruction of Babylon recorded by John in Revelation. It focuses on the
world system’s wickedness and how Israel, despite past sin and
rejection of God’s chosen one, are still a chosen people to him and has
been fore-ordained as the chosen weapon of his righteousness. The
closing verses are a solemn testimony to the sureness of God’s word
coming to pass in the last days.
Verses 1-3
Thus saith Jehovah; Behold, I will raise up against Babylon, and against them
that dwell in the midst of them that rise up against me, a destroying wind;
And will send unto Babylon fanners, that shall fan her, and shall empty her
land: for in the day of trouble they shall be against her round about. Against
him that bendeth let the archer bend his bow, and against him that lifteth
himself up in his brigandine: and spare ye not her young men; destroy ye
utterly all her host.
In Jude’s epistle to the twelve tribes scattered through out the world
he writes, “Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that
shall come upon you. Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are
motheaten. Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a

185
witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped
treasure together for the last days. Behold, the hire of the labourers who have
reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the
cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth.
Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton; ye have nourished
your hearts, as in a day of slaughter. Ye have condemned and killed the just;
and he doth not resist you. Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of
the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth,
and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain.

Verses4-9
Thus the slain shall fall in the land of the Chaldeans, and thrust through in
her streets. For Israel not forsaken, nor Judah of his Elohiym, of the Jehovah of
hosts; though their land was filled with sin against the Holy One of Israel. Flee
out of the midst of Babylon, and deliver every man his soul: be not cut off in
her iniquity; for this is the time of Jehovah’s vengeance; he will render unto her
a recompence. Babylon, a golden cup in Jehovah’s hand, that made all the earth
drunken: the nations have drunken of her wine; therefore the nations are mad.
Babylon is suddenly fallen and destroyed: howl for her; take balm for her pain,
if so be she may be healed. We would have healed Babylon, but she is not
healed: forsake her, and let us go every one into his own country: for her
judgment reacheth unto heaven, and is lifted up even to the skies.
This verse plainly states that in the time of the tribulation Israel
recognizes God’s plan of salvation, and now seen by God as having not
forsaken Jesus despite their past rejection of him. Flee from this
idolatrous system and deliver your souls, the world system pervades
even the church and she bathes in its waters. Nothing of Jesus
harmonizes with this world, we are to remain separate and holy,
despite the indulgences religion may allow

Verses 10-16
The Glory of God
Jehovah hath brought forth our righteousness: come, and let us declare in
Zion the work of the Lord Elohiym. Make bright the arrows; gather the shields:
Jehovah hath raised up the spirit of the kings of the Medes: for his device is
against Babylon, to destroy it; because it is the vengeance of Jehovah, the
vengeance of his temple. Set up the standard upon the walls of Babylon, make
the watch strong, set up the watchmen, prepare the ambushes: for Jehovah hath

186
both devised and done that which he spake against the inhabitants of Babylon.
O thou that dwellest upon many waters, abundant in treasures, thine end is
come, and the measure of thy covetousness Jehovah of hosts hath sworn by
himself, saying, Surely I will fill thee with men, as with caterpillers; and they
shall lift up a shout against thee He hath made the earth by his power, he hath
established the world by his wisdom, and hath stretched out the heaven by his
understanding. When he uttereth his voice, there is a multitude of waters in the
heavens; and he causeth the vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth: he
maketh lightnings with rain, and bringeth forth the wind out of his treasures.

