REVELATION STUDY

oldhermit · Apr 16, 2021

D. The mystery of the beast is revealed, 6-14.

1. This beast of seven heads and ten horns “was and is not and will come.”
Is this the same idea as, “I saw one of his heads as if it had been slain, and his fatal wound was healed,” 13:12.

2. “The beast that you saw was, and is not, and is about to come up out of the abyss.”
Remember, in 13:1, this beast is rising up out of the sea, powerful and strong, subduing nations. Now, he is rising up out of the abyss. Why was he in the abyss, because he had received a fatal wound on his head “I saw one of his heads as if it had been slain, and his fatal wound was healed,” 13:3. Now, he is about to rise again. Why, because his “fatal wound” was about to be healed. “And go to destruction.” The fate of the beast is to ultimately be destroyed. God will destroy the destroyer.

3. “The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits. AND they are seven kings; five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; and when he comes, he must remain a little while.”

a. Actually, Rome was surrounded by seven literal mountains – Zion, Acra, Moriah, Bezetha, Millo, Ophel, and Antonio.
As a symbol, mountains often represent nations or governmental authorities. There is some question here in the rendering of εἰσιν that impacts how mountains are to be understood. Some translations read, “they (meaning the mountains) are seven kings” making the mountains and the seven kings one-in-the-same thing. Other translations read, “there are seven kings” implying that in addition to the seven literal mountains, there are also seven kings. If this is correct then the text may well be saying that Rome was sitting upon the seven literal mountains and that also, the chronology of the emperors of Rome consisted of seven rulers through the time of the fulfillment of these events. Regardless of how the mountains of this text may be regarded, the emphasis is on the seven kings, not on the mountains.

b. Who are these seven kings? “Five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come.”
c. The seventh is prophetic in the sense that he had not come yet. When he did come his reign was only for “a little while.”

4. Who are these seven kings?
The “kings” were not ruling at the same time, for the text states that “five have fallen,” meaning that five of those kings had come and gone. Then, “one is,” referring to the king who was ruling at the time this revelation was given. In this verse, we have one of the clearest proofs for dating this book. If we simply examine the list of Roman Emperors, we will be able to determine who the sixth king was, and the time Revelation was written.

a. “Five have fallen” – Augustus (27 BC - 14 AD), Tiberius (14-37), Caligula (37-41), Claudius (41-54), and Nero (54-68)

b. “One now is” – This would be Galba.

c. “The other has not yet come and when he comes, he will remain only a little while.”
Otho reigned for only 3 months from January 15 to April 16, AD 69 and Vitellius who reigned only 8 months from April 16 to December 22, AD 69. This would seem to suggest the time in which the beast “was and is not” and the wounding of the beast. These three briefly reigning emperors represent the three of the first horns that were pulled out by the roots in Daniel's vision in Daniel 7. During the period of these three brief reigns, the beast was essentially dead. Rome had no official emperor during this time because the loyalty of the people had been divided between these three want-to-be dictators. These three were in competition for the title with each one claiming to be Caesar. This resulted in succession by murder. After this, Vespasian assumed the throne and reigned for 10 years from December of AD 69 to 79. This is the “wound” that was healed, and the beast lived again. It was under Vespasian's reign that Rome began to stabilize politically. This is why in 13:3-4, “the whole earth was amazed and followed after the beast; they worshiped the dragon because he gave his authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, ‘Who is like the beast, and who is able to wage war with him?’”

The reason John only mentions seven rather than ten is because the vision of John only concerns events up to the time of Vespasian. We find in Nero and Galba the terrible persecutors of the Christians at whose hand Peter and Paul were martyred. God used Nero to destroy the Jews. Nero commanded Vespasian to destroy Jerusalem. Nero was the fifth king, suggesting that Revelation was written before the siege of Jerusalem. Traditionally, Nero is the one who persecuted Christians beyond all comparison. John's banishment to Patmos was itself a result of the great persecution of Nero. The apostle Paul was presumably tortured and then beheaded by Nero at Rome in A.D. 67. The apostle Peter, who traditionally crucified upside down, was another of Nero's victims.

5. “The beast which was and is not, is himself also an eighth and is one of the seven.”

a. “The beast which was and is not....”
Notice, it says the beast. Which beast – the one who “was and is not,” not one of the seven heads of the beast; thus, this is Rome itself.

b. “Is himself also an eighth.”
An eighth what? He is the eighth king. The angel is identifying kings/emperors and he is “one of the seven.” This was Vespatian. His fate was to be the persecutor of God’s people.

6. “The ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but they receive authority as kings with the beast for one hour.” '
Horns' typically refer to power or authority. The ten horns represent the linage of emperors from August to Domitian. This does not take into account the brief reigns of Otho and Vitellius, “They receive their authority from the beast for one hour.” In other words, “for a little while.”

7. “These have one purpose, and they give their power and authority to the beast. These will wage war against the Lamb...”
These kings exist only to give their power and authority to the beast – Rome. These join with the beast in the persecution of the saints – “war against the Lamb.”

II. Victory for the Lamb, 14-18

A. “And the Lamb will overcome them, because He is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those who are with Him are the called and chosen and faithful.”
Victory belongs not only to the Lamb but also “to those who are with him.” These are the faithful. These are those who would not give their worship to the beast. These are the overcomers. These are those who had kept their first love, who had not defiled their garments.

B. “The waters which you saw where the harlot sits, are peoples and multitudes and nations and tongues.” In other words, the sea of humanity.

C. “And the ten horns which you saw, and the beast, these will hate the harlot and will make her desolate and naked and will eat her flesh and will burn her up with fire.” The nations turn against Jerusalem, Ezekiel 16:39.

D. “For God has put it in their hearts to execute His purpose by having a common purpose, and by giving their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God will be fulfilled.”
This betrayal of Jerusalem by the confederate nations was the work of God who “put it in their hearts.” These nations align with Rome against Palestine and this fulfilled the words of God.

E. “The woman whom you saw is the great city, which reigns over the kings of the earth.”

1. The woman, the “great city” = Jerusalem

2. “Reigns over the kings of the earth.”
This depiction of Jerusalem actually come out of Deuteronomy 7:17-26 where God promised Israel before they entered Canaan that they would be victorious over the kings of the earth. “He will deliver their kings into your hand so that you will make their name perish from under heaven; no man will be able to stand before you until you have destroyed them,” 24.

Truth7t7 · Apr 16, 2021

oldhermit said:

D. The mystery of the beast is revealed, 6-14.

1. This beast of seven heads and ten horns “was and is not and will come.”
Is this the same idea as, “I saw one of his heads as if it had been slain, and his fatal wound was healed,” 13:12.

2. “The beast that you saw was, and is not, and is about to come up out of the abyss.”
Remember, in 13:1, this beast is rising up out of the sea, powerful and strong, subduing nations. Now, he is rising up out of the abyss. Why was he in the abyss, because he had received a fatal wound on his head “I saw one of his heads as if it had been slain, and his fatal wound was healed,” 13:3. Now, he is about to rise again. Why, because his “fatal wound” was about to be healed. “And go to destruction.” The fate of the beast is to ultimately be destroyed. God will destroy the destroyer.

3. “The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits. AND they are seven kings; five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; and when he comes, he must remain a little while.”

a. Actually, Rome was surrounded by seven literal mountains – Zion, Acra, Moriah, Bezetha, Millo, Ophel, and Antonio.
As a symbol, mountains often represent nations or governmental authorities. There is some question here in the rendering of εἰσιν that impacts how mountains are to be understood. Some translations read, “they (meaning the mountains) are seven kings” making the mountains and the seven kings one-in-the-same thing. Other translations read, “there are seven kings” implying that in addition to the seven literal mountains, there are also seven kings. If this is correct then the text may well be saying that Rome was sitting upon the seven literal mountains and that also, the chronology of the emperors of Rome consisted of seven rulers through the time of the fulfillment of these events. Regardless of how the mountains of this text may be regarded, the emphasis is on the seven kings, not on the mountains.

b. Who are these seven kings? “Five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come.”
c. The seventh is prophetic in the sense that he had not come yet. When he did come his reign was only for “a little while.”

