Now war arose in heaven.

Posted on 03/16/2016 by remso

If you are a follower of my posts then you know I move rather slowly. Revelation chapter 12 opens with: “a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars.”

“a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars.”

Having spent more than a few minutes looking into this, I believe we can say with confidence that this is Israel. Finally, after all, those years, Jesus is born. Look at this description:

“She gave birth to a male child, one who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron, but her child was caught up to God and to his throne,” Revelation 12:5 ESV

This was Paul’s message of hope, that the Messiah, the one who is to rule all the nations, has come.

Did they listen? Some did and because of that, we have the letters to the Ephesians, Galatians, Corinthians, and the letters to Timothy and the church at Thessalonica. The gospel message spread all over the world.

I suppose in God’s scheme of things 33 years is just a blink. The verse gives the impression that child being caught to God and to his throne happened almost instantly. Did you ever think about the impact this “child” made in the world in three short years? John said this of Jesus:

“how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.” (Acts 10:38 ESV)

Wait a minute. How is he supposed to rule the nations if he got caught up to God? It would appear that the implications are that he is: alive; sitting on his throne; and, if I extrapolate, coming again to finish the job he started. That is really not a bad assumption considering we know from scripture that this is the game plan.

“Caught up”, that seems so subtle and gentle. I suppose that at that point it was, but the road to get there was brutal. Beaten by order of the Jewish high priest and then handed over to the Romans to have the flesh flailed off his body. Made then to carry his own cross beam and then get nailed to that same cross. None of this was subtle, nor pretty. Dead this Jesus was placed in a tomb and the tomb was sealed, only to find it open on the third day. When they saw him again he walked among them and ate with them. Shortly after presenting himself to them alive again, he was “caught up.”

The woman, Israel, then flees into the wilderness for 1,260 days.

“and the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, in which she is to be nourished for 1,260 days.” (Revelation 12:6 ESV)

So, let me get this straight. Immediately after the birth of Jesus, he gets caught up to heaven (that means he died and rose again) and Israel flees into the wilderness to hide in a protected condition for three and one-half years. I can tell you from reading about the birth of Jesus that few noticed and fewer cared. While it is clear that we are talking about Israel and the birth of the Messiah, this is not a tightly knit chronology. I know this because Israel does not flee until the abomination gets set up in the temple and the false prophet arises, and from the time of Christ’s death until his promised return for those who belong to him has currently been over 2000 years. This coincides with Daniel’s seventieth week.

Daniel 9:24 ESV “Seventy weeks are decreed about your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to put an end to sin, and to atone for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal both vision and prophet, and to anoint a most holy place.”

Unfortunately, we only made it to the sixty-ninth week and then everything seems to have been put on hold.

I suppose you caught the time frame, 1,260 days. Yes, that equals three and one-half years, and there are only a couple of places you find reference to the time frames, both of them have to do with the last days, which, if we are not in them now, we are unreasonably close.
It is said that this place Israel flees to is Petra. What makes sense about that is that the earth swallows up a flood and I think I could picture that, but it is a narrow canyon and having watched enough cowboy westerns, you always get trapped by the bad guys there. Does it really matter what I think? No, because God’s plan will not be thwarted and a remnant of Israel will be saved.

Moving on. Again, if this is supposed to be a chronology, we have just jumped backward in time once again, all the way to what may have been near the beginnings of the earth. I say that because scripture tells us that the devil walked in the garden in a perfect state. I talked about this in some detail in my previous post, so I won’t carry on about it here, but I think it is important that you see it because I cannot remember anyone ever teaching about Satan including this.

“Son of man, raise a lamentation over the king of Tyre, and say to him, Thus says the Lord GOD: “You were the signet of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone was your covering, sardius, topaz, and diamond, beryl, onyx, and jasper, sapphire, emerald, and carbuncle; and crafted in gold were your settings and your engravings. On the day that you were created they were prepared. You were an anointed guardian cherub. I placed you; you were on the holy mountain of God; in the midst of the stones of fire you walked. You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created, till unrighteousness was found in you.” (Ezekiel 28:12-15 ESV)

Now war arose in heaven

If Satan, under the name of Lucifer, was in the garden and he was blameless something clearly happened between then and the deception of Eve by the serpent, in the garden.

The War in Heaven by Gustave Dore

The War in Heaven by Gustave Dore

Revelation 12:7-9 ESV Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back, (8) but he was defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. (9) And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world–he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.”

Earlier we read:

His tail swept down a third of the stars of heaven and cast them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she bore her child he might devour it. (Revelation 12:4 ESV)

Perhaps this is merely another way to describe an incident; regardless, the result is the same. I need to address something here. We make a common mistake when we assume that this is indicative of some complete and utter destruction of Satan. If not that, then this is seen as the total banishment of Satan from heaven. If that were the case, then how is it that we can see this happening in Job.

“Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them.” (Job 1:6 ESV)

Perhaps it is best to think of Satan being thrown to earth as him losing his position in heaven. Don’t get me wrong, a final, destructive end will come for Satan, but not yet.
Verse 8 seems to give us some clarity as to the condition of Satan.

“but he was defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. (Revelation 12:8 ESV)

Having been thrown out of heaven merely seems to mean he lost his place, position, or title.

You might think it was a reason to shout.

Revelation 12:10 ESV “And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God.”

Because we just read that Satan was thrown to earth, stripping him of his position in heaven, you might think that his moment of punishment had come and it was time to shout for joy, but that was not the case.

We really have to get past the assumptions we make and pay attention to the context. I told you that this was a cryptic history lesson, but it is certainly not chronological. If you have taken history in college you learn several things: One, history tends to be told from the perspective of the winner of the battle in most cases. And, two, it oft times makes more sense studying say, the American Civil War if you know what led up to that war. But you could, for example, be specifically interested in one particular battle, like the last major action of the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House which occurred on May 19, 1864, at the Harris Farm. The point being that we can look intentionally at moments in time independent of the overall picture.

The context of the Revelation is not meant to give you a history lesson, but to show you an unfolding of God’s mystery that is the culmination of all things; a gathering of those who are his; a punishment of those who continue to reject and fight against him, and the termination of Satan. Because of all that verse, 10 would be the victory shout heard as that page in history comes to a momentary close.

What would it mean to these voices in heaven to say, “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God” if that was not the case? And, though we see him thrown down in verses 8 and 9, it is not his end. And, as I pointed out in the passage from Job, he was back before God a short time later, among other angels, accusing Job.

(Satan now spends all his time accusing the saints. Is what Satan says about me a lie, no, because I do those things and so do you, but the fact that Christ covered us with his blood and since we accepted that salvation it makes me his – I am in him. We call this being covered by the blood. God, from that point forward, sees me as justified, as though I had hung on that cross.)

As an evidence of where we are in the biblical time frame, I want to look at Revelation 12:11.

Revelation 12:11 ESV “And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.”

But I have to ask myself if I understand this verse to be speaking of the martyred saints throughout the time of wrath or is it speaking of saints throughout all time?
Because the context of Revelation primarily has to do with the time of wrath, then I can ascertain that verse 11 is speaking about a time that is still in the future (though not too distant future.)

Let’s camp out here for a moment.

“And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.”

Our militaristic mentality tells us that you have not conquered much if you are dead. Is that a true assessment? I do not think so for several reasons:

1. Wars have been fought and sides have won, and yet scores of good men have died. Does the fact that people have died make them a loser? Not in the mind of the winners.
2. The militaristic mentality is not truth. Truth is, things hurt, and admitting that is not necessarily a bad thing.
3. Thirdly, God does not see death as a failure.

This group of people we find in heaven, rejoicing because justice is finally being served against Satan, are those who were martyred during this time of wrath. They are painfully aware that Satan had a role in their deaths.

Revelation 7:13-14 NASB (13) “Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, “These who are clothed in the white robes, who are they, and where have they come from?” (14) I said to him, “My lord, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.”

How did they conquer?

“by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony.” This is really a two-part equation, not that they necessarily did both. The blood of the Lamb is understood to be Jesus blood; often, this is seen as that which was spilled on the cross. Obviously, there is more to the blood than merely spilling it, and the trail of blood may have begun when the chief priest ordered Jesus struck in the face.

The point I want to make here is that the way I see ISIS flooding into a town, blowing up the church, and taking the survivors captive, in many cases probably point several guns at you while shouting, give praise to Allah. It could be that simple. In that moment of time you merely, through tears, say no. The end result is that they kill you. Let’s take this one step further. Suppose they round you up, demand that you give praise to Allah (we will ignore all the tortuous things they do to you for now), and perhaps you say little, but you do not bow to Allah. What if in your rejection of Allah you are assenting to God and his ways? It’s just a question; but, what if you are not given time to speak, as Paul and Stephen did? Then the word of your testimony would have to be an ongoing aspect of your life.

I, for example, am not an outgoing evangelist, and could never compete with Pastor Greg Laurie and his big stadium crusades. But, I do publish my thoughts and messages on the internet, where they are read around the world. You might also find me talking about these same things at the place where we get our coffee, and I am not very quiet about my God.

There is, of course, a problem with all this. The government here in America monitors everything we do on the internet, and so I can guarantee you that I am a marked man. How do I respond to that? By continuing to try to open people’s eyes to the truth found in the Bible.

Here is the truth: God is love, this is His nature and character. I know many can’t believe that, using the argument about God ordering Israel to kill everything on many occasions.

Knowing who he really is, aside from tradition, requires a personal relationship, and that is entirely up to you. It begins with you asking Jesus into your life to make a permanent home. He then will quietly clean the place up.

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Questions we all seem to want an answer to. Chapter 10 in our journey through Revelation.

Posted on 03/09/2016 by remso

One of the questions we all seem to want an answer to is, who is this great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads?

Since we know that Ezekiel 28 addresses him as the king of Tyre and places him in the garden of Eden, and, that he awaits throughout all time as we know it, for a chance to catch and kill this promised savior of the world, that we are dealing with Satan when we think about the main body of the dragon.

Remember the old East Indian saying, how does one eat an elephant? A little bit at a time. With that in mind let’s take this a little bit at a time.

  • ten horns

Revelation 12:3 KJV And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads.

We don't really know what this looks like, but let's assume this represents what scripture describes it as.

We don’t really know what this looks like, but let’s assume this represents what scripture describes it as.

Where else do I get ten horns? Daniel chapter 7.

Daniel 7:1-7 ESV In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel saw a dream and visions of his head as he lay in his bed. Then he wrote down the dream and told the sum of the matter. (2) Daniel declared, “I saw in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of heaven were stirring up the great sea. (3) And four great beasts came up out of the sea, different from one another. (4) The first was like a lion and had eagles’ wings. Then as I looked its wings were plucked off, and it was lifted up from the ground and made to stand on two feet like a man, and the mind of a man was given to it. (5) And behold, another beast, a second one, like a bear. It was raised up on one side. It had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth; and it was told, ‘Arise, devour much flesh.’ (6) After this I looked, and behold, another, like a leopard, with four wings of a bird on its back. And the beast had four heads, and dominion was given to it. (7) After this I saw in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, terrifying and dreadful and exceedingly strong. It had great iron teeth; it devoured and broke in pieces and stamped what was left with its feet. It was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns.

Continuing to focus on the number ten.

Daniel 2:30-44 ESV But as for me, this mystery has been revealed to me, not because of any wisdom that I have more than all the living, but in order that the interpretation may be made known to the king, and that you may know the thoughts of your mind. (31) “You saw, O king, and behold, a great image. This image, mighty and of exceeding brightness, stood before you, and its appearance was frightening. (32) The head of this image was of fine gold, its chest and arms of silver, its middle and thighs of bronze, (33) its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of clay. (34) As you looked, a stone was cut out by no human hand, and it struck the image on its feet of iron and clay, and broke them in pieces. (35) Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold, all together were broken in pieces, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing floors; and the wind carried them away, so that not a trace of them could be found. But the stone that struck the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth. (36) “This was the dream. Now we will tell the king its interpretation. (37) You, O king, the king of kings, to whom the God of heaven has given the kingdom, the power, and the might, and the glory, (38) and into whose hand he has given, wherever they dwell, the children of man, the beasts of the field, and the birds of the heavens, making you rule over them all–you are the head of gold. (39) Another kingdom inferior to you shall arise after you, and yet a third kingdom of bronze, which shall rule over all the earth. (40) And there shall be a fourth kingdom, strong as iron, because iron breaks to pieces and shatters all things. And like iron that crushes, it shall break and crush all these. (41) And as you saw the feet and toes, partly of potter’s clay and partly of iron, it shall be a divided kingdom, but some of the firmness of iron shall be in it, just as you saw iron mixed with the soft clay. (42) And as the toes of the feet were partly iron and partly clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly brittle. (43) As you saw the iron mixed with soft clay, so they will mix with one another in marriage, but they will not hold together, just as iron does not mix with clay. (44) And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, nor shall the kingdom be left to another people. It shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand forever,

Nebuchadnezzar's statue

Nebuchadnezzar’s statue

You cannot separate the toes from the feet as they are an integral part of the balance system, and most people have ten. So, here, in a most subtle way, we have the number ten again. Look up the word mixed and you will find something very revealing, the Chaldean word ar-ab’, meaning: to commingle: – mingle (self), mix. Contrast what little we know and understand about the Middle Eastern nations and scripture, because God had already told us what we would find there. God, in speaking about Ishmael, said,

Genesis 16:12 AMP And he [Ishmael] will be as a wild ass among men; his hand will be against every man and every man’s hand against him, and he will live to the east and on the borders of all his kinsmen.