Verses 17-23
Israel, God’s Instrument
Every man is brutish by his knowledge; every founder is confounded by the
graven image: for his molten image is falsehood, and there is no breath in them.
They are vanity, the work of errors: in the time of their visitation they shall
perish. The portion of Jacob is not like them; for he is the former of all things:
and Israel is the rod of his inheritance: the LORD of hosts is his name. Thou
art my battle axe and weapons of war: for with thee will I break in pieces the
nations, and with thee will I destroy kingdoms; And with thee will I break in
pieces the horse and his rider; and with thee will I break in pieces the chariot
and his rider; With thee also will I break in pieces man and woman; and with
thee will I break in pieces old and young; and with thee will I break in pieces
the young man and the maid; I will also break in pieces with thee the shepherd
and his flock; and with thee will I break in pieces the husbandman and his yoke
of oxen; and with thee will I break in pieces captains and rulers.
In the end of times Israel will be God’s chosen instrument, the vehicle
that he will render with. Paul confirms that by God’s Grace the
commandments, the prophets, and even the Messiah were birthed from
this chosen people in his letter to Rome, “For I could wish that myself were
accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh: Who
are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the
covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises;
Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is
over all, God blessed for ever. Amen.”
Though an Aramaic word is used in Daniel, and elsewhere the word
“break” uses the Hebrew word denoting wickedness, the term
repeatedly translated here as “break in pieces” is used by English
translators of the Old Testament when wickedness and kingdoms are

187
being destroyed. Thus God speaks in this verse of his breaking up all
that ever existed for the establishment of his righteous kingdom.

Verses 24-32
And I will render unto Babylon and to all the inhabitants of Chaldea all their
evil that they have done in Zion in your sight, saith the LORD. Behold, I am
against thee, O destroying mountain, saith the LORD, which destroyest all the
earth: and I will stretch out mine hand upon thee, and roll thee down from the
rocks, and will make thee a burnt mountain. And they shall not take of thee a
stone for a corner, nor a stone for foundations; but thou shalt be desolate for
ever, saith the LORD. Set ye up a standard in the land, blow the trumpet
among the nations, prepare the nations against her, call together against her
the kingdoms of Ararat, Minni, and Ashchenaz; appoint a captain against her;
cause the horses to come up as the rough caterpillers. Prepare against her the
nations with the kings of the Medes, the captains thereof, and all the rulers
thereof, and all the land of his dominion. And the land shall tremble and
sorrow: for every purpose of the LORD shall be performed against Babylon, to
make the land of Babylon a desolation without an inhabitant. The mighty men
of Babylon have forborn to fight, they have remained in their holds: their might
hath failed; they became as women: they have burned her dwellingplaces; her
bars are broken. One post shall run to meet another, and one messenger to meet
another, to shew the king of Babylon that his city is taken at one end, And that
the passages are stopped, and the reeds they have burned with fire, and the men
of war are affrighted.
Verses 33-38
Zion Remembered
For thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; The daughter of Babylon
is like a threshingfloor, it is time to thresh her: yet a little while, and the time of
her harvest shall come. Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon hath devoured me,
he hath crushed me, he hath made me an empty vessel, he hath swallowed me
up like a dragon, he hath filled his belly with my delicates, he hath cast me out.
The violence done to me and to my flesh be upon Babylon, shall the inhabitant
of Zion say; and my blood upon the inhabitants of Chaldea, shall Jerusalem
say. Therefore thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will plead thy cause, and take
vengeance for thee; and I will dry up her sea, and make her springs dry. And
Babylon shall become heaps, a dwellingplace for dragons, an astonishment, and
an hissing, without an inhabitant. They shall roar together like lions: they
shall yell as lions' whelps.

188
Verses 39-47
In their heat I will make their feasts, and I will make them drunken, that they
may rejoice, and sleep a perpetual sleep, and not wake, saith the LORD. I will
bring them down like lambs to the slaughter, like rams with he goats. How is
Sheshach taken! and how is the praise of the whole earth surprised! how is
Babylon become an astonishment among the nations! The sea is come up upon
Babylon: she is covered with the multitude of the waves thereof. Her cities are a
desolation, a dry land, and a wilderness, a land wherein no man dwelleth,
neither doth any son of man pass thereby. And I will punish Bel in Babylon,
and I will bring forth out of his mouth that which he hath swallowed up: and
the nations shall not flow together any more unto him: yea, the wall of Babylon
shall fall. My people, go ye out of the midst of her, and deliver ye every man
his soul from the fierce anger of the LORD. And lest your heart faint, and ye
fear for the rumour that shall be heard in the land; a rumour shall both come
one year, and after that in another year shall come a rumour, and violence in
the land, ruler against ruler. Therefore, behold, the days come, that I will do
judgment upon the graven images of Babylon: and her whole land shall be
confounded, and all her slain shall fall in the midst of her.

