Rewards and Punishments on a People

               After God established the laws and commandments that mankind should follow, He also established the blessings that the people will receive if they follow the law and the curses that would be poured upon them if they disobeyed the word of God. First, I want us to take a look at the state of not only America, but the world as a whole. The majority of the world has turned their backs on God. We have new diseases forming and spreading through the world as tourists travel. Countries have prepared for attacks from other nations with missiles and armies ready to be mobilized. The year of 2012 has been the hottest year on record in the United States and countries around the world are suffering from droughts that are drying up crops and causing shortages in usable water. Food supply is low because the farmers were not able to harvest the crops before the crops dried up. Dust storms are occurring more frequently than ever before because of the intense heat and dry conditions. Natural disasters like hurricanes and tornadoes come one after the other.

                Now, let’s take a more direct look at America. Illegal immigrants are coming into our nation and gaining more rights than true American citizens. They have rights to vote and they get free healthcare and schooling. The Spanish language is everyone and sometimes it is even written before the English portion. We were once a power nation when God was still in the country. Now we are weak and vulnerable. We were once a loaner nation but now we are trillions of dollars in national debt because we became a debtor nation. People are losing their sense of sanity. Mass shootings are on the rise, such as in Aurora, Colorado and at the Sikh temple in Wisconsin. People are murdering their own families for money. Foreclosed homes and abandoned farms can be seen in nearly every American city. Other countries mock us because we have a President that says we have no national language or religion. He doesn’t salute our flag and says it represents destruction. He bows down to other countries. There has been a rise in imprisonment and child trafficking still exists. Businesses are shutting down, leaving large areas desolate and causing people to relocate. Abortions are on the rise as well.

                So, now I’ll get to the point. We need to turn back to God. The Bible forewarned us about the events that would take place if we turned from God and now look at the world. It’s evident He exists. The rewards and curses seen in the books of Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28 may have been spoken to the Israelites but they can still apply to us. These prophecies in these two books have been nailed to the cross with Jesus but we are all descendants of God’s people and we need to remember that God can still punish us in this life..

“I will scatter you among the nations and will draw

out my sword and pursue you.”

-Leviticus 26:33

                We are those that He scattered among the nations. Everyone’s families in America have at some point migrated from another part of the world. God told us in Leviticus 26:42 that if we do repent and bring Him back to our lives He will remember the covenants He made with Jacob, Isaac, and Abraham. All of the things occurring in the world are curses that were mentioned in both Leviticus and Deuteronomy. Some of the other curses are that there will be cannibalism among the people and the plagues that were the Egyptians will be upon us. Enemies will come who are uncompassionate and will steal the crops. They will take us and capture them to bring them back to their own countries. Our soldiers have been taken as prisoners of war in other countries! Animals and livestock will be stolen and a foreign king will rule the land.

                So, what rewards can we expect if we hold fast to God’s decrees and commandments?

-          Rain in its season and fruitful crops

-          Surplus of food

-          Fearless of enemies

-          Many generations to come

-          Become a power nation

-          Prosperous cities

-          Recognized worldwide as God’s holy people

-          Always be a leading nation

                You may think there is nothing we can do. But God told us what to do.

“But if they will confess their sins and the sins of their fathers-their

treachery against me and their hostility towards me,

which made me hostile towards them so that I sent them into the land of

their enemies-then when their uncircumcised hearts and humbled and they pay for their

sin, I will remember my covenant with Jacob and my covenant

with Isaac and my covenant with Abraham, and I will remember the land.”

-Leviticus 26:40-42

               

Not All Sin is Equal

“For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point

is guilty of breaking all of it. For he who said, ‘Do not

commit adultery,’ also said, ‘Do not murder.’ If you do not commit adultery

but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker.”

-James 2:10-11

                This verse is not saying that all sins are equal. What it is saying is that if a man keeps all of the laws of God except for one, he must be judged as guilty. There is supposed to be universal obedience and any one offense is against the whole law of God. This does not mean that all sinners are of equal grade. The meaning is that he is guilty of violating God’s law and does not have the true spirit of obedience; he will be judged and penalized according to the law. He may have obeyed all of God’s other laws but that alone will not save him from judgment because he has disrespected the authority of God. He cannot use, as reasons he should not be punished, that he obeyed all other commandments. If a man lies to one person but was honest to everyone else, he cannot offset the sin by pleading that he was honest in another case. He must answer for the specific charge against him. So how do we know that this verse is not telling us that all sin is equal? The bible tells us that not all sins are equal in 1 John.

