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<p><em><a href='B:720 1:13'>Jud 1:13</a></em>&nbsp;<em>Wild waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame-&nbsp;</em>"Shame" is the language of the condemned at the last day. They were proudly displaying their condemnation. They were as the wicked of <em><a href='B:290 57:20'>Isa 57:20</a></em>, a restless sea. Stability and peace, which are fruits of the Spirit and arise from the firm anchor of having the Kingdom hope, were far from them. The indulgence of lust doesn't lead to a happy life, but to this endless restlessness, a sense of movement but going nowhere.</p><p><em>Wandering stars, for whom the blackness of darkness has been reserved forever</em>- As noted above, they are "wandering" because of the way the flesh ever seeks new fulfilment. The stability of knowing the eternal love of the Lord Jesus and the certainty of future salvation are unknown to such people. "Blackness of darkness" seems a tautology, as was 'even defiling the flesh' in :8; language struggles to adequately deliver the sense of utter tragedy arising from the depth of such utter depravity. Eternal death is blackness, night, utter nothingness with no order. Compared to the infinite activity of the Spirit, eternally.</p>


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<p><em><a href='B:720 1:14'>Jud 1:14</a></em>&nbsp;<em>And to these also Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied, saying: Behold, the Lord came with ten thousands of His holy ones</em>- Jude speaks about the false teachers of the first century. He recalls how Enoch had spoken of how the wicked of his day were destroyed in the flood: “Behold the Lord came with ten thousands of his holy ones to execute judgment” (<em><a href='B:720 1:14-15'>Jud 1:14-15</a></em> RV). I suggested on <em><a href='B:10 8:1'>Gen 8:1</a></em> that these "holy ones" were Angels who actually brought about the flood. The Lord's coming with the Angels at the last day will be an even greater fulfilment of this. And yet Jude says that “To these also i:e. the first century false teachers Enoch… prophesied” (<em><a href='B:720 1:14'>Jud 1:14</a></em> RV). Enoch’s words were primarily addressed to his own generation, but his words ought to be taken as speaking directly to the first century apostates. In similar vein, the Lord said that Isaiah’s words to his generation were prophesy “of you” in the first century. The idea seems to be that Jude's prophesy of their condemnation was to be seen as the equivalent of Enoch's condemnation of the immoral false believers of his age in the lead up to the flood.</p><p>But there may be a double meaning here. For there was a popular first century BC ‘Book of Enoch’.</p><p>A rather detailed argument – and yet a very powerful one – that Angels don’t sin is actually provided by considering the passages in 2 Peter 2 and Jude which are used by some to prove that Angels sin. We have here what we meet many times in Holy Scripture – a series of allusions to a contemporary, uninspired, popular piece of literature in order to show that it is in fact wrong. This point may easily be lost on us, reading as we do from our distance from the original context. It’s been observed that there are many allusions to the popular first century BC ‘Book of Enoch’ in 2 Peter and Jude. This book claimed that 200 Angels were expelled from Heaven and then married beautiful women on earth. Peter and Jude allude to it in order to show how wrong it is. In the Book of Enoch, it is claimed that the righteous Angel Michael brings accusation against the 200 supposedly rebellious Angels. But this is specifically alluded to and corrected by Peter and Jude. In the table below are some of the allusions:</p><table><tr><td></p><p>Jude</td><td>Book of Enoch</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>“Enoch the Seventh from Adam prophesied” <em><a href='B:720 1:14'>Jud 1:14</a></em></td><td>Enoch 60:8</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>“dry springs” <em><a href='B:720 1:12'>Jud 1:12</a></em></td><td>Enoch 48:1, Enoch. 96:6 dried up fountains</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>“waterless clouds” <em><a href='B:720 1:12'>Jud 1:12</a></em></td><td>Enoch 18:5, Enoch. 41:4–5, Enoch:100:11–12</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>“reserved for blackest darkness” <em><a href='B:720 1:13'>Jud 1:13</a></em></td><td>Enoch 21:3 “darkness shall be their dwelling” Enoch 46:6</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>“trees without fruit” <em><a href='B:720 1:12'>Jud 1:12</a></em></td><td>Enoch 80:3</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>“plucked up” <em><a href='B:720 1:13'>Jud 1:13</a></em></td><td>Enoch 83:4</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>“raging waves” <em><a href='B:720 1:12'>Jud 1:12</a></em></td><td>Enoch 101:3–5</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>‘See the Lord is coming with thousands upon thousands of his holy ones to judge everyone and convict the ungodly of all the ungodly acts they have done’." (<em><a href='B:720 1:14-15'>Jud 1:14-15</a></em>)</td><td>“See the Lord is coming with thousands upon thousands of his holy ones to judge everyone and convict the ungodly of all the ungodly acts they have done” (Enoch 1:9)</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>“reserved unto the judgment of the great day” (<em><a href='B:720 1:6'>Jud 1:6</a></em>)</td><td>Reserved unto the day of sorrow Enoch 45:2</td><td></td></tr></table><p>Peter consciously contradicts this by stressing that “angels do&nbsp;<em>not</em>&nbsp;bring slanderous accusations against such beings in the presence of the Lord” (<em><a href='B:680 2:11'>2Pe 2:11</a></em>), and Jude is even more specific by saying that this is true of Michael the Archangel (<em><a href='B:720 1:9'>Jud 1:9</a></em>). According to the Book of Enoch, the man Enoch judges the sinful Angels, but 2 Peter 3 warns that actually Angels will come with Lord Jesus in order to judge&nbsp;<em>men</em>. We can now understand why Peter claims that “bold and arrogant these men (the false teachers) are not afraid to slander celestial beings” (<em><a href='B:680 2:10'>2Pe 2:10</a></em>) – i:e. the Angels. The Book of Enoch slandered Angels by claiming 200 of them sinned. As <em><a href='B:720 1:8'>Jud 1:8</a></em> puts it, the false teachers “reject authority and slander celestial beings”. The idea that the 200 Angels had sexual encounters with enticing women was therefore a slander. We need to reflect on the implications of all this – for claiming that Angels sin is actually spoken of by Peter and Jude as if it is serious blasphemy. Those early Christians were returning to their earlier Jewish and Pagan beliefs, which according to <em><a href='B:680 2:22'>2Pe 2:22</a></em> is to be seen as a dog returning to its vomit. This is how serious the issue is.</p><p>It should be noted that the Book of Enoch and other such writings are frequently alluded to in the Apocalypse – again, to deconstruct them and show a first century readership the&nbsp;<em>real</em>&nbsp;meaning of the terms used in the popular uninspired literature of the time. Thus the descriptions of the Heavenly “Son of man” in Enoch 47:3–7 are alluded to in the description of the Lord Jesus in <em><a href='B:730 1:15-17'>Rev 1:15-17</a></em> (This and many other such allusions are to be found tabulated in Hugh Schonfield,&nbsp;<em>The Original New Testament: Revelation</em>&nbsp;(London: Firethorn Press, 1985)).</p>


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<p><em><a href='B:720 1:15'>Jud 1:15</a></em>&nbsp;<em>To execute judgment upon all and to convict all the ungodly of all their works of ungodliness which they have done in an ungodly way, and of all the hard things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him</em>- The judgment of the Lord's second coming will not be a simple destruction of the wicked. Through the condemnation / judgment process, they will be convicted of all their sins, including all their hard words they spoke against the Lord. Such is the Lord's knowledge that words spoken by men in this life will be quoted back to them at judgment. By their words will men be justified and condemned (<em><a href='B:470 12:37'>Mat 12:37</a></em>); see on <em><a href='B:470 12:36'>Mat 12:36</a></em>; <em><a href='B:490 13:28'>Luk 13:28</a></em>.</p><p><em><a href='B:40 32:23'>Num 32:23</a></em> prophesied of Israel in their time of condemnation: "You will be sensible of your sin when evil overtakes you" (LXX). Truly has <em><a href='B:330 6:9'>Eze 6:9</a></em> prophesied of the rejected: "They shall loathe themselves for their evils which they have committed in all their abominations". <em><a href='B:720 1:15'>Jud 1:15</a></em> would even suggest that the purpose of judgment being executed is to convict the rejected of&nbsp;<em>all</em>&nbsp;their ungodly deeds and hard words. Through realising their condemnation they will realize in awful detail exactly&nbsp;<em>why</em>&nbsp;this had to be. Our own self-examination now will be stimulated by realising the depth to which we&nbsp;<em>deserve</em>&nbsp;condemnation, even though by grace we are saved rather than condemned.</p>


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<p><em><a href='B:720 1:16'>Jud 1:16</a></em>&nbsp;<em>These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their lusts-&nbsp;</em>"Murmuring" is the word used of how the Jews murmured against the Lord Jesus (<em><a href='B:490 5:30'>Luk 5:30</a></em>; <em><a href='B:500 6:41'>Joh 6:41</a></em>; <em><a href='B:500 6:43'>Joh 6:43</a></em>; <em><a href='B:530 10:10'>1Co 10:10</a></em>). The murmuring and complaining by the false teachers was presumably in slander of the faithful teachers. And the terms of course recall Israel in the wilderness, ever murmuring and complaining against Moses and God. They should have been walking after the Spirit, but instead the lusts of the flesh controlled them.</p><p><em>(And their mouth speaks great swelling words), showing respect of persons for the sake of personal advantage</em>- This alludes to how they were false teachers, speaking words which like leaven swelled up into great things. We recall how leaven was used as symbolic of the teaching of the Pharisees. The Greek could be translated the other way around, as if they got people to respect their persons for the sake of personal advantage. They had seized the podium for the indulgence of their own lusts- see on :12. Their teachings were ultimately in order to empower their own self indulgence regarding wealth, power and sex. As noted on :15, these people would be judged at the last day for their words; and those words included the words they were teaching. Hence James warns us to not rush to be teachers, for those who speak the most words especially publicly risk the greater condemnation (<em><a href='B:660 3:1'>Jas 3:1</a></em>).</p>


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<p><em><a href='B:720 1:17'>Jud 1:17</a></em>&nbsp;<em>But you, beloved, remember the words which have been spoken previously by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ</em>- The faithful minority in these churches were not to listen to the swelling words of the false teachers (:16) but rather to remember the words of the true prophets, the Lord's apostles. "Remember" is appropriate to illiterate folk who would only have had the memory of the inspired, spoken words to go on. Maybe the implication is that Jude's readership were initially those of 2 Peter 2, who were the Jews whom Peter had baptized after their hearing the words of the Lord's apostles at Pentecost.</p>


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<p><em><a href='B:720 1:18'>Jud 1:18</a></em>&nbsp;<em>How they said to you: In the last time there shall be mockers, walking after their own ungodly lusts</em>- Warning of the great falling away had been a major part of the initial teaching which these converts had received. The records of these warnings appear to have been greatly abbreviated in the Acts transcripts of the apostolic addresses. Clearly there was follow up instruction given after baptism. The mockers were credible enough to become the apparent shepherds and teachers in the congregations to whom Jude was writing. The mocking may have therefore been quite subtle; but the Spirit through Jude exposed it for what it was. The same Greek words for "ungodly lusts" are found in <em><a href='B:630 2:11-12'>Tit 2:11-12</a></em> - it was a denial of God’s grace which led to living in such lusts. And the Judaizers had rejected that grace for a form of legalism which allowed them to indulge their own lusts.</p>


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<p><em><a href='B:720 1:19'>Jud 1:19</a></em>&nbsp;<em>These are they who make divisions, sensual, having not the Spirit</em>- Being divisive is the supreme testament to the lack of the Spirit; for the Spirit unites. Each heart that has received the gift of the Spirit and allowed it free reign will naturally unite with others who are led by the same Spirit. This is what "the unity of the Spirit" is all about (<em><a href='B:560 4:3'>Eph 4:3</a></em>). Division is a work of the flesh (<em><a href='B:550 5:20'>Gal 5:20</a></em>); unity is a fruit of the Spirit. It's as simple as that. Those who are divisive lack the Spirit. We need to each enshrine the principle that we will never, ever divide from those for whom Christ died, His body. If we do, we have not the Spirit and are mere religionists. These people are "sensual", seeing things in natural terms, of the flesh, and without the Spirit. This same kind of language is found in :10 see notes there. To divide from others is the natural, animal like way. To unite is counter-instinctive, if we live in the flesh. Unity is of the Spirit. And the natural man cannot receive spiritual things which are spiritually discerned- unless he has the Spirit and is no longer seeking to view life in material, visible, concrete, rational terms (<em><a href='B:530 2:14'>1Co 2:14</a></em>). The Greek for "make divisions" here means literally to draw a boundary. The Lord Jesus was fundamentally open; He drew no boundaries of exclusion from His table and fellowship. It was men who themselves decided whether to come near to Him or not. All the&nbsp;<em>angst</em>&nbsp;about where to draw fellowship boundaries is really arguing about where to draw lines in the sand. The Lord was fundamentally open rather than closed. And as clearly stated here, such drawing of boundaries is not the way of His Spirit.</p>


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<p><em><a href='B:720 1:20'>Jud 1:20</a></em>&nbsp;<em>But you, beloved, build up yourselves in your most holy faith</em>- The antidote to all the awful behaviour listed so far is to be built up in the Spirit. The Lord builds us up, edifying us by His Spirit; but we need to respond by doing our part in being open to His work within us. The ideas of holiness and "the faith" recall the opening of the letter; the believers were being made holy by the Spirit, and were to defend the faith. Spiritual growth was on the basis of the basic Gospel they believed, "the faith".</p><p><em>Praying in the Holy Spirit</em>- We receive the gift of the Spirit in our hearts at baptism, but we are to allow this Spirit to teach us and take over our thinking and action. The Spirit in view is the Spirit or mind of the Lord Jesus; it is His psychological&nbsp;entrance into us. This explains the encouragement to pray in or by the Spirit (<em><a href='B:520 8:26'>Rom 8:26</a></em>; <em><a href='B:560 6:18'>Eph 6:18</a></em>). The contrast is with those who did not have the Spirit (:19).</p><p>Who we are as persons is effectively our prayer and plea to God. This conception of prayer explains why often weeping, crying, waiting, meditating etc. are spoken of as "prayer" , although there was no specific verbalizing of requests (<em><a href='B:230 5:1-2'>Psa 5:1-2</a></em>; <em><a href='B:230 6:8'>Psa 6:8</a></em>; <em><a href='B:230 18:1-3'>Psa 18:1-3</a></em>; <em><a href='B:230 18:6'>Psa 18:6</a></em>; <em><a href='B:230 40:1'>Psa 40:1</a></em>; <em><a href='B:230 42:8'>Psa 42:8</a></em>; <em><a href='B:230 64:1'>Psa 64:1</a></em> (Heb:); <em><a href='B:230 65:1-2'>Psa 65:1-2</a></em>; <em><a href='B:230 66:17-20'>Psa 66:17-20</a></em>; <em><a href='B:450 8:22'>Zec 8:22</a></em>). The association between prayer and weeping is especially common: <em><a href='B:90 1:10'>1Sa 1:10</a></em>; <em><a href='B:230 39:12'>Psa 39:12</a></em>; <em><a href='B:230 55:1-2'>Psa 55:1-2</a></em>; <em><a href='B:500 11:41-42'>Joh 11:41-42</a></em>; <em><a href='B:650 5:7'>Heb 5:7</a></em>, especially in the Lord's life and the Messianic Psalms. "The Lord hath heard the voice of my weeping. The Lord hath heard my supplication; the Lord will receive my prayer" (<em><a href='B:230 6:8-9'>Psa 6:8-9</a></em>) crystallizes the point:&nbsp;<em>Desire</em>&nbsp;is also seen as effectively praying for something (<em><a href='B:520 10:1'>Rom 10:1</a></em>; <em><a href='B:580 1:9'>Col 1:9</a></em>; <em><a href='B:540 9:14'>2Co 9:14</a></em>). Weeping, desiring, waiting, meditating etc. are all acts of the mind, or 'spirit' in Biblical terminology. There is therefore a big association between our spirit or state of mind, and prayer. The spirit (disposition) of Christ which we have received leads us to&nbsp;<em>pray</em>&nbsp;"Abba, Father" (<em><a href='B:520 8:15'>Rom 8:15</a></em>; <em><a href='B:550 4:6'>Gal 4:6</a></em>). "Praying in the holy spirit" (<em><a href='B:720 1:20'>Jud 1:20</a></em>) is to be seen in this context. Prayer is part of the&nbsp;<em>atmosphere</em>&nbsp;of spiritual life, not something hived off and separate- it is an expression of our spirit. Thus there are verses which speak of many daily prayers as being just one prayer (<em><a href='B:230 86:3'>Psa 86:3</a></em>; <em><a href='B:230 86:6'>Psa 86:6</a></em>; <em><a href='B:230 88:1-2'>Psa 88:1-2</a></em>); prayer is a way / spirit of life, not something specific which occurs for a matter of minutes each day. The commands to "pray without ceasing" simply can't be literally obeyed (<em><a href='B:590 5:17'>1Th 5:17</a></em>). "Watch and pray&nbsp;<em>always</em>" in the last days likewise connects prayer with&nbsp;<em>watchfulness</em>, which is an attitude of mind rather than something done on specific occasions. This is not to say that prayer&nbsp;<em>in no sense</em>&nbsp;refers to formal, specific prayer. Evidently it does, but it is only a verbal crystallization of our general spirit of life.</p>


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<p><em><a href='B:720 1:21'>Jud 1:21</a></em>&nbsp;<em>Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life</em>- The work of the Spirit in keeping us in Christ must be responded to by our freewill efforts to likewise keep or remain in Him. We are to 'keep' the Lord's ways and commandments, and yet He keeps us by the Spirit. "They have kept Your word... keep s:w. them by Your own Name... I kept them in Your Name... keep them from the evil" (John 17). Jude will conclude by glorying in the fact that the Lord is able to keep us from falling in spiritual terms (:24). We are "looking", in utter confidence, to receive mercy and eternal life at the Lord's return. The parallel in 2 Peter is "looking for... the coming of the day of God" (<em><a href='B:680 3:12'>2Pe 3:12</a></em>). This again suggests that we should be able to be certain that if we die now or the Lord returns now, we will certainly be saved. But we must "keep" or abide in that status.</p><p><em><a href='B:720 1:20-21'>Jud 1:20-21</a></em> exhorts us: “building up yourselves... keep yourselves in the love of God”. The use of the plural ‘yourselves’ rather than a singular ‘thyself’ suggests that we are to understand this as meaning that we should build up our community, keep each other in the love of God. Jude had begun by exalting that we are “sanctified by God the Father, and preserved s:w. “keep yourselves” by God in Jesus Christ”. His conclusion is that we are kept / preserved by God in Christ&nbsp;<em>insofar as&nbsp;</em>we, the ministers of Christ, keep /&nbsp; preserve each other. The Greek for ‘building up’ occurs in <em><a href='B:560 4:16'>Eph 4:16</a></em>: “From Christ the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part,&nbsp;<em>maketh increase</em>&nbsp;builds up of the body unto the edifying of itself in love”. The body builds itself up,&nbsp;<em>if</em>&nbsp;each part contributes. If they don’t, then there is no building up. Using the same figure, <em><a href='B:530 3:10-14'>1Co 3:10-14</a></em> speak of us building up God’s house, the believers, on the foundation of Christ. And we will be judged for the quality of what is built- our final judgment will be a reflection of the quality of our brethren, in that their spirituality is partly determined by our efforts for them. But <em><a href='B:580 2:4'>Col 2:4</a></em> uses the same word to say that we are built up “in Christ... as according as ye have been taught... beware lest any man spoil you through false teaching. The life of fellowship with our brethren in Christ is what builds us up, if we teach each other the right things. But false teaching means that the house of believers will not be built up. This would have been especially so in ecclesias of largely illiterate members. The point is, we are all builders, each part has something to contribute, and the doing of every ecclesial service must be consciously to the end of building up one another.</p>


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<p><em><a href='B:720 1:22'>Jud 1:22</a></em>&nbsp;<em>On those who are in doubt have mercy</em>- As noted on :21, these commands are collective, and they were the more necessary because the shepherds of the congregation were self-seeking and apostate. All the faithful members had to therefore take responsibility for the flock. It is seen as trendy to admit "doubt" about spiritual things; but "doubt" here requires "mercy". It should not be the case. The work of the Spirit convicts and convinces so that doubt regarding the basic existence and saving power of God in Christ is not in doubt. We can hardly have the sure Hope which the Gospel speaks of if we have such doubts. The AV adds: "Making a difference". The context has spoken of those without any conscience who were abusing the flock and bent on indulging their own lusts through the abuse of others. The "difference" was presumably between these types and those who were weak and needed compassion shown to their moral weaknesses.</p>


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<p><em><a href='B:720 1:23'>Jud 1:23</a></em>&nbsp;<em>And others save, snatching them out of the fire; and on some, have mercy with fear, hating even the underclothing stained by the flesh</em>- This continues the allusion to Zechariah 3 noted on :9. The Angel just about decided in favour of saving Jerusalem out of the 'fire' of eternal punishment (cp. <em><a href='B:300 17:27'>Jer 17:27</a></em>) for her sins- He had "compassion, making a difference" (<em><a href='B:720 1:22'>Jud 1:22</a></em>). The "garment spotted by the flesh" must connect with the "filthy garments" worn by Joshua as he came into the Angel's presence.</p><p>Likewise an Angel had pulled Lot from the fire (<em><a href='B:720 1:7'>Jud 1:7</a></em>)- in this sense, Jude seems to suggest, we can do God’s work for him. Likewise we must “make a difference” concerning some, just as the Angels “contended” s:w. for men (<em><a href='B:720 1:9'>Jud 1:9</a></em> cp. 22). The fire of condemnation at the judgment is in a sense already kindled, as the Lord Himself had taught (<em><a href='B:490 12:49'>Luk 12:49</a></em>). The weak brother condemns himself by his way of life, and falls into condemnation even now, before the judgment (<em><a href='B:660 5:12'>Jas 5:12</a></em>; <em><a href='B:610 3:6'>1Ti 3:6</a></em>; <em><a href='B:630 3:11'>Tit 3:11</a></em>). We see this, and have the power in some cases to save the brother by pulling him out of that fire of condemnation. Surely the point is that we can save our brother from condemnation at judgment day by what we do for him now. See on <em><a href='B:520 12:20'>Rom 12:20</a></em>.</p><p>The "fear" we are to show is perhaps in realizing that the process of saving these people from out of the fire risks our falling into it; to save someone you have to get close to them. And these people were already condemned, in the fire of Gehenna, as it were. Their clothing was blemished, in contrast to how we are to appear "without blemish" at judgment day (:24). The Lord will keep us from stumbling, however (:24). Jude has several times expressed the idea that the false teachers were so bad that they were condemned already, as it were already in the Gehenna fire. But the faithful remnant could even save some of them, at least potentially. To pull someone out of eternal condemnation is one of the most significant things we can do with our lives. But this can only be achieved by coming close to them in association.</p>


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<p><em><a href='B:720 1:24'>Jud 1:24</a></em> - see on <em><a href='B:560 1:4'>Eph 1:4</a></em>.</p><p><em>Now to him that is able to guard you from stumbling</em>- God can withhold men from sinning (<em><a href='B:10 20:6'>Gen 20:6</a></em>), and His Son can keep us from falling (<em><a href='B:720 1:24'>Jud 1:24</a></em>), keeping s:w. us from evil (<em><a href='B:600 3:3'>2Th 3:3</a></em>). This preservation unto salvation is the work of His Spirit in our hearts. It is for this that we pray when we ask in the Lord's prayer to be 'delivered from evil'. We of course must play our part in 'keeping' the faith. But we are empowered to do so by the Spirit- hence Timothy is challenged to "keep s:w. that which was given to you, by the Holy Spirit which dwells within us" (<em><a href='B:620 1:14'>2Ti 1:14</a></em>). The strong similarities between Jude and 2 Peter 2 continue on this point too; for the same word is used of how God saved or kept / guarded Noah (<em><a href='B:680 2:5'>2Pe 2:5</a></em>), whilst condemning the world around him for their sin. This 'keeping' refers therefore to God’s keeping of Noah spiritually, from falling into the sins of those around him. If his literal salvation from death by drowning was in view, a different verb would have been used.</p><p><em>And to set you before the presence of His glory without blemish in exceeding joy</em>- It is only the Lord Jesus who is "without blemish", the perfect Paschal lamb (<em><a href='B:650 9:14'>Heb 9:14</a></em>; <em><a href='B:670 1:19'>1Pe 1:19</a></em>). There are repeated encouragements that we shall be likewise "without blemish" before Him at the last day (<em><a href='B:730 14:5'>Rev 14:5</a></em>), as we are now (<em><a href='B:560 1:4'>Eph 1:4</a></em>; <em><a href='B:560 5:27'>Eph 5:27</a></em>; <em><a href='B:580 1:22'>Col 1:22</a></em>). But this is only true because of His righteousness being imputed to us, by grace through faith. This status should bring "exceeding joy" both now (<em><a href='B:670 1:8'>1Pe 1:8</a></em>) and in the last day (<em><a href='B:670 4:13'>1Pe 4:13</a></em>). We shall enter into the joy of our Lord (<em><a href='B:470 25:21'>Mat 25:21</a></em>). His joy is above that of all His brethren (<em><a href='B:650 1:9'>Heb 1:9</a></em> s:w:), and yet all that is true of Him shall be true of us.</p><p>The idea of "blemish" has been common in 2 Peter 2 and Jude. The false teachers and wicked shepherds were blemishes upon the church (:12; <em><a href='B:680 2:13'>2Pe 2:13</a></em>); some were already under condemnation, with their clothes "spotted by the flesh" (:23). Yet the faithful remnant would be preserved without blemish in that they were clothed in the Lord's righteousness.</p><p>When all this is finally realized, we shall be awed at the Lord's grace, feeling with those of the parable that we have not done all the wonderful things counted to us. Our amazement and incomprehension at the judgment is brought out in <em><a href='B:600 1:10'>2Th 1:10</a></em>, which speaks of the saints 'admiring' Christ in that day, using a Greek word meaning 'to marvel at in incomprehension'. This praise will be on account of our being "presented faultless" before the judgment (<em><a href='B:720 1:24'>Jud 1:24</a></em>). The Greek for "presented" is the same word translated "stood" in <em><a href='B:490 21:36'>Luk 21:36</a></em>, showing that our angel is able to stand us up in the august presence of the Lord, only by reason of our faults having been totally covered by Christ's imputed righteousness. <em><a href='B:580 1:22'>Col 1:22</a></em> has a similar message: "…to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable (Gk. 'free from accusation') in his sight". This freedom from accusation explains why none of our bad deeds will be mentioned to us then. One wonders if Paul's appearance before the judgment seat in Acts 25 is described as it is in order to help us imagine this; he has no accusers, and therefore can be acquitted. The idea of being presented faultless before the glorious presence of a monarch was well known in the ancient world. Esther and Daniel's friends had a person assigned to present them faultless before the monarch; and it is the Lord Jesus through the work of His Spirit who can present us faultless before Himself. Our beauty is truly in the eyes of our beholder. He is both the ultimate monarch, and also the one who prepared us for the presentation before Him.</p>


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<p><em><a href='B:720 1:25'>Jud 1:25</a></em>&nbsp;<em>To the only God, our Saviour through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and power, before all time, and now and for always in the future. Amen</em>- The Roman proconsuls were to be called “Saviour”. But for Christians, there was only&nbsp;<em>one&nbsp;</em>Saviour, the Lord Jesus. The Caesars were frequently called "Saviour"- Josephus thus addressed Vespasian. Hence the radical import of the way that <em><a href='B:720 1:25'>Jud 1:25</a></em> calls the Lord Jesus our&nbsp;<em>only</em>&nbsp;Saviour. ‘Caesar is Lord’ was the cry of the Roman empire. Pliny wrote that he considered refusal to make the customary gesture to the emperor’s statue to be a criminal act punishable by death. But “To us there is but one Lord, Jesus” the Christ, i:e. Jesus the Messiah of the despised, weird Jewish race:&nbsp;</p><p>Note that God’s purpose with us began "before all time"; not just from "the beginning". We were part of His "eternal purpose" in Christ (<em><a href='B:560 3:11'>Eph 3:11</a></em>). Our calling and foreknowledge was not just from some 'beginning', but 'before' that; we were always in God’s mind, and He existed with that mind from eternity.</p>


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<p>The Nature of Revelation</p><p>Revelation is full of visual images, borrowed from the Old Testament. But it presents them as a kaleidoscope of images, overlaying each other, relying upon other images for the final picture presented. As such, it simply cannot be read as a chronological prediction of historical events. The images presented of the new Jerusalem and God’s ways are intended to deconstruct the images of Babylon and her ways. In earlier application, Christians living within the 'Babylon' of the Roman empire were subject to her images, worldviews etc:, and Revelation enabled them to re-imagine life from God’s perspective, thinking according to His images of the world, seeing Babylon and the beast for who they are, and seeing ourselves and God’s people for who they are. This is of supreme practical value today, as it has been in every age. But it will be of ultimate value for those living under the domination of the beast entity in the land / earth under the beast's domination in the brief period of tribulation before Christ's return. A major theme of Revelation is of martyrdom and witness. It is not God’s pleasure to destroy the beast, and He expects His people to make His final appeal and witness to the beast, even at the cost of their lives, physically, economically and socially. The radical nature of that call comes to each of His people over history, but it will be at its most intense and acute in the last days. Another theme of Revelation is the Lordship of Jesus; exalted titles are given to Him, and things stated about God are stated about Him. This is not to say that He is God; rather the intention and necessity of this message is that as strongly as the beast insists that&nbsp;<em>he</em>&nbsp;is Lord, so we are to insist and proclaim that&nbsp;<em>Jesus&nbsp;</em>is our Lord. The image of the slain lamb, the crucified Jesus, hangs as a watermark image over the book of Revelation; and again, that makes sense. For the community of the last days, under intense physical and / or psychological oppression from the beast, will have the image ever before them of Him in His time of suffering and dying.</p><p>A Futurist Approach<br/>I submit that in the last days, all God’s prophetic word will come true. All previous historical fulfilments of it were true and valid, but they will be seen as but incipient fulfilments of the final and ultimate fulfilling of God’s word in the events of the last hour, and the final triumph of the Lord Jesus Christ in His return to earth to judge the enemies of His people. <em><a href='B:730 1:1'>Rev 1:1</a></em> opens Revelation by saying that the things revealed or apocalypsed are to "shortly" come to pass, and the book ends with the same statement (<em><a href='B:730 22:6'>Rev 22:6</a></em>). The Greek can just as well mean that these things will happen quickly, suddenly- rather than requiring that the entire book had a fulfilment shortly after the time it was first given. For clearly the events described in the book did not all happen 'shortly' after John's time in the first century. That is a fact, and I would argue that it leaves us little leeway in interpreting&nbsp;<em>tachos</em>&nbsp;as therefore meaning that they will happen quickly, suddenly. The ultimate thrust of their fulfilment, therefore, is not over an extended period of time from John's time over the two millennia to the time of Christ's coming. The same phrase is used by the Lord to the believers in <em><a href='B:730 2:5'>Rev 2:5</a></em>; <em><a href='B:730 2:16'>Rev 2:16</a></em> where He warns them that He will come unto them “quickly”- the idea is that His coming in judgment will be sudden&nbsp;<em>unless</em>&nbsp;they repent. The quickness or suddenness of His coming is related to His wrath in judgment; if they repent, then the coming will not be ‘sudden’ or ‘short’. He surely doesn’t mean ‘If you don’t repent, then I will come back soon. If you do repent, then I won’t come back soon’. He uses the same concept of suddenness and unexpectedness, although without using&nbsp;<em>tachos</em>, in <em><a href='B:730 3:3'>Rev 3:3</a></em>: “If you shall not watch, I will come as a thief, and you shall not know what time I will come upon you”:&nbsp;<br/>Attention must be paid to Revelation especially in the last days because “the time is at hand” (<em><a href='B:730 1:3'>Rev 1:3</a></em>); but&nbsp;<em>eggos</em>&nbsp;means literally ‘squeezed’ or ‘throttled’- creating the idea that things are going to happen very quickly at the end. The fulfilment of God’s word in this sense will be ‘hastened’ (<em><a href='B:290 60:22'>Isa 60:22</a></em>; <em><a href='B:300 1:12'>Jer 1:12</a></em>). And the world situation we are in enables this to be the case as no other generation. The student of Revelation, therefore, will not be caught by surprise by the speed of events in the last days- that seems to be the idea.</p><p>This is not to say that the prophecies did not have relevance to the historical experience of God’s people. The continual theme of persecution and comfort of ultimate victory against the world was, of course, a powerful and relevant message to God’s persecuted people throughout history. But those fulfilments were but shadow fulfilments of the final triumph and events which the book describes. These are to happen quickly, suddenly, in a short time space. This explains why each of the various visions, of seals, trumpets, bowls etc. all end with the final victory of Christ's coming and the establishment of God’s Kingdom on earth. They can all be read as having specific reference to the last days- whatever historical fulfilment they may have had. To argue otherwise requires that these events had their main fulfilment at some time in the last 2000 years, and then there is a gap until their fulfilment in the coming of Christ. But the nature of the language and arguments used hardly allows for that. At best it could be that after each of those historical incidents there was the possibility of Christ's return, but that didn’t happen because other preconditions weren't met. Therefore the prophecies were rescheduled and reapplied for their main fulfilment in the events of the last days. This would explain why some of the historical fulfilments suggested by expositors of the continuous historical school appear to 'fit' better than others. But at best, these were only incipient fulfilments- the final reality for each of God’s prophetic words must come in the last days, just as the image of Daniel 2 had some continuous historical application, but the image must stand erect and complete in the last days- and that is the main fulfilment of the prophecy, whatever application it may have had in history.</p><p>1:1- see on <em><a href='B:340 10:21'>Dan 10:21</a></em>.</p><p><em>The Revelation of Jesus Christ-&nbsp;</em>The Lord's second coming is called His "revelation" (s:w. <em><a href='B:670 1:7'>1Pe 1:7</a></em>; <em><a href='B:670 1:13'>1Pe 1:13</a></em>; <em><a href='B:670 4:13'>1Pe 4:13</a></em> etc:), and so there is a play on ideas here. The things revealed by the Lord in this book ultimately concern His second coming, whatever other relevance they have had throughout history.</p><p><em>Which God gave him to show to his servants the things which must shortly come to pass-&nbsp;</em>A great theme of Revelation is that "the time is near"- these things were about to happen. This is a major theme (<em><a href='B:730 1:1'>Rev 1:1</a></em>; <em><a href='B:730 1:3'>Rev 1:3</a></em>; <em><a href='B:730 2:16'>Rev 2:16</a></em>; <em><a href='B:730 3:10-11'>Rev 3:10-11</a></em>; <em><a href='B:730 22:6-7'>Rev 22:6-7</a></em>; <em><a href='B:730 22:10'>Rev 22:10</a></em>; <em><a href='B:730 22:12'>Rev 22:12</a></em>; <em><a href='B:730 22:20'>Rev 22:20</a></em>). The relationship between the letters to the churches and the rest of Revelation cannot be overlooked; what was to happen to them in judgment was bound up with what was to come upon the land of Palestine in AD70. <em><a href='B:470 21:40'>Mat 21:40</a></em> parallels the coming of the Lord with the destruction of Jerusalem in AD70. This is exactly the sequence of events we expect in the last days, according to Zechariah 14. There are many links between the trumpets, seals and the Olivet prophecy; and also many links with Josephus' descriptions of what came upon Palestine in AD66-70- e.g. 9:5 "inwardly tormented" Gk:&nbsp;<em>ebasanizonto</em>&nbsp;is used in Josephus (Wars 5:1:5).</p><table><tr><td></p><p>Revelation</td><td>The Olivet Prophecy</td><td></td></tr><tr><td><em><a href='B:730 6:1-2'>Rev 6:1-2</a></em></td><td><em><a href='B:470 24:14'>Mat 24:14</a></em></td><td></td></tr><tr><td><em><a href='B:730 6:14'>Rev 6:14</a></em></td><td><em><a href='B:730 6:3-4'>Rev 6:3-4</a></em></td><td></td></tr><tr><td><em><a href='B:730 6:3-4'>Rev 6:3-4</a></em> </td><td><em><a href='B:470 24:6-7'>Mat 24:6-7</a></em></td><td></td></tr><tr><td><em><a href='B:730 6:16'>Rev 6:16</a></em></td><td><em><a href='B:490 23:30'>Luk 23:30</a></em></td><td></td></tr><tr><td><em><a href='B:730 6:5-6'>Rev 6:5-6</a></em></td><td><em><a href='B:470 24:7'>Mat 24:7</a></em></td><td></td></tr><tr><td><em><a href='B:730 6:17'>Rev 6:17</a></em></td><td><em><a href='B:490 21:36'>Luk 21:36</a></em></td><td></td></tr><tr><td><em><a href='B:730 6:7-8'>Rev 6:7-8</a></em></td><td><em><a href='B:470 24:7'>Mat 24:7</a></em></td><td></td></tr><tr><td><em><a href='B:730 7:1'>Rev 7:1</a></em></td><td><em><a href='B:470 24:31'>Mat 24:31</a></em></td><td></td></tr><tr><td><em><a href='B:730 6:9'>Rev 6:9</a></em></td><td><em><a href='B:470 24:12'>Mat 24:12</a></em></td><td></td></tr><tr><td><em><a href='B:730 7:3'>Rev 7:3</a></em></td><td><em><a href='B:490 21:18'>Luk 21:18</a></em>; <em><a href='B:490 21:28'>Luk 21:28</a></em></td><td></td></tr><tr><td><em><a href='B:730 6:11'>Rev 6:11</a></em></td><td><em><a href='B:470 24:14'>Mat 24:14</a></em></td><td></td></tr><tr><td><em><a href='B:730 7:14'>Rev 7:14</a></em></td><td><em><a href='B:470 24:19'>Mat 24:19</a></em>; <em><a href='B:470 24:21'>Mat 24:21</a></em></td><td></td></tr><tr><td><em><a href='B:730 6:12'>Rev 6:12</a></em></td><td><em><a href='B:470 24:7'>Mat 24:7</a></em></td><td></td></tr><tr><td><em><a href='B:730 8:3'>Rev 8:3</a></em></td><td><em><a href='B:490 21:36'>Luk 21:36</a></em></td><td></td></tr><tr><td><em><a href='B:730 6:13'>Rev 6:13</a></em></td><td><em><a href='B:470 24:32'>Mat 24:32</a></em></td><td></td></tr><tr><td><em><a href='B:730 8:5'>Rev 8:5</a></em></td><td><em><a href='B:470 24:27'>Mat 24:27</a></em></td><td></td></tr></table><p>It is clear enough that the Olivet Prophecy has application both to the "last days" of AD70 and also to our last days. Revelation is the Lord's expansion upon His words on Olivet- and therefore we should use this as a framework for interpreting the book. It applies to both AD70 and also our last days. The following notes trace some leading features of the AD70 interpretation. The most powerful proof is in private reading of Josephus'&nbsp;<em>Wars of The Jews</em>- it reads like a running commentary on the seal and trumpet judgments upon Israel.</p><p><em>Which he sent and put into sign by his Angel to his servant John</em>- This message was passed from the Father to the Son to the Son's "angel" or messenger and thence to His servant John. The "angel" may be a human messenger, but the Divine "Angel" with whom John interrelates throughout the book is surely the "Angel" referenced here. In this case, the Lord has a personal Angel who represents Him, perhaps Gabriel.</p>


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<p>1:2&nbsp;<em>Who testified of the word of God and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, even of all things that he saw</em>- The aorist suggests the testimony was made once in the past; and John uses this idea of his testimony about the Lord in explaining that his Gospel record is his testimony about Him. In addition to that, he is testifying of the Lord's testimony, which consists in all things he saw in the visions he is now going to describe. This is in line with how the testimony of the Comforter, the spirit of Christ, was the testimony of the believers who had received that Spirit (<em><a href='B:500 15:26-27'>Joh 15:26-27</a></em>). Here as a parade example of that, John testifies of the Lord's testimony.</p><p>The apostles bore witness to the Lord Jesus (e.g. <em><a href='B:510 26:22'>Act 26:22</a></em>; <em><a href='B:530 15:15'>1Co 15:15</a></em> s:w:), and He in turn bore witness to the preaching of the word of his grace (<em><a href='B:510 15:8'>Act 15:8</a></em>). In their witness lay His witness. Revelation begins with John witnessing / testifying to the Word made flesh, i:e. Jesus, and concludes with Jesus testifying (<em><a href='B:730 1:2'>Rev 1:2</a></em> cp. <em><a href='B:730 22:20'>Rev 22:20</a></em> s:w:).<br/>Beholding the cross and the water and blood that flowed from it, John struggled with the inadequacy of human language: “He that saw it bare record, and his record is true: and he knoweth that he saith true” (<em><a href='B:500 19:35'>Joh 19:35</a></em>). Years later he described himself, in allusion to this, as he “who bare record in the past tense of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ” (<em><a href='B:730 1:2'>Rev 1:2</a></em>). He had earlier commented that the Spirit, water and blood of the cross bore witness (<em><a href='B:690 5:8'>1Jn 5:8</a></em>). John seems to be saying that the Lord’s final death which he had witnessed was the word of God, the testimony of Jesus Christ. And as he had been a faithful witness to this, so now he would be of that further revelation he had now seen in the Apocalypse. Because he had beheld the Lord’s witness on the cross, he witnessed. For he was in Christ, part of Him, of His life and death. And so are each of us. Paul puts our thesis in so many words, by saying that his preaching to the Galatians had been a placarding forth of Christ crucified before their eyes (<em><a href='B:550 3:1'>Gal 3:1</a></em> Gk:). His witness to them had been a living out of the Lord in His time of dying.</p>


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<p>1:3- see on <em><a href='B:490 11:28'>Luk 11:28</a></em>.</p><p><em>Blessed is he that reads, and they that hear the words of the prophecy, and keep the things that are written therein-&nbsp;</em>This has been misread as meaning that blessing is related to 'correctly understanding' the Revelation. The Greek word translated "reads" doesn't have to mean 'correctly understands'. The obvious sense is to link it with those who&nbsp;<em>hear</em>&nbsp;the words... the message is being sent by a messenger, who was to read it out loud- as we know Paul's letters were thus read to a largely illiterate brotherhood- and it was then&nbsp;<em>heard</em>&nbsp;by the ecclesias. Both reader and hearer were blessed if they kept what the prophecy implied- which was and is an awareness of God’s claims upon His people, their separation from this world, and an earnest readiness for Christ's return. The 'blessing' is elsewhere applied not to those who intellectually understand something but to those who are doing and living and saying the right things at the return of Jesus. The same Greek word for 'Blessed' is used of those who are ready at the Lord's return and doing the right things (<em><a href='B:470 24:46'>Mat 24:46</a></em>; <em><a href='B:490 12:37-38'>Luk 12:37-38</a></em>; <em><a href='B:490 12:43'>Luk 12:43</a></em>). <em><a href='B:730 22:7'>Rev 22:7</a></em> links back to 1:3, the epilogue interpreting the prologue: "Blessed is he who keeps the&nbsp;<em>logos</em>&nbsp;of the prophecy of this book" - the essence /<em>&nbsp;logos</em>&nbsp;/ underlying idea of it all, which is that God’s persecuted people will remain faithful to His word in Christ, will testify it to an unbelieving world, and will live lives always prepared for their Lord's return. The blessing is in the preparedness, not in the detailed understanding. If blessing depends upon holding the continuous historic view of Revelation, then the majority of God’s servants aren't blessed- seeing that it couldn't possibly have been understood throughout most of the time from the first century until now.</p><p><em>For the time is near</em>- The disciples expected the second coming within a generation of the Lord’s death (<em><a href='B:470 26:18'>Mat 26:18</a></em>; <em><a href='B:490 21:32'>Luk 21:32</a></em>; <em><a href='B:570 4:5'>Phi 4:5</a></em>; <em><a href='B:620 4:6'>2Ti 4:6</a></em>; <em><a href='B:670 4:7'>1Pe 4:7</a></em>; <em><a href='B:730 1:3'>Rev 1:3</a></em>); and note the use of words indicating imminence: ‘shortly’, ‘immediately’, ‘a little while’. Could it not be that if Israel had accepted Jesus as Son of God, the Kingdom could have come then? Even after His death, had they believed the witness of the apostles and repented for what they had done, the Kingdom could have come then. Of course God foreknew this would not happen; but the disciples looked forward to it as a distinct reality and possibility. Revelation itself seems to read as if when "Babylon" was judged and destroyed by the day of the Lord, then the Kingdom would be established on earth. It seems that it was possible that the Roman empire be destroyed by the Lord's return; but instead the prophecy was delayed, and now "Babylon" must apply to some latter day system, which had an earlier incarnation in the Roman empire which&nbsp;<em>could</em>&nbsp;have been its final fulfilment but wasn't. In any case, we are to live&nbsp;<em>as if</em>&nbsp;the second coming is imminent.</p>


