Wednesday, January 31, 2007

Revelation 11:1-6

The Two Witnesses
1I was given a reed like a measuring rod and was told, "Go and measure the temple of God and the altar, and count the worshipers there. 2But exclude the outer court; do not measure it, because it has been given to the Gentiles. They will trample on the holy city for 42 months. 3And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth." 4These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth. 5If anyone tries to harm them, fire comes from their mouths and devours their enemies. This is how anyone who wants to harm them must die. 6These men have power to shut up the sky so that it will not rain during the time they are prophesying; and they have power to turn the waters into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they want.



11:1-2 - John is given a reed like a measuring rod and is commanded to go and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and count the worshipers there. This imagery is borrowed from Ezekiel 40-43 where the angelic priest measures the ideal Temple, which is the New Covenant people of God. The writer in Hebrews tells us that the sanctuary in heaven is the original pattern for the copy and shadow which the Jews built on earth (Heb. 8:5). The heavenly sanctuary is the true sanctuary (Heb. 9:24). This heavenly sanctuary belongs to the people of the New Covenant. We are given a clue as to what the Temple is when the author of Hebrews says the heavenly sanctuary was cleansed (Heb. 9:23), or made fit for use. It was Christ who cleansed it for the "church of the firstborn" (Heb. 12:23). In other words, the Church victorious is, in some sense, the heavenly Temple. John has made this clear as much of the action in this book has taken place in or originated from the inner sanctuary. Those who worship at the incense altar are priests (Ex. 28:43; 29:44), and John has already told us that we are a kingdom of priests (Rev. 1:6; 5:10).

Measuring is a symbol in Scripture used to separate the holy from the profane, and thus, to indicate God’s protection from destruction (Ezek. 22:26; 40-43; Zech. 2:1-5; Jer. 10:16; 51:19; Rev. 21:15-16). It is, in Scripture, the priests who do the measuring, which is, of course, judging. The act of measuring is guarding the Temple from the profane. Between the sixth and seventh seals, the 144,000 saints were protected from the coming judgment (Rev. 7:1-8). That protection is paralleled here in the act of measuring the inner sanctuary between the sixth and seventh trumpets. John is a priest of the New Covenant, and is given the authority to cast out the profane unbelievers. Jesus had already warned the Jews that very few would receive the Kingdom, while the Gentiles would stream in (Luke 13:24-29; Matt. 7:13, 14; 8:11-12). Apostate Israel has been excluded from the Temple as it has been given to the Gentile. They will trample on the holy city for 42 months. Forty-two months is equal to 1,260 days, or a 3 and a half years. It is taken from Daniel 7:25, where it symbolizes a limited period during which the wicked will be triumphant. Seven, symbolizes wholeness and completeness, while three and a half seems to be a broken seven that indicates death and destruction. The periods of time in the trumpets section are arranged chiastically, which further indicated the symbolic nature (chiastic is a pattern of "ABCCBA" or "123321"). In this section we see 42 months (11:2); 1,260 days (11:3); 3 and a half days (11:9); 3 and a half days (11:11); 1,260 days (12:6); 42 months (13:5). In his gospel, Matthew goes out of his way to describe the list of Christ’s ancestors as adding up to 42; 14 each between Abraham and David, David and the exile in Babylon, and the exile in Babylon to Christ. There were 42 generations between promise and fulfillment. John tells us that we don’t have to wait another 42 generations. The time has been shortened to 42 months. The Church will be saved through the coming tribulation, while apostate Israel will be destroyed.

11:3-4 - Before Jerusalem is destroyed, John hears more testimony of its guilt, focusing on the persecution of the prophets throughout the history of the nation. The two witnesses are clothed in sackcloth, which is tradition prophet clothing symbolizing mourning over national apostasy (2 Kings 1:8; Isa. 20:2; Jon. 3:6; Zech. 13:4; Matt. 2:4; Mark 1:6). John returns to imagery of Zechariah’s prophecy of the lampstand. The lampstand symbol stands for the Holy Spirit’s filling and empowering work in the leaders of His covenant people. This meaning is demonstrated in Zech. 4:6 which says, "Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit." In the same passage, we are told the two olive trees, on either side of the lampstand, are "the two who are anointed to serve the Lord of all the earth." The two witnesses he was referring to are Joshua, the priest, and Zerubbabel, the king. Zechariah is telling us about an olive tree/ lampstand, symbolizing the officers of the covenant. These two figures represent the royal house and the preisthood (a recurring theme in the Revelation). John, then, connects two shining lampstands which are two oil-filled olive trees, which are two witnesses, a king and a priest. They all represent the Spirit-inspired prophetic testimony of the Kingdom of priests. These witnesses, as evidenced by their clothing, are members of the Old Covenant.

11:5-6 - John now turns the imagery of the two witnesses to images of Moses and Elijah, representing the law and the prophets. He says if anyone tries to harm them, fire comes from their mouths and devours their enemies. This brings to mind fire coming down from heaven at Moses’ word, consuming the false worshipers who had rebelled against him (Num. 16:35). Fire also fell from heaven and consumed Elijah’s enemies at his word (2 Ki. 1;9-12). John goes on to say that these two have power to shut up the sky so that it will not rain during the 1,260 days, the same amount of time of the drought caused by Elijah (1 Ki. 17). The witnesses also have the power, like Moses in Egypt to turn the waters into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague. Both of these prophets pointed beyond themselves to Jesus Christ (Mal. 4:4-6; Matt. 11:14; 17:10-13; Luke 1:15-17). Malachi had declared that Elijah’s ministry would be recapitulated in John the Baptist. Like Moses, John’s ministry would be succeeded by a Joshua, Jesus (Jesus is the Greek form of the Hebrew name Joshua) the conqueror who would lead the people into the promised land. The two witnesses, then, summarize all the witnesses of the Old Covenant, culminating in the witness and life of John the Baptist.

Saturday, January 27, 2007

Revelation 10:5-11

5Then the angel I had seen standing on the sea and on the land raised his right hand to heaven. 6And he swore by him who lives for ever and ever, who created the heavens and all that is in them, the earth and all that is in it, and the sea and all that is in it, and said, "There will be no more delay! 7But in the days when the seventh angel is about to sound his trumpet, the mystery of God will be accomplished, just as he announced to his servants the prophets."
8Then the voice that I had heard from heaven spoke to me once more: "Go, take the scroll that lies open in the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land."
9So I went to the angel and asked him to give me the little scroll. He said to me, "Take it and eat it. It will turn your stomach sour, but in your mouth it will be as sweet as honey." 10I took the little scroll from the angel's hand and ate it. It tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it, my stomach turned sour. 11Then I was told, "You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, languages and kings."



10:5-7 - Christ now shows his purpose in appearing in such a manner, as he raised his right hand to heaven. This is the gesture of a witness in a court of law (Gen. 14:22; Ex. 6:8; Deut. 32:40; Ezek. 20:5-6; Dan. 12:7) as he raises his right hand and swore an oath by him who lives for ever and ever. Some have argued that this cannot be Christ for the reason that this is below the dignity of Christ and out of the character of God to swear an oath. Yet, there are many example in Scripture of God swearing oath by Himself (Gen. 22:16; Isa. 45:23; Jer. 49:13; Amos 6:8). This is exactly what Christ does here.

Serving in the role of witness, Christ announces that there will be no more delay! But in the days when the seventh angel is about to sound his trumpet, declares the witness, the mystery of God will be accomplished, just as he announced to his servants the prophets. The mystery here is not a mystery in the way that the modern world would understand this word. It does not mean an enigmatic item that cannot be explained. Rather, mystery means something that is being revealed. What is the mystery? Is some sense it is the joining together of Jews and Gentiles, but in the fuller sense it is referring to full instillation of the Kingdom of God. The Kingdom had begun at Pentecost, but it is more fully revealed as the Old Covenant is officially ended once-and-for-all. It is the revelation that through the death of Christ, heaven and earth will now overlap, not at the Temple, but in the Church, and in the life of each believer. Christians have the ability to look forward into time, so to speak, and grab the age that is to come, living it out in the present time. This is a revelation of earth-shattering proportions. God, through Christ Jesus, has begun the process, one person at a time, to set things right in the universe; this is a process that will be completely finished one day when Christ returns to make all things new. What we have here, then, is a picture of Jesus Christ standing with His pillar legs planted on Israel and the nations, swearing an oath by the Creator, proclaiming the message of the New Covenant and the age that is to come that can be lived out now in the confines of the Kingdom of God. This announcement of the New Covenant brings with it, in no uncertain terms, the implication that the Old Covenant is ending and Jerusalem will soon be destroyed.

10:8-10 - Just as Ezekiel was commanded to eat the scroll that symbolized the prophetic denunciation of rebellious Israel (Ezek. 2:8019; 3:1-3), so John is told to take the scroll and eat it. This ties the scroll that John is seeing, which is essentially the book of Revelation itself, with Ezekiel’s scroll. This is another identifier that the Revelation is largely a denunciation against apostate Israel. Just like Ezekiel’s experience, John finds this scroll as sweet as honey to his mouth, but it turned his stomach sour. The reasons for this should be pretty obvious. The covenant lawsuit of Revelation is sweet as it announces the victory of the Church and of the Kingdom of God. Part of that victory, however, was the final condemnation of the house of Israel. What is salvation for one, is judgment and destruction for the other. The same judgments that deliver us also destroy the enemies of God. While John would enjoy the victory of God’s people, he would also lament the destruction of the once holy city, the mountain of God. The day of the Lord would bring both blessing and unspeakable horror (Amos 5:18-20).

10:11 - The angel of the Lord was identified in the Old Testament as the original prophet (Ex. 23:20-23; Deut. 18:15-19). He raised up and gave commission to other prophets in His image, reproducing Himself, in a sense, in them (Ex. 3:2; 33:14; 34:5; 29-35; 2 Ki. 1:3, 15; 1 Chron. 21:18). The prophets, for this reason, were often referred to as messengers (angels), and expressed their direct representation of God (2 Chron. 36:15-16; Hag. 1:13; Mal. 3:1). This pattern is followed here as Christ, the angel-prophet, commissions John to prophesy again about many peoples, nations, languages, and kings. Christ has announced the universal revelation of the Kingdom, and now John is to extend that proclamation to all the nations.