“All wrongdoing is sin, and there is sin that does not lead to death.”

-1 John 5:17

                If we commit one sin, it spreads like gangrene and we fall into more temptation. 2 Timothy 2:20-21 compares a church to a house. Every one of God’s people is used for different purposes. One can perform healing and another can speak in tongues. We are constantly taking in different things through our eyes and ears. The bible does say that what comes out of our mouth is what makes us unclean, not what goes in. But what about our eyes and ears? What we take in can affect how we think. Mark 4:24 warns us to be careful about what we listen to. There are so many secular songs that put down the existence of Jesus and God and raises humans higher. What do I do when I hear this music? I turn it off. I don’t want to pollute my temple and begin to believe what is said. I want to be a vase, not a toilet. They are both made of ceramic but it’s what goes into them that makes them what they are. It’s not what we listen to or see. It’s what we let our minds dwell on and what we do to our bodies. The Lord wants us to be cleansed and sanctified and remove anything that could tear us down. Sanctified means to be separated and set aside for God’s use. Do you want to be sanctified and used for God’s glorious works or do you just want to be an average person in God’s eyes living day by day for your own pleasure?

Understanding the Book of Revelation: The River of Life

                Now we will look at the final chapter of Revelation: The River of Life and the Coming of Jesus.

                In the Garden of Eden man became like God knowing good and evil, but he was cut off from the tree of life. He became his own God and his source of life was within himself rather than coming from God resulting in futility and emptiness. As a result of this emptiness people fill their lives with things, pleasures and idols. Here in Rev 22 we now find God and the Lamb as the source of life for man, man is no longer cut off from the life of God as Adam and Eve were. Man could eat from the tree of life and live forever because God lives forever.

                There is so much life in this one river. The water of life is a symbol of the Spirit flowing into the redeemed people to be their life supply. Instead of water being used for judgment it is used as a source of life. The water saturates the city, filling it with the divine power of God. The water purifies us since it is bright as crystal, having no dimness. It’s a source of nourishment and is similar to the river that was in the Garden of Eden mentioned in Genesis 2:10. In verse 2 we see the tree of life mentioned, the same tree that was in the Garden of Eden. In saying that the tree of life was on both sides of the river indicates that it spreads for all of God’s people to enjoy. The redeemed can have access to this tree now, unlike pre-Christ. 

                There will be no more Adamic curse on God’s people. The curse is now revoked so that mankind can take hold of the fruit of the tree of life and live forever. The throne of God and of the Lamb is not remote in heaven but on earth in the New Jerusalem, God's dwelling place is with man, heaven has moved to the earth. Instead of painful toil His servants will serve him as they also served him on the former earth. To have His name on their forehead in verse 4 means that they will be His people, loyal to Him. We will reap the benefits of following the prophecies of Revelation. 

                John uses the phrase 'I John' also at the start of the book, in Revelation 1:9. John once again emphasizes the fact that he heard and saw these things; he did not make them up. The first time that John fell at the angel’s feet to worship him was after the scene of the great multitude singing Hallelujah to God, and blessing on those invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb and the angels confirmation that these are the true words of God (Revelation 19:1-10). Again John sees stunning visions of heaven and again the angel confirms that these words are trustworthy and true, Jesus announces that he is coming soon and John is so overwhelmed by these visions that he attempts to worship the angel who brought the visions to him. On both occasions he is rebuked because the angel is a fellow servant and John is told to worship God. 

                Verse 10 warns John to not keep the prophecies of Revelation a secret. Although some parts of the book may be hard to understand, we are meant to know these words because the time is near. Compare to Daniel 12:4 where he is told to keep the words of the scroll hidden because the time is distant. At the point that the New Heaven, Earth, and Jerusalem are completed, everything is set into eternity. That is why verse 11 says to let everything stay as it is. There is no room for repentance or change now. In verse 12, Jesus once again announces his coming himself. His reward for believers is everlasting life and the rewards that are foretold in Isaiah 40:10 and 62:11-12. This expresses personal responsibility. 

                The only answer to man's sin is to find forgiveness through the blood, which is through the sacrificial death of Christ on the cross. Each person who wants to enter the city must enter through the gate (Jesus) and have eternal life must first wash their robes in the blood of the Lamb. The robes symbolize the conduct of the believers. To wash their robes is to keep their conduct clean through the washing of the blood of the Lamb. When verse 15 says outside, it means outside of the kingdom and the New Jerusalem of God. Both the Spirit and the church are involved in the gospel invitation, the Church speaks and the Spirit makes it effective. This is a final offer of salvation.

