Invasion
REVELATION 9:1-12
9 And the fifth angel blew his trumpet, and I saw a star fallen from heaven to earth, and he was given the key to the shaft of the bottomless pit. 2 He opened the shaft of the bottomless pit, and from the shaft rose smoke like the smoke of a great furnace, and the sun and the air were darkened with the smoke from the shaft. 3 Then from the smoke came locusts on the earth, and they were given power like the power of scorpions of the earth. 4 They were told not to harm the grass of the earth or any green plant or any tree, but only those people who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads. 5 They were allowed to torment them for five months, but not to kill them, and their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it stings someone. 6 And in those days people will seek death and will not find it. They will long to die, but death will flee from them.
7 In appearance the locusts were like horses prepared for battle: on their heads were what looked like crowns of gold; their faces were like human faces, 8 their hair like women’s hair, and their teeth like lions’ teeth; 9 they had breastplates like breastplates of iron, and the noise of their wings was like the noise of many chariots with horses rushing into battle. 10 They have tails and stings like scorpions, and their power to hurt people for five months is in their tails. 11 They have as king over them the angel of the bottomless pit. His name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek he is called Apollyon.
12 The first woe has passed; behold, two woes are still to come.
Revelation chapter 9 is what most folks think of when they think of the book of Revelation—violent, wild imagery—and it is terrifying.
The Jews thought of the Abyss as the place where the rebellious spiritual beings were kept, and when the fifth angel blows his trumpet, an army of locusts is allowed to invade the earth from the Abyss. Invasion is the key theme of the fifth and sixth trumpets.
Whether the army is meant to be a human army that is exaggerated with demonic features or an actual demonic army with human features is not relevant—the point is that God has permitted violent invasion as a warning judgment on the earth.
The people of the eastern Roman Empire in John’s day feared invasion from the wild and violent Parthians from beyond the Euphrates, and the sixth trumpet plays on this fear, in the same way that Americans in the 80s feared invasion from the Soviets, à la Red Dawn.
The overwhelming picture is one of terror and violence.
And yet look at how the chapter closes….
The First Four Trumpets
REVELATION 8:6-13
6 Now the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared to blow them.
7 The first angel blew his trumpet, and there followed hail and fire, mixed with blood, and these were thrown upon the earth. And a third of the earth was burned up, and a third of the trees were burned up, and all green grass was burned up.
8 The second angel blew his trumpet, and something like a great mountain, burning with fire, was thrown into the sea, and a third of the sea became blood. 9 A third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.
10 The third angel blew his trumpet, and a great star fell from heaven, blazing like a torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water. 11 The name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the waters became wormwood, and many people died from the water, because it had been made bitter.
12 The fourth angel blew his trumpet, and a third of the sun was struck, and a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of their light might be darkened, and a third of the day might be kept from shining, and likewise a third of the night.
13 Then I looked, and I heard an eagle crying with a loud voice as it flew directly overhead, “Woe, woe, woe to those who dwell on the earth, at the blasts of the other trumpets that the three angels are about to blow!”
There is a series of 3 sets of 7 judgments in Revelation:
1. 7 seals;
2. 7 trumpets;
3. 7 bowls.
Each series brings judgment on the earth. Most commentators (and I agree) believe that John’s vision is moving in a circle at this point, with each set of 7 telling the same account in a different (and increasingly intense) way.
1st seal=1st trumpet=1st bowl
2nd seal=2nd trumpet=2nd bowl
etc.
Each time John’s vision circles back to the 7 judgments, they are explained in a new way that gives more information about God’s plan to bring heaven to earth.
Here, the 7 trumpets (or at least the first 4 trumpets in the series, which are all that chapter 8 contains) lead to judgments on earth that are modeled on the Egyptian plagues: hail, blood, darkness, etc.
Just as with the seals, the judgments of the trumpets raise an important question:
If these cataclysmic judgments do not cause humanity to repent, then what will cause humanity to repent?
Read on, dear reader.
Prayer Changes Things!