Friday, January 26, 2007

Revelation 10:1-4

The Angel and the Little Scroll
1Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven. He was robed in a cloud, with a rainbow above his head; his face was like the sun, and his legs were like fiery pillars. 2He was holding a little scroll, which lay open in his hand. He planted his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land, 3and he gave a loud shout like the roar of a lion. When he shouted, the voices of the seven thunders spoke. 4And when the seven thunders spoke, I was about to write; but I heard a voice from heaven say, "Seal up what the seven thunders have said and do not write it down."



10:1 - The key question to ask here at the very beginning of this passage is who is the mighty angel coming down from heaven? It can be no one else other than Jesus Christ, the "angel of the Lord" in the Old Testament. This begins to become clear if we look again at the description of Christ in Rev. 1:14-16 and with God on His throne in Ezek. 1:25-28. There are, however, four other indicators in this passage that it is Christ being described. First, The angel is robed in a cloud. This image brings to mind the glory cloud which is filled with uncountable numbers of angels (Deut. 33:2; Ps. 68: 17), but only God can be said to be robed with it (Ps. 104:1-3). In addition, the basic point of reference rises from the fact that God was clothed with the cloud in the Tabernacle (Ex. 40:34-38; Lev. 16:2). The imagery of being robed in a cloud would never be used of a mere angel. Second, the angel had a rainbow above his head. We learned in Rev. 4:3 that the rainbow was pictured around the throne of God. This imagery also makes reference to Ezekiel’s description: "Like the appearance of a rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the radiance around him. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. When I saw it, I fell face down, and I heard the voice of one speaking" (Ezek. 1:27-28). Third, the angel’s face was like the sun. This is similar to the description of Jesus in Rev. 1:16, as well as being reminiscent of of his face in the account of the transfiguration (Matt. 17:2). He is the rising sun (Luke 1:78, Ps. 84:11, 2 Pet. 1:16-19). The imagery of the sun is often used to describe the glory of God sitting in judgment (Ps. 19:4-6; Ezek. 43:2; Zech. 14:7; Mal. 4:1-3; Rom. 13:12). Fourth, His legs were like fiery pillars. This phrase is probably intended to remind us of the pillar of fire and cloud (the glory cloud) that led the Israelites (Ex. 14:24). Evidently, the smoke and fire of the cloud symbolically represented God’s legs as He walked before the people in the glory cloud (Ex. 13:21-22; 14:19, 24; 23:20, 23); He came in the cloud and stood before them (Ex. 33:9-10; Num. 12:5; Hag. 2:5). The evidence seems to be stacking up to make a pretty convincing case that the angel coming down from heaven is, in fact, Jesus Christ (remember this is symbolic and does not imply that Jesus is of the same class as the heavenly angels).

10:2-3 - The angel was holding a little scroll, while planting his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land. "Sea and land" is Old Testament language for all of the earth, so this figure towers symbolically above everything on the face of the earth. It is all true, however, that the "sea" is often depicted as Gentile nations in contrast with the land of Israel (2 Sam. 22:4-5; Ps. 65:7-8; Isa. 5:30; 17:12-13; 57:20; Jer. 6:23; Lk. 21:25; Rev. 13:1, 11).

He cries out with a loud shout like the roar of a lion. We have learned by now that the voice coming from the cloud is arrestingly loud. Psalm 29 describes aspects of the voice including that it is powerful, majestic, and breaks mighty cedars into pieces. In a response of worship to the voice, the seven-fold thunders spoke as well.

10:4 - Of course, the question we really want to know here is, what did the seven thunders say? John was preparing to write it down when a voice from heaven told him to seal up what the seven thunders have said and do not write it down. There is not much point speculating as to what John heard; we will never know in this age. It is clear, however, that God wanted John to record the fact that the message was only for him and not for the Church. The point is that there are many things that God will not reveal to us in this age. At the end of the Revelation, John is told not to seal up the prophecy (22:10). The message of the book as a whole was contemporary in nature and meant to be shared. In contrast, the message from the thunders points to the distant future and so, was to be sealed up just as Daniel was told to seal up his prophecy until the time of the end (Daniel 12:4). If the entire book of the Revelation was concerning the distant future for the first-century audience and was dealing with the end of all things, then there would be no need to conceal the message of the thunders. It only needed sealing because it’s message was for a different time than the rest of the prophecy.

Thursday, January 25, 2007

Revelation 9:13-21

13The sixth angel sounded his trumpet, and I heard a voice coming from the horns of the golden altar that is before God. 14It said to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, "Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates." 15And the four angels who had been kept ready for this very hour and day and month and year were released to kill a third of mankind. 16The number of the mounted troops was two hundred million. I heard their number.
17The horses and riders I saw in my vision looked like this: Their breastplates were fiery red, dark blue, and yellow as sulfur. The heads of the horses resembled the heads of lions, and out of their mouths came fire, smoke and sulfur. 18A third of mankind was killed by the three plagues of fire, smoke and sulfur that came out of their mouths. 19The power of the horses was in their mouths and in their tails; for their tails were like snakes, having heads with which they inflict injury.
20The rest of mankind that were not killed by these plagues still did not repent of the work of their hands; they did not stop worshiping demons, and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone and wood—idols that cannot see or hear or walk. 21Nor did they repent of their murders, their magic arts, their sexual immorality or their thefts.




9:13 - The sixth angel sounds the sixth trumpet which corresponds to the second woe of this section. John hears a voice coming from the horns of the golden altar that is before God. (The original text actually says "four horns." The NIV is the only of the major translations that does not contain four. Two early manuscripts leave out "four", but it seems more likely that this was a copyist error and should be included). The voice reminds the reader that the desolations sent by God to the earth are on the behalf of His people. God’s action in history has proceed from His altar where He has received the prayers of the saints. The significance of the voice coming from the horns or projections of the altar would have been clear to first century Jews. It was invoking the symbolism of the purification offering. The purification offering dealt with pollution caused by sin. If sin had polluted the land, it defiled God’s dwelling place as well. The sins of the nation of Israel were atoned for by offering a sacrifice on the altar, then smearing the blood on the horns of the golden altar of incense (Lev. 4:13-21). This in turn purified the altar so that the incense could be offered with assurance that God would hear their prayers. God’s command is spoken from the four horns of the golden altar, indicating that the sins of His people have been covered and will not block the access they have to God. It is worth mentioning again the nature of the prayers of the saints, which were for the destruction of the wicked in their time. One identifier of a godly man is hatred for God’s enemies and prayer for their downfall (Ps. 5:10; 10:15; 35:1-8, 22-26; 59:12-13; 68:1-4; 69:22-28; 83; 94; 109; 137:8-9; 139:19-24; 140:6-11).

9:14-16 - The sixth angel is commanded to release the four angels who are bound at the great rive Euphrates. The Euphrates River formed the boundary between Israel and the pagan armies which God used as a scourge against His rebellious people. This border was the northern frontier of Palestine, so John’s words here invoke all of the Scriptural warnings about an enemy from the north (Jer. 6:1, 22: 10:22; 13:20; 25:9; 26; 46:20, 24; 47:2; Ezek. 26;7; 38:6, 15; 39:2). Both the glory cloud and God’s agents of vengeance are often depicted in the Old Testament as coming from the north (Ezek. 1:4; Isa. 14:31; Jer. 1:14-15). This great army from the north that has been released is God’s army, being used for his purposes, but is demonic and pagan in nature. God is not literally leading this army, He has merely removed the protection against Israel and will allow them to come in judgment on Israel. At the same time it could be said that the angels were released to kill a third of mankind, because God is sovereign and when His agents allow something on His behalf, God is, in some respects responsible for it. Even still, the pagan hordes will be judged for their evil actions even though God has allowed it to work for good. It is still evil in the intent of the hordes. The angels that removed the protection had been kept ready for this very hour and day and month and year. The time had been set long ago for the outpouring of God’s judgment, although no one but Him knew the day and the hour. John hears the number of the mounted troops which the NIV translates incorrectly as two hundred million. The text literally reads "myriads of myriads." The point was that it was a large, but indefinite and incalculable number. It indicated that a vast host comprised this army.

9:17-19 - The characteristics of the horses include the fact that out of their mouths came fire, smoke, and sulfur are meant to remind us of the Dragon. These creatures are repulsive and not from earth, they are, in the results of their work, from hell. This innumerable army advancing from the place of God’s traditional enemies is a hostile, demonic force sent by God in answer to the prayers of His people. It is the fulfillment of the warnings of the law and prophets of the punishment that would be sent to covenant breakers.

9:20-21 - Despite all of this, the rest of mankind that were not killed, still did not repent. The Bible is quite clear that since the Old Testament times, demons, the disembodied spirits of the Nephilim, have masqueraded as and been worshipped as false, pagan gods (Deut. 32:17; Ps. 106:36-38; 1 Cor. 10:20). The Jews had not repented, and had, in fact, ignored the clear signs from God during the year of 66 AD that the time was near. These include, as Josephus reported, a bright light that emanated from altar and all through the Temple for half an hour; the east gate of the inner sanctuary opening by itself (it took over twenty men to open it); apparitions of "chariots. . . and armed battalions speeding through the clouds and encircling the cities," which had been witnessed by thousands; the twenty-four priests on duty at the feast of Pentecost reporting that they heard a voice from the court of the Temple declare "We are departing hence.", and there was a star that looked like a sword that rested over Jerusalem for the entire year. They continued to reject God’s clear warnings, clinging to their false gods and telling themselves that everything was okay.

