Angels: Do They Exist?

“He said, ‘Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and

unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.”

-Daniel 3:25

                Approximately 68 percent of Americans believe in angels. Some believe in them because they believe in God. Others either only believe because that’s what they were taught or they only believe because they hope that there are good forces protecting them throughout their days.  There are coincidences that some chalk up to pure coincidence, and there’s too much that some don’t because they have the feeling that it was something else, something divine.

                Many secular people think that Christians are crazy for believing in angels. I’ve seen many comparing angels to fairies, both as mythological creatures made up for fairytales and folk lore. They depict angels as chubby infants with wings who are always smiling and laughing. However, angels, in the Bible, are always adult and usually male, with the exception of the two female angels in Zechariah 5:9.  Many people believe that angels have halos over their heads. They don’t have halos; the light that is described in the Bible is the glow of their face that overwhelms the darkness.

                Angels are talked about much throughout Scripture. The number of angels that exist are unknown but in Revelation they are referred to as “a multitude”, so we know that there are a lot. We also see the seraphim and cherubim. Seraphim are seen in Revelation, as well as in Isaiah 6:2. They each have six wings. The cherubim guarded the entrance to the Garden of Eden. Are seraphim and cherubim classes of angels? It is slightly uncertain as we see the cherubim as guardians of paradise, bearers of the throne (Psalm 18:9-10 where we see God mounting the cherubim), and as winged creatures of fire. In Ezekiel 1:-5, the prophet designates them as living creatures and the living creature as cherubim in Ezekiel 10:15, 20. They were seen as four living creatures in Ezekiel 1:10 with four wings each to sustain the firmament and to cover their bodies.

“After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of

the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword

flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life.”

-Genesis 3:24

                So what exactly is an angel? The word angel derives from the Greek word aggelos, which means messenger. The Hebrew word mal’ak means the same thing. Angels are not merely creatures with wings. As a matter of fact, most angels described in the Bible are wingless and take on the appearance of men. They are not equal to God but they are greater than man. They are stronger than man, but not omnipotent. They are greater than man in knowledge, but not omniscient. They are more noble than man, but not omnipresent.  Some people have prayed to angels. But they are not God. They are merely messengers.

“Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those

who will inherit salvation.”

-Hebrews 1:14

                God sends his angels to protect those believers from harm and even to unbelievers that He has plans for. Some people believe that you don’t have to be sent from Heaven to be an angel. God will use people to intercede to do His plans. I’ve witnessed this. Do we all have guardian angels? Not necessarily; God is our guardian and he sends out His messengers when needed. Sometimes, there’s those people who seem to disappear just as fast as they came, leaving without a trace when we look away for just a split second.

                Angels do not reproduce and although they have not existed as long as God has, they were created before man. There is a set number of these angels and they are usually wearing white robes to represent their purity and righteousness. It is unknown when they were created but it is speculated that they were created sometime when God created the Heavens (Genesis 1:1). Since earth is God’s creation and so are angels, angels have the ability to dwell on the earth.

               

                In the Bible, there are several encounters that people did have with angels. The most famous one might be when the angel Gabriel, the same angel who went to David, went to Mary and prophesized to her that she would bear a child and his name shall be Jesus. He did not come to her in a human form but rather he came in his natural angelic state. In Zechariah 4:1, we see that an angel had also gone to Zechariah and spoke to him. In Daniel 10:5-6, an angel appears to Daniel as well. Daniel describes him as looking like a man, but the description Daniel gives of the angel lets us know that he was more than a man; he had divine characteristics. The book of Revelation is the writings of the Apostle John of visions that he had received from multiple angels. The angels carried him places and showed him many things that weren’t revealed to anyone else. We also see that through faith in God, angels are sent for protection.

“Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent

his angel and rescued his servants!”