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<p>1:4&nbsp;<em>John to the seven churches that are in Asia. Grace to you and peace, from Him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits that are before His throne</em>- There were more than seven churches in Asia, so this number is chosen to represent the complete churches. Their experiences were to echo down the centuries in the various churches and groups who experienced persecution. The sources and forms may have changed, but the spiritual essence remained the same as they experienced.</p><p>Is, was and is to come recalls the essence of the Yahweh Name. The God who had ultimately preserved His Son and His disciples from their persecutions "was" would preserve the seven Asian churches in their current traumas "is"; and would ultimately preserve believers of all ages "to come". The essential characteristics of the Yahweh Name would be manifested consistently in whatever time and context. And in this consistency is the power of history, as Biblically recorded. For as He acted in history, so He shall act today and for all ages to come.</p><p>The essential will of the Father and Son is grace and peace toward the believers, despite all the twists and turns of history and current experience. That will was operationalized through the seven spirits before the throne in the court of Heaven. The seven spirits match the seven churches; the entire Spirit of God "seven" will work in the lives of all those in His community, represented by the seven churches.</p>


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<p>1:5- see on <em><a href='B:500 7:38'>Joh 7:38</a></em>.</p><p><em>And from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him that loves us and freed us from our sins by his blood</em>- The Lord's faithful witness unto death is to be the pattern for all the Lord's people. Although the kings of the earth persecute the Lord's people, He is their ruler. Events have not get radically out of control; all is under His rulership. This again was of powerful relevance to the Jewish believers of the first century, who were tempted to secretly believe but not to witness, for fear of persecution by both Roman and Jewish systems. We are freed from our sins because of His unflinching witness.</p><p>It will be observed that Revelation frequently hints that it is a message specifically addressed to those under persecution. Phrases like "Jesus Christ the faithful witness" (:5) should be read in the context of encouraging the readers to continue&nbsp;<em>their</em>&nbsp;witness, even on pain of death, just as Jesus did (see too <em><a href='B:730 13:8'>Rev 13:8</a></em>). For this reason, an understanding of the book of Revelation is vital for those who will experience the latter day tribulation, in whatever form we feel it will take.</p><p>"The kings of the earth" is a phrase and idea which we will encounter later. If we enquire what they refer to, it depends upon what scale we wish to investigate at. The "earth" often refers to the land promised to Abraham, and the futurist interpretation of the later chapters in Revelation must bear that in view.</p><p>The love of the Lord Jesus is again interpreted as specifically His death on the cross, as often in the New Testament. His command to love as He loved us means that we too are to love unto the death of a cross (<em><a href='B:500 13:32'>Joh 13:32</a></em>). That death means we are freed from our sins- despite being ruled over by the kings of the earth / land. It is freedom from sin which is the ultimate freedom rather than political freedom, which was always attractive to the Jewish readership of the first century.</p> <p>Just as the language of the Roman cult of empire is alluded to and subverted, so too is the language of Jewish nationalistic expectation. This was very strong in the lead up to AD70 and was the root cause of many of the Hebrew Christians returning to Judaism. The hope was that the Kingdom of God could be brought about by human effort now, without Jesus. The idea that 'we can do it, we can achieve a land fit for heroes' is very much the slogan of the world around us, too. And we are not to fall for it. The cry of militant Judaism was 'Freedom from Rome!'. But this is subverted into 'Freedom from sin!'. That is the ultimate freedom, to be free from the ties that bind us morally. And to thereby be free from fear of eternal death. Militant Judaism appealed to the image of 'martyrdom' at the time of the Maccabees. But the word for 'martyr' is used here of how the Lord Jesus was the faithful witness unto death; to turn a conversation around to Jesus and face social death or ostracism, that is the true witness or 'martyrdom'. Not being a suicide bomber against the Romans.  Our witness is our witness (Rev. 6:9; 12:11). It is us personally witnessing in our way and context. But it is the witness of Jesus (Rev. 12:17; 19:10), who was the first and ultimate witness / martyr unto death (Rev. 1:5). We are His witnesses, continuing His witness unto death (Rev. 12:17; 17:6; 19:10). Our standing up for Him, our preaching, our witness to Him, is in the Spirit of His witness-unto-death. "The faithful witness" is an allusion to the Messianic seed of David in Ps. 89:35-37: "Once have I sworn by My holiness that I will not lie to David. His seed will endure forever, his throne like the sun before Me. It will be established forever like the moon, the faithful witness in the sky". Judaism was looking for some Messianic seed of David to arise and save them from Rome and 'free them'. But the take of Revelation is that the Lord Jesus is the seed of David [there are many references to Him as this] and He has freed us from sin. That is the real bondage and that is the true freedom. Bondage and freedom are thereby redefined. Likewise in our world, bondage is not so much to the minimum wage economy, but to sin. And freedom is not financial independence, it is freedom from sin through baptism into Jesus. This makes us free from sin ("And being made free from sin, you became slaves to righteousness", Rom. 6:18, "he law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death", Rom. 8:2); we are 'redeemed', bought out of slavery and set free into freedom ("For freedom did Christ set us free", Gal. 5:1), the glorious liberty of God's dear children. This is not something we are fighting for against this world. It has been attained. And we are to believe it and bask it, and seek to share the victory. But it's always more attractive, and easier to mentally handle, to be in search for something- rather than rejoicing that we have found it. This is a feature of human nature we must beware of. To be ever learning and seeking, but unable to come to acknowledge the Truth when we find it. 
The praise of the Lord Jesus here in :5,6 is alluding to the language of the emperor cult. Caesar was to be worshipped as supreme, because he had made Roman citizens the rulers ["kings"] of the known earth. All this is subverted here. The true Kingdom is God's Kingdom, in which we shall be the rulers. But that empire / Kingdom is not now, in its fullness. We await the day of the Lord's return. To believe the Gospel of the Kingdom of God was therefore to be believe something radically subversive of contemporary society and values. And the call to be totally part of that is no less radical for us today, in essence. Worship is a major theme of Revelation. Later we will read of a Lamb on the throne. Not Caesar. And this must be understood in the context of the cult of emperor worship. </p>


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<p>1:6&nbsp;<em>And who made us kings and priests to his God and Father; to him be the glory and the dominion for ever and ever. Amen</em>- Having spoken of the kings of the earth, who will be portrayed later as dominating God’s people temporarily, we learn that in fact it is we who are freed from any domination by sin who are the king-priests. Immediately we are introduced to what shall be a major theme in the visions- that there are two spheres of things. On the earthly level, the kings of the earth dominate us. But on the spiritual, heavenly level, we are the kings, and are radically free from all domination because of the freedom won for us on the cross. This earthly-heavenly distinction is to be found throughout John's Gospel. Things as they are in secular life only appear like that. For things are radically different from God’s perspective.</p><p>The Lord "has&nbsp;<em>made</em>&nbsp;us kings and priests" in prospect, although we will only exercise this power in the Kingdom. Frequently we read of the saints being 'made' things which we must still strive to attain (<em><a href='B:520 5:19'>Rom 5:19</a></em>; <em><a href='B:520 6:18'>Rom 6:18</a></em>; <em><a href='B:520 6:22'>Rom 6:22</a></em>; <em><a href='B:520 8:2'>Rom 8:2</a></em>; <em><a href='B:530 12:13'>1Co 12:13</a></em>; <em><a href='B:560 1:6'>Eph 1:6</a></em>; <em><a href='B:560 2:13'>Eph 2:13</a></em>). God&nbsp;<em>made</em>&nbsp;the Lord a sin offering, that we might be&nbsp;<em>made</em>&nbsp;the righteousness of God (<em><a href='B:540 5:21'>2Co 5:21</a></em>), although our Lord still had to exercise freewill effort to be that offering, as we must too. "God... saved us (in prospect)... that... we should be&nbsp;<em>made</em>&nbsp;heirs according to the hope of eternal life" (<em><a href='B:630 3:5-7'>Tit 3:5-7</a></em>).</p><p>Note too that the idea may well be of king-priests, after the order of Melchizedek, seeing we are "in Christ" and all that is true of Him comes true for us. So the idea is not that some will be kings and others priests.</p>


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<p>1:7- see on <em><a href='B:500 1:14'>Joh 1:14</a></em>; <em><a href='B:500 19:37'>Joh 19:37</a></em>.</p><p><em>Behold, he comes with the clouds, and every eye shall see him, and they that pierced him, and all the tribes of the earth shall mourn over him. So shall it be Amen</em>- This passage from Zechariah appears to be a prophecy of how Israel shall see the Lord at His second coming, and that is the interpretation given here. Those who crucified the Lord had this prophecy come true as they looked upon and gloated over the pierced Lord Jesus on the cross (see on <em><a href='B:500 19:37'>Joh 19:37</a></em>). But it shall come true again, when they are resurrected to judgment at the last day, see His enthronement in glory "he comes with the clouds" is the language of Daniel 7 about this, realize from marks in His body that this is the one whom they crucified, exclaim "Blessed is he that comes in the name of the Lord" (<em><a href='B:470 23:39'>Mat 23:39</a></em>), but find they are not able to be in His Kingdom. That bitter disappointment at the future they have missed, that they now so want, with all the resulting self-anger, is described as weeping and gnashing of teeth. That will be psychological punishment enough for the rejected. "The tribes of the earth", every eye of them, shall see the Lord in that moment. "The earth" refers to the land, of Israel; all those who looked upon Him upon the cross, "every eye", shall then be resurrected to see Him and mourn bitterly over what they did. The "every eye" is I suggest unpacked and defined by "they that pierced him" and "all the tribes of the land". The "and..." does not have to mean 'in addition to'; it can be a device for defining the term which has gone before it. As if to say 'Yes, even…'.</p>


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<p>1:8&nbsp;<em>I am the Alpha and the Omega, says the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty</em>- It has been oobserved by Trinitarians that the Lord Jesus says He is "the first and the last" (:17; 22:13), clearly alluding to Alpha and Omega, the beginning and end of the Greek alphabet. The Son of God shares the titles of God- although significantly here, that is expressed slightly differently ["Alpha and Omega" becomes "first and the last"]. This however is not to say that Jesus equals God. That is too primitive, and is to misunderstand the idea of sharing the same Name and title. Jesus is not God, but throughout Revelation [and in our own lives] He functions as God. But function is not the same as being one and the same. Trinitarians need to recognize this.  The way God is outside of time as we know it, existing in past, present and future simultaneously, is mentioned in connection with the judgment upon those who pierced the Lord and who at the resurrection to condemnation will remember what they did. They will then realize that for God, what they did is actual and real as if they were doing it right then. The passage of time does not blunt His awareness of sin nor the implication of past actions. It does to us, with our fading memories and ability to re-imagine and re-create the past according to our own warped perceptions. This is why repentance at the time of sin is so important; otherwise the passing of time results in our memories often reshaping and rewriting the sin, writing down its significance. "Was, is and is to come" clearly alludes to the Yahweh Name, which is taken by the resurrected Lord Jesus. The "is to come" can be seen as not just the general future tense, but also specifically referring to God's manifestation in the second coming of the Lord Jesus, who says seven times in Revelation "I am coming". But one theme of Revelation is the way that it continually alludes to and deconstructs the surrounding Greek and Roman ideas. Not only of the cult of Roman empire and emperor, but also the Greek ideas of the gods. Many of their gods, especially the god of Philosophy, were claimed to exist in these same three tenses, past, present and future (D. E. Aune, Prophecy in Early Christianity and the Ancient Mediterranean World (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1983), pp.280,281). But the entire social, political and religious system of the first century world was being deconstructed in Revelation. The one true God and His Son subsume and replace all these things. Just as they do all the values and structures of our worlds.  </p>


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<p>1:9&nbsp;<em>I John, your brother and partaker with you in tribulation and the kingdom and patience of Jesus, was in the isle that is called Patmos, because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus</em>- This language speaks of another King and another Kingdom existing right then. This language and implications of this sort had been enough to provide the technical reason why the Lord was crucified; for Caesar and his kingdom were the only king and kingdoms which could be spoken of within the Roman empire. John was commanded to "write" these things, which as noted on :19 was going to be a criminal act. John seems aware of this because he goes right on to mention that he was, or had been, in exile on Patmos because of his testimony about the Lord and "the word of God". This may be a reference to his being arrested and punished for writing and distributing what we know as the Gospel of John. See on :2.</p><p>John saw himself as their partner rather than the one above them, partaking with them of the same sufferings; repeatedly he describes himself and all believers as fellow-slaves (<em><a href='B:730 1:1'>Rev 1:1</a></em>; <em><a href='B:730 2:20'>Rev 2:20</a></em>; <em><a href='B:730 6:11'>Rev 6:11</a></em>; <em><a href='B:730 7:4'>Rev 7:4</a></em>; <em><a href='B:730 19:2'>Rev 19:2</a></em>; <em><a href='B:730 19:5'>Rev 19:5</a></em>; <em><a href='B:730 22:3'>Rev 22:3</a></em>; <em><a href='B:730 22:6'>Rev 22:6</a></em> - quite some emphasis). See on <em><a href='B:710 1:14-14'>3Jn 1:14-14</a></em>. It is significant that Revelation speaks more frequently than any other NT book of simply "Jesus". Without any title attached to Him. This is quite unusual especially when compared to the rest of the New Testament, where the risen Jesus is usually called "the Lord". We must remember that "Jesus" was one of the most common male names in first century Palestine. It's rather like talking about "Dave" or "Ronnie" without any title attached- when referring to the president of the nation. And yet as discussed on :8, we find here highly exalted language concerning the Lord Jesus. This kind of juxtaposition of His humanity and His exalted status is quite common. Hebrews 1 speaks of "God even your God" in relation to Jesus, adjacent to describing Him in very exalted language. This is simply because it was on account of His genuine humanity that He has been exalted to His high status. At times this is stated explicitly, but this literary device of placing His humanity next to His exaltation is another way of stating this.  </p>


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<p>1:10&nbsp;<em>I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and I heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet, saying</em>- The radical, heretical nature of the book of Revelation needs to be appreciated against this background; it's almost a polemic against the Caesars, and to speak in this way against them was punishable by death. And Revelation speaks of the capital of the beast system (Rome) as being in the wilderness, rather than as the (perceived) centre of a cosmopolitan metropolIsa. And of course, Rome is spoken of as a whore... the most abusive image possible The whole vision was given "on the Lord's day" (<em><a href='B:730 1:10'>Rev 1:10</a></em>)- and this appears to be an allusion to the way that there was "a day in the Roman calendar when all the Roman citizens had to go to the local temple and declare 'Caesar is Lord'". On that very day, when John was supposed to be worshipping Caesar as Lord, he was given a vision outlining how Caesar was not in fact 'Lord' at all. And yet the Lord's day is so often a reference to the second coming. All in Revelation is to be understood in that context, which creates a solid case for treating a futuristic interpretation as not only possible but required. Although most parts of the book have discernible application to the first century or other points in history, the essence of it all will come true fully only in the last days.</p><p>Yet the great voice he hears behind him is as of a trumpet; what he heard he was to write (:11) and distribute. It was not a quiet, personal voice; but a trumpet. His message was to be preached, and it was a radical polemic against the Roman empire, the Jewish system in Jerusalem; just as in its later applications, it was a radical polemic against every society in which the Lord's people have lived. And that message is to be preached, for the voice comes as a trumpet. The principles revealed in this book are not to be quietly kept in our hearts; by their nature, they cannot be.</p>


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<p>1:11- see on <em><a href='B:510 2:46'>Act 2:46</a></em>.</p><p><em>What you see, write in a book and send it to the seven churches. To Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea</em>- For the significance of placing all this in writing, see on :9 and :19. The churches chosen are surely representative of all congregations over time. Hence the number seven, suggesting completion. For there were other churches in that area. The order of the churches is perhaps simply because that is the order in which a messenger would have travelled in delivering the letters, in a kind of circuit.</p>


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<p>1:12&nbsp;<em>And I turned to see the voice that spoke to me. And having turned I saw seven golden candlesticks</em>- "To see the voice" rather than "to see the person that spoke" suggests that this personage is a word made flesh, a person totally identified with their voice. And that is of course how John has portrayed the Lord in <em><a href='B:500 1:14'>Joh 1:14</a></em>.John turns to see the voice, clearly alluding to how at Sinai “all the people saw the voice” (Ex. 20:18 LXX). We note there is also the sound of a trumpet. We expect John to turn and see... the Lord Jesus. But instead he sees the lampstands, which are explained as representing the churches. This kind of dashed expectation is a commn literary feature of Biblical literature. And it is to make a point- that the Lord Jesus is manifest in His church. The lampstand vision is clearly based upon the lampstand of Zech. 4:2,11, where it is filled with the Spirit and the seven lamps represent the seven spirits of God sent forth into all the earth. The idea of 'seven spirits' is of completion and totality. The idea is that the church is the manifestation of God's presence and activity in the earth today; however dysfunctional that lampstand may be. In this sense we are the light of the world, the lamp that has been lit to give light (Mt. 5:14-16). His light is to some extent obscured by the dysfunction of the lampstand. As the seven spirits went forth throughout the earth, so the idea is that the church goes throughout the earth with the witness of the Lord Jesus. Again we have the device of dashed expectation- for having been set up to see the Lord Jesus manifest in this lampstand, we will go on to read of how dysfunctional are the seven churches addressed, the individual lamps. </p><p>Our covenant relationship with God isn't just between Him and us. It demands that we are in covenant with His people; we can't love Him that begat without loving those others begotten by Him, as John puts it (<em><a href='B:690 4:9'>1Jn 4:9</a></em>). When John later heard the voice of Jesus and turned to see Him, instead of seeing Jesus in person as he expected, he saw instead the seven candlesticks, symbolic of the ecclesias / body of Christ (<em><a href='B:730 1:12'>Rev 1:12</a></em>). Perhaps this was the idea behind the way that "Jehoiada made a covenant between the Lord and the king and the people, that they should be the Lord's people: between the king also and the people" (<em><a href='B:120 11:17'>2Ki 11:17</a></em>).</p>


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<p>1:13&nbsp;<em>And in the midst of the candlesticks- one like a Son of Man, dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest</em>- The Lord being in midst of His churches referring of course to the people within them is a continuation of a major Johannine theme: that the Lord Jesus abides in the hearts of His people through the Spirit. The long robe and sash could possibly frame Him as a priest, working for us all in an ongoing sense, and identified with the churches. The same word for "robe" is used in the LXX of the High Priestly robe (Ex. 25:7; 28:4,31; 29:5; 35:9; Ez. 9:3; Zech. 3:4). The robe is described as coming down to the feet, which is exactly how Josephus describes the clothing of the High Priest in the first century [Antiquities of the Jews 3.153]. The "golden girdle" obviously recalls the sash or belt of the High Priest; although it is of gold and not blue, signalling to us that this High Priest is altogether superior to and different from the Mosaic High Priests. Typical of Revelation and the genre of apocayptic, the Lord Jesus is not specifically stated to be the High Priest; just as He is referred to later as "the lamb" rather than specifically named. But that is the message from the visual symbolism here; and we must ever remember that this is a vision, being related to an illiterate audience who would have interpreted the symbols they had portrayed to them. The whole image of a human figure moving amongst candlesticks would evoke associations with the priest in the temple / tabernacle, tending the lamps- which the letters to the churches will show are in a bad state, smouldering and about to go out. It could be that the visual associations of a High Priest appearing and speaking would have led the initial Jewish audience to understand this as a picture of the High Priest announcing forgiveness on the Day of Atonement. "The Lord's day" (Rev. 1:10) would have been understood by them as a Jewish feast day. The blowing of a trumpet (:10) also suggests the Day of Atonement, when the release was proclaimed to all the land. The description of the Lord's feet likewise makes no reference to shoes. And the High Priest was barefoot on the Day of Atonement, strictly following the commandments about his clothing, which said nothing about footwear. But this High Priest appears always like this; as if we live continually in the spirit of relief that the High Priest has pronounced the word of pardon, and we are continually released. This is an amazing idea. And it continues throughout  Revelation- we will read of censors, incense etc., all associated with the High Priest on the Day of Atonement (Lev. 16:12,13), although there are clearly other Jewish feasts also alluded to. 
So through all the pronounciations of judgment to come, we must remember they are being made by the High Priest who also stands there offering the word of ultimate pardon. Salvation of repentant sinners and judgment of impenitent sinners are two sides of the same coin- both aspects are necessary to bring about the Kingdom of God on earth. On the Day of Atonement, the high priest brought a “censer full of burning coals of fire” (Lev. 16:12) from the altar into the Most Holy Place. He then put the incense onto the firepan, creating a billowing of fragrant smoke. According to Lev. 16:13, that cloud of incense covered the mercy seat, the lid on the ark of the covenant, to as it were shield him from the presence of God. This imagery is all reapplied later in Revelation. But the ideas are there- connecting the judgments upon earth with the work of the Day of Atonement. All those judgments are progressing towards the ultimate pronouncing of forgiveness, which was the end product of the Day of Atonement rituals.
In fact, dress is a significant theme in Revelation. We are told what people or entities are clothed in. One of the difficulties in understanding Revelation is that we are reading a description of things which are primarily visual. And it's like trying to describe the Mona Lisa in words. We have to pay careful attention to the descriptions and visualize them in order to grasp the intended impression and message; this is an enterprise rather different to simply attaching meaning to symbols. Interpretation of symbolism, where symbol A [e.g. gold] has meaning B [e.g. faith], is not quite the same as getting the impression of a visual presentation which is being described in words. And often Revelation presents us with a kaleidoscope of images, which is quite different to simply interpreting symbols. Rather the art of interpretation is to grasp the overall impression being generated. For this is the genre of apocalyptic.
The various features of the vision of the High Priestly Jesus are repeated in the letters to the churches. This High Priest is presented as ultimately powerful and active. But that must be understood in connection with the fact He is the High Priest announcing atonement for His people. And that means our salvation. All His work in history is towards that end. He is powerful to save, to forgive, to atone. And all His work with men and nations in history is towards that end. "Eyes like a flame of fire" (Rev. 2:18), feet like burnished bronze" is repeated in the letter to Thyatira, holding seven stars (Rev. 2:1),  sharp sword in hand (Rev. 2:12,16), the first and last (Rev. 2:8). The idea is that this glorified Jesus, before whom John fell in awe as if dead, is actually alive and involved amongst His people now. Despite all the weaknesses and failures revealed in the letters. The Jesus in Heavenly glory is here on earth with us, that is the idea. And the High Priest who appears and pronounces ultimate salvation is also the judge and critic of human sin and failure. This is why the Day of Atonement was known in Judaism as the day of judgment. So it is, as it were, in the same breath as profound pardon is announced, that we have the messages to the churches. This pardon is not some blanket statement. It is made knowing full well the weaknesses of God's people- and it is in the same breath that forgiveness is announced that repentance is appealed for. We cannot  be passive to this amazing forgiveness- we are to respond in repentance. In this sense we repent because we have been forgiven, rather than God holding forgiveness as a prize to be given to the penitent. And this is to be the basis of our witness to the world. We are to “cry” unto Zion that “her iniquity is pardoned”, but we are also to ‘cry’ for her to repent, to be “made straight”, for the rough places to be ‘made plain’; to “cry aloud…lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and show my people their transgression (Is. 40:2-4; 58:1). It’s exactly because they have in prospect been forgiven that we are to call them to repent. The forgiveness has already been granted; iniquity has been pardoned. But We are to ‘cry’ out this fact; and also to ‘cry out’ for their repentance. But they have to respond to that. </p><p>We note that even with Divine nature, the Lord's humanity is stressed. He is as a "son of man". John's resurrection narratives stress the continued human aspect of the exalted Lord Jesus; and He is called still "the man Christ Jesus" even in His Heavenly glory (<em><a href='B:610 2:5'>1Ti 2:5</a></em>).</p><p>The vision of Revelation 1 has close links with that of Daniel 10. If the Revelation 1 vision is concerning the Angel, then so is that of Daniel 10. The context of the Daniel vision is that he had been praying for the opposition to the restoration to be overcome. He was therefore given this vision of the mighty Angel who was going to answer his prayers; Daniel describes the vision as being "of a certain man" (<em><a href='B:340 10:5'>Dan 10:5</a></em>); when the Angel comes to him to tell him that despite the opposition He was going to answer his prayers, Daniel describes him as "one like the appearance of a man" (<em><a href='B:340 10:18'>Dan 10:18</a></em>), or as is said here, "like a son of man". So the association with Daniel 10 was a message that ultimately, the opposition would be overcome on account of the glorious "son of man" who abides amongst the believers:&nbsp;</p>


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<p>1:14&nbsp;<em>And his head and his hair were white as white wool, white as snow, and his eyes were as a flame of fire</em>- The similarities with the visions of Daniel signpost the basic message that opposition to God’s people will be finally overcome, even though they are currently in exile and under Gentile power.</p><p>To a certain degree, the acceptance or rejection which will be shown to us in the day of judgment can be visited on us in this life, in accordance with our actions. Thus the Lord Jesus appears here as the judge of the churches, in that the description of him there being very similar to that in Daniel 7, 10, where he is portrayed as the judge at the second coming. Asaph knew that God&nbsp;<em>now&nbsp;</em>judges, and therefore asks God to arise and judge openly in the earth according to those judgments (<em><a href='B:230 82:1'>Psa 82:1</a></em>; <em><a href='B:230 82:8'>Psa 82:8</a></em>). His eyes are as fire right now- He sees every aspect of our tribulations.</p>


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<p>1:15- see on <em><a href='B:720 1:14'>Jud 1:14</a></em>.</p><p><em>And his feet were like bronze refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the voice of many waters</em>- This voice of judgment is going forth now. The essence of judgment day is now; see on :14. The connection is also with the vision of cherubim given to Ezekiel; again, like Daniel, to encourage God’s people who were temporarily under Gentile power.</p><p>Ezekiel’s cherubim refer to God’s people, as well as the Angelic hosts and the hosts of Babylon; perhaps the message was simply that God was awesomely involved- as awesome as the cherubim vision- with His people on earth. The same Angelic system that brought the hosts of Babylon upon Judah also went with Judah into captivity, and would return from there with them- if they still wished to be part of that Angelic system. And yet most of Judah opted out of it, and remained in Babylon, just as we can opt out and remain in Babylon today. In this context it's interesting that the vision of Jesus as the Son of Man in Revelation 1 has similarities with the cherubim vision of Ezekiel 1 (feet like brass, <em><a href='B:330 1:7'>Eze 1:7</a></em> = <em><a href='B:730 1:15'>Rev 1:15</a></em>; shining face, <em><a href='B:330 1:13'>Eze 1:13</a></em> = <em><a href='B:730 1:16'>Rev 1:16</a></em>; voice like many waters, <em><a href='B:330 1:24'>Eze 1:24</a></em>= <em><a href='B:730 1:15'>Rev 1:15</a></em>). Perhaps this suggests that Israel's failure to identify with the cherubim led to a refulfilment of the prophecy in the person of the Lord Jesus, who was in person all that God intended Israel to have been. Thus the prophecies of Israel as "the servant of Yahweh", given in the context of the restoration, could have been fulfilled in the people of Israel, but were reapplied and fulfilled in the person of the Lord Jesus.</p><p>The opening vision of Revelation 1 presents the Lord in His post-resurrection glory; but elements of that description occur throughout Revelation in portraying the beasts. The point is, they are all false-Christ’s. The Lord has a voice as the sound of many waters (<em><a href='B:730 1:15'>Rev 1:15</a></em>), but the serpent, on the surface, speaks with just the same voice (<em><a href='B:730 12:15'>Rev 12:15</a></em>). The four empire-beasts of Daniel 7, the kingdoms of this world, are a parody of the four living creatures of the cherubim (<em><a href='B:730 4:6'>Rev 4:6</a></em>). See on <em><a href='B:510 12:20'>Act 12:20</a></em>:&nbsp;</p>


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<p>1:16- see on <em><a href='B:490 12:49'>Luk 12:49</a></em>.</p><p><em>And he had in his right hand seven stars-&nbsp;</em>Referring to the Angels of the seven churches, held protectively in the Lord's hand, whatever persecution may come upon them. See on :20.</p><p><em>And out of his mouth proceeded a sharp two-edged sword, and his countenance was as the sun shines in its strength</em>- That same right hand was what touched John; see on :17. The idea of the sun shining in its full strength is the picture of Divine judgment being openly manifested (<em><a href='B:70 5:31'>Jdg 5:31</a></em>). The sharp two-edged sword has similar associations (<em><a href='B:230 149:6'>Psa 149:6</a></em>). But the Lord is presented as having those judgment characteristics right now. This is typical of what we find in Revelation; a kaleidoscope of images often paying no attention to time as we know it. The encouragement is that even under the heat of Gentile persecution, the Lord sees with eyes as of a flame of fire, and is giving judgment right now. It's not that He is as it were looking the other way, and shall open the books and review things at judgment day. See on <em><a href='B:730 2:12'>Rev 2:12</a></em>.</p>


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<p>1:17&nbsp;<em>And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as one dead-&nbsp;</em>As noted on :16, the Lord appears in the form of His latter day judgments, although that day is not yet in our kind of time. And so John goes through a symbolic death and resurrection, as Daniel did when beholding a similar vision in Daniel 10.</p><p><em>And he laid his right hand upon me, saying: Fear not. I am the first and the last</em>- This is quite some striking visual image: of the Lord with the stars in His hand (:16,20) placing His hand upon John individually. The idea is that the Lord can act for both the individual and the collective churches at one and the same time. Quite how it all looked to John perhaps cannot be imagined. But the great mystery would have been expressed, of the Lord's individual and collective relationship to us at the same time.</p><p>"Fear not" coming from the Lord is language to be associated with a calming of one who feels spiritually unworthy. John writes in absolute terms of our acceptance with the Lord and abiding in Him; but even he felt the tension of his humanity when faced with the Lord.</p><p>"The first and the last", the alpha and omega, the beginning and end of the alphabet, is perhaps to get the idea over that time is not really as we see it. The Lord is portrayed in the garb of how He will be at the final judgment; but He is like that in essence right now.</p>


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<p>1:18&nbsp;<em>The living one; and I was dead, but behold, I am alive for always, and I have the keys of Death and of Hades</em>- As John lay 'dead' before the Lord (:17), so the Lord reminds John that He too has passed through death and is now alive.</p><p>Baptism commits us to a life of sharing His death and resurrection. When John fell at the Lord’s feet “as dead”, the Lord responded by saying: ‘I too was dead , but no more; I’m alive for evermore, and as I died with you and for you, so I live with you and for you, and you do the same for me’ (<em><a href='B:730 1:17-18'>Rev 1:17-18</a></em>). The idea is 'I am living'. His ongoing living is manifest to us in the gift of the Spirit, the Comforter, which would replace His physical presence with the disciples on earth, making His presence and life just as real to us as if He were literally present. And that promised gift of the Spirit was to be with us "always" (<em><a href='B:500 14:16'>Joh 14:16</a></em>). In this sense He is "the living one" right now and always. He is not passive, divided from us by space and spirituality; He is alive and living through us.</p><p>The theme is of persecution, of living locked up in life situations we feel trapped in. But the Lord has the keys to death itself. The fact we are guaranteed to overcome even death, which is completely in His power, means that no human system or situation can ultimately trap us. And this has encouragement for those who may not be politically persecuted, but feel locked up in domestic and social situations.</p>


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<p>1:19&nbsp;<em>Therefore write the things which you see, and the things which are, and the things which shall hereafter come to pass</em>- This command to "write" was asking John to commit a seriously criminal offence. For within the Roman empire, such application of emperor and kingdom language to another king, the Lord Jesus, and articulating a plan for His Kingdom to come and the destruction of earth's proud empires... all this meant that the written form of the book of Revelation would have been forbidden literature, and the writing and production of it was criminal and even a capital offence. John's motivation was therefore in order to strengthen by all means the believers with the hope of the Kingdom and ultimate victory against all evil empires. He is encouraged to make this sacrifice and "write" these things&nbsp;<em>because</em>&nbsp;the Lord has the keys of death itself (:18). If even death itself is no barrier for us, and we are not finally under the power of it; how much less are we under the power of all structures which appear to lock us down in this life.</p><p>Unlike Hebrew, the tenses in Greek are precise and have specific reference. Here John was told to write down the things which he had seen, the things which presently are, and the things which shall be “hereafter”. I suggest the things he had seen were the things of the vision of the Son of Man; the things which are refer to the messages to the seven churches; and “the things which shall be hereafter” is a phrase developed in <em><a href='B:730 4:1'>Rev 4:1</a></em>, where John is bidden come and see “the things which must be hereafter”. The things from then on all refer to the future, the last days and the coming of Christ. The vision of the Heavenly throne room in chapters 4 and 5 therefore refers to how things are in the Heavenly court&nbsp;<em>in the last days</em>. That is confirmed by comments on many of the verses in chapter 4.</p>


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<p>1:20&nbsp;<em>This is the mystery of the seven stars which you saw in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven candlesticks are seven churches</em>- As suggested earlier, seven being the number of completeness, we are intended to understand these churches as representative of all believers, over all time and space. The same basic situations occur amongst all believers, even if the form varies. The seven churches and seven lampstands are in contrast to the red dragon with seven heads and scarlet beast with seven heads (Rev. 12:3; 17:3,7). In outline visual terms, we are getting the impression that the church is the total antithesis to the systems of the world which dominate her. We are either in the world, or in the weak and dysfunctional lampstand system of the Lord Jesus.</p><p>I suggest the "angels" refer to both heavenly Angels in the throne room of God, and to the leadership of the churches on earth which they represent before God in Heaven. There appear to be guardian Angels not only for individuals but also for groups of believers- e. g. Israel, or an ecclesia. The stars of the ecclesias in <em><a href='B:730 1:20'>Rev 1:20</a></em> are defined as the Angels of the ecclesias. The seven lamps are the seven spirits / Angels of God before His throne (<em><a href='B:730 4:5'>Rev 4:5</a></em>)- yet they are clearly representative of the seven churches on earth of which Revelation has earlier spoken. There seems no reason to doubt that literal Angels are being referred to, especially as elsewhere Angels are also likened to stars-e. g. <em><a href='B:220 38:7'>Job 38:7</a></em>; and the king of Babylon "exalted (himself) above the stars" (<em><a href='B:290 14:13'>Isa 14:13</a></em> - referring to Israel and their representative Angels):&nbsp; There seems no more symbolism attached to the phrase "Angels" in Revelation 1, seeing it is in the context of the candlestick parable being interpreted: "The seven stars are the Angels of the seven churches". The apparent rebuke of the Angels is because they are so closely associated with their charges. However, to some degree the words of Jesus in the letters may also apply personally to the Angels- e. g. "I will. . . remove your candlestick" (<em><a href='B:730 2:5'>Rev 2:5</a></em>) may imply God would take away the Angel's charge from his care unless the Angel repented- i:e. changed his way of dealing with the ecclesia. The frequent calls to "repent" in the letters can easily apply to the Angels changing their mind or way of dealing with the ecclesia. The word is not bound to have a moral dimension. Thus <em><a href='B:730 2:16'>Rev 2:16</a></em>: "I will come to<em>&nbsp;you</em>... and fight against&nbsp;<em>them</em>" or "unto&nbsp;<em>you</em>&nbsp;(the Angel)... I say and unto&nbsp;<em>the rest</em>" (<em><a href='B:730 2:24'>Rev 2:24</a></em>). Similarly the command to "strengthen the things (the faithful believers- strengthened spiritually by the Angel) which remain" (<em><a href='B:730 3:2'>Rev 3:2</a></em>) cannot apply to a whole church which has many apostate members.</p><p>There are so many links between the opening letters to the ecclesias, and the rest of Revelation. The wording is so similar- the themes of persecution, faithfulness, and the promised blessing of the faithful. The letters aren't just 'tacked on' to the prophecy. The dramas which the ecclesias were experiencing on earth are explained by the rest of the book, in its first century, relevant-to-its-hearers level of interpretation. Jerusalem was surrounded by her enemies, the temple was about to be destroyed. They were being persecuted by Jewish and Roman powers, and we see in the rest of the book how this looked from Heaven's perspective- the way the Angels were orchestrating and yet also resisting all this, how God perceived the Jewish and Roman authorities as dragons, whores etc:, and how the traumas of AD66-70 were in fact all in His plan and part of a larger picture:&nbsp;It's like the book of Daniel. The book isn't just a life of Daniel with a few prophecies thrown in. It's a life of Daniel, in captivity, awaiting revival, longing for Messiah. And the prophecies give us Heaven's perspective on it. However, Revelation has more relevance than to just the first century hearers. Just as the events of AD66-70 are typical of the last days, so Revelation likewise has its ultimate fulfilment regardless of any others it may have had over history in the crisis of the last days, in the final showdown between Babylon and Jerusalem, between the true Christ and the anti-Christ. The book will speak to us in the final tribulation as no other book can- because it's all about the last days.</p>


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<p>2:1&nbsp;<em>To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: These things says he that holds the seven stars in his right hand, he that walks in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks</em>- The Lord is in the midst of the churches in the sense that He "walks" amongst or "with" the churches / believers. This is an idea John uses several times in his Gospel; that the Lord walked amongst or in the midst of men (<em><a href='B:500 6:66'>Joh 6:66</a></em>; <em><a href='B:500 7:1'>Joh 7:1</a></em>; <em><a href='B:500 11:54'>Joh 11:54</a></em>; <em><a href='B:500 12:35'>Joh 12:35</a></em>). It is also John who records the wonderful promise of the Comforter; that the Lord's physical absence would be compensated for by the gift of the Spirit in the hearts of believers, so that it would be as if He were present with them still. The Jesus who walked the streets and lanes of Galilee with His followers still walks amongst us today.</p><p>If Timothy was the elder of the church at Ephesus, it would appear that the Lord's rebuke of the 'angel' or elder of that church in <em><a href='B:730 2:1'>Rev 2:1</a></em> may well have been directed at Timothy or his successor (assuming an AD66 date for the book of Revelation). This could imply that Timothy failed to follow Paul's charge to him of 2 Timothy 4, and that his initial devotion waned in some ways. And yet on the other hand, a study of 1 Timothy shows that the situation in Ephesus was desperate at that time; doctrinal apostasy and return to the surrounding idol cults or Judaism seemed inevitable as the weaknesses seemed so deep. And so Paul's advice to Timothy was followed and only in the power of the Spirit did Timothy turn things around in Ephesus. But it was at the cost of losing&nbsp;<em>agape&nbsp;</em>love (:4). All the same, there is encouragement here that apparently awful and almost hopeless spiritual situations can be turned around by wise leadership and in the power of the Spirit.</p>


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<p>2:2&nbsp;<em>I know your works and your toil and patience, and that you cannot tolerate evil men, and did test them that call themselves apostles, and yet are not, and found them false</em>- This intolerance of false apostles and teachers would have been in obedience to the commands to Timothy regarding these types at Ephesus in 1 Timothy. The situation there seemed hopelessly weak, and the false teachers entrenched. And yet empowered by the Spirit and with timid Timothy rising up the challenge of dealing with the situation, the problem with the false teachers had been turned around. And yet, at the cost of losing<em>&nbsp;agape</em>&nbsp;love (:4), making all this but a pyrrhic victory:&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<em>&nbsp;</em></p><p>There is a marked warning throughout the letters that there will be a spirit of self-deception and hypocrisy amongst the latter-day ecclesias:&nbsp;Jezebel "<em>calls</em>&nbsp;herself a prophetess" (<em><a href='B:730 2:20'>Rev 2:20</a></em>), some "<em>say</em>&nbsp;they are Jews and are not" (<em><a href='B:730 2:9'>Rev 2:9</a></em>), others "<em>say</em>&nbsp;they are apostles, and are not" (<em><a href='B:730 2:2'>Rev 2:2</a></em>), Sardis had "a name that thou livest" but was dead (<em><a href='B:730 3:1'>Rev 3:1</a></em>). This must be seen in the context of other NT warnings that deceivers would enter the ecclesia, appearing to have the Apostolic gifts of the Spirit. As noted on <em><a href='B:690 4:1'>1Jn 4:1</a></em>, John's own communities of converts had faced this problem. There was a conscious program of infiltration of the ecclesias by "false brethren unawares brought in" (<em><a href='B:550 2:4'>Gal 2:4</a></em>), originating from the 'satan', the great adversary of early Christianity- Judaism. As noted on 1 John 4, John himself had given various tests as to how false and true apostles could be identified. It seems Ephesus had put these into practice. These false apostles were part of a whole system of fake Christianity, called the antiChrist, the fake Christ. In the immediate context, as demonstrated throughout our commentary on 1 John, this referred to the Judaist opposition to Christianity and the program of conscious infiltration of the early churches.</p>


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<p>2:3 - see on <em><a href='B:510 20:34'>Act 20:34</a></em>.</p><p><em>I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name's sake, and you have not grown weary</em>- Patient, long term 'bearing' alludes to the longer term workers of the parable, who complained that they had borne the heat and burden of the day, but struggled to accept that their weaker brethren could receive the same gift of salvation as them (<em><a href='B:470 20:12'>Mat 20:12</a></em>). As :4 puts it, they had left their first&nbsp;<em>agape</em>. They were motivated by the Lord's Name, enduring persecution for His sake; but the lack of true love was seen as threatening their salvation (:4,5).</p>


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<p>2:4&nbsp;<em>But I have this against you, that you left your first love</em>- That we should love as the Lord loved us is the utterly essential basis of the Gospel; it was the "beginning" of what the Lord preached and it was likewise the first thing John included in His message when preaching the Gospel (see on <em><a href='B:700 1:5-6'>2Jn 1:5-6</a></em>). To leave or put away&nbsp;<em>agape</em>&nbsp;from this core place was to fall far indeed and required repentance (:5). The attributes of zeal and doctrinal soundness listed in :2 and :3 are seen by many as all that is required to be fairly sure of salvation. But actually they are irrelevant compared to the supreme aspect of&nbsp;<em>agape</em>&nbsp;love. "Left" can carry the idea of 'dismissed'. They had come to the mentality that such love could be dismissed as of fundamental importance. The more 'religious' issues of zeal and preserving purity of teaching had assumed such importance in their minds that they had dismissed&nbsp;<em>agape</em>, the love of others as the Lord loved us, from its primary place.</p><p>The Lord Jesus had "somewhat against" six of these seven ecclesias in the Lycus valley. He had "somewhat against" one ecclesia because they allowed prostitution to go on within the ecclesia. But exactly the same rubric is used here in the letter to Ephesus; the Lord had "somewhat against" them because they had left their first&nbsp;<em>agape</em>, they no longer had a spirit of true love within the ecclesia as they once did- even though they were full of zeal in other ways. The similarity of the rubric is surely intended to teach us that lack of true love is just as obnoxious to the Lord Jesus as those other sins which appear so much bigger in human eyes. Indeed, sin is serious, in all its guises. See on <em><a href='B:530 11:18'>1Co 11:18</a></em>. 
I suggest we have here a Johannine version of Paul's teaching in 1 Cor. 13. That we can suffer great things for the Lord's cause, even give our body to be burned. But without love, this is nothing. We have the same spirit here. We would rather assume that anyone who was burned at the stake is for sure going to be saved. But not so. You can do this but do it without love. And so it means nothing.</p>