Wednesday, January 24, 2007

Revelation 9:7-12

7The locusts looked like horses prepared for battle. On their heads they wore something like crowns of gold, and their faces resembled human faces. 8Their hair was like women's hair, and their teeth were like lions' teeth. 9They had breastplates like breastplates of iron, and the sound of their wings was like the thundering of many horses and chariots rushing into battle. 10They had tails and stings like scorpions, and in their tails they had power to torment people for five months. 11They had as king over them the angel of the Abyss, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek, Apollyon.
12The first woe is past; two other woes are yet to come.



9:7-9 - The demon-locusts are very similar in many ways to the descriptions of the invading heathen armies given by the prophets (Jer. 51:27; Joel 1:6; 2:1-11). John seems to be indicating that these demon-locusts are imposters, wearing something like crowns of gold. He also tells us that their faces resembled human faces. What could John mean by this? If, as we stated earlier, he is referring to a demon army, then this would make sense as demons have the ability to possess human beings and influence their behavior (Luke 8:29).

The description of the demon-locust army may then, refer to the gangs of murderous Zealots who roamed around Jerusalem during the Roman siege in 70 AD. These thug gangs terrorized the people of Jerusalem. According to Josephus, the people had more to fear from the Zealots than they did from the Romans. He wrote in The Jewish War, "With their insatiable hunger for loot, they ransacked the houses of the wealthy, murdered men and violated women for sport; they drank their spoils with blood, and from mere satiety they shamelessly gave themselves up to effeminate practices, plaiting their hair and putting on women’s clothes. . . They copied not merely the dress, but also the passions of women, devising in their excess of licentiousness unlawful pleasures in which they wallowed as in a brothel. Thus they entirely polluted the city with their foul practices. Yet though they wore women’s faces, their hands were murderous." It is quite probable that John was referring to this band of demon-influenced Zealots who had given themselves over to all types of perverse and violent acts. This makes sense of John’s words, their hair was like women’s hair, and their teeth were like lions’ teeth.

John, in describing the locust army, said the sound of their wings was like the thundering of many horses and chariots rushing into battle. This is the same sound made by the wings of the angels in the Glory Cloud (Ezek. 1:24; 3:13; 2 Kings 7:5-7). The difference is that this sound is made by demons and the demon-influenced. John is drawing a comparison here, although demons and fallen angels are distinct beings. According to Genesis 6 and the book of Enoch (which was accepted as accurate by Jude, Peter, and universally embraced by the early Church Fathers) the demons were the Nephilim. The Nephilim were the offspring of fallen angels and human women who taught mankind all kinds of evil. The Nephilim, after their physical death, were sentenced to roam the earth as bodiless spirits until the end of all things.

9:10-12 - John describes these demons as having tails and stings like scorpions, thus identifying them with Satan, the ultimate serpent and scorpion. John identifies the king of these demons with both his Greek and Hebrew names, Apollyon and Abaddon. Both words mean Destruction and Destroyer. Abaddon is often used in the Old Testament as a symbol for the realm of the dead or the "place of destruction" (Job 26:6; 28:22; 31:12; Ps. 88:11; Prov. 15:11; 27:20). This can be a bit confusing because we are dealing with so many symbols here. Basically, Abaddon, is a symbol of destruction. Destruction is a metaphor for the realm of the dead, which is Sheol in the Hebrew. Even though Satan has never been to Sheol, he is the destroyer and thus also symbolizes Sheol. Thus, when John says that Abaddon is the king of the demons, he is referring to none other than Satan. Satan is the ultimate personification of death and destruction (Heb. 2;14). This is not to imply that Satan is literally, nor has he ever been in the Abyss or in Sheol. Satan currently roams the earth (Job 1:7; 2:2; 1 Peter 5:8) and his ultimate fate is Gehenna, the Lake of Fire (Matt. 25:41). John is telling us that Satan’s minions are about to be let loose upon the Jewish nation. This would indeed be hell on earth. And yet, this is only the first of the three woes. This is not the worst of the woes. There are two yet to come.

Tuesday, January 23, 2007

Revelation 9:1-6

1The fifth angel sounded his trumpet, and I saw a star that had fallen from the sky to the earth. The star was given the key to the shaft of the Abyss. 2When he opened the Abyss, smoke rose from it like the smoke from a gigantic furnace. The sun and sky were darkened by the smoke from the Abyss. 3And out of the smoke locusts came down upon the earth and were given power like that of scorpions of the earth. 4They were told not to harm the grass of the earth or any plant or tree, but only those people who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads. 5They were not given power to kill them, but only to torture them for five months. And the agony they suffered was like that of the sting of a scorpion when it strikes a man. 6During those days men will seek death, but will not find it; they will long to die, but death will elude them.



9:1-2 - The fifth angel sounds the fifth trumpet which is the the first woe. The plagues are now becoming more intense. This trumpet will unleash a curse similar to the swarms of locusts which descended on Egypt in the eighth plague (Ex. 10:12-15) but is somewhat different. The Abyss is opened up and these locusts are demons from the Abyss. The Abyss is the farthest extreme from heaven (Gen. 49:25; Deut. 33:13), and from the high mountains (Ps. 36:16). It is the place to where demons feared to be sent (Luke 8:31). Jonah spoke of the Abyss as an excommunication form God’s presence, a banishment from the Temple (Jon. 2:2-6). John’s point is all hell is about to break loose on the land. Apostate Israel is about to be cast out of God’s presence and filled with demons and the demonic influences of violence (Gen. 6) and false teaching (1 Tim. 4:1).

9:3-6 - The locusts were given power to kill them but only to torture them for five months. Why five months? There may be several answers here to which John was referring, possibly even all of them. First, the five-month period, first, probably refers to the fact that May through September is the time when locusts normally appeared. These locusts would be unusual in that they would last for the entire five months. Second, it may be referring to Gessius Florus, the procurator of Judea, who terrorized the Jews, seeking to incite them to rebellion. This lasted for a five-month period that began in May, 66 A.D. He was successful, and Jewish historian Josephus dates the beginning of the Jewish war from this particular occasion. Third, five is often associated in Scripture with power and military organization (Ex. 13:18; Num. 32:17; Josh. 1:14; 4:12; Jud. 7:11; 2 Kings 1:9). At God’s direction, Israel was to be attacked by a demon army from the Abyss. Jesus had prophesied that the land which had received the benefit of His work would be overrun with demons (Matt. 12:41-45). Israel had rejected Christ and the blessings they had received would turn into curses. Jerusalem had been "swept clean" by Christ’s ministry, but would now become a dwelling place of demons.

The grass, plants, and trees were not to be harmed. This curse would only affect those people who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads. Only Christians would be immune from the sting of the scorpion-like demons. John repeats what he told us in 6:16, as he says that men will seek death, but will not find it; they will long to die, but death will elude them. Jesus had specifically predicted this longing for death among the final generation of the Old Covenant (Lk. 23:27-30). The immediate result of this curse would not be death but would be torment, misery, and suffering.

Monday, January 22, 2007

Revelation 8:10-13

10The third angel sounded his trumpet, and a great star, blazing like a torch, fell from the sky on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water— 11the name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the waters turned bitter, and many people died from the waters that had become bitter.
12The fourth angel sounded his trumpet, and a third of the sun was struck, a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of them turned dark. A third of the day was without light, and also a third of the night.
13As I watched, I heard an eagle that was flying in midair call out in a loud voice: "Woe! Woe! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth, because of the trumpet blasts about to be sounded by the other three angels!"



8:10-11 - The third angel sounded the third trumpet which also draws on the biblical imagery from the fall of Egypt and Babylon. The waters turned bitter which reminds us of the first plague in Egypt, in which the waters turned bitter from the dead and decaying fish (Ex. 7:21). In John’s vision, the waters have become bitter as a result of a great star, blazing like a torch that fell from the sky. This is similar to Isaiah’s prophecy of the fall of Babylon, which is compared to Satan’s fall from heaven (Isa. 14:12-15).

Interestingly, we are told that the name of the star is Wormwood. This was a familiar term in the Old Testament to warn Israel of its destruction as a punishment for apostasy (Deut. 29:18; Jer. 9:15; 23:15; Lam. 3:15, 19; Amos 5:7) (Note: the NIV has changed almost every Old Testament reference to Wormword and has translated it as "bitter". This is unfortunate because the NIV reader loses the connection between these verses and the use of Wormwood here). By combining these Old Testament symbols, John makes his point crystal clear: Israel has become the apostate and bitter root. Israel has become Egypt; Jerusalem has become Babylon, and just as Egypt and Babylon were destroyed, the covenant-breaking people of God will be destroyed. The constant use of ‘a third’ in this passage is most likely intended to show that the damage will be significant and will cause the destruction of the Jewish people as a functional unit but will not be total annihilation.

8:12 - The fourth angel sounded his trumpet so that the light bearing sun, moon, and stars were turned dark. This is, of course, reminiscent of the ninth Egyptian plague of darkness (Ex. 10:21-23). The falling or darkening of the sun, moon, and stars is common symbolic language in the Old Testament used to describe the fall of nations and rulers (Isa. 13:9-11, 19; 24:19-23; 34:4-5; Ezek. 32:7-8, 11-12; Joel 2:10, 28-32; Acts 2:16-21). In fulfillment of this, F.W. Farrar in The Early Days of Christianity, says "ruler after ruler, chieftain after chieftain of the Roman Empire and the Jewish nation was assassinated and ruined. Gaius, Claudius, Nero, Galba, Otho, Vitellius, all died by murder or suicide; Herod the Great, Herod Antipas, Herod Agrippa, and most of the High Priests of Jerusalem, perished in disgrace, or in exile, or by violent hands. All these were quenched suns and darkened stars."