-David 3:28

                We all know the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. They refused to worship the gods of King Nebuchadnezzar or worship the statue of gold he had set up. Therefore, the King had ordered them to be thrown in a fiery furnace. They were bound and thrown in. While the guards that threw them in had died from the extreme heat of the flame, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were free and their silhouettes were seen walking around in the flame…with a fourth person! This person was one of God’s angels sent to protect these men of great faith.

                There are also encounters with angels where they did not resemble an angel but they rather resembled man. In Genesis 18:2 there are three men that approach the tent of Abraham where he is staying with his wife. Moses does not immediately recognize these men as angels but he tends to them quickly. One of these men was actually the Lord himself! In Genesis 19, two men visit Sodom and Lot lets them reside with him. He protects them from the residents of the city while they stay and in return he is protected from the burning of Sodom.

“Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by doing so some

people have entertained angels without knowing.”

-Hebrews 13:2

                God sends certain people in our lives, who may be His angels as in the stories of Abraham and Lot, to test our faith and to test our love for Him. The Word says that when we help someone, we are helping the Lord. They might not be angels in all cases but we should never doubt that this could happen. God does send His angels to dwell among us and protect us.

                We do need to remember though that not all angels are good. Satan was an angel of God. When he decided he wanted God’s power and he was banished from Heaven, other angels were banished with him. There is a constant battle between good and evil, although we don’t always see it. You see, the demons, or evil angels, attack us. They try to attack our thoughts. In turn, God’s angels, once we are saved, are constantly trying to battle off these demons so that we may remain pure as God’s children.

“Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself,

and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that man is worse than the first.

That is how it will be with this wicked generation.”

-Matthew 12:45

                Daniel 10:7 informs us that not everyone can see the angels but others can. But no matter what, God will send His angels to help protect us. But we need to believe in what we cannot see. In Matthew 16:1-4, the Pharisees had commanded that Jesus perform a miraculous sign from Heaven. He refused and told them that an adulterous people ask to see signs. This applies to all aspects of God’s glory. If we believe in God then we believe in all things that are His. This includes angels; the Bible even gives proof of their existence.

“He will command his angels concerning you to guard you

carefully; they will lift you up in their hands, so

that you will not strike your foot against a stone.”

-Luke 4:10-11

                Angels have many jobs. The most noted angels are Michael (Daniel 10:13; Jude 9) and Gabriel (Daniel 9:21; Luke 1:19, 26). However, there are numerous unnamed angels who appear in Scripture to carry out a variety of tasks-all designed to serve God. Just as we have spiritual gifts, these angels too are assigned certain duties.

-          Worship and praise: This is the main activity portrayed in Heaven (Isaiah 6:1-3; Revelation 4-5)

-          Revealing: They communicate God’s will to men. They revealed the law to Moses (Acts 7:52-53) and served as carriers of much of the material in Daniel and Revelation.

-          Guiding: Angels gave instruction to Joseph (Matthew 1-2), women at the tomb, to Philip (Acts 8:26), and to Cornelius (Acts 10:1-8).

-          Providing: God has used angels to provide physical needs such as food for Hagar (Genesis 21:17-20), Elijah (1 Kings 19:6), and Christ after his temptation (Matthew 4:11).

-          Protecting: Keeping God’s people out of physical danger, as in the case of Daniel and the lions, and Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the fiery furnace.

-          Delivering: Getting God’s people out of danger once they’re in it. Angels released the apostles from prison in Acts 5, and also Peter in Acts 12.

-          Strengthening and Encouraging: Angels strengthened Jesus after his temptation (Matthew 4:11), encouraged the apostles to keep preaching after being released from prison (Acts 5:19-20), and told Paul everyone on his ship would survive the eminent shipwreck (Acts 27:23-25).

-          Answering prayer: God often uses angels as His means of answering prayers of His people (Daniel 9:20-24; 10:10-12; Acts 12:1-17).

-          Caring for believers at the moment of death: In the story of Lazarus and the rich man, we see that angels carried the spirit of Lazarus to “Abraham’s bosom” when he died (Luke 16:22).

