Revelation 8 The Seventh Seal

Verse 1.. And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour. This is unprecedented. A unique time. Since the beginning of creation, all the heavenly host has not ceased to praise the Creator. Now, silence for half an hour. What event has caused this? It is the calm before the storm so to speak. The seventh seal reveals the seven trumpets. The awesome wrath of God is about to be poured out upon the earth.

Verse 2.. And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets. Verse 3.. And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. Verse 4.. And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel's hand. 

Verse 5.. And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of th altar, and cast it into the earth: and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake.

Back in chapter 5 we saw the four and twenty elders falling down before the Lamb. They had golden vials full of odours, which were the prayers of the saints. The first seal was about to be opened. The prayers of the saints throughout the ages were about to be answered. Thy kingdom come thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Now we have prayers from a different group of saints. In chapter 6 verse 9.. the fifth seal reveals those that were slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held. And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? The time has come as the first angel begins to sound.

Verse 6.. And the seven angels which had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound.

Verse 7.. The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up. The earth being extremely dry from drought could easily be burnt up. 

Verse 8.. And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea: and the third part of the sea became blood; This sounds like a meteor.

Verse 9.. And the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died; and the third part of the ships were destroyed. A massive area impacted by this meteor. 

Verse 10.. An the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters; Verse 11.. And the name of the star is called Wormwood: and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter. 

Verse 12.. And the fourth angel sounded, and the third part of the sun was smitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars; so as the third part of them was darkened, and the day shone not for a third part of it, and the night likewise.

So the seas and the fresh waters are polluted. A third part of them. What ever has struck the earth probably has ejected millions of tons of debris into the atmosphere causing the sun, moon, and stars to be darkened. The rotation of the earth may have been impacted. A faster rotation would result in shorter days and nights.

Verse 13.. And I beheld, and heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabiters of the earth by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels, which are yet to sound!

Revelation 9 The Bottomless Pit

Verse 1.. And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit. Verse 2.. And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit.

So an angel is sent from heaven to earth with a key to the bottomless pit. "Fallen" here doesn't necessarily mean that the angel is evil. Only that he has been dispatched down to earth on a divine mission. He had a key to the bottomless pit. The term "bottomless" is a transliteration of abussos or abyss. 

The definition of abyss is "a bottomless gulf or chasm, a profound depth or void, the depths of the sea." Bottomless also gives the impression of "unending". So according to verse 2, there is a bottomless pit down inside the earth. If one was stuck there, you could picture one continually falling as the earth turned. You would never reach the bottom. As the earth turned, you would continue to fall.

Jesus often referred to Gehenna or The Valley of Hinnom. The english translation would be "hell."  This is a valley s/sw of Jerusalem. In Jesus' time it was used as a dumping ground. Smoldering smoke and stench would fill the air around the dump. In ancient days, children were offered to the fire god Molech in this place. 

These ancient people would give themselves to all manor of sexual indulgence and then conveniently dispose of the precious little one that was produced in the fires of Molech. In that time, it was acceptable social behaviour. The child was viewed as a choice, not a life. This place was later to be called "the valley of slaughter."

So the bottomless pit is opened and smoke comes out. It is compared to the smoke of a great furnace. There is so much smoke that the sun and the air are darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit.

Verse 3.. And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power. Verse 4.. And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads. Verse 5.. And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment [was] as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man. Verse 6.. And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them.

Verse 7.. And the shapes of the locusts [were] like unto horses prepared unto battle; and on their heads [were] as it were crowns like gold, and their faces [were] as the faces of men. Verse 8.. And they had hair as the hair of women, and their teeth were as [the teeth] of lions. Verse 9.. And they had breastplates, as it were breastplates of iron; and the sound of their wings [was] as the sound of chariots of many horses running to battle. Verse 10.. And they had tails like unto scorpions, and there were stings in their tails: and their power [was] to hurt men five months. Verse 11.. And they had a king over them, [which is] the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue [is] Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath [his] name Apollyon. 

Verse 12.. One woe is past; [and], behold, there come two woes more hereafter. 

Out of the smoke come locust-like creatures. They are under authority to do only what has been commanded. They are not to hurt the grass of the earth or any green thing or any tree; but only those men who have not the seal of God in their foreheads. They will torment men for five months. During this time men will seek death and will not be able to find it. They shall desire to die and death will flee from them. Can you imagine so much pain and torment that you literally want to die in order to be free from it. But death is not possible during this time. For five months it will be impossible to die! How do we escape these things that will come upon the earth?

