The Antichrist Appears to be Killed
Dani’el 7:11 and 11:45b

Having reached his zenith of power and with Isra’el prostrate at his feet, the antichrist then turns his attention toward the invading ten kings from the east and north. His next move in the chess game with God, is that in the course of this conflict, he appears to be killed. Yet the beast will seemingly come to his end, and no one will help him. His body appears to be destroyed and thrown into a blazing fire (Dani’el 11:45b and 7:11). But this is all an allusion of Satan, the father of lies. The counterfeit father will stage the counterfeit death of his counterfeit son to set up a counterfeit resurrection. As far as Satan is concerned, at this point, all is going as planned.

Dear Heavenly Father, You are so wise! As far as You are concerned, all is going as You planned. Satan will be taken out and all those who follow him. Also I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to make war against the One who sat on the horse and against His army. Then the beast was captured, and along with him the false prophet who had performed the signs before him by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast, as well as those who had worshiped his image. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone. The rest were killed with the sword coming out of the mouth of the One riding on the horse.(Revelation 19:19-21a). You could wipe out evil immediately but You are patient, wanting to give an opportunity for all to turn their heart to loving You. How important to decide to follow Yeshua as Lord and Savior so God can  save you (Romans 10:9-10)  and give You all of Messiah’s righteousness (Second Corinthians 5:21). Praise You that the person who chooses to love and follow You will be Your child (John 1:12, 3:3) and be taken to live with You in heaven in eternal peace and joy. We praise, worship and love You. In the holy name of Your Son and the power of His resurrection. Amen

At the Time of the End,
the King of the South Will Engage Him in Battle
Dani’el 11: 40-45a

At the time of the end, the king of the south will engage him in battle DIG: What fierce conflicts does the antichrist wage? Where does he set up his military command post? To what extent does he succeed? 

REFLECT: When have you stepped out in the flesh and tried to accomplish something, only to have it fall apart? What did you do about it? Why?

Whatever kind of peace may have existed between the antichrist and the ten kings ruling the ten kingdoms of the world will come to an end as the beast begins to take political control of the world. Thus, the second worldwide conflict begins when the antichrist declares war on the ten kings.²⁹¹ The time of the end is a reference to the Great Tribulation period.

In his war against the ten kings, the antichrist attacks in every direction. He is seen attacking the king of the south, who will engage him in battle (Dani’el 11:40). The word engage is literally to push. The king of the south will push like a goat (see Dani’el 8:5-7) at the antichrist, meaning to attack him, in an effort to hinder his plans to expand his control of the world. Egypt will not escape and will open the door for his conquest of Africa (11:42). He will gain control of the treasures of gold and silver and all the riches of Egypt, with Libyans and Nubians in submission (11:43).

The king of the north will storm out against him with chariots and cavalry and a great fleet of ships (Dani’el 11:40 and 44). The weapons listed here are the kind used in the time of Dani’el. They are best taken as representative of their counterparts of modern warfare; however, modern weapons could not have been listed in Dani’el’s day if the reader then was to understand it.

He will also invade the king of the east (Dani’el 11:44). The three kings that he will eventually end up killing (Dani’el 7:8, 20 24) will be the king of the south (or Egypt), the king of the north (or Syria), and the king of the king of the east (or Mesopotamia).

Dear Heavenly Father, Praise Your power and wisdom! Nothing or no one is greater or more powerful than You. Kings make plans and fight battle; but You are the sovereign Ruler of the universe. You have already won the final battle of the ages (Revelation 21:7-9)! You will reign eternally! We love and worship You! In the holy name of Your Son and Hispower of resurrection. Amen

The king will invade many countries and sweep through them like a flood (Dani’el 11:40). When the word flood is used symbolically in the Bible it is always used of a military invasion. Initially, he will be very successful militarily. He will also invade Isra’el, the Beautiful Land (also see 11:1-2), setting the stage for the Abomination of Desolation (to see link click Dr – The Abomination That Causes Desolation). Although the antichrist will eventually gain political control of the whole world, he will extend his power over many countries and many will fall, three countries will escape his domination, Edom, Moab and the leaders of Ammon will be delivered from his hand (Dani’el 11:41). Today all three of these ancient countries lay in modern day Jordan, where the ancient city of Bozrah, now known as Petra, is located.

But the antichrist will hear reports from the east, and the north that will alarm him. He will be enraged at the reports that he will hear. And after dealing with Zion, he will purpose in his heart to set out against the other ten kings and destroy them (Dani’el 11:44).

First, however, he will set up his military command post in Jerusalem. He will pitch his royal tents between the seas, meaning the Mediterranean and Dead Sea. Ancient conquerors took tents with them for their official dwelling places when at war. At the center of the encampment a large main tent was pitched and around it small ones for personal attendants.

His command post will be at the beautiful holy mountain of Jerusalem, or Mount Zion (Dani’el 11:45a). According to Zechariah 14:2, the antichrist will bring complete destruction on Jerusalem, and this would make his setting up his headquarters on the temple mount possible. According to Zechariah 13:8-9 he will by this time have killed two-thirds of the Jews in the world. Before this, he will have brought Isra’el to a state of complete humiliation, with both their army and their government fully crushed.

Another Mighty Angel and the Little Scroll
10: 1-11

Another mighty angel and the little scroll DIG: What is the angel like who announces the coming of the seventh trumpet? In what ways is this picture different from the traditional view of angels? What purposes have the disasters of the first six trumpets led to? What do you anticipate the seventh trumpet will bring forth? What happens to the little scroll? How can a message from God be both sour and bitter?

REFLECT: How has God led you into a project or a ministry that you probably wouldn’t have selected yourself? What is an experience you once thought was sweet, but then later turned sour? Or maybe you thought it would be sour, but it turned out sweet? How has God’s Word been both sweet and sour to you?

John has just finished the account of the sounding of the first six of seven trumpets, together with the plagues or woes that accompanied them. We should expect him now to talk about the sounding of the blast from the seventh shofar. Instead of doing so, he inserts two parenthetical chapters that do not advance the chronological events of the book, but they do contribute to giving us the big picture of prophecy during the Great Tribulation. The seventh trumpet will not be heard until 11:15-19, where the mystery of God will be fulfilled and evil will be punished.²⁸⁵

Dear Great Heavenly Father, Praise You for Your love and holiness. Though it may appear that evil is winning – the end for all who do evil will be terrible and eternal. The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some consider slowness. Rather, He is being patient toward you – not wanting anyone to perish, but for all to come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. On that day the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the elements will melt and disintegrate, and the earth and everything done on it shall be exposed. Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what kind of people should you be? Live your lives in holiness and godliness. (Second Peter 3:9-11). We focus on living righteous lives to please You because we love You. In Your holy Son’s name and power of His resurrection. Amen

This interrupted narrative is consistent with John’s style elsewhere in Revelation. Between the sixth and seventh seals, he inserted the interlude of the great multitude (7:9-17). Between the seven trumpets and seven bowls, John inserts the interlude of the woman and the dragon (12:1-17), the beast out of the sea and the beast out of the earth (13:1-18), and the vision of the Lamb on Mount Zion (14:1-20).

The question of evil in the world has troubled people throughout history. Why has God allowed it? Why do the wicked seem to prosper? Why does sin seemingly run wild without restraint? Why do good people suffer? When will He act so that the wicked are punished and the righteous are delivered? In the midst of his trials Job complained that the tents of marauders are undisturbed and those who provoke God are secure. Why do the wicked live on, growing old and increasing in power (Job 12:6; 21:7)? The psalmists commonly asked why ADONAI tolerates evil men (Psalms 10:1-5, 74:10-11, 83:1-2, 94:3-4). Echoing their cry, prophets like Jeremiah and Habakkuk asked the same question (Jeremiah 12:1-3; Habakkuk 1:13). Even the Tribulation martyrs in heaven cried out: How long, Sovereign Ruler, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood (6:10)?

When the seventh shofar sounds, it will proclaim the imminent return and reign of the Messiah. The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, which said: The kingdom of the world has become the Kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He will reign forever and ever (11:15).

Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven (10:1a). The phrase I saw marks the beginning of a new section (4:1, 7:1 and 9, 15:5, 18:1, 19:1). After his vision of the first six trumpets (8:6 to 9:21), John saw an angel that he had never seen before. This mighty angel will be very different from the seven trumpet angels. His description is similar to that of the glorified Messiah, and many commentators have identified this figure as Jesus Christ. But there are five reasons this could not be Him.

First, the use of allos (another of the same kind) identifies this angel as one exactly like the previously mentioned trumpet angels. If the Greek were referring to Christ the word heteros (another of a different kind) would be expected, since the Messiah is essentially different from angels. However, the Lord cannot be described as an angel because they are created beings and He is the uncreated, eternal God.

Secondly, whenever Christ appears in the book of Revelation, John gives Him a unique title. He is called the faithful and true witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth (1:5), the living One (1:18), the Son of God (2:18), the One who is holy and true (3:7), the Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Ruler of God’s creation (3:14), the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, the Root of David (5:5), the Lamb (6:1 and 16, 7:17, 8:1), Faithful and True (19:11), the Word of God (19:13), and the King of kings and Lord of lords (19:16). It stands to reason that if the Messiah is the mighty angel, He would be given a unique title like before. But this angel isn’t.

Thirdly, other mighty angles that cannot be identified with Christ also appear in the book (5:2 and 18:21). Consequently, there is no compelling reason to associate that title with Yeshua Messiah. While it is true that the preincarnate Jesus appears as an Angel of God in the TaNaKh, nowhere in the New Covenant does it refer to Him as merely an angel.

Fourthly, it is inconceivable that Jesus Christ, the Second Person of the Trinity, could make the oath that this mighty angel makes because he swore by Him who lives for ever and ever (Deuteronomy 32:40), by Him who created the heavens and all that is in them (Genesis 1:1), the earth and all that is in it, and the sea and all that is in it (10:5-6). Since Yeshua is God, He would swear by Himself, as He did in Hebrews 6:13.

Finally, this mighty angel came down from heaven to the earth. So if he were Christ, it would add another coming of the Messiah to the earth. This cannot be the Second Coming (Matthew 24:30; Second Thessalonians 1:7-8), so this mighty angel coming down from heaven could not be the Messiah. It would be unbiblical.

This mighty angel will be so magnificent that he made the previous wicked angels look plain and drab by comparison. He was robed in a cloud, with a rainbow above his head (Ezekiel 1:26-28). After the Flood, ADONAI gave the rainbow as the sign of His promise never again to destroy the world with water (Genesis 9:12-16). The rainbow above the head of this mighty angel will reassure the LORD’s people of His mercy in the midst of His judgments to come (Malachi 3:16 to 4:2). Moving to his appearance, we are told that his face was like the sun. But even if the glow of his face surpassed that of Moses (Exodus 34:29-35), it still will not compare to the Sh’khinah glory of God, who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see (First Timothy 6:16). Lastly, John describes his legs as being like immovable fiery pillars (10:1b). This describes his unyielding holiness as he stamps out his judgment upon the earth, pictured here a fire that devours the ungodly (Malachi 4:1).

He was holding a little scroll, which lay open in his hand. This is the second scroll mentioned in the book of Revelation. The first scroll in Chapter 5 contained the seven seals. Six were the seal judgments of Chapter 6, and the seventh seal contained the seven trumpet judgments, which describe the events in the first half of the Tribulation. The content of the little scroll deals with the seventh trumpet, which is a mystery.²⁸⁶

The fact that the mighty angel planted his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land (10:2) demonstrates ADONAI’s sovereign ability to judge the entire world that He will take back from Satan. Rabbi Sha’ul wrote: The earth is the Lord’s and everything in it (First Corinthians 10:26). So here, this action by the mighty angel anticipates the coming seventh shofar and seven bowls of judgment on the entire earth. The voice of the angel will be equal with his enormous size. He will give a loud shout like the roar of a lion, reflecting the power and authority of God. When he shouted, a startling thing happened: The voices of the seen thunders communicated to John (10:3). And when the seven thunders spoke, John was about to write; but before he could record the message, he heard a voice from heaven saying: Seal up what the seven thunders have said and do not write it down (10:4). No one knows why the LORD didn’t want the message written down. Dani’el also was forbidden to record certain parts of his visions (Dani’el 8:26, 12:4-9). Up to this point, six of the seven trumpets will have sounded; there will be one to come.

The mystery itself will be revealed with the sounding of the seventh trumpet just prior to the start of the second half of the Great Tribulation (11:14-19). John said: Then the angel I had seen standing on the sea and on the land raised his right hand to heaven (Deuteronomy 32:40; Dani’el 12:7), taking a solemn oath to show the importance of this mystery (10:5). And he swore by Him who lives for ever and ever, who created the heavens and all that is in them (Genesis 1;1), the earth and all that is in it, and said: There will be no more delay (10:6)! Finally nothing will stand in the way of the final dramatic period of human history. Restraint will be removed once the antichrist is revealed (First Thessalonians 2:3). This will be the time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of the nations until then (Dani’el 12:1). It will be the darkness before the dawn of the Second Coming. The period of delay will be over and the Lord’s wrath will be irreversibly set in motion.²⁸⁷

Father, Your Spirit in my heart echoes the words of the mighty angel: There will be no more delay! Come, Lord, and establish Your reign in my heart and over all humanity. My heart aches for Your return.

But it will be a process, in the days when the seventh angel is about to sound his trumpet, the mystery of God will be accomplished. A mystery in the Bible is something that was once hidden, but is now being revealed. And what will be revealed are all the details of the second half of the Great Tribulation and the ushering in of the new heavens and a new earth. ADONAI had previously announced that mystery without all the details to His servants the prophets (10:7). The seventh trumpet that contains the seven bowl judgments is the third and final woe. For this reason, it is the worst of all. The little scroll contains all the information about the seventh trumpet with the bowl judgments (Revelation 15 and 16). Thus, attention will then be focused on the little scroll.

The content of the little book is prophecy, specifically the prophecy of the middle, and then the second half of the Great Tribulation. This gives us a clue to the meaning of the next verses. As the mighty angel fell silent, a booming voice from heaven spoke again. This time the voice from heaven gave John a strange but significant assignment: Go, and take the scroll that lies open in the left hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land (10:8). Now John must be more than merely an observer, he must also be a doer. The voice from heaven tells him to take the scroll out of the mighty angel’s hand. The same is true for us. Following the Messiah requires doing, not just observing. The word of God should be like the sound a trumpet, motivating believers into action.

So I went to the angel and asked him to give me the little scroll. He said to me: Take it and eat it. It will turn your stomach sour, but in your mouth it will be as sweet as honey (10:9). The act of eating the scroll symbolized the absorbing and assimilating of God’s Word (Psalm 19:10; Jeremiah 15:16; Ezekiel 2:8 to 3:4). When John took the little scroll from the angel’s hand and ate it. It tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it, my stomach turned sour (10:10). It tastes sweet because John, like all believers, wants the Lord to act in judgment to take back the earth that is rightfully His and be exalted, honored, and glorified as He deserves. But the realization of the terrible doom awaiting unbelievers turned that initial sweet taste into bitterness.²⁸⁸ We should have our stomachs turned sour with the knowledge of what is in store for mankind. There is no joy in preaching the wrath of God. The only escape will be the Rapture (Second Thessalonians 4:16-18), and the only requirement for the Rapture (to see link click By – The Rapture of the Church) is acceptance of Jesus Christ today.²⁸⁹

The Lord will take no pleasure in the death of the wicked (Ezekiel 18:23, 33:11), and neither should we. He is long-suffering (Second Peter 3:9), and so we should be. So John was told: You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, languages and kings (10:11). As an exile on Patmos (1:9), John had no opportunity to preach to all the nations, but he was to write the prophecies and distribute them, so as to warn all people of the bitterness of judgment to come and of death and hell. Thus, this chapter introduces the reader to the events of the middle of the Great Tribulation.

We can better understand why John was commanded to eat the scroll of God’s Word if we think of the words he was to proclaim to the people of God. As one who was to announce His message, John first had to allow it to nourish his own spiritual life before he could effectively proclaim it to others. So it is with us. Scripture provides the nourishment we crave. With the Lord’s spiritual food, our lives can be richer as we experience it with Him.

Admittedly, reading Scripture may sometimes challenge us. The angel told John that the scroll would turn his stomach sour, but in his mouth it would be as sweet as honey (10:9). ADONAI’s word can seem sour to us because it challenges us to change our lives and live in conformity to the will of God. Yet, at the same time, it is sweet because it helps us to know the Lord and His tender love. Therefore, as we take the scroll and eat it, let us trust God’s promise that His word will taste as sweet as honey in our mouths even if it may prove bitter to our stomachs as we accept the challenges it puts before us. We can take comfort that the bitterness lasts for a short while, even as the sweetness is eternal.²⁹⁰

Father, Your Spirit in my heart resonates with the words of the mighty angel: There will be no more delay! Come, Lord Jesus, and establish Your reign in my heart and over all humanity. My heart aches for Your return.

The Events in the Middle of the Great Tribulation
10:1 to 14:20 and 17:16

The sixth trumpet judgment concludes the first half of the Great Tribulation and followed by a temporary lull in the judgments being poured out of heaven. But it does not mean that the earth is at peace. As soon as the antichrist has his image set up in the Most Holy Place of the tribulation temple by the false prophet and declares himself to be God, he will start a systematic genocide of the Jewish race as seen in Chapters 12 and 13. The nations will be in chaos as the antichrist continues to gradually take over the political, economic and religious systems of the entire world.

