Revelation 7 Israel is Sealed

Verse 7:1.. And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree. This could explain the reason for the lack of resources which accompanies the four horses of the previous chapter. The black horse represents a shortage of basic necessities that are required to support life. Death follows; represented by the pale horse. No wind blowing around the earth would kill the natural watering cycle. There would be evaporation but no distribution mechanism to move the moisture onto land. The two prophets of chapter 11 could also have a hand in this.

Verse 2.. And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea, Verse 3.. Saying, hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads. These servants of God are Jews from all the tribes of Israel. There are different groups that would like to believe that they are the 144,000 but the text is very clear. They can be no other group of people. These are from the tribes of Israel. These are also called the first fruits unto God and to the Lamb. "First fruits" would indicate that there are many more to come. Rev. 14:4.

Notice also that the earth is not hurt until the servants of God are sealed on their foreheads. We've seen some damage in chapter 6 but nothing compares to what is to come!

Verse 4.. And I heard the number of them who were sealed: and there were sealed a hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel. 

Verse 5.. Of the tribe of Judah were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Reuben were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Gad were sealed twelve thousand. Verse 6.. Of the tribe of Asher were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Naphtali were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Manasseh were sealed twelve thousand. Verse 7.. Of the tribe of Simeon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Levi were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Issachar were sealed twelve thousand. Verse 8.. Of the tribe of Zebulun were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Joseph were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Benjamin were sealed twelve thousand.

The tribe of Joseph probably refers to Ephraim. Joseph's two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, were claimed by his father Jacob. So there are actually thirteen tribes. Dan is omitted. Dan was the first of the tribes to go into idolatry. God has not sealed them from things that will happen during the great tribulation period.

So the wrath of God which comes into view in verse 12 of chapter six is stayed until these 144,000 are sealed on their foreheads. God will provide and care for them for 3 1/2 years. Rev. 12:6, while He visits death and destruction upon the earth, the beast, Antichrist and all those who receive his mark. Rev. 14:9, 10.

Verse 9.. And after this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and tribes, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; Verse 10.. And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God who sits upon the throne, and unto the Lamb. Verse 11.. And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four living creatures, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshiped God, Verse 12.. Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honor, and power, and might, be unto our God forever and ever. Amen.

Verse 13.. And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, Who are these who are arrayed in white robes? and from where did they come? Verse 14.. And I said unto him, Sir, you know. And he said to me, these are they who come out of the great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

So a multitude which no man could number. That's a lot of people. This is a picture of all those who come to trust in Jesus during the great tribulation . Tribulation saints, a different group from the church. Where the promise to the church is to rule and reign, Rev. 5:10, these folks are blessed with the task of service. (See verse 15.) Revelation 20:4 reveals that they will also have a part in ruling and reigning.

Some would say that this group of people is the Church. Forcefully taken (raptured) from the earth just before the first trumpet sounds. This would indicate that rapture happens during the tribulation period. If this is the case then the Church will witness the establishing of the 7 year peace agreement. (Dan. 9:27) The Church will also witness the rebuilding of the temple and the ministry of the 2 prophets (Rev. 11:1-6). It will see the rise and reign of Antichrist. All those that dwell on the earth will know that the hour of rapture has arrived.

But what did Jesus say? Matthew 24:36-44. Verse 44.. "Therefore be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect!" And Luke 21:35 "For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth." They won't be expecting it!

In 2 Thess 2:7 Paul says "For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. This verse indicates that the Holy Spirit and the Church are "taken out of the way or raptured" before the man of sin (Antichrist) is revealed and before the 7 year peace agreement is established.

Jesus said that at the time of rapture things on the earth will be somewhat normal. People will not be aware of any impending danger. (Matt. 24:36-44) People are well aware that the great day of God's wrath has come prior to these tribulation saints appearing at the throne and before the Lamb. Rev. 6:17.

If the rapture happens just before the first trumpet sounds and verse 9 is a picture of the raptured church, then we know exactly when it will happen. Jesus said that know one knows the day or the hour. It will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. They won't be expecting it. It's a big secret. 

In Rev. 10:4 John was about to write what the seven thunders had uttered but was commanded to "Seal up the things which the seven thunders uttered, and do not write them." Some things we just don't know and that's the way God wants it.

Scripture doesn't point to a mid-tribulation rapture. Scripture does instruct us to live like it could happen at any second. Matt. 24:44.

Verse 15.. Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sits on the throne shall dwell among them. Verse 16.. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun strike them, nor any heat. Verse 17.. For the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes. 

So coming out of the great tribulation and suffering the plagues of scorching heat, lack of fresh water, scarcity of food and resources, persecution of the Antichrist and the beast, these tribulation saints are now comforted by the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne.

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.