REVELATION 8:1-5
When the Lamb opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. 2 Then I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them. 3 And another angel came and stood at the altar with a golden censer, and he was given much incense to offer with the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar before the throne, 4 and the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, rose before God from the hand of the angel. 5 Then the angel took the censer and filled it with fire from the altar and threw it on the earth, and there were peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake.
Revelation chapter 8 begins with an arresting verse:
8:1 When the Lamb opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.
I think the simplest meaning here is probably the most likely: there is silent awe in heaven at God’s judgment, and at what is going to happen next.
2 Then I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them. 3 And another angel came and stood at the altar with a golden censer, and he was given much incense to offer with the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar before the throne, 4 and the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, rose before God from the hand of the angel. 5 Then the angel took the censer and filled it with fire from the altar and threw it on the earth, and there were peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake.
John sees into what is a heavenly temple—the censer and the altar are the key images. The smoke of the incense in heaven are the prayers of God’s people, billowing from the censer the angel holds in its hand. Look what happens next!
5 Then the angel took the censer and filled it with fire from the altar and threw it on the earth, and there were peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake.
The prayers of God’s people—many of them the anguished prayers of the martyrs—result in judgment on earth!
Prayer changes things!
The Great Multitude
REVELATION 7:9-17
9 After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, 10 and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” 11 And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12 saying, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.”
13 Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “Who are these, clothed in white robes, and from where have they come?” 14 I said to him, “Sir, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
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 shelter them with his presence.
16 They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore;
the sun shall not strike them,
nor any scorching heat.
17 For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water,
and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”
9 After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands.
John hears about 144,000 from Israel, but he sees an uncountable number from every nation. In Revelation, the contrast between what John hears and sees is important. In 5:5, he hears of the “Lion of Judah”—a Messianic, conquering image; in 5:6, however, he sees “a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain." The same contrast is at work here. What John sees reinterprets what he hears: the Messianic holy army of Israel is actually an uncountable number from every ethnicity.
The white robes and the palm branches are the sign of military victory. (Think of Palm Sunday—the Jewish pilgrims are using a Maccabean sign of victory.)
10 And they cried out in a loud voice:
“Salvation belongs to our God,
who sits on the throne,
and to the Lamb.”
11 All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12 saying:
“Amen!
Praise and glory
and wisdom and thanks and honor
and power and strength
be to our God for ever and ever.
Amen!”
13 Then one of the elders asked me, “These in white robes—who are they, and where did they come from?”
14 I answered, “Sir, you know.”
And he said, “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 15Therefore,
“they are before the throne of God
and serve him day and night in his temple;
and he who sits on the throne
will shelter them with his presence.
16 ‘Never again will they hunger;
never again will they thirst.
The sun will not beat down on them,’
nor any scorching heat.
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.’”
As with 5:13, the future has come into the present, and time has collapsed—John, in heaven, sees the victory of God’s army as complete. This is a victory celebration.
How did they win the victory? The rest of Revelation will explain in greater detail, but here the angel explains it to John:
13 Then one of the elders asked me, “These in white robes—who are they, and where did they come from?”
14 I answered, “Sir, you know.”
And he said, “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
They have conquered by their faithful witness to Jesus, in whose sacrificial and triumphant death they participate by their faithfulness, even to the point of death.
In other words, God is creating a holy army—the Church—which will win victory not by killing but by martyrdom.
We’ll have to read on to see exactly how this will work.
The Messianic Army
REVELATION 7:1-8
After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth, that no wind might blow on earth or sea or against any tree. 2 Then I saw another angel ascend- ing from the rising of the sun, with the seal of the living God, and he called with a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm earth and sea, 3 saying, “Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees, until we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.” 4 And I heard the number of the sealed, 144,000, sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel:
12,000 from the tribe of Judah were sealed,
12,000 from the tribe of Reuben,
12,000 from the tribe of Gad,
12,000 from the tribe of Asher,
12,000 from the tribe of Naphtali,
12,000 from the tribe of Manasseh,
12,000 from the tribe of Simeon,
12,000 from the tribe of Levi,
12,000 from the tribe of Issachar,
12,000 from the tribe of Zebulun,
12,000 from the tribe of Joseph,
12,000 from the tribe of Benjamin were sealed.