4. Who are these seven kings?
The “kings” were not ruling at the same time, for the text states that “five have fallen,” meaning that five of those kings had come and gone. Then, “one is,” referring to the king who was ruling at the time this revelation was given. In this verse, we have one of the clearest proofs for dating this book. If we simply examine the list of Roman Emperors, we will be able to determine who the sixth king was, and the time Revelation was written.

a. “Five have fallen” – Augustus (27 BC - 14 AD), Tiberius (14-37), Caligula (37-41), Claudius (41-54), and Nero (54-68)

b. “One now is” – This would be Galba.

c. “The other has not yet come and when he comes, he will remain only a little while.”
Otho reigned for only 3 months from January 15 to April 16, AD 69 and Vitellius who reigned only 8 months from April 16 to December 22, AD 69. This would seem to suggest the time in which the beast “was and is not” and the wounding of the beast. These three briefly reigning emperors represent the three of the first horns that were pulled out by the roots in Daniel's vision in Daniel 7. During the period of these three brief reigns, the beast was essentially dead. Rome had no official emperor during this time because the loyalty of the people had been divided between these three want-to-be dictators. These three were in competition for the title with each one claiming to be Caesar. This resulted in succession by murder. After this, Vespasian assumed the throne and reigned for 10 years from December of AD 69 to 79. This is the “wound” that was healed, and the beast lived again. It was under Vespasian's reign that Rome began to stabilize politically. This is why in 13:3-4, “the whole earth was amazed and followed after the beast; they worshiped the dragon because he gave his authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, ‘Who is like the beast, and who is able to wage war with him?’”

The reason John only mentions seven rather than ten is because the vision of John only concerns events up to the time of Vespasian. We find in Nero and Galba the terrible persecutors of the Christians at whose hand Peter and Paul were martyred. God used Nero to destroy the Jews. Nero commanded Vespasian to destroy Jerusalem. Nero was the fifth king, suggesting that Revelation was written before the siege of Jerusalem. Traditionally, Nero is the one who persecuted Christians beyond all comparison. John's banishment to Patmos was itself a result of the great persecution of Nero. The apostle Paul was presumably tortured and then beheaded by Nero at Rome in A.D. 67. The apostle Peter, who traditionally crucified upside down, was another of Nero's victims.

5. “The beast which was and is not, is himself also an eighth and is one of the seven.”

a. “The beast which was and is not....”
Notice, it says the beast. Which beast – the one who “was and is not,” not one of the seven heads of the beast; thus, this is Rome itself.

b. “Is himself also an eighth.”
An eighth what? He is the eighth king. The angel is identifying kings/emperors and he is “one of the seven.” This was Vespatian. His fate was to be the persecutor of God’s people.

6. “The ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but they receive authority as kings with the beast for one hour.” '
Horns' typically refer to power or authority. The ten horns represent the linage of emperors from August to Domitian. This does not take into account the brief reigns of Otho and Vitellius, “They receive their authority from the beast for one hour.” In other words, “for a little while.”

7. “These have one purpose, and they give their power and authority to the beast. These will wage war against the Lamb...”
These kings exist only to give their power and authority to the beast – Rome. These join with the beast in the persecution of the saints – “war against the Lamb.”

II. Victory for the Lamb, 14-18

A. “And the Lamb will overcome them, because He is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those who are with Him are the called and chosen and faithful.”
Victory belongs not only to the Lamb but also “to those who are with him.” These are the faithful. These are those who would not give their worship to the beast. These are the overcomers. These are those who had kept their first love, who had not defiled their garments.

B. “The waters which you saw where the harlot sits, are peoples and multitudes and nations and tongues.” In other words, the sea of humanity.

C. “And the ten horns which you saw, and the beast, these will hate the harlot and will make her desolate and naked and will eat her flesh and will burn her up with fire.” The nations turn against Jerusalem, Ezekiel 16:39.

D. “For God has put it in their hearts to execute His purpose by having a common purpose, and by giving their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God will be fulfilled.”
This betrayal of Jerusalem by the confederate nations was the work of God who “put it in their hearts.” These nations align with Rome against Palestine and this fulfilled the words of God.

E. “The woman whom you saw is the great city, which reigns over the kings of the earth.”

1. The woman, the “great city” = Jerusalem

2. “Reigns over the kings of the earth.”
This depiction of Jerusalem actually come out of Deuteronomy 7:17-26 where God promised Israel before they entered Canaan that they would be victorious over the kings of the earth. “He will deliver their kings into your hand so that you will make their name perish from under heaven; no man will be able to stand before you until you have destroyed them,” 24.

Sorry Glenn (Preterism) is a lie, the great tribulation and Antichrist, Aka The (Little Horn) Daniel 7:8-11, (Man Of Sin) 2 Thessalonians 2:1-4, (The Beast) Rev 13:1-5, is a (Future Event) unfulfilled, your claim of Rome and its Emperor's as fulfillment is false

The book of Revelation is dated at 96AD, after the Emperors you claim in fulfillment Vespasian 69-79AD

oldhermit · Apr 17, 2021

Chapter Eighteen

I. The Funeral Dirge of Babylon, 1-8

A. The proclamation, “After these things I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was illumined with his glory. And he cried out with a mighty voice, saying…

1. ‘Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great!’”
The falling of this once great city into destruction is in keeping with her spiritual fall. She had destroyed herself spiritually and now, God would destroy her through war. Her level of physical destruction was measured out according to the depths of her uncleanness.

2. “She has become a dwelling place of demons and a prison of every unclean spirit, and a prison of every unclean and hateful bird.”
This is not talking about the city post destruction. He is not talking about the devastated city as a place haunted by demons and spirits. He is not describing a geographical landscape. This is describing the moral character of the city that resulted in her destruction. Spiritually speaking, Jerusalem had become full of demons, unclean spirits, and birds of prey. These descriptive terms are employed because of immoral affiliations with the nations, not because she was destroyed. This speaks of spiritual decline. This had reduced Jerusalem to an immoral, unclean predator who preyed on the helpless and persecuted the Christians. The reason behind this is illustrated by the following statements. “For (because) all the nations have drunk of the wine of the passion of her immorality, and the kings of the earth have committed acts of immorality with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich by the wealth of her sensuality.”

The appetites of this voluptuous city for luxury and decadence had drawn trade for the most precious goods of the world from the other nations.

B. Warning is issued to the faithful
“I heard another voice from heaven, saying, ‘Come out of her, my people, so that you will not participate in her sins and receive of her plagues; for her sins have piled up as high as heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities.’”

1. The plea was not only for the saints to distance themselves from this city and her state of immorality and uncleanness, it was also a plea for repentance, 2 Corinthians 6:16-18. “Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said, ‘I will dwell in them and walk among them; and I will be their God, and they shall be MY people. Therefore, come out from their midst and be separate,” says the Lord. and do not touch what is unclean; And I will welcome you. And I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to Me,’ ’says the Lord Almighty.”

This is from Isaiah 52:11 as God urged those who would return to the Lord to separate themselves from the unfaithful city. Now, this angel is calling upon those in Jerusalem who would return to the Lord to separate themselves from this demon-filled, unclean spirit infested city. They are urged not become participants with her in her sins. The consequences would be participation in her plagues.