                Just to show that God can send His angels to protect, I have gathered a few testimonies from some friends of “angelic encounters”.

                                Nelly’s Story:

               

Rebecca, I have not had angelic encounters. My brother had an experience worth mentioning though. He was on his way back from his last class at university, after 10pm. The university campus is located in a really rough and poorly lit neighborhood, so it was pretty dark. He flagged the last bus of the night, which stopped to pick him up. As my brother got on the bus, the driver asked him where the other two, really tall guys that were with him had gone, but my brother was puzzled, as he was alone (or so he thought). As he found a seat near the back of the bus, two other young guys he knew asked him too, who the super tall guys standing next to him at the bus stop were. My brother smiled and told them they were angels, and he then asked them what the two beings looked like, to which they replied "they wore white clothes, and were a full head taller than you". My brother is 6'4" tall. Needless to say, my brother was delighted when he came home and told us :)

                I don’t know about you, but it seems as though God had sent angels to protect Nelly’s brother in this rough neighborhood. He hadn’t seen them, but everyone else did. This could have kept off potential criminals from attacking him. He was protected, just as Daniel was, from the danger around him. There are numerous reports of people who say that they have seen two tall men dressed in white on either side of a person in rough neighborhoods while the people being protected hadn’t seen them at all. But it’s just as Daniel 10:7 says: not everyone will be able to see the angels. I believe that the people being protected don’t see the angels because they have no need to. The only people who need to are the people who would try to bring harm upon them.

Noelle’s Story:

It's not probably the best example, but when my grandfather was in his last moments (he was dying from cancer but was in the final stages of Alzheimer’s and couldn't remember anything) he got lucid for a couple of minutes. He told my grandmother he loved her and said goodbye to my mom. And just before he took his last breath, he started carrying on a conversation with Gabriel. I wasn't there, but my mom told me about it. I've never been able to forget that because I've always had a hard time believing stories of people seeing Heaven and then coming back to talk about it. He was a strong man of God, so it was really touching to hear that my grandfather was experiencing it, and they got to see it for themselves.

This is a good example of an encounter during death. You may think that he was just an old man suffering on his death bed. But then again, you might say that he really did have an angelic encounter.

               

                Although not everyone has experienced an angelic encounter, they may have experienced divine intervention by God.

My Story:

When I was still high school, my dad would leave for work before I woke up for school. I’d call him every morning when I woke up. One morning I decided to get ready and then call him, which wasn’t the usual routine. I called him and he told me that he had just been about to leave a truck stop and wasn’t going to answer the call but decided that he should. We talking for five or ten minutes and then I was on my way to school. When my dad got home that night he told me that if I hadn’t called him when I did he could have gotten into a serious accident with a fuel truck. Just minutes before I got off of the phone with him, two 18 wheelers had crashed and the only thing he suffered was having to sit in traffic.

Cheri’s Story:

Back in 2003 I was on my way home from seeing my Mother who had just had surgery at the local hospital. It was 10pm. My little niece, a 5 year old, begged me to allow her to spend the night as she oftentimes did. My Mother got on the bandwagon and asked me to take her. I firmly told them "no" as I was going to get up early to attend early morning prayer at church.

I was about half way home and stopped at a red light behind 5 other cars. Suddenly a vehicle hit me from behind. The impact was horrific. I had just filled up my car with gas. I could smell gas and could see smoke (later I learned it was the powder from the air bag). I was pinned in my car. Someone came and asked if I was ok and if there was anyone else in the car. I told them, "no." Others came to inquire as to my well-being and if anyone else was in the car. It actually irritated me. But I was growing concerned about my own safety. I wanted out but couldn't. I could move but the door would not open. Finally, the paramedics arrived and used the Jaws of Life to get me out. As it turns out, all cars in front of me as well as the truck that hit me were totaled due to the impact. There were injuries, but no one was killed. There was not one place on my car that was not bent up and scratched up other than the passenger side mirror!!

