Finally: THE Point of Revelation! [LONG post]

February 14, 2023 by Andrew Forrest in Bible

Revelation Bible study #4 coming up TOMORROW, 6:30 pm.

Our topic: “The Mark of the Beast, 666, the Whore of Babylon, etc.”

You know you’re curious! 🐉 Parents, bring your kids!

REVELATION 11:1-14

Then I was given a measuring rod like a staff, and I was told, “Rise and measure the temple of God and the altar and those who worship there, 2 but do not measure the court outside the temple; leave that out, for it is given over to the nations, and they will trample the holy city for forty-two months. 3 And I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth.”
4 These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth. 5 And if anyone would harm them, fire pours from their mouth and consumes their foes. If anyone would harm them, this is how he is doomed to be killed. 6 They have the power to shut the sky, that no rain may fall during the days of their prophesying, and they have power over the waters to turn them into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague, as often as they desire. 7 And when they have finished their testimony, the beast that rises from the bottomless pit will make war on them and conquer them and kill them, 8 and their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city that symbolically is called Sodom and Egypt, where their Lord was crucified. 9 For three and a half days some from the peoples and tribes and languages and nations will gaze at their dead bodies and refuse to let them be placed in a tomb, 10 and those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them and make merry and exchange presents, because these two prophets had been a torment to those who dwell on the earth. 11 But after the three and a half days a breath of life from God entered them, and they stood up on their feet, and great fear fell on those who saw them. 12 Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here!” And they went up to heaven in a cloud, and their enemies watched them. 13 And at that hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell. Seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the rest were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.
14 The second woe has passed; behold, the third woe is soon to come.

In chapter 10, John receives the unrolled scroll that is God’s secret plan to bring heaven to earth—"on earth as it is in heaven." It is the scroll that only the Lamb is able to open. What is the scroll? It is the mystery of God’s plan to redeem history, a plan that even the Old Testament prophets were never able to see. (See the ending of the book of Daniel, 12:8-9, e.g.)

In Revelation 11, John begins to explain the message of that scroll.

JOHN’S SYMBOLIC PROPHETIC ACTION (11:1-2)

Immediately after John eats the scroll, he is told by the angel:

And I was told, “You must again prophesy about many peoples and nations and languages and kings.” [Revelation 10:11]

And this is what happens next:

11 Then I was given a measuring rod like a staff, and I was told, “Rise and measure the temple of God and the altar and those who worship there, 2 but do not measure the court outside the temple; leave that out, for it is given over to the nations, and they will trample the holy city for forty-two months. [Revelation 11:1-2]

A key principle to interpreting Revelation is to notice that John often tells of the same thing multiple times; each time he revisits that thing he uses different symbolic language and provides different details.

So, 11:1-2 is a brief summary of the scroll; 11:3-14 is a further explanation of the scroll; and as we’ll see, chapters 12-15 again explain the message of the scroll; each time the central point is made with different imagery and detail.

Here, just as with the Old Testament prophet Ezekiel when he receives his prophetic message (Ezekiel 3-4), John is asked to act out a symbolic prophetic action by figuratively measuring the sanctuary of the Temple and not measuring the outer court. The reason, he’s told, is that the interior of the sanctuary is protected, but the exterior court will be “trampled” by the nations.

This little symbolic action is based on an Old Testament passage (Zechariah 2:1-2, 5), which indicates that the “measuring” means that the inner, spiritual reality of God’s temple is protected, even while the outer, visible reality is seemingly defeated by his enemies.

Revelation 11:1-2 means that, though it may seem as if evil is conquering God’s people, in fact they will be kept spiritually safe throughout the period of persecution.

EXCURSUS: 42 MONTHS/1260 DAYS/A TIME, TIMES, AND HALF A TIME

Numbers are always symbolic in John’s vision. Repeated phrases are also important, as a way of linking passages together. The same period—described in different ways—will be said to be “42 months” or “1,260 days”, or a “time, times, and half a time”

That last phrase comes from the ending of the book of Daniel, when Daniel—in an apocalyptic vision—is confused about what he’s seeing:

5 Then I, Daniel, looked, and behold, two others stood, one on this bank of the stream and one on that bank of the stream. 6 And someone said to the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the stream, “How long shall it be till the end of these wonders?” 7 And I heard the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the stream; he raised his right hand and his left hand toward heaven and swore by him who lives forever that it would be for a time, times, and half a time, and that when the shattering of the power of the holy people comes to an end all these things would be finished. 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.” [Daniel 12:5-9]

Daniel is told that the period in which God’s people are persecuted and opposed (“the shattering of the power of the holy people”) will be “a time, times, and half a time". The rabbis understood this to mean 3 and 1/2:

• one time+two times+one half a time = three and one half
• to put it another way: 1+2+0.5=3.5

So, 3.5 came to be an important apocalyptic number.