2. “Sins have piled up as high as heaven” is simply another way of saying her cup of iniquity has become full. This is the same type of language found in Genesis 15:16. “Then in the fourth generation they will return here, for the iniquity of the Amorite is not yet complete.”

C. The call for vengeance,
This was the plea of the saints beneath the altar in 6:10, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, will You refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who dwell on the earth?”

1. The time for payback had come and the plea goes up, “give back to her double according to her deeds; in the cup which she has mixed, mix twice as much for her.”

2. Self-glorification was to be rewarded with torment and mourning.

Jerusalem had assimilated the same attitudes of which King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon had been guilty, hence the quote from Isaiah 47:8-9 regarding ancient Babylon. “To the degree that she glorified herself and lived sensuously, to the same degree give her torment and mourning; for she says in her heart, ‘I sit as a queen and I am not a widow and will never see mourning.’”

Jerusalem felt secure in the notion that she was the beloved city of God. She felt confident that no evil could come upon her. She had become arrogant and proud. “For this reason, in one day her plagues will come (in other words, sudden judgment would descend upon her quickly.), pestilence and mourning and famine, and she will be burned up with fire; for the Lord God who judges her is strong.”

The same fate that befell Babylon was soon to be visited upon Jerusalem for, “God has remembered her iniquities.” Read God's pronouncement upon Babylon in Isaiah 47. This was a mocking and hopeless fate that awaited that city. Now, God is reading those same charges against Jerusalem and pronouncing upon her the same miserable fate. No wonder God assigned the name “Babylon the Great” to this once faithful city turned harlot. She had become like Babylon of old.

oldhermit · Apr 17, 2021

II. Lament for Babylon, 9-24
The following is a funerary lament by the merchants of the earth over the fall of Jerusalem. Compare the type of language used in this text with that of Isaiah 52 and Jeremiah 51 regarding God's judgments upon ancient Babylon.

“And the kings of the earth, who committed acts of immorality and lived sensuously with her, will weep and lament over her when they see the smoke of her burning, standing at a distance because of the fear of her torment, (They fear the wrath of Rome.) saying, ‘Woe, woe, the great city, Babylon, the strong city! For in one hour your judgment has come.’ “And the merchants of the earth weep and mourn over her, because no one buys their cargoes any more – (Jerusalem was one of the richest cities of the first century, and when Jerusalem fell, the nations lost a very lucrative trade market.) cargoes of gold and silver and precious stones and pearls and fine linen and purple and silk and scarlet, and every kind of citron wood and every article of ivory and every article made from very costly wood and bronze and iron and marble, and cinnamon and spice and incense and perfume and frankincense and wine and olive oil and fine flour and wheat and cattle and sheep, and cargoes of horses and chariots and slaves and human lives.”

This represents a very extensive clientele of nations, and one of the trade items was the slave market. This gives us some idea of the scope and size of the market in Jerusalem. Josephus recorded in War of the Jews Book III, “Nor indeed is Judea destitute of such delights as come from the sea, since its maritime places extend as far as Ptolemais: it was parted into eleven portions, of which the royal city Jerusalem was supreme, and presided over all the neighboring country, as the head does over the body.”

Jerusalem was the chief of international commerce. “The fruit you long for has gone from you, and all things that were luxurious and splendid have passed away from you and men will no longer find them.” (Jerusalem had lived in extravagant luxury and felt secure in their wealth and in their international trade relations). “The merchants of these things, who became rich from her, will stand at a distance because of the fear of her torment, weeping and mourning, saying, ‘Woe, woe, the great city, she who was clothed in fine linen and purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls; for in one hour such great wealth has been laid waste!’ And every ship master and every passenger and sailor, and as many as make their living by the sea, stood at a distance, and were crying out as they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, ‘What city is like the great city?’ And they threw dust on their heads and were crying out, weeping, and mourning, saying, ‘Woe, woe, the great city, in which all who had ships at sea became rich by her wealth, for in one hour she has been laid waste!’ (The fall of Jerusalem had far reaching global economic repercussions. The flow of commerce to and from Jerusalem with the trading nations was gone.) “Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you saints and apostles and prophets, because God has pronounced judgment for you against her.” (God is avenging the blood of all the righteous that Jerusalem has ever been guilty of shedding. Now, those who had been slain for the Lord could rejoice in her destruction). Then a strong angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, ‘So will Babylon, the great city, be thrown down with violence, and will not be found any longer.’ (This is the same thing as the “great mountain” being thrown into the sea in 8:8. The sea represents the collective of humanity or the nations. Whoever remained of Israel would be scattered among the nations.) And the sound of harpists and musicians and flute-players and trumpeters will not be heard in you any longer; and no craftsman of any craft will be found in you any longer; and the sound of a mill will not be heard in you any longer; and the light of a lamp will not shine in you any longer; and the voice of the bridegroom and bride will not be heard in you any longer; (In other words Jerusalem was to become a dead city.) for your merchants were the great men of the earth, because all the nations were deceived by your sorcery. And in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints and of all who have been slain on the earth.”

In this is fulfilled he words of Jesus in Matthew 23:35, “So that upon you (Jerusalem) may fall the guilt of all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar.”

lamad · Apr 18, 2021

oldhermit said:

Chapter Four

I. The First Vision, 1-4,
This is the same vision given to Ezekiel in 1:1-14 and 10:1-22.

A. This scene is designed to do one thing and that is to impress upon our minds the glory of God and the majesty and grandeur of the throne room. There is no way to stand before such a scene and not be stricken with a sense of awe. Why is this vision focused on the throne room? Because judgment is about to be administered. The Judge is on the throne and wrath is about to be poured out.

B. “In the spirit”
This describes the nature of the revelation. The scene is in heaven which is the source of all revelation and John cannot view this scene in the flesh.

C. The use of symbolic language
All John is allowed to see are pictures of things that cannot be described through the medium of human language. The descriptions are mere representations of things that are not otherwise seen.
1. Open door
This is not suggesting there is a literal door in heaven that allows or bars access to the throne room. All this signifies is that the veil of inaccessibility between the two worlds has been lifted, and John is permitted to look into that world. The access is however, limited. He was only allowed to see those things which God intended to show him concerning things that were about to happen. His access into that world was limited to a need to know basis.

2. Trumpet
Descriptive of the voice of God whether it is of the Father or of Jesus. His is always the one whose voice is like a trumpet, 1:10.

3. Twenty-four elders appear to be representative the faithful of both covenants.

4. Throne/thrones
These should not be thought of as literal seats that are occupied by either God or the 24 elders. This language represents power, honor, dignity, and authority. The placement of these “thrones” is around THE throne. In other words, their honor and authority are derived from the one who sits on the throne.

5. Lightening and peals of thunder – Like Sinai

6. The seven lamps of fire, seven spirits of God – These are the seven Churches of Asia.

7. The descriptions of the four living creatures are descriptions of angels, possibly Arc angels, Ezekiel 10.

a. “And in the center and around the throne, four living creatures.”
This language dispels any sense of time and space. In the natural world, two objects cannot occupy the same space at the same time. Their placement is simply to stress the nature of their function. These are the attendants of the one who occupies the throne.

b. “Six wings full of eyes in front and behind.”
The cherubim here have six wings like the seraphim in Isaiah 6:2; but the cherubim in Ezekiel 1:6 were each seen having four wings and are also called “living creatures.” In Ezekiel 1:6, each living creature has all four faces. Here, each “creature” is represented as each having one face.

c. “The first creature was like a lion.” – suggestive of power,

d. “The second creature like a calf.” (more properly, “young bull.”) representing strength, power.

e. “The third creature had a face like that of a man.” – Representing wisdom and intelligence.

f. “The fourth creature was like a flying eagle.” – Representing the swiftness in which he carries out the will of the one who sits upon the throne.

g. “Each one of them having six wings, are full of eyes around and within;”
This suggests all seeing, ceaseless vigilance. Nine times in the Old Testament, the Hebrew word 'ayin, “eye,” is used to represent the idea of color or brilliance (Ezekiel 1:4, 7, 16, 22, 27; 8:2; 10:9, Daniel 10:6, and Proverbs 23:31

. This may suggest that “full of eyes,” refers to their appearance as being one of shining brilliance.

h. “Day and night, they do not cease to say, holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come” This is the same Jesus of 1:8. This seems to be their primary function.

