Revelation Class 9-4-19 | By Mark Tuso

______Introduction: The book of Revelation is a special book offering a special blessing to those who not only read it, but who pursue obedience by faith to the one who is at the very center of the book. Revelation 1:3, “Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near.” The book of Revelation brings the grand story of the Bible, and of creation, to a fitting end, by focusing on the second coming of Jesus Christ and the consummation of all things and the final fulfillment of all of God’s promises through Jesus Christ. Many come to this book wanting to know more about future events, but the real heart of the book is Jesus Himself. It is not merely a “revelation of” things to come, but rather it is “The revelation of Jesus Christ!”

The book of Revelation is a special book because of the unique genre it belongs to. The book of Revelation is apocalyptic in nature, which is to say it is a book of symbolism, imagery, and prophecy depicting the end of the world. We have some examples of this type of writing in parts of Ezekiel, Daniel, and Zechariah. There are shorter examples in the New Testament in Matthew, Mark, and 2 Thessalonians. The Book of Revelation, however, is the best example of this genre in the Bible.

The book of Revelation is a special book because of its scope. As the final book of the Bible, and the book that God gave to describe the consummation of all things, it covers a lot of biblical ground. That is, the book of Revelation borrows more from the Old Testament, either by direct quotation or allusion, than any other book of the New Testament.

The book of Revelation is more difficult to interpret than any other New Testament book. The frequent use of symbolism and imagery has given rise to different interpretive approaches to the book as a whole.

Four approaches to the Book of Revelation:

a. Preterist – most of Revelation was fulfilled during the Roman Empire (1st century) (does not see the book as prophecy)

b. Historicist – Revelation is a panoramic view of all of church history (attaches the symbolism of the book of Revelation to events from the first advent up until the end times)

c. Idealist – sees book as a symbolic depiction of an ongoing struggle between good and evil (the book does not predict end time events)

d. Futurist – sees everything beyond chapter 3 OR chapter 5 as still future and primarily pertaining to the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. (there are at least three subcategories: Classical Dispensationalists, Progressive Dispensationalists, and Non-Dispensational Futurists)

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Revelation Class 9-4-19 | By Mark Tuso

______In a narrower sense, the most difficult section of the book, chapter 20, has given rise to another set of interpretive approaches that also affect the way the book as a whole is interpreted. These approaches stem from the phrase “a thousand years” as it relates to the timing of the Second Coming of Jesus Christ in Revelation 20. There are four major interpretive views that concern the relationship between the “thousand years” and the return of Jesus Christ. It is important to note that these views have implications beyond chapter 20 and it is important to recognize when a particular interpretation of a part of Revelation is ultimately the result of one of these interpretive views more than anything else. Here are the four views:

a. Dispensational Premillennialism – The most complex system; first appeared in the writings of John Nelson Darby in the 1800’s; stresses MAJOR distinction between the church and Israel – The current church age ends with the rapture of the church, marking the beginning of a seven year tribulation on earth that will end with the battle of Armageddon, when Christ will return to destroy His enemies and throw Satan into the bottomless pit. There will be a judgment, and Christ’s millennial kingdom reign (literal throne in Jerusalem) will begin, the temple will be rebuilt, and sacrifices will be made. At the end of the millennium, Satan will be released from bondage and will lead a rebellion against Christ. Christ will defeat him and cast him into the lake of fire, the great white throne judgment will commence, and the new heavens and new earth will be established.

b. Historic Premillennialism – This view goes all the way back to Polycarp, who was a disciple of John himself, and who taught it to his disciple Irenaeus. This is a simple view that begins with a great tribulation that will end the present age. Following the tribulation, Christ will return, the Antichrist will be judged, the righteous will be resurrected, Satan will be bound, and Christ will establish His reign on the earth which will last for a thousand years. At the end of the millennium, Satan will be released, will lead a rebellion, and will be defeated. The unrighteous will be resurrected for judgment, and the new heavens and new earth will ne established.

c. Postmillennialism – This view was widely held by the Puritans and was the most common view in the 18th and 19th centuries. The millennium will be completed before the return of Christ in this view. Typically, the millennium is taught to be the entire period between the first coming and the second coming of Christ. The defining characteristic of this view, beyond timing, is the nature of the millennium. This view teaches that leading up to the return of Christ, the church will increase and go through an unprecedented period of righteousness and influence on the earth. Then the Lord will return, there will be a resurrection, and the final judgment will take place leading up to the new heavens and the new earth being established.

d. Amillennialism – This view comes out of the early church, dating back to Augustine (354-430). In this view, the millennium is interpreted as the current reign of Christ during this age. Unlike the postmillennial view, this view does not believe the church will continue to expand and go through an unprecedented time of righteousness and influence in the world. They take the current age to be characterized by suffering, not expansion. In this view, the millennium will end with the return ______1420 Indian Trace, Weston, FL 33326 | 954.389.4555 | www.fbcweston.org 2

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______of Christ, followed by a general resurrection, judgement, and the establishment of the new heavens and the new earth.

As a Southern Baptist Church, we are joined together not only by a common faith, but by a common set of beliefs. Those beliefs are cataloged in our doctrinal statement, the Baptist Faith & Message 2000. It is important to note this statement allows for different interpretive views of the book of Revelation. This is what it says concerning “end times” in general. “God, in His own time and in His own way, will bring the world to its appropriate end. According to His promise, Jesus Christ will return personally and visibly in glory to the earth; the dead will be raised; and Christ will judge all men in righteousness.” This means that there may be different interpretive views represented here.

Prolegomena (a formal introduction):

Author: The author of this book is named 6 times (1:1, 1:4, 1:9, 10:8, 21:2, 21:8). In 22:9 he is referred to as a “prophet”. Without a doubt, the author is the Apostle John. We can be sure of this because of the wide recognition of his name at the time of the writing of this book. The early church fathers (Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, Clement of Alexandria, Tertullian, etc.) all ascribed this book to the Apostle John. There are also common themes between John’s gospel and the book of Revelation like the reference to Jesus Christ as the Word.

Date: The date of this book is of critical importance. In fact, much of the discussion concerning interpretive views and methods centers around when this book was written. There are essentially two options. The first option is that the book was written around AD 68-69, before the fall of Jerusalem, and the second option is that the book was written around AD 90-95 under the reign of Emperor Domitian. The second option is the one most clearly supported by the text itself, as well as by the church fathers. Irenaeus (2nd century) dated it during this period. Domitian was worshipped as a god (emperor worship), which seems to be reflected in this book. There was likely a general persecution of the church during this later date period, which is consistent with what can be found in the text. While John was likely the youngest of the Apostles during the time of the Lord’s life on earth, he was the oldest and last living Apostle at the time of writing this letter if it was written during this period.

Historical Setting: The church was being persecuted. The Apostles were being or had been martyred. The Roman Emperor Domitian saw Christian worship as treason against the state, and was punishing them for it. Rome had begun to fulfill Daniel 7:23 by seemingly devouring the whole earth by that time. Much like the Antichrist of Daniel 7, Rome, through their emperor who declared himself to be “Lord and God”, had “uttered many blasphemies.” The end seemed near for the church as a whole and for individual Christians. The Apostolic doctrine was being perverted and the church was weak and suffering. This is the context into which the Lord essentially judges the seven churches, and into which He provides the promise of a victorious future. Chapter 1

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Revelation Class 9-4-19 | By Mark Tuso

______V.1 – This is an “unveiling” of the future that God the Father gave to God the Son for the purpose of giving it to the church. “must shortly take place” – the events of chapters 2-3 were going to happen shortly. The rest of the events (futurist view) were “impending” (see v.3) (see also 2 Peter 3:8).

V.2 – “the word of God” – the message the angel gave to John is the Word of God. God the Father showed God the Son. In turn, God the Son, through an angel, showed the Apostle John.

V.3 – “Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it” – There is an emphasis here on the letter being read aloud and heard. This is a picture of the book, being read, taught, and preached in the assembly of the church. The blessing comes to those who not only hear it, but obey it (James 1:22). “for the time is near” – here this phrase is connected with the manner or timing in which believers must respond to what they read or hear in this book.

V.4 – “to the seven churches which are in Asia” – see v.11, these must be taken to be seven literal, historical churches of the day in Asia Minor (modern day Turkey). V4-6 reflect a common prayer for grace, and peace. Note the Trinitarian nature of the prayer. The Father and the Holy Spirit are reflected in v.4. “seven Spirits” – (3:1, 4:5, 5:6) Grace and peace can only come from God, therefore this must be a reference to the Holy Spirit.

V.5 – “Jesus Christ” – the Son of God is also reflected. “the faithful witness” – (3:14) Jesus was faithful in representing God the Father in life and in death. “firstborn from the dead” – (1 Corinthians 15:20) Jesus was the first to be resurrected and the church will follow. “ruler over the kings of the earth” – Jesus Christ is Lord and King of all and one day that will be recognized by all people (Philippians 2:10-11). “washed us from our sins in His own blood” – (Isaiah 1:18, Acts 20:28, Colossians 1:20, Ephesians 1:7, Hebrews 9:14) This same Jesus died to redeem sinners and give them salvation.

V.6 – “made us kings and priests to His God and Father” – (1 Peter 2:5, 9) – This is a reference to the way in which believers have a share in Christ’s rule (Luke 22:30).

V.7 – “behold He is coming” – (Daniel 7:13, Zechariah 12:10) this is the central theme and message of the entire book. Jesus is going to return just as He promised He would. “every eye will see Him” – this will not be a secret event. “even they who pierced Him” – Some see this as a reference to the Romans (preterist view), some see it as a reference to the Jews (Acts 2:22-23), and others as a reference to sinful mankind in general (Ezekiel 18:20, Romans 6:23). Imagine the way this “revelation” would comfort John, who was isolated from the already persecuted and weakened church. Jesus came to him to ensure he knew that none of His promises would fail, even if it really seemed like they had due to his current situation.

V.8 – “I am the Alpha and the Omega” – These are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet (21:6). Christ reigns over all things from beginning to end. It is important to read this in connection with the previous verse. To John, and perhaps to many Christians, it would appear as if Rome is in control, and yet the Lord

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______reminds John that He is still sovereign over all men and all things. He controls and reigns over all men and all things from beginning to end.

V.9 – “I, John, both your brother and companion in the tribulation and kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was on the island that is called Patmos for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.” – Notice how John provides no further explanation as to his identity. He merely gives his first name, and we get the impression nothing more was needed. He could identify himself as an Apostle, but instead he chooses the word “brother”, to show how he is connected with those he is writing to and bound together by Christ. He goes a step further in identifying with them by referring to himself as their “companion” in suffering and hardship. This word, “companion” comes from the Greek word “συγκοινωνός”, which combines the Greek word for fellowship with a preposition meaning together, with, or beside. The idea is that John has some things in common with those who are receiving this letter in the experiential sense. He goes on to list what those three things are they are all walking through together:

a. “tribulation” - The first century believers all shared a common experience of persecution under the reign of Emperor Domitian. This is an important point, as some point to 1 Thessalonians 5:9 (“For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.”) and suggest the church will never face tribulation. Well, this text is quite clear that the church has been experiencing tribulation (suffering) since the beginning.

b. “kingdom” – As the church they are all unified by a common faith in a common Savior in the same kingdom. The kingdom of God, while seemingly subdued, or even overrun by the Romans through the persecution of the church, was very much alive and well. Every Christian is in this sense a part of the kingdom of God on this earth (1:6, 5:10, 12:10), but in another sense that identity points forward to the future dominant reign of Christ in His kingdom over all things and all men. They might all be seemingly “in the wrong kingdom now”, but one day, it will be evident they were in the kingdom of God (5:10, 11:15).

c. “patience” – They all shared a common hope in the return of Christ. They were waiting patiently for Him, bearing up under a tremendous amount of opposition and suffering.

“Patmos” – John was exiled to this small island off the coast of Asia Minor in the Aegean Sea by Emperor Domitian in AD 95 and was released by Emperor Nerva 18 months later according to Eusebius. Patmos was a small rocky island (10 miles by 5 miles) that served as a Roman penal colony at the time. Paul was sent there by the Romans because of his preaching of the Gospel. v.10 – “I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet.”

a. “in the Spirit” – (4:2, 17:3, 21:10) We tend to read this as if Paul had said it, and through the modern experiential lens as if John were describing an experience. I take this phrase in connection to the voice ______1420 Indian Trace, Weston, FL 33326 | 954.389.4555 | www.fbcweston.org 5

Revelation Class 9-4-19 | By Mark Tuso

______of Christ he was about to hear and the words he was going to record (1:1-2). This has to do with the inspiration of the book, as in 2 Timothy 3:16. This has more to do with the nature of what John would hear and write than it does with the overall experience of going to heaven. Thomas Schreiner writes, “When John says he was “in the Spirit,” he indicates that the Spirit that animated OT prophets was on him as well (cf. Simeon in Luke 2:27). So, being in the Spirit means John was to receive revelation from God.”1

b. “The Lord’s Day” – This is a reference to Sunday, the day the Lord was raised from the dead. The early church immediately began assembling for worship on Sundays following the resurrection (Matthew 28:1, Mark 16:2; 9, Luke 24:1, John 20:1; 19, Acts 20:7, 1 Corinthians 16:2). As an exile alone on Patmos, John was unable to assemble with the saints, but the Lord chose this day to speak to him.

c. “a loud voice, as of a trumpet” – (Exodus 19:17-20) God was about to speak important words that had to be heard and obeyed. The key here is that it was a loud voice, as loud as the blast of a trumpet. This is an echo back to the trumpet sound that was heard by Israel when God revealed Himself on Sinai after the Exodus. Just as God revealed Himself there at Sinai, here He is once again revealing Himself, only this time to John. v.11 – “saying, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last,” and, “What you see, write in a book and send it to the seven churches which are in Asia: to Ephesus, to Smyrna, to Pergamos, to Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea.”

a. “What you see, write in a book” – (Exodus 17:14, Deuteronomy 17:18, Isaiah 30:8, Jeremiah 36:2) These words are God’s words and therefore they are authoritative, abiding, and must be recorded and published widely. John would have written these words down on a form of paper made from the papyrus reed which was common in that region and day.

b. “send it to the seven churches which are in Asia” – When seeking to interpret the Scriptures we must always seek to determine the intent of the original author. Clearly, Jesus wanted this message to go to these seven actual historical churches first. Of course, the intention was that they would then be circulated widely among all of the churches. Some have suggested the cities are listed in the order a courier would have delivered them in as he went through the region with the letters. v.12 – “Then I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands.”

1 Iain M. Duguid et al., ESV Expository Commentary (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2018) p.562.

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______a. “Then I turned to see the voice that spoke with me” – This is an interesting phrase. Voices aren’t seen, they are heard, and yet at the sound of this loud voice, John turned to see what / where / who this was coming from.

b. “I saw seven golden lampstands.” – Ok, now you know why this book is difficult to interpret. We are twelve verses in and already we come across something that doesn’t make any sense. Be careful with symbolic language. In this case, we know what he saw in the literal sense. That is, we know what a lampstand was. We spent some time considering the lampstand that was in the Holy Place in the Tabernacle, and later in the Temple from Exodus 25:31-40. You may have heard it referred to as a menorah. It was designed to depict a flowering almond tree, with six “branches” on the sides and one in the middle with a cup for oil which represented a blossoming almond flower. John said he saw seven of these, and they were made of gold, just like the one in the Tabernacle and Temple. What does that mean? Did he mean he merely saw seven lampstands, or were these intended to represent something? In this case, we are fortunate, because the Lord later explains EXACTLY what these lampstands represented in 1:20. Each lampstand represented one of these seven churches that were just mentioned. In this way, the churches are said to serve as lampstands, reflecting or shining the light of the glory of God. v.13 – “and in the midst of the seven lampstands One like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden band.” – John turned around and saw these seven lampstands, which he mentions first, and then he tells us that someone was there in the middle of them. Just like v.12, this one is packed with language that is incredibly descriptive of what John saw. Remember, John was not only an Apostle, but john was known as the disciple whom “Jesus loved” (John 20:2). He knew who Jesus was and what He looked like for certain.

a. “One like the Son of Man” – (Daniel 7:13). Jesus used this apocalyptic designation to describe Himself many times (Matthew 8:20, 9:6, 11:19, 16:13, 16:27, 18:11, etc). This title reaches back into the OT prophetic record, while also emphasizing the humanity of Christ. Notice the word “like”. Much of what John is going to see here is not to be taken literal. Jesus is portrayed here “in the midst” of the seven churches, though they are geographically all separated. Jesus dwells among the churches, and is present with them, even during these terrible times of persecution, that is the point.

b. “clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden band.” – (Exodus 28:4, 29:5) This seems to reflect the high priestly role the Lord Jesus Christ fills (Psalm 110:4, Zechariah 6:13, Hebrews 2:17; 3:1; 4:14; 7:26, etc). The Lord Jesus Christ serves as Prophet, Priest and King and at different times, these aspects of His role and ministry come into focus as they do here. v.14 – “His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire.”

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Revelation Class 9-4-19 | By Mark Tuso

______a. “His head and hair were white like wool”, “snow” – (Daniel 7:9). In Daniel this language is used to describe God the Father, and here it is used to describe Christ the Son. This should not surprise us. Consider Colossians 1:15, Hebrews 1:3. Here we have a perfect example of how Christ is portrayed in the Scriptures as being equal with the Father.

b. “His eyes like a flame of fire.” – (2:18, 19:12) Jesus sees everything. Nothing is hidden from His sight Hebrews 4:13. Notice again the word “like.” v.15 – “His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace, and His voice as the sound of many waters.”

a. “His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace” – (Daniel 10:6) Here we have the word “like” again, indicating symbolism. This could possibly refer to His power and might in defeating His enemies. It could also refer to power and might in the context of judgment.

b. “His voice as the sound of many waters.” – (Ezekiel 43:2) John heard the voice of Christ and likened it to the roar of the ocean. v.16 – “He had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength.”

a. “He had in His right hand seven stars” – If we go to 1:20, the Lord explains what these are: the angels / messengers of the seven churches (see 1:20). The Lord protects, preserves, and controls the church regardless of its location. I am reminded of the old song, “He’s got the whole world in His hands.”

b. “out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword” – (2:12, 19:15) The Lord’s Words are powerful in all things, but especially in judgment. This is an important aspect of the Word of God for us today. The Word of God is able to uncover and to reveal underlying motivations that are within the heart of man and that stand behind his behavior. We see that in Hebrews 4:12, “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” c. “His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength.” – (Daniel 10:5-9) This is a reference to the glory of God. Remember the way the Lord’s face was shining with the glory of God at the Mount of Transfiguration (Matthew 17:2) v.17 – “And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, “Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last.” – John moves from describing what / who he saw to how he responded to what he saw.

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Revelation Class 9-4-19 | By Mark Tuso

______a. “And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead” – (Daniel 8:17-18) This is the APPROPRIATE response to seeing the glory of God. Consider Isaiah 6:5, Ezekiel 1:28, and Luke 5:8. Much of modern (predominately charismatic) worship music fails to understand the Biblical implications of the glory of God. Many songs are filled with almost mind-numbing repetitions of requests for God’s glory to come, to fall, to fill, to flood, and a bunch of other things. I am so very thankful the Lord in His mercy does no answer those requests, because when the glory of God is clearly manifested, it will result in much more than folks crying and swaying to music or shouting or singing.

b. “Do not be afraid” – Jesus now begins to speak to comfort John. These are familiar words of the Lord from the gospels. Matthew 10:31, Mark 5:36, Luke 12:32, John 6:20, 14:27. Can you imagine John hearing these words from the one he loved so much. No doubt these were words of comfort regarding what John had just seen, but in general, he had reason to fear for his life while in exile. v.18 – “I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.” – These are words of encouragement and hope that John clearly needed to hear. I can’t think of many difficult situations that you and I might find ourselves in where the truths stated here would not also prove to provide hope to us as well.

a. “I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore” – Jesus is giving John reasons why he need not be afraid of this glorious vision, or fear in general. Christ is not here to bring judgment upon Him. Quite the contrary, this is a gift and a blessing to Him given directly by His Savior who loves Him. John has faith in a living Savior, who rules and reigns over all things, though in a temporal sense, John is being held against his will by an earthly king. This is a reminder that the King of Kings is still in complete control.

b. “And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.” – (6:8, 20:13-14, 2 Timothy 1:10) Jesus is in control of who dies and when they die as well. This would have been a tremendous comfort to John who was perhaps fearing for his life in this Roman prison. Let me briefly say a word about “Hades.” Simply put, this word is a reference to the “realm of the dead.” The focus here is on the “keys.” It should be noted that while John is in prison on this island where Rome held the keys, the Lord reminds John that He is the one true holder of the keys! The point though, is that Christ’s control extends to those who are living as well as to those who are dead. He is the one that locks up and He is the one that opens. v.19 – “Write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after this.”

a. “which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after this.” – Many have seen in this text, an outline of sorts for the entire book. They would suggest the things that he has seen are recorded in 1:1-20. They would suggest the things which are refers to what will come in chapters 2-3. Finally, they suggest the things which will take place is a reference to the rest of the ______1420 Indian Trace, Weston, FL 33326 | 954.389.4555 | www.fbcweston.org 9

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______letter. I am not totally convinced this was the Lord’s meaning. What is clear is that this was intended to be a “personal experience” for John. This was intended to be recorded and given to the churches. v.20 – “The mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands which you saw are the seven churches.” – We might immediately go to the language here concerning the angels and miss what this is. The Lord is explaining what he (John) was seeing here. All throughout the Scriptures we see the Lord working to make things clear and understandable. I have often said that the Lord is a “faith builder”, always seeking to help us to understand and believe.

a. “the angels of the seven churches” – The word literally means “messenger”. It can also mean “angel” and is used that way many times in the book of Revelation. There are two ways this has been interpreted in the past. The first view is to take this as language referring to the Pastors of these seven churches as angels are never described as leading churches. This seems the most natural explanation of the use of this word in relation to each individual church (2:1, 2:8, etc). Another reason this interpretation seems plausible is that it would make little sense for John to write and send letters to literal angels. The other way to interpret this term is to take this to be a reference to literal angels. Of the other 75 times John uses this word in Revelation it always refers to literal angels. In this view the angels play some sort of a role in protecting the church. We can see something like that in 1 Corinthians 11:10.

Chapter 2

Each letter follows a similar seven-part literary pattern or form (Johnson Rev. 38-40):

i. The addressee is given first - “To the angel of the church of…”

ii. The speaker Christ then identifies himself by a description that draws heavily on the vision of chapter one - “These things says...”

iii. Christ then refers to his knowledge of them - “I know your works…”

iv. He then pronounces his verdict on them, good or bad - “You have left your first love,” “There are those who hold the doctrine of Balaam”

v. He then issues a command to correct or alert the congregation - “Repent, and do the first works”

vi. General exhortation - “He who has an ear, let him hear…”

vii. Promise to the faithful - “To him who overcomes I will….” ______1420 Indian Trace, Weston, FL 33326 | 954.389.4555 | www.fbcweston.org 10

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A PREVIEW OF CHURCH HISTORY?

An issue that comes up concerning the seven churches is whether or not they are merely historical churches, or whether they represent both themselves, but also preview the spiritual development of the church throughout the Church Age. Those who say they represent the churches of the Church Age (Walvoord, New Scofield Reference Bible) see the following pattern:

1. Ephesus – Second Generation Christianity in first century. 2. Smyrna – Persecution of Church 100 – 315. 3. Pergamum – Church mixing with World, early Middle Ages. 4. Thyatira – Spread of idolatry in church, late Middle Ages. 5. Sardis – Church that is dead, though with a minority of godly men and women. Reformation Church. 6. Philadelphia – Missionary Church, 19th and 20th century missions. 7. Laodicea – Apostate church. Liberal theology. In dispensationalism, church after rapture.

Objections to this view.

1. No textual basis. The text itself provides no basis for us to expect that these churches anticipate periods of the church throughout the Church Age. They only appear to be historical churches of the late first century. This “Historist” approach smacks of eisegesis.

2. Periods are not Monolithic. There has always been each of these kinds of churches in the world at a given period. No period is monolithic.

3. Was the Reformation Church “Dead”? To call the Reformation Church of Luther and Calvin etc. a Sardis, that is, “dead”, is a gross injustice. It is simply not true. This was a time when the Word of God became alive once again to large numbers.

4. What about Early Heresies? Smyrna, about whom no false doctrine is spoken, does not correspond with 100-315 when a number of false teachings flourished: Gnosticism, Montanists, Marcionites, Allegorical (mis-!) interpretation, platonism, Docetists, Ebionites, Modalism/Monarchialists, monarchial episcopacy, paedo-baptismal regeneration, confusion concerning the doctrine of justification by faith.

We conclude, therefore, that this approach is without merit, a vestige of the former Historist approach. Rather seven churches were chosen because seven is the number of completeness, and collectively they represent attributes that are typical of the church at every age or period. At every given time there are Laodocias, and Ephesuses, etc. Thus, the message to these churches are always relevant.2

2 Adapted from The Book of Revelation notes by Dr. Joseph M. Sprinkle. ______1420 Indian Trace, Weston, FL 33326 | 954.389.4555 | www.fbcweston.org 11

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______

Ephesus v.1 – “To the angel of the church of Ephesus write, ‘These things says He who holds the seven stars in His right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands.” – “Ephesus played an important role as a port city on the west coast of the province of Asia. The city was famous for its temple to Artemis (cf. Acts 19:29-40) and was also enthusiastic about the imperial cult, hosting a temple for Julius Caesar. A temple for the emperor Domitian (AD 81-96) may have been built before John wrote Revelation.”3

a. “To the angel of the church of Ephesus write” – This takes us back to 1:20. These “ἄγγελος” are either angels (the most common translation of the word) that are somehow connected to or charged with the protection of these churches, or messengers (Matthew 11:10)/ Pastor / Elders of these churches. The reference, as some have suggested, could be to the individual identity of the churches, with the “ἄγγελος” being a personification of them.

a. “‘These things says He who holds the seven stars in His right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands.” – While John is the human author, these are the words of the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the head of the church (Ephesians 5:23), and who knows each church and each Christian from the inside out as He is with them and among them. v.2 – “I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars.” Jesus is fully divine. Jesus is fully God. Just as He demonstrated omniscience on earth (Matthew 12:25, Luke 6:8, John 1:48, John 13:11, etc), Jesus remains omniscient in heaven. Jesus is among the churches and He is paying attention to what is going on within our hearts, not merely what He sees with our hands.

a. “I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil” – This is a commendation. Jesus is pointing out what they have been doing that is good and God honoring. Even though they have been facing persecution and difficulty, they have not abandoned the faith or given in to the pressure.

b. “And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars.” – Moreover, they can still tell right from wrong, false teaching from true teaching. They have been able to identify those who have come in among them claiming they were true apostles when they were not. They displayed solid spiritual discernment, something almost totally missing in our age. 1 Thessalonians 5:21, “Test all things; hold fast what is good.” Acts 17:11, “These were more fair-

3 Iain M. Duguid et al., ESV Expository Commentary (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2018) p.569.

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______minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.” v.3 – “and you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name’s sake and have not become weary.” They faced a lot of pressure, and therefore their perseverance was commendable. Quitting is easy, but bearing up under pressure for a long time in the face of opposition and hardships is quite difficult, and only truly accomplished by those who turn to the Lord for strength. Ephesians 6:10, “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.” v.4 – “Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love.”

a. “Nevertheless I have this against you” – Now, the Lord moves to the negative. Just think about these words for a moment. How would you feel if you read these words coming from the Lord Jesus Christ DIRECTLY to you and SPECIFICALLY about you and what you have done? This sounds devastating! On the outside, this church looked great. They had good theology, they taught the Bible and didn’t tolerate or entertain error, they seemed to be faithful and were persevering. Yet, there was a problem below the surface that mattered to the Lord.

b. “that you have left your first love.” – This is one of the more familiar phrases from the book of Revelation. No doubt, you have likely heard someone teach this or preach this at some time in your Christian life. This phrase raises some questions. Is He referring to their love for God, or their love for others, or possibly both as we see in Matthew 22:37-39, “Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and great commandment.39 And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” The text is unclear as to which it is, but the Lord Himself put the two together in the Great Commandment and it appears He intends them to be seen together. Likely, then, the love they had a first, was a passionate love for God and for others in the church, and now that has begun to cool down. Matthew 24:12, “And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.” v.5 – “Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent.”

a. “Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works” – This is a clear call to repentance. Now this is an important word to stop and consider for a moment. The word for repent is “μετανοέω”, a word which means to change one’s mind. I want you to recognize something very important though. When we are seeking to interpret the Scriptures, there is a temptation to believe that the definition of a word is the only thing that determines the meaning of a word. This is a version of what is called the “word study fallacy”. Word studies can be good and helpful, but only when done with an awareness of how words are used and defines within the text.

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______For example. The word “love” is a simple word we can all immediately define in our minds when we hear it. What if I said I love my wife and I love my truck and I love the San Francisco Giants. When you hear me make those three statements, do you think I mean that I love those three things in the exact same way? Of course you don’t, because you recognize the context of each statement is what really helps to define the word I am using.

The word “μετανοέω” here does mean to change one’s mind, but the context makes it quite clear that the Lord means a change of mind that leads to, and is evidenced by a change of actions and behaviors. He is clearly calling them to go back to loving God and loving others the way they did when they were first saved.

b. “or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place” – Jesus wants them to understand how serious of a problem / sin this actually is. This is nothing less than a warning of coming judgment He will bring on the church if they don’t repent. Think about that beloved? This is a promise that God will bring an end to their church if they do not repent. v.6 – “But this you have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.”

a. “But this you have” – He then goes back to a commendation of something else they are doing well.

b. “that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.” - This is to be seen in the context of the previous verse. They were being called back to love, but not to a love of false teaching or for evil. While we have some information about the “Nicolaitans”, ultimately we do not know who they were or what they were doing with certainty. v.7 – ““He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.” He ends this letter with what will be an ongoing formula of a wonderful promise to those who endure to the end or persevere in the faith. This promise takes us back to the Garden of Eden. Heaven is going to look much more like the Garden of Eden than you might think according to the Bible. Well, this promise takes us back there. Adam and Eve fell in the Garden and never did eat from this tree. In fact, God protected this tree with the angels with the flaming swords. So, through the gospel, those Christians who persevere to the end will get to eat from this tree and life forever. Smyrna v.8 – “And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write, ‘These things says the First and the Last, who was dead, and came to life.” – “Smyrna, like Ephesus, was a harbor city. It was well known for its temple to the Mother Goddess. The imperial cult was present in John’s day as well, with a temple built for Emperor Tiberius

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______(AD 14-37). The church faced opposition for its allegiance to Jesus Christ, from both the Jewish synagogue and the pagan culture.”4 v.9 – “I know your works, tribulation, and poverty (but you are rich); and I know the blasphemy of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.” – Jesus knows the hearts of those within this church as well. He offers a strong commendation to them. He knew how hard they were working, in the best sense of the term. He knows the “tribulation” they have been facing. No doubt, this is a reference to persecution they were experiencing for their commitment to Christ and to the church. He knew they were poor physically, though He reminded them that they were rich spiritually.

a. “and I know the blasphemy of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.” – The word here for “blasphemy” is “βλασφημία”, and it most likely refers to slander in this case. The Lord knew the truth, those these people were slandering the church, that is saying false things about them with the intent to destroy them. Jesus is referring to the Jewish people in Smyrna who opposed the church and rejected the gospel. He calls them a “synagogue of Satan” which points back to John 8:44. 1 John 2:23, “ Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father either; he who acknowledges the Son has the Father also.” v.10 – “Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.”

a. “Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer” – This is prophetic in that Jesus is telling them what is about to happen to them in the future, while also seeking to comfort and encourage them as they face it. Notice Jesus is fully capable of preventing this suffering, and yet He does not, but rather seeks to encourage them in the midst of their suffering with the promises of His presence and their future inheritance.

b. “Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days.” – The devil here must be seen as a reference to the Jews that were persecuting them and slandering them. No doubt, the Devil himself is behind it, but the human agents will be the Jews. Whether or not Jesus was predicting a literal ten-day imprisonment or whether this should be taken in a non-literal way is not clear here. The next phrase seems to indicate it should be taken symbolically.

c. “Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.” – Think about that. Jesus calls them to be faithful even all the way up to being put to death by their persecutors.