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<p>2:5- see on <em><a href='B:710 1:10'>3Jn 1:10</a></em>; <em><a href='B:730 1:20'>Rev 1:20</a></em>.</p><p><em>Therefore remember from where you have fallen and repent, and do the first works. Or else, unless you repent, I will come to you and move your candlestick out of its place</em>- As noted on :4, the supreme place of&nbsp;<em>agape</em>&nbsp;love is such that without it, the Spirit would not burn within them. John in his letters has connected such love with the indwelling of the Spirit, the oil within the candlestick. The lack of such love reflected a lack of the spirit or mind of the Lord Jesus; and without that, we are "none of His". So the candlestick was no longer burning; which is why the Lord spoke of removing it, because it had gone out and was just useless clutter. Thus is pointed up an utterly fundamental point: that doctrinal purity and religious zeal, including exclusion of false teaching, is not the same thing as being in fellowship with the Lord. Without love, the spirit of Christ, we are just religious clutter, a candlestick with no oil lamp burning in it. The huge "fall" spoken of here uses the same word as in <em><a href='B:550 5:4'>Gal 5:4</a></em>, where the Galatians 'fell' from grace because of Judaist influence. And we suggest the same influence was at work here in Ephesus.</p><p><em><a href='B:730 2:5'>Rev 2:5</a></em> does not tell the sound members of the ecclesias to disfellowship those who had not done "the first works". The "first works" of Ephesus were her "first love" (<em>agape</em>). The Lord is using "works" here (as often in the New Testament) to refer to attitudes- Ephesus were doing all the right actions, but the “work" of a loving mind was missing. Note a selection of passages where "works" refers to abstract spiritual fruits like faith, rather than to physical actions: <em><a href='B:500 6:29'>Joh 6:29</a></em>; <em><a href='B:500 8:39'>Joh 8:39</a></em>; <em><a href='B:240 12:22'>Pro 12:22</a></em> LXX; <em><a href='B:520 2:15'>Rom 2:15</a></em>; <em><a href='B:580 1:10-11'>Col 1:10-11</a></em>; <em><a href='B:700 1:11'>2Jn 1:11</a></em>; <em><a href='B:700 1:7'>2Jn 1:7</a></em>; <em><a href='B:730 2:6'>Rev 2:6</a></em> cp. 15:&nbsp; And that loving mind would naturally be manifest in "works".</p><p>Notice the end-time language found throughout the letters to the seven Ecclesias:&nbsp;<br/>Ephesus:&nbsp;&nbsp; repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly. (<em><a href='B:730 2:5'>Rev 2:5</a></em>)&nbsp;<br/>Pergamos:&nbsp;Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth. (<em><a href='B:730 2:16'>Rev 2:16</a></em>)&nbsp;<br/>Thyatira:&nbsp;Behold, I will cast her Jezebel into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds. But that which ye have already hold fast till I come. (<em><a href='B:730 2:22'>Rev 2:22</a></em>; <em><a href='B:730 2:25'>Rev 2:25</a></em>)&nbsp;<br/>Sardis:&nbsp;If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee. (<em><a href='B:730 3:3'>Rev 3:3</a></em>)&nbsp;<br/>Philadelphia:&nbsp;Because thou hast kept the word of My patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth. Behold, I come quickly. (<em><a href='B:730 3:10-11'>Rev 3:10-11</a></em>)&nbsp;<br/>Laodicea:&nbsp;Behold, I stand at the door, and knock:&nbsp; (<em><a href='B:730 3:20'>Rev 3:20</a></em>)&nbsp;<br/>This is initially speaking of the state of the ecclesias before AD 70. But it is also a prophecy of the end time condition of the ecclesia churches. We can therefore conclude that the various problems and states of spirituality described in these letters looks forward to that of the last days. Between the seven churches here mentioned, we have a picture of the wider state of affairs in the body of believers at the time of the Lord's return.</p>


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<p>2:6&nbsp;<em>But this you have: you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate</em>- 'Nicolas' means literally 'victory of the people', and that is roughly the meaning of 'Balaam', who is elsewhere used in the letters as representative of the Judaist false teachers. Although the Lord effectively tells them that their lack of love will lead to their condemnation unless they repent, He still notes their positive points. And we see a huge measure of Him as a person in that. To even note the positive in those who had left His love, their first love. But perhaps the Lord is listing all their apparently good points to highlight and point up their major inadequacy- for lack of love meant that all these apparently positive points had no final meaning.</p>


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<p>2:7&nbsp;<em>He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches-&nbsp;</em>The Lord is "the Lord the Spirit" (<em><a href='B:540 3:18'>2Co 3:18</a></em>). The comforter, the gift of the Spirit, was effectively the Lord personally. His physical absence was made good by the presence of the Spirit. The Comforter was to teach them (see on <em><a href='B:500 14:18'>Joh 14:18</a></em>). So the idea behind "He that has an ear, let him hear... the Spirit" may be an appeal to those who had received the Comforter to actually listen to what it was teaching them. The primary speaker of the letters to the churches was the Angel representing the Lord- the Angel Gabriel? But they were actually from the Lord Jesus Christ, "The Lord the Spirit" (<em><a href='B:540 3:17'>2Co 3:17</a></em> RV). The one special Angel in the midst of the Cherubim in the Old Testament visions of Ezekiel 1 would then represent the Son of Man ("The Lord the Spirit") in the midst of the lightstands (<em><a href='B:730 1:13'>Rev 1:13</a></em>) and the lamb on the throne surrounded by Angels in the four living creatures of Revelation 4, 5. The Lord Jesus didn’t personally pre-exist, but the idea of Him was perhaps represented in Old Testament times by an Angel.</p><p><em>To him that overcomes, I will permit him to eat from the tree of life, which is in the Paradise of God</em>- We see here how the Lord Jesus functions as His Father, without being God in a Trinitarian sense. For now&nbsp;<em>He</em>&nbsp;has the authority to permit man back into the garden. There is much language of both judgment and blessing used in the letters; and nearly all of it can have a present as well as a future application. For in John, the Lord so often insisted that eternal life was given by Him now, in the sense of the gift of the Spirit of His life into the hearts of believers; and thereby they could live now the life which they shall eternally live. And in John 6 He predicated that eternal life upon eating Him. "The tree" is the same word used of His cross. And it can be argued that He was effectively crucified in a garden, for again it is John who notes that He was buried in a garden "in the place where he was crucified" (<em><a href='B:500 19:41'>Joh 19:41</a></em>). The association of that garden with the "Paradise" of Eden restored was clearly in the Lord's mind on the cross, when He assured the repentant thief that he would indeed be with Him "in paradise" (<em><a href='B:490 23:43'>Luk 23:43</a></em>). He saw that miserable crucifixion field as part of the future "paradise" He was effectively assuring the thief 'You and I will be here in this very place again- in My Kingdom, when Eden is restored, and this garden where we are dying is part of the Kingdom restored on earth'. So the Lord saw in that thief the representative of all who shall "overcome" overcome their doubt about the Lord's grace and fear that their sins are too great a barrier between Him and themselves.</p>


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<p>2:8&nbsp;<em>And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write these things: The first and the last, who was dead and lived again, says</em>- Again, the Lord is presented as Lord of time. His death was the beginning "first" and not an end; His living again is "the last", in that sense, the end of 'time' as we know it, for He lives for ever. For the significance of "write", see on <em><a href='B:730 1:19'>Rev 1:19</a></em>.</p>


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<p>2:9&nbsp;<em>I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich) and the blasphemy of those that say they are Jews, and they are not, but are a synagogue of Satan</em>- As noted on <em><a href='B:690 4:1'>1Jn 4:1</a></em> and elsewhere, the main enemy of the early churches were the Judaist infiltrators who came in under the guise of being Christian brethren (<em><a href='B:550 2:4'>Gal 2:4</a></em>). There was an entire system, the Satan / adversary, consciously seeking to destroy the Christian movement. Exclusion from the synagogue system was the punishment for confessing the Lord Jesus (<em><a href='B:500 9:22'>Joh 9:22</a></em>), and this meant economic exclusion, unable to buy or sell. Hence their poverty, and tribulation orchestrated by these Jewish infiltrators. They typically operated by making false accusation against the Christian in this sense acting as a devil, which means 'false accuser', and then getting local Gentile civil powers to punish the Christians, just as they did with the Lord.</p><p>“Satan” often refers to the Jewish and Roman adversaries of the church in the first century. There is no indication here that there was a super–human being working through those Roman and Jewish systems. If it is argued that those systems received power and direction from the Devil in the sense of a super–human being to persecute the church, it must be remembered that the Lord Jesus told the Roman governor: “You could have no power at all against me, except it were given you from above”, i:e. from God (<em><a href='B:500 19:11'>Joh 19:11</a></em>). Thus it is God, not the Devil, who gives power to human governments to persecute His people, as He gave them power to do so to His Son. “The most high rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomsoever he will” (<em><a href='B:340 4:32'>Dan 4:32</a></em>). Thus God was ultimately the power behind the Roman Satan, or system, that was persecuting the Christians in the first century.</p>


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<p>2:10&nbsp;<em>Do not fear the things which you are about to suffer. Behold, the Devil is about to throw some of you into prison, you may have tribulation ten days-</em>&nbsp;The Devil that gave the ecclesia at Smyrna “tribulation ten days” was clearly the Romans. It was only they who could cast them into prison. The casting into prison (place of punishment), tribulation and afterwards being honoured (physical reward), recalls the experiences of Joseph and Daniel who were persecuted by the civil powers of Egypt and Babylon, as those at Smyrna were by the civil powers of the Roman “Devil”. It has been shown that there were several ten–year periods of special persecutions of Christians in the Smyrna area: under Domitian, A:D. 81–91; under Trajan, 107–117 and under Diocletian, 303–313. The Septuagint in places uses the term&nbsp;<em>diabolos</em>, false accuser, to translate the Hebrew ‘Satan’. ‘Satan’ therefore carried the sense of both an adversary and also a false accuser. “The synagogue of Satan” in Smyrna may well refer to not only Jewish adversarial opposition to the Christians, but also that they falsely accused them to the Roman authorities. There could also be the suggestion that the Jewish synagogue in Smyrna was in fact working with the ‘Satan’, the Roman empire, against the Christians. Kraybill considers that the phrase “synagogue of Satan” is “a way of highlighting commercial or political relationships some Jews had with Rome”. He also gives evidence that Jews in the provinces of the empire cooperated with the Roman government in order to ensure that they continued benefiting from the Roman legislation that exempted Jews from doing military service and paying taxes to the imperial cult (J. Nelson Kraybill,&nbsp;<em>The Imperial Cult and Commerce in John’s Apocalypse</em>&nbsp;(Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press, 1996) pp. 170, 186). In Domitian’s time, a tax was levied to support the emperor and the imperial cult. Jews were exempted from this, and Christians refused to pay it. The “synagogue of Satan” in Smyrna loudly “say they are Jews” (<em><a href='B:730 2:9'>Rev 2:9</a></em>), in order to avoid this tax and get benefits from the Roman empire at the time; but probably denounced the Christians to the Roman ‘Satan’ because of their refusal to pay that tax. So “synagogue of Satan... who say they are Jews but are not” was an appropriate description of them (Mark Bredin, ‘The Synagogue of Satan Accusation in <em><a href='B:730 2:9'>Rev 2:9</a></em>’,&nbsp;<em>Biblical Theology Bulletin</em>&nbsp;Vol. 28 No. 4 (Winter 1999) pp. 160–164).</p><p>The Devil and Satan in the New Testament often refer to the political and social power of the Jewish or Roman systems. Thus we read of the Devil throwing believers into prison (<em><a href='B:730 2:10'>Rev 2:10</a></em>), referring to the Roman authorities imprisoning believers. In this same context we read of the church in Pergamos being situated where Satan’s throne, was – i:e. the place of governorship for a Roman colony in Pergamos, where there was also a group of believers. We cannot say that Satan himself, if he exists, personally had a throne in Pergamos. The Bible repeatedly stresses that human political authority, civil authorities etc. are God given, deriving their power from Him (<em><a href='B:520 13:1-7'>Rom 13:1-7</a></em>; <em><a href='B:670 2:13-17'>1Pe 2:13-17</a></em>); never are they said to derive their authority from ‘Satan’. Yet they can be called ‘Satan’ in that they are adversarial at times to His people.</p><p>The allusion is to <em><a href='B:490 21:12'>Luk 21:12</a></em> concerning the latter-day tribulation:&nbsp;"Some of you" may correspond to "some of you shall they cause to be put to death" (<em><a href='B:490 21:16'>Luk 21:16</a></em>), seeing that they are exhorted to be "faithful unto death":&nbsp;The prison tribulation would be for "ten days... and I will give unto you a crown":&nbsp;This points back to Daniel's 'trial' of ten days (<em><a href='B:340 1:12'>Dan 1:12</a></em>), and his later going into prison and emerging to receive a crown:&nbsp; Daniel's 'devil' was Babylon, and the 'devil' of <em><a href='B:730 2:10'>Rev 2:10</a></em> refers to a like power in the last days. The idea of ten days of affliction suggests the 10 days of self-examination and affliction of souls before the day of Atonement- as if the purpose of the final tribulation is to evoke self-examination and repentance in preparation for the High Priest's appearing on the Day of Atonement.</p><p>There is the possibility that some may be preserved from the tribulation: "You&nbsp;<em>may</em>&nbsp;have tribulation ten days". This will be "because you have kept the word of my patience" (<em><a href='B:730 3:10'>Rev 3:10</a></em>):&nbsp;Others will suffer, and even die, but are assured of salvation if they respond to the trials properly. There may be a similar meaning behind <em><a href='B:290 26:20'>Isa 26:20</a></em>: "Come, my people, enter into your chambers, and shut your doors about you (i:e. pray intensely- <em><a href='B:120 4:33'>2Ki 4:33</a></em>): hide yourself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast". However, this primarily refers to the deliverance of Israel from Assyria in Hezekiah's time; and the hiding in chambers in Jerusalem while surrounded by the terrifying Assyrian army was hardly the quiet get out we might imagine this verse offers. However, it seems from the Olivet prophecy that the household&nbsp;<em>will</em>&nbsp;go through this time of trouble. The fact it is in some sense not required if we are spiritual enough indicates that the household will be weak in the last days- and therefore we will need it.</p><p>There are all manner of possible futures envisaged within God’s plans, because He so respects human freewill. This explains the conditional element in prophecies, and in this case the possibility of persecution for some at some points in time. The horn of <em><a href='B:340 7:21'>Dan 7:21</a></em> "prevailed against" the saints. "Prevailed" here can mean 'could prevail' implying that this persecution could be avoided (cp. "You may have tribulation"). Likewise the Hebrew for "make war" can mean 'approached to make war'. Thus it may be possible for the saints to avoid the persecution in some way, e.g. by their "holy way of life" (<em><a href='B:680 3:8'>2Pe 3:8</a></em>) shortening the days of tribulation. The fact that the prophecies speak as if there will be persecution may suggest that there will not be sufficient effort in this direction for all the saints to be saved from thIsa. See on 3:10.</p><p><em>Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life</em>- For all the encouragement that the Father and Son are ultimately in control, death under persecution was still a real possibility. But the reward would be "the crown of life". This may refer to the&nbsp;<em>stephanos</em>&nbsp;given to the victor in a race; but the word is also used about such wreaths given to guests at a wedding, or to the bride herself. The imagery of marriage suppers is far more common in Revelation than that of running an Olympic race.</p>


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<p>2:11&nbsp;<em>He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He that overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death</em>- For "he that has an ear, let him hear..." see on 2:7.</p>


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<p>2:12&nbsp;<em>And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write: These things says he that has the sharp two-edged sword</em>- As noted on <em><a href='B:730 1:16'>Rev 1:16</a></em>, such language is appropriate to the Lord in the day of His final judgment. But effectively, judgment is now; the Lord is not passive toward human behaviour, and the opening of books at the last day should not imply that He is not now our immediate and insistent judge. The sword will be used in judgment of enemies; so it is as if the Lord is standing in judgment over the churches right now, and was looking to severely judge the church in question.</p>


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<p>2:13- see on <em><a href='B:530 15:10'>1Co 15:10</a></em>.</p><p><em>I know where you live, where Satan's throne is, yet you remained loyal to my name and did not deny my faith, even in the days of Antipas my witness, my faithful one, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells</em>- The Lord is fully aware of our situations. And whatever judgment He makes, even of condemnation (see on :12), that judgment is made taking into full account past evidence of spirituality and commitment, as well as with total knowledge of all our surrounding environmental factors.</p><p>Pergamos being “where Satan’s seat (throne) is”, shows that the Satan referred to is not a personal super–human being. If it is, then his throne was literally at Pergamos, for all to see. It has been shown that the Roman administration of the area was based here, thus the Lord Jesus commends the ecclesia for holding to the Truth, despite being in close proximity to the source of persecution. Thus “Satan” again refers to the Roman authorities. It is also significant that a huge throne dedicated to the Greek gods has been discovered there.</p><p>Pergamon was the first city in Asia to have a temple devoted to emperor worship (I:T. Beckwith,&nbsp;<em>The Apocalypse of John</em>&nbsp;(Grand Rapids: Baker, 1967) p. 456). However it must also be noted that Pergamon was a centre for snake worship associated with the shrine of Asclepius (J:A:T. Robinson,&nbsp;<em>Redating the New Testament</em>(London: S:C:M:, 1976) p. 228). Revelation speaks of ‘Satan’, the adversary, as being characterized by the serpent (<em><a href='B:730 12:9'>Rev 12:9</a></em>; <em><a href='B:730 20:2'>Rev 20:2</a></em>). “Satan’s throne” may also be a reference to the altar of Zeus in Pergamon. or the special throne–seat of Dionysus in the theatre there. “The city featured various Pagan sites of worship, including a monumental altar to Zeus, and a temple dedicated to Augustus and Rome, which served as the centre of the cult of the Roman Emperor in Asia Minor. Pergamum was in fact the capital of the Roman Province of Asia” (H:A. Kelly,&nbsp;<em>Satan: A Biography</em>&nbsp;(Cambridge: C:U:P:, 2006) p. 144).</p><p>However, we must bear in mind that the 'satan' described in the New Testament and Revelation is often Jewish and not pagan. It was Jewish opposition to the Christians which led to the local Roman authorities acting against them, as happened with the Lord and Paul. It may be also that there was in Pergamos some centre of Jewish opposition.</p><p>The faithful group who existed "even where satan's seat is" may point forward to the existence of an ecclesia at the very headquarters of the final satan/beast. For the situation in the seven churches represents how things will be in the last time. Our suggestion elsewhere that some faithful natural Jews would be taken to such a place, e.g. a rebuilt 'Babylon', would make this possible.</p>


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<p>2:14&nbsp;<em>But I have a few things against you, because you have there some that hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols and to commit fornication</em>- Balaam was an apostate Jew, who sought to collaborate with the surrounding Gentile powers in order to bring Israel down. He did so by getting Israel to sin sexually by sleeping with cult prostitutes as a sign of their devotion to Gentile idols, knowing this would trigger God’s displeasure with Israel, hoping it would mean the withdrawal of His blessing and protection of them. Twice it is emphasized that the false teachers will lead spiritual Israel into the worship of idols, after the pattern of Balaam and Jezebel (:14,20). Both of these advocated the use of the idols of the surrounding nations for political purposes, whilst apparently supporting the true worship of Yahweh at the same time:&nbsp;The false teaching in the early churches was very similar. As noted on 1Corinthians and 1 Timothy 2, the use of cult prostitutes entered the Christian churches. The idol worship and prostitution were therefore part of the same scene and not two separate issues. The mix of paganism and Christianity was therefore similar to the mix of Yahweh worship with paganism advocated by Balaam. And again, the source of the problem was Judaist infiltration.</p><p>Israel were on the very borders of entering the land when they succumbed to Balaam's false teaching, and the new Israel of the last days, on the brink of the Kingdom, will face and may fail a like temptation. As Balaam well understood, the way to break the strength of a fundamentalist religious movement is to morally corrupt them. The spirit of sexual permissiveness which is in this Sodom-like world of the last days, is evidently affecting the brotherhood of our age.</p><p>It may be that the Islamic powers will impose the worship of Islam upon natural Israel and perhaps upon the Western world, and may use their oil stranglehold to make the rest of the world persecute any pro-Jewish religions who will not offer a nominal acceptance of Islam. This would pressurize Christian churches to make similar compromises with their surrounding non-Christian world.</p>


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<p>2:15&nbsp;<em>So have you also some that hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans</em>- "Nicolas" has a similar meaning to 'Balaam', 'victory of the people'. However precisely this group were, they would have been advocating the same mix of Christianity with paganism as noted on :14:&nbsp;<em>Niko</em>, to overcome, is a word often used in these letters to characterize the faithful as 'overcomers'. The Nicolaitans were therefore framing themselves in spiritual terms when in fact they were the very opposite. And we will meet this kind of idea later in Revelation, where e.g. the whore is described with terminology appropriate to the priestly cult, and Babylon appears as Jerusalem.</p>


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<p>2:16- see on <em><a href='B:730 1:20'>Rev 1:20</a></em>.</p><p><em>Therefore repent, or else I will come to you quickly, and I will make war against those with the sword of my mouth</em>- As noted on :12, the language of latter day judgment is applied to situations now. The Lord judges now; His coming quickly or suddenly can refer to His coming in judgment, rather than His second coming. Even the final word of <em><a href='B:730 22:12'>Rev 22:12</a></em> that the Lord is coming quickly can be read as a connection back to this statement here. For the first recipients of Revelation, the Lord's coming was going to be sudden in that like a thief in the night, He would come in judgment in ways they did not expect. The reference may be to the events of AD70, although these would not have unduly affected Jewish Christian groups in places like Pergamos. Perhaps rather the reference may be to Nero's sudden announcement of persecution against Christians. Or to some unrecorded intervention of the Lord in judging them.</p><p>Again we must emphasize that the language of making war (<em><a href='B:730 19:11'>Rev 19:11</a></em>) with the sword of His mouth is all appropriate to His second coming. But the essence of that judgment is now. There are clear connections between the rod of final judgment and the word / mouth of God. <em><a href='B:330 21:9-10'>Eze 21:9-10</a></em> equates the sword with the rod of the Lord Jesus Christ: "A sword is sharpened... it is the rod of My Son" (AVmg:). The sword is a clear symbol of the word of God’s judgment (<em><a href='B:560 6:17'>Eph 6:17</a></em>; <em><a href='B:650 4:12'>Heb 4:12</a></em>; <em><a href='B:730 19:21'>Rev 19:21</a></em>). <em><a href='B:290 11:4'>Isa 11:4</a></em> confirms this link between the judgment word of the Lord Jesus and His rod: "He shall smite the earth with the rod of His mouth, and with the breath of His lips shall He slay the wicked". <em><a href='B:230 2:9'>Psa 2:9</a></em> shows the power of this word / rod: "You shall break them with a rod of iron; you shall dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel". <em><a href='B:230 110:2'>Psa 110:2</a></em> describes the rod of Christ's strength being sent out of Zion to enable Him to rule the world; <em><a href='B:290 2:3'>Isa 2:3</a></em> envisages the judgment word of the Lord Jesus going out from Zion. However, in all these cases the rod does not just mean spoken words and mental understanding, but also refers to the physical punishments to be seen in the last days. Thus Micah pleads with Israel to see that God’s Hand was behind their present distresses, which were effectively God’s word spoken to them: "The Lord's voice cries unto the city…&nbsp;<em>hear</em>&nbsp;the rod, and who has appointed it" (<em><a href='B:400 6:9'>Mic 6:9</a></em>). And so here the Lord warned Pergamos that unless they repented- i:e. obeyed His word- He would come and fight against them.</p><p>There is a significant amount of language used in the letters of Revelation 2, 3 which has unmistakable reference to the final&nbsp; 'coming' of the Lord. This must have some application to the second coming, and/or A:D. 70:&nbsp;This means that the letters must also be indicative of the state of the latter-day ecclesias:&nbsp; No less than a significant seven times in the letters do we read of Christ 'coming' to the believers (<em><a href='B:730 2:5'>Rev 2:5</a></em>; <em><a href='B:730 2:16'>Rev 2:16</a></em>; <em><a href='B:730 2:25'>Rev 2:25</a></em>; <em><a href='B:730 3:3'>Rev 3:3</a></em>; <em><a href='B:730 3:10-11'>Rev 3:10-11</a></em>; <em><a href='B:730 3:20'>Rev 3:20</a></em>):&nbsp;&nbsp;“I will come unto you quickly... I will give unto every one of you according to your works" (<em><a href='B:730 2:5'>Rev 2:5</a></em>; <em><a href='B:730 2:23'>Rev 2:23</a></em>) is language found in <em><a href='B:470 16:27'>Mat 16:27</a></em> and <em><a href='B:730 22:12'>Rev 22:12</a></em>, also concerning the second coming:&nbsp; "I come quickly... to give every man according as his work shall be”:&nbsp;&nbsp;The Lord's coming "unto you quickly" has particular aptness when this is understood as being addressed to believers living on the brink of the second coming.</p>


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<p>2:17- see on <em><a href='B:500 1:14'>Joh 1:14</a></em>; <em><a href='B:610 6:19'>1Ti 6:19</a></em>.</p><p><em>He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches-</em>&nbsp;see on <em><a href='B:730 2:7'>Rev 2:7</a></em>.</p><p><em>To him that overcomes, to him will I give of the hidden manna-&nbsp;</em>Here we have another example of allusion to Jewish legend. It suggests that the churches addressed were known to John whose Gospel was clearly aimed at Jews; they probably included his converts. Hence the allusions to Jewish terminology that would have been inappropriate if largely Gentile converts were being addressed. The Lord Jesus speaks of giving His people “of the hidden manna” – referring to the myth that Jeremiah had hidden a golden jar of manna in the Holy of Holies at the destruction of the temple in 586 BC, which then ascended to Heaven and is to return with Messiah. The Lord doesn’t correct that myth, as He doesn't correct misunderstandings about demons– He as it were runs with it and uses it as a symbol to describe the reward He will bring. He adds no footnote to the effect ‘Now do understand, this is myth, that jar never really ascended to Heaven nor will it come floating back through the skies one day’. Perhaps this is why the New Testament often quotes the Septuagint text, even where it incorrectly renders the Hebrew original – because God is not so paranoid as to feel bound to only deal in the language of strictly literal truths. If first century people were familiar with the Septuagint, even if is a poor translation of the Hebrew original in places– well OK, God was willing to run with that&nbsp;<em>in order to engage with people in their language</em>.</p><p><em>And I will give him a white stone, and upon the stone a new name written, which no one knows but he that receives it</em>- It has been suggested that this refers to a custom of writing a name on a stone, breaking the stone in half at random, and each friend keeping one half. The half stone would only fit exactly with the other half stone, and when the friends met in the future, they would fit the stones together as proof of their earlier relationship. Relationships in the Kingdom of God will be in that sense private and unenterable. Bible characters often have epithets in God’s record of them- Judas who betrayed, Jeroboam who made Israel sin. We will be given such a name / summation of our relationship with the Lord in the Kingdom. Nobody else knows / understands / appreciates this name. This is a clear statement that other believers cannot enter into the personal relationship between a man and his God. Likewise, none of us can know the name which was written on the Lord Jesus (<em><a href='B:730 19:12'>Rev 19:12</a></em>). None of us will ever quite be able to enter into the nature of the relationship between Father and Son. If we could, He would not be our Lord. Paul possibly expresses the same idea of an unenterable relationship in <em><a href='B:530 2:15'>1Co 2:15</a></em>: "He that is spiritual discerneth all things (about God), yet he himself is discerned of no man" (AVmg:). Our real spiritual being is a "hidden man" (<em><a href='B:670 3:4'>1Pe 3:4</a></em>).</p><p>Eating the hidden manna is to be paralleled with being given the stone. The context implies this will be done at the day of judgment. According to a number of commentators, a white stone was laid down by the judge as a sign of acquittal and acceptance. The Lord would therefore be implying that after our encounter at the judgment, there will be an ongoing relationship in the Kingdom of God between us, a locking together of stones which no-one else possesses. The white stone is also parallel to the white, stone-looking manna of the wilderness years (<em><a href='B:20 16:14'>Exo 16:14</a></em>; <em><a href='B:20 16:23'>Exo 16:23</a></em>; <em><a href='B:40 11:7'>Num 11:7</a></em>). The reward we will be given in the Kingdom will be our spiritual food, to be eaten 'daily' throughout the Kingdom. Israel were to eat on the seventh day (a type of the Kingdom) the manna which they had gathered and prepared on the sixth day. The manna is a symbol of God’s word as expressed in Christ (John 6). Biblically, a name refers to personality and character. The new name which no one else knows thus refers to the reward "prepared" for us individually, the new personality which we will be in the Kingdom, the room in the Father's house prepared for each of us (<em><a href='B:500 14:1'>Joh 14:1</a></em>). This latter idea alludes to the way that there were chambers around the temple named after individuals (e.g. <em><a href='B:150 10:6'>Ezr 10:6</a></em>). We will&nbsp;<em>each</em>&nbsp;have our own chamber, in this figure. This new personality will be written on the manna / stone, it will be the result of our own very personal distilling of the essence of God’s word. The concept of a name written on a stone sends the mind back to the way in which the names of the tribes of Israel were written on the stones of the breastplate, each reflecting a different aspect of the light of God’s glory (<em><a href='B:20 28:17'>Exo 28:17</a></em>). We will do this through our personal understanding of and response to God’s word. It is a comforting yet sobering thought that the Lord sees us as 'names'; not just as people. Biblically, the name speaks of the character. When He says He will confess us before the Father (<em><a href='B:470 10:32'>Mat 10:32</a></em>), He means He will confess our name before God (<em><a href='B:730 3:5'>Rev 3:5</a></em>); He knows us according to our names / characters. He speaks of ecclesial members as "names" in <em><a href='B:730 3:4'>Rev 3:4</a></em>; He calls His own sheep by name, and they each know His voice, responding to His word&nbsp;<em>individually</em>. The call to one sheep will only be recognized by that sheep; the others won't respond (<em><a href='B:500 10:3'>Joh 10:3</a></em>). He will take individual note of each sheep, treating them accordingly, as the shepherd leads more gently those that are with young (<em><a href='B:290 40:11'>Isa 40:11</a></em>). It seems that even now, we each have our own individual name with the Father and Son, encompassing their understanding of our essential character. It may even be that in the record of Scripture, God inspired the writers to record the names of individuals according to His judgment of them (or at least, how the faithful viewed them at the time), rather than by the names they actually went under. What mother would have named her child Nabal (fool), or Ahira (brother of evil, <em><a href='B:40 1:15'>Num 1:15</a></em>), or 'sickness' or 'wasting' (Mahlon and Chilion)? These names were either given to them by others and the use adopted by God, or simply God in the record assigned them such names:&nbsp;</p><p>We will relate to each other in terms of our spiritual characteristics. We will each have a name or character which is individual to us. We will relate to each other not by names as pieces of language, but by reason of the characteristics which they speak of. To relate to each other for ever as we do now, in human terms, would be totally unfulfilling. There is an urgent need for us to develop a spiritual aspect to our relationships now, especially between husbands and wives, parents and children.</p><p>Compare the engraving on the stone "which no man knows" with the Urim and Thummim stones; the engraving upon them would not have been known to anyone except the High Priest, who perhaps saw them once per year in the Most Holy. <em><a href='B:730 2:17'>Rev 2:17</a></em> also speaks of the "hidden manna", hidden in the Most Holy. It would fit the context if the "white stone" refers to the Urim and Thummim. Alternatively, the reference may be to the "white stone" of the tables of the covenant. The new name written upon them would then connect with the covenant which God writes on the believer's heart as part of the new covenant: "I will put my law in their inward (cp. "hidden”) parts, and write it on their hearts" (<em><a href='B:300 31:33'>Jer 31:33</a></em>; <em><a href='B:540 3:3'>2Co 3:3</a></em>). Whilst the terms of the covenant are the same for each believer, the personal promise of the Kingdom is something which no other person can enter into. So we should never be 'bored' with hearing about the basic Gospel, the promises which comprise that covenant.</p>


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<p>2:18&nbsp;<em>And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write: These things says the Son of God, who has his eyes like a flame of fire and his feet are like to burnished bronze</em>- The cherubim visions of Ezekiel 1, 9, 10 are applied in the New Testament to the glorified Christ (<em><a href='B:730 2:18'>Rev 2:18</a></em>; <em><a href='B:670 4:17'>1Pe 4:17</a></em>; <em><a href='B:680 2:4-9'>2Pe 2:4-9</a></em>). This surely implies that they were ultimately fulfilled in the Messiah; and perhaps we are to understand that they could have had fulfilment in a Messiah figure at the time of the restoration. But the immediate point here is that the Lord who will stand in latter day judgment stands in judgment on His church right now. Judgment in essence is now.</p>


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<p>2:19&nbsp;<em>I know your works and your love, faith, ministry and patience; and that your last works are more than the first</em>- There was real spiritual progress here; and yet we see how legitimate spirituality can sadly co-exist with serious unspirituality, both within the church and within individuals. For the "nevertheless..." of :20 is serious indeed.</p>


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<p>2:20&nbsp;<em>But I have this against you: you tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, and she teaches and seduces my servants to commit fornication and to eat things sacrificed to idols</em>- "The woman Jezebel" in some manuscripts and RVmg. reads "Your wife Jezebel", as if perhaps the wife of the 'Angel', the pastor of the group, is in view. This would be likening this element of the ecclesia to weak-willed Ahab. The fornication / use of prostitutes and eating of idol food are not two separate things; they are part of the same issue of importing elements of the surrounding pagan cults into the Christian church, whereby at the breaking of bread there was also eating of idol food and sleeping with cult prostitutes. As noted on 1 Corinthians 11 and 1 Timothy 2, this was far from the only church which had these problems.</p><p>Jezebel teaching believers to commit fornication is the language later to be used concerning Babylon: a prostitute encouraging fornication. This connection suggests that the false teachers within the latter day church will be connected with political 'Babylon' and the beast. The similarities between the "man of sin" within the church and the beast / little horn teach the same thing.</p>


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<p>2:21&nbsp;<em>And I gave her time that she should repent, and she does not want to repent of her fornication</em>- Jezebel in the first century, and her equivalent in the last days, will be given "time to repent of... fornication", but they will not take up the offer. This "space" is interpreted by John Thomas as the 1260-day period, which would appear reasonable:&nbsp;I have elsewhere applied this to the tribulation period:&nbsp;The inference is that the state of fornication exists within the churches&nbsp;<em>before</em>&nbsp;the tribulation begins, and that the tribulation of that period is designed to bring about repentance.</p><p>Thus they will be given a period to repent, the beginning of which will be at the time when the saints first realize that the Lord is about to return (cp. the virgins starting to go forth, <em><a href='B:470 25:1'>Mat 25:1</a></em>).</p>


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<p>2:22&nbsp;<em>Behold, I will cast her into a bed, into great tribulation, and those that commit adultery with her-unless they repent of their works</em>- Perhaps a 'bed of sickness' is appropriate punishment for her behaviour in 'bed'. We see here how God’s plans are open ended. If this element refuse to repent, then they would have "great tribulation". If they repent, then they will not need to pass through it. We noted the same on :10. Yet Jezebel was given space to repent but didn’t, therefore judgment was pronounced; but even then,&nbsp;<em>if&nbsp;</em>she repented, she wouldn’t be punished. This is simply the eagerness of God for human repentance.</p>


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<p>2:23<em>&nbsp;And I will strike her children dead-&nbsp;</em>John's letters use "children" to mean converts or those over whom a person has pastoral authority. This lends support to the impression that Jezebel was in the leadership of the church, see on :20. This could have been a threat of literal death, just as Ananias and Saphira were smitten with death. Or the reference could be to the second death at the last day, the judgment for which was given by the Lord in this life when He perceived their refusal to repent.</p><p><em>And all the churches will know that I am he who searches mind and heart, and I will repay each of you as your works deserve</em>- "I&nbsp;<em>am</em>... and&nbsp;<em>I will</em>..." alludes to the Lord's manifestation of the Yahweh Name, He who is, was and will be. And He is&nbsp;<em>now&nbsp;</em>(Gk:) ordained as judge of living and dead (<em><a href='B:510 10:42'>Act 10:42</a></em>)- and we should preach Him as such. He&nbsp;<em>is&nbsp;</em>now the judge of the dead in the sense that His very being and victory is in itself the judgment of all men. Those who reject His message right now are judging themselves. Note the parallel here between mind and works; this was at the core of the Lord's doctrine of the Kingdom, that the thought is seen by Him as the action. The Lord Jesus continually searches our hearts or spirit, in His function as "the Lord the Spirit" (<em><a href='B:520 8:27'>Rom 8:27</a></em>; <em><a href='B:530 2:10'>1Co 2:10</a></em>; <em><a href='B:540 3:18'>2Co 3:18</a></em>). The extent to which this is true will be manifested in the Lord's final judgment.</p>


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<p>2:24&nbsp;<em>But to you I say, to the rest that are in Thyatira, as many as do not have this teaching, who do not know the so-called deep things of Satan: I will not impose any other burden</em>- The faithful element at Thyatira were told that they had "none other burden" than to keep themselves separate from "the depths of satan" taught by the false teachers among them. The absence of any command to immediately withdraw fellowship from these people in the run up to AD70, but rather to concentrate upon one's own continuing to hold true doctrine, fits in with the parable of the tares. There is certainly no truth to the idea of guilt by association or a closed table, or the Lord would have taught the need for separation.</p><p>"The&nbsp;<em>depths</em>&nbsp;of satan" indicates that the pressure on the faithful will be subtle; there will be a distinctly academic and sophisticated edge to the wrong teachings that will circulate within the ecclesia. “The depths of Satan as they speak”, refers to the false teaching of the Judaizers, the Jewish Satan, who were pretending to offer deeper spiritual understanding through their false doctrine. They spoke evil about deep spiritual things which they did not understand (<em><a href='B:720 1:10'>Jud 1:10</a></em>), speaking words which seemed superficially impressive spiritually (<em><a href='B:720 1:16'>Jud 1:16</a></em>). The Judaizers’ reasonings about keeping the law and worshipping angels, “intruding into those things which he has not seen” (<em><a href='B:580 2:18'>Col 2:18</a></em>; i:e. “which they know not”, cp. <em><a href='B:720 1:10'>Jud 1:10</a></em>, had “a shew of (deep, spiritual) wisdom” (<em><a href='B:580 2:23'>Col 2:23</a></em>). There are many other such examples.</p>


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<p>2:25&nbsp;<em>Apart from that which you have: To hold fast until I come</em>- It seems that it is God’s especial wish that a man conquer some specific human weakness in his life. If he succeeds in this, God may make concessions to his other areas of human weakness. It seems that the Thyatiran believers had none other burden put upon them than to resist the teaching and practice of the "woman Jezebel" amongst them- although it would seem there were other 'burdens' which the Lord&nbsp;<em>could</em>&nbsp;have put on them.</p>


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<p>2:26&nbsp;<em>And he that overcomes, and he that keeps my works to the end, to him will I give authority over the nations</em>- "Works" have featured twice in this letter. They are commended for their "works" (:19), but must repent of their bad works of allowing Jezebel to teach fornication (:21), knowing the Lord will judge according to our works (:23). But the key is to keep perhaps, 'keep hold of' as in :25 the works of the Lord Jesus. For salvation is not of our works, but of trust in Him and having His righteousness imputed to us.</p><p>This has a specifically last days relevance: "He that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto&nbsp;<em>the end</em>, to him will I give power over the nations" – “the end" being the second coming. Surely the Lord is referring back to his comment that in the final tribulation period, he who endures to "the end" of the period will be saved (<em><a href='B:470 10:22'>Mat 10:22</a></em>)- as the one who comes to the end of the days in Daniel 12 is blessed. Enduring to the end therefore means keeping (guarding, doctrinally) the works of Christ- holding on to the One Faith until the end. This evidently won't be as simple as it sounds. The works are "His" works, and may refer to obeying the great commission in taking the knowledge of Him to all the world in the last days. This reference to the great commission is confirmed by the comment that the reward will be to receive power / authority over the nations- the very phrase used in <em><a href='B:470 28:18'>Mat 28:18</a></em> about how the Lord has received just this, and therefore we are to go to all nations with the Gospel and baptize people. All that is true of the Lord is to be true of us; if we keep&nbsp;<em>His&nbsp;</em>works rather than our own works, then the gift of "all power" to Him over the nations is also true for us.</p>


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<p>2:27&nbsp;<em>And he shall rule them with a rod of iron-&nbsp;</em>The allusion is to Psalms 2 which is clearly about the future Kingdom on earth. Yet the Psalm is given a first century fulfilment in <em><a href='B:510 4:24-28'>Act 4:24-28</a></em>. The same prophecy has multiple fulfilments; and that is exactly what we find in the book of Revelation. As the Lord will rule the world with a rod of iron (<em><a href='B:230 2:9'>Psa 2:9</a></em>) and brake the nations to powder at His return (<em><a href='B:340 2:44'>Dan 2:44</a></em>), so will each of those in Him. And notice how <em><a href='B:230 2:1-2'>Psa 2:1-2</a></em>, a prophecy about opposition to Jesus personally, is appropriated to those who preach Him, because they are in Him (<em><a href='B:510 4:25-26'>Act 4:25-26</a></em>).</p><p>The Lord Jesus will rule, or shepherd (Gk:) His enemies with a rod of iron. He can somehow both shepherd and crush at the same time. Our relationship with Him is a reflection of these two aspects of His character. Perhaps the idea here is that His punishment of sinners is even then an attempt to shepherd them to be His sheep.</p><p><em>As the vessels of the potter are broken to pieces; as I also have received from my Father</em>- The unbelieving will be broken to shivers, "as the vessels of a potter". But this is in fact quoting Jeremiah's words concerning the breaking of the individual believer who is rejected at the last day (<em><a href='B:300 18:4-6'>Jer 18:4-6</a></em>; <em><a href='B:300 19:11'>Jer 19:11</a></em>). The point of the Lord's quotation is surely that those He rejects will share the world's condemnation.</p><p><em><a href='B:340 2:44'>Dan 2:44</a></em> describes how the kingdoms of this world will be broken and scattered as the chaff before the wind, as a potter’s vessel. Yet this is exactly the language of <em><a href='B:300 13:24'>Jer 13:24</a></em> concerning Israel's latter destruction. The apostate amongst Israel will be "dashed" (<em><a href='B:300 13:14'>Jer 13:14</a></em>) as the nations of the world will be (<em><a href='B:230 2:9'>Psa 2:9</a></em>). The faithful will have some kind of part in the judgment of the systems which persecuted them, be they Jewish or Gentile.</p><p>The structure of the book of Revelation reflects this theme- the first series of visions are of judgments on God’s people Israel, whilst the second part of the book is judgments upon the Gentile powers of Rome / Babylon however we wish to interpret them. Likewise the plagues upon Egypt recorded in Exodus 7-10 are frequently alluded to in later Scripture concerning the judgments upon the apostate people of God. Quite simply, God’s rejected people suffer the judgments of this world.</p>


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<p>2:28&nbsp;<em>And I will give him the morning star</em>- The morning star is the Lord Jesus personally (<em><a href='B:730 22:16'>Rev 22:16</a></em>); as demonstrated in the previous verses, all the Lord's titles, works and functions are ours if we are in Him. The angels of the churches are likened to stars (<em><a href='B:730 1:20'>Rev 1:20</a></em>), held tightly in the Lord's hand. The Lord is stressing His personal identity with His people; they are stars, as He Isa. And He will give us Himself, He will be all in all within us, as in essence He is now through the Spirit. This is the reference of <em><a href='B:680 1:19'>2Pe 1:19</a></em>, where the day star arises in our hearts at His return. The Lord likened the manna to Himself, which He gave us personally to eat, to absorb Him into ourselves (<em><a href='B:500 6:31-33'>Joh 6:31-33</a></em>). So the idea of fully giving of Himself into us at the last day should not be strange, at least to any reader of John's writings who had already read John's gospel. For there we find frequently taught the idea of taking the Lord Jesus personally into us, His very self into our very selves, His spirit and life into ours.</p><p>The Lord's return in glory will be as the arising of the sun (<em><a href='B:460 4:2'>Mal 4:2</a></em>). The morning star, or Venus, arises whilst it is still dark, and is the herald of the sunrise. Perhaps there is some reference here to the idea that the faithful will have some portent of the Lord's coming just before it happens; perhaps through persecution, or because the day star arises&nbsp;<em>in our hearts</em>&nbsp;before His return (<em><a href='B:680 1:19'>2Pe 1:19</a></em>).</p><p>There was something radical in the association of the Lord Jesus with Venus, and the promise of this title to all His followers. For Julius Caesar, and other Caesars, had encourage the cult of Venus worship on the basis that the Caesars were descended from Venus and were the incarnations of Venus on earth. To apply their titles to the Lord Jesus and His followers was a radical form of rebellion against the norms and values of the society in which they lived; just as we are to be likewise rebels.</p>


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<p>2:29&nbsp;<em>He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches</em>- see on <em><a href='B:730 2:7'>Rev 2:7</a></em>.</p>


