1

AN EXPOSTION OF THE BOOK OF

REVELATION

By

David L. Cooper, Th.M., Ph.D., Litt.D.

Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of the prophecy, and keep the
things that are written therein: for the time is at hand” (Rev. 1:3).

To HIM

who is the spirit of Prophecy

Copyrighted © 1972

By

Biblical Research Society

Prepared and edited by Oliver J. Siemens

First vice President Biblical Research Society (1972)

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CHAPTER 1… page 5 Preliminary Considerations

CHAPTER 2… page 17 Outline of the Book of Revelation

CHAPTER 3… page 30 The Glorified Son of Man (Rev. 1)

Letters to the Seven Churches of the Province of Asia

CHAPTER 4… page 39
(Rev. 2 and 3)

CHAPTER 5… page 64 The Vision in Heaven (Rev. 4 and 5)

CHAPTER 6 … page 81 The Seal Judgments (Rev. 6:1-17)

The Tribulation (Rev. 6-19)

The 144,000 Jewish Evangelists and

CHAPTER 7… page 101
the Worldwide Revival (Rev. 7:1-17)

CHAPTER 8 … page 114 The Trumpet Judgments (Rev. 8 and 9)

CHAPTER 9 … page 129 The Little Book Eaten by John (Rev. 10:1-11)
The Small Parenthesis (Rev. 10:1-11:14)

The Jewish Temple of the Tribulation, The Holy City

CHAPTER 10… page 134 and the Two Witnesses (Rev. 11:1-14)
The Small Parenthesis (Rev. 10:1-11:14)

The Stage Setting for the Latter Part of the Tribulation

CHAPTER 11… page 148 (Rev 11:15:19)
The Great Parenthesis (Rev. 11:15-15:8)

The Woman, child, and the Dragon (Rev. 12:1-17)

CHAPTER 12 … page 160
The Great Parenthesis (Rev. 11:15-15:8)

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The Two Beasts and the World Kingdom of the End Time
CHAPTER 13 … page 178 (Rev. 13:1-10)
The Great Parenthesis (Rev. 11:15-15:8)

The Vision of the Second 144,000 on Mount Zion

Eternal Punishment and Some Highlights
CHAPTER 14 … page 195
on the Day of Jehovah (Rev. 14:1-20)
The Great Parenthesis (Rev. 11:15-15:8)

The Third Sign in Heaven (Rev. 15:1-8) The Great

CHAPTER 15 … page 206
Parenthesis (Rev. 11:15-15:8)

The Pouring Out of the Bowls of God’s Wrath

CHAPTER 16 … page 212
(Rev. 16:1-21)

CHAPTER 17 … page 219 The End of Babylon the Harlot (Rev. 17:1-18)

The Destruction of the City of Babylon Rebuilt

CHAPTER 18 … page 226
and Standing in the End Time (Rev. 18)

CHAPTER 19 … page 232 The Marriage of the Lamb and the Second Coming of Christ (Rev. 19)

CHAPTER 20 … page 244 The Reign of Christ and the Judgment of the Great White Throne (Rev. 20)

CHAPTER 21 … page 256 The Eternal Order (Rev. 21:1-22:5)

The Closing Remarks of the Book of Revelation

CHAPTER 22 … page 265
(Rev. 22:6-21)

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CHARTS:
page 9 …
The Unfolding of the Ages
page 21 …
The Message of Revelation
page 88 …
The Jewish Calendar
page 166 …
God’s Light Bearers
page 170 …
Satan’s Five Abodes and His Activities
page 183 …
The Four World Empires According to Dan. 7 and
Rev. 13 and 17
page 248 … The Millennial Jerusalem
page 253 … The Four Judgment
page 262 … The Eternal Jerusalem

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Chapter 1

Preliminary Considerations

To the average Christian the word prophecy instantly calls

attention to something about the future. This is a limited meaning of
the word.

The Significance of the Word "Prophecy."

The term "prophecy" literally means to speak in behalf of another,
in other words, to be a mouthpiece of the Deity. With this broad,
definite meaning it is clear that anything that a man of God spoke
while under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit was prophecy—whether
it referred to past, present or future events. This original, primary
meaning of the word "prophecy" finds expression in the Hebrew
Bible. Men who lived after the events which they related had to
receive knowledge of that which they were writing by the aid and
inspiration of the Holy Spirit. In a true sense the writers of the
historical portions of the Old Testament were prophets. At times they
spoke concerning things that were present before them. God
frequently made a revelation concerning these, but it was by the
inspiration of the Holy Spirit that He made the disclosure. This type
of message from God was likewise called prophecy because the
speaker was delivering a message from God. Again, the message
from God frequently pertained to things in the future. From these
statements we see that any message which a man of God delivered,
irrespective of whether he was talking about things past, present or
future, was a prophetic message.

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In our day we have limited the meaning of the word "prophecy" to

those matters which deal with the future. If we examine the Word of
God carefully we shall see that a large portion of the Word is devoted
to future events. In the Pentateuch there are some predictions with
reference to the future. Throughout the historical portions of the Old
Testament there are similar predictions. The book of Psalms is largely
prophetic. There are a few of the Psalms that are devotional in their
nature. Practically all of the messages of the writing prophets (and
there are seventeen of them) are bringing messages about future
things. In the Gospels we have much prophecy. For instance, the
thirteenth chapter of Matthew setting forth the parables of the
kingdom; the Olivet Discourse in Matthew 24 and 25 are pure
prophecy. The same thing is true with reference to Mark and Luke. In
Acts we have several prophecies. There is also prophecy in the Jewish
section of Romans, chapters 9, 10 and 11. In the Epistles we find
various predictions. The last book of the Bible is devoted entirely to
predictive prophecy. If one wishes to avoid predictive prophecy he
will have to close his eyes to a very large portion of the revealed
Word of God. No born-again child of God will want to do that.

The Gradual Unfolding of the Prophetic Word

Prophecy properly begins with Genesis 3:15, which is the text of
the entire Bible. Throughout this book of beginnings and in all of the
Scriptures are many prophetic utterances which are of the utmost
importance to a proper understanding of God's plans and purposes.
One must have a fairly accurate knowledge of the revelation found in
the Old Testament in order that he might comprehend that which is
disclosed in the New Testament.

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The Book of Revelation the Culmination of Prophecy

Someone has written an exposition of the book of Revelation in
two parts and entitled his volumes The Crown Jewel of Prophecy.
This is an appropriate title. The first volume deals with the prophecies
found in the Old Testament. The final volume deals exclusively with
the book of Revelation. If one is to understand the book of Revelation
properly he must know the prophecies in the Old Testament and in
the New. Being thoroughly acquainted with what Moses, the prophets
and the apostles said, the Bible student is prepared to look at the
Crown Jewel of Prophecy.

Special Blessing to the One Who Reads the Book of Revelation

“The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show unto
his servants, even the things which must shortly come to pass: and he
sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John; who bare
witness of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ,
even of all things that he saw. Blessed is he that readeth, and they that
hear the words of the prophecy, and keep the things that are written
therein: for the time is at hand” (Rev. 1:1-3).
In comparing the books of the Bible you will find that there is no
other book that has more Gospel—that presents Christ in all the
plenitude of His power and wisdom and might and glory than the
book of Revelation. There are also many exhortations and much
instruction for the people of God. So God especially promises a real
blessing to the one who reads; to those that listen; to those that take
the message seriously and keep the things that are written in the book.
There is a blessing for anyone who will read any portion of God's
Word. In fact, God instructed His people of Israel to read the Word
and the priests were appointed to teach it to the people. The Apostle
Paul told the church at Corinth that the things that happened to Israel
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occurred to them by way of example and that "they are written for our
admonition upon whom the end of the ages is come." Moreover, the
Apostle Paul told Timothy: "Every scripture inspired of God is also
profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for instruction
which is in righteousness: that the man of God may be complete,
furnished completely unto every good work" (2 Tim. 3:16,17).

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THE UNFOLDING OF THE AGES: The chart, “the Unfolding of the

Ages” reveals the major prophetic events from the birth of Christ to
the ages of ages. Note particularly the culminating prophecies in the
book of Revelation.

This statement refers to the Scriptures of the Old Testament, but what
is true of them is likewise true about all of the New Testament. Every
Christian should aspire to be useful and profitable in the Master's
cause. It takes every book of the Bible to make one furnished
completely unto every good work. For instance, if anyone wishes to
understand God's dealings with men and His overruling providence
among the nations, he should read and study the book of Job. Its
message is as fresh today as it was the day on which it was written,
and the truths contained therein are as correct today as they were
when they were penned.
In the Apostolic Age very few people, comparatively speaking,
were able to read and write. Most people had to depend upon the
literate ones to read for them. The illiterate were not barred from the
blessings promised to the reader of the book. He could get someone
to read it to him, could listen with an attentive ear, an open heart, a
receptive mind and receive the blessing promised to them "that hear
the words of the prophecy."
When doing research for my Doctor's degree, I went through at
least one hundred fifty volumes of Greek papyri, selecting and
studying everything that came from the first century of the Christian
era. Literally hundreds of letters and documents would close this way:
"I, so and so, write this in behalf of so and so, who does not know
letters." There was very little education among those living in the

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Greco-Roman world. Any man wanting to have a document written

had to go to a public stenographer.
The things contained in the book of Revelation are so very clear
that anyone can understand its contents. There are wonderful
blessings promised to those who read it, who hear it, and who do the
things contained in the book. The promise of blessing to those who
keep the words of the book of Revelation shows positively that it can
be understood by those who really are seeking to know and to do the
will of God. God does not require anything of man that he cannot
fulfill. He is not party to such deception. We therefore conclude that
the book of Revelation can be understood and that the things therein
can be kept.

The Significance of the Word "Revelation"

The word in the original text translated "revelation" means to
remove the cover, to take off the veil. That is, to expose to the view,
or gaze upon that which has been covered up or unseen. Those
Scriptures that deal with the past and reveal to us what was done in
days gone by remove the covering from the past and bring to light
that which has already transpired. The same thing is true with
reference to the future. Certain portions of the Word, which we call
prophecy, remove the covering from the future and enable people to
see ahead of time that which is coming to pass. Moses and the
prophets spoke of the first coming of the Messiah. Had the Jews read
with open minds and receptive hearts the messages of the prophets,
and had they known God in a personal manner, they would not have
rejected Him. But not knowing God and being ignorant of the
Scriptures, they literally fulfilled them in condemning Him. As
people before the first coming of Christ could look into the written
Word and could see what God said would come to pass, they were
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able to recognize the fulfillments of the prophecies as they were being

fulfilled. At the present time we can read the prophetic Word dealing
with the present and the future and can recognize in current events the
fulfillment of many predictions. In view of these facts it is no wonder
that the Apostle Peter said that "we have the word of prophecy made
more sure; where-unto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a lamp
shining in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day-star arise in
your hearts: knowing this first, that no prophecy of scripture is of
private interpretation. For no prophecy ever came by the will of man:
but men spake from God, being moved by the Holy Spirit" (2 Peter
1:19-21).

SOME SPECIAL SUGGESTIONS REGARDING

THE PROPHETIC WORD

Try to Divest Oneself of All Preconceptions

All preconceptions or prejudices are blinding and hinder one from
seeing the truth. In other words, a person must have an insatiable
desire to know truth and a determination not to allow his
preconceptions and preferences to sway his judgment or to determine
his thinking. Thus, anyone by the Spirit of God should pray that he
might be divested of all preconceptions and prejudices.

Hunt for the Truth

A man must make an honest effort in his quest for truth. He must
remember the promise that God makes in such passages as Proverbs
2:1-5 in which we see the four conditions for understanding the Word
of God: (1) To be willing to receive the Word of God; (2) to lay it up
in the heart; (3) to pray for spiritual understanding; and (4) to search
the Scriptures.
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Be Open to Conviction—But Not Gullible

A person must also be open aggressively in his quest for truth. He
must have such a desire for righteousness, truth and justice that he is
actually hunting for it. Some study the Bible from different motives.
But the one and only motive that should actuate a student in his Bible
study is to learn the truth.
When anyone assumes an open mind to receive any and all truth he
must avoid being gullible and investigate that which is presented to
him. Should not we be like the noble Beroeans of whom we read in
Acts 17:11,12? "Now these were more noble than those in
Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of
mind, examining the scriptures daily, whether these things were so.
Many of them therefore believed; also of the Greek women of
honorable estate, and of men, not a few."

Put Into Practice Whatever is Learned

Whenever one learns any truth, he should put that into practice. If
he does not, then it is soon lost. Whenever one learns a new truth and
does not express it in words or actions, the truth just learned will not
be his very long.

The Golden Rule of Interpretation

When the plain sense of Scripture makes common sense, seek no
other sense; therefore, take every word at its primary, ordinary,
usual, literal meaning unless the facts of the immediate context,
studied in the light of related passages and axiomatic and
fundamental truths, indicate clearly otherwise.
Do you know that much harm has been done by those who study
the book of Revelation who do not observe this general, fundamental
rule? As it states, we are to take every word at its primary, ordinary,
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usual, literal meaning unless the facts of the immediate context,

studied in the light of related passages, indicate clearly otherwise. We
are never to say that a passage is figurative unless the facts of the
context indicate that fact. Only when there is positive evidence that a
passage is not used in a literal sense are we justified in departing from
the ordinary, literal meaning. We should make allowances for figures
of speech in the prophetic Word the same as we do in the historical
portions of the Scriptures. Also, whenever the facts of a context
indicate that a passage is used in a symbolic sense, we are to interpret
the symbol according to God's significance which He attaches to the
same.

The Author and the Time of Writing the Book of Revelation

Among conservative scholars it is agreed that the Apostle John,
the disciple that leaned on Jesus' breast, is the author of the Gospel,
the three Epistles bearing his name, and the book of Revelation.
There are those of the advanced school of criticism who challenge the
Johannine authorship of the book of Revelation. One of the principle
reasons for denying to John its authorship is that its vocabulary, style
and diction vary considerably from that of the Gospel and the three
Epistles. When a person recognizes that the subject matter of
Revelation is entirely different from that of the Gospel and the
Epistles and that God took John as he was and spoke through him,
then he can see how John the Apostle could be the author of the book
and yet use a different style and diction from that employed in the
Gospel and the three Epistles.
Many scholars believe John was a prisoner on the Isle of Patmos
for the Word of God and the testimony which he bore to the Lord
Jesus. This occurred during the reign of Domitian, the Roman
emperor, in the year A.D. 96. John addressed this revelation to the
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seven churches (local congregations) which were in the west central

part of Asia Minor.

A Birds-Eye View of Revelation

From Rev. 1:19 we learn that it naturally falls into three general
divisions: First, "the things which thou sawest"; secondly, "the things
which are"; and thirdly, "the things which shall come to pass
hereafter." Chapter 1 constitutes the first division. The second section
consists of chapters 2 and 3, which contain letters written to the seven
churches. The third division starts with chapter 4 and runs to the end
of the book.
The regular apostolic prayer and blessing appears in the first
chapter followed by a description of the glorified Son of Man. His
countenance reveals that He was indignant over the situation which
had developed among the churches. Though He is kind and full of
compassion, His wrath is stirred at sin and wickedness.
A glance at chapters 2 and 3 shows that the seven letters to the
different congregations cover every conceivable condition which may
arise in the church. These messages also reflect different periods of
Church History. This is confirmed by comparing these letters with the
seven parables of the kingdom in Matthew 13 which forecast the
course of Christendom through the centuries to the coming of Christ.
Additional confirmation is found by studying the various periods of
Church History in the light of these letters and the parables. In view
of these facts there can be little doubt that these letters had, not only a
local and historic application for the Apostle's day, but also a
dispensational significance.
The data given in chapters 4 and 5 presuppose that the Rapture of
the saints has already occurred. In this section we have a vision of
Heaven as it will be immediately before and during the Tribulation.
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Chapters 6 to 19 inclusive give us a graphic description of the

judgments and their effects upon earth as they fall upon it during the
entire Tribulation Period.
Chapter 20 presents a description of the 1,000 years' reign of our
Lord upon earth and the judgment of the Great White Throne after the
Millennial Age.
The last two chapters of the book describe the eternal heavens and
earth which are created after the present heavens and earth have
passed away. The present heavens and earth are repaired and
remodeled at the end of the Tribulation. The new Jerusalem of these
chapters comes down out of the eternal heavens and rests upon the
eternal earth.
Let us enter this study with prayerful hearts that God may open
our eyes to behold the wonderful things contained in the final
message from Heaven to earth.
Suppose the New Testament closed with the book of Jude and we
did not have the book of Revelation. All of the ragged ends of the Old
Testament (and there would be ragged ends of the New Testament)
would be left dangling. We would not have a complete revelation.

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Chapter 2

Outline of the Book of Revelation

Introduction (1:1-8).
The Key to the Book (1:19).

I. The Things Which Thou Sawest—Vision of the Glorified Son of

Man (1:9-20).

II. The Things Which are—Letters to the Seven Churches of Asia

(Rev. 2 and 3).
A. Ephesus (2:l-7).
B. Smyrna (2:8-11).
C. Pergamum (2:12-17).
D. Thyatira (2:18-29).
E. Sardis (3:l-6).
F. Philadelphia (3:7-13).
G. Laodicea (3:14-22).

III. The Things Which Shall Come to Pass Hereafter (Rev. 4-22).
A. The Vision in Heaven (Rev. 4 and 5).
B. The Tribulation (Rev. 6-19).
1. The Seal Judgments (6:1-17).
2. The 144,000 Jewish Evangelists and the World-wide Revival
(7:1-17).
3. The Trumpet Judgments (8:1-9:21; 11:14).
4. Small Parenthesis (10:1-11:14).
a. The Little Book Eaten by John (10:1-11).
b. The Temple and the Holy City (11:1-13).
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5. The Great Parenthesis (11:15-15:8).

a. Advance Announcement of Outcome of the Second Half of
the Tribulation (11:15-19).
b. The Woman, Child and Dragon (12:1-17).
c. The Two Wild Beasts (13:1-18).
d. Special Announcements (14:1-15:8).
(1) Regarding 144,000 Redeemed on Mount Zion (14:1-5).
(2) Regarding the Everlasting Gospel (14:6, 7).
(3) Regarding the Fall of Babylon (the Harlot) (14:8).
(4) Warning Against Taking the Mark of the Beast (14:9-12).
(5) Revelation Concerning the Martyrs of the Second Half of
the Tribulation (14:13).
(6) The Harvest of the Earth (14:14-16).
(7) The Vintage of the Earth (14:17-20).
e. Vision of the Martyrs of the Second Half of the Tribulation
(15:1-4).
f. The Seven Angels With Bowl Judgments Prepare for Action
(15:5-8).
6. The Bowl Judgments (16:1-21).
7. Information Supplemental to Account of Second Half of
Tribulation (Rev. 17-19).
a. The Fall of Babylon the Harlot in Middle of Tribulation
(17:1-18).
b. The Fall of Babylon the City at End of Tribulation (18:1-24).
c. The Second Coming of Christ and Attending Events
(19:1- 21).

C. The Millennium and Its Aftermath (20:1-15).

1. The Millennium (20:1-6).
2. The Short Period Following the Millennium (20:7-10).
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3. The Judgment of the Great White Throne (20:11-15).

D. The Eternal Order (21:1-22:21).

Four Theories of Approach

The contents of the book is of such nature that the viewpoint from
which the book is surveyed determines its interpretation.
One of four familiar theories is that known as the preterist
interpretation. This hypothesis assumes that John was writing about
things that were in existence in his own day, A.D. 96. From this point
of view all the data must be forced into a peculiar mold which sees
and interprets the language as applying only to that day and time—a
very illogical approach.
The second is known as the historical theory, or hypothesis. This
point of view assumes that John was describing the major events
which would occur during the Christian Dispensation. This view,
therefore, must be doctored and forced to fit into the scheme of
secular history. In other words, this theory assumes that the book of
Revelation is Church History pre-written in a kind of symbolic or
figurative manner.
Another system is known as the spiritualizing school. These
interpreters assume that everything in the book is figurative or
metaphorical. They believe John was describing a spiritual conflict:
the fight between the forces of good and evil, and the ultimate
triumph of Christ over the Devil and his forces.
The last of the four theories is the futurist view. Those holding this
view simply take the book for what it says, interpreting its literal
language at face value unless there are facts in the context which
indicate a departure from the normal, or literal, meaning of the
passage. They believe that the first three chapters of the book of
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Revelation are historical, even though there are certain prophetic

elements and promises contained in them. Beginning with Revelation,
chapter 4, and continuing to the end, the Apostle wrote about things
yet future; events that will occur in the Tribulation, the Millennium
and throughout eternity. Taking everything into consideration, the
student cannot avoid this conclusion: that the premillennial
interpretation is the only logical system to be followed.
So far as predictions are concerned, there is nothing new in the first
twenty chapters of the book. Practically everything appearing in this
portion of the Word may be found in the Old Testament.

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THE MESSAGE OF REVELATION—The chart, “The Message of

Revelation”, is an uncovering of the future from the Christian age to
the eternal order.

The great fundamental truths, set forth by Moses and the prophets, are
assembled in the Revelation and presented in various settings and
combinations. There is simply a bringing together of the many lines
of prophetic thought to be woven into a grand fabric of providential
occurrences which are yet future. One must constantly study and refer
to the Old Testament in order to determine fully the force and
meaning of many of the passages in this book.

Introduction (Rev. 1:1-8)

“The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show
unto his servants, even the things which must shortly come to pass:
and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John; who
bare witness of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ,
even of all things that he saw. Blessed is he that readeth, and they that
hear the words of the prophecy, and keep the things that are written
therein: for the time is at hand.
"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; and from Jesus Christ,
who is the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of
the kings of the earth. Unto him that loveth us, and loosed us from our
sins by his blood; and he made us to be a kingdom, to be priests unto
his God and Father; to him be the glory and the dominion for ever and
ever. Amen. Behold, he cometh with the clouds; and every eye shall
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see him, and they that pierced him; and all the tribes of the earth shall
mourn over him. Even so, Amen.
"I am the Alpha and the Omega, saith the Lord God, who is and
who was and who is to come, the Almighty."
In the first statement we see the words "The Revelation of Jesus
Christ." The word "revelation" in the original, as already indicated,
means to remove the covering, to expose to view. The book therefore
claims to expose the future so that the people of God may see what is
yet to come. Having confidence in every word of the inspired text, we
shall believe that this book is indeed a divine disclosure, mediated
through Jesus Christ, to the servants of God. We are told that God
gave this revelation to Christ to pass on to His servants. Why is it said
that God gave the revelation to Christ, since He was God and equal to
the Father? The answer lies in the fact that the second person of the
Holy Trinity limited Himself. Though He existed in the form of God,
Christ thought it not robbery to be equal with God, but emptied
Himself—laid aside the glory He had with the Father from all eternity
and took on the form of a servant. He entered the world by
miraculous conception and virgin birth. He went to the cross to suffer
and die for mankind. He was buried. He was raised with a glorified
body. He ascended to Heaven and became our great High Priest to
intercede in our behalf. All good and perfect gifts come to us from
God, through Christ, in the power of the Holy Spirit.
What do the names Jesus and Christ mean? The word "Jesus"
comes from a Hebrew word transliterated Joshua, meaning Jehovah-
salvation, "Christ" is the Greek word for the Anointed One. Christ is
the Messiah, the King of Israel.
The Lord gave this revelation to be delivered to "his servants," or
"bondservants," as Christians are called. We have been set at liberty

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by Christ and the Lord's freedman is the Lord's bondslave and vice
versa.
The things which are revealed in the book of Revelation, as stated
in verse 1, "must shortly come to pass." The first things set forth in
this prophetic program were to come to pass shortly, and they did
begin to come to pass soon after the revelation was made. The word
"shortly" may also be translated speedily, quickly, or soon. As the
time arrives for any of the foretold events to come to pass, they do so
with swiftness.
The word rendered "signified" has been misunderstood. According
to a prevalent theory it means to sign-i-fy, that is, to write in signs.
The Greek word conveys no such idea. It is a mistake to interpret this
word as indicating that the book of Revelation is written in signs, or
symbols. In some instances, as in Rev. 12:1, 12:3 and 15:1, God
called certain things signs, and we dare not interpret them as being
literal objects. We are never to interpret anything in the Bible as a
sign except where the facts clearly indicate such to be the meaning.
This message was sent to John, the faithful witness to the Word of
God and to the testimony of the Lord Jesus, he who was suffering
banishment on account of his boldness in Christ.
According to Rev. 1:3 a special blessing is pronounced upon those
who read the book of Revelation; upon those who hear it read (being
unable to read for themselves); and upon those who keep, or observe,
the things written in this book. God would not mock His servants by
promising a particular blessing—even to the ignorant one who can
only listen to the reading—if it were so very mysterious that it could
not be understood.
If the time were near in the first century—when the message was
newly given—certainly it must be much nearer in the twentieth
century, for all of the signs of the times so indicate.
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The Prayer and Dedication

According to verse 4, the book of Revelation was originally sent to
the seven churches. In behalf of these churches (and all other
churches through-out the age) a special prayer is made by John:
"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; and from
Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and
the ruler of the kings of the earth" (Rev. 1:4, 5). Grace and peace in
the soul come from God alone.
The word "grace" has various shades of meanings. For instance,
grace "was given us in Christ Jesus before times eternal" (2 Tim. 1:9).
God's grace (spiritual power) is sufficient for us now (2 Cor. 12:9;
Heb. 4:16). Then grace is to be brought unto us at the revelation of
Jesus (1 Peter 1:13). The peace for which John intercedes in behalf of
the churches is the peace of Christ in the heart which passes all
understanding (Phil. 4:7). Christ miraculously bestowed that peace
upon the Apostles. When a person accepts Christ today, the Lord puts
peace and assurance in his heart. One of the fruits of the Spirit is
peace (Gal. 5:22, 23). The grace and peace, for which John is making
supplication, comes from the Holy Trinity: from God the Father "who
is and who was and who is to come"; from "the seven Spirits that are
before his throne"; and "from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness,
the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth." In
Isaiah 11:1, 2 the Holy Spirit is spoken of in terms of the seven things
which He does in and through Jesus Christ. All blessings which we
enjoy come from the three Personalities of the Holy Trinity. Our
prayers are to be directed to God the Father, through the Lord Jesus
Christ, in the power of the Holy Spirit. This we learn by comparing
Scripture with Scripture.

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Our Lord Jesus is "the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead
and the ruler of the kings of the earth." He always sought to do the
will of God the Father and not His own. He faithfully declared the
will of God, regardless of circumstances and conditions. He
challenged His opponents by asking them to point out one thing in
which He was wrong. They could not point to one. Jesus asked,
"which of you convicteth me of sin?" (John 8:46).
He was the "firstborn of the dead" in that He was the first and only
one who died, and who was raised back to life never to see death
again. Others before Him had been raised from the dead, but not to
immortal life. He, being the first one to have this glorious experience,
is said to be the "firstborn of the dead." In the family of Israel the
firstborn always had the preeminence, the double portion and the
birthright. Christ is called the "firstborn" in Psalm 89:27: "I also will
make him my first-born." He is to have the preeminence, the
birthright.
He will also be "the highest of the kings of the earth." Moreover,
He is "the ruler of the kings of the earth." All authority in Heaven and
in earth has been given unto Him and He is the Supreme Sovereign.
Sometimes it seems as if the nations of earth are having their own
way and that Satan has full control. This is not true for our Lord is
overruling, guiding and directing the course of human events and
history. He is steering all things toward the great, grand and glorious
consummation, yet in the future.
According to the latter part of verse 5, Christ "loveth us, and
loosed us from our sins by his blood." The word rendered loveth is in
the linear verb stem and indicates continued action. He loved us in the
past; He loves us in the present; and He will continue to love us! But
the verb rendered loosed is in the aorist tense, and indicates one act
that has already been accomplished. This passage is in accord with
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the doctrine of the finished work of Christ on the cross, by which all
who accept Him are saved and cleansed by His blood. The one who is
thus regenerated has been loosed from all his sins—past, present and
future. This is an accomplished fact because of the blood of Christ
that cleanses us from all sin.

The Kingdom of God

We who are saved constitute a kingdom (vs. 6) and we now
acknowledge the sovereignty of our blessed Lord and Saviour. We are
in the spiritual kingdom of God now—having been translated from
the kingdom of darkness "into the kingdom of the Son of his love; in
whom we have our redemption, the forgiveness of our sins" (Col.
1:13, 14). There are five usages of the term, kingdom of God;
unfortunately, too little study has been devoted to this all-embracing
theme. For instance, in Psalm 103:19-22 it refers to the universe. In 1
Chronicles 28:4, 5 the kingdom of Jehovah is coextensive with the
literal kingdom of Israel. In John 3:3-5 this phrase refers to the
spiritual kingdom of God in which only regenerate men are found. It
has a different connotation in the parables of the kingdom appearing
in Matt. 13, Mark 4 and Luke 8; here it refers to Christendom which
might be represented graphically by a large circle. The Church of
Jesus Christ, the real kingdom of God in which all regenerate people
are, is within this circle of Christendom—a circle within a circle.
Matthew, in recording the parables of the kingdom, used the term,
"the kingdom of heaven," where Mark and Luke have "kingdom of
God." The fifth meaning of the expression, kingdom of God, is seen
in its application to the Millennial age of our Lord (Matt. 6:10). One
must examine the facts of each context in order to determine the
significance of these expressions.

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Moreover, we are priests "unto his God and Father." Every

Christian is a priest (a go-between), approaching God in behalf of not
only his own needs, but those of his fellow Christians and of the
world.
To Christ will be "the glory and the dominion for ever and ever."
The expression "for ever and ever" is literally "unto the ages of the
ages" and the significance of that expression is what we should think
of when we use the words "for ever and ever"; that is, into the ages of
the ages of all eternity. At this point the Apostle John utters a fervent
"Amen" which means "May it be thus!"
According to verse 7, Christ will come with the clouds: "Behold,
he cometh with the clouds." This verse is the text of the book of
Revelation. This same thought is made known by the angels who
stood by the disciples as Jesus ascended (Acts 1:9-11).
When Jesus comes in fulfillment of this promise, at the end of the
Tribulation, "every eye shall see him." This means that every mortal
living at that time will see Christ as He comes in power and great
glory. Jesus expressed the same thought earlier as recorded in
Matthew 24:30: "and then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in
heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall
see the Son of man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and
great glory." John also informs us that "they that pierced him" shall
likewise see Him. This means that those who clamored for the death
of Christ, as well as those who actually did the executing, will (from
Hades, where they have been ever since their death) see Christ
coming in power and great glory. That is what the Lord Jesus said to
Caiaphas, when the latter asked Him if He were the Son of God, the
Messiah of Israel (Matt. 26:63, 64). "But Jesus held his peace. And
the high priest said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God, that
thou tell us whether thou art the Christ, the Son of God. Jesus saith
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unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Henceforth ye
shall see the Son of man sitting at the right hand of Power, and
coming on the clouds of heaven." John was eager for the Lord Jesus
to return, therefore he exclaimed, "Even so, Amen."
The introduction to the book of Revelation closes with a profound
statement by God the Father concerning Himself: "I am the Alpha and
the Omega, saith the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to
come, the Almighty" (vs. 8). The Father, the Self-existing One, who
sent this message to the churches, is the One who inhabits eternity:
"For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose
name is Holy: I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is
of a contrite and humble spirit ..." (Isa. 57:15). He who is the
Almighty Sovereign, seated upon the throne of the universe, has sent
the message of the book of Revelation through "Jesus Christ ... the
faithful witness" to all His servants in order that they might
understand the future and conform their lives to His eternal plans and
purposes.

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Chapter 3

The Glorified Son of Man (Rev.1)

John, A Prisoner of the Lord

"I John, your brother and partaker with you in the tribulation and
kingdom and patience which are in Jesus, was in the isle that is called
Patmos, for the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. I was in the
Spirit on the Lord's day, and I heard behind me a great voice, as of a
trumpet saying, What thou seest, write in a book and send it to the
seven churches: unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamum,
and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto
Laodicea. And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And
having turned I saw seven golden candlesticks; and in the midst of the
candlesticks one like unto a son of man, clothed with a garment down
to the foot, and girt about at the breasts with a golden girdle. And his
head and his hair were white as white wool, white as snow; and his
eyes were as a flame of fire; and his feet like unto burnished brass, as
if it has been refined in a furnace; and his voice as the voice of many
waters. And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth
proceeded a sharp two-edged sword: and his countenance was as the
sun shineth in his strength. And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as
one dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying, Fear not; I am
the first and the last, and the Living one: and I was dead, and behold,
I am alive for evermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades.
Write therefore the things which thou sawest, and the things which
are, and the things which shall come to pass hereafter; the mystery of
the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven
golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven

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churches: and the seven candlesticks are seven churches" (Rev. 1:9-
20).
For our first consideration is the fact that the Apostle John was in
prison when he received this revelation. In writing to the seven
churches of Asia, the Apostle spoke of himself as "your brother and
partaker with you in the tribulation and kingdom and patience." An
impressive thought here is that the apostolic writers placed
themselves on the same level with all their brethren; they never
elevated themselves to an ecclesiastical pedestal to usurp authority
over them. John was simply a brother; he had the same precious faith
which they possessed in common in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Other things held in common were "the tribulation and kingdom
and patience which are in Jesus." So far as we know, the churches in
Asia at this time were not suffering any great persecutions. But as
John told them the church at Smyrna would experience some
persecution in the immediate future. The apostolic writers never
shrank from any persecution; rather they considered such to be a part
of their lives. Let us differentiate between the statement by John—
that he was a partaker with them "in the tribulation"—and that period
of time which is usually called "the great Tribulation." The Apostle
Paul assured the churches which he established on his first missionary
tour that "... through many tribulations we must enter into the
kingdom of God [the Millennial Kingdom]" (Acts 14:22). John was
referring to such tribulations. The Great Tribulation, mentioned in
Revelation 7:14, is a period of seven years with which this present
Christian Dispensation concludes, during which God's severest
judgments will fall upon the earth.
John was likewise a partaker of the kingdom along with the
brethren to whom he was writing. The kingdom about which he was
writing is the present, spiritual kingdom into which we were brought
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when translated from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of the

Son of God's love (Col. 1:13). This spiritual kingdom was established
on the first Pentecost after the resurrection of Christ. One enters it by
being born again—by being regenerated by the Spirit of God. But
those who are in this present spiritual kingdom will enter into the
eternal kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ when He comes
with His saints, at the conclusion of the Tribulation Period. John was
likewise a partaker of the patience which is in Christ. The word
rendered "patience" is in the footnote of the Revised Version
(published 1901) translated stedfastness. Persecutions and trials
develop in the faithful child of God the qualities of stedfastness and
patience.
John was on the Isle of Patmos because he was preaching the
Word of God and giving testimony concerning the Lord Jesus. How
long he was there we do not know. We have no information as to
where and when he was arrested and banished to the island. It is quite
probable that he was arrested in Ephesus where he was engaged in a
longtime ministry.

The Lord's Day

John states that he was "in the Spirit on the Lord's day" when he
received this revelation of the Lord Jesus Christ. What is the meaning
of "the Lord's day"? Two answers have been given: first, that the
reference is to the first day of the week; second, that "the day of
Jehovah" or "the day of the Lord" is indicated. It seems probable that
John is here referring to the first day of the week. The fact to consider
is that the word translated "Lord's" is an adjective, used only twice in
the New Testament; properly rendered it would read "lordly." In 1
Corinthians Paul refers to the "lordly supper" which our translation
renders "the Lord's supper" (1 Cor. 11:20). Since, in this verse, John
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was giving data concerning his location and the time, naturally this
expression, "lordly day," would indicate what is called "the Lord's
day," the first day of the week.
In what way does John use the designation "the day of Jehovah" or
"the day of the Lord"? It is altogether possible that when the Spirit
came upon him he was carried forward in vision to the time of the
Tribulation. In the Old Testament this is called "the day of Jehovah"
or "the day of the Lord." John could have been thinking in such terms
and was indicating that he was transported to the time of the Great
Tribulation. There is no doubt (see 2 Peter 1:19-21) but what he was
carried forward by the Spirit and that he was let down in the midst of
the judgments of "the day of the Lord." It is not likely, however, that
this is his thought in Rev. 1:10. It is more probable that he was
explaining that it was on the first day of the week when he received
the revelation.
Pursuant to the instructions given to John, the book of Revelation
was sent to the seven churches in the little province of Asia, then in
the western part of Asia Minor. Since it was directed to seven
different churches we might assume that a circular letter was
dispatched to those respective congregations. It is quite likely that the
original autograph penned by the Apostle John was first dispatched to
the church at Ephesus since that is the first church mentioned in Rev.
1:11 and is the first of the seven to which a letter is addressed, as
indicated in Rev. 2:1. It is possible that when this letter was received
by the church at Ephesus, a copy was made and the original sent on to
Smyrna, the next church on the list. This church also made a duplicate
of the letter and, retaining their copy, forwarded the original on to the
next church. Finally, it is quite likely that copies were made of this
letter and were distributed to other churches in various parts of the
world. How the New Testament letters, as addressed to particular
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local groups, began to be circulated in larger circles, is hinted in Col.

4:16: "And when this epistle hath been read among you, cause that it
be read also in the church of the Laodiceans; and that ye also read the
epistle from Laodicea." It was also in this manner that the letters
addressed to various churches and the Gospels addressed to certain
nationalities, were circulated throughout the Greco-Roman world—
they were transmitted after having been copied by scribes.

The Vision of the Glorified Christ

While John was in solitude on Patmos, on the Lord's day, he heard
a great voice behind him. It sounded like a trumpet calling to him,
saying, "What thou seest, write in a book and send it to the seven
churches." Thereupon John turned and looked. There, presented to his
vision, was the likeness of seven candlesticks, or lampstands. Moving
among them was the glorified Son of Man. According to verse 13,
He was "clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about at
the breasts with a golden girdle." His head and His hair were "white
as white wool, "white as snow" (vs. 14). His white hair is probably
indicative of His eternal existence. This thought is expressed in
Daniel 7:9 which describes the Lord God Almighty, the Father, as
having "the hair of his head like pure wool"—He is there called the
"ancient of days," the One existing from all eternity.
"His eyes were as a flame of fire"—an expression that would
naturally indicate wrath. In our day one's anger, in terms of his facial
expression, is described in these words: "His eyes shot fire!"
In verse 15 we are told that "his feet [were] like unto burnished
brass." With such feet He could go roughshod over any opposition or
any obstacles that might lie in His path. "His voice [was] as the voice
of many waters," indicates a perturbed spirit and indignation of soul.
According to verse 16, "he had in his right hand seven stars; and out
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of his mouth proceeded a sharp two-edged sword." The seven stars, as

seen in verse 20, are symbolic of the seven churches. Since the sharp
two-edged sword proceeded out of the mouth of the Son of God, we
interpret this phenomenon as indicative of His word of indignation,
pronouncing judgment upon those against whom He was indignant. In
Eph. 6:10-20 the Apostle Paul is seen comparing the Christian to the
Roman soldier and his armor. One of the things he said they should
take was "... the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God" (Eph.
6:17). The Word of God seems to be symbolized by this sharp two-
edged sword which proceeded out of the mouth of the glorified,
indignant Son of God.
The Word of God is first seen in its creative aspect; God spoke and
it was done (Gen. 1). The Word of God in its legal aspect, in Exodus,
chapter 20, is presented by "thou shalt" and "thou shalt not." The
Word of God in its punitive force is seen in the case of Ananias and
Sapphira who lied to God, not to men (Acts, chapter 5). Then there is
the Word of God in its faith aspect, as reflected in the Gospel. Of
these, verse 16 reveals the punitive aspect of the Word of God.
Also in verse 16 we are told that Christ's countenance was brilliant
"as the sun shineth in his strength." Shining forth, irradiating from His
person, were manifestations of His glorious, omnipotent, omniscient
and omnipresent divine Being.
This description of the Son of God showed His attitude in the year
A.D. 96, when the book of Revelation was written. The churches had
not progressed as they should have; on the contrary, they were on a
very low plane from that on which they should have been moving—
hence the displeasure of the Lord.
The glorified Christ was moving in the midst of the seven golden
lampstands which symbolized the churches, as shown in Rev. 1:20.

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Though He was in Heaven, yet He was in a very real sense upon the
earth, walking in the midst of the churches.

John's Reaction to the Vision

John tells us that when he saw the Son of Man thus glorified he "fell
at his feet as one dead." It is no wonder that this vision of Christ had
such a paralyzing effect upon the Apostle. John had seen Jesus during
His lifetime manifesting His lamb qualities, but on this occasion he
saw Him manifesting His lion traits. He was indignant at the situation
and His divine ire was profoundly stirred. He was and is the Lamb of
God that takes away the sin of the world, but He is also the Lion of
the tribe of Judah. He will go forth against all opposition when the
time for action comes. We may well believe that John actually fell
over, almost frightened to death.
John tells us that the Lord then took hold of his right hand and
said: "... Fear not; I am the first and the last, and the Living one; and I
was dead, and behold, I am alive for evermore, and I have the keys of
death and of Hades" (vss. 17, 18). With these comforting words
John's fears were allayed.
The Lord spoke of Himself as "the first and the last" and as being
"the Alpha and Omega." "Alpha and Omega" are the first and last
letters of the Greek alphabet. Christ is from all eternity of the past and
will continue throughout the ages to come.
He left glory, entered the world by miraculous conception and
virgin birth and served His day and generation. He then went to the
cross where He was crucified. His body was laid in the tomb, but His
spirit went down to Hades. On the third day He came forth from the
tomb, a triumphant Conqueror! His spirit had reentered His body
whereupon He arose from the dead. During the forty days following
His resurrection He appeared at various times to His disciples. There
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were ten appearances altogether. The disciples had the opportunity of

seeing, touching and feeling His body, and of hearing Him. Thus they
knew that He had risen from the dead. He will never return to death
anymore. He brought life and immortality to light through the Gospel.
At the time of His ascension the Lord Jesus sat down at the right hand
of the throne of God. He is there making intercession for all who
come to God by Him. He is able to save unto the uttermost all who
desire to be saved and who come to Him for this redemption.
Jesus, after He had accomplished His work down in Hades, seized
the keys of death and Hades, then came forth and liberated all the
saved from the realm of death. In possessing the keys of death and
Hades, He demonstrated that He is the Master of the spirit-world. In 1
Peter 3:18-22 we are told that Christ was put to death in the flesh and
in the spirit He went and made an announcement to the spirits in
prison, those that were disobedient in the days of Noah. Peter does
not say that Christ, when He was put to death in the flesh, went and
preached to the spirits in prison. This is a very misleading translation.
The Greek word for "preach" means to make an announcement—
whether good or bad. The character of the message is not implied by
the word kerusso. Christ was put to death in the flesh and his spirit
descended into Sheol, the Hebrew word corresponding to the Greek
word Hades. When He ascended on high He led those to glory whom
He had released from Hades. Ever since then He has had the keys of
death and Hades. Is it not wonderful that the believer today upon
death goes immediately into the presence of Christ and does not, as
those prior to His victory, go down into Hades?

The Threefold Division of the Book of Revelation

John was commanded to write three things (vs. 19): (1) The things
which thou sawest; (2) the things which are; (3) the things which shall
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come to pass hereafter. The things which John saw refers to the vision
he had of the Son of Man walking in the midst of the seven golden
candlesticks, chapter 1. “The things which are" refers to the seven
churches to whom the seven letters were addressed, chapters 2 and 3.
The things which shall be hereafter pertain to those events described
in chapters 4 through 22.
The stars symbolize the angels (messengers) of the churches; each
possibly being the leading person in the congregation, the one to
whom the people looked for guidance. The candlesticks symbolize
the churches. Candlesticks cannot give light of themselves. Only
when oil is in the lamps can they give light. The purpose of the
Church of Christ is to be the pillar and the ground of the truth, to give
forth the testimony concerning Jesus Christ to men who have never
heard the Gospel. The Church of Jesus Christ is God's missionary
society. These seven lampstands symbolize the complete Church,
seven being the numeral indicating perfection, or completeness. In
verse 20 a mystery is not something intangible, something that cannot
be understood; it is a secret never revealed before, but is now being
made known.