4 Iain M. Duguid et al., ESV Expository Commentary (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2018) p.573.

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______v.11 – “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death.” This promise was given to many who were dying for their faith. Jesus was promising them that they would escape the “second death.” There are no promises that Christians will escape the first death, which is physical death as a result of the fall of man. In fact, there is a promise that we will all die (Hebrews 9:27) if the Lord tarries. The second death is not a physical death though. This is spiritual death in hell. So, while these Christians might die or be killed for their faith, they will not die forever in hell like those who die the first death still in their sin. Think of it this way: The only way to avoid the second death, is through the second birth. Pergamos v.12 – “And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write, ‘These things says He who has the sharp two- edged sword.” – “The church in Pergamum was under intense pressure, for the cult of the emperor was popular. Pergamum boasted temples for the goddess Roma and the divine Augustus. Asklepios (or Asclepius), god of healing, and Zeus also had temples dedicated to them. Most in the Greco-Roman world were syncretistic in their religion, not devoted to only one god; they worshiped and served many gods and enlisted the aid of any god who could help them out.”5 v.13 – “I know your works, and where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is. And you hold fast to My name, and did not deny My faith even in the days in which Antipas was My faithful martyr, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells.” - Notice how the Lord describes this city. Likely this is a reference to the cultic worship of false gods that was so common there. Jesus refers to their city as the place “where Satan’s throne is”, and then “where Satan dwells.” Sounds like a lovely place to go for the winter right? Well, the Lord begins with a commendation for this church as well. Though they live in a wicked, sinful, evil culture, they have not given up the faith. v.14 – “But I have a few things against you, because you have there those who hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual immorality.” – There are some things that need to be addressed, however.

a. “because you have there those who hold the doctrine of Balaam who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual immorality.” – This takes us back to the story of Balaam from Numbers 22-24. Balaam was called upon to curse Israel, was prevented from doing so by God Himself, but ultimately convinced Israel to join with the Moabites in their sinfulness (sexual immorality and idolatry) and in that way his doctrine refers to sexual immorality and idolatry. It seems there were those in their church who were involved not only in these sins, but in leading others into them as well.

5 Iain M. Duguid et al., ESV Expository Commentary (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2018) p.576.

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______v.15 – “Thus you also have those who hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate.” – This is the other reference to this group we first saw in 2:6. It seems that their doctrine and practice was similar to that of Balaam. v.16 – “Repent, or else I will come to you quickly and will fight against them with the sword of My mouth.” – This call to repent is hard to hear. The Lord is warning this church, and specifically those who were sinning in this way and leading other to do so, that if they do not repent, which MUST be more than a mere change of thinking, He will come and bring judgment upon them. v.17 – “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give some of the hidden manna to eat. And I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written which no one knows except him who receives it.” This one gets interesting. The first part takes us back to the wilderness wanderings of Israel where God provided food for them miraculously. Now this one seems to refer not only to the future provisions in heaven for every Christian, but even now to the way that God provides for and supernaturally sustains His children even in the midst of the hardest times.

The second part definitely points forward to heaven and to the end of the race. To those who make it to the end with Christ, there will be an incredible reward. You and I will get a stone, and God will put our new heavenly name on it. This picture, if we look at it as Biblical imagery, takes us to the High Priest who wore a special breast plate with twelve stones on it corresponding to the twelve tribes of Israel that he would wear as he came into God’s presence. In this way he was bringing them to God. Now, in heaven, the Lord has a stone on His breast plate as our High Priest and when He is in the Father’s Presence, we are on His heart. Think about that.

Thyatira v.18 – “And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write, ‘These things says the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and His feet like fine brass:” “Thyatira, not a major city, was nevertheless known for its trade guilds, especially in the fields of metalworking and textiles. Believers were clearly tempted to compromise in order to belong to such guilds.”6 “Thyatira was an industrial center controlled by guilds, that is, trade unions. These guilds paid homage to the pagan gods Apollo and Artemis (also known as Tyrimnos), and they worshipped at the shrine of Sabbathe. Members of the guild were obligated to attend festivals in honor of these gods, to eat meals in their temples, and to indulge in sexual promiscuity. Noncompliance with these rules meant expulsion from the trade union, lack of employment, and poverty. Christians who refused to

6 Iain M. Duguid et al., ESV Expository Commentary (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2018) p.581. ______1420 Indian Trace, Weston, FL 33326 | 954.389.4555 | www.fbcweston.org 17

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______honor pagan gods, eat meat sacrificed to an idol, and engage in sexual immorality jeopardized their material necessities. They were regarded as outcasts of society.”7

Note also, this is the only verse in the book of Revelation where the phrase / title “Son of God” appears. This of course is an ongoing theme in John’s gospel. v.19 – “I know your works, love, service, faith, and your patience; and as for your works, the last are more than the first.” Like in the case of the other churches, the Lord begins by commending the positive things they are doing for the kingdom. Notice that He commends them for their love, unlike what He said about the church in Ephesus. They were busy in the work of the Lord, dedicated to it, had faith, and demonstrated that faith through a patient endurance of opposition and persecution.

a. “the last are more than the first.” – This is the kind of commendation we want to work towards. What is He saying here? Well, the Lord is commending their spiritual growth. They are growing in sanctification and making spiritual progress. The Christian life is, and, must be a process of continual growth and conformity to Christ (Romans 8:29). 2 Peter 3:18, “but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen.” Hebrews 5:12-14, “For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. 13 For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. 14 But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.” 1 Corinthians 3:1-3, “And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ. 2 I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able; 3 for you are still carnal.” v.20 – “Nevertheless I have a few things against you, because you allow that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and seduce My servants to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols.” Once again, the Lord demonstrates His thorough knowledge of the words, deeds, and even thoughts and heart motives of each and every member of His church. While there was much to praise them for, there were some concerning, and deeply troubling things present in this church. The issue had to do with what they were allowing to be taught within the church. They were tolerating a false teacher and the church was being led astray into sin. You see, while individual Christians can be commended for growing in Christ in many areas, tolerating and entertaining false teachers and false teaching is something the Lord will discipline churches and individual Christians over. The Shepherd / Pastor / Elders of the church are charged with protecting the church from wolves / false teachers (Acts 20:28-30), and in this case they have failed.

a. “you allow that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess.” – Much like in 2:14, where the Lord referenced Balaam from the book of Numbers, we find another reference to a notorious Old

7 Simon J. Kistemaker, New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 2001) p.136.

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______Testament figure known for leading Israel into sin. Jezebel, Ahab’s wife, was primarily responsible for leading Israel into idolatry. 1 Kings 16:31, “And it came to pass, as though it had been a trivial thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, that he took as wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal, king of the Sidonians; and he went and served Baal and worshiped him.” 1 Kings 21:25, “But there was no one like Ahab who sold himself to do wickedness in the sight of the Lord, because Jezebel his wife stirred him up.”

The Lord is referring to a woman in the church who considered herself a prophetess, though in reality she was more like Jezebel in that she was leading the church into sin. Jezebel was not likely her actual name, but the church would have immediately known who the Lord was referring to by that reference.

b. “to teach and seduce My servants to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols.” – The Lord expands upon what she was teaching and the kind of sinful influence she had over the believers in the church there. Perhaps the church had misunderstood biblical love and allowed love to excuse error. Perhaps they were excusing the false teaching and the accompanying sinfulness under the banner of being a loving church. She was leading the church away from Christ, away from holiness, and away from the clear teaching of the Scriptures. It appears she was even personally engaging in sexual immorality with men in the church, leading them into sin and playing the role of the “immoral woman” / “evil woman” / “adulteress” of Proverbs 5-6. v.21 –“And I gave her time to repent of her sexual immorality, and she did not repent.” – The Lord had given her time to repent of this teaching and of her sinfulness, as well as the way she was leading others into sin. It seems as if the Lord is referencing some instances where she was counseled or corrected or rebuked, but ultimately ignored the council. She refused to heed biblical counsel, which is not only dangerous, but the mark of a fool. Proverbs 10:17, “He who keeps instruction is in the way of life, But he who refuses correction goes astray.” Proverbs 1:7, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, But fools despise wisdom and instruction.” Proverbs 12:15, “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, But he who heeds counsel is wise.” v.22 – “Indeed I will cast her into a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of their deeds.” – The Lord is going to bring judgment upon her. He is going to give those who have joined her in her sin an opportunity to repent, and if they do not then they will be judged as well. The Lord is concerned with what is going on in the churches. He is concerned with what is being taught, as well as with what is being done / how His children are living. He allows sin to go on at times, just as we see here. Jezebel’s “ministry” was likely popular and likely attracted many. In the end however, the Lord will bring judgment.

Notice the word “sickbed.” Jezebel was leading men into the bed of adultery, and the Lord was going to confine her to the bed with sickness. This is the principle of sowing and reaping. Galatians 6:7-8, “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. 8 For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.”

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______v.23 – “I will kill her children with death, and all the churches shall know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts. And I will give to each one of you according to your works.” The Lord’s plan was for her judgment to be known far and wide among the churches to serve as a warning to those who might be tempted to follow in her footsteps. This was also to serve as a warning to the churches, against the danger of being tolerant of sin in the name of love. Beloved, this is a significant problem in the modern church today. In the name of love, we have welcomed sin, and we have compromised on sound biblical doctrine. This warning should be heard far and wide in our age as well. Psalm 7:9, “Oh, let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end, But establish the just; For the righteous God tests the hearts and minds.” v.24 – “Now to you I say, and to the rest in Thyatira, as many as do not have this doctrine, who have not known the depths of Satan, as they say, I will put on you no other burden.” – Many in the church had resisted her sinful temptations and had rejected her false teaching. They had remained faithful. These are the ones who were in fact growing in their faith.

a. “who have not known the depths of Satan, as they say.” – The phrase here seems to be directly connected to what Jezebel and her followers were calling her doctrine. Perhaps she was describing her teaching as the “deep things of God.” The Lord, however, knew the truth and called her doctrine what it really was, the “deep things of Satan.” v.25 – “But hold fast what you have till I come.” – This is a call for the faithful growing church, to remain faithful and to continue pursuing faithfulness to God. Matthew 10:22, “And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved.” v.26 – “And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations.” - This is another two-part promise here. The first part would have been really encouraging to those who were suffering under the rule of godless nations. Jesus was pointing them forward towards the day in which He would be victorious over all of His enemies and how each Christian will be allowed to share in the benefits of that victory. v.27 – “‘He shall rule them with a rod of iron; They shall be dashed to pieces like the potter’s vessels’— as I also have received from My Father;” – This comes directly from a Messianic Psalm. Psalm 2:8-9, “Ask of Me, and I will give You The nations for Your inheritance, And the ends of the earth for Your possession. 9 You shall break them with a rod of iron; You shall dash them to pieces like a potter’s vessel.’ ” v.28 – “and I will give him the morning star.” - The second promise is important. Jesus is the “morning star.” This is Jesus promising to give these Christians Himself. Beloved, the gift of the presence of and a relationship with God through Christ is THE GIFT of the gospel. Jesus was promising that He would personally care for them and sustain them. v.29 – “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” – These letters were intended to be written to the specific churches addressed, as well as to be circulated among all of the churches afterwards. ______1420 Indian Trace, Weston, FL 33326 | 954.389.4555 | www.fbcweston.org 20

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______Chapter 3

Sardis v.1 – “And to the angel of the church in Sardis write, ‘These things says He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars: “I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead.” “The city of Sardis believed it was invincible from attacks – its fortress was on cliffs thought to be unscalable, but twice in history the cliffs were scaled, and the city defeated. The church in Sardis was repeating the history of its city.”8 This takes us back to John’s initial vision from chapter 1 “seven Spirits of God” and “seven stars.”

a. “I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead.” – This letter starts out much differently than the others. The Lord has almost nothing good to say about this church, and that is terrifying. Notice the distinction between the outward appearance of this church in contrast with the reality of what the Lord knew to be true about this church. The Lord is NOT IMPRESSED with appearances. “The external appearance may deceive fellow believers who take a superficial look, but Jesus examines the internal status of the church and finds an absence of vibrant faith that has resulted in spiritual deadness. Almost the entire church had capitulated to the surrounding world of pagan religion and Judaism, and instead of being an influence on the culture, it has becomes influenced by that culture. No wonder that Jesus described it as being dead. The church in Sardis had become a nonentity because it failed to contribute to the advance of the gospel.”9 v.2 – “Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die, for I have not found your works perfect before God.” - It seems there is some life left in the church. The Lord calls them to look to what is God honoring and faithful and to build it up. The word here for “watchful”, “γρηγορέω”, means to give strict attention to something, to be cautious, to stay awake, or to be in constant readiness. The Lord is calling them to be spiritually alert, something they have clearly failed to do. This kind of spiritual vigilance would have prevented them from becoming so worldly and allowing so much sin and error to enter the church.

a. “for I have not found your works perfect before God.” – The world around them, and even other churches seem to have looked to this church as an example of Godliness and perhaps even seen their prosperity as “proof” of God’s blessing. Everything about this church was superficial in reality though, and the only person who really mattered knew the truth. Beloved, the church must be concerned with pleasing God, not pleasing men. v.3 – “Remember therefore how you have received and heard; hold fast and repent. Therefore if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you.” – This is a call

8 Iain M. Duguid et al., ESV Expository Commentary (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2018) p.585. 9 Simon J. Kistemaker, New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 2001) p.150.

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______to repent and go back to what they were taught from the beginning. This is a call to sound doctrine and to Biblical faithfulness. This is what it would look like for them to obey the command from v.2 (“Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain.”). There is reason to believe this church has been in existence for about forty years at this point. This was enough time for one generation to give way to the next generation. It seems, the gospel, and sound doctrine was lost in that transition. This is something we must all be aware of and concerned about in our own age as well.

a. “Therefore if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you.” – If they will not obey God they will be judged. It is possible the Lord is referring to the Second Coming here ,but it seems more likely to be similar to what He said to Pergamos in 2:16. v.4 – “You have a few names even in Sardis who have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with Me in white, for they are worthy.” – There was a remnant there in Sardis that was still walking with the Lord and holding fast to sound doctrine. Notice though how the Lord refers to them. He says, “You have a few names even in Sardis.” Do you see the personal nature of this statement? The Lord knowns all of His true children by their names.

a. “who have not defiled their garments” – The Lord uses a word picture here to describe the faithfulness and holiness of this little remnant within Sardis. He uses the imagery of the white robe, which was common in their day, and a picture used in the Bible to describe the Lord, angels, and the saints in heaven. There were those in Sardis who had not spoiled the whiteness of their righteousness with sinfulness and wickedness like the others. Their lives had not been colored by the culture around them.

b. “and they shall walk with Me in white, for they are worthy.”- The Lord is not suggesting this group has earned their own righteousness. The Lord is commending them for remaining faithful to the one who purchased them with His own blood and washed the stain of sins away from them. Revelation 1:5, “and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood.” Their faithfulness reflects the genuine nature of their faith, and they can be certain that all of God’s promises will be kept for them. v.5 – “He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.” This is a three-part promise, but they are all related. First, there is the promise of the white garments that the Lord will place on those who “overcome.” These represent His holiness that each of them receives by faith. He sets them apart and visibly reflects the holiness He has given them by giving them these new robes. The second one can be confused and twisted. Jesus isn’t saying it is possible for Him to erase the names of those He has previously saved. This is a promise of eternal salvation that can never be revoked and will never be taken away. This was to build ______1420 Indian Trace, Weston, FL 33326 | 954.389.4555 | www.fbcweston.org 22

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______confidence and assurance in their hearts. The third one refers to the full approval of God the Father in heaven of all that Christ has done for and in those who have “overcome” by faith. v.6 – “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” – This continues the pattern we have seen in each of the letters.

Philadelphia v.7 – “And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write, ‘These things says He who is holy, He who is true, “He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens.” “Located nearly thirty miles to the southeast of Sardis and about sixty miles east of Smyrna, Philadelphia was founded in 140 BC. By Atalus the Second. His surname was Philadelphus, and out of love for his brother Eumenes he called the city Philadelphia, a city of brotherly love. It was strategically located along a well-travelled highway that linked the East (Asia) with the West (Europe). It was a city with an open door through which trade, commerce, Greek language, and Greek culture spread from Greece and Macedonia to Asia Minor and Syria. Jesus’ word “I have set before you an open door” (v.8) was well received by the resident Christians who actively spread the gospel of Jesus Christ.”10

It seems the biggest challenge for the church in Philadelphia was coming from the Jewish community and the pressure they were putting on the church.

a. “He who has the key of David.” – This is a departure from the way the earlier letters used the language of John’s vision of the Lord in chapter one. This statement is intended to connect the Lord with the covenant God gave to David in 2 Samuel 7:16, “And your house and your kingdom shall be established forever before you. Your throne shall be established forever.” This is a reference to Jesus as the promised Messiah, and fulfillment of all Biblical promises related to His coming. Isaiah 22:22, “The key of the house of David I will lay on his shoulder; So he shall open, and no one shall shut; And he shall shut, and no one shall open.” *These words are about Eliakim and the authority God would give him, but are later applied to Christ, who possesses a greater authority.

b. “He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens.” – As the one who holds the “keys” (1:18), Jesus has all authority (Matthew 28:18, John 17:2). Nobody can undo what Jesus does. The direct reference here has to do with the Lord holding the keys to heaven and to the kingdom. The church does not possess those keys, the Lord does. v.8 – “I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name.”

10 Simon J. Kistemaker, New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 2001) p.156. ______1420 Indian Trace, Weston, FL 33326 | 954.389.4555 | www.fbcweston.org 23

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a. “I know your works” – This is a positive statement, a commendation for their faithfulness to Christ and to His Word. We have every reason to believe they were what He called the other churches to be. Nothing more is said about their works here, the Lord does not provide any further detail.

b. “I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it” – This is interesting language here that almost seems out of place in this text. It raises a lot of questions for the interpreter. What door is He talking about? There are those who have argued that this is a reference to a door leading to heaven that the strong believers in Philadelphia have access to by prayer. There are others who suggest this has to do with an open door for the gospel. Consider the following: “What is the meaning of the expression “an open door?” First, the Greek indicates that this door has been opened and remains open, although the Lord can shut it again. Next, traffic is not going out through the door into the world but rather it is coming through the door into the kingdom. Third, the Lord has to open the door to make the work of evangelism possible and effective. Paul and Barnabas reported to the church in Antioch how God “had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles (Acts 14:27). God opens the door that no one is able to shut, so that people may enter into his presence. Wherever he opens doors for his workers, there he blesses their work of presenting the gospel (1 Cor. 16:9; 2 Cor. 2:12; Col. 4:3). There the work of missions and evangelism flourishes when converts come to faith in Christ. In spite of fierce opposition by the Jews in the synagogue of Satan (v.9), the little band of faithful Christians in Philadelphia were assured of a blessing because Jesus had opened the door to Gentile converts.”11

c. “for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name.” – This was a small church that was seemingly weak and insignificant to those on the outside. They had remained faithful under pressure. v.9 – “Indeed I will make those of the synagogue of Satan, who say they are Jews and are not, but lie— indeed I will make them come and worship before your feet, and to know that I have loved you.”

a. “Indeed I will make those of the synagogue of Satan, who say they are Jews and are not, but lie” – This takes us back to the letter to Smyrna and what the Lord said about the Jewish opposition they were facing in 2:9. Romans 2:28-29, “For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh; 29 but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God.”

“As the Jews prided themselves on being God’s chosen people with whom he had made a covenant, Jesus implied that they had forfeited the right to be called his people. They became

11 Simon J. Kistemaker, New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 2001) p.158-159. ______1420 Indian Trace, Weston, FL 33326 | 954.389.4555 | www.fbcweston.org 24

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______instruments in the hands of Satan, who as their ruler used them to undermine and, if it were possible, to destroy the church. They rejected not only Jesus but also all his followers and, thus, indirectly acknowledged Satan as lord. Therefore, Jesus characterized them as liars because they no longer could claim to be God’s people.”12

John 8:44, “You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.”

1 John 2:22-23, “Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist who denies the Father and the Son. 23 Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father either; he who acknowledges the Son has the Father also.”

b. “indeed I will make them come and worship before your feet, and to know that I have loved you.” – This is a difficult passage to interpret. There are two ways commentators have approached this text. First, there are those who take this to be a reference to the future salvation of Jews. George Eldon Ladd argues, “The Jews have surrendered their role as the people of God because they have rejected their Messiah. In their place, the church, largely gentile, has become the true Judaism, the new people of God. However, the Jews hate the church and were often instruments of bringing persecution upon her. John looks forward to a day when this situation will be changed – when the Jews will acknowledge that the church is indeed the true people of God, and will learn “that I have loved you.”13

Second, there are those who would approach this text from the opposite end of the spectrum. Consider the other perspective: “Israel as God’s chosen nation was given the promise of restoration after the return from the exile. God said: “Kings will be your foster fathers, and their queens your nursing mothers. They will bow down before you with their faces to the ground; they will lick the dust at your feet. Then you will know that I am the LORD; those who hope in me will not be disappointed” (Isaiah 49:23). Instead of the Jews being honored, Jesus predicts that they will honor Jesus’ faithful followers and acknowledge that he truly loves His own. This suggests God’s promises to Israel have now passed on to Jesus’ followers. Admittedly, not all the Jews forfeit their claim to God’s love. All those who repent and turn to him continue to experience his divine favor, for they are God’s covenant people redeemed through Jesus Christ.”14

There is a third view, actually, and I am inclined to lead towards it, though I see the merit in the preceding views. It seems to be more consistent with the context to read this as a promise to the

12 Ibid., p.161. 13 George Eldon Ladd, A Commentary on the Revelation of John (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2018) p.61. 14 Simon J. Kistemaker, New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 2001) p.161. ______1420 Indian Trace, Weston, FL 33326 | 954.389.4555 | www.fbcweston.org 25

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______church that they will overcome and that the Jews will not defeat or destroy them. It seems to be a promise that God will in fact judge those Jews that are now persecuting them. v.10 – “Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.” God is going to protect the church and reward their faithfulness in the context of the coming judgment. Many have complicated this verse, but the context lends itself to looking forward towards the judgment to come. v.11 – “Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown.” – This is a reference to the Second Coming, using language found throughout the book of Revelation (1:1, 2:16, 2:25, 22:7, 22:12. 22:20). He calls them to REMAIN faithful and to continue to persevere in the face of persecution. This is what is meant by preventing anyone from taking their crown. 1 Corinthians 9:25, “And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown.” 2 Timothy 4:8, “Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.” v.12 – “He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more. I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God. And I will write on him My new name.” The Lord is saying that those who “overcome” will reflect His glory in heaven as His trophies as it were. The promise to be “pillars” refers to the security believers will enjoy as part of the temple of God in eternity. The remaining promises have to do with the believer being God’s personal possession in heaven. The mention of a new name that we will be given for Christ in heaven speaks of the intimacy believers will enjoy with the Lord forever in the new heavens and new earth. v.13 – “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” – Notice it is the Spirit speaking in a sense. The Lord is speaking, but through the work of inspiration, the Spirit is the one who is speaking to the churches through the Scriptures. 2 Timothy 3:16, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.”

Laodicea v.14 – “And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write, ‘These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God.” This church was “self-satisfied and self-sufficient. This fits with the history of the city. It suffered an earthquake in AD 60 and declined imperial help since it was wealthy enough to rebuild itself. The city was renowned for its medical and textiles industries, including its treatment of eye disease, and was also well known for its worship of Zeus.”15

15 Iain M. Duguid et al., ESV Expository Commentary (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2018) p.595. ______1420 Indian Trace, Weston, FL 33326 | 954.389.4555 | www.fbcweston.org 26

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______v.15 – “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot.” – This is one of the more familiar phrases in the book of Revelation. Much has been said over the years concerning the way this statement reflects what we know from history about this region, and specifically about the aqueduct that supplied their water. “Its sources were hot water springs laden with calcium carbonate; when the water arrived in Laodicea, it was lukewarm. Although hot springs themselves had medicinal value and as health spas attracted the people, Jesus compares the tepid waters near the city to the lukewarm spiritual life of the Laodiceans.”16 This church was nominal, superficial, indifferent, and insignificant in every spiritual way. They were neither hotly opposed to Christ, nor were they hotly devoted to Christ. v.16 – “So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.” – Much like one would react to a glass of lukewarm water, Jesus will spit them out in judgment if they remain in their current spiritual state. “Christ has no interest at all in lukewarm Christianity, because it is worthless. He prefers to work either with people who are aflame with energy to do his bidding or those who have never been told about the message of salvation and are willing to listen.”17 This is another way to say what He has already said to churches like Sardis. v.17 – “Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked.” – This church was blind to their true spiritual condition, just like Sardis. The city was economically strong, and it seems the church was as well. They were filled with pride and arrogance and didn’t think they needed anything, or anyone to teach them anything. Imagine the Lord referring to an arrogant church as “wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked.” They were unaware of their true spiritual need, much like the Jews were in the Lord’s day. We can see that in His sermon in the synagogue in Nazareth in Luke 4. Luke 4:17-21, “And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written: 18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed; 19 To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.” 20 Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him. 21 And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” v.18 – “I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see.” – Jesus has the solution to their problems. Jesus, through the gospel, is the solution to their problems. They must stop relying on themselves.

16 Simon J. Kistemaker, New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 2001) p.167-168. 17 Ibid.,p.170. ______1420 Indian Trace, Weston, FL 33326 | 954.389.4555 | www.fbcweston.org 27

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______a. “I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich.” – This is not a call to use their riches to buy salvation. No, this is a call to recognize the real value of Christ and the kingdom of God (Matthew 13:44). Isaiah 55:1-2, “Ho! Everyone who thirsts, Come to the waters; And you who have no money, Come, buy and eat. Yes, come, buy wine and milk Without money and without price. 2 Why do you spend money for what is not bread, And your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, And let your soul delight itself in abundance.” They were living for material wealth and needed to pursue true spiritual riches in Christ.

b. “and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed.” – While their region was known for the clothing it produced, it was unable to make them holy and righteous in God’s sight.

c. “and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see.” – “The medical school in Laodicea had become acquainted with the healing properties of the so-called Phyrygian stone. This stone, which came from the nearby province Phrygia, was ground to powder and made into an ointment used to heal eye diseases.”18 They could help blindness in physical eyes, but they could not change their spiritual blindness. 2 Corinthians 4:4, “whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.”

There seems to be reason to believe there were those in this church who were truly saved. These three illustrations are equally helpful in calling them to a life of total devotion to Christ. They must not trust in the riches of the world, they must seek to live holy lives through the gospel, and they must not live as though spiritually blind. v.19 – “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent.” – This is a call to repentance for those who were believers, as well as for those who were in the church but lost. The Lord uses discipline to bring His children / people to repentance. We can see this in Amos 4:6-10, “Also I gave you cleanness of teeth in all your cities, And lack of bread in all your places; Yet you have not returned to Me,” Says the Lord. 7 “I also withheld rain from you, When there were still three months to the harvest. I made it rain on one city, I withheld rain from another city. One part was rained upon, And where it did not rain the part withered. 8 So two or three cities wandered to another city to drink water, But they were not satisfied; Yet you have not returned to Me,” Says the Lord. 9 “I blasted you with blight and mildew. When your gardens increased, Your vineyards, Your fig trees, And your olive trees, The locust devoured them; Yet you have not returned to Me,” Says the Lord. 10 “I sent among you a plague after the manner of Egypt; Your young men I killed with a sword, Along with your captive horses; I made the stench of your camps come up into your nostrils; Yet you have not returned to Me,” Says the Lord.”

18 Ibid,.p.173. ______1420 Indian Trace, Weston, FL 33326 | 954.389.4555 | www.fbcweston.org 28

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Proverbs 3:12, “For whom the Lord loves He corrects, Just as a father the son in whom he delights.” v.20 – “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.” – This is another very familiar phrase, but one I fear that has been used out of context most often. This is where we get the imagery of Jesus, sort of standing out in the cold, and unable to “open the door of your heart” sort of faithfully knocking, just waiting for you to let Him into your heart out of the cold. Well, there are lots of problems with that idea, the first of which being the context. Jesus is talking to and about a church in a corporate sense. He is there calling them to repentance and true devotion. He has been, as it were, put out of the church through their current spiritual state, but He longs to fellowship with them again. v.21 – “To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.” Here, we go back to the sense that there were some true believers among them. To those who will overcome and persevere unto the end, there will be the promise of final victory and the defeat of all of God’s enemies, and even the defeat of sin itself. v.22 – “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” – The third chapter ends with this familiar phrase one last time.

Chapter 4 v.1 – “After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven. And the first voice which I heard was like a trumpet speaking with me, saying, “Come up here, and I will show you things which must take place after this.” – The book takes a distinct turn at this point, moving from the literal nature of the letters to the seven churches, to 19 chapters filled with theologically and prophetically rich imagery and symbolism. John is going to enter heaven via vision and remain there until the end of chapter 9. 10:1 makes this clear “I saw still another mighty angel coming down from heaven, clothed with a cloud.”

*It is important to note that many dispensationalists who hold to the Pretribulational / Premillennial view have suggested this verse should be seen as a symbolic representation of the “rapture” of the church. They argue the language used here; “Come up here” is exactly what the church should be expecting at that time, and therefore the connection should be made. They also suggest that since the word “church”, which has been quite prominent in the first 3 chapters is not found again until chapter 22, that this should be seen as the removal of the church from the earth.

I disagree with these arguments and find them to be speculative in nature and not supported clearly by the text. This is a perfect example of how the interpretive systems can at times affect the interpretation of certain passages. ______1420 Indian Trace, Weston, FL 33326 | 954.389.4555 | www.fbcweston.org 29

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“After the first vision of the exalted Christ caring for and protecting his churches, the revelation of “what must take place after this,” i.e., the coming of God’s kingdom, begins. This revelation will include the destruction of the powers of evil, of Satan, and of death; but before these evil powers are destroyed, they will break forth in a final desperate effort to frustrate the purposes of God by destroying the people of God. However, the terrible conflict that takes place on earth between the church and the demonic powers embodied in an apostate civilization – Rome in the first century and Antichrist at the end – are in reality expressions in historical form of a fearful conflict in the spiritual world between the Kingdom of God and the kingdom of Satan. Therefore, the Revelation proper begins with the ultimate and eternal fact of God enthroned and ruling in his universe. However fearful or uncontrolled the forces of evil on earth may seem to be, they cannot annul or eclipse the greater fact that behind the scenes God is on his throne governing the universe.”19

Ezekiel 1:1, “Now it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, on the fifth day of the month, as I was among the captives by the River Chebar, that the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God.”

a. “And the first voice which I heard was like a trumpet speaking with me” – Much like we see in 1:10, God speaks to John from heaven, and the voice is likened to the sound of a trumpet blast.

b. “saying, “Come up here, and I will show you things which must take place after this.” – While it appears John was in heaven via the vision of chapter 1, where he was able to see Christ standing among the churches, as this chapter begins, the entrance into heaven is clear and pronounced. God clarifies the purpose for John’s heavenly vision, which points back to 1:1, 1:19. v.2 – “Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne set in heaven, and One sat on the throne.” – (1:10) (Psalm 11:4, Psalm 103:19, Isaiah 6:1, Ezekiel 1:26-28, Daniel 7:9) – John is in heaven now, and the first thing he sees is God sitting on His throne. v.3 – “And He who sat there was like a jasper and a sardius stone in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne, in appearance like an emerald.” – (Ezekiel 1:26-28, Daniel 7:9) - Language is incapable of expressing the glory and majesty of God sitting on His throne. Therefore, what we have here is imagery and symbolism in order to convey what John is seeing. John uses brilliant, precious stones in order to try to capture the essence of the glory of God. The “jasper” is mentioned again in 21:11 “having the glory of God. Her light was like a most precious stone, like a jasper stone, clear as crystal.” This helps us see what John is saying here. “Jasper” is clear and brilliant like a perfect diamond.

a. “there was a rainbow around the throne” – No doubt the presence of the appearance of this “rainbow” is intended to convey the glory and beauty of God. At the same time, as a sign of the covenant, it speaks to the faithfulness of God to keep His Word. I can’t help but to pause to

19 George Eldon. Ladd, A Commentary on the Revelation of John (Grand Rapids, Mich: William B. Eerdmans, 1993) p.70. ______1420 Indian Trace, Weston, FL 33326 | 954.389.4555 | www.fbcweston.org 30

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______consider the way the rainbow is used today in modern culture, when it was chosen by God to reflect Him and His character. v.4 – “Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and on the thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in white robes; and they had crowns of gold on their heads.” –

a. “twenty-four thrones” “twenty-four elders” – John immediately sees that God is not alone in this throne room. In fact, there are other thrones, and each of them is occupied. There are 24 of them to be specific. John refers to them as “πρεσβύτερος”, translated here as “elders.” Who are these “elders?” Historically, they have been three views regarding their identity:

1. The ideal church in heaven comprised of the OT and NT saints. This view takes these “elders” to be people. (Typically, this word is used of men (humans) in the Bible as in Exodus 3:16, Matthew 15:2, Acts 14:23, 1 Timothy 5:17). This view sees the number 24 as symbolic of the 12 tribes of Israel together with the 12 apostles, both representing saints of every age.

2. The raptured church (assuming 4:1 is a symbolic representation of the rapture of the church). The “members” of the raptured church are seen in “white robes” with “crowns” on their heads.

3. A company of angels. The 24 “elders” are always connected to the “four living creatures” and other angels when they are mentioned in Revelation (4:9-10, 5:2, 5:5-6, 5:8, 5:11, 5:14, 7:11, 7:13, 14:3, 19:4.)