8. Precious stones
These are used to create a picture in the mind of the reader of beauty and splendor. As with all symbols, these precious stones are used to convey a degree of beauty and splendor that cannot be communicated through the medium of simple human language. These simple linguistic expressions cannot come close to describing the actual grandeur of the reality; they are merely things we can relate to that give us just a sense of the beauty and splendor that accompanies the presence of God.

9. The rainbow represents covenant.

10. The twenty-four elders represent the faithful overseers of the people of God of both covenants who were the good and faithful shepherds.

11. White garments represent holiness, purity, and righteousness. These are the garments of the overcomes who are in the presence of God.

12. Golden crowns – Eternal life, authority that belongs to the overcomers.

13. The sea of glass represents the aggravate of humanity in a tranquil state of peace. This symbolism will be seen again in later chapters.

D. Jesus is the God who occupies the throne in this scene. He is fulfilling the function of the second position within the Triadic Unity. Jesus is always the channel of communication between the two worlds, and He is the one who is communicating this revelation of John. Verse 11 illustrates the exercise of divine prerogative just as in Hebrews 1:10-12.

There are some interesting things in chapter 4:

WHERE IS JESUS? This is His book about HIM. John saw the Father on the throne, but Jesus seems ABSENT.

Then another question: John saw the Holy Spirit there, but Jesus had said that as soon as He ascends He would send Him (The Holy Spirit) down. Yet, in chapter 4, the Holy Spirit is there as the 7 spirits of God.

What is God's intent in showing a throne room with Jesus missing - when we have over a dozen verses telling us He went to sit at the right hand of the Father. Stephen SAW Him there. But here, John did not see Jesus.

lamad · Apr 18, 2021

oldhermit said:

Chapter Five

Daniel 12
1. “Now at that time Michael, the great prince who stands guard over the sons of your people, will arise. And there will be a time of distress such as never occurred since there was a nation until that time; and at that time your people, everyone who is found written in the book, will be rescued. 2. Many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground will awake, these to everlasting life, but the others to disgrace and everlasting contempt. 3. Those who have insight will shine brightly like the brightness of the expanse of heaven, and those who lead the many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.”

4. “But as for you, Daniel, conceal these words and seal up the book until the end of time; many will go back and forth, and knowledge will increase. 5. Then I, Daniel, looked and behold, two others were standing, one on this bank of the river and the other on that bank of the river. 6. And one said to the man dressed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, ‘How long will it be until the end of these wonders?’ 7. I heard the man dressed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, as he raised his right hand and his left toward heaven, and swore by Him who lives forever that it would be for a time, times, and half a time; and as soon as they finish shattering the power of the holy people, all these events will be completed. 8. As for me, I heard but could not understand; so, I said, ‘My lord, what will be the outcome of these events?’ 9. He said, ‘Go your way, Daniel, for these words are concealed and sealed up until the end time. 10. Many will be purged, purified and refined, but the wicked will act wickedly; and none of the wicked will understand, but those who have insight will understand.’”

11 “From the time that the regular sacrifice is abolished and the abomination of desolation is set up, there will be 1,290 days. 12. How blessed is he who keeps waiting and attains to the 1,335 days! 13. But as for you, go your way to the end; then you will enter into rest and rise again for your allotted portion at the end of the age.”

I. The Book of Seven Seals, 1-10

A. “I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a book written inside and on the back, sealed up with seven seals.”
Actually, a scroll of parchment with writing on both sides of the parchment and sealed with seven seals.

1. The importance of the seals
Wax seals were originally used to assure that a letter had not been read in transit. A broken seal would imply that the contents had been compromised.

2. Only the one for whom the letter was intended had the authority to break the seal and view the contents of the document.

3. This is the sealed book of Daniel 12:4.
Daniel was commanded to seal up the book because the time of the described events in Daniel's vision had not yet reached their time of fulfillment. These seals being opened in chapter six because the time is now fulfilled.

4. There are seven different scenes within this vision, each one represented by the opening of its respective seal beginning in chapter six.

B. “And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, who is worthy to open the book and to break its seals? And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the book or to look into it. Then I began to weep greatly because no one was found worthy to open the book or to look into it;”

1. The “strong angel” possibly represents Michael, the great prince who stood before Daniel with this very same vision.

2. “On the earth or under the earth” may offer two possibilities.
It could refer to both the living and the dead or, it could be understood symbolically with the earth representing the ruling powers of men while “under the earth” represents those who were in subjection to those ruling powers. Regardless of which way this is intended to be understood, the answer to this rhetorical question will be the same.

3. “To look upon” means to reveal the meaning of the things written in the scroll.

4. “Who is worthy” is of course a rhetorical question for there is no one worthy among men. This represents a generalized statement that no such worthiness was found among all humanity. This is privileged information and no one was found worthy to even break the seals, much less reveal what the scroll contained.

A sealed scroll can only be opened by the one who has the authority to break the seals. John laments over the unworthiness and hopelessness of man to be privy to such revelation. The only way man can learn of its contents is if the one who sits on the throne reveals it to him and with the opening of each individual seal, a new revelation will given.

C. “And one of the elders said to me, Stop weeping; behold, the Lion that is from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome so as to open the book and its seven seals.” John uses two Old Testament passages that stress the legitimacy of Jesus' royal linage.

1. There is one out of man who is worthy, who has the power and the authority.

a. He is the one who occupies the throne. This demonstrates divine status.

b. He is of the tribe of Judah from Genesis 49:9-10.

He is the rightful owner of the scepter. “The scepter shall not depart from Judah, Nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, Until Shiloh comes, and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples.” All of this points to Judah as the type and Jesus as the Anti-type. The 'UNTIL' represents the change of status that will mark the transfer of position.
 “Will not depart from Judah...”

This has to relate to more than just Judah's preeminent position among the tribes. Judah had that from the beginning. When did the scepter come into the possession of the tribe of Judah?

• This could not apply to their time in the wilderness because during that time, Moses held the scepter of judgment. After the death of Moses, this was then passed to Joshua. Neither of these men were from the tribe of Judah. Moses was a Levite, Exodus 2:1 and Joshua was an Ephraimite, Numbers 13:8.

• It could also not have been during the period of the judges. It was the tribe of Ephraim who exercised a type of rule over all Israel during much of the time of the judges. This is where Shiloh was located. This was where God told Israel to set up the tabernacle. Shiloh served as the center of worship. This was where both Joshua and Deborah ruled the people. This lasted until David removed the ark of the covenant from Kiriath-Jearim, where it had been returned by the Philistines.

• The scepter had to have come with the inauguration of David. He is the first of Judah to possess the scepter. It would not depart from Judah....

 “Until Shiloh comes” or “Until he comes to whom it belongs.”
Judah held the scepter in trust until the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the true King should come, Isaiah 6:1-5.

c. The Root of Jesse
“Then in that day the nations will resort to the root of Jesse, who will stand as a signal for the peoples; and His resting place will be glorious,” Isaiah 11:10.

