A DEAFENING SILENCE IN HEAVEN

With this post we will continue building on the foundation of information established in previous posts.  This post begins with the opening of the seventh seal.

Revelation 8:1 “And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour.”

It would seem that after a time of praise and worship in heaven, the opening of the seventh seal causes all in heaven to become silent in anticipation of what will follow.  We are talking billions of angels and saints; that silence must be deafening.

Revelation 8:2-5 “And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets. And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel’s hand. And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast it into the earth: and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake.”

Either during or directly after that silence it seems that a special ceremony is conducted before God that is directly connected to the trumpet judgments to follow.  The seven angels that will authorize the next seven judgments are presented the trumpets they will blow to announce the dispensing of each judgment.  Another angel with a golden censer appears to offer incense along with the prayers of the saints on the golden altar before the throne.  The smoke that arises from the burning incense is directly related to the prayers of the saints that ascend to God. 

When I think of an altar, I think of sacrifice.  I believe that the incense being offered represents the sweet smell of obedience to the Lord, sacrifices that were made in obedience to God—especially the sacrifice of His Son.  We were told in Revelation 5:8 that the prayers of the saints were odours.  The word for odours is the same word for incense—thumiama.  Prayer is also a sweet smell of obedience to the Lord.

1 Thessalonians 5:17-18 “Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”

The smoke from the incense ascends before God from the censer in the angel’s hand.  He then takes the censer and fills it with fire from the altar.  Sacrifices made at the altar were representative of judgment for sin.  Now the fire from the heavenly altar is being cast to the earth in approval of the judgment against sin that is to follow. 

Most of my life I have heard it taught that the seventh seal only served to introduce the seven trumpet judgments.  Actually, it also results in judgment on earth.  When it is opened, the people on earth experience:

·      Voices – noises, sounds, voices are all possibilities

·      Thunderings – to roar

·      Lightnings – lightning, glare, bright shining

·      an earthquake – a commotion, rock to and fro, agitation, shaking

Are the voices in some way associated with our prayers?  Are the voices understandable?  Where is the center of this activity?  Is it worldwide?  From my perspective, the thunderings and lightnings aren’t as frightening as the earthquake—but I’m not sure but what the voices would be the cause of greatest fear. 

The specific answers to my questions aren’t what are important.  What is important is that God is trying to get the attention of those on planet earth—to get as many to call on Him for deliverance as will. 

Romans 10:13 “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

(to be continued…)

THE RESURRECTED SAINTS IN HEAVEN BEFORE THE THRONE OF GOD

Continuing our stroll through Revelation, we have finally come to the place where John witnesses the resurrected saints before the throne of God.

Revelation 7:9-17 “After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb. And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God, Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen.one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? And whence came they? And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.”

It seems as plain as the nose on my face to identify this multitude with the resurrected saints, including those that were raptured and delivered from God’s wrath.  The description of this group in verse 9 is a definition of the body of believers—the very same terminology that was used in chapter 5, verse 9.  

Revelation 5:9-10 “… Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.”

It accords with the truth declared by Paul.

1 Corinthians 15:51-52 “Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.”

1 Thessalonians 4:15-17 “For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.”

This also fits perfectly with the words of Jesus recorded by John in his gospel.

John 14:1-3 “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.”

When John was caught up to heaven in the fourth chapter, which many people interpret as meaning that the rapture happens at that point, Jesus is nowhere to be found and the 24 elders are assumed to represent the body of believers.  At this point in chapter seven, however, we see a great multitude of believers from every people group standing in the presence of Jesus before the throne of the Father—“that where I am, there ye may be also.”  It just makes so much sense to me.

The scene is one of worship and praise by all who are in heaven.  Notice that the scene includes the peoples of the nations, the angels, the elders and the four beasts.  If the 24 elders represented those raptured, why are they identified separately?

I’ve never really stopped to analyze what they were saying before.  “Salvation to our God.”  When I looked up the original, there was no word given for “to.”  I tend to think it should read “of.”  Salvation speaks of deliverance.  I think they are praising God and the Lamb for deliverance on their behalf.  Psalm 3:8 is a good reference:  “Salvation belongeth unto the LORD: thy blessing is upon thy people.”