                Verses 18-19 warn us not to tamper with these words. The words of the book are of God and we have no place in altering them. Jesus once again announces His coming which indicates that the coming is near and we need to heed the warnings. Verse 21 is a final reminder to us that it is only by grace that we are able to have eternal life with Jesus and God.

Understanding the Book of Revelation: The Thousand Years

            Chapter 20 has become, unfortunately, one of the more disputed passages in scripture. It is the only place in Revelation where the thousand years appears. In Chapter 20 Satan is bound for one thousand years so that the earth may be restored and the remaining men will not be deceived by him. The Church is allowed to begin to take charge of the nations. Instead of being an outcast and overruled, she now has a voice. The martyrs and overcomers are given thrones during this time so that they may help judge during the millennial kingdom.

There are three interpretations:

a. Premillennialism: This argues that Christ comes pre- (before) the millennium of a literal thousand years. Christ's return in power and glory will deprive Satan of all his power, raise the Christian dead, and set up the kingdom of the saints on earth. After a thousand years, Satan will re-emerge from his imprisonment, attempt once more to destroy the saints, fail, and be destroyed himself. Then will come the resurrection of the rest of the dead, the judgment of the great white throne, the final destruction of the wicked, and the making of a new heaven and earth. The appearing of the Antichrist, the tribulation, the rapture is usually held to have taken place before Christ's coming in victory, and that comes before (pre-) the millennium: hence the name of this interpretation. This doctrine is sometimes called chiliasm which is derived from the Greek chilios, a thousand.

b. Amillennialism: There is no literal millennium, the 1,000 years is symbolic. It stands for the whole time between the life of Jesus on earth and his second coming. There is a biblical millennium. The saints are raised with Christ at the new birth, this is the first resurrection, (Ephesians 2:6, Colossians 2:12, Colossians 3:1), and they reign with Christ in life (Romans 5:17).
 

c. Postmillennialism: Christ returns after (post) the millennium. The millennium is the triumph of the gospel in this present age, sometimes a literal 1,000 years.

In Chapter 20 Satan is bound for one thousand years so that the earth may be restored and the remaining men will not be deceived by him. The Church is allowed to begin to take charge of the nations. Instead of being an outcast and overruled, she now has a voice. The martyrs and overcomers are given thrones during this time so that they may help judge during the millennial kingdom.

                Each interpretation brings its own meaning to each of the verses. I know I might not be right but I will share with you the interpretation that the Lord has given to me. You don’t have to agree with me; that’s not the purpose of this blog. You can interpret each passage your own way.

The Thousand Years

                After the thousand years, Satan will again be released to test the nations for the final time. In verse 5 there are two different resurrections mentioned. The first resurrection is for the believers. The second resurrection is for all those who are left that have not believed. In verse 6 we can see that this is true. It says that those who partake in the first resurrection will not see the second death, which is being cast to hell and having death of the spirit. 

Gog and Magog

                Verse 8 is Satan’s last chance to gather everyone from around the earth. Gog and Magog are mention in Ezekiel 38:2-3 and 39:1-2. This battle that will occur is separate from the battle of Armageddon. Ezekiel 38:2 indicates Gog is of Rosh, Meschech, and Tubal, which correspond to Russia, Moscow, and Tobolsk. Magog relates to Eastern Europe. Satan deceives them so that they can be his warriors. He instigates this final war and causes man’s rebellious nature to show again. During the thousand years, man’s rebellious nature still existed but it didn’t show because there was no temptation or deception from Satan. The camp mentioned in verse 9 is the lodging place of the overcoming believers who reside on earth as Heaven’s army. The beloved city is Jerusalem and God won’t let any harm come to them. He instantly brings fire and destruction against the enemy. 

The Dead are Judged

                In saying that the dead are standing in verse 12 indicates that they have been resurrected. The dead unbelievers are the last to be judged. Death is the last enemy to be destroyed. Death can no longer come to God’s people so it is cast to Hell where torment is prominent. During the first death, the flesh is separated from the spirit and our spirits will be put in a waiting place (Luke 16:22-24). Those who are not in the book of life, they will surely be cast to the lake of fire, the kingdom of Satan, and the dwelling place of death.