He is of the kingly line of David. He is the legal heir to the throne of David. In other words, he is the one who is taken out of man who is worthy to open the scrolls and reveal their contents.

2. Jesus’ worthiness to open the seals and reveal the contents is based in three things;

a. His position on the throne of heaven

b. His position within the kingly line

c. The fact that he (unlike those in the earth and under the earth) has overcome. This reflects upon two things.

 His victory over sin. He never succumbed to temptation. He retained his crown of glory and honor, Hebrews 2:9.

 His resurrection form the dead.

There are more events here in chapter 5 that are strange. When the angel is searching for one worthy, this first search ended in failure! We know that because John wrote, "no man was found." Yet, it seems in a subsequent search, Jesus was found.

This question must be asked: WHY was Jesus not immediately found in this first search? What is God telling us here?

We have three questions now:
1. Why was Jesus not seen in the throne room, when we have over a dozen verses telling us He went to be at the right hand of the Father?

2. Why was the Holy Spirit seen in the throne room, when we would expect Him to have been sent down years before?

3. Why was "no man found" in that first search?

While meditating on these two chapters, Jesus ASKED me these three questions. Yes, I heard His voice. It sounded as if He was in the room. I did not eat pizza, and I was wide awake. I had been asking Him why we needed to know that John wept, and why we needed to know it was much. Looking back, it was the Holy Spirit causing me to ask God.

Finally Jesus answered me and said, "It shows timing." I searched diligently in both chapters to see any kind of timing, but I could not. I kept bugging God. Finally after a couple more weeks of intense study, He spoke again and said, "It also shows the movement of time." Again I studied for weeks trying to find any movement of time. I could not. This is when Jesus took pity on my studying ability and asked me the three questions. I could not answer them. For weeks I tried.

Finally again Jesus had mercy and helped me find the answer. However, I hope all the readers will ponder these questions and try to answer them. I will wait to answer.

Rondonmon · Apr 18, 2021

oldhermit said:

In short, Rev. 1 is a Revelation from God unto mankind via his son Jesus unto his prophet/disciple John. Most people miss what SHORTLY actually means in verse 1, in my Greek Bible study, there are TWO WORDS that supposedly go where shortly is at. One of the words is the Greek word EN (1722) which means a primary preposition denoting (fixed) position (in place, time, or state). The other Greek word is of course TACHOS (5034) where we get the English word Tachometer from. It of course means ZOOM, ZOOM, ZOOM in so many words, LOL. It means to go IN HASTE, or in a SHORT SPACE OF TIME, or QUICKLY/Speedily, etc., etc. So, in essence, we are told that at an EN (at a future point in time, which is of the Fathers determining) Jesus will return IN HASTE, or QUICKLY........Or in a SHORT BURST OF TIME. A lot of people say God lied because Jesus didn't come back SHORTLY, but the truth is they just don't understand the passage.

The rest of Revelation ch. 1 is about the things which YOU HAVE SEEN as in the things which John has seen along with all of the Disciples, the Glory of Jesus Christ, thus we get a detailed image of the Glory of one Jesus Christ in all His Glorious Majestic being. He s the first and the last, the is steward to the 7 Churches of Asia Minor. When John saw him he fell down as dead in awe of his Gory. Revelation 1 is basically a picture of the things John HAD SEEN.

Rondonmon · Apr 18, 2021

Truth7t7 said:

Correct, do you know what this means? It doesn't mean hes a Homosexual, it simply means they left out one "REGARDS" because it would have been semantic satiation to use the same word three ties in one verse, so the second time it needed to be used is left silenced. It's a GIVEN that the quote about the woman means the same thing, he has NO REGARDS for Women either, but not as per their beauty, it means as per WHAT THEY THINK IN GENERAL. Look at it like this.

Daniel 11:37 Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor(does he REGARD) the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all.

So, the above left off ONE REGARD because ot should be obvious, all three of these are about this Anti-Christ not having REGARDS for his father's god (I think it means Islam/Allah and this Turk born in Greece is an Atheist)......he will not REGARD the DISRE of Women, which means he will not care at all what they THINK or SAY, it doesn't mean hes a homosexual as many people say. AND LASTLY, he will not REGARD any god means he is an Atheist. Antiochus had REGARDS to Zeus, Daniel 11:21-33 maybe 34 is about Antiochus, Daniel 11:36-45 is about the End Time Anti-Christ.

Truth7t7 · Apr 18, 2021

Rondonmon said:

Correct, do you know what this means? It doesn't mean hes a Homosexual, it simply means they left out one "REGARDS" because it would have been semantic satiation to use the same word three ties in one verse, so the second time it needed to be used is left silenced. It's a GIVEN that the quote about the woman means the same thing, he has NO REGARDS for Women either, but not as per their beauty, it means as per WHAT THEY THINK IN GENERAL. Look at it like this.

Daniel 11:37 Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor(does he REGARD) the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all.

So, the above left off ONE REGARD because ot should be obvious, all three of these are about this Anti-Christ not having REGARDS for his father's god (I think it means Islam/Allah and this Turk born in Greece is an Atheist)......he will not REGARD the DISRE of Women, which means he will not care at all what they THINK or SAY, it doesn't mean hes a homosexual as many people say. AND LASTLY, he will not REGARD any god means he is an Atheist. Antiochus had REGARDS to Zeus, Daniel 11:21-33 maybe 34 is about Antiochus, Daniel 11:36-45 is about the End Time Anti-Christ.

We Will Disagree, Scripture Is Pretty In My KJV, He's A Human Man That Has No Desire For Women

Daniel 11:37KJV
37 Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all.

Rondonmon · Apr 18, 2021

oldhermit said:

John did say THAT Anti-christ, pointing to a singular MAN to come. Truths7 point was it has BECOME a catchphrase, which it most certainly has, so all of his names can be summed up in one phrase, THE ANTI-CHRIST, like it or not that is a fact. A catchphrase doesn't have to be one you or I like, it can just be something that incorporates all names for a product or a being under one umbrella. The fact is he is correct, people do not use Little Horn, Man of Sin, The Wicked One, the Assyrian, they use the CATCHPHRASE Anti-Christ and we all know that and they could use the phrase "Concrete" as far as I am concerned, the name means nothing, as long as I know who is being spoken of. This MAN is anti-God and thus anti-Christ Jesus. He is THAT Anti-Christ John pointed towards as coming.

Rondonmon · Apr 18, 2021

Truth7t7 said:

That not what it means, it means he has NO REGARDS for the DESIRE of Women, it would have been REDUNDANT to put three REGARDS in one verse. What I get from you is someone who has zero ability to learn, everything is static and frozen in place, and you already know it all. But of course, you don't. Any person being subjective would see the above is speaking about what this man has REGARDS FOR, but since you have already had it in your mind this makes him a homosexual (I guess that's your thought) then that's it, even though it is wrong. The above is about the Anti-Christs REGARDS to his father's gods, his REGARDS to what women desire, and his REGARDS to any God. Putting three REGARDS on one verse would be very redundant. But of course, you thought the other way, so it must e that, even though it isn't. Kind of like those people who think Antiochus runs from Dan. 11:21-45 and those who think the Anti-Christ runs from Daniel 11:21-45, bit are wrong of course, but they are unwilling to hear facts as placed in evidence.

Rondonmon · Apr 18, 2021

oldhermit said:

The 7 Churches are the Church Age Period. The #7 represents completeness as does 10, this in Rev. 2:10 when the Church of Smyrna are told they will have tribulation for 10 days, that means for the complete Church Age Period. The reason Jesus wrote to 7 churches in one area was so they could all hear the faults of each other, and the positives Jesus spoke to each church. Jesus didn't want to create a divide by scolding a church in Asia Minor the praising a Church somewhere else.