Obviously, God does not need to be delivered from anything.  Again, the reference is made to the One “upon the throne.”  In other words, they are aware of who is in control.  The expanded Greek translation by Kenneth Wuest reads, “The salvation [is to be ascribed] to our God….”

I have often heard it taught that these are tribulation saints, but that has never really made good sense to me.  John has barely begun to describe coming events.  It is often pointed out that these saints have come out of “great tribulation.”  The truth is that the scripture declares that all believers will enter the kingdom through “much tribulation.”

Acts 14:21-22 “And when they had preached the gospel to that city, and had taught many, they returned again to Lystra, and to Iconium, and Antioch, Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.”

1 Thessalonians 3:4 “For verily, when we were with you, we told you before that we should suffer tribulation; even as it came to pass, and ye know.”

Romans 8:35 “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?”

Jesus declared the same truth.

John 16:33 “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”

It was a truth recognized by John in the opening chapter of the Revelation record.

Revelation 1:9 “I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ….”

All believers are aptly described as coming “out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.”

To live in the presence of the Savior and enjoy all the blessings that accompany that position will be the privilege of every true believer.

Romans 8:9-18 “But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.”

(to be continued…)

A SEAL OF PROTECTION FOR 144,000 JEWISH BELIEVERS

I think it is important to continue to remind you that these posts are building on one another from a foundation established in all previous posts, and they need to be read in order for the best understanding.

With the opening of chapter seven, we find God sealing 144,000 Jewish witnesses to testify to His truth after the removal of the body of believers in the true church. 

Revelation 7:1-8 “And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree. And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea, Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads. And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel. Of the tribe of Juda were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Reuben were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Gad were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Aser were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Nepthalim were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Manasses were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Simeon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Levi were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Issachar were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Zabulon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Joseph were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Benjamin were sealed twelve thousand.”

As will be seen throughout the Revelation record, angels function as God’s agents for carrying out God’s will concerning events on planet earth.  In light of the glimpses provided in the biblical record, I believe they have been just as busy behind the scenes throughout history as they will be in the future; it’s just that in the Revelation record their work is being more publicly proclaimed.

Four angels are identified as having the authority to prevent further acts of judgment on planet earth until 144,000 Jewish witnesses (12,000 each from the twelve tribes of Israel) have been sealed for supernatural protection during this time of judgment.  I think it is significant that these angels are identified as controlling the winds, a force of nature that often causes destruction widely recognized as an “act of God.”

It comes to my mind that every time there is a pause, there is another golden opportunity for salvation.  The church has fulfilled its purpose and has been removed; however, God always ensures that He has a witness on earth.  In light of the preceding rapture, this 144,000 along with God’s two special witnesses (introduced in chapter 11, but clearly identified as testifying during the first 3.5 years of the 7-year tribulation period) become the primary witnesses of the gospel and the truth of scripture.

The events of the sixth seal judgment have evidently resulted in many Jews finally accepting the truth of scripture and turning to the Lord Jesus in faith.  It is also fitting that God’s primary witnesses during the tribulation period be Jewish, since the purpose of that time period is to produce a purified remnant of Jewish believers through whom God will fulfill His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob. 

In contrast to his attempt to express the number of angels he saw in Revelation 5:11, John is very specific about the number of servants sealed; it is 144,000.  Many struggle with the different listings of the twelve tribes of Israel throughout scripture.  The important thing to note is that twelve tribes are always designated as representing the whole of the Jewish people. 

In this listing the tribes of Dan and Ephraim are not named, the two tribes that were noted for establishing idolatry in Israel.  The wonderful thing is that the tribes of Dan and Ephraim will be restored to a place of blessing in the millennium according to Ezekiel.  God will fulfill His promise to Abraham.  Romans 11:29 states that “the calling of God is without repentance.”