The guy who ran into me was driving a 3/4 ton pickup and was pulling a trailer. The police said he was drunk and never even tried to put on his brakes. They surmised he was going at least 60 miles per hour when he ran into the back of my car.

Here's the wonderful part of the story... if my niece had come with me she would not have made it through the accident alive. She would have been sitting in the back seat. The back of my car ended up being pushed in as far as 1 foot behind the back of my head!!! There was no trunk, and no back seat left!! Yes, God intervened in many ways that night!!

Understanding the Book of Revelation: The New Heaven, New Earth, and New Jerusalem

                Chapter 21 discusses the New Heaven, the New Earth, and the New Jerusalem. God has perfected and completed His final kingdom and people. There is no blemish or flaw. The sea no longer exists because it was a place for demons (Revelation 20:13) and is no longer needed. It played a major role in the judgment of the world. Therefore, no sea creature will exist nor will any serpent exist in the New Heaven and Earth. The New Heaven and Earth were first promised in Isaiah 65:17-25. 2 Peter 3:10-12 mentions the destruction of the heaven and the earth and the creation of new ones where righteousness dwells. This current earth is not our permanent dwelling place but it is just something we pass through. We must look forward to the reward we will receive once this life ends.

                Revelation is full of symbols. Here, in verse 2, the New Jerusalem signifies the totality of God’s works and the redeemed throughout the ages, who have been restored and transformed. The church is Christ’s bride. Jesus was once God’s tabernacle, a bridge to close the gap between mankind and God so that we may have a relationship with Him. Now, God will be able to reside with them always, as He did with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. There will be no presence of Satan so there won’t be a possibility of another fall. Full satisfaction and rest will be found here because Death, and all other demons, have been cast out by life (1 Corinthians 15:5) and sent to the lake of fire (Revelation 20:14). 

                God make all things new. In Revelation 19:11 Jesus is referred to as Faithful and True. Here in verse 5 Gods words are referred to as faithful and true. Isaiah 65:17 lets us know that there will be a new heaven and a new earth and no one will remember the old. Those who go to God will receive His free grace, everlasting life. All believers will be able to participate in the new earth and the new heaven. All those who don’t believe and never repent of their sins will be burned in the lake of fire, to suffer torment and a second death. They won’t be able to experience the same joy that all of the believers will. During the thousand years, the believers will be the bride, which is temporary, meant for the wedding day. They will be the wife once all things new are brought about, which will last eternity. 

                Verse 10 is in contrast to John being brought to the wilderness to see the great harlot. Here, is lifted up to see the wife of Jesus, the Lamb. Today, we are to be a light to the world (Matthew 5:14), but the New Jerusalem will be the light to all the nations. In Revelation 4:3 God’s appearance is compared to that of jasper. Here, the New Jerusalem is compared to jasper so therefore, she bears the appearance of God. The wall in verse 12 is for her protection. She will defend all that is good and of God. The number twelve is the number of God’s completion. The New Jerusalem is eternally complete and perfect. The angels help protect our possessions and all that we consider dear to us while we enjoy the everlasting life. The names of the tribes represent the Old Testament, the law. With the gate facing all four cardinal directions it signifies that the city is open to all believers. With three gates on each side, it indicates that the triune of God guides everyone here. There will be no more need for prophets in Heaven, so the apostles will represent that grace that God has and the grace that the city is built upon. 

                In Revelation 11:1, John was given a measuring rod to count the saints and believers. He was told only to measure the inner temple, not the outer. Here in verse 15 he is told to measure to show the perfection of the city and what God has made. Gold represents the divine nature of God. Therefore, the city is measured according to God’s divine plan and nature. In saying that the city is square, it is saying that it is perfect in every way. The repetition of 12,000 in the measurements emphasizes completeness. One hundred and forty-four is twelve times twelve, which signifies total completion. The Old Testament times the New Testament. Gold, in verse 17, represents the purity and holiness of the Church. It’s clear like glass so that God’s light can shine through the whole city. It lacks imperfection and flaws. 

