NOTE: This post is a little too large for substack, so if you have trouble seeing the larger images or want to see the original post on Revelation Six, go here:
The Book of Revelation has challenged Christians around the world for 1,927 years. Most who made confident claims about what this book meant, have almost always been proven wrong. Those who get it right, do so by claiming only what can be proven and leaving what cannot to those future generations that will be able to.
Are we that 'final generation' that will be able understand what Revelation and the prophets are telling us?
Maybe. Maybe not.
I spent a large part of my Christian life thinking that we were in that Last Generation that would see the fulfillment of most - if not all - of the prophecies about the Last Days. Fast forward 40+ years, and things did not turn out as expected. I praise God for that, so I'm not complaining. But, it should be clear to everyone that none of us have a great track record in the study of the Last Days - i.e., eschatology.
It's time to get back on track and lay out what we can say with certainty, and what we cannot. We have spent far too much time listening to scoundrels proclaim lies that scratch our itching ears, and that needs to stop. Let's put an end to the lies and stick to the facts of the truth.
Remember that the wrath of God is upon all who refuse to do so. (Rev 22:18-19)
The first three chapters introduced us to seven churches as well as the question of when this vision was given to John the Apostle.
Did you notice which churches were not mentioned?
Right. Jerusalem and Rome.
Since John would have had this vision in AD 96 (or 95), there would have been no church in Jerusalem to write to. Jerusalem was gone. Erased from the map, literally.
But, what about Rome?
There was still a church in Rome. There were still Christians in Rome. Several decades earlier, Paul had written to the church at Rome, so the lack of Rome is curious... except when you realize that the church at Rome was already turning into the Harlot that would ride the Beast. And, if you look carefully at what Clement I was writing, you'll see why Rome would have been considered dead already.
For all intents and purposes, the popes began with Clement, and he was a 'pope', while John was writing Revelation. The Harlot begins with Clement, and his demand that Christians give unquestioning obedience to their bishops was the beginning of popery.
Chapters four and five show us the throne in heaven, the Lamb that was slain in payment for our sins and the scroll with Seven Seals. And, our first question is about the Seven Eyes of the Lamb.
These appear to be the Seven Spirits who appear to be "...the eyes of the Lord, which scan to and fro throughout the whole earth. (Zech 4:10). And no, I don't understand that. However, they might be the Watchers referred to in Daniel (4:17), but I would never proclaim something like that with any certainty.
However, our first real controversy comes when we see the Scroll with Seven Seals. And, I'm amazed at how willing people are to twist this scroll out of all proportion. It's appalling.
Did the scroll look like this?
There is no possible way that the scroll in Revelation looked like that. Scrolls were never constructed and sealed like this. And, if the Scroll appeared this way, John would have said so.
Did it look like this?
That's better, but no. It did NOT look like this. The Scroll in Revelation is not a Sefer Torah, or one of the books of the Bible. It's a sealed scroll, and it would not have had 'rollers' (those wooden pins with knobs at each end).
It might have looked more like this:
It wouldn't have looked quite so tattered and there should be writing on the outside (or 'back') of the scroll. John also would have needed to be able to see the interior of the scroll, because he described it as being written on the front and back.
The point is that the seals must all be opened before the scroll can be opened.
Ultimately, the biggest stumbling block for eschatology as a whole, is Revelation 6 and specifically, Seal Six. If you can understand Seal Six, everything falls into place. But, since people do not understand the prophets of the Hebrew Scriptures, they have no chance of doing so.
Unfortunately, instead of accepting the clear chronology of the Seven Seals, foolish teachers have inserted a gap that is described nowhere in the Bible. In fact, they've cooked up elaborate stories to explain how the man on the White Horse in the Antichrist and Seal Six is Armageddon.
None of that is true. None of it. It's a lie.
So, what are the Seven Seals?
They are the prelude to Last Days. They set the stage. And, they could last for a very long time.