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Chapter 4

Letters to the Seven Churches of the

Province of Asia (Rev. 2 and 3)

We have looked at the introduction and the first section of the

book of Revelation. Now we are ready to study the second section,
chapters 2 and 3. This portion of Revelation is, in the language of
Rev. 1:19, "the things which are," the letters written by the Spirit
through John to the seven churches.
There was a general pattern in which these letters were written. A
glance at each will yield the following facts: The Lord Jesus, at the
beginning of each letter, spoke of Himself in terms derived from the
vision presented in chapter 1; He called attention to the fact that He
possessed certain characteristics or qualifications that enabled Him to
meet their immediate need. In the second place the Lord Jesus
complimented each of the churches for the commendable things they
were doing and for which they were standing. In the third place He
reproved them for any delinquencies or failures and sounded a
warning. At the conclusion of each letter He held out a bright,
thrilling promise of some glorious reward faithful ones would receive
in the future.
Each letter was addressed "To the angel of the church in ..." As
previously suggested, the "angel" was probably some leading
personage in the congregation. The word "angel" means messenger. It
is also quite possible that there were messengers from the various
churches who visited John while he was in prison on Patmos. In this
event it is likely that the term angel referred to these messengers, to
whom John was to give a copy of the letter. For instance, to the
messenger from Ephesus, John was to give the special message
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addressed to him in verses 1-7 of the second chapter. While we

cannot determine exactly the meaning of the word angel, or
messenger, our understanding of it does not affect the interpretation
of the message.
In Matthew, chapter 13, we have the parables of the Kingdom.
Jesus is presenting the course of the Kingdom of Heaven. If you will
notice the first parable is that of the sower (Matt. 13:1-23). The sower
went forth to sow seed, and it fell upon four different kinds of soil.
The sower, in the explanation, is none other than the Son of Man.
Notice in the parable of the wheat and tares there is an advancement.
The Word of God is the seed in the first parable. There are those of
the Kingdom in whose hearts the Word of God has taken root and is
dominating their lives. They have become the seed. In the last
parable, verses 47 to 49a: "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto
a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind: which,
when it was filled, they drew up on the beach; and they sat down,
and gathered the good into vessels, but the bad they cast away. So
shall it be in the end of the world [marginal rendering, 'consummation
of the age']." This should never have been translated the "end of the
world"; the "consummation of the age" is correct. The angels shall go
forth and sever the wicked from the righteous, and shall cast them
into the fire. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. The first
parable depicts the beginning of the Christian Dispensation and the
seventh, or last one, ends it. This is quite a significant fact! In the
parable of the wheat and tares there is another advancement—a
development beyond the parable of the sower. This is evidently a
setting forth, in a typical manner, the history of the church. The
parable of the sower represents the Apostolic Age, beginning with the
Lord Jesus Christ. The parable of the wheat and tares represents, or
typifies, the subapostolic age—the age immediately following the
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Apostles. Then follows the parable of the grain of mustard seed (vss.
31, 32). Here the Kingdom of Heaven is likened to a grain of mustard
seed that a man sowed in his field. It grew and developed into such
abnormal size the fowls of the heaven could come and build their
nests in it. This represents the days of Constantine, who became a
nominal Christian in 323 A.D. and made the Christian religion the
official religion of the Greco-Roman empire. That which was a small
plant suddenly developed into a great, mighty and towering tree.
Next, the Kingdom of Heaven is likened unto leaven, which a
woman took and hid in three measures of meal. This represents the
period beginning with 600 A.D. By this date the Roman Catholic
Church had developed into a dominating organization.
The next parable, in verse 44, tells us that "the kingdom of heaven
is like unto a treasure hidden in the field; which a man found, and hid;
and in his joy he goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that
field." This parable does not strictly refer to any one age. It shows
that the man who bought the field did so that he might obtain the
treasure. In the Old Testament Israel is referred to as being a treasure.
The parable of the treasure in the field is considered to be a reference
to God's paying the purchase price for the Jewish nation in sending
His son.
The Lord Jesus, in verses 45 and 46 says, "Again, the kingdom of
heaven is like unto a man that is a merchant seeking goodly pearls:
and having found one pearl of great price, he went and sold all that he
had, and bought it." A pearl is a gem that is made this way—a grain
of sand gets into the oyster shell and penetrates the body of the oyster.
The oyster then secretes a kind of fluid that crystalizes around the
grain of sand and develops into a pearl. That pearl is formed out of
the side of the oyster. There is a theory that states from Christ's side
flowed the blood that purchased the Church and that this pearl is the
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Church. Christ gave up His life and bought the field with the view of
purchasing the Church out of it.
The last parable is the dragnet which is drawn in at the end of the
age, describing the separation of the wicked from among the
righteous. While this is not an exact parallel to Revelation, chapters 2
and 3, there are certain very pronounced features. Keeping in mind an
advancement in the parables: The first parable began with the first
coming of Christ; the last parable ends with the second coming.*
With these observations in mind, let us notice briefly the messages
presented in Revelation, chapters 2 and 3.

First, to the Church in Ephesus

The church at Ephesus represents the Apostolic Church. Applying
His language from the description found in chapter 1, Jesus presents
Himself to this church as the one who "walketh in the midst of the
seven golden candlesticks." We have seen that the candlesticks, or
lampstands, symbolized a local congregation. The Lord Jesus had
ascended to Heaven approximately sixty-six years prior to this time,
to be seated at the right hand of the throne of God. In spirit He was in
the midst of the churches, observing their conduct. Being an old
established congregation, and having enjoyed the ministry of such
men as Paul and John, it should have been a brightly burning light for
the Lord Jesus. The church at Ephesus needed to recognize this fact
and to be reminded to walk always as in the presence of God.

* For a detailed study of the book of Matthew, see Messiah: His Historical
Appearance by Dr. David L. Cooper, Ph.D., Litt.D.

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To its credit, it had performed many wonderful works and was

exemplary in patience and endurance. This church was thoroughly
orthodox—a very important matter.
What does Christ say in verse 2? "I know." In each letter He says,
"I know." That too is important! Notice Psalm 139—God knows
everything! The Psalmist said, "Whither shall I go from thy Spirit? Or
whither shall I flee from thy presence?" If a person could go into the
Heaven of heavens, he would find God there. You cannot hide
anything from Him. In this instance, what does He know? "I know
thy works." People are saved for service. "For by grace have ye been
saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;
not of works, that no man should glory. For we are his workmanship,
created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God afore prepared that
we should walk in them" (Eph. 2:8-10). Every Christian should be
working for God. We are saved by the grace of God, through faith,
but we are to be rewarded according to our works. The church in
Ephesus had performed some good works. There are three things the
Lord said He knew about them: The kind of works they were doing;
the motives which prompted them; and whether or not they were
putting their hearts into their work.
Jesus leveled a serious complaint against this church: "But I have
this against thee, that thou didst leave thy first love." The
quintessence of religion is love—the love mentioned in 1 Corinthians,
chapter 13, which manifests itself in sixteen different ways in daily
life and conduct. The church in Ephesus was losing this priceless
possession.
The Lord threatened to remove its candlestick if it did not repent
and come back to its original state, in divine love, communion and
fellowship with God and Christ. The word "repent" means to change
the thoughts, purposes and intentions of the heart or mind.
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In verse 7 the Lord gives a personal call to each one to listen to the
message of the Holy Spirit. Christ made a promise, that the
overcomer would have the privilege of eating of the tree of life in the
Paradise of God. The significance of this statement may be seen by
referring to the promise found in Revelation, chapters 21 and 22. For
the overcomer, this is a thrilling hope and expectation. An overcomer
is defined in 1 John 5:4, 5: "For whatsoever is begotten of God
overcometh the world: and this is the victory that hath overcome the
world, even our faith. And who is he that overcometh the world, but
he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?"

Second, to the Church in Smyrna

In introducing Himself to this church, the Lord Jesus said that He
was the First and the Last, the One who has always existed and who
continues to live throughout all eternity. Though He was God, in
entering the world by miraculous conception and virgin birth He
became the God-man. The purpose of His coming into the world was
to purchase man's redemption, to provide atonement for man's sin,
and to open up the new and living way of approach to God through
His shed blood. At the appointed time He walked into the jaws of
death, allowing the Roman authorities to seize Him and nail Him to
the cross. He died in our stead, shedding His blood for our
redemption. Being God in human form, He arose from the dead,
bringing life and immortality to light through the Gospel. He
therefore told this church that He had died, but that He came to life
again, never to see corruption.
His reason for calling this church's attention to these basic facts
was this: There was a storm of persecution brewing that would soon
bear down upon its head. Self-preservation is the first law of nature. It
is natural for men to try to preserve their lives. In times of danger,
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under pressure people are prone to soft-pedal their convictions. By so

doing they hope to escape persecution and death. Such dangers are
common to all. By implication the Lord asked those who would be
facing trials by persecution to follow Him as an example. This church
represents the sub-apostolic period.
In verse 9 He is seen as recognizing their situation: "I know thy
tribulation, and thy poverty." He added that He knew those among
them who were blaspheming and claiming to be Jews, "and they are
not, but are a synagogue of Satan." They were not Jews in the real
sense of the term, because they lacked the spirit of Abraham. It was a
consoling thought to these endangered Christians as they were made
to realize that the Lord was looking on and was taking their entire
situation in hand. He would be meeting their needs and would assist
them in times of danger. In verse 10 we see Him giving this word of
encouragement: "Fear not the things which thou art about to suffer;
behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, that ye may
be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days." This may mean one
tribulation lasting ten days. Some scholars, looking at church history,
point out ten different, general persecutions that were directed against
the early church. If there were any reason for saying that this means
ten different persecutions and not ten literal days, it would be best to
take it that way. We shall here be guided by The Golden Rule of
Interpretation. The various persecutions, launched by the Roman
government against the Church, sometimes affected the whole
empire, but there were times when they affected only the local
provinces. Therefore, it would seem to indicate a single persecution
of ten days. "Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee the
crown of life." They were to be of good courage and remain faithful,
even though the path of duty might lead them into the jaws of death.

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The letter closes with this promise: "He that overcometh shall not
be hurt of the second death." During His earthly ministry Jesus urged
His disciples not to fear those who could kill the body but afterward
could do nothing else. He told them to fear and reverence God, who,
after having killed the body, can cast the soul and body into hell
(Gehenna). This is the first time the second death is mentioned. The
first death occurred in Adam's sin. Adam and Eve were separated
from God and from the presence of His might, and expelled from the
Garden of Eden. That was the first death (Rom. 5:12). The second
death will be the lake of fire that burns with brimstone, as seen in
Rev. 20:11-15. Be an overcomer! You cannot be an overcomer unless
there is something to overcome. He that overcometh shall not be hurt
of the second death. John believed in the security and the final
perseverance of the saints.
Against the church in Smyrna no complaint or reprimand is
recorded. Had there been any occasion for censure, the Lord would
have mentioned it.

Third, to the Church in Pergamum

Pergamum represents the period beginning with Constantine,
when the church began to grow to such great proportion. It represents
the time of controversy and the bringing in of false teachings, ending
with the year 600 A.D. The Lord's letter to the church in Pergamum
first calls attention to the fact that He is the One who has the sharp
two-edged sword. That there is an implied threat in the language is
proved by the epistle itself.
The Lord said, "I know where thou dwellest, even where Satan's
throne is" (vs. 13). Notwithstanding that fact it had stood firm, not
having denied His name or the faith during some former persecution.
One outstanding brother, Antipas by name, had been killed because of
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his loyalty to the Lord. There are places in different ages where Satan
has had his throne. He has a kingdom over which he is reigning.
There is some locality from which he directs operations through his
servile spirits. We must realize that there is a kingdom of darkness,
and its forces are arrayed against the children of God. Satan is the
prince of the powers of the air. He has a well-organized government
under his control. Satan's headquarters were first located in Babylon.
In the days of John he had transferred his base of operations to
Pergamum. During the Middle Ages his seat was in Rome. At the
present time Moscow is his head-quarters (Ezek. 38:2, 3). In the very
end of this age we may believe that Satan will have his throne in
Babylon—old Babylon restored. From a materialistic viewpoint it
will be the most beautiful of the world's kingdoms. Antipas may have
been the first Christian martyr. "Antipas my witness, my faithful one,
who was killed among you, where Satan dwelleth." In the fifteenth
chapter of Revelation we see how millions of people (possibly of
those who are now alive) will go home by way of the chopping block.
The things which the Lord had against this church are set forth in
verses 14 and 15: "But I have a few things against thee, because thou
hast there some that hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to
cast a stumbling-block before the children of Israel, to eat things
sacrificed to idols, and to commit fornication. So hast thou also some
that hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans in like manner."
In Numbers, chapters 23 through 25, God is seen not allowing the
hireling prophet, Balaam, to pronounce a curse upon the children of
Israel; on the contrary, he required him to pronounce a blessing. Then
Balaam counseled Balak, the king of Moab, and revealed how he
could have his way: Prepare a great festival and invite the children of
Israel over. So they cleverly planned a religious festival; Israel
attended and participated in their evil deeds. Then the judgment of
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God came upon them. Thousands of Israelites died on that occasion.

Certain ones in Pergamum were adopting the principle of Balaam.
They were participating in worldly social functions and were
becoming ensnared even as the children of Israel had in their religious
functions. Satan is very crafty and cunning. His major method is to
transform himself into an angel of light—to disguise his presence and
purpose.
According to verse 16, the Lord called upon this church to repent.
At the same time He pronounced a drastic warning, saying: "Repent
therefore; or else I come to thee quickly, and I will make war against
them with the sword of my mouth." To repent is to change the
thoughts, intents and purposes of the mind or heart. Such a resolution
will result in a change of conduct and attitude. The Lord would fight
against those guilty ones in the church who did not repent.
Verse 17, "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to
the churches. To him that overcometh, to him will I give of the
hidden manna." God's provision in feeding the children of Israel in
the wilderness, is echoed here. "And I will give him a white stone,
and upon the stone a new name written, which no one knoweth but he
that receiveth it." There is a story which I think is true; one that
correctly explains the expression, "I will give him a white stone, and
upon the stone a new name written." We are told that there was a
beautiful custom in the Greco-Roman world. When two close friends
would separate, one going to some other country, they would choose
a white stone and have some word or words engraved on it. Then they
would break the stone in two and each would take a half. Years, or
possibly a century later, two people would meet and become friends;
on some occasion while talking about their heirlooms, one would say,
"Here is my inherited piece of stone, indicative of a covenant of
friendship that existed between my ancestor and someone else." The
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other would find among his antiques a stone that matched the other
exactly. Those matching stones would cement their friendship as
nothing else could do. Jesus took that beautiful little custom and said,
"To him that overcometh, to him will I give of the hidden manna, and
I will give him a white stone, and upon the stone a new name written,
which no one knoweth but he that receiveth it." The overcomer
receives one part of the stone, Christ keeps the other part; they
correspond to each other. In other words, it is a beautiful way of
expressing the security of the believer and the eternal union that shall
exist around the throne of God.

Fourth, to the Church in Thyatira

The message to the church in Thyatira is found in Rev. 2:18-29
and is a very searching one.
To this group the Lord spoke of Himself as "the Son of God, who
hath his eyes like a flame of fire, and his feet are like unto burnished
brass." His eyes being like flames of fire and His feet as burnished
brass indicate that His divine ire and indignation were stirred to the
very depths. Unless there was a change in the prevailing situation He
would immediately take drastic action. People need to realize that
while God is a God of love, He is also a God whose indignation is
unwaveringly set against sin in every form and phase. He is able, if
necessary, to go roughshod over any situation and to deal with the
guilty culprits. God sometimes uses the motive of fear, other times of
love, kindness and gentleness.
This Thyatiran church had a good record: "I know thy works, and
thy love and faith and ministry and patience, and that thy last works
are more than the first" (Rev. 2:19). The Lord could not say this of
most congregations. In fact, there are very few churches about which
He could speak so very glowingly. This church was noted for its good
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works. Moreover, it had love, the quintessence of Christianity. In

addition to these, it was a church consisting of people having genuine
faith in God; those who laid emphasis upon the ministry of the Word
and who were patient and long-suffering. It was a church growing in
grace and in the knowledge of the truth.
Notwithstanding all of these favorable things, a very serious defect
in this church was noted by the Lord. Against a certain evil, the Lord
had this to say: "But I have this against thee, that thou sufferest the
woman Jezebel, who calleth herself a prophetess; and she teacheth
and seduceth my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things
sacrificed to idols. And I gave her time that she should repent; and
she willeth not to repent of her fornication. Behold, I cast her into a
bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation,
except they repent of her works. And I will kill her children with
death; and all the churches shall know that I am he that searcheth the
reins and hearts: and I will give unto each one of you according to
your works" (Rev. 2:20-23). There was a woman of the very lowest
character who was being tolerated in the fellowship of the saints in
Thyatira. She claimed to be a prophetess. It is altogether possible that
she was a spiritist and was issuing her utterances and leading many
astray. God gave her time to repent and doubtless overruled and
worked everything for good in order to get her to repent. However,
she set her will like a flint against turning from her sins unto God.
The call of God is to separation. This church is interpreted as being
symbolic of the Roman Catholic Church during the medieval period.
The Lord hurled this terrible threat against the woman: "I will kill
her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he
that searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto each one of
you according to your works."

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The Lord laid no other burden upon the rest of the congregation than
to stand aloof from this wicked woman and her influence. He spoke
to as many as were not under her inducement, who did not know the
deep things of Satan, as was the common saying in the church there.
There are many deep and sinister things that Satan palms off upon the
children of God as being genuine. One is to prove all things—test all
things by the Scriptures. To such the Lord said: "Nevertheless that
which ye have, hold fast till I come" (vs. 25).
The Lord constantly speaks of His return. It seems that He has
been away a long time, but He is coming back! Everything points in
the direction that it will not be long now. But let us not set any date.
Only remember, "everyone that hath this hope set on Him purifies
himself, even as He is pure." The overcomer is promised that he will
have authority over the nations and will rule them with a rod of iron.
This is a promise that goes back to Psalm 2. The overcomers are
promised the privilege of reigning with Christ during the Millennium
and also of reigning in the eternal world.
Christ overcame and sat down with His Father in His throne. In a
similar manner those who overcome will sit down with Christ in His
throne and share His regal authority with Him.
To the overcomer the Lord promises to give "the morning star."
Christ is the Morning Star and is spoken of in this capacity in His
relation to His coming for His saints before the Tribulation.
The letter to the church in Thyatira closes with the following
exhortation: "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to
the churches" (vs. 29). We should ever be alert in our attention to the
Word of God and seek to know what is His will and to do it.

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Fifth, to the Church in Sardis

This church represented the church in the Reformation. The Lord
speaks of Himself as He did in chapter 1, "he that hath the seven
Spirits of God, and the seven stars." What is meant by "the seven
Spirits of God"? As was seen in our study of Rev. 1:4 the expression,
the seven Spirits of God, refers to the Holy Spirit. This is doubtless an
echo of such a passage as Isaiah 11:2. The Holy Spirit is spoken of in
a sevenfold manner, in terms of the seven different things that He
would do in and through the Messiah when He came at His first
advent. When Christ went back to the Father, He sent the Holy Spirit,
who proceeded from the Father and the Son. The Holy Spirit was sent
to carry on the work that had been started by the Lord during His
earthly sojourn. The seven stars are the seven angels, or messengers,
of the seven churches. As noted before, these messengers are some
leading personages in each one of the churches, who by natural
qualifications and surrender to God seem to be occupying the most
prominent position in each local congregation.
Following His regular pattern, the Lord next called attention to the
merits and praiseworthy things connected with this church. Thus He
said, "I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and
thou art dead." This church, about which very little is said in a
commendatory manner, had works. But if we are to judge from the
way in which the Lord spoke of its works, we would probably
conclude that they were not very good.
The Lord called their attention to the fact that they had a name that
they were alive, but in reality they were dead. The congregation had
deteriorated to more of a social club. By the preaching of the true
Gospel of Jesus Christ people are brought to a saving knowledge of
Him and are regenerated. When the Gospel ceases to be preached in
its fullness and power, people may come into a congregation and
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become numbered with them without the new birth, or regeneration.

Although the corporate body appears to be what it was at first and
there is no impartation of the new life in Christ to those constituting
such a social unity, it is dead, spiritually speaking. This congregation
doubtless was continuing because of the momentum that it had when
the true Gospel was preached and spiritual life was present. We might
illustrate it by a train that dashes across the prairie and approaches a
town. Before reaching the station, the engineer cuts off the steam or
power, but the train continues to go forward by its momentum. It was
probably so with this church in Sardis. It was going along on the
momentum gained by constant habit, without any new life. Yet there
was a little life here and there, as is evident from the exhortation
found in verse 2: "Be thou watchful, and establish the things that
remain, which were ready to die: for I have found no works of thine
perfected before my God." Doubtless there were a few in number who
knew the Lord, but their spiritual light was not shining brightly.
Following this exhortation, the Lord gives a warning, urging the
church to repent. If they do not do this, He threatens that He will
come as a thief in the night, and they will not know the hour of His
coming.
Notwithstanding the low spiritual life of this church there were
certain ones in Sardis who had not defiled their garments. Though one
lives in a very poor environment he does not have to succumb to the
evil influence of the same. By the grace of God he can live above the
sordid things of this world.
To those who were living separated lives, consecrated to God, the
promise was made that they should walk with Him in white, being
worthy because of the merits of the Lord Jesus alone. Those who
overcome shall be arrayed in white as conquerors. Their names will
never be blotted from the book of life. There are two books of life.
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There is the book of life in which is written the name of every

individual, from Adam until time shall be no more on this earth. The
name of every individual is written in that book because they have
received life. There is another book: The Lamb's book of life. That is
an entirely different thing from the book of life. The large book is the
book of life, the smaller is the Lamb's book. Remember, the name of
every individual that was ever born upon the earth is in the book of
life; but there are erasures from this book (Psalm 69:28). In Psalm
69:19-28 the Psalmist is talking about Judas Iscariot, his betrayal of
our Lord and those who were associated with him in crime. He says,
verse 28, "Let them be blotted out of the book of life, And not be
written with the righteous." Those who are righteous are so because
of the imputed righteousness of Christ. The names of those who
accept Christ are righteous, and they are all written in the Lamb's
book of life. Everyone who has ever been born has had his name in
the book of life. "It is appointed unto men once to die, after this
cometh judgment" (Heb. 9:27). When one comes to the end of life and
has never accepted Christ, his name will never have been written in
the Lamb's book of life. His name will be erased from the book of life
and he is banished from the presence of God for ever and ever. But
when those who overcome appear before the Lord, He will
acknowledge them before His Father and before the angels. The letter
concludes with an exhortation to those that hear and give heed to
"what the Spirit saith to the churches."

Sixth, to the Church in Philadelphia

This church was recognized as reflecting the period of modern
missions. It is considered that it began about 1648. In addressing the
church in Philadelphia, the Lord Jesus declared that He was the one
"that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that
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openeth and none shall shut, and that shutteth and none openeth." The
Lord Jesus is holy in the highest sense of the term, because He is
God. Holiness is both a positive and a negative term. It is positive in
the sense that His very being was and is set toward holiness. It is
negative in the sense that He was and is free from all taint of
contamination, of defilement and of pollution. He is the True One,
true as opposed to false, the One who is the very embodiment of
truth. He has the key of David, that is, He is the descendant of David
about whom the prophets spoke. For instance, David spoke of Him in
his "swan song" in 2 Sam. 23:3-5. He is the One who has the key of
David. He unlocks the future for the Davidic house and the
establishment of the kingdom of God here upon earth. He will do this
when He mounts the throne upon His return at the end of the
Tribulation. As is revealed in Isa. 22:22, when anyone was invested
with an office of government they had a ceremony in which they gave
a key as a symbol of authority. Jesus had the key of David and is the
One of whom the prophets spoke in the Messianic prediction—the
One who has all authority and power! Moreover, He is the One who
opens doors of opportunity and none will be able to shut; He also
shuts and no one is able to open. He is the One who is an absolute
authority in all matters. This is in perfect accord with what He said to
the disciples when He appeared to them as recorded by Matt. 28:18:
"All authority hath been given unto me in heaven and on earth." He
can dispose of situations, unravel perplexities and solve difficulties. It
is important that we recognize Him as the One who can solve all our
problems. If we would go to Him with all our difficulties and with our
pleasures and plans as well, He would solve them for our good and
for the glory of God. Having told them what He was and could do and
does do, He acknowledged the works of the Philadelphian church.

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All power that belongs to God is accessible to the one who by faith
and consecration avails himself of it. Notice that they have a little
power. In Eph. 1:15, 16 Paul says, "For this cause I also, having heard
of the faith in the Lord Jesus which is among you, and the love which
ye show toward all the saints, cease not to give thanks for you,
making mention of you in my prayers." Now here is his prayer, verses
17-21: "that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory,
may give unto you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge
of him; having the eyes of your heart enlightened, that ye may know
what is the hope of his calling, what the riches of the glory of his
inheritance in the saints, and what the exceeding greatness of his
power to us-ward who believe, according to that working of the
strength of his might which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him
from the dead, and made him to sit at his right hand in the heavenly
places, far above all rule, and authority, and power, and dominion,
and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that
which is to come." Paul says, I want you to know power that you can
take hold of, the power that raised Christ from the dead, the power
that caused Him to ascend on high and sit at the right hand of the
throne of God. That power is yours! "I know ... that thou hast a little
power." From this it is evident that it is a reprimand, a censure, they
could have had more power, but they did not appropriate it.
There was a synagogue of Jews in Philadelphia. They were
racially Jews but did not have the spirit of the true Jew, just as Jesus
said to His opponents in John 8:31-59. Jesus told these Jews that they
were not the children of Abraham because they were attempting to do
that which Abraham would never have done. In order to be a true Jew
one must be racially a Jew and must have the spirit of Abraham.
Concerning these Jews who were "the synagogue of Satan" (that is,
they were under Satan's domination and control) Jesus declared that
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He would overrule and cause them to come and bow down before the
church in Philadelphia and acknowledge that He, the Lord Jesus, had
loved that church.
There is a wonderful promise made to this church in verse 10:
"Because thou didst keep the word of my patience, I also will keep
thee from the hour of trial, that hour which is to come upon the whole
world, to try them that dwell upon the earth." You have kept the word
of my patience, and I am going to keep you from the hour of trial.
What hour? That hour which is to come upon the whole world and to
try them that dwell upon the earth. There is a controversy among
premillenarians as to the significance of this passage. I am of the
profound conviction that before that hour of trial comes—that hour
that is coming upon the whole world—the Lord is going to deliver us
out of this present evil age. Paul tells us in 1 Thess. 1:9,10: "ye turned
unto God from idols, to serve a living and true God, and to wait for
his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, who
delivereth us from the wrath to come." Unfortunately the King James
Version has not translated that correctly. That passage in 1 Thess. 1:9,
10 declares that the Rapture of the Church occurs before the
Tribulation begins. Rev. 3:10 is a similar promise. There is the hour
of trial—the Tribulation Period—that is coming upon all who live
upon this earth. From this we know that there is a period of time
when there will be worldwide, universal trials, troubles and
difficulties. This is known by prophetic students as the Great
Tribulation Period, "the day of Jehovah," when He pours out His
wrath upon the world. When this passage is studied in the light of
related ones, it appears to be a promise that the Lord will take His
people out before that time of Tribulation bursts forth upon an
unsuspecting world.

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The promise of the second coming is affirmed in verse 11. When

the time comes for Him to return to the earth, He will come very
quickly. Those who have His Word should hold fast to it and not
allow anyone to cheat them out of their crown. If someone turns us
away from doing the service of God from the heart and causes us to
squander our time and to use the means which He places in our care
for other purposes, such a one will be causing us to lose our crown, or
a certain amount of its brilliancy.
As usual, in this letter the Lord makes a definite promise to the
faithful ones who overcome. "He that overcometh, I will make him a
pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go out thence 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 cometh down out of
heaven from my God, and mine own new name" (vs. 12). The eternal
Jerusalem comes down out of that eternal Heaven and rests upon the
eternal earth, Revelation, chapters 21 and 22. There is a vast
difference between the Millennial Jerusalem that comes down out of
Heaven upon Palestine and the eternal Jerusalem that will come down
out of the eternal heavens and rest upon the eternal earth. That
Millennial city will cover only 100 square miles. Eternal Jerusalem,
of which He is here speaking, will be a city 1,500 miles wide; 1,500
miles long; 1,500 miles high. The ground floor alone amounts to
2,250,000 square miles, and it goes up into the air 1,500 miles with
various levels. We read in John 14:2, 3: "In my Father's house are
many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to
prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I
come again, and will receive you unto myself; that where I am there
ye may be also." The Lord Jesus is now preparing the new Jerusalem
for the eternal order to come.

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There are to be two new Jerusalems. The first new Jerusalem is

mentioned in Isa. 54:1, 2, and that passage is referred to in Gal. 4:21-
31. When you study these two passages, you cannot avoid the
conclusion that he is talking about the beginning of the Millennium,
and there is going to be a new Jerusalem that will come down and rest
upon this earth in Palestine. The topography of Palestine is going to
be changed. The land will be leveled down. There will be a high
mountain, 50 miles by 50 miles, and Jerusalem will come down from
Heaven and rest on the southern part of that mountain (Ezekiel,
chapters 40 through 48). But, there is an eternal Jerusalem! At the end
of the Millennium the material heavens and earth will pass out of
existence upon the authority of Rev. 20:11. In Revelation, chapters 21
and 22, John was given a vision of the eternal order, and he saw the
eternal Heaven that God creates, the eternal earth and the eternal
Jerusalem. That is where we will be forever. Since the evidence is not
positive in Rev. 3:12 as to which one of these Jerusalems he is
speaking of, we will not be positive. He says, He will make everyone
that overcometh a pillar in the temple of God in that Jerusalem. What
does he mean, "I will make him a pillar"? The answer is found in Gal.
2:9 where Peter, James and John in Jerusalem were said to be pillars
in the church. That is, the one that overcomes is going to be given a
most prominent place in that eternal Jerusalem for ever and ever.
A special appeal to the one who wants truth concludes the letter:
"He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the
churches."

Seventh, to the Church in Laodicea

Overlapping with the church in Philadelphia is the Laodicean
church, which brings us to the second coming of Christ. Spiritually
the Laodicean church was the poorest of all. To this group the Lord
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spoke of Himself as "the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the
beginning of the creation of God." The word "Amen" means to
believe God. It came to be a petition meaning May it come to pass.
Jesus was the faithful and true witness to the truth of God and to God
Himself. He came, not to do His own will, but to do the will of Him
who sent Him. He sought not His own pleasure but the welfare of the
human race and the glory of God. He asserts that He was "the
beginning of the creation of God." This phrase is capable of two
interpretations: First, it has been understood to mean that Jesus was a
created being, that God alone existed in eternity and finally created
the Son as He did the rest of His creatures; second, that the Son of
God is the creator of all things—the source of all things. It is
impossible to accept the first interpretation, namely, that Christ was
a created being. There are many passages in the Scriptures that
indicate that Jesus, the Word, was with God in the beginning, was
God, and was in association with God (John 1:1; Phil. 2:1-11; Heb.
1). Many other passages teach that Christ is God—that He existed
with the Father before all eternity and will continue to be with Him
throughout all eternity. For these reasons we reject the interpretation
that the phrase "the beginning of the creation of God" means that
Christ was a created being. In the Colossian Epistle there is an
expression which is somewhat similar to this one which says that
Christ "is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of all creation;
for in him were all things created, in the heavens and upon the earth,
things visible and things invisible" (Col. 1:15, 16). Christ was "the
first-born of all creation" because, as we are told, in Him were all
things created. Thus, this passage tells us in what way He was "the
beginning of the creation of God" or "the first-born of all creation";
namely, He was the Creator of all things.

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That Christ was God in human form, entering the world by

miraculous conception and virgin birth, is the cardinal doctrine of the
Christian religion. Any system of teaching or group of people that
reject this fundamental doctrine is anti-Christian.
Christ recognized the works that had been performed by the
Laodicean church. They were in a pitiful condition. Those who are
neither hot nor cold are a positive detriment to the cause of Christ. "I
know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot; I would thou wert
cold or hot. So because thou art lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I
will spew thee out of my mouth" (vss. 15, 16). He is speaking about
the church group as being neither hot nor cold. They did not take their
Christianity seriously. There were some people who were regenerated
and saved, but the majority of them were not. They came together
more as a social group. Because they were in this lukewarm state the
Lord declared that He would spew them out of His mouth. Judgment
was bound to fall upon them if they continued in this condition.
There seems to have been quite a bit of wealth in this church.
Unfortunately most people cannot stand prosperity. They immediately
focus their attention upon riches that are here today and gone
tomorrow. They were boasting about their riches. It seems to have
been a wealthy church materially. They were all sufficient. They
needed to learn the lesson of Psalm 39:4: "Let me know how frail I
am." How many are my years? "Surely every man at his best estate is
altogether vanity." All men appear as though they were in a parade—
like our California Rose Parade on New Year's Day—a lot of glamour
and show, but soon all is faded! Because these people were depending
upon their riches the Lord counseled them to buy of Him "gold
refined by fire" that they might become spiritually rich; and "white
garments" that they might clothe themselves in order that their
"nakedness" might not be seen; "and eye-salve" that they might
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"anoint" their spiritual eyes and see realities as they are.

Archaeologists have dug up the old city of Laodicea and found
positive proof that there was a noted factory that manufactured
eyesalve. They had become wealthy by manufacturing and
commercializing this product. They thought they had the genuine
eyesalve, but this comes from Christ alone. Spiritual eyesalve may be
obtained by claiming Psalm 119:18: "Open thou mine eyes, that I
may behold Wondrous things out of thy law."
The Lord informed this church that He reproves and chastens
everyone whom He loves. The time has come, declared the Apostle
Peter, in 1 Peter 4:17, that judgment must begin at the house of God.
The wicked receive their punishment in the eternal world, but the
children of God are chastened and corrected now, for their good.
The Lord represented Himself as standing outside the door of the
Laodicean church and knocking in order that He might gain entrance.
He did not expect the church as a group to open the door and
welcome Him. He therefore called upon each individual who would
hear His voice and open the door so that He could come in and have
fellowship with them. The Gospel with all its privileges of association
and fellowship with Christ is a personal matter.
In the letter to this church the Lord made a promise to those who
would overcome. He told them He would allow the overcomer to sit
down with Him in His throne as He had sat down with His Father in
His throne. Those who are Christ's and who suffer with Him will
reign with Christ when He returns. 1 Cor. 6:1-4 tells us that believers
shall judge the world. That is the same thing that He is talking about
here. We shall judge the world—we shall judge angels—we will
reign with Christ! "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit
saith to the churches." This last of the seven epistles closes with the
usual call for those who are willing to hear to do so and to listen to
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what the Spirit says to the churches. God and Christ and the Holy
Spirit are all eager to pour out the fullness of their blessings upon all
who will receive them.
We have completed our study on the church age that covers all the
centuries from the first coming to the second coming.

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Chapter 5

The Vision in Heaven (Rev. 4 and 5)

With this chapter we begin the third division "The Things Which
Shall Come to Pass Hereafter" (chapters 4-22), which falls into the
following subheads:

A. The Vision in Heaven, chapters 4 and 5.

B. The Tribulation, chapters 6-19.
C. The Millennium and its Aftermath, chapter 20.
D. The Eternal Order, chapters 21 and 22.

The first subdivision, The Vision in Heaven, divides into two

principal sections:

1. The Vision of the Throne of God, chapter 4.

2. The Lamb of God, chapter 5.

John Invited to Heaven

"After these things I saw, and behold, a door opened in heaven,
and the first voice that I heard, a voice as of a trumpet speaking with
me, one saying, Come up hither, and I will show thee the things
which must come to pass hereafter" (Rev. 4:1). In this verse John
informs us that he was invited to ascend into Heaven and to observe
the situation there. Let us remember that there are three heavens:
First, the atmospheric heavens, which are immediately around the
earth; second, the sidereal heavens, the great expanse where the stars
and the constellations are; and finally, the immediate presence of
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God, called in the Hebrew Scriptures "the heaven of the heavens."

Paul referred to this as Paradise in 2 Cor. 12:4. In the third Heaven, or
Paradise, is the Temple of God, eternal in the heavens (Ps. 11:4; Hab.
2:20; Rev. 11:19).
John was invited, when "a door opened in heaven" to "Come up
hither, and I will show thee the things which must come to pass
hereafter." This language is to be taken at its face value.
Unfortunately a spiritual application has been made of it and the
language has been interpreted as a prediction of the Rapture of the
Church before the Tribulation. While it is true that the Church is
caught up out of the world before the Tribulation, as is taught in
various passages, this language has no bearing upon that subject
whatsoever. The Lord wanted John to come up, in vision, into Heaven
and to see what was there. Paul was caught up to the third Heaven
and saw things that were not lawful for him to utter. John was caught
up into Heaven and he saw things that he has told us about. When,
therefore, the invitation was given to John, he was ready to ascend to
Heaven.

The Throne of God

"Straightway I was in the Spirit: and behold, there was a throne set
in heaven, and one sitting upon the throne; and he that sat 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" (vss. 2, 3). When John
was caught up into Heaven, he saw a throne and the Almighty seated
upon it. He does not give a specific, definite word picture of the
Almighty as he saw Him; but he spoke of Him in terms of the most
precious stones known to man. There was a reason for John's not
describing the Almighty. When Israel was at Sinai, God warned
Moses to impress upon the minds of the people that they saw no form
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or shape of the Eternal Being. They therefore should not make any
image of Him. God has consistently throughout His entire revelation
withheld any definite idea of Himself so that man, who is prone to
idolatry, might not make any likeness of Him.
There was a rainbow encircling the throne. Does it not seem
probable that the appearance of the bow at this time signifies that God
is displeased with man in general and will bring the penalty of the
broken covenant upon mankind? In order that we may see the
significance of this it becomes necessary for us to study Gen. 9:1-16.
God entered into a covenant with all mankind when Noah came out of
the ark. There are four conditions which man now, as a rule, is
violating. A reference to the breaking of this everlasting covenant is
found in a prophecy concerning the Tribulation (Isa. 24:5, 6). A holy
and righteous God can do nothing but punish the race for their
violations of the conditions of this covenant.
If anyone wishes to see other pictures of the throne of the
Almighty, he may view them in Job, chapters 1 and 2, and Psalm
89:5-8.

The Twenty-Four Elders

"And round about the throne were four and twenty thrones: and
upon the thrones I saw four and twenty elders sitting, arrayed in white
garments; and on their heads crowns of gold" (vs. 4). Round about the
throne John saw twenty-four smaller, subordinate thrones, upon
which were seated twenty-four elders who were arrayed in white
garments. On their heads were crowns of gold. Who are these elders?
Some answer that they are twenty-four men, who are saved, who are
crowned in Heaven, and who represent the saved of the Old Covenant
and of the New. The presence of these are interpreted as evidence that
the Rapture has occurred before the Tribulation begins. About this
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position there can be no question for the one who has thoroughly
studied the prophetic Word. But is the interpretation that these are
representative of the raptured Church correct? There is nothing in the
context that indicates that these elders are used representatively.
Never should one resort to a figurative, symbolic or secondary
meaning of any passage of Scripture unless there is a warrant for the
same in the context. The language simply states that there were
twenty-four thrones and twenty-four elders who were seated upon
their thrones and who had crowns of gold upon their heads. Since
believers do not receive their crowns (rewards) until the second
coming of Christ (Ps. 50:1-5), the most rational interpretation of these
elders is that they are celestial beings of an especially high order.
They, under God, are assisting in the administration of the universe.
These are heavenly beings.

The Lightnings, the Voices, and the Thunders

"And out of the throne proceed lightnings and voices and
thunders" (vs. 5). Are we to assume that these lightnings, voices and
thunders are to be understood literally? If we are to evaluate the Word
properly we must say that John knew what he was talking about
because he saw and heard these things. We immediately ask, what is
the significance of such a demonstration? The answer is not far to be
found. Whenever there are winds and thunders and lightnings we
understand that they are destructive forces in nature that leave havoc
and chaos in their wake. They indicate here that the wrath of God is
gathering like a mighty thunderstorm which will soon burst upon the
world. This interpretation is confirmed by the study of Revelation,
chapters 6 through 19.
It is very interesting to study in connection with Rev. 4:5 the
following passages: Rev. 8:5; 11:19 and 16:17, 18. A person is
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immediately impressed with the fact that as the Tribulation advances

the storm of God's wrath increases in intensity, finally bursting in all
its fury upon the earth at the end of the Tribulation.

The Seven Lamps Before the Throne

"And there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne,
which are the seven Spirits of God" (vs. 5). John saw seven lamps of
fire burning before the throne which are the seven Spirits of God.
Here we are given the interpretation of the significance of the seven
lamps. They signify the "seven Spirits of God." What is the
significance of the term "seven Spirits"? We have already seen in the
discussion of Rev. 1:4 that the seven Spirits of God are mentioned in
connection with God the Father and God the Son. Their being placed
between the first and the second persons of the Holy Trinity and on
the same level signifies the Holy Spirit in His sevenfold plenitude.
The seven lamps are an echo of the marvelous prediction found in Isa.
11:2. This passage speaks of the Holy Spirit and His work in and
through the Messiah in terms of the seven things which He did in and
through the Son of God when He was here upon earth 1,900 years
ago. In this vision in Heaven, chapters 4 and 5, we see God the Father
on the throne; God the Holy Spirit is symbolized by the seven lamps
before the throne and God the Son appearing as a Lamb standing in
the midst of the throne.

The Crystal Sea of Glass

"And before the throne, as it were a sea of glass like unto crystal"
(vs. 6). At times, especially in the Mediterranean Sea, the water
appears perfectly motionless. The bright sun shining upon it makes it
look just like glass. John said that the space in front of the throne
reminded him of such a glassy, crystal sea. Why it had this
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appearance no one can say dogmatically. It is quite possible that it

indicates the calmness that exists in God and about His throne. There
is nothing that can disturb Him or destroy the peace which He
controls. It is true that Satan and his emissaries are the cause and
occasion of much turmoil in the world. But nothing that he or they
can do or say can affect the tranquility of the throne of God.

The Four Living Creatures

"And in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne; four
living creatures full of eyes before and behind. And the first creature
was like a lion, and the second creature like a calf, and the third
creature had a face as of a man, and the fourth creature was like a
flying eagle. And the four living creatures, having each one of them
six wings, are 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" (vss. 6-8).
Who are these four living creatures? Each has six wings. This
feature instantly takes our minds to the prophecy of Isaiah, chapter 6,
where we see seraphim round about the throne singing the same
"triple holiness" as these six-winged creatures in Revelation are
doing. From the two passages we see that they are a high order of
celestial beings that engage in divine service of the Almighty. It
seems that they are constantly engaged in this worship. Of course, it
is a most delightful thing for them to do.
They may have other duties to perform since they assume the
forms that are indicated in this passage. One assumes the form of a
lion; another, the likeness of a calf; the third, the appearance of a
man; and The fourth is seen in the form of a flying eagle. It may be
that the first one has some definite connection with the kingdom of
wild beasts. The second, who is like a calf, may have some special
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filiation with the domestic animals. The third one may have some
special function to perform with reference to the human race, while
the fourth may have some definite relationship with the fowls of the
air.
The song which they sing, in all probability, is a melodious strain
of the Holy Trilogy to the Godhead. In verse 8 it is sung to God the
Father who is designated in chapter 1 as the "One who was, and who
is to come." But the same words can be addressed to each of the
persons of the Holy Trinity.

Worship in Heaven
"And when the living creatures shall give glory and honor and
thanks to him that sitteth on the throne, to him that liveth for ever and
ever, the four and twenty elders shall fall down before him that sitteth
on the throne, and shall worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and
shall cast their crowns before the throne, saying, Worthy art thou, our
Lord and our God, to receive the glory and the honor and the power:
for thou didst create all things, and because of thy will they were, and
were created" (vss. 9-11).
There is a place somewhere in the universe that is called in the
Hebrew the "heaven of the heavens." There are indications in Ezek.
1:4 and Isa. 14:13 that this throne of God is in a position north from
this earth. One of the best statements in Holy Writ about the throne of
God is found in Ps. 103:19-22. From this statement it is clear that
there is a place somewhere in the universe that is called the throne of
God, the heaven of the heavens, which belong to Jehovah but the
earth He has given to the children of men. That there is a celestial
hierarchy and that God sits as the ruler on the throne of all these
celestial hosts may be seen from Ps. 89:5-7. (God sits as supreme in
the council of all these celestial hosts.) Here are statements and
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pictures that portray the fact that God does have a kingdom that rules
over all and that there is a celestial hierarchy that does the bidding of
God Almighty at all times. But, we are thinking of the throne of God
in Rev. 4:9 as the throne of judgment. A passage of Scripture that will
throw a great amount of light on this is 1 Kings 22:19ff.
According to verses 9-11, when the living creatures offer praise to
God, the elders cast their crowns before Him—and they sing the
hymn of creation. This hymn acknowledges God as the Creator of the
universe which He brought into existence to reveal His glory to His
creatures. God will, throughout all eternity, be revealing more and
more of His might, power and glory.