*This is a perfect example of how difficult it can be to make interpretive decisions when dealing with symbolic language is somewhat ambiguous. This is why I believe it is wise to avoid being dogmatic about interpretive conclusions in sections such as this. v.5 – “And from the throne proceeded lightnings, thunderings, and voices. Seven lamps of fire were burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.” – John began with a description of the throne of God, then quickly shifted to a description of what he saw around the throne of God, and now he goes back to the throne of God, but from the perspective that the throne of God is the central feature of this bigger room. The description is of something of a great storm erupting before John. John sees and feels and hears all of these things at once as he stand in the presence of God. This hearkens back to the storm like atmosphere of Sinai in Exodus 19:16-19, “Then it came to pass on the third day, in the morning, that there were thunderings and lightnings, and a thick cloud on the mountain; and the sound of the trumpet was very loud, so that all the people who were in the camp trembled. 17 And Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. 18 Now Mount Sinai was completely in smoke, because the Lord descended upon it in fire. Its smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked greatly. 19 And when the blast of the trumpet sounded long and became louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him by voice.” ______1420 Indian Trace, Weston, FL 33326 | 954.389.4555 | www.fbcweston.org 31

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a. “Seven lamps of fire were burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.”- (1:4) – “The seven spirits of God refer to the perfection of the Holy Spirit. All the divine perfections belong to the Spirit. The seven flaming torches and the seven spirits communicate the holiness of God. Entering God’s presence is frightening because he is ever and always the Holy One.”20 v.6 – “Before the throne there was a sea of glass, like crystal. And in the midst of the throne, and around the throne, were four living creatures full of eyes in front and in back.” – Of all of the language concerning heaven, I have always found the phrase “a sea of glass” to be the most fascinating. I have absolutely no idea what it means, and commentators can do little more than speculate. It does seem evident however, that John is describing what we would call the floor in the throne room of God. If that is the case, the floor of the throne room of God has the appearance of something perfectly clear and beautiful.

a. “And in the midst of the throne, and around the throne, were four living creatures full of eyes in front and in back.” – (Ezekiel 1:4-25, Ezekiel 10:14-15) – Ezekiel describes something similar and connects these “living creatures” with the “cherubim” in Ezekiel 10:15. They are seemingly analogous to the “seraphim” of Isaiah 6:1-3. For this reason, I take these to be angelic beings of some kind. These beings seem to be tasked with reflecting the glory of God and protecting the throne. In the OT, God deployed angles to protect the garden (Genesis 3:24), and even His presence above the mercy seat on the Ark of the Covenant (Exodus 25:18-20). God instructed Israel to embroider the images of “cherubim” into the curtains of the tabernacle (Exodus 26:1). Consider 1 Samuel 4:4, 2 Samuel 6:2, 2 Kings 19:15, 1 Chronicles 13:6, Psalm 80:1, and Psalm 99:1.

The “eyes in front and in back” seem to reflect their role as protectors of the throne of God. v.7 – “The first living creature was like a lion, the second living creature like a calf, the third living creature had a face like a man, and the fourth living creature was like a flying eagle.” – (Ezekiel 1:10) - The key word is “like” in this verse. John is describing these creatures using similes. There have been MANY views concerning the significance of each of the ways John described these creatures. Consider a few of them:

John MacArthur writes, “Those descriptions view the four cherubim in relation to the created world; the lion represents wild creatures, the calf domestic animals, the eagle flying creatures, and man the pinnacle of creation. Symbolically, the lion represents strength, the calf service, the man reason, and the eagle speed. The Talmud saw in these four creatures the four primary forms of life in God’s creation. It also noted that the twelve tribes of Israel camped under these four banners; some with Reuben (symbolized by a man), others with Dan (symbolized by an eagle), others with Ephraim (symbolized by the calf, or ox), and the rest with Judah (symbolized by a lion).”21

20 Iain M. Duguid et al., ESV Expository Commentary (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2018) p.601. 21 John MacArthur, Revelation 1-11 (Chicago: Moody Press, 1999) p.154. ______1420 Indian Trace, Weston, FL 33326 | 954.389.4555 | www.fbcweston.org 32

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Warren Wiersbe writes, “Some expositors see in the four faces described in this verse an illustration of the fourfold picture of Christ given in the gospel accounts. Matthew is the royal gospel of the King, illustrated by the lion. Mark emphasizes the servant aspect of the Lord’s ministry represented by the ox. Luke presents Christ as the compassionate Son of Man (human face). John magnifies the deity of Christ, the Son of God (the eagle).”22 v.8 – “The four living creatures, each having six wings, were full of eyes around and within. And they do not rest day or night, saying: “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come!” – (Isaiah 6:3) -They exist to protect God’s throne, reflect His glory, and offer Him the worship that He is due. Notice the phrase “And they do not rest day or night, saying.” They are perpetually and constantly praising God in heaven.

a. “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come!” – God is the center and focus of all of the songs being sung in heaven. The use of the word “ἅγιος” is no doubt intended to reflect the ABSOLUTE holiness of God, while at the same time reflecting the Triune nature of the Godhead. v.9 – “Whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever.” – Here we have their primary function spelled out clearly. They exist for the purpose of giving God “glory”, “honor”, and “thanks.” This is exactly what God has made us for: Isaiah 43:7, “Everyone who is called by My name, Whom I have created for My glory.” v.10 – “the twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying:” – (5:14, 7:11, 11:16, 19:4) - John describes the 24 “elders” joining in and worshiping God, bowing down before God. Notice how they throw their crowns (4:4) down before God signifying that God alone is worthy of praise from all created things. Whatever glory the “four living creatures” possessed as God’s creation, and whatever glory the 24 “elders” possessed as God’s creation, is rightly returned to God who deserves all glory from all created things forever. v.11 - “You are worthy, O Lord, To receive glory and honor and power; For You created all things, And by Your will they exist and were created.” – John hears the “four living creatures” and the 24 “elders” who live each moment in the presence of God confess the ultimate worth of God as creator and sustainer of all things.

Consider John, in exile, separated from the church, facing persecution and a seemingly uncertain future on earth. This incredible vision in heaven would have given him such encouragement and strength to face what

22 Warren W. Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Study Bible: Be Transformed by the Power of Gods Word(Nashville, TN,: Thomas Nelson, Inc., 2018) p.1856-1857.

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______would lie ahead of him. All attention in heaven is on God, and John got an opportunity to see that. No doubt, God wills for every human being to live in a way that reflects this glorious scene in heaven. God must be he center of all things, including our lives.

Chapter 5 v.1 – “And I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a scroll written inside and on the back, sealed with seven seals.” – John is still in the throne room of God in heaven as we enter this chapter. John entered into the throne room of heaven back in chapter 4. There in heaven He saw God sitting on the throne and 24 elders, and 4 living creatures were worshiping him (4:4-11). Now John brings our attention back to God the Father on the throne, and he is holding a scroll sealed with 7 seals. It had a lot of writing in it, as John noticed it had writing on the front and back of every page. It was not open for him or for anyone to read however, because it was sealed.

“The sealing of the document would have employed a substance such as clay, wax, or some other soft material on which an imprimatur could be placed. When the seals begin to be opened in chap. 6, the impression is that the scroll is only partially opened with the breaking of each of the seven seals. This being the case, seemingly the scroll had been sealed at particular places, probably across the top, so that the breaking of one seal would allow the scroll to be unrolled only to a point.”23

What is the nature of this scroll? What does it contain? Well, commentators have developed several theories over the years as to exactly what the Father was holding in His right hand. Here are some of the suggestions:

a. The last will and testament of the Son of God listing the promised inheritance the saints will receive. This view points to the ancient Roman practice of using seven seals to testify to the validity of a person’s will. The problem with this view is that the context does not support it. There is nothing to indicate this scroll has to do with the believer’s inheritance.

b. The Lamb’s book of life (Revelation 3:5, 13:8, 17:8, 20:12, 20:15, 21:27). This view points to the names indicated in 7:5-9. It sees the breaking of the seals as the revealing of those who are truly redeemed. The problem with this view is similar to the first view, as it is not supported by the context.

c. The Old Testament finally fulfilled in the New Testament. This view points to the words of Jesus in the synagogue in Nazareth in Luke 4:21, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” They see the following events as the Lord Jesus Christ bringing the Old Testament to a perfect fulfillment. Again, this seems unsupported by the context, and really too broad to be considered.

23 Paige Patterson, Revelation (Nashville, TN: B&H Publishing Group, 2012) p.162. ______1420 Indian Trace, Weston, FL 33326 | 954.389.4555 | www.fbcweston.org 34

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______d. The most natural and logical explanation of this scroll is that it contains God’s plans to complete history and bring about the final redemption of all things. It represents all of redemptive history and the God’s plans for the redeemed as well as for the wicked. v.2 – “Then I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and to loose its seals?” – The imagery of this book is fascinating, and it shifts quickly. John moves from what he sees, the scroll in the Father’s hand, to what he hears. He introduces a new person in the throne room to us. Remember, so far, we have the Father on His throne, 24 elders sitting on thrones, the Holy Spirit, and the four living creatures. Now, John introduces us to a “strong angel” (ἄγγελον ἰσχυρὸν) (10:1, 18:21). His role here seems clear. He is there to proclaim, which translates a word often used for preaching in the New Testament. Who is this angel? Some have speculated it could be the angel Gabriel, as his name means “strength of God.” Ultimately, we do not know the identity of this angel, only his function.

John records what he heard this angel say loudly. He is asking a question. If the scroll does in fact contain God’s plans to bring about the final redemption of all things, this could be the most important question ever asked. If no one is qualified to open this scroll, the plans of God will fail, and mankind will have no future hope. I have to point out how this entire scene is a gift for John, and truly intended for him and for us who would read these words. Everyone in heaven already knows the answer to the question being asked. So, when the angel asks this incredible question, it is intended to point us towards someone. Notice the heart of the question. He is asking who is worthy. This implies that only a very special and specific person is worthy of this task. v.3 – “And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll, or to look at it.” – The whole scene takes a dramatic turn at this point and everything is slowed down. All of the emphasis and focus in heaven is now going to be on the answer to this question and the one who ultimately is worthy to break the 7 seals and open this scroll. Notice what John says about this question. The scene is of this massive search, covering all of heaven, all of the earth, and even in the realm of the dead. After searching all of creation absolutely nobody has been found who is qualified for this enormous task. v.4 – “So I wept much, because no one was found worthy to open and read the scroll, or to look at it.” – While we don’t know for certain what John knows at this point, it does seem clear by his response here that he understands the significance of this scroll for his future, as well as for the future of the church he has been physically separated from while on Patmos. No human, dead or alive has been found worthy. No angel or heavenly being has been found worthy. John can see that, and he feels the full weight of hopelessness.

Notice the phrase “So I wept much.” While this is recorded in one verse, we are talking about a period of time in heaven where John is standing before the throne of God weeping. Think about that. John is aware that this would mean the eternal condemnation of all people. This is a terrible and dreadful proposition. All of creation is waiting for this final culmination of the work of Christ. If nobody is found, there is no true hope for anyone. ______1420 Indian Trace, Weston, FL 33326 | 954.389.4555 | www.fbcweston.org 35

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______

Consider Romans 8:18-25, “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. 19 For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; 21 because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. 23 Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body. 24 For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.” v.5 – “But one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals.” - Now he hears another voice, only this time it is one of the 24 elders seemingly consoling John and giving him reason to hope. I find this interesting. This elder is going to encourage John by pointing him to the one that was found, to the one that truly is worthy. I find it interesting that God let him feel the weight of a future without the work of Christ. Beloved, much of our world is blind to that reality, but for that moment, in heaven, John saw a world without hope, and he was crushed under the weight of despair.

This elder is consoling John, but he also seems to be correcting him, if not giving him a light rebuke of sorts. You see, John should have known the answer to this question immediately. He should have shouted “Christ is worthy!” just as soon as the angel asked the question. He didn’t do that though. So, the elder takes him back to the word of God. It is so incredible to me how the Lord constantly points us back to the Bible in order to answer every question about life and about our future.

Notice the way he describes the one who is worthy. He calls Him the “Lion of the tribe of Judah” (Genesis 49:8-10) and the “Root of David” (2 Samuel 7:12-14, Isaiah 11:1, 11:10). These are two familiar OT titles for the Messiah that John would have immediately recognized. The elder says that this person has “prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals.” So, whoever this person is, his victory over something or someone has in fact qualified him and made Him worthy to open the scroll.

“We also perceive that opening the seals is not merely an academic matter. Breaking open this scroll is a matter of war; a great enemy must be defeated and thrown down for the scroll to be opened (cf. Gen. 3:15). A formidable enemy can be vanquished only by one with incredible strength. The victory has been won by the Davidic Messiah, by Jesus the Lion from Judah’s tribe. John reaches back to an early prophecy in Genesis, where Judah is given prominence and rule over his brothers and his enemies (Gen. 49:8). He is as fierce as a lion over his prey, and no one can stand against him (Gen. 49:9; cf. Num. 23:24; 24:9). The scepter and the staff belong to Judah, and the obedience of all peoples will be given to him (Gen. 49:10). John sees this prophecy as having been fulfilled in Jesus of Nazareth, for the promise of Judah’s rule is extended and clarified ______1420 Indian Trace, Weston, FL 33326 | 954.389.4555 | www.fbcweston.org 36

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______in the covenant made with David (cf. Rev. 22:16): the Lord promises an heir of David to rule forever (2 Sam. 7:12-14).”24

What has He “prevailed” over? No doubt, the reference is to the Lord’s victory over death. It is a reference to the cross and all that was accomplished there and in the resurrection. We saw this already in 1:18, “I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.” v.6 – “And I looked, and behold, in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as though it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent out into all the earth.” - Now John looks back at the throne and there is something there that doesn’t seem to have been there before. John sees a Lamb. Stop for a moment and consider who the elder said had prevailed. It was a Lion. John sees a Lamb. All of the focus of heaven is now on this Lamb, who is also a Lion. Notice what he said about this Lamb. John said that among the elders and near the throne of God, “stood a Lamb as though it had been slain.” The Lamb is standing, though it is clear that at one point it had been slain. The standing Lamb here represents the resurrected Christ. His death was real, and so was His resurrection. All of that is captured in this incredible image.

a. “having seven horns” – the number 7 appears here in all three of these descriptions. This is symbolic language reflecting the nature of this Lamb. He is perfect and complete lacking nothing and each of His attributes are equally perfect and complete. The horn likely represents strength and power. If so, John describes this Lamb as possessing perfect and complete power (Matthew 28:18).

b. “seven eyes” – this is likely a reference to the omniscience of the Lamb. This is interesting because this is an incommunicable attribute of God. That is, omniscience is something only God can possess, and yet this Lamb is said to possess it (2 Chron. 16:9, Job 24:23, Prov. 15:3).

c. “which are the seven Spirits of God sent out into all the earth.” – this is a reference to the Holy Spirit but notice how the reference is connected to the “seven eyes.” As in 1:4, 3:1, and 4:5, the phrase “seven Spirits of God” is a reference to the Holy Spirit.

Jesus is the Lamb of God. Consider the words of John in John 1:29, “The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (Exodus 12:3-5, IS 53:7) v.7 – “Then He came and took the scroll out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne.” - This is where we need to stop for a moment. First, notice the shift in language here. We move from a Lamb to a “He.”

24 Iain M. Duguid et al., ESV Expository Commentary (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2018) p.606-607. ______1420 Indian Trace, Weston, FL 33326 | 954.389.4555 | www.fbcweston.org 37

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______Second, remember that all of heaven just declared that no one was worthy to take control of redemptive history by opening this scroll. And now the Lamb, this “He”, which is clearly the Lord Jesus Christ, walks right over to the throne, where the Father is sitting, and He takes the scroll right out of His hand. Did you see that? Jesus has just been declared to be worthy by the elder who said He has prevailed. Now, we get an incredible glimpse of how God the Father feels about whether or not Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God is truly “worthy” to open this scroll.

“Whereas all other participants of heaven (the 24 elders, the living creatures, and all the angels) fall on their faces and worship the One who is on the throne, the Lamb has no need of such an approach but simply approaches the throne and takes the book. At the very least, this suggests a remarkable relationship to the One who is on the throne. John must have considered the Lamb to be just as much God as the One who sat on the throne.”25

This scene is nothing less than the Lamb, Jesus Christ the Lord, taking control of redemptive history. People often suggest that Jesus never claimed to be God. This may be the clearest evidence in the Word of God that Jesus is God. Images such as what John sees here, and texts like these support the doctrine of the Trinity in general and the divinity of Jesus Christ specifically. v.8 – “Now when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.” - Jesus takes the book, and now the same worship that was offered to the Father in 4:10 is offered to Jesus because he is fully God and everyone in heaven knows that. They all fall down before Him and begin to worship Him.

a. “each having a harp” – it is interesting that they all have a harp. This hard exists for one reason, to offer worship to God. This points back to the Levites who worshipped the Lord on harps in 1 Chronicles 25:1, “Moreover David and the captains of the army separated for the service some of the sons of Asaph, of Heman, and of Jeduthun, who should prophesy with harps, stringed instruments, and cymbals. And the number of the skilled men performing their service was.”

b. “and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.” – they came before the Lord with something else, besides the harps. They came with bowls, and each of these bowls were full. What was in the bowls? Well, John tells us that the bowls contained the prayers of the saints. I want you to think about that for a moment. The elders are presenting the prayers of the church to the Lord Jesus Christ in heaven. This image is so critical. We can’t miss what is right here before us. Jesus Christ is the answer to all of our prayers.

25 Paige Patterson, Revelation (Nashville, TN: B&H Publishing Group, 2012) p.167. ______1420 Indian Trace, Weston, FL 33326 | 954.389.4555 | www.fbcweston.org 38

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______v.9 – “And they sang a new song, saying: “You are worthy to take the scroll, And to open its seals; For You were slain, And have redeemed us to God by Your blood Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation.” - Here they are about to sing a new song in heaven, accompanied by harps, that is all about why Jesus is worthy to take control of history and bring everything to completion.

When we sing songs (worship) to the Lord, we are not merely expressing how we feel or what we feel, or even what we want at the time. Christ is the center of the songs of heaven and He must be the center of our songs as well. When we sing songs (worship) to Christ, we are confessing what we know to be true about Him as revealed in the Word of God. So, in this way our song singing has little to do with how our lives are going or how we feel at the time. Jesus is always worthy of our praise and always worthy of our worship and when we worship Him, we are acknowledging that. Worship (corporate singing) isn’t about us. It is all about Him. It is never about our preferences or desires, as it isn’t directed towards us. It is directed to the ONLY one who is truly worthy. What are they singing? They are singing about how and why this Lamb is worthy to open the scroll.

a. “For You were slain” – Christ is worthy because of His death in the place of sinners as their substitute. The Bible is clear that the penalty for sinning against God is death, and Jesus paid that penalty for sinful man by dying in his place. 1 Peter 1:18-20, “knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. 20 He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you.”

b. “And have redeemed us to God by Your blood” – “Christ Jesus bought his people with his blood shed at Calvary. He did not pay Satan to redeem them, but with his death on the cross he satisfied the justice of God. He paid the penalty that God had placed on Adam and Eve and their descendants (Gen. 2:17) and set them free.”26 Galatians 3:13, “Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”).” 1 Corinthians 6:20, “For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.”

c. “Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation.” – (7:9, 10:11, 11:9, 13:7, 14:6, 17:15) – “Here John’s vision extends beyond his own immediate horizon to include the entire world – peoples to whom the gospel had not yet reached. John sees in the mission of the church a worldwide fellowship extending far beyond the shores of the Mediterranean and the rule of the Caesars.”27

26 Simon J. Kistemaker, New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 2001) p.210. 27 George Eldon. Ladd, A Commentary on the Revelation of John (Grand Rapids, Mich: William B. Eerdmans, 1993) p.91. ______1420 Indian Trace, Weston, FL 33326 | 954.389.4555 | www.fbcweston.org 39

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______What an encouragement this must have been to John. He could not conceive the reach of God’s redemptive work through the Lord Jesus Christ. He could not possibly imagine the world in the way we can in our day. God would save from every corner of His earth through the work of Christ on the cross. This is so critical for us today as we look at the church. The church is not something that was invented in America. So many have foolishly and ignorantly supposed the Christian faith is some sort of Western religion. Please know that we were the late comers to this great redemptive work. Today, we REJOICE at the breadth of the body of Christ and recognize the way in which God is most glorified by and through saving men, women, and children from all over the earth. v.10 – “And have made us kings and priests to our God; And we shall reign on the earth.” – The song continues in this verse. I want you to recognize a textual variant at this point. The NASB reads “You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God.” The ESV reads, “and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God.” The NKJV translates this verse in a way that represents the Greek text that stands behind it. It is the difference between the words “us” and “them.”

a. “And have made us kings and priests to our God” – (Isaiah 61:6) - I favor the reading here in the NKJV because it is consistent with 1:6, “and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father.” Of course, this speaks to the promise God has given to the church for the coming age. While Adam and Eve failed to faithfully carry out this responsibility, it has been given to the redeemed.

b. “And we shall reign on the earth.” – (2:26-27) – This one can get really complicated when considering the implications of this future rule as it would fit within the different eschatological schemes. v.11 – “Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands.” – the throne room has completely exploded with angels at this point. The number of angels John now sees is far beyond what can be counted, as is reflected by the compounding numerical description he provides. Consider the incredible emotional shift John has undergone in this span of only a few verses. He went from utter despair to this incredible picture of confidence and strength. On earth, on Patmos, things were not looking very good for John. In heaven, however, things look VERY different, and no doubt this would have been a source of hope to help him persevere in the days ahead.

Now there is some hope here for us today. In the 1st century, the church felt outnumbered and they were persecuted. They felt weak and insignificant. John’s vision would show them that no matter where they are or who they are, when they are united with the church and worshipping Christ as a redeemed saint, they are part of a vast multitude. Today, in America Christians are quickly becoming more and more scarce and we are seemingly being silenced on every corner and our convictions are being rejected and nearly criminalized. It would be easy for us to feel this way. Maybe you are suffering today and are the only believer in your home,

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______or in your family and you feel all alone today. Beloved, this great kingdom of Christ’s is vast and beyond number! v.12 – “saying with a loud voice: “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain To receive power and riches and wisdom, And strength and honor and glory and blessing!” – This massive choir has all joined for the sole purpose of worshipping the resurrected Christ! The worthy one has been found. He is God. v.13 – “And every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, I heard saying: “Blessing and honor and glory and power Be to Him who sits on the throne, And to the Lamb, forever and ever!” - Notice that phrase, “every creature.” Everything comes together in this vision and worships the worthy Lamb as they should. This is not happening now though. John saw “every creature”, including those “on the earth.” John is pointing us ahead to the future. This day is coming. v.14 – “Then the four living creatures said, “Amen!” And the twenty-four elders fell down and worshiped Him who lives forever and ever.” – This great heavenly worship song comes to a conclusion with a resounding “Amen!” Absolutely nothing is truer than Christ’s worthiness. Now, the great redemptive drama is set to unfold, the seals will be opened by the Lamb, and all of God’s plans will be fulfilled. Chapter 6

As we begin with chapter 6, it is important to know that we have come to something of an interpretive fork in the Biblical road. If I were to gather all of your study Bibles, or to photocopy 20 solid Bible commentaries on this chapter and lay them all side by side with your study Bibles we would see that there are MANY views regarding what we are to make of this chapter. Essentially, they fall into two categories, and each of those categories reflects one of the interpretive schemes we mentioned at the beginning, as well as one of the systems related to Revelation 20 and the phrase “a thousand years” as it relates to the timing of the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.

Those who are committed to the “futurist” model, and specifically, those who are “Premillennialists”, view the opening of the seals as analogous to the beginning of, and with the events of the “great tribulation.” I have to be honest that after spending time studying the different positions related to this section, I was shocked at how much disagreement exists even among those who are in that camp.

There are some who are “Premillennialists” who actually disagree with that view and would see these events as preparatory and leading up to the “great tribulation” (Ladd). Then there are those who would not consider themselves “Premillennialists” who would view these events as happening at some point (there are different views) between the first and second coming of the Lord. To summarize, there are two basic ways of viewing these events as they relate to timing. Either they take place at some point during the church age before the return of Christ and end time events, or they take place in connection with end time events.

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______We have to be careful as we approach a section like this. We have to be careful to remain charitable towards those who may draw a different conclusion than the one we draw. The reason there are so many views is because the language is somewhat ambiguous and there is no place where the exact meaning and significance of what we find here is clearly and simply spelled out.

My position is that these seals concern events to take place during the church age leading up to the end. Here are my reasons:

1. The events recorded in chapter 6, including the specific language John used, seems parallel to the Olivet Discourse (Matthew 24), which I take to refer to events taking place during the church age leading up to the end as well. In both cases we see wars, international strife, famines, hardships, pestilences, earthquakes, cosmological events, and death.

2. The events in chapter 6 seem to be preparatory for the end of all things. Matthew 24:8, “All these are the beginning of sorrows.”

3. The opening of the seals seems to be a precursor to the full plans found within the scroll being carried out. The sixth seal seems to reflect the conclusion of history in this age. Therefore, I take the first five seals to represent life during this age leading up to the end.

4. I think this view is consistent with the type of encouragement we have already seen in this book. This is the most natural way to educate the church on what they can expect during this current age while we await the return of our Savior.

Before we begin this chapter, we should consider a couple of sections of Scripture that seem to be closely related to what we find here. The first would be the Olivet discourse found in Matthew 24, that I just mentioned. There seem to be parallels between the first 6 seals and the first 31 verses of that chapter. Matthew 24:1-31, “Then Jesus went out and departed from the temple, and His disciples came up to show Him the buildings of the temple. 2 And Jesus said to them, “Do you not see all these things? Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down.”

3 Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?” 4 And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you.5 For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many.6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.

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______9 “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. 10 And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. 11 Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. 12 And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But he who endures to the end shall be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.

15 “Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” (whoever reads, let him understand), 16 “then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17 Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house. 18 And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes. 19 But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! 20 And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath. 21 For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be.22 And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened.

23 “Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There!’ do not believe it. 24 For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 25 See, I have told you beforehand.

26 “Therefore if they say to you, ‘Look, He is in the desert!’ do not go out; or ‘Look, He is in the inner rooms!’ do not believe it. 27 For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 28 For wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered together.

29 “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30 Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31 And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.”

The second would be Zechariah 1:7-11, “On the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month, which is the month Shebat, in the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came to Zechariah the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo the prophet: 8 I saw by night, and behold, a man riding on a red horse, and it stood among the myrtle trees in the hollow; and behind him were horses: red, sorrel, and white. 9 Then I said, “My lord, what are these?” So the angel who talked with me said to me, “I will show you what they are.” 10 And the man who stood among the myrtle trees answered and said, “These are the ones whom the Lord has sent to walk to and fro throughout the earth.” 11 So they answered the Angel of the Lord, who stood among the myrtle trees, and said, “We have walked to and fro throughout the earth, and behold, all the earth is resting quietly.”

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______A third would be Zechariah 6:1-8, “Then I turned and raised my eyes and looked, and behold, four chariots were coming from between two mountains, and the mountains were mountains of bronze. 2 With the first chariot were red horses, with the second chariot black horses, 3 with the third chariot white horses, and with the fourth chariot dappled horses—strong steeds. 4 Then I answered and said to the angel who talked with me, “What are these, my lord?” 5 And the angel answered and said to me, “These are four spirits of heaven, who go out from their station before the Lord of all the earth. 6 The one with the black horses is going to the north country, the white are going after them, and the dappled are going toward the south country.” 7 Then the strong steeds went out, eager to go, that they might walk to and fro throughout the earth. And He said, “Go, walk to and fro throughout the earth.” So they walked to and fro throughout the earth. 8 And He called to me, and spoke to me, saying, “See, those who go toward the north country have given rest to My Spirit in the north country.”

v.1 – “Now I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals; and I heard one of the four living creatures saying with a voice like thunder, “Come and see.” – John’s attention is still on the Lamb and on the scroll He has just taken out of the right hand of the Father who is still sitting on His throne. The scene changes though, as now the Lamb is about to open the seals on this incredibly important scroll that He alone is qualified to open.

a. “Now I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals” – The Lamb of God, which is the Lord Jesus Christ, opens the first seal on this scroll. The songs are over now, and we have moved on from a time of worship to something akin to a time of judgment. The scene now shifts from events in heaven, to events that will take place on the earth.

b. “and I heard one of the four living creatures saying with a voice like thunder, “Come and see.” - As the Lord opens the first seal, John’s attention is turned once again to the four living creatures, and it is one of those that begins to speak. Clearly, he is calling John to watch what is bound up in this first seal. Remember that this is a revelation of Jesus Christ, and of what is to take place in the future, that is ultimately given to the church. v.2 – “And I looked, and behold, a white horse. He who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer.”

a. “a white horse” – (Zechariah 1:8, Revelation 19:11) – The first four seals are going to be connected to four different colored horses. This is the origin of the phrase “the four horsemen of the apocalypse”. That phrase actually betrays a particular interpretive opinion.

b. “He who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer.” – Here is another instance where we are faced with an interpretive decision. “The first horse in Revelation 6 is a white horse, whose rider has a bow and a crown. This rider conquers as ______1420 Indian Trace, Weston, FL 33326 | 954.389.4555 | www.fbcweston.org 44

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______he roams the earth. Interpreters have radically different views as to what is symbolized here. Some have argued the first rider is the beast of Revelation 13, riding a white horse as a parody of Christ’s riding a white horse (Rev. 19:11). The beast conquers the saints, as we see elsewhere in Revelation (11:7; 13:7). Such a reading is possible, but it is not clear that this conquering refers to persecution of the saints or that the rider is a parody. Others argue, more plausibly, that the seal represents continued wars plaguing the human race. Such an interpretation may be correct, but it seems significant that the only other rider of a white horse in Revelation is Jesus (19:11), and the next seal has to do with war. In Revelation 19 Jesus comes on the white horse to judge the wicked, but here he conquers through the spread of the gospel to the ends of the earth. Such a reading fits with Jesus’ prediction that the gospel would spread throughout the world before the end arrives (Matt. 24:14; 28:19; Mark 13:10). One characteristic of the present age is the proclamation of the gospel to all peoples in all places. Amid the woes and sufferings of the present age, the gospel continues to be proclaimed and to triumph throughout the world.”28

So, either the rider is the Lord Jesus Christ (Psalm 45:4)(or someone who represents Him) and this seal represents something like the conquering of Christ through the gospel in this age, which is to refer to the overall progress of the gospel. Or, the rider is the Beast, or some false Christ and the language refers to some type of military conquest made by the forces of evil. This is the view of many commentators and there are various nuances they ascribe to the different elements found here.

For example Wiersbe, which represents more of a devotional type commentary on Scripture writes, “Daniel states that there is a “prince that shall come,” who will make a covenant with Israel to protect her from her enemies (Dan. 9:26-27). In other words, the future world dictator begins his career as a peacemaker!..... “We would expect the Antichrist to resemble the Christ, because Antichrist is Satan’s great imitation! Even the Jews (who ought to know the Scriptures) will be deceived by him (John 5:43; 2 Thess. 2:1-12). This great deceiver will come as a peaceful leader, holding a bow but no arrows! (Our Lord’s weapon is a sword; Rev. 19:15). Antichrist will solve the world’s problems and be received as the Great Liberator.”29

I could add more of his commentary here, but you can see how his view is very nuanced, yet not truly supported by clear Scripture. In fact, I find his conclusions to be heavily dependent upon the interpretive scheme he holds to. In fact, he immediately reads the “Premillennial / Pretribulational” view into the text before saying one word about it.

28 Iain M. Duguid et al., ESV Expository Commentary (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2018) p.614. 29 Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1989) p.587. ______1420 Indian Trace, Weston, FL 33326 | 954.389.4555 | www.fbcweston.org 45

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______I hope you can appreciate the difficulty of responsibly interpreting apocalyptic material as we find in the book of Revelation. These systems are not necessarily all wrong or to be avoided, but heir associated interpretive biases must be recognized. v.3 – “When He opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, “Come and see.” – Moving on from the first seal we come to the second seal. This supports the idea that these seals are opened sequentially and not all at the same time. Interestingly enough, it seems a second of the four living creatures speaks this time. v.4 – “Another horse, fiery red, went out. And it was granted to the one who sat on it to take peace from the earth, and that people should kill one another; and there was given to him a great sword.” – (Zechariah 1:8) - The horses, both the white horse, and now the red horse, are released to go out throughout the earth. This one is identified by its red color (color of fire and blood). You will notice that less is said about its rider and more about what the rider will accomplish on earth.

a. “And it was granted to the one who sat on it to take peace from the earth” – This seal seems to be the most closely connected to Matthew 24:6, “And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars.” Now, those who see the first horse / rider to represent the Antichrist, see these succeeding horses to be reflective of his overall conquest of the earth. All sides seem to agree that this is a reference to war, or wars, though the question would be related to whether John is seeing wars on earth leading up to the end, or wars taking place during the end times, such as during the “great tribulation.”