Ten nations, mixed in so many ways, with one main purpose, struggle and warfare.

Daniel explained to Nebuchadnezzar that he was the head of gold. The Babylonian empire was the head of gold – an empire. So let’s follow the logic. Since we know that the Babylonians were overthrown by the Medo-Persian empire (Assyrians), we now have the chest and shoulders of the statue that Daniel was describing. Carrying on. We can ascertain from history the Medo-Persian empire was replaced by the Grecian empire, but more importantly, the Grecian empire came to an end under the control of two Alexandrian generals: Seleucid and Ptolemy.

As a former pastor loved to say, stay with me here.

Since the statue we see in Daniel is following a comparable pattern to the red dragon and the beasts, then it safe to say that what we are looking at when we try to define what the dragon is, is a succession of Satanically motivated and even possessed empires.

Is there anything in Daniel that explicitly explains who some of these are?

The first one is plainly laid out.

Daniel 2:37-38 ESV You, O king, the king of kings, to whom the God of heaven has given the kingdom, the power, and the might, and the glory, (38) and into whose hand he has given, wherever they dwell, the children of man, the beasts of the field, and the birds of the heavens, making you rule over them all–you are the head of gold.

Without a doubt, the first empire we are considering was the Babylonian. The revelation of the second kingdom is a little more subtle.

As you read Daniel chapter four, you find Nebuchadnezzar on all fours grazing with the cattle. In time his mind is restored and he honors God. That is a plus, but we have little to tell us about his end and chapter five opens with one of his sons, Belshazzar, now leading the kingdom. I suggest you read Daniel 5:1-31 yourself to get the feel of what was going on and why. Here is the direct passage that explains who we are looking for.

Daniel 5:24-28 ESV “Then from his presence the hand was sent, and this writing was inscribed. (25) And this is the writing that was inscribed: MENE, MENE, TEKEL, and PARSIN. (26) This is the interpretation of the matter: MENE, God has numbered the days of your kingdom and brought it to an end; (27) TEKEL, you have been weighed in the balances and found wanting; (28) PERES, your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians.”

Daniel 5:30-31 ESV That very night Belshazzar the Chaldean king was killed. (31) And Darius the Mede received the kingdom, being about sixty-two years old.

This is now the third head of state Daniel has served under and the potential for radical change in leadership is often the order of the day, but God has his hand on Daniel.

Daniel 6:1-3 ESV It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom 120 satraps, to be throughout the whole kingdom; (2) and over them three high officials, of whom Daniel was one, to whom these satraps should give account, so that the king might suffer no loss. (3) Then this Daniel became distinguished above all the other high officials and satraps, because an excellent spirit was in him. And the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom.

Daniel 6:28 ESV So this Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus the Persian.

Did you notice this? Two different kings but the empire did not change focus or direction, and Daniel served well in both of them. The domain was Persian, which happens to have what affiliation? Assyrian and the Assyrians were the ruling bodies in Nineveh when Jonah was told to deliver the message – repent or be destroyed.

While this is all good stuff to take note of, we still have not migrated to the third empire as yet.

In Daniel chapter, seven we step back in time as Daniel tells us about a dream he had during the first year of Belshazzar’s reign.

Daniel describes the four great beasts rising out of the sea that was in the dream.

Daniel 7:2-4 ESV Daniel declared, “I saw in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of heaven were stirring up the great sea. (3) And four great beasts came up out of the sea, different from one another. (4) The first was like a lion and had eagles’ wings. Then as I looked its wings were plucked off, and it was lifted up from the ground and made to stand on two feet like a man, and the mind of a man was given to it.

  • “The first was like a lion and had eagles’ wings”

Sounds regal enough but you seldom find someone of such stature crawling around on the ground like a mad man.

“then as I looked its wings were plucked off, and it was lifted up from the ground and made to stand on two feet like a man, and the mind of a man was given to it.”

This is the description we have of Nebuchadnezzar that we find that in Daniel chapter four before his mind was restored to him. So, once again, we have a description of the Babylonian empire.

Because we have a clear definition of who the second empire is – the Medo-Persian. Keep that in mind as you read about the second beast Daniel sees.

Daniel 7:5-6 ESV And behold, another beast, a second one, like a bear. It was raised up on one side. It had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth; and it was told, ‘Arise, devour much flesh.’ (6) After this I looked, and behold, another, like a leopard, with four wings of a bird on its back. And the beast had four heads, and dominion was given to it.

Here is a peculiarity. Even though all these sound very deadly, did they have that effect on Daniel, or on Israel in general? The answer is no. If you read through Daniel you find the king setting up a large, grotesque statue of himself. Where Daniel was when this happened we are not told, but to not worship the image meant death. Daniel’s Jewish brethren refused to bow and were thrown into the fire – if you know the story then you know they were not burned or even touched by the smell of smoke. Now, the question is, did these kingdoms have an evil and deadly side to them? Certainly.

Let’s ponder the third beast for a moment.

(6) “After this I looked, and behold, another, like a leopard, with four wings of a bird on its back. And the beast had four heads, and dominion was given to it.”

Is it possible that verse six is speaking of the Grecian empire when it speaks of the beast having four heads? Historically, we know that this was the Grecian empire. We also know that after Alexander’s death the Grecian empire was controlled by four generals. However, there was no end to struggle and eventually two generals controlled all the northern and southern regions. The general that ruled the northern empire was Seleucus and Ptolemy to the south. The fact that the empire ends up under the control of two generals either eliminates them as a possibility or, it explains the legs of the statue.

Let me burst your theological bubble just a bit more.

While we have some definition to the first three: a lion; a bear, and a leopard. Just the species alone does not give you a solid link to particular empires. The problem is that there is a fourth.

Daniel 7:7 ESV After this I saw in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, terrifying and dreadful and exceedingly strong. It had great iron teeth; it devoured and broke in pieces and stamped what was left with its feet. It was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns.

When we compare what Daniel tells us in chapter seven against the interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar’s statue dream, we are now down to the undefined legs.

The fourth beast is given no animal counterpart, but it does have iron teeth. There is nothing on earth, outside of mythical creatures, that has iron teeth with the exception of one thing, man and his weapons of war.

  • “ it devoured and broke in pieces and stamped what was left with its feet.”

There is an entity active on the earth presently that is devouring and breaking in pieces everything they come in contact with. All you have to do is look at pictures coming out of the Middle East to see how devastated and broken those nations are now. They are currently called ISIS. What is the root of ISIS? Islam in its most vile form; and, those associated with ISIS are holding fast to every brutal command contained within the Qur’an.

Take note of where these four came from.

Daniel 7:3 ESV And four great beasts came up out of the sea, different from one another.

I have heard it said that the sea represents the sea of people, and I do not have a problem with that. But in truth, we are looking at something very spiritual/devilish/demonic = fallen angels, and their original attempts to wipe out anything that looked like it could be the Messiah? Clearly the attack plan shifted once the Messiah came, paid the price, and freed the world from the bondage of servant-hood to sin. So, then the demonic plan must be focused on deception and prevention of anyone joining ranks with God and his plan.

I am jumping ahead with this example but it corroborates what Daniel saw, and this repetition is a vital aspect of prophecy.

Revelation 13:1-2 ESV And I saw a beast rising out of the sea, with ten horns and seven heads, with ten diadems on its horns and blasphemous names on its heads. (2) And the beast that I saw was like a leopard; its feet were like a bear’s, and its mouth was like a lion’s mouth. And to it the dragon gave his power and his throne and great authority.

It is no longer four beasts, but one. And yet, we still have the identities of the lion, the bear, and the leopard. It too is coming out of the sea and has ten horns and seven heads. This is the same thing that Daniel has been seeing, even if the format looks different. John here sees one other aspect that we do not see in Daniel:

“And to it the dragon gave his power and his throne and great authority.””

Since Daniel alerted us that we should be looking for empires or authoritative bodies, we know that what we see in Revelation 13:1-2 is also representative of the same thing. There is, however, a subtle word in Revelation 13:2 that we need to pay attention to, and it is the word “it.” It is singular but can comprise a unity of power under one motive and action. We often refer to a corporation as it, but what if “it” is a demonic/fallen angel. The dragon, which we have established as representative of Satan, is the one doing the giving. Would he give all that power to a man? Maybe, but clearly this is not just one man and has not been in any of the examples we have looked at as evidence so far.

One of the horrendous problems we have had in understanding Revelation and end times events is the conjecture as to who the fourth beast, the waist, thighs and legs of the statue are. Still, to this day, I hear prophecy teachers saying that we should be looking to Rome. Although the Pope does and says things associated with apostasy, while leading a group of people who are awaiting alien leadership, that does not make him the Antichrist. It does, however, cause us to not look anywhere else, pursue logical options, and it distracts us from real possibilities, that are happening all around us.

A huge clue comes out of Daniel 7:7 when it says,

“It was different from all the beasts that were before it,”

Alright then, let’s consider this. Since God is focused on the Babylonian empire as the initiating point. What is it that is significant?

  • Babylon, under the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, takes Israel captive.

    What was the purpose of Israel’s captivity? To punish them for forsaking the Shemittah, the period of rest.

    Even though, as we discussed, Nebuchadnezzar had the potential for great harm, he also had a preservative effect on Israel. People continued to live there, carrying on with their lives, and someone actually preserved the oral history and traditions.

    Daniel, a Jew, excelled under Nebuchadnezzar, as did Hananiah, Azariah, and Mishael, his Jewish brethren.

  • Babylon was overtaken by Darius the Mede.

    How did Daniel fare through this? He was placed in the kingdom as one of the three highest-ranking officials.

    And, Daniel even rises to the top when Cyrus, the Persian takes the reigns of the former Babylonian empire.

So far, it is not an entirely destructive pattern we see. Since we love to assign the hips and legs of the statue to the Roman empire, let’s consider them for a moment. Rome was not an entirely destructive force upon the earth, as they made roads, built aqueducts, and established a rule of law. While it is obvious that their initial greetings may have been at the point of a spear, this was common with any invaded nation. Historically, Rome never held any ground over Babylon proper, for any period of time, and, therefore, cannot be deemed to have held the same land masses that others conquerors held.

If we are looking at invading powers as solely destructive, this was not the case. And yet, this power, which may not be as global as we think, and because of this statement – “It was different from all the beasts that were before it,” it may prove to be one of the most destructive plagues upon man.

I never end one of these without pointing out that you too can have a confidence in your relationship with the Messiah. Admit you are broken with Him and invite this Jesus into your life. He will come and make himself real to you, live in you, and give you a hope in an eternal home with the Father, God.

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A cryptic history lesson. The journey through Revelation. Chapter 9

Posted on 03/04/2016 by remso

Previously, I mentioned that Revelation 12 comes across as a cryptic history lesson. How else do you explain rapidly why we have this hope?

If you have read Paul’s writings in the New Testament, then you know that this HOPE we have is one the major themes being preached. Try to absorb the book of Acts and you come to realize that Paul’s primary audience were Jewish followers of the Law and the Prophets that had gathered on the Sabbath, in the synagogue of the city he was now in. Speaking to men educated in the Torah and Tanach, many through oral history, Paul spoke a language they understood. And, since the Law and the Prophets spoke of the Messiah that was to come, Paul made it clear that He had come already; there was clear evidence of that and many of those who were eyewitness are still alive today (he would tell them) and you can speak with them should you wish to pursue that.

In my last post, I mention these two verses as I talked about how we were jumping backward in time; where and when this action might have taken place; and what some of the possibilities are concerning the dragon’s attempts to devour the child Israel was to give birth to.