The Lamb of God

Chapter 5 is appropriately called the "Lamb" chapter, the reason is
this—the Lamb is seen in His official capacity as Master of
Ceremonies through the Tribulation Period.

The Roll of the Book

"And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book
written within and on the back, close sealed with seven seals" (Rev.
5:1). In New Testament times usually the books were in the form of
scrolls or rolls, made either of papyrus or vellum. About the
beginning of the present era books with folios, such as we have today,
began to come into use.
John saw in the hands of the Almighty, as He was sitting upon the
throne, a book that was "written within and on the back" and that was
sealed with seven seals. This description leads us to believe that the
form of the book which he saw was that of a scroll which had seals at
various intervals and which had to be broken as the book was

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unrolled. This book was written on both sides. It reminds one of that
which Zechariah saw in vision as found in Zech 5:1-4.

The Cry, "Who is Worthy to Open the Book?"

"And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a great voice. Who is
worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof? And no one
in the heaven, or on the earth, or under the earth, was able to open the
book, or to look thereon" (vss. 2, 3). All intelligible writings are to be
read and understood. The strong angel in this verse proclaimed with a
great voice, "Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals
thereof?" He doubtless was not asking for information but to make
the announcement that there was no one able or worthy to break the
seals and to read the book. Among all the creatures of God—both
celestial and terrestrial—there was found no one who was able to
break the seals and to read the book. Obviously it takes might, power
and wisdom to perform this feat. Let it be noted that none of the
elders, living creatures, or any of the angels could perform this task.
If none of the angels of the celestial hosts were worthy or powerful
enough even to look on the book, certainly none of Adam's race could
look upon it and break the seals.

John's Reaction to the Situation

"And I wept much, because no one was found worthy to open the
book, or to look thereon" (vs. 4). John was given understanding that
there was great significance and importance attached to this book—
that mighty and eternal issues were involved. He therefore wept much
because none of God's creatures could do this. It is quite likely that
John jumped to the hasty conclusion that there was no one who could,
or would, open it and carry out the plans and purposes inscribed on
the scroll.
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The Message Regarding the Lion of the Tribe of Judah

"And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not; behold, the Lion that
is of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, hath overcome to open the
book and the seven seals thereof" (vs. 5). One of the elders
admonished John to stop his weeping and stated that there was one
who was able to deal with the situation, and who was "the Lion that is
of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David." The expression, the Lion of
the tribe of Judah, is an echo of the prophecy made by Jacob (Gen.
49:8-10). In this prophecy Judah was compared to a lion. This graphic
description focuses its rays of light upon some descendant of Judah
who undoubtedly proves to be Shiloh, the One to whom the right of
reigning belongs, cf. Ezek. 21:27. This One is not only of the tribe of
Judah, but is of the house of David, the founder of the throne in
Judah. David was granted a vision of Him as is seen in 2 Sam. 23:3c-
5: "One that ruleth over men righteously, That ruleth in the fear of
God. He shall be as the light of the morning, when the sun riseth, A
morning without clouds, When the tender grass springeth out of the
earth, Through clear shining after rain. Verily my house is not so with
God; Yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant, Ordered in
all things, and sure: For it is all my salvation, and all my desire,
Although he maketh it not to grow."
The seed thought of our Lord's being the Root of David is couched
in the expression "Although he maketh it not to grow." The verb in
the Hebrew text rendered "to grow" is the word from which we get
our noun translated Branch. Based upon this one prophecy are four
important predictions regarding Messiah. The first is to be noted in
Isa. 4:2: "In that day shall the branch of Jehovah be beautiful and
glorious, and the fruit of the land shall be excellent and comely for
them that are escaped of Israel." Here the two-fold nature of the
Branch is brought forth most graphically: It is the Branch of Jehovah,
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having the divine nature; it likewise is the fruit of the ground, having
human nature. Jeremiah likewise refers to Him in the following
words: "Behold, the days come, saith Jehovah, that I will raise unto
David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely,
and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land" (Jer. 23:5).
Here the Branch becomes King of Judah and shall be recognized as
"Jehovah our righteousness." The third passage involving the Branch
is Zech. 3:8: "Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, thou and thy
fellows that sit before thee; for they are men that are a sign: for,
behold, I will bring forth my servant the Branch." Here the Branch is
called a servant, because He serves humanity, although He is God in
human form. The fourth and last passage on the subject of the Branch
is Zech. 6:12: "and speak unto him, saying, Thus speaketh Jehovah of
hosts, saying, Behold, the man whose name is the Branch: and he
shall grow up out of his place; and he shall build the temple of
Jehovah." The human nature of the Branch is here emphasized—He is
a man, though He is the God-man.
The elder, in calling John's attention to the fact that the Lion of the
tribe of Judah is the Root of David, is referring to all these promises
that are contained in the Branch passages. He will carry out all the
predictions that are foretold of Him. At His first coming He fulfilled
all that related to the first coming of the Messiah. When He returns
He will carry out the program as outlined.

The Lamb of God Slain for Sinners

"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 been slain, having seven horns, and seven eyes, which are the
seven Spirits of God, sent forth into all the earth. And he came, and
he taketh it out of the right hand of him that sat on the throne" (vss. 6,
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7). Though the Messiah is the Lion of the tribe of Judah, He is also
the Lamb, the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world.
Christ was foreknown before the foundation of the world as the One
who would deal with the sin question and who would procure
salvation for all who will accept Him. "And in the midst of the elders,
a Lamb standing, as though”—the word that is translated "as though"
is the Greek word Hos. In some connections it does mean "as though"
but it may also mean "as." In the present case it does not mean "as
though"—that would imply that He was not slain. My translation is
this: "a Lamb standing, as he had been slain." "Behold, the Lamb of
God, that taketh away the sin of the world!" (John 1: 29). This is an
echo of Isa. 52:13 to 53:12. John's language "Behold, the Lamb of
God" attests that He was slain in the purpose of God from all eternity
and He is slain now. There is a song which we sometimes sing: "I
shall know Him, I shall see Him, I shall know Him by the prints of
the nails in His hand." These words are Scriptural. It is in line with
that which is described here: "a Lamb standing, as though it had been
slain, having seven horns, and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits
of God, sent forth into all the earth." "Horn" is always a symbol of
power or of a king. Here it is a symbol of power, "having seven
horns." Seven is a number of completeness, the equivalent of saying
that Christ has ALL power—complete power! He has "seven eyes,
which are the seven Spirits of God." He has perfect knowledge—
perfect vision—He sees everything. He is an all-seeing eye; He
knows everything! Psa. 139:7-11a says: "Whither shall I go from thy
Spirit? Or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into
heaven, thou art there: If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, thou art
there. If I take the wings of the morning, And dwell in the uttermost
parts of the sea; Even there shall thy hand lead me, And thy right
hand shall hold me. If I say, Surely the darkness shall overwhelm
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me"—to Him, the night is the same as the day. There is no such thing
as going anywhere in the universe and not being under the watchful
eye of God. That is the significance of the "seven eyes" in verse 6.
His death was carried out literally as foretold in Isaiah, chapter 53,
and in many other predictions. Christ, who is the Lamb of God and
who suffered at His first coming, comes forth and takes the book out
of the hand of the Almighty, who is seated on the throne, in order that
He might open it.

Hymns of Praise to the Lamb

"And when he had taken the book, the four living creatures and the
four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having each one a
harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the
saints. And they sing a new song, saying, Worthy art thou to take the
book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and didst
purchase unto God with thy blood men of every tribe, and tongue, and
people, and nation, and madest them to be unto our God a kingdom
and priests; and they reign upon the earth" (vss. 8-10).
Only these heavenly beings engage in this act of worship and
praise. Not only does each one have his harp, but each has a golden
bowl full of incense—the prayers of the saints. We are given the
significance of the bowls of incense, namely, that they represent the
prayers of God's people, which they have presented to Him, and
which He, in the time of the Tribulation, answers. No prayer ever
goes unanswered but in His own time and way God fulfills every
petition.
The reader is urged to note especially verses 9 and 10. The ASV
1901, following the Greek literally, declares that "thou" the Lamb,
"didst purchase unto God with thy blood men of every tribe, and
tongue, and people, and nation." There is no occasion for any racial
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prejudice. God showed that He wanted to keep the races separate by

His segregating them at the Tower of Babel, Gen. 11:1-9; Deut. 32:8.
He sent each one to his own place and set up natural barriers. Acts
17:24-28 says: "The God that made the world and all things therein,
he, being Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made
with hands; neither is he served by men's hands, as though he needed
anything, seeing he himself giveth to all life, and breath, and all
things; and he made of one every nation of men to dwell on all the
face of the earth, having determined their appointed seasons, and the
bounds of their habitation; that they should seek God, if haply they
might feel after him and find him, though he is not far from each one
of us: for in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain
even of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring."
Those who are worshiping according to verse 9 "and didst
purchase unto God with thy blood men of every tribe" do not include
themselves with those who have been purchased by the Lamb. The
reason for this is that they have never been lost and need no salvation.
These who are saved and purchased from among men constitute a
kingdom and priesthood. They are at present in the spiritual aspect of
the kingdom of God but will enter the outward visible manifestation
of it at the second coming of our Lord. Moreover, we who are in the
present phase of the kingdom are priests in that we can intercede in
behalf of others, bringing them before the throne of grace constantly.
When our Lord returns we shall reign with Him upon the earth as the
last statement of verse 10 declares: "and they reign upon the earth."
The King James Version unfortunately states in the margin "they
reign over the earth." The ASV 1901 says "they reign upon the earth"
and it means exactly that. In looking at that idiom in the Greek
Testament, the genitive case, it is the regular phrase to mean right
here on this earth where we are. There is an idea that there is going to
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be a new Jerusalem that is created and that will be suspended in the

air over Jerusalem. They believe Christ and the saints are going to be
in that heavenly Jerusalem that will be suspended in the air and that
David and the converted Jews will be in the Jerusalem upon the earth.
Some of the very best Bible students hold to that view, but I have
never been able to see it. I believe that Christ is going to reign in
Jerusalem in Palestine, notice Zeph. 3:14-16. In Rev. 5:10 it does not
say that Jehovah will be up in a Jerusalem suspended in the air. It
says He is going to be here "upon the earth." This passage says that
the saints who are purchased from the various nations will reign upon
the earth and not up in the air.
"And I saw, 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;
saying with a great voice, Worthy is the Lamb that hath been slain to
receive the power, and riches, and wisdom, and might, and honor, and
glory, and blessing" (vss. 11, 12).
Here we have a description of the second song of praise that is
offered by the angelic hosts to the Lord Jesus Christ, the Lamb of
God that takes away the sin of the world. Note the fact that many
angels joined their voices with the living creatures and the four and
twenty elders. The number in this chorus are ten thousand times ten
thousand and thousands of thousands. Ten thousand times ten
thousand equals one hundred million; in addition to these there are
thousands of thousands.
The soul-stirring chorus which they sing is "Worthy is the Lamb
that hath been slain to receive the power, and riches, and wisdom, and
might, and honor, and glory, and blessing." This is a sevenfold
statement of the things which our Lord will receive because of His

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having purchased from among men those who would accept the truth
and receive His salvation.
"And every created thing which is in the heaven, and on the earth,
and under the earth, and on the sea, and all things that are in them,
heard I saying, Unto him that sitteth on the throne, and unto the
Lamb, be the blessing, and the honor, and the glory, and the
dominion, for ever and ever. And the four living creatures said,
Amen. And the elders fell down and worshipped" (vss. 13, 14). Here
is the largest chorus, or choir, that is ever assembled. We are told that
"every created thing which is in the heaven, and on the earth, and
under the earth, and on the sea" will engage in this mighty song of
praise to the Lamb for His redemption. At the beginning of the
Tribulation will every man, woman and child on this earth, every lost
person in Hades all join one mighty chorus and say "Unto him that
sitteth on the throne, and unto the Lamb, be the blessing, and the
honor, and the glory, and the dominion, for ever and ever"? No, they
will not be doing that. When will they do it? At the end of the
Tribulation. Since they do not do this at the beginning of the
Tribulation but they do it at the end, then we know that these two
verses, 13 and 14, are anticipatory—looking forward to the end of the
period of judgment.
Phil. 2:9-11 speaks of the time when all the angelic hosts, all the
people who will be upon the earth and all the lost in Hades, Satan and
all of the demons, will bow the knee and confess with their tongues
that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. All the lost
will see that God has been absolutely righteous and just in His
dealings, even in consigning them to the place of the condemned. He
could not do otherwise. See also Matt. 26:64 and Rev. 1:7.

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They will, therefore, render praise to Him who sits upon the throne
(God the Father) and unto the Lamb who purchased redemption for
the human family. Ah! this Lamb is One that had been slain from the
foundation of the world in the plan and purpose of God. John the
Baptist saw this truth when two of his disciples were talking with him
and Jesus appeared on the scene. Then John pointed to Jesus and said,
"Behold, the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sin of the world!" All
of the animal sacrifices from those that began in Eden, all those
through the Patriarchal Age, through the Jewish dispensation on up to
the cross of Christ, foreshadowed the supreme sacrifice that Christ
made on the cross of Calvary for you and for me.
When this hymn is finished the four living creatures will close
with a hearty "Amen." Then the elders will fall down and worship.
This heavenly scene closes that which is set forth in Revelation,
chapters 4 and 5.

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Chapter 6

The Seal Judgments (Rev. 6:1-17)

The Tribulation (Rev. 6-19)

There have been many calamities and catastrophes that have struck
various nations, groups of nations and even the entire world.
Whenever such a catastrophe occurs, thinking people begin to
question and reason as to why an event of such great magnitude
happened. Men in times of such crises instinctively acknowledge that
God is responsible. They naturally accept the proposition that He is
the Creator and Controller of all things even though they might in a
spirit of argumentation and reasoning, deny this thesis.
Reason and logic show us that there is a Being whom we call the
omnipotent, eternal God, the Creator of the entire universe. All men
reason that there must be an adequate cause for every result. The
material universe is a result therefore there must be some adequate
cause. The impression which one receives from observing the
material order is that this adequate cause is an intelligent, rational
Being—a personal God. Men instinctively accept these things though
they cannot by the finite mind grasp the proposition as to how God
could have existed throughout all eternity.
Believing then that there is a rational, thinking, intelligent Being
who is the Creator of the entire universe and who sustains it by His
mighty power, we are led to ask something about His being and His
character. From the Hebrew in Deut. 6:4 we learn that Jehovah our
Gods is Jehovah a unity. In Mark 12:28-30, Jesus tells that the above
verse is the most important verse in the Word of God. In other words,
we are given information concerning the Holy Trinity that constitutes
the Godhead. From Exodus 34:6,7 we learn of God's character: "And
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Jehovah passed by before him, and proclaimed, Jehovah, Jehovah, a

God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abundant in
lovingkindness and truth; keeping lovingkindness for thousands,
forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin; and that will by no
means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the
children, and upon the children's children, upon the third and upon the
fourth generation." This statement by God of Himself is of the utmost
importance if we are to evaluate any event. We cannot understand or
comprehend any act of the Almighty unless we have a very clear,
definite idea concerning this sevenfold statement given by God of His
nature, attributes and characteristics.
Another thing that we must understand is the Scriptural teaching
that God controls and overrules all things, directing everything
toward a grand consummation that will be for the good of all
concerned and for the manifestation of His glory (Heb. 1:3).
A fourth Scriptural teaching that we must understand is that God
has given to all of His creatures, both celestial and terrestrial, the
power of free choice. Of course, in speaking of terrestrial beings this
does not refer to dumb animals but of intelligent, rational, thinking
human beings. Moreover, God does not force the will of anyone. He
allows each one to make up his mind and to act according to his own
preferences and choices. At the same time He overrules every
situation and makes it contribute to the ultimate goal. In overruling
the free acts of men the Lord cannot always work out what might be
termed His "number one plan" for the individual; nor His number
two, etc. (Prov. 3:1-12). He brings out the best that can be developed
of every situation. It will be seen that the general trend of events is
headed in the direction of the great and final consummation. As
Tennyson puts it: "Yet I doubt not thro’ the ages one increasing

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purpose runs, And the thoughts of men are widened with the process
of the suns."
When we understand these vital fundamental principles we are in a
position to look at the judgments of the Great Tribulation and
evaluate them.
One other consideration we must have clearly before our minds:
That "God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son,
that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have eternal
life" (John 3:16). That Christ tasted death for every man: "But we
behold him who hath been made a little lower than the angels, even
Jesus, because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and
honor, that by the grace of God he should taste of death for every
man" (Heb. 2:9); and that Christ Jesus "gave himself a ransom for all"
(1 Tim. 2:6). We must also remember that "The Lord is not slack
concerning his promise, as some count slackness; but is long-
suffering to you-ward, not wishing that any should perish, but that all
should come to repentance" (2 Pet. 3:9). These passages of Scripture
and many others that could be given show us God's attitude toward all
His sinful creatures. He wants to bring the greatest blessing possible
into the lives of every one of His creatures.

The Seventy Weeks of Daniel

In order to have a more complete understanding of the Tribulation
Period, which we are to study, we turn to Daniel, chapter 9. Israel is
the nation of destiny. This fact is seen from the prominence she
occupies in the unfolding of the Almighty's plan, beginning with
Genesis, chapter 12, and running throughout the Scriptures. The Jew
was created in order that God might be glorified through him (see Isa.
43:1-7). Palestine, the land granted to Israel by the Lord, is the center
of the earth (Ezek. 38:12). God has, figuratively speaking, a universal
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chronometer which strikes off the days, weeks, months and years of
universal time. But He has a special one, as it were, which might be
compared to a stop-clock (made for a specific purpose) which counts
off the time when Israel is in fellowship with Him and which stops
when she has lost His special favor and protection. These are facts
with which we must reckon in our investigation of the Scriptures. The
"Jewish Calendar" is given in Dan. 9:24-27. The entire chapter,
however, should be studied in order to get the import of the message.
One must note carefully the words of verse 24 of this chapter:
"Seventy sevens [of years] are decreed upon thy [Daniel's] people and
upon thy holy city" (Literal Translation).
Daniel had been studying about the years of the desolations of
Jerusalem, found in Jeremiah, chapters 25 and 29. He had been
examining "the books" (which speak of ordinary years, 2 Chronicles,
chapter 36). He was therefore thinking in terms of years. In answer to
his petition the angel Gabriel came and informed him that there were
"seventy weeks." Seventy weeks of what? In view of the context there
is but one answer: weeks of years. One must therefore bear in mind
that Gabriel was talking about years—literal years—made up of the
four seasons such as are indicated in the Scriptures. Since these weeks
are not sevens of literal days, but of solar years, and since there are
seventy of them, we know that this expression indicates 490 ordinary
years. These seventy weeks of years were decreed upon the Jewish
people and Jerusalem for the bringing in of the Millennium, which is
expressed in terms of six things which we know will only be
accomplished when the Lord Jesus returns and introduces the Golden
Age of the future. As proof of this position the reader should analyze
the six expressions appearing in Dan. 9:24: "Seventy weeks are
decreed upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish
transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation
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for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up

vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most holy."
When these phrases are taken at their literal meaning, one sees that
they can refer to only one thing—namely, the Millennial Age.*
The initial date of these 490 years is the year of the issuing of the
decree by Cyrus for the Jews, returning from their Babylonian exile,
to rebuild the city of Jerusalem and their Temple. That Cyrus the
Great, the Persian, did issue the decree referred to in Dan. 9:25 is
evident from the prophecy of Isaiah, which he spoke about two
hundred or more years prior to the time of this monarch. For proof of
this position read Isa. 44:25-45:13.
But note especially verse 28 of chapter 44, which reads as follows:
"that saith of Cyrus, He is my shepherd, and shall perform all my
pleasure, even saying of Jerusalem, She shall be built; and of the
temple, Thy foundation shall be laid."
Some have concluded that Cyrus did not make the proclamation
foretold in Dan. 9:25 since the rebuilding of the city of Jerusalem is
not mentioned in the decree given in Ezra 1:1-4, which speaks about
the reconstruction of the Temple alone. God through Isaiah foretold
that Cyrus would order the rebuilding of the city along with his
decree to erect the Temple. The Word of God is always fulfilled
exactly as spoken and written. We must therefore believe that Cyrus
did what God said he would. Since the initial date of the four hundred
and ninety years was the one during which this monarch issued his
decree, the first year of this prophecy was his first year—when he
made the proclamation.

* For a full discussion of Daniel, chapter 9, see The Seventy Weeks of Daniel
by Dr. David L. Cooper, Ph.D., Litt.D.

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Historically, this occurred in the year 536 B.C., which is the year
3589 A.H. The anno hominis system of computing time is Biblical;
hence it is correct. It is counted from Adam forward.¹ For full
particulars read the books of Ezra and Nehemiah.
The major portion of this four-hundred-and-ninety-year period is
expressed in the term "three-score and two weeks" which is preceded
by one of seven weeks or forty-nine years. As already seen, a week in
the sense of this passage, is a period of seven years. Hence, seven
sevens plus three-score and two sevens make sixty-nine sevens or 483
years. According to Gabriel there were to be 483 years from the time
when Cyrus issued the command for the Jews to return and restore
Jerusalem unto the Messiah, the Anointed One. But what point in the
career of the Messiah is indicated as the terminal date of the 483
years? Was it His birth? His baptism? or His crucifixion? This
question is answered in verse 26 of this passage: "And after the
threescore and two weeks shall the anointed one be cut off, and shall
have nothing." This statement settles the question. The terminal date,
therefore, is the cutting off of the Messiah, or His crucifixion. This
occurred, as we know, in the year 30 A.D. of the common system of
reckoning, but in the year 4071 A.H. (Biblical dating). We can be
certain therefore that there were 483 years from the issuance of the
decree by Cyrus for the Jews to restore Jerusalem to the crucifixion of
Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ. We have to reject all systems of
reckoning and accept the Biblical prophecy if we are to have the truth
on the matter.

¹ See Messiah: His First Coming Scheduled by Dr. David L. Cooper,

Ph.D., Litt.D.

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We have been told that God's clock stops when Israel is out of
fellowship with Him. We see that this statement is correct when we
think about His "stop-clock" already mentioned. Israel said, "Away
with him! Away with him! Crucify Him! Crucify Him! We have no
king but Caesar!"
Proof that God's clock stopped at that time is found in the fact that,
if the seventieth week of Daniel, chapter 9, or the last seven years of
the period under discussion, had followed the sixty-ninth week, the
Millennial Age would have been introduced seven years after the
crucifixion. There is no escape from this position because at the end
of this seventieth week, Millennial conditions, according to verse 24
of this prophecy, are introduced into the world. We therefore know
that the seventieth week did not follow the sixty-ninth because the
Millennium did not start then; nor has it begun since. On the contrary,
Gabriel informed Daniel that "the people of the prince that shall come
shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be
with a flood." In these words is couched the prediction of the
destruction of Jerusalem which occurred in 70 A.D. when the
Romans, under Titus, destroyed the Holy City. We therefore see that
the angel Gabriel, figuratively speaking, jumps from the year 30 A.D.
(the time of the crucifixion) to 70 A.D., because it was in that year
that Jerusalem fell and the Jews were dispersed throughout the world.
From this point he leaps forward to the end of the 490-year period
in the statement "even unto the end shall be war." This is a prediction
that there would be wars for the Jews and for Jerusalem from the year
70 A.D. unto the end of something; but of what? There is but one
answer which is: The end of the 490 years.

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THE JEWISH CALENDAR OR THE SEVENTY WEEKS OF YEARS—The

chart is a diagram showing pictorially the time set forth in Daniel
chapter nine.

When one takes these facts into consideration one sees that Daniel
clearly foretold the Christian Dispensation, or the Church Age,
intervening between the execution of King Messiah and the
seventieth week of this prophecy.
Daniel therefore was informed that this period of time separating
the sixty-ninth week from the seventieth would intervene, but the
length of it was not revealed to him.
This conclusion is confirmed by a number of predictions found in
the Old Testament. This age of grace is called "the year of Jehovah's
favor" in Isa. 61:2 and is to be followed by the day of vengeance of
our God—the Tribulation. The prophets frequently referred to this
age as one of grace, but did not inform their hearers and readers with
regard to the turn which affairs would take at this time. Jesus,
however, gave light upon this phase of the subject in His Kingdom
parables (Matthew, chapter 13). Finally, the apostles, by the Spirit,
elucidated the subject and gave us the detailed information in the
Epistles.
When we compare the Jewish Calendar and the facts revealed in
this prophecy with other plain statements of Scripture we know that
the Church Age will be brought to a conclusion by the Rapture of the
Church. When the body of Christ has been completed (read 1 Thess.
4:13-5:11) the Lord Jesus will descend from Heaven with a shout,
with the voice of the archangel and with the trump of God, the dead
in Christ will be raised first and the living saints will be caught up to

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meet Him in the clouds in the air. This glorious event will bring the
Christian Era to a conclusion.
This Christian Age, or Dispensation of Grace, is to be followed by
the seventieth week of Daniel, which is the Tribulation consisting of
the last seven of the 490 years of this prophecy. During this time God
will rain down His judgments upon the world. The Jews, however,
will bear the brunt of His mighty strokes, for this period is called "the
time of Jacob's trouble" but he will be saved out of it (Jer. 30:7). Of
course, these judgments will purge out all of the wicked from this
earth preparatory to the Lord's glorious appearance at the end of this
seventieth week to establish a reign of righteousness and peace upon
the earth.
The Millennial Age is repeatedly referred to or described by the
prophets. It is a period of a thousand years' duration when the curse
will be lifted and when the glory of the Lord covers the earth as the
waters cover the sea. Satan is bound, together with all demons, and
cast into the pit during this time. The earth will bring forth its
increase. There will be no more sickness of any kind. The animals
will be restored to their original condition. Joy and happiness will
reign supreme. O Lord Jesus, hasten that day!

The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse

"And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seven seals, and I
heard one of the four living creatures saying as with a voice of
thunder, Come. And I saw, and behold, a white horse, and he that sat
thereon had a bow; and there was given unto him a crown; and he
came forth conquering, and to conquer" (Rev. 6:1, 2). The language
in chapter 6 is clearly a dramatic presentation of literal facts that are
presented under the form of striking imagery. The entire program is

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put under the imagery of Christ's breaking, or opening, the seven

seals.

The First Horseman

When Christ breaks the first seal, the first living creature, or
seraph, gives an order in a loud voice saying, "Come." Immediately
there comes forth a rider on a white horse, who has a bow in his hand.
Then there is given to him a crown, a victor's crown. This is given to
him by way of anticipation. He goes forth to conquer and
accomplishes his purpose.
What is meant by this dramatic presentation? Is this a literal horse
and a literal man riding the horse? We should take it this way if the
facts of the context permit; but, when we read of the rider on the
fourth horse in verses 7 and 8, we see that Death is the rider and
Hades follows him. Death is a stern reality that comes to every home.
It comes to everyone that lives upon the earth with the exception of
Enoch and Elijah and those who will be caught up from the earth by
the Lord. Since this rider is Death we know this is not a literal horse
nor a literal horseman but that this is symbolic. There is no such
person as Death nor is there any such individual as Hades. Death and
Hades are personified and are represented as going forth as is
described. If this is true of the fourth horseman it certainly is true of
all of them since clearly they belong to the same category.
With these facts before us we come to the conclusion that the rider
on the white horse in verse 2 is a movement that is headed by some
great personage. The object of the movement is to seize world
dominion. Those promoting it come forth for that purpose and they
reach their goal. This position is confirmed by the further fact that the
color of this first horse is white. Conquerors in Roman times rode on
white horses. Back in the early days of Israel, kings and conquerors in
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Palestine and the Near East rode on donkeys. In Roman times they
introduced the horse from Central Asia and they rode on white horses.
Moreover, the triumphant Christ, of whose second advent we read in
Rev.19: 11-21, comes on a white horse. He will be victorious over all
His enemies at that time. He will have diadems on His head. The rider
on the white horse in Rev. 6: 2 has a little victor's crown, a garland of
ivy, or something of that nature—according to the customs of the day.
This rider on the white horse comes at the very beginning of the
Tribulation whereas the rider in the nineteenth chapter of Revelation
comes at the conclusion of the Tribulation. For this reason we must
conclude that the rider on this first horse is symbolic of the false
messiah, the Antichrist. He will be the world dictator in the end time.
The world government is going to develop and embrace all nations
and this is going to come to pass before the Tribulation begins. There
will be a world empire and it will be thrown into collapse about as
rapidly as it will come into existence. It will fall into ten divisions.
There will arise ten dictators or kings who will seize power in each of
these sections of the world empire. But they will have problems on
their hands that will take superhuman wisdom to solve. There will
appear out of obscurity, out of oblivion, a man, a polished gentleman,
but he will be everything but a gentleman as we shall see later on. He
will come to the assistance of these ten kings and will advise them so
that they will be able to iron out most of their difficulties. He will
gradually, in an underhanded manner, seize power from each one of
them and the balance of power will finally gravitate into his hands.
Then he will make a covenant with the Jews for seven years—with
the apostate remnant of Israel (Dan. 9:27). When he puts his name to
that document, that very moment the Tribulation will begin. The rider
on the white horse is this world dictator, the Antichrist—coming into
prominence, he comes forth conquering and he does conquer.
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The Second Horseman

"And when he opened the second seal, I heard the second living
creature saying, Come. And another horse came forth, a red horse:
and to him that sat thereon it was given to take peace from the earth,
and that they should slay one another: and there was given unto him a
great sword" (vss. 3, 4). This second rider is mounted on a red horse,
a blood-red horse. This one takes peace from the earth and introduces
a reign of terror. To this rider is given a great sword.
Suppose a cartoonist should put in some of our daily papers a picture
of the world and of a man mounted on a blood-red horse, with a
sword in his hand, galloping through the earth. And suppose there is
also seen a dove flying directly away from the earth. Should you see
such a cartoon as this in the secular papers, how would you interpret
it? Instantly every intelligent person would say that the cartoonist
intended to convey to the reader's mind that there is a world war, with
bloodshed and carnage in evidence on every hand. We see such a
cartoon in the form of the rider on the red horse of this passage. There
are going to be three world wars during the Tribulation. This is World
War I of the Tribulation. It is possible but not probable that we may
have another world war before the Tribulation. The scientists warn us
of the complete devastation possible with the weapons of modern
warfare such as the hydrogen bomb, the atomic bomb, chemical and
biological warfare. Ezekiel tells us that Russia and the nations aligned
with her invade Palestine before the Tribulation Period.² If there were
to be a World War III it seems improbable that the Western
Democracies and Russia could recover and be able to fulfill Ezek.
38:1-39:16 as presented in this passage.

² See When God's Armies Meet the Almighty in the Land of Israel by Dr. David
L. Cooper, Ph.D., Litt.D.

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No sooner does the Antichrist come to power until there is World

War I of the Tribulation that affects every nation, tribe, tongue and
language. At this time peace is taken from the earth. It is a revolt
against the Antichrist.

The Third Horseman

"And when he opened the third seal, I heard the third living
creature saying, Come. And I saw, and behold, a black horse; and he
that sat thereon had a balance in his hand. And I heard as it were a
voice in the midst of the four living creatures saying, A measure of
wheat for a shilling, and three measures of barley for a shilling; and
the oil and the wine hurt thou not" (vss. 5, 6). The rider on the third
horse is mounted upon a black steed. He carries in his hands a set of
scales weighing and selling grain. As the rider goes forth from one
place to another, John heard the voice speaking of the grain's being
sold at famine prices. That those will be dark days indeed is
symbolized by the further fact that the color of the horse is black.
The oil and the wine at that time will not be hurt because they will
have medicinal properties.
The rider on the black horse follows the rider on the red one and
since the latter is symbolic of war and bloodshed, we conclude that
the rider on the black horse symbolizes famine of the direst kind, the
aftermath of World War I of the Tribulation Period.

The Fourth Horseman

"And when he opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the
fourth living creature saying, Come. And I saw, and behold, a pale
horse: and he that sat upon him, his name was Death; and Hades
followed with him. And there was given unto them authority over the
fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with famine, and with
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death, and by the wild beasts of the earth" (vss. 7, 8). When this
fourth living creature shouts "Come" there appears upon the arena a
rider mounted on a pale horse. The name of this rider is Death, who
goes forth reaping his terrible toll of people. Death is a reality. It is a
power! It is a force that is executed by Satan. He is a minister of death
(Heb. 2:14): "him that had [hath] the power of death, that is, the
devil." Here death is thought and spoken of as if it were a person.
Hades is in the center part of the earth and the place to which all
people from Adam to Christ went upon death, both the righteous and
the unrighteous. Death and Hades are personifications of the power of
death and of the place to which the wicked dead go. They await the
judgment of the Great White Throne which comes after the Millennial
Age (Rev 20:11-15).
When this stage of the Tribulation is reached a second war will
burst forth upon the world. This time the war will affect only a fourth
part of the earth. In that section of the world men will be killed with
the sword, with famine, with some pestilence or plague from the Lord
and by wild beasts of the earth. What part of the globe will be
affected by this rider on the fourth horse is not revealed. The toll of
life in this part of the earth will be terrific. All of these things
represented by these four horsemen of the apocalypse are all natural
phenomena. First, there is a political movement that brings the
Antichrist into power. There have been political movements on
innumerable occasions that have brought men out of obscurity into
power. So this is interpreted by the people who do not know the Bible
as a natural occurrence. People will not see the hand of God although
His hand is in it. There will be a world-wide shortage of food. People
will be starving to death. Those living then will say that these things
have occurred before and history repeats itself. They will be able to
explain away these occurrences in the first part of the Tribulation.
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The Return of the Days of the Martyrs

"And when he opened the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the
souls of them that had been slain for the word of God, and for the
testimony which they held: and they cried with a great voice, saying,
How long, O Master, the holy and true, dost thou not judge and
avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? And there was
given them to each one a white robe; and it was said unto them, that
they should rest yet for a little time, until their fellow-servants also
and their brethren, who should be killed even as they were, should
have fulfilled their course" (vss. 9-11). In our investigation of the seal
judgments we have come to the opening of the fifth seal. With the
breaking of this seal the horrible days of persecution break forth upon
all who turn to God in the first part of the Tribulation.
As we have seen in the discussion of chapters 4 and 5, the Rapture
of the saints constituting the Church of God occurs before the
Tribulation begins. Every born-again believer is snatched away out of
the earth by the Lord when He descends from Heaven to the air to
raise the dead and to catch up the living saints. After the Church has
been raptured there are a host of believers who suffer martyrdom
because of their faith in the Word of God and of their testimony
which they held concerning Jesus Christ.
Who are these saints? There is but one answer to this question:
They are the Tribulation saints; those who turn to the Lord after the
Church is raptured and after the judgments of the Tribulation begin.
The events of verses 9-11 anticipate the information which is given in
chapter 7 concerning the great worldwide revival.
John sees the souls of the Tribulation martyrs in Heaven
underneath the altar after they are martyred. Since Christ won the
victory of the cross, the believer upon death goes immediately into

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the presence of Christ. The lost go to Sheol, or Hades and remain

there awaiting the judgment of the Great White Throne.
Christ left this earth at the time of His ascension and went to the
Temple of God in Heaven. There is a Temple in Heaven. The
Tabernacle and later the Temple built by Solomon were little replicas,
little models, of that eternal reality. There were two compartments of
the Tabernacle and of the Temple—the Most Holy Place and the Holy
Place. Just as there is an altar of incense in the heavenly Temple, so
there was an altar of incense that symbolized that heavenly altar in the
Temple and Tabernacle here on earth. These who lived in the first
part of the Tribulation, who have gone into the presence of Christ, are
said to be under the altar. There are those who turn to the Lord. Many
of them will go home by way of the chopping block—they will be
beheaded for the Word of God and the testimony which they hold.
There will be many martyrs in the second quarter of the Tribulation;
but these spirits are the souls of the martyrs of the first quarter of the
Tribulation, Rev. 20:4. They are conscious and know that those who
executed them are still alive and on the earth and that they have not
been punished for their crime. The souls of the saved are represented
as being conscious and the souls of the unsaved are also conscious.
My reason for saying that is found in Matt. 26:63-64a. This is the
language of the Lord Jesus Christ to the high priest, the president of
the Jewish Sanhedrin, that tried and condemned Christ. "But Jesus
held his peace, And the high priest said unto him, I adjure thee by the
living God, that thou tell us whether thou art the Christ, the Son of
God. Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto
you, Henceforth [from now on] ye shall see the Son of man sitting at
the right hand of Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven." (I tell
you the truth, I am the Christ, the Messiah of Israel, you are going to
kill me, I am going to be buried, raised from the dead and ascend
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from this earth and go back to Heaven and sit at the right hand of the
throne of God. You are going to die, go down into Sheol and be
thoroughly conscious. You will look up from Sheol, from Hades,
across vast expanses of space and you will see me seated at the right
hand of the throne of God.) Caiaphas and those who said "Away with
him, away with him, crucify him!" have cast their eyes heavenward
many times and they have seen Jesus Christ seated there at the right
hand of God. They will see Him when He arises from His position at
the right hand of God and when He rends the heavens and comes
back in glory and power. In the sixteenth chapter of Luke, Jesus gives
us a recital of the facts concerning the rich man and Lazarus. This
passage also shows that the dead, or the lost dead ones in Sheol, are
conscious and they know certain things that are taking place upon this
earth.
From Rev. 6:11 we see that those who are saved and who are in
the presence of God eagerly desire their resurrection bodies but they
are told to wait until the rest of the brethren, the Tribulation saints,
shall have run their course and met their fate. Heb. 12:1-3 is another
passage which teaches that the saints are conscious and that they
know about things transpiring upon the earth. The Tribulation saints
will receive their resurrection bodies at the end of the Tribulation.

General Convulsions Throughout all Nature

"And I saw when he opened the sixth seal, and there was a great
earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the
whole moon became as blood; and the stars of the heaven fell unto
the earth, as a fig tree casteth her unripe figs when she is shaken of a
great wind. And the heaven was removed as a scroll when it is rolled
up; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.
And the kings of the earth, and the princes, and the chief captains, and
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the rich, and the strong, and every bondman and freeman, hid
themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains; and they
say to the mountains and to the rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the
face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:
for the great day of their wrath is come; and who is able to stand?"
(vss. 12-17).
From this description it appears that there will be convulsions,
mighty cosmic upheavals throughout our solar system and possibly
extending throughout the universe. At that time there will be a
universal blackout lasting for a short time. The light from the sun,
moon and stars will not reach this earth. This will be the second
blackout that occurs in connection with the Tribulation. The first one
occurs before the Tribulation begins, as we see in Joel 2:28-32. But
when this blackout occurs it will clear up and normal conditions of
light and darkness will be restored. There will be the second blackout
at the opening of the sixth seal. There will be another one—though of
a different nature—when the fifth angel sounds his trumpet (Rev.
9:2). Another blackout will occur in the middle of the second half of
the Tribulation (Rev. 16:10). The final black—out will occur at the
end of the Tribulation immediately preceding our Lord's glorious
return to this earth (Matt. 24:29-31).
At the breaking of each of the first four seals, there appears upon
the earth a rider upon a certain colored horse. These horsemen are
symbols of movements and events of that period. This movement
brings the Antichrist into power; World War I of the Tribulation;
universal shortage of food supplies; and a local war which affects
one-fourth of the earth's surface. A martyrdom of Tribulation saints
occurs at the breaking of the fifth seal. All of the things which occur
under the first five seals are brought about and engineered by men

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who instigate and carry forward these events as indicated in Rev. 6:1-
11.
But in Rev. 6:12-17, at the breaking of the sixth seal, God begins
to do "his work, his strange work" and to bring to pass "his act, his
strange act" (Isa. 28:21) apart from all human effort and activity. That
the language is to be interpreted as a general upheaval throughout the
world and possibly the entire material universe is evident from the
statements which are made in verses 12-14. People of every class will
recognize that all of these phenomena are the work of God whose
wrath, blended with His eternal love, is stirred to its depths. They will
seek to hide themselves in the caves and the rocks of the mountains.
At that time God certainly will begin performing His strange work
and strange act in fulfillment of Isaiah's prediction (Isa. 28:20-29).
Since the upheaval described in Rev. 6:12-17 is the fulfillment of
Isaiah's prediction, it is the event which the prophet designated as
God's plowing, harrowing and leveling the earth, preparing the soil
for the sowing of the seed. Then we are logical in thinking that the
sowing of the seed naturally follows the preparation of the ground. Is
there a universal seed-sowing following the preparation of the soil?
This question is answered in the affirmative by the message of Rev.
7:1-17.

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Chapter 7

144,000 Jewish Evangelists and the

Worldwide Revival (Rev. 7:1-17)

Let us always bear in mind that the chronological order of events

as they will occur in the Tribulation is found in Revelation, chapters
6, 8, 9 and 16. The chapters intervening give sidelights on the
situation as it will exist during the Tribulation.
We saw that the seal judgments found in chapter 6 cover a period
of approximately a year and nine months, the first quarter of the
Tribulation. At the breaking of each of the six seals something
definite takes place upon the earth. At the conclusion of the sixth seal
there is, so to speak, a lull in the storm. Then there is given a vision
of the 144,000 Jewish people who will conduct the worldwide revival
in the Tribulation. After the giving of this vision the seventh Seal is
broken, which develops into the seven trumpet judgments of chapters
8 and 9.
Though the prediction of the worldwide revival occurs in chapter
7, let us not think that it begins only after the first six seals have spent
their force. As we saw in the last chapter, the martyrdom of the saints
under the fifth seal (Rev. 6:9-11) presupposes the breaking forth and
the continuance of this worldwide revival. There is nothing to
indicate the exact time in the first part of the Tribulation when the
revival begins. Someone, however, has beautifully expressed the
thought in this way: The 144,000 Jewish servants of God will grasp
the banner dropped by the ascending Church as it goes to meet the
Lord in the air. These evangelists will carry forward the banner of
Prince Immanuel to the ends of the earth and will bring about the
worldwide revival.
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When we study Revelation, chapter 7, and related passages, we are

led to the conclusion that the revival will reach its greatest intensity
during the first half of the Tribulation. It will likely go underground
during the second half. That it will be considerably slowed down is
set forth in Hab. 3:2, "O Jehovah, revive thy work in the midst of the
years." After three and a half years the work of God, the great revival,
will be brought to a sudden standstill. But it will be revived, not to
blaze forth as a bright and shining light as in the first part of the
Tribulation, however; but it will go underground and operate as the
early church did during the days of the Roman persecutions.

The Ministry of Angels

"Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to do service for the
sake of them that shall inherit salvation?" (Heb. 1:14). On account of
the abuse of the doctrine of angels and their ministrations by certain
groups, many Protestants shy away from anything that pertains to the
ministry of angels. In the quotation just given, however, we see that
they are the ones whom God dispatches to render various types of
service to those who shall inherit salvation. One of the great services
which they will render to the true worshiper is that they will camp
round about those who fear God and deliver them (Ps. 34:7).
In Rev. 7:1 we see that there are four angels at the four corners of
the earth holding back, or controlling, the four winds of the earth. In
Rev. 10:1 we see a strong angel coming down from Heaven.
According to Rev. 12:7, Michael and his angels will go forth and war
against Satan and his cohorts, driving them out of the presence of
God. In Rev. 14:6 we see an angel proclaiming the everlasting Gospel
to all people which, when properly interpreted, is an announcement
made by the angels that the everlasting Gospel will be preached
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throughout the Tribulation. In Rev. 16:5 we read of the angel of the

waters. These references are sufficient to show that the angels will
play a very vital part during the Tribulation; they are at the present
time rendering service to the Lord in various capacities (Ps. 103:20).