Revelation 7 is an interlude between the breaking of the sixth and the seventh seals in John’s vision. John is allowed to see God’s plan to involve his people in the fight between good and evil.
The judgments seem overwhelming, but God has a role for his people in the midst of the judgments, and John sees that God’s people—the Church—will not be overcome by the judgments; they are protected so that they can fulfill their role.
The 144,000? It’s a holy army waging holy war; it is the church’s role in the outworking of history. Let me explain.
7:1 After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth to prevent any wind from blowing on the land or on the sea or on any tree.
The four angels mean that God is sovereign over the four corners of the earth.
2 Then I saw another angel coming up from the east, having the seal of the living God. He called out in a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm the land and the sea: 3 “Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God.”
God holds back the judgments until his servants are set apart. But, who are the servants?
4 Then I heard the number of those who were sealed: 144,000 from all the tribes of Israel.
5 From the tribe of Judah 12,000 were sealed,
from the tribe of Reuben 12,000,
from the tribe of Gad 12,000,
6 from the tribe of Asher 12,000,
from the tribe of Naphtali 12,000,
from the tribe of Manasseh 12,000,
7 from the tribe of Simeon 12,000,
from the tribe of Levi 12,000,
from the tribe of Issachar 12,000,
8 from the tribe of Zebulun 12,000,
from the tribe of Joseph 12,000,
from the tribe of Benjamin 12,000.
John hears the identity of God’s servants: 144,000. (12 squared times 10 cubed—a number that shows the fullness of the Twelve Tribes of Israel.)
In the Old Testament, every time a census is taken it is for military purposes. The 12,000 that are listed come from each of the 12 tribes (though the list is slightly peculiar, a detail I do not have space to discuss at the moment).
The 144,000 are a holy army, ready for holy war.
BUT....
(Keep reading!)
Beginning of the End
UPDATE 9:48 AM, WEDNESDAY: Bible study is ON. 6:30 PM. Free pizza served 5:00-6:30 PM. —AF
WEATHER UPDATE: I’ll update this space on Wednesday mid morning to confirm whether Bible study is actually going to happen tonight.
Stay tuned. —AF, 10:51 PM, Tuesday
BIBLE STUDY TONIGHT (2/1) | 6:30 PM | SANCTUARY LIVESTREAM: asburytulsa.online.church
Parents, I LOVE having elementary and especially middle and high school students at Bible study. Bring ‘em!
REVELATION 6:12-17
12 When he opened the sixth seal, I looked, and behold, there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black as sackcloth, the full moon became like blood, 13 and the stars of the sky fell to the earth as the fig tree sheds its winter fruit when shaken by a gale. 14 The sky vanished like a scroll that is being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place. 15 Then the kings of the earth and the great ones and the generals and the rich and the powerful, and everyone, slave and free, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains, 16 calling to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, 17 for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?”
The opening of the sixth seal brings with it the beginning of the final judgment—the End. We can see this because the world itself is shaken; even the very stars begin to fall.
Still, humanity does not repent and turn toward God but merely wants to be protected from God’s judgment.
The message of the seals is that rebellious humanity is so hard-hearted that even death and cataclysm will not be enough to have people turn back to God.
Is John describing what has happened or what will happen? I think the answer is “Yes.”
Since the time of Jesus, there have been war and violence and pestilence on the earth, and yet humanity has not turned back to God. There will be more and greater judgments in the future, and they will have the same result.
What, then, will cause the world to turn back to God?
The seventh seal is the final judgment, but before we get to it, John relates an interlude that will begin to answer the question. Keep reading.
Why Doesn't God Bring the End Now?
TOMORROW’S Bible study will be HUGE. I’m going to lay out the key to understanding the entire book, building on the previous 2 studies. You will walk away with understanding that will open up the entire rest of Revelation to you. Guaranteed, or your money back! 6:30 PM CST. 2/1. Parents, bring your curious kids! Dinner served 5:00-6:30 PM. 18 and under eat free!
REVELATION 6:9-11
9 When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne. 10 They cried out with a loud voice, “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” 11 Then they were each given a white robe and told to rest a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brothers should be complete, who were to be killed as they themselves had been.