Now comes a detailed description of these hideous creatures with stings in their tails and power to hurt men for five months. I don't think that even Hollywood could come up with something like this. Locusts with crowns like gold, faces of men, hair like women, teeth like lions, breastplates of iron, wings that sound like chariots of many horses running to battle. They have a commander in chief. His name is Abaddon in Hebrew and Apollyon in the Greek which means destroyer. Some would speculate that these are images of modern instruments of war. Helicopters with tails armed with nuclear weapons capable of inflicting five months of radioactive torment before death. Or what if it is a description of a nightmare bacteria which has become resistant to modern antibiotics?

The name "destroyer" is interesting. We find him at work elsewhere in scripture. In Hebrews 11:28 the destroyer was responsible for the death of the first born in Egypt just prior to the Exodus.  Ex. 12:23  This destroyer is an angelic being committed to the task of destroying God's enemies. In verse 20 it says that men did not repent from worshiping demons. So if the destroyer is demonic in nature, he is destroying those that are worshipping him. Jesus said in Matthew 12:26 "And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand?" It doesn't make sense that Satan would be destroying his own kingdom.

Verse 13.. And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God, Verse 14.. Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates.

Verse 15.. And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men. Verse 16.. And the number of the army of the horsemen [were] two hundred thousand thousand: and I heard the number of them. Verse 17.. And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone: and the heads of the horses [were] as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone.

Verse 18.. By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths. Verse 19.. For their power is in their mouth, and in their tails: for their tails [were] like unto serpents, and had heads, and with them they do hurt.

Verse 20.. And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk: Verse 21.. Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.

Destruction and not repentance is in view here. Those that are left upon the earth will not repent.  The time of repentance is over. The time of resisting the beast and his mark is over. Those folks have all been slaughtered. Rev 7:14 and Rev 20:4. The directive here is to destroy and torment those that do not have the seal of God in their foreheads. (See verse 4).

Revelation 10 The Seven Thunders

Verse 1.. And I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven, clothed with a cloud: and a rainbow [was] upon his head, and his face [was] as it were the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire: Verse 2.. And he had in his hand a little book open: and he set his right foot upon the sea, and [his] left [foot] on the earth, Verse 3.. And cried with a loud voice, as [when] a lion roareth: and when he had cried, seven thunders uttered their voices. Verse 4.. And when the seven thunders had uttered their voices, I was about to write: and I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Seal up those things which the seven thunders uttered, and write them not.

In Revelation 10:1 John has a vision of a strong angel. He gives a description. This description is reminiscent  of the Lord Himself. After all, Jesus is perfectly able to take on any form that He chooses. Remember in the garden after He resurrected? Mary didn't know who He was until he revealed it to her. Or the two disciples that were traveling on the road? They walked and talked with him all day until supper time when He broke bread with them at which point their eyes were opened to His true identity.

Look at the description of this strong angel. He is clothed with a cloud. In Revelation 1:7 we see Him coming in the clouds. The rainbow is the covenant of God which is about the throne of God and is now about the head. His face was as it were the sun. In Matthew we have the same description of Christ. He was transfigured before them and His face shone like the sun. His feet are like pillars of fire. In Revelation 1:15 His feet are like burnished brass having been fired in a furnace.

In verse two he had a scroll in his hand. Remember the scroll back in Revelation 5:1? No one in Heaven or earth was worthy to loose it's seals except for the Lamb. Now the scroll is open. The contents are revealed. John is instructed to devour the contents. It is quite delicious. Sweet as honey. Jesus is taking possession of the earth and what a glorious time it is. But what the earth has to suffer during this transition time is quite bitter. 

Rev. 10:9 And I went unto the angel, and said unto him, Give me the little scroll. And he said unto me, Take it, and eat it up; and it shall make your stomach bitter, but it shall be in your mouth sweet as honey.

In verse 3, the Lord cried with a loud voice as when a lion roars. When He had cried, seven thunders uttered their voices. John was about to write when a voice from heaven said "seal up those things which the seven thunders uttered and write them not." So, we're not to know what the seven thunders uttered. Some things aren't revealed to us. The Lord, in His wisdom, chooses not to show us all things. It's better that way. For instance, if we knew exactly when the Lord would return, we  might not spend a lifetime following and serving Him. We might be tempted to wait until the last minute and to not be watchful. "Therefore watch; for you do not know what hour your Lord comes." Matthew 24:42.