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<p>3:1&nbsp;<em>And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: These things says he that has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars. I know your works-</em>&nbsp;Seven is the number of totality. The seven stars refer to the angels of the churches. The total power of the Spirit is in the Lord's hand to be used for the care and development of His churches, His people. There is infinite potential power available; and His Spirit is essentially His mind, and not just His power. He wishes our spirituality, as we surely do. And yet God’s knowledge is attained through His omnipresent Spirit; He thereby has totality of knowledge and thereby of judgment. God makes His Angels Spirits; perhaps mechanically, if you wish, His presence and power is articulated through the ministry of the Angels. This would be why :5 follows on in the context of the Angels and Jesus uniting to declare our verdict at the judgment: "I will confess his name before my Father, and before His Angels".</p><p><em>You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead</em>- The name or reputation of being alive when they were spiritually dead is the very inversion of what is true of the Lord. His Name amongst men is achieved because He was dead but is now alive, alive in His people through the gift of His Spirit which many of them were now in denial of.</p>


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<p>3:2 – see on <em><a href='B:730 1:20'>Rev 1:20</a></em>.</p><p><em>Be watchful and establish the things that remain, which are ready to die-</em>&nbsp;The 'things that remained' uses the same word used for 'the remnant'; He has just used it of the faithful remnant in Thyatira (<em><a href='B:730 2:24'>Rev 2:24</a></em>). The 'angel', the eldership on earth who were represented by Divine Angels in the Heavenly throne room, were bidden strengthen that remnant, for even that was about to spiritually die. The 'you' referenced in "your works" therefore refers to the angel / eldership. They had not watched, i:e. watched out for, the spiritual wellbeing of their flock.</p><p>I have explained earlier that the seven churches here provide a picture of how the churches will be in the last days before the Lord's return. The Olivet prophecy, like the Lord's letters, gives a huge emphasis on the need to watch in the last days (e.g. <em><a href='B:480 13:5'>Mar 13:5</a></em>; <em><a href='B:480 13:9'>Mar 13:9</a></em>; <em><a href='B:480 13:23'>Mar 13:23</a></em>; <em><a href='B:480 13:33'>Mar 13:33</a></em>; <em><a href='B:480 13:35'>Mar 13:35</a></em>; <em><a href='B:480 13:37'>Mar 13:37</a></em>). The watching is for the safety of the house against the 'thieves' of false teachers; we are each the porter, with the responsibility for the rest of the household on our shoulders (<em><a href='B:480 13:34-35'>Mar 13:34-35</a></em>). Throughout the Lord's letters there is this same pointed emphasis upon the need to watch:&nbsp;The idea of the remnant being "ready to die" immediately suggests the parable of the virgins, whom we have portrayed as struggling to keep the flame of real faith from dying away:&nbsp;Seeing that the majority of Sardis are pronounced as "dead" (<em><a href='B:730 3:1'>Rev 3:1</a></em>), this encouragement to keep alive what was about to die can be read as a call to each of the faithful in the last days to not only keep their own faith alive, but to make every effort to keep alive those who appear fatally ill. This command presumes that it will be evident to the faithful what constitutes spiritual life and death:&nbsp;As our experience of the last days goes on, the difference between wheat and tares becomes increasingly marked - without having to anticipate the separation that will come at harvest:&nbsp;&nbsp; "Be watchful" is in the context of strengthening what remains, providing further proof that the command to watch in the last days fundamentally concerns watching over the state of the ecclesia and one's own faith, rather than 'watching' the political state of the world. It seems that for generations, we have thought that 'watching' meant reading 'Signs of the times' articles which were actually no more than a running commentary on the state of the world. The Hebrew word translated "watch" is also rendered "to take heed to oneself". The Hebrew word has the same idea. Thus David spoke of his&nbsp;<em>soul</em>&nbsp;watching (<em><a href='B:230 130:5-6'>Psa 130:5-6</a></em>). Habakkuk 'watched' for what God’s word really said (<em><a href='B:420 2:1'>Hab 2:1</a></em>); God watches over things in the sense of being sensitive to them (<em><a href='B:300 31:28'>Jer 31:28</a></em> Heb:). This Old Testament background to the idea of watching carries through to the NT. It's because we&nbsp;<em>don't</em>&nbsp;know the time that we are commanded to watch- not 'signs of the times', because we don't know the time; but rather, to watch ourselves. Thus <em><a href='B:510 20:31'>Act 20:31</a></em> speaks of watching in the sense of being aware of the possibility of personal and collective apostasy. In <em><a href='B:530 16:13'>1Co 16:13</a></em>, watching means to stand fast in the One Faith; in <em><a href='B:560 6:18'>Eph 6:18</a></em> and <em><a href='B:590 5:6'>1Th 5:6</a></em>; <em><a href='B:590 5:11'>1Th 5:11</a></em> it refers to praying for each other spiritually. In the last days, many brethren will turn away, Paul warned Timothy, but by contrast "<em>you -&nbsp;</em>watch" (<em><a href='B:620 4:5'>2Ti 4:5</a></em>). If we watch, both ourselves and others, the Lord's return will not be like a thief for us (<em><a href='B:730 3:3'>Rev 3:3</a></em>). Thus watching is a sign of our acceptance by the Lord (<em><a href='B:490 12:37'>Luk 12:37</a></em>). Yet&nbsp;<em>watching</em>&nbsp;our doctrine and way of life, realizing the real danger of mass latter day apostasy, is increasingly unpopular.</p><p><em>For I have not found your works complete in the sight of my God</em>- The Lord is right now in the presence or "sight" of God, representing us before Him. And He found Himself having to represent the works of these believers to the Father, and He did not 'find' them complete; they were an appearance of religious activity rather than being the works done in faith and motivated by grace which the Father seeks.</p>


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<p>3:3- see on <em><a href='B:70 16:20'>Jdg 16:20</a></em>.</p><p><em>Therefore remember how you have received-&nbsp;</em>They are bidden recall their first conversion; at that time, believers 'receive' the Spirit (s:w. <em><a href='B:500 14:17'>Joh 14:17</a></em>; <em><a href='B:500 20:22'>Joh 20:22</a></em>; <em><a href='B:550 3:2'>Gal 3:2</a></em>; <em><a href='B:550 3:14'>Gal 3:14</a></em>; <em><a href='B:690 2:27'>1Jn 2:27</a></em>). To receive Jesus as Christ is to receive His Spirit (<em><a href='B:500 1:12'>Joh 1:12</a></em>; <em><a href='B:500 1:16'>Joh 1:16</a></em>). The Corinthians received the Spirit, but were "not spiritual" at the time Paul wrote <em><a href='B:530 3:1'>1Co 3:1</a></em>. These believers were likewise being asked to remember the Spirit gift received, and to allow it to function within them.</p><p><em>And did once hear and keep it, and repent-&nbsp;</em>They needed to "keep" the Spirit they had been given. The idea of 'keeping' does not solely refer to obedience to commandments, but to allow the Lord's word, His gifted Spirit, to abide / remain within them.</p><p><em>Therefore if you shall not watch, I will come as a thief, and you shall not know what time I will come upon you</em>- The watching in view is not simply of themselves but of others; see on :2. “I will come as a thief" is an evident allusion to <em><a href='B:590 5:2'>1Th 5:2</a></em> concerning the thief-like coming of Christ to the unworthy in the latter-day church:&nbsp;&nbsp; "You shall not know what time I will come upon you" implies that they&nbsp;<em>should</em>&nbsp;have 'known the hour':&nbsp;&nbsp;This probably continues the allusions to 1 Thessalonians 5 - this time to :1: "Of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you (faithful ones):&nbsp;For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night" (AV). <em><a href='B:590 5:1-2'>1Th 5:1-2</a></em> in turn alludes to <em><a href='B:470 24:43'>Mat 24:43</a></em> (R:V:): "But this ye know" that "the goodman of the house" would have watched if he knew when the thief would come. The wise at Thessalonica 'knowing' the times and seasons of the thief's coming therefore implies that their 'knowledge' was in terms of appreciating what the spiritual trials of the last days would be like:&nbsp; <em><a href='B:730 3:3'>Rev 3:3</a></em> brings all these strands together in warning the apostate members of the latter-day ecclesias. Not watching is equated by the Lord with not knowing the time. The evident allusion to the disciples not watching (<em><a href='B:480 14:37'>Mar 14:37</a></em>) suggests that if we don't know the time, we will be like them- unprepared when we ought to be on the tiptoe of expectancy. The connection with the disciples also hints that when the Lord told them that they didn’t know the time, he was in some sense rebuking them rather than making a general statement about the impossibility of&nbsp;<em>ever</em>&nbsp;knowing the time of his return.</p>


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<p>3:4- see on <em><a href='B:730 2:17'>Rev 2:17</a></em>.</p><p><em>But you have a few names in Sardis that did not defile their clothes, and they shall walk with me in white; for they are worthy</em>- The Lord refers to His people not simply as 'people' but as "names". The Hebrew idea of a name is that it expresses personality and character. We are not numbers on a screen, but unique persons, known intimately to the Lord. These faithful ones were undefiled by the fact the others in their church were apostate- yet another disproof of any theory of 'guilt by association'. The clothes undefiled refer to the gift of righteousness imputed at baptism abiding; just as the gift of the Spirit received abode with them (:3). "Walk with me" is yet another reminder that the destiny of the believer is to share the Lord's destiny; all that is true of Him is to become true of us. And this includes the idea of being "worthy", which we are not in our own strength, but only on account of being in Him, the worthy one.</p><p>Again we must give full weight to the fact that the "few" in Sardis who had not defiled their clothes attended an apostate ecclesia; and yet they are&nbsp;<em>not&nbsp;</em>seen as "defiled" by the Lord Jesus. This is proof positive that there is no such thing as guilt by association with erring members of an ecclesia. Those faithful members were not rebuked for not disfellowshipping the others. The Lord’s criticism of the ecclesias seems to be that they had allowed false teaching to develop, rather than the fact they hadn’t separated from it. Smyrna was an ecclesia which received no criticism at all from the Lord; they weren't rebuked for not disfellowshipping the other local ecclesias who were apostate (<em><a href='B:730 2:8-11'>Rev 2:8-11</a></em>). The elders at Sardis, an ecclesia holding many false teachers, were told to strengthen what remained (the Greek is usually used regarding people)- they were to strengthen the faithful minority, but nothing was said about withdrawing from them because they fellowshipped weak brethren.</p>


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<p>3:5- see on <em><a href='B:530 4:9'>1Co 4:9</a></em>; <em><a href='B:730 2:17'>Rev 2:17</a></em>.</p><p><em>He that overcomes shall thus be dressed in white garments, and I will in no way blot his name out of the book of life-&nbsp;</em>"Thus be dressed" refers to the way that the Lord who spoke these words was at that very time dressed in white garments; they were to share His status, all that is true of Him is to become true of all in Him.</p><p>Blotting out of the book of life suggests that individuals were originally included in the plan for eternity, but are removed. Moses asking to be removed from that book is therefore a mark of his extreme love for Israel; willing to sacrifice his place in eternity for them. God did not accept this kind of substitutionary atonement, however. I have suggested that John wrote and spoke his gospel to appeal to his fellow Jews; and his letters were written to his converts. Revelation was perhaps also primarily intended for Jewish converts, and the initial references to the 'satan' refer to the Judaist conspiracy to ween his converts back to the synagogue. The idea of our names remaining in the book of life would have suggested to a Jewish audience that we'll all be like Moses was at the end, in essence; we'll share his finest hours. Our names will not be blotted out of the book of life, as Moses' wasn't (<em><a href='B:20 32:32'>Exo 32:32</a></em>). For Jews, Moses was the acme of spirituality, a spiritual pinnacle they could never realistically attain to. But here they are promised that they are not mere Levites but in Christ, can share the peaks of Moses.</p><p>But there is the real possibility of names being removed from the book. This is the greatest tragedy; that a person at one point was on track for eternity, but lost that status. We must do all we can to 'watch out' for others, therefore (see on :2); and never, ever, to make anyone stumble from the way which leads to eternal life.</p><p><em>And I will confess his name before my Father and before His angels</em>- As noted on :4, we are 'names' and not numbers; in the Hebraic sense of a name reflecting the sum total of a person's character and being. Who we are as unique persons is confessed before the father; and our names, that code, if you will, which summarizes 'us', is recorded eternally in the book of life. This points up the eternal importance of personality and spiritual character; for to some degree, who we are today is who we shall eternally be. Salvation is personal. We as persons shall be saved, meaning 'we' shall be immortalized.</p>


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<p>3:6&nbsp;<em>He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches</em>- See on 2:7.</p>


text:
<p>3:7&nbsp;<em>And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: These things says he that is holy, he that is true-&nbsp;</em>The Lord's essential character is important to establish, because it is He who has the power to eternally open and close the way to eternity in His Kingdom. 'Holy and true' was one of the many titles heaped upon the Caesars, and again the radical, subversive nature of the book of Revelation appears. For the ultimate holy and true one is not Caesar, but the Lord.</p><p><em>He that has the key of David, he that opens and none shall shut, and that shuts and none opens</em>- The quotation is from <em><a href='B:290 22:22'>Isa 22:22</a></em>, where Eliakim is given delegated rulership in David’s Kingdom. Perhaps the idea of David having the key to his kingdom alludes to the way that he consciously chose his successor and did not let it pass automatically to his firstborn. But the power to eternally shut and open the Kingdom has been delegated to us, in the sense that if we do not preach to others, or make them stumble from the path, we have closed up the Kingdom to them. The keys of knowledge are in our hands as preachers, and we can thereby open or shut up the Kingdom to men (<em><a href='B:470 16:19'>Mat 16:19</a></em>; <em><a href='B:490 11:52'>Luk 11:52</a></em>; see on <em><a href='B:500 20:23'>Joh 20:23</a></em>). We have just been reminded that a man's name can at one stage be in the book of life, and then be removed; eternity can be closed to a person, as well as opened. The foolish virgins find the door to the Kingdom eternally locked against them. We get a strong sense from this imagery of the future we may miss, and how commitment to the things of the Kingdom logically demands 100% commitment from us.</p>


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<p>3:8&nbsp;<em>I know your works (behold, I have set before you an open door, which none can shut), you have a little power-&nbsp;</em>Although no&nbsp;<em>man</em>&nbsp;can shut the door, the Lord can (see on :7). An open door speaks of an opportunity (<em><a href='B:530 16:9'>1Co 16:9</a></em>; <em><a href='B:540 2:12'>2Co 2:12</a></em>; <em><a href='B:580 4:3'>Col 4:3</a></em>). It is the Lord who takes the initiative, opening the door to the Kingdom, by grace. It is for us to respond to His initiatives. Their "little power / strength" could imply that it could have been far stronger; but all the same, the Lord commends and accepts them. There are ranges of response to the Lord, and He is willing to accept that some ground will yield more harvest to His glory than others. Some work harder and longer in the vineyard than others; but all receive the penny of salvation.</p><p><em>And did keep my word and did not deny my name</em>- The aorist suggests this keeping of the Lord's&nbsp;<em>logos</em>&nbsp;was at a particular time in the past. They had presumably been called upon to deny His Name and stop abiding in His "word". And they had refused. This could have referred to the local Jewish synagogue expelling them (<em><a href='B:500 9:22'>Joh 9:22</a></em>), with the associated economic and social isolation which ensued for a diaspora Jew. Or in the Gentile context, it could have referred to exclusion from pagan trade guilds, with the same effect; or perhaps a call to show loyalty to the Caesar cult. But :9 suggests that the persecution had originated with the 'satan' of organized Jewish opposition.</p>


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<p>3:9&nbsp;<em>Behold, I will make those of the synagogue of Satan, who say they are Jews and they are not, but do lie- behold, I will make these come to you and bow down at your feet, and to know that I have loved you</em>- The persecution of :8 had been brought about by an organized group of people called here a false synagogue, implying they were Jews, but in name only. Perhaps one of their arguments was that God did really love the Christian Jews; because Judaism had a lot to say about themselves as the unique lovers of God, who enjoyed His special love. John in his letters has argued that if a Jew does not accept Jesus as Lord and Son of God, then such a Jew is outside "the love of God". For he who denies the Son denies the Father also. These Judaist troublemakers will be resurrected and at the last day, see those they persecuted enter God’s Kingdom. They will bow before the feet of those they persecuted, just as they will say "Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord", but all too late for their personal salvation.</p><p>Some now in the ecclesia will be dashed to pieces by the Lord at the last day (<em><a href='B:730 2:27'>Rev 2:27</a></em>). <em><a href='B:460 4:3'>Mal 4:3</a></em> speaks of them being ashes under the souls of&nbsp;<em>our&nbsp;</em>feet, as if the faithful will play a part in the destruction of their faithless brethren. After our judgment,&nbsp;<em>we "</em>will return and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serves God and him that serves him not" (<em><a href='B:460 3:18'>Mal 3:18</a></em>). Then in our own understanding the Kingdom of God will be likened to wise and foolish virgins; then we will see the tares clearly. Then the apostate false brethren in Philadelphia will worship before the feet of their faithful brethren. It may be in this sense that we will judge Angels / ecclesial elders (<em><a href='B:530 6:3'>1Co 6:3</a></em> cp. <em><a href='B:730 2:1'>Rev 2:1</a></em> etc:). Or it could be that the rejected will destroy each other. The surrounding world with whom they will then be associated will destroy themselves, brother against brother (<em><a href='B:450 14:13'>Zec 14:13</a></em>); and they will have a part in this destruction. If we bite and devour each other, we may be consumed by each other (<em><a href='B:550 5:15'>Gal 5:15</a></em>)- this is the same idea of brethren killing brethren.</p>


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<p>3:10&nbsp;<em>Because you did keep the word of my patience, I also will keep you from the time of trial which is to come upon the whole world, to test them that dwell upon the earth</em>- The Lord told the Philadelphians that He had set before them an open door, which elsewhere is a figure for an opportunity to preach (<em><a href='B:510 14:27'>Act 14:27</a></em>; <em><a href='B:530 16:9'>1Co 16:9</a></em>; <em><a href='B:540 2:12'>2Co 2:12</a></em>; <em><a href='B:580 4:3'>Col 4:3</a></em>). He parallels such preaching with keeping His word and not denying His Name. For those who do these two things, i:e. respond to the open door preaching opportunities of the pre-tribulation period, “I also will keep you from the hour of temptation tribulation which is to come”. If we preach now, and the door is open as never before, then perhaps we will be saved from the tribulation. For one of its aims, as in the first century, will be to inspire us to witness as we ought to have been doing. See on <em><a href='B:730 2:10'>Rev 2:10</a></em>, where we noted again this idea of various possible outcomes and chronologies stored up in God’s purpose, in response to human freewill decision making. An the same is true especially of latter day chronologies of events leading up to the Lord's return. If the latter day faithful perhaps especially referring to Jewish Christians within the land promised to Abraham keep the Lord's word, He will keep them from the "tribulation" designed "to try them that dwell upon the earth" / land - of Israel. So whether or not some shall experience the latter day tribulation depends on factors such as their repentance and witness of the Gospel to all nations.</p>


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<p>3:11<em>&nbsp;I come suddenly. Hold fast to what you have, that no one takes your crown</em>- As noted on :3, they were to hold fast to the gift of the Spirit they had been given at conversion, and allow this to continue to guide their path towards salvation. For it is the Spirit which they had already been given. They had been given "eternal life" in the sense of the spirit of that life which they would eternally live. In this sense they already had their crown; but as names in the book of eternal life could be blotted out, so the crown now potentially given can be taken away. The&nbsp;<em>stephanos</em>&nbsp;may refer not only to the victor's crown at the games, but to the wreath worn by those invited to a wedding or feast- an image elsewhere used in Revelation, rather than that of the games. Our part in the wedding can be taken away and given to another if we do not want it. Another will take our crown or wreath. This suggests the allusion is to floral wreath given to wedding guests; for a victor's crown in the games could hardly be given to another. But in the Lord's parable, the invitations to the Jews to come to the feast were taken from them and given to others.</p>


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<p>3:12&nbsp;<em>He that overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God; and he shall leave there no more, and I will write upon 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 my own new name</em>- There was apparently a large pillar in Philadelphia which may have been the reason for this idea. The name of Yahweh being written on a person suggests they are a priest, even the high priest. Instead of the names of the twelve tribes of Israel written on his chest, we here have the name of the new Jerusalem written- which city speaks of all the believers. This is a major theme of the letters; that the role and exaltation of the Lord becomes true for all who are in Him. As the Lord was the central pillar of the new temple, so shall we be.</p><p>It is not surprising that the Lord, as the Son of God and His supreme manifestation to men, should also carry God’s name. He could say “I am come in my Father’s name” (<em><a href='B:500 5:43'>Joh 5:43</a></em>). Because of his obedience, Jesus ascended to heaven and God “gave him a name which is above every name” - the name of Yahweh, of God Himself (<em><a href='B:570 2:9'>Phi 2:9</a></em>). So this is why we read Jesus saying in <em><a href='B:730 3:12'>Rev 3:12</a></em>: “I will write upon him (the believer) the name of my God... and I will write upon him my new name”. That the name was still new suggests these letters were given not so long after His ascension. At the judgment, we will share the Lord's exaltation; He will give us God’s name; we then will fully carry the name of God. He calls this name, “My new name”. We can now properly understand <em><a href='B:290 9:6'>Isa 9:6</a></em>, where concerning the Lord Jesus we are told, “His name (note that) shall be called, Wonderful, Counsellor, the mighty God, the everlasting Father...". This is a prophecy that the Lord would carry all the titles and Name of God - that He would be the total manifestation or revelation of God to us. It was in this sense that he was called ‘Emmanuel’, meaning ‘God is with us’, although He personally was not God. The way He speaks here of "my God" even in His resurrected glory is proof enough of that. Thus the prophecy of Joel 2 that men would call on the name of Yahweh was fulfilled by people being baptised into the name of Jesus Christ (<em><a href='B:510 2:21'>Act 2:21</a></em> cp. 38). This also explains why the command to baptize into the name of the Father was fulfilled, as detailed in the Acts record, by baptism into the name of Jesus.</p><p>And yet the idea of bearing God’s Name refers to what already in essence is happening to all who are in the Lord Jesus, by baptism into His Name.</p>


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<p>3:13&nbsp;<em>He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches</em>- see on <em><a href='B:730 2:7'>Rev 2:7</a></em>.</p>


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<p>3:14&nbsp;<em>And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: These things says the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God</em>- The subsequent judgments are prefaced by this reminder that the Lord Jesus is the final truth, the "Amen", and had Himself suffered unto death as the ultimately faithful martyr / witness. Laodicea was a hopeless case, it seemed; but the Lord reminds them that He is the beginning of a new creation (<em><a href='B:540 5:17'>2Co 5:17</a></em>), and the power of the Spirit which had created the natural creation was available to them too. He had begun the work of new creation in them, and it could still be brought to completion if they repented.</p>


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<p>3:15&nbsp;<em>I know your works, how you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either cold or hot</em>- The reference may be to the hot and cold springs near Laodicea. It is easy to assume that 'hot' refers to hot zeal for Him, and 'cold' to total indifference to Him. But why then would He wish them to be totally "cold", and not rather praise them for having at least some heat? For in earlier letters, the Lord takes full cognisance of the fact there is some 'heat', some good points, even in those He chooses to condemn. So I suggest we must read in an ellipsis here. He may mean 'I wish that you realize that you can only be either cold or hot'. They themselves considered themselves lukewarm, but thought this was acceptable to Him. And here we have a penetrating attack upon our own spiritual psychology; for we too would likely consider ourselves lukewarm, not coldly indifferent but not red hot in response to Him.</p><p>The site of Laodicea has suffered major earthquakes, but in recent times the original first century town has been uncovered. It was a thriving small town that became prosperous from its location at a crossroads. A large home has been unearthed which had a meeting room in the woman's quarters where crosses and other Christian symbols had been inscribed, and the surviving mosaics suggest Christian themes. This room would not have held more than 30 or 40 people. Typical of other house churches uncovered at other sites, it seems the majority of the church were female. These women apparently increased in wealth, making them lukewarm in faith. Only about 300 meters from that house there is evidence of warm springs, now inoperative because of the earthquake damage. I suggest these are the source of the Lord's reference to lukewarm water. The suggestion is often made that the reference is to the current hot springs at Pamukkale, but this is a long way away and there is no evidence that there was any viaduct bringing that warm water to Laodicea. There would have been no need for this as the water has so much calcium carbonate in it that it can't be drunk. And there were already warm water springs at Laodicea before the earthquake. After Constantine legalized Christianity, a church was built at Laodicea and the Council of Laodicea is full of strict religious ordinances about not doing anything in the Lord's service without the agreement of bishops, and laying down very restrictive and unBiblical demands upon believers. We see the path of declension- material prosperity leading to lukewarm faith, yet still bearing the name "Christian". And then this led to the formalism and mere religion of organized churchianity.</p>


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<p>3:16&nbsp;<em>As you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spew you out of my mouth</em>-</p><p>There is no third way. We may as well realize thIsa. The Lord Jesus&nbsp;<em>hates</em>&nbsp;the fact that some think there is a third road; He would that we recognized, as He does, that there is really no 'lukewarm' position- only hot or cold. He seems to ask us to realize this: "Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt" (<em><a href='B:470 12:33'>Mat 12:33</a></em>).<br/>We know that from God’s perspective, we&nbsp;<em>are</em>&nbsp;either cold or hot. We either serve Him or mammon. We are either on the road to the Kingdom or to death. So surely the Lord is speaking from&nbsp;<em>our&nbsp;</em>viewpoint; He wished that those believers would have the attitude that they were either cold or hot, rather than thinking there was a middle course. In essence, their weakness is ours; for time and again, we hide behind the philosophy of 'balance' in order to justify a "neither cold nor hot" attitude. Our lack of serious devotion, both individually and as a community, rests in this sophistry of 'balance'; lukewarmness has become respectable, both in the brotherhood and in the world; total commitment is branded as fanaticism and simplistic dogmatism.</p><p>As tourists came to taste the waters of the Laodicean springs, so the Lord tasted the believers there. The spewing of them from His mouth connects with how the sharp sword of judgment proceeds out of His mouth (<em><a href='B:730 1:16'>Rev 1:16</a></em>; <em><a href='B:730 2:16'>Rev 2:16</a></em>; <em><a href='B:730 19:21'>Rev 19:21</a></em>).</p>


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<p>3:17&nbsp;<em>For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing-&nbsp;</em>The implication was that they believed some kind of false prosperity Gospel, reasoning that their wealth was a result of their spirituality and God blessing them for it. Hence the next half of the verse insists that contrary to what they are think, they are in fact deeply unspiritual. This verse is a powerful argument against the prosperity Gospel, for apparent material blessing is portrayed here as&nbsp;<em>not</em>&nbsp;the reward for spirituality but the fruit of unspirituality. The language of saying to themselves that they were rich and "have prospered" is exactly that of the rich fool (<em><a href='B:490 12:21'>Luk 12:21</a></em>). So we can safely assume that "you say..." refers to what they, like him, said to themselves within their hearts. And these words of the heart are what we are judged by. But the same Greek word used here is used of how those who accepted 'Babylon' were made rich and prospered because of her (<em><a href='B:730 18:3'>Rev 18:3</a></em>; <em><a href='B:730 18:15'>Rev 18:15</a></em>; <em><a href='B:730 18:19'>Rev 18:19</a></em>). And Babylon is presented in Jeremiah as considering she needed nothing Whatever 'Babylon' referred to in the Laodicean context, these apparent Christians had materially benefitted from connection with her- be it the synagogue system, the pagan trade guilds or the Roman Caesar cult. And there may well come a latter day wave of prosperity- for those who associate with latter day Babylon. But for Christians, it will cost them their eternity.</p><p><em>Not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked</em>- They perhaps considered that their material wealth must reflect their spiritual wealth. They were unaware that spiritually they were poverty-stricken and naked, needing to develop the riches of faith and clothing of righteousness. It seems to follow that their feeling of being spiritually rich and needing nothing was fuelled by being "increased with goods" - as if the material prosperity of the very last days will lead some to interpret this as God’s blessing upon them, and a sure sign of their acceptability:&nbsp;“I am rich..." is alluding to <em><a href='B:350 12:8'>Hos 12:8</a></em>, where Israel's wealth was associated with a feeling that they were therefore without sin: "Ephraim said, I am rich... in all my labours they shall find no iniquity in me that is sin". This encourages us again to think that the first recipients of these letters were Jewish converts. Likewise, the description of them as wealthy but naked is taken straight out of <em><a href='B:330 16:7'>Eze 16:7</a></em> about natural Israel; suggesting that it is Jewish converts who are being written to here.</p><p>They were unlike Paul, who lamented "O wretched man that I am" (<em><a href='B:520 7:24'>Rom 7:24</a></em> s:w:), throwing himself upon the Lord Jesus in total faith in His grace. The Greek for "miserable" is found only in <em><a href='B:530 15:9'>1Co 15:9</a></em>, where apostate Christians considered that they had "hope in Christ" only in this life, and were therefore considered by the Spirit to be "miserable". For them, their level of association with Christianity gave them some psychological benefits in this life, but the wonder of sin forgiven and certain eternity ahead had not dawned upon them. They refused to accept that they were "poor in spirit" and could, upon that recognition, have sure hope for the future Kingdom (<em><a href='B:470 5:3'>Mat 5:3</a></em> s:w:). They refused to see themselves in the man born blind from birth of John 9, who is set up as representative of us all; they would not recognize that they were totally naked before the eyes of the Lord Jesus (<em><a href='B:650 4:13'>Heb 4:13</a></em>). From these references we see that wretched, miserable, poor, blind and naked all refer to what we all naturally are; by refusing to see themselves as such, the Lord's work and provision for them was not seen as necessary.</p><p>The unfaithful now walk naked, in the Lord's eyes; but they will do so in the final condemnation of <em><a href='B:730 16:15'>Rev 16:15</a></em>. They can walk naked&nbsp;<em>now&nbsp;</em>and repent, clothe themselves so as to cover the nakedness of condemnation which they now have; but not then.</p>


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<p>3:18<em>&nbsp;I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may become rich-&nbsp;</em>John's writings continually allude to the power of the gift of the Spirit. It is the Spirit which is the true way to becoming enriched (<em><a href='B:530 1:5'>1Co 1:5</a></em>; <em><a href='B:560 3:16'>Eph 3:16</a></em>; the same word for "prospered" in :17). "Buy from me" obviously recalls the parable of the virgins, where the rejected go to buy oil cp. the Spirit all too late. The idea is that we can&nbsp;<em>now</em>&nbsp;do, spiritually, what the rejected will so desperately wish to do in the time of their condemnation, but will be unable to. Gold refined by fire is the figure Peter uses for Jewish converts who were being refined by the tribulations of the first century, both at the hands of the synagogue system and the Romans (see on <em><a href='B:670 1:7'>1Pe 1:7</a></em>). The Jewish converts at Laodicea had flunked out of these testings by fire through their association with 'Babylon'; see on :17. The counsel to buy this refinement by fire would be another way of saying that they ought to have submitted to the tribulations, so that their faith would have been developed.</p><p><em>And to clothe yourselves with white garments, that the shame of your nakedness be not revealed-&nbsp;</em>In the latter day church scene, it seems some because of their refusal to repent, will then have a final tribulation at the end of the holocaust period:&nbsp;Their salvation is what the Lord searches for. There is the suggestion that this group may choose not to suffer the initial stages of the holocaust, in that <em><a href='B:730 3:18'>Rev 3:18</a></em> implies that they are only&nbsp;<em>counselled</em>&nbsp;to buy the golden faith that is produced by the fiery trial of the latter day tribulation:&nbsp;Thus as with offering the pinch of incense to Caesar, there will be opportunity to avoid the tribulation by some apparently tokenistic obedience to the beast. By doing this they will waste "the space" given "to repent of her fornication", and will experience a final tribulation.</p><p>We are clothed with white garments at baptism. The appeal to clothe themselves with them is an appeal for re-conversion. They could cover their shame now- but they choose not to. And yet, unknown to them, in God’s eyes these people foam out their own shame (<em><a href='B:720 1:13'>Jud 1:13</a></em>).</p><p><em>And anoint your eyes with eyesalve so you may see-&nbsp;</em>"Eyesalve" didn’t really improve vision, but just as the Lord used the wrong idea of demons without correcting the science, so here. The idea is that they needed to apply something to help them 'see' differently, not least to 'see' themselves as they truly were before God (:17). That 'eyesalve' is surely the Spirit, which the Lord will give, but which we must be willing to apply. Anointing of itself implies pouring out the oil of the Spirit. For it is the Spirit which opens the eyes of our understanding (see on <em><a href='B:560 1:18'>Eph 1:18</a></em>).</p>


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<p>3:19&nbsp;<em>As many as I love, I reprove and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent</em>- The Lord must have acted in the lives of those wealthy but lost believers in order to bring them to repentance. And He did so out of love. And the arrogant, self-assured wealthy are hard to spiritually love. But the Lord did, and for all time sets us an example of loving sorrow for the wealthy in their spiritual lostness. The Lord's reproof, according to <em><a href='B:500 3:18'>Joh 3:18</a></em>, is in who He is as a person; within the light of Him as a person and character. He was therefore seeking to bring Himself to their attention; chastening is intended to direct our focus onto the Lord Jesus. It is the gift of the Comforter which reproves (<em><a href='B:500 16:8'>Joh 16:8</a></em>); as baptized believers, they had once received this, and the Lord wishes for that potential Spirit gift within them to be allowed full reign. The Hebrew and Greek words for 'chastening' also mean 'teaching'. None of the Lord's chastening is solely punitive; He seeks to teach, and we need to perceive that in whatever chastening we receive. And the end product of that teaching is repentance.</p>


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<p>3:20- see on <em><a href='B:470 24:15'>Mat 24:15</a></em>.</p><p><em>Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will eat with him and he with me</em>- The Lord stands at the door and knocks at His return, and the faithful will open immediately to Him (<em><a href='B:490 12:36'>Luk 12:36</a></em>). And yet the essence of His coming is now. He wishes to enter hearts; those who accept His Spirit have Him 'coming' to them (<em><a href='B:500 14:18'>Joh 14:18</a></em> s:w:). His presence through the Comforter is just as real as was His presence amongst men in Palestine during His mortal ministry. The Lord is here writing to those who have turned away from Him in Laodicea. He is urging them to let Him come to them, to allow the Spirit to enter and fill them.</p><p>The Lord stresses, with apparently needless repetition, that to the man who responds to His word, "I will eat with him and he with me". There is something very touching in the picture of a man living alone (unusual in the first century), presumably due to old age or persecution, with no wife (either dead or left him); and the Lord of all knocks at his door. He lets him in (i:e. responds to the word of Christ), and they eat together. Two men, eating a man's meal, earnestly bent together over the table. It's a fine picture of the mutuality between the Lord and the believer. Even in failure and weak moments, that mutuality is still there. The same word is used of the Lord having "supper" and 'eating' with us in the communion meal (<em><a href='B:490 22:20'>Luk 22:20</a></em>; <em><a href='B:530 11:25'>1Co 11:25</a></em>), and so the fellowship of the breaking of bread is also specifically in view.</p><p>In the latter day application, the Lord knocking on the door and 'coming' when the believer opens, hints at His second coming once the ecclesia shows a suitable level of spiritual response:&nbsp;In the same letter to Laodicea, the ecclesia being "rich and increased with goods" (:17) recalls the days of Lot and Noah, both typical of the second coming, and the unworthy walking naked is a figure picked up in 16:15 concerning judgment day. Our attitude and response in the split second when we know 'He's back' will effectively be our judgment. When the Lord speaks about knocking on the door of our hearts and our response (<em><a href='B:730 3:20'>Rev 3:20</a></em>), He is picking up the language of the <em><a href='B:260 5:2-8'>Son 5:2-8</a></em>, where the bridegroom (cp. Jesus) knocks at the door of the bride. But notice the sequence there:</p><p>While she sleeps at night, the bridegroom comes and knocks unworthy virgins sleeping instead of being awake; the Lord Jesus comes&nbsp;<br/>She replies that she's not dressed properly, makes excuses about her feet, she can't come and open the unworthy don't respond immediately&nbsp;<br/>He tries to open the door from the outside, putting his hand through the latch-hole by grace, after the pattern of Lot being encouraged to leave Sodom when he hesitated, the Lord will be patient even with sleepy virgins in His desire for their salvation&nbsp;<br/>Her heart is moved with desire for him the rejected still call Jesus 'Lord, Lord'; they love Him emotionally&nbsp;<br/>She starts dressing herself up, and then is overtaken by desire and rushes to the door, her hands dripping all kinds of perfume and make up over the lock as she opens it cp. the virgins going to buy oil, the unworthy trying to prepare themselves all too late, not trusting that their Lord loves them as they are at the moment of His coming&nbsp;<br/>But he's gone , he&nbsp;<em>withdraws himself</em>&nbsp;all too late, the door is shut, He never knew them&nbsp;<br/>Her soul fails the shock of rejection&nbsp;<br/>She seeks him but doesn't find him, calls but he doesn't answer <em><a href='B:240 1:28'>Pro 1:28</a></em>; the rejected call, but aren't answered; they seek the Lord early, but don't find Him. <em><a href='B:350 5:6'>Hos 5:6</a></em> is likewise relevant: "They shall go with their flocks and with their herds to&nbsp;<em>seek&nbsp;</em>the LORD; but they shall not find him; he hath&nbsp;<em>withdrawn himself</em>&nbsp;from them":&nbsp;<br/>She feels tired of her relationship with him ("sick of love"):&nbsp;<br/>She is persecuted by the world around her "condemned with the world"</p><p>The basic point is that if we don't immediately respond to the Lord's knock, we show ourselves to not love Him enough. If we don't open immediately, it's as if we didn’t open at all. The Lord wants us as we are, bleary eyed and without our make up, but with a basic overriding love of Him, and faith in the depth of His love, which will lead us to immediately go out to meet Him. And as noted above, His coming to us is effectively now. We shall open to Him in that day if we have opened our hearts to Him today.</p>


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<p>3:21- see on <em><a href='B:480 10:37'>Mar 10:37</a></em>.</p><p><em>He that overcomes, I will allow him to sit down with me on my throne, as I also overcame and sat down with my Father on His throne</em>- Here we see the very intense extent of our possibilities in Christ; all that is true for Him really can be true for those "in Christ", even those as apparently far gone as Laodicea. These descriptions of the faithful in the Kingdom show how they are counted as righteous by grace; they overcame&nbsp;<em>even as&nbsp;</em>the Lord overcame. They are described as clothed in white linen, just as was the Victorious Saviour straight after His death (<em><a href='B:470 27:59'>Mat 27:59</a></em>). A comparison of our struggles with the Lord in Gethsemane, let alone the cross, reveal that we do not overcome as He did. We have not resisted unto blood in striving against our own sin. We will have the&nbsp;<em>right</em>&nbsp;to the tree of life (<em><a href='B:730 22:14'>Rev 22:14</a></em>); yet our salvation is by pure grace alone.</p><p>'Israel' means 'he who will rule as / with God'. This would therefore be the basis of <em><a href='B:730 3:21'>Rev 3:21</a></em>, which promises that he who overcomes (also translated "prevail") will be a ruler with God, on His throne. It seems that the Lord has his mind back in Genesis 32, and he saw all who would attain His Kingdom as going through that same process of prevailing with God, overcoming, and being made rulers with Him.</p>


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<p>3:22&nbsp;<em>He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches</em>- see on <em><a href='B:730 2:7'>Rev 2:7</a></em>.</p>


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<p>4:1&nbsp;<em>After these things I looked, and beheld a door opened in heaven-&nbsp;</em>John is being given a peep into the heavenly throne room. The 'court of heaven' was a common Jewish idea. The events on earth are reflected there, with representative Angels standing before God and receiving His judgments. The Angels may represent sinners and sinful entities, but Angels themselves do not sin. The comfort is that situations in earth are not out of control, but are known and perceived totally and instantly in Heaven. The opening of a door speaks of an opportunity being provided, perhaps in response to a knock (see on <em><a href='B:730 3:8'>Rev 3:8</a></em>; <em><a href='B:730 3:20'>Rev 3:20</a></em>). It could be that John and others had sought desperately to understand their persecutions and how things really were in Heaven; and John's visions were the answer.</p><p><em>And the first voice that I heard, as if a trumpet was speaking to me, was as one saying: Come up here, and I will show you the things which hereafter must came to pass-&nbsp;</em>Unlike Hebrew, the tenses in Greek are precise and have specific reference. In <em><a href='B:730 1:19'>Rev 1:19</a></em> John was told to write down the things which he had seen, the things which presently are, and the things which shall be “hereafter”. I suggest the things he had seen were the things of the vision of the Son of Man; the things which are refer to the messages to the seven churches; and “the things which shall be hereafter” is a phrase developed here in <em><a href='B:730 4:1'>Rev 4:1</a></em>, where John is bidden come and see “the things which must be hereafter”. The things from then on all refer to the future, the last days and the coming of Christ. The vision of the Heavenly throne room in chapters 4 and 5 therefore refers to how things are in the Heavenly court&nbsp;<em>in the last days</em>. That is confirmed by comments on many of the following verses in chapter 4. The vision is in the form of "a voice of a trumpet". The same Greek words are found in <em><a href='B:470 24:31'>Mat 24:31</a></em> and <em><a href='B:590 4:16'>1Th 4:16</a></em> about the "sound s:w. "voice" of a trumpet" which will be heard at Christ's return. The same words are used of the trumpets heard at the final outpouring of woe upon the land at the Lord's coming (<em><a href='B:730 8:3'>Rev 8:3</a></em>). The vision therefore has a clear end time reference, and describes the scene in Heaven at that time, rather than being a general picture of how things are in Heaven.</p>


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<p>4:2<em>&nbsp;Immediately I was in the Spirit-&nbsp;</em>Being "in the Spirit" was in response to the invitation to come 'up' to Heaven to view the court room (:1).</p><p><em>And beheld a throne set in heaven; and one sitting upon the throne</em>- The setting up of the throne recalls the language of the throne being 'set' for judgment at Christ's return (<em><a href='B:230 122:5'>Psa 122:5</a></em>; <em><a href='B:340 7:9'>Dan 7:9</a></em>). As noted on :1, the entire vision in chapter 4 is of the state of affairs at the last day being reflected in the Heavenly throne room. Thrones set on earth are set in Heaven, just as David on earth sat as it were on the throne of God in Heaven as king.</p>


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<p>4:3&nbsp;<em>And he that sat on it was to look upon like a jasper stone, and a sardius; and there was a rainbow round about the throne, like an emerald to look upon</em>- The rainbow suggests that Divine judgment has come to an end, and the faithful remnant saved. As noted on :1, this is a picture of things at the last day. The Lord sits upon the judgment throne with a rainbow as a halo around it, meaning that His judgment is overarched by grace and a desire in fact not to condemn the world, even if they spurn His grace and choose His condemnation.</p><p>Jasper is the gem used to describe the appearance of all the faithful (<em><a href='B:730 21:11'>Rev 21:11</a></em>; <em><a href='B:730 21:18-19'>Rev 21:18-19</a></em>); the Lord's righteousness and exalted status will finally be true of all who are in Him. The sardine or sardius likewise (<em><a href='B:730 21:20'>Rev 21:20</a></em>), and the emerald (<em><a href='B:730 21:19'>Rev 21:19</a></em>). These are also stones in the High Priestly breastplate, representing the tribes of the Lord's people. We, His people, shine from His face. This is the extent of His total identification with us, and ours with Him. See on <em><a href='B:730 5:3'>Rev 5:3</a></em>.</p>


