The Second Seal: A Red Horse
6: 3-4

The second seal: a red horse DIG: What power was given to the rider on the red horse? Why would the Lamb allow this to happen? What effect will it have on the people of the earth? Will it draw them closer to God or drive them away from Him? Why?

REFLECT: When turmoil and strife come into your life how does it affect your relationship with the Lord? Do you draw near to Him or keep Him at arm’s distance?

Again, somewhere above Patmos, John stands trembling before God’s eternal throne. The white horse bearing the rider who deceives the world has galloped from the scroll and down the walls of heaven to wreak havoc on the earth. When the Lamb opened the second seal, John heard the next cherub say to the second rider, “Come!” And immediately another horse came out, a fiery red one. Red symbolizes the blood that will flow as a result of the wars that he will bring. The antichrist will barely have his peace program off the ground when Jesus breaks the second seal.

Mankind has always longed for peace. There have been peace treaties, disarmament conferences, leagues of nations, peace prizes and demonstrations for peace – all seeking somehow to bring a lasting world peace. All have failed. But when the antichrist comes to power there will be a tremendous surge of optimism and the world will expect a long period of peace and safety. While people are saying, “Peace and safety,” destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape (First Thessalonians 5:3). From their point of view, those pesky Christians and messianic believers will also have disappeared, and there will be nothing to restrain full enjoyment of all the pleasures and excesses in the sinful hearts of mankind around the world.¹⁹⁵

Dear powerful and holy Father, We worship You. 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 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 heaven forever (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 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 Your holy Son’s name and power of His resurrection. Amen

Its rider was given power to take peace from the earth. Notice that Yeshua gave the rider power. All that will happen will be under the sovereign control of the Lord. He will allow the false peace, war, famine and death to bring about His desired ends. On the other hand, the seven seal judgments, the seven trumpet judgments and the seven bowl judgments reflect the wrath of Ha’Shem, to be poured out on an unrepentant world. But sometime early in the first half of the Great Tribulation, during the beginning of the birth pains (Matthew 24:8; Mark 13:7-8; Luke 21:9), world peace turns into world war as the rider on the red horse has his way. Describing this time, Christ said: You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom (Matthew 24:6-7a).¹⁹⁶

And the rider was given power to make men slay each other on an unprecedented scale. The peace and safety that the world seemingly wanted so desperately will not last. In spite of themselves, mankind would soon be fighting each other again. There would not only be wars between nations and kingdoms, but there would be no end to the fighting. Racial strife will increase, as will labor troubles. Civil war will erupt within nations, and organized crime will be rampant. Individual feuds will generate waves of murders and a state of anarchy will prevail. The police and the army will hardly make a dent in the strife. Things will only get worse and worse because God will send them a strong delusion and they will delight in wickedness (Second Thessalonians 2:11).¹⁹⁷

The first rider was given a bow, but the second rider was given a great sword (KJV). The sword refers to the dagger-like machaira of assassination, uprising and warfare. It was also a sword used by assassins and would be appropriate for this sort of bloody warfare.¹⁹⁸ This sword is not the rhomphaia of order and justice that comes from the mouth of Messiah (1:16). John’s vision describes a great sword to picture the extent of the war. The antichrist will become very strong, but not by his own power. Again ADONAI gave this great sword to the antichrist for His own purposes. He will cause astounding devastation and will succeed in whatever he does. He will destroy mighty men and kill many of God’s people whom John will see under the alter in heaven (6:9).

Since the antichrist comes as a conqueror bent on worldwide conquest, the 70^th seven of Dani’el will enter into a new phase of war. There will be three wars during the Great Tribulation. The opening of the second seal begins the first of these wars. The second war takes place in the middle of the Great Tribulation (to see link click De – The Events in the Middle of the Great Tribulation), and the third, which is the eight stage campaign of Armageddon (see Ex – The Eight Stage Campaign of  Armageddon), will come at the end of the Great Tribulation when Yeshua Messiah returns (see Ev – The Basis for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ).¹⁹⁹

The antichrist will be the counterfeit prince of peace. The LORD will show the world he is a fake by causing his phony peace programs to fail. All his talk of peace will dissolve into a bloody holocaust. The rider on the red horse will take his great sword and plunge it into the sinful hearts of men and women who will exchange the truth of God for a lie (Romans 1:25a). Yeshua is the true Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6c) and hope of any permanent peace by means of the United Nations or any other human effort is doomed to failure. When the leaders of the world rejected Him, they rejected the only solution to their problems.²⁰⁰ The scene will turn ugly and remain that way until the King returns to establish His Kingdom on the earth (19:11 to 20:6). Famine always follows war, and that is what we see next.

The First Seal: A White Horse
6: 1-2

The first seal: a white horse DIG: What are the similarities between the true Trinity and the counterfeit trinity? Who will energize the antichrist? What role does the antichrist play in the Great Tribulation? What offer will he accept that Christ rejected?

REFLECT: God did not appoint us to suffer wrath (First Thessalonians 5:9). How can you escape the wrath brought on by the antichrist during the Great Tribulation? Where is the universal Church at that time?

Picture John somewhere above Patmos, caught up in his vision to the very throne of YHVH. The Lamb is about to open God’s scroll. The four living creatures, who carry out Ha’Shem’s judgment, bow in silence. The twenty-four elders tremble in anticipation. The choir of ten thousand times ten thousand angels stops their worship and stands on tiptoe waiting to see what will happen next. Then John, as an eyewitness, reports: I watched as the Lamb opened the first of the seven seals.

What should happen next then is obvious. A page of writing should appear peeled back from the leather scroll and Yochanan, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders should all crowd around to read that page. But this is no ordinary book! This is an illustrated, God-inspired volume whose pictures leap full-blown from the pages and thunder before them in full view.

Apparently, there is a brief moment between that time when the Lamb breaks open the seal and the time when the four horsemen of the Apocalypse can ride. In that instant they await YHVH’s command like racehorses poised in the gate. The four horsemen cannot ride on their own command because of God’s sovereign control; they pause for ADONAI’s order to begin their journey. In that pause, as the riders await the LORD’s command to ride, we learn several great lessons about these judgments.¹⁹³

Then I heard one of the four living creatures say in a voice like thunder to the first rider, “Come!” I looked, and there before me was a white horse! It’s rider held a bow. And he was given a crown. And he rode out as a conqueror bent on conquest.

John introduces a man holding a bow, but he doesn’t have arrows because he will appear to be a man of peace. After signing the seven-year covenant with Isra’el, the world will be clamoring for a ruler who can put an end to nuclear war, economic and environmental problems. He will be wearing a crown as a conqueror bent on conquest, but his crown will not be earned, God will give it to him for His purposes. It will be a stephanos, or the crown of victory. It is not the diadem, or the crown of royalty worn by Christ when He returns (14:14, 19:12a). After a short interlude of peace, he will abandon his peace program in an effort to dominate the world. His use of force to attain his goal will be a disaster, resulting in the persecution and death of all who oppose him. The result will be that the earth will have a charismatic leader negotiating counterfeit peace treaties.¹⁹⁴ This first horseman is the antichrist, and He will play a major role in the Great Tribulation by bringing on war, famine and death.

To fully understand the antichrist, he needs to be viewed in the context of the counterfeit trinity. When Christ returns He will be riding a white horse (19:11), and this counterfeit Christ is seen here riding a white horse. An unholy trinity will be set up during the Great Tribulation (13:1-17). Satan will play the role of the counterfeit Father. Just as the true Father will give all His authority to Christ, the Adversary will give all his authority to the antichrist. The false prophet will also counterfeit the ministry of the Holy Spirit. Just as the Ruach ha-Kodesh calls mankind to worship Messiah, the false prophet will call mankind to worship the antichrist.

The antichrist has been given several names in the Bible. These names describe different aspects of his character. When taken altogether these names portray him as the essence of evil in the human realm, just as Satan is the essence of evil in the angelic realm. These are the different names of the antichrist:

The Seed of Satan (Genesis 3:15 KJV)

The Little Horn (Dani’el 7:8)

The King of Fierce Countenance (Dani’el 8:23 KJV)

The Ruler Who Will Come (Dani’el 9:26)

The Desolator (Dani’el 9:27 KJV)

The Willful King (Dani’el 11:36)

The Man of Sin (Second Thessalonians 2:3 KJV)

The Man Doomed to Destruction (Second Thessalonians 2:3)

The Lawless One (Second Thessalonians 2:8)

The Antichrist (First John 2:22)

The Beast (Revelation 11:7)

Although the antichrist may not be his most common name in the Bible, it is fitting. It describes his true intent, which is to oppose Christ. These various names merely describe the different aspects of his character that he uses in his opposition to Messiah. But in the end he is still a counterfeit. For just as Christ has a number of different names, titles and descriptions, so does the antichrist.

The true Son, Jesus Christ, had both a natural and a supernatural origin as a result of the virgin birth; the counterfeit son, antichrist, will have a natural origin and a counterfeit supernatural birth imitating a virgin birth. Satan cannot create life out of nothing. Only YHVH can create, only the Eternal One can call into existence that which did not exist. But the antichrist will deceive the nations into believing that he, like Christ, is born of a virgin. Yeshua is fully God and fully man, the true God-man; however, the antichrist will be presented to the world as a counterfeit god-man. The time is coming when the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders and in every sort of evil that deceives those who will be perishing (Second Thessalonians 2:9-10). The Greek word translated work is energeo, which means to energize. Thus, the Adversary himself will energize the antichrist during the Great Tribulation.

In the final analysis, the counterfeit son will accept what the true Son rejected. Satan offered the Messiah all the kingdoms of the world if the Son of God would worship him. But Yeshua rejected the offer, saying only ADONAI should be worshiped (see my commentary on The Life of Christ Bj – Jesus is Tempted in the Wilderness). The same offer will be made to the counterfeit son, who will accept. This acceptance will mark the rise to political and religious control of the world (Dani’el 11:38-39 and Revelation 13:2). His rise to power is described in two passages.

The first passage is Dani’el 8:23-25: There it tells us that the king of fierce countenance (KJV), or the antichrist, will have the understanding of dark sentences (KJV). This means that he will have the same supernatural abilities to explain riddles and solve difficult problems that Dani’el had in Dani’el 5:12. While Dani’el’s source of power was God, the source of the antichrist’s power will be Satan. The antichrist will have the power of the occult behind him. He will become very strong, but not by his own power. Satan will energize him. He will cause deceit to prosper, and he will consider himself superior to all others. This will lead him to proclaim himself to be God by setting an image of himself in the Most Holy Place in the Tribulation Temple (Second Thessalonians 2:3-4; Revelation 13:3-9). He will oppose the Prince of princes, or Christ, so he is surely the antichrist.

The second passage in Dani’el 11:36-39: Here Dani’el describes the antichrist as the king who will do as he pleases, characterized by self-exaltation above all men, even above God Himself. Instead, he will honor a god of fortresses, or Satan. His great god will be military might. He will believe that nothing can stand in his way because he will be under the total control of Satan. Unrestrained, because the Holy Spirit will lift His restraining power, he will appear to be invincible. Those who submit to his authority and confess him as god will be given positions of power and authority in his kingdom. Thus, the antichrist will be Satan-controlled and Satan–energized. Once he signs the seven year covenant with Isra’el there will be a brief period of peace as the world celebrates its new hero. But his ultimate goal is not peace. Just as Hitler would talk of peace while preparing for war, the rider on the white horse will soon set out to conquer the world.

Dear Almighty and Holy Father, We praise and worship You. Those who love You do not need to fear- neither the antichrist nor death. You are a strong tower. ADONAI is a stronghold for the oppressed, a high tower in times of trouble (Psalms 9:10). It is such a comfort to know that Your children (John 1:12, 3: 3; Romans 10:8-9) can always run to You for protection. The Name of ADONAI is a strong tower. The righteous one runs into it and is set safely up high. Proverbs 18:10). Death is already defeated and conquered by Your resurrection. Messiah died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures (First Corinthians 15:4). That is great news for His children (John 1:12.3:3; Roman 10:9-10). Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed – in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last shofar. For the shofar will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we will be changed. . . “Death is swallowed up in victory” (First Corinthians 15:51-52, 54c). We love You and are at peace in Your care. In the holy name of Your Son and the power of His resurrection. Amen

The Seven Seals of the Lamb
6: 1-17

There is a parallel between Christ’s prophecies while speaking privately to His apostles on the Mount of Olives in Matthew 24 and the six seal judgments in Revelation 6. The first seal was opened revealing a rider on a white horse, who held a bow and who rode out as a conqueror bent on conquest. The Lord Jesus will come on a white horse, but this is not He, but a counterfeit Messiah, or the antichrist, who will establish a temporary peace. What is the first prophecy of Matthew 24? Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, “I am the Christ,” and will deceive many (Matthew 24:4b-5).

The second seal was opened revealing a man on a red horse with a large sword, who will take peace from the earth. The second prophecy given by our Lord was that there will be wars and rumors of wars . . . nation will rise up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom (Matthew 24:6-7a).

The third seal was opened revealing a rider on a black horse, who was holding a pair of scales in his hand, and a voice among the four living creatures pointed to famine. And the third prophecy on the Mount of Olives made by Yeshua Messiah was that there will be famines (Matthew 24:7b).

The fourth seal was opened revealing one on a pale horse, the color of a corpse, whose rider was named Death and Sh’ol. They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by the sword, famine and plague. Furthermore the fourth prophecy by the Lord Jesus tells of famines and earthquakes in various places (Matthew 24:7b).

The fifth seal has to do with those who were slain because of the Word of God, who, under the altar, cry out: How long, Sovereign Ruler, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood? What is the fifth prophecy by Messiah? Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death (Matthew 24:9).

The sixth seal described the earth in its death throws where the sun turned black, the moon turned blood red, stars fell and the sky receded like a scroll. Then another prophecy given by our Lord was that the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken (Matthew 24:29). Six of the seven seals are broken in this chapter; the scroll itself is opened when the seventh seal itself is broken in 8:1.

The scene now shifts to the earth. Taken as a whole, Chapter 6 is one of the most pivotal chapters in the entire book. It describes the first six seals and also introduces the seventh seal that consists of, and introduces, the seven trumpet judgments of the wrath of God. It should put to rest the false teaching that Jesus Christ, being a God of love, could not judge a wicked world.¹⁹²

Dear Heavenly Father, Praise Your love and holiness! Being loved is wonderful, but we also must remember that Your love is wrapped in your perfect purity, in complete holiness. You cannot tolerate sin and so You gave an extremely costly offering when You gave Your own son to die as our sacrificial lamb (John 1:29), to pay the punishment for our sins so all who love and follow You could receive Your holy righteousness (Second Corinthians 5:21) thru which we are then able to enter Your holy heaven. Though the world loves to quote, For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16). The whole truth of God’s message needs to be listened to. The one who believes in Him is not condemned; but whoever does not believe has been condemned already, because he has not put his trust in the name of the one and only Ben-Elohim. (John 3:18). Both ideas of salvation and condemnation are in the same verse at the end of the chapter. He who trusts in the Son has eternal life. He who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him (John 3:36). O God, your wrath is to be feared for your holiness demands that sin is punished (Isaiah 53:5-6). The pain of the Great Tribulation is because of man’s sin, which you cannot tolerate. We bow in worship of You and ask that You open the hearts of our family and friends to choose to love and to follow you as their Lord and Savior. In Your holy Son’s name and power of resurrection. Amen

The Number Seven

During the Great Tribulation Jesus will begin to deal with the unholy trinity and mankind’s rebellion on earth. His discipline will come from heaven, but the terrible results will be seen on the earth. God has divided these events into three sets of seven: seven seal judgments, seven trumpet judgments, and seven bowl judgments. The first six seals will be broken one at a time and each seal will produce one judgment for a total of six judgments. The seventh seal will not produce a judgment, but will instead produce seven trumpet judgments. The first six trumpets again produce one judgment each and the seventh will produce seven bowl judgments (also see my commentary on Genesis, to see link click Ae – The Number Seven). When the seventh bowl is poured out, the wrath of God and the Great Tribulation will come to an end.