The Treasuries of the Wind

In our present chapter we learn that four angels, mentioned in Rev.
7:1 are stationed at the four comers of the earth and that they hold
back the four winds of the earth so that they shall not at that time
blow upon the earth, sea or any tree. Men have learned much about
meteorology and there is still much to learn. Scientists can predict to
a certain extent and in a general way the type of weather that will
exist in a given area for a certain time. God gave Job a questionnaire,
none of the questions of which Job could answer fully and
satisfactorily. Among these the Lord asked him: "By what way is the
light parted, Or the east wind scattered upon the earth?" (Job 38:24).
This implies that there is some place from which the east wind comes
forth and then is scattered over the earth. This type of language
reminds one of such passages as Ps. 135:6,7: "Whatsoever Jehovah
pleased, that hath he done, In heaven and in earth, in the seas and in
all deeps; Who causeth the vapors to ascend from the ends of the
earth; Who maketh lightnings for the rain; Who bringeth forth the
wind out of his treasuries." According to this passage there is a place
which is designated as the "treasury of the wind." Where is this place
and who is in control of it? How are the winds brought out of it, and
how are they directed into various directions? On this point one
should study carefully Jer. 10:13: "When he uttereth his voice, there
is a tumult of waters in the heavens, and he causeth the vapors to
ascend from the ends of the earth; he maketh lightnings for the rain,
and bringeth forth the wind out of his treasuries."
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The angelic hosts that remain faithful and true to God constitute a
well-organized host. As John looked at the vision which was before
him he saw another angel, a fifth one, that ascended from the
sunrising with the seal of the living God. Then he cried with a great
voice to the four angels commanding them not to hurt the earth, nor
the sea, nor the trees, nor anything—until the sealing of the 144,000
servants of God is accomplished.
We read accounts of tornadoes on land and hurricanes on the sea
and of the mighty power and damage wrought by them. From the
passage under consideration it appears that the angels have control of
at least some of these tornadoes and hurricanes. It is hard for us to see
this truth, but we must accept it by faith, especially so when we see
such a passage as the following: "Jehovah is a jealous God and
avengeth; Jehovah avengeth and is full of wrath; Jehovah taketh
vengeance on his adversaries, and he reserveth wrath for his enemies.
Jehovah is slow to anger, and great in power, and will by no means
clear the guilty: Jehovah hath his way in the whirlwind and in the
storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet. He rebuketh the sea, and
maketh it dry, and drieth up all the rivers: Bashan languisheth; and
Carmel; and the flower of Lebanon languisheth. The mountains quake
at him, and the hills melt; and the earth is upheaved at his presence,
yea, the world, and all that dwell therein. Who can stand before his
indignation? And who can abide in the fierceness of his anger? his
wrath is poured out like fire, and the rocks are broken asunder by
him. Jehovah is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; and he
knoweth them that take refuge in him. But with an over-running flood
he will make a full end of her place, and will pursue his enemies into
darkness" (Nahum 1:2-8).

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When our Lord was asleep in the boat in which He was crossing
the Sea of Galilee, there arose a mighty tempest which was about to
destroy the boat in which the Saviour and the Apostles were sailing.
The Apostles awakened Jesus. He then rebuked the wind and the
waves. There was a mighty calm (Luke 8:22-25). Though the
elements may seem to go on a rampage, all the forces of nature are
under the mighty hand of God who does many things that are hard for
us to understand. He does all things well!

The 144,000 Jewish Servants of God

That these 144,000 servants are Jews is clearly stated in the
context. There are 12,000 from each of the twelve tribes of Israel.
There is not a single Gentile in this group. The term Israel is used
synonymously with Jews throughout the Bible and is inferred in this
passage. THERE IS NO DOCTRINE MORE VITAL FOR THE GOING
FORWARD OR THE ADVANCEMENT OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD
THAN THE DOCTRINE OF ISRAEL'S PLACE IN GOD'S PRESENT PLAN.
These will be sealed by the angel in order to protect them from the
dangers of the time. They will be immune from all dangers. The
sealing of these brings to mind the sealing in the vision of the people
of Jerusalem who were to be exempt from injury during a crisis that
was coming upon the doomed city. Read carefully Ezek. 9:3-8.
The 144,000 Jewish servants of Revelation, chapter 7, must be
clearly differentiated from the 144,000 mentioned in Rev. 14:1-5.
This latter group consists of people of all races, for we are told that
"These were purchased from among men, to be the firstfruits unto
God and unto the Lamb" (Rev. 14:4). Concerning them, in verse 3, it
is said that "they that had been purchased out of the earth." Of this
group it is said: "These are they that were not defiled with women; for
they are virgins. These are they that follow the Lamb whithersoever

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he goeth. These were purchased from among men, to be the firstfruits

unto God and unto the Lamb. And in their mouth was found no lie:
they are without blemish" (Rev. 14:4, 5). These words mean exactly
what they say. This statement being true, we say that the 144,000 of
Revelation, chapter 14, is an entirely different group from the
144,000 Jewish servants of God given in Revelation, chapter 7.
There is one tribe that is not mentioned here—the tribe of Dan. We
have twelve tribes listed. How do you get twelve if one is omitted?
Joseph had two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh. But why is it that Dan
is not mentioned here? There is a little hint of that back in Gen. 49:16,
17: "Dan shall judge his people, As one of the tribes of Israel. Dan
shall be a serpent in the way, An adder in the path. That biteth the
horse's heels, So that his rider falleth backward." The father of Dan
predicted that he would be like a snake lying in the grass and waiting
to strike. There will not be a single Danite of those 144,000, but of
the others there will be 12,000 of each of the twelve tribes. What a
tragedy! Through disobedience they lost their privilege of service.
Since these servants of God will be located among the nations of the
world, they will not need to learn other languages to share the Gospel.
They will already have a knowledge of them—the message will go
forth swiftly.

The Worldwide Revival

There are three significant purposes of the Tribulation:
1. The Worldwide Revival
2. The Destruction of the Wicked
3. The Conversion of Israel.
What is meant by "the worldwide revival"? It is that movement
back to God of the majority of humanity in their inner thirst for the
salvation of their souls. The Psalmist cried out to God, saying: "As
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the hart panteth after the water brooks, So panteth my soul after thee,
O God. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: When shall I
come and appear before God?" (Ps. 42:1,2).
I am using the word "revival" here, not in the sense of the
Christian's being renewed, but in the sense of the initial stage of the
sinner's turning from his sins, coming to the Saviour and being born
again, according to John 3:5, "Except one be born of water and the
Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God."
That there is to be such a revival is clearly seen in such a passage
as Isa. 24:14-16: "These shall lift up their voice, they shall shout; for
the majesty of Jehovah they cry aloud from the sea. Wherefore glorify
ye Jehovah in the east, even the name of Jehovah, the God of Israel,
in the isles of the sea. From the uttermost part of the earth have we
heard songs: Glory to the righteous." A study of this passage in the
light of its context reveals the fact that this mighty turning to God will
occur during the time of the Great Tribulation. When everything is
moving along nicely, man feels his independence of God. Not until
some calamity strikes does man generally feel his need of the help of
the Almighty. Men are prone to take things for granted, not allowing
God to lead in their lives.
God's primary objective in bringing men to their senses and
causing them to turn to Him is the first purpose of the Tribulation.
This is seen in Isa. 26:9,10: "With my soul have I desired thee in the
night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee earnestly: for
when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world learn
righteousness. Let favor be showed to the wicked, yet will he not
learn righteousness; in the land of uprightness will he deal
wrongfully, and will not behold the majesty of Jehovah." In these
verses we see that the prophet is speaking for men who have been
touched and influenced by the judgments of the Tribulation. It is
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obvious that these judgments upon the world cause the inhabitants of
the earth to learn righteousness through the merits of the shed blood
of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Immediately after the vision of the 144,000 John saw an
innumerable host of people from every nation, tribe, tongue and
language who washed their robes and made them white in the blood
of the Lamb. Naturally John became very much interested in this vast
throng of people. One of the celestial elders whom we see in
Revelation, chapter 4, asked John if he knew who this host of people
were. John replied, "My Lord, thou knowest." Then the elder
informed him that this great company of people are those who come
out of the Tribulation, the great one, and who wash their robes and
make them white in the blood of the Lamb. This statement shows that
these people are not saved before the Tribulation but are saved during
that period of wrath. All who are saved before the Tribulation, who
are alive immediately before that period of great judgment, will be
raptured by the Lord, as we see in 1 Thess. 4:13-18. It is clear that
this vast innumerable host of people referred to in Rev. 7:9-17 come
out of the Great Tribulation. Let us note that the language does not
state merely that they come "out of tribulation" for all who live godly
in Christ Jesus suffer tribulation and persecutions. John is not talking
about the same thing of which Paul spoke when he was "confirming
the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and
that through many tribulations we must enter into the kingdom of
God" (Acts 14:22). On the contrary, John is speaking of the
Tribulation, the great one. The idiom used by John lays emphasis
upon the Tribulation and its being a great one. Thus equal emphasis is
laid upon each word by the employment of this special idiom. There
can be but one "Great Tribulation," the period of seven years with
which this age of grace closes. We may conclude from the statement,
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"when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world
learn righteousness," that the major portion of the inhabitants of the
world truly are evangelized and brought to a saving knowledge of
Christ during the Tribulation. It is therefore no wonder that John was
amazed by the vast company of those who will be saved by the
preaching of the Jewish evangelists. The Almighty God knows what
He is doing in sending the Great Tribulation. Instead of its being
simply an expression of His wrath and indignation against sin, it is
rather the manifestation of His overwhelming, yearning, passionate
love for the souls of men.

The Destruction of the Wicked

There are those who spurn truth and who prefer to engage in
works of unrighteousness. Such people center their minds upon things
of a low nature and love that which is immoral and degrading. They,
by a deliberate choice, prefer these things. At the same time they
spurn every thought and idea of God's love and of His marvelous,
matchless, saving grace. The Lord never forces anyone's will nor does
He coerce anyone. Since these people refuse to accept the Lord Jesus
Christ, preferring to hold on to their evil ways, naturally they are not
fit to enter into the great Millennial Kingdom of our Lord. There is,
therefore, but one thing that a wise, loving, just, righteous,
omnipotent, omniscient God can do, which is to destroy them out of
the land of the living. David in his swan song declared: "But the
ungodly shall be all of them as thorns to be thrust away, Because they
cannot be taken with the hand; But the man that toucheth them must
be armed with iron and the staff of a spear: And they shall be utterly
burned with fire in their place" (2 Sam. 23:6,7).

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The ungodly, those who spurn truth, who delight in

unrighteousness are compared to thorns that cannot be handled by the
hand. Hence men must handle them with metal tools. These are to be
"utterly burned with fire in their place." In this vivid comparison
David meant to tell us that God must deal drastically with these
wicked reprobate sinners and remove them out of the world.
In Ps. 92:6,7 we have the following statement: "A brutish man
knoweth not; Neither doth a fool understand this: When the wicked
spring as the grass, And when all the workers of iniquity do flourish;
It is that they shall be destroyed for ever."
These wicked ones shall be destroyed from the earth forever. In a
similar statement we learn that the godless civilization of the end time
will sink under the judgments of God, never to rise again: "The earth
shall stagger like a drunken man, and shall sway to and fro like a
hammock; and the transgression thereof shall be heavy upon it, and it
shall fall, and not rise again" (Isa. 24:20). The writer of Psalm 37 was
carried forward to the end time and saw evildoers flourishing; but he
urged the faithful not to be envious of them for, said he, "For they
shall soon be cut down like the grass." This is a graphic, vivid picture
of the destruction of the wicked at the end of the Tribulation.

Conversion of Israel
When the Messiah is rejected by His people, according to
prophecy, the Lord God invites Him to ascend to Heaven and to take
His seat at the right hand of the Almighty. He is to remain there until
God puts His enemies under His feet: "Jehovah saith unto my Lord,
Sit thou at my right hand, Until I make thine enemies thy footstool.
Jehovah will send forth the rod of thy strength out of Zion: Rule thou
in the midst of thine enemies" (Ps. 110:1,2).

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In fulfillment of this passage, when our Lord was rejected,

executed, buried and raised again from the dead, He was invited by
God to return to Heaven and to remain at His right hand until the
Almighty puts Messiah's enemies under His feet. God's working
providentially and putting the Jewish people under Messiah's feet will
be accomplished by the terrific judgments of the Tribulation Period.
This position is confirmed by a very striking and arresting
statement found in Dan. 12:6, 7: "And one said to the man clothed in
linen, who was above the waters of the river, How long shall it be to
the end of these wonders? And 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 unto heaven, and sware by him that liveth 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." The wonders concerning the query are the
wonders of the latter half of the Tribulation. How long are they to
continue? The answer is: "for a time, times, and a half; and when they
have made an end of breaking in pieces the power of the holy people
[the Jewish people], all these things shall be finished." According to
this prediction the power of the Jewish people will be broken
completely. They have built up, unfortunately, a resistance to the
claims of the Lord Jesus Christ, their longed-for Messiah. Of course,
they are mistaken in this; in rejecting Him they are honest and
conscientious about the matter. Nevertheless, they have done it. Their
opposition to Him has been growing in intensity and rigidity
throughout the centuries. It will take the sledgehammer blows of
God's judgments to break the power of "the holy people" and to
shatter this built-up resistance against the Messiah. When, however,
this result becomes a reality, the whole nation of Israel living at that
time will repudiate the action of their leaders in rejecting their
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Messiah and will plead for Him to return. When they do that, He will
come back and fulfill all the predictions of the reign of Messiah upon
the earth that are found throughout the Prophets. His coming back
will be in response to the heart-cry of suffering Israel: "I will go and
return to my place, till they acknowledge their offence, and seek my
face: in their affliction they will seek me earnestly. Come, and let us
return unto Jehovah; for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath
smitten, and he will bind us up. After two days will he revive us: on
the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live before him. And let
us know, let us follow on to know Jehovah: his going forth is sure as
the morning; and he will come unto us as the rain, as the latter rain
that watereth the earth" (Hosea 5:15-6:3).
Thus the third purpose in God's sending the Tribulation is a
blessing in disguise, especially to the Hebrew people and also the
entire world.
Let us pray that the will of God be done! "Pray for the peace of
Jerusalem: They shall prosper that love thee" (Ps. 122:6). Let us do all
that we can, in every way possible, for God's ancient people, Israel—
through whom He will bring the greatest blessing that the world has
ever known, blessings known and foretold by the prophets of God.

World Blessing Through Israel

God announced in Gen. 12:1-3 that it was His intention to bless all
nations in and through Abraham and his seed. This promise was
reaffirmed to Isaac and to Jacob. All the spiritual blessings that we
enjoy today have come from God through Israel to us. In this seventh
chapter of Revelation we see people of all nations coming to God and
being blessed by Him. This is a partial fulfillment of the promise that
was made to Abraham. The full and complete fulfillment will
materialize when the remnant of Israel are led by the 144,000 Jewish
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evangelists at the conclusion of the Tribulation to a saving knowledge

of Jesus Christ. Then in answer to their pleading for Christ's return,
He will do so and take the governments of the world in His hands, lift
the curse and establish His reign of righteousness. Then converted
Israel will lead all men to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. When
this is done, the promise made to Abraham will become a reality.
Throughout the Millennium, the age of our Lord's reign upon earth,
the people of Israel will be the priests and the ministers of our God.
No Gentiles will then officiate in spiritual matters. The blessing of
God, in the fullest sense of the term, will be flowing out to all the
world—to all nations—through Israel, Abraham's literal descendants.
Israel at the present time does not have the truth of the Gospel.
We, who know Jesus Christ as our personal Saviour, and who know
the plan of God, should bend every effort to get the truth out to all
Israel in this generation in order that they may see the mistake of
nineteen hundred years' standing and repudiate the national sin, in
fulfillment of Isa. 53:1-9 and 63:7-64:12.
When the Church is raptured out of the world, before the
Tribulation, its voice will cease. We can leave behind a testimony in
the form of properly written and edited books and literature, given to
the Jews at the present time. Not only will men be won from among
Israel to the Lord Jesus Christ, but our message will also be in a
permanent form in their hands. They will read these books as soon as
the Judgments of the Tribulation begin to come upon them. Then
there will arise this army of 144,000 Jews who will conduct this
revival.
What are you doing to give the truth to Israel now? There is no
greater investment that you can make than to proclaim the truth to
God's Chosen People!

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Chapter 8

The Trumpet Judgments (Rev. 8 and 9)

According to Rev. 8:2 there are seven angels "that stand before
God." One of these is Gabriel. We know this because of information
that he gave to Zacharias in the following words: “I am Gabriel, that
stand in the presence of God" (Luke 1:19). This same Gabriel was
dispatched to bring a message to the prophet Daniel (Dan. 9:21). We
have no information as to the identity of the other six that stand in the
Almighty's presence.
These seven angels are given seven trumpets to blow which call
forth the seven trumpet judgments upon the earth. What is the
significance of the trumpets? Though the trumpets are symbolic, they
have a literal significance as is manifest from the entire atmosphere of
the passage. Numbers 10:1-10 suggests the meaning. Moses ordered
the manufacture of two silver trumpets which were to be blown on
different occasions and for various purposes. One of the purposes of
the trumpets was to call together at the door of the tent of meeting an
assembly of the leaders of Israel. At times the sounding of the
trumpets was for the reason of announcing the marching of the camp
forward to another location. Sometimes they were blown at the time
of burnt offerings and sacrifices of peace offerings. At other times
they were sounded as a call to war (Num. 10:9, cf. Ezek. 33:1-6). Of
the various purposes of the trumpets there is but one meaning that
they can have in the book of Revelation. They sound an alarm of
war—the war of Heaven against earth. These trumpets are sounded as
the declaration of the hurling of one judgment after another upon the
earth. This will be accomplished by the angelic hosts in their use of
material sources and resources.
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Worship in Heaven
"And another angel came and stood over the altar, having a golden
censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should
add it unto the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which
was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers
of the saints, went up before God out of the angel's hand. And the
angel taketh the censer; and he filled it with the fire of the altar, and
cast it upon the earth: and there followed thunders, and voices, and
lightnings, and an earthquake" (Rev. 8:3-5). In this passage we see an
angel officiating at the altar of incense in the heavenly sanctuary.
That there is a Temple in Heaven is evident from different passages.
In Ps. 11:4 we see this Temple of God in Heaven. The Tabernacle
built by Moses and the Temple built later by Solomon were little
replicas of the spiritual reality in Heaven. In the Temple in Heaven
there is a Most Holy Place and the Holy Place. In the Most Holy
Place is the throne of God and the mercy seat, where atonement is
made. In the Holy Place was the altar of incense, the candlestick and
the shewbread, all of which had symbolic significance. There is
always worship going on in the Temple in Heaven. It corresponds to
the worship by the children of God here upon the earth. Our worship
sends up prayers and adoration to the throne of God. This is taken
into the Holy Place and our prayers are mixed with the incense on the
golden altar. Our prayers are presented to God, and there is not a
prayer of a single individual who is regenerated but that his prayer is
answered at the proper time.
We can see from Rev. 8:3-5 that there is a service conducted in
Heaven. The one taking the leading part in it is called "an angel," and
it is this angel who is officiating at the altar in the Holy Place. Who is
this angel? Different answers are given. Some believe that he is one
of the high, powerful and authoritative angels. Others say, "No; this
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can be none other than our Great High Priest, the Lord Jesus Christ."
Though we cannot be dogmatic on this point, it appears most
reasonable to believe that this one is an angel because he is called an
angel. The Lord Jesus Christ in the Old Testament was called "the
angel of Jehovah," "the angel of God" and was distinguished from
angels in general. This one is not distinguished from the angels;
therefore it seems most probable that this is an angel and not the Son
of God.
This angel offers the incense before God, and to it he adds the
prayers of the saints upon the golden altar which is before the throne.
In the Tabernacle and Temple service the high priest offered the
incense in the worship. This had a symbolic significance. Though the
incense was literal, yet it had a spiritual meaning. This symbolized
the worship and the prayers of the saints. An intimation along this
line is recorded in Ps. 141:2: "Let my prayer be set forth as incense
before thee; The lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice."
When the statement is made that the prayers of all saints are added to
the incense, we know that the incense is connected with and
symbolizes the presentation of the petitions of the saints of all ages to
God the Father who is on the throne.
Every prayer of every born-again person is answered (Matt. 7:7,
8). Many of them still await their answer at this future time of which
we are studying. These are the prayers that pertain to God's
punishment of the wicked and the purging of the world of
unrighteousness in order to establish a reign of righteousness upon the
earth. In this manner the prayers of the people of God throughout the
centuries regarding God's promises just mentioned will be answered.
Jesus assured us that the one who seeks, finds; the one who asks,
receives and the one who knocks, to him shall the door be opened.

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That is in perfect accord with the statement that the prayers of all the
saints are added to the offering of incense on this occasion.

The Casting of Fire Upon the Earth

At the conclusion of this scene of worship, the angel (in the vision)
takes fire from off the altar and casts it upon the earth. When this is
done, there follows "thunders, and voices, and lightnings, and an
earthquake" (cf. Rev. 4:5 and 11:19 with 8:5). As the Tribulation
advances these outward demonstrations increase in intensity and
severity.
Though there is a symbolic act of casting fire upon the earth, it
signified the actual causing of "thunders, and voices, and lightnings,
and an earthquake" upon the earth. The thunders will be literal; the
voices will be literal; the lightning will be real and the earthquake will
be actual and very destructive. One of the best ways of studying the
book of Revelation, especially these judgments, is to examine
carefully the ten plagues which Moses brought upon the land of
Egypt, read Exodus 1-11. Moses and Aaron took their rod and waved
it over the waters of Egypt. This was a symbolic act which actually
turned the waters into blood. Again, Moses stretched out his hand
over the waters of Egypt, and as a result there came up frogs that
covered the countryside. A symbolic act caused the coming of actual,
literal frogs that were a plague and a menace to the entire land. Once
again, note that Aaron stretched out his rod and smote the dust of the
earth, and as a result lice appeared throughout the entire land of
Egypt. Thus these various symbolic acts were performed, but they
brought about real, actual judgments. In a manner analogous to this,
John saw these angels, actual celestial beings, blowing their trumpets,
performing a symbolic act which brought about literal results upon
the earth.
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The First Four Trumpet Judgments

Some scholars try to identify these seven trumpets with the
trumpet that is mentioned in 1 Thess. 4:13 to 5:11, and the one that is
set forth in 1 Cor. 15:50-58. Paul, in speaking of the Rapture of the
Church, says that "the Lord himself shall descend from heaven, with a
shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God:
and the dead in Christ shall rise first; then we that are alive, that are
left, shall together with them be caught up in the clouds, to meet the
Lord in the air" (1 Thess. 4:16, 17). There is some effort to identify
the trumpet that will sound at the time of the Rapture with these
trumpets found in the book of Revelation. Again the Apostle Paul,
speaking about the same event, the matter of the Rapture, in 1 Cor.
15:51, 52 says: "We all shall not sleep, but we shall all be changed, in
a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the
trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and
we shall be changed." Trying to identify these trumpets in the
Thessalonian and in the Corinthian letters with the trumpets of
Revelation, chapter 8, has its difficulty in harmonizing all of the data.
The Apostle Paul wrote the Thessalonian letter about 52 A.D. and the
Corinthian letter about 56 or 57 A.D., but the book of Revelation was
never made known to man until God gave it to John on the island of
Patmos about 96 A.D.
When the time arrived, the seven angels that were to blow their
trumpets stood at attention and were ready to perform their duties:
"And the first sounded, and there followed hail and fire, mingled with
blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of the
earth was burnt up, and the third part of the trees was burnt up, and all
green grass was burnt up" (Rev. 8:7). When this angel sounded his
trumpet John saw in vision, hail and fire mingled with blood which
were cast upon the earth. There is no reason that militates against our
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interpreting the hail literally and likewise the fire. We know that God
has treasured up snow and hail for the time of battle and war in His
treasure house (Job 38:22-24). Moreover, we know that God rained
down fire and brimstone upon Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis,
chapter 19). In the Tribulation, when God is destroying the wicked
from the face of the earth, He will rain fire and brimstone upon the
earth (Ps. 11:6). We have every reason to believe that the hail and the
fire are literal. They will be mingled with blood, blood such as was
the result of the miracle of turning the waters of Egypt into blood by
Moses and Aaron.
The first trumpet judgment will affect one-third of the earth's
surface, which will be scorched and burned. Likewise it will destroy
the timber in the regions where the "hail and fire, mingled with
blood" fall.
"And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain
burning with fire was cast into the sea: and a third part of the sea
became blood; and there died the third part of the creatures which
were in the sea, even they that had life; and the third part of the ships
was destroyed" (Rev. 8:8,9). When this second angel sounded his
trumpet, there was, as it were, a great mountain burning with fire and
it was cast into the sea. What John saw reminded him of a great
mountain which was burning with fire and it fell into the sea and
affected one-third of the waters. This possibly is a great meteorite
which will plunge into the sea and with its deadly gases will affect the
water of one-third of the sea and make it turn into blood. As a result
of this, one-third of the creatures in the waters will be killed and one-
third of the ships will be destroyed.
"And the third angel sounded, and there fell from heaven a great
star, burning as a torch, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers,
and upon the fountains of the waters; and the name of the star is
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called Wormwood: and the third part of the waters became

wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were
made bitter" (Rev. 8:10, 11). At the sounding of the third trumpet a
great star burning like a torch will fall and bury itself in the crust of
the earth. It will crash through the strata of the earth down into the
subterranean canals of waters and will poison them. Many men will
die of these poisoned waters.
"And the fourth angel sounded, and the third part of the sun was
smitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars;
that the third part of them should be darkened, and the day should not
shine for the third part of it, and the night in like manner" (Rev. 8:12).
The heavenly bodies are going to be affected. At the equinoxes, when
the night is equal to the day, there are twelve hours of darkness and
twelve hours of light. After this event takes place there will be sixteen
hours of darkness and only eight hours in the daytime. This will affect
climatic conditions upon the earth. It will also affect vegetation.
When the fourth angel sounds his trumpet, forces will be set in
operation that affect the heavens and the heavenly bodies for one-
third part of the day. Everything will be abnormal in the heavens
above and upon the earth beneath at this time.
From what we have seen of the trumpet judgments they are an
advance over the seal judgments, except the sixth one, which had
convulsions of all nature. As the Tribulation advances the judgments
will continue to increase in intensity and destruction.
"And I saw, and I heard an eagle, flying in mid heaven, saying
with a great voice, Woe, woe, woe, for them that dwell on the earth,
by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels, who
are yet to sound" (Rev. 8:13). It is evident that the eagle John saw
"flying in mid heaven, saying with a great voice, Woe, woe, woe, for
them that dwell on the earth" was referring to the last three trumpet
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judgments which are here called "woes." The reason for this is that
the latter three judgments are far more intense and destructive than
the first four. These almost seem to reach the limit of the endurance
of men in the areas where they take place.
The fifth angel that sounds with his trumpet calls forth the first
woe and the sixth with his blast causes the second woe to come forth
with all its might. These are described in chapter 9. But the seventh
trumpet, the third woe, does not call forth any specific thing that
transpires upon the earth. Rather, it develops into the seven bowl
judgments described in chapter 16.
In chapter 9 it becomes necessary for us to understand something
about the origin and activities of the spirit world.

The Origin of Evil Spirits

The first glimpse that we have of the spirit world is to be found in
Genesis, chapter 3. The serpent who beguiled Eve and caused her to
eat of the forbidden fruit gives evidence of an intellect and power far
superior to that of an animal or any human being. The results that
followed that tragic incident have been so very far-reaching—
affecting the entire earth and the greater portion of the human family
for time and eternity. We are confident that a gigantic intellect and
mighty power were behind the scenes on that fatal occasion,
engineering the situation and causing the fall. The suspicions that are
aroused by the narration of what actually occurred and the results
thereof are lifted from the plane of hypothesis and theory by the
information which is given to us in Ezek. 28:11-19. Here we read of
one to whom it was said: "Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom,
and perfect in beauty. Thou wast in Eden, the garden of God ... the
workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was in thee; in the day
that thou wast created they were prepared. Thou wast the anointed
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cherub that covereth: and I set thee, so that thou wast upon the holy
mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the
stones of fire. Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou
wast created, till unrighteousness was found in thee. By the
abundance of thy traffic they filled the midst of thee with violence,
and thou hast sinned: therefore have I cast thee as profane out of the
mountain of God; and I have destroyed thee, O covering cherub, from
the midst of the stones of fire. Thy heart was lifted up because of thy
beauty; thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I
have cast thee to the ground; I have laid thee before kings, that they
may behold thee" (Ezek. 28:12b-17).
When we understand the full import of this passage and compare
the facts with the descriptions of the Devil in other portions of
Scripture, we come to the conclusion that this is an inspired pen
picture of the anointed cherub. He was perfect in his being and in all
his attributes and was the generalissimo of the Lord's armies. He was
created perfect but he conceived unrighteousness in his heart and
instituted a revolt against the Lord God Almighty. In this rebellion he
led astray one-third of the angels (Rev. 12:4). Those who followed his
seductive ways in rebellion against the Lord were cast down from
their high position in the service of God. They accepted the leadership
of Satan, this fallen spirit, and are under him. At the present time he is
the prince of the powers of the air, the spirit that now works in the
sons of disobedience (Eph. 2:1ff). These evil, rebellious, fallen spirits
inhabit the air and attack the human family. In many instances they
cause what is known as demon possession. This was prevalent in
Palestine during the days of our Lord and is quite common
throughout the world today and will become more prevalent as we
advance toward the end of the age.

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In the days of Noah, however, there were other angels who had
remained faithful and true to God up to that time, but who saw the
daughters of men, that they were fair. They lusted after these,
assumed the form of men, came and married these women, cohabiting
with them. The result of these unholy unions was a race of
supernatural beings. Those who left their former estate and came and
thus assumed the form of men are called the Nephilim, the fallen
ones. Their progeny are called the giants, men of renown, who were
in the earth in the days of Noah (Gen. 6:1-4). Jude refers to these in
verses 6 and 7 of his Epistle: "And angels that kept not their own
principality, but left their proper habitation, he hath kept in
everlasting bonds under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.
Even as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities about them, having in
like manner with these given themselves over to fornication and gone
after strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the
punishment of eternal fire." Note that angels which kept not their
principality but left their proper habitation are said to have acted as
the people of Sodom and Gomorrah did, who gave themselves over to
fornication and went after strange flesh. The angels did this in like
manner as the Sodomites which kept not their principality but left
their proper habitation, came, and cohabited with these women of
Noah's day. Those spirits that were evil in the days of Noah were
incarcerated in the pit of the abyss and have been there ever since, as
is set forth in 2 Peter 2:1-10. There appears to be a mighty host of
them.

The Fifth Trumpet (The First Woe)

"And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star from heaven fallen
unto the earth: and there was given to him the key of the pit of the
abyss" (Rev. 9:1). Was this a literal star that John saw fallen from
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heaven to earth or is the term used in a figurative sense? It is used in

the latter manner for a literal star could not take a key and open the
pit of the abyss or perform the act indicated by this language. The
word "star" is used in the figurative sense as we use it today when we
speak of a motion-picture "star" or a "star" boarder. The star which
John saw is an intelligent being who has great power, to whom the
key of the pit of the abyss is given.
When this being opens the "pit of the abyss" there goes up a
smoke, "as the smoke of a great furnace" and in the midst of this
smoke there swarms forth a mighty army of beings whom John calls
locusts. The smoke is so very thick that it darkens the sun.
Hades is down in the center of the earth. "Hades" is the Greek
word whereas "Sheol" is the Hebrew Old Testament word and it is the
place where all of the departed went from Adam to Christ. There
were two compartments of Hades or Sheol, separated by a great gulf.
The saved went to one part and the lost went to the other. Since Christ
won the victory, the saved no longer go to Hades, but the wicked lost
still go there. There is the well (here translated pit) of the abyss,
where there are certain infernal spirits. These are not the angels who
rebelled originally. The one-third of the angels who rebelled
originally when Satan tried to match swords with God and to
overthrow His throne are still in the air. They constitute Satan's host.
In the days of Noah there were the sons of God—angels—who saw
the daughters of men that they were fair. They left the high plane on
which they were created; they came to earth; assumed the form of
men; formed marriages with these women and there sprang from
those unions a hybrid creature. They were known as the men of
renown. That is the incident that precipitated the flood. According to
2 Peter 2:4 and Jude 6, God bound them and put them in Tartarus.
"Tartarus" is the Greek word tartaroo transliterated. He tartarized
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them, that is, he incarcerated them in Tartarus, down in that well or

the pit of the abyss. Those infernal spirits have been bound in chains
of darkness and they have been there ever since. When this pit or well
of the abyss is opened up there will issue forth sulphuric fumes and
smoke and it will envelop the whole earth. The world will be in
absolute, literal darkness when this occurs. As to how long it will
continue, no one can say. Then there will come out of that well or the
pit of the abyss evil spirits, those spirits that were incarcerated in the
days of Noah. These beings, the locusts, coming out of the pit have
power as the scorpions of the earth have power. They are not allowed,
by divine decree, to injure any green or growing thing upon the earth.
They are, however, permitted to strike all men who do not have the
seal of God on their forehead (see Rev. 7:3).
For five full months, 150 days, these demon locusts sting and
torment men. The human family will be in such misery that many of
them will attempt to take their lives but it will be utterly impossible.
They will have to "grit their teeth" and endure untold misery for five
long months (Rev. 9:5, 6). The description of these locusts found in
verses 9 and 10 shows that they are not literal insects but that they are
spirit beings who have nothing but vengeance and hatred in their
souls against mankind.
"They have over them as king the angel [or messenger] of the
abyss: his name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in the Greek tongue he
hath the name Apollyon [Destroyer]" (Rev. 9:11). True to the name of
their leader, these evil spirits when let loose upon earth, will wreak
havoc from one end of it to the other.
At the expiration of the five months the first "woe" will have run
its course. Evidently these demon spirits will be corralled back into
the pit of the abyss where they will be incarcerated again.

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The Sixth Trumpet (The Second Woe)

In Rev. 9:12-21 we have a description of the sixth trumpet, the
second woe. When this angel sounded his trumpet, John said that he
"heard a voice from the horns of the golden altar which is before
God." This voice said to the sixth angel that had the trumpet, "Loose
the four angels that are bound at the great river Euphrates." This is the
first reference to these particular angels that is found in the Bible. The
river Euphrates simply means the literal river that has been
recognized by this name from times immemorial.
According to this passage there are four angels that have been
bound and have been prepared "for the hour and day and month and
year, that they should kill the third part of men" (Rev. 9:15).
Obviously, these are evil angels; otherwise, they would not be
chained or bound at that one place and kept there through the
centuries.
The language concerning the time that the Almighty had in view
when He bound them is very significant. They have been placed there
for "the hour and day and month and year." God has a plan and a
purpose which runs through the ages. While He lets man exercise his
own freedom of choice and determine what his present and future
shall be, the Almighty overrules all things and makes everything fit
into a plan that will bring ultimate glory to Himself and benefit and
blessing to the greatest number involved.
These four angels are to be used of God in destroying one-third of
the human family; that is, one-third of those that will be in existence
at the time that these angels are loosed. One of the three purposes that
the Lord has in sending the Tribulation upon the world is to destroy
all the wicked out of it in order that He might establish a reign of
righteousness. If the Lord would allow the wicked to continue to live

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as they are now it would be impossible to have a reign of

righteousness such as that which is set forth in the Prophetic Word.
These four angels will have a mighty host of evil, wicked angels
under them. According to verse 16, "And the number of the armies of
the horsemen was twice ten thousand times ten thousand: I heard the
number of them." In this army there will be two hundred million evil
spirits and they will kill one-third of the people upon the earth.
These are said to be horsemen. Are they literal horsemen, riding
actual horses? This question is answered in verse 17: "And thus I saw
the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having
breastplates as of fire and of hyacinth and of brimstone: and the heads
of the horses are as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths
proceedeth fire and smoke and brimstone." These cannot be literal for
horses and horsemen could not wear breastplates as of fire and
hyacinth and brimstone. The heads of these horses are like the heads
of lions. Out of their mouths proceed fire and smoke and brimstone.
Those constituting this army have the appearance of an army of
horsemen. Since they have as their leaders these four evil spirits, it is
quite evident that they are another army of evil spirits that have
superhuman power.
Where are they now? Are they in the pit of the abyss as those of
whom we studied and who came out of the pit at the blowing of the
fifth trumpet? It is impossible for us to say. There is no intimation in
the text as to where they are now or how they are gathered together
by these four angels that are loosed.
The destruction this army of two hundred million horsemen brings
is beyond the wildest imagination of any of us today. They inflict
injury and torment upon the people of the earth, even upon those
whom they do not slay.

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The two-thirds of mankind that are not killed by this plague do not
repent of the works of their hands, "that they should not worship
demons, and the idols of gold, and of silver, and of brass, and of
stone, and of wood ... and they repented not of their murders, nor of
their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts" (Rev. 9:20,
21). Instead, they continue on as they have been going. Nothing but
punishment and the final slaying of wicked men and the incarceration
of these evil spirits in the pit of the abyss can solve the world
problem. This will be done at the end of the Tribulation.

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Chapter 9

The Little Book Eaten by John (Rev. 10:1-11)

The Small Parenthesis (Rev. 10:1-11:14)

By way of review, the seal judgments are described in chapter 6.

The trumpet judgments, which cover the second quarter of the
Tribulation are described in chapters 8 and 9. We must modify this
statement, for there is a parenthesis that is inserted in the narrative
which consists of Rev. 10:1-11:13. Rev. 11:14 constitutes the last of
the trumpet judgments. This verse follows chronologically Rev. 9:21.
In our study we have come to the consideration of this first minor or
"little" parenthesis.

The Ministry of the Strong Angel

As we have seen, angels play a very prominent part in the book of
Revelation. John chapter 10 we see a strong angel that comes down
from Heaven to the earth and stands with one foot upon the sea and
the other upon the earth: "And I saw another strong angel coming
down out of heaven, arrayed with a cloud; and the rainbow was upon
his head, and his face was as the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire;
and he had in his hand a little book open: and he set his right foot
upon the sea, and his left upon the earth; and he cried with a great
voice, as a lion roareth: and when he cried, the seven thunders uttered
their voices" (Rev. 10:1-3).
There is some discussion among expositors as to who this angel is.
Some have come to the conclusion that he is none other than the Lord
Jesus Christ. There are some elements that favor this position; but,
when we consider this passage, this interpretation is quite doubtful.
Notice, the Lord Jesus is introduced in the first chapter as the judge
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and the executor of vengeance against wrongdoers. He deals in mercy

and yet in righteousness with His people. In the Tribulation He deals
with the world in absolute righteousness and justice. We do well to
accept the plain significance of the word "angel" and understand that
this is a mighty and powerful one, who is dispatched of God for a
definite, specific purpose. As he stood there in his majesty and glory,
he held a little book in his hand which was open. He cried with a
great voice which was "as a lion roareth." As to what he said, we have
no information.
When he thus spoke, "the seven thunders uttered their voices."
Who these thunders were, no one can tell because there is no
information given. It is possible that these thunders were angels who
spoke with thundering voices. In view of the fact that we do not have
information as to their identity, we do well to pass by without
comment.
When these thunders uttered their voices, John was about to write
what he heard. This fact shows that the thunders spoke in language
that was understandable by the Apostle. Hence he wanted to preserve
what he heard. But a voice spoke to him saying, "Seal up the things
which the seven thunders uttered, and write them not" (Rev. 10:4b).
"And the angel that I saw standing upon the sea and upon the earth
lifted up his right hand to heaven, and sware by him that liveth for
ever and ever, who created the heaven and the things that are therein,
and the earth and the things that are therein, and the sea and the things
that are therein, that there shall be delay no longer: but in the days of
the voice of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, then is
finished the mystery of God, according to the good tidings which he
declared to his servants the prophets" (Rev. 10:5-7).

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According to these verses this strong angel lifted his hand to

Heaven as he stood upon the land and the sea and swore by the
Almighty who lives for ever and ever—the Creator of the universe—
“that there shall be delay no longer." The Greek word translated
"delay" has two different meanings: time and delay. Whenever a word
has two or more meanings, that one should be accepted which accords
with the facts of the context. To say that time shall be no longer is
contrary to all the facts. We know that this statement is made in the
middle of the Tribulation. Moreover, we know that the Tribulation
continues for three and a half years after that date. Furthermore, we
know that when our Lord comes at the end of the Tribulation, He will
reign upon this earth for a thousand years. Following the thousand
years, there will be a little season when Satan shall be unloosed out of
the pit of the abyss and will deceive the nations. Then will come the
judgment of the Great White Throne (Rev. 20:11-15). At that point
the material heavens and the earth will pass away and time, as we
know it, will cease to be. There will be time, therefore, after the event
mentioned in our passage; hence, the meaning of time as a translation
of the word is a mistake. On the other hand, the word delay is also
another meaning of this word. When we look at it in the light of all
the facts, we see that it fits in perfectly with the context. The
translators of the American Standard Version (published 1901) are
therefore correct.
The reason the angel says that there will be delay no longer is that
"in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he is about to
sound, then is finished the mystery of God, according to the good
tidings which he declared to his servants the prophets" (Rev. 10:7).
As we have already seen in chapter 6, the seals will at this time have
been broken and will have spent their force. The six trumpeters will
have sounded their notes of judgment and will have brought down the
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catastrophic manifestations of God's wrath upon the world. There will

be one more trumpeter to sound and to call forth the completion of
the wrath of God. But, oh! the devastation and the wreckage that will
result from the blowing of that seventh trumpet is beyond human
power to conceive. Events will move forward in rapid succession and
culminate in the almost total extinction of all civilization that is built
up by man—by the time the end of the Tribulation is reached.
In Rev. 10:8-11 we have a description of a symbolic act, which
John was commanded to perform. This strong angel handed the little
book which he had in his hand to John, instructing him to eat it,
which he did. In John's mouth it was as sweet as honey. In his belly it
was as bitter as gall. The angel had told him that such would be the
case. This turned out exactly as foretold. Such symbolism is not
strange to the one who knows his Old Testament. For instance, in
Ezek. 2:8-3:3 we have an account of Ezekiel's being commanded to
take a roll of a book which was handed to him and to eat it. This
scroll was written with lamentations and mournings and woes on both
sides. Compare also Jer. 15:16-18. When the contents of the book
were in John's mouth, it was sweet to him; but when it reached his
stomach, it was bitter.
What was the significance of this symbolic act? The clue to this
thought is found in Rev. 10:11: "And they say unto me, Thou must
prophesy again over many peoples and nations and tongues and
kings." A person eats food; he first chews it and swallows it, digests it
and finally assimilates it. Some of it is built into the tissues of his
body. Thus life is sustained. We speak of devouring books. We, of
course, are thinking of our studying and receiving mental food and
nourishment from them as if it were actual food. Sometimes that
which is eaten physically proves to be very bitter and harmful to us.
Sometimes we learn some new truths from a book, and we are
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delighted with it at first thought. But, when we really digest and

assimilate the thought, it becomes very sad to us when we realize the
import of its message. This seems to be the significance of John's
eating the book which was handed to him. This book had written
messages that pertained to the world and God's bringing His
judgments upon the people. This being true, it is seen that the little
book contains the rest of the descriptions that are found in the book of
Revelation, chapters 11-19.