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<p>4:4&nbsp;<em>And round about the throne were twenty four thrones; and upon the thrones I saw twenty four elders sitting, dressed in white garments, and on their heads were crowns of gold</em>- This again is reflecting the situation of the last days. The elders are 'clothed in white clothing', but every time those words occur in Revelation the context is of believers who have overcome the tribulation and are now clothed in white (<em><a href='B:730 3:5'>Rev 3:5</a></em>; <em><a href='B:730 3:18'>Rev 3:18</a></em>; <em><a href='B:730 7:9'>Rev 7:9</a></em>; <em><a href='B:730 7:13'>Rev 7:13</a></em>). The vision of such clothing in Heaven may suggest that the elders thus clothed are the representative Angels of the believers on earth. Revelation is full of this kind of representation of human situations before the court of Heaven. Their golden crowns (<em><a href='B:730 4:4'>Rev 4:4</a></em>) are the crowns of victory which the faithful wear after judgment (the&nbsp;<em>stephanos</em>&nbsp;is specifically a victory wreath- <em><a href='B:530 9:25'>1Co 9:25</a></em>; <em><a href='B:570 4:1'>Phi 4:1</a></em>; <em><a href='B:590 2:19'>1Th 2:19</a></em>; the crown which shall be given "at that day", <em><a href='B:620 4:8'>2Ti 4:8</a></em>; <em><a href='B:660 1:12'>Jas 1:12</a></em>; <em><a href='B:670 5:4'>1Pe 5:4</a></em>; <em><a href='B:730 2:10'>Rev 2:10</a></em>). Golden crowns are worn by the latter day enemies of God’s people (<em><a href='B:730 9:7'>Rev 9:7</a></em>); the specific usage of&nbsp;<em>stephanos</em>&nbsp;here, the victory wreath, suggests that they are celebrating their brief victory and establishment of a fake Kingdom of God. This is exactly what Moslems expect their Mahdi to do as a result of their latter day victories against the Jews. The ten horns of the beast are also crowned (<em><a href='B:730 13:1'>Rev 13:1</a></em>); the brief victory of the beast is a parody of the establishment of the true Kingdom of God.</p><p>These 24 elders recall the 24 orders of priests, who represent all the Lord's redeemed people. For we are a nation of priests, constantly in His service. As noted on :3, the Lord is presented as having the stones of the high priestly breastplate shining from His face as He sits enthroned, as a king-priest after the order of Melchizedek. We too shall be enthroned. Priests who are enthroned are king-priests; the Lord likewise was a king-priest after the order of Melchizedek, and we shall eternally have this status. We have just read that the faithful shall share His throne (<em><a href='B:730 3:21'>Rev 3:21</a></em>). As noted several times on Hebrews, we are not only benefitted by the Lord's high priestly work for us, but merge with Him, entering into the Holiest as did the High Priest- to do&nbsp;the work of the High Priest for the salvation of others.</p><p>I am of the view that the seals and vials of Revelation have such strong connection with both the Olivet prophecy and the actual events in the land in AD66-70 that it is impossible to discount the application of Revelation to this period. This means that it would have been written some time before AD70. A major theme is the need to resist the Caesar worship and maintain their separation from the world around them. Indeed, the whole of Revelation can be read, in its AD70 application, as an account of the struggle between Christ and Caesar. Such strong imagery is used in order to emphasise that there could be no third road. It was one or the other. Thus Revelation 4, 5 presents a picture of the throne of Heaven, but it is replete with reference to the imperial ceremonial court. Consider the points of contact and contrast:&nbsp;&nbsp;<br/>- Greco-Roman kings were considered to be divine, and their courtrooms were arranged in concentric circles centring upon the Caesar / King- just as with the true throne room<br/>- Their attendants were often arranged in groups of 7s and 12s- after the supposed seven planetary spheres and the 12 signs of the zodiac. Compare this with the 7s, 12s and 24s 2 x 12 in Revelation (<em><a href='B:730 4:4-5'>Rev 4:4-5</a></em>; <em><a href='B:730 4:10'>Rev 4:10</a></em>; <em><a href='B:730 5:6-10'>Rev 5:6-10</a></em>). 24 elders are a parody of the 24 lictors or bodyguards who surrounded Domitian and other Caesars. Instead of praying for Caesar and the empire, Revelation presents a radical counter culture. Caesar and his empire are presented as a fake Kingdom, which is to be prayed against- resulting in the overthrow of that Kingdom by the Kingdom of God. And the death of the Lord Jesus is seen as having already guaranteed this, and achieved it in prospect. Likewise casting crowns before Caesar is parodied in :10. This is ultimately done before the Lord Jesus, and is done for ever. All these allusions show how the Roman kingdom / empire is the antithesis of the true and ultimate Kingdom / empire, of God through the Lord Jesus. The 'iron rule' of Rome is the antithesis of the 'iron rod' with which the Lord Jesus shall rule the nations through His people (Rev. 2:26). There is no overlap between the two empires. Human politics cannot bring about God's Kingdom. The kingdoms of this world are to become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ. And in the lead up to that, Christian culture and Roman culture [or the world's culture] are absolutely separate and counter to each other. <br/>- These attendants sung hymns of praise to the Caesar (cp. <em><a href='B:730 4:8-11'>Rev 4:8-11</a></em>; <em><a href='B:730 5:9-14'>Rev 5:9-14</a></em>)<br/>- The Caesar dispersed justice to the empire / kingdom, symbolised by a scroll (cp. <em><a href='B:730 5:1-8'>Rev 5:1-8</a></em>).<br/>- Language such as God, Son of God, Lord’s day, saviour of the world was used in the imperial cult.<br/>Suffice it to say that today just as much as in the 1st century, there is a radical clash of cultures and belief systems between us and this present world. The radical nature of the conflict cannot be overstated.</p><p>However, the primary audience of the book of Revelation was likely Jewish Christians in Jerusalem, who were drifting back to Judaism and becoming caught up in the wave of nationalism which led to the Jewish War and the events of AD70. And so for them, the reference of the 24 elders would have been to the Jewish system which was now far eclipsed by the glory of the Heavenly system which had the Lord Jesus at its epicentre. There may well be reference to "the smaller Sanhedrin" at Jerusalem which had 24 elders in the lead up to AD70. Again, symbols and images of worldly power, of the society around us, are subsumed and deconstructed beneath the wonder of the exaltation of the Lord Jesus. And so it should be in our worldview. </p>


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<p>4:5 - see on <em><a href='B:730 1:20'>Rev 1:20</a></em>;&nbsp; <em><a href='B:300 1:11-12'>Jer 1:11-12</a></em>.</p><p><em>And out of the throne proceeded lightnings, voices and thunders-&nbsp;</em>As noted on :1, the vision of the Heavenly throne room in chapters 4 and 5 refers to how things are in the Heavenly court&nbsp;<em>in the last days</em>. In this context, the seven heads and mountains of the beast perhaps have their match in the seven spirits / Angels before God’s throne. As found in Daniel, the situation on earth is not at all out of control; rather is it a reflection of the Heavenly throne room, just as the beasts of Daniel 7 arise out of the sea as a result of the apparent ‘striving’ of the spirits / Angels / winds. The lightnings which flash out of the throne were not just what were ‘usually’ there in Heaven; rather are these the lightnings which flash in the last day events of <em><a href='B:730 8:5'>Rev 8:5</a></em>; <em><a href='B:730 11:19'>Rev 11:19</a></em>; <em><a href='B:730 16:18'>Rev 16:18</a></em>, recalling the flashing of lightning as a sign of God’s especial and saving activity of His people (<em><a href='B:230 18:14'>Psa 18:14</a></em>). As lightning, fire and thunder 'proceeds' out of the throne and from the mouth of Him sitting upon it (<em><a href='B:730 1:16'>Rev 1:16</a></em>; <em><a href='B:730 4:5'>Rev 4:5</a></em>), so the same word is used of how fire and judgment proceed out of their mouth of God’s briefly victorious enemies (<em><a href='B:730 9:17-18'>Rev 9:17-18</a></em>). So often the contrast is drawn between the things of God’s Kingdom and God’s people, and those of His opposition. The thundering recorded here is that of <em><a href='B:730 19:6'>Rev 19:6</a></em> at the time of the second coming of Christ. The great voice out of the throne “voices” may be a reflection of the Hebrew idea of an intensive plural is the great voice out of the throne of <em><a href='B:730 16:17'>Rev 16:17</a></em>; <em><a href='B:730 19:5'>Rev 19:5</a></em> when “it is done”. It is the voice of victory which effectively comes out of the throne at the last day (<em><a href='B:730 7:9-10'>Rev 7:9-10</a></em>).</p><p>The 24 elders of <em><a href='B:730 4:5'>Rev 4:5</a></em> represent rather than symbolize the believers, whose guardians they are. These Angels represent the saints in the court of Heaven. In this lies the practical meaning of all this; that we, our 'case', our thoughts and deeds, are represented in none less than the court of Heaven; and there they are judged, discussed, and responded to.</p><p><em>And there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God</em>- It is the faithful who are "before the throne". The seven spirits refers perhaps to the totality of God’s Spirit and His power. Seeing He makes His Angels spirits, it could be that God’s power is apportioned between seven senior Angels. But the connection with the seven churches and stars, who are the angels of the churches, is also clear. As the indwelling Spirit dwells and abides within us, so we are represented as the seven lamps burning always before Him in Heaven. In the last day, of which this vision speaks, we shall be turned to Spirit nature. We are the elders, and we are the seven spirits. The symbolism reflects different aspects of the same realities. There are four references in Revelation to the seven spirits (Rev. 1:4; 3:1; 4:5; 5:6), making a total of 28. Which is the same number of times Revelation uses the term "the Lamb". The idea is that the totality of the Spirit is under the control of the Lord Jesus- which follows from His enthronement as King of the cosmos, on God's behalf, with all power / Spirit given to Him. To Him who was once a little boy growing up in Nazareth, clinging to His mother, struggling with childhood hurts and illnesses... so highly was He exalted. But these seven spirits are clearly to be connected with the seven lamps burning before the throne of Rev. 4:5, the candlestick with seven lamps burning "before the Lord" (Ex. 40:25). And that candlestick is the church, according to Rev. 1-3. The fullness of His power works through the church in her mission of being sent into the world with the Gospel, just as the seven spirits of God in Zechariah 4:10 [the basis of the candlestick imagery in Revelation] go to and fro throughout the earth. We have total power behind us in seeking to fulfil the great commission. Like those sent forth by the Lord during His ministry, we return from each mission admitting that we lacked nothing. </p>


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<p>4:6&nbsp;<em>And in front of the throne there was as it were a sea of glass like a crystal-&nbsp;</em>The allusion is to the bronze "sea" or laver in the temple. Verse 5 has just alluded to the candlestick. Here there is a tranquil “sea of glass”, but this is the very same symbol as used in <em><a href='B:730 15:2'>Rev 15:2</a></em> concerning how this situation is arrived at&nbsp;<em>after</em>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<em>as a result of</em>&nbsp;the fiery judgments upon God’s enemies in the last days. This confirms the suggestion on :1 that we have here a vision of the state of things in the last days, seen from Heaven's perspective. This glass sea is “clear as crystal”- which is the very metaphor used to describe the Kingdom conditions (<em><a href='B:730 21:11'>Rev 21:11</a></em>; <em><a href='B:730 22:1'>Rev 22:1</a></em>). Again and again, Revelation 4 uses the language of the period surrounding the establishment of God’s Kingdom on earth. It’s a prophetic vision of the things which shall be “hereafter” (<em><a href='B:730 4:1'>Rev 4:1</a></em>), rather than a description of how things were in Heaven at John’s time and how they have been ‘up there’ for the last 2000 years.</p><p>In confirmation of this, note that the whole scene happens “in front of the throne”, but this phrase is repeatedly used later in Revelation to speak of the situation before the judgment throne of the Father and Son, when this as it were is set up on earth. Before that throne the faithful shall be found faultless (<em><a href='B:730 14:5'>Rev 14:5</a></em>), and they sing before that throne a new song because of their triumph (<em><a href='B:730 14:3'>Rev 14:3</a></em>). Those who overcome the tribulation of the last days are found “before the throne” (<em><a href='B:730 7:9'>Rev 7:9</a></em>; <em><a href='B:730 7:11'>Rev 7:11</a></em>; <em><a href='B:730 7:15'>Rev 7:15</a></em>). So what we are seeing in chapter 4 happening ‘before the throne’ is not a mere description of ‘what was going on before God’s throne at John’s time, and has been going on all along since then’. No. This is about what shall happen before that throne&nbsp;<em>at the day of judgment at the second coming</em>. That is the time referent of Revelation’s language of “before the throne”. For the sea of humanity is hardly calm as crystal glass before His throne, and will not be until the last day.</p><p><em>And in the midst of the throne and round about the throne, four living creatures full of eyes before and behind</em>- There are evident similarities between Ezekiel's cherubim, and the four living creatures of Revelation 4. They are both described as "full of eyes" (<em><a href='B:330 1:18'>Eze 1:18</a></em> = <em><a href='B:730 4:6'>Rev 4:6</a></em>), with four very similar faces (lion, calf, man, eagle in <em><a href='B:730 4:7'>Rev 4:7</a></em> = lion, ox, man, eagle in <em><a href='B:330 1:10'>Eze 1:10</a></em>); and both have wings (<em><a href='B:730 4:8'>Rev 4:8</a></em> = <em><a href='B:330 1:8'>Eze 1:8</a></em>). Yet the living creatures of Revelation speak of being redeemed by the blood of Christ and made king-priests in God’s Kingdom (<em><a href='B:730 5:8-10'>Rev 5:8-10</a></em>)- as if they are the redeemed people of God. The four faces are likely to be connected with the four standards of the tribes of Israel (Lion = Judah, Man = Reuben, Ox = Ephraim, Eagle = Dan). Each of those tribes had two other tribes assigned to them in the encampment procedures of Numbers 2. There is extra-Biblical tradition that the cherubim in Solomon's temple had the same four faces which Ezekiel saw on the cherubim- lion, ox, man and eagle. Those to whom Ezekiel related his vision would have immediately understood the point- that the earthly sanctuary was a reflection of the Heavenly, and that above that was a huge Angelic system operating, which also represented God’s people- them. But that huge system was to remove to Babylon, and then the final visions of Ezekiel show that glory returning. Ezekiel, as the representative "son of man" as he's so often styled, was caught up within that system and transported at ease between Babylon and Jerusalem- and those who wanted to opt in with God and His Angels could likewise be taken to Babylon and returned. Those who chose to remain in Babylon were therefore resisting being part of an awesome system of God manifestation and Angelic operation. We have that same choice in things great and small today. Just as the lamb with seven heads faces off against the dragon and beasts with multiple heads, so here, the four living creatures [AV "beasts"] are the equivalent of the "four beasts" of Daniel, who morph into the beasts of Revelation. Again the idea is that the apparently invincible systems seen "on earth" are nothing compared to their far greater equivalent "in Heaven". And the faithful are given a glimpse of Heaven's perspective, and asked to make that their worldview.</p><p>We have just read that the faithful shall share His throne (<em><a href='B:730 3:21'>Rev 3:21</a></em>). And exactly there is where we find the living creatures. The "four living creatures" are a means of expressing God’s manifestation, be it in Angels or Israel in the past. But now, at the point of the last day of which this vision speaks, the reference is to us. This is why we / they are both in the midst of the throne and round about it. We are in one sense before the throne, receiving His grace, casting our crowns there (:10); and in another sense, sharing with Him in His throne itself.</p>


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<p>4:7&nbsp;<em>And the first creature was like a lion, the second creature like a calf, the third creature had the face of a man and the fourth creature was like a flying eagle</em>- See on :6. The four beasts full of eyes which are found here (:6,7) are the Heavenly reflection of the four beasts of Daniel 7, and the powerful little horn with its cunning eye is thus presented as a weak parody of the Heavenly reality. As noted on :1, the vision of the Heavenly throne room in chapters 4 and 5 refers to how things are in the Heavenly court&nbsp;<em>in the last days</em>. These beasts all exist in the last days in some form, but shall be subsumed within the "four living creatures" of the cherubim, representing the glorified believers; see on :6.</p>


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<p>4:8&nbsp;<em>And the four living creatures each had six wings, full of eyes round about and within; and they have no rest day and night, saying: Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God, the Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come</em>- See on :8. As the Angelic entity of Heaven, representing the believers, has no rest day nor night from His service and praise, so the beast worshippers have no rest day or night from their judgment (<em><a href='B:730 4:8'>Rev 4:8</a></em> cp. <em><a href='B:730 14:11'>Rev 14:11</a></em>). These are the only times in the entire New Testament that this Greek phrase for 'having no rest' are used. Indeed, so often Revelation uses phrases and words which occur only in Revelation. So I suggest the scene at this stage is that of the last days (see on :1), and here we have ceaseless praise during the period of the beast's destruction. See on :1. But here again we have an allusion to the Imperial cult. Tacitus writes of how "day and night the applause and acclamations of the Augustiani echoed around the palace". But we are being shown at this point that the true Kingdom or empire is God's, and His throne is the locus of it, and not Caesar's palace in Rome. The 'beasts' / 'creatures' of the nations shall be subsumed within and by the cherubic "living creatures", representing the believers (see on :6). Their being "full of eyes" is a repeatedly noted feature, and I suggest refers to how we shall then know all. A large element of our struggle in this world is that we do not have full vision, we cannot attach precise meaning to event, nor see the immediate future. This plays no small part in the psychological struggle of believers especially, who sense that there<em>&nbsp;is</em>&nbsp;meaning to event, and the hand of God is and shall be in their immediate future history, but cannot see it all in detail. We note that these four living creatures are the same as the cherubic figures of Ez. 1, but there are differences. In Ez. 1, each creature has four faces and four wings, whereas these have six wings, like the seraphim of Is. 6. Perhaps the idea is that here we have a composite image of the seraphim and cherubim, a vision more glorious and extensive than anything revealed in the Old Testament. </p><p>Saying: Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God, the Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come- This again is an allusion to the Imperial cult; here, to the way the Emperor was to be addressed as "most holy [sacratissimi] emperor". "Our Lord and our God" was how Domitian demanded to be addressed. But the Lord God is the Almighty. Not Caesar. At every point, we find a demand for the believer to jettison the cult of Emperor worship, just as we are called upon to view our world as passing away, and to give our loyalty to the Kingdom of God and His Son. The idea of eternity was commonly found in the Imperial cult. Caesar was eternal, Nero being addressed as "the only one from the beginning of time", and so were Roman cities (urbs aeterna), the Roman people  (Aeternitas Populi Romani), and empire itself (pax aeterna). But all these ideas are the antithesis of the Kingdom / empure of God, they were all to pass away, and instead of Rome, the New Jerusalem would alone last eternally. Likewise, "was / is / is to come", clearly alluding to the Yahweh Name, is the ultimate reality opposed to the sea-beast which "was / is not / is to come" (Rev. 17:8.11). The dragon and beasts are represented as pathetic fake imitations of the ultimate Divine reality. They are often described as deceivers; whereas in the mouth of God's people there is no deceit. And we are to view this world likewise.   </p>


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<p>4:9- see on <em><a href='B:730 5:6'>Rev 5:6</a></em>.</p><p><em>And when the living creatures shall give glory and honour and thanks to him that sits on the throne, to him that lives for ever and ever</em>- The giving of honour to Him who sits upon the throne (<em><a href='B:730 4:9'>Rev 4:9</a></em>) is an idea only found elsewhere in <em><a href='B:730 19:7'>Rev 19:7</a></em>, where honour is given to the Lord on the throne "for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready". Again, we are directed to understand the giving of honour as appropriate to the Lord's second coming. The picture is specifically of the last days; see on :1. The "living creatures" have something to "thank" the Lord for, and to glorify and honour Him for. I suggested on :6 that at this point, they refer to the glorified believers.</p>


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<p>4:10&nbsp;<em>The twenty four elders shall fall down before him that sits on the throne and shall worship him that lives for ever and ever, and shall cast their crowns before the throne, saying</em>- Those who enter the Kingdom will genuinely, from the very depth of their being, feel that they shouldn't be there. They will cast their crowns before the enthroned Lord, as if to resign their reward as inappropriate for them. Indeed, they shouldn't be in the Kingdom. The righteous are "scarcely saved" (<em><a href='B:670 4:18'>1Pe 4:18</a></em>). The righteous remnant who spoke often to one another about Yahweh will only be "spared" by God’s grace (<em><a href='B:460 3:17'>Mal 3:17</a></em>).</p><p>This is another of many allusions to the emperor cult, whereby local kings and rulers knelt and cast their crowns before the Roman emperor or before images of him. It was a statement of utter submission. But this picture is applied to the Lord Jesus, and contributed towards making Revelation such a subversive and illegal document within the Roman empire. The things we stand for are no less radical and break all the norms of the societies in which we currently live.</p><p>Because it is by God’s will that we are created, because He is from everlasting to everlasting, because God is creator (:11), we cast our crowns of ‘reward’ before His throne in a sense of unworthiness, just as David in Psalms 8 had the overawing sense of ‘Who am I…?’ when he reflected upon God’s creation. Depending upon how we translate the verbs, there could also be the sense here that the casting of crowns goes on "for ever". To throw down your crown is something done on the cusp of emotion, from deep recognition of unworthiness before the One whom we so deeply respect. But that cusp of emotion shall endure for ever. </p>


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<p>4:11&nbsp;<em>Worthy are you, our Lord, to receive the glory and the honour and the power. For you did create all things, and for your sake they existed and were created</em>- "Our Lord" refers to the Lord Jesus, and is again a subversion of the way Caesar was addressed in this way. His creation of all things recalls the prologue of John's gospel, where clearly a new creation is in view (<em><a href='B:540 5:17'>2Co 5:17</a></em>), a creation of a world of persons in His image. And as the faithful find themselves accepted and immortalized before His throne, they will realize that indeed the new creation has come to its final term. And they stand there because of His creation of them, and not in their own strength, created of His will NEV "sake", AV "pleasure" and not their own. The allusion may be to <em><a href='B:500 1:13'>Joh 1:13</a></em>, where the Lord Jesus is presented as bringing us into spiritual being not of our will but of HIsa. In :8,11 we read of “the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come” ‘receiving&nbsp;<em>lambano</em>’ “glory, honour and power&nbsp;<em>dunamis</em>”. The only other time we read of this is in <em><a href='B:730 11:15-17'>Rev 11:15-17</a></em>, when the seventh Angel sounds and the Kingdom of God is established: “We give You thanks O Lord God&nbsp;Almighty, who is and who was; because You have taken&nbsp;<em>lambano</em>&nbsp;Your great power&nbsp;<em>dunamis</em>&nbsp;and have reigned”. The vision here is specifically about the state of the Heavenly throne room at the last day; see on :1.</p>


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<p>This continues the vision of chapter 4, which we have clearly located in the last days. The sealed book of 5:1 is the book of life, which is only opened at Christ’s return (<em><a href='B:340 7:10'>Dan 7:10</a></em>; <em><a href='B:730 20:12'>Rev 20:12</a></em>). The opening of the seals is therefore something which is the opening of the book- and the events associated with them therefore occur at the last hour, when the book is opened. Any appropriacy to events at other points in history is intended and was of encouragement to those of that day, but the essence of the fulfilment is in the last days. The joy of the redeemed that the Lamb has opened the book through His blood is not just joy that prophetic revelation has been given in the seals; it is joy that they have been redeemed because the book has been opened (<em><a href='B:730 5:5'>Rev 5:5</a></em>; <em><a href='B:730 5:9'>Rev 5:9</a></em>). The Lamb’s blood was required to open the book, and it is redemption, a place in that book of life, which was enabled by the Lord’s death. The actual opening of the scroll is performed by the Lord Jesus in His role as “the lion of the tribe of Judah” (see on :5), and according to <em><a href='B:10 49:5'>Gen 49:5</a></em> this refers to the Lord in His latter day manifestation, triumphing over the prey. The redeemed burst into praise when the Lamb takes the book of life to open it- they thank Him for redeeming them, and for making them “kings and priests, and we shall reign on earth” (:10). This sounds like they are about to start reigning. The time when this is said is therefore that of the establishment of the Kingdom on earth.</p><p>Not every detail has been given of how that end has been achieved, but in chapters 4 and 5 we see a broad sweep from the beginning of the last days right through to the full establishment of the Kingdom.</p><p>That the scroll refers to the book of life was first pointed out to me by Peter Watkins. One of the most compelling reasons is the way that Daniel 7 is being alluded to, and the parallel with the opening of the books at the judgment is in the scroll of Revelation 5 being opened:</p><table><tr><td></p><p><em>&nbsp;</em></td><td><em><a href='B:340 7:9-10'>Dan 7:9-10</a></em></td><td><em>Revelation</em></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>(a)</td><td>thrones were set</td><td>the 24 elders upon 24 thrones (R:V:) (<em><a href='B:730 4:4'>Rev 4:4</a></em>).</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>(b)</td><td>the Ancient of days did sit.</td><td>a throne set in heaven, and One sat on the throne (<em><a href='B:730 4:2'>Rev 4:2</a></em>).</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>(c)</td><td>His garment white as snow.</td><td>like unto a jasper (<em><a href='B:730 4:3'>Rev 4:3</a></em>).</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>(d)</td><td>His throne like the fiery flame.</td><td>and a sardine stone.</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>(e)</td><td>His wheels as burning fire.</td><td>(<em><a href='B:330 1:15-21'>Eze 1:15-21</a></em>. Not mentioned in Revelation except by implication in connection with the four-fold cherubim-chariot of Revelation 6).</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>(f)</td><td>a fiery stream issued and came forth from before Him.</td><td>the sea of glass.</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>(g)</td><td>thousand thousands ministered unto Him and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him.</td><td>the number of the angels was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands (<em><a href='B:730 5:11'>Rev 5:11</a></em>).</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>(h)</td><td>the judgement was set and the books were opened.</td><td>I saw the dead small and great stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life (<em><a href='B:730 20:12'>Rev 20:12</a></em>).</td><td></td></tr></table><p>5:1&nbsp;<em>And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a scroll written within and on the back, sealed with seven seals-&nbsp;</em>Note the parallels with Ezekiel- the four living creatures, a throne scene, a scroll- with judgments against Israel on it, to be fulfilled in a Babylonian invasion. This similarity with Ezekiel would explain the correspondence between the cherubim vision of <em><a href='B:330 1:22-28'>Eze 1:22-28</a></em> and that of <em><a href='B:730 4:2-6'>Rev 4:2-6</a></em>. But as explained in the introduction, the scroll is the book of life. But the opening of it involves the breaking of the seals, which speak of judgment upon Israel at the hands of an invasion by a latter day Babylon. Perhaps this is the significance of the scroll having writing on both sides; referring on one hand to the blessing of acceptance and salvation, and on the other to judgment to come. This would explain why the scroll of 10:10 is both sweet and bitter. The book of life is only opened once all the seals are broken, and I suggested in the introduction to this chapter that this implies the seals refer to events which happen in short succession in the very last days, just prior to the opening of the book of life. That surely is required by the 'decorum of the symbol'.</p>


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<p>5:2&nbsp;<em>And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a great voice: Who is worthy to open the scroll and to undo the seals of it?</em>- The great voice recalls the great voice of Goliath challenging Israel to provide a man who could provide their salvation; see on :4. None of course are worthy, and John opened his writings with the statement that not even John the Baptist was "worthy" (<em><a href='B:500 1:27'>Joh 1:27</a></em>). This points up the power of imputed righteousness in 3:4 where the faithful are called "worthy". All that is true of the Lord becomes true of us if we are in Him, but by grace alone. All the New Testament commands to "walk worthy..." are ultimately not obeyed by any of us. Only He is worthy.</p>


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<p>5:3&nbsp;<em>And no one in the heaven, or on the earth, or under the earth, was able to open the scroll, or to look thereon</em>- See on :2. No Angel, no human believer currently live nor any who had previously lived and died, was worthy. Perhaps John somehow saw all the past and present believers flash before him in the vision. Being unworthy to even look upon the book of life recalls the impossibility of man looking upon God. The parallel suggests His close identity with all the names in His book of eternal life. In similar style, the face of the Lord Jesus&nbsp;is portrayed as identified with the stones of the breastplate, representing God’s people; see on <em><a href='B:730 4:3'>Rev 4:3</a></em>. But the idea may be that nobody was able to look at the scroll in the sense of reading or understanding it. And thus the simple point is made- that we cannot know who shall finally be saved. And apparently none in heaven, no Angel, knows that either. For we are all a work in progress and have freewill to act in such a way that our name may be removed from that scroll; see on <em><a href='B:730 3:5'>Rev 3:5</a></em>. Who exactly will be saved amongst the last generation is therefore an open question right to the very end. But I suggested on :1 that the writing on the scroll was on both sides; the names of those saved, and yet also the final judgments. And nobody could even read or know that final picture apart from the Lord. And this again would be because the final chronology of events and nature of the various judgments are to some extent open; if for example Israel repent and accept the Lord early in the process, then various aspects of the judgments will not be necessary. These issues, of defining who are saved and also of knowing the exact chronology of latter day events, have been wrongly fascinating for many. But we not only cannot know them, we are unworthy to know them:&nbsp;</p>


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<p>5:4&nbsp;<em>And I wept much, because no one was found worthy to open the scroll, or to look thereon</em>- See on :3. Weeping because no man could open the book of life, of salvation, has similarities with Israel's inability to find a champion against Goliath. Goliath, representing the seed of the serpent, a personification of sin (i:e. the Biblical devil), needed a man to fight him (<em><a href='B:90 17:8-9'>1Sa 17:8-9</a></em>). The men of Israel cowered in fear, wishing they could only have the strength and courage necessary, but looking one on another helplessly as the invincible giant made his boast. How to overcome him and the evil intent of this man against God’s people was what the men's conversation revolved around: "Have ye seen this man that is come up? Surely to defy Israel is he come up". They also discussed the glorious reward being offered: “It shall be, that the man who killeth him, the king will enrich him with great riches, and make his father’s house free in Israel" - and throw in his daughter for good measure too (<em><a href='B:90 17:25'>1Sa 17:25</a></em>). But "all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him, and were sore afraid" (<em><a href='B:90 17:24'>1Sa 17:24</a></em>). Now what more precise description could we wish for of our feelings in the struggle against sin? There seems a similarity here with men and their Angel representatives in the court of Heaven weeping because no man was found worthy to look upon or open the book of life- until our Lord prevailed on the cross. John is representative of all of us, weeping at his inability and unworthiness to open the book of life:&nbsp;</p>


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<p>5:5&nbsp;<em>And one of the elders said to me: Do not weep. Behold, the Lion that is of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered; he can open the scroll and the seven seals of it</em>-Why this unusual title for the Lord in this context? Surely because the events are happening at the time when He is fulfilling His role as the lion rather than the lamb. That time for active and aggressive manifestation of Jesus against others- not least against the other beasts of the latter days- is at His return. The allusion is obviously to <em><a href='B:10 49:9'>Gen 49:9</a></em> which speaks of Judah’s lion as aggressively triumphing over his prey- the work of the Lord Jesus&nbsp;<em>in the last days at His return</em>. In <em><a href='B:730 5:5'>Rev 5:5</a></em>, the lion of Judah ‘prevails’, the language of struggle, in order to open the scroll. The loosing of the seals therefore speaks of the Lord’s activity at the time of His coming in triumphant judgment upon the other beasts of the field.</p><p>The Lord "conquered" or 'prevailed' / 'overcame' in order to open the scroll. This is the language of the Lord's overcoming on the cross (s:w. <em><a href='B:490 11:22'>Luk 11:22</a></em>; <em><a href='B:500 16:33'>Joh 16:33</a></em>). As the Lord urged us to be of good cheer because He has overcome / conquered (<em><a href='B:500 16:33'>Joh 16:33</a></em>), so the Angel urges John. And the word is frequently used of how all the faithful 'overcome' their world (<em><a href='B:730 2:7'>Rev 2:7</a></em>; <em><a href='B:730 2:11'>Rev 2:11</a></em>; <em><a href='B:730 2:17'>Rev 2:17</a></em>; <em><a href='B:730 2:26'>Rev 2:26</a></em>; <em><a href='B:690 2:14'>1Jn 2:14</a></em>; <em><a href='B:690 4:4'>1Jn 4:4</a></em>; <em><a href='B:690 5:4'>1Jn 5:4</a></em> etc). But the Lamb alone has "overcome" yet we in Him are finally counted as having achieved His victory. Just as He alone is worthy, but we are counted worthy (3:4). This concept of being "in Christ" is so common in Paul, and John too is expressing the same wondrous idea but in different ways. This great truth lifts us up above all feelings of personal inadequacy and failure to achieve. For we are part of One so much greater than us, and His Name and victory are ours.</p><p>The concept of conditional prophecy opens up a significant window into the tension facing the Lord Jesus as He approached the cross- indeed, throughout His ministry. So much depended upon Him. If He had failed, so much would simply not have come true as God intended. <em><a href='B:730 5:5'>Rev 5:5</a></em> stresses how the Lamb alone, through His sacrificial death hence the figure of a lamb was able to open the seals, and thus enable history as God intended to unfold. Indeed, the sealed scroll can also be understood as the book of life, whose opening was only made possible by the Lord’s death. This had as it’s basis the language of <em><a href='B:340 12:4'>Dan 12:4</a></em>, where Daniel sealed the book. Rudolf Rijkeboer comments: “Daniel’s prophecy of the seventy year-weeks takes us to the time of the Messiah, but not really beyond. How things would continue would depend on the Saviour, if He was victorious. That he would be victorious was… by no means a foregone conclusion. It depended totally on the Saviour’s own free will… while the scroll remains sealed… that particular future is not going to happen at all”. In this sense we understand that through the cross, the pleasure or ‘intention’ of God would be furthered by Messiah’s ‘hand’ through His crucifixion (<em><a href='B:290 53:10'>Isa 53:10</a></em>).</p>


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<p>5:6- see on <em><a href='B:300 1:11-12'>Jer 1:11-12</a></em>.</p><p><em>And I saw in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures and in the midst of the elders, a Lamb standing, as though it had just been slain-</em>&nbsp;The living creatures, representing the victorious believers, are in the midst of the throne (see on <em><a href='B:730 4:6'>Rev 4:6</a></em>). We are set down with the Lord in His throne (<em><a href='B:730 3:21'>Rev 3:21</a></em>). But superimposed upon them is now the ever stronger image of the Lamb standing and not sitting. He is at our centre, in Him He is us and we are Him. For in no other way can we be portrayed as sitting upon the throne. The slain lamb is still standing, rather than lying down as a dead body. Perhaps the idea is that the Lord died on the cross in a vertical position, as if dead whilst still standing in victory.</p><p>The lion’s triumph is only because He had previously been the sacrificial lamb; but He is portrayed as a rather aggressive looking lamb, having seven horns and seven eyes (5:6). Again we note that the beast with his ten horns and a little horn with eyes (<em><a href='B:340 7:20'>Dan 7:20</a></em>) is an anti-Christ, a parody of the real Jesus. We note the sustained emphasis that the Lamb alone was “worthy” to open the scroll of life (<em><a href='B:730 4:11'>Rev 4:11</a></em>; <em><a href='B:730 5:2'>Rev 5:2</a></em>; <em><a href='B:730 5:4'>Rev 5:4</a></em>; <em><a href='B:730 5:9'>Rev 5:9</a></em>; <em><a href='B:730 5:12'>Rev 5:12</a></em>); but the Lord graciously says that His redeemed people will walk with Him because they too are “worthy” (<em><a href='B:730 3:4'>Rev 3:4</a></em>). This is a deep insight into the extent of imputed righteousness, and what it means to be counted as “in Christ”. The marks of His sufferings will be in Him eternally, and thereby we will be eternally reminded of the things we now only dimly appreciate (<em><a href='B:730 5:6'>Rev 5:6</a></em>; <em><a href='B:450 13:6'>Zec 13:6</a></em>). See on <em><a href='B:480 9:47'>Mar 9:47</a></em>.</p><p><em><a href='B:730 4:9'>Rev 4:9</a></em> alludes to the Isaiah 6 vision, and applies it to the future judgment. Yet silhouetted within the vision of the judgment throne is a slain lamb (<em><a href='B:730 5:6'>Rev 5:6</a></em>), as if before the judgment, all will be aware of the Lord’s sacrifice. The accepted will utter praise immediately after realising the wonderful verdict pronounced for them- in terms of praising the Lord Jesus for his sacrifice, and recognising their eternal debt to the blood of His cross (<em><a href='B:730 5:9'>Rev 5:9</a></em>). The cross and the judgment and reward are connected. This is why the Sephardim called the Day of Atonement, with all its typology of the cross, “the day of judgment". To come before the cross is to have a foretaste of judgment; there and then was the judgment of this world.</p><p><em>The lamb had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God, sent forth into all the earth</em>- The Lord's death meant that the Spirit was given to all His people (<em><a href='B:500 7:39'>Joh 7:39</a></em>). And it was in the power of the Spirit that they went out into all the earth with the Gospel, in fulfilment of the great commission. I noted throughout John 14-16 that the Comforter has especial relevance to the fulfilment of the great commission. And yet the reference is also to the Lord Jesus becoming Lord of all Angels, becoming Himself "the Lord the Spirit" (<em><a href='B:540 3:18'>2Co 3:18</a></em>). His Spirit is therefore sent forth into all the earth, just as His followers go into all the earth with Him and the message of His Spirit.</p><p>And yet a specifically latter day interpretation is also discernible once we perceive the allusions to <em><a href='B:450 6:5-7'>Zec 6:5-7</a></em>, where the horsemen spirits of the Lord go forth throughout the earth / land promised to Abraham. This theme will be later developed in the seals, trumpets and vials. But at this stage the comfort is that in the awful situation to come upon that area in the last days, the details of which we are to read about in the next chapters, the Lord's Spirit is intensely present, preserving and empowering His people.</p><p>The Chronology And Structure Of Revelation&nbsp;<br/>The lamb slain is clearly a reference to Passover. I suggest that the key to the interpretation of Revelation is in understanding how its structure is linked to its interpretation. This doesn't mean that interpretations which ignore the structure are wrong; the book is open to multiple fulfilments, as most Bible prophecies are. The New Testament often quotes the Old Testament out of context- phrases and verses are taken up and given an interpretation which can't be extended to the surrounding context of the Old Testament passage. And so it's surely legitimate to likewise interpret Bible prophecy in a similar piecemeal manner. However, this doesn't preclude a hermeneutic scheme of interpretation which takes an entire book and seeks to make sense of it from start to finish:&nbsp;<br/>Throughout latter day Bible prophecy, there is mention of a 1260 day / 42 month / three and a half year period of final tribulation. The Jews had a three and a half year reading cycle, similar in principle to the annual&nbsp;<em>Bible Companion</em>, whereby there were specific readings from the Pentateuch and prophets, with a Psalm read every Sabbath. This system was based around the feasts. The book of Revelation is likewise based around the feasts. It should be noted that the Gospel of John, which appears so similar in style to Revelation, was likewise based around the Jewish feasts; and a case can be made that it was intended to be read over a three and a half year cycle along with the Jewish lectionary readings (Aileen Guilding,&nbsp;<em>The Fourth Gospel And Jewish Worship</em>&nbsp;(Oxford: O:U:P:, 1960)). Hence John's account of events seeks to place them all within the period of the various feasts; and his material can be seen as a kind of exposition of the Old Testament 'readings for the day' according to the Jewish triennial reading cycle.</p><p>There are many connections between the various sections of Revelation and the Jewish feasts. Here's a summary:</p><table><tr><td></p><p>Revelation</td><td>Feast</td><td>Allusions</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>5</td><td>Passover</td><td><em><a href='B:730 5:6'>Rev 5:6</a></em>; <em><a href='B:730 5:9'>Rev 5:9</a></em> = <em><a href='B:20 12:13'>Exo 12:13</a></em></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>7</td><td>Tabernacles</td><td><em><a href='B:730 7:9'>Rev 7:9</a></em>; <em><a href='B:730 7:15-16'>Rev 7:15-16</a></em> RV = <em><a href='B:20 23:16'>Exo 23:16</a></em>; <em><a href='B:20 34:22'>Exo 34:22</a></em>; <em><a href='B:450 14:16-20'>Zec 14:16-20</a></em></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>8,9</td><td>Day Of Atonement</td><td><em><a href='B:30 16:31'>Lev 16:31</a></em>; more detailed links in Harry Whittaker,&nbsp;<em>Revelation: A Biblical Approach</em>&nbsp;pp. 104,105.</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>11</td><td>Dedication & Purim</td><td>The Torah readings for these feasts were Numbers 7 and Zechariah 2-4 about the dedication of the temple; <em><a href='B:730 11:10'>Rev 11:10</a></em> = <em><a href='B:190 9:19'>Est 9:19</a></em>; <em><a href='B:190 9:22'>Est 9:22</a></em>. The period from Tabernacles to Purim is exactly 5 months- as mentioned in <em><a href='B:730 9:5'>Rev 9:5</a></em></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>12</td><td>Pentecost & Passover</td><td>The Jews traditionally ask: "On this Sabbath, shall I reap?"</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>14</td><td>Tabernacles</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>15 + 16</td><td>Atonement & Passover</td><td>Leviticus 16; Psalms 118 the Hallel Psalm</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>19</td><td>Passover</td><td>Psalms 113, 114 Passover Psalms</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>21,22</td><td>Tabernacles</td><td></td><td></td></tr></table><p>Laying out the material chronologically, we have:<br/>Chapter 5: Passover<br/>6 months</p><p>Chapter 7: Tabernacles<br/>Chapters 8& 9: Atonement and Tabernacles<br/>1 year<br/>Chapter 11: Dedication 5 months (<em><a href='B:730 9:5'>Rev 9:5</a></em>)<br/>Chapter 11: Purim<br/>Chapter 12: Passover and Pentecost<br/>Chapter 14: Tabernacles<br/>1 year<br/>Chapter 15: Atonement<br/>Chapter 16 & 19: Passover&nbsp;<br/>Chapter 21 & 22: Tabernacles<br/>1 year</p><p>The conclusion would therefore be that we have in the book of Revelation a literal account of the three and a half years tribulation, with the Jewish feasts being the key marker points. And it would appear there will be an especial period of five months tribulation as described between chapters 9 and 11.</p><p>Not all prophecy has to be predictive. The Lord Jesus spoke of His future sufferings and commented that once those things happened, the disciples would be able to make sense of them&nbsp;<em>at that time&nbsp;</em>because of His previously spoken words about them (<em><a href='B:500 8:28'>Joh 8:28</a></em>; <em><a href='B:500 13:19'>Joh 13:19</a></em>; <em><a href='B:500 14:29'>Joh 14:29</a></em>; <em><a href='B:510 11:16'>Act 11:16</a></em>). And so it may be futile to try to work out precisely how things will be before they actually happen; but as we pass through the final three and a half years, those who understand will be amazingly encouraged as they see everything falling into place. It will be the most amazing, detailed and practically encouraging fulfilling of prophecy that anyone has ever lived through. And given the whole nature of the tribulation, it will be encouragement that the faithful will sorely need.</p>


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<p>5:7&nbsp;<em>And he came and he took the scroll out of the right hand of him that sat on the throne</em>- This appears to speak of the Lord Jesus taking the scroll from God. Salvation is from God, but the Son has opened that salvation to us. But all this is indeed a kaleidoscope of images. The Lord Jesus is enthroned (:6), yet He comes to the throne where the living creatures are; He is as a lamb, then a lion, now apparently again in human form. As explained in the introduction to chapter 1, this is classic apocalyptic genre. Over interpretation will lead to false interpretation. The images rotate as in a kaleidoscope, because each image portrays a different aspect of the truth being revealed.</p>


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<p>5:8&nbsp;<em>And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty four elders fell down before the Lamb, having each one a harp and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints</em>- The living creatures represent the faithful who are set down in the Lamb's throne and the throne of the Father (see on <em><a href='B:730 4:6'>Rev 4:6</a></em>). But now they fall before the throne. And here the living creatures are differentiated from the "saints", whose prayers they hold. See on :7 for the idea of a kaleidoscope of images being presented, and the danger of over interpreting these visual forms.</p><p>In <em><a href='B:730 15:2'>Rev 15:2</a></em> it is those who overcome the beast who have harps. The living creatures and elders are entities in the Heavenly throne room, representing the believers on earth. Whilst the victory is the Lord's, it has been brought to realization by the prayers of the saints. Chapter 8 emphasizes how the incense of their prayers triggers the events which happen on earth to bring about the Lord's visible return to establish Hs Kingdom. Their bowls of prayer cannot be separated from the seven vials or bowls of judgment which are later poured out on the earth / land; they are poured out as a result of the bowls of prayer offered by the saints. <em><a href='B:730 5:9'>Rev 5:9</a></em> will go on to talk of a new song being song. This is to be connected with the offering of incense; we are being invited to behold a reflection of a temple service in Heaven itself. Edersheim describes the offering of incense in the temple as follows, and note his mention of the "new song" being sung afterwards, just as we have here in <em><a href='B:730 5:8-9'>Rev 5:8-9</a></em>: “As the President gave the word of command which marked that 'the time of incense had come,' the whole multitude of the people without withdrew from the inner court and fell down before the Lord, spreading their hands in silent prayer. It is this most solemn period, when, throughout the vast temple-buildings, deep silence rested on the worshipping multitude, while within the sanctuary itself the priest laid the incense on the golden altar, and the cloud of odours rose up before the Lord, which serves as the image of heavenly things in Revelation (<em><a href='B:730 8:1'>Rev 8:1</a></em>, <em><a href='B:730 8:3'>Rev 8:3</a></em>, <em><a href='B:730 8:4'>Rev 8:4</a></em>). The prayers offered by priests and people at this part of the service are recorded by tradition as follows: 'True it is that Thou art Jehovah, our God and the God of our fathers; our King and the King of our fathers; our Saviour and the Rock of our salvation; our Help and our Deliverer. Thy name is from everlasting, and there is no God beside Thee. A new song did they that were delivered sing to Thy name by the seashore. Together did all praise and own Thee as King, and say, 'Jehovah shall reign who saveth Israel'”.</p><p>Revelation describes Angels rushing in response to human prayers, vials of judgment being poured out on earth as a result of the incense of prayer accumulating... this is the power of prayer. If prayer is like incense, we must give <em><a href='B:50 33:10'>Deu 33:10</a></em> RVmg. its full weight- that incense would come up "in your nostrils". This is how intimately we are invited to see our prayers being received by God; this is the power of prayer. The golden vials full of prayers of <em><a href='B:730 5:8'>Rev 5:8</a></em> become the vials of judgments which are poured out on the land in <em><a href='B:730 8:5'>Rev 8:5</a></em> - so close is the connection between the events that mould history, and the incense of prayer.</p>