                The New Jerusalem is a city of foundations (Hebrews 11:10). Each of the apostles is represented by a type of stone. The apostles were all once clay but have been transformed into stones, as Peter’s name suggests. He came to Christ as Simon but Christ called him Peter, meaning a stone (John 1:42). The colors of the twelve foundations are as follows: the first stone is green, the second and third are blue, the fourth is green, the fifth and sixth are red, the seventh is yellow, the eighth is bluish green, the ninth is yellow, the tenth is apple-green, and the eleventh and twelfth are purple. I’d like to note that the 12 birthstones and signs of the zodiac have the exact same precious stones, excepted listed in reverse order. Pearls are objects of great price but they are also made through the suffering of the mollusk. The idea is that the only way into the city is through the suffering of Christ on the cross. He was wounded by us and secreted his life around us to make us precious, just as an oyster does when a grain of sand wounds it. The New Jerusalem is built of three kinds of precious materials, signifying that she is built with the Triune God. 

                Verse 22 lets us know that there is no need for a temple or tabernacle now because God will dwell among His people and walk amongst them (2 Corinthians 6:16). This is the fulfillment of Ephesians 2:22 where it says that we are being built together as a dwelling place of God. The sun and moon will still exist in the new heaven and new earth but they will not be needed in the New Jerusalem. God will shine so much brighter there, with Jesus as the lamp. Nothing unclean will enter the city and only righteousness will surround her. At night, people usually close their gates. Here, however, there are angels who guard the gates so that no evil shall enter. Isaiah 60:11 and Zechariah 14:11 tells us that there will be perfect security.

Understanding the Book of Revelation: The Seven Plagues and the Temple

                Chapter 15 is a short chapter but it’s important in informing us about the seven bowls of God’s wrath. 

The Seven Plagues

                The seven plagues mentioned are the fury of God in the seven bowls. They are not separate from the bowls but they are what make them up. They are the third woe, which comes at the sounding of the seventh trumpet. The victors in verse 2 are the late overcomers who went through the Great Tribulation and did not follow the Antichrist. “Standing by the glassy sea” signifies that they’ve been resurrected and raptured to Heaven so they’re above the lake of fire with God. The song of Moses that these overcomers sing is in Exodus 15:1-18. It praises God for the victory over the forces of the Pharaoh by allowing him to part the Red Sea. In singing this song, the overcomers are praising God for their victory over the powers of the Antichrist. The song of the Lamb that is sung praises Christ’s redemption. 

The Song of Moses and of the Lamb

                In the song that they sing, God’s ways are His governing principles and His works are His judgments. Moses knew His ways but the children of Israel only knew His works (Psalm 103:7). The Greek word for holy in this case refers to the sum of qualities that are His divine character. Holy is His nature and righteous are His principles. 

The Temple and the Seven Angels with the Seven Bowls

                In verse 5 we see mentioned the temple of the Tabernacle of the Testimony. The testimony is the law of God, and was put into the Ark (Exodus 25:16). The Ark was put into the tabernacle so therefore the temple in heaven is the Tabernacle of the Testimony. The seven angels that carry the seven bowls of God’s wrath are dressed like priests (Ezekiel 44:17). “Clean bright linen” indicates they are white garments. These angels are girded at the breasts with golden girdles. To be girded at the breasts is to indicate love and golden girdles indicate divine strength. No one can enter the temple until the angels release the seven bowls. This is so that no one can appease God’s fury with their prayers at this point until the seven bowls are poured out on the rebellious people influenced by the Antichrist. 

Understanding the Book of Revelation: Christ and the Scroll

     Moving further into the book of Revelation, we’ll be reviewing chapters 10, 11, and 12 today. 

“Then 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.”