So many things will happen at this point it is impossible to put them in any chronological order. Therefore, the following is more of a logical order. The length of the first half of the Great Tribulation and the length of the second half are exact. Each have 1,260 days or 42 months (11:2-3). So technically, there is no middle. But here, the Tribulation enters into the proverbial eye of the hurricane. Like the battle of Gettysburg in the Civil War, or the battle of Midway in World War II, this will be a turning point. Some of these events may leak from the end of the first half, and some may bleed into the beginning of the second half, we cannot be sure of the exact time frame. But one thing we can be certain of, is that all these events will happen somewhere in the middle of the Great Tribulation, Chapters 10:1 to 14:20, and 17:16.²⁸⁴

This whole section is parenthetical. Chapters 10 through 14 add some necessary details about the events in the middle of the Great Tribulation, and they also show why the bowl judgments will be so necessary.

Dear Wise and Powerful Heavenly Father, It is a joy to know that You have all of the future “in your back pocket”, nothing will happen that will surprise You. Even when it seems that evil is winning and death is all around, You are still on the throne and it is up to You to break the seals, bowls and trumpets that usher in the next calamity.  When the Lamb opened the fourth seal, I heard the fourth living creature saying, “Come!”  Behold, I saw a horse, pale greenish gray. The name of the one riding on it was Death, and Sheol was following with him. Authority was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill by sword and by famine and by plague and by the wild beasts of the earth. . .So, the four angels – who had been prepared for the hour and day and month and year – were released to kill a third of mankind (Revelation 6:5-8; 9:15). Praise you that Your wrath is not out of unkindness; but it is Your love trying to wake people up to turn away from worshipping money and themselves and to turn toward Your great love for them. Yeshua died so all could come to heaven, but each person must choose to love and follow You (John 1:12, 3:3; Romans 10:9-10) so they can enter Your holy presence (Second Corinthians 5:21) and have eternal peace and joy. We bow in worship of You and look forward to spending eternality with You. In Your holy Son’s name and power of resurrection. Amen  

I Saw a Woman Holding a Golden Cup,
Filled with the Filth of Her Adulteries
17: 1-6a, 15 and 18

I saw a woman holding a golden cup, filled with the filth of her adulteries DIG: Who is the central figure in this scene? In what sense is she influential? Evil? Attractive? Repulsive? What is the ultimate sin here? What is the significance of the prostitute’s clothing and the gold cup in her hand? Where is MYSTERY BABYLON geographically located?

REFLECT: Do you see anything like a one world religion, or religious Babylon in our society today? Where? How? When? How can you stay out of her clutches?

Rebellion began in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3). But it flourished, giving birth to man-made religion, in Babylon after the Flood (Genesis 6-7). Here, in this section, John gives us a heavenly perspective on the matter. Instead of obeying God’s command to be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth (Genesis 9:1 and 7), the descendants of Noah moved east to the plane of Shinar – the location of ancient Babylon. There they defied ADONAI’s mandate to fill the earth, preferring to band together and build a tower that would symbolize their man-made greatness (Genesis 11:1-9). Nimrod led the rebellion where they said to each other, “Come, let us build for ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves and not be scattered over the face of the whole earth” (Genesis 11:4). So, instead of filling the earth as the LORD had commanded, they decided to make a name for themselves.

Dear Great Heavenly Father, We praise Your holy name. Praise You for being the best father that there ever could be! It is so restful and wonderful to spend time meditating on Your awesome characteristics (Psalms 63:6-7): holiness (Leviticus 11:45), love (Psalms 63:6, 103:17; First John 4:16), compassion (Psalms 103:13), kindness (Romans 2:4, Titus 3:4), righteousness (Psalms 103:13), greatness (Psalms 104:1), power ( Psalms 29:4, 66:3; Matthew24:30, 26:64; Luke 1:37), infinite understanding (Psalms 147:5), living in our hearts by His Ruach (Romans 5:5; Galatians 4:6; First John 4:8-15), never leaving His children (Hebrews 13:5) and has  a home of perfect peace and great joy in heaven (Revelation 21:4) that Yeshua is preparing (John 14:1-3) for all who love and follow Him as Lordand Savior (Romans 10:9-10). We love You and desire to uplift Your holy name.  In the name of Your Son and in the power of His resurrection. Amen

The plane of Shinar, where Babel was built, ultimately became the center for one of the world’s earliest empires – Babylon. The religious arrogance of the Babylonians is well known. They took great pride in their city, calling it the heavenly city, babili, or the gate of God. It should not surprise us, therefore, that Babylon became a symbol of the godless, humanistic rebellion in this world. Looking back, we can see the foundations of man-made, counterfeit religion: faithlessness, or the rejection of ADONAI’s promises; disobedience, or rebellion against God’s commands; and legalism, or the rejection of the LORD’s grace.

This is the fifth of five events that will occur throughout the first half of the Great Tribulation. Just as there are two political systems during the Great Tribulation, one during the first half (the ten kings), and one during the second half (the antichrist), there will be two religious systems, one for each half of the Great Tribulation. This section describes the religious system of the first half, the rule of religious Babylon.²⁷⁹

In the first two verses, John is invited to witness the judgment of the great prostitute (to see a video on the Harlot of Babylon click here). One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and said to me: Come, I will show you the punishment of the great prostitute, who sits on many waters, who are actually the Gentile nations of many peoples, multitudes, nations and languages (17:1 and 15). When John sees her, she will have contaminated all the nations of the world. To prostitute something means to take something that is appropriate and turn it into something inappropriate. A prostitute takes sex, which is appropriate within the context of marriage, and turns it into something inappropriate.

With her the kings of the earth committed adultery and the inhabitants of the earth were intoxicated with the wine of her adulteries (17:2). This union results in corruption of both the religious sphere and the political sphere. Here, the great prostitute symbolizes religion, which has an appropriate use (James 1:26-27), and turns it into something inappropriate. Rather than serving, it rules. False religion causes spiritual adultery. The word adultery has two meanings. It is used of physical unfaithfulness and also spiritual unfaithfulness (Hosea 1-2; Jeremiah 2:20, 3:1-9; Ezeki’el 16:15-41 and 23:5-44). It is with this great prostitute that the kings of the earth will commit adultery, showing that there will be a unity between religion and government. Mankind has a God-shaped void in our heart to worship something, and during the Great Tribulation the world will fill it with a false religious system led by the false prophet.

Then the angel carried John away in his spirit, or in a vision, into a desert. There he saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast, which represents the Fourth Gentile Kingdom (to see link click Ar – Finally, There will be a Fourth Beast, That Breaks and Smashes Everything). She was covered with blasphemous names, showing she was in opposition to God and had seven heads and ten horns describing the governmental system of the first half of the Tribulation (17:3). The ten horns represent ten nations that will support a one-world government.

This brazen woman must not be confused with the radiant woman of 12:1. The two are enemies. Satan, or the dragon (12:3) empowers the antichrist, or the beast, so the beast supports the prostitute. The woman in turn makes the beast appear outwardly beautiful, thus making it easier for him to gain the control he seeks over mankind. This means that the false religious system will have the support of civil governments during the first half of the Great Tribulation (see An – The Times of the Gentiles).

Some people take a very anti-Catholic stance on Revelation, claiming that the Pope is, or will be, the antichrist. But I do not. The one world government will have many Catholics in it, but it will also have a lot of Protestants, Hindus, Buddhists, Baptists, Muslims, Mormons and other religions also. The saved, regardless of their religion or denomination, will be Raptured, and the lost, regardless of their religious beliefs, will be left behind to endure or die in the Great Tribulation.²⁸⁰

Then the description of the woman is given. She is seen as very wealthy and influential. The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and was glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls. She will be fabulously wealthy, and the emphasis will be on the outside rather than on the inside. It reminds us of what Yeshua said to the false religious leaders of His day: Woe to you, teachers of the Torah and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead man’s bones and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy ad wickedness (Matthew 23:27). She will also be guilty of spiritual adultery. She held a golden cup in her hand, filled with abominable things and the filth of the adulteries (17:4). This is a quote from Jeremiah 51:7, but don’t be deceived by the golden cup in her hand. Materialism and selfism will replace God. Mankind will be left in the mindless pursuit of material prosperity as the basis for meaning and value in life. This cup becomes the cup of ADONAI’s raging fury (14:10, 16:19,18:6).

This title was written on her forehead: MYSTERY BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF PROSTITUTES AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH, and is capitalized for emphasis (17:5). She is described as the mother of prostitutes because Babylon is where idolatry and spiritual prostitution began. In order to have fellowship with them, she drinks the wisdom of many religions of the world. Whether it is Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, Jehovah’s Witnesses, or Mormonism, the great prostitute will welcome them all. The Hindu’s will merely make Jesus Christ one more of their thousand gods and it will not matter that for Buddhists only good works and nihilism count in Nirvana. Syncretism will rule the day. They will believe Satan’s lie that God is the center of the spiritual wheel and all the spokes lead to Him. They will ask each other, “What difference does it make? We can still have fellowship with one another, can’t we?”²⁸¹

Her name is MYSTERY BABYLON. A mystery in the Bible is not something that cannot be solved. No, a mystery in the Bible means something that was once hidden, but now is being revealed (Colossians 1:16). The mystery is not Babylon itself, nor is the mystery the fact that Babylon was the originator and center of idolatry; this is already known from the TaNaKh. The mystery is the fact that Babylon will develop into a one world unified religion, and will rule the world during the first half of the Great Tribulation. It will be headquartered in Babylon, the great city that will rule over the kings of the earth (17:18); it will be supported by the governments of that day; and it will be the primary persecutor of believers who will not submit to its religious authority. All this was previously hidden in the TaNaKh, only to be revealed in the end times.²⁸²

I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of the holy ones, the blood of those who bore testimony to Yeshua (17:6a). This answers the question as to who murdered the Tribulation martyrs that were seen under the golden altar in heaven (6:9-11). It will be the false super-church. Millions of Gentiles will be saved as a result of the ministry of the 144,000 Jews, but they will suffer martyrdom at the hands of the one world religion. What we see here is the final form of religious apostasy, ending with the formation of a one-world super church. It is the final form of the woman Jezebel who was thrown into the Great Tribulation (2:20-22), and united with the apostate church from Laodicea (3:14-22). This will be the counterfeit bride of Messiah, presented as a prostitute, whereas the true Bride of Christ is presented as a pure virgin (Second Corinthians 11:2; Ephesians 5:25-27; and Revelation 19:6-8).²⁸³

Mystery Babylon the Prostitute represents the one-world religious system that rules over the religious affairs during the first half of the Great Tribulation. She rules over the Gentile nations, the many waters, in total control of all religious affairs, with the reluctant support of the governments. The woman you saw will be the great city that rules over the kings of the earth (17:18). Therefore, the headquarters of Mystery Babylon will be the rebuilt city of Babylon. There are several scriptures in the TaNaKh that prophesy about the total destruction of Babylon; however, it never suffered the kind of destruction the prophets demanded until the Great Tribulation (see my commentary on Isaiah Dk – Babylon, the Jewel of Kingdoms will be Overthrown).

There will be five events that occur throughout the first half of the Great Tribulation. First, is the governmental system of the ten kings (Bs), second is the ministry of Elijah the prophet (Bw), third is the ministry of the 144,000 (Cr), fourth is the ministry of the two witnesses (Dc), and fifth is the rule of the one world religion (Dd).

I Will Give Power to My Two Witnesses
and They Will Prophesy for 1,260 Days
11: 1-6a

I will give power to my two witnesses and they will prophesy for 1,260 days DIG: What was John commanded to do? Why? Can we be sure about who they were? What powers did they have? Why did they have them? What was the nature of their ministry? What happens to these two witnesses?

REFLECT: What do you learn in this passage about what it means to be a witness? What has been toughest about living out your faith in school? At work? At home? Why is it so satisfying to be His witness? So hard?

Throughout human history the LORD has faithfully sent His spokesmen to call upon sinners to repentance. During the long, dark years of Isra’el’s rebellion, ADONAI warned Isra’el and Judah through all the prophets, saying: God had warned Isra’el and Judah in advance through every prophet and seer, “Turn from your evil ways; and obey My commandments and regulations, in accordance with the entire Torah that I ordered your ancestors to keep and that I sent to you through My servants and prophets” (Second Kings 17:13). Tragically, they did not listen. However, God continued to send prophets such as Elijah, Elisha, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Jonah and others who confronted wayward Isra’el and sinful Gentile nations. Through it all, the LORD has always preserved a believing remnant (Romans 9:27, 11:4-5; Isaiah 10:20-22 and 11:11). In the B’rit Chadashah, faithful preachers call for repentance and faith, offering all sinners the hope of forgiveness in Jesus Christ. This section is parenthetical and is the fourth of five events that will occur throughout the first half of the Great Tribulation.

In the future, during the earth’s darkest hour, ADONAI will raise up two exceptional and powerful preachers. They will fearlessly proclaim the gospel during the first three and a half years of the Great Tribulation. But in addition to preaching the gospel, these two preachers will proclaim God’s judgment on the wicked world. They will participate in fulfilling the words of Christ: And this gospel of the Kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come (Matthew 24:14). They will also be used by the LORD to bring salvation to Isra’el.²⁷⁶

Dear Great and Mighty Father, Praise You for Your great love! How much You want to bless all mankind, but if they refuse to choose to follow You in good times, it is Your love which allows hard times so they turn their eyes off themselves and up to You. People will look up to You, God, more often when times are hard, than when everything is going well. Though You do not want to hurt anyone, You allow a short time of temporary pain on earth, so people will turn to You in repentance. For when they choose to loving worship and follow You in faith – then You give them Your righteousness. He made the One who knew no sin to become a sin offering on our behalf, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God (Second Corinthians 5:21). Then they become Your children (John 1:12, 3,1,3)and will live with You in heaven forever! For if you confess with your mouth that Yeshua is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart it is believed for righteousness, and with the mouth it is confessed for salvation. (Romans 10:9-10). For those who wisely turn from worshiping themselves to worshiping You as their Lord and Savior, the short painful time on earth was turned into an eternal time of great peace and joy in heaven. We praise You! In Your holy Son’s name and power of His resurrection. Amen.

John was given a reed like a measuring rod and was told: Go and measure the temple of God and the bronze altar, and count the worshipers there (Revelation 11:1, also see Ezekiel 40:3-4 and Zechariah 2:1-2). Measuring symbolizes reserving a city either for preservation (Ezekiel 40:3 to 48:35; Zechariah 2:1-5) or for destruction (Second Kings 21:12-14; Isaiah 34:11; Lamentations 2:8). The tribulation temple will be built after a seven-year treaty is signed between the Israeli government and the antichrist. It will reinstitute their ancient worship and sacrifices. By the time it is built, much of the first three-and-a-half years of the Great Tribulation will be completed, and the Jews no doubt will be feeling happy and secure. The tribulation temple will be measured, but so will the worshipers. This indicates that the type of measurement has to do with spiritual matters rather than physical. As always, Isra’el will be judged first (First Peter 4:17).

The tribulation temple will be the third built in Jerusalem (to see link click Bx – The Tribulation Temple). The first was built by Solomon, the second under Zerubbabel, which would eventually be known as Herod’s Temple (the one in which John himself had worshiped) had been destroyed by the Romans led by Titus in 70 AD. Ever since then, Jerusalem has been under Gentile domination. Messiah had prophesied: Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled (Luke 21:24). After World War II, Isra’el was reestablished as a nation and regained most of Jerusalem during the Six Day War in 1967. But the Temple site, the most vital part of the city, remained under Muslim control.

Because the antichrist will want to gain the trust of the Jews, he will probably allow them to build their Temple where the Dome of the Rock now exists. The Muslims will not resist. With his supposed worldwide peace, no one will resist him as he methodically gains control of the world’s nations. In time, however, he will become increasingly irritated with the Jews. Their worship, contrary to the humanistic worship promoted by him, and their bloody sacrifices will be offensive to him. Furthermore, the 144,000 Israelites have actually accepted Christ and will be preaching the gospel everywhere. Therefore, at the mid-point of the Great Tribulation, the antichrist will place a statue of himself in the Most Holy Place and declare himself to be God (Mt 24:15; Rev 13:3-9). Isra’el’s love affair with the antichrist will be brief as the spiritual scales fall from their eyes and they finally realize who he is. He and the Gentiles will drive the Jews out of their Temple and Tziyon once more. But exclude the outer court (Ezk 40:17-20); do not measure it, because it has been given to the Gentiles. They will trample on the holy city for 42 months (11:2). For the second half of the Tribulation, or another 42 months, Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles before their judgment would come and the times of the Gentiles would be complete.

And I will give power to My two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, corresponding to 42 months of thirty days, or three and a half years, clothed in sackcloth (11:3). Witnesses is the plural form of martus, from which the English word martyr derives, since so many witnesses of Jesus Christ in the early body of believers paid for their belief with their lives.²⁷⁷ These two witnesses are clearly prophets of judgment. Sackcloth will symbolize suffering and grief worldwide. They preach to both Jew and Gentile alike. The identity of the two witnesses has been a matter of much speculation. But whoever they are, they will be real men who speak and perform miracles, die, and rise again.