Today I had a thought that may tickle you as we try to understand the language being used.

My constant admonition – keep in mind that this is a Jewish book, written to Jewish converts within the early churches. Yes, it was meant for us to see and understand.

Revelation 1:3 ESV Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near.

John wrote at the direction of the Holy Spirit of God and therefore fully intended for us to figure this stuff out.

The second half of my admonition is that John wrote in a terminology they were familiar with. So, when he writes about a great red dragon with seven heads and ten horns, the learned, Jewish mind has an immediate association with some passage from the Old Testament. And, this is not just some mere, worthless symbol, this is prophecy. For prophecy to the Jewish mind is a pattern, not flash and pizzazz, but solid, repeatable evidence. That evidence came as God’s word. Now consider that before the days of books history was oral tradition. Therefore, what the “prophets” did and said might have been transcribed and then orally passed along for generations. That sort of demands that you show some belief and faith.

Can you see a problem here? I can and examples of that problem show up at the birth of Jesus. How you ask?

  • Magi/wise men/game changers – come from another nation. Following evidence in the scriptures and a sign in the heavens, that was noted in the scriptures, they pursued the birth of the Messiah, the King that was to come, and they worshiped him.

  • Follow that story in scriptures and you will find Herod and all Jerusalem in a panic as these men came. Herod questioned the Jewish Chief priests and elders what this was all about, and they told him. Did they pursue the Messiah as the Magi did? Not at all, in fact, they were all in favor of having him eliminated. Are you kidding me; why? Because they knew they would lose their place and power, the same thing Herod feared.

  • Simeon the priest recognized the Messiah and worshiped him.

  • Anna the prophetess, longed to see the day he would come, and she too recognized that it was him.

So, Israel has a problem with belief. Do you actually believe we are so different? And yet, as you saw above some believed and waited anxiously for the Messiah.

Even though I covered this to some degree before, I want to discuss the bizarre description. There is a humorous reason for this, as well as the desire to understand. The men’s bible study I attend off and on has a variety of men and their thoughts, but most are deeply entrenched in some old twisted traditions. One guy, he was a gunnery Sargent in the military, asks questions and challenges what he hears because he either does not or will not open his bible. As we spent time some time talking about end times events, he goes on a short rant saying, “who can understand this stuff anyway. What is this red dragon with seven heads and ten horns? No one can figure this stuff out.”

Well, that is not a true statement. You can understand it if someone tells you what is going on in common language. The other aspect of his dismay was the imagery. As I said, John wrote with the intent and purpose of being understood. The problem is that we do not recognize that fact and we do not read for ourselves.

Revelation 12:3-4 ESV And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads seven diadems. (4) His tail swept down a third of the stars of heaven and cast them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she bore her child he might devour it.

We don't really know what this looks like, but let's assume this represents what scripture describes it as.

We don’t really know what this looks like, but let’s assume this represents what scripture describes it as.

Time to tear it up:

“ behold, a great red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads seven diadems.”

This was not a new concept to John’s audience. Although the terminology is not exactly the same, the ‘monster’ has some similar characteristics.

Daniel 7:19-22 ESV “Then I desired to know the truth about the fourth beast, which was different from all the rest, exceedingly terrifying, with its teeth of iron and claws of bronze, and which devoured and broke in pieces and stamped what was left with its feet, (20) and about the ten horns that were on its head, and the other horn that came up and before which three of them fell, the horn that had eyes and a mouth that spoke great things, and that seemed greater than its companions. (21) As I looked, this horn made war with the saints and prevailed over them, (22) until the Ancient of Days came, and judgment was given for the saints of the Most High, and the time came when the saints possessed the kingdom.

Both of these beasts have ten horns. Just because we do not see all the details, does not mean they are different.

Other examples:

Ezekiel 29:3 ESV speak, and say, Thus says the Lord GOD: “Behold, I am against you, Pharaoh king of Egypt, the great dragon that lies in the midst of his streams, that says, ‘My Nile is my own; I made it for myself.’

Isaiah 27:1 ESV In that day the LORD with his hard and great and strong sword will punish Leviathan the fleeing serpent, Leviathan the twisting serpent, and he will slay the dragon that is in the sea.

There is no physical dragon in the sea or streams, therefore, this is either symbolic or a fallen angel. We do have a huge clue to help our understanding and it comes from passages we are looking at.

“His tail swept down a third of the stars of heaven and cast them to the earth.”

Since we know that Satan was cast out of his permanent home, heaven. We should also comprehend that this dragon being cast out, sweeping a third of the stars with him, is Satan.

Take a moment to read this and then ask yourself some questions:

Ezekiel 28:12-19 ESV “Son of man, raise a lamentation over the king of Tyre, and say to him, Thus says the Lord GOD: “You were the signet of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. (13) You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone was your covering, sardius, topaz, and diamond, beryl, onyx, and jasper, sapphire, emerald, and carbuncle; and crafted in gold were your settings and your engravings. On the day that you were created they were prepared. (14) You were an anointed guardian cherub. I placed you; you were on the holy mountain of God; in the midst of the stones of fire you walked. (15) You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created, till unrighteousness was found in you. (16) In the abundance of your trade you were filled with violence in your midst, and you sinned; so I cast you as a profane thing from the mountain of God, and I destroyed you, O guardian cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire. (17) Your heart was proud because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor. I cast you to the ground; I exposed you before kings, to feast their eyes on you. (18) By the multitude of your iniquities, in the unrighteousness of your trade you profaned your sanctuaries; so I brought fire out from your midst; it consumed you, and I turned you to ashes on the earth in the sight of all who saw you. (19) All who know you among the peoples are appalled at you; you have come to a dreadful end and shall be no more forever.”

  • Is he really talking to the king of Tyre, for that was a real king born long after the garden disappeared?

  • If this is the king of Tyre, how did he get to wander in the garden of Eden?

  • You know how certain religions claim that Satan is the brother of Jesus. What do they do with this? “ On the day that you were created”

  • People struggle with how Satan even got into the garden. I never really noticed this before, but it certainly makes sense. Obviously, his corruption into Satan happened during this time.

    “You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone was your covering, sardius, topaz, and diamond, beryl, onyx, and jasper, sapphire, emerald, and carbuncle; and crafted in gold were your settings and your engravings. On the day that you were created they were prepared. (14) You were an anointed guardian cherub. I placed you; you were on the holy mountain of God; in the midst of the stones of fire you walked. (15) You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created, till unrighteousness was found in you.”

     

Take your time and ponder what Ezekiel 28 conveys about Satan’s beginnings.

While I admit I have offered you no great definitions about who the great red dragon might be, I think it is safe to say it is conglomeration of powers and leaders throughout many ages, backed by Satan himself, who have but one purpose – whether they know it or not, and that is to try to destroy the Woman and her child. Since the child, fortunately, included those of who were grafted in, then we have become the targets as well.

On the plus side, we have this closing statement from Ezekiel.

“Your heart was proud because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor. I cast you to the ground; I exposed you before kings, to feast their eyes on you. (18) By the multitude of your iniquities, in the unrighteousness of your trade you profaned your sanctuaries; so I brought fire out from your midst; it consumed you, and I turned you to ashes on the earth in the sight of all who saw you. (19) All who know you among the peoples are appalled at you; you have come to a dreadful end and shall be no more forever.”

Although our hope is based on the promise of a peaceful life with the Father, there is joy in knowing that Satan and all his cohorts will be put away permanently someday.

If you do not have that hope in you, you can. Just ask Jesus to make himself real to you. He will come into your life and be a part of it if you merely ask Him to. But I warn you, your life will change.

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A woman clothed with the sun. Our migration through Revelation. Chapter 8

Posted on 03/01/2016 by remso

Revelation chapter 12 is a cryptic history lesson. I happen to think understanding what we are going to see here in chapter 12 is easy, but most struggle with the terminology. I am going to give you some clues that might help you understand. While these clues are meant to help you, they may not make sense at first. However, if you adjust your thinking to include them you will begin to have a greater understanding of not only what is going on around you, but how these prophetic words, such as we find in Revelation, Daniel, and others mesh with life.

Clue number one: This book we are reading is an Eastern – oriented book. You cannot read it with your Western – centric mentality – you know, that attitude in which you think the world revolves around you.

Clue number two: This book was written to Jewish believers, so, every word has significance to the Jewish community – a community that is serious about their scriptures. Are you serious about your study of the Word?

We will do the usual; tear it apart and make sense of it.

“And a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars.” (Revelation 12:1 ESV)

“a great sign appeared in heaven:”

The word sign is sēmeion and means an indication. John does not tell us what that indicator was. We know that there was an indicator of Jesus birth, but we are not talking about that yet.

“a woman”

Israel is the woman. Remember that I told you that the Revelation was a Jewish book, written to Jewish converts who would have had an immediate recognition of the symbols being spoken of. The woman, a symbolic representation of Israel, is defined in the Old Testament as the wife of God. We can find references to this in Isaiah 54:5-6; Jeremiah 3:6-8; Jeremiah 31:32; Ezekiel 16:32; Hosea 2:16.

“clothed with the sun”

A look at several commentaries can sometimes fill in the blanks in your thinking. 

Gill’s commentary states: “which does not point at her future state in glory; see Matthew 13:47; but to her then present state on earth;”

Because we can follow the context as Revelation 12 progresses we know that Israel’s glory state had much to do with the arrival of Jesus Christ. Was Israel really clothed with the sun at that time? Not really, for there had been 400 years of prophetic silence. Still, this was God’s chosen people, and they were meant to put God on display as the righteous king. That did not happen. Nonetheless, God still speaks into and about our lives as though we are living fully in the kingdom He desires.

John MacArthur, in his commentary, describes the woman clothed with the sun, in this way.

“Being clothed with the sun speaks of the glory, dignity, and exalted status of Israel, the people of promise who will be saved and given a kingdom.”

“and on her head a crown of twelve stars.”

The consensus is that this speaks of the twelve tribes of Israel. I am okay with that, not that it matters.

She was pregnant and was crying out in birth pains and the agony of giving birth. (Revelation 12:2 ESV)

If this is Israel prior to the birth of Christ, and you did not know that, where would your mind go as you tried to find out who and what this verse was speaking of? I think almost all of us comprehend the idea of pain in childbirth, but what if it is highly significant?

Can you see that God was creating a pathway and allowing things to happen for the purpose of bringing His Son into the world? All this was a part of the mystery – from the fall in the garden; to the Son on the cross, and now, the culmination of all things and our life with Him in eternity. This is why the angel made this statement we find in Revelation 10:7 NASB

“but in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, then the mystery of God is finished, as He preached to His servants the prophets.”

How does one explain all this except to give you a cryptic history? It is only cryptic because it is described as God sees it, not man. Therefore, we must try to see through His eyes and heart.

Let me attempt to show the heart of God, just as Israel knew.

Come, my people, enter your chambers, and shut your doors behind you; hide yourselves for a little while until the fury has passed by. For behold, the LORD is coming out from his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity, and the earth will disclose the blood shed on it, and will no more cover its slain. In that day the LORD with his hard and great and strong sword will punish Leviathan the fleeing serpent, Leviathan the twisting serpent, and he will slay the dragon that is in the sea. (Isaiah 26:20-27:1 ESV)

Things to note in this:

  • “Come, my people, enter your chambers, and shut your doors behind you; hide yourselves for a little while until the fury has passed by.”

    Sure, everybody’s sins were done away with on the cross. However, that does not mean you accepted Christ, the Lord, as your ruler; without a decision from you are either operating in rogue mode or you choose to belong to Satan. It’s kind of a default situation and requires an active decision on your part.

    If perchance you have chosen to live under the banner of Christ then you are one of His people. Consider what this says and note that He is offering you the opportunity to ‘escape’ the coming fury. This, in our understanding, is the wrath that we see in the Revelation.

  • “For behold, the LORD is coming out from his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity, and the earth will disclose the blood shed on it, and will no more cover its slain.”

    Who is bringing the fury? The Lord.

    Who is this fury coming against? The nations/inhabitants of the earth.

    Why? For their iniquity; and, for the blood shed upon it. Don’t be deceived, the so-called righteous have done more than their fair share of killing innocents and it has happened in so many ways.

  • “In that day the LORD with his hard and great and strong sword will punish Leviathan the fleeing serpent, Leviathan the twisting serpent, and he will slay the dragon that is in the sea.”

    It seems we are taking some literary freedom here, but the beast is really the same as what we see in Revelation 12.