Ladd writes, “This is obviously a symbol of warfare and bloodshed. The time when John lived, the late first century, was not a time particularly characterized by warfare. In fact, the might of the Roman armies had crushed effective resistance so that peace reigned from Armenia to Spain. The great Pax Romana gave to the Mediterranean world several centuries of peace which the western world has never since experienced. However, it was a peace based upon force, and the might of Rome was everywhere represented by the presence of her legions. In principle, warfare and conquest were the dominant policy and will remain so until the return of the Lord.”30

b. “and that people should kill one another; and there was given to him a great sword.” – The first coming of Christ did not put an end to all wars on earth, which is consistent with viewing the first horse and rider as the Lord Jesus Christ and the second horse and rider to represent ongoing war.

It is important to note, that those committed to the “Premillennial” view who see the seals depicting the events of the “great tribulation”, point to this seal and suggest that while the world has seemingly been at war since the first coming of Christ there have always been parts of the

30 George Eldon. Ladd, A Commentary on the Revelation of John (Grand Rapids, Mich: William B. Eerdmans, 1993) p.100. ______1420 Indian Trace, Weston, FL 33326 | 954.389.4555 | www.fbcweston.org 46

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______world that were at peace. They would suggest that this seal indicates that there will be no more peace in this time and that every nation will be brought into war. v.5 – “When He opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, “Come and see.” So I looked, and behold, a black horse, and he who sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand.” – John now sees the Lamb open the third seal and yet another of the four living creatures draws his attention to it. If the last horse represents bloodshed and death, the black horse represents famine.

a. “So I looked, and behold, a black horse.” – If red represents blood, black could be seen to represent sorrow and mourning, which in this case would be brought on by suffering and starvation. I’m pretty sure we shouldn’t be picturing Black Beauty here.

b. “and he who sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand.” – The scales here are significant. There are certainly to be used in connection with the food being measured out in the following verse. v.6 – “And I heard a voice in the midst of the four living creatures saying, “A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius; and do not harm the oil and the wine.” – (Ezekiel 4:10-11) – Interestingly the actual person speaking is not clearly identified here.

a. “A quart of wheat for a denarius” – a “denarius” is equal to a day’s wage. The idea is that there is so little food available that an entire day’s worth of pay will only buy a tiny amount of food. * The NIV does not translate the Greek word here, but rather provides an interpretation for the reader.

b. “three quarts of barley for a denarius” – This is a similar comparison. “The difference between wheat and barley has long been considered to be the difference between the bread of the poor and the bread of those who were better off. Barley constituted a rougher grain and was generally more readily available and less expensive than wheat. That is exactly the picture presented here since three dry measure quarts of barley are available for the same cost of one dry measure quart of wheat. This dry measure quart amounted to little more than could be successfully cradled in two human hands. More astoundingly, however, is the fact that it would take an entire day’s wage to purchase either the barley or the wheat in such relatively small amounts.”31

c. “and do not harm the oil and the wine.” – Commentators are divided on what this reference means, but it seems to have to do with the rider’s role in the destruction of the food supply and what he was to destroy and when.

31 Paige Patterson, Revelation (Nashville, TN: B&H Publishing Group, 2012) p.181. ______1420 Indian Trace, Weston, FL 33326 | 954.389.4555 | www.fbcweston.org 47

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______v.7 – “When He opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying, “Come and see.” – With the opening of the fourth seal, the fourth living creature enters the picture with the same message we have heard from the others. v.8 – “So I looked, and behold, a pale horse. And the name of him who sat on it was Death, and Hades followed with him. And power was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword, with hunger, with death, and by the beasts of the earth.” – It is important to note at this point, that John’s attention is being drawn down to earth with each of the opening of each of these seals.

a. “a pale horse” – This fourth horse is more reflective of a decaying corpse than someone with fair skin. Don’t think of pasty skin, think of crusty skin. The word here χλωρός literally means “green”, but it can also mean “pale” and the context strongly implies that is the proper meaning.

a. “And the name of him who sat on it was Death, and Hades followed with him” – For the first time, John provides the actual name of the rider of one of these horses. The name is actually a clue as to how this should be interpreted. There is little reason to believe John was seeing an actual person with the actual given name of “death.” Honestly, if you name your child “death”, this is probably the most you could hope he would accomplish in his future. Obviously, this name, and the name of the one accompanying him represent death itself and the realm of the dead in ancient Hebrew thought. “Death and Hades are personified as the great enemies of human existence, and hence they are virtually demonic forces.”32

b. “And power was given to them over a fourth of the earth” – The Lamb, who is opening these seals, gives this rider(s) an enormous amount of power at this point. Now, in the Premillennial, Pretribulational, dispensational view, this whole section is taking place during the first 3.5 years of the great tribulation. In that view, the rider here is really still the Antichrist and here he seems to be ending his treaty with Israel, which is central to that view. They see the Antichrist being given power to essentially kill ¼ of the post rapture population of the world at this point. Of course, this could also be seen as a picture of the ongoing death that has been normative throughout the earth since the fall.

c. “to kill with sword, with hunger, with death, and by the beasts of the earth.” – (Ezekiel 14:21) – Death is seen here killing ¼ of the earth in various ways, including war / bloodshed, famine and attending starvation, other forms of death, and even through animal attacks.

Beeke writes, “Regardless of how it comes, death will ride across the earth until our Lord Jesus Christ returns. That is part of the reality that we face as professing Christians in a fallen world. As

32 Iain M. Duguid et al., ESV Expository Commentary (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2018) p.615. ______1420 Indian Trace, Weston, FL 33326 | 954.389.4555 | www.fbcweston.org 48

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______there are four horses, there are also four ways in which the earth is denuded of its manhood. Death is due to man’s inhumanity to man. This is by the sword; by famine (resulting in the injustice revealed in the breaking of the third seal); by plague; and by wild beasts. Yet, thanks be to God, even death is under Christ’s control. For the believer, death will lead to eternal healing and life. The four horsemen of the apocalypse are symbols of the bloodshed, warfare, famine, pestilence, disease, and death that will accompany the preaching of the gospel.”33 v.9 – “When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held.” – As we move on to the fifth seal, the horses on earth are gone and John’s attention seems to remain in heaven.

a. “I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held.” - So, who are these people being referenced here? Who did John see? Well, this another example of how an interpretive system will ultimately lead to an interpretation of a text by bringing the system to the text, instead of the meaning out of the text. Let me give you a few examples. The Dispensational, Premillennial, Pretribulational position essentially requires one to interpret this group of people as martyrs who were both saved and killed during the tribulation period, after the rapture of the church.

Charles Ryrie provides a perfect example when he writes, “Who are these people? They are not the martyrs of the Church Age, for the church saints are raptured before the holocaust of the Tribulation begins. They must be those who were saved after the rapture and then martyred during these first months of the Tribulation, when the judgments of the first four seals were being poured out. The reason for their being slain is plain: because of the Word of God and their testimony. In other words, they are faithful witnesses during the early days of the Tribulation when people, though experiencing these awful judgments, will still not turn to God. In their wrath these vile people will kill God’s witnesses.”34

We can contrast his position with that of another Premillennialist, George Eldon Ladd, who wrote, “It is doubtful if John is thinking of any particular historical martyrdom or group of martyrs. We have already seen that by the time John wrote, martyrdom had not become a wide-spread or common experience of the church. Nero waged a brief localized persecution against Christians in Rome, and in John’s time Domitian persecuted a few families in Rome, apparently because they were Christians. John does foresee that in the end time the beast or Antichrist will wage fierce persecution against the church, almost to the point of its destruction. Here John appears to have in mind all Christian martyrs of every age, perhaps those of the end time in particular. One of the repeated emphases of the entire New Testament is that it is the very nature of the church to be a martyr people.”35

33 Joel R. Beeke, Revelation (Grand Rapids, MI: Reformation Heritage Books, 2016) p.217. 34 Charles Caldwell Ryrie, Revelation (Chicago: Moody Press, 1996) p.57. 35 George Eldon. Ladd, A Commentary on the Revelation of John (Grand Rapids, Mich: William B. Eerdmans, 1993) p.104. ______1420 Indian Trace, Weston, FL 33326 | 954.389.4555 | www.fbcweston.org 49

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______

You will notice that these two interpreters draw very different conclusions regarding this group of people. For one, they are tribulation saints, and for the other, they are just saints in general. It is important to note, however, there are other complicating factor that lead to other views, even within this one interpretive model.

Some have even gone so far as to argue that these souls under the altar represent all those who are martyrs during the entire history of the church or even all the dead saints of God. Such explanations do not fit the context.42

Far more probable is that the opening of the fifth seal introduces the fact that even the elect of the tribulation period do not avoid the consequences of the far-reaching impact of the seal judgments. Quite to the contrary, those who suffer during the tribulation are singled out as being at the foot of the altar crying out to God to avenge their blood on the inhabitants of the earth. There is no way all the martyrs of all time could be thus pictured since those who martyred them would long since have come into judgment in all but the most recent cases. Furthermore, in this case, their enemies are specifically said to be still alive on the earth. Specifically, these must be determined as those who have experienced the wrath of the unbelieving earth against believers singled out for the martyrdom during the days of the tribulation. If asked where such people come from, some interpreters would see them as saints of the church age who are martyred during the tribulation. Those interpreters who anticipate that the church will be removed from the earth prior to the tribulation would insist that these are tribulation saints and would find record of their unique existence in the very next chapter where 144,000 Jews are sealed and where it is specifically stated that in addition to these who are saved there is also a “great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language.”

So, for Patterson, these could be saints of the church age, who lived into the time of tribulation, before the rapture of the church. This is possible because there are different views regarding the timing of the rapture itself, in relation to the tribulation.

I can add a fourth view just to illustrate the range of interpretive choices that have been made in relation to this text. Beeke writes, “When the fifth seal is opened, John sees the souls of these martyrs under the altar. This refers to the altar of burnt offerings, as described in Leviticus. When an animal was sacrificed on the altar of burnt offerings, the blood would be caught in a basin under the altar. In his vision, John doesn’t see the blood of animals under the altar, but rather the souls of men, women, and children who have lost their lives for Christ’s sake. He sees those who did not count their lives dear for Christ’s sake. In John’s visions, these saints are not being slain, but have already passed through persecution and are now in heaven, waiting for their full glory. One purpose of this seal is to show that the martyrdom of the saints is controlled by Christ, for only when Christ opens the seal do the believers who were slain cry out for vengeance. Being a Christian means laying down your life for ______1420 Indian Trace, Weston, FL 33326 | 954.389.4555 | www.fbcweston.org 50

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______Christ. It requires total commitment and consecration. It means you live your life as under the altar for Christ’s sake. The Christian life is marked by consecration and sacrifice.”36 v.10 – “And they cried with a loud voice, saying, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” – John is now hearing from a new group of people, apparently in the throne room of God in heaven. It is truly a dynamic scene. This is a cry for justice, in the form of prayer, spoken directly to God, in John’s presence. There is a sense in which it is also a cry for vengeance, as in the style of the imprecatory prayers found in the Psalms. Beeke writes, “No matter how we understand this outcry from beneath the altar, we are not to understand it as a thirst for revenge. It is clear from v.11 that the glorified saints here are at rest and perfectly happy. The white robes they wear signify singleness, happiness, and acceptance with God. So, they do not cry out for revenge; rather, they pray for the vindication of God’s holy name. This outcry of the martyrs is similar to the prayers in the imprecatory psalms, the “cursing psalms”, in the Old Testament.”37 v.11 – “Then a white robe was given to each of them; and it was said to them that they should rest a little while longer, until both the number of their fellow servants and their brethren, who would be killed as they were, was completed.” – (7:9, 7:14) - This is an incredible picture of answered prayer taking place right in the throne room of God in heaven. Simply put, the Lord answered their prayers by comforting them and telling them to wait and to trust God’s timing. This is a common response of the Lord both in the Word of God and in our lives as well. His plan, which in this case was connected to the death of Christians for their faith, was not yet complete, and nothing will change God’s plans. v.12 – “I looked when He opened the sixth seal, and behold, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became like blood.” – (Ezekiel 38:19-21, Joel 3:16, Nahum 1:5, Matthew 24:12-17, 24:29, Revelation 8:5, 11:13, 11:19, 16:18) – No doubt, John is witnessing the judgment of the wicked here and really the end of the current age in incredible fashion. The language comes right out of the Old Testament and in a sense symbolizes the end of all things. It is important to note that in the Dispensational, Premillennial, Pretribulational position this is all taking place after the midway point of the 7-year great tribulation. In that view, at this point, the Antichrist has defiled the temple in Jerusalem, has garnered worship from the world, and has begun a massive persecution of both Christians and Jews. v.13 – “And the stars of heaven fell to the earth, as a fig tree drops its late figs when it is shaken by a mighty wind.” – The Dispensational, Premillennial, Pretribulational position as reflected in writers like LaHaye, would take each of these as descriptions of literal events to come during this terrible time. LaHaye argues that these are real physical earthquakes, volcanic eruptions that remove and destroy mountains, and blot out the sun and discolor the moon, leading to meteor showers which look like stars falling from the sky.

36 Joel R. Beeke, Revelation (Grand Rapids, MI: Reformation Heritage Books, 2016) p.225-226. 37 Ibid. p.227. ______1420 Indian Trace, Weston, FL 33326 | 954.389.4555 | www.fbcweston.org 51

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______v.14 – “Then the sky receded as a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved out of its place.” – (Isaiah 34:4) - These descriptions could also be taken as figurative of the catastrophic events of the end times. There is precedent for that in Isaiah 13:9-13, “Behold, the day of the Lord comes, Cruel, with both wrath and fierce anger, To lay the land desolate; And He will destroy its sinners from it. 10 For the stars of heaven and their constellations Will not give their light; The sun will be darkened in its going forth, And the moon will not cause its light to shine. 11 “I will punish the world for its evil, And the wicked for their iniquity; I will halt the arrogance of the proud, And will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible. 12 I will make a mortal more rare than fine gold, A man more than the golden wedge of Ophir. 13 Therefore I will shake the heavens, And the earth will move out of her place, In the wrath of the Lord of hosts And in the day of His fierce anger.”

Notice the similarities in language here. This is not a description of the end times though. No, Isaiah is referring to Persia’s conquest and defeat of Babylon in this section. This is why apocalyptic literature is so difficult to interpret. v.15 – “And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains.” – This language reflects the final overthrow of all human powers and authorities as the Lord brings this age to an end. “The collapse of the created order means judgement is at hand, and john draws on the “day of the Lord” theme from the prophets (Isaiah 13:6, 13:9, Ezekiel 13:5, Joel 1:15, 21, Amos 5:18, Obadiah 15, Zephaniah 1:7, 1:14, Zechariah 14:1) to describe the final judgment. He emphasizes that the judgment is universal; no one is spared, from kings to slaves. The emphasis is particularly on those who have power and influence – kings, generals, and the rich are included among those who will be judged.”38 v.16 – “and said to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb!” – (Luke 23:30) - There is no escaping the judgment to come. v.17 – “For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?” – This is an indication that John is witnessing the judgment of God and the end of the current age. Notice the connection here between the “day of the Lord” and these events. I take the “day of the Lord” to be analogous to the return of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Chapter 7

George Ladd writes, “The first six seals, representing events preliminary to the end of the “beginning of woes” (Matthew 24:8), have now been broken and the time has come for the breaking of the final seal, the opening of the book, and the story of the end itself. The end is a complex of events which will include the culmination of the struggle between the people of God - the church - and the satanically inspired beast or Antichrist. It will

38 Iain M. Duguid et al., ESV Expository Commentary (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2018) p.618. ______1420 Indian Trace, Weston, FL 33326 | 954.389.4555 | www.fbcweston.org 52

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______tell of the outpouring of God’s wrath upon the Antichrist and the civilization that has supported him, and finally the deliverance and salvation of God’s people in the kingdom of God.

Before John begins the story of the actual end, he pauses to employ a technique which he uses several times to interrupt the flow of his narrative. He inserts an interlude, painting a picture which is essential background to the flow of the narrative. In the present instance, as the church stands on the threshold of her time of great tribulation, she is reassured that God will safely see her through her terrible ordeal. When the breaking of the sixth seal was followed by signs of the end, men cried out in terror, “The great day of…. Wrath has come, and who can stand before it?” (6:17). The answer to this question is now given. Those whom God has sealed will be safely preserved from the outpouring of divine wrath. Even though they suffer martyrdom.”39 Remember the scroll has seven seals (5:1). Chapter six ends with the sixth seal being opened (6:12-17). The seventh seal will not be opened until chapter eight. What we have here is something of an interlude in between those two seals. This is incredibly significant if the seals represent events that take place during the church age, leading up to, and even including the events of the end, then this interlude takes us to events that take place before the end. v.1 – “After these things I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, on the sea, or on any tree.” – John’s attention is still on the earth as it has been for the bulk of the seals, though it seems clear he is still in heaven (the throne room of God).

a. “four angels standing at the four corners of the earth” – The identity of these four angels is not clear, yet their purpose is. Whoever these angels are, they are clearly entrusted with protecting and directing what takes place on earth. The “four corners of the earth” is surely a symbolic way to describe these angels presiding over the entire planet. Some have looked to this phrase and wrongly seen support for a flat earth. These angels are seen standing above the entire earth, as heavenly sentinels carrying out a divine mission with perfect precision and obedience to God’s plan contained in the scroll.

b. “holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, on the sea, or on any tree.” – (Psalm 104:4) Notice the way they are restraining what appears to be coming in chapter 8. They seem to be in control of what we would otherwise call “natural occurrences”, only further proving God’s control of all creation. John calls them “the four winds of the earth.” These angels have the power to allow this wind to destroy things on the earth. Clearly, this is a picture of the judgment of God being restrained for a time in order to accomplish something, or in this case, reveal something to John that the church needs to see and hear.

39 George Eldon. Ladd, A Commentary on the Revelation of John (Grand Rapids, Mich: William B. Eerdmans, 1993) p.110. ______1420 Indian Trace, Weston, FL 33326 | 954.389.4555 | www.fbcweston.org 53

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______v.2 – “Then I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God. And he cried with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea.” – The dynamic nature of this entire vision is stunning and without rival. Things are moving and changing quickly and John is providing the reader a picture of what he was seeing and experiencing.

a. “Then I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God” – John sees a fifth angel come into the picture, coming with orders from God the father regarding the future. He is holding the “seal of the living God”, which as we will see, is going to be applied to a certain number of people to set them apart as God’s own people, His own possession, to ensure they are protected and preserved.

Patterson writes, “The angel who is coming from the rising of the sun possesses the seal of the living God. Here the inclusion of zōntos (“living”) is different than what might have been expected. Certainly, it would have been sufficient simply to have said that he has the seal of God. However, the addition of zōntos, a present participle, emphasizes the distinction between this god and all other gods, which have no life in themselves and are manufactured either by men’s thoughts or hands. By contrast God is the only living God; and this, in turn, gives rise to the fact that he alone is able to impart that life to others.”40

b. “And he cried with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea.” - The fifth angel cries out loudly, no doubt for John’s benefit at this point. Everything taking place in this revelation is intended to come down to us (the church) in written form containing every detail and every word the Lord wants us to have. v.3 – “saying, “Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees till we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.” – This message is intended to provide the church (the church of all ages / including us) hope as it looks forward to the end and the opening of this scroll and the consummation of all of God’s plans and the final redemption we are longing for. No harm will be done until God allows it. He is in complete control. Notice though, what these angels are going to have to wait for, before doing harm to the earth.

a. “till we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.” – The phrase “servants of God” helps us to identify this group of people who must have / receive / experience / identify with this seal of the living God. Verses 4-10 will address the identity of the “servants of God” this angel was referring to.

What is this seal though? Is this some literal seal that will be physically applied to this group of people? “The sealing on the forehead isn’t literal but symbolizes protection granted to those who belong to God (cf. 9:4). So now we know who can endure the wrath of God – those with God’s seal

40 Paige Patterson, Revelation (Nashville, TN: B&H Publishing Group, 2012) p.191. ______1420 Indian Trace, Weston, FL 33326 | 954.389.4555 | www.fbcweston.org 54

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______upon them. John again draws upon the OT. In Ezekiel 9, Jerusalem is about to be judged by executioners because of its evil. Those who are wicked will be annihilated, but a “mark” is put “on the foreheads of the men who sigh and groan over all the abominations that are committed in it” (Ezek. 9:4). The judgement will not spare the young or old, but those with the mark will remain untouched (Ezek. 9:6). Those who are sealed by God on the forehead in Revelation stand in contrast to those who accept the mark of the beast on their foreheads (Rev. 13:6; 14:9, 20:4). In both instances the mark is symbolic. What separates believers from unbelievers is that the former have God’s seal and the “Father’s name written on their foreheads” (14:1; cf. 22:4). They are protected by God and marked out as his own people, his genuine servants.”41

v.4 – “And I heard the number of those who were sealed. One hundred and forty-four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel were sealed.” – It is quite interesting that this number comes to us this way. This does not appear to be a direct quote from the fifth angel. Furthermore, notice that in v.3 this sealing was something that still needed to happen, and in v.4 it is something that has already happened. I take this to be an indication of who this group of sealed servants of God is. Whoever they are, there is a way in which this has been done already. I would argue this sealing took place in eternity past in a way.

Who are these people? Well, there is division and disagreement among commentators and scholars as we have already seen when encountering apocalyptic language. Essentially there are those who take this number 144,000 to be taken literally, and there are those who take this number as symbolic of a group of people. There are those who take this to be representative of people from ethnic Israel (The Dispensational view takes them to be Jewish people converted to Christ during the tribulation, after the rapture of the church). There are others who take this to be a representative of the church, comprised of both Jew and Gentile (spiritual Israel).

I take this number to be representative of the church of all ages, and the number 144,000 to be a symbolic way to refer to the entire church of both Jew and Gentile. I want to provide some detailed reasons for the conclusion I have drawn and due to the highly technical nature of the discussion, I am including the arguments of two commentators for clarity.

“The reasons for thinking John refers to all Christians are numerous, and some stem from Revelation 14, where the 144,000 appear again. First, numbers in apocalyptic literature are regularly symbolic. Here we have the number twelve representing the people of God from the twelve tribes in the OT, and the number is squared and then multiplied by 1,000. Hence the number should be understood as a symbolic way of designating the entire people of God.

41 Iain M. Duguid et al., ESV Expository Commentary (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2018) p.621. ______1420 Indian Trace, Weston, FL 33326 | 954.389.4555 | www.fbcweston.org 55

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______Second, John follows a pattern we saw in chapter 5. He is told about a Lion (5:5), but he sees a Lamb (5:6), and the Lion and the Lamb are the same entity. So too here, John hears the number 144,000 (7:4), but he sees an uncountable multitude (7:9).

Third, specifying 144,000 from Israel doesn’t necessarily mean they are Jews. John has already said twice that the Jews are a synagogue of Satan (2:9; 3:9), and the roles between unbelieving Jews and Christians have been reversed, so that now unbelieving Jews play the role of Gentiles in the OT; they will bow before Christians to acknowledge them as the loved ones, the elect ones of the Lord (3:9); cf. Deut. 7:7-8; Isa. 41:8).

Fourth, a practical problem arises if the reference is to 12,000 from each tribe of Israel. Virtually no Jews today know from what tribe they descend, nor is it clear that most knew their genealogical ancestry in John’s day. If someone were to say that God knows the tribes and apportions exactly 12,000 from each tribe, it is difficult to see how such a statement would be meaningful, for no one on earth could know that the 12,000 are from each of the twelve tribes specified.

Fifth, in 14:3 the 144,000 are described as those “redeemed from the earth” and in 14:4 as having been “redeemed from mankind as first fruits for God and the Lamb.” The redeemed are most naturally interpreted to refer to all the redeemed, both Jews and Gentiles.

Sixth, John says they are “virgins” who have “not defiled themselves with women” (14:4). But surely this language is symbolic, for being a virgin is not more pleasing to God than marriage, and it is false teachers who say sexual relations within marriage are defiling (1 Tim 4:1-3). John (cf. comment on Rev. 14:4) reaches back to the OT, which often warns Israel against spiritual prostitution. To be devoted to God is to be a “pure virgin” devoted “to Christ” (2 Cor. 11:2). For all these reasons, then, we have good grounds for thinking the number 144,000 is laden with imagery and symbolism, referring to the entire people of God.”

“There are good reasons to believe that by the 144,000 John means to identify spiritual Israel – the church. This view is suggested by certain irregularities in the list of the twelve tribes of Israel. As a matter of fact, John’s list agrees with no known list of the enumeration of the twelve tribes of Israel. Many interpreters insist that these twelve tribes must be interpreted literally and therefore designate literal Israel. However, when interpreted literally, these twelve tribes do not represent actual Israel. A brief survey of several of the Old Testament listings will make this clear.

Revelation 7 Genesis 49 Ezekiel 48 Judah Reuben Dan Reuben Simeon Asher Gad Levi Naphtali Asher Judah Manasseh Naphtali Zebulun Ephraim Manasseh Issachar Reuben ______1420 Indian Trace, Weston, FL 33326 | 954.389.4555 | www.fbcweston.org 56

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______Simeon Dan Judah Levi Gad Benjamin Issachar Asher Simeon Zebulun Naphtali Issachar Joseph Joseph Zebulun Benjamin Benjamin Gad

The prophesy in Ezekiel 48 tells of the final salvation of Israel and the eschatological division of the land of Palestine. If John means to relate the eschatological salvation of Israel, we would expect him to follow the list of Ezekiel; but this he does not do. The irregularities in John’s list are these: the tribe of Dan is altogether omitted; the tribe of Ephraim is also omitted, but it is included indirectly because Joseph was the father of both Ephraim and Manasseh. This means that in reality, the tribe of Manasseh is included twice.

No satisfactory explanation of this irregular list of names has been offered, unless it be this: John intends to say that the twelve tribes of Israel are not really literal Israel, but the true, spiritual Israel – the church. Some interpreters have tried to avoid the greatest difficulty – that of the omission of Dan (which is the first tribe mentioned in the eschatological people of Ezekiel 48) – by suggesting that the Antichrist was expected to arise from the tribe of Dan. This tribe is therefore considered to be apostate and excluded from the people of God 42and their inheritance of the land. This view can be traced back as far as Irenaeus. It founders, however, on the fact that Dan is included in the salvation of the eschatological people in Ezekiel 48.”43 v.5 – “of the tribe of Judah twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Reuben twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Gad twelve thousand were sealed.” (see above) v.6 – “of the tribe of Asher twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Naphtali twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Manasseh twelve thousand were sealed.” (see above) v.7 – “of the tribe of Simeon twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Levi twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Issachar twelve thousand were sealed.” (see above) v.8 – “of the tribe of Zebulun twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Joseph twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Benjamin twelve thousand were sealed.” (see above) v.9 – “After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands.” – The scene shifts at this point, and John is now once again looking into the throne room of God in heaven. Notice what he sees. He sees a “great multitude” of people. Who are

43 George Eldon. Ladd, A Commentary on the Revelation of John (Grand Rapids, Mich: William B. Eerdmans, 1993) p.114-115. ______1420 Indian Trace, Weston, FL 33326 | 954.389.4555 | www.fbcweston.org 57

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______they though? I am arguing that this is the 144,000 that John heard about. Now, he sees them. He sees them and they are already marked and have been protected and preserved by God and are safely with Him in heaven.

a. “a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues” – I take 144,000 to be symbolic of a full, perfect number of God’s elect. I take “a great multitude” to be another way to say the same thing / describe the same people. I take this to be the church, after the scroll has been opened and the plans of God to bring all things to an end have begun and even as they have come to an end. Notice that John sees that this group is comprised of the redeemed from “all nations”, including Israel (Genesis 12:3, 18:18, 22:18, 26:4, 28:14, Acts 3:25, Galatians 3:8, 3:16). Ladd writes, “The church is pictured a second time from an entirely different perspective. The first multitude is pictured as standing on the threshold of the tribulation; the second multitude is seen after the tribulation is over, saved in the Kingdom of God.”44

b. “standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands.” - Their white robes signify they have been justified by faith in Christ and are not able to stand before God as those who have been made righteous and clean. Notice they have “palm branches in their hands.” Much like can be seen in the triumphal entry of the Lord Jesus Christ into Jerusalem (John 12:13), these redeemed saints in heaven are set to praise the Lord and rejoice in His presence for what He has accomplished through victory. v.10 – “and crying out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” – This takes us back to chapters 4 and 5 where we can see and hear the Lord receiving praise in heaven from the elders, and from the four living creatures, and from the angels (4:8-11, 5:8-14). They are praising Him because of the salvation He alone has provided for them. They are not worthy of praise. They are not deserving of any credit for their own salvation (Ephesians 2:8-9). God is consistently described as the one who brings about salvation (Psalm 3:8, 37:39, 62:7, Isaiah 43:11, Jeremiah 3:23, Hosea 13:4, Jonah 2:9, Revelation 19:1). *Notice also the distinction between the Father and the Son, both of whom are seen as responsible for the salvation of these saints. v.11 – “All the angels stood around the throne and the elders and the four living creatures, and fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God.” – This is a familiar seen, that reminds us that God is and always will be the very center of attention in heaven. v.12 – “saying: “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom, Thanksgiving and honor and power and might, Be to our God forever and ever. Amen.” (14:3)– Note that this crowd is not giving something to God that He does not already possess as they give Him “Blessing and glory and wisdom, Thanksgiving and honor and power

44 Ibid. p.117. ______1420 Indian Trace, Weston, FL 33326 | 954.389.4555 | www.fbcweston.org 58

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______and might.” No, rather they are giving Him the glory that He deserved by recognizing those things which are true about God. v.13 – “Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, “Who are these arrayed in white robes, and where did they come from?” – One of the elders brings John into the conversation here in order to further reveal to him, and to the church what will take place in that day. He asks John a question, one he clearly would not know the answer to, in order to further explain what he is seeing for his, and ultimately for our benefit. v.14 – “And I said to him, “Sir, you know.” So he said to me, “These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.” – John doesn’t know who these people are or where they came from, but this elder does.

a. “These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation” – The Dispensational view takes the 144,000 to be a literal number of Jewish people converted to Christ after the rapture and during the great tribulation period of seven years. They see the great multitude being referenced here to be a different and distinct group of people being described. They would take the phrase “the great tribulation” to be a reference to seven years of horrible judgment the raptured church will escape. In their view, this group of people must be saints saved during that time, martyred for their faith, and now in heaven.

Charles Ryrie quotes JB Smith who writes, “That they are distinct from the church appears from the following considerations: believers living at the time of the rapture of the church will have no place or part in the tribulation; these people will live during some of the tribulation days, be killed, and received into heaven. Those wear white garments (4:4); these white robes. Those sit on thrones round about the throne; these stand before the throne. Those wear crowns; these are uncrowned. Those have harps and vials; these have palms in their hands. Those sing a new song; these cry with a loud voice. Those are kings and priests and reign with Him; these serve Him day and night.”45

I am not convinced of that view in regard to the identity of this great multitude, nor am I convinced of that view in regard to the nature of the phrase “great tribulation.” “The phrase “great tribulation” isn’t a technical term with a single meaning. In Matthew it denotes the days when Jerusalem and its temple were destroyed by the Romans (Matt. 24:21). But the phrase also designates the entire period between the first and second coming of Christ. Daniel describes this period as a “time of trouble” from which God’s people will be delivered (Dan. 12:1; cf. Jer. 30:7). It is probable that John sees the entire period before Christ’s return as a time of trouble and great tribulation. In other words, the term isn’t limited to a seven-year period at the end of history, for we have no clear teaching anywhere of such a distinct period before the conclusion of history. John, like Daniel, teaches that those who belong to

45 Charles Caldwell Ryrie, Revelation (Chicago: Moody Press, 1996) p.63. ______1420 Indian Trace, Weston, FL 33326 | 954.389.4555 | www.fbcweston.org 59

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______God are rescued. They are rescued and delivered because they have washed their robes white in the Lamb’s blood, picturing the cleansing work of Christ on the cross (cf. Rev. 1:5; 12:11).”46 v.15 – “Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple. And He who sits on the throne will dwell among them.” – This takes us back to God’s original perfect design for man. This is a picture of fellowship between redeemed man and a holy God. I think the language can be stretched to picture the way this relationship will play out eternally in the new heavens and the new earth. v.16 – “They shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any heat.” – The effects of the fall of man have been reversed, sin has been removed, and man no longer has any needs that are not met constantly and perfectly by God. v.17 – “for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” – Consider the wording here. The Lamb, is also the Shepherd. The people of God are the sheep, and the Great Lamb of God is also their Shepherd (Psalm 23:1). The shepherd metaphor for God is perhaps the most widely recognized metaphorical model contained within the Bible. The Scriptures are filled with examples of God utilizing the shepherd motif to reveal His character and work among His people. Examples of this motif can be found in both the Old and New Testaments and in relation to the Father as well as to the Son. In these examples, God provides the reader of Scripture with a theological framework for understanding who He is and how He relates to His creation.

