Revelation and the End Times By Norman B. Willis Copyright © Nazarene Israel, 6020 (2020) Unraveling the Prophetic Storyline Good use permitted. in the Book of Revelation Second Edition 6020 (2020 CE) Print on Demand by Custom Book Publishing. v2.50 For questions, comments, suggestions, or donations, please contact: [email protected] By Norman B. Willis For more information or studies, visit us on the Internet, at www.nazareneisrael.org 1 2 Table of Contents: Armageddon: The Wedding Feast 167 Preface 5 About the Rapture 177 Charts of the Revelation Story 9 The Ingathering and the Millennium 189 The Four Horses of Revelation 15 The Second War of Gog and Magog 197 The Great at Seal Six 27 The Judgment and the New Earth 203 The Anti-Messiah’s Temple 37 The Flock and Her Shepherds 207 The 144,000 and the Great Multitude 47 Avoid the Early Ingathering 213 The First Four Trumpets 55 The Dry Bones and the Two Trees 217 Trumpets Five and Six 63 A Restored Islamic Caliphate 227 The Two Witnesses 69 Fear Yahweh, and Him Only 239 Trumpet 7: The Turning Point 77 America: Land of Babylon 245 Revelation 12: Israel in the Wilderness 83 The Five Beasts of Daniel 93 The Beasts of Revelation 13 107 The Mark and Number of the Beast 115 The 144,000 and the Grapes of Wrath 127 The Cup Judgments 137 The Harlot’s Judgment 145 Come Out of Her, My People 157 3 4 Preface suggest that the Renewed Covenant is wrong, because it does agree with the Masoretic text. Without getting into too much detail here, the Hebrew Masoretic Text dates Readers often ask me what version of Scripture I use. back only to 900-1100 CE, and it is the result of an Normally I quote from the New King James Version Orthodox Jewish attempt to “fix” (or standardize) the (NKJV), basically because it is widely trusted and easy texts in keeping with Orthodox Jewish traditions (one of to read. However, I also correct the names and terms to which is to reject the deity of Yeshua [Jesus]). This is not the Hebraic forms, for reasons I will explain in this book. cause for despair. We simply have to realize that our When I feel it is helpful to clarify something, or to give Orthodox brethren made some small changes and additional information, I will place my words in brackets. alterations to the Text over the course of centuries, and then realize that Yahweh is faithful to give us what we Unless noted otherwise, all Hebrew and Aramaic quotes need, when we need it—and that by careful scholarship from the Tanach (Old Testament) are from the Hebrew we can deduce what has been changed and why. Masoretic Text (MT). Unless noted otherwise, all quotes in Aramaic for the Renewed Covenant (New Testament) I have chosen to use the Hebraic names and terms for are from the Eastern Peshitta. For Greek I will normally reasons I hope will be clear by the time you finish quote from the BibleWorks Greek Text (BGT). If I quote reading this study. In many places, Yahweh (Jehovah) anything else, I will try to let you know. tells us that He is zealous for His name, and He promises to reward those who know His name. For historical reasons that are too complex to explain here, the Protestant world has come to believe that the Tehillim (Psalms) 91:14 apostles first wrote their epistles in Greek. This is not 14 "Because he has set his love upon Me, accurate. As we explain in this book, the church fathers therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, tell us the epistles were written in a Semitic tongue because he has known My name.” (Hebrew or Aramaic, or both). They were translated into Greek afterwards. However, the Hebrew and Aramaic If it is clear that Yahweh says we should know and use originals are no longer with us, and there is evidence that His name, the exact pronunciation of His name is a some of the Greek texts are older than the existing subject of some discussion. I pronounce His name as Aramaic texts. For this reason, I normally use the Greek Yahweh (or Yahuweh), and I will write Yahweh in this texts for textual analysis. book. If you feel convicted of another pronunciation, (Yehovah, etc.), please substitute it as you read. It is true that all of the texts we have today have been altered over time (including the so-called “original” In Hebrew, the term for God is Elohim. I will use the Hebrew Masoretic Text). It is important to know this Hebraic term in this book because the word God is because anti-missionaries will oftentimes point to some actually the name of a Germanic sun deity, and we are of the discrepancies