“And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads seven diadems. His tail swept down a third of the stars of heaven and cast them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she bore her child he might devour it.” (Revelation 12:3-4 ESV)

Do any of you know precisely when this took place? Neither do I, but the assumption is that it happened somewhere near the beginnings of the earth before man was here. Is it possible that there was some significant release of power, causing a bright light in the heavens as this battle raged on? We should not be surprised if there was.

Jesus told the disciples, “Yes, I watched Satan fall from heaven like a flash of lightning.” (Luke 10:18 Moffatt NT)

It almost seems as if we have evidence of a sign based on this statement. The other thing we can consider solid and factual is that Satan took one-third of the angels with him.

Don’t get lost in terminology here. What was Satan’s name prior to the fall? Lucifer – originally the most beautiful of angels, an aspect of his name means light bringer. Perhaps all angels carried that role to some degree. So, if Satan is this great red dragon, and he is, then he dragged one-third of the angels with him when he fell. This is not the place where you should get all weepy eyed, these angels were deceived but they had a choice, and they chose to attempt an overthrow of the leadership in heaven. Therefore, they too were thrown out. So, in a sense, the dragon dragged them down with him.

If this is a cryptic history lesson, we just jumped way back in time. To a time, long before Israel was born. Now, within the same two verses, we seem to be jumping forward in time by changing the terminology,

“And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she bore her child he might devour it.”

Wait a minute, don’t we see this dragon’s impact in the garden. Satan seems to have some sort of clue that God has a plan. Since God, the creator of time and space, is a spirit, then He is not constrained by time. If that is true, and I believe it is, then references that prompt us to think in terms of time are relative to the action. What does that mean? It means that this dragon was there in the garden, anticipating that salvation and redemption might come through Eve as well. How is that shown? By having Abel killed. (Abel the only one that appropriately responded to guidelines for sacrifice – hence gaining a state of momentary righteousness.) So then, since deceiving the first couple into a mutiny attempt seems to have failed, Satan makes another attempt at stopping God by devouring a child, Abel.

The implications are that Satan has tried to kill anyone that closely resembled the promised seed.

As I write this I find myself thinking about Joseph and the several times he could have been killed; Daniel was thrown into the lion’s den; David, as King Saul threw spears at him. There are of course innumerable people who Satan has tried to kill. Just look at the number of Christians that are being killed for their faith throughout the world.

Have you ever wondered why Satan seems to be so actively pursuing some people? First off, Satan has come to hate God. Ever trying to take over heaven and assert himself as king, he is relentless in his efforts to eliminate anything that acts like God. Since we are created in God’s image, then we are prime targets. But take this idea one step further as we come into relationship and are then deemed to be ‘in Christ’; now we even look like him. So for Satan’s hatred to be turned against us in full force only seems natural from his point of view.

Ponder this: “She was pregnant and was crying out in birth pains and the agony of giving birth.”

If ‘she’ is Israel, then is it possible that this idea of Israel being pregnant, crying out in birth pains, is, in reality, all the whining and struggling that Israel did, not only in the wilderness but includes the times of captivity where they turned their backs on God. You should be getting the general idea that this includes the entire time of Israel’s existence. Was it Israel’s job to bring the Messiah into the world? No, they were just the path and the chosen people.

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A tenth of the city fell. Our journey through Revelation. Part 7

Posted on 02/26/2016 by remso

Life can get hectic at times, and in that short time I got distracted and needed to remind myself what I am working on.

I opened the last post with “Seven seals have been opened. Within the seventh seal are seven trumpeters. The previous trumpet, the sixth in this vision, has blown releasing four angels who have spent their traitorous lives bound in the Euphrates river. These must be comparable to great generals within the armies of Satan, for they command an army of 200 million demonic horsemen. These creatures are like nothing man has ever seen, and are therefore fallen angels themselves.”

We are on a relentless migration in our attempt to absorb and understand Revelation. Currently, we are in Revelation 11 where we covered the two witnesses.

They no sooner die and are taken off the earth when this happens.

Revelation 11:13 ESV And at that hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell. Seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the rest were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.

Previously we saw: 200 million demonic horsemen killing and tormenting mankind; two prophets from God that have the ability to kill, and now, a hellish earthquake, only one of many. Because of this earthquake, a tenth of the city fell. I believe I would fear the horsemen over the earthquake, but nonetheless, a destruction it is.

Here’s an odd thought. Since the wrath, we are reading about, and this is all under the wrath, is directed at two people groups – the unrepentant Jews and the nations, then how does this earthquake impact the nations? I suppose an earthquake of this magnitude has a global, far-reaching impact, but haven’t we already experienced a global earthquake that has the rich and poor hiding in caves, crying out for the rocks to fall on them and save them from the wrath of God? So, let’s assume that the intention is to have a local impact. Then who are the recipients? Israel/Jews, and one other people group, who like to call themselves Palestinians. What has been happening immediately before this quake? Two witnesses, who maintain a strong position in the streets of Jerusalem, declaring the greatness of God, spewing fire (I think that would be correct since the Palestinians/Hamas/Muslims will be trying everything they can to kill these two), reigning plagues and shutting off the rain for 1260 days. Is it possible that this “woe” is a directed judgment at Israel for not acknowledging God in the evidence of these two witnesses and at the same time a judgment against those who continued to spit in the face of God by attempting to kill the witnesses?

Consider this. Jesus told Pilate,

“You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above. ” John 19:11a ESV

And to the crowd who came to take him in the garden, Jesus replied,

“Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels?” Matthew 26:53 ESV

The point being, no man could have touched these two witnesses, to harm them, unless, as Matthew’s gospel quoted,

“all this has taken place that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled” Matthew 26:56

just like the events that happened to Jesus. Keep in mind that the Jewish mind thinks very critically, and will be looking for the evidence in the law and the prophets. They have that evidence in this statement of prophecy.

“Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes. (Malachi 4:5 ESV)

You can argue about who these two persons are until you are blue in the face and you will not change the fact that they are coming and in a powerful way.

Back to our migration.

Do you realize that the first woe, announced in Revelation 9, coincides with the blast of the fifth trumpet and continues along with the second woe, for two chapters? There is nothing that segregates the first woe from the second. By the time we get to Revelation 11 the world is deeply under the effects of the sixth trumpet. It is possible that the deadly impact of 200 million horsemen and the two witnesses may be the second woe.

What is the premonition given to us in chapter ten of Revelation?

“ but that in the days of the trumpet call to be sounded by the seventh angel, the mystery of God would be fulfilled, just as he announced to his servants the prophets.” Revelation 10:7 ESV

I do not know what that says to you, but it tells me that the entire reason we have run this race is about to come to fruition. The idea of a mystery is splattered throughout the bible. While it was a mystery to many, some got it. We see that in Hebrews and a few other places.

“By an act of faith, Abraham said yes to God’s call to travel to an unknown place that would become his home. When he left he had no idea where he was going. By an act of faith he lived in the country promised him, lived as a stranger camping in tents. Isaac and Jacob did the same, living under the same promise. Abraham did it by keeping his eye on an unseen city with real, eternal foundations–the City designed and built by God.” (Hebrews 11:8-10 MSG)

They may not have known the name, or where it was, but they knew it was real and they were going there eventually. Not so different from us, is it? The mystery really came down to redemption and a restored life with the Father, to those who wanted it. But, you cannot go telling that to just everyone, like Satan or he would try to thwart the plan; that was his only hope. However, Satan’s attempts failed, but oh how he tried. (Having King Herod kill off every child in the region, two years and under is a good example. Thinking that putting Jesus on the cross and killing him there must have seemed like a good idea for a moment, but that failed also.)

Just knowing that the mystery will be finally fulfilled has me excited.

Revelation 11:15-19 ESV (15) Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever.” (16) And the twenty-four elders who sit on their thrones before God fell on their faces and worshiped God, (17) saying, “We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, who is and who was, for you have taken your great power and begun to reign. (18) The nations raged, but your wrath came, and the time for the dead to be judged, and for rewarding your servants, the prophets and saints, and those who fear your name, both small and great, and for destroying the destroyers of the earth.” (19) Then God’s temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant was seen within his temple. There were flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake, and heavy hail.

A representation of the elders from the brick testament.

A representation of the elders from the brick testament.

As usual, I have to tear it up to see what is in it.

  • there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever.”

This in itself is merely a statement. It denotes an action taking place, but where do we see that? We already have some evidence that Christ has completed his mission and taken the seat of authority.

Revelation 1:17-18 ESV When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, “Fear not, I am the first and the last, (18) and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.

This introduction is made in – if I may take the liberty, the beginning of the story, and still I am having difficulty wrapping my mind around all that it conveys. However, it demonstrates that God was never really out of control as he fulfilled his plan, and that was to create an environment for those which were made in his purposeful and exacting image. Nothing has changed, WE are still his purpose, created in his image.

In the book of Hebrews, we find Jesus, our high priest, having taken His seat at the right hand of the Father. The important aspect of this is why, and you find the details that answer the ‘why’ embedded on almost every page of the letter to the Hebrews.

Consider that for a moment: The writer wrote this letter directly to unbelieving Hebrews. This is the same uphill battle that the Apostle Paul waged, as he would come into a city and go to the synagogues, where he would preach about the hope we can have in the Messiah, all the evidence of which is found in the scriptures they so fervently study. Some believed while others rejected what Paul said.

Why would the writer Hebrews make such a detailed effort to change hearts and minds, unless he wanted the Jews to see that Jesus was the warrior king they awaited and that he was seated, merely awaiting the moment when the Father says go get them and end this mess.

Hebrews 7:23-8:1 NASB The former priests, on the one hand, existed in greater numbers because they were prevented by death from continuing, (24) but Jesus, on the other hand, because He continues forever, holds His priesthood permanently. (25) Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. (26) For it was fitting for us to have such a high priest, holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners and exalted above the heavens; (27) who does not need daily, like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the sins of the people, because this He did once for all when He offered up Himself. (28) For the Law appoints men as high priests who are weak, but the word of the oath, which came after the Law, appoints a Son, made perfect forever. (8:1) Now the main point in what has been said is this: we have such a high priest, who has taken His seat at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens,

Doesn’t this, much like Revelation 1:17-18, show us a king that has already conquered. He is not stressed but waiting. Until that time arrives Christ constantly intercedes, on our behalf, before the Father.

For me at least, the obvious part of this equation is the cross. It was the line drawn in the sand. On that cross, no less an altar than the one the priesthood used, the price was paid. That cross was no different from the pole with the bronze serpent wrapped around it, that Moses raised in the desert, for Jesus became the serpent on the pole that day. The price, paid by his blood and life, was the full price necessary and mandatory to buy the freedom of man out from under an oppressive ruler, Satan. I strongly suggest you read Hebrews, for all this is there.

If you are like me, then you have asked questions like:

  • Why then aren’t things different?

  • Why is Satan still running rampant?

  • And, why is the world still filled with evil and getting worse?

I suspect the best answer lies in God using these things to refine us, and, at the same time, bring about His judgment upon the world. Don’t get me wrong, the day will come when Satan is put out-of-the-way and men of violence will be silenced. Until that day comes we have to stay faithful.

  • “And the twenty-four elders who sit on their thrones before God fell on their faces and worshiped God, (17) saying, “We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, who is and who was, for you have taken your great power and begun to reign.”

Let’s focus on the elders for a moment.

When I try to make sense of this based upon what I know, I get twelve tribes and twelve disciples. Alright, there is clearly some significance. Now, based upon my understanding that this book of Revelation was written to Jewish converts with a deep understanding of the law and prophets (The Old Testament), then there is something there that few understand and fewer have been taught. So, allow me to defer to Pastor John MacArthur’s commentary.

In his notes on Revelation 4:4, where the elders first show up, he writes:

twenty-four elders. Their joint rule with Christ, their white garments (Rev_19:7-8), and their golden crowns (Rev_2:10) all seem to indicate that these twenty-four represent the redeemed (Rev_4:9-11; Rev_5:5-14; Rev_7:11-17; Rev_11:16-18; Rev_14:3; Rev_19:4). The question is which redeemed? Not Israel, since the nation is not yet saved, glorified, and coronated. That is still to come at this point in the events of the end. Their resurrection and glory will come at the end of the seven-year tribulation time (cf. Dan_12:1-3). Tribulation saints aren’t yet saved (Rev_7:9-10). Only one group will be complete and glorified at this point—the church. Here, elders represent the church, which sings the song of redemption (Rev_5:8-10). They are the overcomers who have their crowns and live in the place prepared for them, where they have gone with Jesus (cf. John 14:1-4).