In both testaments, God is presented as the one true Shepherd of His people demonstrating His sovereign control over all things, as well as His dominion over that which He has created and that which He sustains. Examples can be found in texts like Psalm 78:52, “But He made His own people go forth like sheep, And guided them in the wilderness like a flock.” Examples can also be found in the New Testament in texts like John 10:11, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.” In texts such as these God is described in pastoral terms as a shepherd and His children are described as His sheep.

Together, texts utilizing the Shepherd motif, in both Old and New Testaments, describe and explain God’s relationship with His creation while also revealing God’s nature and character more clearly. Shepherd texts reflect the transcendence as well as the immanence of God. They depict God as far away and above in control of all things, as well as near and carefully involved in the daily protection and guidance of His sheep. They demonstrate the way that God provides for His people as a shepherd would provide for his flock. These texts reflect the concern God has for His own, as well as His intimate knowledge of His sheep.

Here in heaven, the language clearly describes the loving care of God for His sheep. There is no reason to fear anymore. There is no sadness. There is no loss. There is no pain. There is no reason for tears.

46 Iain M. Duguid et al., ESV Expository Commentary (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2018) p.625-626. ______1420 Indian Trace, Weston, FL 33326 | 954.389.4555 | www.fbcweston.org 60

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______Chapter 8

George Ladd writes, “Chapter seven consisted of an interlude which interrupted the continuity of the breaking of the seven seals. The first six seals, which were broken in chapter six, represent the character of the age and the course of the gospel in the world down to the end of the age. The end was announced in the sixth seal. Then before further details were given about the events of the end, particularly the time of the great tribulation, chapter seven pictured the fate of the church in this fearful period. Chapters eight and nine relate the breaking of the seventh seal and the sounding of the seven trumpets.”47

The dynamic nature of apocalyptic literature has a tendency to compound imagery at a dizzying rate. John’s vision turns back to the opening of the seven seals, specifically to the opening of the final seal. At the same time, the reader is introduced to a brand-new series of judgments further complicating the matter. There are several simple, yet critical interpretive questions that must be continually asked of the text in order to keep track of the transitions found within it. As we turn to chapter 8, the questions will concern the nature of the trumpet judgments as well as their relationship to the seals. The key question has to be what the relationship is between the trumpets and the seals. There are at least three main options: Option 1: The seven trumpets and the seven seals are the same thing, referring to the same time period and the same events

Option 2: The seven trumpets are the substance of the seventh seal. (While the six seals refer to the persecution and the context of the church age leading up to and including the end time events, the trumpets are connected to the beginning of the end time events.)

Option 3: The seals and trumpets are to be taken as a successive series of judgments.

I believe the second option is the best explanation of the relationship between the seals and the trumpets.

“It is noteworthy that both the seals and the trumpets bring us to the end. The sixth seal, as we have seen, related cosmic catastrophes which signal the coming of the day of the Lord (6:17). Similarly, the seventh trumpet announced the coming of the end. When the seventh angel sounded, heavenly voices were heard saying, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign for ever and ever” (11:15). This requires us to recognize some measure of recapitulation, when the narrative backs up and recovers some of the same ground. The question is: Do the seven seals and the seven trumpets cover the same period; i.e., do they overlap in their entirety; or do they overlap only in part?”48

I believe the seven trumpets are the substance of the seventh seal for the following reasons:

47 George Eldon. Ladd, A Commentary on the Revelation of John (Grand Rapids, Mich: William B. Eerdmans, 1993) p.121. 48 Ibid. ______1420 Indian Trace, Weston, FL 33326 | 954.389.4555 | www.fbcweston.org 61

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______1. The seventh seal is unlike the first six in that it does not contain a clear judgment. Instead, the substance of the seal seems to be found in the seven angels and the seven trumpets (8:1-2).

2. Just as there was an interlude between the sixth and seventh seal (chapter 7), there is an interlude between the sixth and seventh trumpets (10:1-11:14).

3. Just as the seventh seal did not contain a clear judgment, but rather an introduction to the seven trumpets, the seventh trumpet does not contain a clear judgment, but seems to be a possible introduction to the seven bowls.

Ladd writes, “This suggests the possibility that the content of the seventh trumpet is in fact the seven bowls. If so, we see in the seven trumpets and the seven bowls an intensification of the woes poured out upon mankind before they are overtaken in the final judgment and it is too late.”49

*The dispensational, premillennial, pretribulation model would view the trumpet judgments as all taking place during the seven-year great tribulation. v.1 – “When He opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.” - Following the interlude of chapter 7, we now return to the opening of the seven seals, that were used to seal the scroll that the Lord Jesus Christ took from the right hand of the Father who was sitting on the throne in heaven (5:6- 7). My position is that the seals concern events to take place during the church age leading up to the end. It seems the opening of the seventh seal takes us into the end.

a. “there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.” - Each of the preceding six seals were accompanied by a voice or by voices (6:1, 6:3, 6:5, 6:7, 6:10, 6:15-17). Here though, at the opening of this seventh seal, John hears nothing and there is total silence in heaven. Remember that at this point, following chapter 7, there is an incalculable number of people / angels present in the throne room, and John tells us that they and all of heaven was completely silent for “about half an hour.” So, what is the significance of this silence?

Patterson writes, “Rather than the immediate continuation of the chaos created by the opening of the first six seals, a pregnant pause of half an hour is introduced. Since the text does not present an exact explanation of this parenthesis, commentators are left to speculate about its significance. Thomas notes five different possibilities and includes Alford, who sees the silence as the beginning of the sabbatical rest for the millennium. Walter Scott’s view is that the pause is only a brief cessation of judgment and not a literal silence because the heavenly songs continue. The third view is that of H. B. Swete, who argues that there was apparently a temporary suspension of heavenly revelations imposed upon John. Of course, this could have been given to him thus far or perhaps even a period of rest before the intensity of the remaining visions unfold. The fourth view,

49 Ibid. p.122. ______1420 Indian Trace, Weston, FL 33326 | 954.389.4555 | www.fbcweston.org 62

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______that of R. H. Charles, links the pause with the text that follows, which focuses on the prayers of the saints. This view has the advantage over the first three in that, while speculative, it nevertheless does take into careful consideration the actual text that follows. As God’s people pray and their prayers are wafted aloft into the presence of God, time is given for intercession before the resumption of the judgments to follow. Thomas, following Beckwith, Seiss, Walvoord, and a host of others, opts for a fifth view. The dramatic pause is “to symbolize the awe and dread with which the heavenly hosts await the events about to happen.”50

There are actually even more views, including those that take the silence to actually be the substance of the seventh seal (this view suggests the silence is the beginning of the eternal rest of the saints). That is at least six interpretive options of one text, and for the most part, each of those views are put forward or held by Bible believing Christians. This is where those informed interpretive conclusions have to be made. “I’ll just pray about it and God will show me” is not an interpretive method taught in the Bible. The Holy Spirit helps our study. Consider the difference between those two statements. This is an opportunity to be a Berean (Acts 17:11, 2 Timothy 2:15). At the end of the day however, this is an example of the difficulty related to interpreting apocalyptic literature.

I take the fifth view, that the silence is most likely connected to the suspense in heaven related to the coming judgment. There seems to be a biblical precedent for silence to accompany and precede judgment (Habakkuk 2:20, Zephaniah 1:7).

Many have likened this to the calm before the coming storm of judgment, which should resonate with all of us as residents of South Florida. We know what it is like to experience something similar when hurricanes are imminent. v.2 – “And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and to them were given seven trumpets.” - (8:6, 15:1, 15:6-8, 16:1, 17:1, 21:9) – *Notice that instead of giving us a detailed explanation of the contents of the seventh seal, John takes the reader immediately to the angels and the trumpets. John sees what appears to be seven new, or seven more angels with a very specific responsibility. Each of them is given a trumpet, but it seems evident, even before we read any further that they are not preparing to put on a concert. In the Bible, trumpets are often connected with a call to war (Numbers 10:9, Joshua 6:4-6, 6:20, Judges 7:22, Jeremiah 4:19, 6:1, Ezekiel 33:3-6, Hosea 5:8, Joel 2:1, Amos 3:6, Zephaniah 1:16, Matthew 24:31). In this case, the trumpets seem to clearly signify the coming of terrible judgments upon the earth associated with the end. v.3 – “Then another angel, having a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne.” – (14:18, Amos 9:1) – Before the trumpets are actually blown, John sees yet another angel, come into the

50 Paige Patterson, Revelation (Nashville, TN: B&H Publishing Group, 2012) p.205-206. ______1420 Indian Trace, Weston, FL 33326 | 954.389.4555 | www.fbcweston.org 63

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______picture with his own specific responsibility. His responsibility has to do with the prayers of the saints. It seems his job is to bring them to God the Father.

a. “Then another angel, having a golden censer, came and stood at the altar” – A “golden censer” is vessel or container of some sort that was used in the OT in relation to tabernacle and temple worship for the purpose of burning and offering incense in the Holy Place. Notice also that he comes and stands “at the altar.” What is this altar? It seems most likely this is the altar of incense from the OT (Exodus 30:1, 30:27, 31:8, 35:15, 37:25).

b. “He was given much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne.” – The purpose of this incense being offered to God in heaven as an act of worship has to do with the prayers of the saints. “Some understand this to say that the prayers of the saints are defiled without incense being added to them. It seems more plausible to say that the incense is the prayers – they are acceptable to God, just as incense was pleasing to Him. The OT usage supports this notion, for Psalm 14:2 says, “Let my prayer be set before You as incense.” The prayers of the saints and incense are put in a censer and offered to God.”51 This idea is reflected in 6:9-11, and seems to communicate that these judgments will come as an answer to the prayers of the saints. v.4 – “And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, ascended before God from the angel’s hand.” – It is important to notice that these prayers are described as being the prayers “of the saints”, indicating this is a reference to the prayers of the church in general. What prayer could be answered in this way though? I find this to be a perfect and complete answer to Matthew 6:10, “Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven.” v.5 – “Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and threw it to the earth. And there were noises, thunderings, lightnings, and an earthquake.” – This is where this chapter takes a significant turn and the judgment of God begins to come into light. While it did contain fire in the form of coals for the purpose of burning incense, it seems here the purpose of the fire in the censer is quite different. Remember though the connection to the prayers of the saints. This seems to depict a clear and definitive answer to hose prayers with a clear and definitive action. In this case, that action is coming judgment, which further supports the idea that the prayer is actually, or similar to, or related to Matthew 6:10.

Consider the connection to Ezekiel 10:2, “Then He spoke to the man clothed with linen, and said, “Go in among the wheels, under the cherub, fill your hands with coals of fire from among the cherubim, and scatter them over the city.” And he went in as I watched.”

51 Iain M. Duguid et al., ESV Expository Commentary (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2018) p.629. ______1420 Indian Trace, Weston, FL 33326 | 954.389.4555 | www.fbcweston.org 64

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______a. “And there were noises, thunderings, lightnings, and an earthquake.” – These signs are no doubt a prelude of the chaotic and terrifying judgment to come. The calm is over, and the storm is no inescapable. It important to remember the vantage point here as well. John is seeing those things happen on the earth. v.6 – “So the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound.” – We now come to the trumpet judgments themselves. The pattern will be similar to what was in the seals. There will be an announcement of sorts and then the substance of the judgments will commence.

Many have pointed to the way in which these judgments are similar to the judgment / plaques sent to Egypt as recorded in the book of Exodus. There are similarities between the first trumpet and the seventh plague (hail), the second trumpet and the first plague (water to blood), and the fourth trumpet and the ninth plague (darkness). v.7 – “The first angel sounded: And hail and fire followed, mingled with blood, and they were thrown to the earth. And a third of the trees were burned up, and all green grass was burned up.” – The seven trumpets span from 8:7-11:19, with an interlude from 10:1-11:14. I have found it to be quite helpful to step back and see the progression of these trumpet judgments from afar. Many have put these together in a table of sorts in order to accomplish that effect, and the following table serves that same purpose.

The Seven Trumpets

Trumpet 1 Earth 8:7 Hail, fire and blood on land Trumpet 2 Sea 8:8-9 Burning mountain thrown into the sea Trumpet 3 Rivers and springs 8:10-11 Burning star falls on rivers and springs Trumpet 4 Sky 8:12 Sun, moon and stars darkened Interlude 8:13 Trumpet 5 First woe 9:1-12 Demons from abyss Trumpet 6 Second woe 9:13-21 Demons from the east Interlude 10:1-11:14 Trumpet 7 Third woe 11:15-19 Kingdom come

“The sixth seal brought us to the time of the end, and the seven trumpets and the seven bowls (chs. 15-16) constitute one of the most important aspects of the short but terrible time of the end. With each trumpet and each bowl, a plague is poured out upon the world. These plagues embody expressions of the wrath of a holy God upon a civilization which has chosen to give its allegiance to Antichrist rather than to God’s Messiah, the lamblike Lion. This is clearly stated in the introduction to the seven bowls; they are “seven plagues, which are the last, for with them the wrath of God is ended” (15:1). This wrath is not directed against mankind in general but against “the men who bore the mark of the beast and worshiped its image” (16:2). It is explicitly

______1420 Indian Trace, Weston, FL 33326 | 954.389.4555 | www.fbcweston.org 65

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______stated that these plagues were directed only upon “those of mankind who have not the seal of God upon their foreheads” (9:4). Those who worship the Lamb have been sealed so that they are sheltered from God’s wrath. In other words, John sees a day when the forces of righteousness and of evil will be so open and clear that every man must declare himself: either for Christ or for Antichrist. The struggle that is implicit in the mission of the gospel in the world for the souls of men will become so explicit that there will no longer be any middle ground. The powers of unbelief and hostility to God will break into the open in the person of Antichrist, and every man’s loyalty will become plain.”52

a. “The first angel sounded: And hail and fire followed, mingled with blood, and they were thrown to the earth.” – The scene is fascinating and terrifying at the same time. John hears the angel sound this trumpet and then immediately sees this incredible mix of hail, fire, and blood thrown to the earth in judgment. Now, in the seventh plague of hail in Egypt it was only hail. This is far more intense and results in greater loss according to the following verses.

Again, the reader has to consider whether this is to be interpreted as a literal storm of hail, fire and blood coming down out of heaven, or whether it is representative of more seemingly natural occurrences, like wildfires caused by lightning, or something even more symbolic than that.

Patterson writes, “Among those who find a more literal understanding of the text, differences in precise interpretation can be expected. Whether this is to be interpreted as the result of meteor activity, volcanic activity, or simply unprecedented storms dropping hail in the midst of lightning that also takes its toll and results in a blood bath on earth, the one thing interpreters agree on is that the plague is not just a “natural” occurrence but represents the physical judgments of God on the earth.”53

I tend to interpret this as a unique, irreproducible, display of God’s judgment that looked to John like a storm of hail, fire, and blood.

b. “And a third of the trees were burned up, and all green grass was burned up.” – John sees, and then tells the reader how devastating this first trumpet was. It was so severe, that one third of the earth was burned up and destroyed. One third of trees and all the green grass were destroyed with this trumpet. (Now, with St. Augustine grass, this wouldn’t take much honestly, so think more than just folks waking up to find their lawn has died. That’s not apocalyptic, that’s everyday life in Florida. The effect of losing that many trees, and all grass would be devastating, and a clear sign of the judgment of God.)

52 George Eldon. Ladd, A Commentary on the Revelation of John (Grand Rapids, Mich: William B. Eerdmans, 1993) p.123. 53 Paige Patterson, Revelation (Nashville, TN: B&H Publishing Group, 2012) p.211. ______1420 Indian Trace, Weston, FL 33326 | 954.389.4555 | www.fbcweston.org 66

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______*If you have the NKJV the text reads, “And a third of the trees were burned up, and all green grass was burned up.” If you have the ESV or the NASB the verse includes “And a third of the earth was burned up.” This is an example of a textual variant. The idea seems to be clear here though. v.8 – “Then the second angel sounded: And something like a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea, and a third of the sea became blood.” – The second trumpet judgment is difficult to grasp. John refers to this destructive judgment as being the result of a “great mountain burning with fire” that was thrown from heaven into the sea. He does not specify which sea it was thrown into, but that kind of specificity doesn’t seem to be in view here. Many have seen a volcanic eruption here in the description of this trumpet judgment. Other commentators refer to this as the image of a “burning mass” falling from the sky into the ocean. Some have seen a massive meteor here. Ladd writes, “It is futile to try to limit this to a volcanic eruption. Volcanos hurl forth rocks and lava but are themselves not flung bodily into the sea. How we are to conceive of the actual event we cannot say.”54 v.9 – “And a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.” – The effect seems to point back to the effect of the first plague in Egypt of turning water to blood and the devastating effect it had on life within those waters (Exodus 7:14-25). One third, the same number we saw with the first trumpet, of sea creatures died as a result of this judgment. Can you imagine that? What an incredible scene. He also points out that this had a destructive effect on things above the water as well, as one third of ships were destroyed, perhaps as a result of the devastating waves caused by the impact? It reminds me of the images of flooding and tsunami devastation we have seen in the past. v.10 – “Then the third angel sounded: And a great star fell from heaven, burning like a torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water.” – (9:1, Isaiah 14:12) – The third trumpet seems similar to the second trumpet, and even to the first, as another terrifying and destructive judgment falls from the heavens onto the earth. In another way though, this trumpet is much different as John provides us more detail relating to the nature of what fell from heaven to cause the destruction. As is the case with the previous two trumpet judgments, interpreters and commentators are split between literal or symbolic interpretations of what John sees. There are those who find it foolish to take these as descriptions of literal storms or falling objects who focus more on the effects mentioned. There are also those who take the objects to be symbolic references to both natural and man-made phenomena. Then there are those who take these as John presents them.

If there was a trumpet we could or should connect with a meteor this is the one from my perspective. I take this to the be the intentional (God caused) falling of a massive meteor to the earth resulting in devastating effects on the water supply. v.11 – “The name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the waters became wormwood, and many men died from the water, because it was made bitter.” – (Jeremiah 9:15, 23:15, Lamentations 3:15, 3:19) – This meteor

54 George Eldon. Ladd, A Commentary on the Revelation of John (Grand Rapids, Mich: William B. Eerdmans, 1993) p.126. ______1420 Indian Trace, Weston, FL 33326 | 954.389.4555 | www.fbcweston.org 67

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______destroyed one third of the water supply on earth. Can you imagine the effects of losing one third of the water supply in our world today? It would be total devastation and would result in incalculable loss of life.

Patterson writes, “the star is even named Apsinthos, which is translated “wormwood.” The reference is to a plant especially bitter to the taste. The word found in the Old Testament in Jeremiah 9:15 and 23:15 and in Lamentations 3:15, 19 invariably is used in connection with the concept of God’s judgment.”55 v.12 – “Then the fourth angel sounded: And a third of the sun was struck, a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of them were darkened. A third of the day did not shine, and likewise the night.” – The focus of the fourth trumpet seems to be in the heavens. Instead of John looking down to see something falling or being thrown down to devastate the earth, this time his attention is cast towards the heavens where judgment will fall in a different way, yet with a similar destructive outcome down on the earth. This trumpet reminds us of the ninth plague of darkness that fell on Egypt (Exodus 10:21-29).

Interestingly, we are not really told what happened to these heavenly bodies. John merely relays the effects of whatever this judgment was upon them. The result of this judgment was darkness on the earth for a third of the day. I have to imagine the effects of this fourth trumpet are going to be devastating far beyond what I can understand it to be. v.13 – “And I looked, and I heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, “Woe, woe, woe to the inhabitants of the earth, because of the remaining blasts of the trumpet of the three angels who are about to sound!” – As noted in the table above, this chapter ends with a sort of interlude between the fourth and fifth trumpet judgments. Granted, it is only one verse as we read it in the Bible, but it is a clear break in the progression of these judgments.

a. “And I looked, and I heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven” – The NKJV uses the word “angel” here, while the ESV and the NASB use the word “eagle” here. This is another example of a textual variant, as some underlying Greek texts have one, while others have the other. The two Greek words “angelou” for angel, and “aetou” for eagle are quite similar, which could explain the variant. The following verse, the surrounding context, and the role of angels in this Revelation so far lead me to favor the reading “angel.”

b. “saying with a loud voice, “Woe, woe, woe to the inhabitants of the earth, because of the remaining blasts of the trumpet of the three angels who are about to sound!” – Shockingly, John hears what can be seen as nothing other than a warning given to the inhabitants of the earth concerning the following trumpet judgments.

55 Paige Patterson, Revelation (Nashville, TN: B&H Publishing Group, 2012) p.211. ______1420 Indian Trace, Weston, FL 33326 | 954.389.4555 | www.fbcweston.org 68

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______Chapter 9

The nature of the trumpet judgments begins to shift as we move from the first four trumpets to the fifth. The focus is now on God’s judgment being poured out directly on sinful people. It should be admitted at the start that this is difficult and even frightening language that should move the Christian to tears in a sense as it points forward to the reality many will face under God’s wrath. We should read this with a burden for souls to come to know Christ and His life-giving love through Calvary.

George Ladd writes, “The fifth plague is that of a host of demonic locusts who attack the bodies of men but do not kill them. Background for this is a plague of locusts in Joel 2:4-10 which is to precede the coming of the Day of the Lord. The appearance of the locusts in Joel was like horses who run with the rumbling of chariots, who charge like mighty men of war, who darken the heavens with their hosts. The difference is that in Joel a plague of actual locusts in envisioned, while in Revelation, the locusts are symbolic of demonic hosts.”56

What we will see in the fifth trumpet (v.1-12) resembles the locust plague of judgment in Joel 2.

Joel 2:4-10, “Their appearance is like the appearance of horses; And like swift steeds, so they run. 5 With a noise like chariots Over mountaintops they leap, Like the noise of a flaming fire that devours the stubble, Like a strong people set in battle array. 6 Before them the people writhe in pain; All faces are drained of color. 7 They run like mighty men, They climb the wall like men of war; Every one marches in formation, And they do not break ranks. 8 They do not push one another; Every one marches in his own column. Though they lunge between the weapons, They are not cut down. 9 They run to and fro in the city, They run on the wall; They climb into the houses, They enter at the windows like a thief. 10 The earth quakes before them, The heavens tremble; The sun and moon grow dark, And the stars diminish their brightness.”

What we will see in the fifth trumpet (v.1-12) resembles the 8th plague on Egypt as well.

Exodus 10:12-20, “Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the land of Egypt for the locusts, that they may come upon the land of Egypt, and eat every herb of the land—all that the hail has left.” 13 So Moses stretched out his rod over the land of Egypt, and the Lord brought an east wind on the land all that day and all that night. When it was morning, the east wind brought the locusts. 14 And the locusts went up over all the land of Egypt and rested on all the territory of Egypt. They were very severe; previously there had been no such locusts as they, nor shall there be such after them. 15 For they covered the face of the whole earth, so that the land was darkened; and they ate every herb of the land and all the fruit of the trees which the hail had left. So there remained nothing green on the trees or on the plants of the field throughout all the land of Egypt. 16 Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron in haste, and said, “I have sinned against the Lord your God and against you. 17 Now therefore, please forgive my sin only this once, and entreat the Lord your God, that He may take away from me this death only.” 18 So he went out from

56 George Eldon. Ladd, A Commentary on the Revelation of John (Grand Rapids, Mich: William B. Eerdmans, 1993) p.129. ______1420 Indian Trace, Weston, FL 33326 | 954.389.4555 | www.fbcweston.org 69

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______Pharaoh and entreated the Lord. 19 And the Lord turned a very strong west wind, which took the locusts away and blew them into the Red Sea. There remained not one locust in all the territory of Egypt. 20 But the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he did not let the children of Israel go.”

This language is difficult to interpret and many interpretations and associations between the incredible imagery here and both ancient and modern nations, armies, and even pieces of military equipment have been made over the years. A section such as this requires great care and a tempered and balanced interpretive approach. v. 1 – “Then the fifth angel sounded: And I saw a star fallen from heaven to the earth. To him was given the key to the bottomless pit.” – After a brief interruption between the fourth and fifth trumpets, John sees the trumpet judgments continue and shift in both focus and severity. A number of interpretive decisions stand before the reader in this chapter and the first one concerns the identity of this “star” which John describes as having ALREADY “fallen from heaven to the earth.” Who is this star? Clearly, John is not talking about an actual star here, given what he is going to say about this star.

So, who is this star? Commentators have speculated a range of options from Satan himself, another fallen angel, a good angel, the Antichrist, to some sort of a symbolic representation of destruction or death. Essentially, John gives us three descriptions of this star, which, honestly, is not much to go by. He first describes this star as “fallen from heaven to the earth.” As you can imagine, that description has led many to conclude the star here must be Satan, as he was described as falling from heaven as well in Luke 10:18.

“However, there is no reason in Revelation to identify the star with Satan or any evil power. The star represents some angelic figure divinely commissioned to carry out God’s purposes. “Fallen” is used because this is the way stars come from the sky to earth, but it signifies no more than that an angelic being has descended from heaven to earth.”57

While many argue this must be Satan, I agree with Ladd here that while that might be possible, the text is hardly conclusive. There is good reason, given the second description of this star to conclude it must be a good angel. John describes the star by personifying it and writing “To him was given the key to the bottomless pit.” This star was given authority, and clearly, given the nature and sovereignty of God, that authority must have been given by God Himself.

“The star probably represents an angel (cf. Judges 5:20; Job 38:7), and some identify it as Satan or another evil angel. Such an interpretation is attractive, but elsewhere in Revelation it is always good angels who do God’s biding, and hence the evidence for it being a satanic or evil angel is not convincing.”58

57 Ibid. 58 Iain M. Duguid et al., ESV Expository Commentary (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2018) p.635. ______1420 Indian Trace, Weston, FL 33326 | 954.389.4555 | www.fbcweston.org 70

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______I am inclined to agree with this assessment and also see this star as an angel dispatched from heaven to do God’s will in this terrible judgment. v.2 – “And he opened the bottomless pit, and smoke arose out of the pit like the smoke of a great furnace. So the sun and the air were darkened because of the smoke of the pit.” – (Genesis 19:28, Isaiah 34:10, Joel 2:10) – As we come to the second verse we are met with the second interpretive problem as it relates to the “bottomless pit.” What is it? Is it hell? Is it Sheol? Should we take this to be a literal physical place, or something symbolic?

W.A. Criswell writes, “Not only here, but throughout the Word of God, that abyss is looked upon as the darkness in which are imprisoned those fallen spirits who are reserved unto the day of judgment. For example, in the eighth chapter of the gospel of Luke, when Jesus met the Gadarene demoniac, the demons in him, vile and unclean, cried out lest the Lord come to torment them before their time, before their day of final judgement. Then they cried unto the Lord saying, “Do not command us to go into the [and it is translated in the King James Version “the deep”] into the abyss. (Luke 8:31)” Seven times in the Book of the Revelation is that “abyss” referred to. The last time it is mentioned is in the twentieth chapter when a mighty angel comes down from heaven and lays hands upon the devil, the dragon, the serpent, and binds him for a thousand years in that abyss. It is not the eternal home of the devil for he will be cast into the lake of fire, with all the dupes who serve and worship him. In this abyss, in this darkness, are these spirits of evil who are reserved unto the day of judgment.”59

I take the “bottomless pit” here to be a reference to the spiritual underworld that we cannot see. John does provide a third description of the star here when he describes the function that he was commanded to serve. He writes, “And he opened the bottomless pit.” Whoever he was, I am arguing a good angel, his job was to go down to this place and open it up in order to carry out this fifth trumpet judgment.

So, what happened when he opened the pit? “Smoke arose out of the pit like the smoke of a great furnace. So the sun and the air were darkened because of the smoke of the pit.” There is good reason to see this smoke as connected to the judgment of God. The smoke is so thick and so dark that it actually makes it impossible to see the sun. You and I have seen something similar when a terrible, dark storm cloud comes in and makes the land dark in the middle of the day. v.3 – “Then out of the smoke locusts came upon the earth. And to them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power.” – (Joel 2:4-10) – This is where things begin to get quite serious. The smoke and attending darkness was merely the backdrop for this judgment. Out of the smoke came a hoard of locusts. Now, I have always had a hard time telling the difference between a grasshopper and a locust. It seems one of the most significant differences has to do with the way in which locusts swarm and actually take on new

59 W.A. Criswell, Expository Sermons on Revelation: Five Volumes Complete and Unabridged (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1969), 3:183-184. ______1420 Indian Trace, Weston, FL 33326 | 954.389.4555 | www.fbcweston.org 71

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______behaviors as they become part of a swarm. Now, the swarming locust would have been familiar to the readers of this letter in the first century, and most assuredly to John. We tend to think of the accounts of these destructive swarms of locusts as something confined to biblical times, and yet they have been destroying agriculture around the world ever since.

The third interpretive decision in this section has to do with the nature of these locusts. Are they literal insects, or is God using that image to describe something else, perhaps something spiritual? Well, as John goes on to describe them, we get the idea right away that John is not referring to an actual hoard of insects here. He writes, “And to them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power.” This is fascinating, because locusts would never be considered to be as powerful as scorpions as it relates to their ability to harm man. This description pushes us towards a symbolic interpretation.

“We have an important hint here that these locusts aren’t ordinary locusts, for scorpions are associated with the demonic elsewhere in Scripture and Jewish writings (Luke 10:19; cf. Deuteronomy 8:15). Furthermore, since their leader is Apollyon (Revelation 9:11), these are clearly not ordinary locusts.”60

It is important to note that while I suggested two interpretive options, others have suggested the locusts could be symbolic of an actual army of some future nation. “We should not identify this plague of locusts with Muslims, Communists, Nazis, Roman Catholics, or any human army. Though people have tended to do this in the past, we cannot see this vision as a particular movement of human history.”61 v.4 – “They were commanded not to harm the grass of the earth, or any green thing, or any tree, but only those men who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads.” – This description of the locusts in this judgment almost requires us to conclude John to be referring to something spiritual as locusts do not typically attack people. At best a locust could nibble on a person, but they would not be able to penetrate the skin. Furthermore, the one thing they are a danger to is agriculture. Therefore, given the total reversal of function here in John’s description, these can’t be seen as actual insects.

a. “but only those men who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads.” – These locusts, which I take to be demons, were under authority. They were under God’s authority, just as Satan is. They were only allowed to attack certain people. John takes us back to the sealed saints of Revelation 7:4.

“They are to concentrate their destruction on those who lack God’s seal on their foreheads. The 144,000, representing the people of God, have been sealed by Him and protected from His wrath (7:1-17). Therefore, the locusts attack unbelievers, those who will face the full brunt of God’s wrath. We have further and decisive evidence that the locusts aren’t literal, for these locusts have

60 Ibid. 61 Joel R. Beeke, Revelation (Grand Rapids, MI: Reformation Heritage Books, 2016) p.273. ______1420 Indian Trace, Weston, FL 33326 | 954.389.4555 | www.fbcweston.org 72

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______no interest in eating green grass or plants. No one has ever heard of locusts that don’t eat green plants! The locusts ate every plant when Egypt was devastated. But these locusts are interested only in attacking human beings, demonstrating that these are bizarre locusts. In fact, they are not locusts at all but demons from the abyss.”62 v.5 – “And they were not given authority to kill them, but to torment them for five months. Their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it strikes a man.” – This judgment is marked by torment and not by death. This is not the end for the wicked. Rather, it is merely the beginning of an eternal judgment. I find it interesting and terrifying that this judgment will not include death, but intense pain and suffering instead.

a. “but to torment them for five months” – This brings us to yet another interpretive decision. Is John referring to five literal months, or is this supposed to be a symbolic reference to a period of time? Some commentators have seen this to be a reference to the natural life span of an actual locust insect, which John would have been familiar with most likely. Others have suggested it just refers to a limited period of time. Still others have suggested that the five months relates to the time of year in which locusts would typically swarm and destroy agriculture. Honestly, this is nearly impossible to interpret with certainty.

b. “Their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it strikes a man.” – Scorpion bites are rarely deadly, but they are painful. Whatever it is these demons are going to do to the wicked in this time, it is going to result in excruciating pain of some sort.

v.6 – “In those days men will seek death and will not find it; they will desire to die, and death will flee from them.” – (Job 3:21, Jeremiah 8:3) – John describes the “torment” of the scorpion like locust demons by describing the response of the victims. It will be so terrible they will want to die, and perhaps even attempt to take their own lives, but they will be unable to escape the judgment through death.