As the Lamb opens the fifth seal, John’s perspective changes from earth back into heaven and he sees the martyrs crowded under the heavenly altar, where, in the Old Testament sacrificial system, the blood of the sacrifice would have been. The martyrs cry out for vengeance, but they are told that the story isn’t yet over.
God has a plan to vindicate the faithful, but its time has not yet come.
If judgment doesn’t bring about repentance, then what will?
This is what the message of the scroll will explain. Keep reading.
The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse
Wednesday’s Bible study will be HUGE. I’m going to lay out the key to understanding the entire book, building on the previous 2 studies. You will walk away with understanding that will open up the entire rest of Revelation to you. Guaranteed, or your money back! 6:30 PM CST. 2/1. Parents, bring your curious kids!
REVELATION 6:1-8
Now I watched when the Lamb opened one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures say with a voice like thunder, “Come!” 2 And I looked, and behold, a white horse! And its rider had a bow, and a crown was given to him, and he came out conquering, and to conquer. 3 When he opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, “Come!” 4 And out came another horse, bright red. Its rider was permitted to take peace from the earth, so that people should slay one another, and he was given a great sword. 5 When he opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, “Come!” And I looked, and behold, a black horse! And its rider had a pair of scales in his hand. 6 And I heard what seemed to be a voice in the midst of the four living creatures, saying, “A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius, and do not harm the oil and wine!”
7 When he opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, “Come!” 8 And I looked, and behold, a pale horse! And its rider’s name was Death, and Hades followed him. And they were given authority over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword and with famine and with pestilence and by wild beasts of the earth.
Remember, John is in the heavenly throne room and has seen the Lamb take the scroll with the seven seals. The scroll is God’s plan for history. The opening of the scroll and the breaking of the seals is NOT the message of the scroll—we won’t get to that until chapter 11. Rather, what happens as the seals are broken and the scroll is opened is meant to prepare us to understand the message of the scroll.
“6:1 Now I watched when the Lamb opened one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures say with a voice like thunder, “Come!”
The seals on the scroll have to be broken before the scroll’s contents can be read. The breaking of each seal brings judgment on the earth.
Judgment is meant to cause rebellious humanity to repent. Think of the Egyptian plagues—their purpose is to convince Pharaoh to turn back from his destructive path before it is too late. Unfortunately, Pharaoh chooses to ignore the warnings, and the same thing happens here: the cataclysmic effects of the opening of each seal in turn does not bring humanity back to God.
“2 And I looked, and behold, a white horse! And its rider had a bow, and a crown was given to him, and he came out conquering, and to conquer.”
The first seal is broken, and the judgment that comes is the first of the so-called Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.
The first horseman brings war.
“3 When he opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, “Come!” 4 And out came another horse, bright red. Its rider was permitted to take peace from the earth, so that people should slay one another, and he was given a great sword.”
The second seal is opened, and the judgment that comes is the bright red horse (the color of blood).
The second horseman brings bloodshed, which makes sense, since bloodshed follows war.
“5 When he opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, “Come!” And I looked, and behold, a black horse! And its rider had a pair of scales in his hand. 6 And I heard what seemed to be a voice in the midst of the four living creatures, saying, “A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius, and do not harm the oil and wine!”
The Lamb opens the third seal, and the black horse and its rider bring the judgment of economic disruption and famine. The scales in the rider’s hand would have been used in the marketplace, but the prices for basic staples—wheat and barley—are many times too expensive for the working class. Luxury goods, however—oil and wine—are still available for the wealthy.
Economic disruption and famine follow after war and bloodshed.
“7 When he opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, “Come!” 8 And I looked, and behold, a pale horse! And its rider's name was Death, and Hades followed him. And they were given authority over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword and with famine and with pestilence and by wild beasts of the earth.”
The breaking of the fourth seal brings a sickly pale horse and its rider Death, closely followed by Hades. Death follows after war and bloodshed and famine.
Again, note that judgment does not bring forth repentance. What will? What will cause the rebellious world to repent?