While I have issues with some of the things Pastor John says and believes, this makes sense. What do I do with it is the next question. Let’s work on the principle that Revelation pertains to a time of judgment upon the earth that we mistakenly call ‘the tribulation’. I say that because God never promised us an exclusion from tribulations, in fact, they are guaranteed to us.

John 16:33 NASB “These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”

The time of judgment is specifically called a time of wrath, and, it is God’s wrath. Since Jesus Christ took all the wrath we deserved when He went to the cross, then, WE are NOT destined for wrath or punishment.

“For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,” 1 Thessalonians 5:9 NASB

All this tells me that WE, the church and body of Christ, are already there, with Him, in heaven. When did that happen? I believe that it happens right here.

“After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven, and the first voice which I had heard, like the sound of a trumpet speaking with me, said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after these things.” Revelation 4:1 NASB

What things is John being shown? He has just been shown the church age, ending with the apostate Laodicean church. If you are not aware, naive or just choose to close your eyes, refusing to see what is going on around you, we are that last church, the Laodicean church.

The elders cry out:

“We give You thanks, O Lord God, the Almighty, who are and who were, because You have taken Your great power and have begun to reign. “And the nations were enraged, and Your wrath came, and the time came for the dead to be judged, and the time to reward Your bond-servants the prophets and the saints and those who fear Your name, the small and the great, and to destroy those who destroy the earth.” (Revelation 11:17-18 NASB)

I think it is fairly clear that God has never suffered defeat, nor has He relinquished control of the throne at any time, although we think so. God is merely awaiting the moment that he unequivocally makes his enemies His footstool.

It seems as though Satan is in his last throes of death on earth and he knows it. So, what does he do, raise more havoc? This has nothing to do with Satan attempting to win converts to his side of the fence, he could care less. It has everything to do with him trying to kill anything that looks like God. Think about that for a minute. We are created in God’s image, now the fact that most of us do little to act like that is irrelevant, we are still the enemy, and in his mind, worthy of death.

But consider this scenario: In the movie Saving Private Ryan, in the process of taking Omaha beach, one of the squad members gets killed and must be replaced. The only available person is a clerk and would rather not fire a weapon. At the end of the movie, he is relegated to carrying ammunition. However, the stress of being shot at finally gets to him and we find him sitting in a stairwell sobbing as one of his squad mates, who is upstairs, desperately calls out for ammo. In the scene, a big German soldier goes up that same stairwell. He pushes the sobbing soldier aside, goes upstairs where the other squad member is, and gets into a bloody, hand to hand fight, eventually killing the soldier upstairs. The German, on his way back down merely, looks at the pathetic, sobbing soldier and walks away because it is obvious that he is not a threat.

I have to tell you, I know far too many people like this (I was one), and it has motivated me to be more proactive in how I talk to people and how I pray. Whether I can make an impact or not, I have determined that the enemy is not going to win on my watch.

In a sense, what I am ending on is the idea that we get back in the battle. I understand, you did not even know there was a battle. You certainly would have known if your family member struggled with substance abuse or cancer. Perhaps you are like me, and you have no problems except your own personal anger issues, that someday get you killed as you mouth off to someone on the road.

Get a grip, we all have issues and there is only one person to turn to, and that is Jesus Christ. The Word of God tells us to cast all of our cares on Him. One could imply that means all of them, including how much I might be hurting inside. Ask Jesus into your life as a permanent resident. Not a part-time slumber party guest, but the lasting relationship that He intends to make, and then watch how He changes your life.

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For it is given over to the nations. The continuing migration toward Revelation 16. Part 6

Posted on 02/19/2016 by remso

Chapter ten of Revelation is an interlude that also introduces what is to come prior to the seventh trumpet being blown.

Seven seals have been opened. Within the seventh seal are seven trumpeters. The earlier trumpet, the sixth in this vision, has blown releasing four angels who have spent their traitorous lives bound in the Euphrates river. These must be comparable to great generals within the armies of Satan, for they command an army of 200 million demonic horsemen. These creatures are like nothing man has ever seen, and are therefore fallen angels themselves.

As I have tried to understand what these judgments are, and the order in which they fall, there is this oddity. Odd in that, with the exception of “ it is given over to the nations, and they will trample the holy city for forty-two months”, it seems like a peaceful scenario. What could it mean and what does it mean to us?

Revelation 11:1-2 ESV Then I was given a measuring rod like a staff, and I was told, “Rise and measure the temple of God and the altar and those who worship there, (2) but do not measure the court outside the temple; leave that out, for it is given over to the nations, and they will trample the holy city for forty-two months.

First, this makes me aware that at some point the temple will be rebuilt. Here we are in January of 2016 and I have recently become aware of some amazing information. It seems that by all accounts, the temple was built within the city of David. That means it can be rebuilt possibly half a kilometer north of where we think it should be. Hopefully, the Muslims will have one less thing to fight over.

Do you have any doubt about who the Gentiles are? If you want a generalization, then it is anyone outside of a relationship with Jesus Christ. We could take this all the way back to Ishmael if we had to.

Genesis 16:11-12 Darby “And the Angel of Jehovah said to her, Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael, because Jehovah hath hearkened to thy affliction. (12) And he will be a wild-ass of a man, his hand against every man, and every man’s hand against him; and he shall dwell before the face of all his brethren.”

I think it is fair to say, this is the beginning of the Arab nations as most Middle Easterners will tell you that they trace their heritage back to Ishmael and Abraham. While at a recent bible study the teacher said just that. The statement elicited some negativity from the argumentative old man in the back of the room. (He fancies himself the wealth of all knowledge.) His response, to make it short, was, “no it’s not!” He ranted loudly as he attempted to dominate the teacher, but he offered nothing for evidence. Allow me to expose some evidence by taking you to Daniel’s prophecies.

In Daniel chapter two, we find Daniel, not only telling the king what the dream was but explaining it as well. In his explanation we find this:

Daniel 2:41-44 Darby “And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potter’s clay, and part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay. (42) And as the toes of the feet were part of iron and part of clay, the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly fragile. (43) And whereas thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men; but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron doth not mingle with clay. (44) And in the days of these kings shall the God of the heavens set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the sovereignty thereof shall not be left to another people: it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, but itself shall stand for ever.”

I want you to notice the word mixed. It is the Hebrew word ‛ărab. Do you really think a Jew reading about the Gentiles trampling on the outer court has any doubt in their mind about what that means? Its primary interpretation lends itself to the Arab/Muslim world.

How long does this trampling go on? Forty-two months, or 1260 days. One might also say, three and one – half years. Does this sound familiar? It should, it coincides with the amount of time that the so-called treaty remains intact, and, one other aspect, the two witnesses.

Let’s move on.

Revelation 11:3-6 ESV “And I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth.” (4) These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth. (5) And if anyone would harm them, fire pours from their mouth and consumes their foes. If anyone would harm them, this is how he is doomed to be killed. (6) They have the power to shut the sky, that no rain may fall during the days of their prophesying, and they have power over the waters to turn them into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague, as often as they desire.

When do these two witnesses show up?

We cannot be positive, but we can make some logical assumptions. Since they are only here for a short time, 1260 days, then God needs to make good use of them doesn’t he? It would make sense for them to be witnesses to new believers seeing how the church as we know it will be gone. A peculiarity that helps us to understand those left on earth is that Matthew 25 opens with a parable about 10 virgins – all going to the same wedding. Sadly, fifty percent are unprepared and do not make it in. This is extremely symbolic of the church and tells me that the fifty percent will be here to struggle through the time of wrath, just as the nations will.

Would I ask you to follow the lead of those who could not lead themselves? Not likely, so, it makes sense, to me anyway, that God would send these two to show the world what he meant for us live in all along.

Revelation 11:7 ESV And when they have finished their testimony, the beast that rises from the bottomless pit will make war on them and conquer them and kill them,

I cannot be only one that sees the correlation between their being done, and this beast that rises from the bottomless pit. Do not go looking for some creature, it is a man, empowered by either Satan himself or a fallen angel/demon.

Daniel 7:25 ESV He shall speak words against the Most High, and shall wear out the saints of the Most High, and shall think to change the times and the law; and they shall be given into his hand for a time, times, and half a time.

When we read Daniel 7:25 do we see a man speaking or a demon?

Let me show you something from the Acts of the Apostles that demonstrates a demon acting out through a man.

“When they had gone through the whole island as far as Paphos, they came upon a certain magician, a Jewish false prophet named Bar-Jesus. He was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a man of intelligence, who summoned Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God. But Elymas the magician (for that is the meaning of his name) opposed them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith. But Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him and said, “You son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, full of all deceit and villainy, will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord?” (Acts 13:6-10 ESV)

I believe Paul began by addressing the man, but his efforts take a quick turn when he calls Elymas the “enemy of all righteousness, full of all deceit and villainy, will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord?” How could this man fulfill all those roles? He couldn’t unless Paul is addressing the activity of a demon in a man.

Doesn’t what we see here sound like what we saw in Daniel 7:25 where it says, “he will speak words against the most high.”?

What do they do? They function as witnesses, but of what? This is not a good time to lean on religious traditional answers. A witness attests to what they know or has seen. This can be done through words or through visual demonstration. So, these are testifying to Jesus, as the Messiah; God, as the supreme ruler of the universe (in contrast to say, Allah.)

They protect themselves. How? “ if anyone would harm them, fire pours from their mouth and consumes their foes. If anyone would harm them, this is how he is doomed to be killed.”

They have control over the weather. “They have the power to shut the sky, that no rain may fall during the days of their prophesying,”

And, as they desire, “they have power over the waters to turn them into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague,” This opens the door to the slightest of irritations.

As you probably ascertained, the two witnesses can also be seen as deadly. Who or what is their wrath directed at? The nations. I realize that spectrum seems a little broad a for two men, but they do shut down the rain and send plagues of every variety upon the earth, as they will.

So why they are here? They are here to:

      • Show that God is in control, not the robber barons that think they run the earth.

      • Draw attention to God by their actions and words.

      • Demonstrate to people continuing to come to Jesus, how to walk in the power God intended.

      • And, because of where they stand upon the earth and the violent attempts against them, it may be that they also serve as protection for those building the temple and wishing to use it.

        No, we believers, prior to the rapture, do not have the freedom to call fire down from heaven upon our enemies, but, we are instructed to love them. One of those directives comes from Jesus himself:

        Matthew 10:16 ESV “Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.

         

Ponder their actions for a moment.

Revelation 11:5 ESV “And if anyone would harm them, fire pours from their mouth and consumes their foes. If anyone would harm them, this is how he is doomed to be killed.”

Do you, like most of us, assume that they just stand in one spot, doing Jewish-oriented, religious things? Not hardly. Here is where the problem lies, we consistently put God in a box. As I have thought about these two, it does not make sense to merely have them stand there. In contrast, what kind of witness could they be if they were proactive? Very lively and visual ones for sure.

A few examples of proactive lives would be Peter and Paul:

Peter, now filled with the Holy Spirit and with the fire of God, stood on the day of Pentecost, in front of the large crowd that had gathered because the noise coming from the disciples (this included Mary and many others) was loud enough and so unusual that many heard them speaking in foreign languages, magnifying God. While Peter may have been brash at times, was there anything he did that demonstrated him acting boldly like this? No, if anything Peter fled, gave up the ministry, and went back to fishing. Later, we see Peter running one of the first home churches. It was on his watch that the couple who lied to God came separately to the home, bringing their “gift.” Peter said, why have you lied, you did not have to; and, independently they both dropped dead. Read Acts 5:1-15 and John 21.

Paul, knowing that he would have to leave a particular town, preached long into the night. A boy grew tired as he sat in the upper window where Paul was preaching and while sleeping fell out to his death. Paul, rushed down, prayed over him, raised him back to life and continued preaching.

The eleventh chapter of the book of Hebrews tells us of people, who through faith fought against whole countries and won. They did what was right and received what God had promised. They shut the mouths of lions, put out fierce fires, escaped being killed by the sword. They were weak, but became strong; they were mighty in battle and defeated the armies of foreigners. Through faith, women received their dead relatives raised back to life. Read Acts 20.

But then, as some will say, these are old stories. That is why we have testimonies. Yes, most come out of third world nations, but they sound much like this description in Hebrews. I suppose the ideal thing would to be for you to read your bible. Elisha, a man of God, made an ax head to float because he understood how much trouble the young man would be in. The object here is not so much our ability to do unusual stuff as it is to know the one who gives us the power. We are not called during this time of grace to call fire down from heaven, but the day is coming when some will stop marauding forces from finding them or hurting them by using the name of Jesus. I suggest you read 2 Kings 6.