8:13 - The flying eagle-cherub or eagle-angel (4:7) plays a primary role in the trumpets section of the Revelation. John looks and sees an eagle that was flying in midair. The eagle, like many other covenantal symbols, possesses a dual nature. At times, it signifies the salvation that God has provided for Israel (Deut. 32:9-11; Ex. 19:4). At other times, the eagle is a bird of prey, associated with blood and death (Job 39:30). The prophetic warnings of Israel’s destruction are often described as eagles descending upon their prey (Deut. 28:49; Jer. 4:13; Lam. 4:19; Hos. 8:1; Hab 1:8; Matt. 24:28). One of the most basic components of the covenantal curse is to be devoured by the birds of the air (Gen. 15:9-12; Deut. 28:26, 29; Prov. 30:17; Jer. 7:33-34; 16:3-4; 19:7; 34:18-20; Ezek. 39:17-20; Rev. 19:17-18). The eagle-cherub will show up later in this section of the Revelation as an image of salvation (12:14), and at the end of the section will be seen again as the angel flying heaven, proclaiming the Gospel to those who live on the land (14:6).

John is building up as each trumpet becomes more intensified. The eagle cries out Woe! Woe! Woe. These three woes correspond to the fifth, sixth, and seventh trumpets. God has been extremely patient and has delayed His judgment, but finally, the sanctions of the Covenant are being poured out on apostate Israel, so that "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign for ever and ever" (Rev. 11:15).

Saturday, January 20, 2007

Revelation 8:6-9

The Trumpets
6Then the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared to sound them.
7The first angel sounded his trumpet, and there came hail and fire mixed with blood, and it was hurled down upon the earth. A third of the earth was burned up, a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up.
8The second angel sounded his trumpet, and something like a huge mountain, all ablaze, was thrown into the sea. A third of the sea turned into blood, 9a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.




8:6-7 - The imagery here reminds not only of the fall of Jericho but also of the plagues that came upon Egypt in the Exodus. As the judgments are cast down to earth, a third of the earth was burned up, a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up. If John intends to use the trees and grass (all the grass on a third of the land burned up) as imagery for the righteous (as we mentioned in 7:3), then he seems to be indicating here that some individuals will not be completely exempt from physical suffering and death as God’s wrath is poured out on apostate Israel. If this is meant to include some members of the Church, the point must be remembered that the Church cannot be completely destroyed in any judgment (Matt. 16:18), and even better, unlike the wicked which face eternal judgment, the Christian’s ultimate destiny is not wrath but life (Rom. 2:7-9; 1 Thess. 5:9).

John, most likely, is also making reference to the physical landscape of Israel, and Jerusalem in particular. It is more likely that the earth, trees, and grass represent Israel, of which a third will be destroyed. This means that the devastation will bring about the end of the Jewish nation but will certainly not destroy all of Israel or kill all Jews. Jewish historian, Josephus, confirmed the destruction of the Judean countryside at the hands of the Romans writing, "The countryside, like the city, was a pitiful sight, for where once there had been a multitude of trees and parks, there was now an utter wilderness stripped bare of timber. . . The war had blotted out every trace of beauty, and no one who had known it in the past and came upon it suddenly would have recognized the place."

8:8-9 - The second angel sounds the second trumpet. We are told that something like a huge mountain was thrown into the sea. This makes more sense when we remember that the nation of Israel was God’s "holy mountain," (Ps. 43:3; 48:1; 87:1; 99:9; Isa. 11:9; 56:7) the mountain of God’s inheritance" (Ex. 15:17). What was once the "holy mountain" of God had now become a "destroying mountain." God now speaks of Jerusalem in the same way that He once spoke to Babylon (this will become one of the central pieces of imagery in the book). In Jeremiah, speaking to Babylon, God says, "I am against you, O destroying mountain, you who destroy the whole earth. . . I will stretch out my hand against you, roll you off the cliffs, and make you a burned-out mountain" (Jeremiah 51:25).

Also consider that in a series of parables and talks about the destruction of Jerusalem (Matt. 20-25), after cursing a fig tree as a symbol of judgment on Jerusalem, the disciples asked how this happened so quickly. Jesus responded, "if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and it will be done. If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer" (Matt. 21:21-22). Jesus was not literally telling his followers that they could pray mountains into the sea, nor was He curiously changing the subject, He was instructing them to pray for the destruction of the apostate mountain of God. John is encouraging that Jesus’ words were even closer to being fulfilled than when He said them. They need to continue praying in faith, for the time is soon to come. Just as John had written in the beginning of the Revelation: "Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near" (Rev. 1:3)

Friday, January 19, 2007

Revelation 8:1-5

The Seventh Seal and the Golden Censer
1When he opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.
2And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and to them were given seven trumpets.
3Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all the saints, on the golden altar before the throne. 4The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of the saints, went up before God from the angel's hand. 5Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and hurled it on the earth; and there came peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning and an earthquake.



8:1-2 - This fourth section of the book (chpts. 8-14) deals with the sanctions of the covenant, that is, the blessings and curses. Deuteronomy 28 is the most detailed blessing and curse section in the entire Bible. The Jewish War by Jewish historian Josephus nearly reads like a commentary on Deuteronomy 28 as it describes the great tribulation and the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. This section will detail the curses of Deuteronomy 28 that are about to be poured out on Israel.

The seventh seal is finally opened, revealing the seven trumpets. Just as the blast of the seven trumpets signaled the fall of Jericho (Josh. 6:4-5), these seven trumpets signal the destruction of Jerusalem. As the seal is opened, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. Milton Terry suggests that the imagery from the silence comes from 2 Chron. 29:28-29 when King Hezekiah and those around him bowed in reverent worship as the singers and trumpets stopped playing. The half hour may come from verses 3 and 4 in this passage, which would be the time necessary for the priest to enter the temple and offer incense and return. Following the silence, the seven trumpets are given to the seven angels. It appears from the language that John assumes the reader knows who the seven angels are. We have met them before; they represent the angels from the seven churches. Just as as worship is patterned after heavenly worship (Heb. 8:5; 9:23-24), so is the government of the Church (Matt. 16:19; 18:18; John 20:23). Thus, the structure of the earthly church corresponds to the heavenly, angelic structure, just as our earthly worship corresponds to the worship conducted around the heavenly throne.

8:3-5 - John sees another angel, holding a golden censer, who comes forward to stand at the altar. The angel is given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all the saints (Rev. 5:8), on the golden altar before the throne. The incense is added to the prayer of the saints, and then they both went up before God from the angel’s hand. The next action is quite surprising. The angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and throws it down to earth as a judgment. Peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lighting, and an earthquake, the now familiar phenomenon that follow the presence of God in the glory cloud, especially when He comes in judgment (Ex. 19:16, 18).

In the Old Testament, the fire on the altar of burnt offering originated in heaven, and came down upon the altar when the Tabernacle and Temple were readied (Lev. 9:24; 2 Chron. 7:1). This heavenly fire was kept burning by the priests and moved from place to place (Lev. 16:12-13; Numb. 16:46-50), similar to the way the Olympic flame is kept burning on torches. When the Israelites were commanded to destroy apostate city, they were to do so as a burnt offering to the Lord (Deut. 13:16; Jud. 20:40). The only acceptable way to do this was to burn the city as a whole burnt sacrifice, using God’s fire (Deut. 13:12-18). In a sadly ironic turn, God’s fire was now being cast down on Jerusalem, herself, who had become an apostate city in the sight of the Lord.

God’s judgment here is seen in direct response to the prayer of the saints. They have petitioned for God’s judgment, and now it is at hand. God acts in history in response to the corporate worship (liturgy) of the saints. Official prayer and worship of the community of Christ is significant in history. When the Church assembly calls upon the Lord of the Covenant, the world will experience His judgments. History is directed from the altar of incense, where the prayers of the Church have been lain (Read Psalm 18:6-15 to see this concept in action).

There are at least five significant areas of symbolism evident in the use of trumpets in this passage. First, they were used in the O.T. For ceremonial processions (Josh. 6; 1 Chron. 15:24; Neh. 12:41). Second, they were blown to proclaim the rule of a new king (1 King 1:34, 39; Ps. 47:5). Third, they sounded an alarm warning Israel of approaching judgment and calling to national repentance (Isa. 58:1; Jer. 4:5-8; 6:1, 17; Ezek. 33:1-6; Joel 2:1, 15). Fourth, they were used to call the people to worship and warfare (Num. 10:1-9). Finally, they were blown at the feast and on the first day of the month (Num. 10:10). All of these are in sight in this section.

Thursday, January 18, 2007

Revelation 7:9-17

The Great Multitude in White Robes
9After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. 10And they cried out in a loud voice:
"Salvation belongs to our God,
who sits on the throne,
and to the Lamb." 11All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12saying:
"Amen!
Praise and glory
and wisdom and thanks and honor
and power and strength
be to our God for ever and ever.
Amen!"
13Then one of the elders asked me, "These in white robes—who are they, and where did they come from?"
14I answered, "Sir, you know."
And he said, "These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 15Therefore,
"they are before the throne of God
and serve him day and night in his temple;
and he who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them.
16Never again will they hunger;
never again will they thirst.
The sun will not beat upon them,
nor any scorching heat.
17For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd;
he will lead them to springs of living water.
And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."




7:9 - The immediate question raised here concerns the identity of the great multitude. Earlier we talked about the pattern of John first hearing, then seeing. This pattern helps us to identify the multitude. In 7:4, John hears the number of those who were sealed and tells us that it was 144,000. Now he sees the great multitude that no one could count. This fact and the fact that both groups are described in language ascribed to the Church (the 144,000 are sealed as the servants of God and the multitude is wearing the robes that symbolize righteousness). The 144,000 and the great multitude are different aspects of the one, universal Church. In the 144,000, John emphasizes the fact that the Church is the remnant of Israel. They are the New Jerusalem. At the same time the great multitude that no one could count is made up of every nation, tribe, people, and language. This confirms Jesus’ prophecy to his disciples that this would happen (Luke 13:22-30). In warning the Jews that few would find the road to salvation and the Kingdom, Jesus told them that the doors would be thrown open, as people "will come from east and west and north and south, and will take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God" (13:30). The sealed remnant of Israel has become the Church complete with redeemed from every nation in fulfillment of the Abrahamic promise (Gen. 15:5; 22;7-8). John also shows us that this multitude is holding palm branches in their hand, in what is a clear reverse image of the great multitude that greeted Jesus with palm branches (Matt. 21:8). The word phonix translated palm occurs only two times in the New Testament: here and in John’s description of the Palm Sunday event in John 12:13. Whereas the the palm branches of the Palm Sunday group bore no fruit, Christ’s new nation in Revelation 7 bears fruit and inherits the Kingdom.