If you take 30 days as the average number of days in a month, then 3.5 years is 1,260 days or 42 months. Each time John uses “42 months” or “a time, times, and half a time” or “1,260 days,” that’s a clue that he’s talking about the same thing, but in a different way.

Please don’t try to interpret the numbers literally—they are symbolic, and tied to Old Testament prophecy. In essence this period of 42 months/1,260 days/a time, times, and half a time are all a shorthand way of saying “the period during which God’s people are persecuted and opposed until the Second Coming.”

THE PARABLE OF THE TWO WITNESSES (11:3-13)

The next section of Revelation is a prophetic parable that dramatizes the church’s role in God’s secret plan.

Right away, we learn something important:

3 And I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth. 4 These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth.

The two witnesses will prophesy for 1,260 days, which means we’re looking at the same point being made as above in vv. 1-2 with that symbolic prophetic action, but with different imagery.

The two witnesses will be dressed in sackcloth. Sackcloth is the clothing of repentance—in other words, the message of the two witnesses will be about repentance.

Who are the two witnesses? John tells us—they are “lampstands." In Revelation chapter 1, we learn that lampstands are a symbol for the Church. The two witnesses represent the Church.

Why two? Two is the required number in the Old Testament for the bearing of true witness. Just as seven churches in chapter 1 symbolize the Church in its fullness and completeness, here the two witnesses symbolize the Church in its capacity to give true testimony about Jesus.

5 And if anyone would harm them, fire pours from their mouth and consumes their foes. If anyone would harm them, this is how he is doomed to be killed. 6 They have the power to shut the sky, that no rain may fall during the days of their prophesying, and they have power over the waters to turn them into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague, as often as they desire.

The two witnesses are modeled on Moses and Elijah, Old Testament prophets who squared off against God’s enemies. (Elijah shut off rain and Moses called down plagues.) The witnesses are protected so that they can complete their mission. (Remember the sealing of the 144,000 in Revelation 7? John was describing the same idea.)

They are protected spiritually, but not physically (see above at the symbolic prophetic action John undertakes in 11:1-2), because:

7 And when they have finished their testimony, the beast that rises from the bottomless pit will make war on them and conquer them and kill them, 8 and their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city that symbolically is called Sodom and Egypt, where their Lord was crucified.

I mentioned above that John continually comes back to the same idea throughout his vision and describes it in different ways or in greater detail. Another way to think of it is as a series of Russian nesting dolls: each detail, when opened, contains other details.

So, the symbolic prophetic action of 11:1-2 is unpacked and explained more in 11:3-13. And, many of the details in vv. 3-13 are unpacked and explained more in chapters 12-15.

So, here we have the first mention of the beast, which John will come back to in greater detail in later chapters, especially chapter 13.

But, here, John tells us that the two witnesses (the church), though spiritually protected for their mission will actually be physically conquered by the beast. They will be martyred, in other words. And then their bodies will lie in the street of the city “symbolically called Sodom and Egypt” (i.e., any city in which the church is persecuted), just as Jesus was martyred in Jerusalem.

9 For three and a half days some from the peoples and tribes and languages and nations will gaze at their dead bodies and refuse to let them be placed in a tomb, 10 and those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them and make merry and exchange presents, because these two prophets had been a torment to those who dwell on the earth.

“For three and a half days”—the apocalyptic number again!—the people that persecuted the witnesses will perversely rejoice over their deaths! It’s a scene of complete depravity—the people who killed the martyrs will congratulate themselves on their murderous victory. Why? Because they were tired of being told to repent. The witnesses’ message contradicted the world’s self-satisfied delusions of prideful self-sufficiency.

THE VINDICATION OF THE WITNESSES!

But, the witnesses don’t stay dead!

11 But after the three and a half days a breath of life from God entered them, and they stood up on their feet, and great fear fell on those who saw them.
12 Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here!” And they went up to heaven in a cloud, and their enemies watched them.

Just as Jesus was raised to life after 3 days, so the witnesses will be raised to life after “three and a half days” (that number again!). And, it is obvious to everyone who sees it that God made it happen, thereby proving that they were telling the truth all along.

And so look at what happens next:

THE CONVERSION OF THE NATIONS!

13 And at that hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell. Seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the rest were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.