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Chapter 10

The Jewish Temple of the Tribulation,

The Holy City and the Two Witnesses (Rev. 11:1-14)
The Small Parenthesis (Rev. 10:1-11:14)

The City of Jerusalem During the Tribulation

Chapter 11 begins as follows: "And there was given me a reed like
unto a rod: and one said, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and
the altar, and them that worship therein." The Temple and the altar of
God suggests that in this part of the vision John was given a glimpse
of the city of Jerusalem where the Temple stood. This supposition is
confirmed by verse 8, "And their dead bodies lie in the street of the
great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also
their Lord was crucified." This city where the Temple of God is, is
the very city in which our Lord was crucified, and which is called,
according to this verse, Sodom and Egypt. We therefore know that in
chapter 11 we have the scenes laid in Jerusalem in the middle of the
Tribulation Period.
Our Lord in the Olivet discourse foretold the destruction of
Jerusalem. The Jews would be dispersed among all nations during the
time of Israel's rejection. Jesus foretold the destruction of the Temple
(Matthew, chapter 24; Mark, chapter 13; Luke, chapter 21). As Jesus
and the disciples were seated on the Mount of Olives after He made
that prediction, four of them came and asked Him: "Teacher, when
therefore shall these things be? and what shall be the sign when these
things are about to come to pass?" (Luke 21:7). In reply our Lord
said, "But when ye see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know
that her desolation is at hand ... Woe unto them that are with child and
to them that give suck in those days! for there shall be great distress
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upon the land, and wrath unto this people. And they shall fall by the
edge of the sword, and shall be led captive into all the nations: and
Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the
Gentiles be fulfilled" (Luke 21:20-24). Titus, the Roman general,
drew up his armies around Jerusalem in the year A.D. 70. For some
unknown reason, according to Eusebius, the father of church history,
Titus withdrew his armies. Then the Christians that were in
Jerusalem, following the instructions of our Lord, fled immediately to
Trans-Jordan and went northward up to the city of Pella. After they
left the city, Titus drew up his armies around the city again and
continued the siege until it fell. Those who survived that most
horrible ordeal were led captive into the slave markets of the Greco-
Roman world.
[Editor's Note: As a result of the Six-Day War, Israel now
possesses all of the city of Jerusalem except the ancient Temple area
which is controlled by the Moslems. Therefore, contrary to the
teaching of some Bible teachers, the times of the Gentiles mentioned
in Luke 21:24 have not been completely fulfilled. When they do
possess all of the city and Jerusalem has been returned to its rightful
owners, the Jews, the Temple area will be rebuilt.
[According to Daniel, chapter 2, Dr. Cooper taught that the times
of the Gentiles do not culminate until the stone cut out of the
mountain without hands (Christ) crushes the feet of the image. Israel
is not now in the land to stay. She will yet be scattered among the
nations, see Joel 3:1-3 and Dan. 11:39. The times of the Gentiles are
not concluded until the end of the Tribulation Period.]
Everyone who has visited the State of Israel, which came into
being in 1948, knows that the Jews are doing a marvelous piece of
work in the upbuilding of Jerusalem and that part of the country
which is now known as the State of Israel. John's prophecy in Rev.
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11:1-14 presupposes the existence of the State of Israel and

Jerusalem's being in the hands of its rightful owners.
There is a vital prophecy concerning the Jewish nation which will
be fulfilled in the end time. It is Ezekiel, chapter 20. In verses 33-39
God declares "with a mighty hand, and with an outstretched arm, and
with wrath poured out, will I be king over you." Then He will gather
the Jewish people from the peoples and the countries where they have
been scattered throughout the Christian Dispensation. He will gather
them "into the wilderness of the peoples" where He will enter into
judgment with them face to face. What is meant by the expression
"the wilderness of the peoples"? There is no country by that name, but
this is a play on words. God in the days of Moses brought Israel out
of the land of Egypt into the wilderness of Sinai. During their forty-
year sojourn in that desolate wilderness God entered into judgment
with the people and punished them for their wickedness and their sin.
Out of 600,000 warriors who left Egypt only two of them entered into
the Promised Land—Caleb and Joshua. Having spoken of those
historical facts, God told Ezekiel that He would gather Israel from
among the nations where they have resided through the centuries and
will gather them into "the wilderness of the peoples." He will there
enter into judgment with them and cause certain ones to pass under
the rod and enter into the land of their fathers. This prophecy has
never been fulfilled. It certainly will be when the time arrives.
Where will God gather the Jews? In wrath He takes them out from
among the peoples where they have resided during the age of grace.
The prophecy in Isa. 27:12, 13 shows where Israel will be in the very
end of this age: "And it shall come to pass in that day, that Jehovah
will beat off his fruit from the flood of the River unto the brook of
Egypt; and ye shall be gathered one by one, O ye children of Israel.
And it shall come to pass in that day, that a great trumpet shall be
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blown; and they shall come that were ready to perish in the land of
Assyria, and they that were outcasts in the land of Egypt; and they
shall worship Jehovah in the holy mountain at Jerusalem." Here God
declares that He will beat off his fruit "from the flood of the River
unto the brook of Egypt"—from the Euphrates to the river Nile in
Egypt. When He beats off the fruit, He will gather the children of
Israel, one by one, and place them in their own land. In this language
God is comparing the Jewish people to an olive grove that will be
planted in what is termed the "fertile crescent" consisting of Egypt,
Palestine, Syria and Iraq, or old Babylonia. Olives are gathered by
beating the trees; then the berries are picked from the ground. With
this imagery in mind, there is but one conclusion to which we can
come, and that is that God will, by His overruling providence, spew
Israel out from among the nations where they have resided. He will
gather them back into this fertile crescent where they will flourish in
the very end time. Then God will gather them, the remnant, from the
midst of the fertile crescent and cause them, figuratively speaking, to
pass under the rod and enter into the land of their fathers (Ezek.
20:37).
God will not gather every Jew into the fertile crescent. Some few
will be left scattered among the nations as we see from a prophecy in
Isa. 66:18-21.

The Jewish Tribulation Temple

After Israel became settled in the Land of Promise and the
kingdom had become well established under the leadership of King
David, the Lord chose Jerusalem as the place where He would
establish His name (Ps. 78:65-72; Ps. 87:1-3; Ps. 132:13-15). From
these passages we see that the Lord has chosen Jerusalem as the city
where He would place His name and where His people could come
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and worship Him. Thus Solomon built the Temple in Jerusalem:

Nebuchadnezzar destroyed it; Zerubbabel and Joshua, the high priest,
at the time of the restoration from Babylonian captivity rebuilt it.
Herod the Great tore it down piecemeal, rebuilt and enlarged it.
Titus, the Roman general, finally destroyed it in A.D. 70. An attempt
in the days of Julian, the apostate, a Roman Caesar, was made to
rebuild it but failed.
That this Temple will be rebuilt by the Jews and will be standing
in the Tribulation is certain from several passages of Scripture. Isaiah
the prophet in vision saw the Jews rebuilding it and re-inaugurating
their ritualism and sacrifices.

Isaiah's Reference to the Tribulation Temple

“Thus saith Jehovah, Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my
footstool: what manner of house will ye build unto me? And what
place shall be my rest? For all these things hath my hand made, and
so all these things came to be, saith Jehovah: but to this man will I
look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and that
trembleth at my word. He that killeth an ox is as he that slayeth a
man; he that sacrificeth a lamb, as he that breaketh a dog's neck; he
that offereth an oblation, as he that offereth swine's blood; he that
burneth frankincense, as he that blesseth an idol. Yea, they have
chosen their own ways, and their soul delighteth in their
abominations: I also will choose their delusions, and will bring their
fears upon them; because when I called, none did answer; when I
spake, they did not hear: but they did that which was evil in mine
eyes, and chose that wherein I delighted not" (Isa. 66:1-4).
In this passage the prophet saw the Jews feverishly rebuilding this
Temple. At its completion he saw the re-organization of the Temple
service. He declared that those who come and sacrifice will be
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unacceptable to God as the man who would offer swine's flesh upon
the altar as a sacrifice to God. The man who sacrifices an ox will be
just the same as the man who slays another man. None of these
sacrifices will be acceptable in God's sight. Nevertheless, they will do
this because they have chosen their own ways; God will choose their
delusions.

The Psalmist's Reference to the Tribulation Temple

The sacred writer in Ps. 74:1-11 saw the Temple at Jerusalem being
defaced and finally burned, together with all the synagogues of God
throughout the land of Palestine. Some have interpreted this passage
as referring to the destruction of the Temple under Nebuchadnezzar,
but this is impossible for there were no synagogues in the land at that
time. The synagogue arose during the Babylonian captivity when
Israel had no central sanctuary at which to worship. Then these local
synagogues were brought into existence. Since this passage
contemplates the burning of the Temple and of the synagogues in the
land, the destruction of the Temple under Nebuchadnezzar could not
be the event which was before the prophet's mind. Other interpreters
have thought that the Psalmist saw Antiochus Ephiphanes, the Greco-
Syrian ruler in Antioch, who committed all sorts of depredations
against the Jews in their land and who defiled the Temple at
Jerusalem. Antiochus, with his atrocities against the Jewish people
could not be the fulfillment of this prediction because he did not
destroy the Temple but only defiled it. Others see the destruction of
the Temple by Titus, the Roman general, in A.D. 70, as the
fulfillment of this prediction. But this interpretation does not coincide
with the facts. Titus tried to preserve the Temple and gave special
orders to his men to do nothing to violate its sanctity. Contrary to his
orders it was burned in the last desperate attempt of the Jews to resist
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Roman aggression. So we may be certain that the Psalmist was not

talking about the Roman overthrow of Jerusalem, the destruction of
the Temple and the occupation of the land. The correct interpretation
of this passage is that the Psalmist saw the Jewish Temple, rebuilt by
them, standing in the time of the Tribulation. The forces of the
Antichrist and his lieutenants deface that sacred structure and will
destroy it together with all the synagogues in the land. Thus Ps. 74:1-
11 presupposed the standing of the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem in the
time of the end.

Matthew's Reference to the Tribulation Temple

Our Lord spoke with a consciousness of the fact that the Jews will
rebuild their Temple and that it will be standing in the middle of the
Tribulation. This is seen in Matt. 24:15ff. Jesus was talking about the
Tribulation, the period of seven years of judgment with which the age
closes. In the middle of it the "abomination of desolation" will be set
up (see Dan. 9:27). Thus our Lord assumed the existence of the
Temple in the end time.
Paul's Reference to the Tribulation Temple
The Apostle Paul, 2 Thessalonians, chapter 2, spoke of the
Antichrist and what he will do in the middle of the Tribulation when
he defies God. He will go to Jerusalem and will sit in the Temple of
God. He opposes God and all that is worshipped as God, setting
himself forth as God (2 Thess. 2:1-13).

Measuring the Tribulation Temple

John was given a reed and was instructed to measure the Temple
of God, the altar and them that worship therein. The court which was
without the Temple he was to leave unmeasured for it was given to
the nations (Rev. 11:1, 2). The question that arises in this connection
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is, Why measure the Temple? We may begin an investigation on this

point by looking to Ezekiel, chapters 40-48. In Ezek. 40:3 there is a
man with a line measuring the Temple and Jerusalem which were
being shown to Ezekiel in vision. The measuring in this vision was to
make known to the prophet the exact dimensions of that glorious
structure, the most glorious Temple that will ever grace this earth. It
will be called "the house of prayer" for all the nations. The measuring
was to impart information concerning its glory. In Zechariah, chapter
2, is recorded a vision of Jerusalem as it will be in the Millennium.
He saw a man with a measuring line who was going to measure that
city. From the context we see that the measuring was to make known
to Zechariah the dimensions and the glory of Jerusalem as it will be in
the Millennial Age. There are plans, specifications and blueprints
from which a building is constructed.
In Revelation, chapter 11, we see that John was given a measuring
reed "like unto a rod" by which he could ascertain the dimensions of
the house and facts concerning those that worship therein. As we
study this chapter we see that Jerusalem will be destroyed during the
Tribulation. Moreover, as we have already seen, the Temple that will
be standing in the Tribulation will be destroyed. We conclude
therefore that the measuring is to make known the fact that the
Temple and all its service and worshipers are not coming up to the
standard to be acceptable to God. The measuring reveals the
deficiency and the failure of the worshipers. This will be done to
justify God's destroying the Temple. This usage is in perfect accord
with that which is found in 2 Kings 21:10-15. God had used the line
and the plummet on Samaria because of the wickedness of the house
of Ahab, and destroyed it. In this passage He threatens to use the
same line and plummet of destruction on Jerusalem that He had
already employed on Samaria. This passage gives absolute proof that
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the measuring here is to show the failures and the things lacking in
connection with the Temple service. These failures make it necessary
for God to destroy the Temple and to cause the wicked to cease.

The Holy City

In Rev. 11:2 we read the prediction that the Holy City shall be
trodden under foot for forty-two months. But in verse 3 we see two
witnesses who prophesy for 1,260 days in sackcloth. The question
arises as to what time, or periods, are in view here. We are to
understand that these figures literally refer to forty-two months and to
1,260 days.
We must take everything at its primary, ordinary, usual, literal
meaning unless there are facts in the context to indicate a departure
from the literal meaning. Since there is no such negative evidence, we
will accept the statements at their face value. In Rev. 13:5 we read of
forty-two months, the period in which the Antichrist holds high
carnival. In Rev. 12:6 we see a period of 1,260 days during which the
woman, who is none other than Israel, flees into the wilderness. In
verse 14 of the same chapter, we see that she is in a place prepared for
her "a time, and times, and half a time." The forty-two months
mentioned in Rev. 11:2, the 1,260 days appearing in Rev. 12:6, the
time, times and half a time of Rev. 12:14 and the forty-two months of
Rev. 13:5 all refer to the latter half of the Tribulation. Thus the 1,260
days equal forty-two months or three and a half years. By simple
division we see that the months of those years —will be thirty days.
Evidently the calendar will be changed between now and then. We
know that it will be changed for Dan. 7:25 reveals that the Antichrist
will change the calendar in the middle of that last week of years of
Daniel's prophecy.

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The 1,260 days of the witnessing of God's two servants of Rev.

11:1-14 is in the first half of the Tribulation. After these witnesses
have finished their course they are killed in the middle of the
Tribulation. Therefore their period of service is the first half of the
Tribulation.

The Two Witnesses

John tells us of the two witnesses whose ministry falls in the first
half of the Tribulation. Who are these witnesses? Are we to take the
language literally—at what it says? Or, are we to read into it some
symbolic significance? There is no justification for our interpreting
this passage other than literally. These witnesses have every earmark
of personality, therefore we believe that there will be two witnesses
who will engage in a special ministry during the first half of the
Tribulation. But who are they? Some excellent Bible students believe
that they will be Moses and Elijah; others, Enoch and Elijah. The
reason for believing that they may be Moses and Elijah, returned to
life, is that they do the very things that only Moses and Elijah did.
Moses turned water into blood and Elijah shut up the heavens so that
it did not rain during his special ministry of three and a half years.
Scriptural support that one of these may be Elijah is to be found in
the last two verses of the Old Testament: "Behold, I will send you
Elijah the prophet before the great and terrible day of Jehovah come.
And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart
of the children to their fathers; lest I come and smite the earth with a
curse" (Mal. 4:5, 6). God in this passage promised that He would send
Elijah the prophet to Israel before the great and terrible day of the
Lord comes, the Great Tribulation, to turn the hearts of the parents to
the children and the children to the parents. The Jews rightly believe
that God will send Elijah the prophet before Messiah appears. When
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Jesus was transfigured before Peter, James and John, Matt. 17:1-13,
the Apostles asked Him why the Pharisees believed that Elijah must
first come. "Elijah indeed cometh, and shall restore all things." When
Jesus made that statement, they understood that He was talking of
John the Baptist, calling him Elijah. John the Baptist was an Elijah,
Luke 1:17. But he was not Elijah the prophet. The angel Gabriel
expressed this idea to Zacharias when he announced the birth of John
saying that John would go before the face of the Lord in the spirit and
power of Elijah. He would be an Elijah but not Elijah the prophet.
When John began his ministry he was asked by a delegation from
Jerusalem if he were Messiah. He immediately denied that he was the
Messiah. Then he was asked if he were Elijah the prophet. To this
question he also gave a most emphatic denial (John 1:21). Elijah is to
return before the great and terrible day of the Lord. John the Baptist
was simply an Elijah and not the Elijah. These two witnesses engage
in a ministry similar to that which Elijah performed so we may
conclude that one of these witnesses is Elijah the prophet. Whether
or not the other one is Moses or Enoch, no one can be positive. It is
not necessary for us to understand that point in order to appreciate
and evaluate the prophecy.

In Rev. 11:4 John tells us that these two witnesses are “the two
olive trees and the two candlesticks, standing before the Lord of the
earth." This language is an echo of Zechariah, chapter 4. In vision
Zechariah saw a candlestick standing between two olive trees. There
were pipes from the trees to a bowl suspended over the candlestick.
From the bowl to each of the seven lamps there were seven pipes
through which the oil that came from the trees into the bowl flowed
into the lamps. The symbolism was so very clear that it was not
necessary to explain it. The candlestick represented Israel who held
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aloft the torch of God's revelation to the world during the Old
Testament Dispensation. Olive oil, when used symbolically, is a
symbol of the Holy Spirit. The oil flowed constantly from the olive
trees into the bowl and then into the lamps. The interpreting angel
said that the olive trees were "the two anointed ones, that stand by the
Lord of the whole earth" (Zech. 4:14). In Zechariah's day the two
anointed ones referred to were Zerubbabel the governor of the
restored community and Joshua the high priest. They were filled with
the Spirit of God and He, the Spirit of God, flowed out through them
to the community of Israel and caused it to be the lampstand of truth
to the heathen world around them. The same symbolism is referred to
in Rev. 11:4. These two witnesses stand in relation to the rest of Israel
as Zerubbabel and Joshua did in Zechariah's day.
According to Malachi's prophecy, Elijah comes and engages in a
special ministry in Israel before the Tribulation begins. These two
witnesses likewise engage in a special ministry during the first half of
the Tribulation. The things that they do are expressed in the following
words: "These have the power to shut the heaven, that it rain not
during the days of their prophecy: and they have power over the
waters to turn them into blood, and to smite the earth with every
plague, as often as they shall desire" (Rev. 11:6).
In verses 7-10 of this chapter we read of the beast mentioned also
in chapters 13 and 17, who slays these two men. There will be great
jubilation throughout the world over their death. They will send
presents one to another in their rejoicing over their death. We are told
that "from among the peoples and tribes and tongues and nations do
men look upon their dead bodies three days and a half, and suffer not
their dead bodies to be laid in a tomb" (Rev. 11:9). These two
witnesses are killed and their bodies lie for three and one-half days
(vs. 11). Where do they lie? In what city? These dead bodies lie in the
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street of the great city, "which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt,"
where also their Lord was crucified. Jerusalem is going to be a
veritable Sodom and Egypt in the Tribulation Period. It was not a
Sodom and Egypt when John was writing this nor when Jesus was
there. They had a lot of religion, camouflage, sham and hypocrisy but
it was not spiritually called Sodom and Egypt. It is called Sodom
because there will be increased immorality. It is going to be called
Egypt, because Egypt has been known throughout the centuries for its
witchcraft, magic and the occult. These two witnesses are killed in
Jerusalem, yet people from all nations will look upon their dead
bodies. In all probability this refers to television. "And after, the three
days and a half the breath of life from God entered into them, and
they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them that beheld
them" (Rev. 11:11). After they are restored to life, the tables are
turned and the people who have made merry and laughed and joked
about them will be terrified. Great fear will fall upon them.
At the end of the three and a half days these men will be restored
to life and will then ascend into Heaven. "And they heard a great
voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither" (Rev. 11:12).
This is the glorification of their bodies. God in Heaven speaks to
them and they ascend just as Christ ascended. Their enemies will see
them as they leave the earth on their way to Heaven and a cloud will
receive them out of their sight.
"And in that hour [when they ascend to Heaven] there was a great
earthquake, and the tenth part of the city [Jerusalem] fell; and there
were killed in the earthquake seven thousand persons: and the rest
were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven" (Rev. 11:13).
At that time there will be a terrific earthquake that will destroy seven
thousand persons in Jerusalem. People will be shaken with dread and

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fear by the disastrous earthquake and will give glory to God. As to

whether their turning to God is genuine, the text does not say.

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Chapter 11

The Stage Setting for the Latter Part of the Tribulation

(Rev. 11:15-19)
The Great Parenthesis (Rev. 11:15-15:8)

A person must understand the cardinal points of the compass if he

is to work properly and efficiently. When he loses his sense of
direction, a man cannot know the path to take in order to reach his
objective. The same thing is true with reference to study or thought
regarding any subject. In our study of the book of Revelation we have
come to the consideration of Rev. 11:15-19. This portion of Scripture
has generally been misunderstood. This has led to endless confusion
and to the manufacture of various theories which affect the entire
interpretation of the book of Revelation. These statements being true
we must stop and get our bearings as we go through the maze of the
intricacies of this portion of the book. Let it be remembered that
chapters 6-19 (the second main subdivision of the third section of the
book) deal with the Tribulation Period. The chronological order of
events, as they will occur during the Tribulation, is set forth in
chapters 6, 8, 9 and 16. A cursory reading of these chapters shows
that there are three series of judgments set forth: The seals, appearing
in chapter 6, covering what we might term the first quarter of the
Tribulation. The trumpet judgments, found in chapters 8 and 9,
covering what we might call the second quarter of the Tribulation.
The bowl judgments, found in chapter 16, occurring during the latter
half of the Tribulation. When the first seal is broken, something
definite takes place upon the earth. The same thing is true with
reference to the breaking of the second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth
seals. But when the seventh one is broken, nothing definite takes
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place upon the earth; on the contrary, the seven angels who are going
to blow the seven trumpets prepare to do so. The trumpet judgments
are recorded in chapters 8 and 9. The last three of the seven are called
woes, because of the far-reaching and devastating effects that they
will have upon the people of the earth. When the first trumpet is
blown something definite takes place upon the earth. The same thing
is true with reference to the second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth. But
when the seventh trumpet is blown nothing definite takes place. On
the contrary, when this occurs, the seven angels that will pour out the
seven bowls of God's wrath prepare to enact their part in this closing
drama of human history. When the seven angels who have the seven
bowl judgments pour them out something definite and specific occurs
on the earth. When the seventh bowl is poured out the wrath of God is
completed. Thus the seven bowl judgments come out of the seventh
trumpet and the seven trumpets develop out of the seventh seal.
When we arrive at the tenth chapter we come to what is known as
the minor, or small parenthesis of the book, which consists of Rev.
10:1-11:14. In chapter 10 appears the prophecy of John's eating the
little book and in Rev. 11:1-14 is the information concerning the
Temple at Jerusalem. The Jews will build it in the end of this age and
it will be standing during the Tribulation. Also we read of the two
witnesses that will appear in Israel for the purpose of restoring the
family relations of the Chosen People. All of this material, Rev. 10:1-
11:14 is the small parenthesis at the very close of the account of the
sixth trumpet. Chronologically speaking. Rev. 11:14 follows Rev.
9:21.

The Relation of Rev. 11:15-19 to 15:5-16:21

The sixth trumpet brings us to the middle of the Tribulation
Period. With Rev. 11:15 we begin the study of the second half of the
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Tribulation. Here we read: "And the seventh angel sounded; and there
followed great voices in heaven, and they said, The kingdom of the
world is become the kingdom of our Lord, and of his Christ: and he
shall reign for ever and ever. And the four and twenty elders, who sit
before God on their thrones, fell upon their faces and worshipped
God, saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God, the Almighty, who
art and who wast; because thou hast taken thy great power, and didst
reign. And the nations were wroth, and thy wrath came, and the time
of the dead to be judged, and the time to give their reward to thy
servants the prophets, and to the saints, and to them that fear thy
name, the small and the great; and to destroy them that destroy the
earth. And there was opened the temple of God that is in heaven; and
there was seen in his temple the ark of his covenant; and there
followed lightnings, and voices, and thunders, and an earthquake, and
great hail" (Rev. 11:15-19).
A careful study of these verses shows that they constitute an
announcement, a summary, of what will result by the judgments of
the latter half of the Tribulation. This paragraph is closely connected
with Rev. 15:5-8, which verses constitute an introduction to chapter
16.
One can see that we have in Rev. 11:15-15:8 what is termed the
major, or great, parenthesis of the book of Revelation. In this section
we have three symbols presented: That of the woman (Rev. 12:1);
that of the red dragon (Rev. 12:3); and that of the seven angels who
have the seven bowls of the wrath of God (Rev. 15:1). When we
realize the parenthetic nature of Rev. 11:15-15:8 and when we read
Rev. 11:15-19 and follow this section immediately by Rev. 15:5-8 we
can see the connection of the chronological order of events. In other
words, Rev. 15:5 takes up the thought that is dropped in Rev. 11:19.
Rev. 11:15-15:8 gives us the stage setting of the middle and the latter
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half of the Tribulation. It is essential that we understand these things

in order to comprehend the development of the judgments of the latter
half of the Tribulation as set forth in chapter 16.

Announcement by the First Choir

John's Prophecy Regarding the World Kingdom
"And the seventh angel sounded; and there followed great voices
in heaven, and they said, The kingdom of the world is become the
kingdom of our Lord, and of his Christ: and he shall reign for ever
and ever" (Rev. 11:15).
When the seventh angel sounds his trumpet, there are two choruses
making special announcements regarding the outcome of the
judgments that develop out of the seventh trumpet. When this seventh
trumpet is sounded, John sees the Temple of God in Heaven opened
(Rev. 11:19). When it is opened, there comes out of it a terrible storm
indicative of God's wrath and indignation against the world. After this
great storm with thunders and lightnings the Temple is closed, and
there is flashed before his startled vision on the prophetic screen the
data that is found in Rev. 12:1-15:4. Then the Temple of God in
Heaven is opened the second time. Out of this Temple come forth the
seven angels who bear in their arms the seven bowls of the wrath of
God (Rev. 15:5-8). These angels stand at attention, ready to obey any
commands. The order goes forth to them: "Go ye, and pour out the
seven bowls of the wrath of God into the earth" (Rev. 16:1).
After this necessary digression from our main theme, let us return
to Rev. 11:15 and the announcement that is being made regarding the
kingdom of the world and its becoming the kingdom of our Lord and
of His Christ. The Authorized Version of the Scriptures has the word
"kingdom" in the plural number: "The kingdoms of this world are
become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ." The American
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Standard Edition of 1901 follows the Greek text accurately and states,
"The kingdom of the world is become ..." At the time of which John
is here speaking, there will be but one kingdom. All the kingdoms of
the world will be united under one ruthless sovereign dictator, the
Antichrist. It is of the utmost importance that we recognize this fact.

Daniel's Prophecy Regarding the World Kingdom

"Thus he [the interpreting angel] said, The fourth beast shall be a
fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all the
kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down,
and break it in pieces. And as for the ten horns, out of this kingdom
shall ten kings arise: and another shall arise after them; and he shall
be diverse from the former, and he shall put down three kings. And he
shall speak words against the Most High, and shall wear out the saints
of the Most High; and he shall think to change the times and the law;
and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and half a
time" (Dan. 7:23-25).
The four beasts of Daniel, chapter 7, are symbolic of four kings
that arise out of the earth (Dan. 7:17). These beasts symbolize not
only the kings, the sovereigns of these kingdoms, but the kingdoms
themselves. Figuratively speaking, when the spotlight is turned on in
this prophecy of Daniel, chapter 7, we see that king; but when the
floodlight is turned on, we view the realm over which he reigns.
According to Dan. 7:23, the fourth beast will devour the whole earth,
tread it down, and break it in pieces. The expression, "the whole
earth" means exactly what it says—the entire world, all nations. Next,
according to Dan. 7:24, that mighty empire will collapse, falling into
ten separate divisions, over each of which a dictator will arise and
usurp the authority. After this takes place, there will arise a little horn,
the Antichrist, who will worm his way into favor with the ten
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dictators and gradually gain power until he becomes master of the

situation. By the middle of the Tribulation he will be supreme—after
having put down three of the dictators, he will become the absolute
sovereign.
The seven kings that remain become simply "rubber stamps" or
"yes men." This same situation we see in Rev. 13:7: "And it was
given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them:
and there was given to him authority over every tribe and people and
tongue and nation." The reader should note the fact that "there was
given to him [the Antichrist] authority over every tribe and people
and tongue and nation." From these and other passages of Scripture
we know positively that the world will be headed up under one great
sovereign in the end time. Hence, there will be the kingdom of the
world in the end time, of which John spoke. At the end of the
Tribulation this kingdom will become the kingdom of our Lord and of
His Christ.
That the kingdom does not become the kingdom of Christ until the
end of the Tribulation is evident from many passages of Scripture in
the Old Testament and in the New. In view of this fact we know that
John, in making this prophecy, is looking forward to the end of the
Tribulation.

Second Announcement by the Twenty-Four Elders

After the first choir had made its glorious announcement that the
kingdom of the world becomes the kingdom of our Lord and His
Christ "the four and twenty elders, who sit before God on their
thrones, fell upon their faces and worshipped God, saying, We give
thee thanks, O Lord God, the Almighty, who art and who wast;
because thou hast taken thy great power, and didst reign. And the
nations were wroth, and thy wrath came, and the time of the dead to
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be judged, and the time to give their reward to thy servants the
prophets, and to the saints, and to them that fear thy name, the small
and the great; and to destroy them that destroy the earth" (Rev. 11:16-
18).
The second choir begins by thanking the Lord God, the Almighty,
who inhabits eternity (Isa. 57:15), because of several things which He
does. They acknowledge His absolute authority. God's throne is
exalted above all and His authority is over the entire universe (Ps.
103:19-22). All power belongs to God (Ps. 62:11). No one can
question the rights, the prerogatives and the sovereignty of the
Almighty. Knowing these great basic and fundamental facts, the
twenty-four elders, celestial beings first seen in chapter 4, return
thanks to God for the stability of the universe in which they live and
for the absolute sovereignty of their Lord.

Gratitude for God's Assuming Absolute Control

These elders praise God because He takes His great power and
reigns. This statement harmonizes with the thought of verse 15 which
says that the kingdom of the world becomes the kingdom of our Lord
and His Christ. The kingdom of the world does not become the
kingdom of Christ until the end of the Tribulation. These twenty-four
living creatures give praise and thanks to Almighty God "the
Almighty, who art and who wast; because thou hast taken thy great
power, and didst reign" (Rev. 11:17). It is quite difficult to express
the thought "and didst reign" in the English. Here it looks as if it is
already past. From the Greek point of view it is not. This word that is
translated "didst reign" is in the aorist tense, it is timeless, there is no
time element whatsoever. Hence, the taking of His power as indicated
in verse 18 is a reference to His taking over the kingdom at the end of

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the Tribulation. This fact must be clearly grasped if we are to

understand the rest of this passage.

The Nations Become Wrathful

"And the nations were wroth, and thy wrath came, and the time of
the dead to be judged, and the time to give their reward to thy
servants the prophets, and to the saints, and to them that fear thy
name, the small and the great" (Rev. 11:18). The celestial beings in
verse 16 are grateful to God that the nations become wrathful and
God then is justified in administrating His authority over all human
affairs. They are not gloating over the fact that the nations become
wrathful. The nations being wrathful gives God occasion to take the
world situation in hand and to establish a righteous and just order.
This is looking forward to the end of the Tribulation. Here in the
middle of the Tribulation, when the nations become wrathful, then
God becomes wrathful. I believe that Ps. 2:1-3 is fulfilled at this time.
This prophecy is a prediction that the nations will tumultuously
assemble in one great, mighty international congress. The delegates in
that conference will be the kings and rulers of the earth. They will
take counsel together against God and Christ, and say, "Let us break
their bonds asunder, And cast away their cords from us." The nations
become wrothful and they say, away with God and away with Christ.
We will appoint our own king. We are not going to tolerate the
preaching of the Gospel nor the worship of God.

God's Wrath Stirred

According to verse 18, when the nations become wrathful, then
that fact stirs up the wrath of God to its very depth. He therefore acts
according to the principles of righteousness, justice and holiness. At
the very end of Ps. 2 it says, "Now therefore be wise, O ye kings: Be
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instructed, ye judges of the earth. Serve Jehovah with fear, And

rejoice with trembling. Kiss the son, lest he be angry, and ye perish in
the way, For his wrath will soon be kindled" and it will be a
consuming fire! "The nations were wroth, and thy wrath came, and
the time of the dead to be judged, and the time to give their reward to
thy servants the prophets, and to the saints" (Rev. 11:18). All of the
Tribulation is a period of wrath but the act of counting God out of His
universe, of making the Antichrist the one supreme ruler is the thing
that precipitates these severe judgments in the latter part of the
Tribulation.

The Time to Judge the Dead

In verse 18 the statement is made that when God takes over the
kingdom of the world—which is at the end of the Tribulation—the
time arrives for God to reward His "servants the prophets" and "the
saints" and "them that fear thy name." When is the time that God
rewards his servants the prophets, the saints and those who fear His
name? There can be but one answer: at the end of the Tribulation
when the kingdom of the world becomes the kingdom of our Lord
and of His Christ.
Some have supposed that the dead are raised and the saints are
rewarded in the middle of Daniel's seventieth week. They come to
this conclusion from the study of Daniel, chapter 11, which reveals
some events that occur in the middle of the Tribulation. Rev. 11:15-
19 constitutes an announcement that the kingdom of the world
becomes the kingdom of our Lord and His Christ at the end of the
Tribulation. In connection with that development we see that the dead
are raised and the saints are rewarded at the end of this seven-year
period of judgment.

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That the dead, both the saints of the Old Testament and those of
the New, will be judged and rewarded at the end of the Tribulation is
evident from a study of Ps. 50:1-5:

1 "The Mighty One, God, Jehovah, hath spoken,

And called the earth from the rising of the sun unto the going down
thereof.
2 Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty,
God hath shined forth.
3 Our God cometh, and doth not keep silence:
A fire devoureth before him,
And it is very tempestuous round about him.
4 He calleth to the heavens above,
And to the earth, that he may Judge his people:
5 Gather my saints together unto me,
Those that have made a covenant with me by sacrifice."

In verses 1 and 2 of this Psalm we see Christ after He has come to

the earth and has built up Zion which becomes the beauty spot of the
world. In verse 3 we see Christ coming at the end of the Tribulation
(2 Thess. 1: 3-10). In verse 4 we see Christ giving a call to the
heavens above and to the earth for His messengers—the angelic
host—to gather His people together—“Those that have made a
covenant with me by sacrifice" in order that they might be judged.
This is not the judgment of the Great White Throne which occurs at
the end of the Millennium. It is the Judgment Seat of Christ before
which all of God's saints will appear and where they will be rewarded
according to the deeds done in the body. In view of this fact, then, we
know that the things mentioned in Rev. 11:18 will occur at the end of

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the Tribulation when Christ comes to take over the kingdom of the
world into His own strong, powerful hands.

Christ to Destroy Them that Destroy the Earth

When Christ comes at the end of the Tribulation, He will destroy
those who are destroying the earth. This statement is to be taken at its
face value. Not until after the discovery of the atomic and hydrogen
bombs and such other powerful weapons of war as we now have, did
we see the full force of what is meant by the statement that Christ will
"destroy them that destroy the earth." The scientists have learned how
to avail themselves of the mighty power of the atom. They know that
by the development of still more powerful means of destruction, a
chain reaction could develop that would destroy the earth. Man is
discovering the secret of power and the real nature of the material
from which the earth is made. If the Lord should allow them to
continue their research and discoveries, they would destroy the earth
physically. But God will not allow them to do that. He will intervene
and will destroy them and stop their diabolic work.

The Opening of the Temple of God in Heaven

"And there was opened the temple of God that is in heaven; and
there was seen in his temple the ark of his covenant; and there
followed lightnings, and voices, and thunders, and an earthquake, and
great hail" (Rev. 11:19). That there is a Temple of God in Heaven is
seen in such passages as Ps. 11:5. This is called, in theological
language "the very presence of God." This place is seen in Heb. 9:11
and is spoken of as the true Sanctuary of God, not made with hands,
eternal in the heavens.

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At this point in John's vision in the middle of the Tribulation, he

sees the Temple of God in Heaven opened. In it he sees the Ark of the
Covenant, a spiritual reality. A little replica of it was built by Moses
and placed in the Tabernacle, a miniature model of the heavenly
Temple. Thus the Tabernacle, and later the Temple, were models of
the reality that exists in the heavens from all eternity.
In the latter part of verse 19 there appears a terrific storm: "and
there followed lightnings, and voices, and thunders, and an
earthquake, and great hail." As we have already seen in Rev. 4:5,
there proceeded out of the throne "lightnings and voices and
thunders." In Rev. 8:5, there followed the actions of the angel,
"thunders, and voices, and lightnings, and an earthquake." The third
place where this storm is seen is in Rev. 11:19. The final verse where
this terrific storm appears is Rev. 16:18: "and there were lightnings,
and voices, and thunders; and there was a great earthquake, such as
was not since there were men upon the earth, so great an earthquake,
so mighty." A glance at each of these passages reveals the fact that
this storm is gathering force, momentum and destructive power.
Realizing the forces that will be set in operation during the
Tribulation and the sorrows and the distress that the judgments will
entail, no one would want to enter that period of God's judgments.
There is but one thing for the intelligent, honest truth-seeker to do
today and that is to flee to the Lord Jesus from the wrath that is to
come. When the Lord Jesus Christ descends from Heaven to the air
before the Tribulation, He will raise the dead in Christ and catch up
all the living saints, those who are born again and who are ready for
His coming. The rest will be left behind to enter into and to endure
the terrific judgments of the Tribulation.

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Chapter 12

The Woman, Child, and the Dragon (Rev. 12:1-17)

The Great Parenthesis (Rev. 11:15-15:8)

"And a great sign was seen in heaven: a woman arrayed with the
sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of
twelve stars; and she was with child; and she crieth out, travailing in
birth, and in pain to be delivered. And there was seen another sign in
heaven: and behold, a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten
horns, and upon his heads seven diadems. And his tail draweth the
third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and
the dragon standeth before the woman that is about to be delivered,
that when she is delivered he may devour her child. And she was
delivered of a son, a man child, who is to rule all the nations with a
rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and unto his
throne. And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a
place prepared of God, that there they may nourish her a thousand
two hundred and threescore days" (Rev. 12:1-6).
Again we must get our bearings before proceeding with the
exposition of the book of Revelation. The chronological order of
events as they will occur during the Tribulation is set forth in chapters
6, 8, 9 and 16. Chapter 7 is a vision of the great revival that will
sweep the world during the first half of the Tribulation. Rev. 10:1-
11:14 constitutes the small parenthesis of the book and is inserted in
the narrative which describes the second woe, or sixth trumpet. Rev.
11:15-19 is a short, yet vital, summary of the outcome of the
judgments of the latter half of the Tribulation which prepares one for
the proper estimation of the judgments of the latter half of this period.
We might compare these verses to the large headlines which are
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placed at the head of an article in a daily paper and which summarize

all that appears in the write-up. What appears in Rev. 12:1-15:8 gives
us the stage setting. This portion informs us of the political situation
that will exist during the latter part of the Tribulation. It likewise tells
of the terrible plight of Israel. She will have to flee from her land to a
place prepared for her by the Lord during the greatest persecution that
the nation has ever endured. The Antichrist is proclaimed the dictator
of the world (chapter 13). In chapter 14 there is given a vision of the
millennial Jerusalem. There are several announcements concerning
the events as they will develop during the latter half of the
Tribulation. Finally, at the close of chapter 14 is a prediction of the
great struggle that takes place at the end of the Tribulation and a vivid
description of the overthrow of the forces of evil. In Rev. 15:1-4
appears a vision of those who will come off victorious over the beast,
the Antichrist.

The Symbolic Woman

John is very specific. He tells us that he saw a "great sign" or
symbol, in Heaven. He then proceeds to describe this symbol, which
was "a woman arrayed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and
upon her head a crown of twelve stars."
Let us note carefully that this woman is called a "sign," a symbol.
Unfortunately some commentators have explained that Revelation is a
book of symbols. If this were true, there would be no necessity and no
occasion of the Lord's speaking of this woman as a sign, or of His
designating the red dragon also as a sign. Everything in the book of
Revelation should be taken at its face value unless the facts of the
context and related passages indicate that it is used in a figurative, or
symbolic, sense. When the facts indicate a departure from the literal

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meaning, the interpretation that accords with the passage should be

adopted.
Who is this symbolic woman? Some tell us that she is not a
symbol, although the statement is made that she is a "sign." These
commentators tell us that this is the virgin Mary. If it referred to her
there would be no occasion for John's calling her a symbol. The fact
that she is called a "sign" shows that a literal woman is not intended.
There are others who say that the woman is the Church. As evidence
that this position is correct, they call our attention to the fact that the
Church is spoken of as a bride. Yes, it is true that the Church is
spoken of as a woman, the bride of Christ. But this woman cannot
symbolize the Church, because she gives birth to the man child "who
is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron." The Church does not give
birth to this future Ruler. It may be asked, "Who is this man child that
is to rule the nations?" The answer is Christ, the Son of God, who
enters the world by miraculous conception and virgin birth. He will
break the nations to pieces and rule over them with a rod of iron
justice (Ps. 2).
The correct interpretation which is demanded by all the facts is
that this woman signifies Israel. It was the Hebrew race that produced
the Christ, the man child. Isaiah sang "Unto us a child is born, unto us
a son is given" (Isa. 9:6). We therefore conclude that this man child
who is to rule the nations with a rod of iron is the Christ, the Messiah
of Israel.
When a person reads this passage in the light of related facts he
concludes that this symbolic woman gives birth to the symbolic man
child who is to reign over the nations. If this man child is the Christ,
how can this symbolize Him as a person? The New Testament speaks
of the mystical Christ, consisting of Christ the head and the Church
the body. Christ sprang forth from the loins of Israel. The Church
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likewise came out of Israel. The Church at first was purely a Jewish
institution. So it is quite in keeping with all the facts to think of this
man child, here symbolized, as the mystical Christ—Christ the head
and the Church the body.

The Sunclad Woman

John states that the woman "was arrayed with the sun, and the
moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars."
This is a symbolic picture and we conclude that the sun, the moon and
the stars have the natural significance of those celestial bodies. They
give light. The Lord intended for us to understand that Israel is the
torchbearer of the truth at this future time. There radiates from her a
glorious spiritual light, like that of the sun, which shines forth unto
every nook and comer of the world at that time. The moon, the lesser
light, is under her feet and gives forth the light of truth. The crown of
twelve stars are also functioning in the same manner.

The Birth of the Man Child

This woman was with child and the labor pains were coming upon
her in order that she might be delivered (vs. 2). In verse 5 she is
delivered of a son "a man child, who is to rule all the nations with a
rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and unto his
throne."
Christ is the man child-without a doubt! Christ, the head, was born
into the world nineteen hundred years ago. As soon as He was born,
Herod, inspired by Satan, made an attempt to destroy Him. But by the
overruling providence of God all of Herod's machinations for evil
were thwarted. The Christ child was preserved and grew up to
manhood and engaged in His public ministry. After He had
completed His life's work, Christ allowed Himself to be crucified in
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order that He might offer Himself up as a sacrifice well pleasing to

God to make atonement for the sins of the world. On the first
Pentecost, after the resurrection of Christ, the Holy Spirit came and
inspired the Apostles to give the message of redemption through the
shed blood of Christ. On that day there were approximately three
thousand souls who accepted the Gospel message, were regenerated
and saved, and were added together into the body of Christ. On this
day of Pentecost the mystical Christ was formed, Christ the head, the
Church the body. The Church had only been brought into existence a
little while when the persecution of Satan was launched against it. For
the first three centuries of its existence Satan launched one attack
after another in order to destroy the body of Christ. The blood of the
martyrs was the seed of the kingdom! Satan's seeming triumph
against the body of Christ proved to be the means whereby the new
faith was propagated and sent out to the ends of the earth.
In the prediction in Rev. 12:1-6 we see that the man child "was
caught up unto God, and unto his throne" away from the attempts of
the dragon, the Devil, to destroy it. Christ, the head, was caught up
into Heaven at the time of His ascension; the body, the Church of
Christ, will be caught up at the time of the Rapture, which occurs
before the Tribulation. That this is true is seen from such a passage as
1 Thess. 1: 9,10: "For they themselves report concerning us what
manner of entering in we had unto you; and how ye turned unto God
from idols, to serve a living and true God, and to wait for his Son
from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, who
delivereth us from the wrath to come." We, the Church, are waiting
for the Lord Jesus Christ who will deliver us from the wrath to come,
from the Tribulation judgments.

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The Symbol of the Dragon.

In verse 3 John declares that he saw another sign, another symbol,
and then he describes it: "and behold, a great red dragon, having
seven heads and ten horns, and upon his heads seven diadems.”

The Significance of the Dragon

Since the dragon is a symbol it signifies something, or someone.
Who? The answer is found in Rev. 12:9: "And the great dragon was
cast down, the old serpent, he that is called the Devil and Satan, the
deceiver of the whole world; he was cast down to the earth, and his
angels were cast down with him."

The Seven Heads and the Ten Horns

What is the significance of the heads and the horns of the dragon
in Rev. 12:3? We are told that like begets like. All life springs from
antecedent life. In Rev. 13:1, 2 we see that the beast had seven heads
and ten horns—a duplicate of the red dragon that had seven heads and
ten horns. When we study the beast we see that the heads signify
various types of governments that control the beast during its entire
career (Rev. 17:7-18). This beast is a symbol of the Roman Empire,
the fourth of the series in Daniel, chapter 7. The head is the governing
part of the body. This beast had seven heads—one at a time. Five of
these had already come and passed away. One was in existence when
John wrote the book of Revelation and there is a seventh head to
come.