7:10 - The uncountable crowd now joins in the heavenly worship service, crying out "Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb." Thus, the crowd attributes to the Lamb what the Caesars would claim for themselves, the power of salvation. Both Julius Caesar and Nero had directly claimed the power to save humanity, but it is the Lamb who truly has this power. We must remember this lesson today, that only Christ, not the State can ever provide salvation.

7:11-12 - With the church engaged in liturgy, the angels engage as well. They fall down before the throne giving praise and glory to God on the Throne. Interestingly there are no cases in Scripture of official, public worship where the worshippers are sitting in prayer. Public prayers in the Scriptures are always performed in the reverential positions of either standing or bowing down. Some might dismiss this as irrelevant, but this overlooks the fact that there is a connection in Scripture between the attitude of the heart, and the attitude and position of the body.

7:13-14 - One of the elders asks John if he knows the identity of those in the white robes. When John indicates that he does not know but the elder does, the elder gives him the answer: these are they who have come out of the great tribulation. The elder is referring to the great tribulation of which Jesus spoke (Matt. 24; Mark 13; Luke 21), and is making the point to the first-century church that the tribulation they were about to witness would not destroy them. In the face of tribulation, they have been shown that they are the new Israel, sealed by God, and are also the uncountable victorious multitude. Contrary to what many groups today teach, the early Christians had no expectations that they were to be preserved from hardships and persecution. Salvation is not a call to swallow a magic pill that will lead to a perfect life, it is a call to endure and overcome.

7:15-17 - The elder continues that they are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple. Because of this behavior which imitates the cherubim which are before the throne, they receive the most characteristic blessing of the Covenant: He who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them. Literally, He will spread his tabernacle over them. This makes an allusion to the glory cloud that hovered over the earth at creation (Gen. 1:2) and Israel in the wilderness (Deut. 32:10-11). It also brings to the mind images of the "booths" or "tabernacles" that God commanded His people to build during the Feast of Tabernacles (Lev. 23:33-43). Zechariah prophesied that the meaning of the Feast in terms of the conversion of the nations and foreshadowed the Church Age. This Church was now on the verge of a great tribulation, but it was not a death; it was a birth of the spread of the worldwide Kingdom of God.

Wednesday, January 17, 2007

Revelation 7:1-8

144,000 Sealed
1After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth to prevent any wind from blowing on the land or on the sea or on any tree. 2Then I saw another angel coming up from the east, having the seal of the living God. He called out in a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm the land and the sea: 3"Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God." 4Then I heard the number of those who were sealed: 144,000 from all the tribes of Israel.
5From the tribe of Judah 12,000 were sealed,
from the tribe of Reuben 12,000,
from the tribe of Gad 12,000,
6from the tribe of Asher 12,000,
from the tribe of Naphtali 12,000,
from the tribe of Manasseh 12,000,
7from the tribe of Simeon 12,000,
from the tribe of Levi 12,000,
from the tribe of Issachar 12,000,
8from the tribe of Zebulun 12,000,
from the tribe of Joseph 12,000,
from the tribe of Benjamin 12,000.



7:1-3 - John sees another grouping of fours, indicating the entire earth. He sees the four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth to prevent any wind from blowing. In the original Greek, trees is in a different case (accusative) from the land and sea, indicating that John wished to emphasize it. Trees are often used in the Bible as images of men (Jud. 9:8-15), and in particular, symbols of righteous men (Ex. 15:17; Ps. 1:3; 92:12-14; Isa. 61:3; Jer. 17:5-8). The wind is a common symbol for the coming of God and the action of His agents in bringing either blessings or curses (Gen. 8:1; 41:27; Ex. 10:13, 19; 14:21; 15:10; Num. 11:31; Ps. 18:10; 104:3-4; 107:25; 135:7; 147:18; 148:8; John 3:8; Acts 2:2). This passage seems to draw specifically from the winds of the curses from Hos. 13:15-16. In short, then, these four angels are restraining the judgment that is to come for the time being.

Another angel, we learn in verse 2, has given the order to hold off on the action of judgment, even though they have been given power to harm the land. This angel is acting as the direct representative of Christ, which is symbolized by his rising from the east. Before the judgment can be unleashed, they must put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God. The seal of the spirit (Eph. 1:13; 4:30) is applied to the righteous before the seals of wrath are applied to the wicked. The seal in the biblical world was a sign and symbol of authority and power, a guarantee of protection, and a mark of ownership (2 Cor. 1:21-22; 2 Tim. 2:19). The primary background verses for this imagery of John’s vision is Ezekiel 9:1-7 in which God commissions executioners to destroy everyone in the city of Jerusalem. The godly are marked for protection, so that they can be distinguished from the apostates who are about to be destroyed. The one marked on the forehead by God is one who is restored to fellowship with God. For example the high priest was marked with gold letters that said that he was holy to the Lord (Ex. 28:36). In a similar way, God’s people were to be sealed in the forehead and hand with the law of God. The protective mark in Ezekiel 9 was the last letter of the Hebrew alphabet, tav. The ancient form of that letter was a cross, a fact that the early church recognized immediately. Tertullian (the early church father) believed that God had given Ezekiel "the very form of the cross, which He predicted would be the sign on our foreheads in the true . . . Jerusalem." As the apostates were to be destroyed, the righteous were to be preserved. They were not to be evacuated from tribulation but would be preserved through it. Though the old Israel would be cast off, a new and holy Israel, the Church, would be chosen, sealed with the Spirit, and preserved through the tribulation to come.

7:4-8 - The number 144,000 is so obviously symbolic that it is almost laughable when groups claim that it is literal in some way. It is the number of Israel (12) squared, then multiplied by 1,000 (ten and its multiples symbolized many: Deut. 1:11; 7:9; Ps. 50:10; 68:17; 84:10; 90:4). Each "tribe" is the complete Israel within itself. In other words, John is picturing the the ideal Israel, Israel as it was meant to be, in all its perfection, symmetry, and completeness. The thousand was also the basic military division in the camp of Israel. Each of the twelve tribes could muster twelve full divisions, a numerically perfect army of 144,000. It is a picture of the "holy seed," the remnant of Israel which would remain after the oak had fallen. God would not destroy Jerusalem and cut off the once holy place until he first chooses and seals a new Israel who had its beginnings in the old. Thus, the Christian Church was formed out of the chosen servants of God from the "twelve tribes scattered among the nations" (James 1:1). John is again comforting the Church, that apostate Israel will indeed be judged, but not before a new, holy people will become the holy Israel. They are the true covenant people.

Tuesday, January 16, 2007

Revelation 6:9-17

9When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained. 10They called out in a loud voice, "How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?" 11Then each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to wait a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and brothers who were to be killed as they had been was completed.
12I watched as he opened the sixth seal. There was a great earthquake. The sun turned black like sackcloth made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood red, 13and the stars in the sky fell to earth, as late figs drop from a fig tree when shaken by a strong wind. 14The sky receded like a scroll, rolling up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place.
15Then the kings of the earth, the princes, the generals, the rich, the mighty, and every slave and every free man hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains. 16They called to the mountains and the rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! 17For the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?"




6:9-10 - For the first century readers of this prophecy, the tribulation described was soon to be all-too-real. Soon many among their number would be imprisoned and killed because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained. When the fifth seal is opened, John sees under the altar the souls of those who had been slain. (The soul or nephesh of the flesh is in the blood - Lev. 17:11) This brings forth the imagery from Old Testament sacrifices where the blood of the slain would flow down the sides of the altar and form into a pool at its base. The blood of the martyrs is poured out and fills the trench under the altar, crying out in a loud voice, "How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?" This question makes sense. Christian martyrs would wonder if they really were serving the king, why would He allow this suffering. How long before He would act? How long, is a standard phrase in the Old Testament calling for divine justice for the oppressed (Ps. 6:3; 13:1-2; 35:17; 74:10; 80:4; 89:46; 90:13; 93:3-4; Hab. 1:2; 2:6). The specific imagery here, though, comes from Zechariah 1:12. After the four horsemen have patrolled the earth the angel asks "LORD Almighty, how long will you withhold mercy from Jerusalem?" John reverses the situation by depicting the martyrs asking how long God will put up with Jerusalem as the oppressor. Another point John was making to his original hearers is that if the martyr’s blood is flowing around the altar, it must have been the priests who were responsible. Those who were supposed to officiate the covenant have overseen the slaying of the righteous. This passage also invokes images of righteous Abel’s blood crying out from the earth, condemning Cain (Matt. 23:35-37). One of the characteristics of the people of God that the modern church has lost is the biblical practice of praying for God’s wrath to be poured out on the enemies and persecutors of the Church (See Ps. 5, 7, 35, 58, 59. 68, 69, 73, 79, 83, 109, 137, 140).

6:11 - Each of them was given a white robe as a symbol of their purity before God and a symbol of the victory of the overcomers (Rev. 3:4-5). God answers their plea for His wrath to be poured out on the enemies of the Church, telling them to wait a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and brothers who were to be killed as they had been was completed. The sin of the persecutors has not yet reached full measure just as God told Abraham concerning the Amorites in Gen. 15:16). The message is clear that God will strike and strike soon.