Know this, even though things look bleak God will preserve some. Others will die, just as they are today.

“But be on your guard. For they will deliver you over to councils, and you will be beaten in synagogues, and you will stand before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them. And the gospel must first be proclaimed to all nations. And when they bring you to trial and deliver you over, do not be anxious beforehand what you are to say, but say whatever is given you in that hour, for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit. And brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death. And you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. (Mark 13:9-13 ESV)

I am going to venture a guess that most have figured out that I write to those left behind. Isn’t it funny though how we religious folk can sit back and say, that won’t be me. Don’t you think that our Christian brothers and sisters in the Middle East, Africa, China, and North Korea were hoping that as well. They had hope and still the worst case scenario consumed them, and now they are dead. Suppose worse yet, are those being tortured for their faith like Richard Wurmbrand was.

Since anything less than a relationship with Jesus is not a viable option, what will you do? Who will you put your trust in? I strongly suggest Jesus, and before the wrath comes.

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You must again prophesy. The continuing migration toward Revelation 16. Part 5

Posted on 02/02/2016 by remso

Suppose you find yourself in unbearable circumstances.

That seems a rather odd thing to write because I am also involved with a Recovery program and, even if our immediate safety may not be at stake, our sanity might be. Having been rescued, in a sense, you often have to return to the only dry place you know, but that is where the factors that feed your instability or addiction are. At times and seasons like this, it feels like you are going to die here, and that is not what I really wanted.

It is possible that the Apostle John felt that way. First ask yourself, where is he? This dream/vision that he is having did not come to him while sleeping in the penthouse of some safe, warm hotel. He is stuck on a small island, intended for prisoners, and he might be in a cave. Why is John here? Because he is a dissident – someone who thinks differently, not conforming to government standards. The possibility that he will never know life off this rock he is living on is good.

Out of the midst of the most incredible dream a person could have, God says to him:

Then the voice that I had heard from heaven spoke to me again, saying, “Go, take the scroll that is open in the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land.” So I went to the angel and told him to give me the little scroll. And he said to me, “Take and eat it; it will make your stomach bitter, but in your mouth it will be sweet as honey.” And I took the little scroll from the hand of the angel and ate it. It was sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it my stomach was made bitter. And I was told, “You must again prophesy about many peoples and nations and languages and kings.” (Revelation 10:8-11 ESV)

I am involved with several bible studies. The people who write the questions for them have probably been sitting in a comfortable, safe, well-lit place. As they sit there this brilliant question comes to them. How does it make you feel as you read that God is saying to you, “You must again prophesy about many peoples and nations and languages and kings”? Wow, my mind runs through a huge range of emotions in a moment like this:

If what I was doing got me here, would I be willing to do it again?

If it seemed as if there was no hope, what would I be hoping in this time?

Can God really come through for me?

Does he really care about me enough to get me out of here?

Hey, I am just being honest; sorry if you can’t handle that. Oh, and this message that John received, it is not going to be valid or highly understandable for a couple of thousand years, which puts the message in our ballpark. Did John know all that? Because many of us in the church have lived in an expectancy of Jesus return ever since?

Think about this. Once Saul/Paul gets put back on the road as an evangelist, a huge aspect of his message is based upon on what is known from the Old Testament, and it consists of this, that Jesus is coming back soon and that we can have a strong hope in that; evidence of this comes from the letter Paul wrote to the church in Thessalonica. One line there reads:

“ and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.” (1 Thessalonians 1:10 ESV)

And yet, Paul had to write them a second letter because someone or something had gotten them off track. They had lost their hope or, at least, had it dashed to bits. One of the prominent things I see when I read Paul’s letters to this church body is that we as a church will be delivered from wrath, just as Noah was, and so was Lot. Wrath is God’s punishment upon the nations – those who fight against God, and the Jews who reject him. It is not a judgment upon the church (those of us who are in Christ). And, it is a primary focus of the Revelation. That brings us to Paul’s second letter, which states,

“Don’t be fooled by anything they might say. That day of the Lord will not come until the turning away from God happens. And that day will not come until the Man of Evil appears, the one who belongs to hell.” (2 Thessalonians 2:3 ERV)

The turning away has a name, apostasy, and you find it in many translations. Look around you, and be honest; do you see people turning to God, or rejecting him?

On a recent Friday morning, 1/29/2016, one of my older friends shows me a portion of some thesis about apostasy. There was no title, and the author was not listed, but the theme was wrapped around judgment, sin, and hopelessness; standard religious junk. The comments I read proved to me that the author did not understand the character and nature of God. My friend asks for my thoughts and comments. When I began to share why this paper was wrong, my friend began to defend this garbage. As I thought about this throughout the day, and how I had referenced the apostasy in this post, I felt I needed to talk about the apostasy for a moment.

What apostasy is may have been best defined by John MacArthur (Note: I am not a huge fan of John MacArthur because he despises the work of the Holy Spirit, but he is very intelligent and worthy of paying attention to in many other areas.) In commenting on 2 Thessalonians 2:3, he speaks of the apostasy or the falling away, when he says,

The “Day of the Lord cannot occur until a deliberate abandonment of a formerly professed position, allegiance, or commitment occurs (the term was used to refer to military, political, or religious rebellion). Some have suggested, on questionable linguistic evidence, that this refers to “departure” in the sense of the rapture. Context, however, points to a religious defection, which is further described in verse 2 Thessalonians 2:4. The language indicates a specific event, not general apostasy which exists now and always will. Rather, Paul has in mind the apostasy. This is an event which is clearly and specifically identifiable and unique, the consummate act of rebellion, an event of final magnitude.”

So, even before I looked at MacArthur’s commentary, my mind was already going in a similar direction, and, there is no doubt that there is a generalized apostasy happening all around us. I pay attention to the not-so-mainstream news, and I am aware that the Vatican is telling us that God and Allah are the same; I see churches appointing openly homosexual priests and pastors; and, we of the “civilized nations” are sacrificing babies on the altar of abortion, just as Israel did shortly after their escape from Egypt. Are we turning our backs on God? Absolutely.

The key to identifying the event MacArthur speaks of is to find the main character, which Paul does, calling him the “man of sin.” That event may not have happened yet, and it may come in the form of a Presidential order, making Christianity illegal. I know, some will shout for joy at that, but what people do not think about when things like that happen is that if they can strip the rights of one group, what makes you think they will not strip your rights too. Here in America the FEMA camps, just like pow camps, are awaiting us.

The phrase, “That day of the Lord” is used many times in end times prophecy to show a point at which God/Jesus intervenes. Because of the context, I understand that this is talking about the rapture of the church.

Within verse three we see three things happening:

  • The day of the Lord coming

  • The turning away from God (the apostasy)

  • The appearance of the man of evil.

He has different names: The man of sin; the man of lawlessness; the son of perdition; the son of destruction, and, the Antichrist. These names are translations of the same verse, however, Daniel 9:26 gives him another name, “the prince who is to come”. Look at other translations and you get “future leader”; “their leader”, and, “a coming leader.”

I want to add one more thing to this conversation. As I skimmed through the apostasy thesis, the author decided to make this the unforgivable sin.

Sadly, my friend seems to agree with the thesis. I pointed out quickly to him that Jesus himself gave us the definition and said it was attributing the works of the Holy Spirit to Satan. My friend, in trying to explain to one of our group that showed a few minutes later, took my position as though it had long been his. I have heard comments about committing the unpardonable sin my entire life, and NO ONE has ever given a clear definition. Then one day, just a few years ago, while studying the Gospel of Matthew, I ran across this:

“Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.” (Matthew 12:31-32 ESV)

Who was he talking to, and what did they say, that drew this kind of ire? We have to back up a little bit to find the answers we need.

“Then a demon-oppressed man who was blind and mute was brought to him, and he healed him, so that the man spoke and saw. And all the people were amazed, and said, “Can this be the Son of David?” But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, “It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this man casts out demons.” (Matthew 12:22-24 ESV)

Jesus had cast the demons out of a man who was blind and could not talk. However, when Jesus gets done with the man, the man can now, both talk and see. The crowds were amazed and began speaking rather excitedly about it, and this catches the ears of the Pharisees; they respond with, “ It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this man casts out demons.”

Yep, they said it. They just said that Jesus, the Son of God, was only able to operate through the power of Satan. That must have put a real bad taste in Jesus’ mouth for in response to the Pharisees, we see Jesus saying this:

Knowing their thoughts, he said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand. And if Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? And if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. Or how can someone enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? Then indeed he may plunder his house. Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come. “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for the tree is known by its fruit. You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil. I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” (Matthew 12:25-37 ESV)

The Pharisees had been far enough away to espouse their murmured hatred, but Jesus knew their thoughts and began to tear into them verbally. He was very clear when he told them that they had crossed that line of unforgivable sin, blasphemy.

So, I can comfortably say, that apostasy is not the unforgivable sin.

Why are we giving this section so much attention? Because the day is coming in which so many things will happen come upon people like a sudden devastation and far too many don’t seem to believe it. You might liken the coming chain of events to an F5 tornado which you can see coming. Those of us that have not experienced a tornado perceive them as a sudden event, even though the signs have been hanging in the sky for hours. Although the tornado may be somewhat random in its direction, the devastation is widespread and complete where it touches down.

I wish I could tell you who we are looking for, then you could either be aware or find something else to scoff at. I imagine John felt the same way, but Islam and Allah had not been invented as yet.

I have my opinions and I believe that one of the major players in the prophetic scheme is Islam. I think it and it’s world leaders fit nicely into the prophetic scheme of things, as do their twisted beliefs and prophecies. Since we in America, at least, those who are paying attention, know we have a Muslim president, then there is the possibility that he actually could turn out to be the Antichrist. Only months ago I would have told you that was impossible, but things have changed and anything goes now. Since we know it is a man we can clearly rule out Angela Merkel, the Chancellor of Germany.

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Why would anyone ever say this? Migrating to Revelation 16, part 4

Posted on 01/26/2016 by remso

We are still under the seventh seal, and, why anyone would ever say this I do not know, but we are awaiting the seventh trumpet. Until that trumpet blows we have this grand and yet cryptic scene to decipher.

Revelation 10:1-7 ESV Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven, wrapped in a cloud, with a rainbow over his head, and his face was like the sun, and his legs like pillars of fire. (2) He had a little scroll open in his hand. And he set his right foot on the sea, and his left foot on the land, (3) and called out with a loud voice, like a lion roaring. When he called out, the seven thunders sounded. (4) And when the seven thunders had sounded, I was about to write, but I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Seal up what the seven thunders have said, and do not write it down.” (5) And the angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land raised his right hand to heaven (6) and swore by him who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and what is in it, the earth and what is in it, and the sea and what is in it, that there would be no more delay, (7) but that in the days of the trumpet call to be sounded by the seventh angel, the mystery of God would be fulfilled, just as he announced to his servants the prophets.

As a layman – without theological training, I run into scenarios like this, and I find myself overwhelmed with words and visuals. How I deal with overwhelming scenarios is to dissect them. So, that is what I am going to do now.

“Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven, wrapped in a cloud, with a rainbow over his head, and his face was like the sun, and his legs like pillars of fire. He had a little scroll open in his hand. And he set his right foot on the sea, and his left foot on the land, and called out with a loud voice, like a lion roaring.” (Revelation 10:1-3)

His face shone like the sun.

His face shone like the sun.

Sealed-Scroll

 

I am immediately struck some visuals here and they describe the Jesus I know.

First, most of us understand that instances of the angel of the Lord in the Old Testament, are pre-incarnate visitations of Jesus Christ. I hate fancy words when I don’t understand them, so let me explain. This idea of pre-incarnate visitations are the instances where Jesus appeared on earth prior to his birth. An example:

Genesis 16:6-10 ESV “But Abram said to Sarai, “Behold, your servant is in your power; do to her as you please.” Then Sarai dealt harshly with her, and she fled from her. (7) The angel of the LORD found her by a spring of water in the wilderness, the spring on the way to Shur. (8) And he said, “Hagar, servant of Sarai, where have you come from and where are you going?” She said, “I am fleeing from my mistress Sarai.” (9) The angel of the LORD said to her, “Return to your mistress and submit to her.” (10) The angel of the LORD also said to her, “I will surely multiply your offspring so that they cannot be numbered for multitude.”

