THE BOOK OF REVELATION
Revelation Chapter 9-11
Previously we have discussed the 7 seals. And with the opening of the 7th seal in chapter 8: verse 1, a short pause of a ½ hr in heaven. Then the 7 Trumpets follow. The first 4 in quick succession. A period of time is then undesignated but implied in the Angel declaring, “Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabiters of the earth by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels, which are yet to sound!”
REVELATION 9 VERSE 1 With the 5th trumpet comes the first Woe. …the star that is fallen from heaven ….The star is an angel. [Isaiah 14:12, Luke 10:18] This star is very likely satan, who is granted the keys, and he opens the Bottomless Pit. (Read and compare Revelation 12:7-12) He that hinders iniquity, at this time, (as are the 2 witnesses a short time later) is removed. [Revelation 12: 5, with 2 Thessalonians 2] The “angel of light” with the “strong delusion” now greatly manifests and deceives the nations.
Now not just the beginnings of sorrows tribulation, but the GREAT Tribulation/The Great Temptation/Jacob’s Trouble on the earth now begins with the woe trumpets. [Matthew 24:21,22] It is that time correspondent with the casting of satan out of the first heaven above the earth by the power of Jesus. With the casting down, comes the granting of the key to unlock the great Abyss. (Also represented by the name of death. [Revelation 1:18]
REVELATION 9 VERSES 2-21 These speak to the 5th woe and 6th woe Trumpets (JOEL 2) that now announce those 2 judgments from under the earth. The Abyss, satan now opens, and from there then comes the additional hordes. And from there also ascend the false anti-Christ and false prophet. A fallen angel opens the Pit, and it remains open as long as his kingdom remains on the earth. Then later, an unfallen Angel closes and seals it while Jesus Christ reigns upon the Earth. [Revelation 20:1] Christ has the keys Hades and Death. It is a real place, Hades being the name of that place where all dead go. Wherein is located a certain place called Death/the Abyss/the bottomless well or pit. The idea in the Greek is of a long shaft or tunnel to gain access unto. There are beings that are there and beings that do not want to go there, as it is a dungeon with torment. [Luke 8:28,31, 2 Peter 2:4] As it relates to them, the place is the ancient mercy extended to man, to keep them limited from this realm. Job, in 38;17 was quizzed on his inferior knowledge of it. “Have the gates of death been opened unto thee? Or hast thou seen the doors of the shadow of death?”
The 5th and 6th woe trump have sounded. REVELATION 10 VERSE 7 (read) now speaks of the 7th trumpet wherein the complete mystery of God should be finished. In this sense, it will sound through the Millennium. “But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets.” “…in the days…” reveals it covers a period of time. In “…when he shall begin to sound…”, the word begin is unwarranted in the Greek., and added by the english translators. “…but in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall sound, and the mystery of God was finished, as he proclaimed to his servants the prophets.” [Codex Sinaiticus]
Discuss “the mystery of God shall be complete…” (King James) The mystery would not be blood atonement for sins. Nor the Gentiles come in.The mystery would be that which Christ referred to in Matthew 13:11. What Paul referred to Ephesians 6:19….the mystery of the kingdom of God, which in the Book of Revelation is unveiled. What it is….parallels the mystery of Lawlessness. [1Thessalonians 2:7] This would be the secrets/unveiling of satan’s kingdom working. A negative reference in deception towards the “deep things” of satan. [Revelation 2:24] This corresponds with the Mystery of Babylon. The end of which will be at the same time as the Mystery of God shall be complete. They run together in this Age and will be completed at the same time in this Age (see chapters 17 &18) and in the Age to come. [Revelation 20:3 with 21:1]
The message of the Angel in Revelation 10:7 “….as he hath declared to his servant the prophets…” corresponds to Paul’s closing statement in Romans 16: 25-27: “ Now to him that is of power to establish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery which was kept secret since the world began. But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith.…”
What should be contemplated here is that whatever the Mystery and its subordinate mysteries are of the Kingdom of God, it certainly has not been yet completed before the sounding of the 7th Trump, which here is declared about to be sounded. That would certainly include those most predominate themes of that Mystery, the Harvest Rapture and Resurrection out from the dead. [Matthew 13:27-30, Luke 21:35,36] The culmination of the Mystery/mysteries of God’s Kingdom manifests at the Return of Christ. [Titus 2:13] That culmination of Mysteries of the Kingdom of God are: The glorifying of Christ and His Church Bride in the heavens, the establishing and blessing of Israel, the nations on the earth, and additionally blessing all Creation, reclaiming and cleansing both heavens and earth forever from the defilement and authority of satan, and uniting all in the universe into His Kingdom.
Let’s step back for a moment to the Angel’s description in chapter 10:1 (read)
Who is Christ-like, if not Christ Himself. The Cloud takes us backward to Israel being led out of Egypt and through the wilderness and forward to Christ’s returning presence in the heavens above. HE is here yet in His cloud of presence, in the heavens above the earth, not yet manifest. The rainbow again here is a reference to the Covenant of Noah, and that of mercy with His Judgment. It is a reminder also of that declaration of blood for blood, that which the Great Tribulation answers to. His roar is indicative of the time, the manifesting of the Anti-Christ, and of impending warranted Judgments. [Jeremiah 25:29-31] The Angel roars and the 7 thunders utter their voices. But the things uttered too plain for God’s revealings are sealed here, as so the words of Danie in Daniel 8:26,27. (Note: The sealing of the thunders then declares what is written as revealed and to be understood).