6:12-14 - As the sixth seal is opened, the signs that we are dealing with the last days of the Old Covenant become clear. John uses a familiar symbol in biblical prophecy: de-creation. The Bible often speaks of salvation of God’s people in terms of creation (2 Cor. 4:6; 5:17; Eph. 2:10; 4:24; Col 3:10). In the same way, God’s judgments are often spoken of in terms of de-creation. John uses the structures of creation in describing the judgment of Israel: 1) Earth; 2) Sun; 3) Moon; 4) Stars; 5) Firmament; 6) Land; 7) Man. This is all familiar prophetic imagery. First, a great earthquake (Ex. 19:18; Ps. 18:7, 15; 60:2; Isa. 13:13-14; 24:19-20; Nah. 1:5). Second the eclipse and mourning (Ex. 10:21-23; Job 9:7; Isa. 5:30; 24:23; Ezek. 32:7; Joel 2:10, 31; 3:15; Amos 8:9; Mic. 3:6). Third, the continuing image of an eclipse with defilement added (Job 25:5; Isa. 13:10; 24:23; Ezek. 32:7; Joel 2:10, 31). Fourth is the image of the stars which are images of government (Gen. 1:16) and clocks (Gen. 1:14). Their fall shows that Israel’s time has run out (Job 9:7; Eccl. 12:2; Isa. 13:10; 34:4; Ezek. 32:8; Dan. 8:10; Joel 2:10; 3:15). Fifth, Israel disappear as it is rolled up like a scroll (Isa. 34:4; 51:6; Ps. 102:25-26). Sixth, the shake up continues as every mountain and island was removed from its place (Job 9:5-6; 14:18-19; 28:9-11; Isa. 41:5, 15-16; Ezek. 38:20; Nah. 1:4-8; Zeph. 2:11) (Many Scriptures, for instance Daniel 916, Ps. 43:3; 48:1; 87:1; 99:9; Isa. 27:13 refers to Jerusalem as the mountain). God’s old creation, Israel is de-created as the Kingdom is transferred to the church.

6:15-17 - The Old Testament prophetic imagery continues with the seventh aspecte of de-creation: the destruction of men. Just as the seventh seal and seventh trumpet contains the next set of seven judgments, this seventh contains seven classes of men, showing that the destruction is total and complete. No one will escape regardless of class or status. As this all happens, the men of Israel flee and seek protection. The great day of the wrath of the Lamb has come, and who can stand? The origin of asking the mountains to cover them comes from Hos. 10:6-8, Hosea’s prophecy against Israel. It was referred to by Jesus on His way to crucifixion (Luk 23:27-30), stating that it would be fulfilled within the lifetimes of those who were present. The generation that had rejected the Lord would soon be destroyed as apostates.

Monday, January 15, 2007

Revelation 6:1-8

The Seals

1I watched as the Lamb opened the first of the seven seals. Then I heard one of the four living creatures say in a voice like thunder, "Come!" 2I looked, and there before me was a white horse! Its rider held a bow, and he was given a crown, and he rode out as a conqueror bent on conquest.
3When the Lamb opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, "Come!" 4Then another horse came out, a fiery red one. Its rider was given power to take peace from the earth and to make men slay each other. To him was given a large sword.
5When the Lamb opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, "Come!" I looked, and there before me was a black horse! Its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand. 6Then I heard what sounded like a voice among the four living creatures, saying, "A quart of wheat for a day's wages, and three quarts of barley for a day's wages, and do not damage the oil and the wine!"
7When the Lamb opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, "Come!" 8I looked, and there before me was a pale horse! Its rider was named Death, and Hades was following close behind him. They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth.



6:1-2 - To have any chance of understanding this chapter, we must have a firm knowledge of several other passages of Scripture. The six seals of this chapter bear a striking resemblance, and are really a re-presenting of the prophecy of Jesus recorded in Matt. 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21. These horsemen are the wars, famines, pestilence, and earthquakes of Jesus’ prophecy. This passage introduces us to the the famous "four horsemen." The central passage behind the imagery of the horsemen is Zech. 6:1-7, which describes the four winds as God’s chariots that patrol the earth. They also draw from the images of the four locusts in Joel 1:4; the four riders on different colored horses in Zech. 1:8; the four horns of Zech. 1:18; and the four craftsmen of Zech. 1:20. Also important as background for the imagery is Hab. 3. Consider the comparisons of God coming in judgment, shining like the sun, flashing with lighting (Hab. 3:3-4; Rev. 1:16; 4:5), bringing pestilence and plague (Hab. 3:5; Rev. 6:8), shattering the mountains and collapsing the hills (Hab. 3:6, 10); Rev. 6:14), riding on horses against enemies (Hab. 3:8, 15; Rev. 6:2, 4-5, 8), armed with a bow (Hab. 3:9, 11; Rev. 6:2), extinguishing the sun and moon (Hab. 3:11; Rev. 6:12-13), and trampling the nations (Hab. 3:12; Rev. 6:15). Habakkuk interprets his vision as the military invasion of Judah by the Chaldeans. Using similar imagery, John depicts God using the Romans as heathen instruments of divine wrath to bring about Israel’s destruction.

The first rider on the white horse, is already victorious for he was given a crown. Many who try to read Revelation from a futurist perspective claim that this rider is the so-called anti-Christ. For several reasons, this cannot be; the rider is, in fact Jesus Christ. First, He is riding a white horse, which Jesus does in Rev. 19:11-16. Second, this rider carries a bow. This imagery is from Habakkuk 3, which shows the Lord as the warrior and king, carrying a bow. The first-century readers would have understood this rider to be Christ due to the crown, the bow, and that He goes out bent on conquest. This word conquest, is the same word translated "overcome" in Rev. chapters 2 and 3. In short, the horsemen represent the forces God uses in judging disobedient nations, which are now turned against apostate Israel. Christ is coming not to heal and save as He is in chapter 19 after 70 AD. Here He is coming to judge and destroy.

6:3-4 - The Lamb opened the second seal, and John hears him say, "Come." The second rider was on a fiery red horse, symbolizing war. The rider was given power to take peace from the earth. God does not have to incite men to war with one another, He simply takes away His providence which provide the conditions of peace. The only reason there is not more war is because God does not allow it. This war was about to become a bitter reality for apostate Israel.

6:5-6 - The third rider is on a black horse who is holding a pair of scales in his hand. This rider brings economic troubles. A voice among the four living creatures says, "A quart of wheat for a day’s wages, and three quarts of barley for a day’s wages, and do not damage the oil and the wine!" A small measure of wheat costing a day’s wages would be devastating and chaotic to the community. Jewish historian Josephus describes just this sort of horrific economic conditions during the final siege of Jerusalem in 70 AD. Describing the desperation for food, he says" As the famine grew worse. . . Nowhere was grain to be seen, men would break into houses. . . Many secretly bartered their possessions for a single measure of wheat if they happened to be rich, barley if they were poor." The rider is told not to touch the oil and wine, but why? The imagery here is that the righteous are to be untouched. Scripture often speaks of God’s blessings upon the righteous in terms of oil and wine (Psalm 104:15), and these two items were prominent in the early church (James 5:14-15; 1 Cor. 11:25). This would concur with passages like Rev. 7:3 in which the godly are protected from destruction.

6:7-8 - The fourth horse is translated pale, but the word is actually the common word for green. Apparently some translators have thought think John could not have seen a green horse, so they changed it for him. This green horse is that of Death. Death and Hades are given the power to enact the Covenantal curses of Lev. 26 and Deut. 28, which are summarized in verse 8. It also parallels the four basic categories of curses used to punish disobedient nations (Ezek. 14:21; Ezek. 5:17). The key to understanding this passage is to do what many refuse; we must recognize that God is bringing forth these judgments on the land. It is Jesus who breaks the seals, and He who rides in conquest against the nations who rebel against His universal rule.

Sunday, January 14, 2007

Revelation 5:8-14

8And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. 9And they sang a new song:
"You are worthy to take the scroll
and to open its seals,
because you were slain,
and with your blood you purchased men for God
from every tribe and language and people and nation.
10You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God,
and they will reign on the earth."
11Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. 12In a loud voice they sang:
"Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain,
to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength
and honor and glory and praise!"
13Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing:
"To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb
be praise and honor and glory and power,
for ever and ever!" 14The four living creatures said, "Amen," and the elders fell down and worshiped.




5:8-10 - The four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb as they broke out in worship. They each had a harp and were holding golden bowls full of incense. The harps are in preparation for the new song that they are about to sing. In the Temple, the altar of incense was placed closest to the 'Holy of Holies'. It was, as is the prayers of the saints, closest to the heart of God. The Bible is rich with the imagery of the smell of burning incense being pleasing to the nostrils of Yahweh.

The living creates and the elders break out into a new song. The new song occurs seven times in the Old Testament (Ps. 33:3; 40:3; 96:1; 144:9; 149:1; Isa. 42:10). Each time it is in reference to God's redemptive and creative acts in history. The new song celebrates the making of the Covenant and describes Christ coming to bring salvation to the nations. Every time a new stage in the redemptive history of God is reached in the Bible, there is also a new period of Scriptural revelation. New revelation follows new covenantal events. Because Christ was able to open the scroll and obtain the New Covenant for His people, He commissioned the writing of the New Testament through the work and guidance of the Holy Spirit.

There is a problem raised in the wording of the song. Verse 9 says literally "with your blood you purchased us for God." Yet, verse 10 says you have made them to be a kingdom. The NIV changes the wording so that it harmonizes, yet this is not in the original language. The answer is probably more obvious than might first appear. The four living creatures do not represent man and would not be included in the "us" that has been purchased. What we are reading, then, is a progressive response of choral praise, that would go as follows (NKJV):

Elders and Living Creatures: You are worthy to take the scroll, And to open its seals;

Elders: For You were slain, And have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation.

Living Creatures: And have made them kings and priests to our God; And they shall reign on the earth."

Our destiny has been guaranteed by Christ to be kings and priests and to reign on the earth with Him forever.

5:11-14 - As a response to the praise of the four living creatures and the elders, ten thousand times ten thousand angels joined in the praise and worship session, declaring, "Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!" In answer to this incredible declaration, the entire creation praises the Lamb, to whom is due "praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever." The word translated power, is quite literally "dominion." Thus Christ is being recognized as the One who deserves: 1) praise; 2) honor; 3) glory; and 4) dominion.