Now and Not Yet
Wednesday’s Bible study will be HUGE. I’m going to lay out the key to understanding the entire book, building on the previous 2 studies. You will walk away with understanding that will open up the entire rest of Revelation to you. Guaranteed, or your money back! 6:30 PM CST. 2/1.
REVELATION 5:11-14
11 Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, 12 saying with a loud voice,
“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain,
to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might
and honor and glory and blessing!”
13 And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying,
“To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb
be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!”
14 And the four living creatures said, “Amen!” and the elders fell down and worshiped.
John here has a “now and not yet” moment in the vision. In heaven, “every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them” is giving praise to the Lamb. All of Creation, in other words. But, on earth, that reality has not yet been realized. It is as if heaven exists outside of time; the rest of the vision will explain how earth will come to match what is already true in heaven.
Lion or Lamb? YES
REVELATION 5:6-10
6 And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. 7 And he went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne. 8 And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. 9 And they sang a new song, saying,
“Worthy are you to take the scroll
and to open its seals,
for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation,
10 and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God,
and they shall reign on the earth.”
This is a great place to point out an important part of John’s vision, namely the contrast between what he hears and what he sees.
In 5:5 he has heard
“Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.”
But in 5:6 what he sees is
“a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain.”
The one who is worthy to open the scroll, the one by whom the Kingdom will come on earth as it is in heaven, is a Lion who looks like a Lamb, and a Lamb who is in actuality a Lion.
That’s a paradox worth pondering today.
P.S. The only one worthy to open the scroll—the one by whom the Kingdom will come on earth as it is in heaven, is the Lamb. In simple language, the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus enables him to bring heaven to earth.
lamb or lion? Yes
REVELATION 5:6-10
And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. 7 And he went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne. 8 And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. 9 And they sang a new song, saying,
“Worthy are you to take the scroll
and to open its seals,
for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, 10 and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.”
This is a great place to point out an important part of John’s vision, namely the contrast between what he hears and what he sees.
In 5:5 he has heard
“Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.”
But in 5:6 what he sees is
“a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain.”
The one who is worthy to open the scroll, the one by whom the Kingdom will come on earth as it is in heaven, is a Lion who looks like a Lamb, and a Lamb who is in actuality a Lion.
That’s a paradox worth pondering today.
P.S. The only one worthy to open the scroll—the one by whom the Kingdom will come on earth as it is in heaven, is the Lamb. In simple language, the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus enables him to bring heaven to earth.
Who Can Open God's Secret Plan for History?
REVELATION 5:1-5
Then I saw in the right hand of him who was seated on the throne a scroll written within and on the back, sealed with seven seals. 2 And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?” 3 And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it, 4 and I began to weep loudly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it. 5 And one of the elders said to me, “Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.”
Revelation is a vision given to a man named John, in which he is given the gift of seeing reality from a heavenly perspective. He is taken to the heavenly throne room (chapter 4) where he sees God’s will perfectly enacted. But John has come from earth, where things seem very far from perfect.
The question Revelation will answer is, How will the Kingdom come?
The answer will be given on a special scroll, a scroll that has been sealed up forever.
(See Daniel 12:8-9, for example:
8 I heard, but I did not understand. Then I said, “O my lord, what shall be the outcome of these things?” 9 He said, “Go your way, Daniel, for the words are shut up and sealed until the time of the end.”)
Who can open the scroll?
John begins to weep because it seems no one can open the scroll, which means the Kingdom will never come, and wrongs will never be made right.
And in the midst of his despair, one of the heavenly rulers says, “Don’t cry—here is the one who can open the scroll.”
How Will the Kingdom Come?
REVELATION 4:6b-11
And around the throne, on each side of the throne, are four living creatures, full of eyes in front and behind: 7 the first living creature like a lion, the second living creature like an ox, the third living creature with the face of a man, and the fourth living creature like an eagle in flight. 8 And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and within, and day and night they never cease to say,
“Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty,
who was and is and is to come!”
9 And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him who is seated on the throne, who lives forever and ever, 10 the twenty-four elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne, saying,
11 “Worthy are you, our Lord and God,
to receive glory and honor and power,
for you created all things,
and by your will they existed and were created.”