The Events in the First Half
of the Great Tribulation
6:1 to 9:21 and 17:1-6

The first half of the Great Tribulation will last for three and a half years, or 42 months (13:5), or 1,260 days (a prophetic year in the Bible is 360 days, not 365). Two things should be noted about the events during this period. First, some events occur in chronological sequence, with one event following the other in order. The seal judgments of Chapter 6 and the trumpet judgments of Chapters 8 and 9 fall into that category. Second, other events occur throughout the first half simultaneously with the sequential events.

There are five such events occurring throughout the first half. Two of these events actually begin before the Great Tribulation but continue on into and through the first half. One is the ministry of Elijah the Prophet. The other is the rule of the ten kings and ten kingdoms. As stated earlier, after the fall of the one world government before the Great Tribulation, the world will be divided into ten kingdoms. This Ten Kingdom stage will continue into and during the first half of the seven year Tribulation period. The other three events are the ministry of the 144,000 and the worldwide revival (Chapter 7), the ministry of the two witnesses (Chapter 11) and the rule of religious Babylon (Chapter 17:1-6).¹⁹¹

Dear Heavenly Father, Praise Your power and wisdom. Nothing takes You by surprise. You have every detail all figured out and You have already won the final 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

The Beginning of the Great Tribulation
Dani’el 9:24-27 and Isaiah 28:14-22

The beginning of the Great Tribulation DIG: What do the 7 sevens, the 62 sevens and the 1 seven mean? What is the abomination that causes desolation (Mattityahu 24:15)? What is the covenant of death? In contrast to lies and falsehood, what is the sure foundation of God’s Kingdom? What promise is given to those who will trust in that chief cornerstone? What is the warning given to those who do not?

REFLECT: For Dani’el and Jesus, what is the emphasis on what the future holds? Or on who holds the future? In what things (money, relationships, power, and so on) do people try to find refuge today? In your opinion, what is the gospel in these passages?

It has been emphasized that the signing of the seven-year covenant between the antichrist and Isra’el actually starts the Great Tribulation, not the Rapture. These two key passages of Scripture bear this out.

Dani’el 9:1-23 provide the introduction to the 70 sevens prophecy found in verses 24-27. The background is given in verses 1-2. Dani’el had been studying Jeremiah as well as other prophets, such as Isaiah. He realized that the seventy years of Babylonian rule was nearly finished (see my commentary on Jeremiah, to see link click Gu – Seventy Years of Imperial Babylonian Rule). Much of the prophecy he clearly understood. But what he misunderstood about the prophecies of Jeremiah and Isaiah was that he thought the Messianic Kingdom would be set up following the seventy years of captivity. He also knew from the prophets that the prerequisite for setting up the Messianic Kingdom would be the nation of Isra’el confessing her sins. Assuming that the Babylonian rule would be immediately followed by the Messianic Kingdom, Dani’el prayed a prayer of confession for Isra’el’s sins in Dani’el 9:3-19.

In Dani’el 9:20-23, the angel Gabriel was sent to correct Dani’el’s misunderstanding about the Kingdom’s being set up at the end of the seventy years of captivity. In a play on words, he informed Dani’el that it was not going to be seventy years, but 70 sevens of years before the Messianic Kingdom would be established.¹⁸¹

70 sevens are decreed for your people and your holy city to finish transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone for wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy (Dani’el 9:24).

70 sevens: The Hebrew word for sevens is shavuim and could refer to “seven” of anything, just like the English word “dozen” simply means “twelve” and could be twelve of anything. In this context it meant sevens of years because Dani’el had been calculating the seventy years of the Babylonian Captivity, assuming that afterward the Messianic Kingdom would be set up.

Are decreed for your people and your holy city: Dani’el was told that it was not seventy years that needed to pass before the Messianic Kingdom would be set up, but 70 sevens of years, or a period of 490 years had been decreed. The Hebrew word for decreed means to cut off. Throughout his book, Dani’el had been dealing with the Times of the Gentiles. It began with the Babylonian destruction of Jerusalem in 586 BC and will end with the Second Coming of Messiah. Here Dani’el was told that a 490-year period was being cut off from the Times of the Gentiles (see An – The Times of the Gentiles) to bring about the restoration of Isra’el. This period of 70 sevens would concern the Jewish people and the holy city of Zion. It would have nothing to do with the Church.¹⁸² The 490-year period that YHVH has decreed on the Jewish people is meant to accomplish six things. The first group of three are negative aspects of this period, while the second group of three are positive.

1. To finish transgression: The Hebrew word for finish means restrain completely or bring to an end. Transgression is a very strong word for sin coming from the Hebrew avar. It literally means to rebel or to go beyond a set limit. In the Hebrew text, it has the definite article. So it does not mean merely to finish rebellion, but to finish the rebellion. It refers to one specific act of rebellion and to bring it to an end. In this context, the one specific sin is the rejection of Christ. The leadership of Isra’el rejected Him and the leadership of Isra’el will have to ask Him to return before the Second Coming can take place (see Ev – The Basis for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ).

2. To put an end to sin: The Hebrew word for to put an end to means to seal up or to be locked up, and normally means the sealing up for the purpose of punishment (Deuteronomy 32:34; Job 14:17). The Hebrew word for sin here means to miss the mark of a set standard. It is in the plural and refers to the sin nature rather than a willful, consciously chosen sin. The unsaved Gentiles who survive the Great Tribulation will continue to sin during the Messianic Kingdom. But the daily sins of Isra’el will be put to an end at Christ’s Second Coming (Isaiah 27:9; Jeremiah 31:31-34; Ezeki’el 36:25-27, 37:23; and Romans 11:20-27).¹⁸³

3. To atone for wickedness: The verb to atone, the Hebrew word kapar, means to cover. The word for wickedness, from the Hebrew awal, means failure to fulfill the standard of righteousness or lack of integrity. Kapar is the main word for atonement in the TaNaKh. Yom Kippur is in view here (see my commentary on Exodus Go – The Day of Atonement). On that day ADONAI provided a just basis on which He could deal with a guilty people. The mercy seat was the place of propitiation. The word propitiation means to satisfy. And it was at the mercy seat that God’s wrath against sin was atoned for, or satisfied. At that time the high priest would sprinkle the blood of a goat over the mercy seat, when this was done the LORD’s wrath against the wickedness of the nation was satisfied. So Dani’el prophesied that Isra’el’s national sin of rejection of Messiah will be removed when the leadership of Isra’el asks for forgiveness (see above). At that time Christ will return and all of Isra’el, the one-third that is left at the end of the Great Tribulation, will be saved (Romans 11:26).

Dear Heavenly Father, Praise Your holiness. It was your love, mercy and grace that offered Your eternal righteousness to all who chose to love and to follow You. He was pierced because of our transgressions, crushed because of our iniquities. The chastisement for our shalom was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed. We all like sheep have gone astray. Each of us turned to his own way. So, Adonai has laid on Him the iniquity of us all (Isaiah 53:5-6). We bow in worship. In the holy name of Your Son and His power of resurrection. Amen

4. To bring in everlasting righteousness: The second three accomplishments deal with the positive aspects of God’s program as a result of the Great Tribulation. Being satisfied with the atoning death of Christ, ADONAI will bring in everlasting righteousness. Literally, to bring in the righteousness of ages. This is a prophecy that the Lord will establish an age characterized by righteousness. This is a reference to the Millennial or Messianic Kingdom (Revelation 20:1-6).¹⁸⁴

5. To seal up vision and prophecy: All that YHVH said through the prophets about what He would do in fulfilling His covenant with Isra’el will be fully realized in the Messianic Kingdom. The Hebrew word to seal up, hatam, means to enclose something authoritatively, hiding it from view and showing that its functions are completed. When the Messianic Kingdom comes, then all the prophecies concerning the nation of Isra’el will be completed.¹⁸⁵

6. And to anoint the most holy: The Hebrew actually reads: And to anoint the most holy place. It does not point to a most holy Person, but a most holy place. To the Jews, this would have been the Temple. Not the First Temple of Solomon, nor the Second Temple of Zerubbabel, and surely not the Third Temple of the Tribulation (see Bx – The Tribulation Temple). More specifically, it is the Fourth Temple, the Millennial Kingdom Temple, built by the Lord Himself (see my commentary on Jeremiah Gs – God Shows a Vision of the Millennial Temple).

Know and understand that from the issuing of the decree to restore and rebuild Yerushalayim until the Anointed One, the ruler, comes, there will be 7 sevens, and 62 sevens. It will be rebuilt with streets and a trench, but in times of trouble (Dani’el 9:25). The 490 year period, or 70 sevens, is then divided into three units: 7 sevens, 62 sevens and 1 seven.

Know and understand that from the issuing of the degree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem: This begins the second division of the prophecy and the beginning point to the 70 sevens period. This period of time will begin with the decree to restore Jerusalem.

Until the Anointed One, the Ruler, comes: The end or goal of the prophecy was the appearance of the Anointed One, the Ruler. Jesus Christ will be anointed as Ruler of His Messianic Kingdom. The prophecy of the 70 sevens does not end with Yeshua’s First Coming, but with His Second Coming and the establishment of the Millennial Kingdom.

There will be 7 sevens and 62 sevens: The 7 sevens and the 62 sevens run consecutively with no time between them and combined for a period of 69 sevens. The first unit of 7 sevens was a total of 49 years and refers to the time that it took to restore and rebuild the holy city of Tziyon.

It will be rebuilt with streets and a trench: Though Nehemiah’s wall construction project took only 52 days, many years may have been needed to remove the city’s debris after being left desolate for so many decades. They needed to rebuild adequate housing, and rebuild the streets and a trench, possibly for Yerushalayim’s fortification.

But in times of trouble: This continued construction would be carried out in the face of trouble and opposition. Ezra’s trouble in building spiritually are seen in Ezra 9 and 10, and Nehemiah’s problems in constructing physically are presented in Nehemiah 4:1-23, 6:1-14, 9:36-37. Nehemiah also experienced trouble in building spiritually in Nehemiah 13.¹⁸⁶

After the 62 sevens, the Anointed One will be cut off and will have nothing. The people of the ruler who will come, will destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end will come like a flood. War will continue until the end, and desolations have been decreed (Dani’el 9:26).

After the 62 sevens: The second unit of 62 sevens was a total of 434 years and started after Jerusalem was restored and lasted until the First Coming of Jesus Christ. The Anointed One was not cut off in the 70^th seven; He was cut off after the 7 and 62 sevens had run their course. This means that there will be a period of time between the 69^th and 70^th seven.¹⁸⁷ Then Dani’el was told what three events would take place in that interval.

1. The Anointed One will be cut off and will have nothing: Jesus would be killed. The expression will be cut off is used of executing the death penalty on a criminal. Furthermore, it says and will have nothing. This Hebrew phrase means but not for Himself. In other words: For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many (Mark 10:45).

2. The people of the ruler who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end will come like a flood: The word people in the Hebrew text has the definite article. It is the people, the specific people, who are the subject of the action. In other words, it is not the ruler who will destroy the city and the sanctuary, but rather the people of the ruler. The point here is that the nationality of the people and the ruler are the same. The ruler who will come, in this context is the antichrist of whom Dani’el has already spoken of in chapters 7 and 8. After Christ was cut off the Romans destroyed the city and the sanctuary in AD 70. Since the antichrist must be of the same nationality as the people who destroyed the city and the people, the Bible teaches that the antichrist will be a Gentile. The people of the ruler were not all Romans. Certainly in the years of the Roman Republic and the early years of the Roman Empire, most of the officers and soldiers in the Roman army were Romans, if not Roman citizens. But as the Empire grew in size, the city of Rome and its citizenry could not supply enough men to make up the whole of the Roman army. Rome would allow citizens of conquered nations to join the Roman army, but simply being in the Roman army did not make one a Roman. Then Dani’el states that the end will come like a flood. When the figure of a flood is used symbolically in the Bible, it always is a symbol of a military invasion. Jerusalem was destroyed by a Roman military invasion, first under Vespasian and then under Titus.¹⁸⁸

3. War will continue until the end, and desolations have been decreed: For the remainder of the gap of time between the 69^th seven and the 70^th seven, the Land will be characterized by war. This prophecy has certainly been true throughout the history of the Middle East. As a result of these wars, desolations have occurred as decreed, or determined, by YHVH. The third unit of the 70 sevens will be the last seven year period, the Great Tribulation, or the end.

And he will confirm a covenant with many for 1 seven. In the middle of that 1 seven he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wings he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him (Dani’el 9:27).

The 70^th seven is the seven years of the Great Tribulation. In verse 27 these seven years are subdivided into two equal halves of three-and-a-half years. They are described differently in the books of Dani’el and Revelation. Sometimes each half is referred to as 1,260 days (Revelation 12:6); sometimes as 42 months (Revelation 11:2); and also a time, times and half a time (Dani’el 7:25). Since there will be a period of time between the 69^th seven and the 70^th seven, what will be the sign that will begin the last seven year period?

And he: The pronoun he goes back to its nearest antecedent, or the ruler who will come in verse 26. He is the antichrist, who was identified as the little horn (Dani’el 7:8, 19-25, 8:23-25). Since Dani’el has described the antichrist twice before and will again (Dani’el 11:36-45), it is not surprising that he would be brought back into the picture here.¹⁸⁹

Will confirm a covenant with many for 1 seven: This will be the sign that the Great Tribulation has begun. The ruler who will come, or the antichrist, will confirm a covenant with many. The Hebrew word confirm does not mean to renew an existing covenant, but to make a new agreement with firm guarantees. It will be a firm commitment. The Hebrew word many has a definite article, meaning the many. The specific many, the Jews who will enter into a firm covenant with the antichrist that will begin the last seven years of Dani’el’s 70^th seven. They will comprise about two-thirds of the nation of Isra’el and will die in the worldwide persecution during the Tribulation.¹⁹⁰ As the Bible teaches that the Rapture will happen before the Great Tribulation, it never teaches that the Rapture starts it.

In the middle of the seven he will put an end to sacrifice and offering: After the first three-and-a-half years the antichrist will break his covenant with Isra’el. He will forcibly put an end to the ongoing sacrificial system in the Tribulation Temple (Rev 11:1-2).

And on the wings he will set up an abomination that causes desolation: The phrase on the wings is taken from the Hebrew root word kanap, which means to cover over, and as in Isaiah 8:8 definitely has the idea of overspreading in a destructive sense. Therefore, in the middle of the Great Tribulation, the false prophet will set up an image of the antichrist (Revelation 13:14b). The false prophet will be given power by Satan to give apparent life to the image of the antichrist, so that it could speak, deceiving many. Where the One True God dwelt between the overspreading wings of the cherubim on the mercy seat, Satan will foolishly try to take His place. The antichrist will cause desolation because for the next 42 months he will attempt to destroy the Jews. He will attempt to finish what Hitler could not accomplish: genocide of the nation of Isra’el. It will be his final solution to the thorn that has always been in the side of the Adversary, the Jewish people.