“God’s sovereignty over this judgment is stressed in the divine passive, “they were allowed,” in the specified duration of the torment, “for five months,” in the limit as to the extent of the torment – they were not allowed to kill their victims, and in the fact that the victims want to die and cannot. Imagine a pain so bad you want to die, and imagine the futility and frustration of not being able to find death. This text clearly says that human beings are not in control of their lives – God is in control.”63 v.7 – “The shape of the locusts was like horses prepared for battle. On their heads were crowns of something like gold, and their faces were like the faces of men.” – (Job 39:20) – John now begins to give further

62 Iain M. Duguid et al., ESV Expository Commentary (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2018) p.635. 63 James M. Hamilton, Revelation: the Spirit Speaks to the Churches (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2012) p.213. ______1420 Indian Trace, Weston, FL 33326 | 954.389.4555 | www.fbcweston.org 73

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______description of what appears to be the actual physical appearance of these demons. He provides three characteristics here:

a. “like horses prepared for battle” – This takes us back to Joel 2:4, “Their appearance is like the appearance of horses; And like swift steeds, so they run.” They looked like war horses going into battle to John.

b. “On their heads were crowns of something like gold” – This likely symbolizes the success of their mission to bring judgment, but it is impossible to be certain.

c. “their faces were like the faces of men.” – This is perhaps descriptive of their intelligence, but it is impossible to be certain.

“Whereas the living creatures at God’s throne reflect the character of God, these scorpion-like locusts reflect the character of Satan. The best that Satan can do is twist something that God created good. That’s the way that Satan tempts us, too. Everything that tempts us is a twisted, perverse, satanic corruption of something that God meant for us to enjoy. We must fight the lure of temptation by trusting that God means for us to enjoy the real thing in his way and his time.”64 v.8 – “They had hair like women’s hair, and their teeth were like lions’ teeth.” – John provides two more characteristics here.

a. “They had hair like women’s hair” – Any answer here would be mere speculation. This is what John saw though, and this is how they appeared to him.

b. “their teeth were like lions’ teeth.” – This takes us back to Joel 1:6, “For a nation has come up against My land, Strong, and without number; His teeth are the teeth of a lion, And he has the fangs of a fierce lion.” This is most likely representative of the destructive power of these demons.

v.9 – “And they had breastplates like breastplates of iron, and the sound of their wings was like the sound of chariots with many horses running into battle.” – John continues to provides characteristics of these demons here, but these have been interpreted in fascinating ways by some over the years.

Hal Lindsey famously suggested, “I have a Christian friend who was a Green Beret in Viet Nam. When he first read this chapter he said, “I know what those are. I’ve seen hundreds of them in Viet Nam. They’re Cobra

64 Ibid. p.214. ______1420 Indian Trace, Weston, FL 33326 | 954.389.4555 | www.fbcweston.org 74

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______helicopters! That may be conjecture, but it does give you something to think about! A Cobra helicopter does fit the sound of “many chariots.” My friend believes that the means of torment will be a kind of nerve gas sprayed from its tail.”65

Jim Bakker, has somewhat updated that theory and has argued, “Everything in the Bible is not a fairy tale,” Bakker said. “It’s all things that you can learn [if you study] … Do you know the Apache helicopter, I think, is in the Bible. John the Revelator saw it, he heard it, he saw it, it’s there. It said it had a face of a man; look in the helicopter, there’s the face of a man. It had a blue breastplate; it’s there. It’s so easy to understand the revelation if you read it.” (From a clip of his program on YouTube.)

Clearly, these men are both wrong, and their interpretive methods are deeply flawed. John is merely providing further description concerning this demonic hoard and this coming invasion upon the wicked at this time. He goes as far as to describe not only what he saw, but even what he heard. v.10 – “They had tails like scorpions, and there were stings in their tails. Their power was to hurt men five months.” – John brings the scorpion reference back here to describe their tails. This is a picture of demonic power, something we cannot and do not fully comprehend. This is a good time to stop and consider the reality of demons.

John Phillips writes, “Modern man professes not to believe in demons, but they exist just the same. Moreover, they are clever with a diabolical cunning. Man’s attitude toward the demon world may well be likened to man’s attitude in the Dark Ages toward bacteria. If we could be transported back to London in the year 1666, we would find ourselves in a nightmare world. The great bubonic plague was at its height. The sights and sounds of the city were like the terrible climax of a horror movie. It was generally believed that fresh air was the culprit. The College of Physicians recommended the frequent firing of guns to blow away the deadly air. People sealed themselves in their rooms and burned foul-smelling messes to ward off the fresh air. Chimneys were sealed, rooms were gray with smoke, and people choked in the suffocating stench. Outside, palls of black smoke hung over the city. People sat in the tightly sealed chambers, grimly determined to endure the smarting smoke, convinced they were thus immune to the plague. We could tell them they were wrong, that the plague is not caused by fresh air but by germs – microscopic organisms spread by fleas – and they would laugh us to scorn.

Modern man has adopted a similar attitude toward the demon world. We tell them that the world is in the grip of Satan and that he has countless hosts of invisible demons to aid him in his dark designs against mankind. We say that these unseen beings are intelligent, and that before long, they are to be joined by countless more of their kind worse even than themselves. People look at us with pitying scorn and suggest we peddle our theories to the publishers of science fiction. But it is true all the same. Once the pit is opened, the

65 Hal Lindsey, There’s a New World Coming: A Prophetic Odyssey (Santa Ana, CA: Vision House Publishers, 1973), 138–139. ______1420 Indian Trace, Weston, FL 33326 | 954.389.4555 | www.fbcweston.org 75

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______world of men will be invaded by a virus far more dreadful than the bubonic plague, a virus all the more deadly because it is able to think and because it directs its attack against the soul rather than the body.”66

This is no doubt a picture of hell on earth. These demons will literally terrorize the wicked in this time, and clearly for some sort of an extended period of time and it will be inescapable. All the while, the demons will not be permitted to extend the judgment one inch beyond what God has commanded.

“Although this judgement is literally hell on earth, the overruling power of God is interwoven throughout the passage. He allows this judgment to occur; He sets the limits on the destructive power of these demon- locusts; He brings it to a conclusion when His purpose in it is finished. He is in complete control.”67 v.11 – “And they had as king over them the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon, but in Greek he has the name Apollyon.” – These locusts are said to have a king over them, which is yet further reason to conclude these must be demons. Regular locusts have no king. Proverbs 30:27, “The locusts have no king, Yet they all advance in ranks.”

John provides us the name of the king and brings us to another interpretive decision. Is this king Satan, or is it some other fallen angel? I think it is clear that this king is Satan himself. “Abaddon is a Hebrew word meaning “destruction,” and is always translated in the Greek Old Testament by the word “apoleia”, “destruction,” with the single exception of Job 31:12. The word is used to designate the place of destruction synonymously with Sheol or the underworld of the dead in Job 26:6; 28:22; Proverbs 15:11; 27:20, and is used by itself of the underworld in such passages as Job 31:12; Psalm 88:11. John renders the word into Greek not by its usual equivalent, “apoleia,” “destruction,” but by the participle, “76pollyon,” meaning “the destroyer.”68 v.12 – “One woe is past. Behold, still two more woes are coming after these things.” – It is interesting to note the way in which John describes the fifth, sixth, and seventh trumpet judgments as “woes.” This takes us back to the angel of 8:13 predicting the coming of these “woes.” This is a terrifying picture, and yet the worst is still coming.

The first woe, which is the fifth trumpet judgment, is a perfect example of the difficult nature of apocalyptic literature in the Bible. The imagery stretches the imagination and goes beyond the bounds of anything man can conceive of as the natural world and the spiritual world come together in one image. At the same time, the reality of the judgments found in these three woes are sobering. As we move into the second woe, which is the sixth trumpet judgment, it would be a good time to go back to an important summary question. How literal should we take the images and events described in these trumpet judgments? Dr. Joseph Sprinkle provides the following insight:

66 John Phillips, Exploring Revelation: an Expository Commentary (Grand Rapids, MN: Kregel Publications, 2004) p.127. 67 Charles Caldwell Ryrie, Revelation (Chicago: Moody Press, 1996) p.74. 68 George Eldon. Ladd, A Commentary on the Revelation of John (Grand Rapids, Mich: William B. Eerdmans, 1993) p.134. ______1420 Indian Trace, Weston, FL 33326 | 954.389.4555 | www.fbcweston.org 76

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______Literalists. Dispensationalists, in particular, look for very literal fulfillment of the language. They argue that the plagues on Egypt were literally fulfilled, with similar language and imagery, therefore the trumpets should be viewed in the same way (LaHaye 174-75).

Sensationalists. Some dispensationalist preachers offer wild speculations on the meanings: The destructions of the first four trumpets may have to do with nuclear weapons which rain burning hail, cause pollution of our fresh and sea waters, and whose smoke obscures the sky, and whose radiation and blasts contribute to wiping out one-third of mankind. The locusts (9:3) with hair like a woman’s hair (9:8) and “human” faces (9:7) have sometimes been identified with military men with long hair, “flying” in military helicopters, “crowned” with headgear (9:7), wearing battle gear and riding tanks (breastplates of iron), “chariots” (9:9). The “kings of the east” leading 200 million men are perhaps Chinese or Iranians leading vast Eastern armies.

Non-literalists/Non-sensationalists. Others argue that much of the language should be taken figuratively. A human army of 2 million in 9:16-19 seems absurdly large. Either the army has to be figurative, or the army is demonic rather than human. Likewise, the locusts seem to be demonic rather than human (or actual insects), and may be symbolic rather than literal. It is doubtful that there will be a literal hole in the crust of the globe (not literally bottomless, in any case) out of which such monstrous creatures will come any more than the animals of Daniel 7 came literally out of the sea. They may be described as “locusts” just to evoke the deliberate parallels with the Plagues on Pharaoh’s Egypt. Their activity for five months may indicate they are active for their cycle, five months being chosen because that is an ordinary locusts’ cycle. Trumpets Five and Six may represent no more than divine torment (locust) and execution (cavalry). The first four trumpets may represent physical calamities on earth, sky and sea. All the parallels with the Egyptian plagues may just say, in a figurative way, “similar to how I judged Egypt, so I will judge the whole world.” v.13 – “Then the sixth angel sounded: And I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God.” – (6:9, 8:3, Exodus 30:2) – John now hears the next angel, the sixth angel, blow his trumpet, signaling the second woe, and another terrifying judgment of God upon sinful man.

a. “And I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God.” – John describes the trumpet blast, as well as a voice that he heard, which accompanied the trumpet and further signaled the beginning of the sixth trumpet judgment. It is interesting that the first thing he mentions about the voice is its origin. John never identifies the voice actually, but he does reveal where it came from, which is more important in the context of this judgment.

The voice comes from the “golden altar which is before God.” This takes us back to 8:3, “Then another angel, having a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne.” This altar is representative of the prayers of the saints. Likely, I would argue, these prayers are akin to the substance of the prayer found in Matthew 6:10, “Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” This judgment is the ultimate fulfillment of that prayer, ______1420 Indian Trace, Weston, FL 33326 | 954.389.4555 | www.fbcweston.org 77

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______and the Lord is bringing this process full circle here in John’s understanding, perhaps to remind him of the effectiveness of prayer and the faithfulness of God to hear and answer prayer according to His will. v.14 – “saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, “Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.” – (16:12, Genesis 2:14, 15:18) – John provides us everything that he heard from that voice.

“The Greek text literally reads “one voice,” stressing that John heard a single, solitary voice. The voice is not identified, but it is possibly that of the Lamb, the Lord Jesus Christ. He was pictured earlier standing near the throne (5:6), when He took the seven-sealed scroll from the Father’s hand (5:7) and broke its seals (6:1), thus unleashing the series of judgments of which the sixth trumpet is a part. Or this could be the voice of the angel whom John had seen standing near the golden altar of incense (8:3).”69

a. “Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.” – The voice that John heard could not be the voice of a demon as it was clearly exercising control and authority over four angels who were “bound.” The Bible does not refer to good angels as being “bound”, but it does refer to Satan in a few places (Matthew 12:29, Mark 3:27, Revelation 20:2). Therefore, I take these four angels, who had been previously bound, for an unknown amount of time to be demons. The sixth angel, is clearly a good angel, doing the work of God.

Notice though the way in which these “bound” angels are described. The voice describes them by their location and in so doing, mentions a river that played a prominent role in biblical history. It seems the mention of the Euphrates, and of enemies advancing upon Israel, was an image the first century readers would have immediately recognized, and it is also one we can recognize when we think through some important references in the Old Testament to this river in terms of God’s judgment.

“It is a historical fact that in the first century the Parthian armies from beyond the Euphrates were a constant threat to the Roman peace, and Jewish apocalyptic literature anticipated an eschatological invasion from these heathen forces (Enoch 56:5-8). These Parthians were famous horsemen and were feared because of their skilled use of the bow and arrow.”70

“The Euphrates was the ideal limit of the promised land to the East (Genesis 15:1*); and in the Old Testament, it was called the great river (Genesis 15:18; Deuteronomy 1:7; Joshua 1:4). Beyond the Euphrates were the hordes of the heathen kingdoms, particularly Assyria, and thus the river became symbolic of the enemies of Israel and of God (Isaiah 7:20; 8:7; Jeremiah 46:10). An invasion by these forces could be described as an overflow of the river (Isaiah 8:7). So the angels

69 John MacArthur, Revelation 1-11 (Chicago: Moody Press, 1999) p.267. 70 George Eldon. Ladd, A Commentary on the Revelation of John (Grand Rapids, Mich: William B. Eerdmans, 1993) p.135. ______1420 Indian Trace, Weston, FL 33326 | 954.389.4555 | www.fbcweston.org 78

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______are bound on the banks of the Euphrates until the time of judgment when they will be loosed and a flood of demonic powers burst forth upon the civilized world.”71 v.15 – “So the four angels, who had been prepared for the hour and day and month and year, were released to kill a third of mankind.” – The voice John heard commanded the good sixth angel to release these previously “bound” demons and they immediately obeyed. Sadly, their mission, as part of God’s judgment upon the wicked, is horrifying in nature.

a. “So the four angels, who had been prepared for the hour and day and month and year” – This is an interesting note as it appears these demons have been set apart and “bound” for this very specific purpose. This is another reminder of the sovereignty of God over all things, including the judgment of the wicked. Nothing (in the context of this judgment) is going to happen before its time, and at the same time, nothing will fail to happen. There will be no negotiations. There will be not avoiding the wrath of God in the end, and this makes that painfully clear.

b. “were released to kill a third of mankind.” – Their purpose takes us back to the fourth seal in 6:8, “So I looked, and behold, a pale horse. And the name of him who sat on it was Death, and Hades followed with him. And power was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword, with hunger, with death, and by the beasts of the earth.” In that judgment, I argued that it was representative of the reign of death over creation during the age of the fall leading up to the events of the end. I take this judgment, as with all of the trumpet judgments to be confined to the events surrounding the “end times” in a general sense, and in that way, I would separate the two judgments.

It is clear though that these “bound” angels, were waiting for the opportunity to do one thing. They seemingly existed to kill people. Now as we have seen in the first woe, the “mankind” here describes the wicked, not the saved (9:4). The reader should note that the purpose of this judgment is not to destroy the wicked as in say the judgment of the wicked in Noah’s day. (Genesis 6:13, “And God said to Noah, “The end of all flesh has come before Me, for the earth is filled with violence through them; and behold, I will destroy them with the earth.” It seems likely the purpose was to provide further warning of coming judgment.

“Their mission was not the destruction of the race but, as agents of divine judgment, to warn men of the terrible judgment which awaits those who reject God’s love and mercy.”72

71 Ibid. p.136. 72 Ibid. p.137. ______1420 Indian Trace, Weston, FL 33326 | 954.389.4555 | www.fbcweston.org 79

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______v.16 – “Now the number of the army of the horsemen was two hundred million; I heard the number of them.” – This verse serves as something of a transition in the narrative. The reader must pay close attention to the progression as well as to the players involved in the carrying out of this second woe. The trumpet was blown by the sixth angel and that angel was instructed by an unnamed voice to release four demons who have been set aside for the purpose of killing one third of wicked mankind on earth at that time. Now, suddenly, the focus shifts away from those four demons to a vast army of “horsemen.”

I take this to be a description, much like in the first woe with the locusts, of an innumerable demonic host. John “heard” the number and I assume he heard it from the unnamed voice. Notice the number, as it seems precise, though it is likely to be taken figuratively as an innumerable number. There were “two hundred million” of these demons set loose to kill one third of the wicked population of earth. For context, the total populations of California, Texas, and Florida combined come to an estimated 90 million people. This incredible number seems to be proportionate to the sheer size of the people that will be judged by them. There is something like almost 8 billion people on earth right now. It would be impossible to know / guess how many of those are actually Christians and will be alive and on the earth at this time. But after taking that number out of the 8 billion, and dividing that into thirds, I have to imagine we are still talking at least a couple of billion people. Two hundred million demons seem much more proportionate when considered that way. v.17 – “And thus I saw the horses in the vision: those who sat on them had breastplates of fiery red, hyacinth blue, and sulfur yellow; and the heads of the horses were like the heads of lions; and out of their mouths came fire, smoke, and brimstone.” – Now John provides us with a detailed, albeit fascinating description of these demonic horsemen riding on what might be demonic horses. This is another example of how John is describing something he has never seen before. He does so, by using images that would be familiar, though he groups them together in ways that would not only be unfamiliar, but terrifying.

a. “those who sat on them had breastplates of fiery red, hyacinth blue, and sulfur yellow” – This is a description of the demonic horsemen. He describes them as wearing what appears to be protective armor, and he describes the armor by describing the colors of the armor.

“The color of fire is red; that of hyacinth, dark blue or black like smoke; that of brimstone, a sulfurous yellow, describing the rock which, when ignited, produces a burning flame and suffocating gas. Those are the very colors and features of hell (cf. 14:10, 19:20, 20:10, 21:8), and they paint a terrifying picture of God’s wrath poured out on the sinful world by these demons.”73

b. “and the heads of the horses were like the heads of lions” – In the first woe, the demons were described as looking like locusts. Here, the image shifts dramatically to the image of a lion. Lions

73 John MacArthur, Revelation 1-11 (Chicago: Moody Press, 1999) p.271. ______1420 Indian Trace, Weston, FL 33326 | 954.389.4555 | www.fbcweston.org 80

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______are both powerful and terrifying and that is certainly what is seen here in this incredible demonic army. c. “and out of their mouths came fire, smoke, and brimstone.” – These things come out of the mouths of these demonic horses. It brings to mind that of a fire breathing dragon, or at least that image, yet this is far worse than that. Whatever these horses are, it is clear that they are representatives of hell and all of the terrors found within it. Their purpose seems to be to take one third of sinful mankind there. v.18 – “By these three plagues a third of mankind was killed—by the fire and the smoke and the brimstone which came out of their mouths.” – It is important to note there are those who insist on a literal interpretation of this description. They conclude John to be describing a literal army, of 200 hundred million soldiers. They argue that the armored horses breathing fire, etc, are a description of something like tanks, which John could not have fathomed at the time. I find this approach to not only be lacking, but also totally unnecessary, as the language here consistently pushes the reader away from the literal.

Here is an example of such an interpretation “If this describes a natural army of men, then the weird description may speak of modern, mechanized warfare. It may be John simply describes modern machinery in the only terms he can, and the result is this weird, grotesque, terrifying account. But, a human army this size has never been seen. The total size of all armies – on both sides – at the height of the Second World War was only 70 million. In 1965 China claimed to have an army and militia of 200 million, but this claim was doubted by many. Even if such an army was assembled, and marched towards the west, it is hard (but not impossible) to see such an army killing a billion or more people.”74

a. “by the fire and the smoke and the brimstone which came out of their mouths.” – This is the method by which one third of wicked mankind left on earth at that point will be killed. v.19 – “For their power is in their mouth and in their tails; for their tails are like serpents, having heads; and with them they do harm.” – As John continues his description, the possibility of this being a literal army fades further and further away. John now describes an innumerable demonic host of three headed executioners armed to kill in many ways. It is interesting how this reflects what we saw in the first woe / fifth trumpet. The demonic locusts there were seen as having tails like that of a scorpion. v.20 – “But the rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, that they should not worship demons, and idols of gold, silver, brass, stone, and wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk.” – John brings us an important perspective as we end the description of this terrible judgment. It is critical to read this judgment in light of this very important detail.

74 “Revelation Chapter 9,” Enduring Word, April 23, 2019, https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/revelation-9/) ______1420 Indian Trace, Weston, FL 33326 | 954.389.4555 | www.fbcweston.org 81

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______a. “But the rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues” – It is unclear how many people were on the earth at this time. Therefore, it is unclear how many are killed and how many are spared at this time. The Lord clearly allowed John not only to see that more survived than those who died, but He also allowed him to see the effects of this incredible seen on their lives.

b. “did not repent of the works of their hands, that they should not worship demons, and idols of gold, silver, brass, stone, and wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk.” – After seeing what has just taken place, which you would imagine would leave a lasting impression on any who witnessed it, the remaining wicked seem to be unmoved. They refuse to repent of their idolatry. This is incredible. Their hearts are hard. They hate God. Their judgment is just. Think about that. v.21 – “And they did not repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts.” – John goes on to describe how they not only continue in their idolatry, but they also continue in their sin. They choose sin over God even after seeing where it leads. They provide the clearest example of slavery to sin. They will die and be judged in their sin and they don’t care.

Chapter 10

As we move into chapter 10, we come to an interlude between the sixth and seventh trumpets. We saw an interlude between the sixth seal (6:12-17) and the seventh seal (8:1-6). We saw a brief interlude between the fourth trumpet (8:12) and the fifth trumpet (9:1-12). In 8:13 we were introduced to the special distinction given to the fifth, sixth, and seventh trumpets. They were described as woes, and as we saw in the fifth and sixth trumpets, the focus of these judgments was the wicked on the earth during that time. Chapter 10 represents an interlude between the second and third woes, providing further warning of the culmination of God’s judgments to come.

I have been addressing these judgments (seals and trumpets) by addressing the text itself, irrespective of the interpretive models to some degree. That is, I am not seeking to begin with an interpretive model, such as the dispensational premillennial view and then work the text and meaning into that view to ensure everything fits. I do want to illustrate once again the way these models ultimately direct the way the reader interprets particular sections. Consider the following example from a dispensational premillennialist as it relates to 10:1- 14:20.

Warren Wiersbe writes regarding 10:1-14:20, “This section describes the events that will occur at the middle of the seven-year tribulation. This explains John’s repeated mention of the three-and-a-half-year time segment in one form or another (11:2-3, 12:6, 12:14, 13:5). At the beginning of this period, the Antichrist began to make his conquest by promising to protect the Jews and assist in their rebuilding of the temple in

______1420 Indian Trace, Weston, FL 33326 | 954.389.4555 | www.fbcweston.org 82

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______Jerusalem. After three and a half years, however, he will break his agreement, invade the temple, and begin to persecute the Jewish people.”75

As we approach the text, we want to be aware of any presuppositions, such as interpretive models, that we may bring to the text and ensure that we are keeping things in the proper order. I will address chapter 10 in the same way as the other chapters, walking verse by verse through what the Lord has written and preserved for us.

“We expect the seventh trumpet to follow the sixth trumpet, but Revelation 10:1-11:14 is an interlude prior to the final trumpet. In this interlude, John prepares readers for the seventh trumpet by emphasizing the prophetic ministry of the church - the proclamation of God's Word. Chapter 10 begins with a mighty angel coming down from heaven, glorious in his appearance (v. 1). The angel has a small scroll in his hand, probably different from the one with seven seals (cf. 5:1-6:17). The angel's message is universal, for he plants his feet on the sea and the land (10:2). His voice roars like a lion, and the seven thunders also speak (v. 3), but John isn't permitted to write down what they say (v. 4), indicating that part of what is to come is hidden. The angel then swears by the God who created all things that the time of the end has come and God will conclude and fulfill what is prophesied by the seventh trumpet (vv. 5-7). The old creation is coming to an end, as John prophesied, but the seven thunders inform us that not everything to come is revealed to us. Nevertheless, God's mystery will be revealed, and what was prophesied will be fulfilled. John is then told to take and eat the angel's scroll (vv. 8-9). It is like honey in his mouth but bitter in his stomach (v. 10). God's Word is sweet like honey, but it prophesies destruction against those who turn from him. John is given the scroll to eat because he must prophesy further against people, nations, languages, and kings (v. 11). History will end with the seventh trumpet, but John has more to say about the course of history, and he will pull back the curtain on Satan and the beast (12:1-14:20) and the great harlot Babylon (17:1-19:10) in succeeding chapters.”76

What we will see in chapter 10 is analogous to or similar to:

Ezekiel 2:1-3:11, “And He said to me, “Son of man, stand on your feet, and I will speak to you.” 2 Then the Spirit entered me when He spoke to me, and set me on my feet; and I heard Him who spoke to me. 3 And He said to me: “Son of man, I am sending you to the children of Israel, to a rebellious nation that has rebelled against Me; they and their fathers have transgressed against Me to this very day. 4 For they are impudent and stubborn children. I am sending you to them, and you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God.’ 5 As for them, whether they hear or whether they refuse—for they are a rebellious house—yet they will know that a prophet has been among them. And you, son of man, do not be afraid of them nor be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns are with you and you dwell among scorpions; do not be afraid of their words or dismayed by their looks, though they are a rebellious house. 7 You shall speak My words to them, whether they hear or whether they refuse, for they are rebellious. 8 But you, son of man, hear what I say to

75 Warren W. Wiersbe, The Holy Bible: New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2019) p.1863. 76 Iain M. Duguid et al., ESV Expository Commentary (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2018) p.642-643. ______1420 Indian Trace, Weston, FL 33326 | 954.389.4555 | www.fbcweston.org 83

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______you. Do not be rebellious like that rebellious house; open your mouth and eat what I give you.” 9 Now when I looked, there was a hand stretched out to me; and behold, a scroll of a book was in it. 10 Then He spread it before me; and there was writing on the inside and on the outside, and written on it were lamentations and mourning and woe.

3 Moreover He said to me, “Son of man, eat what you find; eat this scroll, and go, speak to the house of Israel.” 2 So I opened my mouth, and He caused me to eat that scroll. 3 And He said to me, “Son of man, feed your belly, and fill your stomach with this scroll that I give you.” So I ate, and it was in my mouth like honey in sweetness. 4 Then He said to me: “Son of man, go to the house of Israel and speak with My words to them. 5 For you are not sent to a people of unfamiliar speech and of hard language, but to the house of Israel, 6 not to many people of unfamiliar speech and of hard language, whose words you cannot understand. Surely, had I sent you to them, they would have listened to you. 7 But the house of Israel will not listen to you, because they will not listen to Me; for all the house of Israel are impudent and hard- hearted. 8 Behold, I have made your face strong against their faces, and your forehead strong against their foreheads. 9 Like adamant stone, harder than flint, I have made your forehead; do not be afraid of them, nor be dismayed at their looks, though they are a rebellious house.” 10 Moreover He said to me: “Son of man, receive into your heart all My words that I speak to you, and hear with your ears. 11 And go, get to the captives, to the children of your people, and speak to them and tell them, ‘Thus says the Lord God,’ whether they hear, or whether they refuse.” v.1 – “I saw still another mighty angel coming down from heaven, clothed with a cloud. And a rainbow was on his head, his face was like the sun, and his feet like pillars of fire.” – The reader is immediately faced with an interpretive decision as this chapter begins. Who is this “mighty angel?” In the course of study, I have found that commentators tend to choose between one of at least four different options as to the identity of this “mighty angel.”

a. The “mighty angel” is the Lord Jesus Christ. This view connects the image here with the image of the Lord Jesus Christ found in chapter 5 as it relates to the scroll. Adherents to this viewpoint to the glorious description of this “mighty angel” as it compares to the descriptions of the Lord in other sections. It also suggests that as the word “angel” relates to the work of a messenger, the Lord serves as the messenger of the Father.

There are many problems with this view. First, there are zero examples of the Lord being referred to as an angel in the book of Revelation. Second, the word “another” preceding the word “angel” strongly suggests John is referring to an angel just like ones he has previously mentioned. Third, it would be highly problematic for the Lord Jesus Christ to make the oath found in 10:5-6. Fourth, the other two mentions of a “mighty angel” (5:2, 18:21) could not refer to the Lord Jesus Christ.

b. The “mighty angel” is the angel Gabriel. This view offered by Beasley – Murray points to the way the Hebrew word “mighty” is cognate to the name Gabriel. ______1420 Indian Trace, Weston, FL 33326 | 954.389.4555 | www.fbcweston.org 84

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______

c. The “mighty angel” is the angel Michael. This view, offered by Johnson, connects this “mighty angel” with Michael in Daniel 12:1 where he is called a “great prince.”

d. The “mighty angel” is a high-ranking angel. This is the most likely view, as it is consistent with what John has already written about angels, as well as what he is going to say about this angel.

Notice as well, what John says about the location and movement of this “mighty angel.” He writes, “I saw still another mighty angel coming down from heaven.” This is another example of the almost fluid nature of apocalyptic literature. John has been in heaven, but now it appears he is on the earth watching this angel “coming down from heaven.”

John describes the “mighty angel” with language and images that are difficult to imagine. He writes, “clothed with a cloud. And a rainbow was on his head, his face was like the sun, and his feet like pillars of fire.” Whoever this “mighty angel” is, he certainly reflects the glory of God. Notice also the way in which he is described as being “clothed with a cloud”, which given the way clouds are often associated with the way angels / heavenly beings move back and forth from heaven to earth (Psalm 104:3, Daniel 7:13, Acts 1:9) seems to speak more about his movement than his nature or glory. The connection with the “rainbow” MAY be a hint towards the grace of God as it points back to the covenant God made with Noah following the flood. v.2 – “He had a little book open in his hand. And he set his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land.” – The reader now comes to the second interpretive decision in this chapter as it relates to this “little book.” What is this “little book?” I have found at least five different suggestions as to what this could be.

a. This “little book” is the scroll of 5:1, or some version of it at least. This view seems highly unlikely as the book is described as open, in the angel’s hands and not in the Lord’s hands, and that it is described as little, rather than as a scroll.

b. This “little book” is the scroll Ezekiel ate in Ezekiel 2:9-3:3.

c. This “little book” is some part of the book of Revelation itself (perhaps chapters 12-22). This is likely due to John’s potential writing in the “little book” in 10:4.

d. This “little book” is a renewal of John’s prophetic commission. This is very similar to what we see in Ezekiel.

e. This “little book” is written authority given to the angel to fulfill his mission.

______1420 Indian Trace, Weston, FL 33326 | 954.389.4555 | www.fbcweston.org 85

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______I take this “little book” to be more related to John and his ministry than I do to the unfolding of God’s plan to bring about final redemption through judgment. I think 10:8-11 make this connection quite clear. Certainty on this point however, it not possible given the limited information that is provided.

“And he set his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land.” There seems to be significance in the way John describes where he saw this “mighty angel.” I think there is more here than something like a man standing at the edge of a beach with one foot in the shallow water and one foot on the dry sand. It seems this is intended to communicate something about the message he has, while also possibly revealing something about the size of the “mighty angel” himself.

“The angel brings both a renewal of John’s prophetic ministry and also new revelations of divine judgment. The angel’s all-encompassing stance suggests not only his gigantic size but intimates that his message involves the whole world.”77 v.3 – “and cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roars. When he cried out, seven thunders uttered their voices.” – (Jeremiah 25:30, Hosea 11:10, Joel 3:16, Amos 1:2, 3:8) / (Exodus 9:23, 28, 1 Samuel 2:10, 7:10, Psalm 29:3, Isaiah 29:6) – The emphasis here is on the volume of the voice of the “mighty angel.” This seems to be consistent with the incredible size of the “mighty angel” as well. John connects the loud voice with the sound of thunder, which is often connected with the judgment of God in the Bible. v.4 – “Now when the seven thunders uttered their voices, I was about to write; but I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, “Seal up the things which the seven thunders uttered, and do not write them.” – (Daniel 8:26-27, 12:9) – Interestingly, we do not hear the message of the “mighty angel.” John heard it, and understood it, but the Lord does not provide it for us.

a. “I was about to write” – John seemed to understand that the message of the “mighty angel” needed to be written down and given to the church. This is what he does with the words that we do have preserved here in Revelation. This particular message, however, is not something the Lord wanted the church to hear.

b. “but I heard a voice from heaven saying to me” – Just as John is about to write; he hears a voice. This is not the voice of the “mighty angel.” This is another voice, and likely the voice of the Lord given the authority of this voice.

c. “Seal up the things which the seven thunders uttered, and do not write them.” – John does not tell us why the Lord does not allow him to write the message he heard. “It may be that the judgement they uttered is simply too terrifying to be revealed. Any speculation as to the specific

77 George Eldon. Ladd, A Commentary on the Revelation of John (Grand Rapids, Mich: William B. Eerdmans, 1993) p.142. ______1420 Indian Trace, Weston, FL 33326 | 954.389.4555 | www.fbcweston.org 86

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______content of their message is pointless; had God wanted it to be known, He would not have forbidden John to write it.”78 v.5 – “The angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land raised up his hand to heaven.” – The focus here is on the action of the angel. The “mighty angel” is about to take an oath in the next verse and in the Bible, there is a connection between raising your hand and taking an oath (Deuteronomy 32:40, Daniel 12:7). v.6 – “and swore by Him who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and the things that are in it, the earth and the things that are in it, and the sea and the things that are in it, that there should be delay no longer.” – As the creator and sustainer of all things, God rule and reigns over all He has made. This is the God this “mighty angel” is about to swear an oath to. What is this oath about? What is he swearing? Well, it is similar to the oath of the angel in the book of Daniel. Consider Daniel 12:6-7, “And one said to the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, “How long shall the fulfillment of these wonders be?” 7 Then I heard the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand to heaven, and swore by Him who lives forever, that it shall be for a time, times, and half a time; and when the power of the holy people has been completely shattered, all these things shall be finished.” In Daniel’s case, the angel lifted his hand, and swore an oath regarding the end of all things that was a long way off at the time. In this case, the “mighty angel” is swearing an oath related to the end of all things that was now finally at hand. v.7 – “but in the days of the sounding of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, the mystery of God would be finished, as He declared to His servants the prophets.” – This is sobering. We are in between the sixth and seventh trumpets in an important interlude. It is clear now that the seventh trumpet is going to bring about the end. Now, you will notice the phrase “but in the days of the sounding of the seventh angel” indicating the seventh trumpet will not be a single event, but rather a period of time. Much like we saw a connection between the seventh seal and the seven trumpets, we will see a connection between the seventh trumpet and the seven bowl judgments.