We are given few specifics about these two people. The miraculous authority given to these two witnesses by the LORD is similar to that of Elijah and Enoch. But in the end, we must exercise prudence and admit that we simply can’t be dictatorial about their identity. To be definitive goes beyond what is written. But here are some thoughts.

Malachi said: See, I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and dreadful day of ADONAI comes. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and hearts of children to their fathers. Or else I will come and strike the land with a curse (Malachi 4:5-6). This prophecy is even more amazing in that it records the very last words of the TaNaKh. He was taken directly to heaven without dying (Second Kings 2:11). God must have had something for Elijah to do that required him to retain his natural body. So there he remains, waiting until that time when he will return to earth to complete his ministry, just before that great and dreadful day of the LORD.

Enoch was the only other man in all of human history who was taken directly to heaven without dying. By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death; he could not be found, because God had taken him away (Hebrews 11:5). Enoch’s message to the wicked generation before the Flood could well be the essence of the message to the world during the first half of the Great Tribulation: See, the Lord is coming with thousands upon thousands of His holy ones to judge everyone, and to convict all the ungodly of all the ungodly acts they have done in the ungodly way, and of all the harsh words ungodly sinners have spoken against Him (Jude 14-15). So it seems that Elijah and Enoch could be the two witnesses, sent to the earth again in the last days to witness to an ungodly generation just before Jesus Christ returns.

These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth (11:4). This enigmatic description is drawn from Zechariah 4:1-3 and 11-14. Zechariah’s vision had both a near historical fulfillment and a far eschatological fulfillment. The near historical fulfillment was the rebuilding of the Temple after the Babylonian exile (see the commentary on Ezra-Nehemiah Ar – The Start of Rebuilding the Temple). But the far eschatological fulfillment looked forward to the restoration of Isra’el in the Millennium. The Lord called them My two witnesses because of their special relationship with Him. They had stood by Him in the days of their flesh, in the midst of their own ungodly generations, now they stood with Him in the last days. Now surely, He would stand by them.²⁷⁸ Their declarations of judgment will make them feared and hated. Many attempts will be made on their lives, but if anyone tries to harm them, fire comes from their mouths and devours their enemies (Num 16:35; 2 Kings 1:10-12). This is how anyone who wants to harm them must die (11:5). These men not only have power to defend themselves, but to also call forth great plagues upon the earth.

They shut up the sky so that it will not rain during the three and a half years they will be prophesying. And they will have the power to turn waters to blood (8:6-9) and strike the earth with every kind of plague they want (11:6). This drought will obviously bring about a worldwide famine and loss of human life. Not only that, but the world’s atmospheric circulation will begin to change (7:1), reverting back to that of a canopy before the Flood (Genesis 1:6-8). This will prepare the world for the perfect environment of the Millennium. This drought corresponds to the judgment of the third seal at the beginning of the Great Tribulation (6:5-6). The third trumpet judgment will result in the poisoning of one-third of the earth’s fresh water supply (8:10-11). In addition, the drought will last the entire 1,260 days of their preaching (Luke 4:25; James 5:17). All the seal and trumpet judgments are also called plagues in 9:20, so it will be obvious to the ungodly of the earth that the two witnesses will cause all the plagues inflicted upon them by the four horsemen. For example, their power to turn waters into blood matches the first and second trumpet judgments (8:7-8). All these events will lead up to their death.

The judgments that they will inflict will last for three and a half years. During that time they will be hated and despised by the nations, but especially by the antichrist. Assassins will try to kill them, only to be burned alive. ADONAI will protect them until they have finished their testimony. The two witnesses will seem indestructible. Not only that, but great multitudes will come to believe in Jesus Christ by the preaching of the 144,000 sealed Israelites who also will receive divine protection. For the antichrist, the tipping point will be reached in the middle of the Great Tribulation. Something had to change. However, it will not be what he had planned.

The Sixth Trumpet:
The Four Angels Who Had Been Kept Ready,
Were Released to Kill a Third of Mankind
9: 13-21

The sixth trumpet: the four angels who had been kept ready, were released to kill a third of mankind DIG: Who asked for the release of the four angels at the Euphrates River? What are some of the Tribulation period sins? What response should this woe produce from the unbelieving world? Why? Why then will it fail to bring the majority to repentance?

REFLECT: Do you have anything in common with these people? Is there any sin that you love more than God? Is there an area of your life that you refuse to submit to the Lord? What will be the consequences of your rebellion in the long run?

Then John heard a voice coming from the horns of the golden altar that is before God (9:13b). This is the same golden altar of 8:2-5 that symbolized the prayers of the Tribulation martyrs  crying out for vindication. Mentioning the horns is significant because once a year on the Day of Atonement, the high priest was to cleanse the golden altar by sprinkling the blood of a sacrificial animal that had been slaughtered as atonement for sin on its horns (Exodus 30:10). Here, ADONAI speaks through the four horns of the golden altar to symbolize the slaughter, as atonement for sin in the Great Tribulation, would soon begin. Since the angles with the trumpets stand continually in God’s presence, presumably only God gives them orders. On the Lord’s command, then, the sixth angel will sound his trumpet (9:13a). Each time the shofar sounds, the judgment that follows will be more severe than the one before. Long ago Isaiah prophesied: When your judgments come upon the earth, the people of the world will learn righteousness (Isaiah 26:9b).

While the first demonic invasion was led by one fallen angel, this one is led by four. To the sixth angel who had the trumpet, God commanded: Release the four fallen angels, who are bound at the great Euphrates River (9:14). The four angels are clearly demons because holy angels are not bound. They seem to have charge over still another great demon horde, distinct from the demon locusts that stung like scorpions (9:1-12). The river Euphrates was a border to the Land promised to Abram (Genesis 15:18; Deuteronomy 1:7 and Joshua 1:4). While the first demonic invasion was able to torment but not kill the earth dwellers, this one will kill a third of the earth’s population. So the second woe will indeed be worse than the first.²⁶⁹

Dear Father God, You are Awesome! How wonderful it will be to live with You in eternal peace and joy forever! There will be so much death during this second woe. So, the four angels [demons] – who had been prepared for the hour and day and month and year – were released to kill a third of mankind (Revelation 9:15).  When evil is all around and it seems like there is no reason to hope- those who love You can trust in Your sure word, that for those who love and follow You, You are preparing a home for them in heaven and will return to take them to live to live with you in heavenforever (John 14:1-3)! For I consider the sufferings of this present time not worthy to be compared with the coming glory to be revealed to us. (Romans 8:18). Death is a defeated enemy. Heaven is a reality for all who love Yeshua as their Lord and Savior (Romans 10:9-10). In heaven there will be no crying, no dying, no sadness, nor pain (Revelation 21:4). Heaven will be a wonderful home of everlasting peace and joy! We love You and will not focus on pain and evil but we will bring to mind often that You have redeemed Your children and will bring them to live with Youforever! We love and praise You. In Your holy Son’s name and power of His resurrection. Amen

The great Euphrates River first appears in Genesis. It was close to the Garden of Eden where Adam sinned and Cain murdered Abel. It was where the Flood began, where the Tower of Babel stood, where Babylon was built, and where world government and world religion began. It has long been associated with astrology, idolatry, demon worship, witchcraft, and other disgusting sins.²⁷⁰

Four demons had been kept ready for the very hour and day and month and year of God’s own choosing. His plan is laid out to the exact hour, minute and second. Though they serve their master, Satan, they cannot act apart from the sovereign permission of ADONAI. They were released to kill a third of mankind (9:15). And 9:18 reveals that they succeeded. Under the previous judgment, men had sought death but could not find it. Under this one, they could hardly escape it. The fourth seal (6:7-8), resulted in a fourth of the earth’s population dying. Here, a third of the remainder will be killed. These two judgments alone, not counting all the intervening judgments, would account for the death of half of the people on the earth (Dani’el 12:1). Since we have not seen this loss of life in our lifetime, it is safe to say we are not living in the Great Tribulation as some believe.

The number of demons that John hears is two million that is literally ten thousand times ten thousand. Any attempt to reduce this expression to a math equation misses the point. The expression of ten thousand times ten thousand is a biblical term for an indefinite number that cannot be counted. Earlier, John saw many angels numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousands times ten thousand around the throne of God (5:11). They were so numerous that Yochanan could not count them (Dani’el 7:10).

The announcement of the number in the demonic army is followed by a description of what they looked like. It was difficult for John to describe what he saw. So he uses the words like and resembled to indicate that he was using symbols to describe the demons as best he could for his readers. The horses and riders I saw in my vision looked like this: Their breastplates were fiery red, dark blue, and yellow as sulfur. The heads of the horse resembled the heads of lions and out of their mouths came fire, smoke and sulfur (9:17). Some think this refers to two hundred million Chinese. But they would be hard pressed to find just one Chinese person who looked like this, let alone two hundred million of them. No, these are demons once again.

The judgments will be progressive. The first woe brought torment, the second brings death. A third of mankind was killed by the three plagues of fire, smoke and sulfur that came out of their mouths (9:18). Men and women will be devoured by the flames, suffocated by the smoke, and poisoned by the sulfurous gases. The antichrist will promise peace, but without the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6b), there will be no peace. The power of the demons (who appeared as horses) was in their mouths and in their tails; for their tails were like snakes, having heads (9:19). If these creatures were animals, they would have feared men and women as God had intended (Genesis 9:2). But because they were demons, they fought people, and inflicted injury and a third of mankind was killed. After barely recovering from the five-month torture of the locusts, people will run hysterically away and try to hide, but over a billion will probably be slaughtered.

Joel 1:15 to 2:11 also describes the two demonic invasions of 9:1-21. He describes it by telling about the destruction of the Great Tribulation. He speaks of an invading army that is made up of demons, not humans. The results of their invasion will be convulsions of nature and a total blackout. The passage concludes that the reason for the invasion is the judgment of ADONAI. But at some point, the Lord will stop the plague and the two-thirds of mankind who survive will enjoy a brief reprieve. You would think that what they had experienced would drive them to their knees in repentance. But human rationalization will not permit it. The invasion will have ended, and for the moment they will feel secure.

But even with this satanic slaughter, mankind will still refuse to repent. Once the heart is set against ADONAI, not even the possibility of death will change the human heart. If you say, “No!” to God long enough, He will let you have your way. The rest of mankind that were not killed by these plagues still did not repent (9:20a). John lists six (the number of mankind) sins that will be especially prominent during the Tribulation period: demon worship, idol worship, murders, the occult, sexual immorality and thefts.

First, they will not stop worshiping demons. The satanic bible will be widely read, and the Church of Satan will fill its pews. Goddess worship and witchcraft will be the rage of the politically correct. Statues and idols of the antichrist will be common, and multitudes will bow down before them.²⁷¹ No longer will there be atheists or humanists who deny the existence of God and His holy angels. They will have seen angels flying across the sky and proclaiming judgment (8:13, 14:6-7), but they will decide to cast their lot with the devil.²⁷² They will come to believe that the old serpent will sit enthroned (Isaiah 14:12-14), and by following him they themselves will be like God (Genesis 3:5), doing anything they please (Genesis 11:6).

Secondly, they will choose to worship the work of their hands, or idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone and wood – idols that cannot see or hear or walk (9:20b). In the first commandment we are commanded to worship the LORD, and none other (Exodus 20:4). In the second, we are commanded to worship Him directly, and not through any intervening object (see my commentary of Exodus, to see link click Dl – You Shall Not Make For Yourselves an Idol). Idolatry in our day is not so obvious but is just as real as it was in John’s day. By definition idolatry is turning an earthly thing into a god and worshiping it rather than the God of creation. Whatever we place ahead of the Lord in our lives is our idol. There are literally hundreds of other passages also condemning the making or worshipping of idols. A few examples are Leviticus 26:1; Deuteronomy 27:15; Acts 15:20; Second Corinthians 6:16 and First John 5:21. Worshiping any idol is in fact worshiping demons (Psalm 106:37; Deuteronomy 32:17). False religions are not void of the supernatural; they are full of it, because they are the best opportunities for demons to capture souls. The weapons we fight with are not weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds (Second Corinthians 10:4).²⁷³

The practice of the church of Rome, however, contradicts this. In direct opposition to Scripture, the Council of Trent (1545-1563), decreed that, “The images of Christ and the Virgin Mother of God, and of the other saints, are to be had and to be kept, especially in churches, and due honor and veneration [worship] are to be given to them.” Roman Catholics tell us that they do not pray to the image, or idol, but to the spirit that is represented by it. However, that excuse is given by idol worshipers the world over when they are asked why they pray to their idols. Rome has omitted from the Catholic Bible, from her catechisms and from her textbooks: You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth below or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them (Exodus 20:4-5). Each commandment is bumped up, so the third commandment becomes the second, and the fourth becomes the third, etc. When you get to the tenth commandment it is divided in two, to make ten. Yeshua teaches that God is Spirit, and His worshipers must worship [Him] in Spirit and truth (John 4:24).

Nowhere in the Bible, in either the TaNaKh or the B’rit Chadashah, is there a description of Christ’s physical features. No picture of Him was painted during His earthly ministry. The Church had no pictures of Him during the first four centuries. All we know about His physical appearance was that there was nothing in His appearance that we should desire Him (Isaiah 53:2b). Like the grave of Moses, the physical features of Jesus were intended to be kept beyond the reach of idolatry. For most people, the pictures of Christ are not an aid to worship, but rather a hindrance, and for many they present a temptation to the very idolatry against which the Scriptures warn so clearly.²⁷⁴

Thirdly, they will not repent of their murders (see my commentary on Exodus Dp – You Shall Not Murder). Ever since the beginning of the Great Tribulation, when the red horse of war rode forth (6:3-4), there had been violence and anarchy on the earth. The rider will be given power to make men slay each other on an unprecedented scale. Law and order will disintegrate, and mankind will be free to rob and steal and kill as they want. Lacking any sense of morality, evil, unrepentant people will imitate the bloodthirsty demons. No doubt believers will be their main targets as they lash out to seek revenge for the torment God had brought on them.

Fourthly, sorcery, or their magic arts, the occult, witchcraft, astrology, fortune telling, signs and wonders will be worldwide. Pharmakon is a Greek word from which the English word pharmacy comes from. But it can also refer to poisons, charms séances, witchcraft, incantations, magic spells, contacting mediums or any object that is tied to idolatry. As society melts down, people will dive deeper into the satanic trappings of false religion. There will be a tremendous increase in the use of drugs. The drug traffickers will make great profits as they traffic in the souls of men (18:23); however, most people will use drugs just to escape the reality they live in. Once under the influence of drugs, mankind will accept anything. Satan will lead the whole world astray (12:9), and it is obvious that he will use drugs to do it.

Fifthly, their sexual immorality will be pandemic (see my commentary on Exodus Dq – You Shall Not Commit Adultery). The Greek word porneia is the root word of the English word for pornography. It is a general term that is used to describe sexual immorality of every kind. All religious restraints on sexual desires will also be removed, so adultery, homosexuality, and every imaginable sexual perversion will become commonplace. Children will be brutalized. Later we are told that those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood will have no right to the tree of life (22:14-15).

Finally, people will refuse to repent of their thefts (9:21). Like morality, honesty will cease to exist. Many murders and thefts will occur because of the need to take drugs, or secure such necessities as food, clothing, water, housing or medical supplies (see my commentary on Exodus Dr – You Shall Not Steal). Although they are clearly warned by Him, unbelievers will continue to love their sin more than they love God. The trumpet judgments come to an end by the middle of the Great Tribulation.

The general meaning of the trumpets is clear. From the First Coming to the Second Coming, Messiah rules all things and again and again punishes the persecutors of the Church by inflicting them with physical and spiritual torment. The blood of the martyrs is precious in the sight of the Lord. The prayers of the righteous will be heard. God sees their tears and hears their cries for justice. Yet, in spite of all the warnings, mankind in general does not repent. The persecuting world becomes the shameless world. Their shameless disregard of His word and the holiness of His people bring about not only the seven bowls of wrath, but also the culmination of the final judgment. Now there will be no turning back. Delay will no longer be possible.²⁷⁵

Besides its vivid descriptions of natural disasters and plagues, John’s vision in the Revelation is a heartbreaking commentary on the hardheartedness of humanity. In this passage, for example, John tells us that even after numerous disasters fall upon the earth, the rest of mankind still did not repent of the work of their hands (9:20), or worshiping idols. How could that be? It seems impossible! We know that we must proclaim the truth of the Gospel. As the vision of the Revelation touches our hearts, it should move us to pray for the lost that we know personally. We can plead with the Holy Spirit to give them a moment of spiritual clarity so that they could see their sin as it truly is. But even though I am sure it breaks His heart, God will not violate their free will to choose to go to hell.

Lord, I proclaim Your victory over all forms of sin and evil. May Your Holy Spirit move my heart to witness Your plan of salvation to those around me.