Understanding the Book of Revelation: The Praise and Armageddon

                 Chapter 19 describes the praise in Heaven and the war at Armageddon.

Hallelujah

                Hallelujah is two Hebrew words combined. Hallelu means praise and jah is a shortened form of Jehovah. Therefore, hallelujah means praise Jehovah. In contrast to the mourning of the world over the destruction of Babylon we now have rejoicing over her destruction by those in heaven. This burst of praise is in response to the answer to the saints’ prayers because God has judged the great city for the way she has treated them. God made Rome rightfully pay for killing and tormenting His people. 

The Marriage

                Verse 7 mentions the bride of Jesus. Christ’s wife is the church, all believers from all ages. We can see this in the parable of the virgins in Matthew 25. We can take a look at the marriage customs of the Hebrews. First is the betrothal. This is considered more binding than our 'engagement'. The terms of the marriage are accepted in the presence of witnesses and God's blessing pronounced upon the union. From this day groom and bride are legally husband and wife (2 Corinthians 11:2). Next comes the interval between betrothal and the wedding-feast. During this interval the groom pays the dowry to the father of the bride if this has not yet been done (Genesis 34:12). Sometimes the dowry is in the form of service rendered (Genesis 29:20). Then comes the procession at the close of the interval. The bride prepares and adorns herself. The groom, arrayed in his best attire and accompanied by his friends, who sing and bear torches, proceeds to the home of the betrothed. He receives the bride and conveys her, with a returning procession, to his own home or to the home of his parents (Matthew 9:15; Matthew 25:1). When the groom had to come from afar, the feast was at times spread at the home of the bride. Finally there is the wedding-feast, which includes the marriage supper. The usual festivities last seven or more days. The bride is the church and Christ the bridegroom. The church is betrothed to Christ and Christ has paid the dowry for her with his own blood. The interval of separation is the current dispensation during which the bride makes herself ready. At the end of this dispensation the Bridegroom accompanied by his angels comes to receive his bride and the wedding feast begins. It does not last a few weeks but throughout eternity. In Christ the bride was chosen from eternity. Throughout the Old Testament dispensation the wedding was announced. When Christ assumed our flesh and blood; the betrothal took place. The price, the dowry was paid on Calvary and now after an interval, the Bridegroom returns and the wedding supper of the Lamb begins Even now Jesus is preparing a place for his bride who he will come back for and who will be with him forever. The reason why the bride wears white in verse 8 is because of her purity and righteousness. It is just like at a wedding here on earth. The bride wears pure white during her first wedding because she is pure. 

The Rider on the White Horse

                In verse 11 Christ becomes the fighting General to fight against the Antichrist and his army at Armageddon. He designates himself as 'the faithful and true witness' in the letter to the church in Laodicea. His eyes are flames so that He may carry out judgment on mankind. He wears crowns because of His glory and royal authority. He has a name written which no one knows but Himself because there are certain aspects of Christ that we have not yet experienced and only He knows. He wears a garment dipped in blood in verse 13 because He has tread the winepress of God and he sacrificed himself for mankind. 

                The armies in Heaven are the overcoming believers. The sharp sword that comes out of his mouth is not an actual sword but it is words of judgment used against the nations. In verse 15, to shepherd is to rule. An iron rod signifies strong power. Therefore, Christ will shepherd with strong power. Christ’s garment signifies righteousness and his thigh represents standing strength. His title is on his robe so all can easily see it. 

The Feast of God

                In verses 17 and 18 the bodies of all types of people will be offered to the flying creatures. This is from Ezekiel's prophecy about Gog in Ezekiel 39:4, 17. You can also look at David and Goliath in 1 Samuel 17:46, 'Today I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel'. Verse 19 is referring to the battle at Armageddon, the valley of Jehoshaphat, near Jerusalem. The Antichrist and the false prophet will be the first cast to Hell with Satan. The rest will suffer the words of God’s judgment.

Understanding the Book of Revelation: Babylon is Fallen

                     Now we will delve into Chapter 18: the Fall of Babylon.