“The sounding of the seventh trumpet by the seventh angel will wrap up history as we know it (11:15). God’s “mystery” will be fulfilled. Mystery in the Scriptures typically refers to something previously hidden that is now revealed (e.g., Rom. 16:25-26; Eph. 1:9; 3:3-5; Col. 1:26-27). When the end comes, everything hidden (including the seven thunders just noted in 10:3-4) will be fulfilled. All that God predicted and prophesied to his prophets will become a reality (cf. Amos 3:7; Zech. 1:6). The plans and purposes of creation, both revealed and hidden to us in part (Deut. 29:29), will be fulfilled. God’s prophecies are both a prophecy fulfilled and a mystery to be revealed. One of the purposes of the interlude is explained here. John underscores that the seventh trumpet is the end of this present evil age, and the conclusion of all things sums up divine mysteries and fulfills God’s prophecies.”79

78 John MacArthur, Revelation 1-11 (Chicago: Moody Press, 1999) p.283. 79 Iain M. Duguid et al., ESV Expository Commentary (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2018) p.645. ______1420 Indian Trace, Weston, FL 33326 | 954.389.4555 | www.fbcweston.org 87

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______v.8 – “Then the voice which I heard from heaven spoke to me again and said, “Go, take the little book which is open in the hand of the angel who stands on the sea and on the earth.” – The voice which stopped him from writing down the message he heard from the “mighty angel”, which I take to be the voice of the Lord, now gives John a clear instruction. He is to go and take this “little book” out of the hands of the “mighty angel.” I take this to indicate the nature and substance of this “little book.” The scroll of chapter 5, which the Lord took out of the hand of the Father on the throne was unable to be opened by anyone other than the Lord (5:2-7). v.9 – “So I went to the angel and said to him, “Give me the little book.” And he said to me, “Take and eat it; and it will make your stomach bitter, but it will be as sweet as honey in your mouth.” – John obeys the voice of the Lord and goes right to the “mighty angel” and asks for the book. He is apparently given the “little book” and immediately instructed to eat it. This reminds us of a similar experience in the life of Ezekiel.

Ezekiel 2:9-3:4 Revelation 10:2, 10:9-11 2:9 “Now when I looked, there was a hand 10:2 “He had a little book open in his stretched out to me; and behold, a scroll of a hand. And he set his right foot on the sea book was in it.” and his left foot on the land” 3:1 “Moreover He said to me, “Son of man, 10:9 “So I went to the angel and said to him, eat what you find; eat this scroll, and go, “Give me the little book.” And he said to speak to the house of Israel.” me, “Take and eat it; and it will make your stomach bitter, but it will be as sweet as honey in your mouth.”

3:2 “So I opened my mouth, and He caused 10:10a “Then I took the little book out of the me to eat that scroll.” angel’s hand and ate it” 3:3 “And He said to me, “Son of man, feed 10:10b “and it was as sweet as honey in my your belly, and fill your stomach with this mouth. But when I had eaten it, my stomach scroll that I give you.” So I ate, and it was in became bitter.” my mouth like honey in sweetness.” 3:4 “Then He said to me: “Son of man, go to 10:11 “And he said to me, “You must the house of Israel and speak with My words prophesy again about many peoples, nations, to them.” tongues, and kings.” v.10 – “Then I took the little book out of the angel’s hand and ate it, and it was as sweet as honey in my mouth. But when I had eaten it, my stomach became bitter.” – (Jeremiah 15:16) – John took the book out of the hand of the “mighty angel” and he ate it. This seems to represent John internalizing the Word of God in preparation for his prophetic ministry to the world and to the church. He describes it in two ways.

a. “it was as sweet as honey in my mouth” – This seems to represent the grace, mercy, and salvation that God provides to those who repent and believe. John clearly received this aspect of God’s Word as something sweet. ______1420 Indian Trace, Weston, FL 33326 | 954.389.4555 | www.fbcweston.org 88

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______

b. “But when I had eaten it, my stomach became bitter.” – This seems to represent the judgment of God upon those who continue in their sins and rebellion against God. This aspect of the Word of God / message of impending judgment was much harder for John to hear and stomach.

“The sweetness and bitterness do not refer to different parts of the scroll or different aspects of the prophet’s message which, for the church, is partly a message of salvation and partly a message of persecution, suffering, and martyrdom. Rather, the sweetness and bitterness refer to the twofold reaction on the part of the prophet as he digests his message and understands it. It is a sweet thing to be close to God, to be the recipient of his word. This is true of all believers. The word of God is “sweeter also than honey and drippings from the honeycomb” (Ps. 19:1)). Every Christian can say, “How sweet are thy words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth” (Ps. 119:103). This is particularly true of the prophetic commission. The scroll eaten by Ezekiel was sweet as honey in his mouth (Ezek. 3:7-9); and God’s word was a delight to Jeremiah’s heart even though his was a message of doom (Jer. 15:16). In the same way John found God’s word to be sweet as honey in his mouth. But as he digested his message and pondered its implications, it became bitter in his stomach.”80

v.11 – “And he said to me, “You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, tongues, and kings.” – The chapter ends with a clear commission given from the Lord to John. This is why I take this “little book” to be related to John and his prophetic ministry. To John, the end was still yet future. God was not done revealing the end to John and his work was not yet done as it relates to writing it down. God was commissioning him to take this glorious Revelation and to preach it far and wide as all of mankind will be affected by the truths contained in it.

We too, as the church, must also preach this warning far and wide. While the message of the coming judgment grows more and more unpopular in the culture around us, we must not fail to preach the gospel and warn the world of the judgment to come.

Chapter 11

The interlude between the sixth and seventh trumpets which began in chapter 10, continues through 11:14. It is quite difficult to discern exactly where or how this complicated chapter fits within this interlude, and how it seems to serve as the final elements of the “second woe” (11:14). As has been the case with previous chapters, this one provides the reader with several interpretive challenges. For example, the reader must decide whether this chapter describes past events or future events, whether the temple mentioned is to be taken as a literal temple from the past or in the future or as symbolic of a people or a place, whether these events relate to Daniel 9 and the 70th week he speaks of, who the two witnesses are, or whether they are to

80 George Eldon. Ladd, A Commentary on the Revelation of John (Grand Rapids, Mich: William B. Eerdmans, 1993) p.146. ______1420 Indian Trace, Weston, FL 33326 | 954.389.4555 | www.fbcweston.org 89

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______be taken symbolically, who the beast is, and the list goes on. This chapter is perhaps the most difficult in the entire book. Some have overcome that obstacle by relying solely on an interpretive system (ie. Dispensational Premillenialism) and allowing the system to interpret the text. As we approach chapter 11, we want to rely upon the help of the Holy Spirit and avoid drawing conclusions we cannot honestly substantiate outside of speculation. v.1 – “Then I was given a reed like a measuring rod. And the angel stood, saying, “Rise and measure the temple of God, the altar, and those who worship there.” – (Ezekiel 40:3-42:20) - John has just eaten the little scroll and been given a renewed charge to finish the book of Revelation and then to faithfully proclaim its message (the gospel) to the world. Apparently, the “mighty angel” from chapter 10 is now speaking to him again. It is interesting to remember that in the previous chapter, John seems to be on earth. That seems to still be the case in this chapter.

He is given “a reed like a measuring rod” for the purpose of measuring “the temple of God, the altar, and those who worship there.” This is similar to what we find in 21:15, “And he who talked with me had a gold reed to measure the city, its gates, and its wall.” There are at least two interpretive questions to be asked here. First, what is the purpose of the measuring? If it was merely about the dimensions of the object being measured, you would assume those would be provided. It seems instead there was another purpose.

We can gain some insight through similar passages involving measuring. This language is somewhat familiar as there is a similar scene in Ezekiel where he measured the city of Jerusalem. Ezekiel 40:3-5, “He took me there, and behold, there was a man whose appearance was like the appearance of bronze. He had a line of flax and a measuring rod in his hand, and he stood in the gateway. 4 And the man said to me, “Son of man, look with your eyes and hear with your ears, and fix your mind on everything I show you; for you were brought here so that I might show them to you. Declare to the house of Israel everything you see.” 5 Now there was a wall all around the outside of the temple. In the man’s hand was a measuring rod six cubits long, each being a cubit and a handbreadth; and he measured the width of the wall structure, one rod; and the height, one rod.”

“The end of chapter 10 depicted John eating a scroll just as Ezekiel had eaten a scroll (Ezekiel 2:8-3:4), and now the beginning of the chapter 1 depicts John measuring the temple just as Ezekiel had watched the temple being measured in Ezekiel 40-48.”81

We also see something similar in Zechariah 2:1-5, “Then I raised my eyes and looked, and behold, a man with a measuring line in his hand. 2 So I said, “Where are you going?” And he said to me, “To measure Jerusalem, to see what is its width and what is its length.” 3 And there was the angel who talked with me, going out; and another angel was coming out to meet him, 4 who said to him, “Run, speak to this young man,

81 James M. Hamilton, Revelation: the Spirit Speaks to the Churches (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2012) p.233. ______1420 Indian Trace, Weston, FL 33326 | 954.389.4555 | www.fbcweston.org 90

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______saying: ‘Jerusalem shall be inhabited as towns without walls, because of the multitude of men and livestock in it. 5 For I,’ says the Lord, ‘will be a wall of fire all around her, and I will be the glory in her midst.”

In the case of Ezekiel, the measuring had to do with the future of Jerusalem as the true city of God. In the case of Zechariah, the measuring had to do with God’s protection of the city. It seems most likely the measuring John is asked to do has more to do with the ownership and protection of God over the things being measured.

This brings us to the second question. What is being measured. He writes, “And the angel stood, saying, “Rise and measure the temple of God, the altar, and those who worship there.” At first glance it seems the “mighty angel” is calling him to measure three things: “the temple of God,” “the altar,” and “those who worship there.” The first question then relates to this “temple.” What is it? Is it a literal temple? Is it a literal temple from the past? Is it a literal temple to be built in the future? This is where we begin to see the influence of the interpretive models come into play.

According to the Dispensational, Premillennial, Pretribulational model there are going to be TWO future temples, the “Tribulation temple,” which they take this one to be, and then later the “Millennial temple” which will stand until the end of the 1,000 year reign of Christ. The question is whether or not the Bible teaches that there will be another temple built, much less two more temples built. Consider the views of a few Dispensational, Premillennial, Pretribulational commentators.

Warren Wiersbe writes, “The place is Jerusalem, and the time is the first half of the tribulation. Israel is worshipping again at its restored temple, built under the protection of the Antichrist, whose true character has not yet been revealed.”82

David Jeremiah writes, “The temple will be rebuilt by the Jews who have been gathered again sometime during the Tribulation period. They will build in the name of God without knowing Him at all. Here the Antichrist will set himself up as God.”83

Charles Ryrie writes, “The temple is the one that will be built in Jerusalem during the Tribulation and in which ancient Jewish rites will be reinstituted. It is apparently the same temple in which, at the middle of the Tribulation, the man of sin will seat himself, demanding to be worshipped and overthrowing Jewish worship.”84

Patterson writes, “A new temple, which millenarians describe as the “tribulation temple,” will be constructed by the Jews in Jerusalem, at the time of the writing of this commentary, Muslim control of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem prevents the construction of a Jewish temple. Students of history, however, are conscious of how quickly events and circumstances can change, and those who have frequented the modern state of Israel

82 Warren W. Wiersbe, The Holy Bible: New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2019) p.1864. 83 David Jeremiah, The Jeremiah Study Bible (Nashville, TN: Worthy Publishers, 2013) p.1852. 84 Charles Caldwell Ryrie, Revelation (Chicago: Moody Press, 1996) p.83. ______1420 Indian Trace, Weston, FL 33326 | 954.389.4555 | www.fbcweston.org 91

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______and visited with the most religious of the Hasidim area well aware of the intent to build such a temple and to do so in the relatively near future. This commentator then understands this as a tribulation temple that will be built either immediately prior to the beginning of the tribulation period or else in the first three and one- half years of that tribulation.”85

Chuck Smith writes, “The temple Mount is a holy site to the Jewish people, but it is also a holy site for the Muslims as it houses the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock. This is a huge problem when you consider that the Jews are going to rebuild their temple during the tribulation period and will be doing their sacrifices there. I believe this passage gives us a strong hint as to how this will take place. In measuring the temple of God John was told not to measure the outer court, which had been given to the Gentiles. In Ezekiel 42:20, in measuring the temple area there was a wall that was said to separate the holy areas from the common or profane. I believe that a likely scenario is that the Antichrist, when negotiating a peace treaty with Israel, will come up with the idea of building a large wall on the Temple Mount; allowing the Jews to rebuild their temple to the north of the Dome of the Rock on the other side of that wall. This could work for the Jews and Muslims alike. And it is likely that this is the reason why the outer court was not measured here. It is in the Muslim area of the Temple Mount. And this would be perceived as a brilliant solution provided by this great world leader.”86

These five men write about the rebuilding of this temple as if it were a clear and settled biblical fact. As a reader, it is important to determine whether or not that really can be clearly proven from Scripture or not. Consider the biblical arguments for a rebuilt temple during the time of the Tribulation in the Dispensational Premillennial Pretribulational view:

Daniel 9:27, “Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week; But in the middle of the week He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate, Even until the consummation, which is determined, Is poured out on the desolate.”

Daniel 12:11, “And from the time that the daily sacrifice is taken away, and the abomination of desolation is set up, there shall be one thousand two hundred and ninety days.”

Matthew 24:15, “Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” (whoever reads, let him understand).” * This requires the reader to put thousands of years in between 24:2 and 24:15, and to take the Lord as referring to two different temples.

2 Thessalonians 2:4, “who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.”

85 Paige Patterson, Revelation (Nashville, TN: B&H Publishing Group, 2012) p.240. 86 The Word for Today Bible (Costa Mesa, CA: The Word For Today, 2012) p.1644. ______1420 Indian Trace, Weston, FL 33326 | 954.389.4555 | www.fbcweston.org 92

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______I do not see how these texts prove there will be another temple in the future. Instead I believe that commentators began with that assumption and read it into the text.

Ladd writes, “Dispensationalists interpret the main features in the passage with stark literalism and see a prophecy of the restoration of the Jewish temple in Jerusalem at the end of the age and of the struggle between the restored Jews and the Antichrist (the Beast). The difficulty with this is that here are elements in the chapter which demand symbolic interpretation, which even dispensationalists admit. The most recent dispensational interpreter has recognized that this is a symbolic picture; and if this is admitted, there is no logical or compelling reason for not taking the Holy City and the temple as symbolic either of the church or the Jewish people.”87

“Some interpreters understand John to teach here that the temple in Jerusalem will be rebuilt where the Dome of the Rock is presently, and that the altar will be rebuilt as well. It is difficult to be sure which altar John has in mind - the altar of burnt offering or the altar of incense (cf Rev. 6:9; 8:3, 5; 9:13; 14:18; 16:7) - although the altar of incense seems more likely, since it is associated with God's sanctuary. When we consider the apocalyptic genre of Revelation and the symbolism pervading the book, a literal reading is unlikely, and thus John is not thinking of the rebuilding of a literal temple or altar. Instead, all three descriptions refer to the people of God, so that the temple and the altar refer to those who worship God. Believers are called a "temple" because they are the dwelling place of God (1 Cor. 3:16; 6:19; 2 Cor. 6:16), and indeed in Revelation 21:1 - 22:5 (cf. also Rev. 7:15) the whole universe is portrayed as God's dwelling place. The worshippers are individuals of God's people - they are God's temple. They are also designated in terms of the altar, for their lives are devoted to and surrendered to God. To say that the temple, altar, and worshipers are measured is to say that God protects and watches over his people - they are under his care, his lordship, and his sovereign oversight.”88

I take the command to measure not only the “temple of God,” but also the “altar,” and “those who worship there” to be somewhat helpful in determining what John is being asked to do. These two added distinctions, especially that of the worshippers themselves, makes me more inclined to see this as a symbolic reference to God’s people, than to a physical temple built by those who reject the Lord, are still under His wrath and who would be engaging in nothing more than idolatry at that “Tribulation temple.”

James Hamilton writes, “Many believers think that the temple measured here is a future temple – a literal building – that will be rebuilt in Jerusalem. I am more persuaded by those who argue that this temple is a figurative way to describe the people of God. Notice in 11:1 that “those who worship there” are to be measured. The Bible’s theology of the temple is not about a building so much as it is about God being with His people.

87 George Eldon. Ladd, A Commentary on the Revelation of John (Grand Rapids, Mich: William B. Eerdmans, 1993) p.150. 88 Iain M. Duguid et al., ESV Expository Commentary (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2018) p.647. ______1420 Indian Trace, Weston, FL 33326 | 954.389.4555 | www.fbcweston.org 93

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______The early chapters of Genesis present the Garden of Eden as a temple in which god communes with man. After the expulsion from Eden, the tabernacle and temple are built so that God can dwell among his people, and the tabernacle and temple are thereby meant to recapture the Edenic experience. When Jesus comes, he fulfills and replaces the temple, and as God he once again walks with man. Then Jesus fulfills the sacrificial system through his death on the cross, and he pours out the Spirit on the church. The indwelling of the Spirit makes the church the new temple. The goal of this whole trajectory is not a rebuilt temple in Jerusalem, but a day when the whole of creation will be like the holy of holies in the new heavens and the new earth. So, I don’t think Revelation predicts there will be a rebuilt temple in Jerusalem. Rather, the temple becomes a symbol for the church, which is God’s temple because the church is indwelt by the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 3:16; 6:19).”89

There is much more that can be said regarding the so called, “Tribulation temple” interpretation here and the way it relates to the Dispensational, Premillennial, Pretribulational system. I do not see sufficient biblical support for this interpretation, nor do I see the support for taking selective sections of this chapter to be literal and others as symbolic when a symbolic interpretation of the entire scene seems much more likely. At the same time, this is very difficult language and certainty, at least to me, is impossible. v.2 – “But leave out the court which is outside the temple, and do not measure it, for it has been given to the Gentiles. And they will tread the holy city underfoot for forty-two months.” – It does not take long to realize how interpretive decisions in one text can determine the interpretation of others. If the reader takes the temple of 11:1 to refer to a literal physical “Tribulation temple” this text is open for the type of interpretation, we saw with Chuck Smith at this point.

John is instructed to make a distinction in the process of measuring. I take this text to continue to the idea of measuring off God’s people in 11:1. If the first part of the command related to John marking off God’s people for protection and blessing, then this second part relates to John marking off the wicked for judgment and destruction as we have already seen in this second woe. This depicts the separation between God’s people and the wicked for a period of time. Likely, that period of time is either the time between the first and second advent of the Lord or something closer to or included in the events of the end as depicted in the Trumpet judgments.

The reader will notice the phrase “forty-two months” here. Of course, that equates to three and a half years, a time designation made quite popular through the Dispensational, Premillennial, Pretribulational system. They argue that it is related to Daniel 9:24-27 (Daniel’s 70th week), a text that many commentators disagree on, and that it has to do with the timeline of the Great Tribulation. I take John’s reference to this number to be taken symbolically, just as I take John’s reference to the temple itself.

89 James M. Hamilton, Revelation: the Spirit Speaks to the Churches (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2012) p.233-234. ______1420 Indian Trace, Weston, FL 33326 | 954.389.4555 | www.fbcweston.org 94

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______v.3 – “And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy one thousand two hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth.” – This verse brings us to another key interpretive decision that is often connected to one of the interpretive models.

a. “two witnesses” – (Deuteronomy 17:6, 19:15) – Who are these witnesses? Is John referring to two actual people or is this to be taken symbolically. I take this to be a continuation of the symbolic language began in v.1 for the following reasons. First, the context of the two preceding verses seems to me to be clearly symbolic in nature. Second, while v.3 seems to provide a simple description of two preaching prophets, v.4, v.5, v.6, v.7, and v.11 seem to be clearly symbolic as well (breathing fire, power to shut heaven and stop rain, power over waters to turn them to blood, strike the earth with plagues, going to war with the beast, their resurrection from the dead).

*It is important to note that in the Dispensational, Pretribulational, Premillennial model, these “two witnesses” are “individuals granted special power and authority by God to preach a message of judgment and salvation during the second half of the tribulation.”90

There are those in this tradition who would identify these two witnesses with historical biblical figures such as Zerubbabel, Joshua, Enoch, Elijah, and Moses. There are also those who suggest this a reference to two previously unknown figures. “Perhaps they are better seen as two remarkable Jewish witnesses who arise during the tribulation with ministries similar to those of Elijah and Moses. Their names would remain unknown to the readers of the Apocalypse since it is more important to grasp the significance of what they do.”91

“It is difficult to decide whether John thought of these two witnesses as actual historical persons or whether they are representative of the church in its witness to Israel. In favor of the latter conclusion is the fact that the two preceding verses, which speak of the measuring of the temple and the inner courts and of the trampling of the outer court, are clearly symbolic.”92

“Let me tell you what I think they symbolize: these two witnesses are symbols of the church proclaiming the gospel. Again, some think there will literally be two witnesses who will arise in the future, but I find the view that the church is symbolically portrayed in 11:1-14 more convincing.

In 11:3-6, John uses images from Old Testament passages that depict God’s preserving the prophetic witness in Israel to describe the way God will preserve the prophetic witness of the church. There are four primary images, and they work backward from the end of Israel’s history in the Old Testament to the beginning of Israel’s history in the Old Testament. The four images are: first, the two olive trees from Zechariah 4, where the community that returned from exile was empowered to rebuild the temple by the two anointed figures,

90 John MacArthur, The MacArthur Study Bible: New King James Version, 2nd ed. (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, Inc., 2019) p.1836 91 Paige Patterson, Revelation (Nashville, TN: B&H Publishing Group, 2012) p.245. 92 George Eldon. Ladd, A Commentary on the Revelation of John (Grand Rapids, Mich: William B. Eerdmans, 1993) p.154. ______1420 Indian Trace, Weston, FL 33326 | 954.389.4555 | www.fbcweston.org 95

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______Joshua the high priest and Zerubbabel the governor; second, the fire that fell from heaven and killed those whom Israel’s wicked king sent to summon Elijah the prophet (2 Kings 1:9-12); third, Elijah’s prayer that it would not rain (1 Kings 17:1; James 5:17); and fourth, the plagues that Moses visited upon Egypt (Exodus 7- 12).”93

James Hamilton depicts this connection in the following table:

OT Image OT Reference OT Personage Revelation two olive trees Zechariah 4 Joshua the high priest 11:4 Zerubbabel the governor Fire consumes enemies 2 Kings 1:9-12 Elijah, wicked king 11:5 Ahaziah and his men No rain 1 Kings 17:1 Elijah, Ahab 11:6a Waters to blood, Exodus 7-12 Moses, Pharaoh 11:6b plagues

b. – “and they will prophesy one thousand two hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth.” – You will notice the mention of the same span of time as in v.2 “forty-two months.” This is of course equivalent to 3.5 years. Just as I did in v.2, I take this to be a symbolic reference to a period of time, perhaps the history of the church. If that is the case, then this is a reference to the gospel preaching ministry of the church throughout that period, with a special focus or emphasis on the end. v.4 – “These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands standing before the God of the earth.” – This verse takes imagery right out of Zechariah 4. The connection here is quite strong, and I believe it supports a symbolic approach to this section and to this verse specifically. This is the first of four OT images that is used in this section.

Zechariah 4:1-14, “Now the angel who talked with me came back and wakened me, as a man who is wakened out of his sleep. 2 And he said to me, “What do you see?” So I said, “I am looking, and there is a lampstand of solid gold with a bowl on top of it, and on the stand seven lamps with seven pipes to the seven lamps. 3 Two olive trees are by it, one at the right of the bowl and the other at its left.” 4 So I answered and spoke to the angel who talked with me, saying, “What are these, my lord?” 5 Then the angel who talked with me answered and said to me, “Do you not know what these are?” And I said, “No, my lord.” 6 So he answered and said to me: “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ Says the Lord of hosts. 7 ‘Who are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain! And he shall bring forth the capstone With shouts of “Grace, grace to it!” ’ ” 8 Moreover the word of the Lord came to me, saying: 9 “The hands of Zerubbabel Have laid the foundation of this temple; His

93 James M. Hamilton, Revelation: the Spirit Speaks to the Churches (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2012) p.237. ______1420 Indian Trace, Weston, FL 33326 | 954.389.4555 | www.fbcweston.org 96

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______hands shall also finish it. Then you will know That the Lord of hosts has sent Me to you. 10 For who has despised the day of small things? For these seven rejoice to see The plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel. They are the eyes of the Lord, Which scan to and fro throughout the whole earth.” 11 Then I answered and said to him, “What are these two olive trees—at the right of the lampstand and at its left?” 12 And I further answered and said to him, “What are these two olive branches that drip into the receptacles of the two gold pipes from which the golden oil drains?” 13 Then he answered me and said, “Do you not know what these are?” And I said, “No, my lord.” 14 So he said, “These are the two anointed ones, who stand beside the Lord of the whole earth.”

“In Zechariah 4, the two olive trees stand beside one lampstand (Zechariah 4:2-3), feeding it oil. The olive trees are identified as “two sons of oil” (Zechariah 4:14, literally translation), meaning that they are anointed with the Spirit to empower the people to rebuild the temple (Zechariah 4:6). The Spirit-empowered leadership of Joshua and Zerubbabel inspired the people of Israel to rebuild the temple “not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts” (Zechariah 4:6). The lampstand was a symbol of the presence of God among the people in the temple. So, this is another connection between “the temple” and “those who worship there” (11:1), another indication that the temple is a symbol of God’s people. In 11:4 “the two olive trees” are identified with the “two lampstands.” Revelation 1:20 states that the lampstands John saw symbolized churches, and that’s what I take them to symbolize here in 11:4.

Therefore, I understand the identification of the two witnesses as two olive trees and two lampstands to mean that the church, which is what the lampstands symbolize, has a prophetic witness that meets the Old Testament requirement that everything be confirmed by two witnesses, and the church’s prophetic witness is empowered by the Spirit, which is what the olive trees symbolize.”94

I take the two witnesses to be symbolic of the church and the prophetic preaching ministry of the church during the church age in general and in the end specifically. The mighty angel connects the two witnesses and this image from Zechariah in a way that further supports the connection between the witness, which are described by the olive trees and lampstands and the church. v.5 – “And if anyone wants to harm them, fire proceeds from their mouth and devours their enemies. And if anyone wants to harm them, he must be killed in this manner.” – Continuing with the symbolic perspective, this would refer to the persecution of the church and the way in which the proclamation of the true gospel includes a pronouncement of coming judgment upon those who continue in their sin and reject Christ. Romans 2:4-5, “Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance? 5 But in accordance with your hardness and your impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God.”

94 Ibid. p.238. ______1420 Indian Trace, Weston, FL 33326 | 954.389.4555 | www.fbcweston.org 97

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______The mighty angel goes back to Old Testament imagery here that John would have been well familiar with. Of course, a literal reading of the two witnesses, would be problematic at this point, as they are depicted of literally breathing fire to destroy their enemies. The imagery likely comes from Elijah and Jeremiah.

2 Kings 1:9-12, “Then the king sent to him a captain of fifty with his fifty men. So he went up to him; and there he was, sitting on the top of a hill. And he spoke to him: “Man of God, the king has said, ‘Come down!’ ” 10 So Elijah answered and said to the captain of fifty, “If I am a man of God, then let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men.” And fire came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty. 11 Then he sent to him another captain of fifty with his fifty men. And he answered and said to him: “Man of God, thus has the king said, ‘Come down quickly!’ ” 12 So Elijah answered and said to them, “If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men.” And the fire of God came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty.”

Jeremiah 5:14, “Therefore thus says the Lord God of hosts: “Because you speak this word, Behold, I will make My words in your mouth fire, And this people wood, And it shall devour them.”

“Those who desire to harm the two witnesses will themselves suffer harm. As explained above, the two witnesses symbolize believers who witness to the gospel of Jesus Christ. If people wish to injure them, fire will come from the mouth of the witnesses to consume their enemies. Certainly, this language is symbolic and apocalyptic, for it is quite unlikely that fire literally comes out of people’s mouths! The fire signifies judgement pronounced on those who refuse to heed the message. Elijah brought fire from heaven twice to consume the enemies of the Lord (2 Kings 1:10,12), and in Jeremiah the Lord says, “I am making my words in your mouth a fire, and this people wood, and the fire shall consume them” (Jeremiah 5:14). In the same way, those who reject the gospel proclaimed by the church will be killed and will face God’s blazing judgment.”95 v.6 – “These have power to shut heaven, so that no rain falls in the days of their prophecy; and they have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to strike the earth with all plagues, as often as they desire.” – The mighty angel continues to describe the two witnesses, which I take to be symbolic of the church by comparing it to the prayer ministry of Elijah, as well as to the plagues on Egypt.

*For those who take the two witnesses to be literal historical biblical figures, this text provides support for one of them being Elijah.

1 Kings 17:1, “And Elijah the Tishbite, of the inhabitants of Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the Lord God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, except at my word.”

95 Iain M. Duguid et al., ESV Expository Commentary (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2018) p.651-652. ______1420 Indian Trace, Weston, FL 33326 | 954.389.4555 | www.fbcweston.org 98

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______James 5:17-18, “Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. 18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.”

I take the first reference here, to Elijah and to the “power to shut heaven, so that no rain falls in the days of their prophecy,” to refer not only to the judgment upon those who die in their sins and who reject the Lord, but also to the prayer ministry of the church during this period, which has already been reference several times in the letter thus far.

“Interestingly, James 5:17 says, “for three years and six months it did not rain” (cf. Luke 4:25; 1 Kings 17:1; 18:1), the same amount of time these two witnesses prophesy in Revelation 11. The drought in Elijah’s day was a demonstration f Yahweh’s superiority over the false gods that Ahab trusted. I would suggest that the invocation of this aspect of Elijah’s ministry points to the many ways the church demonstrates that Yahweh is superior to any other spiritual power, greater than any other so-called god.”96

The second half of this verse makes reference to the plagues on Egypt in the book of Exodus. Specifically, it is a reference to the first plague wherein Moses turned the waters into blood.

Exodus 7:14-25, “So the Lord said to Moses: “Pharaoh’s heart is hard; he refuses to let the people go. 15 Go to Pharaoh in the morning, when he goes out to the water, and you shall stand by the river’s bank to meet him; and the rod which was turned to a serpent you shall take in your hand. 16 And you shall say to him, ‘The Lord God of the Hebrews has sent me to you, saying, “Let My people go, that they may serve Me in the wilderness”; but indeed, until now you would not hear! 17 Thus says the Lord: “By this you shall know that I am the Lord. Behold, I will strike the waters which are in the river with the rod that is in my hand, and they shall be turned to blood. 18 And the fish that are in the river shall die, the river shall stink, and the Egyptians will loathe to drink the water of the river.” ’ ” 19 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, “Say to Aaron, ‘Take your rod and stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt, over their streams, over their rivers, over their ponds, and over all their pools of water, that they may become blood. And there shall be blood throughout all the land of Egypt, both in buckets of wood and pitchers of stone.’ ” 20 And Moses and Aaron did so, just as the Lord commanded. So he lifted up the rod and struck the waters that were in the river, in the sight of Pharaoh and in the sight of his servants. And all the waters that were in the river were turned to blood. 21 The fish that were in the river died, the river stank, and the Egyptians could not drink the water of the river. So there was blood throughout all the land of Egypt. 22 Then the magicians of Egypt did so with their enchantments; and Pharaoh’s heart grew hard, and he did not heed them, as the Lord had said. 23 And Pharaoh turned and went into his house. Neither was his heart moved by this. 24 So all the Egyptians dug all around the river for water to drink, because they could not drink the water of the river. 25 And seven days passed after the Lord had struck the river.”