And around the throne, on each side of the throne, are four living creatures, full of eyes in front and behind: 7 the first living creature like a lion, the second living creature like an ox, the third living creature with the face of a man, and the fourth living creature like an eagle in flight. 8 And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and within, and day and night they never cease to say, “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!”
These mysterious four living creatures are found in Old Testament heavenly visions (e.g., Isaiah 6 and Ezekiel 1). They are some kind of heavenly creature that just praises God, and all the eyes around them mean that, from a heavenly perspective, there is nothing hidden.
9 And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him who is seated on the throne, who lives forever and ever, 10 the twenty-four elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne, saying, 11 “Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.”
How cool is that? These heavenly rulers—over what they are reigning the Bible doesn’t tell us (solar systems? universes? time? light?)—these angelic heavenly rulers are immensely powerful. In fact, later in the book, John will twice make the mistake of trying to worship an angelic messenger. These are powerful, glorious creatures. And yet that’s the point—they are creatures, not the Creator. And they get off their thrones and cast their crowns before the throne to show that any authority and glory they have is merely given to them by God. They are creatures, and so they worship the Creator.
We’ll see as the vision unfolds that one of the marks of the Beast is that it claims worship for itself, but only God is worthy of worship. This is one of the reasons John knows the Beast is evil.
The question, however, is this:
John has come from earth into heaven, and in heaven he sees God’s will perfectly realized—it is a place of beauty and peace and joy. But earth isn’t like that. How will the Kingdom come on earth, as it is in heaven?
We have to read on to find out.
A Door Opens; The Vision Begins
REVELATION 4:1-6a
After this I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven! And the first voice, which I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet, said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.” 2 At once I was in the Spirit, and behold, a throne stood in heaven, with one seated on the throne. 3 And he who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian, and around the throne was a rainbow that had the appearance of an emerald. 4 Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and seated on the thrones were twenty-four elders, clothed in white garments, with golden crowns on their heads. 5 From the throne came flashes of lightning, and rumblings and peals of thunder, and before the throne were burning seven torches of fire, which are the seven spirits of God, 6 and before the throne there was as it were a sea of glass, like crystal.
In Revelation 1, John explains how he was given his vision.
In Revelation 2-3, John reports what Jesus has to say to each of the seven churches, respectively—it’s like a little note that Jesus has attached at the top of the main message of the vision.
In Revelation 4 (today’s reading), the vision proper begins. Let’s look at it.
4:1 After this I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven! And the first voice, which I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet, said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.”
An apocalypse is an unveiling or a revealing, and here we have it happening: a door opens into heaven.
2 At once I was in the Spirit, and behold, a throne stood in heaven, with one seated on the throne.
In his vision, John is taken into the heavenly throne room. Heaven is where God’s rule is perfectly realized. It is not yet like that on earth, and so the vision will explain how “the Kingdom will come on earth, as it is in heaven.”
3 And he who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian, and around the throne was a rainbow that had the appearance of an emerald.
John describes how the glory around God shines and shimmers like precious stones, but never describes God himself.
4 Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and seated on the thrones were twenty-four elders, clothed in white garments, with golden crowns on their heads.
Around God’s throne are the thrones of “twenty-four elders.” Who are they? They are some kind of angelic rulers—the divine council— whom God created to rule over parts of Creation. One of the major themes of the Bible is how God delegates authority. Even you and I have authority—we call it free will, and no one but I can use mine, nor can anyone but you use yours. These angels are created beings to whom God has given authority. (We don’t really know much more than that.)
5 From the throne came flashes of lightning, and rumblings and peals of thunder, and before the throne were burning seven torches of fire, which are the seven spirits of God, 6a and before the throne there was as it were a sea of glass, like crystal.
All throughout the Bible, when people have an experience of God—the fancy word is a “theophany”—there is always thunder and lightning, and it’s not different here.
The number seven means fullness or completeness; the “seven spirits of God” is another way of saying the fullness of God’s Spirit, i.e., the Holy Spirit.