The Fifth Trumpet: Locusts Came Down Upon the Earth
and Were Given Power Like That of Scorpions
9: 1-12

The fifth trumpet: Locusts came down upon the earth and were given power like that of scorpions. DIG: For what purpose would the Lord allow an invasion of demon-possessed locusts? What power will they have? What will be the human characteristics of the demon-possessed locusts? How is this blackout similar or dissimilar to the preceding two in Joel 2:31 and Revelation 6:12? What is the significance of the locust king’s Hebrew and Greek names?

REFLECT: Has the Lord ever turned the lights out on you? When? How? What did you learn? How long did it take you to learn it?

Under the judgment of the first trumpet, the trees and grass were devoured by hail, fire and blood. Next, the creatures in the sea and the ships were destroyed by the impact of a burning mass from outer space. When the third shofar blew, another missile from the heavens poisoned the fresh waters of the world. Then the energy-generating processes of the sun and stars had been reduced for a time.²⁶⁰ But now, the rising crescendo of judgments on the earth introduces the first woe.

The fifth angel sounded his shofar, and I saw a star that had fallen from the sky to the earth. The star was given the key to the shaft of the Abyss (9:1). The events surrounding the fifth trumpet are given considerable explanation, implying that this is the most important step in God’s progressive and ever increasing judgments upon the earth.²⁶¹ Once again the word star is used symbolically of an angel. Once again, it is a fallen angel. The Abyss is the temporary place of imprisonment for fallen angels, or demons. It is the place where demons begged repeatedly not to be thrown into by Yeshua (Luke 8:31). It is their temporary home because their final destination will be the Lake of Fire. Not all demons are imprisoned in the Abyss right now. However, those that are, will wait until the Great White Throne Judgment to hear their ultimate fate (20:11-15).

When he opened the Abyss, smoke rose from it like the smoke from a gigantic furnace (9:2). When the Abyss is opened, a thick black smoke will belch out like a great erupting volcano, covering the world with darkness. The sun and sky will then be blacked out. This will be the third of five blackouts in the end times (Joel 2:31; Revelation 6:12, 9:2, 16:10-11; Matthew 24:29-30), and for the third time there will be a total cessation of light. It will resemble the scene from Sodom and Gomorrah when Lot looked back toward all the land of the plain, and he saw dense smoke rising from the land, like smoke from a furnace (Genesis 19:28).

But it will not be the blackout that makes this the first Woe judgment. A great number of demons will be released for the first of two demonic invasions.²⁶² And out of the smoke, demons, appearing as locusts came down upon the earth and were given power by God to sting like scorpions (9:3). A preview to this kind of plague can be seen in Exodus 10:1-20 (see my commentary on Exodus Br – The Locusts Devoured Everything and Nothing Green Remained in Egypt). However, the description of the locusts later in 9:7-10 clearly shows that these locusts cannot be taken literally. They will not be like the short-horned grasshoppers that plagued Egypt. No, they are demons and come out of the Abyss, which is mentioned seven times in the book of Revelation (9:1, 9:2, 9:11, 11:7, 17:8, 20:1 and 20:3).

Tartarus is the deepest, darkest, most isolated part of the Abyss in the heart of the earth (Matthew 12:40). It is the maximum security of the Hebrew abode of the dead, Sh’ol, or the Greek equivalent of Hades, reserved for the worst of the worst of the fallen angels. During the three days that His body was physically in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea (John 19:38-42), Messiah went there to announce the victory that He had won on the cross. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit, through whom also He went and preached to the spirits in prison (Greek: Tartarus) who disobeyed long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built (First Peter 3:18b-20a). Jude tells us that these angels will be kept in darkness, or tartarus, bound with everlasting chains until the Great White Throne Judgment (see my commentary on Jude, to see link click Ak – The Angels Did Not Keep Their Positions of Authority). Therefore, they have been imprisoned there ever since the days of Noah (see my commentary on Genesis Ca – The Sons of God Married the Daughters of Men). This suggests that the Abyss is a preliminary place of confinement, and that other demons were released at the fifth trumpet to torment mankind with their sting.

As fearsome as this malignant swarm of demons will be, they will still be under God’s control. They will not be ordinary locusts, they are selective and can follow commands (Joel 2:7-9). They do not destroy the grass of the earth or any plant or tree, already burned under the first trumpet judgment, because the earth’s vegetation was to be spared for a time as it tried to reestablish its growth. The mission of the locust demons will be single.²⁶³ They were to hurt only those people who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads (9:4), the 144,000 Jewish evangelists (7:3), or other believers saved during the Great Tribulation. Ezekiel 9:4-6 illustrates the truth that God protects His people in the midst of judgment when He commanded an angel to go through Jerusalem and put a mark on the foreheads of the redeemed. Those who did not have that mark were subject to death when the city fell to the Babylonians.²⁶⁴ Thus, believers will be protected during the Tribulation, just as ADONAI sheltered Isra’el from the effects of the Egyptian plagues (Exodus 8:22, 9:4, 10:23; Ephesians 1:13-14; Second Timothy 2:19).

Dear Heavenly Father, How wonderful that You are the Father of all who love You (John 1:12, 3:1 and 3; Romans 10:9-10). Please protect, guide and love on Your children today and those that come to You in the future during the Great Tribulation. Daddy, You are so much stronger than any demon or group of demons. For Yeshua had said to him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!” Then Yeshua began questioning him, “What is your name?” And he answered, “My name is Legion, for we are many”. . . The unclean spirits came out and entered the pigs. And the herd, about two thousand in number, rushed down the cliff and were drowned in the sea.(Mark 5:8-9 and 13c). Praise Your Almighty power. Nothing is more powerful than You. You have every detail of the future all figured out and You have already won the battle of the ages (Revelation 19:11-21)! You will reign eternally! We love and worship You! In the holy name of Your Son and His power of resurrection. Amen

They were not given power by God to kill them (Job 1:12), but only to torture them for five months, or 150 days, the exact number of days of the judgment of the Flood (see my commentary on Genesis Ch – The Chronology of the Flood). That judgment also came from deep within the earth (Genesis 7:11b). Normally, John does not reveal the duration of time for each of these judgments, but in this case the timing is given. There will be a limit as to how much destruction the demons will be allowed to render.²⁶⁵ And the agony they suffer will be like the sting of a scorpion (9:5). Victims rarely die from the sting of a scorpion, but often turn black and blue and go into convulsions. The venom attacks the central nervous system. What could be worse than millions of demon-possessed locusts dive-bombing like mosquitoes.²⁶⁶ Therefore, those unbelievers will be tormented, but not killed.

During those days the lost will seek death, but will not find it (Job 3:21); they will long to die, but death will elude them (9:6). The demonic infestation will fly like locusts, run like horses and sting like scorpions. No wonder unbelievers will seek death. Normally the agony and discomfort of a scorpion sting lasts for several days. This time however, their unbearable pain will last for five months. Unable to escape the pain they will attempt to commit suicide, but will fail. Death will run from them. There will be no escape. Guns will misfire, knives will slip from their hands, and poisons will lose their potency. They will be forced to endure the torment. It will be hell on earth.

Mankind surely knew by this time that Messiah was in heaven, the raptured and martyred believers were also there, the holy angles had even been seen flying through the heavens, and they knew the wrath of the Lamb was directed at them. Yet they will continue to hate God, choosing Satan instead, and so the Lord will allow them to experience a little direct fellowship with their future roommates in the Lake of Fire (20:15).

It is not unusual for demons or other angelic beings to have animal-like features. This was true of the four living creatures, or the cherubim in 4:6b. But here the whole scene is one of unnatural and awesome cruelty.²⁶⁷ John seems to be searching for words capable of describing the agonizing sight to his readers, so he uses the word like to indicate that he was using symbols to describe the locusts. His description is so straightforward and vivid that it is unnecessary to comment. The locusts looked like horses prepared for battle (Joel 2:4a). On their heads they were something like crowns of gold, and their faces resembled human faces. Their hair was like a woman’s hair, and their teeth were like lion’s teeth (Joel 1:6). They had breastplates of iron, and the sound of their wings were like the thundering of many horses and chariots rushing into battle (Joel 2:4b-5). They had tails and stings like scorpions, and in their tails they had power to torment people for five months (9:7-10).

Once again the Holy Spirit points out that these were no ordinary locusts. The Word of God tells us in Proverbs 30:27 that locusts have no king, yet they advance together in ranks. However, here we learn that these strange locusts will indeed have a king over them. Who will this king be? He is the fallen angel of the Abyss, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek, Apollyon (9:11). The description of the first woe ends with the identity of the fallen angel who opened the Abyss. His name in Hebrew is Abaddon and in Greek it is Apollyon. Both names mean destruction (Job 26:6, 28:22; Psalm 88:11; Proverbs 15:11), so he will lead the demons pictured here as they destroy the people who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads (9:4). Some think this is Satan, but his present domain is not in the Abyss, but in the heavenly realms (Ephesians 6:12). He is the ruler of the kingdom of the air (Ephesians 2:2).

The five months of agony will eventually come to an end. At that point, mankind will be eager for some kind of relief. However it will be short lived because the first woe will be past, but two other woes are yet to come (9:12).

What is the purpose of reflecting on such troubling passages such as this? One reason is that their disturbing and troubling imagery are grounded in a spiritual reality that we all face. As believers, we have to acknowledge that we are in a very real battle against sin and evil. The call to follow Jesus Christ requires struggling against temptation and our own sinful nature (Romans 7:18-20), as well as standing up to unrighteousness.

If we’re honest, we will admit that it is often easier to dismiss this spiritual struggle. As long as we can maintain an outward calm and peacefulness, can’t we let a few things slide? That’s exactly what these visions from Revelation challenge. John’s message about the deadly consequences of sin compels us to ask, “Am I really in this fight? Am I willing to take a few lumps if it means holding on to Yeshua and preparing myself for His Kingdom?”

It might help to consider an example from the lives of one of the fathers of the faith, Ignatius. He was once a soldier who fought earthly battles. In his book Spiritual Exercises, he used an analogy from those battles to describe the spiritual battle that every believer faces. He described the world as being divided between two armies; one flag being held up by Satan and the other by Christ. Each side actively sends out forces to patrol the world. One goes armed with nets and chains to ensnare souls, while the other uses the Word of God to free humanity from the snares of the devil. If we choose Christ’s flag, Ignatius said, then we accept Him as the commander of the army of the LORD (Joshua 5:14), and become wholehearted combatants on this battlefield. Today, remember that you are called to lift high the flag of Christ in your struggle against sin. Remember too, that victory can be yours as you cling to Messiah, your commander-in-Chief.

Lord Jesus, I know You are at my side in spiritual combat. I ask You to keep me strong in resisting sin.²⁶⁸

The Fourth Trumpet:
A Third of the Sun, Moon and Stars
Were Struck and Turned Dark
8: 12-13

The fourth trumpet: a third of the sun, moon and stars were struck and turned dark DIG: Why did God judge the earth with darkness? What ramifications would it have upon the inhabitants of the earth? What is His purpose?

REFLECT: When has your sin made you blind to the world? When have you been partially blinded? Why? What was the biggest woe you have ever had in your life? What did you learn from it? How can you help others to avoid the same trap?

As the fourth angel sounded his shofar, the focus of God’s judgment shifted from the earth to the heavens. Still reeling from the effects of the first three trumpets, people will be desperately trying to find natural explanations for each crisis. There will be seminars, conferences, emergency sessions of the United Nations, and scientific studies – all frantically seeking to cope with the ecological disasters. Yet another angelic trumpet sounded, but this time the result would be so extraordinary that it would defy all scientific understanding. This judgment would be against the heavenly bodies.

Like the plagues of Egypt, these judgments will attack the gods of this world, and the pagan religions that worship these objects. And a third of the sun was struck, a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of them turned dark. The word struck, or the Greek word plesso, is the verb from which the noun plague comes from. The heavenly bodies will be struck with a plague from the Lord. Astrologers, fortunetellers, and witches who rely on the stars to predict the future will be speechless (see my commentary on Genesis, to see link click Lw – The Witness of the Stars).

They were not destroyed, only their light will somehow be hindered from reaching the earth. The normal light of the sun in the daytime will be reduced by one third, as is the light of the moon and stars at night. Clouds or haze in the sky cannot explain this phenomenon because John specifically tells us that was caused by the heavenly bodies being struck in such a way as to reduce their light output. The moon shines by reflected light. So its light would be reduced if the sun’s light output were reduced. It is difficult to say exactly how this will happen (It will, after all, be a miracle). But for a time, maybe a day, maybe several days, the sun’s output will be reduced. Stars produce their own light, but somehow their light will also be reduced by one third. As a result, the day and night will be only two-thirds as bright as normal, even though the skies may be completely clear of haze or anything else to obstruct the light.²⁵⁶ No one knows but the Lord may shift the visible color spectrum of the sun and stars more to the ultraviolet range, which we cannot see there by reducing our ability to see the same amount of light.

No matter how much they try to ignore the obvious, it will be impossible for the scientists of the earth to disregard the amazing darkness. It will also upset all the earth’s meteorology and climatology. Unpredictable and violent atmospheric storms will probably follow as well as interruptions in botanical and biological cycles.²⁵⁷

Darkness runs through the TaNaKh as a symbol of judgment. The prophet Amos spoke of the Day of ADONAI as a day of darkness rather than light (Amos 5:18). For Joel it will be a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness (Joel 2:2a). Jesus, quoting Isaiah 13:10, says that in the Day of ADONAI there will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. Men will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken (Luke 21:25-26). These prophecies will find their fulfillment in the fourth trumpet.

In the New Covenant, darkness is often associated with the demonic. Unbelievers will be cast into outer darkness where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matthew 8:12). In Second Corinthians 6:14-15, light and Christ are contrasted with darkness and Belial. According to Colossians 1:13 God’s people are those who have been delivered out of the power of darkness (also see Colossians 2:13-15). This fourth trumpet, then, is a godly warning to three woes that will follow.²⁵⁸

As I watched, I heard a vulture that was flying in midair calling out in a loud voice. The word vulture is the Greek word aetos. It can be translated either eagle or vulture. In this context a vulture is a bird of prey and symbolizes impending doom. It hovers in midair so as to be seen by all, and calls out in a loud voice so that none will fail to hear. Habakkuk described the invading Babylonians as a vulture swooping to devour (Habakkuk 1:8). ADONAI is fair. The inhabitants of the earth will be warned. Repent!

The vulture announces: Woe! Woe! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth, because of the shofar blasts about to be sounded by the other three angels. The last three judgments are separated from the previous four because they are three woes. With the fall of Babylon, or one world government, the woe against her is repeated twice for emphasis (18:10, 16 and 19). But here it will be repeated three times, corresponding to the last three shofars.²⁵⁹ As bad as the first four judgments were, the next three will be far worse. The first two woes will be demonic invasions, and the third will contain the seven bowl judgments.

Dear powerful and holy Father, We worship You. When evil is all around and it seems like there is no reason to hope; however, those who love you can trust in your sure Word. You are preparing a home in heaven (John 14:1-3)  for those who love and follow You and You will return to take them to live to live with You (First Thessalonians 4:15-17)  in heaven forever. Death is a defeated enemy. Heaven is a reality for all who love and follow Yeshua as their Lord and Savior (Romans 10:9-10). In heaven there will be no crying, no dying, no sadness, nor pain (Revelation 21:4). Heaven will be a home of everlasting peace and joy! We love You and will not focus on pain and evil but we will bring to mind often that You have redeemed Your children and will bring them to live with You forever! We love and praise You. In you holy Son’s name and power of His resurrection. Amen

The Third Trumpet:
The Name of the Star is Wormwood
8: 10-11

The third trumpet: the name of the star is Wormwood DIG: Who is this third angel named Wormwood? What does he do on the earth? How much of the earth is affected? How does mankind react?

REFLECT: How has bitterness affected your life? Or the life of those close to you? What have you discovered as an antidote for bitterness? What is the alternative to bitterness?

Like birth pangs, one after another, before the people can recover from the poisoning of the sea, all of the fresh waters on the earth will also be poisoned. Scientists will follow the flaming object as it hurtles toward the earth. Instead of falling to their knees in repentance, however, the people of the earth continue to harden their hearts.

The third angel sounded his shofar, and a great star, blazing like a torch, fell from the sky. Whenever the word star is used symbolically, it is always the symbol for an angel and this is the case here. Because of his deadly effects, the name of the angel is Wormwood, showing him to be a fallen one. He causes one-third of the sweet water on the earth to turn bitter. Fallen angels will be used on several occasions to render judgment on the earth, and this is one such time.²⁵³

Wormwood translates apsinthos, a word used only here in the New Covenant. However, it is used eight times in the TaNaKh where it is the translation of the Hebrew word laanah. It is associated with bitterness, poison and death (Deuteronomy 29:18; Proverbs 5:4; Lamentations 3:19; Amos 5:7 and 6:12). In three of those uses, wormwood is connected with poisoned water. In Jeremiah 9:15 CJB, for example, ADONAI, the God of heavens armies said to the rebellious southern kingdom of Judah: See, I will make this people eat bitter food and drink poisoned water (also see Jeremiah 23:15 and Lamentations 3:15).²⁵⁴

A third of the rivers of waters turned bitter, and many people died. This fallen angel is named for his effect on the waters. Therefore, the angel named Wormwood caused the fresh waters of the earth to become as bitter as the plant wormwood, with one exception. He will cause the fresh waters to become so poisonous that many people will die. The Bible doesn’t tell us how he will do it, all we know is the result.