Ezekiel 47:13 Thus saith the Lord GOD; This shall be the border, whereby ye shall inherit the land according to the twelve tribes of Israel:

Ezekiel 48:1 & 5 Now these are the names of the tribes. From the north end to the coast of the way of Hethlon, as one goeth to Hamath, Hazarenan, the border of Damascus northward, to the coast of Hamath; for these are his sides east and west; a portion for Dan….And by the border of Manasseh, from the east side unto the west side, a portion for Ephraim.

Although the Jewish people have been scattered throughout the world for almost 2,000 years, God has no problem in identifying the physical lineage of the 144,000 witnesses.

(to be continued…)

JESUS OPENS THE SIXTH SEAL

As always, the information presented in this post proceeds from the foundation established in previous posts.  That foundation is prerequisite to the best understanding of the information to follow.

Revelation 6:12-17 “And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind. And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?”

The sixth seal is identified as the beginning of “the great day of His wrath” [the Lamb, Jesus, as identified in previous posts].  I let that fact stumble me for the longest time, because I am a staunch pre-tribulation rapture believer.  As I finally chose to open myself to the possibility that my long-held views were possibly off the mark, I came to the realization that the pretrib and prewrath views were complimentary; one did not have to exclude the other.  Recognizing that the first four seals mirrored the “birth pain” signs described by Jesus was one of the first keys to clarifying my understanding.

The first impact of this seal is a great earthquake event.  There is no specific location identified as the center point of this event, but it has an impact that is felt worldwide.  This earthquake is so powerful that it causes the mountains and islands of the earth to change positions.  The 9.0 earthquakes in Indonesia in December 2004 and in Japan in March 2011 could foreshadow this event.  Following is an excerpt from Wikipedia regarding these quakes.

Re 2004:  “The magnitude of the earthquake was originally recorded as 9.0 on the Richter scale, but has been upgraded to between 9.1 and 9.3. At this magnitude, it is the second largest earthquake ever recorded on a seismograph. This earthquake was also reported to be the longest duration of faulting ever observed, lasting between 500 and 600 seconds (8.3 to 10 minutes), and it was large enough that it caused the entire planet to vibrate as much as half an inch, or over a centimeter.  It also triggered earthquakes in other locations as far away as Alaska.”

Re 2011:  It was “one of the five most powerful earthquakes in the world since modern record keeping began in 1900. The earthquake triggered powerful tsunami waves that reached heights of up to 40.5 metres (133 ft)….The earthquake moved Honshu (the main island of Japan) 2.4 m (8 ft) east and shifted the Earth on its axis by estimates of between 10 cm (4 in) and 25 cm (10 in).”

For the sun to turn black might reference an extended eclipse-like effect.  The red moon would provide even less light than normal for the night. The effects on the sun and moon would appear to be temporary since the trumpet judgments will again affect these heavenly bodies (Rev. 8:12 & 16:8).

Henry Morris provides some scientific insight:  “…the vast worldwide network of unstable earthquake belts around the world suddenly will begin to slip and fracture on a global basis and a gigantic earthquake will ensue.  This is evidently, and naturally, accompanied by tremendous volcanic eruptions, spewing vast quantities of dust and steam and gases into the upper atmosphere.  It is probably these that will cause the sun to be darkened and the moon to appear blood-red.”

It would seem that the stars falling toward earth are just allowed to get close to earth, and then God supernaturally destroys them before they destroy earth since that is not His intent at this time.  This could be supported by terminology in Isaiah talking about the host of heaven dissolving.

Isaiah 34:4 “And all the host of heaven shall be dissolved, and the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll: and all their host shall fall down, as the leaf falleth off from the vine, and as a falling fig from the fig tree.”

The emphasis seems to be on instilling a godly fear into man.  God is trying to get his attention before it is too late to recognize who He is and turn to Him in faith and repentance.  This reasoning seems to be supported with a cross reference in Joel talking about this time.

Joel 2:30-32 “And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.  The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come.  And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered….”