Verses 48-57
God’s Wrath Abideth
Then the heaven and the earth, and all that is therein, shall sing for Babylon:
for the spoilers shall come unto her from the north, saith the LORD. As
Babylon hath caused the slain of Israel to fall, so at Babylon shall fall the slain
of all the earth. Ye that have escaped the sword, go away, stand not still:
remember the LORD afar off, and let Jerusalem come into your mind. We are
confounded, because we have heard reproach: shame hath covered our faces: for
strangers are come into the sanctuaries of the LORD'S house. Wherefore,
behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will do judgment upon her
graven images: and through all her land the wounded shall groan. Though
Babylon should mount up to heaven, and though she should fortify the height
of her strength, yet from me shall spoilers come unto her, saith the LORD. A
sound of a cry cometh from Babylon, and great destruction from the land of the
Chaldeans: Because the LORD hath spoiled Babylon, and destroyed out of her
the great voice; when her waves do roar like great waters, a noise of their voice
is uttered: Because the spoiler is come upon her, even upon Babylon, and her
mighty men are taken, every one of their bows is broken: for the LORD God of

189
recompences shall surely requite. And I will make drunk her princes, and her
wise men, her captains, and her rulers, and her mighty men: and they shall
sleep a perpetual sleep, and not wake, saith the King, whose name is the LORD
of hosts.

The Sureness of God’s Word


Verses 58-64
Thus saith the LORD of hosts; The broad walls of Babylon shall be utterly
broken, and her high gates shall be burned with fire; and the people shall labour
in vain, and the folk in the fire, and they shall be weary.
The word which Jeremiah the prophet commanded Seraiah the son of Neriah,
the son of Maaseiah, when he went with Zedekiah the king of Judah into
Babylon in the fourth year of his reign. And this Seraiah was a quiet prince. So
Jeremiah wrote in a book all the evil that should come upon Babylon, even all
these words that are written against Babylon. And Jeremiah said to Seraiah,
When thou comest to Babylon, and shalt see, and shalt read all these words;
Then shalt thou say, O LORD, thou hast spoken against this place, to cut it
off, that none shall remain in it, neither man nor beast, but that it shall be
desolate for ever. And it shall be, when thou hast made an end of reading this
book, that thou shalt bind a stone to it, and cast it into the midst of Euphrates:
And thou shalt say, Thus shall Babylon sink, and shall not rise from the evil
that I will bring upon her: and they shall be weary. Thus far are the words of
Jeremiah.
The use of the millstone in these verses is also used in the last several
verses of Revelation chapter 18

190
191
Ezekiel
Chapter 1
The same beasts seen here are the cherubim angels seen in Ezekiel 10
and Revelation 4:6-8

Chapter 10
These cherubim are the same creatures seen in Ezekiel 1 and Rev 4:6-8

Chapter 28 The woman Israel

Chapters 38&39

These chapters of Ezekiel contain descriptions of the end that follow


so closely with the book of Revelation, almost no commentary is
needed. One can easily compare these events with those that have
already been commented on in the main body of the book.
One should note that after the battle is complete and Christ establishes
his 1000 year kingdom, it will take the first 7 years of this millennial rein
to destroy the weapons and bury the bodies of those slain.
The best way to illustrate the millennium is by comparing it to our
present age. Today, though sin reigns and is the force that rules the
earth, people are still capable of being good. In the millennial reign that
will be turned around. The reign will be one of peace and prosperity,
but there will still be work to be done. Goodness will abound but there
will still be some evil in men’s hearts, which is why they rebel again at
the end of the 1000 years. Though Jesus said that the resurrected will be
as the angels, that same rule may not apply to the raptured saints or
those who survive the tribulation. They may well still be the workers
and be given in marriage, but we cannot say with certainty.
Luke 20:34-36 And Jesus answering said unto them, The children of this
world marry, and are given in marriage: But they which shall be accounted

192
worthy to obtain that world, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry,
nor are given in marriage: Neither can they die any more: for they are equal
unto the angels; and are the children of God, being the children of the
resurrection.