And yes, Seal Six and Ezekiel's Fire happen at the same time. There is an element of supposition to that claim, but if Seal Six is NOT Ezekiel's Fire, then it must happen years - maybe centuries - before Seal Six is opened. Civilization is completely knocked down when Ezekiel's Fire happens, and it will take a lot of time for it to be rebuilt. And to be extra clear, civilization is knocked down when Seal Six is opened too.
How many times will civilization be knocked down before the Antichrist rises?
I say just once, but you can think up as many as you like. I'm just not willing to see how closely Seal Six matches Ezekiel's Fire and not propose that there's a connection.
Just remember that Seal Six and Ezekekiel's Fire speak of Israel's Redemption. Daniel 11 makes it clear that it must happen before the Antichrist arrives. Long before the Antichrist arrives.
Is there ANY mention of the Antichrist with these Seven Seals?
The Seventh Seal opens in Chapter Eight, and the Seven Trumpets begin to sound. Those Seven Trumpets do not finish until Chapter Eleven.
When does the Antichrist appear?
Trumpet Six.
The Antichrist would certainly be around during Trumpet Five, so you could make a case for that. But, my operating assumption - and yes, it's an assumption - is Trumpet Six.
Why Trumpet Six?
Because the Two Witnesses prophesy for three and a half years, against the Beast and against the Antichrist. They are only killed near the end of the reign of the Antichrist. That time frame is far too much of a 'coincidence' to ignore.
The Seven Trumpets (Click to enlarge)
Look at all that happens BEFORE the Antichrist takes over. Hail, fire, blood, Wormwood, Sun smitten, horribly locust, all before the Antichrist is in power. While he's in power, 200 million horsemen kill a 1/3 of men. Yet, no on repents, everyone still accepts the Antichrist and all refuse to obey God.
Wow. Humans are a special kind of stupid.
However, once Trumpet Seven sounds, it's all over except for the Bowls and the Last Battle.
This is an interlude where chapters 12 and 13 add context to previous chapters and chapter 14 adds detail to the events surrounding the Battle of Armageddon.
(Click image to enlarge)
Chapter 12 describes Israel flying into the wilderness, as the Antichrist conquers Jerusalem. This is added detail to what happens in Trumpet Six (or, maybe the end of Trumpet Five?). This appears to mark the beginning of the rule of the Antichrist, even though he must engage in constant war to subdue those who resist.
Chapter 13 shows us a Beast rising from the Sea. This combines the four beasts of Daniel 7 into one beast, with one extra difference - the seventh head has been killed/wounded-to-death.
What would destroy the Seventh Head of the Beast?
The massive, civilization-killing solar storm and global earthquake of Seal Six.
The events of Seal Six are exactly what we see in Ezekiel's Fire. And, such a solar event and earthquake would destroy our civilization. The prophets are very clear about what happens, and it dovetails perfectly the description of Revelation 6:12-17. Again, for more on this, read Ezekiel's Fire.
By the way, does this mean that we are probably living during the time of the Seventh Head of the Beast, before it is killed?
I believe so, but we've all been wrong before.
Remember that this Beast has been in existence for thousands of years. It reflects what Daniel described with the great image from Nebuchadnezzar's dream (Daniel 2) and the Four Beasts (Daniel 7). This would mean that The Beast is about 2600 years old.
So, look around you. We are already living within The Beast. We just don't have the Antichrist, who will lead The Beast on final time.
Chapter 14 shows us the 144 thousand who follow Jesus everywhere that He goes. There is a final warning from three angels that fly across the sky, and then we have a discussion of Resurrection and Rapture (the Harvest) and Armageddon, along with reaping of the Grapes of Wrath.
By the way, has the Resurrection and Rapture happened yet?
Nope.
Chapter 14 is not a timeline chapter. But, it is pointing towards the timeline chapter, Revelation 19.
Remember when Jesus said that He was coming in the clouds? (Matthew 24:29-31)
Yeah. Revelation 19 is when He comes in the Clouds.
But, we are getting ahead of ourselves. Here are the five chapters that pick up the timeline of Revelation, where Revelation 11 stopped:
Revelation 15 – Prelude to the Bowls of Wrath
Revelation 16 – Seven Angels pour out the Seven Bowls
Revelation 17 – Description and Identity of the Beast Rider
Revelation 18 – The Fall of Babylon
Revelation 19 – The Battle of Armageddon
All of that is in chronological order.