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GOD’S LIGHT BEARERS—The chart of “God’s Light Bearers” reveals

Israel as the torchbearer of truth of the future under the “sunclad
woman”.

This beast represents Rome from her rise in 753 B.C. to the time
that she became a world empire. Before it took on such proportions it
was a local affair, though growing all the time, thus we see it at the
beginning with its first head. Following this, we see it with its second
head, etc. When the sixth head appeared it had grown to the point that
it rose to the level of a world empire. It maintained this sixth head
from that time forward and will continue to do so until the seventh
one comes up at the end of the age.
Imperialism was the sixth head of Rome, for that was the type of
government which was in existence in John's day and which has
persisted through the centuries.
It is quite likely that the seven heads on the old red dragon signify
seven different types of administration of Satan's kingdom. The ten
horns signify ten different individual spirits under Satan, whom he
uses to carry out his plans of the end time.

The Fall of One-third of the Angels

In verse 4 we are told that the dragon draws one-third part of the
stars of Heaven and casts them down to the earth. Let us bear in mind
that the dragon is the symbol of Satan. The stars are not literal in this
connection but are used symbolically. When used symbolically, as in
Dan. 8:10, stars signify intelligent, beings. In Daniel, the stars are the
prominent Jews of the time of Antiochus Ephiphanes. These stars of
Heaven that are mentioned in Rev. 12:4 are intelligent heavenly
beings. Satan led a rebellion in Heaven in the past as is indicated in
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Ezek. 28:11-19. This passage refers to his leading one-third of the

celestial beings in that revolt against God.

Satan up to His Old Tricks

In the passage which we have under consideration we are given to
understand that Satan is fighting against God, as he has always done
and is up to his old tricks. He made an attack against God when he led
the revolt which resulted in the downfall of one-third of the angels.
When the Christ child was born, Satan delivered another stroke at
God by trying to have the baby Jesus killed. When the early Church
came into existence he began his persecutions against it. He has never
ceased his animosity against God nor his effort to thwart or hinder the
purposes and plans of the Almighty. There is little doubt that Satan
will strike at the Church, but the Church will be snatched out of the
world by the mighty power of Christ at the Rapture, before the
Tribulation.
In Ps. 58 the Psalmist takes us back behind the closed doors of the
Antichrist, who is sitting at the council chamber with all of his
lieutenants in the middle of the Tribulation. They purpose to
exterminate the Jewish nation from the face of the globe. Here is an
effort by the Antichrist and by the Devil to get rid of the woman,
Israel.
At that future time Satan makes a determined stand against God
and against Israel. He has had access to the throne of God throughout
the ages—since his rebellion. For various reasons at different times
he goes into the presence of the Almighty (Job, chapters 1, 2). Even
one of his fallen spirits appears in the presence of God, as we see in 1
Kings 22:19-23. How often, or how many, or under what conditions
Satan and his servile spirits enter into the presence of God, the

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Scriptures do not tell us. In Rev. 12:7-17 we see that both Satan and
his emissaries are in Heaven in the middle of the Tribulation.

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SATAN’S FIVE ABODES AND HIS ACTIVITIES—The history of the

“Dragon” is revealed in the chart of “Satan’s Five Abodes and His
Activities”.

War in Heaven
It is amazing to us that Satan and his hosts would be permitted to
enter Heaven. Moreover, it surprises us that there should be war in
Heaven. That there has been war in Heaven before is quite evident
from the statement of Bildad in Job 25:2: "Dominion and fear are
with him; He maketh peace in his high places." Bildad's statement
implies that there was war and rebellion in the highest places of the
universe. According to this statement God put this revolt down.
Isaiah the prophet seems to allude to this in 51:9: "Awake, awake,
put on strength, O arm of Jehovah; awake, as in the days of old, the
generations of ancient times. Is it not thou that didst cut Rahab in
pieces, that didst pierce the monster?" In the context of this verse we
see that the prophet was looking forward to the time of the
Tribulation and that he called upon the "arm of Jehovah" none other
than the Lord Jesus Christ to act decisively. In urging Him, by the
Spirit of God to do this, he asked this unusual question: "Is it not thou
that didst cut Rahab in pieces, that didst pierce the monster?" This
rhetorical question demands an answer in the affirmative. Yes, it was
Christ the "arm of Jehovah" who pierced Rahab and cut him in pieces.
This refers to the conflict at the original rebellion of Satan against
God. Christ took the field of battle and fought against Satan, who is
here called Rahab, and his hosts. In Ps. 74:12-14 there is another
reference to the same conflict between Christ, the Son of God, and
Satan and his hosts. In this Psalm our author is discussing what will
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occur in the Tribulation. Thus he addressed Christ and says: "Yet God
is my King of old. Working salvation in the midst of the earth. Thou
didst divide the sea by thy strength: Thou brakest the heads of the
sea-monsters in the waters. Thou brakest the heads of leviathan in
pieces; Thou gavest him to be food to the people inhabiting the
wilderness."
An additional reference to this conflict is set, forth by Jude in
verses 6 and 7: "And angels that kept not their own principality, but
left their proper habitation, he hath kept in everlasting bonds under
darkness unto the judgment of the great day. Even as Sodom and
Gomorrah, and the cities about them, having in like manner with
these given themselves over to fornication and gone after strange
flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the punishment of eternal
fire." These rebellious angels were cast down and have been kept in
bonds under darkness awaiting the judgment of the great day.
When we read Rev. 12:7-9, we see that Satan and his rebellious
emissaries will be in Heaven itself. Then Michael and his angels will
go forth to war and will drive them out. As to whether or not the Lord
Jesus Christ enters the fray, we cannot say; but His power and might
evidently energize Michael and his angels enabling them to drive out
these wicked, servile spirits.
In verse 9 we have a clear description of Satan. Here he is
represented under the symbolism of the "great red dragon" and is
called "the old serpent." This latter name evidently is an echo of that
which we read in Genesis, chapter 3. Either the Devil assumed the
form of a serpent on that occasion or he used the serpent as a cat's-
paw and thus brought about man's downfall. Moreover, this sinister
enemy of God and man is called "the Devil and Satan." This latter
term, "Satan," is of Hebrew origin and means adversary.

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Satan is the deceiver of the whole world, a fact that is little

known. The world lies in the evil one and is deceived and blinded by
this sinister being who is determined on man's downfall. Though the
human heart is evil and desperately wicked, men would not resort to
the many things which they do if it were not for the blinding
influence of Satan.
John saw the result of this conflict in Heaven. Satan "was cast
down to the earth, and his angels were cast down with him" (Rev.
12:9). Thus they are expelled from the presence of God, never to
return there again.

A Voice from Heaven

When Satan and his hosts are hurled out of the courts of Heaven,
John heard a voice coming forth from the presence of God saying:
"Now is come the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our
God, and the authority of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is
cast down, who accuseth them before our God day and night. And
they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb, and because of
the word of their testimony; and they loved not their life even unto
death. Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe
for the earth and for the sea: because the devil is gone down unto you,
having great wrath, knowing that he hath but a short time" (Rev.
12:10-12).
We know that the kingdom does not become the kingdom of our
Lord and of His Christ until the end of the Tribulation which comes
three and a half years later. We must understand this language to be
an announcement concerning the beginning of the end. When we look
at the entire scope of the book of Revelation, we see that the bowl
judgments begin right after this and continue through the latter half of

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the Tribulation, culminating in the turning over of the kingdom of the

world to God and to His Christ.
In the latter part of verse 10 we have the statement: "For the
accuser of our brethren is cast down, who accuseth them before our
God day and night." Satan is a blasphemer and is a liar, for he was
that from the beginning of his downward career when he rebelled
against God. He misrepresents and falsely accuses the brethren. He
never speaks the truth unless it is for his advantage. He warps, twists
and modifies and changes things. He constantly accuses the people of
God before the Almighty.
The saints who are accused by Satan before God during the
Tribulation overcome and are victorious "because of the blood of the
Lamb, and because of the word of their testimony; and they loved not
their life unto death." There is power in the blood of the Lamb! There
is power and strength in a Christian's testimony—concerning their
relationship to God and to Christ and His living His life in them. No
false testimony or exaggerated statement will honor and glorify God.
When believers are truthful in giving their testimony and are willing
to lay down their lives, if necessary, then they are energized by the
Spirit of God and live for Him. There is such a thing as victory in
Christ! The Apostle Paul said: "I can do all things in him that
strengtheneth me" (Phil. 4:13). "We are more than conquerors
through him that loved us" (Rom. 8:37), and who lives His life in us.
In Rev. 12:12 the voice that comes forth from Heaven speaks to
the intelligent beings in Heaven saying: "Therefore rejoice, O
heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe for the earth and for the sea:
because the devil is gone down unto you, having great wrath,
knowing that he hath but a short time." This one, making the
announcement, urges those in Heaven to rejoice because the final

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drama is about ready to be enacted and the deliverance of the world is

at hand.
During the last act of this drama—the last three and a half years of
the Tribulation—Satan is upon earth. He no longer has access to the
throne of God. He is indignant because he has been defeated and
driven out of Heaven. He knows that his time is short. He makes good
use of every split second of time that remains because he knows that
his defeat is certain and his overthrow is sure.

The Dragon Persecutes the Woman

In verses 13-17 we have Satan's activity against Israel represented
by the woman, that is, the faithful remnant of Israel. Satan has,
throughout the past, persecuted the Jewish people as he has no other
nation upon the face of the globe. What he has done in the past is
insignificant in comparison to what he will do to Israel in the future—
in the latter half of the Tribulation. According to Zech. 13:8, 9 two-
thirds of the Jews will be slain; one of the saddest, most pathetic
pictures that is to be found in the entire revelation of God.
According to Rev. 12:14 "there were given to the woman the two
wings of the great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness unto
her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a
time, from the face of the serpent." The dragon and the woman are
symbolic. The woman being given two wings of the great eagle is
also symbolic. The woman, Israel, flees from Palestine into a place
that is prepared for her, where she remains for "a time, and times, and
half a time" three and one-half years, the period spoken of in terms of
days in Rev. 12:6. Where is this place to which the woman flees?
Some have suggested Petra. That is a plausible explanation, but it will
not satisfy all the conditions. When we recognize that World War II
of the Tribulation in Dan. 11:36ff occurs in the middle of the
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Tribulation, breaks out and spreads all over the entire world involving
every nation except three: namely, Ammon, Moab and Edom; we
conclude that the place to which she flees is Transjordan which
consists of these three countries. The woman flees to a place for
protection against the old serpent.
While the woman is in this place she will be fed miraculously. We
are given that information in Isa. 33:16. The remnant will be
protected and will be given food and water: "he shall dwell on high;
his place of defence shall be the munitions of rocks; his bread shall be
given him; his waters shall be sure."
When the woman flees from the serpent into the wilderness, the
serpent sends out a river that is designed to destroy her. Since this is a
symbolic picture, the river also is symbolic. When a river is used in a
figurative sense, it signifies an army that invades a country as
illustrated in Isa. 8:5-8. The stream which the serpent is represented
as casting out of his mouth is an army that the Devil will cause to be
sent against the woman (Israel) to exterminate her.
In this symbolic picture we are told in verse 16 by John that "the
earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth and
swallowed up the river which the dragon cast out of his mouth." This
signifies the overthrow by Divine intervention of the forces that are
sent against Israel at this crucial moment.
Seeing and realizing that he is thwarted in his evil purpose of
exterminating Israel from the face of the globe "the dragon waxed
wroth with the woman, and went away to make war with the rest of
her seed, that keep the commandments of God, and hold the
testimony of Jesus" (Rev. 12:17). The rest of the seed of the woman
mentioned are other Jews than those that are in Palestine against
whom he sends his armies. But these against whom he directs his
final attack are the seed of the woman, Israel, "that keep the
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commandments of God, and hold the testimony of Jesus." These are

Hebrew believers against whom Satan at that time will direct His
severe blows. They will be protected and will be cared for. God
knows how to take care of His own!

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Chapter 13

The Two Beasts and the World Kingdom

of the End Time (Rev. 13:1-10)
The Great Parenthesis (Rev. 11:15-15:8)

We must bear in mind that in Rev. 11:15 to 15:8 we are studying

the "great parenthesis" of the book. In this section we have a
description of conditions as they will exist in the middle of the
Tribulation. These are given in order that we may understand the
events as they unfold during the latter half of this period.
We have already seen that Jerusalem will be very prominent in the
end time. The Temple will be rebuilt. The Antichrist makes a
covenant with the Jews for seven years—then he breaks it. At that
time the faithful Israelites in the land of Palestine will flee to a place
in the wilderness. Satan will use the Antichrist and vast armies of the
nations in order to wipe out every vestige of Jewry from the face of
the globe but will be unsuccessful. God providentially will intervene
and will prevent the extermination of His Chosen People whom He
will yet use in the future.

The Significance of the Symbolic Beast

In Rev. 13:1, 2 we have the following language: "And I saw a
beast coming up out of the sea, having ten horns and seven heads, and
on his horns ten diadems, and upon his heads names of blasphemy.
And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were
as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the
dragon gave him his power, and his throne, and great authority." This
is not a natural beast, it is a composite one. It had seven heads and ten
horns. Its body was like a leopard and its feet were as the feet of a
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bear. Its mouth was as the mouth of a lion. There is no such

monstrosity. The significance of this passage is found in Daniel,
chapter 7.
When we study this passage we learn Daniel saw a sea, the waters
of which were being lashed into a fury by the four winds of the earth.
Under these conditions he saw coming forth from the troubled waters
a lion-like beast that came out upon the land and that was master of
all he surveyed for a certain time. Then again the waters were
troubled by the winds. At this time a second beast emerged from the
disturbed waters. This time the beast coming up out of the waters was
like a bear, which came upon the land, took the place of the lion-like
beast, became master of all it surveyed and continued for a while. For
a third time the waters were whipped into a raging fury. At this time
there came forth a leopard-like beast with four heads and the wings of
an eagle. This third beast took the place of the second one and
became master of all it surveyed, pushing its boundaries farther than
those of its predecessors. For a fourth time the winds lashed the
waters of the troubled sea. On this occasion a nondescript beast came
forth out of the water upon the land and took the place of the third
animal. This beast was entirely different from all the others and had
ten horns upon its head. The literal meaning of the Aramaic phrase
rendered "after this" (Dan. 7:6) means in the place of this. An
examination of this expression in the various Aramaic sections of the
Old Testament shows that it is to be taken literally. We see that the
third beast takes the place of the second; the same situation obtains
with reference to the fourth, which, in turn, takes the place of the
third. When these facts are recognized we understand that these
beasts cannot be on the world-stage at the same time.

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Daniel was quite excited over what he saw. Then an angel came
and interpreted the significance of these beasts. His words were:
"These great beasts, which are four, are four kings, that shall arise out
of the earth" (Dan. 7:17). We learn that these symbols signified
kings—four beasts, four kings. Then again, in verse 23 of this same
chapter, we read: "The fourth beast shall be a fourth kingdom upon
earth, which shall be diverse from all the kingdoms, and shall devour
the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces." From
this verse we see that a beast symbolizes not only the king of a realm
but the kingdom over which he reigns. Thus there is a twofold
interpretation to the symbolic significance of a beast. In the first
instance, figuratively speaking, the spotlight is used and is thrown
upon the sovereign of the realm. We see him but not the realm over
which he reigns. In the second verse the floodlight is turned on and
the light is diffused upon the entire realm over which the king reigns.
This twofold signification is of the utmost importance if we are to
understand and comprehend the significance of this passage.
Who were the kings and what were the kingdoms symbolized by
the four beasts that emerged from the waters in Daniel's vision?
Prophetic students correctly interpret them as signifying the four
world empires of Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece and Rome. The last
kingdom inherits the qualities of the preceding kingdoms.
There passed before Daniel's vision the history of these four
different empires from their rise until their consummation. Then the
Ancient of Days enters the courtroom of Heaven, pronounces
judgment of condemnation upon the last emperor of the final empire,
and by a stroke of judgment he is cast into the lake of fire.
Daniel foresaw the rise and the course of this fourth empire, the
one that had the ten horns. He declares that he "beheld till thrones
were placed, and one that was ancient of days did sit: his raiment was
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white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool; his throne was
fiery flames, and the wheels thereof burning fire" (Dan. 7:9). When,
in this vision the fourth beast appeared it remained in view until the
Ancient of Days, the Judge of the universe, pronounced its doom. The
fourth empire, Rome, succeeds the third empire, Greece, and will
remain upon the historic scene until it is overthrown by the Ancient of
Days and by the Lord Jesus Christ when He returns at the end of the
Tribulation.

The First Beast of Revelation, chapters 13 and 17

A careful study of Daniel, chapter 7, along with Rev. 13:1-10
reveals that the beast which John saw is the fourth beast of Daniel's
vision. Daniel tells us that this beast had ten horns. But John in Rev.
13:1,2 informs us that the fourth beast had seven heads and ten horns.
From Revelation, chapter 17, we see that these seven heads are not
contemporaneous. They came up in succession throughout the entire
life of the beast or the career of the kingdom which it symbolizes.
Five heads, however, had already come and gone by John's day and
time. One was then in existence. He informs us in Rev. 17:9,10 that
there will yet come another one, a seventh. That one will be smitten
but will be brought back to life again and it will have ten horns. The
ten horns will be upon the seventh head, not scattered over the seven
heads as some have supposed. "The seven heads are seven mountains,
on which the woman sitteth: and they are seven kings; the five are
fallen, the one is, the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he
must continue a little while" (Rev. 17:9,10). Each of these heads is a
mountain, but not a literal one, for John hastens to tell us that they are
seven kings. The word "mountain" therefore is used symbolically as
we see in Jer. 51:25 where it signifies the Babylonian kingdom.

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The significance of a horn, when used symbolically, is that it

indicates a king or regal power. Thus the ten horns represent ten kings
who will reign along with the beast during the time of the Tribulation.
When we carefully study Dan. 7:23 we see that the world is to be
headed up in the end time into one great, colossal, universal kingdom.
Then, according to verses 24 and 25 that kingdom will collapse and
fall into ten different segments. Over each fragment there will arise a
dictator who will seize the power and reign in that section of the
world. Then there will arise out of obscurity a man, unknown to the
world, who will be able to help and advise each of these dictators how
to solve their problems. He will assist in such a marvelous manner
that power, will gravitate into his hands. Finally, he will gain
ascendancy among these ten kings and will eventually make a
covenant with the apostate Jews for seven years. When he does that,
the Tribulation begins. He and these ten kings will reign
contemporaneously for the first half of the Tribulation. The little
horn, the Antichrist, will have the ascendancy among the ten. In the
middle of the Tribulation, World War II will sweep away three of
these ten kings. The little horn of Daniel, chapter 7, the Antichrist,
will gain such preponderance of power that he will reign as an
absolute monarch. The rest of the kings will simply be rubber stamps.
In the middle of the Tribulation the Antichrist will receive the
death stroke which means that he will be murdered. According to
Revelation, chapter 17, his spirit will descend into the abyss but he
will be brought up out of the abyss and restored to life by satanic
power. When he thus comes back to life he seizes the imperial purple
and reigns with a ruthlessness and a severity such as no one has ever
exercised before in the history of the world.

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THE FOUR WORLD EMPIRES SET FORTH ACCORDING TO DANIEL 7
AND REVELATION 13 AND 17—These three chapters studied together
reveal the Grand March of the Empires from Babylon to Rome.

The Supremacy of the Antichrist

When the Antichrist is brought back to life, he will show great
signs, satanic powers and wonders. Then approximately the whole
world will wonder after him because of the unprecedented display of
supernatural power which the Devil will grant to the Antichrist. "And
I saw one of his heads as though it had been smitten unto death; and
his death-stroke was healed: and the whole earth wondered after the
beast" (Rev. 13:3).

The Worship of Satan and the Beast

"And the whole earth wondered after the beast; and they
worshipped the dragon, because he gave his authority unto the beast;
and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast?
and who is able to war with him?" (Rev. 13:3c, 4). There will be no
man or combination of men able to match swords with the Antichrist,
who will be backed up by all the power of the Devil. But, praise God,
there is One who will be able to make war against him! That One is
the Son of God when He comes in power and glory and wins the war
of the Great Day of God the Almighty.

The Blasphemies of the Beast

Daniel, chapter 7, informs us that this fourth beast, the Antichrist,
will utter blasphemies and speak great swelling words. John informs
us that "there was given to him a mouth speaking great things and

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blasphemies; and there was given to him authority to continue forty

and two months. And he opened his mouth for blasphemies against
God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, even them that dwell
in the heaven" (Rev. 13:5, 6). It is beyond our comprehension to take
in the blasphemies which the Antichrist, under the inspiration of the
Devil, will utter at this future time. He will continue pouring out his
hatred and vengeance against God, Christ and holy men of God for
the latter half of the Tribulation. The coming up of this beast out of
the sea, after he has received his death stroke, occurs in the middle of
the seventieth week of Daniel (the middle of the Tribulation). This is
seen by the fact that after his resurrection from his death-stroke he is
to have authority over "every tribe, and people, and tongue, and
nation" for forty-two months. Thus coming back to life and appearing
as the eighth ruler he will be given the power of Satan and will tread
the world down, making all men bow to him and to his dictates.

The World Kingdom of the Antichrist

The world will be headed up under one great government. This is
seen in Rev. 11:15 in the announcement that is made from Heaven
which says: "The kingdom of the world is become the Kingdom of
our Lord, and of his Christ: and he shall reign for ever and ever." The
world kingdom, at the end of the Tribulation, according to this
announcement, is turned over to the Lord and to His Christ. In Rev.
13:7 we see that "it was given unto him [the beast] to make war with
the saints, and to overcome them: and there was given to him
authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation." This
statement is in perfect accord with Rev. 11:15. There will be but one
universal kingdom in the end time over which the Antichrist will
reign with his subordinate kings. When the Lord returns to earth He
will reign as King of kings over this kingdom.
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Many people of the world will, through fear, ignorance and

intimidation, worship the Antichrist. Much is said in the Prophetic
Word about Antichrist forcing people to worship him. He will sit in
the Temple of God at Jerusalem and set himself forth as God. He will
also oppose everything that is called God or that is worshiped as God
(2 Thess. 2:4). Moreover he will demand absolute worship from the
inhabitants of the world.
Though he demands universal worship there will be certain ones
who will not bow the knee to him, just as seven thousand men refused
to bow the knee to Baal in the days of Elijah. They had convictions
and would not compromise or sell their spiritual heritage for a mess
of pottage of popular favor. So there will be godly people in the
Tribulation who will rather give up their lives than to bow and
worship this man who will be energized by Satan.

Those Whose Names are Written in the Lamb's Book of Life

God foreknows the end from the beginning. He knows those who
will be true to Him and those who will not. He knows those who will
have convictions and those who will court the favor of the ruling
classes. The Lord said to Paul in Acts 18:10 to be of good courage for
He had much people in the city of Corinth. They were not His people
in reality but they were of such character that they would accept the
truth when it was presented to them. God wanted Paul to remain there
and to preach the Gospel to them. This would be their call and
election to eternal life. So there will be those in the Tribulation who
will want truth. They will accept the Gospel of Jesus Christ as soon as
it is presented to them. Hence, their names have, by anticipation, been
written in the Lamb's book of life. There will be no erasures from that
divine, holy record.

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Have you had your name written in the Lamb's book of life by
accepting the Lord Jesus Christ as the atonement for your sins? If you
have not, may you do so at this time.
"If any man is for captivity, into captivity he goeth: if any man
shall kill with the sword, with the sword must he be killed" (Rev.
13:10). God knows the deserts and the merits of everyone. He has a
blueprint of everyone's life. God never forces anyone's will, never
coerces. He lets each one make his own choices. He overrules
everything that they do and makes every act contribute to His glory
and to the general good of all concerned. He also deals with each one
according to the merits of his case. I am persuaded of this: "Be not
deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall
he also reap" (Gal. 6:7). God gives to us, sooner or later, that which
we mete out to others. David used the sword in getting rid of Uriah.
What did the Lord say? "The sword shall never depart from thy
house" (2 Sam. 12:10). We are going to be paid back in our own coin!
David was forgiven but that did not render inoperative this principle.
This is one of the most sobering thoughts that a person can have.
"Here is the patience and the faith of the saints."

The Second Beast of Revelation, Rev. 13:11-18

The first beast of Rev. 13:1-10 can be none other than the political
power of the end time. The fourth beast of Daniel's vision (Daniel,
chapter 7) is identical with the beast of Rev. 13:1-10. According to
Daniel, the world kingdom of the end time collapses into ten different
parts. Immediately a dictator in each one of these sections springs
forth and seizes power and control. There will then come out of
obscurity a man with such powers as were never before known to
man. He becomes associated with the ten kings and unifies them into
a world dictatorship. He rules in conjunction with them during the
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first half of the Tribulation. In the middle of the Tribulation he

receives a death stroke with the sword. He dies and by the power of
Satan is brought back to life. At that time World War II of the
Tribulation will burst forth upon an unsuspecting world.
The net outcome of this mighty and titanic struggle will be the fall
of three of the ten dictators. This outstanding leader, who is known in
the New Testament as the Antichrist, will seize absolute power. The
seven remaining dictators will simply be "rubber stamps" so to speak.
The Antichrist will hold high carnival from that time on to the end of
the Tribulation.
As we shall learn when we reach Revelation, chapter 17, there will
be a religious octopus that will be supported by the Antichrist. This
ecclesiasticism is represented by a harlot who rides upon the beast,
the civil government of the end time, during the first half of the
Tribulation. But when the middle of the Tribulation is reached, this
religious system that is known as "Mystery, Babylon the Great, the
Mother of the Harlots and of the Abominations of the Earth" will be
destroyed. Since man is incurably religious he must have a system of
worship. This demand will be supplied by a new ecclesiastical system
which will be semi-political and which will be under the absolute
control of the false prophet of Rev. 19:20.
Concerning the second beast John said, "And I saw another beast
coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like unto a lamb"
(Rev. 13:11). What is meant by this beast, the one that comes up out
of the earth? Verse 1 said, "And I saw a beast coming up out of the
sea." That is the political power of the end time. This one in verse 11
comes up out of the earth. Why did he come up out of the earth?
Waters, when used symbolically as the sea is in verse 1 always
indicates people and nations and tribes in a state of unrest when there
is agitation. This one comes up out of the earth. Since water, used
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symbolically, signifies unsettled, unrest, disquietude; earth naturally

symbolizes a more solid, peaceful condition—that which is not in a
state of unrest. The Antichrist comes back, raised from the dead, gets
his hand on the situation and the world condition is more stable and
settled than it had been up to this time. John saw this sign and he is
continuing the symbolism into this part of the chapter. He saw a beast
which had horns like a lamb. The fact that he resembles a lamb leads
us to adopt the following theory: Christ, "the Lamb of God, that
taketh away the sin of the world" (John 1:29), is represented in
Revelation as a Lamb that is slain from the foundation of the world.
Since this second beast has the horns of a lamb it may be that this one
is trying to imitate Christ.

He Speaks as a Dragon
Although he does try to emulate Christ, he "spake as a dragon."
There can be little doubt that the inspiration by which he speaks as a
dragon is traceable to the fact that he is backed by satanic power.
Doubtless this one will blaspheme the name of God and will hurl
anathemas at the people of God.
There are those who believe that the second beast is the
personal Antichrist, whereas the first beast is the world dictator, or
head of the Roman Empire in its last form. There are those who say
that the first beast is the personal Antichrist whereas the second one is
the false prophet who is thus designated in the nineteenth chapter.
When everything is taken into consideration it appears that this latter
position is correct. The world dictator, or ruler, is the false messiah
who offers to the world deliverance from its ills and a glorious future.
The second beast is but his aide, or his "yes" man, who does his
bidding implicitly. Everything which he does is with a view to the

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honoring of the first beast and the promoting of his plans and
schemes.

He Exercises all the Authority of the First Beast

In verse12 we are told "And he exerciseth all the authority of the
first beast in his sight." Since the first beast, the political head of the
world empire will be energized by the power of Satan, it is quite
evident that the second beast will likewise be motivated and
energized by satanic power. From the language of verse 12 it is clear
that there will be perfect and full cooperation between the two beasts.
In exercising all the authority of the first beast, the second one will
make the decree that all the people of the world shall worship and
render divine service to the first beast, whose death stroke will have
been healed. "And he maketh the earth and them that dwell therein to
worship the first beast, whose death-stroke was healed" (vs. 12). This
Antichrist, this world dictator will be assassinated in the middle of the
Tribulation. He is raised from the dead and restored to perfect health
by the power of Satan. This will give him leverage upon the masses
of the world, who will acclaim that he must be God, otherwise he
could not have come back from the dead with such powers as he will
demonstrate at that time. The second beast will point to the fact that
the first beast was killed and that by his own power, came back to
life. Since he does this, the second beast will argue it is evident that
he is God and can therefore demand the worship of all men.
Though the second beast will attempt to enforce his decree that all
men shall worship the first beast there will be those who will oppose
such blasphemy and sacrilege. Doubtless there will be many who will
by various methods evade the issue and refuse to worship the first
beast.

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He Performs Satanic Signs and Wonders

In verse 13 we are told that the second beast will perform all sorts
of signs and wonders: "And he doeth great signs, that he should even
make fire to come down out of heaven upon the earth in the sight of
men" (Rev. 13:13). Our Lord, in the Olivet Discourse (Matt. 24:24-
28) likewise foretold that false messiahs should come and that they
would perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, the
very elect. He doubtless was referring to this second beast and others
in association with the Antichrist who will perform these superhuman
wonders and signs to back up the lie that the Antichrist is God. The
Apostle Paul in 2 Thessalonians, chapter 2, likewise spoke of these
lying signs and wonders that will be performed, to establish in the
minds of the ignorant the thought that the Antichrist is God.

He Gives Breath to the Image of the Antichrist

Of all the wonders and signs which will be wrought by both the
Antichrist and by the false prophet, that of making the image of the
first beast become a living person will be considered the greatest one.
Concerning this mighty event, John tells us that the second beast will
say "to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image
to the beast who hath the stroke of the sword and lived. And it was
given unto him to give breath to it, even to the image of the beast, that
the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as
should not worship the image of the beast should be killed" (Rev.
13:14, 15). As to what material will be used for the making of this
image we are not told. But we may be certain an image of the world
dictator will be made.
That this demonstration will be given at Jerusalem in the Jewish
Temple, which at that time will have been rebuilt by the Chosen
People, is evident from Isa. 66:1-5; Matt. 24:15ff; 2 Thess. 2:4. From
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Dan. 9:27 we know that this great manifestation of satanic presence

and power will be enacted in the middle of the Tribulation. When the
Antichrist has been restored to life and is energized by Satan, who
gives him his power, he will cast off the false ecclesiasticism that is
symbolized by the harlot of Revelation, chapter 17. During the first
half of the Tribulation the government will support this false religious
system. It will be a conglomeration of the various cults and false
religions. After the resurrection of the Antichrist he will put all
religions under the ban and demand that all men worship him, "so that
he sitteth in the temple of God, setting himself forth as God" (2
Thess. 2:4). Verses 5, 6 and 7 of 2 Thessalonians, chapter 2,
constitute a parenthesis because they are a reminiscence of the
Apostle's teaching when he was in Thessalonica. A glance at verse 5
shows that Paul had taught the brethren on these points when he was
with them. Since verse 7 begins with the conjunction "for" it is
explanatory of verse 6, and since 6 is the outgrowth of verse 5, and
verse 5 is a reminiscence, it becomes evident that verses 5 to 7 are
parenthetical. Verse 8: "And then shall be revealed the lawless one,
whom the Lord Jesus shall slay with the breath of his mouth" takes up
the thought which is dropped in verse 4, namely, the account of that
which transpires in the seventieth week of Daniel at Jerusalem in the
Temple. The Antichrist's appearing in Jerusalem at that time is
"according to the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying
wonders, and with all deceit of unrighteousness for them that perish;
because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be
saved. And for this cause God sendeth them a working of error, that
they should believe a lie: that they all might be judged who believed
not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness" (2 Thess. 2:9-12).
This grand demonstration by satanic power and control mentioned by
Paul is the same that is spoken of by John in Revelation, chapter 13.
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The Antichrist will go to the Temple and will proclaim that he is

God, taking a determined stand against everything that is called God
or that is worshiped as God. The image will be used in the ceremony.
There will likely be the unveiling of this image at the proper time.
Then the second beast by the power of Satan will speak to the image,
and he, the false prophet, will give life and breath to the image. Then
it will be able to speak and cause those who will not worship the
image of the beast to be killed. From this passage it appears that the
second beast, the false prophet, will have the power of Satan to
convert the image into a living, thinking, active man. We should not
be surprised at this when we remember that after Moses threw his rod
upon the ground and it became a serpent, the magicians of Egypt who
opposed him, threw their rods down and by the power of Satan turned
them into living snakes. God at times permits Satan to perform
miracles in order that there might be a margin for the exercise of faith
on the part of those who long for truth and righteousness.
As to how long the image will continue as a living person, the
Scriptures do not tell us. This miracle of converting the image into a
living person seems to be the highest expression of satanic power
which God will allow him to exercise.

He Declares That All Must Take the Mark of the Beast

When the image is made alive, the second beast, working in
conjunction with the image converted into a man, will issue a decree
that all peoples must take the name of the Antichrist, or the number of
his name upon their right hand or forehead. If anyone refuses to do
so, he will be denied the privilege of buying or selling. In fact, he will
be denied all opportunities of making a living. Doubtless many of the
true-hearted will retire into places of obscurity and will trust God to
work out their problems and to supply their needs. God will not fail
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them (Isa. 33:13-16). But those who are not of faith and who do not
desire truth will readily fall in line with the demands of the
government and will take the name of the beast and the number of his
name, which is "the number of a man: and his number is Six hundred
and sixty and six" (Rev. 13:18). The number 666 is to be taken
literally. Before the Arabic invasion of the Mediterranean world the
peoples of those lands used the letters of their alphabet as numerals.
After the Arabic numbers were accepted the letters still retained their
former significance. The numerical value of the name of the
Antichrist will be 666.
All who take the mark of the beast will suffer punishment and will
be banished from the presence of God and the glory of His might
forever and ever (read Rev. 14:9-12).

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Chapter 14

The Vision of the Second 144,000 on Mount Zion

Eternal Punishment and Some Highlights
on the Day of Jehovah (Rev. 14:1-20)
The Great Parenthesis (Rev 11:15-15:8)

Let us remember that in Rev. 11:15-15:8 we have the "great

parenthesis" in the book which is placed between the blowing of the
sixth trumpet and that of the seventh. We have already seen that the
middle of the Tribulation is reached with the blowing of the sixth
trumpet. The seventh, however, brings in the events of the latter half
of the Tribulation which are set forth in symbolical form in chapter
16. Now we are ready to study the vision of the 144,000 who appear
on Mount Zion in association with the Lamb.
Is this company of 144,000 the same as the group set forth in
Revelation, chapter 7? There are some who say they are the same.
The sole reason for such identification is that the number 144,000
occurs in both passages. But other marks prohibit an identification of
the two groups as being the same. Those in chapter 7 are all Jews—
12,000 from each of the twelve tribes of Israel—and they are serving
the Lord, especially in conducting the revival in the first half of the
Tribulation.
Those constituting the 144,000 seen on Mount Zion in Revelation,
chapter 14, are the ones who "had been purchased out of the earth."
These were purchased from among men to be the first fruits unto God
and unto the Lamb. It is clear that they are taken from among all
nations. These facts are sufficient to establish the position that these
are two different groups.

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In Revelation, chapter 13, the Antichrist goes to Jerusalem and

puts on the greatest demonstration of superhuman satanic power ever
staged in all the history of the world. He does this in the middle of the
Tribulation and convinces the wicked world, by the satanic miracles
that he performs, that he is God. They then begin to worship him as
God.
In contrast with the Antichrist and his cohorts who go to Jerusalem
and stage an unbelievable demonstration of superhuman power, we
see a vision of the Son of God and the 144,000 who are purchased
from every nation and who have lived spotless lives without blemish.

The Lamb of God and the 144,000 Without Blemish

There are seven announcements in this chapter; the first in verses
1-5; the second in verses 6, 7; the third in verse 8; the fourth in verses
9-12; the fifth in verse 13; the sixth in verses 14-16; and the seventh
in verses 17-20.
"And I saw, and behold, the Lamb standing on the mount Zion,
and with him a hundred and forty and four thousand, having his
name, and the name of his Father, written on their foreheads. And I
heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the
voice of a great thunder: and the voice which I heard was as the voice
of harpers harping with their harps; and they sing as it were a new
song before the throne, and before the four living creatures and the
elders: and no man could learn the song save the hundred and forty
and four thousand, even they that had been purchased out of the earth.
These are they that were not defiled with women; for they are virgins.
These are they that follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These
were purchased from among men, to be the firstfruits unto God and
unto the Lamb. And in their mouth was found no lie: they are without
blemish" (Rev 14:1-5).
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The Lamb appearing here is the same One who is seen in Rev. 5:6
and who is likewise presented in the same passage as the Lion of the
Tribe of Judah and the Root of David (Rev. 5:5).
When the vision of the 144,000 upon Mount Zion was presented to
John, suddenly there was heard a voice from Heaven which reminded
him of the noise made by many waters and the noise of thunder. Then
John explained that this voice was as the voice of harpers "harping
with their harps." And they sang as it were a new song before the
throne, before the living creatures and the elders. When this scene is
viewed in the light of other passages, it becomes evident that it is the
heavenly choir, consisting of seraphim, cherubim and all ranks and
orders of angels. They sing the praises of the Lamb and of those who
have triumphed through the power and blood of Christ and have lived
exemplary lives.
No one is able to understand this song except the 144,000 on
Mount Zion. These 144,000 taken from among men have lived pure,
clean, holy, spotless lives. They are said not to have been defiled with
women, for they are virgins. These words mean exactly what they
say. They have never told a lie. They are without blemish. The
Apostle Paul could declare in the Thessalonian Epistle that he and
others associated with him were living blameless, spotless lives
without blemish. Thus he declared, "Ye are witnesses, and God also,
how holily and righteously and unblameably we behaved ourselves
toward you that believe" (1 Thess. 2:10). This does not mean that they
had an experience which rendered it impossible for them to sin. No,
far from that. But they were living so close to Christ, and Christ was
living His life in them so that they could live without spot and
blemish. When our Lord was here on earth, he had twelve disciples.
They constituted an inner circle. From that inner circle there was one
that was smaller—Peter, James and John. The Church is going to be
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associated with Christ most intimately, Israel next. She is going to be

the head of the nations instead of the tail as she is now. But, while the
Church is going to be very intimately and most closely associated
with Christ, there is going to be that most sacred inner circle
consisting of 144,000 men.
Wherever Christ goes after the fulfillment of this vision, these
144,000 will go and be in attendance upon Him.

The Message of the Angel Flying in Mid-Heaven

"And I saw another angel flying in mid heaven, having eternal
good tidings to proclaim unto them that dwell on the earth, and unto
every nation and tribe and tongue and people; and he saith with a
great voice, Fear God, and give him glory; for the hour of his
judgment is come: and worship him that made the heaven and the
earth and sea and fountains of waters" (Rev. 14:6, 7).
An examination of Hab. 3:2 shows that the work of God will
thrive during the first half of the Tribulation when He is pouring out
His wrath upon the world. In the middle of those seven years of
wrath, the work of God suddenly comes to a standstill. The prophet
sees this situation and prays for God to revive His work in the middle
of the Tribulation. When we compare the information gathered from
Habakkuk with Revelation, chapter 7, we see that the work of God
referred to in the Habakkuk passage is the world's greatest revival that
sweeps the globe and brings countless myriads to a saving knowledge
of Jesus Christ. Those conducting this revival are the 144,000 Jewish
people to whom the Biblical Research Society is now giving the truth
of God. They do not accept the Gospel now. When the judgments of
the Tribulation are in the world, then the 144,000 Jewish evangelists
will learn righteousness (Isa. 26:9). These 144,000 Jewish converts
will then take up the banner of Prince Immanuel, which is laid down
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by the ascending Church at the time of the Rapture. These will go into
every nook and corner of the world proclaiming the unsearchable
riches of Christ and will bring about the world revival. The Antichrist
stops this mighty back-to-God movement in the middle of the
Tribulation. The prophet Habakkuk prays that God will revive His
work. Rev. 14:6 shows that this work of preaching the Gospel is
revived and is carried on underground during the latter half of the
Tribulation.

The Overthrow of Babylon the Harlot

"And another, a second angel, followed, saying, Fallen, fallen is
Babylon the great, that hath made all the nations to drink of the wine
of the wrath of her fornication" (Rev. 14:8). Let us remember that this
great parenthesis in the book of Revelation is the middle of the
Tribulation. At this time the announcement is made that "Babylon the
great" is fallen.
What is meant by Babylon? There are two Babylons that are
mentioned in the book of Revelation: First, Babylon the harlot,
appearing in chapter 17; and secondly, Babylon the city, which is
described minutely in chapter 18. That the city of Babylon will
actually be rebuilt and will be the capital of the world empire of the
end time is seen by a careful study of Isaiah, chapters 13 and 14.
Also, Jeremiah, chapters 50 and 51, foretell Babylon as being in
existence in the end of the age. If we are to allow these passages to
give their messages without distortion, we must take them at what
they say. When we do that, we cannot avoid the conclusion that
Babylon the city will be rebuilt in the end time.
There is another Babylon upon whose forehead there is "a name
written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT THE MOTHER OF THE
HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH" (Rev.

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17:5). This Babylon is an ecclesiasticism, a politico-religious octopus

that will send forth its tentacles throughout the whole world and will
have control of all nations from a religious standpoint. Reference is
made to this Babylon in Isa. 57:3ff; Nahum 3:4 and as stated above,
in Revelation, chapter 17. When the true Church of God is removed
by the Rapture before the Tribulation, the professing church will be
headed up into one great ecclesiastical octopus which will control the
religious life, or attempt to do so, of all peoples. It will be supported
by the civil government—by the Antichrist and his regime—during
the first half of the Tribulation.
By the time the middle of the Tribulation is reached, however, the
Antichrist will have become so egotistical and will have so yielded
himself to the deceptive powers of Satan that he will come to the
conclusion that he is God. Then, according to 2 Thessalonians,
chapter 2, he will go to Jerusalem and present himself as God and
demand that men no longer worship God or Christ but that they
worship him, the Antichrist. It is to Babylon the Harlot that our text
refers.
But Babylon the city, rebuilt and standing in the end time, will fall
at the end of the Tribulation, as we see from Rev. 16:19.

Eternal Punishment and Some Highlights of the

Day of Jehovah (Rev. 14:9-20)
In this passage we have brought before us the eternal punishment
of the wicked, the blessedness of those who die in the Lord during the
latter half of the Tribulation and the war of the Great Day of God the
Almighty.

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The Eternal Punishment of the Wicked

"And another angel, a third, followed them, saying with a great
voice, If any man worshippeth the beast and his image, and receiveth
a mark on his forehead, or upon his hand, he also shall drink of the
wine of the wrath of God, which is prepared unmixed in the cup of
his anger; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the
presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: and the
smoke of their torment goeth up for ever and ever; and they have no
rest day and night, they that worship the beast and his image, and
whoso receiveth the mark of his name. Here is the patience of the
saints, they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of
Jesus" (Rev. 14:9-12).
The teaching of the Word of God concerning the eternal
punishment of the wicked is a very unpopular subject. Upon
rationalistic grounds and for other considerations this doctrine is
discredited by modernists.
In speaking of the wicked of the end time, the Psalmist declared:
"As for the head of those that compass me about, Let the mischief of
their own lips cover them. Let burning coals fall upon them: Let them
be cast into the fire, Into deep pits, whence they shall not rise" (Ps.
140:9, 10).
The prophet Daniel spoke of two resurrections. Hear him: "And
many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to
everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt" (Dan.
12:2). The Hebrew text is constructed in such a way that we can see
Daniel, as it were, pointing to a certain group of those that sleep in the
earth and saying, these shall awake unto everlasting life, but those
(pointing to the second group) shall awake to shame and everlasting
contempt. Such language can mean only one thing: that latter group
will awake in resurrection and go into shame and everlasting
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contempt, into a place from which they will never return but where
they will have to abide through all eternity. This teaching is
confirmed by our Lord in the following language: "Marvel not at this:
for the hour cometh, in which all that are in the tombs shall hear his
voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the
resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection
of judgment" (John 5:28, 29). We see these two resurrections in Rev.
20:1-15. The first one occurs before the thousand years' reign of our
Lord. This is the resurrection to life and immortality. The second one
occurs after the reign of Christ and is the resurrection to shame and
everlasting contempt.
According to Rev. 14:9-12 the angel said with a great voice, "If
any man ... receiveth a mark on his forehead, or upon his hand," he
would have to suffer throughout all eternity in the lake of fire. The
Antichrist will decree that no man can buy or sell or have any kind of
business transaction unless he takes the mark of the beast or the
number of his name. Doubtless many will sell their birthright to
eternal life for a mess of pottage, but God gives them fair warning in
this passage. He tells what the consequences will be. It is an awful
thing to be lost eternally! It is a wonderful thing to be saved eternally
by the grace of God!