Chapter 38
Verses 1-7
Ezekiel names to the armies of Armageddon
And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Son of man, set thy face
against Gog, the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and
prophesy against him, And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am
against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal: And I will turn
thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws, and I will bring thee forth, and all thine
army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts of armour, even a
great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords: Persia,
Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet:. Gomer, and
all his bands; the house of Togarmah of the north quarters, and all his bands:
and many people with thee. Be thou prepared, and prepare for thyself, thou,
and all thy company that are assembled unto thee, and be thou a guard unto
them.
Verses 8-13
Restoration of Israel (1948) and future conquest of Israel

After many days thou shalt be visited: in the latter years thou shalt come into
the land that is brought back from the sword, and is gathered out of many
people, against the mountains of Israel, which have been always waste: but it is
brought forth out of the nations, and they shall dwell safely all of them. Thou
shalt ascend and come like a storm, thou shalt be like a cloud to cover the land,
thou, and all thy bands, and many people with thee. Thus saith the Lord GOD;
It shall also come to pass, that at the same time shall things come into thy
mind, and thou shalt think an evil thought: And thou shalt say, I will go up to
the land of unwalled villages; I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell
safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates,
To take a spoil, and to take a prey; to turn thine hand upon the desolate places
that are now inhabited, and upon the people that are gathered out of the
nations, which have gotten cattle and goods, that dwell in the midst of the
land. Sheba, and Dedan, and the merchants of Tarshish, with all the young
lions thereof, shall say unto thee, Art thou come to take a spoil? hast thou

193
gathered thy company to take a prey? to carry away silver and gold, to take
away cattle and goods, to take a great spoil?

The Battle of Armageddon


Verses 38:14-39:29

14- Therefore, son of man, prophesy and say unto Gog, Thus saith the Lord
GOD; In that day when my people of Israel dwelleth safely, shalt thou not
know it? And thou shalt come from thy place out of the north parts, thou, and
many people with thee, all of them riding upon horses, a great company, and a
mighty army: And thou shalt come up against my people of Israel, as a cloud
to cover the land; it shall be in the latter days, and I will bring thee against my
land, that the heathen may know me, when I shall be sanctified in thee, O Gog,
before their eyes. Thus saith the Lord GOD; Art thou he of whom I have spoken
in old time by my servants the prophets of Israel, which prophesied in those
days many years that I would bring thee against them? And it shall come to
pass at the same time when Gog shall come against the land of Israel, saith the
Lord GOD, that my fury shall come up in my face. For in my jealousy and in
the fire of my wrath have I spoken, Surely in that day there shall be a great
shaking in the land of Israel;

Return of Christ (1000 year reign)


20 So that the fishes of the sea, and the fowls of the heaven, and the beasts of
the field, and all creeping things that creep upon the earth, and all the men that
are upon the face of the earth, shall shake at my presence, and the mountains
shall be thrown down, and the steep places shall fall, and every wall shall fall to
the ground. And I will call for a sword against him throughout all my
mountains, saith the Lord GOD: every man's sword shall be against his
brother. And I will plead against him with pestilence and with blood; and I will
rain upon him, and upon his bands, and upon the many people that are with
him, an overflowing rain, and great hailstones, fire, and brimstone. Thus will I
magnify myself, and sanctify myself; and I will be known in the eyes of many
nations, and they shall know that I am the LORD.