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<p>5:9&nbsp;<em>And they sing a new song, saying: Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open the seals of it. For you once were slain, and did purchase for God a people with your blood, people of every tribe, tongue and nation</em>- See on :8 for the significance of this "new song". <em><a href='B:290 42:9-10'>Isa 42:9-10</a></em> says that we sing the “new song” now, because we sing / meditate of the “new things” which will be in the Kingdom. In that day, we will “sing a new song” (<em><a href='B:730 5:9'>Rev 5:9</a></em>; <em><a href='B:730 14:3'>Rev 14:3</a></em>). And yet this is undoubtedly picking up on the way in which we can&nbsp;<em>now</em>&nbsp;sing the ‘new song’, every morning (<em><a href='B:230 33:3'>Psa 33:3</a></em>; <em><a href='B:230 40:3'>Psa 40:3</a></em>; <em><a href='B:230 96:1'>Psa 96:1</a></em>; <em><a href='B:230 98:1'>Psa 98:1</a></em>; <em><a href='B:230 144:9'>Psa 144:9</a></em>; <em><a href='B:230 149:1'>Psa 149:1</a></em>).</p><p>This presents us with the picture of men and women redeemed from&nbsp;<em>every</em>&nbsp;kindred tribe / clan, tongue&nbsp;<em>glossa-&nbsp;</em>language, people a group of people not necessarily of the same ethnicity and nation&nbsp;<em>ethnos</em>- ethnic group, lit. ‘those of the same customs’. And they are found to be redeemed at the time when the book of life is opened, which is at the Lord's return. Which we believe to be imminent. This means that not only redeemed ‘Yugoslavs’ will stand before the throne in the end; but Macedonians, Serbs, Croats, Slovenes, Montenegrins, Bosnians... every ethnic group, with every custom, will have representatives who will have believed the Truth and been saved. This idea is confirmed by considering how 70 bullocks had to be sacrificed at the feast of ingathering (Numbers 29), prophetic as it was of the final ingathering of the redeemed. But 70 is the number of all Gentile nations found in Genesis 10. And it is written: “When he separated the sons of Adam, he set the bounds of the people according to the number of the children of Israel” (<em><a href='B:50 32:8'>Deu 32:8</a></em>). A total of 70 went down with Jacob into Egypt; and thus 70 seems an appropriate number to connect with the entire Gentile world. And representatives of&nbsp;<em>all</em>&nbsp;of them will be finally ingathered. It seems highly doubtful to me that over the past 2,000 years, the Truth has been taken to every&nbsp;<em>ethnos</em>, tribe, clan, custom and language, especially in Africa and Asia. So it follows that only once&nbsp;<em>we</em>&nbsp;have done it in our generation will this come true. The brethren in those parts especially have work to do yet, it seems to me. And we should all support them as best we can. But these days, one only has to stand on the streets of London, Sydney or New York handing out fliers to reach every nation and tongue. I have a real belief that given the current rate of progress in preaching, the current generation&nbsp;<em>could</em>&nbsp;witness literally world-wide representation by those who understand true Christian doctrine-&nbsp;<em>if</em>&nbsp;we&nbsp;<em>all</em>&nbsp;do our bit. It is very difficult for me to reproduce in writing the kind of picture I have in my mind. But it is a thrilling and all consuming, all-demanding vision.</p><p>We are a purchased people, redeemed, bought out of slavery, by the Lord's sacrifice. A true appreciation of the Lord's work on the cross, a real ability to say that the Son of God loved&nbsp;<em>me</em>&nbsp;and gave Himself for&nbsp;<em>me</em>, will reflect itself in our attitude to materialism. The Lord gave His blood in order to purchase our body and our spirit for himself (<em><a href='B:530 6:19-20'>1Co 6:19-20</a></em>; <em><a href='B:730 5:9'>Rev 5:9</a></em> RV):&nbsp;<em>Therefore</em>&nbsp;we must surrender our body and spirit, all that we have, to Him. We are not our own. To hold&nbsp;<em>anything</em>&nbsp;back is to deny the cross; to deny the Lord what He paid so terribly to possess: our lives, our hearts, our bodies.</p><p>The very close association of the Angels with their charges is shown by the Angels identifying themselves with their charges by saying that Christ had "redeemed us" out of every nation, and given them the hope of being king-priests in the future Kingdom (<em><a href='B:730 5:9-10'>Rev 5:9-10</a></em>). Unto the Angels the world to come has not been put in subjection, nor do they belong to specific nations, but because they identify so closely with us they can speak in this way. <em><a href='B:730 5:9'>Rev 5:9</a></em> RVmg. speaks of the Angels in the Heavenly throne room, representing us, praising God that He had purchased men unto Himself “and madest them to be AV “made us” … a kingdom… and they AV “we” shall reign on the earth” (<em><a href='B:730 5:9-10'>Rev 5:9-10</a></em>). If the RV is correct, we have a picture here of our Angels thanking God in advance for the salvation which He has prepared for us their charges. It would seem from this that our 'guardian' Angel changes according to what we are trying to achieve for God. Similarly the great Angel of the Exodus appears to have been Moses' personal guardian because Moses and the Angel were working for the same ends.</p>


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<p>5:10- see on <em><a href='B:730 6:9'>Rev 6:9</a></em>.</p><p><em>And made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they shall reign upon the earth</em>- Several times so far in Revelation we have noted the faithful presented as enthroned priests, king-priests, after the order of Melchizedek. And the Lamb Himself is likewise presented. It's not that some will be kings and others priests; we shall be king-priests. If we can gain a clear picture of God’s intended roles for the priests under the Law, we will have further insight into our future work as king-priests. Through what He achieved for us on the cross, we have been made&nbsp;<em>now</em>&nbsp;king-priests, with the future hope of reigning on earth (<em><a href='B:730 1:6'>Rev 1:6</a></em>; <em><a href='B:730 5:10'>Rev 5:10</a></em>).</p><p>As noted in the introduction to chapter 5, this whole vision refers to the last day. The redeemed burst into praise when the Lamb takes the book of life to open it- they thank Him for redeeming them, and for making them king-priests who shall now reign on earth. This sounds like they are about to start reigning. The time when this is said is therefore that of the establishment of the Kingdom on earth. Seeing there is no conscious survival of death, it is hard to imagine how the redeemed could have said this to Jesus 2000 years ago, especially seeing that many of them were not then in existence. The vision goes on to the time of the total establishment of the Kingdom on earth, when all existence in heaven, earth and sea praise the Lamb (<em><a href='B:730 5:14'>Rev 5:14</a></em>).</p>


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<p>5:11&nbsp;<em>And I looked, and I heard a voice of many angels round about the throne and the living creatures and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands</em>- We are seeing a vision of the heavenly throne room, where the Angels represent before God the believers on earth. Now we have the kaleidoscope of images merging again; the Angels about the throne are the believers crying out in the joy of victory and final receipt of grace.</p><p>This huge number reflects Abraham's seed as innumerable. The living creatures in and around the throne symbolize the redeemed; see on <em><a href='B:730 4:6'>Rev 4:6</a></em>. The great number of the redeemed could mean that many are saved relative to the wonder of salvation, seeing that many are called but few chosen; and there are plenty of other suggestions that the redeemed are but a minority amongst humanity. But on the other hand, the numbers are intended to be gawped at as huge. This needs to be given full weight by those who consider that only their tiny denomination or fellowship shall be saved.</p>


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<p>5:12&nbsp;<em>They were saying with a great voice: Worthy is the Lamb that has been slain to receive the power, riches, wisdom, might, honour, glory and blessing</em>- Angels and those faithful they represent upon earth (see on :11) are united in realizing that this wonderful salvation is thanks to the Lamb. Not the lion, but the Lamb, thanks to His death, the book of life has been opened and the reward given. The seven terms used are all elsewhere used about the power, riches etc. of the pagan world which has dominated the believers in their lifetimes. The glory of the kingdoms of this world is to be given to the Lamb.</p>


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<p>5:13&nbsp;<em>And I heard every created thing in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying: To Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb, be blessing, honour, glory and might, for ever and ever</em>- <em><a href='B:230 69:34'>Psa 69:34</a></em> speaks of how&nbsp;<em>everything</em>&nbsp;in the sea, heavens and on earth should praise God. This cannot refer to believers in all those places. <em><a href='B:730 5:13'>Rev 5:13</a></em> uses similar language to describe how every creature in the sea, under the earth and on the earth and in Heaven, all praised God for Christ's ascension into Heaven. The dead do not praise God. The impression is given that the whole natural creation will in some way render praise to God. But those under the earth in :3 are dead believers. Those under the sea are believers who died at sea who are to be resurrected when the sea gives up its dead (<em><a href='B:730 20:13'>Rev 20:13</a></em>). Those "on earth" are the believers who are still alive at the second coming. They together with those in heaven, the Angels (see on ;11), unite in praise.</p>


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<p>5:14&nbsp;<em>And the four living creatures said: Amen. And the elders fell down and worshiped</em>- On <em><a href='B:730 4:6'>Rev 4:6</a></em> we discerned that the living creatures, the cherubim, are a visual way of expressing God’s manifestation; and in this case they refer to the believers, along with their Angel representatives in the court of Heaven. The elders likewise represent the believers and their Angel representatives. Every form of representation of the redeemed is portrayed as falling down in praise. The language of rapturous praise of One by all is taken from the image of the Roman triumphs and coronation of Caesars. Again, the images of the imperial cult are being applied to the Lord Jesus; which was radical and subversive stuff in Roman society. It is no less subversive in our age, in spiritual terms.</p>


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<p>6:1&nbsp;<em>And I looked when the Lamb opened the first of the seven seals; and I heard one of the four living creatures saying as with a voice of thunder: Come-&nbsp;</em>The living creatures as they are in Heaven represent God in manifestation through His Angels, who represent His people on earth. The voice of thunder is as it were God’s voice. The contrast is between the "four beasts" of the cherubim, and the four beasts of Dan. 7 which will reappear later in Revelation. God's heavenly Kingdom is already triumphant over them; we are just waiting for the day when this is manifest on earth. This is the same conflict and contrast between the Lamb with seven heads of Rev. 5, and the various beasts with their heads and horns. The apparently invincible are conquered by the apparently weaker, whose power is so much greater. And this is the same principle we see in our lives of conflict with the flesh and the world systems structured around us. The invitation "Come" is later repeated by John at the end of Revelation as an invitation to come and inherit the Kingdom. The Gospel is an invitation into the things of God, to see things from His Heavenly perspective, from the standpoint of His Kingdom. The repeated invitations here to "Come" are rendered in some manuscripts as "Come and see". In John's language, this has meant coming and seeing the things of the risen Lord (<em><a href='B:500 20:1'>Joh 20:1</a></em>). It is His death and resurrection which has opened the things of Heaven.</p><p>General Observations<br/>The seven seals, seven trumpets and seven vials, subdivided as they are in places into subdivisions, all appear to be parallel. But they aren’t necessarily describing the same events. I suggest the seals refer to the judgments to come upon God’s people and land, Israel / the land promised to Abraham; and trumpets and vials describe God’s commensurate judgment of the beast system which inflicts these judgments. The similarities are because as they have judged, so they will be judged. The cup they give others to drink must be drunk by themselves. And it could be argued that their judgment will be even more severe and complete. Thus in the seals, a fourth part of things are affected; in the trumpets, a third part; whilst the vials speak of total destruction. As with the judgments on Egypt, which form the basis for the seven vials, the people of God may initially be affected by the outpouring of those judgments, but those who are sealed are saved from them.</p><p>The vials are really bowls or cups poured out on the land. The same word is used in one of the Aramaic targums on <em><a href='B:290 51:17'>Isa 51:17</a></em>; <em><a href='B:290 51:22-23'>Isa 51:22-23</a></em> concerning how the “cup” of judgment drunk by Jerusalem will be given to her judges, the beast system of latter day Babylon. This explains why the vials / bowls / cups are based around the plagues on Egypt, representing the abusers of Israel:</p><table><tr><td></p><p>Vials in Revelation</td><td>Israel’s experience and plagues on Egypt, Exodus</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Boils <em><a href='B:730 16:3-4'>Rev 16:3-4</a></em></td><td><em><a href='B:20 9:8-12'>Exo 9:8-12</a></em></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>2 and 3. Water to blood, water sources contaminated, 16:6</td><td>Water to blood <em><a href='B:20 7:14-21'>Exo 7:14-21</a></em></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>4:Scorching heat from the sun, <em><a href='B:730 16:8-9'>Rev 16:8-9</a></em></td><td>This will specifically not come upon God’s people (<em><a href='B:290 49:10'>Isa 49:10</a></em>; <em><a href='B:230 121:5-6'>Psa 121:5-6</a></em>; <em><a href='B:730 7:16'>Rev 7:16</a></em>), just as the later plagues did not harm the Israelites in Egypt.</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>5:Darkness <em><a href='B:730 16:10-11'>Rev 16:10-11</a></em></td><td><em><a href='B:20 10:21-23'>Exo 10:21-23</a></em></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>6:Gathering to Armageddon- perhaps Jerusalem. The word could mean ‘The desirable city’, ‘His fruitful mountain’, ‘the mount of assembly’. It may refer to the Mount Megiddo.</td><td>Mount Megiddo was where repentant Israel won a great victory against the Canaanites, the tribes within the land (<em><a href='B:70 5:19'>Jdg 5:19</a></em>).</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>7:Lightning, plague</td><td>As on Egypt. The reference is also to <em><a href='B:330 13:8-16'>Eze 13:8-16</a></em> which describes such things coming on Jerusalem- perhaps the idea is that those who now dominate Jerusalem will be punished in this way.</td><td></td></tr></table><p>The first four seals, the four coloured horsemen, are based upon the horsemen of judgment in Zechariah 1, which vision is repeated in Zechariah 6 but with the difference that the four horsemen go out to judge the nations who have performed these judgments upon Israel, e.g. “the north country”. These four horsemen inflict punishments and judgments which are full of Old Testament allusions to prophecies concerning how God would judge His people, His land and specifically Jerusalem for their impenitence. Ezekiel 5-7 is full of the same language about what shall come upon Jerusalem, e.g. famine is described in the same language as in Revelation 6 (<em><a href='B:330 4:16'>Eze 4:16</a></em>). The four judgments of <em><a href='B:730 6:8'>Rev 6:8</a></em> are those of <em><a href='B:330 14:21'>Eze 14:21</a></em> - to come upon Jerusalem. The language of Jeremiah’s prophecies against Judah are particularly alluded in these first four seals (<em><a href='B:300 6:22-26'>Jer 6:22-26</a></em>; <em><a href='B:300 14:11-12'>Jer 14:11-12</a></em>; <em><a href='B:300 15:1-2'>Jer 15:1-2</a></em>; <em><a href='B:300 16:4-5'>Jer 16:4-5</a></em>; <em><a href='B:300 18:11-21'>Jer 18:11-21</a></em>; <em><a href='B:300 21:8-10'>Jer 21:8-10</a></em>; <em><a href='B:300 38:2'>Jer 38:2</a></em>; <em><a href='B:300 44:11-14'>Jer 44:11-14</a></em>). And the language of the fifth seal is alluding to the Lord’s word of judgment upon Jerusalem in <em><a href='B:470 23:35'>Mat 23:35</a></em>. Most significantly, the language of the four horsemen is taken directly from the curses upon Israel for disobedience to the covenant in <em><a href='B:50 32:23-35'>Deu 32:23-35</a></em>.</p><p>Clearly enough, beyond any question to the serious Bible student, the focus of the four horsemen is upon God’s people in their land, and especially the city of Jerusalem, in the last days. The Old Testament allusions continue in the appendix to the seals which we find in <em><a href='B:730 7:1-17'>Rev 7:1-17</a></em>. There, the sealing of some of God’s people is obviously based upon <em><a href='B:330 9:4'>Eze 9:4</a></em>, where the same was done to the faithful at the time of the Babylonian invasion.</p><p>The theme of ‘seven’ judgments coming upon the land surely connects with the claim that Mohammad waged seven military campaigns against the infidels in the land promised to Abraham. The Hadith several times speaks of the "seven military expeditions led by the Messenger of Allah himself (may peace be upon him)" (e.g. Book 19:4469), or of the “seven battles” he was victorious in (Book 19:4462). This would explain the seven fold structure of the seals-trumpets-vials. The Moslem pretenders to the pattern of Mohamad bring seven judgments upon Israel, and are punished by likewise receiving back seven judgments, drinking the cup they made others to drink. The Hadith claims that Mohammad predicted three cycles of calamities in the last days, which would be subdivided into various other calamities: "Hudhaifa b. al−?Yaman reported: By Allah, I have the best knowledge amongst people about every turmoil which is going to appear in the period intervening me and the Last Hour; and it is not for the fact that Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) told me something confidentially pertaining to it and he did not tell anybody else about it, but it is because of the fact that I was present in the assembly in which he had been describing the turmoil. and he especially made a mention of three turmoils which would not spare anything and amongst these there would be turmoils like storms in the hot season" (41:6908). This is exactly the Biblical picture- of three cycles of judgments and turmoils in the land (seals-trumpets-vials), subdivided into various specific calamities. As the jihadists strive to obey the letter of their writings, they will thereby be fulfilling the outline picture of the last day crisis which is foretold in Revelation.</p><p>The typology of the invasions recorded in Judges as well as those of Babylon and Assyria teaches that the latter day Arab incursions during the period of prolonged downtreading will have consciously aimed to destroy the agriculture and even the physical structure of the land of Israel:&nbsp;Deuteronomy 28 and Leviticus 26, which have a specific application to the latter-day curses upon Israel, emphasize this curse of famine and its related problems of disease and death. This is exactly the language of the seal, trumpet and vial judgments of Revelation 6, 9, 16, largely falling upon the earth/land of Israel:&nbsp;Our Lord's prophecy of famines at the time of the end had its primary fulfilment in the land of Israel around A:D. 70 - and its secondary reference is fundamentally to the land of Israel too (<em><a href='B:490 21:11'>Luk 21:11</a></em>), although this does not rule out this prophecy's partial reference to famines in the surrounding world also.<br/>It should be noted that the record of the curses in Leviticus 26 splits them up into six sections, each introduced by a phrase like, "If ye will not for this hearken unto me... then..." more curses would come (<em><a href='B:30 26:14'>Lev 26:14</a></em>; <em><a href='B:30 26:18'>Lev 26:18</a></em>; <em><a href='B:30 26:21'>Lev 26:21</a></em>; <em><a href='B:30 26:23'>Lev 26:23</a></em>; <em><a href='B:30 26:27'>Lev 26:27</a></em>; <em><a href='B:30 26:36'>Lev 26:36</a></em>):&nbsp;&nbsp; It is tempting to associate this with the series of six judgments to be poured upon Israel and the Arabs as outlined in the six seals (Revelation 6) and six vials (Revelation 16), leading up to the seventh period, of Israel's repentance and Christ's Kingdom:&nbsp;&nbsp; There are many other points of contact between the curses and the language of the seals and vials:&nbsp;&nbsp;The implication of this is that there are at least six periods of God’s appeal to Israel to repent through their trials, which they will refuse to accept:&nbsp;"If you will not for all this&nbsp;<em>hearken</em>&nbsp;unto me" (<em><a href='B:30 26:18'>Lev 26:18</a></em>) may suggest that God’s word will be spoken to Israel along with the trials:&nbsp;This again indicates that the Elijah ministry will operate within Israel during their period of Arab downtreading:&nbsp;"If you will not be&nbsp;<em>reformed</em>&nbsp;by me" (<em><a href='B:30 26:23'>Lev 26:23</a></em>) uses a Hebrew word elsewhere translated 'to teach', defined by Strong as 'to chastise by words':&nbsp;This provides further confirmation of the idea.</p><p>It’s noteworthy that the seven seals and seven trumpets and seven vials all conclude with the seventh being the establishment of the Kingdom. So there are actually six judgments in each case. The Hadith (Book 41:7040) speaks of six signs before the last day: "Hasten in performing these good deeds (before these) six things (happen): (the appearance) of tribe Dijjal, the smoke, the beast of the earth, the rising of the sun from the west, the general turmoil (leading to large-scale massacre) and death of masses and individuals". These six are very similar to the things spoken of in the seals and trumpets- signs in the sun, mass death, smoke, beasts of the earth. The jihadists are seeking to consciously fulfil the Hadith and so, due to the allusions the Hadith and Koran make to Revelation, they will end up fulfilling God’s word of their own volition.</p><p>The Seventh Seal?<br/>It is my belief that prophecy is to some extent conditional, and the outcome is variable upon human repentance, God’s gracious holding back of legitimate, prepared judgments, the intensity of His people’s prayers etc. The lack of any detail about a seventh seal, even though it is opened, is significant. All we read is that there was silence in Heaven at that time for half an hour (<em><a href='B:730 8:1'>Rev 8:1</a></em>). This has the same feel to it as the seven thunders whose details were specifically not written down (<em><a href='B:730 10:4'>Rev 10:4</a></em>). Why mention them? I submit that the final judgments intended upon the land and God’s people are not in fact going to be performed, although they are potentially prepared- because of God’s gracious response to human repentance, prayer and the suffering of His dear people.</p><p>This idea that the seventh seal is not opened is confirmed by the observation that the sixth seal is the composite one that contains the trumpet and vial prophecies — the&nbsp;<em>sixth&nbsp;</em>seal and not the seventh.</p><table><tr><td></p><p>&nbsp;Sixth Seal</td><td>Seven Trumpets</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>(<em><a href='B:730 6:12-17'>Rev 6:12-17</a></em>)</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>great earthquake</td><td>great earthquake (<em><a href='B:730 11:13'>Rev 11:13</a></em>)</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>another earthquake (<em><a href='B:730 11:19'>Rev 11:19</a></em>)</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>sun black</td><td>third part of sun smitten (<em><a href='B:730 8:12'>Rev 8:12</a></em>)</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>moon as blood</td><td>third part of moon smitten (<em><a href='B:730 8:12'>Rev 8:12</a></em>)</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>stars fall from heaven</td><td>"there fell a great star from heaven" (<em><a href='B:730 8:10'>Rev 8:10</a></em>)</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>third part of stars smitten (<em><a href='B:730 8:12'>Rev 8:12</a></em>)</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>the great day of his wrath</td><td>"thy wrath is come" (<em><a href='B:730 11:18'>Rev 11:18</a></em>)</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Sixth Seal</td><td>Seven Vials</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>great earthquake</td><td>great earthquake (<em><a href='B:730 16:18'>Rev 16:18</a></em>)</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>sun black</td><td>darkness in kingdom of beast</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>islands moved</td><td>every island fled away (<em><a href='B:730 16:20'>Rev 16:20</a></em>)</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>mountains moved</td><td>mountains were not found (<em><a href='B:730 16:20'>Rev 16:20</a></em>)</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>the great day of his wrath</td><td>the vials of the wrath of God (<em><a href='B:730 16:1'>Rev 16:1</a></em>)</td><td></td><td></td></tr></table><br/><p>The Seals and the Olivet Prophecy&nbsp;<br/>It is clear enough that the Olivet Prophecy has application both to the "last days" of AD70 and also to our last days. Revelation is the Lord's expansion upon His words on Olivet- and therefore we should use this as a framework for interpreting the book. It applies to both the first century and also our last days, and the seals are perhaps the clearest example of thIsa.</p><table><tr><td></p><p><em><a href='B:730 6:1-13'>Rev 6:1-13</a></em></td><td>Olivet Prophecy</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>:6:1,2</td><td><em><a href='B:470 24:14'>Mat 24:14</a></em></td><td>:14</td><td><em><a href='B:470 24:35'>Mat 24:35</a></em></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>:3,4</td><td>:6,7</td><td>:16</td><td><em><a href='B:490 23:30'>Luk 23:30</a></em></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>:5,6</td><td>:7</td><td>:17</td><td><em><a href='B:490 21:36'>Luk 21:36</a></em></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>:7,8</td><td>:7</td><td>7:1</td><td><em><a href='B:470 24:31'>Mat 24:31</a></em></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>:9</td><td>:12</td><td>:3</td><td><em><a href='B:490 21:18'>Luk 21:18</a></em>; <em><a href='B:490 21:28'>Luk 21:28</a></em></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>:11</td><td>:14</td><td>:14</td><td><em><a href='B:470 24:19'>Mat 24:19</a></em>; <em><a href='B:470 24:21'>Mat 24:21</a></em></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>:12</td><td>:7</td><td>8:3</td><td><em><a href='B:490 21:36'>Luk 21:36</a></em></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>:13</td><td>:32</td><td>:5</td><td><em><a href='B:470 24:27'>Mat 24:27</a></em></td><td></td></tr></table><p>John was told that the events of the seals "must take place"-&nbsp;<em>dei genesthai</em>. The Olivet prophecy uses the same phrase (<em><a href='B:470 24:6'>Mat 24:6</a></em>; <em><a href='B:490 21:9'>Luk 21:9</a></em>).</p><p>We have seen that the Olivet prophecy describes the events of both AD70 and our present last days, with special reference to the tribulation of God’s people, both natural and spiritual. The connections between the Olivet prophecy and the seals would therefore indicate that the seals, and therefore much of Revelation, has reference to these same two time periods. Fairly conclusive evidence for a pre-AD70 date for Revelation has now been published. In any case, the connections with the Olivet prophecy cannot be shrugged off as incidental. The seals, then, can be applied to our latter day tribulation. There seems no reason to insist that they should be interpreted chronologically; they can quite comfortably be seen as describing different aspects of the same period. This is how series of judgments described in the prophets often have their fulfilment (notably in Isaiah), rather than being a chronological prophecy of events. <em><a href='B:450 12:3-11'>Zec 12:3-11</a></em> is a passage which contains seven occurrences of the phrase "In that day...". The passage does not have to be interpreted chronologically; this is a list of events which will occur around the same time, "in that day". They are snapshots of the same scene from different angles. The seals and the repeated references to a three and a half year tribulation period can be understood likewise; they do not necessarily refer to chronologically different events, but are giving different aspects of information about the same basic scene. The lack of strict chronological sequence in prophecy is a major feature of the Old Testament; thus a consideration of the phrase “in that day..." in Isaiah reveals that the context 'jumps around' all over the place, from the first coming of Christ to the Babylonian invasion to the Kingdom. There is no reason to think that Revelation is any different.</p><p>All the seals must be opened if a scroll is to be opened. The scroll doesn’t become partly visible because one seal has been broken. I suggest the imagery is chosen in this way in order to lead us away from seeking to interpret the events of the seals as being continuous historic, consecutive events. Rather are they different aspects of the total picture of what has to happen before the book of life can be opened. The idea of opening a sealed scroll is obviously alluding to <em><a href='B:340 12:1-4'>Dan 12:1-4</a></em>, where Daniel was told that the scroll would be opened specifically in the last days- i:e. the seals to it would be then removed. This means that we have to look to the last days for the time when the seals are removed.</p><p>In my youth I attended regular continuous historic studies of Revelation, noting carefully in my wide margined Bible the suggested fulfilments of the various seals, trumpets and vials in events during the Roman empire and subsequent European history. Some of these fitted better than others. I couldn’t deny that there was a fairly good fit in some areas, but in others, eyebrows had to be raised. The fit seemed forced and lacked the ring of truth in terms of credible interpretation. We don’t need to take a red pencil and put a line through all those interpretations. Like the continuous historical interpretations of the image in Daniel 2, they have a certain validity. But just as the image was specifically about a latter day entity which stands erect and complete in the land promised to Abraham in the last days, destroyed in totality by the Lord’s return, so Revelation has its major fulfilment in the last days. Any shadowy fulfilments we may discern over history are incidental compared to the ultimate and main, intended thrust of latter day prophecy- which is focused upon the events in the land promised to Abraham in the last days before Christ returns. We live at the end of human history; the previous fulfilments are but mere shadows compared to the ultimate reality which is now starting to unfold before our eyes.</p><p>The Horsemen&nbsp;<br/>The Hadith claims that the Moslems will be as horsemen in the final conflict at the end of the age: "The Last Hour would not come until... there would be a terrible fight and the Muslims would prepare a detachment (for fighting unto death) which would not return but victorious... Allah will decree that the enemy should be routed... Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) said: I know their names and the names of their forefathers and the colour of their horses. They will be best horsemen on the surface of the earth on that day". (41:6927). As we find so often in Revelation, the descriptions of the main players are expressed in terms which fit admirably with Moslem self-understanding as expressed in the Koran and Hadith.</p><p>The Four Horsemen and Zechariah<br/>The vision of horses going forth to bring judgment is clearly alluding to the similar vision in <em><a href='B:450 1:8-12'>Zec 1:8-12</a></em>; <em><a href='B:450 6:1-8'>Zec 6:1-8</a></em>, and we need to get a handle on what is in view there in order to understand how this will come true in the last days:</p><p>“I stared into the night, and there was a man mounted on a red horse The horse was standing among the myrtle trees in a ravine. Behind him there were red, brown, and white horses. Then I asked, "Who are these, sir?" The messenger who was talking to me answered, "I will tell you who these are." The man who stood among the myrtle trees answered, "These are the ones whom the LORD sent out to wander throughout the earth." Then they reported to the angel of the LORD who stood among the myrtle trees, "We have wandered throughout the earth—and look—the entire earth is at rest. Everything is quiet and peaceful." And the angel of the LORD replied, "LORD of the Heavenly Armies, how long will it be until you show mercy to Jerusalem and to the cities of Judah, with whom you have been angry for these past seventy years?"… Again I lifted my eyes and saw, and behold, four chariots came out from between two mountains. And the mountains were mountains of bronze. The first chariot had red horses, the second black horses, the third white horses, and the fourth chariot dappled horses—all of them strong:&nbsp; Then I answered and said to the angel who talked with me, "What are these, my lord?". And the angel answered and said to me, "These are going out to the four winds of heaven, after presenting themselves before the Lord of all the earth. The chariot with the black horses goes toward the north country, the white ones go after them, and the dappled ones go toward the south country." When the strong horses came out, they were impatient to go and patrol the earth. And he said, "Go, patrol the earth." So they patrolled the earth:&nbsp;&nbsp; Then he cried to me, "Behold, those who go toward the north country have set my Spirit at rest in the north country."</p><p>The horses of Zechariah 1 are those nations who have trampled up and down the earth / land of Israel, subduing it until it is quiet. The chariots / horses of Zechariah 6 are the Angel cherubim representatives of those nations, who are sent out against them in judgment. Such judgment is portended in chapter 1 also, where straight after the vision of the horses we read of the four horns who have abused Israel being cut off by the carpenter Messiah of Israel. Significantly, there is an Angel stationed with the horses in the valley from which they emerge, as if to show that the judgments upon the land were Angelically controlled; Israel was not at the hands of chance human evil, indeed the horses report back to the Angel. This sets the scene for the horses / chariots of chapter 6 going out in judgment against those nations. The land lying still and at rest is explained further in <em><a href='B:730 1:11-12'>Rev 1:11-12</a></em> - it was because the cities of Judah were lying in ruins after the horse powers had trampled over them. This all looks forward to how Jerusalem shall be trodden down in the last days, after the pattern of how the Babylonians trod it down (<em><a href='B:290 5:5'>Isa 5:5</a></em>; <em><a href='B:290 28:18'>Isa 28:18</a></em>; <em><a href='B:290 63:18'>Isa 63:18</a></em>; <em><a href='B:490 21:24'>Luk 21:24</a></em>)- which is when this prophecy will have its final fulfilment. We can look, therefore, for the three or four entities which trod down the land and people of Israel to have their latter day equivalent, and a like judgment from Heaven. And this is what Revelation 6 is explaining in more detail- in a latter day context. The immediate message in Zechariah’s time was therefore that a future treading down of the land and Jerusalem was to happen, but the silver lining of that cloud was that this would finally lead to the eternal restoration of Israel. This is exactly the same style as in Ezekiel 38; we noted in studying the context of that prophecy that it was given at the time when news of Jerusalem’s fall had come to the rebellious captives in Babylon amongst whom Ezekiel was sitting. They were being told that another even worse desolation was to happen, patterned after the events they were now hearing of, and yet from this would come the eternal restoration of Israel in God’s Kingdom on earth. But not immediately.</p><p>The two brass mountains of Zechariah 6 are from where the horses / judgments issue forth- towards the north and south of Israel. The mountains must therefore be in central Israel. I suggest the mountains in view are both in Jerusalem- the Mount of Olives and Mount Zion, in between which is the valley of Jehoshaphat. These mountains and that valley are from where God’s latter day judgments proceed (<em><a href='B:360 3:2'>Joe 3:2</a></em>; <em><a href='B:360 3:16'>Joe 3:16</a></em>; <em><a href='B:450 14:14'>Zec 14:14</a></em>). Or it may be that they are the two mountains formed by the cleavage of the Mount of Olives predicted in <em><a href='B:450 14:4'>Zec 14:4</a></em>, at which time “half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half toward the south”. This would connect with the horses / chariots going out towards the north and south here in Zechariah 6. Any difficulties with exact chronology may be accounted for by the suggestion that the meaning and nature of time will change in the time around the Lord’s coming, as I have outlined at length in&nbsp;<em>The Last Days</em>.</p><p>The four horses / chariots are understood by most commentators to have connection with the four metals and beasts of Daniel’s prophecies. Their connection with the four winds / spirits of the Heavens (<em><a href='B:450 6:5'>Zec 6:5</a></em>) recalls the way that the four beasts of Daniel 7 arise as a result of the same four winds / spirits being active. I have explained elsewhere that the four metals and beasts of Daniel’s prophecies refer to powers that will dominate the land and people of Israel in the last days, whatever historical application they may have had. The metals and beasts all exist together in the last days, because they are all judged together at the coming of Christ to earth.</p><p>Potential Fulfilments of the Horses of Zechariah Chapters 1 and 6&nbsp;<br/>The way prophetic words can be rescheduled in fulfilment is demonstrated by the 70 years. They came to fulfilment at the time of Daniel’s prayer in <em><a href='B:340 9:2'>Dan 9:2</a></em>; but also at the fall of Babylon and edict of Cyrus (<em><a href='B:140 36:22-23'>2Ch 36:22-23</a></em>; <em><a href='B:150 1:1'>Ezr 1:1</a></em>); and yet also in the second year of Darius (<em><a href='B:450 1:1'>Zec 1:1</a></em>; <em><a href='B:450 1:12'>Zec 1:12</a></em>). This latter period would have been timed from the actual destruction of the temple (<em><a href='B:120 25:2'>2Ki 25:2</a></em>; <em><a href='B:120 25:8-9'>2Ki 25:8-9</a></em>); whereas the captivity began before that. And the predicted restoration didn’t happen as prophesied. But it will ultimately happen- at the Lord’s return.</p><p>The little horn of Daniel 7 grows out of the fourth kingdom, represented by the fourth beast. But in Daniel 8, a very similar horn grows out of Greece, the third kingdom. We can therefore conclude that the antichrist figure of Daniel 8 would have appeared as an outgrowth of the Greek kingdom, and been destroyed by Messiah’s coming. But this didn’t happen, and Antiochus Epiphanes became but an incipient fulfilment of the antichrist of the last days. Zechariah, like Daniel, contains many conditional prophecies- “And this shall come to pass,&nbsp;<em>if&nbsp;</em>you will diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God” (<em><a href='B:450 6:15'>Zec 6:15</a></em>). <em><a href='B:450 9:13'>Zec 9:13</a></em> appears to be another such conditional prophecy, similar in reference to that of Daniel 8 about the possibility of Messiah’s coming at the time of the Greek empire. God says He will place Ephraim within the bow of Judah, to be fired at her enemies; and He would “raise up your sons, O Zion, against your sons, O Greece” (<em><a href='B:450 9:13'>Zec 9:13</a></em>), leading to the final salvation of God’s people, the establishment of Messiah’s Kingdom, and her Messianic king coming unto her (<em><a href='B:450 9:9'>Zec 9:9</a></em>). But this didn’t come true; the resistance of the Maccabees was not based on true spirituality, and the Romans took over control of the land from the Greeks. No Messianic Kingdom was established. This would explain the purposeful ambiguity of interpretation which there is in the image of Daniel 2; a good case can be made for the sequence Babylon-Media-Persia-Greece, and yet also for the sequence Babylon-Medo Persia- Greece-Rome. Daniel 8 predicts the breakup of the Greek empire after Alexander’s death into four horns, out of which a little horn arises (<em><a href='B:340 8:8'>Dan 8:8</a></em>). The only other prophetic reference to four horns is again in Zechariah, when we read of how the four horns who had scattered God’s people were to be cut off by the carpenters (<em><a href='B:450 1:18-19'>Zec 1:18-19</a></em>):&nbsp; The carpenters surely look forward to the carpenter Messiah. He could have appeared and cut off those four horns; but He did not, and so another prophetic sequence was allowed, in which another fourth beast arose, this time with ten horns, not just four. And in Revelation we find this developed further, in that seven heads also appear on the beast, and a whore rides the best, sitting upon another? seven hills / kingdoms. The number and ferocity of the enemies of God’s people seems to increase over time. If Israel had repented earlier, then all this would have been unnecessary. The three horses of Zechariah 1 thus become four horses in Zechariah 6. The fact the four cherubim chariots are sent out in judgment of those same coloured horses speaks of how all earthly entities have their representative Angels in Heaven.</p><p>This same situation can be found in the way that Zechariah 1 opens the prophecy with a vision of three kinds of horses- red, white and speckled. These represented the powers which had subdued the land of Judah and left it in the desolate state it was at the time of Zechariah (<em><a href='B:450 1:12'>Zec 1:12</a></em>). It’s tempting to interpret them as Assyria, Babylon and Medo-Persia; or perhaps Babylon, Media and Persia. Straight away, we read of&nbsp;<em>four&nbsp;</em>horns, representing the powers who had desolated God’s people; and how they would be destroyed by the carpenters, surely looking forward to the carpenter Messiah. And the vision of Zechariah 6 has&nbsp;<em>four</em>&nbsp;and not&nbsp;<em>three&nbsp;</em>kinds of horses- red, black, white and speckled. This may be Zechariah’s way of saying that because of Israel’s inability to fulfil the required spiritual preconditions, the longer version of the prophetic program was going to come into play. Although as always, there is the distinct message of hope, that finally God’s triumphant purpose with Israel shall come to realization.</p><p>The Final Scenario&nbsp;<br/>The vision of Zechariah 6 could have had fulfilment in Zechariah’s time; the three horses of Gentile oppressors in chapter 1 are matched by the horses of the Divine cherubim in chapter 6, who are sent forth to judge those powers. But there are four of them- because by the time of chapter 6, the prophetic program had been extended to coax repentance from Israel. And now in Revelation 6, we have a similar scene in the last days- four horses of different colours are sent out into the earth / land of Israel. The context is the same- these are the powers which will dominate Israel in the last days, under Angelic control, in order to bring about her repentance and eternal restitution to God. I don’t think we have to look for four literal entities. The ‘four’ clearly connect with the four beasts and four metals, and the speckled horses of Zechariah invite comparison with the feet or iron and clay; especially if we read the Hebrew&nbsp;<em>amots</em>&nbsp;in <em><a href='B:450 6:3'>Zec 6:3</a></em> as meaning ‘red’ AV “bay”- they would be speckled with red, as if the strength of the red horse was partially in them. Until Zechariah’s time, there had been various horses of Gentile powers, the fulfilments of the metals of Daniel 2 and the beasts of Daniel 7, dominating the land and people of Israel. They had trodden down the land and people until they were silent (<em><a href='B:450 1:10-11'>Zec 1:10-11</a></em>). This treading down is to happen in the last days, when the image stands complete, and all the beasts exist together. This is the burden of the first four horses pictured in the first four seals.</p><p>We need not look for these events to come chronologically; for all the seals have to be removed before a scroll can be opened. The event of ‘opening the scroll’ is presented by the metaphor as one event, and the seals are presenting different aspects of the events required for the scroll to be opened.</p><p>The horses were “sent” by Yahweh “to walk to and fro through the land” (<em><a href='B:450 1:10'>Zec 1:10</a></em>). These are the same Hebrew words found in <em><a href='B:300 25:9'>Jer 25:9</a></em> for how Yahweh “sent… all the families of the north…and Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon” into the land. The horses are thus confirmed to represent the nations who had subjugated the land. And the same Hebrew words are found in <em><a href='B:420 1:6'>Hab 1:6</a></em>: “I raise up the Chaldeans… which shall march s:w. “walk to and fro” through the land”. These horses are effectively parallel with the four horns who ‘scattered’ Israel (<em><a href='B:450 1:19'>Zec 1:19</a></em>). Israel were to be “scattered s:w. beyond the Euphrates” (<em><a href='B:110 14:15'>1Ki 14:15</a></em>); the number four is not perhaps referring to four specific powers, but rather alluding to the way that Israel’s domination according to Daniel’s visions was to be by ‘four’ entities.</p><p>The coloured horsemen of Revelation 6 are therefore full of reference to the nations who subdued the land and people of Israel, and also to the Angelic powers who ultimately permitted those nations to do that work, and who finally judged them. The horsemen are presented in Revelation as clearly under the control of the living creatures, the Angel cherubim, and that was the same as in Zechariah. The first horse was white and conquering; this doesn’t mean that firstly there was a period of military victory, followed by one of hunger and necessity. The seals don’t have to be chronologically separate from each other. The opening of the book of life will require a military conquering of the land / earth of Israel, as well as the sufferings of the other seals hunger, famine etc:.</p>