Secondly, we see Jesus wrapped in a cloud with a rainbow over his head. Is this a common visualization? Apparently.

Revelation 4:3 ESV And he who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian, and around the throne was a rainbow that had the appearance of an emerald.

I have taken on the mindset that this entire book is a Jewish book. Why is that important? Because the majority of the early church consisted of Jewish believers. That also means that 99% of what we read makes an instant impression on a Jewish community that was trained through memorization of the Law and the Prophets. The Jewish community is also very much in tune with prophecy, but prophecy is not flash and bright lights. It is pattern and consistency. So, do we have a pattern here? Yes, and we find it here in Ezekiel.

Ezekiel 1:28 ESV “Like the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud on the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness all around. Such was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. And when I saw it, I fell on my face, and I heard the voice of one speaking.”

What about this little scroll? Although we may not be looking for a particularly little scroll, the concept of scrolls carrying important information is an part of the Old Testament. One example that speaks to this is:

Psalms 40:7 ESV Then I said, “Behold, I have come; in the scroll of the book it is written of me:

I am convinced I am looking at imagery of Jesus.

“And he set his right foot on the sea, and his left foot on the land, and called out with a loud voice, like a lion roaring.” Revelation 10:2

I am not sure why we have to look for the dark and deep meanings in everything, but of the assumptions made about why Jesus would plant one foot on the sea and the other on the land, while giving out a shout, the one makes the most sense to me is that Jesus is reestablishing his authority and reign on this earth. Is the reign of Jesus in question? Not at all, but Satan is still running rampant for a while, and, therefore, we think that God is not in control. Therefore, this may be a visual demonstration meant for the people still on earth.

This next aspect taunts me. What did John hear? Good, bad or indifferent, we will never know this side of heaven.

“Revelation 10:3-4 ESV “ and called out with a loud voice, like a lion roaring. When he called out, the seven thunders sounded. (4) And when the seven thunders had sounded, I was about to write, but I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Seal up what the seven thunders have said, and do not write it down.”

Speaking to God, he lifts his right hand to heaven and says:

Revelation 10:5-7 ESV And the angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land raised his right hand to heaven (6) and swore by him who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and what is in it, the earth and what is in it, and the sea and what is in it, that there would be no more delay, (7) but that in the days of the trumpet call to be sounded by the seventh angel, the mystery of God would be fulfilled, just as he announced to his servants the prophets.

While the ESV says, there would be no more delay, the KJV translated it like this, “that there should be time no longer:” To say that there would be no more delay would imply that there have been delays and that they had been intentional. And why not? God himself told the martyred before the throne, to wait a little longer until the full number had been brought in. We also know that God never longed to lose even one, so the delays could be meant to give people time. You also know that not all will come to him. So, are we seeing God’s mercy in what we perceive as hesitancy?

But what if the interpretation is more closely matched to the KJV translation? “that there should be time no longer:”

What then could that mean? It could mean what it says. However, if this is indicative of the close of the time of wrath, then, as many perceive, this would be the end of all time. Sorry, but that cannot be. Why? Because as the time of wrath closes, the 1000 year reign of Christ, where Satan is bound, begins. Here, in the 1000 year reign, the nations are forced to come bow before him every year as they take part in the Feast of Tabernacles. Doesn’t that need a keeping of time? It does, so it is not valid to say that time would be no more, during this period.

One of our comparative clues comes from Daniel. (This also corroborates the prophecy of Revelation 10.) Pay attention to the action and conversation. Daniel had seen two men standing by the river bank. One of them asks an angel standing upstream when the end would be. This is what the disciples asked Jesus. When will the end be?

Daniel 12:6-7 GNB One of them asked the angel who was standing further upstream, “How long will it be until these amazing events come to an end?” (7) The angel raised both hands toward the sky and made a solemn promise in the name of the Eternal God. I heard him say, “It will be three and a half years. When the persecution of God’s people ends, all these things will have happened.”

His response has two critical events buried within it:

  • It will be three and a half-years.

  • And, “When the persecution of God’s people ends,”

This is the primary time frame that God refers to, and, if I can be bold here, the only time frame God refers to. However, our main source of this information is associated with the Antichrist making and breaking a seven-year peace treaty. God, as we see here in Daniel, only seems to be interested in three and a half of those years. Do I have to be dogmatic about this? No, and honestly, I cannot, because beyond this is simply a variable contingent upon God’s plan and timing. Something we are clearly not given in Daniel’s prophecy. Can we find a definitive scripture that tells us when the persecution of God’s people (Israel) ends? No, but you can make the assumption that it is in near to this three and a half-year mark.

Allow me to recap our timeline here.

  • At some point, soon, the church is removed from the earth.

Why is that important? Not because you get to escape from some wrath that man is pouring out upon the earth, but because as the church leaves, the limiting force (our voice) that holds back the Antichrist is then removed. With that limitation gone the beast/Antichrist erupts in full fury.

  • After the church is gone the Antichrist initiates a peace treaty, with many, for a seven-year period.

No, there is nothing that says this is with Israel. I get the sense that Israel will get some benefit from it. We know this because Israel gets the chance to build the temple. This will happen relatively quick. Initiating a peace treaty by no means guarantees that it is maintained for the seven years. If you are even remotely honest, you will admit that you see nothing that indicates God’s intent to support some sort of seven-year treaty either.

  • We know that the Antichrist breaks his own treaty at the end of three and a half years.

There are so many things happening at this point, but pointing them all out is not my purpose in this. Let’s simply say that this is the time that Jesus alluded to when he said, pray that your flight is not in the Winter.

“the mystery of God would be fulfilled”

“but that in the days of the trumpet call to be sounded by the seventh angel, the mystery of God would be fulfilled, just as he announced to his servants the prophets.” (Revelation 10:7)

You remember where we are in the scheme of things, don’t you? The nations and a rebellious Israel are under the seventh seal. Enduring torments, many have come to knowledge of Christ, and they are now anxiously awaiting the seventh trumpet.

What happens at the blast of the seventh trumpet? The end of the time frame, and, the mystery of God would be fulfilled. As a follower of Christ surely you are familiar with this terminology. The Apostle Paul wrote about it several times.

Romans 16:25 KJV Now to him that is of power to establish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began,

The Him, referenced here, is, of course, Jesus Christ. Since we, through our acceptance, have given him the reigns of our life, then He, through his power is establishing us through the good news of the Word. All of this is part of the secret plan, the mystery. Kept secret from whom? Well, Satan of course, or that fool would try to thwart God’s plan by killing Jesus off prior to the proper time. Did we see anything like that happening in scripture? At every turn. It seems like Satan tried to kill off anything that had God’s mark and

Kept secret from whom? Well, Satan of course, or that fool would try to thwart God’s plan by killing Jesus off prior to the appropriate time. Did we see anything like that happening in scripture? At every turn. It seems like Satan tried to kill off anything that had God’s mark or seal on it. I am even thinking about Lot and his family. The biggest event that comes to mind is King Herod, killing off every baby two years old and under, after finding out that the wise men had come to pay homage to the Messiah. Does it seem like such a mystery when men from the regions of Babylon had come seeking him? When you consider that the chief priests and elders knew these things also, and did what about it? Nothing. Brought before Herod and questioned, they said the same things the wise men did, but they did not seek the Messiah. So, maybe it is still a mystery to some.

Romans 16:26 KJV But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith:

I suppose the next question is, if you are a follower of Christ, then why do you not spend time in his word. It is the primary place where you will find out what his character, nature, and plans are. Those plans involve you.

To the zealots, this passage, among others, tell us that the commandment of God has been made known to all the nations. Does that exclude me from preaching the gospel as though they don’t know? No, but tramping through the jungles of Borneo, trying to reach some lost tribe, is not my calling. Talking to the heart as though you do know, but choose to act like a Jew that refuses to look at the truth, is more my thing.

Should you have stumbled upon this, and have no comprehension at all, then I suggest that you ask Jesus to make himself real to you, and then accept him. Many former Muslims have done just that, some have even lost their lives because of it.

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This is the stuff bad dreams are made of. Migrating toward Revelation 16. Part 3

Posted on 01/22/2016 by remso

We are still within the seventh seal, and we are up to the sixth trumpet.

THE SIXTH TRUMPET BRINGS THE SECOND TERROR

Revelation 9:13-15 AMP Then the sixth angel blew [his] trumpet, and from the four horns of the golden altar which stands before God I heard a solitary voice, (14) Saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, Liberate the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates. (15) So the four angels who had been in readiness for that hour in the appointed day, month, and year were liberated to destroy a third of mankind.

“Liberate the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.”

After you sit under some of the teachings out there, you begin to develop at least the hope that Satan and his cohorts were put out-of-the-way. I know I did. But, if that were the case we wouldn’t be having most of the troubles we have. Spend some time in the Word, sorting these out, and you will find out that Satan still runs around deceiving, and he has helpers in the form of fallen angels. (These are what many call demons. If you watch any of those ghost chaser shows, you know that these angels will throw stuff around the room. This is very real.)

The number of angels is an unknown to us, but Satan convinced a third of them to follow him. Four of those have been chained in Euphrates river. Remember, it only took one angel, working on behalf of God, to kill all the firstborn of Egypt in one night.

“So the four angels who had been in readiness for that hour in the appointed day, month, and year were liberated to destroy a third of mankind.”

The Greek word for readiness is hetoimazō (het-oy-mad’-zo), and means to prepare. Are the angels preparing for the time they would be freed, or is it that God has placed them there because of their destructive capabilities, while he awaits the proper time to release them?

Try reading some of Frank Peretti’s books, such as This Present Darkness; Piercing the Darkness, or The Visitation, and you will get a fairly accurate picture of how these fallen angels operate on the earth. We seem to forget that they are extremely powerful even if they have fallen, but we – those who follow Christ and have his name, have all authority in the name of Jesus. And, every knee will bow before that name, even if it does not seem like it now.

So, four angels get released and destroy a third of mankind. Are they selective in whom they kill? It does not specify. I feel safe in saying that they will not be able to harm those sealed by God. And, if you are paying attention, they are not excluding their own followers. Isn’t that a strange irony. Satan does not care about anyone, not even his followers.

What is this sudden transition?

Revelation 9:16 NASB The number of the armies of the horsemen was two hundred million; I heard the number of them.

In verse 15 we see four angels, held in chains for years, now released upon the earth. But just that quickly we are looking at 200 million horsemen.

Where did 200 million horsemen come from? Are they human or inhuman?

When I was younger I heard that this would be a Chinese infantry. The impracticability of mounting 200 million horses becomes more evident when you see some practical numbers. The IVPBB Commentary gives us this: “Two hundred million” would be a huge standing army even today (nearly the entire population of the United States, almost four times that of Great Britain, over twice that of Nigeria, and eight times that of Canada); in the first century it may have represented more than the population of the entire world.” Is it impossible for God? No, but it seems highly improbable, especially after you read the description in verse 17.

Revelation 9:17 NASB And this is how I saw in the vision the horses and those who sat on them: the riders had breastplates the color of fire and of hyacinth and of brimstone; and the heads of the horses are like the heads of lions; and out of their mouths proceed fire and smoke and brimstone.

It seems easy to associate passages like what we see in Ezekiel. However, because there is an undeclared quantity of people and horsemen I do not believe we should be looking for a physical, mounted force.

Ezekiel 38:1-6 NASB And the word of the LORD came to me saying, (2) “Son of man, set your face toward Gog of the land of Magog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him (3) and say, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD, “Behold, I am against you, O Gog, prince of Rosh, Meshech and Tubal. (4) “I will turn you about and put hooks into your jaws, and I will bring you out, and all your army, horses and horsemen, all of them splendidly attired, a great company with buckler and shield, all of them wielding swords; (5) Persia, Ethiopia and Put with them, all of them with shield and helmet; (6) Gomer with all its troops; Beth-togarmah from the remote parts of the north with all its troops–many peoples with you.

The visuals we see in verse 17 do not sound like anything from reality, horses with heads like lions, and out of their mouths proceed fire and smoke and brimstone. Seeing as there is nothing like this on earth, then it has to be spiritual, even demonic, and they come out of the pit with these fallen angels.

By these three plagues.

Revelation 9:18-19 ESV By these three plagues a third of mankind was killed, by the fire and smoke and sulfur coming out of their mouths. (19) For the power of the horses is in their mouths and in their tails, for their tails are like serpents with heads, and by means of them they wound.

By these three plagues a third of mankind was killed. We are within the seventh seal and the sixth trumpet. When I paid attention to what this said, I found myself saying, what plagues?