194
Chapter 39
Christ’s Victory over The armies of Armageddon

1- Therefore, thou son of man, prophesy against Gog, and say, Thus saith the
Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and
Tubal: And I will turn thee back, and leave but the sixth part of thee, and will
cause thee to come up from the north parts, and will bring thee upon the
mountains of Israel: And I will smite thy bow out of thy left hand, and will
cause thine arrows to fall out of thy right hand.
Thou shalt fall upon the mountains of Israel, thou, and all thy bands, and the
people that is with thee: I will give thee unto the ravenous birds of every sort,
and to the beasts of the field to be devoured. Thou shalt fall upon the open field:
for I have spoken it, saith the Lord GOD. And I will send a fire on Magog, and
among them that dwell carelessly in the isles: and they shall know that I am the
LORD.
So will I make my holy name known in the midst of my people Israel; and I
will not let them pollute my holy name any more: and the heathen shall know
that I am the LORD, the Holy One in Israel. Behold, it is come, and it is done,
saith the Lord GOD; this is the day whereof I have spoken.
And they that dwell in the cities of Israel shall go forth, and shall set on fire
and burn the weapons, both the shields and the bucklers, the bows and the
arrows, and the handstaves, and the spears, and they shall burn them with fire
seven years:
So that they shall take no wood out of the field, neither cut down any out of
the forests; for they shall burn the weapons with fire: and they shall spoil those
that spoiled them, and rob those that robbed them, saith the Lord GOD.
And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will give unto Gog a place there
of graves in Israel, the valley of the passengers on the east of the sea: and it
shall stop the noses of the passengers: and there shall they bury Gog and all his
multitude: and they shall call it The valley of Hamongog. And seven months
shall the house of Israel be burying of them, that they may cleanse the land.
Yea, all the people of the land shall bury them; and it shall be to them a renown
the day that I shall be glorified, saith the Lord GOD. And they shall sever out
men of continual employment, passing through the land to bury with the
passengers those that remain upon the face of the earth, to cleanse it: after the
end of seven months shall they search.
And the passengers that pass through the land, when any seeth a man's bone,
then shall he set up a sign by it, till the buriers have buried it in the valley of

195
Hamongog. And also the name of the city shall be Hamonah. Thus shall they
cleanse the land.
And, thou son of man, thus saith the Lord GOD; Speak unto every feathered
fowl, and to every beast of the field, Assemble yourselves, and come; gather
yourselves on every side to my sacrifice that I do sacrifice for you, even a great
sacrifice upon the mountains of Israel, that ye may eat flesh, and drink blood.
Ye shall eat the flesh of the mighty, and drink the blood of the princes of the
earth, of rams, of lambs, and of goats, of bullocks, all of them fatlings of
Bashan. And ye shall eat fat till ye be full, and drink blood till ye be drunken,
of my sacrifice which I have sacrificed for you. Thus ye shall be filled at my
table with horses and chariots, with mighty men, and with all men of war,
saith the Lord GOD.
And I will set my glory among the heathen, and all the heathen shall see my
judgment that I have executed, and my hand that I have laid upon them. So the
house of Israel shall know that I am the LORD their God from that day and
forward. And the heathen shall know that the house of Israel went into
captivity for their iniquity: because they trespassed against me, therefore hid I
my face from them, and gave them into the hand of their enemies: so fell they
all by the sword. According to their uncleanness and according to their
transgressions have I done unto them, and hid my face from them.
Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Now will I bring again the captivity of
Jacob, and have mercy upon the whole house of Israel, and will be jealous for
my holy name; After that they have borne their shame, and all their trespasses
whereby they have trespassed against me, when they dwelt safely in their land,
and none made them afraid. When I have brought them again from the people,
and gathered them out of their enemies' lands, and am sanctified in them in the
sight of many nations; Then shall they know that I am the LORD their God,
which caused them to be led into captivity among the heathen: but I have
gathered them unto their own land, and have left none of them any more there.
Neither will I hide my face any more from them: for I have poured out my
spirit upon the house of Israel, saith the Lord GOD.

196
197
Joel

Chapter 3
Joel’s prophecy covers, in a very short span, the time from the
restoration of Israel, to Christ’s return and the harvesting of the tares,
including the battle of Armageddon

For, behold, in those days, and in that time, when I shall bring again the
captivity of Judah and Jerusalem, I will also gather all nations, and will bring
them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there for
my people and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the
nations, and parted my land. And they have cast lots for my people; and have
given a boy for an harlot, and sold a girl for wine, that they might drink.
Yea, and what have ye to do with me, O Tyre, and Zidon, and all the coasts of
Palestine? will ye render me a recompence? and if ye recompense me, swiftly
and speedily will I return your recompence upon your own head Because ye
have taken my silver and my gold, and have carried into your temples my
goodly pleasant things: The children also of Judah and the children of
Jerusalem have ye sold unto the Grecians, that ye might remove them far from
their border.
Behold, I will raise them out of the place whither ye have sold them, and will
return your recompence upon your own head: And I will sell your sons and
your daughters into the hand of the children of Judah, and they shall sell them
to the Sabeans, to a people far off: for the LORD hath spoken it. Proclaim ye
this among the Gentiles; Prepare war, wake up the mighty men, let all the men
of war draw near; let them come up: Beat your plowshares into swords, and
your pruninghooks into spears: let the weak say, I am strong. Assemble