The majority of the city repents and gives glory to God! Previously, John has told us that the judgments do not produce repentance (see 9:20-21, e.g.) But here, the martyrdom of the two witnesses produces the amazing result of the repentant nations. Why? What’s changed?

Allow me to quote the New Testament scholar Richard Bauckham at length:

“The point is...that judgments themselves do not convey God’s gracious willingness to forgive those who repent....[When the two witnesses are] confronted with a world addicted to idolatry and evil (9:20-21), they proclaim the one true God and his coming judgment on evil, but they do so as a call to repentance. Therefore, once their witness is seen, not to be refuted by their death, but vindicated as the truth (11:11-13), all who see this repent.”

—from The Theology of the Book of Revelation, by Richard Bauckham (page 86).

Why does the testimony of the witnesses produce repentance when judgment alone did not? Because the witnesses tell the world that God is ready and willing to welcome them back!

The witnesses are initially hated, persecuted, and killed. But, they stay faithful to Jesus even to the point of death, and their faithful witness to Jesus is vindicated by God. In this way they participate in the Lamb’s victory and even conquer the beast, though he kills them, in the same way that Jesus defeated death by dying.

The faith of the witnesses is protected by God, and through their faithful witness to the world they demonstrate that the beast does not have ultimate power because he cannot make them deny the truth of Jesus. They are willing to die for the truth, and their faithful suffering brings the nations to faith in the true God.

In other words, their faithful suffering has a purpose, and it is to be used by God to bring unbelievers to faith!

***IN SUMMARY:
THE MESSAGE OF THE BOOK OF REVELATION***

The message of the parable of the two witnesses (Revelation 11:3-13) will be reexplained over and over again through the rest of John’s vision, but allow me to sum up what we have learned so far.

The First Half of Revelation Leads Up to the Message of the Scroll

John has seen into the heavenly throne room (Revelation 4-5), and he sees that in heaven Jesus is worshipped.
Although in heaven all things are perfect, they are emphatically NOT so on earth. And so we pray “thy Kingdom come, on earth as it already is in heaven.”
The rest of Revelation will be the explanation of how the Kingdom comes to earth.
The Old Testament prophets had foretold of a future day when God’s Kingdom would come (to cite one of many, many examples, see Micah 4:1-4), but the prophets were never told how God’s Kingdom would come.
In the heavenly throne room, John sees that only the Lamb
(i.e. Jesus) can open the scroll that contains God’s secret plan to bring in the Kingdom.
Why is Jesus allowed to open the scroll? Because he is the Faithful Witness and through his death and resurrection, he has conquered Death and Evil.
As Jesus unrolls the scroll and breaks its seals, judgment comes on the earth. The judgments are NOT the message of the scroll—they PREPARE for the message of the scroll.
And what do we learn from the judgments? That judgments alone do not bring about repentance on earth.
This fact shouldn’t surprise us, because judgments never worked in the Old Testament either, and, come to think of it, God could OBVIOUSLY destroy the entire cosmos whenever he wanted, so there must be a reason he forebears to bring destructive judgment on creation. And that reason is that judgment alone doesn’t produce repentance!

The Second Half of Revelation Is About
What’s Written on the Scroll
John receives the scroll from the angel, eats it, and then begins to prophesy.
He first enacts the symbolic prophetic action of the measuring of the Temple, which tells us that although the church will be persecuted and conquered by the nations on the outside, its spiritual reality on the inside will not be touched.
Then John tells us the parable of the witnesses.
These two witnesses represent the true testimony of the church, and it’s a testimony about Jesus and against the lies of the world that the church faithfully tells even unto death.
Although the two witnesses are protected for their ministry, they are ultimately conquered by the beast.
But, God raises them again, thereby vindicating their message, and as a result, the nations come to true repentance and begin to worship God!

God’s secret plan is this:

God sent his son, Jesus. Jesus, through his life, death, and resurrection, conquered death and created the Church, into which he calls people of all nations, races, and peoples (see Revelation 7). Jesus then invites the Church to participate in bringing the Kingdom from heaven to earth by its faithful testimony about Jesus, even to the point of death. Once the nations see that the Church is not afraid of death, they repent and come to faith in God! The rest of Revelation is a retelling of this point, with different emphases and imagery and details.

Sweet, but Bitter

February 13, 2023 by Andrew Forrest in Bible

Revelation Bible study #4 coming up this Wednesday (2/15), 6:30 pm.

Our topic: “The Mark of the Beast, 666, the Whore of Babylon, etc.”