Coming out of the horses mouths are:

  • fire

  • smoke

  • sulfur

“For the power of the horses is in their mouths and in their tails, for their tails are like serpents with heads, and by means of them they wound.” So, one-third of mankind dies because of them.

I was recently asked, what about the survivors of the time of wrath? It is hard to imagine anyone surviving. This tells us that they did not repent nor give up worshiping demons and idols.

Revelation 9:20-21 ESV The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands nor give up worshiping demons and idols of gold and silver and bronze and stone and wood, which cannot see or hear or walk, (21) nor did they repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts.

The Greek word translated repent here, means to think differently. All this is being done to get hardcore fools to think otherwise, change from their own way of doing things, and turn toward God. This shows a special kind of arrogance, as these people just continue the godless lives they were living.

In what ways do we worship demons? Idols I can understand, but unless you joined yourself to a Satanic cult, what else could this mean? The word worship here is proskuneō and means (meaning to kiss, like a dog licking his masters hand). Hasn’t the worlds ways taught us that money and the pursuit of it, is the only way to go? In living like this haven’t, we enslaved ourselves almost in worship to the ways of the world?

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These are not your regular locusts. Migrating toward Revelation 16, part 2

Posted on 01/19/2016 by remso

I suppose by now you have figured out that I struggle to stay on point. I suppose that is why you love me so. I really am going to get to Revelation 16 eventually. But in the meantime, you and I are going to get a grip on the layout of the judgments being poured out on the earth.

Ah, here it comes, The Seventh Seal

Since we know that seven is indicative of completion, you might think it is all about to end. Sorry, there is more, and they seem almost as if they were a subset of the seal judgments.

Revelation 8:1-5 ESV “When the Lamb opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. (2) Then I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them. (3) And another angel came and stood at the altar with a golden censer, and he was given much incense to offer with the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar before the throne, (4) and the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, rose before God from the hand of the angel. (5) Then the angel took the censer and filled it with fire from the altar and threw it on the earth, and there were peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake.”

Under the seventh seal an angel, having filled the censer with fire from the altar that is before God, throws it upon the earth. The effects of this are experienced through: “peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake.” I venture a guess that most would consider these to be an effective tool, but have you ever heard some of the sounds people have recorded coming from the skies? Many have told how the sounds have gone on for days, vibrated their homes, and in some cases sounded like trains crashing. The effect may intentionally be more psychological. Do a search on the effects of lightning; you might as well have a bomb go off next to you. And, a violent earthquake can literally swallow you, among other things.

I do not see how we can separate the trumpets from the seals.

The Trumpet judgments.

Revelation 8:6-7 ESV Now the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared to blow them. (7) The first angel blew his trumpet, and there followed hail and fire, mixed with blood, and these were thrown upon the earth. And a third of the earth was burned up, and a third of the trees were burned up, and all green grass was burned up.

The first angel blew his trumpet.

  • “there followed hail and fire, mixed with blood, and these were thrown upon the earth.”

    • “a third of the earth was burned up, and a third of the trees were burned up, and all green grass was burned up.”

      I do not need to say much, just look at the numbers. The effects of devastation are typically not selective. That means anything getting in the path of this will be destroyed.

The second angel blew his trumpet.

Revelation 8:8-9 ESV The second angel blew his trumpet, and something like a great mountain, burning with fire, was thrown into the sea, and a third of the sea became blood. (9) A third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.

  • “and something like a great mountain, burning with fire, was thrown into the sea,”

    • “a third of the sea became blood. (9) A third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.”

Once again, the impact is dished out in thirds.

The third angel blew his trumpet.

Revelation 8:10-11 ESV The third angel blew his trumpet, and a great star fell from heaven, blazing like a torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water. (11) The name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the waters became wormwood, and many people died from the water, because it had been made bitter.

  • “a great star fell from heaven, blazing like a torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water. (11) The name of the star is Wormwood.”

    • “ A third of the waters became wormwood, and many people died from the water”

How many of you remember the Fukushima nuclear power plant disaster? Due to a tsunami caused by an undersea earthquake, the nuclear reactors exploded and went into a full meltdown, probably exceeding the Chernobyl disaster. To this day, nuclear waste water still floods into the Pacific ocean. What might the long-range effects of that be?

The fourth angel blew his trumpet.

Revelation 8:12 ESV The fourth angel blew his trumpet, and a third of the sun was struck, and a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of their light might be darkened, and a third of the day might be kept from shining, and likewise a third of the night.

  • “a third of the sun was struck, and a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of their light might be darkened, and a third of the day might be kept from shining, and likewise a third of the night.”

This is over and above the sun being darkened and the moon turning to blood, which we saw before.

We are being warned that it is about to get worse.

Revelation 8:13 ESV Then I looked, and I heard an eagle crying with a loud voice as it flew directly overhead, “Woe, woe, woe to those who dwell on the earth, at the blasts of the other trumpets that the three angels are about to blow!”

And the fifth angel blew his trumpet.

Revelation 9:1-3 ESV And the fifth angel blew his trumpet, and I saw a star fallen from heaven to earth, and he was given the key to the shaft of the bottomless pit. (2) He opened the shaft of the bottomless pit, and from the shaft rose smoke like the smoke of a great furnace, and the sun and the air were darkened with the smoke from the shaft. (3) Then from the smoke came locusts on the earth, and they were given power like the power of scorpions of the earth.

locust swarm

Locusts swarm over Egypt within the last couple of years.

To the Jew, and to us, there should be a correlation. Yes, the plagues against Egypt. We see this in Exodus 10: 4-15.

God had his own symbology going on, as he told Israel that the Midianites and the Amalekites – nations swarming upon Israel, would cover the valley floor in numbers like the sand of the sea. Numbers so large, that it borders on impossible to count. You can find this in Judges 7:12.

We can even find that God decreed a time when he would restore the years that the locusts destroyed. Joel 2:25 ESV I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the hopper, the destroyer, and the cutter, my great army, which I sent among you.

I cannot even imagine what these locusts must look like. Are they symbolic of something else? I do not think so.

The very thing that a locust eats is vegetation, yet, look at this description.

Revelation 9:4 ESV They were told not to harm the grass of the earth or any green plant or any tree, but only those people who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads.

Who is the one group of people they cannot touch? Those that have been marked in their foreheads by God – the 144,000 Jewish men, who are serving as witnesses to God.

Revelation 9:5-6 ESV They were allowed to torment them for five months, but not to kill them, and their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it stings someone. (6) And in those days people will seek death and will not find it. They will long to die, but death will flee from them.

These creatures are allowed to torment the earth population for five months, but not kill them. Note what the passage tells us: “their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it stings someone.” Verse 6 says, “And in those days people will seek death and will not find it. They will long to die, but death will flee from them.” Did you ever wonder why this would be important? If God had sent his wrath to the earth with the express purpose to kill offenders, then why not just allow these locusts to polish the offenders off? I am allergic to bees, so the sting from a scorpion might just polish me off quickly. I venture a guess that most people, without medical aid, would die from a scorpion sting. And yet, death flees from these people.

Is it possible that God is trying to drive people to him? Think about this. When Israel was inundated with vipers, and began to die from the bites, what was the solution? God had Moses put a bronze serpent upon a pole. When someone got bit they could then look upon the bronze serpent and be saved. This did not prevent them from getting bit, nor did it drive the serpents from them, but it did prevent them from being killed due to the bite. Our correlation is that for us Christ became that serpent on the pole for us. Looking to him prevents our death due to the bite of this world.

Revelation 9:7-10 LITV And the likenesses of the locusts were like horses having been prepared for war; and on their heads as crowns, like gold; and their faces like the faces of men. (8) And they had hairs like the hairs of women; and their teeth were like those of lions. (9) And they had breastplates like iron breastplates; and the sound of their wings was like the sound of chariots with many horses running to war. (10) And they have tails like scorpions, and their stings were in their tails; and their authority is to harm men five months.

  • “like horses having been prepared for war”

  • “on their heads were what looked like crowns of gold”

  • “their faces were like human faces”

  • “their hair like women’s hair”

  • “their teeth like lions’ teeth”

  • “they had breastplates like breastplates of iron”

  • “And they have tails like scorpions, and their stings were in their tails; and their authority is to harm men five months.”

These are not your everyday locusts.

Revelation 9:11 AMP Over them as king they have the angel of the Abyss (of the bottomless pit). In Hebrew his name is Abaddon [destruction], but in Greek he is called Apollyon [destroyer].

Think this through with me for a moment. Lucifer, the angel of light, decides that he wants to be the god and mutinies. It is pointless to have a mutiny without followers, and he managed to convince a third of heavens angels to join him. The mutiny is fought off, and Lucifer and his followers are taken captive and thrown to earth. Jesus told the disciples that he beheld Satan fall to earth like lightning. That must have been fairly dramatic. But, like a cartoon character, he springs back, tormenting not only those on earth but also in heaven, where he consistently whines in God’s ear about us. We, as astute students of the bible, know that four angels are held in chains, in the Euphrates river, and here we see an angel named Abaddon, who is most likely released from this pit at the same time as these “locusts”.

The problem I used to have, and still, to some degree, haunts my understanding is: What became of Satan? One might think that a dramatic expulsion from heaven would have done him in. But, that was not the case. An old teaching focused on, “What happened from the cross to the throne” points out how Jesus descended into hell, and then snatched the keys to death, hell and the grave out of Satan’s hands, and led captivity free. That sounds like a satisfactory and permanent defeat to me. And yet the writer of Hebrews stated that Jesus ever makes intercession and mediation for us, before the Father. In the book of Job, we see Satan before God with the sons of God – the angels.

If Satan was defeated as thoroughly as we thought, then why are we still so tortured?

Why does the Dragon (Satan) have the ability to give the beast his power?

And, why does God have to eventually have to throw him into the lake of fire, where he stays permanently?

Maybe the problem lies in my assumptions, and my choice to not read and comprehend what the Word itself says about the situation. As a child, how are you to know any better? Besides, those over you are not supposed to lie to you, or, if you wish to lessen the blow, distort the reality of God. Perhaps it is not so much a lie, as they did the same thing, trusting that what they heard would be correct. Well, it wasn’t, and nothing is going to change until you look into the law of truth for yourself.

Revelation 9:12 AMP The first woe (calamity) has passed; behold, two others are yet to follow.

All we have seen is a subset of the seventh seal and yet there is more to come.

I have heard the phrase “fire insurance” used when referring to those who come to the Lord as an escape from the horrors that are coming. How much sweeter it is to come to him because of the love you have developed for him. There is the story in which the “upright religious” brought a woman caught in adultery to Jesus, to trap him, and for him to pronounce judgment. My first thought when reading this was, it takes two to tango, and it is usually the man who makes the first move. Scripture was very clear that they were both to receive judgment, but there was no man. I can assume then, that one of these elders was the guy.

She may have known of Jesus as everywhere he went he was healing people, teaching and drawing big crowds. If you were not interested, it was still difficult to get to the well for water. Thrown before Jesus with the idea that you are about to receive a death sentence for your actions, your thoughts are not about love, they are filled with fear. How does Jesus respond to all this? At first, he seems to ignore her, but I can just about guarantee you that he looked so deeply into her eyes that he saw her soul. He then stoops and begins writing in the dirt. We do not know what he wrote, but it got their attention. They rallied again, demanding a verdict. He may have looked at her once again. Saying yet nothing, he turns back to the dirt and writes some more. When he finally speaks, he says, those of you without sin cast the first stone. Do you get the picture here? They came with stones; stones about the size of a softball. And, someone was going to die, her, or this Jesus who claims to be the Son of God. They dropped their rocks and walked away. Jesus in turn, lifts himself up, turns to her and says, where are your accusers?

I can just about guarantee you that she fell in love with this Jesus. Was she drawn to Jesus for fire insurance? No, but the fire was already upon her. Was she drawn to Jesus because of the great works and deeds he had performed? We do not see that either. What we do see is that often, when confronted by his love, we choose to receive it because we have never experienced anything like it before.

I never wanted to scare anybody with this horrendous destruction that we see in Revelation. Having found the love he showed this woman, I turned to him. From that point on I wanted to know as much about him as I could. The Revelation is the revealing of Jesus, but it definitely shows the culmination of all things. None of which are directed at those who have given themselves to him in the relationship. You find this relationship when you finally say, I cannot do this on my own, I need you, Jesus. Come into me and have your way in me. You might as well receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, it is a gift. Besides, this is where the power lies.

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