198
yourselves, and come, all ye heathen, and gather yourselves together round
about: thither cause thy mighty ones to come down, O LORD. Let the heathen
be wakened, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat: for there will I sit to
judge all the heathen round about.
Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe: come, get you down; for the press
is full, the fats overflow; for their wickedness is great. Multitudes, multitudes
in the valley of decision: for the day of the LORD is near in the valley of
decision. The sun and the moon shall be darkened, and the stars shall withdraw
their shining.
The LORD also shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem;
and the heavens and the earth shall shake: but the LORD will be the hope of his
people, and the strength of the children of Israel. So shall ye know that I am the
LORD your God dwelling in Zion, my holy mountain: then shall Jerusalem be
holy, and there shall no strangers pass through her any more. And it shall
come to pass in that day, that the mountains shall drop down new wine, and
the hills shall flow with milk, and all the rivers of Judah shall flow with waters,
and a fountain shall come forth of the house of the LORD, and shall water the
valley of Shittim. Egypt shall be a desolation, and Edom shall be a desolate
wilderness, for the violence against the children of Judah, because they have
shed innocent blood in their land. But Judah shall dwell for ever, and Jerusalem
from generation to generation. For I will cleanse their blood that I have not
cleansed: for the LORD dwelleth in Zion.

199
Zechariah
Chapter 4- the two witnesses, rev 11

Zechariah chapters 12-14 clearly outline the times from Revelation 14


through Revelation 16
Zechariah Chapter 12
1 ¶ The burden of the word of the LORD for Israel, saith the LORD, which
stretcheth forth the heavens, and layeth the foundation of the earth, and
formeth the spirit of man within him.
2 Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round
about, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah and against
Jerusalem.
A description of the armies of the earth gathering against Jerusalem at
Armageddon in Revelation 16, just before the return of Christ
3 And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all
that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of
the earth be gathered together against it.
4 In that day, saith the LORD, I will smite every horse with astonishment,
and his rider with madness: and I will open mine eyes upon the house of Judah,
and will smite every horse of the people with blindness.
5 And the governors of Judah shall say in their heart, The inhabitants of
Jerusalem shall be my strength in the LORD of hosts their God.
6* In that day will I make the governors of Judah like an hearth of fire among
the wood, and like a torch of fire in a sheaf; and they shall devour all the people

200
round about, on the right hand and on the left: and Jerusalem shall be inhabited
again in her own place, even in Jerusalem.
7 The LORD also shall save the tents of Judah first, that the glory of the house
of David and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem do not magnify
themselves against Judah.
8* In that day shall the LORD defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and he that
is feeble among them at that day shall be as David; and the house of David
shall be as God, as the angel of the LORD before them.
9 ¶ And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the
nations that come against Jerusalem.
10* And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of
Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me
whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his
only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his
firstborn.
A description of Christ’s return (the second advent) to defeat the
armies against Jerusalem and begin his 1000 year reign

11* In that day shall there be a great mourning in Jerusalem, as the mourning
of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon.
12* And the land shall mourn, every family apart; the family of the house of
David apart, and their wives apart; the family of the house of Nathan apart,
and their wives apart;
13* The family of the house of Levi apart, and their wives apart; the family of
Shimei apart, and their wives apart;
14 All the families that remain, every family apart, and their wives apart.

Zechariah Chapter 13
1 ¶ The burden of the word of the LORD for Israel, saith the LORD, which
stretcheth forth the heavens, and layeth the foundation of the earth, and
formeth the spirit of man within him.
2 Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round
about, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah and against
Jerusalem.
3 And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all
that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of
the earth be gathered together against it.