You know you’re curious! 🐉

(As always livestream available.)

REVELATION 10:8-11

8 Then the voice that I had heard from heaven spoke to me again, saying, “Go, take the scroll that is open in the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land.” 9 So I went to the angel and told him to give me the little scroll. And he said to me, “Take and eat it; it will make your stomach bitter, but in your mouth it will be sweet as honey.” 10 And I took the little scroll from the hand of the angel and ate it. It was sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it my stomach was made bitter. 11 And I was told, “You must again prophesy about many peoples and nations and languages and kings.”

After the angel comes to John, he gives him the scroll and tells John to eat it. (The Old Testament prophet Ezekiel began his prophetic ministry in the same way—see Ezekiel 3.)

It’s like he is supposed to internalize the message before sharing it. And when he eats it, John tells us that it was sweet like honey at first, but bitter in his stomach—it’s good, but contains hardship.

And what is the message? It is how the mystery of God would be fulfilled, just as he announced to his servants the prophets. [Revelation 10:7]

The scroll that John has been given is God’s secret plan for history, now being revealed by Jesus, via the angel, to John. The scroll is the point of the book of Revelation.

What does the scroll say?
We’ll have to read on to find out....

Do Not Skip This - The Key To Interpreting Revelation!

February 10, 2023 by Andrew Forrest in Bible

REVELATION 10:1-7

10 Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven, wrapped in a cloud, with a rainbow over his head, and his face was like the sun, and his legs like pillars of fire. 2 He had a little scroll open in his hand. And he set his right foot on the sea, and his left foot on the land, 3 and called out with a loud voice, like a lion roaring. When he called out, the seven thunders sounded. 4 And when the seven thunders had sounded, I was about to write, but I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Seal up what the seven thunders have said, and do not write it down.” 5 And the angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land raised his right hand to heaven 6 and swore by him who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and what is in it, the earth and what is in it, and the sea and what is in it, that there would be no more delay, 7 but that in the days of the trumpet call to be sounded by the seventh angel, the mystery of God would be fulfilled, just as he announced to his servants the prophets.

I have become convinced that the interpretative key to Revelation is what happens in Revelation 10. I need to make today’s commentary longer than usual so as to explain the AMAZING importance of chapter 10. I’m not writing this for my health, but for you, dear reader, so you better read it!

In the very first sentence of the book, John tells us what we need to know about his vision:

The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John.... [Revelation 1:1]

Did you catch that?

It is the apocalypse of Jesus which was given to him by God.

Jesus has made the apocalypse known by sending it via angel to John.

God→Jesus→ angel→John→us.

Chapters 2-3 are short messages from Jesus to seven churches in the Roman province of Asia. They are the equivalent of a scribbled message on the top of the rest of the vision meant to draw the churches’ attention to particular issues of importance to Jesus in their respective contexts.

John’s vision proper begins in chapter 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.” 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. [Revelation 4:1-3]

John has been taken into the heavenly throne room, and he reports what he sees there: worship.

In the Lord’s prayer we pray, “thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” John sees that God’s will is already perfectly realized in heaven; on earth it is not so.

How will God’s will be done on earth? What’s God’s plan to make it happen?

John notices that the one on the throne (God), has something in his hand:

1 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. [Revelation 5:1-4]

The scroll is some secret part of God’s plan for history—the way his Kingdom will come on earth as it already is in heaven. When it looks as if it will remain secret, John begins to sob hysterically because if the scroll isn’t opened, the Kingdom will never come, and wrongs will never be righted.

However, one of the angelic beings tells John not to cry:

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 5:5]

And then John sees something that ought to catch our attention:

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. [Revelation 5:6-7]

Did you catch that? God gives the scroll to Jesus to open. Remember Revelation 1:1?

God → Jesus → angel → John → us.

We’re halfway to seeing that chain of transmission of the apocalypse. Now we just need to see an angel give a message to John....

Chapters 6-9 give us important information about what happens when the seals around the scroll are broken. We see how the opening of the seals brings warning judgments on earth. The warning judgments, however, do not cause people to repent:

20 The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands nor give up worshiping demons and idols of
gold and silver and bronze and stone and wood, which cannot see or hear or walk, 21 nor did they repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts. [Revelation 9:20-21]

If warning judgments won’t cause people to repent and turn back to God, then what will?

What is God’s secret plan to bring his kingdom to earth as it already is in heaven?

Revelation 10 begins to give us the answer.

After telling us that the inhabitants of the earth have refused to repent (9:20-21), this is what happens next.