The Church of the first century was experiencing the previously unimaginable alliance between Israel and the Beast of Rome. It would be necessary for them to know that history was not ruled by Satan, evil men, or even by chance. Christ was reigning over all things now. The gates of Hades could not overcome His Kingdom. Christ had already defeated Satan and taken dominion from Him. It was now the job of the Church to recognize that and exercise His dominion over the places in the world where Satan continued to rule. What was once Satan's dominion rightly, was now only bastions of illegitimate rule by a defeated foe. They were not forgotten troops fighting a losing battle, they were kings and priests already, fighting a war and overcoming in an already determined victory. They needed, as do we, an understanding that all of history is moving determinedly toward the universal and eternal dominion of the Lord Jesus Christ in the age that is to come.

Saturday, January 13, 2007

Revelation 5:1-7


The Scroll and the Lamb


1Then I saw in the right hand of him who sat on the throne a scroll with writing on both sides and sealed with seven seals. 2And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice, "Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?" 3But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth could open the scroll or even look inside it. 4I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside. 5Then one of the elders said to me, "Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals."
6Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing in the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. He had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. 7He came and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne.




5:1-4 - A document in the first century that had seven seals on it indicated that it was a testament. It was common to seal a testament with seven seals. Upon the death of the individual, the testament would be opened by the seven witnesses who sealed it. The document with seven seals symbolizes the promise of a future kingdom. It should also be noted that it had writing on both sides. This brings images of the Ten Commandments which had the writing on both sides (Ex. 32:15), and was also a covenant or testament. In the Old Testament times, a covenant between the victorious king and the conquered king was drawn up. A copy would be kept in the house of the god of each king. For Israel, both copies of the Ten Commandments were kept in the Tabernacle because they kept their copy as well as God’s copy in His house. The point here is clear that this is a New Covenant. With the coming of a New Covenant, however, the Old Covenant must pass away. As the New Covenant comes, the curses of the Old Covenant will come upon apostate Israel. This becomes clear as we will look at the movement of the prophecy of John. The seven seals are broken and reveal the contents of the book. The breaking of the seventh seal initiates the sounding of the seven trumpets (8:1-2). The end of the trumpet section concludes with humans being put into the winepress and blood flowing freely (Rev. 14:19-20). This leads into the final section of Revelation in which the blood from the winepress is poured out from the seven bowls (Rev. 16:1-21). It would seem, that the seven bowls are the content of the seventh trumpet. All of the seals, trumpets, and bowls to come are the contents of the scroll with the seven seals, which is the New Covenant.

John sees a angel that declares a major problem. No one is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll. In fact, John informs us, no on in heaven or on earth or under the earth could open the scroll. No one was able to fulfill the conditions necessary to be the mediator of the New Covenant. All previous attempts had failed including Adam, Moses, and David. No one could take away sin and death because all have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory (Rom. 3:23). Even the sacrificial system of the Law could not take away sins (Heb. 10:4), and the priest who offered the sacrifice was unworthy as a sinner himself (Heb. 5:1-3; 7:27). John says he wept and wept. God had offered a new and better Covenant but no one was worthy to open the scroll or look inside. This is particularly distressing for John because he knows that the Old Covenant has ended. What would happen if no one could open the New Covenant?

5:5-7 - Just when all seems lost, one of the elders consoles John, telling him that the Lion of the tribe of Judah is worthy. He has triumphed and is the only one able to open the scroll and its seven seals. It is the church (the elders) who preaches the message that the Christ has conquered. This is a fulfillment of the prophecy given to Judah by Jacob just before his death (Gen. 49:9-10), when Judah was promised that "the scepter will not depart from Judah." Christ is also referred to as the Root of David. How could Christ be the Root of David when David preceded Him by a millennium? To understand this we need to understand that we tend to have an incorrect view of history as a linear phenomenon where the past always leads to the future. The fact is that often times, the future causes the past. For instance, I want you to learn more about the book of Revelation so I am writing this book. Your increased knowledge (which is in the future for me right now) is causing me to write this which will quickly be in the past. The future event, your increased knowledge, actually caused the writing of this book. In the same way, God wanted to glorify and reveal Himself in the person of Jesus Christ, so He created David and all the other ancestors of Jesus to accomplish this end. The Root of David’s existence was also the one who was to come, Jesus Christ. When David looks for the Lion, however, he sees a Lamb. The point is clear, though, the Lion is the Lamb; the Jewish Messiah (the Lion) is the same as the Christian Messiah (the Lamb). The implication is not that Christ is a Lamb in personality, but rather in His work; He is the Lamb that is slain. The imagery is continued as we are told that He has seven horns. The horn in Scripture is a symbol of strength and power (Ps. 75:10), but also brings recollection of seven rams’ horns used to declare the judgment of God on His enemies and the victory of God’s people (Josh. 6:2-5). The Lamb who was slain now provides strength, power, and victory for His people in their struggle for dominion. Just as God saw that creation was "good" seven times in Genesis 1 (1:4, 10, 12, 18, 21, 25, 31), so He performs the complete act of seeing all that happens throughout history on the face of the earth.

Friday, January 12, 2007

Revelation 4:6-11

6Also before the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal.
In the center, around the throne, were four living creatures, and they were covered with eyes, in front and in back. 7The first living creature was like a lion, the second was like an ox, the third had a face like a man, the fourth was like a flying eagle. 8Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under his wings. Day and night they never stop saying: "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come." 9Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever, 10the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne, and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say:
11"You are worthy, our Lord and God,
to receive glory and honor and power,
for you created all things,
and by your will they were created
and have their being."



4:6- 8 - Before the throne, John sees what looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal. This is another area which overlaps with Ezekiel’s vision of the throne area, with one difference. John is standing in the heavenly court looking down on the "sea" of glass (this was represented in the earthly Temple by the Laver: Ex. 30:17-21; 1 Kings 7:23-26). Ezekiel, on the other hand, was standing at the bottom of the glory cloud, looking up through the "sea" which Ezekiel described as "sparkling like ice" (Ezek. 1:22, 26).

John then describes four living creatures that were covered with eyes, in front and in back. (Compare John’s vision with the four cherubim (a type of angel) in Ezekiel 1 and 10, as well as the six-winged seraphim in Isaiah 6:1-4). The idea of four creatures corresponds to the biblical imagery of the altar-shaped earth. In keeping with this symbolic concept, the Scriptures describe the four corners of the earth, the four winds, four directions, the four rivers of Eden, etc. John describes the four living creatures in the form of a lion, an ox, a man, and an eagle. These four creatures correspond with the Zodiac signs, with one minor exception. The eagle is often substituted in the Bible for the scorpion. This was either because of the ancient association between the scorpion and the serpent, or as some have argued, because the scorpion appeared more like an eagle in the sky in the days of Abraham. The faces of the cherubim in both Ezekiel and Revelation are the middle signs in the four quarters of the Zodiac: the lion is Leo; the bull is Taurus; the man is Aquarius, and the eagle (as already discussed) is Scorpio. We should not be nervous here and assume that any mention of the Zodiac is occultic, although it has often been perverted to be used by the occult. The constellations were created by God and have been specifically arranged by God. For example, the arrangement of the twelve tribes of Israel around the Tabernacle (Num. 2) corresponded to the order of the Zodiac. Like the cherubim, four of the tribes represented the middle signs of each quarter: Judah was the lion; Reuben was the man; Ephraim was the bull; and Dan was the eagle.

Next, John describes the worship of the creatures which each had six wings. Attention is given to the six wings which ties them into the seraphim of Isaiah (Is. 6:1-4). The chief duty and purpose of these creatures is to praise God. They speak non-stop: Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come. The focus of the worship service on the "Lord’s Day" is simply on God. It is not to feed or encourage the needs of the creatures but to give honor and glory to God.

4:9-11 - John makes an important observation for us. The praise and worship does not stop with the living creatures. The twenty-four elders, which represent the royal and priestly church, join in the worship. The elders fall down before the throne and lay their crowns down while worshipping. In so doing, they acknowledge that their dominion (symbolize by the crowns) comes from the One who is seated on the throne and not from anything they have accomplished on their own.

The elders praise God, the Creator of all things. He created all things by His will or as the King James Version words it, "for thy pleasure." God did not need to create, He did so by choice. This is one of the areas where a proper understanding of the doctrine of the Trinity becomes important. If God were not a Trinity, and He is love as John wrote (1 John 4:16), then He would need to have created in order to love. This is not the case, however, because God is a Trinity of three persons, united in divine love for eternity. His desire to create comes from His wish to share that love with other creatures. It is vital to understand that God created us by His will, for His pleasure, and that is the only reason that we have our being.

Thursday, January 11, 2007

Revelation 4:1-5

The Throne in Heaven

1After this I looked, and there before me was a door standing open in heaven. And the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, "Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this." 2At once I was in the Spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it. 3And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian. A rainbow, resembling an emerald, encircled the throne. 4Surrounding the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on them were twenty-four elders. They were dressed in white and had crowns of gold on their heads. 5From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder. Before the throne, seven lamps were blazing. These are the seven spirits of God.




4:1-3 - This verse is nearly universally cited by those who read the concept of a rapture into the Bible due to the command to come up here. They will also claim that it is significant that the word "church" is not used from this point on until the end of the Revelation. Just because the word does not appear does not mean that the concept of the church is not rife through the chapters of the Revelation. John uses the word "church" to refer only to specific congregations not the entire body of Christ, which is the subject of the rest of the book. Those wishing to read a rapture into this verse, particularly, are forcing into the text something that is simply not there. The only one called up is John to receive the vision that comprises the remainder of Revelation. John ascends up to heaven to witness a worship service on the" Lord’s Day." This is an image of the ascension of the Church into heaven every Sunday where we join in the communion of the saints (Heb. 12:22-23).