201
4 In that day, saith the LORD, I will smite every horse with astonishment,
and his rider with madness: and I will open mine eyes upon the house of Judah,
and will smite every horse of the people with blindness.
5 And the governors of Judah shall say in their heart, The inhabitants of
Jerusalem shall be my strength in the LORD of hosts their God.
6* In that day will I make the governors of Judah like an hearth of fire among
the wood, and like a torch of fire in a sheaf; and they shall devour all the people
round about, on the right hand and on the left: and Jerusalem shall be inhabited
again in her own place, even in Jerusalem.
7 The LORD also shall save the tents of Judah first, that the glory of the house
of David and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem do not magnify
themselves against Judah.
8* In that day shall the LORD defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and he that
is feeble among them at that day shall be as David; and the house of David
shall be as God, as the angel of the LORD before them.
9 ¶ And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the
nations that come against Jerusalem.
10* And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of
Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me
whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his
only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his
firstborn.
11* In that day shall there be a great mourning in Jerusalem, as the mourning
of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon.
12* And the land shall mourn, every family apart; the family of the house of
David apart, and their wives apart; the family of the house of Nathan apart,
and their wives apart;
13* The family of the house of Levi apart, and their wives apart; the family of
Shimei apart, and their wives apart;
14 All the families that remain, every family apart, and their wives apart.

Zec 13:9 2/3 of the Jews will be killed during the tribulation, and the
remaining 1/3 will be refined (see example of shadrach mesc, and
abad ) and praise God as they go through the tribulation

Zechariah Chapter 14
1 Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the
midst of thee.

202
2* For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall
be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city
shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off
from the city.
3 Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he
fought in the day of battle.
4* And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is
before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst
thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great
valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it
toward the south.
5* And ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains; for the valley of the
mountains shall reach unto Azal: yea, ye shall flee, like as ye fled from before
the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah: and the LORD my God
shall come, and all the saints with thee.
6* And it shall come to pass in that day, that the light shall not be clear, nor
dark:
7 But it shall be one day which shall be known to the LORD, not day, nor
night: but it shall come to pass, that at evening time it shall be light.
8 ¶ And it shall be in that day, that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem;
half of them toward the former sea, and half of them toward the hinder sea: in
summer and in winter shall it be.
9 And the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one
LORD, and his name one.
10* All the land shall be turned as a plain from Geba to Rimmon south of
Jerusalem: and it shall be lifted up, and inhabited in her place, from Benjamin's
gate unto the place of the first gate, unto the corner gate, and from the tower of
Hananeel unto the king's winepresses.
11 And men shall dwell in it, and there shall be no more utter destruction; but
Jerusalem shall be safely inhabited.
12 And this shall be the plague wherewith the LORD will smite all the people
that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while they
stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and
their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.
13 And it shall come to pass in that day, that a great tumult from the LORD
shall be among them; and they shall lay hold every one on the hand of his
neighbour, and his hand shall rise up against the hand of his neighbour.

203
14 And Judah also shall fight at Jerusalem; and the wealth of all the heathen
round about shall be gathered together, gold, and silver, and apparel, in great
abundance.
15 And so shall be the plague of the horse, of the mule, of the camel, and of the
ass, and of all the beasts that shall be in these tents, as this plague.
16 ¶ And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations
which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the
King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles.
17 And it shall be, that whoso will not come up of all the families of the earth
unto Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, even upon them shall
be no rain.
18 And if the family of Egypt go not up, and come not, that have no rain;
there shall be the plague, wherewith the LORD will smite the heathen that
come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles.
19 This shall be the punishment of Egypt, and the punishment of all nations
that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles.
20* In that day shall there be upon the bells of the horses, HOLINESS UNTO
THE LORD; and the pots in the LORD'S house shall be like the bowls before
the altar.
21 Yea, every pot in Jerusalem and in Judah shall be holiness unto the LORD
of hosts: and all they that sacrifice shall come and take of them, and seethe
therein: and in that day there shall be no more the Canaanite in the house of the
LORD of hosts.

Matthew 24 & Mark 13- 6th seal

204

You might also like