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<p>6:2&nbsp;<em>And I looked and beheld a white horse, and he that sat thereon had a bow, and there was given to him a crown, and he came forth conquering and to conquer</em>- In the first century application to the "last days" which culminated in AD70, the rider on the white horse "bent on conquest" would initially refer to the victorious Roman march towards Jerusalem in Spring 67. The rider takes peace from the earth (cp. <em><a href='B:470 24:6-7'>Mat 24:6-7</a></em>)- the disruption of the '<em>pax Romana</em>', the peace of the Roman empire. "Caesar has obtained for us a profound peace. There are neither wars nor battles" (Epictetus,&nbsp;<em>Discourses</em>&nbsp;3:13:9). The riders on the black and pale horses would then refer to the famine and death resulting from the Jewish war.</p><p>The description of the rider on the white horse going out to conquer is intended to be linked with the description of the Lord Jesus in <em><a href='B:730 19:11'>Rev 19:11</a></em>. Yet the rider of <em><a href='B:730 6:1-2'>Rev 6:1-2</a></em> is part of the judgments upon the land. It refers to an anti-Christ, a fake Christ, the ultimate false Messiah; perhaps the Islamic Mahdi.</p><p>The white horse here must be understood as the latter day version of the white horse of Zechariah chapters 1 and 6, which went forth to conquer the land promised to Abraham and to tread down its cities and inhabitants. The simple point is that the land of Israel will be conquered; the current technological advantage of the IDF and the bravado of the state of Israel will not ultimately save them. Only faith in Christ will. And yet the figure of a rider on a white horse is used later in Revelation regarding the Lord Jesus. This doesn’t mean that it is the Lord Jesus who is in view here in 6:2. For often in Revelation, the powers and entities who dominate God’s land and people are presented in terms elsewhere used about the true Kingdom of God and its king. Thus the whore who rides the beast represents the city of Babylon, but the descriptions used have clear connection with the description of the true city of God. This is not to say that they are one and the same. It means that the antiChrist is a fake, imitation Christ, and his Kingdom is likewise an imitation of the true. So the white horse conqueror of the land is an antiChrist- bearing in mind that the Greek idea of&nbsp;<em>anti&nbsp;</em>carries the idea of an equivalent or imitation, rather than as in Latin someone ‘against’. The Hadith in book 19:4388:4390, 4392 and 4437 claim that Mohammad rode on a white horse during the time of the early Moslem battles with the Jews. The language of conquering is very current amongst Islamic jihadists: "Allah hath decreed: Lo I verily shall conquer" (Sura 58:21).</p><p>The horses invite connection with the locusts like horses and “the sound of chariots of many horses rushing to battle” in <em><a href='B:730 9:7'>Rev 9:7</a></em>; <em><a href='B:730 9:9'>Rev 9:9</a></em>; <em><a href='B:730 9:17'>Rev 9:17</a></em>, which I later interpret as the hordes of Israel’s neighbours from the Euphrates who will rush into the land promised to Abraham to destroy it. Horses are frequently used in the Bible to represent military action. In <em><a href='B:730 14:20'>Rev 14:20</a></em>, blood comes up unto the horse bridles- these invaders meet a terrible destruction. The final destruction of Israel’s enemies features the destruction of their horses (<em><a href='B:730 19:18'>Rev 19:18</a></em>), and that prophecy compares their horses with the white horse of the Lord Jesus and His followers also on white horses (<em><a href='B:730 19:11'>Rev 19:11</a></em>; <em><a href='B:730 19:14'>Rev 19:14</a></em>; <em><a href='B:730 19:19'>Rev 19:19</a></em>; <em><a href='B:730 19:21'>Rev 19:21</a></em>). This juxtaposition of ‘horses’ suggests that the white horse conqueror of <em><a href='B:730 6:2'>Rev 6:2</a></em> is not Christ, but rather an antichrist, an imitation, fake Christ.</p><p>The rider on the white horse was “given” a crown, a&nbsp;<em>stephanos</em>&nbsp;of victory, and with that ‘gift’ he goes out to ‘conquer’. We find the same Greek words translated ‘given’ and ‘to conquer’ in <em><a href='B:730 13:7'>Rev 13:7</a></em>, where “the mouth” of the beast is “given… to make war with the saints God’s people, Israel and to&nbsp;<em>overcome&nbsp;</em>s:w. “conquer” them”. The mouth of the beast is his publicity agent, the false prophet, the little horn- the antichrist figure. And it is this same individual who is pictured in 6:2 as riding the white horse, an imitation Jesus, an anti-Christ. The same Greek word translated conquer / overcome is also found in a similar context in <em><a href='B:730 11:7'>Rev 11:7</a></em>: “The beast that ascends out of the bottomless pit having experienced a death and amazing ‘resurrection’ shall make war against them the two faithful witnesses and shall&nbsp;<em>overcome&nbsp;</em>them and kill them”. But the same word is found frequently throughout Revelation and John’s letters, speaking of how ultimately God’s people shall conquer / overcome. The point is, they will temporarily be overcome, but they shall gloriously overcome at the end. “A troop shall overcome him, but he shall overcome at the last” (<em><a href='B:10 49:19'>Gen 49:19</a></em>).</p><p>The crown of the antichrist connects with how the horns of the beast have crowns. His bow connects him with Gog, the individual leader of the assembly of ten nations from within the land promised to Abraham who will invade Israel in the last days. In Gog’s defeat by Divine intervention, his bow will be smitten out of his hand (<em><a href='B:330 39:3'>Eze 39:3</a></em>). The bow is the weapon of Esau / Edom, the father of the Arab peoples (<em><a href='B:10 27:3'>Gen 27:3</a></em>); and it is repeatedly used about the weaponry of the Babylonians and Assyrians and the neighbours of Israel, whose desolation of the land and Jerusalem are the prototypes of the latter day desolation (<em><a href='B:290 5:28'>Isa 5:28</a></em>; <em><a href='B:290 13:18'>Isa 13:18</a></em>; <em><a href='B:300 4:29'>Jer 4:29</a></em>; <em><a href='B:300 6:23'>Jer 6:23</a></em>; <em><a href='B:300 46:9'>Jer 46:9</a></em>; <em><a href='B:300 50:29'>Jer 50:29</a></em>; <em><a href='B:300 50:42'>Jer 50:42</a></em>; <em><a href='B:300 51:56'>Jer 51:56</a></em>). Jeremiah perceived that the bow of Babylon was effectively the bow of Yahweh, drawn against His own people in judgment (<em><a href='B:310 2:4'>Lam 2:4</a></em>; <em><a href='B:310 3:12'>Lam 3:12</a></em>). Again we see that the horses, their riders and weaponry are also those of God, just as the coloured horses of Zechariah 1 are matched by the same coloured horses which comprised the Angel cherubim in Zechariah 6 (<em><a href='B:450 6:1'>Zec 6:1</a></em>). <em><a href='B:450 9:10'>Zec 9:10</a></em> speaks of how the horse, chariot and battle how will be “cut off from Jerusalem” just prior to the establishment of God’s Kingdom on earth. Here in <em><a href='B:730 6:2'>Rev 6:2</a></em> we have the development of that situation- and the focus will finally be upon Jerusalem as the holy city of Islam, now proclaimed by some Jihadist theologians as more holy than Mecca.</p>


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<p>6:3&nbsp;<em>And when he opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying: Come</em>- See on :1</p>


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<p>6:4&nbsp;<em>And another horse came forth, a red horse, and to him that sat thereon it was given to take peace from the earth, that they should slay one another. And there was given to him a great sword</em>- The red horse is literally a flame / fire coloured horse&nbsp;<em>purrhos</em>. The same root word is found in describing how the horses released from beyond the Euphrates spit “fire”&nbsp;<em>pur</em>&nbsp;upon the earth / land of Israel, with which they destroy the people there (<em><a href='B:730 9:17-18'>Rev 9:17-18</a></em>). Perhaps the “fire, smoke and brimstone” which they bring upon the land means that they consciously think they are bringing Divine judgment upon Israel- this is indeed the radical Islamist position. Or there may be reference to some form of warfare which makes use of fire, some kind of white phosphorous or other weaponry which creates intense fire which water cannot quench. The only other time we meet the colour ‘flame-coloured’ “red” is at <em><a href='B:730 12:3'>Rev 12:3</a></em>, the great red dragon. This horse is therefore to be associated with that system of latter day domination of the land.</p><p>Constantly, the comfort is given that none of these calamities upon the land are a result of radical evil, evil that is totally free of any control; for "it was given unto him...". All the traumas to come upon the land are under direct Divine control through the Angels.</p><p>"Him that sat thereon" is the same phrase used of how the whore sits upon the beast (<em><a href='B:730 17:1'>Rev 17:1</a></em>; <em><a href='B:730 17:3'>Rev 17:3</a></em>; <em><a href='B:730 17:9'>Rev 17:9</a></em>; <em><a href='B:730 17:15'>Rev 17:15</a></em>; <em><a href='B:730 18:7'>Rev 18:7</a></em>). The whore is the embodiment of the beast, of the same red colour as the red horse. They are symbols for the same thing- an entity of latter day domination of the land which is controlled by an individual-the antichrist, the rider of the horse, the rider of the beast.</p><p>It is ultimately the Lord Jesus who sends a sword rather than peace upon the earth (<em><a href='B:470 10:34'>Mat 10:34</a></em>); the horses and their woes are all, therefore, under His direct control. There seems to be allusion to <em><a href='B:470 10:34'>Mat 10:34</a></em> because <em><a href='B:730 6:4'>Rev 6:4</a></em> goes on to say the red horse rider has a sword, and he causes those in the earth / land to kill each other. <em><a href='B:470 10:34'>Mat 10:34</a></em> records the Lord teaching that He had come to send a sword in the form of division between persons. The red horse rider causes those living in the territory of the land promised to Abraham to kill each other; and this is the scenario we currently see unfolding in that very area. It is conflicting forms of religion which are clearly at the root of that conflict; this is the characteristic of the feet of mixed iron and clay, that will not cleave to each other.</p><p>Revelation is written in Greek but is clearly a Hebrew book. We can safely assume that the&nbsp;<em>ge /&nbsp;</em>"the earth" in view is the same as the Hebrew&nbsp;<em>eretz</em>- the land of Israel. And this is indeed how&nbsp;<em>ge&nbsp;</em>is often specifically used in the New Testament in speaking of the land of Israel. In Matthew alone: <em><a href='B:470 2:6'>Mat 2:6</a></em>; <em><a href='B:470 2:20-21'>Mat 2:20-21</a></em>; <em><a href='B:470 5:35'>Mat 5:35</a></em>; <em><a href='B:470 9:26'>Mat 9:26</a></em>; <em><a href='B:470 12:42'>Mat 12:42</a></em> the Queen of Sheba came from the uttermost part of the&nbsp;<em>ge</em>, the land promised to Abraham; “all the righteous blood shed upon the earth”; <em><a href='B:470 23:35'>Mat 23:35</a></em>. And almost every reference to&nbsp;<em>ge&nbsp;</em>in Revelation can be understood as the land promised to Abraham this of course is not the same as the territory currently occupied by the state of Israel.</p><p>The great sword was "given unto him". Again the idea is that these invasions of the land are allowed and even empowered by God. The idea of being given a sword likewise implies that the horse and rider are executing judgment from God. This is how present day Israel are crying out for serious Divine judgment, from the immorality of Tel Aviv to the arrogance of the IDF, overarched by a refusal to repent for crucifying God’s Son and refusing Him to this day.</p><p>The Greek translated “sword” is the word for a knife; being given a great knife has connotations of sacrifice. We think of Islamic State beheadings, publicized by them with pictures of jihadists holding a knife over their victims. This is exactly the picture we have here. This is what we are seeing before our eyes on the media.</p>


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<p>6:5&nbsp;<em>And when he opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature saying: Come And I looked and beheld a black horse, and he that sat thereon had a balance in his hand-&nbsp;</em>The black horses of Zechariah 6 were sent into “the north country”, associating this horse with the invasion from the latter day Assyria / Babylon. It could be that the message is simply that there will be terrible famine in the land, and tiny amounts of food will cost much money. But the rider has the balances in his hand, as if he is the merchant and seller. We think of the prediction that none will be able to buy or sell without the mark of the beast; the suggestion may be that the invading power sells food to some within the land for high prices:&nbsp; Islamic militants insist upon conversion to their form of Islam but will make concessions if a&nbsp;<em>jizya&nbsp;</em>tax is paid. So it may be that we have here a description of how famine will come about for God’s people as a result of such actions.</p>


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<p>6:6&nbsp;<em>And I heard as it were a voice in the midst of the four living creatures saying: A measure of wheat for a denarius and three measures of barley for a denarius-&nbsp;</em>Comparing the prices here with those mentioned for food during the siege of Samaria in 2 Kings 7, these prices are very high but not as great as when “an ass's head was sold for 80 shekels, and the fourth part of a cab of dove's dung for five” (<em><a href='B:120 6:25'>2Ki 6:25</a></em>). The figures are not such as we would expect if real famine, and particularly the famine conditions of a siege, were in view. A man could buy three times as much barley as he needed for a day's wage. This isn’t talking about actual death by famine, but rather food being sold at grossly inflated prices compared to income- that’s surely the impression being created. This would fit my suggestion that the dominators of Israel are pictured as selling food at grossly inflated prices to those under their control, in a manner reminiscent of the Jewish ghettos of central Europe under Nazi domination. Corn, wine and oil were the three main crops of Palestine, and the three are mentioned together in Dt. 7:13; 11:14; 28:51; Hos. 2:8,22. We are again being told that these events are specific to the land of Israel and not the whole world.  Shortages of these things were the result of Israel's disobedience to the covenant; and they would be given again if Israel were obedient (Lev. 26:26; Ez. 4:16). </p><p><em>And do not damage the oil and the wine</em>- The GNB appears to be closest to interpreting this: "Do not damage the olive trees and the vineyards", as if this is a command or edict. Perhaps the allusion is to the way that during the famine in the time John was writing, Domitian ordered the prosecution of those who allowed their vineyards to go out of cultivation or who cut them down in order to grow food. In this case, we have a picture of extreme famine, along with prosperity- to the point that the ruling elite ordered that the vineyards must not be cut down, lest they have no wine. This was how it was during the famine in Domitian's time- a shortage of grain but an abundance of wine. This is exactly the kind of inequality we see in the world today and which will be seen in the land promised to Abraham in the last days. Possibly Jewish wealth contrasted to Arab need. The Greek translated "hurt" occurs several times later in Revelation, also in the sense of hurting or damaging. The Angel of <em><a href='B:730 7:2-3'>Rev 7:2-3</a></em> is told not to "hurt" the physical land until God’s servants have been sealed. And likewise in <em><a href='B:730 9:4'>Rev 9:4</a></em>, there is the proviso that men must be hurt, but not the plants of the land. The word is used about the hurting of the people on the earth (<em><a href='B:730 9:10'>Rev 9:10</a></em>; <em><a href='B:730 9:19'>Rev 9:19</a></em>), and the faithful are initially not "hurt"- until they are killed after they have completed their witness (<em><a href='B:730 11:5'>Rev 11:5</a></em>). The voice that states "hurt not the olive trees and the vineyards" comes from between the four beasts- it is an Angelic limitation placed upon the damagers of the land / people in the land promised to Abraham. The sense may be that initially, the physical land is not to be damaged; the people of God, and then the entire dwellers in the land, are to be 'hurt', and not the physical land. Therefore the lack of food created by the rider on the black horse would not be because of famine, but rather as I suggested- because of selling food at high prices as a form of destruction of those who refuse to convert to the Islamic State.</p><p>Another consideration is that the phrase could be rendered "Hands off our oil and wine". Oil and wine occur together in pictures of abundance and luxurious&nbsp; living (<em><a href='B:40 18:12'>Num 18:12</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 7:13'>Deu 7:13</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 8:8'>Deu 8:8</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 28:51'>Deu 28:51</a></em>; <em><a href='B:140 11:11'>2Ch 11:11</a></em>; <em><a href='B:140 32:28'>2Ch 32:28</a></em>; <em><a href='B:240 21:17'>Pro 21:17</a></em>; <em><a href='B:300 40:4'>Jer 40:4</a></em>; <em><a href='B:360 2:24'>Joe 2:24</a></em>); and note especially that these are part of the luxury of the Babylon-beast system in <em><a href='B:730 18:13'>Rev 18:13</a></em>. The implication could be that the desolators of Israel enjoy a brief period of opulence, having grabbed the wealth of Israel and the Jews, and submitting those they have conquered to heavy&nbsp;<em>jizya</em>&nbsp;tax and exorbitant prices for food.</p>


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<p>6:7&nbsp;<em>And when he opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying: Come</em>- See on :1.</p>


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<p>6:8&nbsp;<em>And I looked and beheld a pale horse, and he that sat upon him. His name was Death, and Hades followed behind him. And there was given to them authority over a quarter of the earth, to kill with sword and with famine and with death and by the wild beasts of the earth</em>- The plural "given unto&nbsp;<em>them"&nbsp;</em>presumably refers to death and hades. It’s unclear whether "the fourth part of the earth" is geographical, or refers to a quarter of the population. The idea which we meet in the Revelation of 'parts' of the land and people being damaged or killed is in line with the Koran, which speaking of judging "the children of Israel" says that Moslems are "to cut off a part of those who disbelieve" (Sura 7:127).</p><p>As it stands, it seems redundant to say that death and the grave&nbsp;<em>hades</em>&nbsp;kill with sword, famine, wild beasts and death. How can ‘death’ be one of the four listed methods of killing? Perhaps it refers to some specific kind of death- a death penalty of execution (the word is used in this way in <em><a href='B:470 10:21'>Mat 10:21</a></em>; <em><a href='B:470 15:4'>Mat 15:4</a></em>; <em><a href='B:470 20:18'>Mat 20:18</a></em>). Likewise how can any one horse rider have power over wild animals? The first century fulfilment was clearly in Christians being thrown to the lions; a related word is used for how Paul fought with wild beasts (<em><a href='B:530 15:21'>1Co 15:21</a></em>). I would suggest that the latter day fulfilment will be in that those who refuse to convert will meet their end in one of four ways at the hands of this horse rider- death by the sword, i:e. in battle; by controlled and enforced starvation, as in the Nazi death camps; “death” in the sense of the death penalty; or death by being thrown to wild animals, as was done to the early Christians by the Romans.</p><p>The Greek word translated “sword” here is&nbsp;<em>rhompaia</em>, which has already been used of that proceeding from the mouth of the Lord Jesus (<em><a href='B:730 1:16'>Rev 1:16</a></em>; <em><a href='B:730 2:12'>Rev 2:12</a></em>; <em><a href='B:730 2:16'>Rev 2:16</a></em>). It is connected not so much with killing in battle or war, but with deliberate, judicial, putting to death. This recalls the Islamic jihadist approach to killing those who will not convert to Islam- they are seen as being killed in a judicial sense, before a court of Moslems who are both judge, jury and prosecution, as well as the execution squad.</p><p>The four judgments mentioned here clearly allude to the judgments upon the land of Israel for disobedience (Lev. 26:21-26), and also to <em><a href='B:330 14:21'>Eze 14:21</a></em>: “I send upon Jerusalem my four disastrous acts of judgment, sword, famine, wild beasts, and pestilence, to cut off from it man and beast”. The ‘fourth part’ of the land that is thus judged is therefore likely to be Jerusalem. Again we see that the location of the ‘earth’ is not the entire globe but the land promised to Abraham. The Ezekiel passage goes on to say that out of those judgments will come forth a repentant remnant- which is the same picture we have throughout latter day prophecy. It is this remnant which will enable the return of Christ to Israel. The same pattern is to be found in <em><a href='B:330 33:27-29'>Eze 33:27-29</a></em>; the four judgments on the land, involving a total desolation, result in the repentance of the remnant: “Thus says the Lord Yahweh: As I live, surely those who are in the waste places shall fall by the sword; and him who is in the open field will I give to the animals to be devoured; and those who are in the strongholds and in the caves shall die of the pestilence. I will make the land a desolation and an astonishment; the pride of her power shall cease and the mountains of Israel shall be desolate i:e. not producing food- leading to famine, so that none shall pass through. Then shall they know that I am Yahweh, when I have made the land a desolation and an astonishment, because of all their abominations which they have committed”.</p>


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<p>6:9- see on <em><a href='B:490 18:7'>Luk 18:7</a></em>; <em><a href='B:340 5:23'>Dan 5:23</a></em>; <em><a href='B:520 14:8-9'>Rom 14:8-9</a></em>.</p><p><em>And when he opened the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those that had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held</em>- All the people of God make "testimony". That is a major theme of Revelation. The image here may not, therefore, have to refer to the deaths of some specific martyrs at a specific point in time. The allusion is to how “The blood of the bull the priest shall pour out at the base of the altar of burnt offering” (Lev. 4:7). We are all committed to a sacrificial death, because we were baptized into the death of Jesus. We are living sacrifices. They were told that vengeance for them would only come when the full number of martyrs had been made up; and that rather sounds like the idea of there being a specific number of believers, which once arrived at will trigger the Lord's return [when "the full number of the Gentiles are come in", Rom. 11:25]. We are all the martyrs. That is the idea. The Jewish Christians were tempted to look to the Maccabean martyrs and emulate them. But the true witness / martyrdom was for the witnesss of Jesus, following Him who was the faithful and true witness. We are all to make that witness, rather than merely being supporters of others who are showcased as martyrs.  
The fact the people are ‘slain’ on the altar connects with our comment on ‘death’ in <em><a href='B:730 6:8'>Rev 6:8</a></em>. These are those slain by the Islamic militants for refusing to convert to their false religion. The allusion is to the blood at the base of the altar from the sacrifices, representing the blood or lives lived of the faithful who had been sacrificed. It is blood which is under the altar; the "souls" are represented by the blood. The witness of their lives, who they essentially were, cried out to God, just as Abel’s blood cried out. Cain, his brother, becomes the prototype of Israel’s latter day persecutors- it is their own half-brothers, their Arab neighbours, who slay them. The Hebrew for 'Cain' is the root of the word 'Canaan'. The persecutors of the faithful are Canaan- the inhabitants of Canaan, Israel's aggressive neighbours</p><p>In their death they as it were died with their Lord, the slain lamb (<em><a href='B:730 5:6'>Rev 5:6</a></em>). The Greek suggests to be butchered, which is absolutely the behaviour of the jihadists to their victims. Note that those in view are not necessarily Western hostages, but those who are butchered for the sake of their witness to God’s word. What we are seeing in the butchering of any who get in the way of the Islamic militants in the 'earth' / land promised to Abraham is a precursor of what can be expected on a wider scale, especially of true Christians witnessing to God’s word.</p><p>The believer’s death is a pouring out of blood on the altar (<em><a href='B:570 2:17'>Phi 2:17</a></em> Gk:), which is language highly appropriate to the Lord’s death. It follows from this that the death of one in Christ is the pinnacle of their spiritual maturity, as the Lord’s death was the pinnacle of HIsa. It is a spiritual victory, more than the temporal domination of the flesh which it can appear.</p><p>Their preaching God’s word was a&nbsp;<em>marturia</em>, a legal testament at court, and this was the basis of their martyrdom. The jihadists believe that all who refuse to accept their version of Islam must in some form come before an Islamic court, often presided over by themselves as both judge and prosecution, and then be legally butchered as a result. From their perspective, they are not guilty of wanton butchering; they claim they are doing it in fulfilment of Muslim legal requirements. The parallel is in <em><a href='B:730 20:4'>Rev 20:4</a></em>: “Them that had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God; and such as worshipped not the Beast nor his image and received not his mark”. The ‘slaying’ is particularly by beheading; and Islam is the only world religion today which legitimizes and practices beheading. And they are publicly doing it.</p><p>Seeing that there is no conscious survival of death, could this not refer to the guardian Angels of the former martyrs, crying out for the blood of their charges to be avenged? They are&nbsp;<em>so&nbsp;</em>closely identified with them that they can ask for “our blood” to be avenged. It’s apparent enough that this is not the people themselves speaking- for they are dead. Surely then it refers to their Angels, who identify so strongly with them? Perhaps in the same way, <em><a href='B:730 5:10'>Rev 5:10</a></em> has guardian Angels thanking Jesus for making “us” king-priests to reign on earth. And when the believers are finally glorified, there is an ecstatic voice in Heaven, exalting that the Lamb’s wife has made herself ready (<em><a href='B:730 19:6'>Rev 19:6</a></em>). Surely this must refer to the Angels rejoicing that their charges have finally made it to salvation? We, for whom they laboured perhaps for centuries, preparing our genetic pool note how the Angels “prepared” Edom unto destruction long before it happened, <em><a href='B:330 35:6'>Eze 35:6</a></em>), and the myriad of circumstances we would meet which were designed to bring us towards the Kingdom. No wonder they will be so ecstatic. Or in another figure, the blood of the dead believers cries out from under the altar, demanding vengeance on this world: on the Catholic, Protestant, Babylonian, Roman, Nazi, Soviet systems that slew them for their faith (<em><a href='B:730 6:9'>Rev 6:9</a></em>). To God, their blood is a voice, just as real as the voice of Abel, which cried out (in a figure) for judgment against Cain (<em><a href='B:10 4:10'>Gen 4:10</a></em>). After their death, those who had already died are spoken of as being given “white robes” and being told to rest a bit longer. Yet the white robe is given at baptism; a man may cast off Christ, but the prodigal is given again the robe if he returns (<em><a href='B:490 15:22'>Luk 15:22</a></em> s:w:); we are given white robes in this life through our acceptance of the blood of Christ and living in response to that redemption (<em><a href='B:730 7:13-14'>Rev 7:13-14</a></em>; <em><a href='B:730 22:14'>Rev 22:14</a></em> Gk:). God giving believers white robes after their death can surely only be understood as His remembrance of how in their lives they had put on those robes. But His view of time is different, and He sees them as doing it again and again, as He considers how they had died for His cause and how thereby He will surely raise them. This is just as we would relive in our own minds the baptism of one of our children who has died. We know of course that there is no immortal soul, and that we personally feel nothing in death. But there is an immortal spirit, in that who we essentially are, our personality, lives on in the memory of a loving Father.</p>


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<p>6:10&nbsp;<em>And they cried with a great voice, saying: How long, O Master, the holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?</em>- Just as the Lord cried with a loud voice at His death (<em><a href='B:470 27:46'>Mat 27:46</a></em>; <em><a href='B:470 27:50'>Mat 27:50</a></em>; <em><a href='B:490 23:46'>Luk 23:46</a></em>). The suffering and even death experienced by the faithful during the tribulation will identify them with the crucifixion sufferings of their Lord. In Revelation, it is usually an Angel who ‘cries with a loud voice’ (<em><a href='B:730 5:2'>Rev 5:2</a></em>; <em><a href='B:730 5:12'>Rev 5:12</a></em>; <em><a href='B:730 7:2'>Rev 7:2</a></em>; <em><a href='B:730 7:10'>Rev 7:10</a></em>; <em><a href='B:730 8:13'>Rev 8:13</a></em>; <em><a href='B:730 10:3'>Rev 10:3</a></em>; <em><a href='B:730 11:12'>Rev 11:12</a></em>; <em><a href='B:730 11:15'>Rev 11:15</a></em>; <em><a href='B:730 12:10'>Rev 12:10</a></em>; <em><a href='B:730 14:2'>Rev 14:2</a></em>; <em><a href='B:730 14:7'>Rev 14:7</a></em>; <em><a href='B:730 14:9'>Rev 14:9</a></em>; <em><a href='B:730 14:15'>Rev 14:15</a></em>; <em><a href='B:730 16:1'>Rev 16:1</a></em>; <em><a href='B:730 16:17'>Rev 16:17</a></em>; <em><a href='B:730 18:2'>Rev 18:2</a></em>; <em><a href='B:730 19:17'>Rev 19:17</a></em> - a very considerable theme). We have here another example of Revelation’s theme that the believers on earth have their position reflected in Heaven, by Angels in the court of Heaven. Their representative Angels loudly proclaimed to the court of Heaven the injustice done. It was not so much they themselves who cried out, seeing that death is unconsciousness, but the witness of their lives their ‘soul’, the ‘blood’ represented by their Angels before the throne of God in Heaven. There is no conscious survival of death. But the lives of believers are remembered before God, and He has dialogue with them in the sense that we have chats in our mind with our loved ones who have died. For they live on in our hearts, as proclaimed on many gravestones. The fact God has such conversations with us after our death... simply shows His love for us. The faithful calling for vengeance on their adversaries is clearly based upon the parable of the widow crying out for justice in Lk. 18. She is promised that vengeance will come "speedily", just as here the response is that after a "little longer" (:11), vengeance will come. Revelation comforts believers that their sufferings at the hands of systems of evil are only for "a short time" or "a little while" (Rev. 6:11; 12:12; 17:10). But this is from Heaven's perspective. For those 'on the ground' suffering persecution and death during that "short time", this would give perspective. But it would only be comforting if they accepted Heaven's perspective, as taught in Revelation. Believing in the ultimate return of Jesus and the eternity of God's Kingdom on earth... this enables us to locate our own sufferings, even if they last a lifetime, within the broader perspective of eternity. The comfort that suffering is only 'for a moment' only finds meaning if we accept the reality of the eternity ahead. In this sense, the Lord's return is "soon". But the woman in Lk. 18 prayed during her lifetime, not after her death. The extension of the idea here in Rev. 6 may therefore lead us to understand that our prayers are remembered by God, and the answer is still 'worked on' even after our death. </p><p><em><a href='B:730 6:10'>Rev 6:10</a></em>; <em><a href='B:730 13:15'>Rev 13:15</a></em>; <em><a href='B:730 14:9'>Rev 14:9</a></em> describe the persecuted Christian remnant of the last days in the language of Daniel. The conclusion is that they (we?) will find strength to endure through the understanding of prophecy. Daniel's spirit of "How long…?" is so exactly reflective of the attitude of all God’s children down the years that it is hard to deny that Daniel is being framed as the representative of all the saints. Indeed, these very words are quoted in <em><a href='B:730 6:10'>Rev 6:10</a></em> concerning the attitude of the slain saints of the last days.</p><p><em>"</em>How long, O Lord" is clearly alluding to <em><a href='B:290 6:11-13'>Isa 6:11-13</a></em>: “Lord, how long? He answered, Until the cities are waste without inhabitant and houses without man and the land becomes utterly waste, and Yahweh has removed men far away, and the forsaken places are many in the midst of the land. If there is a tenth left in it, that also will in turn be consumed: as a terebinth, and as an oak, whose stump remains when they are felled; so the holy seed is its stump”. The context is the same- an utter desolation of the land by an ‘Assyrian’ invader, resulting in the repentance of the remnant. This is the context of many other ‘How long?’ laments in the prophets- the answer is ‘Until Israel repent’ (<em><a href='B:300 4:14'>Jer 4:14</a></em> “Jerusalem, wash your heart from wickedness, that you may be saved. How long shall your evil thoughts lodge within you?”; <em><a href='B:300 4:21'>Jer 4:21</a></em>; <em><a href='B:300 12:4'>Jer 12:4</a></em>; <em><a href='B:300 23:26'>Jer 23:26</a></em>; <em><a href='B:300 31:22'>Jer 31:22</a></em> “How long will you go here and there, you backsliding daughter?”; <em><a href='B:350 8:5'>Hos 8:5</a></em> “How long will it be until they are capable of purity?”; <em><a href='B:420 1:2'>Hab 1:2</a></em>). Particularly relevant is <em><a href='B:450 1:12'>Zec 1:12</a></em>: “How long will You not have mercy on Jerusalem and on the cities of Judah”. The significance is in the fact that the vision of four coloured horsemen is based upon Zechariah 1, and so the “how long?’ theme continues the allusion. Again we note that the territory in view is Jerusalem and the land promised to Abraham. The answer of <em><a href='B:340 12:6-7'>Dan 12:6-7</a></em> to the question is more precise; effectively it is the same as the answers which said ‘How long? Until Israel repent’: “How long shall it be to the end of these wonders? 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 a half; and when they have made an end of breaking in pieces the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished”. Daniel’s answer to ‘How long?’ appears to be ‘Until the three and a half year period is finished, and God’s people have been thoroughly broken in pieces’. For it seems it is only then that the necessary repentance will occur. Those interested in trying to work out a chronology of events might take note that these particular believers must be killed earlier in the tribulation period. The cry ‘How long until justice?’ is answered by the news that three and a half years tribulation must pass, and more must yet be killed.</p><p>The “holy and true” Lord is defined earlier in <em><a href='B:730 3:7'>Rev 3:7</a></em> as the Lord Jesus. This is not the usual Greek word translated “Lord’. We have to think long and hard as to why a word with such negative connotation as&nbsp;<em>despotes</em>&nbsp;should be used about the Lord Jesus. Why not the more natural&nbsp;<em>kurios</em>? I suggest that the more tyrannical and draconian&nbsp;<em>despotes</em>&nbsp;is used exactly because a despot, the antichrist, is then reigning over the land, and has caused the death of these believers. But for them, their&nbsp;<em>despotes</em>, their Lord, is not him, but the true Christ. Hence they address Him as the “holy and true”&nbsp;<em>despotes</em>- hinting that there is a false one, one that is&nbsp;<em>not&nbsp;</em>holy, to whom they have refused allegiance.</p><p>"Do You not judge" perhaps needs the emphasis placed on ‘You’, seeing they have been judged by some human court and punished with death; see on 6:9&nbsp;<em>Their testimony</em>. The same words for "avenge our blood" are found in <em><a href='B:730 19:2'>Rev 19:2</a></em> - the blood of God’s servants is avenged at the hands of the “great whore”. The horse riders of the seals are therefore part of the beast system dominated by the whore. The avenging of Israel’s blood will be by God’s “sacrifice in the north country by the river Euphrates” in the latter day of Yahweh’s vengeance, the day of the Lord of Hosts (<em><a href='B:300 46:10'>Jer 46:10</a></em>). This suggests again that the shedders of Israel’s blood are those from the north country, Babylon / Assyria, who come from the Euphrates. And this is the current source of jihadist Islam.</p><p>Their call for vengeance means ‘Avenge our blood on those men who shed it’. To describe those men as ‘earth dwellers’ seems somehow redundant and rather too obviously self-evident- unless there is some particular significance to being an earth dweller. We need to understand the ‘earth’ here as specifically the land promised to Abraham, and not the whole planet. The significance of the murderers as being ‘land dwellers’ is perhaps because these people have come over the Euphrates, the northern border of the land promised to Abraham, and they are invaders now dwelling in the land. The other NT references to dwelling in the earth / land are specifically about dwelling in the land promised to Abraham; Abraham moved into the land of Canaan, in which land the Israelites now dwelt (<em><a href='B:510 7:4'>Act 7:4</a></em>); Abraham dwelt in the land of promise (<em><a href='B:650 11:9'>Heb 11:9</a></em>). The earth / land dwellers are singled out for particular judgment because of how they have persecuted God’s people (<em><a href='B:730 8:13'>Rev 8:13</a></em>; <em><a href='B:730 11:10'>Rev 11:10</a></em>; <em><a href='B:730 12:12'>Rev 12:12</a></em>). It’s as if being an earth dweller is a cause for judgment; this is far more understandable if we understand the term to refer to neighbouring invaders who are now dwelling in the land promised to Abraham in the last days. The earth dwellers are those who worship the beast and give power to him (<em><a href='B:730 13:8'>Rev 13:8</a></em>; <em><a href='B:730 13:12'>Rev 13:12</a></em>; <em><a href='B:730 13:14'>Rev 13:14</a></em>; <em><a href='B:730 17:2'>Rev 17:2</a></em>). The domain of the beast is the ‘earth’ or land promised to Abraham, seeing it is based upon the fourth beast of Daniel 7, whom we have demonstrated to have this specific dominion. <em><a href='B:730 14:6'>Rev 14:6</a></em> draws a distinction between the earth dwellers and every nation, tongue and tribe- which would lend support to our definition of them as the invaders who now dwell in the land promised to Abraham in the last days.</p><p><em><a href='B:330 32:30'>Eze 32:30</a></em>, <em><a href='B:730 6:10'>Rev 6:10</a></em> and some other passages give the impression that the dead are somehow alive. And yet we know from an impregnable array of Bible passages that the dead are unconscious. These 'difficult passages' are surely giving us a window on God’s timeless perspective. Apart from the death state, there are other examples of where future things are spoken of as having already happened (e.g. <em><a href='B:330 39:29'>Eze 39:29</a></em>). God’s future actions are simply spoken of as having already happened (e.g. <em><a href='B:330 32:18'>Eze 32:18</a></em>). Living believers are called "martyrs" even before they are killed, because God foresees that they will be killed (<em><a href='B:730 11:7'>Rev 11:7</a></em>).</p>


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<p>6:11- see on <em><a href='B:480 13:13'>Mar 13:13</a></em>.</p><p><em>And each one was given a white robe, and they were told that they should wait a little longer-&nbsp;</em>The gift of the white robe is in response to their cry for justice. And they are comforted that venegeance will come in a "little" time; and they are given white robes, the sign of acceptance at the wedding banquet. He that overcomes is given a white robe (Rev. 3:4,5). But it is given on their death. The whole judgment process is a metaphor, and it is for our benefit. The "judge" has already decided the outcome on a man's death. White is also the colour Revelation uses for victory, and Roman generals wore white robes after victory. From Heaven's perspective, they have 'won'. The empire had in fact lost; and through their death, the martyrs were in fact the victors. The desire for vengeance is therefore 'only' a desire to see the victory manifest on earth openly. It is the deep sense of our own personal salvation, by utter grace, which is to be the comfort that God will finally judge this world, and justice will be given. But we are reminded that justice will be given by being reminded of our own salvation- by grace. And that tempers our desire for justice and vengeance. For we ourselves were saved by grace alone. The desire for vengeance is natural to us all. But we are not to judge, but to leave judgment to God. And we are assured here that the coming of His Son in judgment is going to meet all those human needs for recognition and vengeance; and therefore, we will not in fact meet those needs by trying to take things into our own hands in this life. God's comfort to the oppressed is that He will wipe away their tears (Rev. 7:17; 21:4). Revelation speaks particularly to those being persecuted. And "wipe away" is the word used in the LXX for the wiping away of evil people and systems from the face of this earth (Gen. 7:4,23; Ex. 17:14; Dt. 9:14). But it is also used of the wiping away of our sins (Ps. 51:3; Is.43:25). The two ideas go together. The final comfort will be that truly we have been forgiven for our own serious sins; and also, in the same comfort, there is the assurance that the evil of sinful men has also been permanently taken away. The cry "How long...?" is based upon Zech. 1:12: “Lord Almighty, how long will you withhold mercy from Jerusalem and from the towns of Judah, with which you have been angry with these seventy years?”. Again, the idea is that the cry for action is not simply for vengeance but also for the grace of forgiveness. A deep awareness of our own personal failure  and dependence upon grace... gives dimension to our desire to see vengeance upon others. This too is the message of the white robes being given in response to their cry for vengeance; because they ave “washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb” (Rev. 7:13,14). White robes are a sign that they have repented and been forgiven and counted righteous. And that is the response to the cry for 'justice now' and revenge.
</p><p>Those who come through the great tribulation of the last days are clothed in the same way (<em><a href='B:730 7:9'>Rev 7:9</a></em>; <em><a href='B:730 7:13-14'>Rev 7:13-14</a></em>), and this tribulation is clearly that which the Lord in the Olivet prophecy predicted for the last days immediately prior to His coming. Revelation aims to give us Heaven's perspective on events on earth; the martyred believers are counted as being clothed in white robes, they are assured of salvation. This is an interesting parody of the belief of Islamic jihadists, that their martyrdom will assure them of salvation. This will in fact be the case for those whom they kill. It is Angels who are presented as clothed in white robes (<em><a href='B:470 28:3'>Mat 28:3</a></em>; <em><a href='B:480 16:5'>Mar 16:5</a></em>; <em><a href='B:500 20:12'>Joh 20:12</a></em>; <em><a href='B:510 1:10'>Act 1:10</a></em>; <em><a href='B:730 4:4'>Rev 4:4</a></em>). Again we see how the martyred believers have representative Angels whose clothing is as theirs will be finally. The promised reward of white robes is also for those who "overcome" whatever they must pass through in their generation (<em><a href='B:730 3:4-5'>Rev 3:4-5</a></em>; <em><a href='B:730 3:18'>Rev 3:18</a></em>). Our sufferings are in that sense no less than the terrible persecution unto death which is in view here in Revelation 6, 7 for the latter day believers in the land promised to Abraham:&nbsp; The Lord is intensely aware of the suffering and death of every individual believer in Him; hence "Unto every one of them...".</p><p>The same word for "rest" is used in <em><a href='B:730 14:13'>Rev 14:13</a></em> about those blessed ones who die in the very last days before the Lord's coming, during the great tribulation: ""Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on." "Blessed indeed," says the Spirit, "that they may rest from their labours, for their deeds follow them"". The "little season" is the very same term used in <em><a href='B:730 20:3'>Rev 20:3</a></em> of the "little season" during which the dragon is let loose on earth after his 'death' in the bottomless pit and he has recovered from his deadly wound. This connection strengthens the suggestion that <em><a href='B:730 20:3'>Rev 20:3</a></em> speaks of events at the time of the establishment of the 1000 years, and not at their end AV "fulfilled" can be translated 'established'. The 'season', Gk:&nbsp;<em>chronos</em>, "time", is perhaps part of the time, times and half a time of the tribulation period of <em><a href='B:340 7:25'>Dan 7:25</a></em>; <em><a href='B:340 12:7'>Dan 12:7</a></em>; <em><a href='B:730 12:14'>Rev 12:14</a></em>:&nbsp;<br/><em><br/>Until the number of their fellow servants and brothers who were to be killed as they had been, was completed-&nbsp;</em>Note the AV makes a mess of translating thIsa. The significance of "every one of them" is that God is working to a precise number. Paul speaks of how the full number of the Gentiles must come in (<em><a href='B:520 11:25'>Rom 11:25</a></em>). God is working to an exact number, and this is why the calendar date of the Lord's return and the outworking of these prophetic possibilities is to some extent open ended. The sooner that number come in, the sooner the number to be slain are slain, then He will come. "Killed" doesn't have to mean that this passage only refers to those martyred in violent death. The idea is rather of sacrifice, that the life of every believer is poured out as an offering to God; we are all living sacrifices, and our death is the final outpouring of our blood, to flow to the bottom of the altar. There were runnels on the altar to enable this to happen. In this sense, the blood of the believers is associated with the altar, which represents the Lord Jesus (Heb. 13:10 "We have an altar..."). Note how the work of preaching is paralleled with the experience of suffering for that latter day witness which makes the converts. The full number of Gentile converts will be reached when the full number of preachers have died. We can expect there to be conversions to Christ despite the obvious risk of death for making that conversion. That is what happened in the first century, and that is the power of the Gospel. The Gospel must be preached for a witness to all nations, and the end shall come (<em><a href='B:470 24:14'>Mat 24:14</a></em>). But&nbsp;<em>marturion</em>, “witness”, can simply be a legal term referring to testimony or witness in a prosecution; through the Islamic 'trials' of those who refuse to convert, the Gospel will be spread by the witness of those who are slain for their testimony and refusal to convert to Islam. The "times of the Gentiles" (<em><a href='B:490 21:24'>Luk 21:24</a></em>) appear to refer to the time of Gentile domination of Jerusalem, and yet it is reapplied to refer to the time of Gentile opportunity to learn the Gospel, according to how Paul alludes to it in <em><a href='B:520 11:25'>Rom 11:25</a></em>.</p><p>"Fellowservants" suggests those who serve the same Master, the Lord Jesus. The difference between fellowservants and brothers may be intentional. Perhaps the group in view are Jewish Christians of the last days; their fellowservants are their fellow Christian believers, and their brothers may refer to other Jews. Of course the two terms may be used in simple parallelism, referring to the same group. Another insight is that "fellowservant and brother" is only elsewhere used in Revelation about the Angels (<em><a href='B:730 19:10'>Rev 19:10</a></em>; <em><a href='B:730 22:9'>Rev 22:9</a></em>). There must be some purpose in thIsa. Perhaps the hint again is that these slain believers have their representative Angels in the court of Heaven. Their agony and crisis, just as for all of us, is intensely recognized and portrayed in Heaven. This is why there is an Angelic voice&nbsp;<em>in Heaven</em>&nbsp;rejoicing that the false accuser "of our brothers" has been cast down (<em><a href='B:730 12:10'>Rev 12:10</a></em>). The Angels see us their charges on earth as their brothers. Truly man is not alone, beyond the steely silence of the skies there is huge Angelic activity and support for all our witness for His sake. Note how in <em><a href='B:730 19:10'>Rev 19:10</a></em> the brothers have the testimony of Jesus; in <em><a href='B:730 22:9'>Rev 22:9</a></em> the brothers are the prophets. A prophet is strictly one who speaks forth God’s word, not necessarily a predicter of the future. The prophets in the new Israel therefore are the preachers, the forth tellers, of God’s word. The view of Judaism was that the prophets were a category of white faced saints somehow of an altogether higher category than ordinary members of God’s people. But the Lord Jesus created a new Israel in which all His people were preachers, and thus all are prophets.</p><p>The sixth seal concludes with the great day of the Lamb coming, with the fig tree casting her immature figs (cp. the fig tree parable), and great changes in Heaven and earth. This must have some reference to the second coming. If it does not, then where is the principle of interpreting Scripture by Scripture? This sixth seal appears to be an extension of the fifth seal, where persecuted believers plead for vengeance to be shown against their persecutors. They are assured of their salvation (by being given white robes), and rest "for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled" (<em><a href='B:730 6:11'>Rev 6:11</a></em>). Once these brethren were killed, the Lord would take vengeance- by His second coming. It follows that this violent persecution of brethren is going on before the second coming. Perhaps the "little season" refers to the three-and-a-half-year period? The persecuted souls under the altar would then describe the early sufferers in the persecution. It should be noted that once a set number of believers have been slain, then the Lord will come (<em><a href='B:730 6:11'>Rev 6:11</a></em> Gk. and modern versions). This must mean that there will be violent slaying of believers going on right up until the Lord’s return (so the Greek for “killed” implies); which suggests that we have yet to see violent persecution before the second coming.</p><p>A further indication that the fifth seal concerns the last days is in the obvious connection between the altar scene and the parable of the widow crying for vengeance on her persecuting adversary; she would be avenged "when the Son of man comes" (<em><a href='B:490 18:3'>Luk 18:3</a></em>; <em><a href='B:490 18:5'>Luk 18:5</a></em>). Thus the intense prayers of the persecuted saints of the last days are what prompt the second coming; at least, this is how God wishes us to see it. If our prayers were that fervent now, perhaps the tribulation could be avoided. Revelation 7 then describes how the 144,000 are sealed to ultimately survive the persecution, and due to the accumulated intense prayer of the persecuted believers, the seventh seal of judgment is poured out on the world (<em><a href='B:730 8:3-4'>Rev 8:3-4</a></em>), resulting finally in the establishment of the Kingdom.</p><p>After their death, those who had already died are spoken of as being given “white robes” and being told to rest a bit longer (<em><a href='B:730 6:11'>Rev 6:11</a></em>). Yet the white robe is given at baptism; a man may cast off Christ, but the prodigal is given again the robe if he returns (<em><a href='B:490 15:22'>Luk 15:22</a></em> s:w:); we are given white robes in this life through our acceptance of the blood of Christ and living in response to that redemption (<em><a href='B:730 7:13-14'>Rev 7:13-14</a></em>; <em><a href='B:730 22:14'>Rev 22:14</a></em> Gk:). God giving believers white robes after their death can surely only be understood as His remembrance of how in their lives they had put on those robes. But His view of time is different, and He sees them as doing it again and again, as He considers how they had died for His cause and how thereby He will surely raise them. This is just as we would relive in our own minds the baptism of a child who has died. We know of course that there is no immortal soul, and that we personally feel nothing in death. But there is an immortal spirit, in that who we essentially are, our personality, lives on in the memory of a loving Father. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p>