The glass sea reflects God’s glory. In the Biblical imagination the sea is the symbol of chaos and entropy, and in heaven it’s been turned into something beautiful that enhances the glory of God.
"You Make Me Sick"
REVELATION 3:14-22
14 “And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: ‘The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s creation. 15 “‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! 16 So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. 17 For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretch- ed, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. 18 I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see. 19 Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent. 20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. 21 The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. 22 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’”
“Laodicea lacked its own water supply, having no direct access to the cold water of the mountains or the hot water of the nearby springs in Hierapolis to the north. In contrast to its claims of self-sufficiency (3:17), it had to pipe in its water.... This water had grown lukewarm by the time of its arrival. “The point of lukewarm water is simply that it is disgusting... “Jesus thus finds the church in Laodicea to be other than what he desires. In today’s English, he is telling the self-satisfied church in Laodicea: ‘I want water that will refresh me, but you remind me instead of the water you always complain about. You make me want to puke.’”
Let us not make the mistake of being prideful or thinking we are self-sufficient today.
Hold Fast
REVELATION 3:7-13
7 “And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: ‘The words of the holy one, the true one, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, who shuts and no one opens. 8 “‘I know your works. Behold, I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut. I know that you have but little power, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. 9 Behold, I will make those of the synagogue of Satan who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie—behold, I will make them come and bow down before your feet, and they will learn that I have loved you. 10 Because you have kept my word about patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell on the earth. 11 I am coming soon. Hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize your crown. 12 The one who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God. Never shall he go out of it, and I will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down from my God out of heaven, and my own new name. 13 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’
As we will see as we continue to read through Revelation, the message of Jesus to the churches is that, if they just hold on, he will win the victory for them. And though to the Christians in Philadelphia the world’s power might seem insurmountable, nevertheless Jesus reminds them that what he wants to happen, will happen. Therefore, they should “hold fast.”
In light of that truth, how will you react today to the inevitable problems that come across your path?
Problems = Opportunity
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REVELATION 3:1-6
“And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: ‘The words of him who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars.
“‘I know your works. You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead. 2 Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your works complete in the sight of my God. 3 Remember, then, what you received and heard. Keep it, and repent. If you will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come against you. 4 Yet you have still a few names in Sardis, people who have not soiled their garments, and they will walk with me in white, for they are worthy. 5 The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels. 6 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’
Unlike some of the other churches Jesus addresses in Revelation, the church in Sardis appears to have been relatively well-off and accepted in that city. Unfortunately, they were also (almost) spiritually dead.
That’s the way it so often is in this world, isn’t it? Wealth and comfort make us think (erroneously) that we are self-sufficient, that we don’t need God. And that way lies spiritual death.
I mean that literally—I think Hell is made up of folks who are too proud to admit that they need God’s mercy.
Problems and poverty and persecution can bring out the best in us, though no one actually wants those things in his or her life. Still, problems can cause us to turn to God and admit that we can’t make it on our own.
Today, when you face a problem, consider it an opportunity to humbly ask for God’s help.
P.S. We will see later in Revelation chapters 17-18 that one of the ways Babylon has corrupted people is through wealth. What we see in the letters to the seven churches is that the churches are facing internally the same sins and temptations that the external world is also facing. Things are still the same today.
It's Not Too Late to Turn Around
Don’t forget!
Revelation Bible Study #2. Wednesday. 6:30 PM. Livestream available.
REVELATION 2:18-29
18 “And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write: ‘The words of the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and whose feet are like burnished bronze.
19 “‘I know your works, your love and faith and service and patient en- durance, and that your latter works exceed the first. 20 But I have this against you, that you tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and seducing my servants to practice sex- ual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols. 21 I gave her time to repent, but she refuses to repent of her sexual immorality. 22 Behold, I will throw her onto a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her I will throw into great tribulation, unless they repent of her works, 23 and I will strike her children dead. And all the churches will know that I am he who searches mind and heart, and I will give to each of you according to your works. 24 But to the rest of you in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who have not learned what some call the deep things of Satan, to you I say, I do not lay on you any other burden. 25 Only hold fast what you have until I come. 26 The one who conquers and who keeps my works until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations, 27 and he will rule them with a rod of iron, as when earthen pots are broken in pieces, even as I myself have received authority from my Father. 28 And I will give him the morning star. 29 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’
Jezebel was a wicked pagan queen consort of an Israelite king who had God’s prophets murdered. The reference is meant to show the Christians in Thyatira that the woman they are listening to is a false teacher.