It will be the reversal of the miracle at Marah, where Moses threw a branch of a tree into the bitter water there and it became sweet (see my commentary on Exodus, to see link click Cn – When They Came to Marah the Water was Bitter). Although the Bible does not say, it is reasonable to assume that many others will die from thirst. With one-third of the fresh waters tainted, most people will be unable to obtain drinkable water before extreme thirst sets in. Adults will survive without water for about three days while the sick and infants won’t last that long.²⁵⁵

The world media will notice the “coincidence” that a third of the rivers and their waters were poisoned. The recurring one-third proportion, experienced through several of the phenomena already, should have given the inhabitants of the earth some clue that these calamities were not random events, but controlled by the Lord. They will fail to see the connection. Human nature is curious. When we don’t want to see something, we can look the other way. But calamity and sorrow are the natural consequences of our rebellion against God and the result will be no different during the Great Tribulation. He would continue to get their attention.

Dear Heavenly Father, Praise You for your great love. Praise You for rapturing to heaven all those who love You before this awful Tribulation. For this we tell you, by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord shall in no way precede those who are asleep.  For the Lord Himself shall come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the blast of God’s shofar, and the dead in Messiah shall rise first.  Then we who are alive, who are left behind, will be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air – and so we shall always be with the Lord. (First Thessalonians 4:15-17). May You open the hearts of our families and friends who know about you, to decide to love and follow you now, before the Tribulation begins. Please encourage those who are still here in the Tribulation to turn to you-even if it costs them their lives. Let them not fear death, but focus on the eternal joy of living in heaven with You forever. Do not let them get confused by thinking they can live for themselves on earth and go to heaven later. Please let them realize only one life t’will soon be past – only what’s done for Messiah will last! You are wonderful! In Your Holy Son’s power of resurrection. Amen

The Second Trumpet:
A Third of the Sea Turned Into Blood
8: 8-9

The second trumpet: a third of the sea turned into blood DIG: What was it that hit the earth? How did it affect the sea? Why is Ha’Shem doing this? What is His purpose? How does this relate to the first plague in Egypt?

REFLECT: What does YHVH have to do to get your attention? What can you do to get the attention of others about this? What responsibility do you have to get the Word of God out concerning the future of this world?

No sooner had the hail stopped falling and the fires stopped burning, then an even greater judgment hit the earth. A fiery mass crashes into the sea.

The second angel sounded his shofar, and something like a huge mountain, all ablaze, was thrown into the sea. John is trying to describe events that he has never seen before. It wasn’t a mountain, but something like a mountain. A giant meteorite will probably be hurled toward the earth, surrounded by combustible gasses that will catch fire as they enter the atmosphere, guided by the angels of God.

Although its actual collision with the sea will only impact one location, it is clear that the whole earth will get the message. People will track it from space as it enters the earth’s gravitational pull and inevitably be pulled toward the sea itself. The whole world will be watching on a continual twenty-four hour news cycle.

The powerful explosion will dwarf that of any hydrogen bomb and be frightening beyond belief. A third of the sea will be turned into blood. Here we are reminded of the first Egyptian plague, where the Nile was turned into blood, killing the fish and making the water undrinkable (see my commentary on Exodus, to see link click – Bk The First Plague of Blood). It was real blood in the Nile and it will be real blood in the Great Tribulation. There is no need to try to find something symbolic here. The Nile was turned into blood when Moses struck the Nile with his rod, and a third of the sea will be turned into blood when struck by a giant meteorite. And like all the plagues of Egypt, the sea turning to blood defies any natural phenomena. This is no “red tide” because one has never come close to duplicating the devastating results of this judgment.

And a third of the living creatures in the sea died because the blood poisoned it. It is not surprising that a third of the fish and other marine life will die, thus adding to the poisoning, stench and horror of it all. Though no mention is made of the land animals, there can be no doubt that they will also be affected. The grass was scorched as a result of the first trumpet judgment, and a third of the marine organisms died when the second trumpet sounded. These are the lowest and most basic components of many of the world’s food chains, so their destruction must produce a domino effect on many higher life forms. There is no doubt that the physical effects will be devastating.

The psychological effects; however, will be even greater because of God’s two witnesses. They had already called for a worldwide drought that will still be in effect, and then they prayed for the waters to become blood. These men have the power to shut up the sky so that it will not rain during the time they are prophesying; and they have the power to turn the waters into blood (11:6a).

And a third of the ships were destroyed. How could that happen? More than likely the same meteor impact that poisoned the sea would also generate a monstrous tsunami, which would batter the great number of ships anchored on shore to pieces, and capsize huge vessels in the ocean. The loss of human life will still be minimal in spite of the vast destruction in the biosphere and hydrosphere. The resulting disruption of commerce and transportation will cause economic chaos. These events will surely give a tremendous warning to mankind of great tragedy imminent for those who persist in rebellion against God the Father and His Son.²⁵²

Dear Heavenly Father, You are our shelter in this time of storm. Before the Great Tribulation began, You will rapture all believers to heaven: For this we tell you, by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord shall in no way precede those who are asleep.  For the Lord Himself shall come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the blast of God’s shofar, and the dead in Messiah shall rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left behind, will be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air – and so we shall always be with the Lord.  (First Thessalonians 4:15-18). There will be multitudes of new believers during this future Great Tribulation Dispensation who will place their love and trust in you. We ask for these brave, wise, and new children of God, to be encouraged by your love at that time, and that You see them and are always with them (Hebrews 13:5). At that time, may You remind them often that Yeshua has prepared a wonderful home for them in heaven where they will live forever in eternal joy and peace. We love You! In Your holy Son’s name and power of resurrection. Amen

The First Trumpet: Hail and Fire Mixed with Blood
Were Hurled Down Upon the Earth
8: 6-7

The first trumpet: Hail and fire mixed with blood were hurled down upon the earth DIG: What parallels or repeated patterns do you see between the opening of the seals and sounding of the trumpets? How will mankind react to this natural disaster?

REFLECT: How does God get your attention today? Does He have to go to drastic measures to tap you on the shoulder? Or are you eagerly waiting for His direction?

With the blowing of the first trumpet, the second major series of judgments begins. The first four seals dealt with the natural consequences of human sin; however, the first four trumpets reveal the active involvement of the Lord in bringing wrath upon a wicked world, determined in its opposition to YHVH. As the intensity of the judgments increase, so does their refusal to repent (9:20-21, 16:9, 11 and 21). As a result, the Church, made up of both Jewish and Gentile believers (Ephesians 2:14), is not in view here for God did not appoint us to suffer wrath (First Thessalonians 5:9).

Dear Heavenly Father, Praise Your great love! Thank You that You did not appoint Your children to suffer wrath and so you raptured Your children to heaven before this time, but there will be new believers saved during the Tribulation time. Please give each new believer strength and help each one to find another new believer so they can fellowship and praise You together. Protect them, hide them, nourish them and fill with Your peace and joy. In your holy Son’s name and power of His resurrection. Amen

The angels had apparently been waiting in readiness with their trumpets for about half an hour, as John watched. But suddenly there was activity. Then the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared to sound them. They were obedient and had probably waited a long time to perform their service for ADONAI (Psalm 103:19-21). When their trumpets blow it will signal a great angelic military assault upon the earth. It will be shock and awe, the greatest physical upheaval experienced by the earth since the Great Flood.

Back down on the earth, after the half-hour of silence, the inhabitants of the earth (11:10) start to think that maybe things were returning to normal. But just as they start to crawl out of their caves and from under rocks where they foolishly tried to hide from God’s wrath during the sixth seal (6:15-17), they will be hit with the first trumpet judgment.

The first angel sounded his shofar, and there came hail and fire mixed with blood, and it was hurled down upon the earth. Accompanying the pelting of hailstones will be balls of fire and drops of blood. The inhabitants of the earth will be terrified. Once before in human history a similar calamity overtook Egypt during the seventh plague (see my commentary on Exodus, to see link click Bq – The Seventh Plague of Hail). The difference being that the Egyptian calamity was local, but this judgment will be worldwide. It will most certainly be so unusual that mankind will be forced to recognize that it is a divine judgment. As with all the seal, trumpet and bowl judgments, since the results are literal, it is reasonable to take the judgments as being literal also.²⁴⁸

Many have attempted to explain the plagues of Egypt and the judgments of the Great Tribulation as totally natural phenomena. Their intent is to eliminate ADONAI from the equation, hence the need for repentance. However, it is important to understand that the miracles the LORD performs are both providential and creative.²⁴⁹ Sometimes the Lord uses things that He has already created, like blood, frogs, gnats, flies, livestock, boils, thunder, hail, fire or rain in such a way (or combination, like a burning bush or hail mixed with blood) to make it a providential miracle (through the wisdom, care and guidance of God). In other miracles He creates something out of nothing, like matter (Genesis 1:1), wine (John 2:1-11), life (Matthew 9:18-19, 23-25; Luke 7:11-15; John 11:1-44), eyesight (Matthew 9:27-31; John 9:1-32), speech and hearing (Mark 7:31-37), or fish and bread (John 6:5-13). Those are creative miracles. But whether a providential miracle or a creative miracle, they are both miracles of ADONAI.

Great devastation will follow in the wake of God’s wrath; a third of the earth will be burned up, making the soil in which the crops are grown unusable. The fact that two-thirds of the earth was not burned up will show that although the Lord will bring His wrath upon the earth, it was not completed and time remained for mankind to repent.

A third of the trees will also be burned up, destroying fruit all over the earth. And finally all the green grass was burned up. The fires will ignite the trees and the grass around the world, already parched from the prolonged drought, and will leave the ground scorched, with fully a third of the world’s forest will be burned to the ground. Fire, the great enemy, is the instrument God will use. The Flood was used in the first global judgment (see my commentary on Genesis Cj – The Waters Rose and the Ark Floated on the Surface of the Water), but in the end times it will be fire.²⁵⁰ The earth will be purified by fire. The effects of such catastrophic fires will be widespread and devastating, including the destruction of crops, death of animals on a massive scale, loss of wood for construction, and the destruction of watersheds.²⁵¹

This will be a literal judgment upon the ecosystem in the same way the seventh plague of Egypt was literal (see above). When hail came down in Egypt we are told that hail struck everything growing in the fields and stripped every tree (Exodus 9:25). ADONAI destroyed all of Egypt in the days of the exodus, but He will destroy one-third of the earth during the first trumpet judgment.

Earth Day will be a gloomy and dismal affair that year, and Mother Nature or the Green Party won’t be any help at all. In fact, just as the Egyptians looked to their gods for relief from the ten plagues but got none, the peoples of the earth (1:7) will look to their unholy trinity of Satan, the antichrist and the false prophet for relief from their seal, trumpet and bowl judgments, but just as before, they will find none.

Then the Angel Took the Censer,
Filled It with Fire From the Altar
and Hurled It On the Earth
8: 2-5

Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar and hurled it on the earth DIG: Why the golden censer? What do the altar and the incense teach us about prayer (also see 5:8, 6-9-10 and 9:13)? The fragrance of the incense reminds God of what? Why would Jesus call for an earthquake?

REFLECT: When was the last time you cried out to ADONAI for justice? Does the Lord always answer our prayers? Is He obligated to do so? Why? Why not?

Apparently, during the interval of silence John saw the seven angels who stand before God. The number seven is of special significance (to see link click Ag – The Importance of the Number Seven in the book of Revelation). The use of the definite article indicates that these seven angels make up a specific group. They seem to be a different order from the cherubim (Ezeki’el 1:4-25), as their mission and service are very different. The name of one of the angels is known to be Michael (12:7). Gabriel is certainly another of the seven. He identified himself to Zechariah by saying: I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God (Luke 1:19). He was also sent directly from God’s presence to Dani’el (Dani’el 8:16, 9:21-23), and Mary (Luke 1:26).²⁴¹ The other five angels are not mentioned by name in the Bible; but, the Jewish tradition says that the seven angels are Uriel, Raphael, Raguel, Michael, Saraqael, Gabriel, and Remiel, from the apocryphal book of First Enoch 20:2-8. The word stand is in the Greek tense that indicates that they are continually standing before the Lord ready for service.

They were given seven shofars, or trumpets, in preparation for the judgment that would follow shortly (8:2). Trumpets are the most significant musical instruments in the Bible. In the TaNaKh, shofars called the Israelite community together (Numbers 10:2), they sounded the alarm before going into war (Numbers 10:9; Second Chronicles 13:12; Ezeki’el 33:3), they proclaim news (First Samuel 13:3), they praise new kings (First Kings 1:34), and participated in worship (Second Chronicles 5:12-13). Zephaniah 1:14-16 associates trumpets with the Day of the Lord. From the B’rit Chadashah we learn that the trumpet will announce the Rapture (First Corinthians 15:52; First Thessalonians 4:16).

Each of the seven shofars or trumpets unleashes a specific judgment that will grow in intensity. Like labor pains, the trumpet judgments are more intense than the seal judgments, and the bowl judgments that will follow, will be more intense than the trumpet judgments. Having been introduced and given their shofars, the seven angles now wait before they unleash the wrath of Ha’Shem on the earth below. As the trumpets of Isra’el were used at the battle of Jericho, so the walls of this world’s opposition to the Lord will crumble and fall during the Great Tribulation. When Messiah comes He will put down the last trace of rebellion and establish His Kingdom here upon the earth (20:1-6).²⁴²

Yochanan saw another angel who outranked the previous seven. This is not Jesus. He had already been identified as the Lamb (5:6, 6:1, 7:17), and while the pre-incarnate Christ appeared as an Angel of ADONAI in the TaNaKh, Messiah is never identified as an angel in the B’rit Chadashah. In addition, the word another is allos, means another of the same kind. This is another high-ranking angel.

The golden censer was used in the Tabernacle and the Temple. It contained charcoal that was burned under a layer of incense (see my commentary on Exodus Fp – The Altar of Incense in the Sanctuary: Christ, Our Advocate with the Father). When the hot charcoal warmed the layer of incense, a sweet fragrance was produced. Although the Greek word for censer elsewhere means incense (Leviticus 16:12-13), the adjective golden indicates that the Holy Spirit had the container in mind rather than its contents.²⁴³ Incense was so sacred that its personal use was punishable by death (Exodus 30:34-38). It is no wonder then, that it was one of the gifts the wise men gave to the baby Jesus when they came to worship Him (see my commentary on The Life of Christ Av – The Visit of the Magi). Its fragrance reminds God of His Son who came to die for the sins of the whole world (First John 2:2).

The angel came and stood at the golden altar like a priest ready to offer incense (Exodus 40:5; Leviticus 4:7; Hebrews 9:4). That altar will be the heavenly counterpart to the altar of incense in the Tabernacle, which was also made of gold (see my commentary on Exodus Go – The Day of Atonement). It was the same golden altar seen by Isaiah in his vision (Isaiah 6:6). This action is also somewhat parallel to that of Ezekiel’s vision in which a man clothed in linen fills his hands with coals of fire from between the cherubim and scatters them over the city of Jerusalem (Ezekiel 10:2). In the Dispensation of the Torah (see my commentary on Exodus Da – The Dispensation of the Torah), the priests would take hot fiery coals from the bronze altar and transport them into the Holy Place to the golden altar of incense twice a day. Once in the morning and once in the evening when the daily sacrifices were made so incense would burn continually before ADONAI (Exodus 30:7-8). The continual burning of incense is an example of the need for persistent prayer (Psalm 16:8, 17:1, 28:2, 55:17; Luke 18:1-8; First Thessalonians 5:17-18).

The golden altar is the place where prayer is offered. The Lord will give the angel much incense to offer and it will be mingled with the prayers of God’s people (8:3). These will be all the unanswered prayers of God’s suffering believers for all the ages, not merely the souls under the altar (6:9). Earlier, around the throne of the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders also held golden bowls full of incense, which were the prayers of God’ people (5:8). Scripture clearly shows that incense is a symbol of prayer. When hiding in a cave from Saul, David said: May my prayer be set before you like incense; may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice (Psalm 141:2).

The angel will take the censer containing the incense, together with the prayers of God’s people and wave it around, causing the smoke to drift up before God on His throne (8:4). ADONAI, God will smell the incense, hear the prayers of the saints and prepare to answer. Then the same golden censer from which the prayers of God’s people are sent to heaven, becomes a fiery weapon discharging judgment earthward.²⁴⁴

The time had come to answer those desperate pleas for God’s intervention. As Deuteronomy 32:35-37a says: Vengeance and payback are mine for the time when their foot slips; for the day of their calamity is coming soon, their doom is rushing upon them. Yes, ADONAI will judge His people, taking pity on His servants, when He sees that their strength is gone, that no one is left, slave or free. Then He will ask, “Where are their gods?”