Did you notice that the Bowls of the Wrath of God are poured out BEFORE Babylon is destroyed?
Anyway, here are The Seven Bowls
The Seven Bowls of the Wrath of God - Revelation 16 (Click image to enlarge)
In Revelation 17, we see the Beast Rider described. She's the Great Whore, and unless an even greater harlot is to rise, we are stuck with the Roman Catholic Church as the one who rides The Beast, as well as being in alliance with Satan.
Did you remember that the Church of Rome was not named by Jesus in the first three chapters of Revelation?
Yeah, that's significant.
Literally no one had such righteous beginnings, yet prostituted herself to so many kingdoms and peoples. And, she had already begun to do so with their first 'pope', Clement I, while John was writing the Book of Revelation. I don't think that the significance of this can be ignored.
The Roman Catholic Church is in alliance with Satan.
Let that sink in.
Then in Revelation 18, The Beast destroys the Roman Catholic Church. We don't quite know how The Beast does this, but a Thermonuclear Bomb would do the job easily.
Did you notice that we haven't reached the Battle of Armageddon yet?
Right. The Beast destroys its ally, the Roman Catholic Church, BEFORE the Battle of Armageddon.
Revelation 19 gives us the Battle of Armageddon, where all the armies of the world come to the Jezreel Valley to fight God. The thought of that boggles the mind, but Satan's deceptions will get you to do some pretty crazy things. (The Roman Catholic Church is Exhibit A.)
In Revelation 20, Satan is bound for a thousand years, and God's people will rule and reign with Christ for a thousand years.
Who will they reign over?
Those who were not followers of Christ during the Great Tribulation, but had not taken The Mark of the Beast.
It is common for people to claim that such a thing is impossible, but God knows how to make this happen. But, this shouldn't be all that hard to figure out.
Remember that the Mark of the Beast cannot be placed upon someone who does not actively wish for it. You'll notice that the Antichrist cannot force Christians to take it. This means that someone who is too young will not be able to take it.
Also, since the Antichrist seems to have difficulty getting to some places - like the wilderness that the Woman flees to in Revelation 12 - there might be locations that The Mark does not reach. All of these possibilities provide a better explanation than those who seek to twist the Millennium to their own ends.
It's really time to stop doing that.
After the thousand years are up, Satan is released and humanity is deceived yet again. It will be the ultimate facepalm moment and the final proof that we are all morons without Christ. Humanity will have a thousand years of proof that God is everything that He said that He was, and will still throw it all away for a few Satanic promises.
We really are that stupid.
Then, Revelation 20 ends with the 2nd Resurrection, the Great White Throne judgment and those who were not found in the Book of Life being casting into Hell, .
Revelation 21 describes the creation of a New Heaven and New Earth with a New Jerusalem who is also called The Bride of the Lamb.
Wait. New Jerusalem is the Bride of Christ?
Yes.
So, who are we?
We are the ones invited to the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. It always confused me when pastors would want to emphasize that the Church is the Bride of Christ, while at the same time we were the ones invited to the 'marriage supper'.
How could we be both?
Because we are mixing metaphors, and we should stop that.
Throughout the Bible we see God speaking of a betrothal to His people. And, the marriage contract is the strongest agreement between people that can be made in the Bible. And, the symbolism of adultery and harlotry that break such a relationship is also very powerful.
The Children of Israel did it.
Our fellow Christians are doing it.
It's an evil thing, and God will judge us for it - just as He judged Israel for their unfaithfulness. But, none of that important symbolism changes what we see in Revelation 21:
We are not the Bride of Christ.
New Jerusalem is the Bride of Christ.
Oh, and how big is New Jerusalem?
It's one thousand, five hundred miles tall and one thousand, five hundred miles wide.
However, I got it wrong when comparing it to our Moon. The Moon is just under 22 billion cubic kilometers. The New Jerusalem will be less than that at 13.8 billion cubic kilometers. That's still big, but I need to get this stuff right.