-Revelation 10:1

                This mighty angel is Christ. Being clothed with a cloud is different than being on a cloud. He is not yet in the open; He’s in secret descending from Heaven from Heaven. Revelation 1:7 and Matthew 24:30 let us know that He’ll come out of secret when all tribes see Him. The rainbow around His head signifies that He will keep the covenant God made with mankind after the Great Flood. It also shows that He will execute judgment according to God’s judgment. Legs like fiery pillars indicate He will be steadfast and in God’s glory. The little scroll in His hand is the scroll in 5:1. In 5:1 it was still sealed but here the seven seals have been completely removed. It is only part of the scroll and we know this because here it is referred to as a little scroll. The main part of the scroll has been revealed.

                In saying that “He planted his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land…” it indicates that He is taking possession of the earth back from Satan. When verse 3 says He roared like a lion, it is letting us know that Christ wrath. A roar of a lion is likened to a king’s wrath in Proverbs 19:12 and 20:2. The seven thunders show the full and powerful wrath of God. In verses 6-7 Christ is saying that with the seventh trumpet comes the most serious of His wrath, the final answer to the martyred saints’ prayer we sawing in Revelation 6:10. There will be no more mystery in God. In Isaiah 2:2-4, 11:1-10, 65:17-20, and 66:22 God made promises of the kingdom in its manifestation coming, and the new heaven, the new earth, and the new Jerusalem. They will be revealed to all.

               

Understanding the Book of Revelation: The Seven Trumpets

The Angel at the Altar      

         Chapter 8 introduces the Seven Trumpets. Christ is the angel that stands at the altar of prayers of the saints. He is the incense added so that their prayers may be found acceptable to God. The smoke rising in verse 4 signifies that the prayers of the saints become effective. Their prayers are answered for judgment on the earth which is signified by the fire, thunder, voices, lightening, and earthquake. The fire is not literal fire; God, throughout Revelation, lets us know that his judgment is represented by fire. It is fire because eternal punishment is being cast into the Lake of Fire. The first four trumpets are not judgment directly on man yet but rather a warning to repent through destruction of things vital to man’s survival. 

The First Four Trumpets 

 

                During the first trumpet, the third part of the earth probably refers to the most evil and sinful regions. Fire and hail falling upon these regions is a supernatural calamity. It’s an unusual combination but God, in his power, will allow for it to happen. 1/3 of the earth will be destroyed by fire. During the second trumpet another third of a creation of God is destroyed. This time it is the sea, and 1/3 of the creatures and ships of the sea. Some people speculate that the “huge mountain, all ablaze” is a meteorite or asteroid. The third trumpet destroys another 1/3 of something created by God. This time it’s the springs and rivers. Jeremiah 9:15 tells us that men will drink poisoned water, provided by God. Right now, even those who don’t abide in God enjoy his Creation. But, during the third trumpet, they will no longer be able to enjoy it. It’s His vengeance against man, destroying something that is so crucial to human life. The fourth trumpet will cause darkness to overwhelm most of the day and a 1/3 of the earth. 

The Fifth and Sixth Trumpets  

 

                The last three trumpets, the three woes, will occur during the last half of the Tribulation which is 3 ½ years, 42 months (Revelation 11:2, 13:5), or twelve hundred and sixty days (Revelation 11:3, 12:6). 

 

                Chapter 9 is the fifth and sixth trumpets.  The star in verse 1 that fell to the earth is Satan. The angels are likened to stars and Satan was the Daystar (Isaiah 14:12). He is given authority over the dwelling place of demons. The locusts in verse 3 are not like those in Exodus but rather these have tails like scorpions and bring harm to men (9:10)  and they are demon-possessed. Only the Israelites who have the seal of God will not be harmed by these locusts. Mankind will be made to suffer, not die for verse 6 says:

“And in those days men will seek death and shall by no means find it;

and they will long to die, and death flees from them.”