Blessed are Those who Die in the Lord in the

Latter Half of the Tribulation
"And I heard a voice from heaven saying, Write, Blessed are the
dead who die in the Lord from henceforth: yea, saith the Spirit, that
they may rest from their labors; for their works follow with them"
(Rev. 14:13).

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People are blessed who come to the Lord and who are "in Him."
This is true at all stages of Christianity. It will also be true in the
Tribulation. It is very unfortunate that people will not wake up and
accept Christ before the Tribulation begins. We do praise God that
"for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world
learn righteousness" (Isa. 26:9), that is, the greater portion of them do
accept the Lord.
The question is often asked, "Will there be people who will be
saved in the Tribulation?" Most assuredly! More people will come to
the Lord in the Tribulation than have come for centuries. In fact, more
than half the people of the Tribulation will accept the Lord during that
time of wrath. "In that day shall men look unto their Maker, and their
eyes shall have respect to the Holy One of Israel" (Isa. 17:7). Even in
the latter half of the Tribulation myriads of people will come to the
Lord. In Rev. 14:13 we see that there is a promise that those are
blessed who die in the Lord from henceforth, that is from the middle
of the Tribulation on to the very end of it. Many of those who accept
the Lord at that time will go home by way of martyrdom. They are
not to fear what man can do to them, but are to trust the Lord who has
saved and accepted them.
They will leave a testimony which will cause others to take
courage and to stand boldly for the Lord. Truly "the blood of the
martyrs is the seed of the church!"

The Harvest and Vintage of the World

"And I saw, and behold, a white cloud; and on the cloud I saw one
sitting like unto a son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and
in his hand a sharp sickle. And another angel came out from the
temple, crying with a great voice to him that sat on the cloud, Send
forth thy sickle, and reap: for the hour to reap is come; for the harvest
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of the earth is ripe. And he that sat on the cloud cast his sickle upon
the earth; and the earth was reaped.
"And another angel came out from the temple which is in heaven,
he also having a sharp sickle. And another angel came out from the
altar, he that hath power over fire; and he called with a great voice to
him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Send forth thy sharp sickle, and
gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully
ripe. And the angel cast his sickle into the earth, and gathered the
vintage of the earth, and cast it into the winepress, the great
winepress, of the wrath of God. And the winepress was trodden
without the city, and there came out blood from the winepress, even
unto the bridles of the horses, as far as a thousand and six hundred
furlongs" (Rev. 14:14-20).
There has been much misunderstanding and conjecture about these
two scenes. Some tell us that the harvest scene is one thing and that
the vintage is another. These interpreters usually place them at
different times. The proper understanding of these two visions is to be
found in Joel 3:9-15 where he is describing the preparation that is
necessary for the war of the Great Day of God the Almighty, the final
struggle of the world when the Antichrist rises up against Christ. In
verses 12 and 13 we have this language: "Let the nations bestir
themselves, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat; for there will I
sit to judge all the nations round about. Put ye in the sickle; for the
harvest is ripe: come, tread ye; for the winepress is full, the vats
overflow; for their wickedness is great."
The prophet saw the armies of the world gathered against Palestine
and against the Jewish nation at Jerusalem. In verse 13 he compared
these vast hosts of armies to the ripened grain that is ready to be
harvested. Rev. 14:14: "And I saw, and behold, a white cloud; and on
the cloud I saw one sitting like unto a son of man, having on his head
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a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle." Who is this that is
like unto the son of man? He is like the "son of man" because the Son
entered the world by miraculous conception and virgin birth and
became the God-man. He had the appearance of a man. We see that
same thing in Dan. 7:13, 14.
Joel compares these vast hosts of armies in Joel 3:12 and 13 to
grapes that are thrown into the winevat and that are to be trodden out.
Thus it is clear that these two figures of speech refer to the same
great, final conflict at the end of the Tribulation—the war of the Great
Day of God the Almighty. When we look at Rev. 14:14-20, we see
that this is but an expansion and an enlargement of Joel 3:13. The
harvest and the vintage scenes are one and the same, represented by
two different figures which depend upon the original passage of Joel.
This is in perfect accord with Isa. 63:1-6 which sets forth the
second coming of Christ and of His treading the winepress of the
wrath of God alone at His second coming.
When we see that Rev. 14:14-20 is talking about the War of the
Great Day of God the Almighty we know that this passage is placed
here by way of anticipation but is referring to the events of the final
overthrow of the Antichrist and all the forces of evil.
These verses speak of the events that occur at the very end of the
Tribulation. They come to a close at the time of the overthrow of
Babylon the city as described in Rev. 16:17-21. It refers also to the
same event described in Rev. 19:11-21.

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Chapter 15

The Third Sign in Heaven (Rev. 15:1-8)

The Great Parenthesis (Rev. 11:15-15:8)

In the great parenthesis of the book of Revelation are found three

signs or symbols. The first is the sign of the woman (Rev. 12:1); the
second, the sign of the dragon (Rev. 12:3); and the third is the symbol
of the seven angels, who have the seven vials or bowls of the wrath of
God (Rev. 15:1). These three signs are given in Heaven and they
foreshadow, or signify, things upon the earth.
The chronological order of events is set forth in Revelation,
chapters 6, 8 and 9, and 16. The truth is put in these chapters under
the symbolism of seven seals (chapter 6); seven trumpets (chapters 8
and 9); and seven bowls (chapter 16). The chapters intervening give
what might be called, figuratively speaking, the stage setting. This
phase of the drama is so important that the Lord devoted chapters 12
through 15 to it, in order to give us the facts that must be understood
if we are to comprehend the message of chapter 16.

The Sign of the Seven Angels with

the Seven Bowls of God's Wrath.
"And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous, seven
angels having seven, plagues, "which are the last, for in them is
finished the wrath of God" (Rev. 15:1). The word "sign" here means a
symbol, an emblem, something that stands for, or sets forth, some
great truth or principle. God describes this sign in Heaven as "great
and marvelous." It is great because of the far-reaching significance of
what is symbolized. It is marvelous in that it produces wonder and

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amazement in the hearts of those who learn the truth signified by this
sign and see the far-reaching effects of it.
We are told that these seven angels have seven plagues and that in
them is finished the wrath of God. Since this is the completion in the
pouring out of these seven plagues, we are to assume that the wrath of
God has been presented under some other symbolism. As we studied
the seals and the trumpets in chapters 6, 8 and 9, we saw there
evidence of the displeasure and the wrath of God as it is poured out
upon the world. Thus we are of the profound conviction that the seals,
the trumpets and the bowls are all symbols of the pouring out of
God's final wrath during what the Old Testament prophets called "the
day of Jehovah”—the time when God arises and deals with mankind
because of their sins. At that time God has three objectives in view in
sending these judgments upon the world. First, to bring about the
worldwide revival, in which untold multitudes are brought to a saving
knowledge of Jesus Christ. Second, to destroy all the wicked who will
not receive the love of God but who spurn it. Third, to break the
power of the Jewish people so that they will confess their national sin
of rejecting the Messiah and plead for Him to return. When God
accomplishes these three purposes He will stop the judgments of the
Great Tribulation.
In Rev. 4:5 we read "And out of the throne proceed lightnings and
voices and thunders." This scene is introductory to that of the vision
of Heaven which prepares us for the breaking of the seal judgments in
chapter 6. The introductory scene to the trumpet judgments is found
in Rev. 8:5: "And the angel taketh the censer; and he filled it with the
fire of the altar, and cast it upon the earth; and there followed
thunders, and voices, and lightnings, and an earthquake." That which
introduces the bowl judgments is found in Rev. 11:19 and reads as
follows: "And there was opened the temple of God that is in heaven;
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and there was seen in his temple the ark of his covenant; and there
followed lightnings, and voices, and thunders, and an earthquake, and
great hail." A special introductory scene is given in Rev. 16:17, 18:
"And the seventh poured out his bowl upon the air; and there came
forth a great voice out of the temple, from the throne, saying, It is
done: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunders; and there
was a great earthquake, such as was not since there were men upon
the earth, so great an earthquake, so mighty." Without question in
these scenes of stormy conditions we see a growth and a development
in the gathering of this storm of God's wrath.
Let us remember that we have already covered one-half of the
Tribulation. As we shall see in chapter 16 the latter half of this period
of judgment is covered. We shall also see that at the conclusion of
this latter half of the Tribulation the Lord Jesus Christ will come in
glory and power to take over the government of the world and to
reign from sea to sea and from the River to the ends of the earth.

A Vision of Those Who are Victorious over the Antichrist

As we have seen there is an innumerable host of people who are
led to the Lord by the preaching of the 144,000 Jewish evangelists.
These countless multitudes wash their robes and make them white in
the blood of the Lamb. They are the Tribulation saints who are led to
a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ during the first half of the
Tribulation. Concerning them, we have full and detailed information
in Revelation, chapter 7. Many of them suffer martyrdom for their
faith.
But those who appear in Rev. 15:2-4 are a different group entirely.
They accept the Lord and come out of the latter half of the
Tribulation when the Antichrist is in the plenitude of his power and
when he tries to force the people of the world to take the number of
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his name upon their forehead and upon their right hand. In view of
these facts we see that the innumerable host of saved people
mentioned in Revelation, chapter 7, are the ones who come out of the
first half of the Tribulation, whereas this group in chapter 15 comes
out of the second part of the Tribulation.
This latter group is victorious over the beast. It is generally
assumed that these are all martyrs, even though it is not stated in so
many words—but they are victorious. Yet can we be absolutely
certain that all of them are martyrs? They can be victorious over the
beast and at the same time not be martyred. However, it is likely that
many of these are made to suffer for their faith.
John sees them on a sea of glass which is before the throne of God.
The mention of this sea of glass reminds one of Rev. 4:6. Here we see
this sea of glass mingled with fire. What is the significance of the
phenomenon expressed by "mingled with fire"? No satisfactory
answer can be given, hence it is mere speculation to guess.
These who are seen in this vision sing the song of Moses, the
servant of God, and the song of the Lamb. Moses, of course, was the
great lawgiver of Israel. Christ is the Lamb of God that taketh away
the sin of the world. Though Moses was simply a man while Christ
was the God-man, there are certain similarities that exist between
them. For instance in Deut. 18:15ff, God promises Israel that He will
raise up a prophet from among Moses’ brethren like unto him. This
promise is an evident reference to the Lord Jesus.
Here we are told that this great multitude will "sing the song of
Moses the servant of God, and the song of the lamb”—two different
songs. The gist of these songs will be that God's works are marvelous;
He is righteous in all of His ways and that He is the "King of the
ages." Moreover, they have a vision that all people will fear the name
of God and glorify Him, for God alone is holy. The prophets of the
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Old Testament foretold that the time would come when all nations
would be converted and would worship and serve God. Here these
victorious saints express the same sentiments. The thing that will
convince the people of the world will be God's demonstration that in
His dealings He is absolutely righteous in all that He does.

The Vision of the Temple in Heaven

In Ps. 11:4 we see the Temple of God in Heaven. In Rev. 11:19 we
likewise see the same Temple. In the book of Hebrews we are told
that there is a Sanctuary or a Temple of God in the Heaven of the
heavens. The Tabernacle and later the Temple built by Solomon were
little replicas or patterns of the heavenly Temple.
It should be noted that Rev. 15:2-4 constitutes a parenthesis
following verse 1. Verses 5-8 develop the theme that is announced in
verse 1.
John sees the Temple—"the temple of the tabernacle of the
testimony in heavens”—open. He sees coming forth out of the
Temple "the seven angels that had the seven plagues, arrayed with
precious stone, pure and bright, and girt about their breasts with
golden girdles."
At this juncture one of the four living creatures (one of the
seraphim of Revelation, chapters 4 and 5, and Isaiah, chapter 6) gives
to the seven angels "seven golden bowls full of the wrath of God, who
liveth for ever and ever." God is forever and ever! He, as Isaiah the
prophet affirms (Isa. 57:15) is "the high and lofty One that inhabiteth
eternity, whose name is Holy."
When these bowls of wrath are given to the angels, John sees the
heavenly Temple "filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from
his power; and none was able to enter into the temple" (Rev. 15:8).
No living creature can enter the Temple of God in Heaven at that
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time. Not even an angelic being can enter it until the seven plagues of
the seven angels are finished. Then they will enter and continue the
service of God as usual.
Thus we see that chapter 15 constitutes the prologue, or
introduction, to the seven bowl judgments of Revelation, chapter 16.

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Chapter 16

The Pouring Out of the Bowls of God’s Wrath (Rev. 16:1-21)

After the angels came forth from the Temple a voice from within
issued the command "Go ye, and pour out the seven bowls of the
wrath of God into the earth" (Rev. 16:1). These last seven bowls
comprise the last three and one-half years of the Tribulation.

The First Bowl of Wrath

In verse 2 we are told that the first angel pours his bowl upon the
earth. Then he informs us of the literal effects upon the people of
earth that this bowl of wrath has: "and it became a noisome and
grievous sore upon the men that had the mark of the beast, and that
worshipped his image." It became a noisome sore, something evil and
grievous. The "Devil" is called by a similar name, in Greek—evil. It
is very difficult to get the exact terms with which to translate
"noisome" and "grievous." But they are indescribable—not only an
itching sore but an eating sore—one that keeps on eating all over the
body from head to foot. This statement gives the results from this
stroke of God's judgment upon those men who, during the latter half
of the Tribulation, take the name or the mark of the beast upon their
bodies and worship his image.

The Second Bowl of Wrath

When this second bowl is poured out, its contents strike the sea, as
we see in verse 3. The results of this stroke of judgment are seen in
the following words: "and it [this second bowl of wrath] became
blood as of a dead man; and every living soul died, even the things
that were in the sea." We are to take everything that God says literally
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unless there is some evidence in the immediate context or in a

passage which is related to it that shows a departure from the literal
meaning. We, therefore, have every reason to believe that this
statement means exactly what it says. When Moses waved his rod
over the waters of Egypt "all the waters that were in the river were
turned to blood" (Exod. 7:20). When this stroke of judgment referred
to in Rev. 16:3 falls upon the sea, "it became blood as of a dead man."

The Third Bowl of Wrath

In Rev. 16:4-7 we have the pouring out of the third bowl of God's
wrath upon the rivers and the fountains of waters—the source of
water supply for the nations. The result of this judgment is expressed
in the following words: "And the third poured out his bowl into the
rivers and the fountains of the waters; and it [the rivers and fountains]
became blood."
At this point we are told that the angel of the waters proclaims
"Righteous art thou, who art and who wast, thou Holy One, because
thou didst thus judge: for they poured out the blood of saints and
prophets, and blood hast thou given them to drink: they are worthy"
(Rev. 16:5, 6). The angels have special duties to perform in reference
to various phenomena connected with the universe. Here we see "the
angel of the waters," a celestial being that has charge of man's
drinking water.
God is righteous and holy in everything that He does and says. He
must punish sinners who are unrepentant. At this juncture a voice
comes forth from the altar saying: "Yea, O Lord God, the Almighty,
true and righteous are thy judgments." Eventually all celestial beings
together with men upon earth and the lost in Sheol will declare that
God is righteous in all that He does. His righteousness and justice will
become apparent.
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The Fourth Bowl of Wrath

We have in Rev. 16:8, 9 a description of what actually occurs
upon earth when the fourth angel pours out his bowl of wrath: "And
the fourth poured out his bowl upon the sun; and it was given unto it
to scorch men with fire. And men were scorched with great heat: and
they blasphemed the name of God who hath the power over these
plagues; and they repented not to give him glory." This stroke of
wrath strikes the sun from which the concentrated heat scorches the
earth and men with fire. This should not be thought incredible when
we remember that we can take a lens, put it in the sunlight, focus the
rays of the sun and can actually burn wood or other combustible
material.
When the heat becomes so intense at this stage of the second half
of the Tribulation men here upon the earth will suffer so greatly under
it that they will blaspheme the name of God. Their hearts will be so
greatly hardened that they will not repent of their sins and give Him
glory. Men who keep resisting God and sinning against Him
frequently reach a point beyond which it is impossible for them to
repent. Man, by impenitence and persistence in sin, destroys the
delicate mechanism of his conscience. Men do reach that point
beyond which there is no remedy as the writer of 2 Chron. 36:11-16
declared.

The Fifth Bowl of God's Wrath

The fifth bowl of God's wrath is spoken of in the following words:
"And the fifth poured out his bowl upon the throne of the beast; and
his kingdom was darkened; and they gnawed their tongues for pain,
and they blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and
their sores; and they repented not of their works" (Rev. 16:10, 11).
Again let me say that we are to take this language literally at what it
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says since there are no indications of a departure from the plain,

simple meaning of the words. This fifth plague will affect the throne
of the beast (Antichrist) and his kingdom. It will be directed against
men.
We are told that the kingdom of the Antichrist will be darkened.
There will be a complete, total blackout at this time. When Moses
brought God's judgments upon Egypt there was a total blackout
caused by the Lord. God, who did it once, can do it twice or as often
as He wishes. God will bring judgments which are deserved upon the
nations but all of these strokes will be designed for their good—to
bring them to repentance, if at all possible.
We have every reason to believe that this fifth judgment will be in
the last part of the latter half of the Tribulation. We note that men will
still have the sores which occur from the pouring out of the first bowl
of God's wrath. Medical science will be unable to cope with that
dreadful affliction. Consequently, men will, from the beginning of the
pouring out of these bowls on through the fifth bowl, suffer from the
effects of the first bowl of God's wrath.
Again we see that they do not repent of their evil works. Men will
become hardened in sin so that they cannot turn from evil to God.

The Sixth Bowl of Wrath

In Rev. 16:12-16 we have the pouring out of the sixth bowl and
the effects upon the earth. This bowl is poured out "upon the great
river, the river Euphrates." The "river Euphrates" means exactly what
it says. There will be the drying up of the Euphrates as the result of a
great drought in order that the kings from the Orient may come for
the War of the Great Day of God the Almighty. This is seen in verse
12.

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In verses 13 and 14 there are three unclean spirits, like frogs, that
are demons and go forth into all the world to stir up the kings of the
earth. They gather them to the place in Palestine "which is called in
Hebrew Har-Magedon."
We frequently hear of "the battle of Armageddon." We understand
what is meant but it would be far better to speak of Biblical things in
Scriptural terms. The Bible speaks of this final conflict as "the war of
the great day of God, the Almighty." The battle line for the "war of
the great day of God, the Almighty" will be in the Fertile Crescent.
These are the countries beginning with Egypt, running on up through
Palestine, all the Lebanese Republic, Syria and Iraq. The Jews will be
scattered out of Palestine but at the end of the Tribulation they will
return to the Fertile Crescent. Then Antichrist, moved by Satan and
these evil spirits, will gather the armies of the world against the Jews
in the War of the Great Day of God the Almighty.
Though men will be hardened by sin, there is a call given as we
see in verse 15. A promise is made to those who have any desire to do
the will of God, who turn to Him, who keep watching and who keep
their garments clean. In Rev. 18:4 they are instructed to "come forth,
my people, out of her … that ye receive not of her plagues."
Finally, the kings of the world will gather together at Megiddo in
Palestine for the laying of the strategy for "the war of the great day of
God, the Almighty."
"And they [verse 16] gathered them together into the place which
is called in Hebrew Har-Magedon" that is, the demons mentioned
above gathered the kings together into the place which is called Har-
Magedon, or Armageddon. A battle is one single encounter, but a war
is a series of encounters that are fought in trying to settle some
question. War has never settled anything. The Lord is going to take
the field of battle and there will go forth from His hand death rays
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that will destroy all opposition (Hab. 3:4) and Christ will stand
victorious on the final and last battlefield of the world. This last war
is fought by the Lord Jesus Christ against the kings of the world to
bring about a permanent, righteous and a just peace.

The Pouring Out of the Seventh Bowl of the Wrath of God

In the final paragraph of chapter 16, verses 17-21, we have the
account of the pouring out of the last bowl of the wrath of God which
finishes His judgments against men. The strokes become more severe
as we approach the end of the Tribulation.
At the conclusion of the Tribulation there occurs the greatest
earthquake known in all history. At that time, Babylon the Great
(Babylon rebuilt on its ancient site) together with all the cities of the
world, is thrown down and becomes nothing but rubble. God must
deal with people who defy Him according to the merits of their cases.
At that time, as we learn in verse 21, there will be great hail that
will come down out of Heaven. God has His armory full of weapons.
On this point let us remember what the Lord said in Job 38:22, 23. He
has filled His armory full of hail and snow "against the time of
trouble Against the day of battle and war."
In this connection we should study the great prophecy found in 2
Peter, chapter 3. This is a prediction that will be fulfilled at the end of
the Tribulation. Many of the planets and bodies belonging to our solar
system will explode with a great noise and intense heat. The heat
waves will travel as far as the earth. Those parts of the earth that are
struck by these terrific heat waves will be burned to a crisp.
As we shall learn in Revelation, chapter 19, Christ will come at the
end of the Tribulation and will take over the government of the world.
He will establish His reign of righteousness.

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We have reached, chronologically, the end of the Tribulation and

the second coming of Christ. This will become evident when we
study chapters 17-19.

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Chapter 17

The End of Babylon the Harlot (Rev. 17:1-8)

The Apostle John, as was true of many of the prophets, followed

what is known as the law of recurrence. This is the principle that was
followed by the prophets when, after they had given a summary or a
survey of a certain situation, would go back and add the details. As an
illustration let me call attention to the practice of the artist who, when
he paints the portrait of someone, does what is usually called
"blocking out" the portrait. At subsequent sittings he adds details that
were not put in at the first and develops more and more the features of
the person whose picture is being painted. With this illustration in
mind we shall say that John had blocked out his portrait by the time
he reached Revelation, chapter 16. Following the law of recurrence,
in chapter 17, the Apostle gives us the reign and overthrow of
Babylon the harlot. In chapter 18 he gives the data concerning the
power and influence and final overthrow of Babylon the city. Then in
chapter 19 he gives us more details about the second coming of Christ
and all of the connecting events.
Babylon, the harlot—the great ecclesiastical system that is
developing in our day—is destroyed in the middle of the Tribulation
immediately before the pouring out of the bowls of God's wrath. On
the other hand, Babylon the city—the literal rebuilt Babylon of the
end time—is destroyed at the end of the Tribulation. Thus there are
three and a half years that intervene between the overthrow of the
ecclesiastical octopus and the destruction of the literal city of
Babylon. The facts in chapters 17, 18 and 19 are absolutely essential
for our filling out the picture concerning those momentous events that
take place during the last three and one-half years of the Tribulation.
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Prophetic Pictures of Babylon the Harlot

There is nothing new in the first twenty chapters of Revelation.
Only chapters 21 and 22 give us new material not found in the Old
Testament. We learn of Babylon the harlot in two places in the Old
Testament, Isa. 57:3ff and Nahum 3:4.
In Isaiah, chapters 56 and 57, we have a vision of Israel of the end
time. In Isa. 57:1, 2 appears a prediction concerning the Rapture of
the saints before the Tribulation begins. Following in verse 3, we
have this language: "But draw near hither, ye sons of the sorceress,
the seed of the adulterer and the harlot." Study this verse and read
through verse 8 in order to understand the prophet's message. This
prophecy follows immediately that which foretells the catching away
of merciful and good men out of the earth in order to take them "away
from the evil [calamity] to come—that is, the judgments of the
Tribulation.
There are certain ones who are called in verse 3, "sons of the
sorceress, the seed of the adulterer and the harlot." A reading of this
passage shows that the prophet was not talking about literal children
and their parents, but is talking about certain ones whom he
designates as the sorceress and her consort "the adulterer." This
sorceress is called "the harlot." Who is she and who is the adulterer,
since they are not a literal man and his paramour? They are the well-
favored harlot (the ecclesiastical octopus) and the kings of the world
with whom she commits fornication.
Nahum 3:4 records these words: "because of the multitude of the
whoredoms of the well-favored harlot, the mistress of witchcrafts,
that selleth nations through her whoredoms, and families through her
witchcrafts." When the book of Nahum is studied properly it becomes
quite evident that the prophet is revealing the destruction of Nineveh
in the end time. Nineveh will rise out of the dust of the past and
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become a dominant factor in the end time—just as Babylon will

likewise rise out of oblivion and become the capital of the world.
There will at that time be the one who is called "the well-favored
harlot, the mistress of witchcrafts, that selleth nations through her
whoredoms, and families through her witchcrafts." It is apparent that
this well-favored harlot is the sorceress who is mentioned by Isaiah.

The Vision of Babylon the Harlot, the Mother of Harlots

and Abominations of the Earth
In Rev. 17:1-6 we read: "Come hither, I will show thee the
judgment of the great harlot that sitteth upon many waters; with
whom the kings of the earth committed fornication, and they that
dwell in the earth were made drunken with the wine of her
fornication. And he carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness:
and I saw a woman sitting upon a scarlet-colored beast, full of names
of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. And the woman was
arrayed in purple and scarlet, and decked with gold and precious
stone and pearls, having in her hand a golden cup full of
abominations, even the unclean things of her fornication, and upon
her forehead a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE
MOTHER OF THE HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE
EARTH. And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints,
and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. And when I saw her, I
wondered with a great wonder."
When this passage is read along with those in Isaiah, chapter 57,
and Nahum, chapter 3, it becomes apparent that the three prophets of
God were speaking about the same thing: an ecclesiastical system that
is supported by the civil government of the end time.

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We are told that man is incurably religious. When the true Church
is raptured before the Tribulation, all of the cults, philosophies and
off-color brands of religions, together with all of the idolatrous
systems in the world, will be brought together into one great religious
system or symbolic octopus. This great system is represented by the
woman who is called MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE
MOTHER OF THE HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE
EARTH. She will have control of the religious affairs over all the
world under the Antichrist. This is evident from the name of the
woman—"THE MOTHER OF THE HARLOTS AND OF THE
ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH." The term "abominations" means
idols. So she will be in control of all idols. Idolatry will, as we learn
from many passages, sweep over the world at that time. This harlot,
the symbol of the false church, as an impure bride (a pure bride is the
symbol of the true Church of Christ) will be supported and carried
forward by the political power of Antichrist. The woman rides the
beast, the world empire of the Antichrist, during the first half of the
Tribulation.

Explanation Concerning the Beast

In our study of Revelation, chapter 13, we investigated the world
empire of the end time. John saw, in vision, a great and horrible beast
that had seven heads and ten horns. When this description is
compared with the fourth beast described in Daniel, chapter 7, it is
seen that they are identical. A beast, as we learned in Dan. 7:17 is a
symbol of a world government. The beasts of Daniel's visions are
kings. According to verse 23, however, a beast also symbolizes the
realm over which the king reigns. The fourth beast, or kingdom,
referred to in Dan. 7:23 devours the whole earth, and becomes a
world kingdom. According to verse 24 it collapses into ten different

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sections. Over each one of these a dictator rises. After this occurs
there arises a little horn in the midst of the ten horns symbolizing the
ten kings. This little horn becomes dominant over the ten and reigns
along with them (Dan. 7:25). According to the prophetic outlook of
Daniel, the world is to be headed up into one great colossal
government which will collapse under its own terrific weight, falling
into ten different kingdoms. Then there arises a dictator in each of
these segments of the collapsed empire. After this there will arise a
man out of obscurity who will gain ascendance among the ten and
will reign with an iron hand. Such is the representation of Daniel,
chapter 7.
Revelation, chapter 13, gives a bit of added information to that
found in Daniel, chapter 7. This fourth beast, the Roman Empire,
which succeeded the Grecian, has seven heads as well as ten horns. In
Rev. 17:10 we see that five of those heads (types of governments) had
already come and gone. One was then in existence and one, according
to John, is yet to come. An examination of the history of the Roman
Empire from its founding in 753 B.C. and onward, shows that there
were five distinctive types of administration that had come and passed
on. At one time they had the king; at another time they had the
Plebeian form of government; next the Republic; after that, the
Consular form of government; followed by the Triumvirate. There
was one, the Imperial form of government, in existence in John's day.
There is yet one other form that will arise in the end time. When it
comes, the world kingdom will include every nation, tribe, tongue
and language. Then it will collapse, falling into ten divisions, as
indicated by the ten horns on the beast. The ten horns are
contemporaneous and are on the beast in its final form during the
Tribulation. In Revelation, chapter 13, we see that the beast receives a
death stroke from which it recovers. In chapter 17, the Antichrist in
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the middle of the Tribulation will be slain, literally, and his spirit will
descend to Sheol, or Hades. Then he will come back out of Hades,
being raised by Satan. From that time on, during the latter half of the
Tribulation, he will rule the world with an iron hand.
He is at the head of the empire when it has its seventh head—
imperialism, dictatorship, Caesarism. But when he is slain and comes
back to life, he will be of the seven and yet he will be an eighth one.
Satan will deliver over to the Antichrist his throne and power. Then
the Antichrist will hold high carnival but not so far as God is
concerned!

The Complete Destruction of Babylon the Harlot

The overthrow of Babylon the harlot is shown in Rev. 17:15-18. In
Rev. 17:1-6 this harlot is seen riding on the beast. Here the figure is
changed and she is represented as sitting upon many waters which
symbolize peoples—multitudes, nations and tongues.
In Rev. 14:8 we have the announcement that "Babylon the great"
is fallen. This is Babylon the harlot, the ecclesiastical system, which
is destroyed in the middle of the Tribulation. Rev. 17:15 says: "And
he [the angel] saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the
harlot sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues."
The Spirit's interpretation of the significance of waters when used
symbolically is seen in Ps. 124:3, 4: "Then they had swallowed us up
alive, When their wrath was kindled against us: Then the waters had
overwhelmed us, The stream had gone over our soul." Why were they
not swallowed up? Israel is the nation of destiny and God will not
allow Satan and all of his hosts to overpower and to overcome the
remnant of Israel. God still has a purpose and a plan for that nation.
The waters are the symbolic representation of nations of people or
races who are in a state of confusion and commotion. This woman is
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represented not only as seated on these waters but she is seated upon
the beast of the end time; this beast is the symbol of the world empire,
an ecclesiasticism.
Baylon the harlot will be supported by the civil government and
will have its headquarters at Babylon, the city, which will have been
rebuilt. It will be so closely connected with the civil power and with
the capital of the world that its downfall is mentioned in terms of the
city of Babylon, which city is actually not destroyed until the end of
the Tribulation, although the religious system is destroyed in the
middle of it.

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Chapter 18

The Destruction of the City of Babylon

Rebuilt and Standing in the End Time (Rev. 18)

The end of the Tribulation is reached at the end of chapter 16.

John, following the law of recurrence, filled in some details into the
survey of the history of the Tribulation, in chapters 17, 18 and 19.
Babylon the harlot is destroyed in the middle of the Tribulation as set
forth in Revelation, chapter 17. Now we come to the consideration of
Babylon the city, described in Revelation, chapter 18.

The Prophetic Background of Babylon the City

There are prophecies in the Old Testament which show that
Babylon is to be destroyed in the Tribulation Period. For instance, in
Isa. 13:1-14:27 we have a clear description of the fall of Babylon in
the day of Jehovah (the Tribulation), when God is punishing the
sinners of the world. Since Babylon has been destroyed it must be
rebuilt in order for the prophecy to be fulfilled. Isaiah, chapters 46-48,
also assumes the existence of Babylon in the end time. Moreover,
Jeremiah, chapters 50 and 51, likewise speaks of the destruction of
Babylon in the day of Jehovah. In order therefore for these prophecies
to be fulfilled, Babylon, literal Babylon, must be rebuilt in the end
time.
Someone may say that if this be true the coming of the Lord is in
the very far distant future. Not necessarily so. We are living not even
in the atomic age or the hydrogen bomb age but in the space age.
Babylon can rise out of the dust of the past in a very few months and
be the city that is described by the prophet. The Word of God is
certain and absolutely sure.
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Announcement of the Fall of Babylon the City

In Rev. 18:2 we have the announcement: "Fallen, fallen is Babylon
the great, and is become a habitation of demons, and a hold of every
unclean spirit, and a hold of every unclean and hateful bird." As we
have already seen, the announcement in Rev. 14:8 is concerning the
fall of Babylon, the harlot. These two announcements are entirely
different. The one in chapter 14 is the announcement of the overthrow
of Babylon the harlot, the ecclesiastical system, whereas this one in
chapter 18 is the announcement regarding Babylon the city at the end
of the Tribulation.

Destruction of Babylon the City

That the Babylon mentioned in chapter 18 is a literal city is quite
evident. In Rev. 18:4-24 we have the prediction concerning the
overthrow of Babylon the city which shall be the capital of the world,
the royal city of the Antichrist.

The Call of God's People in Babylon

In verses 4 and 5 we have a call to the people of God that will be
living in Babylon at the time when it is about to be destroyed. Thus
the Lord says: "Come forth, my people, out of her, that ye have no
fellowship with her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues: for
her sins have reached even unto heaven, and God hath remembered
her iniquities." Someone may ask this question: Since the destruction
of Babylon the city occurs at the end of the Tribulation, how is it that
there will be children of God in it at that time, seeing that the Church
is raptured before the Tribulation? After the Church is removed by
the Rapture before the Tribulation, the Tribulation judgments come
upon the world. The seed which we are now sowing in all Israel will
be watered by the rains of the judgments of the Tribulation. They will
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cause the seed to germinate and produce an army of 144,000 Jewish

"Pauls"—servants of God—who will bring about the worldwide
revival. An innumerable host of people will learn of the truth through
the preaching of these 144,000 evangelists. These will wash their
robes and make them white in the blood of the Lamb. Note the fact
that they come out of the Tribulation, the Great One. God will have
saints upon the earth during the Tribulation. Moreover, some of those
constituting the people that are urged to come forth out of Babylon
before its final collapse may be the Jewish people who will turn to the
Lord at the very end of the Tribulation. There is a call for all of the
people then living upon the earth who have any longing for God to
come forth out of Babylon before its final collapse.

Babylon to Receive Double for all Her Sins

As we learn from Isa. 40:1,2, Israel will receive double
punishment for all her sins. The reason is that she has had advantages
and opportunities for advancement that no other nation as a people
has enjoyed. But God is going to render double to Babylon for all of
her sins, as we see in Rev. 18:6,7: "Render unto her even as she
rendered, and double unto her the double according to her works: in
the cup which she mingled, mingle unto her double. How much
soever she glorifieth herself, and waxed wanton, so much give her of
torment and mourning: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am
no widow, and shall in no wise see mourning."
Babylon will have had unparalleled opportunities to receive the
truth but will have sinned against all the light God grants to her;
therefore, the punishment she is to receive is to be doubled unto her.

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Kings and Merchants of the World Weep

Over the Destruction of the City of Babylon
This scene is set forth in Rev. 18:9-19. When Babylon is
overthrown, the kings of the earth who will commit fornication
wantonly with her, that is, with Babylon "shall weep and wail over
her, when they look upon the smoke other burning" (vs. 9).

The First Woe (vss. 1-14)

Merchants are seen to be expressing their woe and horror over the
complete destruction of the materials constituting their merchandise.
"Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Woe, woe, the
great city, Babylon, the strong city! for in one hour is thy judgment
come" (vs. 10). Things will be speeded up, spiritually speaking, into
high gear. Jeremiah was told to go and throw a rock into the
Euphrates River, and when he threw that rock into the river said,
"Thus shall Babylon sink, and shall not rise again" (Jer. 51:63, 64).
So it is literally in one hour's time.
Among the merchandise of her traffic there is a very sad note
sounded in the latter part of verse 13: "and cattle, and sheep; and
merchandise of horses and chariots and slaves; and souls of men."
Men and women who traffic in the souls of others deal with spiritual
realities that are to have their effect upon those thus treated
throughout all eternity.

The Second Woe (vss. 15-18)

Here the mariners express themselves as being overtaken by
judgment saying: "Woe, woe, the great city, she that was arrayed in
fine linen and purple and scarlet, and decked with gold and precious
stone and pearl! for in one hour so great riches is made desolate. And
every shipmaster, and every one that saileth any whither, and
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mariners, and as many as gain their living by sea, stood afar off, and
cried out as they looked upon the smoke of her burning, saying. What
city is like the great city?"
One cannot avoid the conclusion that this is the destruction of a
literal city. It will be the greatest city that is ever built, as we see in
the song which constitutes Isa. 25:1-5.

The Third Woe (vs. 19)

These merchants and traffickers cast dust on their heads, they
weep and mourn, and say: "Woe, woe, the great city, wherein all that
had their ships in the sea were made rich by reason of her costliness!
For in one hour is she made desolate." Thus in this passage Babylon
rebuilt is represented as the commercial center of the entire world.
Notwithstanding its greatness and power and magnificence it is to
be destroyed in one day as we see in verse 8. According to the
statement in verse 10 it is to be destroyed "in one hour." The same
thought is expressed again in verse 17 "for in one hour so great riches
is made desolate." Finally, in the third woe the statement is repeated,
"for in one hour is she made desolate."

Saints in Heaven Rejoice over the Overthrow of Babylon

"Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye saints, and ye apostles, and
ye prophets; for God hath judged your judgment on her" (Rev. 18:20).
Naturally the saints in Heaven will see things from God's standpoint
and will rejoice over the execution of God's judgments against such
sinners as those in charge of Babylon of the end time.

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The Suddenness and the Completeness

of the Overthrow of Babylon
According to verse 21 a strong angel took up a stone "as it were a
great millstone," cast it into the sea, and uttered this prophecy: "Thus
with a mighty fall shall Babylon, the great city, be cast down, and
shall be found no more at all." This is an echo of the prediction that
the prophet made in Jer. 51:59-64.
In Rev. 18:21-24 we see the final, sudden and complete overthrow
of Babylon. It will become the dwelling place during the Millennium
of everything that is unclean, as we see in Isa. 13:19-22. It will be in
the same category with Edom as expressed by Isa. 34:8ff. When the
curse will have been lifted from the entire earth it will still remain
upon old Babylon and Edom. Men cannot sin away their day of grace
and contemn the Almighty and go unpunished. The Almighty is a
God of righteousness and justice, who performs truth and justice and
righteousness in the earth in dealing with men.
When Babylon is overthrown in fulfillment of these marvelous
predictions, Christ will take over the governments of the world, will
lift the curse and will establish His reign of righteousness from sea to
sea and from the River to the ends of the earth. At that time the glory
of God will encircle the earth as the waters cover the sea.

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Chapter 19

The Marriage of the Lamb and

the Second Coming of Christ (Rev. 19)

In chapter 19 we have the account of the marriage supper of the

Lamb and the second coming of our Lord. This chapter naturally
divides into two sections: (1) The Marriage of the Lamb (Rev. 19:1-
10); (2) The Second Coming of Christ (Rev. 19:11-21).

The Marriage of the Lamb (The Four Hallelujahs)

In this section of the first ten verses of chapter 19 we have the
word "Hallelujah" occurring four times. After the conclusion of the
description of the fall of Babylon, John then heard a great voice as of
a vast multitude in Heaven saying: "Hallelujah; Salvation, and glory,
and power, belong to our God: for true and righteous are his
judgments; for he hath judged the great harlot, her that corrupted the
earth with her fornication, and he hath avenged the blood of his
servants at her hand" (vss. 1, 2).
The word "hallelujah" is of Hebrew origin and means O praise ye
Jah, that is, Jehovah. This great multitude in Heaven consists of men
redeemed by the blood of the Lamb. Whenever we see the word
"multitude" it usually refers to vast numbers of mankind. I do not
know of any occasion when it is ever used with reference to celestial
beings—unless the facts of such usage is indicated by the context (see
Luke 2:13). The assumption, therefore, is that these are redeemed
men who will be praising God for His matchless salvation and for the
righteousness of His judgments. In His bringing judgment upon
Babylon the harlot, these vast numbers will rejoice with holy

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boldness. "... shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?" (Gen.
18:25).
After the Rapture of the Church there is going to be a universal
church. It will be one great, powerful organization and its head will
dictate to the world what they shall do and what they shall believe.
This will be spiritual tyranny. In the middle of the Tribulation God is
going to have the Antichrist and the ten kings overthrow that order so
they will do away with Babylon the harlot. Then they will set up the
worship of Antichrist and require that all men of every race, tribe,
tongue and language worship the Antichrist as God. Continuing to
read, "for true and righteous are his judgments; for he hath judged the
great harlot, her that corrupted the earth with her fornication [spiritual
fornication], and he hath avenged the blood of his servants at her
hand." There are at least a thousand miles of catacombs in Italy equal
to the length of the entire Italian Peninsula. Millions of martyrs were
buried in these catacombs. But that is not the extent of martyrdom.
There will be multitudes of people who will be martyred by Babylon
the harlot. So when God overthrows Babylon He is righteous and just
because she has corrupted the earth and launched a movement to slay
everybody who does not do as she wishes.
A second time he hears the word "hallelujah." Following this
second call to praise God, we see the four and twenty elders and the
four living creatures—seraphim—falling down and worshiping God
and saying "Amen; Hallelujah." These high celestial beings will be
joining with the redeemed in calling upon others to praise God for His
great salvation.
When these celestial hosts join with men in praising God there is a
voice that comes from the throne saying: "Give praise to our God, all
ye his servants, ye that fear him, the small and the great" (vs. 5).

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A fourth time John hears, "as it were the voice of a great

multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of
mighty thunders, saying, Hallelujah: for the Lord our God, the
Almighty, reigneth. Let us rejoice and be exceeding glad, and let us
give the glory unto him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and
his wife hath made herself ready. And it was given unto her that she
should array herself in fine linen, bright and pure: for the fine linen is
the righteous acts of the saints" (vss. 6-8).
"The Lord our God, the Almighty, reigneth." In this fact we ought
all to rejoice and to give praise to God. The host of redeemed ones
rejoice and praise God because the time is at hand "for the marriage
of the Lamb." The Lamb's wife has made herself ready. The wife of
the Lamb is the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ. "And it was given
unto her that she should array herself in fine linen, bright and pure"
which sets forth pictorially and graphically the righteous lives and
acts of the saints. We are clothed in the righteousness of Christ which
is conferred upon those who accept and trust Him. Whereas we are
saved by the grace of God through faith, we labor for the Master and
will be rewarded according to our works. The fine linen is symbolic
of the righteous acts which we, as redeemed people, perform. Men
and women are to be rewarded from three different standpoints: from
the quality of the service rendered, Matt. 25:14-30; from the quantity
of the service rendered, Luke 19:11-27; and the spirit, the motive that
is behind the act, found in the parable of the laborers in the vineyard,
Matt. 19:27-20:16.
After these mighty acts of worship and praise to God the angel
who was talking to John urged him saying, "Write, Blessed are they
that are bidden to the marriage supper of the Lamb" (vs. 9). Who are
these invited guests? Some think that they are the Old Testament
saints; others, that they are the Tribulation saints. In view of the fact
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that we have so little information regarding them it is impossible to be

dogmatic and assert that they consist of a certain group. In my
opinion they will all be there! We do know that there are certain ones
who will be invited to attend the marriage of the Lamb when He (the
Lamb) and His bride (the body of Christ) are united in the holy bonds
of spiritual matrimony—for all eternity.
When this revelation was made known to John he "fell down
before his [the angel's] feet to worship him." But this celestial being
stopped him, saying that he himself was a fellow-servant and that he,
with the brethren, "hold the testimony of Jesus." Then he exhorted
John to "worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of
prophecy." Everything in the Old Testament in some way centers
around the Lord Jesus Christ, the Hebrew Messiah and Redeemer of
humanity.