Allow me to quote Revelation chapter 10 in its entirety:

10Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven, wrapped in a cloud, with a rainbow over his head, and his face was like the sun, and his legs like pillars of fire. 2 He had a little scroll open in his hand. And he set his right foot on the sea, and his left foot on the land, 3 and called out with a loud voice, like a lion roaring. When he called out, the seven thunders sounded. 4 And when the seven thunders had sounded, I was about to write, but I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Seal up what the seven thunders have said, and do not write it down.” 5 And the angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land raised his right hand to heaven 6 and swore by him who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and what is in it, the earth and what is in it, and the sea and what is in it, that there would be no more delay, 7 but that in the days of the trumpet call to be sounded by the seventh angel, the mystery of God would be fulfilled, just as he announced to his servants the prophets.

8 Then the voice that I had heard from heaven spoke to me again, saying, “Go, take the scroll that is open in the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land.” 9 So I went to the angel and told him to give me the little scroll. And he said to me, “Take and eat it; it will make your stomach bitter, but in your mouth it will be sweet as honey.” 10 And I took the little scroll from the hand of the angel and ate it. It was sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it my stomach was made bitter. 11 And I was told, “You must again prophesy about many peoples and nations and languages and kings.” [Revelation 10:1-11]

John sees a “mighty angel”—described like no other angel in Revelation—who comes to John with a “little scroll” in his hand. Remember what we learned in the first sentence of the book? John tells us that the document we are about to read is:

The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John.... [Revelation 1:1]

God → Jesus → angel → John → us.

In Revelation 10 we finally see John receive THE APOCALYPSE that he told us about. This means that the previous chapters are NOT the point, strictly speaking, but rather they are important information we need to understand the point.

P.S. ABOUT THE 7 THUNDERS....

John hears 7 thunders called from heaven by the angel, but then is told not to write them down. The 7 thunders are yet another series of warning judgments that God chooses not to send. Instead, God’s ultimate plan is about to be revealed.

What Will Lead People to Repentance?

February 09, 2023 by Andrew Forrest in Bible

REVELATION 9:13-21

13 Then the sixth angel blew his trumpet, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar before God, 14 saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, “Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.” 15 So the four angels, who had been prepared for the hour, the day, the month, and the year, were released to kill a third of mankind. 16 The number of mounted troops was twice ten thousand times ten thousand; I heard their number. 17 And this is how I saw the horses in my vision and those who rode them: they wore breastplates the color of fire and of sapphire and of sulfur, and the heads of the horses were like lions’ heads, and fire and smoke and sulfur came out of their mouths. 18 By these three plagues a third of mankind was killed, by the fire and smoke and sulfur coming out of their mouths. 19 For the power of the horses is in their mouths and in their tails, for their tails are like serpents with heads, and by means of them they wound.
20 The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands nor give up worshiping demons and idols of gold and silver and bronze and stone and wood, which cannot see or hear or walk, 21 nor did they repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts.

20 The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands nor give up worshiping demons and idols of gold and silver and bronze and stone and wood, which cannot see or hear or walk, 21 nor did they repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts.

The plagues here are meant to also invoke ideas of the Egyptian plagues, and just as with Pharaoh, the people here do not repent even after seeing God’s judgment firsthand.

Terrifying and so obviously true. Warning judgments don’t cause most people to repent.

What will lead people to repentance, then?

Keep reading….

Invasion

February 08, 2023 by Andrew Forrest in Bible

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

February 07, 2023 by Andrew Forrest in Bible

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!

February 06, 2023 by Andrew Forrest in Bible

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

February 03, 2023 by Andrew Forrest in Bible

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

February 02, 2023 by Andrew Forrest in Bible

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

February 01, 2023 by Andrew Forrest in Bible

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?

January 31, 2023 by Andrew Forrest in Bible

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

January 30, 2023 by Andrew Forrest in Bible

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

January 27, 2023 by Andrew Forrest in Bible

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

January 26, 2023 by Andrew Forrest in Bible

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

January 26, 2023 by Andrew Forrest in Bible

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.

Who Can Open God's Secret Plan for History?

January 25, 2023 by Andrew Forrest in Bible

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?

January 24, 2023 by Andrew Forrest in Bible

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

January 23, 2023 by Andrew Forrest in Bible

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"

January 20, 2023 by Andrew Forrest in Bible

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.’”

— Craig Keener, Revelation

Let us not make the mistake of being prideful or thinking we are self-sufficient today.

Hold Fast

January 19, 2023 by Andrew Forrest in Bible

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?