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<p>6:12&nbsp;<em>And I watched as he opened the sixth seal. There was a great earthquake, the sun became as black as sackcloth made of hair, and the whole moon turned the colour of blood-&nbsp;</em>This along with the sun becoming dark recalls the Lord's crucifixion, and is another reason to think that the sufferings of the believers in the tribulation lead them to a close identity with His sufferings, that they might share in His resurrection. And that principle in fact works out in all our sufferings, in whatever generation and context we live in. <em><a href='B:470 24:7'>Mat 24:7</a></em> says that there will be a number of earthquakes in the last days. And it may be that the various earthquakes recorded in Revelation are not all referring to the same earthquake. <em><a href='B:450 14:5'>Zec 14:5</a></em> associates an earthquake with the coming of Christ after Jerusalem has fallen to her latter day enemies. The seals appear to refer to the sufferings experienced by God’s people (both natural and spiritual) in the land promised to Abraham; just as the horses of Zechariah 1 speak of the judgments upon the land, and then the horses of Zechariah 6 speak of the judgments upon those nations. The seven vials and the various judgments upon the beast system include similar language, but appear to refer to the Divine judgments upon the persecutors of His people. These judgments will be similar to those they meted out to Israel, according to the principle that the beast system is tormented with the same things they brought upon their victims (<em><a href='B:730 18:7'>Rev 18:7</a></em>), being made to drink the same cup she gave others (<em><a href='B:730 18:6'>Rev 18:6</a></em>). The earthquake of <em><a href='B:730 6:12'>Rev 6:12</a></em> is matched by the earthquakes of judgment upon Israel's persecutors in <em><a href='B:730 11:13'>Rev 11:13</a></em>; <em><a href='B:730 11:19'>Rev 11:19</a></em>; <em><a href='B:730 16:18'>Rev 16:18</a></em>.</p><p>"The sun became... black" is a clear example of the language of the Olivet prophecy about the last days being developed in Revelation. The allusion is to <em><a href='B:470 24:29'>Mat 24:29</a></em>: "During Gk:&nbsp;<em>meta</em>, AV "after" the tribulation of those days, the sun shall be darkened and the moon shall not give her light". We are clearly being pointed to a distinctly latter day interpretation. Whatever application this had in the first century (<em><a href='B:510 2:20'>Act 2:20</a></em>), the final and main fulfilment is in our last days. The first century fulfilment may have included a literal element in the events of AD70 and the Lord's crucifixion, and so it may also be in the last days. But sun, moon and stars are introduced to us in Joseph's dream as symbols of Israel. We have here for sure a prediction of the total destruction of the Jewish system. It may be that initially a third part of the sun and moon are darkened (<em><a href='B:730 8:12'>Rev 8:12</a></em>)- which suggests a literal darkening is not primarily in view. <em><a href='B:730 9:2'>Rev 9:2</a></em> says that the sun is darkened as a result of the beast system arising from the bottomless pit, the deadly wound healed and the vicious revival of the beast system after an initial Western destruction of them?. The sun being darkened and the moon turning into blood is the sign that the day of the Lord is about to come (<em><a href='B:360 2:31-32'>Joe 2:31-32</a></em>). We are to understand this event as happening immediately prior to the Lord’s coming.</p><p>"Black as sackcloth of hair, the moon became as blood" are terms hard to interpret. Hair sackcloth would suggest mourning; but why would the sun mourn in this context? And why would the moon become blood? What really could that mean in terms of symbology? I see no very credible explanation in terms of symbology:&nbsp; But I came across online Special Paper 186 1981 of the Geological Society of America, by Troy Pewe:&nbsp;<em>Desert Dust: Origin, Characteristics and Effect on Man</em>&nbsp;. In this very technical article, the author makes the throwaway comment that the words “Black as sackcloth of hair, the moon became as blood” are a superb description of an approaching dust storm coming out of the desert. The Americans called their 1991 military operation in Iraq ‘Desert Storm’. The picture is of an army coming out of the desert; and this is exactly relevant to the invasion of Israel by the hordes who burst across the Euphrates and move across the desert to engulf God’s land and people.</p>


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<p>6:13&nbsp;<em>And the stars of the heaven fell to the earth</em>- This would continue the usage of sun, moon and stars as in Joseph’s dream- as symbols of the Jewish system (<em><a href='B:10 37:9'>Gen 37:9</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 1:10'>Deu 1:10</a></em>). The sons of Jacob, the stars, will fall into the earth, losing their power and station. This is a direct quotation of the Lord’s words about the situation in Israel and Jerusalem specifically in the very last days (<em><a href='B:470 24:29'>Mat 24:29</a></em>). We note that the King of Babylon sought to exalt himself above the stars (<em><a href='B:290 14:13'>Isa 14:13</a></em>)- the Jews in Jerusalem. The connection may imply that the latter day king of Babylon is briefly successful in this, and those stars fall. The latter day little horn, the antichrist, succeeds in dominating God’s people and casting them down like stars to the ground, and stamping upon them (<em><a href='B:340 8:10'>Dan 8:10</a></em>). This is the basis for the Lord’s prediction that Jerusalem shall be trodden down, stamped upon, by the Gentiles. We note the repeated focus upon the fate of Jerusalem and its inhabitants.</p><p><em>As a fig tree casts her unripe figs when she is shaken by a great wind</em>- The fig tree and fruit on it is a Biblical picture of Israel’s spiritual state. The “winter fruit” or “unripe fruit” refers to fruit that came covered in leaves in the Summer, but never turned ripe. It therefore remained until the Winter, and the strong Winter wind blew it off the tree. The reference is clear- Israel had time to produce spiritual fruit, but they didn’t; and so the&nbsp;falling of their stars to earth is precisely because they had not brought forth spiritual fruit. The falling of the figs is parallel with the falling of the stars. The same word for "shaken" is used of the shaking of the Jewish heaven and earth / system in <em><a href='B:650 12:26'>Heb 12:26</a></em>. The "mighty wind" continues the allusion to a desert dust storm which has caused the moon to look like blood (see on <em><a href='B:730 6:12'>Rev 6:12</a></em>). The wind is representative of both an Angel and also an army. Recall how the four winds / Angels blow on the sea to cause the beasts to arise in Daniel 7. The mighty wind of the invaders is Angelically directed by God. The day of judgment at Christ’s coming is likened to a mighty wind in <em><a href='B:470 7:25'>Mat 7:25</a></em>; <em><a href='B:470 7:27'>Mat 7:27</a></em>. This mighty wind is to be connected with the four winds we will soon encounter in <em><a href='B:730 7:1'>Rev 7:1</a></em>, which will blow upon the earth / land in judgment but will not affect the sealed, righteous remnant. The strong wind blows away the unripe fruit. It could be that the singular mighty wind prepares the way for the four winds of chapter 7, replete as they are with connection with the four winds of Daniel 7 which cause the beasts to arise in domination of the land.</p>


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<p>6:14&nbsp;<em>And the sky was removed as a scroll when it is rolled up-&nbsp;</em>Remember this is all in the context of the scroll being opened by the lamb. For that book to be opened, the scroll / heaven NEV "sky" of political Israel has to be closed and removed for ever. The Old Testament passage in view here in this section is clearly <em><a href='B:290 34:4-8'>Isa 34:4-8</a></em>. This however speaks of God’s final judgment of Edom, which is Esau (<em><a href='B:10 36:1'>Gen 36:1</a></em>; <em><a href='B:10 36:8'>Gen 36:8</a></em>). Revelation 6 is talking about judgments against Israel; but the point is that what latter day Esau / Edom does to Jacob will be done to them: “All of the army of the sky will be dissolved, the sky will be rolled up like a scroll, and all its armies will fade away, as a leaf fades from off a vine or a fig tree. For My sword has drunk its fill in the sky. Behold, it will come down on Edom and on the people of My curse for judgement. Yahweh’s sword is filled with blood, it is covered with fat, with the blood of lambs and goats, with the fat of the kidneys of rams; for Yahweh has a sacrifice in Bozrah and a great slaughter in the land of Edom:&nbsp; The wild oxen will come down with them and the young bulls with the mighty bulls; and their land will be drunken with blood and their dust made greasy with fat:&nbsp; For Yahweh has a day of vengeance, a year of recompense for the cause of Zion”.</p><p><em>And every mountain and island were moved out of their places</em>- In the first century application, the removal of every mountain would refer to the Roman legions flattening the approach roads: "Vespasian sent both footmen and horsemen to level the road, which was mountainous and rocky" (Josephus,&nbsp;<em>Wars of the Jews</em>&nbsp;3:7:3). Having outlined the mountainous setting of Jotapata, Josephus says that Vespasian decided "to raise a bank against that part of the wall which was practicable" (<em>Wars</em>&nbsp;3:7:8).</p><p>I mentioned in notes at the beginning of Revelation 6 that the things done to Israel / the land during the seals are then repeated to Israel’s abusers during the trumpets and vial judgments. The cup they made her drink must be drunk by them. And in keeping with this, the same ideas are found in <em><a href='B:730 16:20'>Rev 16:20</a></em> - when Babylon falls, “every island fled away, and the mountains were not found”. However, the repetition of the terms shows that literal islands and mountains are not in view- they cannot totally disappear twice. The supporters of Israel, the powers represented by mountains and islands, those who seemed so stable and eternally fixed in their place, will remove; just as the figurative mountains and islands supportive of Babylon will likewise. I have explained elsewhere that the West must fall or be rendered ineffective:&nbsp;<br/>The final tribulation of Israel will be at the same time as the Elijah ministry; and the intention is to bring down the mountains, making a smooth way for the second coming of the Lord Jesus (<em><a href='B:290 40:4'>Isa 40:4</a></em>; <em><a href='B:490 3:5'>Luk 3:5</a></em>). These judgments, involving mountains moving, are all part of that preparatory process.</p>


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<p>6:15&nbsp;<em>And the kings of the earth, the princes, the chief captains, the rich, the strong and every slave and freeman-</em>&nbsp;The kings of the land are parallel with the stars who fall from the sky, the heavens and earth who are rolled up. The leading lights of the Jewish system are the kings of the land. The kings of the land are described later in Revelation as facing judgment for their support of the beast against Israel. The current Jewish rulers of the land are to be replaced, therefore, by a new set of rulers of the land; who will be punished with the same judgment they meted out to the rulers whom they overthrew. The “princes” (AV “great men”) translates the same Greek word found in <em><a href='B:730 18:23'>Rev 18:23</a></em> about how the great men of the earth supported Babylon but would now be judged. Indeed, the terms used here in <em><a href='B:730 6:15'>Rev 6:15</a></em> are elsewhere found about those who will be judged in the land for having supported Babylon. The Jewish mighty ones, the stars and heavens, will be replaced, however briefly, by those of the Babylon / beast system. Likewise “chief captains” is found again in <em><a href='B:730 19:18'>Rev 19:18</a></em>. The wide range of people listed here in 6:15 stretch right across society; and similar words are used about the entire range who accept the mark of the beast (<em><a href='B:730 13:16'>Rev 13:16</a></em>) and follow the beast (<em><a href='B:730 19:18'>Rev 19:18</a></em>). Jewish society in the Israel of today is to be replaced by that of their invaders and the system of the beast. We note that the whole fabric of society is included here- from kings to slaves. God's judgment will affect all. None are exempt.</p><p><em>Hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains-</em>&nbsp;This hugging of the earth is a result of the stars and unripe figs falling to the earth (:13). The kings of the land are thus connected with the stars and unripe figs- representative of Israel’s unspiritual leadership. The allusion is to <em><a href='B:290 2:19-21'>Isa 2:19-21</a></em>, which was initially addressed to the proud Jews who were in Jerusalem just prior to the Assyrian invasion. They are the prototypes of arrogant, self-assured Israel in the land today: “Men shall go into the caves of the rocks and into the holes of the earth from before the terror of Yahweh, and from the glory of His majesty, when He arises to shake the earth mightily. In that day men shall cast away their idols of silver and their idols of gold which have been made for themselves to worship, to the moles and to the bats; to go into the caverns of the rocks and into the clefts of the ragged rocks, from before the terror of Yahweh, and from the glory of His majesty, when He arises to shake the earth mightily”. But Isaiah 2 speaks of this hiding in the rocks as part of the preparatory process for the establishment of the Kingdom of God on earth, on the tops of the very mountains where men only recently had been hiding themselves (<em><a href='B:290 2:2-4'>Isa 2:2-4</a></em>). Yet again, we are dealing with last days language, and also specifically about the situation in and around Jerusalem.</p><p>The hiding in caves from the face of the Lamb recalls the desire of those in Jerusalem living just before the Babylonian invasion: they wanted to hide themselves from the Lord’s presence (<em><a href='B:300 23:24'>Jer 23:24</a></em>). Likewise the Jews of <em><a href='B:370 9:3'>Amo 9:3</a></em> sought to hide themselves in the mountains of Carmel. The idea of hiding from the Lamb very much suggests the kings of the land in view are Jewish rulers of Israel. The Lamb’s wrath was being manifested through the events of the seals, and the Jewish leadership desperately seek to hide from it:&nbsp;<br/>Living in the caves and mountains recalls the behaviour of the faithful in <em><a href='B:650 11:38'>Heb 11:38</a></em>. Perhaps that connection is purposeful, to hint that through all this suffering, a minority will come to faith in Christ and repentance.</p><p>In the first century fulfilment, the ideas of hiding in caves, wishing the rocks to fall on them etc. refers to how the Jews hid underground in the 67-70 war. "On the following days the Romans searched the hiding places, and fell upon those that were underground and in the caverns" (Josephus,&nbsp;<em>Wars of the Jews&nbsp;</em>3:7:36). The Lord had told the women who watched His death that they would ask the mountains and hills to fall upon them to cover them (<em><a href='B:490 23:29-30'>Luk 23:29-30</a></em> cp. <em><a href='B:470 24:1-2'>Mat 24:1-2</a></em>; <em><a href='B:470 24:19'>Mat 24:19</a></em>; <em><a href='B:470 24:34'>Mat 24:34</a></em>).</p>


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<p>6:16<em>&nbsp;And they said to the mountains and to the rocks: Fall on us-&nbsp;</em>This again is a quotation from the Lord's words about the judgment to come upon Israel because of their crucifixion of Him (<em><a href='B:490 23:30'>Luk 23:30</a></em>). It is also a quotation from <em><a href='B:350 10:8'>Hos 10:8</a></em>, when because of "the sin of Israel... they shall say to the mountains, Cover us, and to the hills, Fall on us". My point is that these passages are all talking specifically about Israelites; the kings / rulers of the land of the sixth seal are Jews in the last days within an Israel that is to be crushed amidst unspeakable abuse and atrocity, as the pent up Moslem and Arab wrath of centuries explodes upon them. The Hosea passage in its context speaks of Israel lamenting that they have no human leaders any more (<em><a href='B:350 10:3'>Hos 10:3</a></em>; <em><a href='B:350 10:7'>Hos 10:7</a></em>) and how "the nations shall be gathered against them" (<em><a href='B:350 10:10'>Hos 10:10</a></em>). This is precisely the message of the sixth seal- the heavens / stars of the Jewish system fall, sun and moon no longer shine, and all nations are gathered together against Jerusalem at Armageddon.</p><p><em>And hide us from the presence of Him that sits on the throne, and from the anger of the Lamb</em>- There are multiple Old Testament statements that in the final time of Israel’s sufferings, God will hide His face from them (e.g. <em><a href='B:50 31:17-18'>Deu 31:17-18</a></em>; <em><a href='B:50 32:20'>Deu 32:20</a></em>; <em><a href='B:330 39:29'>Eze 39:29</a></em>; <em><a href='B:400 3:4'>Mic 3:4</a></em>). This is from their perspective- the reality is, according to this insight here, that Israel themselves seek to hide from His face NEV "presence". If the reference is to God enthroned in Heaven, this fear seems rather misplaced. Would sinful men experiencing judgment really feel they were in the presence of the throne of God in Heaven, and wish to run away from the one enthroned? The reference is more appropriately understood in a futuristic sense. In some sense, Jesus is now visibly enthroned, on the throne of David in Jerusalem, and the sinful Jews slink away from His throne, just as the rejected are pictured doing in <em><a href='B:690 2:28'>1Jn 2:28</a></em> Gk:. <em><a href='B:730 4:2'>Rev 4:2</a></em>; <em><a href='B:730 4:9'>Rev 4:9</a></em> have introduced the Lord Jesus as enthroned&nbsp;<em>at His return</em>. These sinful Jewish leaders have some sense of this, and wish to slink away from His presence in rejection. These people seek to be hid from the face / presence of the wrathful Lamb, but in 14:10 we read of how some will be tormented in the presence / before the face of the Lamb. Their desire to escape His judgment doesn’t come to anything.</p><p>Note the juxtaposition of ideas in 'the wrath of the lamb'. It is not simply that the Lord died as a lamb but returns as a rampant lion. He will have both lion and lamb aspects at His return. God’s character is not just partly severe, partly gracious. His grace and His judgment of sin are wonderfully interconnected within His character. Thus destruction comes from Shaddai, the fruitful, blessing one (<em><a href='B:290 13:6'>Isa 13:6</a></em>); and the meek, harmless Lamb has great wrath (<em><a href='B:730 6:16-17'>Rev 6:16-17</a></em>).</p><p>Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever. Who He was then, as He walked around Palestine 2000 years ago, the lamb for sinners slain, is who He will essentially be at His second coming and judgment. It’s not quite so that He was once a meek lamb but will roar back as an angry aggressive lion of Judah. Revelation brings out the paradox of “the wrath of&nbsp;<em>the lamb</em>”- not the roaring lion. Even in condemning men, His basic passion for humanity, His pain for the lost, comes out. Thus He will call those whom He rejects “Friend”, just as He addressed even Judas, a man not fit to breathe the same air as He did. And in any case, it was in His role as the lion of Judah that He opened the seals through His death, not at His return. In His mortality He was the one who served rather than the one who sat at meat; and when He returns He will again come forth and serve us, His Divine nature notwithstanding. He so earnestly desired that even the wicked children of Jerusalem who did Him to death should be gathered together into His Kingdom. As He was, so He will be, and so He is even now.</p>


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<p>6:17&nbsp;<em>For the great day of their anger comes, and who is able to stand?-</em>&nbsp;The situation clearly refers to the last day. The Old Testament ‘day of wrath’ is usually against Israel and her leaders; and these are in view here, the kings of the land. The Babylonian invasion was the day of wrath (<em><a href='B:50 29:28'>Deu 29:28</a></em>; <em><a href='B:300 32:31'>Jer 32:31</a></em>; <em><a href='B:300 44:6'>Jer 44:6</a></em>; <em><a href='B:310 1:12'>Lam 1:12</a></em>; <em><a href='B:310 2:1'>Lam 2:1</a></em>; <em><a href='B:310 2:21-22'>Lam 2:21-22</a></em>; <em><a href='B:430 2:2-3'>Zep 2:2-3</a></em>). The same word translated “wrath” is used by the Lord in the Olivet Prophecy concerning how there shall be “wrath upon this people”. The people of Israel are therefore those who suffer under the sixth seal. “The great day” is Joel’s “great and notable day of the Lord”, the second coming. <em><a href='B:720 1:6'>Jud 1:6</a></em> uses the very expression in talking about “the judgment of the great day”, “the great day of God Almighty” of <em><a href='B:730 16:14'>Rev 16:14</a></em>.</p><p>"And who shall be able to stand?" alludes to <em><a href='B:460 3:1-3'>Mal 3:1-3</a></em> concerning the coming of the latter day Elijah prophet to Israel: “Behold, I send My messenger, and he will prepare the way before Me; and the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to His temple; and the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, behold, He comes says Yahweh of Armies. But who can endure the day of His coming? And&nbsp;<em>who will stand</em>&nbsp;when He appears? For He is like a refiner’s fire, and like launderer’s soap; and He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and He will purify the sons of Levi, and refine them as gold and silver”. At the time of the sixth seal, Elijah (or the Elijah ministry) will be active in Israel amongst Jewish people. Those who do not respond to this ministry will be unable to stand before the Lord.</p>


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<p>Revelation 7 : The 144,000<br/>The seals speak of the latter day outpouring of judgment and trouble upon the land and people of Israel, perhaps throughout the entire territory of the land promised to Abraham. God’s judgments on His people are never simply the wrath of a powerful Deity; they are intended to elicit repentance. They are His appeal to men. After the seals, we read of the sealing of 144,000 from the twelve tribes of Israel. This could be all purely symbolic- 12 tribes multiplied by the 12 disciples, making 144, and thousands of them, speaking therefore of Jews who had come to Christ. But the laboured repetition of the “12,000” and the names of each tribe is striking. It may simply be that the Lord wishes to stress how every single one of those latter day believers is known to Him. Or it could be a literal number, and the ethnicity / tribal origins of the Jews is known to the Lord. But I somewhat doubt that kind of literalism is to found in Revelation or the entire apocalyptic genre. Perhaps there is a geographical reference- Jews from the entire extent of the land and tribal allotments of Israel.</p><p>The Seals and Islam<br/>Reading through the seals is like reading parts of the Koran and Hadith which speak of the judgments which Islam wishes upon the Jews. This is not simply because the Koran is full of garbled allusions to the Old and New Testaments e.g. Sura 2:249 confuses several Bible stories: “And when Saul set out with the army, he said: Lo Allah will try you by the ordeal of a river. Whosoever therefore drinketh thereof he is not of me, and whosoever tasteth it not he is of me, save him who taketh thereof in the hollow of his hand. But they drank thereof, all save a few of them. And after he had crossed the river, he and those who believed with him, they said: We have no power this day against Goliath and his hosts. But those who knew that they would meet Allah exclaimed: How many a little company hath overcome a mighty host by Allah's leave Allah is with the steadfast”. The reality is that radical Islamists, in strict obedience to the Koran, will seek to bring these judgments upon the people and land of Israel because they think this is what the Koran tells them to do; and in so doing they will fulfil Revelation. For the kind of brutality they practice is only possible for a person who has been brainwashed with religious or political philosophy. That’s why jihadist volunteers are firstly sent for weeks of ‘teaching’ before being sent to fight. The kind of extreme, severe abuse of Israel which is required by the language of Revelation and Daniel 7 is such that it would require people fuelled by deep religious programing to execute it. The Quran often speaks of God’s severity against the Jews because of their supposed sins against Mohammad and refusal to accept Islam, e.g. Sura 2:211: “Ask of the Children of Israel how many a clear revelation we gave them He who altereth the grace of Allah after it hath come unto him for him, lo Allah is severe in punishment”. This is the reasoning which will inspire the Moslems to abuse the Jews so intensely. “Because of the wrongdoing of the Jews… we have prepared for those of them who disbelieve a painful doom” (Sura 4:160,161). Unashamed aggression is taught by the Koran multiple times, e.g. Sura 9:123 "O ye who believe Fight those of the disbelievers who are near to you, and let them find harshness in you". “Then seized I those who disbelieved, and how intense was my abhorrence” (Sura 35:26). And so we could continue:</p><p>"Fight (slay and kill) those who do not believe in Allah, nor in the last day (judgement day), nor do they prohibit what Allah and His Messenger have prohibited, nor they follow the religion of truth (the religion of Islam) out of those who have been given the Book (Jews and Christians), until they pay the tax, in acknowledgment of superiority and (recognition that) they are in a state of subjection (to Islam)" (Sura 9:29).<br/>"Worst among men in enmity to the believers (Muslims) wilt thou find the Jews and pagans" (Sura 5:82).<br/>"O ye who believe, take not the Jews and the Christians for your friends and protectors. They are but friends and protectors to each other, and he amongst you that turns to them for friendship is one of them Verily, Allah guideth not a people unjust (Jews and Christians)" (Sura 5:51).<br/>"Those who reject Islam among the people of the book (Jews and Christians) and among the polytheists (all other religions) will be in hell fire to dwell in there for ever and they are the worst of creatures" (Sura 98:6).</p><p>Not only Revelation, but many other latter day prophecies are full of language strikingly similar to that found in the Koran. The jihadist Moslems seek to obey the Koran, and by doing so, they will be fulfilling Bible prophecy about the last days. For example, <em><a href='B:360 2:6'>Joe 2:6</a></em> LXX speaks of how in the final day of the Lord, Israel will be invaded by a latter day Assyrian, "a numerous and strong people" (:2), and "Before them shall the people of Israel be crushed: every face shall be as the blackness of a caldron (AV "gather blackness")". The Koran in Sura 7:106 speaks of this happening at the last day, when Moslems will blacken the faces of those who refuse to convert to their religion: "On the Day when some faces will be whitened and some faces will be blackened; and as for those whose faces have been blackened, it will be said unto them: Disbelieved ye after your profession of belief? Then taste the punishment for that ye disbelieved".</p><p>The punishments of the seals are the very punishments which the Koran says must be brought upon the Jews in order to make them repent and accept Islam and that Mohammed was a messenger to them: "We shall test you with fear, hunger, loss of wealth, lives and fruits so that when afflicted with calamity they will say, Truly To Allah we belong and truly, to Him we shall return" (Surah 2:155,156). These calamities will indeed cause a remnant to repent- but return to the God of Israel, rather than convert to Islam. Surah 4:160,161 and the Hadith expansions upon it speak of starving the Jews and torturing them, which is how I interpreted <em><a href='B:730 6:5-8'>Rev 6:5-8</a></em>: “Because of the wrongdoing of the Jews we forbade them good things which were before made lawful unto them, and because of their much hindering from Allah's way, and of their taking usury when they were forbidden it, and of their devouring people's wealth by false pretences, We have prepared for those of them who disbelieve a painful doom”.</p><p>Sura 17,&nbsp;<em>Al-Isra</em>, is about future Moslem judgments upon "The children of Israel". Sura 17:7,8 speaks of how latter day Moslems will repeat the historical judgments of the Jews upon them. This explains why some Jihadist groups see themselves as the revival of Babylon and Assyria: "So, when the time for the second of the judgments came we roused against you others of our slaves to ravage you, and to enter the Temple even as they entered it the first time, and to lay waste all that they conquered with an utter wasting. It may be that your Lord will have mercy on you, but if ye repeat the crime we shall repeat the punishment, and we have appointed hell a dungeon for the disbelievers". The language of utter wasting and taking the temple mount is exactly that of latter day Bible prophecies about what is to happen to Israel in the last days. The Hadith and some Suras of the Koran are full of such language of what shall be done to the Jews and Israel: "we annihilate it with complete annihilation... or punish it with dire punishment... There is not a township but we shall destroy it ere the Day of Resurrection, or punish it with dire punishment" (Sura 17:16,58). And radical Islam is all set up to fulfil it. The same Sura continues to liken that final destruction of the Jews to a book of judgment being opened: "We shall bring forth for him on the Day of Resurrection a book which he will find wide open. And it will be said unto him: Read thy Book" (Sura 17:13,14). Likewise Sura 17:58: "There is not a township but we shall destroy it ere the Day of Resurrection, or punish it with dire punishment. That is set forth in the Book of our decrees”. This is the significance of the judgments upon Israel in the last days being likened to a scroll / book being opened.</p><p>7:1&nbsp;<em>After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that no wind should blow on the earth, or on the sea, or upon any tree</em>- When we come to Revelation, especially bearing in mind its’ constant allusions to the Old Testament, the ‘earth’ can generally be understood as the land of Israel. All the weight of Biblical evidence is in this direction. There are undeniable similarities between the events of the seals and vials, and what happened in the land in AD66-70. The whole idea of pouring out judgment upon the ‘earth’ refers to the OT images of such judgments being poured out upon the land. Consider too how <em><a href='B:730 7:1'>Rev 7:1</a></em>: “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…”. If the earth has corners, it can’t really be the globe, rather, an area such as the land.</p><p>There seems to be an&nbsp;association&nbsp;between the "four winds”,&nbsp;the four "living creatures" and the four "beasts" mentioned at various points in Scripture. It is suggested that these all refer, even if indirectly, to a literal four cherubic Angels. <em><a href='B:730 7:1'>Rev 7:1</a></em> is the clearest evidence: "I saw four Angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth". The stress is on "the four winds". <em><a href='B:340 7:2-3'>Dan 7:2-3</a></em> connects the winds and the beasts: "Behold, the four winds of Heaven strove upon the great sea. And four great beasts came up from the sea". The "four winds" may refer to Angels- God makes His Angels spirits or winds.</p><p>"The four corners of the earth" is proof enough that the earth / land doesn’t refer to the whole planet but to a specific territory on the planet- the land, promised to Abraham, with defined borders. The Hebrew word translated ‘borders’ in the context of the borders of the land is also translated “corners”. We think of <em><a href='B:330 7:2'>Eze 7:2</a></em>: “You, son of man, thus says the Lord Yahweh to the land of Israel, An end: the end has come on the four corners of the land”:&nbsp; The four Angels on the borders of the land connect with the four Angels on the Euphrates, the northern / eastern border of the land, who shall release the hordes they are holding back to surge towards Israel. That process may already be in operation. We are here introduced to the idea that there are Angels holding back the winds of destruction on the borders of God’s land and people. This explains the miraculous survival of the state of Israel since 1948. The hordes of neighbouring enemies have been restrained- by the Angels on the borders of the land. But they will remove that restraint, and we can see that already happening. It’s worth noting that the key enemies of Israel in the Old Testament are described as dwelling in the corners of the earth / land (<em><a href='B:300 9:26'>Jer 9:26</a></em>; <em><a href='B:300 25:23'>Jer 25:23</a></em>; <em><a href='B:300 49:32'>Jer 49:32</a></em>); and Israel are described as going into captivity in the corners of the earth / land promised to Abraham (<em><a href='B:50 32:26'>Deu 32:26</a></em>; <em><a href='B:290 11:12'>Isa 11:12</a></em>). So it’s appropriate that the winds of destruction come from these same corners of the land. <em><a href='B:730 20:8'>Rev 20:8</a></em> defines “the nations which are in the four quarters of the land” as being “Gog and Magog”; clearly the Ezekiel 38 Gog is being defined as the epitome of the nations along the borders of Israel, who both historically and currently are Israel’s main enemies.</p><p>The four winds of the earth / land create a picture reminiscent of <em><a href='B:340 7:2'>Dan 7:2</a></em>; the four beasts which dominate the earth / land of Israel in the last days all arise as the result of the four winds / spirits / Angels operating over the sea of nations. Now, the four winds / spirits / Angels are told not to blow upon the land and sea until the faithful have been sealed. The connection would teach that the final domination of the land by the beast systems occurs after the events of the seals; or perhaps, the seals are part of that domination period, but there is a break, the winds of destruction are held back, so that those Jews who have responded in repentance can be sealed. In <em><a href='B:330 37:9'>Eze 37:9</a></em>, the wind from the four winds comes to spiritually revive the spiritually dead Israel who have returned to their land from dispersion. But here in Revelation 7, these four winds are the winds of destruction. It is from them and the desolation associated with them- that spiritual life is breathed into Israel. The winds are controlled by the four Angels who ‘stand’ or ‘are appointed’ at the four corners of the land- it may be that they were appointed from Old Testament times, not least in Daniel 7.</p><p>Significantly, the Koran likens the judgment of Jews and apostates to the coming of winds. The whole of Sura 77 is entitled&nbsp;<em>Al-Mursalat&nbsp;</em>(The Emissaries, Winds Sent Forth). These winds of judgment come "when the stars are put out, and when the sky is riven asunder, and when the mountains are blown away" (Sura 77:8-11). This is all very much the language of the seals, trumpets and vials. The judgments upon Israel are brought by the Moslems in terms of their own understanding of condemnation. And they too will be judged in the same way- the thing they greatly fear comes upon them, the cup they give Israel to drink, they must drink.</p><p>We noted at the beginning of the seals in Revelation 6 that the first four seals, the four horsemen, are based upon the horsemen of Zechariah 1 who desolate the land of Israel and scatter her people. Here in Revelation, the thought then moves on to the four winds- and the same is to be found in Zechariah, where <em><a href='B:450 2:6'>Zec 2:6</a></em> associates them with the scattering into the provinces of Babylon and Persia: “flee from the land of the north, saith the Lord: for I will gather you from the four winds of heaven” (LXX). The land of the north (Babylon, where Judah were in captivity in Zechariah’s time) is “the four winds” because its territory covered much of the land promised to Abraham. The same Hebrew words are found in <em><a href='B:450 6:5'>Zec 6:5</a></em>, where the four horses responsible for desolating Israel are “the four winds AV “spirits” of the heaven”. Judah were also gathered from the four winds in the sense that the Angels were with them, as demonstrated by Ezekiel’s vision of the four beast cherubim. This is surely the idea of <em><a href='B:480 13:27'>Mar 13:27</a></em>: “Then shall He send His Angels, and gather together His elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth land to the uttermost part of Heaven”. The earth / land in view is that promised to Abraham, and the heartland of Israel’s enemies is and always has been at the uttermost part of it, at the Euphrates border where ISIS are from and are currently. The parallel between Heaven and earth here in the Lord’s teaching is in line with what we find so often in Revelation- the situation on earth is reflected by the Angels in Heaven who stand in the Heavenly throne room.</p><p>The four winds / four Heavenly cherubim beasts are the Heavenly antithesis of the four winds and four beasts of Daniel 7 on earth who desolate the land. The four horns which arose from the third empire were “towards” the four Angelic winds of Heaven; there was a connection between them (<em><a href='B:340 8:8'>Dan 8:8</a></em>; <em><a href='B:340 11:4'>Dan 11:4</a></em>). There is no such thing as radical evil- even the worst desolators of God’s people are under direct Angelic control. We note too the prophecy of the four winds in <em><a href='B:300 49:36'>Jer 49:36</a></em> against Elam, modern day Iran: “I will bring upon Elam the four winds from the four quarters of heaven. And I will scatter them to all those winds”. The “quarters” of Heaven suggest that Heaven, like the earth / land with its corners, is a territory. I suggest that ‘Heaven’ here is a reflection of the earth / land promised to Abraham. Elam / Iran will likewise be judged by the Arab nations living in the corners of the land promised to Abraham, and will be scattered into those areas.</p><p>The four winds plural are spoken of as one wind (<em><a href='B:730 7:1'>Rev 7:1</a></em>). This is rather like how the four beasts are effectively one beast. Scattering to the four winds was scattering to “the land of the north” (<em><a href='B:450 2:6'>Zec 2:6</a></em>). The four cherubim beasts of Ezekiel chapters 1 and 10 are effectively one system, moving the same way. We shouldn’t therefore be necessarily looking for four distinct entities to dominate the land in the last days. The ‘four’ refers to Heaven’s organization, and how it is reflected on earth.</p><p>"Holding the four winds" is better 'restraining'. This sounds similar to the idea of the Angels restraining the hordes which then burst over the Euphrates to desolate the land; and to the restraining influence which stops the antichrist being revealed in <em><a href='B:600 2:5-7'>2Th 2:5-7</a></em>. This period of restraint is maybe seen by John in order to serve as a dividing point between the suffering of the six seals, and the fact that some in the land repent as a result of thIsa. These are sealed, and then the trumpet judgments are poured out, and then the desolating powers are destroyed, as outlined in the seven vials. But there may not be an actual period of time required to ‘seal’ the 144,000. The language of winds blowing is that of the final judgment in <em><a href='B:470 7:25'>Mat 7:25</a></em>; <em><a href='B:470 7:27'>Mat 7:27</a></em>.</p>


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<p>7:2<em>&nbsp;And I saw another angel ascend from the sunrising, having the seal of the living God; and he cried with a great voice to the four angels to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea</em>- The East is ‘the sunrising’. The idea of the sun rising connects with the language of the Lord Jesus returning as the sunrise (<em><a href='B:460 4:2'>Mal 4:2</a></em>). Again the time is located around the second coming of the Lord. The allusion may be to the Lord’s description of His coming as a bright shining arising from the East (<em><a href='B:470 24:27'>Mat 24:27</a></em>).</p><p>Other references to sealing refer to a mark being placed on a person by God which&nbsp;<em>He&nbsp;</em>recognizes, although the world doesn’t see it. Thus Paul’s converts were a seal of His apostleship (<em><a href='B:530 9:2'>1Co 9:2</a></em>)- to God, but not to men. The seal of God is simply that “The Lord knows them that are His” (<em><a href='B:620 2:19'>2Ti 2:19</a></em>). We are sealed by being given the Spirit in our hearts, very privately and intimately (<em><a href='B:540 1:22'>2Co 1:22</a></em>; <em><a href='B:560 1:13'>Eph 1:13</a></em>; <em><a href='B:560 4:30'>Eph 4:30</a></em>). But that knowledge is to Him, and is not publicly displayed. For people to be sealed, they are as it were known by God, stamped with His mark. It might even be that there is a mass baptism into Christ of Jewish people in the land- that would certainly be a point at which believers are sealed. This would admirably fulfil the otherwise strange prophecy of <em><a href='B:450 13:1'>Zec 13:1</a></em>, that a fountain will be opened in Jerusalem in which the inhabitants of Jerusalem can be washed from their sin.</p><p>The outline idea is of an Angel putting a mark on God’s people so that other Angels don’t harm them with the judgments they are pouring out. And this of course recalls the Passover Angel hovering over the homes of the Israelites who had placed the mark of the Lamb on their doorposts, so that “the Destroyer” Angel would not destroy them. <em><a href='B:330 9:4'>Eze 9:4</a></em> is similar- a mark is placed upon the forehead of those in Jerusalem who are repentant, so that they are not hurt by the judgments of the Babylonian invasion and destruction of the temple. These allusions further encourage us to understand the 144,000 as Jewish Christians within the land / earth.</p><p>"The four Angels" connect with how in Daniel 7 it is the four beasts who do the hurting of the land. But these are but the earthly counterparts of the Heavenly cherubim, which are portrayed also as four beasts. And here the point is made explicit- there are four Angels coordinating the desolation of the land in the last days.</p><p>"To whom it was given to hurt" again reminds us of the constant comfort that it is God who allows the desolation and even ultimately empowers it.</p>


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<p>7:3&nbsp;<em>Saying: Do not hurt the earth, nor the sea, nor the trees</em>- Significantly, the Koran stipulated that trees are not to be damaged during campaigns against infidels. The same word for "hurt" was used in 6:6, where the oliveyards and vineyards were not to be then hurt. This may mean that now the judgments upon the land are poured out upon it.</p><p><em>Until we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads</em>- This sealing of the 144,000 is presented at the beginning of Revelation 14 as the counterpart to the sealing of the other inhabitants of the land with the mark of the beast in&nbsp;<em>their</em>&nbsp;foreheads which we find at the end of Revelation 13. The faithful who come through the traumas of the six seal judgments of chapter 6, refusing to take the easy way out by receiving the mark of the beast in their forehead, are sealed with the Father’s Name in their foreheads. They are known by Him, and they know Him. The presence or absence of ‘marks in the forehead’ decides whether the beast system will persecute people or not; and in response to this, the Divine judgments will likewise be upon those who lack the Father’s Name but instead have the beast’s name (<em><a href='B:730 9:4'>Rev 9:4</a></em>; <em><a href='B:730 13:16'>Rev 13:16</a></em>; <em><a href='B:730 14:1'>Rev 14:1</a></em>; <em><a href='B:730 14:9'>Rev 14:9</a></em>; <em><a href='B:730 20:4'>Rev 20:4</a></em>). And it is those who have the Father’s Name in their foreheads who will again be given it yet more permanently at the day of judgment (<em><a href='B:730 22:4'>Rev 22:4</a></em>). This means that their response to the beast’s persecution is in effect their day of judgment ahead of time; because they refuse to accept his mark in their foreheads, therefore the Father will give them His mark in their foreheads- which is the reward of the faithful at the last day. This is a feature I commented upon extensively in&nbsp;<em>The Last Days</em>- that our response to the tribulation is effectively our judgment day. And this has an appropriacy to it- for if the generation alive at the Lord’s coming will be the only one to never die, they need to be prepared in a unique way for the passage into eternity which they will experience. And this will be achieved through their experience of the tribulation.</p><p>The mark of the beast in the forehead is clearly intended to be understood as the inverse of the “seal of God” which is in the forehead of the believers (<em><a href='B:730 9:4'>Rev 9:4</a></em>). The word&nbsp;<em>sphragis</em>&nbsp;used there definitely means a seal, and it is matched by the “mark” of the beast. That mark can be understood, therefore, also as a seal- and what more likely than the seal of Mohammed? It may be that signet rings are used to stamp documents, or it forms part of an insignia without which no business can be done in the land. The Koran itself speaks of how true Moslems will have the mark of Mohammad on their foreheads as a sign that they worship: “Muhammad is the messenger of Allah. And those with him are hard against the disbelievers and merciful among themselves. Thou O Muhammad seest them bowing and falling prostrate in worship, seeking bounty from Allah and His acceptance. The mark of them is on their foreheads from the traces of prostration” (Surah 48:29). In <em><a href='B:730 14:9'>Rev 14:9</a></em>; <em><a href='B:730 14:11'>Rev 14:11</a></em>, having the mark of the beast is connected with worshipping him. The Islamic jihadist movement set to take over Israel is a highly religious movement, seeking to strictly obey the Koran. They are highly conscious of these verses. They perceive those who don’t have&nbsp;<em>their</em>&nbsp;mark in the forehead as having the mark in the forehead of condemnation (Surah 9:35); the idea of a seal being placed upon non-Moslems who refuse to convert to Islam is found also in Sura 7:101: "Thus doth Allah print upon the hearts minds / foreheads of disbelievers". All this is in fact the picture presented in Revelation of sealing with forehead marks. We have either the mark of the beast Islam, or of the Father. And so the Koran also says in This is exactly the idea of Sura 7:46,48: "And on the Heights are men who know them all by their marks... the dwellers on the Heights call unto men whom they know by their marks". Islam believes that the unbelievers are sealed by God in their unbelief- whilst the Moslems are sealed as believers. "Allah has set a seal on their hearts and on their hearing, and on their eyes there is a covering. Theirs will be a great torment" (Sura 2:7). Note too that the Koran and Hadith repeatedly speak of faithful Moslems as the servants of Allah, with Mohammad as the supreme servant. The description of the 144,000 as “servants of our God” is purposeful in this context; in the time of Moslem domination of the land, they will be the&nbsp;<em>true</em>&nbsp;servants of God, in opposition to the Moslems who falsely claim to be His servants. In this context it’s worth noting the claim that “The value of the word "Muhammad" equals the value of the word "Jesus." (Jesus = 444,&nbsp;Muhammad = 444). Therefore, "Muhammad seal" and "Jesus seal" both equal 666”.</p><p>The seal is the Name of the Father, Yahweh (<em><a href='B:730 14:1'>Rev 14:1</a></em>). The only personage in the Old Testament who had the Yahweh Name in their forehead was the High Priest, who on his mitre had written ‘Holiness / Dedicated to Yahweh’:&nbsp; The idea was that all of the 144,000 are as the High Priest- in that they are “in Christ” and all that is true of Him is true of them.</p>