Then the scene of intercession becomes one of judgment, as the angel priest took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and hurled it on the earth. This will show that God’s judgment will come in direct response to all the prayers of God’s people. Yeshua Messiah will answer their prayers. And in direct response to the silence, there came peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightening and an earthquake (8:5). These are always associated with the awesome majesty of God’s throne (Exodus 19:16-19; Revelation 4:5, 11:19, 16:18). No details are given about the earthquake, but it will probably be at least as powerful as the one associated with the sixth seal (6:12). So as a warning to the earth that the trumpet judgments are about to begin it is made to tremble with tremors of nature.²⁴⁵

However, the world will still refuse to believe the gospel (9:20-21, 16:9 and 11). They will acknowledge that the terrifying judgments are coming from the Lord (6:15-17), but despite the worldwide preaching of the 144,00 and the witness of martyred believers, unbelievers will continue to love their sin more than the Light. This seems impossible, but the sad truth is that the Light has come into the world, but men loved the darkness instead of the Light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the Light, and will not come into the light for fear that his or her deeds will be exposed (John 3:19-20). The unbelieving world rejected Yeshua when He came, it rejects the life-giving message of the gospel now, and it will continue to do so during the judgment in the Great Tribulation (Hebrews 10:26-27). But for those who repent of their sins and come to saving faith in Christ, they will have eternal life because the person who believes in Him will not be condemned (John 3:16, 5:24).²⁴⁶

Come, Holy Spirit! Let the Word of God burn in my heart. Let it purify my mind and teach me deeply that I am made to live with You forever.²⁴⁷ Though the trials and pain of evil in this world seems so strong and pervasive, You are in control and we rejoice that Yeshua is preparing a place for your children in heaven. Do not let your heart be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in Me.  In My Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and take you to Myself, so that where I am you may also be (John 14:1-3). Heaven will be so wonderful! We will not be sad, nor cry, nor die, nor mourn, for we will be living with you in perfect peace and love! We look forward longingly to heaven. We love and worship You! In the holy name of Your Son and His power of resurrection. Amen

The Seven Trumpets
8:2 to 9:21

During the half hour of silence, most of those on the earth will undoubtedly harden their hearts further toward ADONAI thinking that somehow they had won victory over Him.²³⁸ But the silence will be broken when the seventh seal is opened containing the seven trumpet judgments. The LORD’s wrath will become increasingly severe and the trumpets will unleash more fury than all that had gone before them.

With each trumpet a plague will be poured out upon the earth. They embody the wrath of ADONAI upon the people of the earth who will choose to give their allegiance to the antichrist rather than to the Lion of the Tribe of Judah (5:5). This wrath is not directed against mankind in general, but to those people who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads (9:4). Two-thirds of the Jews will die during the Great Tribulation and any Gentile accepting Messiah, during that time will be martyred.

A line will be drawn in the sand. In other words, John sees a day when the forces of righteousness and the forces of evil will be so open and clear that everyone will have to make a decision between Christ or the antichrist. The struggle that is implicit in the mission of the gospel in the world for the souls of mankind will become so explicit that there will no longer be any middle ground. The powers of unbelief and of hostility to the LORD will explode in the person of the antichrist, and everyone’s loyalty will be tested.

Yet, the wrath of God is not merely judgmental. It also symbolizes His mercy. The seven trumpet judgments are designed to drive men and women to their knees while salvation is still possible, before it is too late. After the sixth trumpet, we read: The rest of mankind that were not killed by theses plagues still did not repent of the work of their hands; they did not stop worshiping demons and idols (9:20a). It is implied that when men and women are confronted by the evident wrath of Ha’Shem, they would be humbled, repent, and turn from their wickedness to worship Him. If it were possible for the LORD to have people experience the reality of their sin, the judgments of the trumpets will do so, not wanting anyone to perish, but to come to repentance (Second Peter 3:9b).²³⁹

Notice the pattern being established. The seven seals were broken down into two sets: the four horsemen followed by three additional judgments. Likewise, the seven trumpet judgments will be broken down into two sets: four judgments followed by three judgments called woes.²⁴⁰

One of the challenging aspects of reading the book of Revelation is this: Can we establish ourselves in the Word of God just as John did? Is it our base? Our core? Can we take a hold of His view of salvation and allow our very outlook on the future to be shaped by the LORD’s promises in the past and His faithfulness in the present? We can confidently say yes, because the Ruach ha-Kodesh can bring the Scriptures alive in our hearts. For all Scripture is God breathed (Second Timothy 3:16a). So turn to God the Spirit today and ask Him to anchor your life – past, present and future – in Messiah Yeshua.

Dear God in heaven, I am a sinner. I surrender my life to Your control and choose to follow You in love. You are my Lord and Savior. Thank You for being my Father. Thank You that You will walk with me guiding each of my steps that I may honor You. Please give me actions and words to share You with my family and friends so they find You as their peace and joy. In Your holy Son’s name and power of His resurrection. Amen

God Will Wipe Away
Every Tear From Their Eyes
7: 9-17

God will wipe away every tear from their eyes DIG: How does John characterize the number of the multitude here? What are they doing? Wearing? Carrying? What is the significance of the white robes? Palm branches? When the martyrs cry out, how do the angels, elders and four living creatures respond? What does that say about God’s Kingdom and Christ’s sacrifice?

REFLECT: What is your greatest tribulation of persecution? How difficult does that seem next to the majesty of YHVH pictured here? How will you incorporate this glimpse of heavenly worship into your earthly walk?

It is no coincidence that after seeing the 144,000 Jewish believers who are evangelists, that Yochanan witnesses the fruit of their ministry. These were the ones who had been beheaded because of their testimony for Jesus and because of the Word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or his image and had not received his mark or his image on their foreheads. They were no longer seen under the altar in heaven (6:9-11), but before the throne in heaven. Eventually, they will be resurrected at the end of the seventy-five day interval (to see link click Ey – The Seventy-Five Day Interval). At that time they will come to life and reign with Messiah for a thousand years (20:4).

After this, introduces a new vision. John looked and there before him was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. There have been great responses to the gospel in the past. We can think of times like the birth of the messianic community at Shavu’ot (see the commentary on Acts Al – The Ruach ha-Kodesh Comes at Shavu’ot), the Reformation in Europe during the sixteenth century, and the Great Awakening in America during the eighteenth century. But the greatest revival the world has ever seen is yet to come. It will not happen during the Church Age, but during the Great Tribulation. Those saved will be Jews and Gentiles, and they will be from every nation, tribe, people and language. All will be martyred.

They will be wearing white robes. These robes were white, symbolizing the purity and righteousness of Christ Himself. The long, radiant white robes were the same ones worn by the Tribulation martyrs under the alter in 6:9-11. And they will be holding palm branches in their hands (7:9), because they will be looking forward to the coming of King Messiah. When Yeshua entered Yerushalayim on a donkey (Matthew 21:2-7), the people took palm branches (Leviticus 23:33-43) and went out to meet Him, shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of God! Blessed is the King of Isra’el” (John 12:12-15). These are messianic titles and many of the Jews at that time believed that Christ had come to usher in His Kingdom. The reason they took palm branches out to meet Him was because they knew that the Feast of Sukkot is to be celebrated during the Messianic Kingdom (Zechariah 14:16-19). These martyrs before the throne in heaven during the Great Tribulation will be holding palm branches in their hands for the same reason. They worship Jesus as the Messiah and look forward to the building of booths out of palm branches during the Messianic Kingdom.

Jewish and Gentile believers who were saved before the Rapture will all be absent from the earth during the Great Tribulation because they will be present with God in heaven. But it is important to understand that the Holy Spirit will still be present in the world to do His work of salvation (Ezeki’el 37:14; John 3:5-6, 16:5-15). The only difference will be that He will no longer restrain evil (Second Thessalonians 2:7). The Great Tribulation will be the Devil’s holiday. It will be a period of time when he is going to have the freedom to do as he pleases.²³¹ But a great multitude that no one could count will still be saved.

And they cried out in a loud voice, shouting: Salvation belongs to God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb (7:10)! The reason for their motivation was that YHVH had saved them. This may well be the greatest worship service of all time. The crescendo of praise is seen to grow as all the millions of angels were standing around the throne as well as the elders and the four living creatures. Everyone in heaven will worship the Lord. Overwhelmed by God’s majesty, they all fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped YHVH, saying: Amen! Or, “He is worthy.” It is the appropriate reaction of all creatures to prostrate themselves before the unquestioned holiness of God (Genesis 17:3; Joshua 5:14; Ezekiel 1:28 and 3:23; Matthew 17:6; Philippians 2:9-10; Revelation 4:10, 5:8 and 14, 11:16, 19:4).²³² Then the angels will erupt with a sevenfold declaration of worship: Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen (7:11-12)! If there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents (Luke 15:10), how unbelievably great will the praise be in heaven when this great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language stands before the throne and in front of the Lamb?

John became active in the vision himself when one of the elders asked: These in white robes – who are they, and where did they come from (7:13)? The elder did not ask because he didn’t know the answer. He asked so you and I would know the answer. This is dialogue format used periodically in the Bible to explain a vision (Jeremiah 1:11 and 13; Amos 7:8 and 8:2; Zechariah 4:2 and 5). Yochanan answered immediately: Sir, you know. It’s as if John kind of lifted up his hands and said, “I don’t know.” But he wanted to know, so he said, “You tell me.” It is interesting to note that John couldn’t recognize them. I think he would have known them if they were the righteous of the TaNaKh or B’rit Chadashah believers, but he didn’t. So the elder told him, “These are the martyrs who have come out of the Great Tribulation.” The phrase “these who have come out,” comes from the Greek verb erchomai and indicates a long process. The number of martyrs will keep growing as more and more people are murdered during the Great Tribulation. By their faith in King Messiah they will have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb (7:14). They will lay down their lives for Jesus Christ.

As a result: They are before the throne of God and serve Him day and night in His Temple in heaven. The word serve is from the Greek latreuo, a word often used to describe the ministry of the priests. Those who have served well on the earth will have a ministry during the Millennium and in heaven. And He who sits on the throne will spread His tent over them (7:15). When God put His dwelling place (or the Tabernacle) among His people, He was, in effect, spreading His tent over them. He promised to walk among them. He said: I will be your God, and you will be My people (Leviticus 26:11).

Then ADONAI makes a very special promise. On the earth, those martyrs will not be safe anywhere. They will starve, die of disease, or be beheaded. Like rabid animals, they will be hunted down and slaughtered. There will be no escape from the clutches of the antichrist. But once they arrive in heaven it will be quite a different story. Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat upon them, nor any scorching heat (7:16). God will protect them (Psalm 121:5-6; Isaiah 49:10). They will be in the fortress, a place of constant protection that cannot be breached. To those persecuted believers in the first century, this would be a message of great comfort.

For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their great Shepherd; He will lead them to springs of living water during the thousand years of the Messianic Kingdom. King David said it this way: The LORD is my Shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters. (Psalm 23:1-2). During the Eternal State (see Fq – The Eternal State) the Lamb, who stands in the middle of the throne of ADONAI, will provide for the Tribulation martyrs. He will feed them from the tree of life and let them drink from the springs of living water. In his vision John would eventually see the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal flowing from the throne of God down the middle of the great street of the city of New Jerusalem. On each side of the river will stand the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month (22:1-2). Surely this is one of the most gracious promises in God’s Word.

Not only will the LORD remove all thirst and hunger, but He will also wipe every tear from their eyes during the Messianic Kingdom (7:17). And so that we will not forget, we are reminded later in the book once again that He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things will have passed away (21:4). These promises apply to all believers and they would have been particularly comforting to the righteous of the first century undergoing persecutions by the Roman emperors. But there is no doubt that they will be especially precious and encouraging to those new, but suffering, believers who will be reading them in the mountains, deserts or huddled in cellars during the Day of Darkness (Zeph 1:15; Amos 5:18 and 20; Joel 2:2), that may soon be coming upon the earth.

The victory of these martyrs will come through the blood of the Lamb, which washed them, purified them, and sealed them with the promise of eternal life (see my commentary on The Life of Christ Ms – The Eternal Security of the Believer). The power of this precious blood of Messiah is available to us every day by faith. We can turn to Yeshua at any moment and ask for His blood to cover our sins and cleanse us. The power of the Ruach Ha’Kodesh who lives in each and every believer enables us to live as God’s children. How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called the children of God (First John 3:1). If you have accepted Christ by faith, to take hold of the steering wheel of your life, you are God’s precious child. He has adopted you as His very own. Every day, our Father’s hand is extended to us, and we have the great privilege to take hold of it.

Let us fix our eyes upon the Lamb at the center of the throne, the One who has promised us springs of living water. The Lord, who will work in the lives of the Tribulation martyrs is ready to work in us if we turn to Him. Our God, who has chosen us to be His very own, is faithful. Amen.²³³

Then I Heard the Number of Those Who Were Sealed,
144,000 from all the Tribes of Isra’el
7: 1-8

Then I heard the number of those who were sealed, 144,000 from all the tribes of Isra’el DIG: What will the four angels do? Why are they doing it? Why will the 144,000 need to be sealed? When will this happen? What message will they preach? What will be the result?

REFLECT: How have you sensed God’s protection in the last several months? What sort of seal has the Lord placed on your life? How is this seal evident to others?

Chapter 7 forms a parenthetical section between the sixth and seventh seals to answer the question of who can stand in the face of the wrath of Ha’Shem. We see two groups who will be protected by God. The first group is the 144,000 Jews who will preach the gospel during the Great Tribulation (7:1-8), and will be the firstfruits of many more to come (14:4), and secondly, we see their converts seen standing before the throne in heaven (7:9-17). This is the third of five events that occur during the first half of the Tribulation.

The passage begins with after this, which is not chronological. John saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth (7:1a). Corners here is the Greek word gonia, closely related to our modern word quadrants. It literally means angles, or divisions. It is customary to divide a map into quadrants as shown by the four directions.

Angels always act with the Lord’s specific direction and will. They are ministering spirits sent by God to do His will (Hebrews 1:14). Here we see them holding back the four winds of the earth to prevent any wind from blowing on the land or on the sea or any tree (7:1b). The phrase the four corners of the earth, refers to the whole earth, or the four quadrants of the compass. So the four winds would be the north, west, south and east wind. In the Bible, these four winds are often associated with Ha’Shem’s judgment (Jeremiah 49:36; Dani’el 7:2; Hosea 13:15; Zechariah 6:5). For the duration of their ministry they will control the four winds of the earth. There will be no wind, no breeze, no waves crashing on the seashore, no activity in the sky, everything will be deathly still.²²²

The circulation of the atmosphere is like a mighty engine, driven by energy from the sun and from the earth’s rotation. The tremendous powers involved in this operation become especially obvious when they take the form of great hurricanes, blizzards or tornadoes. These winds of the earth make life possible through the hydrologic cycle, transporting waters inland from the ocean with which to water the earth. Yet the angels – only four of them – will turn off this enormous engine.²²³

The Greek word for holding back is from krateo, a word that hints that the winds are fighting to break free of their restraint. Because the angels hold back the winds, they also hold back the plagues associated with the trumpet judgments soon to come (8:5). Thus, the next phase of God’s wrath is confined for a while. But the winds of judgment are gathering and cannot be restrained forever. While YHVH’s love will last evermore His patience will not.

Then I saw another angel coming up from the east, having the seal of the living God. Angels are divided in different ranks, military style. Some rank higher than others and some serve God, while others serve Satan. We do not know who the angel from the east is, but do know that he will have authority over the other four angels. He called out in a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm the land and the sea (7:2). The Bible does not say what the seal will be. We do know that these specific 144,000 messianic evangelists will be protected by some sort of mark (Ephesians 1:13-14). He said: Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal of ownership on the foreheads of the servants of our God (7:3). This tells us that the Lord is in complete control, and His intent is to bring harm upon the earth.

The sealing of God’s servants is based on Ezeki’el 9:4-6, where the LORD instructs a man to go throughout the city of Jerusalem and put a mark on the foreheads of those who grieve and lament over all the idolatry practiced there. Then all those who did not have the mark on their foreheads were slaughtered (Ezeki’el 9:1-11). Later in Yochanan’s vision, during the fifth trumpet, a plague of locusts will fall on only those people who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads (9:4). All believers will be protected from being stung by the demons at that time (Ephesians 1:13-14; 2 Timothy 2:19). This will be reminiscent of the first Passover in Egypt (Exodus 12:11-13), ADONAI’s people will be delivered from wrath.