In the Old Testament, idolatry is often described as sexual immorality—committing adultery on God. So, it’s not clear in Thyatira if “Jezebel” is literally encouraging sexual immorality or just figuratively doing so because she is encouraging idolatry. Either way, it’s a problem. The punishment that Jesus is sending on her and her followers is some kind of sickness or pestilence.
This is a harsh message because the truth matters. But, it is also an opportunity for repentance and an invitation of grace—it’s not too late for the wayward Christians in Thyatira to turn back.
The same goes for every one one of us, and every one one we’ll see today—as long as we are breathing, it’s not too late for any of us.
What falsehood do you need to turn from today?
How can you help someone else turn from falsehood today?
Beware of False Teachers
Don’t forget!
Revelation Bible Study #2. Wednesday. 6:30 PM. Livestream available.
REVELATION 2:12-17
12 “And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write: ‘The words of him who has the sharp two-edged sword.
13 “‘I know where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is. Yet you hold fast my name, and you did not deny my faith even in the days of Antipas my faithful witness, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells. 14 But I have a few things against you: you have some there who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, so that they might eat food sacrificed to idols and practice sexual immorality. 15 So also you have some who hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans. 16 Therefore repent. If not, I will come to you soon and war against them with the sword of my mouth. 17 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it.’
In both Pergamum and Thyatira, Jesus warns the churches to stop having contact with false teachers, whom he calls “Balaam” in Pergamum and “Jezebel” in Thyatira.
Balaam was an enemy prophet of Israel who tried to lead the Children of Israel astray as they made their way into the Promised Land. The connection with the Old Testament makes the warning obvious, but if you don’t know those Old Testament stories, you’ll miss the point. The entire rest of Revelation does the same thing constantly—uses Old Testament imagery to “reveal” the truth about history.
A few more points:
“Satan’s throne” in Pergamum refers to the pagan worship that was happening there, either of the imperial cult (worship of the emperor) or of Greek religion (worship of Zeus the Savior).
We don’t know who the Nicolaitans are, other than some kind of false sect.
And the sword in Jesus’s mouth? It is the sword of truth.
Remember, one of the primary themes of Revelation is that the Church stay committed to the truth, no matter what.
Live no lies today.
How to Conquer
REVELATION 2:8-11
8 “And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: ‘The words of the first and the last, who died and came to life.
9 “‘I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich) and the slander of those who say that they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. 10 Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life. 11 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death.’"
Jesus introduces and identifies himself in a different way in each of the short messages to the seven churches. Here’s the key to understanding the point of each respective message: use the description of Jesus to underscore the point he is making.
So here, Jesus stresses his Resurrection. As we’ll see, the message to the church in Smyrna is: be faithful, even if it costs you your life.
The early Christians were all Jews; in fact, the early Christians thought of themselves as Jews who followed Jesus as Messiah. There were synagogues in many of the cities around the Mediterranean, and in Smyrna it seems that the non-Christian Jews had collaborated with the Roman authorities to persecute the followers of Jesus. That’s why John calls them “Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.” John saw these Jews as doing the work of Satan.
At this time, the Christians in Smyrna were a tiny, poor minority without social standing or power. Over the centuries, of course, Christians would become the dominant force in Europe, and we all are aware of the ugly and shameful history of European Christian antisemitism. Here, however, that description doesn’t apply.
The church in Smyrna is poor and persecuted, but Jesus is pleased with them and encourages them not to give up. In fact, the way they will “conquer” is precisely by not giving in, even if it costs them their lives. In the same way, that’s how we will conquer: by remaining faithful even to the point of death. What looks like losing—martyrdom and weakness—is actually the way of victory because of the Resurrection
Don’t be afraid today—every courageous, faithful step you take is a step toward victory, no matter what it looks like from an earthly perspective.