                The angel of the abyss mentioned in verse 11 is the Antichrist. The Hebrew word Abaddon means destruction and the Greek work Apollyon means destroy. In verse 13, during the sixth trumpet, the golden altar is the incense altar that the blood of redemption was put on (Exodus 30:10). This verse indicates that God’s judgment is based on the redemption of Christ because men do not believe in His redemption. The four angels that are released will kill men first for one hour then one day, then one month, and then finally one year. The two hundred million horsemen in verse 16 will join the battle at Armageddon. The horses and their riders in verse 17 bear fire and hyacinth and brimstone to kill people and cast them into the lake of fire. These horsemen are more powerful than the locusts with the tails of scorpions. These horsemen kill men, not just torment them. These woes upon men were meant to bring them to repentance, but there are still men who refuse to repent even after these traumatic events. 

Understanding the Book of Revelation: The Seven Seals and the 144,000 Sealed

                Today we will be looking at chapters 6-9 in the book of Revelation- the Seven Seals, the 144,000, and the Seven Trumpets. 

The Four Horsemen

                The opening of the seven seals occurs immediately after Christ ascends into Heaven and they concern all living creatures. The white horse mentioned in verse 2 symbolizes the preaching of the gospel, which is clean, pure, just, and approvable in the eyes of God. The first four seals consist of four horses with the four riders who are not actual people but rather personified things. Some people interpret this verse as the rider being Jesus but it is the gospel. Immediately after Christ’s ascension, the four things began to run rampant in the Earth and they will continue until Christ’s Second Coming. The gospel started spreading in the first century and simultaneously war has continued among mankind. War causes famine and famine causes death. The reason why the first rider has a bow is to fight the enemy and the crown is because the gospel has been crowned with the glory of Christ.

“The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the

light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.”

-2 Corinthians 4:4

                The second horse is the rider of war. The red color of the horse represents bloodshed which is prominent in war. When this verse says “…to take peace from the earth…” it clearly indicates war. The third horse is that of famine. The blackness of the horse symbolizes a deficiency (Jeremiah 14:1-4) and represents famished people (Lamentations 4:8-9). Here, the balance is to weigh food. Verse 6 says, “…; and do not harm the oil and wine.” because oil and wine are for man’s pleasure and tend to be in short supply. They become precious and valuable in a time of famine. The fourth and final horse is that of death. It is a pale horse because when one dies they become pale in the face. Hades is the place where the unsaved dead are kept before judgment (Revelation 20:11-15). Hades follows this horse to obtain those that Death kills. The reason why beasts are mentioned here to kill man is because one of the punishments by God upon man is death by animals, such as in 2 Kings 2:24 and 2 Kings 17:25. 

 The Fifth and Sixth Seals           

               The fifth seal discusses Christian martyrs. They are given white robes because their martyrdom was approved by God. Verse 11, when saying that the number of their fellow slaves and brothers were about to be killed, is talking about the martyrdom of the great tribulation (Revelation 20:4).  The sixth seal marks the beginning of the supernatural calamities and marks the beginning of the changing into the new heaven and the new earth. 

 

The 144,000

                Chapter 7 shows how God will still care for His people during the time of judgment. The winds mentioned in the first verse are the winds of His judgment (Jeremiah 22:22, 51:1). The angel in verse 2 is Jesus. He is a special messenger, granted power by God. Verse 3 lets us know that the Israelites whom He has chosen will be protected during the seventh seal and the seven trumpets. These are the Israelites who keep the commandments of God during the tribulation.There are 12,000 from each of the 12 tribes of Israel.

                Verse 9-17 is about the redeemed ones from all nations and all generations. They are raptured to the presence of God right before the sixth seal is opened. They’re conduct has been approved by God so they’ve been washed by the blood of the lamb, hence the white robes. The palm branches in their hands signify the victory of the saints over suffering they went through in Christ’s name and the satisfaction of being watered. The great tribulation mentioned is not the one that occurs in Revelation but rather the suffering of God’s people throughout all generations. They will have no dissatisfaction once they are living in the kingdom of God.