This great day of wrath is referenced many times in scripture.  It is a time in which God will exact vengeance against His enemies and all that is wicked in this world.  Although God has exacted judgment against the nations of the world throughout history as recorded in scripture, this “day of the Lord” or great day of wrath judgment will be worldwide and will occur just before Jesus returns as King.

Isaiah 2:10–12 & 17 Enter into the rock, and hide thee in the dust, for fear of the LORD, and for the glory of his majesty. The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day. For the day of the LORD of hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty, and upon every one that is lifted up; and he shall be brought low… And the loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and the haughtiness of men shall be made low: and the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day.

Isaiah 13:6&11 Howl ye; for the day of the LORD is at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty….And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible.

Nahum 1:2 God is jealous, and the LORD revengeth; the LORD revengeth, and is furious; the LORD will take vengeance on his adversaries, and he reserveth wrath for his enemies.

Malachi 4:5–6“Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD….

Acts 2:19–20 And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke: The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come….

1 Thessalonians 5:1–3 But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.

Most people lump together the tribulation period and the day of the Lord, but it is clear to me that they are directed toward different people groups with different purposes.  The tribulation is directed toward the people of Israel and the city of Jerusalem as a refining fire to produce a purified remnant of believers that accept Jesus as the Messiah.  The day of the Lord is directed in wrath, vengeance and destruction against the wicked world and His enemies.  Though I believe these two periods of time occur basically in conjunction with one another; I do not believe that God’s wrath necessarily begins at the same time as the 70^th week.

I am convinced that the events of the sixth seal begin the final “day of the Lord,” the time of God’s wrath and vengeance against His enemies and all that is wicked in this world.  It is this time from which believers are promised deliverance; and they will be seen standing before the throne in chapter 7.

(to be continued…)

THE FIFTH SEAL – MARTYRS OF THE FAITH

Please note that the previous two posts, especially “DANIEL’S 70^TH WEEK & GOD’S WRATH,” provide essential foundational information to understanding the information presented as this series moves forward.  With this post we have reached the opening of the fifth seal.

Revelation 6:9-11 “And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.”

The altar is recognized as the place of sacrifice, so it is quite fitting to find that the souls of those that had died as martyrs for their faith under the altar.  This too fits into the sequence of events taught by Jesus.

Matthew 24:9–10 Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.

Though there is specific address to the Jewish people as a whole in some of the wording in Matthew, the principle of its truth is applicable to the death of “God’s people” throughout history; however, I believe the specific address is to the Lord’s disciples—true followers of Jesus.  I have most often heard these verses taught as representing those who have died as martyrs during the first part of the tribulation, but I now believe these are martyrs from the church age. 

It’s interesting that the martyrs are not rebuked for wanting God to take revenge on and judge with condemnation those responsible for their deaths.  Instead, they are just told to rest and wait for a short period of time.  What are they waiting for?  For the death of the final martyr of the church age.   The phrase “should be fulfilled” indicates that there is a number that will make full or complete.  As always, God knows the end from the beginning—down to the final martyr of the church age. 

I was struck by the observation of Joseph Seiss regarding these souls under the altar:  “There are no voices of command from heaven under this seal, and no messengers dispatched from the throne; for the reason, that bloody persecutions of God’s servants come from beneath—not from above.  It is the devil who is the murderer from the beginning, and by him, and his seed, has all martyr blood been made to flow that ever has flowed or ever will.”

The martyrs are given white robes to cover them while they wait.  The entry for “robes” indicates that it is a garment that is a mark of dignity.  They have been given a special position of honor in heaven, and vengeance on their behalf will be God’s at the perfect time.

  

Romans 12:19 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.

The fact that they are referred to as souls seems to indicate that they have yet to receive their resurrected bodies.  I think they will join the body of Christ before the throne that is referenced in Revelation 7:9 when their number is complete and all believers are resurrected to their immortal bodies at the rapture. 

“they should rest yet for a little season” – Once again we note that the perspective of time from heaven is quite different from the perspective on earth.

Psalms 90:4 For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night.

2 Peter 3:8 But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord

as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.

(to be continued…)