Although the Great Tribulation will be a time of unprecedented death and disaster, it will also be a time of salvation for many. The Lord will preserve a godly remnant in that time of judgment. He always has. When God destroyed the world in the Flood, He preserved Noah and his family. When He destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, He preserved Lot and his daughters. When He destroyed Jericho, He preserved Rahab and her household. When He destroyed Egypt, He preserved the nation of Isra’el.²²⁴ And when the 70^th seven of Dani’el comes, He will preserve a remnant of Jewish believers. John tells us that he heard the number of those who were sealed for a specific ministry: 144,000 from all the tribes of Isra’el (7:4-8). Even though these verses are clear and straightforward, some people still want to spiritualize them. The Jehovah’s Witnesses, for example, believe this refers to 144,000 of their members. However, the verse clearly states that the 144,000 will be Jews. Not Gentiles. It is best to ignore the mental gymnastics and accept the literal interpretation.²²⁵

Those 144,000, who were probably saved through the preaching of the two witnesses (to see link click Dc – I Will Give Power to My Two Witnesses and They Will Prophesy for 1,260 Days), will be sealed for protection so that they cannot be hurt either by the judgments poured out by God or by the persecutions against believers of Christ. As He protected Noah from the Flood and Isra’el from the plagues, ADONAI will protect these Jews from the evil one. But they are also sealed for service, for they are the ones who will proclaim the message of the gospel to the world and trigger a worldwide revival.²²⁶

While the tribal records were lost when the Romans sacked Jerusalem in AD 70, YHVH knows who belongs to each tribe. Today only the tribe of Levi can be identified genetically. This passage also teaches that the so-called ten lost tribes were, in fact, never lost (Matthew 19:28; Luke 2:36, 22:30; Acts 26-7; James 1:1; Revelation 21:12). Instead, the faithful remnant from the ten Northern tribes filtered south and intermingled with the two Southern tribes and were thus preserved (Second Chronicles 30:1-11, 34:1-9).²²⁷

From the tribe of Judah 12,000 were sealed,
from the tribe of Reuben 12,000 were sealed,
from the tribe of Gad 12,000 were sealed,
Although Reuben was the oldest, Judah is sealed first. Reuben was the firstborn, but when he defiled his father’s marriage bed, his rights as firstborn were given to Joseph (First Chronicles 5:1-2). To Judah, the fourth son of Jacob, was given the scepter (Genesis 49:10), and it is clear that our Lord descended from Judah (Hebrews 7:14). Therefore, Judah will be sealed first and Reuben second.²²⁸

From the tribe of Asher 12,000 were sealed,
from the tribe of Naphtali 12,000 were sealed,
from the tribe of Manasseh 12,000 were sealed,
Asher and Naphtali were the eighth and sixth sons of Jacob. Manasseh was the first son of Joseph, Jacob’s eleventh son by adoption.

From the tribe of Simeon 12,000 were sealed,
from the tribe of Levi 12,000 were sealed,
from the tribe of Issachar 12,000 were sealed,
Simeon and Levi, Jacob’s second and third sons, are frequently listed together. However, Levi was the priestly tribe and had no geographical region originally given to his descendants in the Promised Land. As priests, the Levites were given specific cities in all the various tribal areas. As the spiritual leaders of Isra’el throughout the centuries, it would be expected and appropriate that they would be included among those sealed for this special service. On the other hand, the tribe of Dan is omitted (Genesis 49:16-18) from the 144,000. But mercifully, we see that the tribe of Dan will be included in the Millennial Kingdom. Jesus will return through the eastern gate of Jerusalem. And the messianic Temple, where Christ will live and rule, will have twelve gates for the twelve tribes. On the eastern gate, we see the name of Dan (Ezeki’el 48:32b).

From the tribe of Zebulun 12,000 were sealed,
from the tribe of Joseph 12,000 were sealed,
from the tribe of Benjamin 12,000 were sealed.
Benjamin, the youngest of Jacob’s sons, is listed last, as Judah was the first. Judah and Benjamin had been the two faithful tribes left in the southern Kingdom after ten of the tribes separated and formed the idolatrous northern Kingdom in the days of Jeroboam (First Kings 12:16-24). The northern Kingdom was often called Ephraim because it became the dominant tribe among the ten tribes of the nation of Isra’el. Ephraim was the son of Joseph, and the brother of Manasseh. Joseph was given a double inheritance that was forfeited by Reuben. Therefore, Ephraim and Manasseh have traditionally been recognized as part of the twelve tribes, with Levi not considered as one of the twelve. Here, however, Manasseh’s father Joseph is mentioned in place of Ephraim, because the name Ephraim, like Dan, became synonymous with spiritual adultery. Mercifully, however, in the Messianic Kingdom all thirteen tribes, including Dan and Ephraim, will have a portion of Land (Ezeki’el 48:1-29).²²⁹ These are the number of Jewish servants that will be sealed.

During the Great Tribulation there will be four distinct groups of Jews. The first group can be called the apostate Jews. These are the many of Dani’el 9:27 who will enter into the seven-year covenant that will start the Great Tribulation (see Cg). They will make up two-thirds of the nation of Isra’el and will die in the worldwide persecution of the Jews during the second half of the Great Tribulation (Zechariah 13:8a).

The second group will be the 144,000 Jews. They are part of the one-third that will survive the Great Tribulation (Zechariah 13:8b-9). These are the Jews who will be saved and sealed some time after the Rapture of the Church. They will be like 144,000 Billy Graham’s during the Great Tribulation conducting a worldwide revival. They will survive the seal, trumpet and bowl judgments for ministry. ADONAI will protect them from the antichrist and they will enter the messianic Kingdom alive. The 144,000 will appear again with the Lamb on Mount Zion singing a new song that no one else could sing (14:1-5).

The third group can be called the other Jewish believers. These are the Jews who will receive the gospel as a result of the preaching of the 144,000, the two witnesses (see above), or by other believers. These Jews are from every nation. Many will be martyred and are seen in the next section standing before the throne of God in their white robes of righteousness along with Gentile believers (7:9).

The fourth group is called the faithful remnant, and they are the key group of Jews in the second half of the Great Tribulation (see my commentary on Isaiah Hm – I AM the LORD, Your God, Who Takes Hold of Your Right Hand). They will be attacked by the antichrist and the whole world. Their goal will be genocide, to kill every last Jew on the face of the earth. Some of these Jews will hide in Jerusalem initially, but then they will flee and take refuge at Bozrah (see my commentary on Isaiah Kg – The Second Coming of Jesus Christ to Bozrah). By the time Messiah returns (19:11-16), the one third of the faithful remnant still living at the end of the Great Tribulation will be saved (Rom 11:26a).

As he reveals his vision to us, John peppers his account with numbers. Sometimes we can be tempted to look at them in the same way we read census figures or other statistics. But as with other examples of apocalyptic literature, very large numbers tend to be symbolic of a great gathering of people before the throne. Such is the case here with the 144,000 sealed servants of God. To be sure, the 144,000 messianic evangelists will be a literal number, but they will also represent something else.

The effect is similar to the way today’s movie directors filming a battle scene or natural disaster will “pan out” of the scene to reveal the full scope of the action. By pulling back in this way the director enables the audience to see the vast numbers involved in the struggle and appreciate the drama.

The 144,000 witnesses represent a promise fulfilled. The LORD called Isra’el, “My people.” He made a covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. He rescued them from slavery in Egypt. God gave them the Torah and the prophets. John’s vision also is reminiscent of Ezeki’el’s vision that one day ADONAI would restore all the children of Isra’el, including those tribes whose records were lost when the Romans destroyed Jerusalem in AD 70. The 144,000 are a sign that God is faithful to His people.

From the very beginning, the book of Revelation has been a message of hope for those persecuted in the middle of troubles. The vision in this book reveals the truth that the LORD has been in control of our destiny from the very beginning. He is sure to achieve His purposes because when the time had fully come, God sent His Son to pay the ransom and buy us back (Galatians 4:4). Knowing this, we can place our trust in Yeshua who saves. Every prayer time is a new invitation to join in the worship at the heavenly throne. When we think about God’s faithfulness, we can rise above the setbacks in our lives. Or, at the very least, it can help us endure them for a season.

Lord, may my daily prayer give me the perspective of those marked with Your seal. Help me to stand among Your faithful today, always ready to testify about Your plan of salvation.²³⁰

The Sixth Seal:
The Sun Turned Black Like Sackcloth
6: 12-17

The sixth seal: the sun turned black like sackcloth DIG: What occurs when the sixth seal is broken? What elements of the Day of Judgment are described? What is the reaction of the people on the earth when the sixth seal opens? Who can remain standing under the wrath of the Lamb?

REFLECT: In what area of your life are you trying to hide from God? What do you need to do to come out of hiding? How does this passage make you feel about the end times? Why? Who can you tell this week?

Each series of judgments ends with a seizure of nature, and the sixth seal is no exception. The whole earth will go into convulsions, and the appearance of the sun and the moon will be changed.²¹⁶ Yochanan recorded six terrifying natural disasters connected with the opening of the sixth seal.

First, there will be a great earthquake. For the first time in history this will be a worldwide earthquake. Seismologists and geophysicists in recent years have learned a great deal about the structure of the earth and about the cause and nature of earthquakes. The earth’s solid crust is crossed with a complex network of faults, with all resting upon a plastic mantle whose structure is still largely unknown. Whether the crust consists of great moving plates is a current matter of debate among geophysicists, so the ultimate cause of earthquakes is still unknown. In all likelihood, the entire complex of instabilities in the crust is a remnant of the phenomena of the great Flood, especially the breakup of the fountains of the deep (see my commentary on Genesis, to see link click Ci – And Rain Fell on the Earth Forty Days and Forty Nights).

In any case, the vast worldwide network of unstable earthquake belts around the world suddenly will begin to slip and fracture on a global basis and a gigantic earthquake will ensure. This is evidently, and naturally, accompanied by tremendous volcanic eruptions, spewing vast quantities of dust and steam and gases into the upper atmosphere. It is probably these that will cause the sun to turn black and the moon to turn red.²¹⁷

On the heels of the earthquake came a second catastrophe as the sun will appear to turn black like sackcloth made of goat hair. This will be the second of five blackouts during the end times (Joel 2:31, Revelation 6:12, 9:2, 16:10-11; Matthew 24:29-30). Because of the dust and gases from the billows of smoke exploding from the earth’s core, it will screen and reflect light away from the sun, making it appear to John like black sackcloth made of goat hair (Isaiah 50:3). The same phenomena will occur with the third disaster (Joel 2:10), which will be closely associated with the sun and sky being blacked out by the smoke from the Abyss (9:2).²¹⁸

Then, out of the black sky came the fourth blow, Yochanan tells us that the stars in the sky fell to earth, as late figs drop from a fig tree when shaken by a strong wind (6:13). The Greek word for earthquake literally means shaking, and applies equally to the air, the sea, or the land. To those on the earth it will seem like the sky is shaking and the stars themselves are being shaken loose from the heavens. Since most stars are larger than the earth, no star could fall to the earth without destroying it. However, since the word stars can also be translated meteors in the Greek, this would indicate a meteor shower, commonly called falling stars. The most likely identification of these particular falling stars is that of a great swarm of asteroids that pummel the earth. Such an event has never occurred in historic times, but scientists have long speculated about the probability of either past or future earth catastrophes caused by encountering a swarm of asteroids. A shower of giant meteorites might have much the same effect. It might even be the trigger that would set off the global earthquake.

The fifth calamity in this seal will affect the earth’s atmosphere because the sky receded like a scroll being rolled up (6:14a). This is a human perception of the magnitude of this judgment, but is not the final dissolving of heaven that comes later (Revelation 21:1 and Second Peter 3:10). This vivid picture is similar to Isaiah’s description: All the stars of the heavens will be dissolved and the sky rolled up like a scroll; all the starry host will fall like withered leaves from the vine, like shriveled figs from the fig tree (Isaiah 34:4).²¹⁹ The stars of the heavens will never actually be dissolved because the Bible says they will be in place for ever and ever (Psalm 148:3-6). But they will seem to dissolve for the same reason the sun will appear to turn black and the moon will appear to turn blood red. The dust and gases from the billows of smoke (Joel 2:30) exploding from the earth’s core will screen and reflect light away from them.

Returning in his vision to what was happening on the earth, John gives an account of the sixth disastrous natural phenomenon, noting that every mountain and island was removed from its place (6:14b). We see the same thing in Nahum 1:5, Isaiah 34:4 and again in Revelation 20:11. The entire unstable crust of the earth begins to stir and shift. The earth’s crust, highly unstable ever since the great Flood, will be so disturbed by the impacting asteroids, the volcanic explosions, and the worldwide earthquakes, that great segments of it will actually begin to slip and slide over the earth’s deep plastic mantle. Geophysicists for many years have been fascinated with the idea of continental drift (although strong evidence has been accumulating against any such phenomenon occurring in the present age). Several have published theories of a past natural catastrophe involving what they call the earth’s shifting crust. Some such phenomenon may actually be triggered under this judgment of the sixth seal, dwarfing the mighty earthquakes of the past.²²⁰

Anarchy will result as the kings of the earth, the princes, the generals, the rich, the mighty, and every slave and every free man hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains (6:15). Survival will be their only concern. Their fear will cut across all of society (Psalm 48:4-6; Isaiah 2:10-12, 19). No one will be exempt from God’s judgment. Neither their silver nor their gold will be able to save them on the day of ADONAI’s wrath. In the fire of His righteous jealousy the whole world will be consumed, for He will make a sudden end of all who live on the earth (Zephaniah 1:18).

Unbelievers from all walks of life will be terrified. But will these panic stricken people call on Jesus to save them? No! They will call on “Mother Nature” to kill them. Acting irrationally, they will call out to the mountains and the rocks: Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of our wrath has come (6:16-17a). They would rather die and spend eternity in hell than turn to Jesus Christ (Hosea 10:8). Up to now they may have been able to explain away the previous judgments as natural catastrophes, but with this seal that will not be possible. Even unbelievers will recognize that the hand of God is against them.

The wrath of the Lamb is a paradoxical phrase. The wrath of God is the Day of the Lord, that day that is spoken of all the way through the prophets in the TaNaKh, a day that is coming upon the earth and is yet future. The Lamb is a phrase used of Christ in the B’rit Chadashah only by John (John 1:35-36).And when we combine the two phrases it’s like mixing fire and water, but the wrath of God is revealed in the Lamb. There is no “mean” God of the TaNaKh and “loving” God of the B’rit Chadashah. The Bible teaches that ADONAI our God, ADONAI is One (Deuteronomy 6:4). The love of God is clearly seen in the TaNaKh (Jeremiah 31:3) and the wrath of God is clearly seen in the B’rit Chadashah (Luke 12:4-5).

The closing words of the sixth seal raise an interesting question. Who can stand (6:17b)? The prophet Nahum echoed the same question when he asked: Who can withstand His indignation? Who can endure His fierce anger (Nahum 1:6a, also see Psalm 76:7; Jer 30:7; Zep 1:14-18 and Malachi 3:2)? The answer is this, only those who have taken advantage of the grace of God. In chapter 7 we will see two groups who will survive the fury of divine judgment; first, the 144,000 Jewish evangelists, and secondly, their converts, the souls of those martyred during the Great Tribulation standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb (7:9).

If we were honest, we would probably admit that when faced with the prospects of judgment, our first impulse is to hide. Just like those seen above who will call on the mountains to hide them, just like Adam and Eve who hid in the Garden after they had sinned (Genesis 3:8-10), we also can be afraid to submit ourselves to the all-seeing gaze of the face of Him who sits on the throne (6:16).

When we read about the sixth seal – with its worldwide earthquake, blackened sun, blood red moon, falling meteors and other fearsome physical destruction – we may come to the conclusion that the judgment of Ha’Shem is a fearful and terrible thing. No wonder everyone on earth wanted to die. How could we possibly survive when such powerful forces expose our weakness and sinfulness? But in the middle of all this confusion and fear, we must not forget that ADONAI didn’t kill Adam and Eve. He clothed them (see my commentary on Genesis Bh – The LORD God Made Garments of Skin for Adam and His Wife) and stayed with them, even in their exile from paradise. Likewise, in the next chapter the LORD will mark those who are His own (7:1-8).

Where do you think you will turn in the face of God’s powerful presence? You can try to be like Jonah and run away from Him, hoping that the mountains will cover you, or trying to find shelter in barren caves. Or you can run toward Him for forgiveness, protection and salvation. The judgment of the Lord is nothing more than the clarity of His truth – and the truth about Him is that He is merciful as well as just. Running to Yeshua is the best thing we could ever do. For He has bought us back from hell by His death and resurrection. Now sitting at the right hand of the Father (Matthew 26:64), He promises that all those who believe in His gospel need never be afraid.

Jesus, I don’t want to hide from you. I sin all the time, in thought, word and deed. I don’t want to, but it still happens. As I wait for you to come again, I give you the freedom to show me my sin so that I cannot hide from it. You are my only hope. I confess my sin to You right now as I wait for the day when I will see You face to face. Please come quickly.²²¹

Dear Heavenly Father, I love You! You are Awesome! I don’t want to hide from you. I sin in thought, word and deed. I don’t want to, but it still happens. As I wait for You to come again, I give you the freedom to show me my sin so that I cannot hide from it. You are my only hope. I confess my sin to You right now as I wait for the day when I will see You face to face.²²¹ I desire to turn from my sin and to hold tight to follow your way of holiness. Praise you that when we confess you forgive (1 John 1:9) and As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us. (Psalms 103:12). I look to You in love and wait for Your perfect timing to vanquish all evil and win victoriously the world’s final battle (Revelation 20:7-15). Please come quickly. In Your holy Son’s name and power of His resurrection. Amen

The Fifth Seal: I Saw Under the Altar
Those Who Had Been Slain
6: 9-11

The fifth seal: I saw under the altar those who had been slain DIG: What is revealed by the opening of the fifth seal? What is the significance of the souls of the martyrs being under the altar? What is their cry? How is the phrase the inhabitants of the earth used in Revelation (see 11:10, 13:8 and 12, 17:2 and 8, 3:10, 8:13)? What is the significance of the white robe? How is this related to the suffering of the messianic community in Yochanan’s day? In our day?

REFLECT: What’s the worst thing that has happened to you because of your faithfulness to the Word of God? Have you ever had to wait a long time for justice to be handed out? How would you have felt if someone told you that you had to wait a little longer? Can you understand their desire to be avenged? Is that wrong, or merely just? Why? Who is to hand out the vengeance (Rom 12:19)? Why is that important?