Having said that, if New Jerusalem was put inside the Moon, the corners would stick out, since the diameter of the Moon (~3500 km) is less than the distance between opposing corners (4,157 km.) of the New Jerusalem. So, don't go around thinking that New Jerusalem is being hidden inside the Moon. It wouldn't fit.
Also, Revelation 21 shows us where 'outer darkness' is. It's the area outside New Jerusalem. It's not Hell, but it's also a place that you don't want to live in. You want to live in New Jerusalem.
If you are doing ANYTHING that would place you in Outer Darkness, outside New Jerusalem, now is the time to stop, repent of that and ask God to forgive you. If you don't know what you might be doing, now would be a good time to pray that God would show you.
I want us all to be residents of that fantastic city that will be our inheritance if we persevere.
However, this brings us to the one reason why I have spent so much time writing about all of this.
The Final Warning
The Final Warning is the biggest reason why I have written this series on the Book of Revelation:
18 For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book; 19 and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.
I have spent a lot of time in various eschatology forums, and they are full of those who are cursed by God for doing what He warned us not to do. They are adding and taking away from Revelation, and it is a horrible thing to see.
Do not.
...I repeat...
DO NOT add or take away from Revelation.
It would be better to say that you do not know what Revelation means, than to proudly proclaim an error that destroys you. There are things that we can say are true about Revelation with a great degree of confidence, but there are many more things that we cannot. Yet, many foolish pastors don't seem to understand this.
Oh, and when you find brothers and sisters in Christ adding or taking away from Revelation, warn them. That goes for me. If I have added or taken away from Revelation, you need to prove it to me. I've been as careful as I can to avoid this, and I pray that I have been successful.
Conclusion
The timeline of Revelation does not jump around. It moves forward. One section completes before the next section starts, and then that third section completes before we see the end.
Here is the most basic order of events:
Seals -> Trumpets -> Bowls (Click image to enlarge)
That's the order of events. There is no overlap. There is no going back and forth between the three. The Trumpets do not begin until AFTER all the Seals have been opened. None of the bowls are poured out until after the Seventh Trumpet has sounded. And, all Seven Bowls must be poured out before Mystery Babylon is destroyed, and only after Babylon falls will Armageddon begin.
There is no exception to this progression. None.
Here is another look at this progression:
The Revelation Chapter Timeline (Click image to enlarge)
Again, there is no overlap. There is no jumping back and forth between these timeline chapters. If you attempt to claim that the fulfillment of an event in an earlier chapter happens after a later timeline chapter, you are adding and twisting the Book of Revelation. Don't do that.
To make it more clear for some who don't understand what I'm talking about:
Seal Six in Revelation Six is fulfilled BEFORE the Trumpets and BEFORE the Bowls.
Jesus does NOT Return in Revelation 6.
He does NOT Return before Revelation 16.
Period.
And, this brings us to one more timeline revelation:
You Are Here (Click image to enlarge)
There are years, probably decades - maybe even centuries - before the Great Tribulation. The Redemption of Israel must come long before the Antichrist rises. And, there might be years - even decades - before Israel returns to God. There are far too many foolish teachers saying otherwise, and they need to stop.
Yes, bad times are coming. I've been warning about those. But, the Children of Jacob must Return to God before the Antichrist comes. Of course, Gog and Magog and Ezekiel's Fire will happen at the beginning of Israel's Redemption, and it will be really, really bad. Not many of us will survive that. (Just remember to stay out of big cities when Gog and Magog descend upon Israel.)
Oh, and what will the Redemption of Israel be like?
They will be Christians, following Christ. There won't be sacrifices for sin. There won't be a Third Temple. But, there will be millions of Israelis worshiping God, in the Body of Christ. And, the center of that worship will be at Jerusalem. There will be offerings of praise to God twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, fifty-two weeks a year, every year - until the Antichrist comes and puts a stop to it.
Why is this so hard for so many to figure out?
I truly hope that you’ll be ready for this
A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself: but the simple pass on, and are punished. – Proverbs 22:3
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