Until the end that is decreed is poured out on him: God has determined that these things will come about long ago (Isaiah 10:23 and 28:22). The end of the 70^th seven will not go one single day beyond its predetermined duration (Mattityahu 24:22). At the end of the Great Tribulation, on the last day of the campaign of Armageddon, Yeshua Himself will kill the antichrist (Habakkuk 3:13b; Second Thessalonians 2:8). The judgment that has been decreed upon him will be poured out on that day.

While Dani’el 9:27 presents the covenant that begins the Great Tribulation from mankind’s perspective, Isaiah 28:14-22 presents the same covenant from God’s perspective.

Therefore, hear the word of ADONAI, you scoffers who rule this people in Jerusalem (Isaiah 28:14). Ha’Shem calls the Jewish leadership scoffers and considers them mockers rather than godly leaders. The next verse explains why.

You boast mightily: We have entered into a covenant with death, with the grave we have made an agreement. When an overwhelming scourge sweeps by, it cannot touch us, for we have made a lie our refuge and falsehood our hiding place (Isaiah 28:15). The leaders of Isra’el think that by entering into this agreement with the antichrist they will escape the coming overwhelming scourge. Whenever used symbolically, the figure of a flood is always a symbol of a military invasion. So they think by entering into this covenant, they will be free from any further military invasions. But YHVH states that it will not be a covenant of life, but a covenant of death. It will not be a covenant from heaven, but a covenant from Sh’ol. Rather than obtaining security, they will only gain insecurity. There is a common misconception that Isra’el will accept the antichrist as Messiah. The Bible does not teach that. Instead, Isra’el will make a covenant with him and place their security in that agreement. But there will be a believing remnant, faithful Isra’el, that will refuse to place their security anywhere but in the Lord.

So this is what Adonai ELOHIM says: I am laying in Zion a tested stone, a costly cornerstone, a firm foundation-stone; the one who trusts will never be dismayed (Isaiah 28:16). This verse assures us that there will be a believing remnant of Jews who refuse to have anything to do with the covenant of death. This remnant’s security is not in a covenant, but its security is in a costly cornerstone for a sure foundation. According to Romans 9:33 and First Peter 2:6-8, this stone is Christ. Jesus states that He is the costly cornerstone that the Church would be built upon (see my commentary on The Life of Christ Fx – On This Rock I Will Build My Church). And the gates of sh’ol, the Jewish expression for death, could not overcome it. Friend, if you put your faith/trust/belief in Jesus, you will never be disappointed. Then in Isaiah 28:17-22, the same three results are found as in Dani’el 9:27.

The first result will be the breaking of the covenant by the antichrist in Isaiah 28:17-18, followed by the military invasions they had hoped to escape. I will make justice the measuring line and righteousness the plumb line; hail will sweep away your refuge, and water will overflow your hiding place. Your covenant with death will be annulled; your agreement with the grave will not stand. When the overwhelming scourge sweeps by, you will be beaten down by it.

In the second result, sheer terror will fall upon the Jewish people (Isaiah 28:19-20). Isaiah 28:15 teaches that they entered the covenant because of security, but in Isaiah 28:19, there will be invasion, and in Isaiah 28:20, there will be a lack of preparedness both militarily and spiritually. As often as it comes it will carry you away; morning after morning, by day and by night, it will sweep through. The understanding of this message will bring sheer terror. The bed is too short to stretch out on, the blanket too narrow to wrap around you. Instead of security, they will have insecurity.

The third result is the wrath of Ha’Shem found in Isaiah 28:21-22. Of the many names that we have in Scripture for the Great Tribulation, Isaiah gives us two of them in Isaiah 28:21. They are ADONAI’s strange work, and ADONAI’s strange act (KJV). The reason it is a strange work and a strange act is seen in Isaiah 28:22; it is a decree of destruction against the whole world. As a result of the making of the covenant back in Isaiah 14-15, as in Dani’el 9:27, an announcement of destruction is contained in the sealed scroll of Revelation 6. Once those seven seals are broken, one by one, the judgment of the earth begins. By the time the Great Tribulation ends, the earth is in total chaos and despair. Therefore, once the covenant is signed, the Great Tribulation and the destruction begin.

The Great Tribulation
6:1 to 18:24

The future affliction of the Great Tribulation: On the Day of Atonement, modern Judaism teaches the affliction of the body, although the Scriptures clearly teach that it was supposed to be an affliction of the soul (see my commentary on Exodus, to see link click Go – The Day of Atonement). God is going to bring both afflictions with the fulfillment in the last days. Pesach was fulfilled by the death of Jesus. The Feast of Unleavened Bread was fulfilled by the sinlessness of His bloody offering. The Feast of Firstfruits was fulfilled by the resurrection of Messiah. The Feast Shavu’ot was fulfilled by the birth of the Church. The first cycle of feasts was fulfilled with Christ’s First Coming. Then between the first cycle and the second cycle there is a four-month interval that is symbolic of the New Covenant Age that interrupts the program of the feasts of Isra’el. Then comes the second cycle of holy festivals. The Feast of Trumpets will be fulfilled by the Rapture of the Body of Christ, and Yom Kippur will be fulfilled by the Great Tribulation.¹⁷⁹

Just as a mother’s birth pains increase in frequency and intensity as the time to give birth approaches, so God’s judgments will intensify throughout the Great Tribulation until they culminate in the arrival of the Lord Yeshua Messiah in blazing judgment glory.¹⁸⁰ Chapters 6-9 and 17:1-6 are concerned with the events of the first half; Chapters 10-14 with the events of the middle, and Chapters 15-16, 17:7-18 to 18:24 with the events of the second half.

According to the sages, the Messiah will come after a tumultuous seven-year-period called the footsteps of Messiah. The Talmud refers to the seven years preceding the redemption of Isra’el as the Shavua she-Ben David, “Seven of the Sons of David.”

Names in the TaNaKh:

• A Time of Trouble for Jacob (Jeremiah 30:7)
• The Seventieth Week of Daniel (Dani’el 9:27)
• The Lord’s Strange Work (Isaiah 28:21)
• The Lord’s Alien Task (Isaiah 28:21)
• The Day of Israel’s Disaster (Deuteronomy 32:35; Obadiah 12-14)
• The Distress or Tribulation (Deuteronomy 4:30)
• The Overwhelming Scourge (Isaiah 28:15, 18)
• The Day of Vengeance (Isaiah 34:8, 35:4, 61:2)
• The Year of Retribution (Isaiah 34:8)
• The Time of Distress (Daniel 12:1; Zephaniah 1:15)
• The Day of Wrath (Zephaniah 1:15)
• The Day of Trouble and Ruin (Zephaniah 1:15)
• The Day of Darkness (Zephaniah 1:15; Amos 5:18 and 20; Joel 2:2)
• The Day of Gloominess (Zephaniah 1:15; Joel 2:2)
• The Day of Clouds (Zephaniah 1:15; Joel 2:2)
• The Day of Blackness (Zephaniah 1:15; Joel 2:2)
• The Day of the Trumpet (Zephaniah 1:16)
• The Day of the Battle Cry (Zephaniah 1:16)
• The Day of the Lord Almighty (Isaiah 2:12-21)

Names in the B’rit Chadashah:

• The Wrath of God (Revelation 15:1 and 7; 14:10 and 19; 16:1)
• The Hour of Trial (Revelation 3:10)
• The Great Day of the Wrath of the Lamb of God (Revelation 6:16-17)
• The Coming Wrath (First Thessalonians 1:10)
• The Wrath (First Thessalonians 5:9; Revelation 11:18)
• The Great Tribulation or Distress (Matthew 24:21; Revelation 7:14)
• The Distress or Tribulation (Matthew 24:29)
• The Hour of Judgment (Revelation 14:7)

You Are Worthy to Take the Scroll
5: 6-14

You are worthy to take the scroll DIG: Where does slain lamb appear? What is the significance of this? What is the response when He takes the scroll? Analyze the three songs. How is the Lamb described? Who comprises the first musical group? The second? The third? Who are the true kings and priests on earth? What elements of praise do you sense here? How do we know that Jesus was more than just a good man?

REFLECT: What would the visions in Chapters 4 and 5 have meant to the persecuted believers of ancient Asia? What does this vision say to us today as we see an out of control world? Knowing our future as kings and priests, how should we invest our time, finances, and talents in the coming Kingdom?

Throughout human history many have tried to rule the world through military conquest. The first and most powerful was Lucifer, that old dragon who is the devil (20:2). After his rebellion against ADONAI was crushed, he and his angelic followers were thrown out of heaven (Luke 10:18, Revelation 12:3-4), and he became the god of this world (Second Corinthians 4:4). He inspired others to try their hand at conquest, men like Nebuchadnezzar, Darius, Alexander the Great, the emperors of Rome, Attila the Hun, Genghis Khan, Napoleon, Lenin, Stalin, and of course, Adolph Hitler. But in the future, there will come the most powerful Satan-possessed human conqueror of all, the antichrist. But he will fail as all those other men have failed to rule the world through military conquest. Only one has the right, the power and the authority to rule the earth: the Lord Jesus Christ. One day He will take back what is rightfully His from the devil, the usurper, and all the rebels, demonic and human. No one else is capable of ruling the world.¹⁶⁷

When John looked, instead of the anticipated mighty Lion, he saw a Lamb as if it had been slain, standing in the center of the throne, ready to act as the righteous Judge, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. The Lamb, arnion, refers to a little lamb, or a pet lamb. It pictures the Passover lamb, when Jewish families were required to keep the sacrificial lamb as a household pet four days before sacrificing it (Exodus 12:3-6). While every lamb sacrificed in the Hebrew Scriptures pictures Yeshua, He is only referred to as a Lamb once (Isaiah 53:7-8). When we come to most of the New Covenant, He is only identified as a Lamb four times (John 1:29, 36; Acts 8:32 and First Peter 1:19). In the book of Revelation, however, He appears as the Lamb twenty-eight times.

Dear Heavenly Father How Awesome You are! You willingly gave Your only Son as the Lamb of God (John 1:29) to die on the altar, as payment for our sins. He was pierced because of our transgressions, crushed because of our iniquities. The chastisement for our shalom was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed. We all like sheep have gone astray. Each of us turned to his own way. So, ADONAI has laid on Him the iniquity of us all (Isaiah 53:5-6). We bow in worship. In the holy name of Your Son and His power of resurrection. Amen

The Lamb, like the Lion, is obviously symbolic, but the symbolism is clear. Jesus Christ is a Lion and a Lamb. The Lion symbolizes His Second Coming and the Lamb symbolizes His First Coming. The Lion is symbolic of His majesty and the Lamb is symbolic of His meekness. As a Lion He is a Sovereign and as a Lamb He is a Savior. As a Lion He is a Judge, while as a Lamb He was judged. The Lion represents the government of God and the Lamb represents the grace of God.¹⁶⁸

When John first saw the glorified Son of man (1:13-16), the symbol of a Lion would have been appropriate. However, now Yeshua is seen in another light. The conquering King had to first become a suffering Servant. It was when He functioned as the Lamb of God that He bought us back as if paying a ransom (Mark 10:45), the price of redemption having been satisfied. Thus, it is as the Lamb that He must receive the title deed to the earth from God the Father who had kept it in safekeeping throughout the Dispensation of Grace (see my commentary on Hebrews, to see link click Bp – The Dispensation of Grace).

In a very real sense, Jesus is the kinsman-redeemer (Ruth 3:9b) of Adam. He will act as the Redeemer who comes to take back the earth that is rightfully His, and to claim His bride (19:7, 21:2 and 9, 22:17). And like the Year of Jubilee (Leviticus 25), all debts will be paid in full (John 19:30), and the slaves (of sin) will go free.

Several features indicate that this was no ordinary lamb. First, He was standing. He is no longer seated at the right hand of ADONAI. He is moving now and He is coming to the earth. The judgment of the Great Tribulation is about to strike.168 The scars from His deadly wounds were clearly visible. However, He was alive. The phrase as if it had been slain is an idiom referring to someone who is resurrected.¹⁶⁹ Secondly, the Lamb had seven horns, which represent strength and power (First Samuel 2:1 and 10; Second Samuel 22:3; Psalms 18:2, 75:10, 89:17 and 24; Jeremiah 48:25 and Micah 4:13), and seven eyes which are pictured as the seven spirits of God (Isaiah 11:2), sent out into all the earth (5:6).

The dramatic moment for which John and the great assembly had been waiting for finally arrived. The Lamb came (aorist tense meaning completed action) and took (perfect tense) the scroll from the right hand of Him who sat on the throne (5:7). This is Messiah’s normal position in the present age (Psalm 110:1; Matthew 22:44; Acts 2:34-35, 7:56). The use of the Greek perfect tense emphasizes the lasting benefits of His sacrificial death and resurrection. He was indeed the world’s Redeemer. Dani’el saw the same scene described here (Dani’el 7:13-14), although he only saw a vision and did not mention the scroll. John, however, mentions the scroll because he was there and saw the actual events.

As the Lamb takes the scroll, praise breaks out all over the universe. To the two doxologies of chapter 4 are added three more in chapter 5. The spontaneous outburst of worship results from the realization that the long-anticipated defeat of sin, death and Satan is about to be accomplished and the Lord will return to the earth in triumph and establish His glorious Messianic Kingdom. The curse will be reversed, the believing remnant of Isra’el will be saved, and the Church, made up of Jewish and Gentile believers, will be honored, exalted and granted the privilege of reigning with Messiah. All of the pent-up anticipation of the ages finally bursts out at the prospect of what is about to take place.¹⁷⁰

And when He had taken it the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. This is the common reaction of those before ADONAI on His throne. Each of the twenty-four elders had a harp, which denotes praise. Only the harp and the trumpet are mentioned as musical instruments in the book of Revelation. And they will be holding golden bowls full of incense, which is interpreted as the prayers of God’s people (5:8). 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). In the Tabernacle, the evening offering came before the incense was burned (see my commentary on Exodus Fp – The Altar of Incense in the Sanctuary: Christ, Our Advocate with the Father). The prayers of the righteous are a sweet smelling aroma to YHVH only if the sacrifice had preceded it. In other words, the sacrifice had to come first, before the incense could be burned. And that is the picture we see here in heaven. They are holding golden bowls full of incense because the sacrifice had already been made. The Lamb had already been slain (5:6).

Since Yeshua is the only One worthy to break open the seals, this section concludes with a description of the worship of the Lamb. And in the third doxology of chapters 4 and 5, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders sang a new, or fresh, song. They had heard this song before, but then they will hear it in a new fresh way. This is an echo of the worship in the TaNaKh, where Isra’el is frequently urged to sing a new song to ADONAI (Psalm 33:3, 40:3, 98:1, 144:9, 149:1, Isaiah 42:10). The truth that the twenty-four elders represent all believers and are in heaven during the Great Tribulation, gives much credibility to the conviction that the Church will not go through the hour of trial (3:10). This powerful worship in the throne room of ADONAI gives us a rare insight into the spontaneity and variety of genuine worship.

Chapter 5 verses 9b-13 are like 1:12-16 because they repeat elements of Dani’el’s vision in 7:9-14. They sing: You are worthy (axios) to take the scroll and to open its seal, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased people for God. The Greek word slain is also used of the death of Christ in 5:6, 9, 12 and 13:8, but it is an echo of Isaiah 53:7, where the same root is found: He was led like a lamb to the slaughter. The word is also used of the martyrdom of believers in Asia (6:9 and 18:24).¹⁷¹ His worthiness is a result of His great act of redemption. He is worthy precisely because He was slain. His sacrificial death was the means by which He purchased men and women by God for Himself.¹⁷² It is reassuring to know that the Lamb of God qualifies to carry out the plan of God. Like Joseph, Jesus was given a Gentile bride (Genesis 41:44-52) from every tribe and language and people and nation (5:9 and its variations at 7:9, 10:11, 11:9, 13:7, 14:6 and 17:15). So much for the racists of every flavor!

All these cry out: You have made us, to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and we (KJV) will reign (future tense) with Him on the earth during the Millennial Kingdom (5:10, also 1:6). What was promised to the Israelites at Mount Sinai: You will be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation (Exodus 19:6; Isaiah 61:6), was fulfilled when the Church was established. Together believers are a kingdom – individually we already are priests. The elders are on thrones and crowned as victors because they represent the New Covenant. But angels soon join the four living creatures and the elders in praising the Lamb.¹⁷³

Then in the fourth doxology, all the other angels were added to the heavenly choir. John looked again, and he heard the singing of . . . angels around the throne (5:11 NLT). In his book Ninety Minuets in Heaven, A True Story of Death and Life, Pastor Don Piper describes his experience after being pronounced legally dead after a horrific traffic accident. Although not a biblical account, it is, at the very least, still very interesting. He writes: As a young boy I spent a lot of time in the country and woods. When walking through waist-high dried grass, I often surprised a covey of birds and flushed them out of their nests on the ground. A whooshing sound accompanied their wings as they fled away.

He goes on to say: My most vivid memory of heaven is what I heard. I can only describe it as a holy swoosh of wings. But I’d have to magnify that thousands of times to explain the effect of the sound in heaven.

It was the most beautiful and pleasant sound I’ve ever heard, and it didn’t stop. It was like a song that goes on forever. I felt awestruck, wanting only to listen. I didn’t just hear music. It seemed as if I were part of the music – and it played in and through my body. I stood still, and yet I felt embraced by the sounds. As aware as I became of the joyous sounds and melodies that filled the air, I wasn’t distracted. I felt as if the heavenly concert filled every part of my being, and at the same time I focused on everything else around me.

I never saw anything that produced the sound. I had the sense that whatever made the heavenly music was just above me, but I didn’t look up. I’m not sure why. Perhaps it was because I was so enamored with the people around me, or maybe it was because my senses were so engaged that I feasted on everything at the same time. I asked no questions and never wondered about anything. Everything was so perfect. I sensed that I knew everything and had no questions to ask.

Myriads of sounds so filled my mind and heart that it’s difficult to explain them. The most amazing one, however, was the angel’s wings. I didn’t see them, but the sound was a beautiful, holy melody with a cadence that seemed never to stop. The swishing sound resounded as if was a form of never-ending praise. As I listened I simply knew what it was.

A second sound remains, even today, the single, most vivid memory I have of my entire heavenly experience. I call it music, but it differed from anything I have ever heard or ever expect to hear on the earth. The melodies of praise filled the atmosphere. The nonstop intensity and endless variety overwhelmed me.

The praise was unending, but the most remarkable thing to me was the hundreds of songs were being sung at the same time – all of them worshiping ADONAI. As I approached the large, magnificent gate, I heard them from every direction and realized that each voice praised God. I write voice, but it was more than that. Some sounded instrumental, but I wasn’t sure – and I wasn’t concerned. Praise was everywhere, and all of it was musical, yet comprised of melodies and tones I’d never experienced before.

“Hallelujah!” “Praise!” “Glory to God!” “Praise to the King!” Such words rang out in the midst of all the music. I don’t know if angels were singing them or if they came from humans. I felt awestruck and caught up in the heavenly mood that I didn’t look around. My heart filled with the deepest joy I’ve ever experienced. I wasn’t a participant in the worship, yet I felt as if my heart rang out with the same kind of joy and exuberance.

If we played three recordings of praise at the same time, we’d have a cacophony of noise that would drive us crazy. This was totally different. Every sound blended, and each voice or instrument enhanced the others.

As strange as it may seem, I could distinguish each song. It sounded as if each hymn of praise was meant for me to hear as I moved inside the gates.

Many of the old hymns and choruses I had sung at various times in my life were part of the music – along with hundreds of songs I had never heard before. Hymns of praise, modern-sounding choruses, and ancient chants filled my ears and brought not only a deep peace but the greatest feeling of joy I’ve ever experienced.

As I stood before the gate, I didn’t think of it, but later I realized that I didn’t hear such songs as “The Old Rugged Cross” or “The Nail-Scarred Hand.” None of the hymns that filled the air were about Jesus’ sacrifice or death. I heard no sad songs and instinctively knew that there are no sad songs in heaven. Why would there be? All were praises about Christ’s reign as King of Kings and our joyful worship for all He has done for us and how wonderful He is.

The celestial tunes surpassed any I have ever heard. I couldn’t calculate the number of songs – perhaps thousands – offered up simultaneously, and yet there was no chaos, because I had the capacity to hear each one and discern the lyrics and melody.

I marveled at the glorious music. Though not possessed of a great singing voice in life, I knew that if I sang, my voice would be in perfect pitch and would sound as melodious and harmonious as the thousands of other voices and instruments that filled my ears.

As I’ve pondered the meaning of the memory of the music, is seems curious. I would have expected the most memorable experience to be something I had seen or the physical embrace of a loved one. Yet above everything else, I cherish those sounds and at times I think, I can’t wait to hear them again – in person. It’s what I look forward to. I want to see everybody, but I know I’ll be with them forever. I want to experience everything heaven offers, but most of all, I want to hear those never-ending songs again.

Obviously, I can’t really know how God feels, but I find joy and comfort in thinking that He must be pleased and blessed by the continuous sounds of praise.¹⁷⁴

In ever widening concentric circles with the Lamb in the center surrounded by the four living creatures, the twenty-four elders, John saw many angels numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousands times ten thousand (5:11). Literally, they were held to be so numerous that John could not count them (Dani’el 7:10). In a day when humanistic men are unwilling to acknowledge Yeshua Messiah as more than a good man or a model example, we should hear what the angels of heaven, who know Him best, think of Him.¹⁷⁵ In 5:12 they sang heartily: Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain (5:6, 9 and 12), to receive praise for His power, wealth, wisdom, strength, honor, glory and blessing. There are seven attributes here, and seven is the biblical number of perfection (see Ag – The Importance of the Number Seven in the book of Revelation). Jesus Christ already possesses everything that mankind desires. If we have any of these seven attributes, it comes from Him. We need to acknowledge that before the world because He is Lord of all.

Finally, in the fifth doxology, in Chapters 4 and 5, every creature in all creation joins in a mighty climax of praise to God. Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing: To Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb. As followers of Messiah, whether we are in small groups, choirs, churches or messianic synagogues, bringing praise to the Lord is one of the key elements in our own expression of faith. And one day, we’ll be singing in a concert that defies imagination. In honor of Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb, the song begins at the throne of God, is joined by multiplied thousands of angels, and finally includes every creature in heaven, earth and sea. Together we’ll sing: Praise and honor and glory and power be to ADONAI the Father and Seh Ha’Elohim, God’s Lamb, the Lamb for ever and ever (5:13).

The lambs used for offerings in the Tabernacle and the Temple were without spot or blemish. They provided atonement for the sins of the people. Thank You, God, for sending Jesus the Lamb, who took our sins on Himself so we could be forgiven.

The four living creatures were the first to offer praise around the throne, so it is fitting that they should also bring it to a close.¹⁷⁶ They signaled that they agreed with the praise by saying: Amen, and the elders fell down and also worshiped the Lord (5:14).

When we come to ADONAI in prayer, no matter how feeble we feel our faith is, we join that heavenly chorus. God’s greatness, Yeshua’s worthiness in itself, call forth from all creation proclamations of praise. We can praise Him for His purity, His humility, for His glory, for power, for His victory, or for His love. Any one of His attributes is enough inspiration for the heavenly chorus! So ask ELOHIM to open your eyes to the heavenly environment of worship, an environment that you can tap into every day. Let your voice enter into these songs of praise. Don’t think that your prayer is weak or useless. Turn to the Lord in worship. Your heart will soar and your needs will be met. Yeshua is faithful!

Almighty God, seated on the throne, you are worthy of all praise! Lamb of God who was slain, you deserve all glory and honor! May everything that has breath join in praising You forever and ever.¹⁷⁷

Thus, chapters four and five provide us with the heavenly side of the picture, John now turns to the earth in chapter 6. The same four living creatures will bring forth the four horsemen of the Apocalypse. The same Lord and Redeemer who is the object of worship and praise on the part of the saints in heaven is also the righteous Judge of the wicked on the earth. In light of these future events, how important is the decision that faces every human soul? Today is the day of salvation, as the Scriptures make plain (2 Cor 6:1-3). Those who hear and respond to the divine invitation have the promise of blessing throughout eternity and deliverance from the time of judgment which will fall upon those who neglect to enter into the safety of salvation in their day of opportunity.¹⁷⁸ Are you saved today? If you are interested in learning how to join in this heavenly choir see my commentary on Isaiah Jd – Yet It Was the LORD’s Will to Crush Him, and Cause Him to Suffer.

The Lion of the Tribe of Judah,
the Root of David Has Triumphed
5: 1-5

The Lion of the tribe of  Judah, the Root of David has triumphed DIG: What do you think makes the scroll so significant? What dilemma does the sealed scroll pose? Why is Christ the only One worthy enough to open it? How are the two comings of Jesus symbolized in John’s vision? What do the titles the Lion of the Tribe of Judah and the Root of David mean? Why was it necessary for one of the elders to comfort John, who already knew that Jesus had triumphed? How did this message comfort first-century believers?

REFLECT: Do you think Yeshua sees your tears? Do you think He cares? Do you think the Lord is working behind the scenes for your benefit? When all has seemed lost, has He ever taken action on your behalf? Is Jesus the Lion of the Tribe of David to you? Where does your hope rest toady?

Chapter 4 honors God the Father. He is the One who sits on the throne in heaven, and is the ultimate source of authority and praise. In Chapter 5 the attention shifts from God the Father to God the Son. The Bible teaches us that when we honor the Son we honor the Father. The Father has given all authority to His Son (John 5:22). Scripture also teaches that the heavenly Father has given the Son a Kingdom, and it is His will that all creation, whether in heaven, on earth or under the earth, bow the knee to Christ as Lord of lords and King of kings (17:14, 19:16). This book is uniquely a revelation of Yeshua, demanding our absolute submission and praise. Thus, from Chapter 5 to Chapter 22 we are constantly reminded of who is in charge. Jesus Christ alone has the ability to control the future.

The scroll John saw was in God’s right hand, with writing on both sides (5:1a). Being in His right hand indicates His authority and power. Whatever is in the scroll has been designed, planned, and will be executed from the will of ADONAI. It originated from His right hand. This scroll contains the title deed to the earth, which will be given to God the Son. Unlike other deeds, it will not give the details of what Jesus will inherit, but rather how He will regain His rightful inheritance. He will do so by means of His wrath poured out on the earth. But the scroll will not only judge those on the earth, it will also redeem, or buy the earth back, from Satan, his demons and his followers.

Later in the book John will symbolically eat this scroll. And when he eats it, it turns as sweet as honey to his taste, but it will turn his stomach sour (10:9-10). It tastes sweet because John wants Jesus to act in judgment and take back the earth that is rightfully His. But the realization of the terrible doom awaiting unbelievers turned that initial sweet taste into bitterness. Something similar happened in the book of Ezeki’el. In his vision of heaven, Ezekiel said: I looked, and I saw a hand stretched out to me. In it was a scroll, which God unrolled before me. (Normally, scrolls were written only on one side. But like John’s scroll, this scroll was written on both sides, and it contained words of lament and mourning and woe). And God said to Ezeki’el, “Son of man, eat this scroll; then go back and speak to the house of Isra’el. So I opened my mouth, and he gave me the scroll to eat. And it became as sweet as honey in my mouth (Ezeki’el 2:9 to 3:3).¹⁶¹ The implication of it being written on both sides is that it points to the importance and the terrible nature of the events that are being recorded.

The book of Zechariah also gives us some insight as to why the terrible events of the Great Tribulation will take place (Zechariah 5:1-4). He also saw a scroll, a very large flying scroll, and like the two tablets of the Testimony (Exodus 32:15), it was written on both sides. And God said to Zechariah, “This is the curse that is going out over the whole earth; for according to what it says on one side, every thief will be banished.” This refers to one of the first four commandments. “And according to what it says on the other, everyone who swears falsely will be banished,” and this refers to one of the last six of the Ten Commandments. The curse of the scroll is directed against those who violate one of the commandments on each side of the two tablets – the eighth commandment against stealing on the back (Exodus 20:15) and the third commandment against swearing falsely by misusing the name of the LORD on the front (Exodus 20:7).¹⁶² The point is, the terrible events of the Great Tribulation will happen because of a total violation of God’s moral standards that are revealed in the TaNaKh, beautifully displayed in Christ and constantly taught in the B’rit Chadashah.

Dear Heavenly Father, Praise Your love and holiness! Being loved is wonderful, but we also must remember that Your love is wrapped in your perfect purity, in complete holiness. You cannot tolerate sin and so you gave an extremely costly offering when You gave Your own Son to die as our sacrificial lamb (John 1:29), to pay the punishment for our sins so all who love and follow You could receive Your holy righteousness (Second Corinthians 5:21) thru which we are then able to enter Your holy heaven. Though the world loves to quote: For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16), the whole truth of God’s message needs to be listened to. The one who believes in Him is not condemned; but whoever does not believe has been condemned already, because he has not put his trust in the name of the one and only Ben-Elohim. (John 3:18). Both ideas of salvation and condemnation are in the same verse at the end of the chapter. He who trusts in the Son has eternal life. He who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him (John 3:36). O God, Your wrath is to be feared for Your holiness demands that sin is punished (Isaiah 53:5-6). The pain of the Great Tribulation is because of man’s sin, which you cannot tolerate. We bow in worship of You and ask that You open the hearts of our family and friends to choose to love and to follow You as their Lord and Savior. In your holy Son’s name and power of His resurrection. Amen

This scroll was sealed with seven seals (5:1b). Sealing a scroll was a common and important practice in Biblical times. The wills of both Emperor Vespasian and Cesar Augustus, for example, were secured with seven seals. For such a document, a scribe would procure a long roll of parchment and begin writing. After a period of writing he would stop, roll the parchment just enough to cover his words. Then he would seal the scroll at that point with wax. Then he would resume writing, stop again, roll the scroll, and add another seal. By the time he was finished, he would have sealed the scroll seven times. Then the scroll is like a will, and would be read a section at a time, after each seal was opened.¹⁶³ The only one who could break the seals, was the one who would receive the inheritance after the death of the testator, or the one who made the will. In this case, the Messiah is both the testator and the one who will receive the inheritance.

Jeremiah 32:9-15 gives us a good picture of such a scroll. In the last days of the southern kingdom of Judah, just before the fall of Jerusalem, Jeremiah’s cousin Hanamel needed help. He was desperate to sell a field he owned in Jeremiah’s hometown of Anathoth, near Jerusalem. The Babylonian army was coming into the Land like a flood and once they conquered Judah, Hanamel’s field would be worthless. But contrary to human wisdom, and in obedience to God’s command, Jeremiah bought his cousins field and put the sealed copy of the scroll in a clay jar so it would last a long time as a sign that the Babylonian captivity would not last forever (see my commentary on Jeremiah, to see link click Fs – Jeremiah Buys a Field).

Who had the power to defeat the Devil and his demons, to do away with sin and to reverse the curse on all the earth? And John saw a mighty angel, Gabriel himself, shouting in a loud voice, “Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?” In answer to Gabriel’s question there is only silence (since the angel is not named in scripture, it may be Gabriel because his name denotes mighty). The angels of heaven wait in silence. Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Job, Moses, David, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Dani’el, the apostles and everyone from the Dispensation of Grace all stand in silence. After scouring every level of the universe, it seems like no one in heaven (God’s holy angels) or on earth (all of humanity) or under the earth (Satan and all of his fallen angels) could open the scroll or even look inside it (5:2-3).

Overwhelmed with grief and sadness John wept and wept, literally kept on shedding many tears, because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside it (5:4). Wept is from klaio, and is the same word used to describe Jesus’ weeping over Jerusalem (Luke 19:41), and Peter’s bitter weeping after betraying Christ three times (Luke 22:62). It is a word that expresses uncontrollable sobbing and heaving. John was broken hearted because unless that book can be opened there is no hope. There is only one hope for this world, the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Yeshua the Messiah. He is the blessed hope (Titus 2:13). No one can help us but Jesus.

Interestingly enough, this is the only time we see tears in heaven. John’s tears represent the tears of God’s people throughout the ages. Those tears represent your tears and my tears as we experience the trials, the sufferings, the heartaches and indescribable disappointments of this life. Sometimes the pain is so great we don’t know if we can go on. But the good news is that one-day God promises to wipe away every tear from our eyes (7:17 and 21:4). In the midst of our pain, sometimes that promise is hard to imagine, but we continue to hope in Him (Job 13:15). That is why we wait for the blessed hope.

But ADONAI’s mercy and grace would never allow the world to drown in a sea of hopelessness. In the midst of John’s despair, YHVH was about to take action. One of the twenty-four elders told John not to weep. Why was it necessary for one of the elders to comfort John, who already knew that Jesus had triumphed? Because John did that which we so easily do. He lost sight of the victory of the Lamb, which always results in hopelessness and tears. How very often do we sadden Jesus with our weeping and discouragement. We are often ready to give up in spite of the fact that He has already achieved the final victory.¹⁶⁴

Then John’s attention was drawn to a new Person emerging at the throne of God. No human or angel can buy back the universe. But there is One who can. He is our great God and Savior Jesus Christ and here He is identified by the first of His two messianic titles. The elder said: See, the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. The title the Lion of the Tribe of Judah comes from Jacob’s blessing. When Jacob was dying, he called his twelve sons around him, and prophesied to Leah’s fourth born: You are a lion’s cub, O Judah . . . the scepter (or the right to rule) will not depart from Judah until He comes to whom it belongs and the obedience of the nations is His (Genesis 49:9-10). In John’s day the Romans had destroyed Jerusalem, the heart of Judah, and the Jews were scattered throughout the world. The scepter had indeed departed from Judah, and the One to whom it belonged had already come, been rejected and crucified. The Lord Jesus is the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, but he is also the Root of David (Isaiah 11:1 and 10). Yeshua the Messiah is in absolute control.

The title the Root, or descendant, of David comes from a prophecy in Second Samuel 7:5-16, the great chapter of God’s covenant with David, where ADONAI said: Your house and your kingdom will last forever before Me; your throne will be established forever. At that time ADONAI promised King David that one of his descendants would be the Messiah. Jesus fulfilled that prophecy. Jesus’ earthly mother was Mary, a descendant of David (see my commentary on The Life of Christ Ai – The Genealogies of Joseph and Mary). Consequently, Jesus has the right to rule because He is the fulfillment of the prophecies made in the TaNaKh. All of those prophecies will be fulfilled at Christ’s Second Coming when He establishes His Kingdom.¹⁶⁵

Yeshua will be the only One worthy to open the scroll because He has triumphed. The scroll (or the will) was written in the name of Christ, since it is His inheritance. He is also the One who died, and because of the resurrection, thus He is the only One worthy to open His own scroll (or will). It is the most unusual will ever written because all of the inheritance goes to the one who died! In the Greek this word is in the aorist active tense and points to a once for all time victory. At the cross He triumphed over sin (Romans 8:3), death (Hebrews 2:14-15), and the forces of hell (Col 2:15; 1 Peter 3:19). For everyone born of God overcomes the world (1 John 5:4), because He has triumphed. John stopped sobbing long enough to see the Lion prepare to open the scroll and its seven seals (5:5). What excitement there will be as all of heaven holds its collective breath, waiting for Jesus to tear off the seals, open the scroll and take back what is rightfully His.

John was writing to first-century believers who were suffering greatly under persecution. Many had lost all their possessions and were being threatened with death if they did not renounce the Lord. The evil that confronted them seemed so vast that they undoubtedly were tempted to think that darkness would triumph.

We too can be tempted in this way when we are engulfed in suffering – whether it be because of disease, life’s problems, moral sufferings, or the sinful state of our society. John may well have written to strengthen and encourage the believers of his age, but his words can speak to us also, giving us a firm foundation for our security and assurance. ADONAI is on our side. God the Son has triumphed over evil and has already paid for every sin you will ever commit past, present or future. That’s why faith is so important. There is no hope except what Christ has already done. You need to believe in what Yeshua has already done for you, not believing what you can do for Him.

In his vision, John saw Jesus prepared to regain His rightful inheritance. Such a vision – and the truths that such a vision reveals – can give us great comfort and security. Every one of God’s intentions toward us is for our good, not for evil. Every thought He has for us had to do with our blessing, our prosperity, and our growth in His holiness. At one time, it looked as if no one could open the scroll of God’s plan to see it through to completion. But now, In Yeshua the Messiah, we can surrender ourselves into His hands and obey Him, knowing that He will never abandon or betray us.

Lord, I surrender myself into Your hands. Cover me and all my family with Your infinite love, mercy, grace and power. Father, may Your Kingdom come and Your will be done in my heart and throughout the earth.¹⁶⁶

At That Time There Shall Be
a Great Earthquake in the Land of Isra’el
Ezeki’el 38: 17-23

At that time there shall be a great earthquake in the land of Isra’el DIG: What will God accomplish through this war? What will the entire world learn from it? What will Isra’el learn?

Having described the LORD’s purpose, the questions of what and how are answered.

Gog’s attack will be crushed by the LORD Himself.¹³⁵ This is what ADONAI ELOHIM says: Are you not the one I spoke of in former days by My servants the prophets of Isra’el? At that time they prophesied for years that I would bring you against them (Ezeki’el 38:17). When you look at all the writing prophets in Isra’el’s history one thing becomes very clear. Up to the days of Ezeki’el, there is never any mention of an invasion of Isra’el from the land of Magog. However, God said that He had prophesied about it for years in the former days in the distant past. This would exclude the contemporaries of Ezeki’el such as Jeremiah and Dani’el. It would also have to exclude more recent prophets such as Isaiah and all of the minor prophets. Therefore, the prophets he is referring to here are the oral prophets such as Elijah, Enoch, Elisha, and many others, who didn’t write their prophecies down. Ezeki’el was not the first one to speak of an invasion of Isra’el by Gog and Magog. However, he is the only prophet to have written it down in a book.

The invasion will be against the LORD’s Land and His people. Attacking God’s Land makes it anti-Isra’el, and coming against God’s people makes it anti-Semitic. And because this violates the principle of Genesis 12:3b, whoever curses you I will curse, then ADONAI ELOHIM’s hot anger will be aroused against the invaders (Ezeki’el 38:18). The invasion will cause God to move for two reasons. First, He will act because of His zeal for His Land and His people, or the right of exclusive ownership and protection. The Bible teaches that the LORD is Isra’el’s husband and no weapon forged against her would prevail (see the commentary on Isaiah, to see link click Jg – In Righteousness You Will Be Established, Terror Will Be Far Removed). Secondly, when anyone violates His people, it always leads to His fiery wrath that will destroy the invader in keeping with the cursing aspect of God’s Covenant with Abraham (Ezeki’el 38:19a). ADONAI will use four means to destroy the invading army.

The first means of destroying the invading army will be an earthquake. At the time of the invasion, there shall be a great earthquake in the Land of Isra’el (Ezeki’el 38:19b). As a result, the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the beasts of the field, every creature that moves along the ground, and all the people in the Land will tremble at My presence. The mountains will be overturned, the cliffs will crumble and every outer city wall will fall to the ground (Ezeki’el 38:20).

The second means of destroying the invaders will be anarchy. In the pandemonium, communication between the invading forces will break down and they will begin attacking each other. I will summon a sword against Gog on all My mountains, declares ADONAI ELOHIM. Every man’s sword, or weapon, will be against his fellow soldier (Ezeki’el 38:21). They will die on the mountains of Isra’el. Fear and panic will sweep through the forces so that each army will shoot indiscriminately at the others.¹³⁶ God has done this before (Judges 7:22; First Samuel 14:20; Second Chronicles 20:23).

The third means will be various diseases. The LORD declares: I will execute judgment upon them with plague (like the sixth plague of boils in Egypt) and bloodshed.

The fourth means will come from the heavens. Through His prophet the LORD announces that He will pour down torrents of rain, hailstones (like the seventh plague of hail in Egypt) and burning sulfur (like Sodom) on him and on his troops and on the many nations with him (Ezeki’el 38:22). Therefore, this downpour will be similar to the destruction of Sodom and the plagues of Egypt.

God Himself will totally destroy the alliance by natural and supernatural means. No other nations are used to destroy these invaders, He will do it all by Himself. In this way He will receive all the glory. He will show His greatness and His holiness, and He will make Himself known in the sight of many Gentile nations. Then they will know that He is ADONAI (Ezeki’el 38:23).

Dear Heavenly Father, Praise Your Almighty power, Great is our Lord and mighty in power – His understanding is infinite! (Psalms 147:5). Praise Your wisdom and Your love for Your firstborn Isra’el (Exodus 4:22). How awesome You that you know the future and have already planned how You will execute judgement on the evil power by a great earthquake (38:19), torrents of rain, hailstones and burning sulfur (38:22) to rescue Isra’el when Russia and the other nations come against it. What a comfort to trust You at All times, for You hold the future in the palm of Your hand. You are Mighty and our loving Father! We love You and delight in pleasing You. In Your holy Son’s name and power of resurrection. Amen

And There Before Me was a Throne in Heaven
4: 1-11

And there before me was a throne in heaven DIG: Who is the figure on the throne? What is He like? Who are the twenty-four elders? What will they wear? What stones describe the appearance of the one on the throne? How does John envision the four living creatures throbbing with the eternal power of God? What is the reaction of the twenty-four elders to the praise and worship given by the four living creatures? What response does the central figure elicit? Why? What does this say about who ELOHIM is and how He relates to His creation? Was John’s heavenly ascent a physical or a spiritual one?

REFLECT: Imagine yourself in this scene. What do you see? Hear? Feel? What impresses you about the LORD? How might this vision of God enhance your worship life? Your everyday life? Do you still see Him on the throne for you? Can you trust Him and bow down and worship Him? Is He worthy? Is He still in charge? Think about how you can refocus your worship from yourself and your surroundings to God and His glory.

There seems to be an uncommon attraction today among both believers and unbelievers about the afterlife. Books on the afterlife, near-death experiences, angels or demons (especially vampires and werewolves) are selling like there is no tomorrow. But in contrast to these, the Bible records of two people who actually took a trip to heaven. The Rabbi Sha’ul wrote of being transported to the third heaven, but he was forbidden to speak about what he saw there (Second Corinthians 12:4).

The apostle John also had the privilege of visiting heaven. However, unlike Paul, John was permitted to go into great detail about what he saw there in chapters 4 and 5. In these two chapters he recorded the second vision that he saw, the first being that of the glorified Messiah in 1:12-17. The Bible refers to heaven more than five hundred times, and others such as Rabbi Sha’ul (Second Corinthians 12) and Ezeki’el (Ezeki’el 1), wrote descriptions of it. Yet John’s description is the most complete and informative in the entire Bible. Escorted by Yochanan, the disciple whom Jesus loved (John 13:23), we are carried beyond this mundane world to the realities of heaven.¹⁵²

Dear Heavenly Father, Praise you for opening the door to Your holy heaven for Your children to enter, by giving Your righteousness to those who love and follow You. 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. (2 Cor 5:21). Heaven will be so wonderful! He shall wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more. Nor shall there be mourning or pain any longer, for the former things have passed away (Revelation 21:4). We desire to serve You with a heart full of love, for the short time we have on this earth will soon be over. All who love You will live with You forever in peace and joy in Your eternal home in heaven (Romans 10:9-10). In your holy Son’s name and power of the resurrection. Amen

After these things I looked and there before me was a door standing open in heaven (4:1a). The phrase after these things, or meta tauta, is used throughout the book to note the beginning of a new vision (7:9, 15:5, 18:1 and 19:1). So now the scene shifts from matters concerning the Church on earth to a dramatic scene in heaven, focusing on the throne of God. Chapters 4 and 5, then, form the prologue to the future events like the Great Tribulation, the Millennial Kingdom and the Eternal State (to see link click Fq – The Eternal State) that unfold in Chapters 6 through 22. In order to spare His bride from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world (3:10), or the outpouring of wrath before Messiah returns, the Church will be raptured (see By – The Rapture of the Church), before the Great Tribulation (described in Chapters 6-19) begins.

Even though Christ warned John in advance that he would see things to come, nothing could have prepared him for what he experienced that day. As Yochanan looked, to his amazement, he saw an open door (Ezekiel 1:1 and Acts 7:56) that allowed him to enter the third heaven and the very throne room of God. The first heaven is the earth’s atmosphere and the second heaven is the universe. Yeshua, ascended to heaven after His resurrection and He has been seated at the right hand of ADONAI ever since (John 14:2-3; Acts 1:9-11, 3:20-21, 7:55-56; Romans 10:6; Colossians 3:1 and First Thessalonians 4:16). As a result of passing through this open door, heaven became John’s vantage point for most of the remainder of the book.¹⁵³

After becoming aware of the open door, the first voice John heard was the familiar voice like the sound of a trumpet that had spoken to him in his first vision (1:10). As stated earlier, this was the voice of the Lord. His voice sounded like a trumpet because of its commanding, authoritative quality. Then Jesus specifically ordered John to: Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after these things (4:1b). It is very important to understand that John, who is a believer, is in heaven during chapters 4 to 22, and not on the earth. In the book two key phrases will be found. One is after these things, and the other is simply after this. The first phrase, after these things, is chronological. What is described after this phrase follows chronologically the events found in the previous context. The second phrase, after this, merely refers to the next thing John saw and does not necessarily imply chronology. In other words, the next vision John saw may chronologically follow the previous context, or he may be describing something contemporary with it.¹⁵⁴

Yochanan was not physically taken to heaven, but only saw it in a vision is clear from his statement, at once I was in spirit. In the Greek text the word “the” is not there. It simply says: I was in spirit, not the Holy Sprit, but in the realm of spirit (1:10). There before him was a real, tangible throne in heaven with YHVH, God the Father, sitting on it (4:2). He rules with sovereignty (Ps 11:4-5, 103:19; Isa 66:1) from His Temple in heaven (7:15, 11:19, 14:15-17, 15:6-8 and 16:17). He does not change, and is in complete control of the universe. The random chance of evolution does not rule the universe. Instead, the sovereign, omnipotent Creator sits on His throne and governs. The throne of God is central to this book, indeed, to the whole Bible. For the word throne appears 45 times in this book alone, while occurring only 15 other times in the entire Bible.

He is ELOHIM, the enthroned One. When we come before the One who is sitting on the throne in all of His glory and honor and power, and we see Him face to face, we will fall down before Him and worship Him. For who can stand before ADONAI our God?

John does not name the One sitting on the throne, but it is clear that He is ADONAI. Chapter 4 describes YHVH the Father and Chapter 5 describes God the Son. This is the One Isaiah saw in his vision: I saw God seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of His robe filled the Temple (Isaiah 6:1). The prophet Micaiah also saw Him there: I saw ADONAI sitting on His throne with all the host of heaven standing around him on His right and on His left (1 Kings 22:19). Dani’el also saw a vision of this heavenly throne (Dani’el 7:9-10), but perhaps the most detailed description of ADONAI on His throne is given to us by Ezeki’el (Eze 1:26-28). The word sitting is in the present tense. He has never stopped sitting on the throne.

In trying to describe the indescribable John wrote: And the One who sat there had the appearance of sardis (NKJ) and jasper. The sardis and the jasper were the first and the last stones on the breastpiece of the high priest (see my commentary on Exodus Ga – Fashion a Breastpiece for Making Decisions). The sardis was a fiery blood red stone found near Sardis (3:1-6), for which the city was named, and represented Isra’el’s first-born Reuben. The jasper stone is described in 21:11 as crystal clear like a diamond, representing Benjamin, which means son of my right hand. So the two stones picture Jesus, the first and only Son of God, who sits at the Father’s right hand. In addition, a rainbow, with green as its dominant color resembling an emerald, encircled the throne (4:3). The stones brilliantly intensify the light around the throne by reflecting the unapproachable light, or glory, surrounding ADONAI Himself (First Timothy 6:16; Psalm 104:2).

A rainbow, resembling an emerald, or green appearance, encircled the throne. The rainbow is very important. The Bible refers to it only four times. The first was a sign after the Flood that God would never destroy the world again in that manner (see my commentary on Genesis Da – Never Again Will There Be a Flood to Destroy the Earth). Thus, the rainbow speaks of the LORD’s mercy toward mankind even in the midst of judgment. The second is found in Ezeki’el’s vision where he saw ADONAI with a brilliant light surrounding Him. Like the appearance of a rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the radiance around Him (Ezeki’el 1:28). The third and fourth occasions are found here and in 10:1. Evidently the rainbow perpetually surrounds the throne of ADONAI, or at least at such times (as in Noah’s day, Ezekiel’s day and John’s day) when ELOHIM’s judgments are being visited upon the earth. The rainbow, as it were, continually points to the remnant of believers in the midst of an ungodly world ripe for judgment, and that He, as the God of all grace (First Peter 5:10) will in wrath remember mercy (Habakkuk 3:2).¹⁵⁵

John’s gaze moved from God the Father as the center of attention to others in the throne room. Surrounding the throne of God were twenty-four lesser thrones, and seated on them were twenty-four elders (4:4) who are in heaven during the entire Great Tribulation period (5:5, 7:13, 11:16, 14:3, 19:4). They are not angels (4:10, 5:8 and 11, 7:11); they are not the 144,000 (14:3); and they are not the great multitude (7:13-14). The number twenty-four occurs six times in the TaNaKh. In every case, it is associated with the priests of Isra’el (1 Chron 24). The word elders is used sixty-seven times in the New Covenant and they were also the key leaders and representatives there. Messiah said to the church in Laodicea: To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with Me on My throne (3:21). Thus, just as the priests represented all of Isra’el, these twenty-four elders, will surround the throne of God as representatives of a nation of kings and priests, and will represent all overcomers from Shavu’ot to the Rapture (4:8-9).¹⁵⁶

They were dressed in white, as are the faithful in heaven. Jesus had said to the church in Sardis: He who overcomes will be dressed in white (3:5, also see 3:18, 7:9 and 19:8). Being dressed in white symbolizes Christ’s righteousness transferred to believers at salvation. In addition, the elders, who represent all believers, had crowns of gold on their heads (4:4). These are the crowns (James 1:12; Second Timothy 4:8; Second Corinthians 5:10; First Peter 5:1-4; First Thessalonians 2:19-20) of those who have overcome the world through Messiah and are given to believers at the bema seat of Christ (Second Corinthians 5:10). The crowns indicate that the twenty-four elders had been judged and rewarded. It is very important to note that the Bride of Christ (19:6-9) will be dressed in white, will have received their crowns and begun their reign with Him in heaven before the Great Tribulation begins.

After the elders, Yochanan’s attention returned to God the Father as thunder boomed and lightning flashed from the throne of God (4:5a). John saw a preview of the Lord’s wrath about to be hurled on a sinful world in Chapters 6-19. Flashes of lightening, rumblings and peals of thunder are related with ADONAI’s presence (Exodus 19:16). But they are also related with ELOHIM’s judgment during the Great Tribulation. Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and hurled it on the earth; and there came peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightening and an earthquake (8:5). Again, God’s Temple in heaven was opened, and within it came flashes of lightening, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake and a great hailstorm (11:19). And again, when the seventh angel pours out his bowl of wrath there will be flashes of lightening, rumblings, peals of thunder and a severe earthquake (16:18).

The Holy Spirit is also seen before the throne as seven blazing lamps, which are the seven Spirits of God (4:5b). We have already seen the symbolism of the seven to represent the fullness of ADONAI’S Spirit (1:4 and 3:1). These are best understood as a representation of the Ruach ha-Kodesh in a sevenfold way rather than seven individual spirits. Normally the Holy Spirit cannot be seen unless embodied in some way. When the Spirit of God descended on Christ at His baptism, the people saw a dove descending. If it had not been for the dove, they would not have been able to see the Holy Spirit. In a similar way on the Festival of Shavu’ot, the coming of the Ruach would not have been visible if it had not been for the tongues of fire (Acts 2:3). The seven blazing lamps are therefore the means by which we are informed of His presence. He is continually ready to serve; He never ceases to minister. The number seven is characteristic of the perfection of the Holy Spirit and is in keeping with the revelation of Isaiah 11:2-3. Each of the three Persons of the Trinity are present at the throne, each in His particular form of revelation.¹⁵⁷

Also before the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal (4:6a). There will be no bronze basin in the true Tabernacle in heaven. The bronze basin, the only piece of furniture in the Tabernacle without any specific size dimensions (Exodus 30:17-21), will become a sea of glass, because at that time we will no longer need to be cleansed of our sin. John saw this vast pavement of glass, shining brilliantly as crystal. When Moses, Aaron and the seventy elders of Isra’el saw God, under His feet was something like a pavement made of sapphire, clear as the sky itself (Exodus 24:10). Ezekiel saw the same thing (Ezeki’el 1:22). Later, John will see this same sea of glass, but then it will be mixed with fire. Before the second half of the Great Tribulation, John will see a vision of victorious martyrs standing on it, singing the song of Moses and the song of the Lamb. They will be holding harps, and worshiping God (15:2-3).¹⁵⁸ So the sea of glass will be mixed with the judgment of those in rebellion against Jesus before we see it again.

In the center nearest to the throne, were four living creatures, and they were covered with eyes, in front and in back (4:6b). Ezeki’el gives us a detailed description of these incredible creatures and calls them cherubim (Ezeki’el 1:4-25). They are an exalted order of angels frequently associated in the Bible with God’s holy power (First Samuel 4:4; Second Samuel 6:2, 22:11; Psalm 80:1, 99:1; Isaiah 37:16). Ezeki’el’s description of these cherubim notes that each one had four different facial features (1:10 and 10:14). However, from John’s vantage point the first living creature was like a lion, the second was like an ox, the third had a face like a man, the fourth was like a flying eagle (4:7). These four cherubim, who are reflected in the four standards in the camp of Isra’el (see my commentary on Exodus Ep – The Camp of the Twelve Tribes of Isra’el), will play an important role in coming judgments of the Great Tribulation. They are there at the beginning as one of the four living creatures calls on the rider of the white horse to begin his destruction (6:1-2). Another will announce economic disaster upon the earth (6:6), while another will give seven golden bowls of wrath to seven angels (15:7).

The scene before the throne of God the Father culminates in a crescendo of praise. Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around them, even under their wings. They will praise God continually. Day and night they never stop saying: Holy, holy, holy is ADONAI, the LORD of heaven’s armies, the One who was, and is, and who is coming (Revelation 4:8 CJB, and also see Isaiah 6:2-3)!

Chapters 4 and 5 contain five great hymns of praise, where the size of the heavenly choir gradually swells. The hymns of praise begin here with the four cherubim as a quartet. Then their worship triggers a response from the twenty-four elders. Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne, and worship (Greek: proskuneo, meaning to kiss the face) Him who lives for ever and ever (4:9-10a). Later all the other angels add their voices (5:11). Finally, every creature in the universe joins in a mighty climax of praise to ADONAI.

Amazingly, after they fall down before ADONAI the twenty-four elders lay their crowns before the throne. Suddenly the beautiful crowns with which they had been rewarded for faithful service will somehow pale into insignificance and become meaningless in His presence. They will realize that their faithfulness has been made possible by His faithfulness. They have nothing that was not given to them; they had accomplished only what He had willed. All is of God. Thus, their crowns will really not be their own, and they must return them to Him.

They cry out: You are worthy (axios), ADONAI Eloheinu, to receive the glory and the honor and the power (the definite article is present in the Greek), for You created all things (Genesis 1:1), and by Your will they were created and have their being (4:10b-11). Worthiness stands out as a major theme in Chapters 4 and 5. The Greek word axios means deserving. God the Father is worthy or fit to receive glory and honor and power because He is the Creator. Before YHVH can be truly known as Redeemer, He must first be believed and acknowledged as Creator. It is probable that their action is in turn followed by millions of redeemed men and women whom the elders represent, who also fall down in adoration before the One on the throne.¹⁵⁹

The imagination is a wonderful tool God has given us. With it, we can envision possible paths we might take in our lives. When faced with a challenging task, we use our imaginations to plan how we will proceed. Our imaginations are also vital for our sense of play – from the games of “make believe” we played as little children to the complex puzzles and mind-teasers we delight in solving as adults. Ever think your imagination could help you with prayer?

This section of Scripture gives you a great opportunity to experiment with our imagination. As you pray, close your eyes and picture the scene described here. Imagine yourself looking through an open door that leads to the throne of ADONAI Eloheinu (CJB). His light shines brilliantly. Everything is made of precious jewels and costly fabrics. The beauty is overwhelming. Picture the twenty-four elders, the seven spirits of God and the four living creatures surrounding the throne with voices raised in majestic praise.

As you enter into God’s throne room, imagine yourself joining in the heavenly praise and worship. Recount the LORD’s attributes one by one and praise Him for each of them. Praise Him for His majesty and glory, for His justice and holiness, and for His love and compassion. Praise Him for every aspect of His creation as well. Remember the blessing He has given you and your family and praise Him for each one. Given all eternity, we will not exhaust the reasons to praise Him.

When you pray today, be sure to use your natural gift of imagination to aide you. Praying like this has the power to lift us from a limited, natural set of expectations into an encounter with the LORD on a spiritual plane that can transform our hearts and fill us with peace. Let God reveal His mind to you. As you do, your heart will soften, and His love will begin to move you.

Gracious Father, you live in glorious light. Holy is Your name. All praise and thanksgiving belong to You, ELOHIM! We bow down before you, for You are worthy.¹⁶⁰

For We Must All Appear
Before the Bema of Christ
Second Corinthians 5: 10

For we must all appear before the bema seat of Christ DIG: What is the bema? Who is it that appears before Christ? On what basis are the crowns rewarded? When does this take place? Who is the Judge?

REFLECT: Every believer receives at least one crown. Which crown or crowns could you possibly receive? Why? What purpose do these crowns serve? What are you doing with the gifts God has already given you? What will He say to you at the bema?

This is a judgment that will take place in heaven after the Rapture of the Church. For all believers must all appear before the bema of Christ, that each one may receive what is due them for the things done while in the Body, whether good or bad (Second Corinthians 5:10). In the synagogue, the bema is the raised platform where the Word of God is read and the service is conducted. It is a place of reward; it is a place of honor and blessing. There is no fear at the bema. John spoke of the bema when he wrote: In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like Him. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love (First John 4:17-18).

The basis of blessing at the bema will be the believer’s works done in the Body of Messiah after salvation. This is illustrated in the parable of the Bags of Gold. Some were faithful and were rewarded, and some were not and lost their reward (see my commentary on The Life of Christ, to see link click Jx – The Parable of the Bags of Gold) The believer’s sins will not be judged, because they have already been forgiven at the cross, and there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1). It will not be a question of the believer’s sins, but a matter of reward to determine degree of authority in the Messianic Kingdom.

Dear Heavenly Father, Praise Your great love! You not only forgive Your children, you also put our sins immeasurably far away. As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us (Psalms 103:12). It is all by Your grace that anyone enters into Your holy heaven. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not from yourselves – it is the gift of God.  It is not based on deeds, so that no one may boast (Ephesians 2:8, 9). You have promised rewards for loving service for Your children (John 1:12, 3:3; First John 3:1, 3). It is a joy to serve You! We love You! In the holy name of Your Son and the power of His resurrection. Amen

What will we do with our crowns when we receive them? John tells us that believers will lay their crowns before the throne in heaven and proclaim: You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for You created all things, and by Your will they were created and have their being (Rev 4:10b-11).

Paul gives us a more detailed passage dealing with the bema. By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should be careful how he builds. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Yeshua the Messiah. Rabbi Sha’ul again explains that the basis for judgment is the works of the believer. The foundation is Jesus Christ. In addition, their works will not be based on quantity, but quality instead. If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. The question will not be how much gold, silver and costly stones or wood, hay or straw, but was it gold, silver and costly stones or was it wood, hay and straw? Thus, some believers will find their works burned up, while others will merely find them refined. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man’s work. Forgiveness does not exclude accountability. It’s just burning away the dross to purify the real stuff that is to be rewarded. Finally, the rewards are given. Those who have built with gold, silver and costly stones will find their works still remaining, but purified after the fire has been applied. If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward (First Corinthians 3:10-14).

But if they have built with wood, hay and straw, they will be burned up. Therefore, he will suffer loss, in the sense of lost rewards and authority in the Millennium, nothing more. Lest anyone think that he lost his salvation, Rabbi Sha’ul says in no uncertain terms that he himself will be saved. His works do not determine salvation. His eternal relationship with the Lord is guaranteed because He has anointed us, set His seal of ownership on us, and put His Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come (Second Corinthians 1:21-22). Salvation equals faith . . . plus nothing. But he will spend a thousand years in the Messianic Kingdom as one escaping through the flames with nothing to show for his spiritual life (First Corinthians 3:15).

This passage says nothing about the nature of the reward; however, other passages do. They speak of these rewards as being crowns. The Greek language has two words meaning crown. The first word is diadem, which is a king’s crown. It is the crown of sovereignty and of a person who is royal by his nature and by his position – a king. This is the kind of crown that Jesus wears. The second Greek word is stephanos, which is a crown given to an overcomer, a victor, one who has won a race. These are the kinds of crowns available to believers because they overcame in the spiritual warfare with Satan and are now crowned at the bema seat of Christ. There are five such crowns mentioned in the Bible.¹⁵⁰

The first is called the incorruptible crown: Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever (First Corinthians 9:24-25). This crown is given to believers who faithfully run the race, believers who crucify every selfish desire in the flesh and point people to Christ. God calls some people to do things that will require some sacrifice in the way they live and conduct their lives. This verse also implies that these people will receive this crown for the sacrifices they were willing to make for ADONAI in order to successfully complete the call or mission God called them to do. They were faithful to that call.

The second crown is called the crown of rejoicing: For what is our hope, our joy, or crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His Second Coming? For you are our glory and joy (First Thessalonians 2:19-20). Paul asked rhetorically, what would be the greatest blessing he could possibly receive at the bema seat of Christ. The Thessalonians were! They were everything that was worth anything to Messiah. They were His hope, crown, glory and joy. In essence, Paul said, “When life is over and we stand in the presence of our Lord Jesus at His Second Coming, you Thessalonians will be His source of glory and joy, you mean that much to Him.” This is the soul winner’s crown. It is not hard to understand God’s eagerness to reward those who bring the lost to Him. Some have the gift of evangelism, but we are all to evangelize. We need to understand that a relationship with Jesus is exactly what unbelievers are searching for, whether they realize it or not, and reaching out to them causes God to rejoice.

The third crown is the crown of righteousness: Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day – and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for His appearing (Second Timothy 4:7-8). Rabbi Sha’ul had stored up spiritual currency in heaven, and so can we. Jesus Himself said: Store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal it (Matthew 6:20). Yeshua tells us that there isn’t anything that you have suffered in this life that that will not be rewarded at least a hundred times as much (Mark 10:29-30). This crown of righteousness describes itself. It is the crown of eternal righteousness – the very righteousness of the Redeemer granted in full perfection to the glorified believer. When we receive our glorified bodies, we will receive this crown. All believers will be rewarded.

The fourth crown is called the crown of life: In James, it is a crown for those people who remain faithful to the Gospel even under persecution: Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him (James 1:12). And in the book of Revelation, it is given to those who suffer martyrdom for their faith. Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life. He who has an ear to hear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes will not be hurt at all by the second death (Revelation 2:10-11).

The fifth and final crown mentioned in the Bible is the crown of glory: To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder, a witness of Christ’s sufferings and one who also will share in the glory to be revealed. There are glorious days coming when those who serve Yeshua with the right heart and in the right way will be rewarded. Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, serving as overseers – not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. And then Peter makes an application: When the Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away (First Peter 5:2-4). This is a crown for faithfully feeding the flock of ADONAI. It is available to those pastors, messianic rabbis, elders and other teachers who feed the sheep with the milk and meat of the Word of God.

There may be other crowns available, but these are the only ones referred to in the Bible. At least these five are available to those whose works remain, which are built of gold, silver and precious stones. These crowns are for the purpose of determining degree of authority in the Messianic Kingdom and not for the Eternal State. In eternity, all believers will be equal, but not so in the Millennial Kingdom where believers will have different positions of authority (Luke 19:11-27).¹⁵¹

However, only believers will receive these crowns. Before we leave this section, it might be good to ask yourself, “Have I accepted Yeshua Messiah as my Lord and Savior?” You are headed for one of two destinies – heaven or hell – and only those who belong to the family of God can enter heaven.

If I asked you if you were a sinner, what would you say? Romans 3:23 says: For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. That includes you and me, doesn’t it? Most people feel that being good gets you into heaven and being bad keeps you out. That simply is not true; we all have sinned. What would you say sin is? I think we can agree that we are both sinners; now let’s define sin. Some have said, “I’m not perfect,” or “I have made some mistakes.” But what do you think the Bible means by sin? Well, the Bible says that everyone practicing sin breaks God’s law – indeed, sin is lawlessness (First John 3:4). Have you ever disobeyed your parents? Have you ever misused the name of God? Have you ever told a lie? This is what sin is. It’s breaking God’s law. And any time you break a law there is a penalty. If you run a stop sign, the penalty is a fine. If you rob a bank, the penalty is jail. What is the penalty for breaking God’s law?

The Bible teaches us that the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23a). The wages of work is money, but the wages of sin is death. In other words, what I earn – the penalty, the punishment of sin – is death. Death is separation. The Bible speaks of two kinds of death that is two kinds of separation. The first death is separation of the body and the soul. If I were to die right now my body would fall to the floor, but my soul, the real me, would go somewhere else. But the Bible speaks of another death, one it calls the second death. This is separation of the soul from God. Now, the penalty of sin is death, spiritual death, and separation from the LORD. To put it simply – hell. All this is really bad news. But there is good news.

But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8). We were spiritually dead and unable to make the first move toward God because we inherited Adam’s sin nature that rebelled and separated us from Him. So, God made the first move toward us by sending His one and only Son to die in our place for the payment for our sins. We stand before the Son of God, guilty of sin, and facing a death penalty. But Yeshua, as judge (John 5:27), comes down from behind the seat of judgment, takes off His judicial robe and stands beside us. It is there that He says to us, “I will take your place. I will die for you.” And if you were the only person in the world, He still would have died for you. The penalty for sin is death, but Messiah died and paid for sin so we do not have to go to hell.

It is not what you do for God that saves you, it is what God has already done for you.
You don’t get to heaven by what you do; you get to heaven by what you believe.

What is it that I need to believe in, to trust in, to have faith in, to be saved?

For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son who died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16 and First Corinthians 15:3b-4). If you believe this, you are saved.
Nothing else matters.

Salvation = faith + nothing (not baptism, not good works, nothing means nothing). Without
faith it is impossible to please God because anyone who comes to Him must believe that
He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him. Now is the day of
salvation (Hebrews 11:6 and Second Corinthians 6:2c).

Would you like to be saved right now?

Pray this simple prayer in faith. But before you do, I want you to remember that saying a prayer does not save you, trusting in Jesus Christ does. God, I admit that I have sinned. I believe Yeshua Messiah died for my sins and I want to trust Him to save me right now. Lord, please come into my heart and make me a new person. I accept your gift of salvation.

If you were to die right now, where would you go?

Why should God let you into His heaven?

That’s right, because Yeshua died to pay for your sins.

If you prayed that prayer in faith see my commentary on The Life of Christ Bw – What
God Does for Us at the Moment of Faith.

Events in Heaven Preceding the Great Tribulation
4:1 to 5:14

Chapters 4 and 5 reveal the throne in heaven. Whenever we see the throne, we always see the Trinity, and so it is here. We see ADONAI is sitting on the throne (4:2), God the Son, the sacrificial Lamb of God standing in the center of it (5:6), and the Holy Spirit ministering before it (4:5). Chapters 1 to 3 revealed Yochanan’s vision of Jesus Christ and the Church Age. Here, we are able to get a sneak preview of the events in heaven preceding the Great Tribulation, so this is a major turning point in the book of Revelation.

Dear Heavenly Father, We praise how You are one God, yet three Persons and You all work together perfectly! We love You and rejoice in how awesome You are! Thank You for being the father of all who chose to love and to follow You as their Lord. And Savior (John 1:12, 3:3; Romans 10:9-10). We love You! In the holy name of Your Son and the power of His resurrection. Amen

Write, Therefore, What Will Take Place Later
4:1 to 22:5

In keeping with the divine outline given in 1:19, God outlined for John the details of the future: What will take place later. This includes the stirring events leading up to the Second Coming itself (Chapter 19); then the thousand-year Millennial Kingdom (Chapter 20); and finally the New Jerusalem with a new heaven and a new earth (Chapters 21-22). It is obvious that the central truth is the Second Coming of Messiah in Chapter 19, just as the central truth of the four gospels was the First Coming of Messiah Yeshua.

While many interpretations of the book of Revelation have been suggested, the only view that provides a convincing understanding is the one that pictures future events beginning with Chapter 4. And as such, the rest of the book gives us a more graphic illustration of the future, given in more detail, than is found anywhere else in the Bible. Such a revelation is a fitting climax to all the biblical prophecies relating to human history, which are rightly centered in the person and ministry of Yeshua Messiah.

Dear Heavenly Father, Praise Your love and Your grace! How awesome that You willingly gave Your own Son to redeem a people for Yourself. But when Messiah appeared as Kohen Gadol of the good things that have now come, passing through the greater and more perfect Tent not made with hands (that is to say not of this creation), He entered into the Holies once for all – not by the blood of goats and calves but by His own blood, having obtained eternal redemption (Hebrews 9:11-12). In the book of Revelation, You give an overview of the future leading up the final battle of the ages, that You have already won (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

The Signing of the Seven Year Covenant
with the Antichrist
Dani’el 9: 27

The signing of the seven year covenant between the nation of Isra’el and the antichrist is the key birth pain that we will see before the beginning of the Great Tribulation. The Bible says: He will confirm a covenant with many for one seven. In the middle of the seven he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on a wing of the Tribulation temple, he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him (Dani’el 9:27). The signing of the seven-year covenant between the antichrist and the nation of Isra’el could be the ninth or tenth birth pain, depending on the timing of the Rapture. It is important to understand that it is not the Rapture that begins the Great Tribulation, but the signing of the seven-year covenant.

Dear Heavenly Father, Praise Your power and wisdom. Nothing takes You by surprise. You have every detail all figured out and You have already won the final 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

The Rapture of the Church
First Thessalonians 4: 13-18

The Rapture of the Church DIG: How would the Thessalonian believers have felt if they had remained ignorant of Christ’s resurrection and return? How would Paul’s word here encourage them?

REFLECT: Do Rabbi Sha’ul’s words of Christ coming like a thief in the night (at an unknown time) ease or stir up fear within you? Will you be ready or will you be left behind? Has God appointed us to suffer wrath?

Second Thessalonians 2:1-12 mentions a man of lawlessness who is held back until a later time. Since the lawless one (the antichrist) cannot be revealed until the One who now holds him back (the Ruach ha-Kodesh) is taken out of the way, the Tribulation cannot occur until the Body of Christ is removed from the earth. Since neither the Rapture nor the Body of Christ are mentioned in Revelation, Chapters 6-18, we can conclude that the Rapture precedes the Great Tribulation. Of all the views on the timing of the Rapture, only the pre-Tribulation position harmonizes with Scripture when we understand that the Restrainer is referring to the Ruach ha-Kodesh.¹⁴⁵ Three key passages need to be studied for a complete understanding of the Rapture (also see my commentary on Isaiah, to see link click Eu – The Rapture and the Great Tribulation).

The first passage is found in John 14:1-3. This passage does not detail the timing of the Rapture but does contain the promise of it. There, Yeshua says: Do not let you hearts be troubled. Trust in God and trust also in Me. In My Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with Me that you also may be where I am. The one key point is that this coming for the believers was for the purpose of taking them to where He was going. Since Jesus was going to heaven, this is a coming to take the righteous to heaven and not to earth. This is important because in the post-tribulationism believers meet the Lord in the air and return with Him to the earth. This is not the promise here. He is coming to take us to heaven.¹⁴⁶

The second passage is First Thessalonians 4:13-18, which describes the program of the Rapture. Paul wrote to the body of believers at Thessalonica: Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. We believe that Yeshua died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep with Him. The prophecy of the Rapture is as sure to be fulfilled as the prophecies of Messiah’s death and resurrection.

Dear Heavenly Father, We love and worship You! Though we do not know the exact date of the Rapture, world events say that it is soon. Please give us boldness and courage to share with our friends and family about your great love and also Your holiness. Eternity is forever.  And just as it is appointed for men to die once, and after this judgment (Hebrews 9:27). In Your holy Son’s name and power of resurrection. Amen

According to the Lord’s own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have died. There is no written tradition of this, but whether the Lord spoke to Paul directly or through oral tradition, Rabbi Sha’ul assured the Thessalonians that they could dismiss their fears. One group of believers would not precede another.

For the Lord Himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together in the air. And so we will be with the Messiah forever. Therefore, encourage each other with these words. The English word rapture comes from the Latin translation of the Bible called the Latin Vulgate. There, the word caught up is translated rapturo, and this is where we get the English term rapture. The events described here and 1 Corinthians 15:50-53 below, differ considerably from those that will accompany Jesus’ return to the earth to set up His earthly kingdom (Rev 19:11-21). This difference substantiates the distinction between the Rapture and the Second Coming.¹⁴⁷

From the Greek translation of the Bible, the phrase caught up comes from the word harpazo. It has four meanings, all of which tell us a great deal about the Rapture. First, it can mean to carry off by force. Satan and his demons, whose kingdom runs through the lower atmosphere of the earth, will offer opposition to the believers going through their territory on their way to heaven. Paul speaks of the Adversary in Ephesians 2:2 as the ruler of the kingdom of the air, and the word for air there means the lower, denser, atmosphere. That is why it will be necessary for the Lord to come down and carry us off by supernatural force against the opposition of the dragon of old and his demons.

Secondly, it can mean to snatch out of the way of danger. The Bible teaches that God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus the Messiah (First Thessalonians 5:9), and one of the purposes of the Great Tribulation is to bring wrath upon an unbelieving world. The prophet Isaiah tells us: See, the Day of the Lord is coming – a cruel day, with wrath and fierce anger – to make the land desolate and destroy the sinners within it (Isaiah 13:9). Thus, with God’s timing the wrath of the Great Tribulation will be visited upon the earth. Because the Church is made up of His children, our Lord will come and snatch us out of the way of danger.

Thirdly, it can mean to seize and carry off speedily. To be caught up is used of divine power when transferring a person swiftly from one place to another. Heaven is beyond the farthest star. It has taken the light of some star 500,000,000 years to reach the earth, traveling 186,000 miles per second. If the Body of Christ traveled that fast at the Rapture, it would require 500,000,000 years to reach heaven. But we will go to heaven with the speed of thought. One moment we will be on the earth, and the next we will be in heaven.

Lastly, it can mean to claim for one’s self eagerly. The great Husband from heaven will come to claim His Bride, the body of Christ, and eagerly take her with Him to heaven.¹⁴⁸ When we look at all four of these meanings we get a much clearer picture of what the Rapture means to all believers. Indeed, we wait for the blessed hope – the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus the Messiah (Titus 2:13).

There are some significant parallels between John 14:1-3 and First Thes 4:13-18. The words or phrases are almost an exact parallel. They follow one another in both passages in exactly the same order. Only the righteous are dealt with in each case. There is not a single irregularity in the progression of words from first to last. Either column takes the believer from the troubles of earth to the glories of heaven. It is, therefore, obvious that these two sections of scripture speak of the same event. How else does one explain the progression of eight specific words/phrases in exactly the same order, in two different passages, by two different spokesmen? It is clear that these passages refer to a single event: the Rapture of the Church.¹⁴⁹

Parallels can be seen between John 14:1-3 and First Thessalonians 4:13-18

In John 14:1-3 we see the word troubled in verse 1
and in First Thessalonians 4:13-18 we see the word grieve in verse 13

In John 14:1-3 we see the word trust in verse 1
and in First Thessalonians 4:13-18 we see the word believe in verse 14

In John 14:1-3 we see the words God and Me in verse 1
and in First Thessalonians 4:13-18 we see the words God and Jesus in verse 14

In John 14:1-3 we see  the words told you in verse 2
and in First Thessalonians 4:13-18 we see the words tell you in verse 15

In John 14:1-3 we see the words come back in verse 3
and in First Thessalonians 4:13-18 we see the words coming of the Lord in verse 15

In John 14:1-3 we see the words take you in verse 3
and in First Thessalonians 4:13-18 we see the words caught up in verse 17

In John 14:1-3 we see the words to be with me in verse 3
and in First Thessalonians 4:13-18 we see the words to meet the Lord in verse 17

In John 14:1-3 we see the words be where I am in verse 3
and in First Thessalonians 4:13-18 we see the words be with the Lord forever in verse 17

The third passage, First Corinthians 15:50-53, deals with the passing nature of our bodies at the time of the Rapture. I declare to you, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed – in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye. The eye can move much faster than any other visible part of our bodies; therefore, the change will be instantaneous. It will happen at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. That trumpet will sound at the end of the Dispensation of Grace, when all believers will be removed from the earth. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. Christ’s resurrection broke the power of death for those who believe in Him, and one day, when Yeshua returns, we will all be changed. The Rapture could be the ninth or tenth birth pain, depending on when the seven-year covenant between the antichrist and the nation of Isra’el is signed.

After the terrible events of the Great Tribulation, Jesus states that it will come upon all those who live on the face of the whole earth (see my commentary on The Life of Christ Jr – The Day and Hour Unknown). In other words, no one living on the face of the whole earth will be able to escape the judgments of the Great Tribulation. Nonetheless, there will be one way of escaping the wrath of God. You must believe in Jesus; believing in who He said He was, the divine Son of God. The means of escape is to stand before the Son of Man off of the earth because there will be no escape on the earth (Luke 21:34-37). After the Rapture, believers will stand before the Son of Man at the Judgment Seat of Christ (see Cc – For We Must all Appear Before the Judgment Seat of Christ).

The Tribulation Temple
11: 1-2

The Tribulation Temple DIG: When will the Tribulation temple be built? Will it receive God’s blessing? Why or why not? What Most Holy Place was Dani’el prophesying about? What does the abomination that causes desolation mean (see Dani’el 9:27 and 11:31 in context)? When will it be destroyed? By whom?

The Bible is not clear if the tribulation temple will be rebuilt before the Great Tribulation begins or after; however, it is mentioned in four passages.

The first passage is found in the book of Dani’el. The prophet tells us that the antichrist will confirm a covenant with the Jews for one seven year period. In the middle of the seven years of tribulation he will put an end to the daily burnt sacrifice and offering. And on the wings of the tribulation temple he will set up an abomination that causes it to be spiritually deserted as far as God is concerned. The phrase on the wings is taken from the Hebrew root word kanap, which means to cover over, and as in Isaiah 8:8, it definitely has the idea of overspreading in a destructive sense.¹⁴³ In the middle of the Great Tribulation, Satan, the embodiment of the antichrist himself, will fulfill his desire to be worshiped in place of ADONAI (Isa 14:13-14; Eze 28:2). At that time the false prophet will set up an image of the antichrist in the Most Holy Place. Through the power given to him by Satan, the false prophet will make the image appear to come to life and force people to worship it (13:14b-15). As a result, the man of lawlessness will demand to be worshiped until the end of the three-and-one-half-year period that God has decreed to be poured out on him and the world (Dan 9:27).

Dear Heavenly Father, It is so comforting to know that You are totally powerful over all life and death. Even if we are threatened with death if we do not comply with some evil person’s orders, Your children have peace and joy in the thought of leaving behind all problems and trials for  a wonderful and eternal party of great joy and eternal peace in heaven with You. Heaven will have no sin, no sickness, no crying nor dying nor pain (Revelation 21:4). Your children (John 1:12; First John 3:1) have no fear in the thought of death. For them it is a stepping stone into eternal joy.  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). We keep going in hard times, rejoicing in bringing You joy by our actions done out of love for You. We look forward to hear You tell us: Well done, good and faithful servant! You were faithful with a little, so I’ll put you in charge of much. Enter into your master’s joy (Matthew 25:21, 23)! We know that it will be so much better for us when we have left behind the problems and trials of this life, for our eternal home of eternal peace and joy in heaven with You. We are confident, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and at home with the Lord.  So, whether at home or absent, we make it our aim to be pleasing to Him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Messiah, so that each one may receive what is due for the things he or she did while in the body whether good or bad. (Second Corinthians 5:8-10). We love and worship You. In Your holy Son’s name and power of resurrection. Amen

The second passage, found in Matthew 24:15 and Mark 13:14, finds Jesus referring to Dani’el’s prophecy. He said: So, when you see the abomination that causes desolation standing in the Most Holy Place spoken of through the prophet Dani’el, let the reader understand. Once again the tribulation temple is mentioned here. Up to the mid-point in the Tribulation, Isra’el will consider the antichrist an ally. But when they see him standing in the Most Holy Place, demanding to be worshiped as god, the spiritual scales will fall from the eyes of the Jews and they see him for who he truly is. That will start the second half of the Great Tribulation where Satan and the rest of the Gentile world will attempt to hunt down and destroy Isra’el for the last time. It’s Satan’s final solution.

The third passage is found in Second Thessalonians 2:3-4. Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until an active, intentional rebellion occurs and the man doomed to destruction is revealed. He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that people call a god or is worshiped, so that he sets an image of himself up in the Most Holy Place in a temple supposedly dedicated to ADONAI, proclaiming himself to be God.¹⁴⁴ The movement of apostasy will have a leader who will be a man of anarchy.

The fourth and final passage is found in Revelation 11:1-2. John was given a lightweight reed like a measuring rod and was told to go and measure the apostate temple, supposedly dedicated to God and the altar, meaning he was to measure the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place. But he will exclude the outer court. He will not measure it, because it will be given to the Gentiles. They will trample on the holy city for 42 months. This passage deals with the takeover of the tribulation temple and the holy city of Zion by the apostate Gentiles for 42 months or three-and-a-half years. This will cause the sacrifices to stop being offered. The apostate temple and its worshipers failed to measure up to ADONAI’s standards and its dimensions were not even recorded.

All four passages describe events that surround the apostate temple in the middle of the Great Tribulation. The point is that the Bible sees what is known as the tribulation temple functioning in the mid-point of the Tribulation. There can be only two conclusions. This temple must be rebuilt either before the start of the Great Tribulation, or during the first half of that seven year period.

Four points should be made about the tribulation temple. First, once the it is rebuilt, the sacrificial system of the Torah will resume, however it will not receive ADONAI’s blessing (see my commentary on Isaiah, to see link click Ks – The Rejection of the Tribulation Temple). In fact, Isaiah tells us that there will be a faithful remnant that will not participate in the rebuilding of that temple because it will only end in judgment, not in acceptable worship or forgiveness of sin. Second, half way through the Great Tribulation the antichrist sets up an image of himself to be worshiped by the whole world (see Dn – All Inhabitants of the Earth will Worship the Beast). Third, the physical tribulation temple itself will be destroyed during the Seventy-Five Day Interval (see Ey – The Seventy-Five Day Interval). Fourth, like Malachi, Isaiah saw that Jerusalem and its apostate temple would be the scene of God’s final judgment on faithless Isra’el (Malachi 3:1-5).

Then, opposed to the apostate tribulation temple, there are a couple of things that are very interesting about the coming millennial Temple (see my commentary on Isaiah Db – The Nine Missing Articles in Messiah’s Coming Temple). First, under the Torah, the tribe of Levi is the only tribe allowed to take care of the Temple or conduct the sacrificial system. It is interesting to note that while all the other eleven tribes have lost their tribal identity since the records were destroyed in AD 70, the tribe of Levi has not. Unless a Jew is a member of the tribe of Levi, he or she is unable to know which tribe he or she descended from. However, the tribe of Levi has kept their identity. Jews having the names such as Kasdan, Levi, Levy, Levin, Levine, Leventhal, Levinson, Cohen and other comparable names are members of the tribe of Levi. Today, the other Jews only know themselves in general terms as a member of the tribe of Isra’el. But the tribe of Levi knows who they are and that is crucial to the sacrificial system of the millennial Temple. So in every way, the stage is set for the tribulation temple to be rebuilt.

Secondly, preparations are being made today for the resumption of worship in a rebuilt temple. One group, based in the Jewish Quarter of Jerusalem, is in the process of making the furnishings for the next temple. While another group, located in the Moslem Quarter of Jerusalem, is training Cohens, or the descendents of Aaron (the first high priest and a descendent of Levi), in how to perform the sacrificial rights. So while the tribulation temple itself is not yet being rebuilt, other preparations for it are being made. It is not possible to know exactly when it will be rebuilt. It might be rebuilt before the Tribulation begins, or it might be rebuilt during the first half of the Great Tribulation. If it is rebuilt before the Tribulation begins it could be the eighth birth pain.

See, I Will Send You the Prophet Elijah
Before That Great and Dreadful day of the LORD Comes
Malachi 4: 4-6

See, I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and dreadful day of the LORD comes. DIG: Was John the Baptist really Elijah? What would have happened if Isra’el had accepted John’s message? What will Elijah’s ministry be when he returns? How will the people of the world react to Elijah’s ministry? 

Another event that is clearly predicted to happen before the Great Tribulation is the return of Elijah. This is the second of five such events that will occur throughout the first half of the Great Tribulation. So the ministry of Elijah will start before the Tribulation and continue on through the first half. The prophet Malachi said: Remember the Torah of my servant Moses, the decrees and laws I gave him at Horeb for all Isra’el. 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 the hearts of the children to their fathers. Or else I will come and strike the Land with a curse. The Jewish family unit, strong for so many centuries, had begun to break down, and, according to Malachi’s prophecy, would continue to break down. However, Elijah’s coming ministry will restore that unity in preparation for the Second Coming of Christ.

Therefore, sometime before the Great Tribulation, the prophet Elijah will return to do his ministry of restoration. Thus, Elijah will serve as a forerunner of Messiah’s Second Coming. John the Baptist was a type of Elijah in that he came in the spirit and power of Elijah. If Isra’el had accepted Jesus’ message of His First Coming, then John would have accomplished the function of Elijah, which was the ministry of restoration. However, John the Baptist and the Messiah were both rejected. So Elijah is yet to come to perform his ministry of restoration before the Great Tribulation. As with the first blackout, it is not possible to pinpoint the exact time when Elijah will return in the sequence of pre-tribulational events, but when he does return, it will be considered the seventh birth pain.

Dear Heavenly Father, We love and worship and praise You. Birth pains mean that the birth of a new age is soon approaching. Though we do not know the exact date of the last End-Time battle, we know for sure the outcome, for You wrote about the battle and You won! Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems, and He has a name written that no one knows but Himself. He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which He is called is The Word of God. And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. From His mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. On His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords . . . And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth with their armies gathered to make war against Him who was sitting on the horse and against His army. And the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who in its presence had done the signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped its image. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur. And the rest were slain by the sword that came from the mouth of him who was sitting on the horse, and all the birds were gorged with their flesh. (Revelation 19:11-16, 19-21). There is no question as to who will win the final battle. God Alone is Totally Powerful and Almighty. We worship at Your feet. In Your holy Son’s name and power of resurrection. Amen

The Sun Will Be Turned to Darkness
and the Moon to Blood
Joel 2: 30-31

The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood. DIG: Just what is a blackout? What do you think people’s reaction will be when this first blackout occurs? What religious significance do you think world leaders will give to them? When has this happened before? What is the purpose of these five blackouts?

During the end time period, including the last days of the Dispensation of Grace, as well as the Tribulation, the Bible talks about five blackouts during the end times (Joel 2:31; Revelation 6:12, 9:2, 16:10-11, Matthew 24:29-30). This is the first blackout. Just what is a blackout? It means that the light from the sun, the stars and the moon will be suddenly blacked out so that the earth receives no light from them at all and is in total darkness. It will be similar to the blackout that took place during the ninth plague in Egypt (see my commentary on Exodus, to see link click Bs – Moses Stretched Out His Hand Toward the Sky and Total Darkness Covered All Egypt For Three Days). Then God said to Moses His servant: Stretch out your hand toward the sky so that darkness will spread over Egypt – darkness that can be felt. So Moses stretched out his hand toward the sky, and total darkness covered all Egypt for three days. No one could see anyone else or leave his place for three days. Yet all the Israelites had light in their places where they lived (Exodus 10: 21-23). Another example of such a blackout took place during the crucifixion of Christ. From the sixth hour until the ninth hour, darkness came over the Land (Mattityahu 27:45).

But the first of the five worldwide blackouts that will happen in the last days clearly takes place before the Tribulation and the prophet Joel speaks of it. He prophesied that God would show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire billows of smoke would erupt up from the earth’s depths, and as a result, the sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and dreadful Day of ADONAI, or the Great Tribulation (Joel 2:30-31). Fire and columns of smoke are apocalyptic, foreboding images, especially combined with blood (Eze 32:6-8; Rev 8:7). For human author, Joel, the moon turning to blood displays a parallel and poetic way to its being darkened. In Hebrew poetry, the second line enhances or further explains the first line. It’s not possible to determine exactly when the first blackout will occur in the sequence of pretribulational events, but when it does, it will be considered the sixth birth pain.

Dear Heavenly Father, Praise You for Your ability to control light and darkness – darkness was on the surface of the deep, and the Ruach Elohim was hovering upon the surface of the water. Then God said, “Let there be light!” and there was light. (Genesis 1:2b-3). Praise your claim of being the Light of the World. Yeshua spoke to them again, saying: I am the light of the world. The one who follows Me will no longer walk in darkness, but will have the light of life (John 8:12). And the city has no need for the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God lights it up, and its lamp is the Lamb. (Revelation 21:23). You indeed are light! We bow in reverence and worship You. In the holy name of Your Son and His power of resurrection. Amen

When People Say Peace and Safety,
Destruction Will Come Upon Them Suddenly
First Thessalonians 5: 1-3

When people say peace and safety, destruction will come upon them suddenly DIG: How will the world view the antichrist? Why? Why does this period need to come before the Great Tribulation? Why will the Jews trust the antichrist and sign a seven year peace treaty? What is its purpose? Safety for who? 

The antichrist will seemingly be able to solve all the world’s problems. All the “hot spots” of the world will cool down and, for the first time, the entire earth will enter into a period of peace and safety. But this will merely be the calm before the storm. At the time when men and women in the Gentile world are talking about the remarkable peace and safety they are experiencing, the devastation of the Great Tribulation will hit the Gentile world with devastating force. The apostle Paul told the church in Thessalonica about this when he said: Now, brothers, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, for you know very well that the Day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, “Peace and safety,” destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. Once again, the phrase the Day of the Lord is found, which is a reference to the Great Tribulation.

This fact will require this period of peace and safety to come just before the Great Tribulation itself. So while the world is under the ten kingdoms and the antichrist is rising to power, there will be a period of peace and false security. The Lord will unleash His wrath against an unrepentant world once the Great Tribulation begins. ADONAI will turn up the heat on the Jews and the Gentiles of the world. At that time they will either harden their hearts against Him, or break through their stubborn pride to accept Him. But either way, a decision will be demanded. Once again, the birth pain motif is found here. This will be the fifth birth pain leading to the Great Tribulation.

Dear Heavenly Father, How wonderful that You are! You are our strong tower. Adonai is a stronghold for the oppressed, a high tower in times of trouble (Psalms 9:10). For God is my strong tower – my God of lovingkindness (Psalms 59:18c). He alone is my rock and my salvation, my strong tower -I will not be moved. (Psalms 62:7). It is such a comfort to know that we can always run to You for protection. The Name of ADONAI is a strong tower. The righteous one runs into it and is set safely up high (Proverbs 18:10).  You have love and compassion for Your children (John 1:12, 3:3; Romans 10:9-10). As a father has compassion on his children, so Adonai has compassion on those who fear Him (Psalms 103:13).

It is totally Awesome that You live in those who love You, “And hope does not disappoint, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Ruach ha-Kodesh who was given to us” (Romans 5:5), and are always with Your children, For God Himself has said, “I will never leave you or forsake you,” (Hebrews 13:5). So thankful that Your living in Your children, gives them the righteousness of God (Second Corinthians 5:21) and because You, the Spirit of life, lives in Your children – You can raise them from the dead into eternal life in glorious wonderful heaven (Revelation 21:4) with you!  You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Messiah does not belong to him. But if Messiah is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Ruach is life because of righteousness. If the Spirit of him who raised Yeshua from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Messiah Yeshua from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you (Romans 8:9-11). We love You! In the holy name of Your Son and the power of His resurrection. Amen