The 7 are 7 types of churches of the whole Church Age, they are not 7 time periods per se. Each church is promised gifts for overcoming, we see these gifts vis the 24 Elders in Rev. 4. The Church Age was the things WHICH ARE.

Truth7t7 · Apr 18, 2021

Rondonmon said:

Are you looking into a mirror of Gods truth?

awelight · Apr 18, 2021

Rondonmon said:

Thanks for bringing forward this point, as I was about too. I agree, the seven churches in Chapters 1-3, are examples of all churches in any given age. Thus, we go from the Doctrinally strong church to a church which is really not a church at all. The removal of the candlestick is the representative removal of the Lord's light from that church. This then, leaves behind a darkened and dead church. Some think that the removal of the candlestick is the removal of the preacher but this will not hold up to a Scriptural test, as the preachers are represented by the seven stars. Upheld by the power of the Lord, in his hand, sustaining them and keeping them.

ewq1938 · Apr 18, 2021

oldhermit said:

Those aren't the mountains of Rome.

Jerusalem sits on at least 8 hills:

Zion, Ophel, Moriah, Bezetha, Acra, Gareb, Goath, Herzl.

Rome has at least ten hills:

Aventine Hill (Latin, Aventinus; Italian, Aventino)
Caelian Hill (Cælius, Celio)
Capitoline Hill (Capitolinus, Campidoglio)
Esquiline Hill (Esquilinus, Esquilino)
Palatine Hill (Palatinus, Palatino)
Quirinal Hill (Quirinalis, Quirinale)
Viminal Hill (Viminalis, Viminale)
Vatican Hill (Latin Collis Vaticanus)
Pincian Hill (Latin Mons Pincius)
Janiculum Hill (Latin Ianiculum)

awelight · Apr 18, 2021

Truth7t7 said:

If I may interject a thought into this debate. First it seems a bit off topic to get hung up on this point. But here is something for you to consider by Albert Barnes:

Nor the desire of women - The phrase “the desire of women” is in itself ambiguous, and may either mean what they desire, that is, what is agreeable to them, or what they commonly seek, and for which they would plead; or it may mean his own desire - that is, that he would not be restrained by the desire of women, by any regard for women, for honorable matrimony, or by irregular passion. The phrase here is probably to be taken in the former sense, as this best suits the connection. There has been great variety in the interpretation of this expression. Some have maintained that it cannot be applicable to Antiochus at all, since he was a man eminently licentious and under the influence of abandoned women. Jerome, in loc., John D. Michaelis, Dereser, Gesenius, and Lengerke suppose that this means that he would not regard the beautiful statue of the goddess Venus whose temple was in Elymais, which he plundered.
Staudlin and Dathe, that he would not regard the weeping or tears of women - that is, that he would be cruel. Bertholdt, that he would not spare little children, the object of a mother’s love - that is, that he would be a cruel tyrant. Jerome renders it, Et erit in concupiscentiis faminarum, and explains it of unbridled lust, and applies it principally to Antiochus. Elliott, strangely it seems to me (Apocalypse, iv. 152), interprets it as referring to what was so much the object of desire among the Hebrew women - the Messiah, the promised seed of the woman; and he says that he had found this opinion hinted at by Faber on the Prophecies (Ed. 5), i. 380-385. Others expound it as signifying that he would not regard honorable matrimony, but would be given to unlawful pleasures. It may not be practicable to determine with certainty the meaning of the expression, but it seems to me that the design of the whole is to set forth the impiety and hard-heartedness of Antiochus. He would not regard the gods of his fathers; that is, he would not be controlled by any of the principles of the religion in which he had been educated, but would set them all at defiance, and would do as he pleased; and, in like manner, he would be unaffected by the influences derived from the female character - would disregard the objects that were nearest to their hearts, their sentiments of kindness and compassion; their pleadings and their tears; he would be a cruel tyrant, alike regardless of all the restraints derived from heaven and earth - the best influences from above and from below.
It is not necessary to say that this agrees exactly with the character of Antiochus. He was sensual and corrupt, and given to licentious indulgence, and was incapable of honorable and pure love, and was a stranger to all those bland and pure affections produced by intercourse with refined and enlightened females. If one wishes to describe a high state of tyranny and depravity in a man, it cannot be done better than by saying that he disregards whatever is attractive and interesting to a virtuous female mind.

I would agree with the conclusion that is highlighted.

Truth7t7 · Apr 18, 2021

awelight said:

If I may interject a thought into this debate. First it seems a bit off topic to get hung up on this point. But here is something for you to consider by Albert Barnes:

Nor the desire of women - The phrase “the desire of women” is in itself ambiguous, and may either mean what they desire, that is, what is agreeable to them, or what they commonly seek, and for which they would plead; or it may mean his own desire - that is, that he would not be restrained by the desire of women, by any regard for women, for honorable matrimony, or by irregular passion. The phrase here is probably to be taken in the former sense, as this best suits the connection. There has been great variety in the interpretation of this expression. Some have maintained that it cannot be applicable to Antiochus at all, since he was a man eminently licentious and under the influence of abandoned women. Jerome, in loc., John D. Michaelis, Dereser, Gesenius, and Lengerke suppose that this means that he would not regard the beautiful statue of the goddess Venus whose temple was in Elymais, which he plundered.
Staudlin and Dathe, that he would not regard the weeping or tears of women - that is, that he would be cruel. Bertholdt, that he would not spare little children, the object of a mother’s love - that is, that he would be a cruel tyrant. Jerome renders it, Et erit in concupiscentiis faminarum, and explains it of unbridled lust, and applies it principally to Antiochus. Elliott, strangely it seems to me (Apocalypse, iv. 152), interprets it as referring to what was so much the object of desire among the Hebrew women - the Messiah, the promised seed of the woman; and he says that he had found this opinion hinted at by Faber on the Prophecies (Ed. 5), i. 380-385. Others expound it as signifying that he would not regard honorable matrimony, but would be given to unlawful pleasures. It may not be practicable to determine with certainty the meaning of the expression, but it seems to me that the design of the whole is to set forth the impiety and hard-heartedness of Antiochus. He would not regard the gods of his fathers; that is, he would not be controlled by any of the principles of the religion in which he had been educated, but would set them all at defiance, and would do as he pleased; and, in like manner, he would be unaffected by the influences derived from the female character - would disregard the objects that were nearest to their hearts, their sentiments of kindness and compassion; their pleadings and their tears; he would be a cruel tyrant, alike regardless of all the restraints derived from heaven and earth - the best influences from above and from below.
It is not necessary to say that this agrees exactly with the character of Antiochus. He was sensual and corrupt, and given to licentious indulgence, and was incapable of honorable and pure love, and was a stranger to all those bland and pure affections produced by intercourse with refined and enlightened females. If one wishes to describe a high state of tyranny and depravity in a man, it cannot be done better than by saying that he disregards whatever is attractive and interesting to a virtuous female mind.

I would agree with the conclusion that is highlighted.

I disagree with your promotion of (Historicism) in (Preterism) Antiochus Epiphanies 167BC wasnt fulfillment of Daniel 11:37, this is a future event that will take place in Jerusalem

oldhermit · Apr 19, 2021

Chapter Nineteen

I. The Praise of the Great Assembly 1-6

A. “After these things I heard something like a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven,”
We see the great exaltation now of those in chapter 6 who had asked, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, will You refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” Now, the Lamb has avenged their blood and the great multitude offers this three-fold hallelujah to God the Lamb.

“Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God; because His judgments are true and righteous;” The destruction of Jerusalem was a divinely righteous act of judgment, and the indictments against her are two-fold:

1. She had “corrupted the earth with her immorality.”
Jerusalem (Israel) was to be the lamp unto the nations. “It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also make You a light of the nations, so that My salvation may reach to the end of the earth.”

Jesus reminded them again in Matthew 5:14 saying, “You are the light of the world.” Instead, she had become the mistress of the nations. Rather than instructing the nations in the ways of the Lord, she had corrupted them with her immorality. This was a failure on their part to fulfil a divinely assigned function. Consequently, she would be destroyed. She was the salt that had lost its savor. Her fate now was to be “trodden under the foot of man.” This sort of helps us see the Sermon on the Mount in a little different context.

2. “And He has avenged the blood of his bond-servants on her.”
Not only had she corrupted the nations, she had also murdered all those whom God had sent to her with the words of the Lord until eventually, they killed the Master's Son. This is another reason we know that Babylon is Jerusalem, for no prophets were to perish outside the city. “Nevertheless, I must journey on today and tomorrow and the next day; for it cannot be that a prophet would perish outside of Jerusalem.” Luke 13:33.

B. “And a second time they said, “Hallelujah! her smoke rises up forever and ever.”
In other words, the old Jerusalem would never be restored. She would never rise again. This is the great failing of millennial advocates who wait anxiously for the return of the Jews, the restoration of Palestine, and the rebuilding of the temple. This is never going to happen. The once faithful city would never again recover from this devastation for, “her smoke rises up forever and ever.” This would fulfill the words of Jesus in Luke 21:24 saying, “And they will fall by the edge of the sword and will be led captive into all the nations; and Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.” In other words, until her destruction was complete.

C. “And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who sits on the throne saying, ‘Amen. Hallelujah!’ And a voice came from the throne, saying, ‘Give praise to our God, all you His bond-servants, you who fear Him, the small and the great.’”

This is the same scene we saw in 5:11-14 as all of this revelation began to unfold. Now that the harlot and the beast are judged and the saints vindicated, the accolade of praise is again offered. “Then I heard something like the voice of a great multitude and like the sound of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, saying, ‘Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the Almighty reigns.’” The destruction of Jerusalem was proof positive that Jesus reigns, and that he is in control of human history.

II. The Marriage of the Lamb, 7-10

A. “Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come.”
The marriage scene of the Lamb is quite often misunderstood. The tendency is to assign this to the ultimate return of the Lord. The symbolism of the marriage supper is one of celebration and rejoicing, not because the Church has been glorified and Jesus has returned for her at the end of time, but because she has been avenged. The people of God have always been the bride of Jehovah. This wedding took place in Exodus 20 when Israel took the name of the Jehovah. Israel then became wedded to God. This relationship is confirmed in Ezekiel, Hosea, and Isaiah.

This scene in Revelation 19 is not talking about a 'someday' marriage union between the Church and the Lamb. There is only one bride – Israel (whether physical or spiritual) and one groom – Jehovah. There are not two brides, Israel and the Church and two husbands, the Father and the Son. The Church is the New Jerusalem, the Israel of Jehovah is her husband. It has always been so! The Church is not separate from the faithful remnant of Israel to whom the Lord declared “For your husband is your Maker, whose name is the Lord of hosts; And your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel, who is called the God of all the earth,” Isaiah 54:5.

The body of the Church, which began with the faithful remnants of the Jews, was simply the extension of that remnant. She is part of her. In Romans 7:4 Paul reminds us that through death, we have been united with Christ and that we have already been espoused / betrothed / or presented to him, 1 Corinthians 11:21. The conversion of the Church was her betrothal to Christ. The apostle Paul demonstrated how he acted as the friend of the bridegroom (just as John did) in presenting us to the Lord as chaste virgins. This is a marriage that takes place every time a new Christian is baptized into the body of Christ. Baptism is the ceremony that joins us to Christ in that marriage union, Romans 6, and the invitation goes out to all, “Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.”

B. Jesus' parable of the Kingdom of heaven and the wedding feast.

1. Matthew 22:11-14, “...The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son. And he sent out his slaves (the prophets) to call those who had been invited (Israel) to the wedding feast, and they were unwilling to come. Again, he sent out other slaves (the prophets/saints) saying, ‘Tell those who have been invited (Israel), ‘Behold, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and my fattened livestock are butchered, and everything is ready; come to the wedding feast.’ But they paid no attention and went their way, one to his own farm, another to his business, and the rest seized his slaves and mistreated them and killed them. But the king was enraged, and he sent his armies and destroyed those murderers and set their city on fire (Jerusalem). Then he said to his slaves, ‘The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy (Israel). Go therefore to the main highways, and as many as you find, invite to the wedding feast.’ Those slaves went out into the streets and gathered together all they found (Gentiles), both evil and good; and the wedding hall was filled with dinner guests. But when the king came in to look over the dinner guests, he saw a man there who was not dressed in wedding clothes, and he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you come in here without wedding clothes?’ And the man was speechless. Then the king said to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, and throw him into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ For many are called, but few are chosen.”

2. Matthew 8:11, “I say to you that many will come from east and west (Those out of every nation, people, and tongue), and recline at the table with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven; but the sons of the kingdom (Israel) will be cast out into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

C. Presentation of the bride
“And His bride has made herself ready.” How has she made herself ready? She has “overcome,” she has been “faithful until death,” she has “remembered her first love,” she has “held fast,” she has “not soiled her garments,” and now, she will “walk with Me in white.” She has kept her marriage covenant with the Lord.

“It was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; (while Jerusalem was left “desolate and naked,” 17:16) for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints (while the nakedness of Jerusalem was her sins and her immorality). Then he said to me, ‘Write, ‘Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.’ And he said to me, ‘These are true words of God.’”

In other words, this is not just some vision or dream with no context. These things are the words of God and they WOULD come to pass. This is a striking contrast between the purity of the saints and the harlotry of Jerusalem soliciting two very different responses from the Lord.

D. “Then I fell at his feet to worship him. (This is the same angel of 17:1) But he said to me, ‘Do not do that; (This is not the angel's prohibition, it is the Lord's) I am a fellow servant of yours and your brethren who hold the testimony of Jesus; worship God. For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”

What Jesus had just revealed in Revelation concerning Jerusalem was absolute and emanate. It was sure to happen, and history confirms the fulfillment of these events.

oldhermit · Apr 19, 2021

III. Battle Scene of the Lamb and the “Kings of the Earth,” 11-19.

A. “And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war.”

1. The white horse – Symbol of victory

2. Faithful, true, and righteousness
These qualities are about to be demonstrated in the destruction that he promised to exact upon those persecutors of the saints.
3. Judges and wages war
This is what he is riding out to do. The judgment of Lord is about to be executed on the field of battle. This is reminiscent of Exodus 14:14, Deuteronomy 1:30; 3:22; 20:4 where Jehovah promised the people that he himself would do battle for his people. Now, Jesus is portrayed as going out to do battle for his saints to avenge their blood.

B. “His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems; and He has a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself. He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God.”

1. Eyes of fire – discerning in judgment

2. “MANY” diadems represent the extent of his dominion. He is King of the nations.