between the Hebrew Masoretic told not to use the names of other deities (e.g., Exodus Text and the Renewed Covenant texts, and then 23:13). Further, I will normally use the name Yeshua for 5 6 the name of our Messiah, as that is what His mother called him, and I feel it is more respectful to call Him by His actual name. (For a more complete discussion of the divine names, please see “The Set apart Names,” in Nazarene Scripture Studies, Volume 1.) Because this book is a primer, and because many people will read individual chapters on the Internet, I ask for your patience as I give the English names the first time they are used in each chapter. I will then use the Hebraic names for the rest of the chapter. Hitgalut (Revelation) 3:10 I know that nothing done of man is perfect, but I hope that this book will help advance an understanding of the “Because you have kept My command to persevere, faith our Messiah originally taught His apostles to keep. I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, If you have questions or constructive suggestions, to test those who dwell on the earth.” please write me: [email protected] Norman B. Willis In the Ephraimite Dispersion, Estimated 6020 (2020 CE). 7 8 Charts of the Revelation Story Most passages in Revelation belong to a chronological sequence of events, which we call the storyline. We show the storyline in white on the following charts. In addition to the storyline, there are also parenthetical chapters which give us additional details about past or future events. These are set into the storyline. If we can keep track of which chapters belong to the chronology of events, and which chapters are set into the storyline, it makes it much easier to follow the story The parable of the pregnant bride (Israel): that Revelation tells. - The seals play out over hundreds of years (analogous to a child growing in Israel’s womb). - The trumpets play out over 7 years (analogous to her labor contractions). - The time of Jacob’s Trouble is the last 3.5 years of the tribulation (increasing contractions). - The thunders play out during trumpet 6 (these correspond to her cries of pain). - The cup (bowl) judgments play out over 30 days (birthing of redeemed Israel). - Armageddon comes 45 days after the cup (bowl) judgments conclude. This is the wedding feast (Hosea 2), when Yeshua returns (Rev. 19:11). This is also the first war of Gog and Magog (Ezekiel 39). All those who are asleep in Yeshua at that time go back to heaven with Yeshua, while those who are still awake (alive) go through the Ingathering, and carry out the prophecies of the millennium. 9 10 Assembly Ephesus Smyrna Pergamos Thyatira Sardis Philadelphia Inset Laodicea Seals Seal 1 Seal 2 Seal 3 Seal 4 Seal 5 Seal 6 Sealing of 144,000 Seal 7 Seals play out White horse Red horse Black horse Green/Gray/ More must die Heaven departs like The 144,000 are Silence in heaven ½ over centuries (Papacy, (Marxism, (Central Dappled horse before the blood scroll (nuclear war). protected from harm hour (20.67 years?) UN/URI), Socialism, Banking, (Islam and Islamic of the martyrs Rise of NWO brings through trumpet 5 while NWO is Papal-style Communism, Bilderberg, terror) will be avenged social earthquake. eslelished and a “Xtianity” Democracy) Fed, IMF, etc.) (We are here, Possible early generation is raised (Judaism) 2015 CE) ingathering to the with a papal temple land of Israel in Jerusalem Trumpets Trumpet 1 Trumpet 2 Trumpet 3 Trumpet 4 Trumpet 5 Trumpet 6 2 Witnesses Trumpet 7 7 years of Spiritual hail, Mountain Wormwood 1/3 sun struck Figurative star 200 million man Outer court of anti- Greatest earthquake destruction fire, and (empire) cast star falls from (Xtianity), (demon) falls to army kills 1/3 men. messiah’s temple ever, refers to fall of takes place by blood; one- into sea; 1/3 heaven, 1/3 of 1/3 moon struck earth, opens pit. Seven thunders trodden underfoot 42 Babylonian system thirds (large third of trees sea becomes the waters (Judaism), All but those take place, but are months. Two (Daniel 2:26-27). minority) as the and all blood, 1/3 of (doctrines) 1/3 of stars struck sealed are sealed up. witnesses die and Kingdom of Yahweh NWO builds up green grass ships ruined, become bitter, (Islam), plagued for 5 Jacob’s Trouble (3 are resurrected. set up (takes time to to the time of burned up 1/3 of all sea men die (lose 1/3 of the day months 1/2 years) 144,000 may also play out) Jacob’s creatures die spiritual life) due does not shine WOE 1 WOE 2 die at this time.