Following the Rapture, millions will accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. World leaders will say that these believers will be a threat to world peace, world government, world religion and the environment. Just as the Jews were a scapegoat during the Third Reich, messianic believers will become a scapegoat during the Great Tribulation. Today followers of the New Age movement teach that the earth must undergo a cleansing before society can progress. Part of the cleansing process will be the death of all believers.

As with the first four seals, when the Lamb opened the fifth seal, John saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the Word of God and the testimony they had maintained (6:9). These souls were not believers at the beginning of the Great Tribulation, but were won to Messiah by the preaching of the 144,000 Jews (7:1-8), the two witnesses (11:3), from others won to Yeshua the Lamb before being martyred, or even through Bibles or messianic literature left behind by raptured believers. They had been beheaded for not taking the mark of the beast (to see link click Fe – I Saw Those Beheaded Because of Their Testimony for Jesus).

John saw the souls under the golden altar of incense in heaven (Hebrews 9:4). The earthly Tabernacle was merely a replica of the heavenly one (see my commentary on Exodus Fp – The Altar of Incense: Christ, Our Advocate with the Father). Earlier, when the Lamb was found worthy to open the title deed to the earth, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders each held golden bowls full of incense, or the prayers of the saints (see Psalm 141:2). Later during the Trumpet Judgments, John would see an angel who had a golden censer. The angel was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all the saints, on the golden altar of incense before the throne in heaven (8:2-3).

They had been slain because of the Word of God and their testimony before an unbelieving world. Some of the souls will be from believing families who were caught up in the Rapture. Others will be Jews who finally realize that Jesus is the Messiah. While others will have heard the message of the gospel for the first time. Over time they will finally come to grips with their sin and turn to Yeshua who said: I tell you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after the killing of the body, has power to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear Him (Luke 12:4-5).²¹² The Word of God teaches the resurrection and the lordship of Christ. No believer could confess the lordship of Christ and at the same time bow to the lordship of the antichrist. In the story of the martyrdom of Polycarp, father of the faith, he was promised freedom if he would only reject Messiah and swear that Caesar was Lord. However, he would not and was burned at the stake, the souls under the altar in heaven will not swear loyalty to the antichrist and will be slain as a result.

They called out in a loud voice, “How long, Sovereign Ruler, holy and true, until You judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood” (6:10)? This plea to YHVH for justice and vengeance finds its roots in the TaNaKh, prayers calling for God to take a stand against the enemies of righteousness (Psalm 94:1-5). Here, these martyrs make an appeal on that basis (Romans 12:19) because the LORD is holy and cannot tolerate sin. They are asking, “How long, ADONAI until You judge this sin?” The phrase, the inhabitants of the earth points to men and women who are in rebellion and hostile to God during the Great Tribulation (3:10, 11:10, 13:8 and 14, 14:6, 17:8). It is a cold hard fact that if people don’t want to accept Christ right now when no persecution is involved, when the Great Tribulation comes (although they can still be saved) people will only be saved as one escaping through the flames (First Corinthians 3:15).

Does not God Himself affirm that the blood of the righteous cries out for judgment? The rebels of the earth will one day take on the holy God of the universe. They will challenge ELOHIM’s attributes of purity and righteousness. So to be who He says He is, Ha’Shem must avenge the blood of the souls under the altar. When Cain killed his brother Abel, God asked: What have you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood cries out to Me from the ground (Genesis 4:10).²¹³ In the same way, the blood of the Tribulation martyrs will cry out to ADONAI from under the altar.

Then each of them will be given a white robe. The literal interpretation of Scripture should always be followed if possible. But here, physical robes would need to be placed on physical bodies. Since these martyrs will not be resurrected and receive their resurrection bodies until the end of the seventy-five day interval between the Second Coming and the start of the Messianic Kingdom (20:4-6), their robes are symbolic of their righteousness, or their justification in Jesus Christ. By means of the red blood of Messiah, they will be made white, or pure.²¹⁴ If you are a believer today, you were justified at the moment you accepted Yeshua. Justification is a once-for-all-time act of God whereby, negatively, He forgives your sins and positively, He declares you righteous by transferring all the obedience and righteousness of Christ to you through faith. Having been justified by His grace, we might become heirs having hope of eternal life (Titus 3:7).

The martyrs were given assurance that their prayers would be answered, but the day of God’s wrath (Romans 2:5), had not arrived yet. And they were told to wait a little while longer, until the number of their fellow servants, brothers and sisters, all who were to be killed as they had been was completed (6:11). God knows the exact number. It has been fixed from all eternity past. But until that number is realized, the final Day of Judgment cannot come (19:11-18).

Then God tells the martyrs under the altar in heaven that they must wait a little while longer, until the number of innocent deaths is completed. They will have to wait until the second half of the Great Tribulation, when the Bowl Judgments will pour out God’s wrath upon an unrepentant world (see Ed – The Third Angel Poured Out His Bowl on the Rivers and Springs of Water and They Became Blood). At that time the number of martyrs will be complete and it will be time to settle accounts. Those under the altar will shout out to ADONAI with joy: True and just are Your judgments (16:7b)!

YHVH is not being cruel. In fact, His response is a cause for hope because the very fact that a limit is placed on the number of martyrs means that the suffering will not go on forever. There will be a point at which it is over, when God’s justice will finally be seen by the whole world and when there will be no more tears (7:17c).

We all need a little bit of hope. It can be awfully discouraging to look at the state of the world. We may wonder why Ha’Shem doesn’t just intervene right now and set everything right. So many of our brothers and sisters are being persecuted and killed for their faith in the Lord. So many die because they just happened to be born in the “wrong” place at the “wrong” time – during a famine, plague or war. We ourselves may suffer exclusion or economic setbacks because of our faith. But Yeshua wants to tell you that this will not last forever. We can hope in Him and be patient a little while longer.

Heavenly Father, You hold this world in Your hands. Your time and purposes are beyond our understanding. Nevertheless, I trust in You, my loving Father, to work all these things out for the good and for the salvation of the world. I trust in You, ADONAI.²¹⁵ Fear has no home here, for You are the Sovereign ruler and in control! Death’s power has been broken and conquered by Yeshua’s resurrection. For we know that if the tent, our earthly home, is torn down, we have a building from God – a home not made with human hands, eternal in the heavens (Second Corinthians 5:1). For to me, to live is Messiah and to die is gain. (Philippians 1:21). I look to You in love and wait for Your perfect timing to vanquish all evil and win victoriously the world’s last battle (Revelation 19). In Your holy Son’s name and power of His resurrection. Amen

The Fourth Seal: A Pale Horse
6: 7-8

The fourth seal: a pale horse DIG: What was the name of the rider on the pale horse and who was following him? What progression is there from the first rider to the fourth? Will the world get better and better before the Lord returns? What means of destruction will be used? What do they represent?

REFLECT: Is the Devil still alive and well where you live? Has he been kicked out of your community? Do you struggle with suffering in the world? Who do you think is the cause of that suffering, God or Satan?

Three horses had galloped into John’s vision and, bearing their riders of judgment, had ridden toward the earth. Again, the Lamb moved to open the fourth seal holding the pages of God’s great scroll in place. As before, the fourth cherub stepped forward to command the last rider, “Come!” And another part of the scroll was thrown back to reveal a fourth horse and rider. What did John see in that flashing moment? As a first hand observer, he wrote: I looked, and there before me was a pale horse! The Greek word for pale is chloros, or yellowish-green. The word by itself can mean vegetation, but it can also mean pale grey, or the ashen color of death. Thus, the fourth horse will be the color of a corpse.

At that moment John’s eyes were confronted with a terrifying sight. The pale horses’ rider and his inseparable companion following close behind him are personified as Death and Hades, the place of the dead. Hades will become the gravedigger, burying the remains of Death’s victims.²⁰⁴ The Greek word Hades is a transliteration of the English word hell. The word means the unseen, and is meant to denote the invisible world of shadows. This was the technical Greek religious term used to designate the world of those who had died. The Septuagint, or the Greek translation of the TaNaKh, uses this word to translate the Hebrew word sh’ol, which generally has the same meaning. The concept of sh’ol in the Bible is divided into two parts, one called paradise, for the righteous dead, and the other part for the wicked dead (Luke 16:22-23). So here, Death and sh’ol follow in the wake of famine, and sh’ol is ready to receive the dead of the Tribulation.²⁰⁵

Of the dozens of artistic interpretations of the four horsemen, the most graphic might be the nightmare vision of a Japanese artist, Fujita, who painted the fourth horseman as a full skeleton grinning fiendishly, riding on the full skeleton of a horse across a battlefield strewn with skeletons. The entire scene is framed in a chlorine green cloud of death. With Hiroshima being etched into the Japanese psyche, who could better portray the pale horse?²⁰⁶

Although Death will ride unbridled during the Great Tribulation, YHVH will allow it for His ultimate purposes. It is not God’s desire that any should die (Second Peter 3:9b), but mankind refused His plan and the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). So a fourth of the earth will die so that the rest may see what rebellion brings and have the opportunity to repent. Satan will think he is gaining the upper hand, but ELOHIM will merely use his evil for good. We must always remember that it is Christ who holds the keys of death and sh’ol (1:18). Yeshua once put it like this: If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened (Matthew 24:22). This rider will not find the Church. The righteous of the TaNaKh and B’rit Chadashah believers will already be safe in heaven with ADONAI. No, Death will be hunting down more than one billion unbelievers who are destined to spend eternity in Sh’ol. What a harvest.

This obviously contradicts those who teach the world will get better and better. Will the religious people of the earth take dominion over cities, states and nations? Has the old dragon been kicked out of your neighborhood? Or is he still prowling around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour (First Peter 5:8)? This is what the Bible teaches about the direction the world is going. Death and Sh’ol were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword. It is staggering to think that one-fourth of the world’s population will be destroyed in a matter of days. That means one billion people will be killed. To put it in perspective, the number of people who will die every two days will equal the numbers who were killed instantly at Hiroshima.²⁰⁷

During the Great Tribulation, the world will have a counterfeit peace, then war, then economic collapse and famine. Things will grow progressively worse. Notice the progression. The rider on the white horse will only be partially armed. He will have a bow, but no arrows. The rider on the red horse will carry a single sword. The rider on the black horse will have two means of destruction – economic collapse and famine.²⁰⁸ However, the rider on the pale horse will have four specific ways in which to kill.

First, the sword signifies warfare. As I have stated before, ADONAI has an eternal purpose behind all the bloodshed. No one is more grieved at the killing than Jesus. It breaks His heart to see people, created in His own image, die. But as William Barclay, the famous Scottish professor at Glasgow University, warned, “At the back of it all there is the eternal truth that no person and no nation can escape the consequences of their sin.”²⁰⁹

Secondly, famine signifies starvation. Death on a massive scale is the inevitable consequence of widespread war and famine. As in America during the Great Depression, in Europe after the Second World War, and today in many third world nations, there are starving people waiting in food lines. But they will not find enough food to live on and many millions will starve to death.

Thirdly, plague signifies disease. Throughout human history, disease has killed people on a far more massive scale than war. More Union and Confederate soldiers died from disease during the Civil War than were killed in battle. An estimated 30 million people died during the great influenza epidemic of 1918-1919. This was three times as many as the estimated 8.5 million soldiers who died in battle during World War I. In addition, several million more died at the same time in an outbreak of typhus in Russia, Poland and Romania.²¹⁰ There will not be enough antibiotics and vaccine’s to go around during the Great Tribulation to stop it.

And lastly, by the wild beasts of the earth. This will be a strong message to the “politically correct” who worship Mother Nature and value the life of animals over unborn babies. ADONAI will show the world that it’s wrong to worship Mother Nature. Hungry wild beasts will turn on the unbelievers of the world and PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) won’t be able to help them!²¹¹

This prophecy is based on the four dreadful judgments found in the TaNaKh. The prophet Ezekiel heard God say: How much worse will it be when I send against Jerusalem the sword, famine, plague and wild beasts to kill its men. But even those promises of horrors had a glimmer of hope. ADONAI assured Ezeki’el that there will be some survivors – sons and daughters will be brought out of it. That is the point. He told Ezeki’el that He would be consoled when He saw their conduct and their actions (which were so different than before) for Ezeki’el would then know that God had done nothing without cause (Ezeki’el 14:21-23).

As a result, that’s whom we see next: survivors – spiritual survivors. They will be the martyred souls under the alter in heaven (6:9-11), those saved out of a worldwide revival (7:1-8), and a great multitude standing before the throne in front of the Lamb (7:9-17). What a harvest!

The Third Seal: A Black Horse
6: 5-6

The third seal: a black horse DIG: How much will a quart of wheat cost during the Great Tribulation? How will the famine physically affect the people of the earth? How will it affect them spiritually? Do they see it as judgment and repent? Why or why not?

REFLECT: Where do you turn when things get out of control in your life? Do you think you can control your world? Ultimately, who is really in control? Who has their hands on the steering wheel of your life? What happens if there is an emergency? Do you instinctively grab the wheel? If need be, what would you have to do to let go?

The Lamb carefully opened the third seal. The leather scroll gently unrolls. At that moment, the third living creature steps to the center of John’s vision and gives out ADONAI’s command to the third rider, “Come!” Again, in the presence of the Lamb of God, the twenty-four elders, and angels emerges another horse and rider. Only this time the horse will be black, the color of grief and mourning, and its rider will bear yet a third warning to the peoples of the world . . . famine.

The color black is associated with famine in Lamentations 5:10 (KJV). Famine is the logical consequence of worldwide war as food supplies are destroyed and those involved in food production are killed. Jesus also predicted this future famine when He said: Nation will rise up against nation and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places (Matthew 24:7). Ha’Shem has used famine as a means of judgment in the past (Leviticus 26:26; Deuteronomy 32:24; Second Kings 8:1; Psalm 105:16), but this will be the most devastating in all of human history.²⁰¹ While the first rider had a bow and the second rider had a large sword, this third rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand for the purpose of measuring out grain that will sell at a greatly hyper inflated price.

Then I heard what sounded like a voice among the four living creatures. Since the four living creatures ministered around the throne (4:6), this is probably the voice of YHVH, the One sitting on the throne (4:2-3). God also speaks in relation with the fifth seal (6:11). Like with His servant Job (Job 2:3-6), the LORD has Satan on a short leash. He will only allow the devil to do so much damage. Things may seem to be out of control during the Great Tribulation, but in reality, the sovereign will of God will be working behind the scenes.

Dear Heavenly Father, You are Almighty! Even when things look out of control-they are still in the palm of Your hand, waiting for the right time for You to execute judgement. Isra’el, God‘s firstborn (Exodus 4:22) became slaves after the death of Joseph when a new pharaoh came into power. They cried out to God, who already had the perfect plan and time for their redemption. It happened exactly as God said. No amount of opposition from the pharaoh could thwart God’s mighty power. Now the time that Bnei-Yisrael lived in Egypt was 430 years.  So, it happened at the end of 430 years, to the very day that all the armies of ADONAI went out from the land of Egypt (Exodus 12:40). No amount of opposition from the anti-Christ can thwart God’s decisive winning victory of the world battle for power at the end of the 7 years of Tribulation (Revelation 19). God will come out victorious! We praise your mighty power! In the holy name of Your Son and the power of His resurrection. Amen

ADONAI revealed that a quart of wheat will cost the equivalent of a day’s wages. But many will not be able to survive on that, so they will be forced to buy barley, a cheaper food that is usually fed to animals. Three quarts of barley will still cost the equivalent of a day’s wages, so no money will be left for clothes, housing or transportation. There will be tremendous inflation. Survival will be the great issue of that time.

The voice of the Eternal One calls out one more instruction to the third horseman, who rides the black horse and carries the scales of judgment: And do not damage the oil and the wine. Some have said this pictures the social injustice at that time. It will be the poor who will suffer, not the rich who could still purchase luxury items. However, oil and wine were not luxuries, but part of the basic supplies of life. Since the roots of the olive and vine go deeper, they would not be affected as much by a drought that would all but destroy the grain. Consequently the coming worldwide judgment of famine allowed by God will be tempered by mercy. For while there will be a great lack of food, there will be an abundance of medicine, for the oil and wine will not be damaged.²⁰²

The two witnesses will shut up the sky so that it will not rain during the three and a half years they will be prophesying. And they will have the power to turn waters to blood and strike the earth with every kind of plague they want (to see link click Dc – I Will Give Power to My Two Witnesses and They Will Prophesy for 1,260 Days). This drought will obviously bring about a worldwide famine, adding to the judgment of the third seal at the beginning of the Great Tribulation (6:5-6).

Despite the initial success of the antichrist’s global economic unity, a worldwide economic meltdown will occur. This will increase the need for global economic controls, including a personalized insignia for anyone to buy or sell – the mark of the Beast (13:16).²⁰³ Christ is the bread of life (John 6:35), but the antichrist will be the counterfeit bread of life. Like the Adversary whom he serves, the Beast will prove to be a liar (John 8:44) when his economic programs fail and result in famine. All this will take place during the first half of the Great Tribulation, but the worst is yet to come.