3. The undisclosed name
I have always found this intriguing. This certainly adds to the mystique of God. This is an aspect of Jesus that the Holy Spirit has chosen not to reveal to us. He only reveals the fact of it. Evidently, there are unrevealed aspects of God that we are not meant to know this side of eternity. This is not the first time we are forbidden to know hidden divine names; For example…

The name of the Holy Spirit is never revealed to us in scripture. “Holy Spirit” is not his name, it is a description of his nature. Every time the term “Holy Spirit” appears in scripture it is always in the neuter gender, never in the masculine as with Jesus or the Father. All that is being revealed in the term “Holy Spirit” is type of being. “Holy Spirit” is what he is, just as the term “God” describes what he is, not who he is. Who he is, is Jehovah, what he is, is holy God! We are given very little information about the Holy Spirit beyond his relationship within the Triadic Unity and his function within that unity as it relates to man and creation. From this text, we are told that Jesus too, has a name that we are not permitted to know, at least not in this life.

4. Robe dipped in blood
Is this Jesus’ own sacrificial blood, or is this the blood of his enemies? Since the scene pictures him going out to judge and make war, it would seem in keeping with the imagery to suggest that he is covered in the blood of his fallen enemies.

5. His name is called the “Word of God.” This is a designation of his function within the triadic unity. He is the communicator of the will of God. The will being communicated in this scene is judgment and destruction.

C. “And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses. From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. And on His robe and on His thigh, He has a name written, ‘King of kings, and Lord of lords.’”

1. Christ is leading this triumphant procession of victorious martyrs.
The way this scene is presented to us is that Christ and his armies are going out to do battle. What is unusual in this scene is the battle dress of the armies of the Lord – the saints. They are not dressed in battle array, but in robes depicting victory and conquest.

2. The sharp two-edged sword represents whatever proceeds out of the mouth of God. In this case, the gospel which is the Word of God, Hebrews 4:12.

a. With it, he “strikes down the nations and He will rule them with a rod of iron.”

 This comes directly from Jeremiah 1:10 where the Lord declared to Jeremiah, “See, I have appointed you this day over the nations and over the kingdoms, to pluck up and to break down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant.” (This was the impact of the preaching of the gospel as it was also revealed in Psalms 2), “Why are the nations in an uproar and the peoples devising a vain thing? The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord and against His Anointed, saying, “Let us tear their fetters apart and cast away their cords from us! (A refusal to accept the rule of Messiah) He who sits in the heavens laughs, the Lord scoffs at them. Then He will speak to them in His anger and terrify them in His fury, saying, ‘But as for Me, I have installed My King upon Zion (the heavenly Jerusalem), My holy mountain. I will surely tell of the decree of the Lord: He said to Me, ‘You are My Son, TODAY, I have begotten You’ (As Paul reveals, this relates exclusively to the resurrection of Jesus, not some distant return at the end of time, nor to some imagined millennial reign). Ask of Me, and I will surely give the nations as Your inheritance, and the very ends of the earth as Your possession. You shall break them with a rod of iron, you shall shatter them like earthenware.’ Now therefore, O kings, show discernment; Take warning, O judges of the earth. Worship the Lord with reverence and rejoice with trembling. Do homage to the Son, that He not become angry, and you perish in the way, for His wrath may soon be kindled. How blessed are all who take refuge in Him!”

 This is the perfect prophetic description of the events unfolded in Revelation, all of which centered around the resurrection of Messiah. In the events surrounding the interrogation of Peter and John in Acts 4:16-30, we again find this same quote from Psalms 2 which binds the fulfillment of this Psalm to the apostolic period. “When they (Peter and John) had been released, they went to their own companions and reported all that the chief priests and the elders had said to them. And when they heard this, they lifted their voices to God with one accord and said, ‘O Lord, it is You who made the heaven and the earth and the sea, and all that is in them (Exodus 20:11), who by the Holy Spirit, through the mouth of our father David Your servant, said, ‘Why did the Gentiles rage, and the peoples devise futile things? The kings of the earth took their stand, and the rulers were gathered together against the lord and against his Christ.’ For truly in this city there were gathered together against Your holy servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose predestined to occur.”

b. With this Word, he treads the winepress of the fierce wrath of God. The word of God is the instrument through which this judgment was rendered in ages past, just as Jeremiah and the Psalmist declared.

oldhermit · Apr 19, 2021

3. King of kings and Lord of lords
The conquest of the nations was not a physical conquest but a spiritual one which was the result of the spread of the gospel through which God continues to purchase with the blood of Christ “men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation.” Because of this, the “kingdoms of the world” now belong to the Lamb. Through the preaching of the gospel, he has “gathered together His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other,” Matthew 24:31. The place of their gathering is the Church, the Body of Christ, the heavenly Jerusalem. This is the fulfillment of the words of Isaiah 2:1-4, “The word which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. Now it will come about that in the last days (the last days of Israel) the mountain of the house of the Lord Will be established as the chief of the mountains and will be raised above the hills; And all the nations will stream to it. And many peoples will come and say, ‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, To the house of the God of Jacob; That He may teach us concerning His ways and that we may walk in His paths. For the law will go forth from Zion and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. And He will judge between the nations and will render decisions for many peoples; And they will hammer their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not lift up sword against nation,’”

Peace exists only in the Church – Zion. Only in the Church do men “hammer their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks” to “never again...learn war.”

D. “Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and he cried out with a loud voice, saying to all the birds which fly in mid-heaven, ‘Come, assemble for the great supper of God, so that you may eat the flesh of kings and the flesh of commanders and the flesh of mighty men and the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them and the flesh of all men, both free men and slaves, and small and great.’ (No position of power, rank, status, or privilege would be able to stand against the one who “judges and wages war.”) And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies assembled to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army.”

1. Before the battle is even engaged, the invitation goes out to the birds of prey, those which feed on carrion, to assemble on the field of battle to feast on the bodies of the enemies of the Lord. In other words, the outcome was already determined before it began. This scene is from Ezekiel 39 where God used this exact same imagery to prophesy the destruction of Jerusalem in the days of Daniel.

“As for you, son of man, thus says the Lord God, ‘Speak to every kind of bird and to every beast of the field. ‘Assemble and come, gather from every side to My sacrifice which I am going to sacrifice for you, as a great sacrifice on the mountains of Israel, that you may eat flesh and drink blood. You will eat the flesh of mighty men and drink the blood of the princes of the earth, as though they were rams, lambs, goats and bulls, all of them fatlings of Bashan. So, you will eat fat until you are glutted, and drink blood until you are drunk, from My sacrifice which I have sacrificed for you. You will be glutted at My table with horses and charioteers, with mighty men and all the men of war,” declares the Lord God. And I will set My glory among the nations; and all the nations will see My judgment which I have executed and My hand which I have laid on them. And the house of Israel (the faithful remnant?) will know that I am the Lord their God from that day onward. The nations will know that the house of Israel went into exile for their iniquity because they acted treacherously against Me, and I hid My face from them; so, I gave them into the hand of their adversaries, and all of them fell by the sword. “According to their uncleanness and according to their transgressions I dealt with them, and I hid My face from them,’” Ezekiel 39:17-20.

The prey was the city of Jerusalem. She was the corpse, and the vultures were the Lord’s guests to the banquet. “Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather,” Matthew 24:28. This imagery paints a gruesome picture for both periods of destruction in Jerusalem's history. John uses this same imagery to speak of this impending destruction that was about to descend once again upon Jerusalem.

2. The Beast (Rome) and the kings of the earth wage war against the Lord. This represented the all-out persecuting effort of Rome against the saints.

IV. Eternal Doom of the Beast and False Prophet, 20-21
“And the beast was seized, and with him the false prophet who performed the signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image; these two were thrown alive into the lake of fire which burns with brimstone. And the rest were killed with the sword which came from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse, and all the birds were filled with their flesh.”

The “Lake of fire” is generally associated with the eternal state of the damned. This is the ultimate and eternal fate of the beast (Rome) and the false prophet (Israel). The killing with the sword is the force of the gospel – the two-edged Word of God which comes from the mouth of the Lamb.

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