As stated earlier, being in the Spirit is technical prophetic language. The critical event in the formation of a prophet was a personal encounter with the Spirit. The prophet emerged as a man who then reflected the divine glory of God. Being caught up in the Spirit was to be caught up in the divine assembly. The true prophet had stood before God and been transformed. Those under the New Covenant now have this once rare privilege. Surely Moses’ desire was fulfilled with the coming of the New Covenant: "I wish that all the LORD's people were prophets and that the LORD would put his Spirit on them" (Numbers 11:29). The rapture theory is based largely on a misunderstanding of the ascension of the church. The first ascension for the Church takes place positionally with Jesus Christ (Eph. 1:20). The progressive ascension of the church takes place when we worship Christ each week (Heb. 12:22-24). The individual Christian will ascend spiritually at death (Rev. 20:4), and bodily at the consummation of all things (1 Cor. 15:50-55; 1 Thess. 4:17).

John is caught up in the Spirit and is about to see things from the perspective of Christ himself, who is on His throne in heaven. John sees a rainbow (literally "bow") that encircled the throne. The three stones mentioned, jasper, carnelian, and emerald represented three of the twelve tribes of Israel that were on the breastplate of the high priest (Ex. 28:17-19). They were also among the stones mentioned in the imagery used in describing the Garden of Eden (Ezek. 28:13). John’s vision here is quite similar with Ezekiel’s description of his vision (Ezek. 1:26-28) which lets us know that John was seeing the same true, heavenly Temple that Ezekiel saw.

4:4 - John reports that surrounding the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on them were twenty-four elders. There has been much speculation as to what this passage means, but it seems best to interpret this as a representation of the Church. The term elders indicate that these twenty-four beings represent the Church. They are seated on thrones and we have already been told that Christians are reigning with Christ (Rev. 1:6), that they wear crowns (Rev. 2:10; 3:11); that they have been granted authority with Him over the nations (Rev. 2:26-27), that apostates will bow before them (Rev. 3:9), and that they are seated with Christ on His throne (Rev. 3:21). Another indicator that this is referring to the Church is that twenty-four is a multiple of twelve, which is a number associated with the people of God. Thus, this is a double-portion of twelve. It is also true that in the Old Testament there were twenty-four divisions of priests (1 Chron. 24) and twenty-four divisions of singers in the Temple (1 Chron. 25). These were the leaders of worship of God’s people for over a thousand years. What John is communicating is the royal priesthood of the Church. The elders sit on thrones as kings, and number twenty-four as priests.

4:5 - John sees the typical phenomena that accompanies the presence of God and the glory cloud (Ex. 19:16-19), as he sees flashes of lighting and peels of rumbling thunder. Before the throne, John sees the seven lamps which represent the seven-fold Spirit in the completeness of His activity.

Wednesday, January 10, 2007

Revelation 3:14-22

To the Church in Laodicea
14"To the angel of the church in Laodicea write:
These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God's creation. 15I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! 16So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. 17You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. 18I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see. 19Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent. 20Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me. 21To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne. 22He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."



3:14 - Laodicea was not only the wealthiest city in the region, it was also another important center of emperor worship. In the opening verse, Christ identifies Himself in three ways. First, He is the Amen. The generic meaning of "amen" is "so be it," but the theological meaning is deeper than that. It was actually an oath that called down the blessings and curses of the covenant and was a reminder that Jesus is the perfect guarantee of the covenantal promises. Second, He is the faithful and true witness. Christ is truly the infallible and authoritative witness that brings convincing charges against the church in Laodicea. Third, He is the ruler of God’s creation. Christ is both the origin and the ruler of God’s creation. By him all things were created and He holds all things together (Colossians 1:15-18).

3:15-16 - The words, you are neither cold nor hot, has often been misunderstood. It has often been claimed that hot refers to a godly enthusiasm while cold referred to an ungodly malaise. This metaphor, however comes from the geography of the area. Laodicea was situated between Colossae, which was famous for ice-cold, refreshing mountain streams, and Hieropolis, which was well-known for its hot mineral springs that were believed to have healing powers. By the time the water reached the valley floor in Laodicea, it was neither hot (for health) or cold (for refreshment). The basic problem with Laodicea is not that they were not "hot" but that in their current state, they were not good for anything. They were not providing warm healing for the spiritually sick or cold refreshment for the weary. The church was being rebuked not for the condition of their spiritual temperature but for the lack of works. Christ is wishing that the Laodicean church would have an influence on their society. A church that is self-focused is not doing anyone any good. If a church is not transforming its society and increasing Christ’s dominion, what good is it? Because you are lukewarm . . . I am about to spit you out of my mouth. This echoes the warnings of Leviticus 18:24-28. Failure to transform or make any significant impression on the world has put the church in danger of being cut off and spit out.

3:17-18 - Laodicea was well-known for its banking and financial institutions, its textile industry which produced a world-famous black wool, and an eye salve called "Phyrgian Powder". Christ uses these things for which the city was famous to demonstrate the state of the church. They thought that they were rich and had acquired wealth but despite the wealth of the church they were completely ineffectual in effecting the culture around them. In contrast, a poor church like Smyrna was having a deep impact on the culture around them. Rather than clothing the world and providing a salve for the eyes, as Laodicea was famous for, the church was wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked. Despite all of this, comes on offer of grace from Christ. Christ counsels the church to buy gold, which symbolizes true faith and genuine work of obedience (1 Pet. 1:7; 1 Cor. 3:12-15). Wearing white clothes is a symbol of righteousness, while nakedness is a symbol of disobedience (Gen. 3:7). Blindness is a symbol for man’s fallenness and separation from God (Lev. 21:18; Deut. 29:4; Matt. 13:13-15; 16:3; 2 Cor. 4:3-4; 1 John 2:11).

3:19-20 - Christ reminds them that He only disciplines and rebukes those whom He loves. His love for the church is actually the source of His anger, so He calls them to repent. He stands at the door, waiting for them to open the door and come in and eat him. This is not a wide open invitation for salvation to non-Christians, rather it is a clear invitation for the church to return to the communion table with a repentant heart.

3:21-22 - To the one who overcomes, Christ promises dominion with Him and the right to sit on His throne. The call to rule with Christ is for all Christians in time and on earth. The dominion is progressive through history until the final consummation of all things. We are to be rulers with Christ now, in this age. He has given us legal title to all things (Rom. 8:32; 1 Cor. 3:21-22) and we are to exercise dominion under His rule in every area of life. Because Christ overcame and is sitting with the Father on His Throne, He summons us to share in His dominion and inherit all things.

Tuesday, January 09, 2007

Revelation 3:7-13

To the Church in Philadelphia

7"To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write:

These are the words of him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open. 8I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. 9I will make those who are of the synagogue of Satan, who claim to be Jews though they are not, but are liars—I will make them come and fall down at your feet and acknowledge that I have loved you. 10Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth. 11I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown. 12Him who overcomes I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will he leave it. I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on him my new name. 13He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.


3:7 - The church in Philadelphia had much in common with the church in Smyrna, especially in that they had received much persecution from apostate Jews. In contrast to the lying Jewish leaders, Christ is the one who is holy and true. Christ holds the key of David. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open. This line is an allusion to Isaiah 22:15-25, in which God accuses a royal steward of lying and betraying his trust. God tells the unfaithful servant that, "I will depose you from your office, and you will be ousted from your position." God goes on to tell the unfaithful servant that he will be replaced with a faithful one (Isa. 22:21-22). Christ is announcing that Israel has been found an unfaithful servant, has been thrown out of office and replaced by the One who is holy and true. The Jews in the synagogue had declared the church to be apostate, but it is, in fact, says Christ, the synagogue that is apostate.

3:8-9 - The holy and true One knows the deeds of the church and has opened the door that no one can shut. They have kept His Word and so, have been admitted into the fellowship of His Covenant. Those who pretended to hold the keys have been cast out. In contrast to Sardis, the church in Philadelphia has little strength or anything that would seem impressive but they are commended because, says the Lord, they have not denied my name. The apostate Jews are spoken of in no uncertain terms. They are no longer the chosen people of God but have become the synagogue of Satan by rejecting Christ. One cannot have a genuine belief in the Old Testament and reject Christ. There is no such thing as "orthodox" Judaism. The god of Judaism is not the God of the Bible, it is Satan. Christ promises the Philadelphians that although the Jews have the power now, I will make them come and fall down at your feet and acknowledge that I have loved you. This is an ironic turning of the tables from Isaiah 60:14, where God gives this promise to the covenant people.

3:10-11 - Christ is not promising to rapture the church out of the coming trouble, but to keep them from it. He will preserve them during the coming tribulation and will keep them from falling. Also, they will not suffer in the same tribulation that is about to come upon the synagogue of Satan. The phrase "those who live on the earth" ("land" is the proper word here and is what John meant) is used twelve times in the Revelation (one for each of the twelve tribes). It is a common prophetic expression for rebellious, idolatrous Israel that is about to be destroyed and driven from the land (Jer. 1:14; 10:18; Ezek. 7:7; 36:17; Hos. 4:1, 3; Joel 1:2, 14; 2:1; Zeph. 1:18). The time of this tribulation is near, as Christ tells them I am coming soon. Christ would not promise the church in Philadelphia that He will protect them from something that would happen thousands of years later. The context of the tribulation and their protection is contemporary. This church has had the door of fellowship with Christ opened for them. If they hold on to what they have, their crown will not be taken away.

3:12-13 - The overcomer will be, symbolically, a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will the people of God leave from the fellowship of Christ. God’s people are characterized by stability and permanence. The imagery from the tabernacle and the temple are continued as Christ says, I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on him my new name. The head piece of the priest was inscribed by the name of God. Thus, this speaks of the restoration of God’s people to the image of God. God writes His name on the things that He restores and redeems. The old Jerusalem had apostatized and is about to be destroyed. The Church of Christ is declared to be the city of God. Although the Church had been persecuted like Isaac had been by Ishamel (Gen. 21:8-14; Gal. 4:22-31), they would see the false sons cast out of God’s blessings; they would be the ones to inherit the world (Rom. 4:13; Gal. 3:29).