The Second Coming of Christ

In Rev. 19:11-21 we have a prophecy of our Lord's return at the
end of the Tribulation. Ps. 50:1-5 tells of the second coming of our
Lord. It sets forth the two different phases of the Rapture of the saints
of God: (1) The Rapture of the Church before the Tribulation; and (2)
The Rapture of the Tribulation saints at the end of that period of
wrath.
In verses 1 and 2 of Psalm 50 we see a beautiful picture of our
Lord and His reigning in Zion. These verses present a vision of the
Millennial Jerusalem. The words "The Mighty One, God, Jehovah"
are quite significant. That which is translated "The Mighty One" is in
the plural number and is doubtless an echo of the doctrine of the
Trinity. It was set forth by Moses and the prophets as well as by the
writers of the New Testament. The word rendered "God" is in the
singular. That which is rendered "Jehovah" is the sacred name of the
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Eternal. But this memorial name has four significations in the Old
Testament: In certain contexts it refers to the Holy Trinity; in other
connections, to God the Father; in still other passages it refers to God
the Son; and in yet other connections it designates the Holy Spirit.
One must determine from the context its meaning in a given case.
When we take all the facts of this passage into consideration and
read them in the light of related passages we come to the conclusion
that the one referred to here by the term God is none other than the
Lord Jesus Christ, the second person of the Holy Trinity. The reason
for my making that statement is this: Here is a picture of God's
reigning in Zion. Other passages show that God in the person of the
Messiah is the One who is scheduled to reign there in glory and in
power. He is therefore spoken of by the word God in the singular
number. At the same time He is Jehovah who caused all things to
come into existence and who maintains all things by His
omnipotence. But as we have seen the word rendered "Mighty God"
is in the plural. This probably points to the significant fact that in
Him, that is, in His flesh, dwelt the fullness of the Godhead bodily
(Col. 2:9).
The Lord has called, through His ministers preaching His Word,
all nations "from the rising of the sun unto the going down thereof."
Throughout the Christian centuries He has sent forth this call. He is
sending it forth today and we trust that it will continue to go forth
until He comes in fulfillment of this passage and reigns in Zion. In
fact, according to the prophetic Word, there will arise a mighty army
of 144,000 Hebrews who will bring about the mightiest revival of all
the ages, see Revelation, chapter 7. Thus in a peculiar and effective
manner the Messiah will have called the whole world by and through
these future Jewish evangelists.

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But this language goes far beyond the above calling. When He
leaves glory, He will come with a shout and utter His voice so that it
will be heard resounding throughout the entire world. This seems to
be the significance of Jeremiah's statement: "Jehovah will roar from
on high, and utter his voice from his holy habitation" (Jer. 25:30).
When He comes to Mount Zion He again will utter His voice and the
heavens above and the earth beneath will reverberate with its echoes
(Joel 3:16). It is probably to those utterances that our Psalmist in Ps.
50:1 refers.
At that future time, Zion, Jerusalem in Palestine, will be the
perfection of beauty. It will be the joy spot of the whole earth. From it
Jehovah the Messiah will shine forth in glory and splendor.
Having seen the glorious picture of King Messiah as He will reign
in Mount Zion in Ps. 50:1, 2, in verse 3 the prophet goes back and
describes the actual coming of Messiah to Mount Zion. In doing this
he is following what is recognized by Bible students as the law of
recurrence. Having painted a beautiful word picture, the prophets
frequently went back and enlarged or embellished the picture by
further statements. In verse 3, therefore, the Psalmist adds new
information concerning the manner in which Jehovah Messiah will
come to Zion. Throughout the whole Christian Dispensation, during
which He has been seated at the right hand of the throne of God in
Heaven, He has kept silent. But when He leaves glory He will break
that silence and will come in flaming fire. Thus a fire will devour
before Him and there will be a great tempest round about Him.
When He thus comes at the end of the Tribulation to establish His
reign of righteousness upon the earth, He issues a twofold call: one to
those in the heavens above and the other to those in the earth beneath.
"He calleth to the heavens above, And to the earth, that he may judge
his people" (vs. 4). From this fact we conclude that some of His
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people will be in the heavens above whereas others will be in the

earth beneath. Who are those in the heavens above? Doubtless the
Old Testament saints; all who have died in Christ and all of those
saints who will be raptured when the Lord descends from Heaven to
the air and raises the dead in Christ and catches up the living saints
out of the world before the Tribulation begins. This Psalm therefore
presupposes the catching up of the saints (the Church, the body of
Christ) out of the world before the Tribulation. Thus the Lord gives
the call to the celestial beings commanding them to bring forth these
who are in the heavens.
At the same time He issues the call with reference to the earth.
Both calls are "Gather my saints together unto me." The saints in the
heavens above and those upon the earth beneath are to be gathered
into one place in order that the Lord may judge them (Matt. 24:29-
31).
Who are the saints upon the earth at the time of the coming of the
Lord to the earth to set up His reign? There can be but one answer
which is this: They are those who turn to the Lord after the Rapture of
the Church and during the Tribulation. We call them the "Tribulation
saints" because they turn to the Lord and accept Christ under the
influence of the preaching of the Gospel by the 144,000 Jewish
evangelists. They will carry forward the work of Christ after the
Church has been removed. That there is to be a mighty host of people
who will turn to the Lord during the Tribulation is foretold by
different prophets. It is assumed by the Apostle Paul in 2 Thess. 2:11,
12 and is declared by John in Revelation, chapter 7.
We are told by the Lord that those who believe on Him shall not
come into judgment but have passed out of death into life (John 5:24).
Their judgment occurred at the cross. The punishment that was due to
fall upon them fell upon Him. They therefore do not come into the
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judgment of the Great White Throne which occurs after the thousand
years' reign of our Lord (Rev. 20:11-15).
Into what judgment do they come? They come before the
Judgment Seat of Christ to receive the things done in the body
whether it be good or bad (2 Cor. 5:10). Men are saved by the grace
of God through faith. Saved people are to work for the Lord who will
reward them according to their works. The Lord calls together all His
saints—those in the heavens above and those in the earth beneath and
brings them before His Judgment Seat. He rewards them for the
services which they have rendered in His cause.
The saints who are to be rewarded at the time of this great assize
are "Those that have made a covenant with me by sacrifice" (Ps.
50:5b). There is but one approach to God. Christ is the Lamb of God
that takes away the sin of the world. He is the one sufficient and
acceptable sacrifice that the sinner must bring to God by faith.
Everyone who comes unto God through Him by faith is acceptable
not upon the basis of any merit of his own but upon the worth and
merit of the blood of the Lamb of God. The blood of Christ cleanses
from all sin. Nothing that man can do or say can add in anywise to the
merit and the efficacy of the sacrifice of the all-sufficient Lamb of
God.

Description of Christ at His Second Coming

In Rev. 19:11-16 we have a vivid and graphic description of our
Lord as He will appear when He returns in glory. Here He is
represented as a rider, a warrior, mounted on a white horse.
Anciently, warriors rode on white horses and led their armies into
battle. This representation is common to the Old Testament. For
instance, in Deut. 32:39-43 our Lord is presented as a warrior who
takes His sword, whets it, seizes His bow and arrows and goes into
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war against His enemies. In Ps. 45:3-5 He is likewise represented as a

warrior who goes against His enemies in battle and stands the
triumphant Conqueror over all foes. In Isa. 9:6 Christ is represented
as the Miracle One who is able to counsel, and the Mighty God, that
is God the Hero. This passage looks at Him as He will be when He
comes back, enters the field of battle and conquers the world. But the
passage upon which the language of John in Rev. 19:11-16 is based is
found in Isa. 63:1-6. Here we see the description of our Lord as He
will take the field of battle against the enemies of Israel and will bring
deliverance to His sorely tried people.
Our Lord will have the name "Faithful and True." According to
verse 11 He comes forth in righteousness to judge and to make war.
Whatever He does is in accordance with the highest standard of
righteousness. He could not do otherwise because He is "the way, and
the truth, and the life." He is faithful and true to His holy nature and
to the promises which He has made. He is the very embodiment of
truth itself, everything that He does will be in righteousness. He is
coming to judge the world. All judgment has been delivered unto Him
"because he is a son of man" (John 5:26, 27). In the Olivet Discourse
the Lord gave us a picture of His sitting upon a throne of glory and
judging the nations that survive the Tribulation Period, see Matt.
25:31-46. This is the special judgment to which reference is made
here. Moreover, His name is called "The Word of God." He will have
on His head many diadems. (There are two Greek words "stephenas"
from which we get Stephen—meaning little crown, not a diadem; but
stephenas means a little victor's crown. In the Olympian games the
one who won the contest was given a little crown, or a wreath of
laurel, fresh today, faded tomorrow. That is not the diadem here.)
"Diadem" means crown—crown of royalty, majesty. When Christ
comes, "upon his head are many diadems." He is going to be the King
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of every nation. There will be a French crown, the Italian, etc., but
they will all be one—many, yet one, and they will be on the head of
Christ. He is going to be King of all nations.
There will accompany Him "the armies which are in heaven" who
will be arrayed in fine linen, white and pure. These are the saints of
God who come back with Christ when He returns to this earth.
Out of Christ's mouth will proceed "a sharp sword," not a literal
one, but it is the weapon with which He will fight. He will speak the
word of judgment and His commands will be carried out by the power
of Omnipotence. He therefore is represented as having a sword which
proceeds from His mouth. He will also smite the nations with this
sword and will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the
winepress of the fierceness of the wrath of God, the Almighty.
Moreover, He has written upon His garment and upon Himself the
title, "KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS."
Examine carefully Habakkuk, chapter 3, for a similar vivid and
graphic description of Christ at His second coming. Also examine Ps.
18:7-18.*

Invitation to the Birds of Heaven

When Christ takes the field of battle there will go forth from the
hand that was once pierced for our redemption, rays, death rays, that
will destroy all the wicked, see Hab. 3:4. Read Jer. 25:30-38 for a

* For a thorough study of the second coming, see Dr. David L. Cooper's book,
Messiah: His Glorious Appearance Imminent

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further description of our Lord's destroying all the wicked when He

comes back in fulfillment of this grand prophecy.
In Ezek. 38:1-39:16 we have a prophecy concerning the invasion
of Palestine by the forces of Russia and her satellites which occurs
before the Tribulation.
Then Gog's armies will meet the Almighty and will be completely
annihilated. In contrast with this invasion will be the invasion of
Palestine by the forces of the Antichrist at the end of the Tribulation
as set forth in Ezek. 39:17-29. In verses 17 and 18 the language used
furnishes the foundation for the passage presented by John in Rev.
19:17, 18. This, of course, is the War of the Great Day of God, the
Almighty.

The Final Battle of the War of the Great Day of God the Almighty
In Rev. 19:19-21 we have a prediction of the Antichrist's gathering
the armies of the world and invading Palestine. He does this to wipe
out the remnant of the Jewish people and to oppose Christ at His
second coming. From the language of verse 19 it is clear that the
Antichrist, inspired by Satan, will know that Christ is going to make
His appearance in Palestine at the end of the Tribulation. In order to
be prepared for Him, the Devil will inspire the Antichrist to gather all
the armies of the world there to engage in battle. "And I saw the
beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together
to make war against him that sat upon the horse, and against his
army" (vs. 19). The beast (Antichrist) and the false prophet who
performs signs in his presence, will be taken, captured, and the two
will be "cast alive into the lake of fire that burneth with brimstone."
On the surface there appears to be a contradiction between Rev. 19:20
and Paul's statement in 2 Thess. 2:8. There it is told that Christ slays
the Antichrist by the brightness of His coming. Here we are told that
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the Antichrist and the false prophet are cast alive into the lake of fire.
But the discrepancies are only apparent, not real. When Christ comes
at the end of the Tribulation He slays the Antichrist by the brightness
of His coming, but he is immediately restored to life and is cast with
the false prophet into the lake of fire, where they will be forever and
ever.
The rest of the wicked are slain "with the sword of him that sat
upon the horse, even the sword which came forth out of his mouth:
and all the birds were filled with their flesh" (Rev. 19:21).
Thus ends the last war, the war that is fought to stop all wars.
From that time forth and forevermore there will never be another war
that will plague this world.
O Lord, hasten that day!

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Chapter 20

The Reign of Christ and the Judgment of

the Great White Throne (Rev. 20)

Much confusion exists in the world today concerning the

Millennium. There are those who take the position that Christ's
coming to the earth precedes the Millennium. Those who believe this
are called premillenarians. On the other hand, there are those who
hold to the theory that the world is getting better and that by the
preaching of the Gospel the era of righteousness, peace and joy will
be introduced. Then Christ will return at the end of the one thousand
years of a converted world. Those holding this position are known as
postmillennialists. Very few people hold this hypothesis today. A
third theory is that which is known as amillennialism. Those who
hold this position believe that there is to be no Millennium
whatsoever, but that what is spoken of as the Millennium is to be
understood spiritually, or figuratively.
In the first six verses of Revelation, chapter 20, we are told that
Christ will come, will bind Satan for a thousand years and will reign
on this earth for that length of time. The expression "thousand years"
is used six times in the first seven verses. Notwithstanding the fact
that the language is crystal clear, these theorists, while they admit that
the language actually says that Christ will reign for a thousand years,
insist that this passage is very highly figurative and that we cannot, in
view of that fact, accept it literally. Thus there are false theories that
have been devised to explain that which is quite evident.

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The Binding of Satan for One Thousand Years

In Rev. 20:1-3 we are told that when Christ comes, Satan is bound
and is put in the pit of the abyss which is sealed over him. "And I saw
an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key of the abyss and
a great chain in his hand (vs. 1). Who the angel was we are not told.
This angel "laid hold on the dragon, the old serpent which is the Devil
and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years." There are those who
say that this is a literal chain and that an attempt is made to bind a
spiritual being, Satan, with a literal chain. That is nonsense. But
remember this is a presentation of spiritual reality under the figure of
realism. "Sheol" is called in the Greek New Testament "Hades" and
is located in the heart of the earth. There is also a place that is called
the "pit of the abyss" or "Tartarus" as referred to in 2 Peter 2:4, where
only disobedient angels have been confined. There Satan will remain
for a thousand years during which Christ will reign upon the earth.
This is in perfect alignment with the prophecy that is found in Isaiah,
chapter 24. In the first twenty verses we have a vivid, graphic
description of the Tribulation Period. At the end of that time God
incarcerates the hosts of the high ones on high (the evil spirits that
inhabit the air). "And they shall be gathered together, as prisoners are
gathered in the pit, and shall be shut up in the prison; and after many
days shall they be visited [or punished]" (Isa. 24:22). Here is the Old
Testament prediction to the effect that God will incarcerate Satan and
his hosts in the pit of the abyss for "many day," that is, a thousand
years.
During the time that Christ reigns for a thousand years the people
living on earth will not be deceived by Satan. These people will be
those who survive the Tribulation, who have been truth seekers and
who will be permitted to enter the Millennium (Ps. 15 and Ps. 24:1-
6). The Gospel, however, will be given to them by converted Israel.
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They will accept Christ and will re-populate the earth. These are the
ones who will be put on the right hand of Christ when He judges the
living nations (Matt. 25:31-46).

Christ's Reign upon the Earth for One Thousand Years

"And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was
given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that had been beheaded
for the testimony of Jesus, and for the word of God, and such as
worshipped not the beast, neither his image, and received not the
mark upon their forehead and upon their hand; and they lived [lit.
came to life], and reigned with Christ a thousand years. The rest of
the dead lived not until the thousand years should be finished. This is
the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first
resurrection: over these the second death hath no power; but they
shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a
thousand years" (Rev. 20:4-6).

The Saints
There are three groups of people who reign with Christ according
to this verse. Who are the ones referred to in the clause "and they
sat upon their [thrones]"? The only possible antecedent of this
pronoun is the "armies of heaven" found in Rev. 19:14. These are the
saints of the present age who are raptured before the Tribulation and
who come all the way to the earth when Jesus returns to reign upon
the earth.
The second group that reigns with Christ is mentioned in these
words: "and I saw the souls of them that had been beheaded for the
testimony of Jesus, and for the word of God." These are doubtless the
martyrs who are slain during the first half of the Tribulation and who
are mentioned in Rev. 6:9-11.
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The third group that is mentioned is spoken of in this statement:

"and such as worshipped not the beast, neither his image, and
received not the mark upon their forehead and upon their hand."
These are also the Tribulation martyrs—those slain under the
Antichrist during the latter half of the Tribulation. They are killed
because of their faith but they come to life and reign with Christ a
thousand years. While all of these reign with Christ there is a
distinction between those constituting the body of Christ that is called
out during the present age and the Tribulation saints.

The Wicked Dead Come to Life After One Thousand Years

The rest of the dead [that is, those who are not raised before the
thousand years begin] lived not until the thousand years should be
finished" (Rev. 20:5), namely, at the judgment of the Great White
Throne, which occurs after the thousand years.
There are two resurrections. The first resurrection embodies all
who are raised before the thousand years begin. The second embraces
all who are not raised until after the thousand years are finished.

The Saints of the First Resurrection to be Priests

Those who come up in the first resurrection are blessed forever
and ever, "over these the second death hath no power; but they shall
be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand
years" (Rev. 20:6). Believers are going to be priests in the Millennial
Kingdom and they will perform the functions of a priest for a
thousand years. Believers will also judge angels (1 Cor. 6:3), "Know
ye not that we shall judge angels?" There will be work for the people
of God which they will do joyfully. It will be delightful to them. They
will assist the Lord in His administration of this righteous reign.

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THE MELLENIAL JERUSALEM—The chart, “the Millennial

Jerusalem”, reveals the dimensions of the golden city and the temple.

The Millennial Temple

After the Lord's return and the lifting of the curse He will erect the
Millennial Temple (Zech. 6:12, 13). This place for oblations, which
will be a little south of a central position in the land, is known as the
"Mountain of Jehovah's House." Isaiah, in most glowing and
marvelous terms, describes this mountain in the following language:
"And it shall come to pass in the latter days, that the mountain of
Jehovah's house shall be established on the top of the mountains, and
shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. And
many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the
mountain of Jehovah, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will
teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion
shall go forth the law, and the word of Jehovah from Jerusalem" (Isa.
2:2, 3). The same mountain is described in Micah 3:9-4:5. In Ps. 24:3
special reference is made to this mountain. The question is asked,
"Who shall ascend into the hill of Jehovah? And who shall stand in
his holy place?"
Ezek. 48:8-20 provides us with the fullest description: The
dimensions of this mountain are given in terms of reeds; five hundred
of which—as is generally conceded constitute an English mile. Since
the length is twenty-five thousand reeds and the breadth is the same,
by simple division we understand that this mountain will be fifty
miles in length from north to south and fifty miles in breadth from
east to west.
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This mountain is divided into three sections. The dividing lines run
east and west. The section in the northern portion is fifty miles from
east to west but twenty miles deep from north to south. In the center
of this plot will be one square mile where the Temple of God will be
located—the house of prayer for all nations. The priests will occupy
the northern section. The middle part is of the same dimensions; fifty
by twenty miles. This will be allotted to the Levites who will assist
the priests in their daily ministrations. The southern section will be
fifty miles in breadth from east to west and ten miles in depth from
north to south. In the central part of this southern division will be
located the city of Jerusalem with its suburbs (Ezekiel, chapters 40-
48).

Satan's Activities After the Thousand Years' Reign of Christ

In Rev. 20:7-10 we have a prediction that Satan at the end of a
little period of time which follows the Millennium will be released,
will come forth and will deceive the nations that are in the four
comers of the earth. He stirs up a youth army to come against
Jerusalem in order to intimidate Christ, to war against Him, but not
with actual weapons of war. There is a "cold" war going on now, a
war between the East and the West, a psychological war. It is as real
as a shooting war. Thus there will be a war of words, a war of
psychology that will be backed up by demonstrations. There will go
forth from the four corners of the earth a mighty host of
unregenerated, unsaved people, who will try to intimidate Christ after
His having reigned for a thousand years.
Those who are in this host are unsaved people. People will be born
all during the Millennium. All who are born during that period will be
allowed to live at least one hundred years. If they accept Christ before
their one hundredth birthday they will continue to live on through the
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Millennium. But if they refuse Christ and postpone their salvation

until they reach their one hundredth birthday, the curse of God will
fall upon them and they will be blotted from the land of the living, see
Isa. 65:19-21. It would seem that this is a "youth" movement
consisting of unregenerated people who go up from the four corners
of the globe to intimidate our Lord. They are spoken of as "Gog" and
"Magog," terms that are echoes of Gog and Magog who invade
Palestine before the Tribulation and who are overthrown when they
meet God Almighty. God speaks of this hostile group which marches
against Jerusalem and their destruction in terms of the destruction of
Gog and Magog before the Tribulation.
After Satan does his worst in stirring up this movement against
Christ, he will be cast into the lake of fire and brimstone "where are
also the beast and the false prophet; and they shall be tormented day
and night for ever and ever " (Rev. 20:10). The Antichrist and the
false prophet are cast into the lake of fire at the beginning of the
thousand years. At the end of that time they are still there in
conscious existence and in punishment just the same as at the
beginning. They will continue there throughout all eternity. It is an
awful thing to pass out of this life not having accepted the peace and
the reconciliation which the Lord Jesus Christ purchased and offers to
one and all freely.

The Judgment of the Great White Throne

In Rev. 20:11-15 we have a prophecy concerning the judgment of
the Great White Throne. Let us differentiate between this judgment
which follows the Millennium and the judgment of the nations which
comes at the first part of the Millennium.

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The Great White Throne Judgment Not the Same

as That of Matthew 25:31-45
When Christ comes back according to Matt. 25:31-45, He will
gather those nations that survive the Tribulation and will separate
them as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. Those being
put on the right hand are represented as sheep. They are allowed to
enter the Millennial Age and to re-populate the earth. There is nothing
said about a resurrection in this judgment nor about anyone's
accepting Christ. The judgment described in Rev. 20:11-15 occurs
after the Millennium. Those appearing here are all raised from the
dead.

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THE FOUR JUDGMENTS—The culminating Judgment of the Great

white Throne is the last Judgment recorded in Scripture. This chart
discloses the time element of the four basic judgments in the bible.

Passing Away of the Material Universe

At the judgment of the Great White Throne the entire material
universe passes out of existence: "the earth and the heaven fled away;
and there was found no place for them"—John saw them vanish. He
looked in every direction to the farthest limits of space and said that
the material universe could not be found. It simply disappears. Jesus
said, "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass
away" (Matt. 24:35). This passing away of the heaven and the earth is
the fulfillment of the prediction which our Lord made.

The Dead Judged and Rewarded

At the judgment of the Great White Throne "books were opened:
and another book was opened, which is the book of life" (Rev. 20:12).
Everybody whose name was not found in the book of life is judged
and is caused to go off into everlasting punishment. Everyone's name
was originally put in the book of life. "... it is appointed unto men
once to die, and after this cometh judgment" (Heb. 9:27). When a man
goes out of this life not having accepted Christ and not having his
name written in the Lamb's book of life, his name is erased from the
book of life. Everyone whose name has been erased from the book of
life will be sent into the lake of fire.

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Death and Hades Cast Into the Lake of Fire

At that time "death and Hades," which represent the power of
death and the place where the dead (the lost) are, are cast into the lake
of fire.
It is an awful thing to be banished from the presence of God and
from the glory of His might forever and ever. God does not will "that
any should perish, but that all should come to repentance" (2 Pet.
3:9). Christ made ample provision for the salvation of every soul.
May God move upon the heart of men and women everywhere and
open their eyes to see the necessity of salvation and the importance of
accepting the Lord Jesus Christ before it is eternally too late!
At this point it is most important that we summarize and establish
these facts. We have seen that at the end of the Tribulation the Lord
Jesus Christ returns to earth in His glory and power. Then He lifts the
curse from the earth, binds Satan and incarcerates him in the pit of the
abyss for a thousand years. During this time Christ will reign upon
the earth. His saints who have suffered with Him will also reign with
Him at that time.
At the conclusion of the Millennium the Devil will be loosed for a
little season. He will stir up a youth movement against Christ and will
lead this group to go against Jerusalem in an attempt to intimidate
Him. But fire from Heaven will consume them.
Next, the judgment of the Great White Throne will be set. Christ
will sit as Judge upon that Throne. All the wicked dead will be raised
and be brought before this judgment bar. At that time the material
heavens and earth which were created in the beginning will pass
away. Then will be created the eternal order of which we read in
Revelation, chapters 21 and 22.

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Chapter 21

The Eternal Order (Rev. 21:1-22:5)

The Millennial and the Eternal Order Differentiated

It will be well to differentiate between the new heavens and the
new earth spoken of in Isa. 65:17 and referred to by the Apostle Peter
in 2 Peter, chapter 3, and the eternal order which is described in
Revelation, chapters 21 and 22.
Isa. 65:17 says, "For, behold, I create new heavens and a new
earth; and the former things shall not be remembered, nor come into
mind." This verse begins with the conjunction for, which ties it up
with that which has preceded. When we study the entire chapter, we
see that verses 1-7 deal with the Christian Dispensation, during which
the Jews, on account of their unbelief, are set aside, whereas the
Gentiles who are seeking God are found of Him. In verses 8 and 9 we
see in God's promise to Israel that, although she would be set aside
during the present dispensation, He would preserve her and not allow
her to be blotted from the face of the globe. The reason for His
protecting His people is that He intends to bring out of them the
remnant which shall inherit His mountains—Palestine (vss. 9, 10). In
verses 12-16 the prophet foretold the Great Tribulation. During this
time of judgment God destroys all the wicked from Israel. In verses
13 and 14 Isaiah contrasted the condition of the ungodly in Israel with
the faithful remnant of that people. The Lord takes care of and
protects His own, supplying all their needs. Out of Israel He will
bring forth this remnant that shall enjoy the blessings of the Kingdom
Age (vss. 15, 16). Then the one who blesses himself shall do so in the
God of truth. The one who swears in the earth shall swear by the God
of truth.
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The reason for this new social ethical and spiritual society is this:
"Because the former troubles are forgotten, and because they are hid
from mine eyes" (Isa. 65:16). Everything that will be suggestive of
the present sinful era will have been removed from the earth. Our
present civilization will have been eliminated and everything in
connection with it will be covered and hidden, declares the Lord,
from His eyes. Of course He is speaking in an anthropomorphic
manner—as if He were a human being. The reason that every vestige
of the present age will be removed from sight is expressed in verse
17: "For, behold, I [Jehovah] create new heavens and a new earth; and
the former things shall not be remembered, nor come into mind." At
the end of the Tribulation the Lord will create new heavens and a new
earth. The terrific and far-reaching judgments of the Tribulation will
be so destructive that there could otherwise be no Millennial Age. In
order that there might be such an era, the Lord will create new
material in the heavens above and on the earth beneath. Under these
conditions this earth together with its solar system will have every
appearance of an entirely new order.
A study of Isaiah, chapter 66, which concludes with a similar
prediction concerning the new heavens and the new earth, shows that
this prophecy refers to the creation of the heavens and the earth at the
beginning of the Millennial Age. This fact becomes evident to one
who notices that verse 22 is introduced by the conjunction for and is
explanatory of what has preceded. An examination of verses 10-21
shows that the prophet was speaking of the Millennial Age. This
passage therefore is also a reference to the Kingdom Age. The facts
of this context do not lead us to believe that it has a double reference.
We shall do well therefore to take it at its primary face value.

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In 2 Peter 3:13 is another promise of the new heavens and the new
earth wherein dwelleth righteousness. To what does this passage
refer? Was Peter speaking of the Millennial heavens and earth? It is
abundantly evident that the new heavens and the new earth mentioned
by him are none other than the new heavens and the new earth
foretold by Isaiah, which, as we have seen, will be brought into
existence at the beginning of the Millennial Age. Thus Peter
interprets and, at the same time, locates the promise made by Isaiah.
In view of these and many other facts that might be mentioned, we
cannot avoid the conclusion that the new heavens and the new earth
mentioned by Isaiah and by Peter in his second Epistle are the
Millennial heavens and the Millennial earth.
The new heavens and the new earth and the new Jerusalem which
comes down and rests upon the eternal earth constitute the eternal
order and have no connection with the Millennial order.

The Eternal Heavens

In Rev. 21:1 John informs us that he "saw a new heaven and a new
earth: for the first heaven and the first earth are passed away" and that
there is to be no sea on that new earth.
After John was given a vision of the new heavens and the new
earth he then saw "the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of
heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband."
When this eternal Jerusalem comes down and rests upon the
eternal earth, then the Tabernacle of God will be with men. He will
dwell with them, and they will be His people, and He will be their
God. This will be an entirely new order and different from that which
obtains at the present time. According to Ps. 115:16, "The heavens are
the heavens of Jehovah, But the earth hath he given to the children of
men."
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The atmospheric heavens surround the earth. Out in space are the
stellar heavens. Beyond them are the heavens of the heavens which is
called the immediate presence of God. It is there that God dwells. But
He gave the earth to the children of men. He does not dwell with
them in the literal sense as is foretold that He will in the future.
But when the eternal order is created, God's Tabernacle will no
longer be in the Heaven of the heavens. It will be in this eternal
Jerusalem which will come down out of the heavens and rest on the
eternal earth.
John emphasizes the fact that this eternal order will be made
completely new. In other words, no material that has entered into the
present physical order will be used in the construction of the eternal
universe. All the materials that now constitute the present physical
order pass out of existence at the end of the Millennium. Hence, the
Lord creates all things anew.
According to verse 6, Christ declares: "I am the Alpha and the
Omega, the beginning [of all things] and the end"—the One in whom
all things find their consummation and to whom are all things. He is
the One who has the fountain of the water of life. He will let anyone
who will, come and drink thereof so that he may never thirst again.
In verse 7 a promise is made to those who overcome. They shall
inherit all these things. God will be their God, and they will be His
children.
But in verse 8, the place of awful doom for the ungodly is set
forth. "But for the fearful, and unbelieving, and abominable, and
murderers, and fornicators, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars,
their part shall be in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone;
which is the second death" (compare 1 Cor. 6:9-11).

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The Eternal Jerusalem

In Rev. 21:9-22:5 we have a full and detailed statement of the
eternal Jerusalem.
In verses 9 and 10, John informs us that he was invited by "one of
the seven angels who had the seven bowls, who were laden with the
seven last plagues" to come with him, saying "I will show thee the
bride, the wife of the Lamb." Then this angel took John to a high
mountain, from which he could view the situation of the eternal order
and showed him "the holy city Jerusalem" the eternal Jerusalem,
"coming down out of heaven from God" and resting upon the eternal
earth. From this advantageous place John viewed these eternal
matters and was thrilled to the very depths of his soul.
In verses 11-17 we are given a description of the eternal
Jerusalem. It is a city "foursquare," that is, a perfect cube, the sides of
which are 12,000 furlongs. When these Greek measurements are
translated into English, we learn that this city will be 1,500 miles
long, 1,500 miles wide and 1,500 miles high. There will probably be
various levels in that new Jerusalem which will be 1,500 miles high.
There will be something like 2,000,000,000 ordinary city blocks on
one of these levels. Everybody could be living in a house on a lot 100
feet wide and 200 feet deep, on a street 100 feet wide.
We should make a contrast between this eternal city of Jerusalem
of which we read in Revelation, chapters 21 and 22, and the
Millennial Jerusalem. When we study Ezekiel’s prophecy, chapters
40-48, we have a full and detailed description of the Jerusalem of the
Millennial Age and of its Temple. The city of Jerusalem will be upon
what the prophet called the oblation, the high mountain that will be
created in Palestine at the beginning of the Millennium. It will stand
throughout the Kingdom Age. The city of Jerusalem with its suburbs
will be a city ten miles broad by ten miles long. In other words, the
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Millennial Jerusalem will cover one hundred square miles. But this is
a very small city in comparison with the eternal Jerusalem, the ground
plan of which will cover 2,250,000 square miles. These facts show
conclusively that the Millennial Jerusalem is one thing and the eternal
Jerusalem is an entirely different matter.
Since God has a sense of proportion and does all things well, we
may assume that the eternal earth upon which the eternal Jerusalem
will rest forever will be enormous in comparison with this present
earth.
Surrounding this eternal city of Jerusalem will be a wall which
will have twelve foundations and twelve gates. They will rest upon
these twelve foundations. Over each gate will be engraved the name
of one of the twelve tribes of Israel. On the foundation underneath
each gate will be the name of one of the Apostles of the Lamb. Only
through these gates will anyone be able to enter into this eternal city.

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THE ETERNAL JERUSALEM—The chart, “the Eternal Jerusalem,”

reveals the scope of the city foursquare.

In verses 18-21 we read of the various gems out of which the

foundations and the gates of the city will be made. The glory that will
radiate from this place is far beyond the imagination of any mortal.
According to verses 22 and 23, God and Christ will be the Temple
and the light of the city. There will be no need of sun, moon or stars
"for the glory of God did lighten it, and the lamp thereof is the
Lamb."
Verse 24 is a very important and strikingly significant passage:
"And the nations shall walk amidst the light thereof: and the kings of
the earth bring their glory into it." The Common Version adds a
modifying clause which reads: "And the nations of them that are
saved." This clause was added to the original text by a very late Latin
manuscript. It is not in any of the old, reliable Greek manuscripts.
Who are referred to in this passage? All of the saved from the
present material universe will be in the city of Jerusalem. These
people and their kings will live out of the city and on the eternal
earth. These will come and visit this eternal city. This conclusion we
cannot avoid if we accept the statements as they are given. I am
inclined to believe that this will be a new race of people who will be
created and live upon that eternal earth. Sin will never touch them.
They will be in perfect harmony with the will of God throughout all
eternity. It is altogether possible that the saints who suffer and labor
for the Lord and who reign with Christ in the Millennium will
likewise reign over this new race of people, see Ps. 102:18.

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In Rev. 22:1, 2, we have a most beautiful picture of the river of

water of life, "bright as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God
and of the Lamb." This river will flow in the midst of the street. This
is probably the street mentioned in Rev. 21:21.
On either side of this stream is the tree of life which bears "twelve
manner of fruits, yielding its fruit every month: and the leaves of the
tree were for the healing of the nations." There will be no sickness, no
death in the eternal order. A better rendering appears to be "and the
leaves of the tree were for the HEALTH of the nations." This tree of
life will have the same purpose that it had in the Garden of Eden
(Gen. 3:22-24).
In Rev. 22:5 we read of this land of eternal day: "And there shall
be night no more; and they need no light of lamp, neither light of sun;
for the Lord God shall give them light: and they shall reign for ever
and ever."
It has never entered the mind of mortal man what God has in store
for those who know Him and who love Him. We shall be occupied
throughout all eternity in reigning with Christ as we are told in the
last quotation. We who are redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ and
who are trusting Him and the merits of His shed blood shall enjoy
these great and marvelous blessings for ever and ever.
It pays to be on God's side, to know Christ and to labor for Him
while we have time and opportunity. May the Spirit of God stir our
hearts to loyalty and faithfulness in the discharge of every duty that
comes upon us.

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Chapter 22

The Closing Remarks of the Book of Revelation (Rev. 22:6-21)

"THESE WORDS ARE FAITHFUL AND TRUE"

At the conclusion of the last vision the interpreting angel said to
John that the words which he had spoken and showed him were
faithful and true. This statement is correct regarding everything that
God has said. The Psalmist David declared: "The words of Jehovah
are pure words; As silver tried in a furnace on the earth, Purified
seven times" (Ps. 12:6).
The statement regarding God's faithfulness and truthfulness is
followed by a prophecy that the Lord will come quickly. Following
this prediction is the exhortation: "Blessed is he that keepeth the
words of the prophecy of this book."

Worship God Alone

John declared that he is the one who saw and heard the things that
are written in the book of Revelation. When the Apostle heard, he fell
down before the angel that showed him the revelation. When he did
this, the angel said that he should refrain from worshiping him
because "I am a fellow-servant with thee and with thy brethren the
prophets, and with them that keep the words of this book." The angel
concluded his words with the exhortation that men should "worship
God" and worship God alone!

Prophecy is Not Sealed Today

In verse 10 we have this language: "And he saith unto me, Seal not
up the words of the prophecy of this book; for the time is at hand."

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When Daniel was given the revelations recorded in his book, he

was urged: "But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book,
even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge
shall be increased" (Dan. 12:4). The expression "shut up the words,
and seal the book" indicates that the revelation given to Daniel was a
closed book for the people of that day and time. It becomes an open
book in the time of the end as the verse declares. That we are in the
end of the age there can be no doubt. God has, figuratively speaking,
removed the veil, and anyone who wishes to know the message of the
book of Daniel can do so provided he will seek diligently for the truth
and will ask God to open his eyes.
The Lord said that John was not to seal up the book of Revelation.
In other words he was to put it in such a form that men can
understand it.
Prophecy can be understood! People must have the proper idea
and attitude towards it. If a person thinks that prophecy cannot be
understood; that it is enigmatical, he, of course, cannot comprehend
it. The expression that prophecy cannot be understood is absolutely
false. One should study the prophecies that are quoted in the New
Testament from the Old and then examine carefully the context in the
Old Testament. We should take everything at its primary, ordinary,
usual, literal meaning unless the facts of the context point to the
conclusion that the words are not used literally but are employed
figuratively or symbolically—then we can understand the message.
The same thing is true with reference to prophecy in the New
Testament. A person can understand history as it is recorded in the
Old Testament as well as in the New. If a person can understand how
to study the historical portions of the Old Testament and if he realizes
that prophecy is but history prewritten and approaches the study of

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prophecy from that point of view, he can come to a correct

understanding of the predictions in both the Old and New Testaments.

Christ and His Message

In verses 11-15 we have a message that centers around Christ who
is set forth in verse 13 in the following words: "I am the Alpha and
the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end." The
words Alpha and Omega are the names of the first and last letters of
the Greek alphabet. By this language Jesus is saying that He is the
first and the last. There was none before Him and He will continue on
forever and ever. He is the beginning of all creation in that He created
all things and by Him all things hold together (Col. 1:9-17).
Statements with reference to the Trinity must be understood in the
light of the fundamental passage of the Old Testament, namely, Deut.
6:4 which, when properly rendered, reads: "Hear, O Israel, Jehovah
our Gods is Jehovah a unity." There is but one Divine Substance or
Essence but three Persons subsisting in that one Divine Essence.
These great truths are fundamental and underlie all the teaching of the
Word of God both in the Old and New Testaments. Christ is God and
is co-equal and co-eternal with the Father and with the Holy Spirit.
Since He took the initiative, laid aside the glory that He had with the
Father before the world began and came here as the God-man to
redeem man, He is the central figure around whom all things revolve.
"... the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy" (Rev. 19:10).
Christ "the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the
beginning and the end" urges people to continue in the way that they
have chosen and are determined to go. Thus He said: "He that is
unrighteous, let him do unrighteousness still: ... and he that is holy, let
him be made holy still" (Rev. 22:11). The Almighty has never forced
anyone's will. He uses moral suasion to influence people to choose
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and to do the correct thing, but He does not pass over the threshold of
anyone's personality in an effort to force or coerce him to do the right.
If a person deliberately chooses unrighteousness, or filthiness, or
anything of that nature, the Lord will not force him away from the
choices which he has made. He will allow him to go on in the same
bent of his mind. On the other hand if there is any righteous one—
someone who loves truth, righteousness and justice—he is urged to
pursue that kind of life in accordance with the true fundamental
principles of righteousness and justice.
According to verse 12 Jesus will come quickly. When He comes
the second time, He will bring His reward with Him and render to
everyone according to his work. When Christ came nineteen hundred
years ago, He appeared upon earth as the Lamb of God that takes
away the sin of the world. He worked out God's plan of redemption of
mankind and made it possible that everyone who desires light might
have the opportunity and the privilege of becoming sons of God.
When He returns, He will come with His reward and will render to
every man according to his deeds. We are urged to stop laying up our
treasures upon earth but we are to continually lay up our treasures in
Heaven.
The Lord gave a message concerning those who are saved. Hear
Him: "Blessed are they that wash their robes, that they may have the
right to come to the tree of life, and may enter in by the gates into the
city" (Rev. 22:14). Those people come voluntarily in faith to the Lord
Jesus Christ. They wash their robes and make them white in the blood
of the Lamb. Regardless of how sinful a person may be, if he will
only come to Christ, the Lord will wash him and make him whiter
than snow.

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Those who are washed in the blood of the Lamb will have access
to the tree of life. They will be permitted to enter the holy, eternal
city, where they will be with God, Christ and the Holy Spirit and
loved ones throughout all eternity. Hence the saved are indeed in a
blessed and happy condition!
In contrast with those who enter the eternal Jerusalem are those
who are denied that privilege. They are spoken of as being "without"
the city. This word is not to be understood as implying that
immediately outside the eternal Jerusalem will be the wicked, that is
"the dogs, and the sorcerers, and the fornicators, and the murderers,
and the idolaters, and everyone that loveth and maketh a lie." In
contrast with the saved who will be "within" the city, the evil,
reprobate ones will be "without." They will be in the place that is
called "the lake of fire" which burns with fire and brimstone forever
and ever. Just where perdition will be no one can tell. But it is in a
certain locality in the universe. They will never be able to depart from
that place.

The Angel Sent by Christ to Testify

In verse 16 we read: "I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto
you these things for the churches. I am the root and the offspring of
David, the bright, the morning star."
The Lord sent His special angel to testify the things that are
written in the book of Revelation to the churches. Why to the
churches? There is but one answer: That they might know what is
contained in the revelation appearing in the book and that they might
conform their lives thereto. "Every scripture inspired of God is also
profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for instruction
which is in righteousness: that the man of God may be complete,
furnished completely unto every good work" (2 Tim 3:16, 17).
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Christ speaks of Himself again as the "root and the offspring of

David." By this expression He meant that He is a descendant of
David, humanly speaking. Christ is great David's "Greater Son"—the
God-man.
However, He calls Himself "the bright, the morning star." The
morning star appears just before daybreak. As it rises before the break
of day so will Christ appear as "the bright, the morning star." This
statement refers to Christ's appearing before the dawn of the great and
bright Millennial Day. In other words, Christ will appear as "the
bright, the morning star" at the time of the Rapture, which will occur
immediately before the Tribulation breaks upon the world. The Lord
Jesus Christ will Himself "descend from heaven, with a shout, with
the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in
Christ shall rise first; then we that are alive, that are left, shall
together with them be caught up in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the
air." The saints who are left upon the earth will be snatched away,
being caught up to meet the Lord in the air and so shall we ever be
with the Lord (1 Thess. 4:16, 17).

Christ's Invitation to all Thirsty, Weary Souls

In Rev. 22:17 we have one of the three great invitations that
appear in the Bible. The first one is found in Ps. 2:10-12. This is
extended to the atheistic and unbelieving leaders of the end time.
They are admonished not to do what they contemplate but to turn to
God and worship Him and accept the Lord Jesus Christ as their
Saviour.
The second great invitation is that which was extended by the Lord
Jesus Christ. "Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden,
and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for

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I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light" (Matt. 11:28-30).
The last of the three great invitations is Rev. 22:17: "And the
Spirit and the bride say, Come. And he that heareth, let him say,
Come. And he that is athirst, let him come: he that will, let him take
the water of life freely." The "Spirit" is the Holy Spirit. The "bride" is
the Church. Both of them extend the invitation to the sinner to come
and accept Christ. The one who hears and accepts the invitation
should sound forth the message to others that they, too, may come to
Christ and be saved. The one who is thirsty let him come also.
Whosoever will may come and partake of the "water of life" freely
and be saved. Thus the Bible ends with this marvelous invitation to
all who will, to come.

Warning Against Adding to or Taking from the Scripture

In one of his final orations Moses, immediately before his death,
warned the people not to add to anything that God had said nor to
take from it: "Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you,
neither shall ye diminish from it, that ye may keep the
commandments of Jehovah your God which I command you" (Deut.
4:2).
In Rev. 22:18, 19, the Lord concludes the book of Revelation and
at the same time the Bible, with the same warning that men must not
take from the Scriptures nor add to them or mutilate or change them
in any way. The Scriptures are the infallibly inspired Word of God.
They say what they mean, and they mean exactly what they say.
People should be careful how they change, warp, distort, or modify
what God has said! If one takes from the Book, "God shall take away
his part from the tree of life, and out of the holy city." If he adds to it,
God will "add unto him the plagues which are written in this book”—
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the book of Revelation. The only safe course to pursue is to take the
Word of God as it is written and to follow the letter and the spirit of
the instructions.
The Lord in verse 20 promises that He is coming: "Yea: I come
quickly." The Apostle John then chimes in and says: "Amen: come,
Lord Jesus." Every true heart who recognizes the truthfulness of the
Christian faith and the blessedness of the eternal home prays with
John, O Lord, come! Come, Lord Jesus!
The Bible ends with the Apostolic prayer: "The grace of the Lord
Jesus be with the saints. Amen" (Rev. 22:21).

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