The claim of the Mighty Angel as He sets His right foot upon the sea and His left foot on the earth, is that declaration of Whose they are, and who shall reign over them,. (In the sounding of the 7th Trump… “….The kingdoms of this World are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of His Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.” Revelation 11:15 ) That then being not Angels, (good or bad) but Jesus and His raised up faithful and fruitful. To this claim, satan, his angels, demons, and the rebellious men of earth now resist, but then most fiercely.
In the 7th Angel’s sounding of the Trumpet, all the mystery of God’s salvation plan will be known and discovered. The Mystery(s) were introduced by all the prophets preceding, Old and New, and is now fully disclosed to John, in whose mouth the results of the prophecy are sweet to contemplate, but the means by which they are fulfilled are bitter. This, John sees in the now unsealed book of the Covenant of Marvels. (Exodus 34:10) With Israel, it is said: “Behold, I make a covenant: before all thy people I will do marvels, such as have not been done in all the earth, nor in any nation: and all the people among which thou art shall see the work of the Lord: for it is a terrible thing that I will do with thee”.
The Judgments are now being differentiated. Although both Jew and Gentile are idolaters, but additionally the Gentiles are sorely oppressing Israel, while both are persecuting His servants. The Wild Beast has previously been brought up. And the place of offerings is being defiled.
The Great Angel, the messenger of God, here and now owns the Jews, the temple and His former messengers, the prophets. The “Angel” swears by the Creator. Oaths of God especially refer to Israel. They embrace both the curses and the blessings, the goodness and His severity and His terrors and His mercies. [Deuteronomy 32:39-43] Oaths are not a part of the New Covenant, where those in the Gospel age are commanded not to swear. This then is also the sign of the change in dispensation. And to comprehend the Book of Revelation requires the understanding of a new and different dispensation from that of the Age of Mercy and Grace now past…that of Vengeance and Glory. And when is that? “…in the days of the voice of the seventh Angel.
The Christian church remnant, dependent on Jesus, are no longer recognized as God’s witnesses (solely) on earth by God. God has turned again to Israel. The sealing of the 144,000 (12,000 from each Tribe) so speaks as does the Mighty Angel’s claim upon the earth. The NEW COVENANT WITH ISRAEL owns both the priesthood and the earthly Temple and sacrifices. So the close of the Book of Ezekiel testifies. The last seals 5,6 & 7 and the first 2 woes/trumpet 5 & 6 have special references to Jews and Israel.
CHAPTER 11 VERSE 1 And John, having eaten the book of the new covenant with Israel, correspondingly is given a reed. And he was told to measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein. The worshipers represent the First-Fruits, who will be priests and kings, and where they, the risen, are in the safety of the heavens with Christ. The true position of the Holiest in relation to Israel’s temple is now in the heavens, and is viewed as but its Outer Court and so it is also throughout the Millennial reign of Christ (although there be a restored Holy place of His presence).
VERSE 2 IN THE PREVIOUS DISPENSATION, it was “neither Jew nor Greek”…..but now again distinction is being made. The outer court is without heavens temple. That is to say on the earth, it with the City are given up to the Gentiles for 42 months/3 ½ yrs. [1 Kings 9:3,6-9] It is the same place, at the end of this time and period of the Anti-Christ to manifest in the Abomination of Desolation (Matthew 24:15-22, Daniel 8:7-13, 9:26,27), till his destruction. As the Church has given birth to the Man-Child, so the city and nation of Israel has given birth to an illegitimate man-child.
The temple and its City are defiled, and unsafe. John is told not to measure them. Destroyed once by literal Babylon, once by Rome the mystical Babylon, and now Jerusalem awaits even a greater destruction and redemption by judgments. And when God has finished His Judgments on Israel by the hand of the Gentiles, He will turn His hand to requite the evil of the Gentiles.
VERSE 3 His 2 Witnesses answer to the 70th week of Daniel, God’s defined final 7 year period dealing with Jerusalem and its People. They are two candlesticks that stand before the God of earth. They have taken the place of the 7 lamps of the churches. One being a Gentile Prophet, and the other, a Jewish Prophet. They are Elijah and Enoch, the little help now afforded. [Daniel 11:34] Their message and their clothing are indicative of Judgment, another proof of a dispensation having passed and another taking its place.
What does it mean in Scripture that Elijah the prophet will be sent “…before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord; And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.” As one of the two witnesses of God, he prepares and restores all things, including the understanding of prophecy in the 144,000 sealed to be purified during the Great Tribulation as the “Levites” of the Millennial Kingdom on the earth. They prophesy and resist the power of the nations and the Anti-Christ.
Since the time frame Scripture gives to that of the 2 Witnesses is 3 ½ years, and that time frame of the reign of Anti-Christ is 3 ½ years, (Revelation 13:5, Daniel 9:27) they can not run concurrently. The ascent of the Wild Beast comes at the 5th Trumpet, at the casting down of the star that is given the key and opens the bottomless pit, yet his full power and authority comes not till near the 7th,. When he shall kill the 2 witnesses, commit the abomination that brings desolation, declaring and presenting himself only as worthy of worship. That begins the last 3 ½ yrs of his kingdom.
The 7th seal was opened and then a pause preceding the 7 trumpets. The fifth and sixth Angel have sounded. And before the 7th angel blows the last trump and Woe….The Scriptures now proceed parenthetically in chapters 12,13 and 14.
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