96 James M. Hamilton, Revelation: the Spirit Speaks to the Churches (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2012) p.238-239. ______1420 Indian Trace, Weston, FL 33326 | 954.389.4555 | www.fbcweston.org 99

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______The purpose of the plagues on Egypt was to demonstrate the power of the one true God, while pointing forward to coming judgments. They were also used by God to affect the deliverance of His people, something the church also has power to do through the preaching of the gospel which leads to something of a personal exodus out of slavery to sin for those who repent and believe.

“Let’s put the meaning of these four images from the Old Testament together. The olive trees symbolize the Spirit’s empowering the church, because olive oil is associated with anointing, and anointing is associated with the coming of the Spirit. The fire than consumes enemies symbolizes divine protection for the church. The power to shut the sky points to demonstrations that Yahweh is the only living and true God, and the ability to bring the plagues highlights the church’s ability to liberate people from bondage through the proclamation of the gospel. The church, then, is empowered by the Spirit, protected by the Father, and able to liberate people through the gospel of Jesus Christ.”97 v.7 – “When they finish their testimony, the beast that ascends out of the bottomless pit will make war against them, overcome them, and kill them.” – The reader is now faced with another interpretive decision in relation to the identity of “the beast.” Who or what is this “beast” who at the end of this age of the gospel ministry of the church will go to war with her? Notice the language here from the start which further the identification of the witnesses with the church. The “beast” is said to “make war” with them, language that hardly makes sense in relation to two people.

Who is the “beast” in this text? I take this to be a reference to “Revived Rome” associated with the Antichrist (Revelation 13). I take the “war” against the witnesses to be a reference to the widespread martyrdom of the church during this terrible time of the sixth trumpet. *There are those who use the Preterist approach to interpret this book who associate the “beast” with the historical Roman Empire and point to the early persecution of the church as the fulfillment of this text.

The language here seems connected to Daniel 7. Consider Daniel 7:15-25, “15 “I, Daniel, was grieved in my spirit within my body, and the visions of my head troubled me. 16 I came near to one of those who stood by, and asked him the truth of all this. So he told me and made known to me the interpretation of these things: 17 ‘Those great beasts, which are four, are four kings which arise out of the earth. 18 But the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom, and possess the kingdom forever, even forever and ever.’ 19 “Then I wished to know the truth about the fourth beast, which was different from all the others, exceedingly dreadful, with its teeth of iron and its nails of bronze, which devoured, broke in pieces, and trampled the residue with its feet; 20 and the ten horns that were on its head, and the other horn which came up, before which three fell, namely, that horn which had eyes and a mouth which spoke pompous words, whose appearance was greater than his fellows.21 “I was watching; and the same horn was making war against the saints, and prevailing against them, 22 until the Ancient of Days came, and a judgment was made in favor of the saints of the Most High, and the time came for the saints to possess the kingdom. Thus

97 Ibid. p.239. ______1420 Indian Trace, Weston, FL 33326 | 954.389.4555 | www.fbcweston.org 100

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______he said: ‘The fourth beast shall be A fourth kingdom on earth, Which shall be different from all other kingdoms, And shall devour the whole earth, Trample it and break it in pieces. 24 The ten horns are ten kings Who shall arise from this kingdom. And another shall rise after them; He shall be different from the first ones, And shall subdue three kings. 25 He shall speak pompous words against the Most High, Shall persecute the saints of the Most High, And shall intend to change times and law. Then the saints shall be given into his hand For a time and times and half a time.”

“This little horn had an initial fulfillment in Antiochus Epiphanes, the Seleucid king who tried to turn the entire Jewish nation away from the worship of her God, but it refers ultimately to the eschatological Antichrist.”98 v.8 – “And their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.” – This verse provides yet another interpretive decision as it relates to the city mentioned here. Some say adamantly it is a reference to Jerusalem. Some say adamantly it is a reference to Rome. Either way, it seems clear the emphasis is on the way in which the “Beast” seeks to not only war against the witnesses / church and destroy it, but also to shame it as is clearly implied by leaving a dead body unburied. v.9 – “Then those from the peoples, tribes, tongues, and nations will see their dead bodies three-and-a-half days, and not allow their dead bodies to be put into graves.” - The beast’s goal here is for the world to see his apparent triumph over the church. Few parts of this chapter have been sensationalized such as this one. Consider the interpretation of one fringe end times speculator. Jack Van Impe writes, “Satellite television, beaming the identical image to every nation on earth, and into every home equipped with a receiver, allows the spectacle to be observed internationally. The action constitutes a victory celebration by the Antichrist, similar to Khomeini’s televised production. In response, the world rejoices. The two “gloom and doom” preachers are gone! No longer will two hellfire advocates spoil their tea parties. No longer will their beer and salami festivals be hindered. The two witnesses are dead.”99

The reader should also note the use of the phrase “three-and-a-half days” and the similarity between the previous time designation which further supports a symbolic interpretation. v.10 – “And those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them, make merry, and send gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth.” – (3:10, 6:10, 8:13, 13:8, 13:14, 17:8) – The phrase “those who dwell on the earth” is a common phrase in this book which refers to the pagan world. This picture then, is a reference to the way in which the objects of God’s judgment will rejoice over the persecution of the church, including when the saints are martyred. They hate God and they hate the gospel.

98 George Eldon. Ladd, A Commentary on the Revelation of John (Grand Rapids, Mich: William B. Eerdmans, 1993) p.156. 99 “Weekly Newsletter - July 30, 2018,” JVIM, August 3, 2018, https://www.jvim.com/weekly-newsletter-july-30-2018/)

______1420 Indian Trace, Weston, FL 33326 | 954.389.4555 | www.fbcweston.org 101

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______v.11 - “Now after the three-and-a-half days the breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and great fear fell on those who saw them.” (Ezekiel 37) – Note here another example of the “three-and-a-half” model we have been tracking. If we continue with the interpretive path we began with, and take these two witnesses to be reflective of the church and her prophetic preaching ministry throughout the church age, and especially leading up to and during the time of the end, and the death they suffered at the hands of the beast as reflective of the persecution and martyrdom of the church, then this text must be taken to reflect the final victory of the church over and through death as a result of the gospel.

Matthew 16:18, “And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.”

John 11:25, “Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.”

1 Corinthians 15:55, “O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?”

John 5:28-29, “ Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice 29 and come forth—those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation.”

“The three and one-half days should not be interpreted literally; they refer to what will happen at the end of history. John draws on the vision of the dry bones in Ezekiel 37, where God’s breath entered the dry bones and they lived and “stood on their feet” (Ezekiel 37:5, 10; cf. also 37:9, 14). Ezekiel wrote of the revivifying and reuniting of Israel and Judah, but he locates its fulfillment at the resurrection. Similarly, john describes here the resurrection of the people of God, those who have witnessed to Jesus Christ. When unbelievers see their vindication, they will be gripped with fear (cf. Ex. 15:16; Ps. 105:38), knowing judgment is at hand.”100

The Dispensational, Pretribulational, Premillennial model which takes these two witnesses as two literal people, who are literally killed and left in the streets, see this as a literal resurrection of these two dead individuals, on par with the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, or perhaps Lazarus. Consider the perspective of Charles Ryrie, “Their restoration to life and miraculous translation to heaven will strike fear in those who see it. Perhaps for the moment they will realize that there is a power greater than that of the Beast. It is not difficult to imagine the scene. A crowd will be standing around or filing past the decaying bodies lying in the street. Undoubtedly, there will be a great deal of radio and television coverage. Suddenly they will stand up; a voice (not the TV announcer’s!) will be heard from heaven; the two witnesses, brought back to life, disappear out of sight in a cloud of glory.”101

100 Iain M. Duguid et al., ESV Expository Commentary (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2018) p.654. 101 Charles Caldwell Ryrie, Revelation (Chicago: Moody Press, 1996) p.86. ______1420 Indian Trace, Weston, FL 33326 | 954.389.4555 | www.fbcweston.org 102

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______v.12 - “And they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here.” And they ascended to heaven in a cloud, and their enemies saw them.” (2 Kings 2:11, Acts 1:9, 1 Thessalonians 4:17) – The “they” here has to be a reference to the two witnesses, which I am taking to be a symbolic reference to the church through the ages. The “loud voice” here is likely the Father Himself (4:!). The calling up of the two witnesses here then should be taken to be a final and visible vindication of the church by the Father through the gospel.

“Whether the two witnesses are two literal prophets or, as I am suggesting, symbolize the church, the point of the text is that evil forces may even kill those who belong to God, but God overcomes death and vindicates his people.”102

I find it instructive here that the two witnesses are immediately taken to heaven after their resurrection and not commissioned to preach the gospel to those who have just witnessed what would be a miracle. This is consistent with the witnesses being the church. There will be no more evangelism done by those who are vindicated by the Lord and taken to heaven.

John MacArthur, who takes the Dispensational, Pretribulational, Premillennial position here does forward a sensible argument for this sudden departure that should be considered. “Some may wonder why the two witnesses were not permitted to preach after their resurrection. But signs and wonders do not make the gospel believable, because “if [unbelievers] do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, neither will they not be persuaded if someone rises from the dead” (Luke 16:31). After hearing the teaching and observing the miraculous ministry of the Son of God, unbelievers rejected and killed Him.”103 v.13 - “In the same hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell. In the earthquake seven thousand people were killed, and the rest were afraid and gave glory to the God of heaven.” (6:12, 8:5, 11:19, 16:18) – The interpretive question here has to do with what it means to say, “the rest were afraid and gave glory to the God of heaven.” As can be found in other parts of Revelation, earthquakes are paired with judgment in texts such as this one. As this ascension of the two witnesses takes place (the vindication of the saints), an earthquake strikes those who were previously seen mocking and persecuting the witnesses (the church). 7,000 of them are said to have been sent immediately to judgment through death, while the remainder of the inhabitants of the city, are said to respond in terror. That fear is said to result in them giving glory to God. The interpretive question has to do with that act. Does it mean that they are converted? Many, both within and outside of the Dispensational, Pretribulational, Premillennial position take this to be a reference to the final conversion of the Jewish people as a whole (Romans 11:4-5, 26). Others take this to be something altogether different and more akin to the way that Nebuchadnezzar gave glory to God though he was clearly not saved in Daniel 4:34. In that case, this would not be a text to support the salvation of the remainder of Jewish people in that city (if it is Jerusalem) at that time.

102 James M. Hamilton, Revelation: the Spirit Speaks to the Churches (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2012) p.242. 103 John MacArthur, Revelation 1-11 (Chicago: Moody Press, 1999) p.305. ______1420 Indian Trace, Weston, FL 33326 | 954.389.4555 | www.fbcweston.org 103

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______v.14 - “The second woe is past. Behold, the third woe is coming quickly.” – We now return to the framework first proposed in 8:13 / 9:12. I take this to mean the preceding events are all part of the sixth trumpet which began in 9:13. v.15 - “Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!” – The scene changes back to the process of the blowing of the seven trumpets. Following the sixth trumpet, which constitutes the second woe, we now come to the final trumpet, or the third woe. Once again john alerts the reader to the sound of voices coming from heaven, only this time it is in the plural. Unlike the first six trumpets which were followed immediately by some form of judgment, this chapter ends before the third woe begins. It serves as something of an interlude, as we have seen before, only this one is centered on God Himself. The reader is taken back up into heaven for a special announcement of sorts. We are nearing the full answer to the prayer from Matthew 6:10; the kingdom of God has come.

a. “The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!” – There is certainly a note of the final victory of Christ and of the church here, which would be consistent with the symbolic view of the witnesses, their death, and their resurrection.

“This is the central theme of the book of Revelation: the establishment of the Kingdom of God on the earth. This involves the wresting of authority from all hostile powers, including the godless nations of earth, and the exercise of all authority by the Lord and his Christ.”104

Warren Wiersbe is quite helpful when he writes, “These “great voices” were probably the choirs of heaven. The great announcement is that the kingdom (John uses the singular because “the beast” now has the world under his control) of this world belongs to Jesus Christ. Of course, Christ does not claim His royal rights until He returns, but the victory has already been won. Satan offered Him the world’s kingdoms, but He refused the offer. Instead, He died on the cross, arose, and returned victoriously to heaven, and there the Father gave Him His inheritance (Psalm 2:4-9).

However, we must not incorrectly assume that our Lord Is not reigning today, because He is. According to Hebrews 7:1-2, Jesus Christ is “King of righteousness” and “King of peace.” He is enthroned with the Father (Revelation 3:21), and He will reign until He defeats all His foes (1 Corinthians 15:25). Today, He rules over a spiritual kingdom, but in that future day, He will reign over the nations of the world and rule with a rod of iron.”105

104 George Eldon. Ladd, A Commentary on the Revelation of John (Grand Rapids, Mich: William B. Eerdmans, 1993) p.161. 105 Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary (Colorado Springs, CO: David C. Cook, 2008) p.600. ______1420 Indian Trace, Weston, FL 33326 | 954.389.4555 | www.fbcweston.org 104

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______v.16 - “And the twenty-four elders who sat before God on their thrones fell on their faces and worshiped God.” (5:8, 5:14, 7:11, 19:4) – If these Elders are representative of the church in some fashion this scene seems to be the most appropriate response. They are worshipping the victorious God who has answered their prayers, and is bringing about the final redemption of all things. v.17 - “saying: “We give You thanks, O Lord God Almighty, The One who is and who was and who is to come, Because You have taken Your great power and reigned.” – This is something of a restatement of what the loud voices said in v.15. Here, they offer thanksgiving to God, seemingly for the gospel and all that has been done by and through the Lord Jesus Christ. It is a recognition of the power of God, as well as the eternal nature or character of God, as well as the sovereign rule of God over all things, v.18 - “The nations were angry, and Your wrath has come, And the time of the dead, that they should be judged, And that You should reward Your servants the prophets and the saints, And those who fear Your name, small and great, And should destroy those who destroy the earth.” – The reader must recognize the critical place of God’s wrath on His enemies in the final redemption of all things. There will be a final judgment and there will be an outpouring of wrath.

Ecclesiastes 12:14, “For God will bring every work into judgment, Including every secret thing, Whether good or evil.”

Acts 17:30-31, “Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, 31 because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.”

Hebrews 9:27, “And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment.”

“God’s kingdom can never be established so long as hostile nations are allowed to defy his rule and to oppress his people. The visitation of God’s wrath is absolutely essential to the establishing of his gracious rule in the world.”106

“The coming of the kingdom means accounts are settled - the wicked are punished and the righteous rewarded. The nations are enraged against God (Ps. 2:1), hating his rule and authority over them (LXX Ex. 15:14, Ps. 98:1), and as a consequence they will face his wrath on the day of judgment (cf. Rev. 6:16 - 17; 14:10, 19; 15:1, 7; Ps. 110:5; Jer. 30:23). The dead will be assessed and judged for their behavior (cf. Rev. 20:12). Two different assessments are made. First, God's servants are given a reward for their faith and endurance. This reward is granted to prophets, saints, and those who fear God's name. It is difficult to know how many groups are in view here, but there are probably two. Often in the OT, the prophets are identified as God's servants, and thus they are probably one of the groups here (e.g., 2 Kings 9:7; 21:10 Ezra 9:11; Jer. 7:25;

106 George Eldon. Ladd, A Commentary on the Revelation of John (Grand Rapids, Mich: William B. Eerdmans, 1993) p.162. ______1420 Indian Trace, Weston, FL 33326 | 954.389.4555 | www.fbcweston.org 105

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______25:4; Ezek. 38:17; Dan. 9:6, 10: Amos 3:7; Zech. 1:6). The saints are described as those who fear God's name. God is impartial and grants the same reward whether one is deemed important or unimportant in society (cf. Rom 2:6-11; cf. also Ps. 115:13; Rev. 19:5). On the other hand, the wicked will be judged; those who destroyed the earth will themselves be destroyed (cf. Jer. 51:25; Rev. 19:2). When the kingdom comes, everything will be set right; the righteous will be vindicated and the wicked will receive what they deserve.”107 v.19 - “Then the temple of God was opened in heaven, and the ark of His covenant was seen in His temple. And there were lightnings, noises, thunderings, an earthquake, and great hail.” – This is symbolic langiage referring to the coming of the kingdom of God as well as to the access that will provide to the saints of God. The saints will no longer be separated from God physically. While the seventh trumpet marks final judgment for the wicked, it also looks forward to the final reward of the saints of God.

“At the death of our Lord, the curtain which separated men from the presence of God was rent in two (Matthew 27:51), signifying that now because of the fulfillment of the Old Testament sacrificial rites in the death of Jesus, the presence of God was no longer limited to Israel but is open to all men (see Hebrews 9:8; 10:20). This, however, was only a spiritual fact, not yet a visible reality. All men now have access in spirit to God through Christ. They remain in their mortal bodies on earth, while God’s temple is located in heaven. God ha reveled himself to men through Jesus of Nazareth, but his own dwelling remains in heaven (3:12; 7:15; 15:5); he does not dwell among men. The point of the present passage is a symbolic representation of the opening up of the presence of God in eschatological consumption. God’s temple in heaven was opened that men may henceforth enter into unmediated fellowship with him. This is a symbolic way of proclaiming what is fulfilled in Revelation 21:3, “Behold, the dwelling of God is with men.”108

Chapter 12

Chapter 12, like chapter 11, is filled with symbolism and is presented as a “great sign.” A second “sign” can be found in v.3. Due to the incredible imagery presented here, the reader must use caution, wisdom, and depend upon the Scriptures as a whole with the help of the Holy Spirit. While I have drawn my own conclusions regarding the signs set forth in this chapter and the identity of the major characters described within it, I understand there is disagreement even among solid orthodox commentators. Therefore, I will once again encourage the reader to hold their Bibles tightly and their interpretations loosely.

This chapter is a clear example of the way in which an interpretive model can ultimately dictate the way a text is interpreted. Chapter 12 provides a perfect example of the way interpretive models relative to chapter 20 actually intersect with and affect the reading of prior chapters.

107 Iain M. Duguid et al., ESV Expository Commentary (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2018) p.657. 108 George Eldon. Ladd, A Commentary on the Revelation of John (Grand Rapids, Mich: William B. Eerdmans, 1993) p.163. ______1420 Indian Trace, Weston, FL 33326 | 954.389.4555 | www.fbcweston.org 106

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______Though the seventh trumpet was announced in 11:15-19, chapters 12-14, serve as yet another interlude in between judgments. Dr Sprinkle writes, “These chapters (12-14), though in one sense parenthetical, nonetheless form the heart of this book. The struggle of the saints against the dragon (the Devil) and against various “Antichrists” was exactly the kind of conflict John’s original readers found themselves in, struggling against the Caesar who were more and more resembling the Antichrist of Daniel’s prophecy and John’s Revelation. But the saints of that age and our own are to be encouraged, for the forces of hell, as powerful as they may be, for all their terror and might, will ultimately lose out. The victory belongs to the saints and to Christ.”109

There is an interpretive question that frames the entire chapter that should be considered. Does this chapter represent an exclusively eschatological conflict in heaven, or are they more representative of the historical and ongoing unseen spiritual conflict going on even today? I would argue that the answer would be yes. That is, I take this chapter to represent both.

“He parts the curtain that separates earth from heaven to depict a great warfare in the spiritual world. The experience of the church in suffering tribulation on earth is the manifestation in history of a spiritual battle. Behind the beast is the dragon – the devil, Satan – whose aim it is to frustrate the rule of God through his Messiah and destroy God’s people. Chapter 12 describes in mythological terms this heavenly warfare. It explains to God’s people on earth why they must face such satanic evil and persecution; but it assures them that in reality Satan has already been conquered and they are therefore able to conquer him by the blood of the lamb.”110

“All of history concludes with the seventh trumpet and the third woe, but John steps back so that readers can survey history from another perspective. The perspective is cosmic, encompassing the battle with the Devil (12:1-17), the emergence of two beasts (13:1-18), and the visions of heaven and earth (14:1-20). The focus in chapter 12 is on the conflict with the Devil, a conflict going back to Genesis 3. John opens up a transcendent and heavenly view for his readers. The first sign is a woman who rules the world, representing the people of God (Rev. 12:1). This woman is in agony as she is about to give birth (v. 2). But another sign appears in heaven, a red dragon who opposes the woman (v. 3). The dragon is intent upon devouring the child the woman is about to bring into the world (v. 4). The child is the one intended to rule the world as the son of David, rescued from the dragon by being exalted to God's throne (v. 5) - referring to Jesus' resurrection and ascension. The woman flees to the wilderness for protection and is nourished by God for 1,260 days (v. 6).”111 v.1 – “Now a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a garland of twelve stars.” – (Psalm 2:8-9) – John’s attention is once again directed to heaven. This is the first of two signs, and this one is focused on this woman. The woman is described in a way

109 The Book of Revelation notes by Dr. Joseph M. Sprinkle. 110 George Eldon. Ladd, A Commentary on the Revelation of John (Grand Rapids, Mich: William B. Eerdmans, 1993) p.166. 111 Iain M. Duguid et al., ESV Expository Commentary (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2018) p.658-659. ______1420 Indian Trace, Weston, FL 33326 | 954.389.4555 | www.fbcweston.org 107

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______that is beyond comprehension. She is clothed with the sun, standing on the moon, and wearing a crown with twelve stars. This seems to be comparable to Joseph’s dream in Genesis 37.

Genesis 37:9-11, “Then he dreamed still another dream and told it to his brothers, and said, “Look, I have dreamed another dream. And this time, the sun, the moon, and the eleven stars bowed down to me.” 10 So he told it to his father and his brothers; and his father rebuked him and said to him, “What is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall your mother and I and your brothers indeed come to bow down to the earth before you?” 11 And his brothers envied him, but his father kept the matter in mind.”

There are three main characters in this chapter and the key to rightly interpreting these verses is dependent upon rightly identifying the characters. The woman is the first of the three characters in this chapter and is the most difficult to identify. Historically, there have been three main options to identify this woman.

First, there are those that take this to be referring to Mary (Catholic view), the actual birth mother of the Lord Jesus Christ. This view is somewhat supported by v.5, assuming that the child in that verse id the Lord Jesus Christ.

Second, there are those who would suggest the woman is Israel (Dispensational view).

Third, which has been held by the overwhelming majority of commentators throughout church history, is that this woman represents symbolic Israel, or simply the true people of God, which we would know today, and can see in this chapter as manifested in the church. This view is not only supported by the way the woman is described as persecuted by Satan in the following verses, but also by the imagery of the twelve stars which can be seen as representative of not only the twelve tribes, but the twelve apostles.

It is important to note that each of these options seem to have inherent problems.

“Is she Mary the mother of Jesus? Early Christian literature lists no references to that effect. Epiphanius of Salamis, approximately in the middle of the fourth century, is the first one to note that “some individuals [unnamed] were identifying the woman with Mary. But the New Testament speaks against this exegesis, because for herself Mary assumes a modest place in society and church. Also, during the Middle Ages the majority of writers equated the woman not with Mary, but with the church.

Other scholars interpret the woman to be Israel, regarded by God as his wife (Isaiah 54:3-6, Jeremiah 31:32, Ezekiel 16:32, Hosea 2:16). When John composed the Apocalypse, however, many Jews in the dispersion were members of the synagogue of Satan; they persecuted the Christians (2:9, 3:9). Further, the Jewish people, unable to rebuild Jerusalem after its destruction in AD 70, have left no record of a national conversion after that date.

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______Still others see that Satan attacks God’s covenant people from the time of the fall into sin to the consummation, so that the woman he assaults represents the covenant community of both Old Testament and New Testament eras (Hebrews 11:39-40). The people of these two eras demonstrate a oneness by calling her mother. She gave birth to the Messiah (Isaiah 7:14), for she represents Christ’s human ancestry that incorporates Gentile Christians of the new covenant (Romans 9:5; 11:11-21). The woman’s children, John intimates, are “the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ” (v.17). John teaches the unity of the people of God.”112

The problems associated with interpreting the woman with Mary seem to be the greatest and therefore that view seems to be the least supported by Scripture. Patterson points out, “Mary is always represented in the Scriptures as a peasant girl from the town of Nazareth in Galilee, and nowhere does she appear clothed with the sun, the moon under her feet, stars on her head. Only later in church history does one find the development of Marian piety and begin to see Mary gloriously displayed in iconography.”113

The problems associated with Israel, are complicated in nature, as it seems somewhat dependent upon a Dispensational approach to the salvation of remaining Israel during the tribulation (see discussion on 11:13). It would also make national Israel the figurative mother of Jesus, as well as the church. It would have to be taken as referring to Israel in two completely distinct ways; first as non-converted Godless Israel who produced Mary in a way, but also crucified Jesus, as well as the Israel of the dispensational model that has been converted to Christ during the Great Tribulation.

There do seem to be problems with interpreting the woman as the church as well, though they can be reconciled when taking a broader view of the redeemed people of God. Namely, it seems problematic for the church to give birth to Christ, when He clearly gives birth to the church. v.2 – “Then being with child, she cried out in labor and in pain to give birth.” – In the first verse we get something of a physical description of the woman. Now, we learn more about that woman. She is pregnant. She is pregnant, and now as he sees this sign, she is actually in labor, and he wants us to see that she is actively in pain. Now of course, this is something we can understand as these two things go together.

In the OT, Israel is seen to be the symbolic mother of God’s people Israel, as well as of the Messiah. We see that in texts like Micah 4:10a, “Be in pain, and labor to bring forth, O daughter of Zion, Like a woman in birth pangs.” And in texts like Micah 5:3-4, “Therefore He shall give them up, Until the time that she who is in labor has given birth; Then the remnant of His brethren Shall return to the children of Israel. 4 And He shall stand and feed His flock In the strength of the Lord, In the majesty of the name of the Lord His God; And they shall abide, For now He shall be great To the ends of the earth.”

112 Simon J. Kistemaker, New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 2001) p.354-355. 113 Paige Patterson, Revelation (Nashville, TN: B&H Publishing Group, 2012) p.260. ______1420 Indian Trace, Weston, FL 33326 | 954.389.4555 | www.fbcweston.org 109

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______Now that would seem to be a great case for this woman being national Israel, but the New Testament won’t let us take that step. Paul actually refers to the mother of the church in writing to the church at Galatia. There he refers to our mother as the heavenly Jerusalem, or symbolic Israel, or God’s true people, which are distinct from national Israel. Galatians 4:26, “but the Jerusalem above is free, which is the mother of us all.” v.3 – “And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great, fiery red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems on his heads.” – The scene quickly shifts away from the woman in the midst of labor pains, about to give birth, to what will constitute the second “sign” in this chapter. No, John sees a dragon. This is the second of three major characters the reader must identify in this chapter. This character, is far easier to identify than the woman, as John tells us exactly who this is in 12:9, “So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.” The dragon is Satan.

The image so far is both fascinating and terrifying. We have a woman in labor pains, described in otherworldly terms and now we have a “great, fiery red dragon” with seven heads. It is important to note, that Satan is not to be thought of as an actual dragon any more than we should think heavenly Israel / God’s people to be a woman.

“The symbolic language used to describe him pictures the reality of his person and character. Only in Revelation is Satan referred to as a dragon; before that he is called (among other names) a serpent (Gen. 3:1ff.; 2 Cor. 11:3). A dragon is a far more terrifying symbol. In the Old Testament the same Hebrew word translated dragon (Isa. 27:1, 51:9) is also translated monster or sea monster (Gen. 1:21; Job 7:12; Pss. 74:13; 148:7; Jer. 51:34; Ezek. 29:3; 32:2). It pictures a large, ferocious, and terrifying animal. Red, the color of fiery destruction and bloodshed, further stresses Satan's vicious, deadly, destructive nature. In the words of Jesus, "He was a murderer from the beginning" (John 8:44). The Hebrew word for "serpent" (nachash) used in Genesis 3:1 is used interchangeably in some texts with the Hebrew word for dragon (tannin) (cf. Ex. 7:9, 15). So the animal Satan used in the Garden of Eden was a reptile, but one not yet cast down to its belly (Gen. 3:14). Likely, it was more upright - a dragon standing upon two legs, cursed to walk on four legs close to the ground, or slither like a snake. Red is a fitting color for the dragon, since he attacks both the woman and her child.”114

“This parodies Jesus Christ, who also is portrayed in Revelation as having horns and diadems (5:6; 19:12). The seven diadems on the dragon stand for his ruling authority, and the ten horns signify his strength.”115 v.4 – “His tail drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was ready to give birth, to devour her Child as soon as it was born.” (Job 38:7, Isaiah 14:12- 15, Ezekiel 28:12-17, Daniel 8:10, Matthew 25:41) - This text may reference Satan falling and taking one third

114 John MacArthur, Revelation 12-22 (Chicago: Moody Press, 1999) p.6-7. 115 Iain M. Duguid et al., ESV Expository Commentary (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2018) p.659. ______1420 Indian Trace, Weston, FL 33326 | 954.389.4555 | www.fbcweston.org 110

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______of the angels with him. If so, it would be an allusion to Daniel 8:10, “And it grew up to the host of heaven; and it cast down some of the host and some of the stars to the ground, and trampled them.”

“And the dragon stood before the woman who was ready to give birth, to devour her Child as soon as it was born.” - The great red dragon is standing in front of the woman in labor waiting for the baby to be delivered so he can devour it. This picture is meant to reveal the rage that Satan has towards the baby this woman is going to have. This baby is the object of Satan’s persecution from beginning to end. v.5 – “She bore a male Child who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron. And her Child was caught up to God and His throne.” (Isaiah 66:7)- The great red dragon apparently did not successfully devour this child. Instead, God Himself stepped in and protected the child, ultimately bringing the child to His throne. There can be no other explanation than to identify this baby with the Lord Jesus Christ. Consider Psalm 2:7-9, “I will declare the decree: The Lord has said to Me, ‘You are My Son, Today I have begotten You. 8 Ask of Me, and I will give You The nations for Your inheritance, And the ends of the earth for Your possession. 9 You shall break them with a rod of iron; You shall dash them to pieces like a potter’s vessel.”

I take the incarnation, life, ministry, death, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ to be described in this one verse, from birth to ascension to heaven. This is consistent with what can be seen in the New Testament relative to the way Satan opposed the Lord and sought to deter Him and ultimately destroy Him. This is a very important perspective on the cross, as the reader is reminded of the ultimate victory won by Christ on the cross. v.6 – “Then the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, that they should feed her there one thousand two hundred and sixty days.” – John is watching church history unfold before His eyes in this heavenly “sign.” Though Satan is unable to defeat and destroy the Lord, he still seeks to go after the woman, which I take to be the church. This is another argument for the woman being identified with the church. If the Son is Christ, then the post ascension flight of the woman could only fit the church being persecuted under the direction of Satan.

John is witnessing the persecution of the church and her life in the “wilderness” in this age as she awaits the return of Christ. So where is this “wilderness?” We need to remember we are dealing with a great deal of symbolism here when we see this word, and yet we need to be able to see how it connects to the Old Testament. For Israel, the wilderness was a judgment, a place of testing, and a place where God displayed His power and love towards His people and called them to obedience and faith. The wilderness was not the Promised Land, but it was the place God’s people were before they made it there. Here the woman is depicted as fleeing into the wilderness to get away from the great red dragon.

John says she went there for “one thousand two hundred and sixty days.” We will see something similar in v.14, as well as in 11:3. In 12:14 he refers to it as “a time and times and half a time.” I am going to agree with many commentators both present and throughout the history of the church that take this to be a symbolic ______1420 Indian Trace, Weston, FL 33326 | 954.389.4555 | www.fbcweston.org 111

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______time period that we are currently living in and that will end when the Lord returns. Just as God tested, provided for, and kept Israel in the wilderness, so God does the same for the church now in this age. This number was a very familiar number for Jewish people as it would immediately remind them of the infamous Maccabean Revolt where Israel fought and defeated the Syrians under the terrible and ruthless reign of Antiochus Epiphanes which took three and a half years. I take this to be a time symbolic of the age we are living in before the return of Christ. If you could take a picture of all of time and snap it from heaven, this would be at the core of it. This is what is central to all time and history, the Work of God in the person of Jesus and His protection and preservation of His people.

It is important to note how the Dispensational identification of the woman as redeemed Israel during the Tribulation affects this interpretation. They would take this to be a description of the flight of the Jewish saints on earth during that time under the persecution of Antichrist. “Antichrist apparently enters into a covenant with the nation Israel at the outset of the tribulation period. However, the truth is that the final world system is even more anti-Semitic than the kingdoms of Hitler, Stalin, or other anti-Semitic leaders. The covenant made with the people of God at the outset of the tribulation is broken halfway through; and the dragon unable to do anything about the Messiah himself, turns his fury on the woman. Therefore, the woman is taken to a safe place in the wilderness where she is miraculously preserved by God for the last 1,260 days. Were it not for this miraculous preservation, the long-standing antagonism of Satan against the Jewish people would lead to their annihilation. But God intervenes miraculously to preserve and protect a remnant.”116

116 Paige Patterson, Revelation (Nashville, TN: B&H Publishing Group, 2012) p.266. ______1420 Indian Trace, Weston, FL 33326 | 954.389.4555 | www.fbcweston.org 112