Verse 5.. And the angel which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to heaven, He swears by him that lives for ever, that there shall be no more time  Verse 6.. And sware by him that liveth for ever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, that there should be time no longer: Verse 7.. But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets.

So the Lord, at this time, is taking possession of the earth. Time is up. That which we have been waiting for is happening. Jesus Christ is coming to the earth to claim that which He purchased.

Verse 8.. And the voice which I heard from heaven spake unto me again, and said, Go [and] take the little book which is open in the hand of the angel which standeth upon the sea and upon the earth. John is commanded to take and eat the book

Verse 9.. And I went unto the angel, and said unto him, Give me the little book. And he said unto me, Take [it], and eat it up; and it shall make thy belly bitter, but it shall be in thy mouth sweet as honey. Verse 10.. And I took the little book out of the angel's hand, and ate it up; and it was in my mouth sweet as honey: and as soon as I had eaten it, my belly was bitter. 

Verse 11.. And he said unto me, Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings.

Revelation 11 The Two Witnesses

Verse 1..And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein. Verse 2.. But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty [and] two months.

So we see that the temple of God has been rebuilt. It is a fixture in the city which can be measured. We also see that the court that is without the temple is given unto the Gentiles and they shall tread upon the holy city for forty two months or three and a half years.

Just recently, a Muslim scholar has called for a Jewish place of worship on the temple mount. Jews have been banned from praying on the Temple Mount due to pressure and threats from Muslim groups.

Salafi cleric Sheikh Yassin Al-Ajlouni says allowing a place of worship on the Temple Mount would not entail harming of the Al Aqsa Mosque or the Dome of the Rock. The part of the courtyard where there are trees would be given to the Israelites for prayer.

Jewish activists have no interest in the mosque. It's outside of the Temple Mount! Ramat Gan's Chief Rabbi Ya'akov Ariel says that the mosque itself stands outside of the sanctified areas of the Temple Mount. It is a part of the wider complex though. So it can be understood how the court which is without the temple can be given unto the Gentiles:

Verse 3.. And I will give [power] unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred [and] threescore days, clothed in sackcloth. Verse 4.. These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth. Verse 5.. And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed.

Verse 6.. These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy: and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will.

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

Verse 8.. And their dead bodies [shall lie] in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified. Verse 9.. And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three days and an half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves.

In verse three we find that the two witnesses shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days or three and a half years and if any man will hurt them, fire proceeds out of their mouth and devours their enemies. It seems inconceivable that the Gentiles would be able to have their way in the holy city as long as these two witnesses are around. But in verse seven, the time of the witness comes to an end. The beast that comes out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them.

Revelation 13:5 tells us that this beast has power to continue forty and two months or three and a half years. These facts lead us to believe that the first half of the tribulation period or three and a half years will be a time when the beast and his antichrist are coming to power. They will not have full power because of the two prophets.

The inauguration day will be right in the middle of the tribulation period. Matthew 24:15 "When you see the abomination of desolation , spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)" and 2 Thessalonians 2:3 &; 4 "Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God, or that is worshiped; so that he as God sits in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God" These verses describe this event. He will murder the two witnesses and make war with the saints and overcome them.

Antichrist comes into full power right around the time of the third and final woe which is revealed when the seventh trumpet sounds. These are the final bowl judgments.

So a celebration begins. Verse 10.. "And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth." But the party comes to an end. Verse 11.. "After three and a half days the Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them." Verse 12.. And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up here! And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them." Verse 13.. "And the same hour there was a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell, and in the earthquake were slain seven thousand men besides women and children: and the remnant were frightened and gave glory to the God of heaven." Verse 14.. The second woe is past. Behold, the third woe is coming quickly.

This second woe began with the sixth trumpet Rev 9:13 and ends with the resurrection of the two prophets. They could very well have a hand in the plaque of the 200,000,000 horsemen. The prophets are able to smite the earth with all plagues as often as they will. Rev. 11:6

The first woe started back in Rev. 9:1 with the locusts. The final woe is revealed when the seventh trumpet sounds and reveals the seven bowls.

Verse 15.. "And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever." Verse 16.. And the twenty four elders who sat before God on their thrones fell on their faces and worshipped God, Verse 17.. Saying "We give You thanks, O Lord God Almighty, The One who is and who was and who is to come, Because You have taken Your great power and reigned.

So the inauguration of the beast and his Antichrist is marred with this opposing statement from heaven. His three and a half years of glory will be visited with the bowl judgments that are revealed during the sounding of the seventh angel.

Verse 18.. "And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth." 

Verse 19.. "And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail.