Lesson 32 Book of the Revelation

Transcription

1 Lesson 32 Book of the Revelation Last week I taught Rev 7:14 by way of the Doctrine of the Blood. When time expired we were about to close our categorical study of blood. 2. Before continuing, I want to provide 1Jo 1:9 time as may be necessary. 3. Let s review some of that learned and then begin new material at the top of page three. 4. Earlier I pointed out that the first six seals are described in Revelation Chapter six. Additionally, it is important to note that the seventh seal will be described in chapters nine and ten. In contrast to chapter six which seems in the main to give a chronological sequence of several major events of the Tribulation, chapter seven does not advance the narrative of events but directs attention to major believing remnants active in the Tribulation. 5. Let's begin with an expanded translation of Rev 7: Expanded Translation Rev 7:13 Then one of the raptured saints asked me, "Who are these people in white robes carrying the palms and from where did they come?" Rev 7:14 I answered, Sir, I have no idea. It was then a wily saint said, These are martyred believers who were killed during tribulation. They have wisely washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Rev 7:15 When Christ returns to earth to set up His Kingdom these martyred saints shall serve continually before His throne in His earthly temple and Christ will spread His tent of protection over them. 6. Blood was always symbolic and provided by God as a training aid to teach of things to come. KJV Heb 9:16 For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. Heb 9:17 For a testament is of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth. Heb 9:18 Whereupon neither the first testament was dedicated without blood. Heb 9:19 For when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and of goats, with water, and scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book, and all the people, Heb 9:20 Saying, This is the blood of the testament which God hath enjoined unto you. Heb 9:21 Moreover he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle, and all the vessels of the ministry. Heb 9:22 And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission. 1

2 Heb 9:23 It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. Heb 9:24 For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us: Heb 9:25 Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others; Heb 9:26 For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. Heb 9:27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: Heb 9:28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation. Heb 10:1 For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect. Heb 10:2 For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshipers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins. Heb 10:3 But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year. Heb 10:4 For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins. Heb 10:5 Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me: Heb 10:6 In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure. Heb 10:7 Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God. 7. So why all the fuss today when the literal blood is said to be symbolic? The early church from 32 to 320 A.D. had no problem with the blood. The Catholic Church in 320 A.D. introduced the literal blood theory. Wine was said to turn into the real blood of Christ when you drank it at communion. 8. They also added that the blood covered you from one communion to another and therefore a "work" was added to salvation. This was false doctrine denying the efficacy of the spiritual death of Jesus and His resurrection and accordingly a great swell of reaction occurred. 9. Protestants denied the phenomena of communion wine becoming Christ's blood but many continued to use the term "Blood of Christ" as synonymous with that which brings salvation, i.e., the Spiritual Death of Christ. 10. This use of the term was never considered anything other than a metaphor for what Christ did. Later, the blood came under attack from several liberal (German primarily) theologians who considered blood too ghoulish. The reaction today to the correct teaching of the blood as symbolic is one of emotion rather than thought. 2

3 11. Christ while on the cross and full of blood said the work was done and then He gave up his human life by choice because our so great salvation was complete. Joh 19:30 When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost. 12. Christ did not bleed to death on the cross. Joh 19:31 The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the sabbath day, (for that sabbath day was an high day,) besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away. Joh 19:32 Then came the soldiers, and brake the legs of the first, and of the other which was crucified with him. Joh 19:33 But when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, they brake not his legs: (a fulfillment of Psa 34:20) Joh 19:34 But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water. 13. Christ died on His own free will. Joh 10:18 No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father. 14. The Blood of Christ depicts His saving work on the Cross. It is important to recall this categorical study when we see the term "shedding of blood" and remember it is a metaphor for Christ's death on the cross, i.e., spiritual death. Heb 9:16-10:9 (supra pages one and two) 15. Now let's see what else we can learn from Rev 7:15-17 KJV Rev 7:15 Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them. Rev 7:16 They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. Rev 7:17 For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes. NIV Rev 7:15 Therefore, "they are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them. Rev 7:16 Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat upon them, nor any scorching heat. 3

4 Rev 7:17 For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes." 1. The picture in heaven is one of praise. 2. Also emphasized is the provision God has made for us. This is beautifully stated in the phrase "He will spread His tent over His saints. 3. God graciously rewards His persecuted children with new natures and immortal bodies; these we shall all eventually receive. 4. It is also important to point out that the passages in part relate to the future earthly reign of our Lord. This is particularly made clear by verse fifteen: Rev 7:15 When Christ returns to earth to set up His Kingdom these martyred saints shall serve continually before His Throne in His earthly Temple and Christ who sits on the throne will spread his tent of protection over them. 4.1 The Feast of The Tabernacles begins on the 15th of October and lasts for seven days. 4.2 On the first day no work is to be done. 4.3 Daily sacrifices were to be made to the Lord. 4.4 A related passage can be found in Revelation chapter twenty-one. Rev 21:3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling (Skene - the noun form of (Skenoo) of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 5. Now back to our new bodies and natures. The bodies are not like the ones we have now. 6. Notice what an improvement over the old ones. Night and day they serve, but they don't get tired. No more hunger, no more thirst, no more discomfort in the heat or cold; and God Himself shall wipe away every tear. 7. Walvoord writes of the statement "wipe away all tears from their eyes": "The concluding statement in the chapter is that "God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes." In other words they will have the tender comfort and care of the Saviour, and the tears that once were theirs shall be wiped away. Some have attempted to draw from this passage that there will be actual tears in heaven and have implied that saints will be shedding tears because of grief over wasted lives and unconfessed sin while on earth. This passage, however, does not even suggest such a situation. 4

5 The point is that the grief and tears of the past, speaking of their trials in the tribulation, will be over when they get to heaven. The saints in glory will be occupied with the beauty and wonder of heaven and the worship of the Saviour. They will not have time for repentance of that which can no longer be changed... In the glory of heaven... there will be no sorrow, no tears and no death..." 8. You can see in part what we have to look forward to in heaven! 9. Let me conclude the study of chapter seven with an expanded translation of Rev 7:15-17: Expanded Translation: Rev 7:15 When Christ returns to earth to set up His Kingdom these martyred saints shall serve continually before His Throne in His earthly Temple and Christ who sits on the throne will spread his tent of protection over them. Rev 7:16 Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. They will forever dwell in air conditioned comfort in ecstatic happiness. Rev 7:17 For the Christ the Lamb who sits on the throne will be their Shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And never again will these Saints experience pain and suffering; He will make certain sorrow, tears and martyrdom are things of the past. 10. We are now ready for a study of Revelation chapter eight. Introduction and Review 1. We've seen that Revelation chapter six describes a seven-year reign of terror on earth, which precedes the Second Advent of Christ. 2. We have examined our Lord's successive breaking of six of the seven seals of the rolled-up scroll, and we've seen that seals two, three, four, five and six usher in specific judgments on a Christ rejecting world. 3. The first seal releases a dictator, the Antichrist, who ultimately succeeds in subduing the entire world. 4. The second seal takes peace from the earth. "Russia" attacks the King of the South, a Pan Arabic Block, and in the process overruns and devastates Israel: this begins an intense and wide ranging war. 5. The third seal results in a worldwide economic collapse. 6. The fourth seal precipitates a tremendous outbreak of death through famine, epidemics, and civil violence. 5

6 7. The fifth seal marks the beginning of the greatest persecution of all time a period when believers will be slaughtered in the streets. 8. The horrors of the first five seals seem to be the inevitable result of what happens when the collective unrestrained natures of mankind are left totally unrestrained. 9. The sixth seal unleashes a worldwide holocaust, i.e., stars fall, numerous earthquakes occur, the sun blackens and the moon turns to blood; God's judgment falls in spades on the world. 10. Revelation chapter seven flashed back to the beginning of the Tribulation period, shortly after the Rapture but just before God s judgments begin. 11. Though all believers will have been Raptured, God will provide a continuing witness for Christ by calling forth 144,000 Jewish evangelists, 12,000 from each tribe. 12. For seven years they will perform a remarkably effective job of "bringing people" to faith in the Messiah Jesus. 13. Now let's look at Rev 8:1 first in the KJV and then the NIV: KJV Rev 8:1 And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour. NIV Rev 8:1 When he opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. Principles: 1. The chapter begins with the opening of the seventh seal. 2. This is the last of the seven seals which usher in the prophetic judgments of God. With the opening of the seventh seal a narrative of destruction resumes. 3. Though simply introduced, the seventh seal is clearly the most important development up to this point. 4. Contained in the seventh seal are all the subsequent developments leading to the second coming of Christ. 5. This would include the seven trumpets and the seven bowls/vials of the wrath of God. W. G. Scroggie, in his book The Book of the Revelation concludes: 6

7 The trumpets, therefore, do not look back over all or some of the seals, but lie under the sixth seal, and proceed from it. For this reason it is equally incorrect to speak of the trumpets as following the seals. They do not follow, but are the seventh seal. 6. Walvoord adds In like manner the bowls constitute the seventh trumpet. 7. There are those who disagree. 8. These theologians take the position that the seventh seal and trumpet review the earlier seals. Alford is one of these principle expositors. He writes: "I place in the same category all that which regards it as taking up and going over the same ground again. 9. The position of Walvoord and Scroggie would seem in my view to hold the correct position. The trumpet judgments and bowls constitute the seventh trumpet. They are the seventh seal. 10. In fitting recognition of the importance of this seal, the Scriptures record that there is silence in heaven about the space of half an hour. 11. Though thirty minutes is not ordinarily considered a long time, when it is a time of absolute silence portending an ominous development such as is about to come, it will seem like an eternity for those in heaven. 12. It is an indication that something special is about to take place. 13. It may be compared to the silence before the foreman of a jury reports a verdict; for a moment there is perfect silence as everyone awaits that which will follow. 14. In the Greek "about half an hour" is Hos Hemiorion. Hos is an adverb meaning "like as" or "like" and Hemiorion is a compound. Hemi means one-half and Hora means hour thus a good translation "about one-half an hour. 15. Hal Lindsey has written of the half hour period of silence: "Verse one of this chapter speaks of a half-hour interlude of eerie silence in heaven just after the seventh seal is opened and before its judgment is released. This silence is awesome in its significance and stands in stark contrast to the joyous sounds of Elders and Angels crying their praises in Chapters 4 and 5. This half-hour pause might be called "the lull before the storm" because the seventh seal, which has just been opened, will bring the greatest judgments yet. I'm sure the enormity of what is about to take place causes even God to pause and soberly assess what must be done to His errant creature, man. 16. Now let's see what we can learn from Rev 8:2-6: 7

8 KJV Rev 8:2 And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets. Rev 8:3 And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. Rev 8:4 And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel's hand. Rev 8:5 And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast it into the earth: and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake. Rev 8:6 And the seven angels which had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound. NIV Rev 8:2 And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and to them were given seven trumpets. Rev 8:3 Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all the saints, on the golden altar before the throne. Rev 8:4 The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of the saints, went up before God from the angel's hand. Rev 8:5 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 lightning and an earthquake. Rev 8:6 Then the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared to sound them. Principles: 1. In verse two John records his vision of the seven trumpets given to the seven angels standing before God. 2. Though there has been some speculation as to the character of these angels, the best interpretation is to take the revelation in its ordinary sense. 2.1 These are indeed seven angels appointed by God to direct the series of judgments symbolized by the seven trumpets. 3. These angels are to be distinguished from those who pour out the seven vials or bowls and are not to be confused with the seven spirits of God of Rev 5:6. 4. The fact that these angels stand before God indicates a place of prominence. 5. The use of trumpets by the angels has considerable background in the Scriptures. In Scripture trumpets were used in various ways. 8

9 6. They were sounded at times of public assembly, used to direct soldiers in war and to signal important events on the calendar. 7. Trumpets were used in the Old Testament on the occasion of the giving of the law and were sounded by the Levitical priests on the first of the month. 8. Let s review a few points about the trumpets of the New Testament. 9. The word translated trumpet is used in the New Testament as follows: of the natural instrument, 1Co 14:8; 1Co 14:8 For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle? of the power and judgment of God at Sinai, Heb 12:19; Heb 12:19 And the sound of a trumpet, and the words; which they heard made them ask that the words be taken away: Heb 12:20 (For they could not endure that which was commanded, And if so much as a beast touched the mountain, it had to be stoned, or thrust through with a spear: Heb 12:21 And so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, "I am absolutely terrified. Heb 12:22 But you in contrast have been lifted up and brought to mount Zion unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, even to an innumerable company of angels who serve you as ministering spirits, 10. Let me give you several summary points about the "trumpet" of Heb 12: The anonymous writer of the Book of Hebrews is found begging the believers of Jerusalem to hold fast their confession of Christ and reject the typology worship and sabbath rituals Sinai and Mount Zion are placed in contrast to each other The setting of the giving of the Law was (1) a mount that burned with fire, enveloped in black darkness and a frightening tempest, and (2) the fierce sound of a trumpet, and the voice of loud and frightening words cascading down from heaven In this setting mighty Moses was so overcome by the presence of God that he greatly feared and trembled "But you are come" says Heb 12:22. This statement introduces all the blessed realities and personages of grace. 9

10 Heb 12:22 But you in contrast have been lifted up and brought to mount Zion unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, even to an innumerable company of angels who serve you as ministering spirits, 10.6 Heaven is set against earth, the phenomenal against the earthly, and the glory of Sinai against the infinitely greater glory available to church age saints Jesus Christ is the mediator of grace and the author of the perfect law of liberty - those things listed in contrast to the mountain and the law make a purposely impressive list because of the contrast intended. The Mediator has made possible our new status and the writer of Hebrews desperately reminds the believers in Jerusalem to not neglect the new by wallowing in the mire of the old Again, the thought is transparent. Surely these new blessings far outweigh the temporary advantage to be gained through returning to Judaism just to escape legalistic persecution Men of faith have a far brighter hope and future under the new covenant. Men of faith have already entered that glad company of the firstborn, the just men made positionally perfect. End Lesson Taught The Westbank Bible Church does not seek donations nor do we authorize any business to solicit same on behalf of the Church. 10