                In verse 1 the angel has great authority delegated to him by God, just as Satan gave beast great authority. The angel is going to announce the fall of the great city which is the city of the beast. The earth was illuminated by his splendor which comes from the glory of God when the angel was in God's presence in heaven. Just as Moses face shone with the glory of God after he had been in God's presence. The angel is similar in description to that in Ezekiel 43:1-2 in which the land was radiant with God's glory. The glory of the angel is appropriate to the greatness of his announcement and his authority to proclaim the word of God concerning the demise of Babylon. After her destruction she will be deserted, this is enlarged upon by the angel in 18:21-24. She is already inhabited by unclean spirits who provoke men into unclean acts. After man is no longer there the demons move around seeking rest (Luke 11:24).

                In verse 3 the angel gives the reasons for her destruction. She seduced the nations, kings and merchants to be unfaithful to God. The kings join in with her in her sins against God; they also share in her power and luxury. The merchants also get rich from her desire for greater and greater luxury. We see this now in the world: the rich get richer while the poor get poorer. What is condemned here is excessive luxury. The merchants will lament the loss of their profitable trade.

Verse 4 is clearly a warning to the saints. There are two meanings here: first to come out meaning to be separate from her in her sins and secondly to flee from her in order to avoid her judgment. Just as Lot fled Sodom before its destruction (Genesis  19:12 .); the Israelites fled Egypt; God's people fled Babylon (Jeremiah 51:45); and the early church fled Jerusalem to avoid persecution before her destruction; so God's people are told to leave Babylon before her destruction comes upon her. This is a personal command of God. This has an echo throughout scripture starting with Abraham who was told to leave his own country (Genesis 12:1). He was looking forward to a better country, a heavenly one, and God has prepared a city for him (Hebrews 11:8-16). This finds its fulfillment with the heavenly Jerusalem later in Revelation. It finds an echo in 2 Corinthians 6:16 in which God's people are called out, that is they are to be a holy people separate from the world and its sin. Note that the word church in the New Testament is ekklesia meaning an Assembly of God's called out ones. This should be read with the warnings to the churches at Pergamum and Thyatira in mind.

                In verse 6, we see that Babylon’s sins are piled up to Heaven, just as the tower of Babel was to be built to reach the Heavens. These people have not truly repented so therefore He remembers all of their sins. Double recompense, as seen in verse 6, was required according to Levitical law (Exodus 24:4, 7, 9). Here, it’s double for her double. She is just like the church in Laodicea. In Laodicea, they claimed they were rich and did not need anything. In verse 7, Rome claims to be queen and boast that they will not see sorrow. In verse 8 we are told that the judgment on Babylon will be sudden. In verse 7 she said that she will see no sorrow but on the day of judgment she will be filled with sorrow. She glorified herself but now she will see famine. She sat in luxury but now famine comes to her.

                The kings mourn their loss of power and luxury; the merchants and seamen mourn their loss of wealth through trading in the things of the world. Notice the merchants carry out their trade over the land while the seamen carry out their trade by the sea, thus covering the whole world. Jesus warns us that a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions. They are terrified because their security is gone; they know they are next because they committed adultery with her. They had committed adultery with her and were thus united to her in her fate. Their sorrow is worldly sorrow not godly sorrow which leads to repentance (2 Corinthians 7:10), their sorrow is totally self-centered. The merchants lose out on seven categories of trade:

-          ornaments

-          clothing

-          furniture/decorations

-          spices

-          food

-          transportation

-          employment

                The fruit they longed for are the things that are previously mentioned.

                In contrast to the mourning of the kings, merchants and sea captains those in heaven and God's people in heaven are called to rejoice over her because God has judged her for the way she treated the saints while they were on earth. God has paid them back for what they had done to his believers.

                Note the six fold repetition of never indicating the compete destruction of Babylon:

-          Babylon never to be found again.

-          The music of.... never to be heard in you again

-          no workman... will ever be found in you again.

-          The sound of the millstone will never be heard in you again

-          The light of a lamp will never shine in you again.

-          The voice of bridegroom and bride will never be heard in you again

                The event in verse 21 is based on the scroll upon which Jeremiah had written all the disasters that would come upon Babylon, the staff officer Seraiah was to read it and tie it to a stone and throw it into the Euphrates, and say “So Babylon will sink to rise no more because of the disaster I will bring upon her. And her people will fall” (Jeremiah 51:60-64).  This should also remind us that Jesus said:

“But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have

a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.”

-Matthew 18:6

                She persecuted the saints and got her just retribution. She is not just a persecutor but is responsible for the blood of all those killed on the earth. She is much more than just the apostate church. She represents that lust for power and wealth that causes nations to go to war for. She reigns over the kings of the earth and she is therefore, in her greed, responsible for all wars.

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.