15 The kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves…16 and said to the mountains and rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the Throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! 17 For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?" (Rev. 6:15-17)
A. John describes those affected from seven categories of society. He emphasizes how leaders will respond. Kings (presidents); great men (world leaders); rich men (financial leaders); military commanders; mighty men (civil leaders); every slave and free man (common class majority).
B. Unbelievers will understand it is the Day of the Lord perceiving Jesus’ wrath in these signs. John does not tell how they conclude this. The forerunners will proclaim the details of the sixth seal.
C. Day of His wrath: For the great day of His wrath “has come” the issue is whether the Day of the Lord has just begun or is soon to follow. The Greek verb “has come” can look backwards indicating that the Day already arrived or it can look forward as something to occur soon. Robert Thomas explains that the verb elthen ("has come") is aorist indicative, referring to a previous arrival of God’s wrath. The verb tenses in the hymns are future tenses (Rev. 11:18; 19:7).
D. The narrow Day of the Lord is the 24-hour day Jesus enters Jerusalem. The broad Day of the Lord starts at the Tribulation and ends after the Millennium. It lasts for 1,000 years (2 Pet. 3:8).
Monday, October 26, 2009
Monday, October 19, 2009
Facets of Jesus Wrath in the Sixth Seal
Sun: Jesus supernaturally causes this short term darkness. It may also include natural events such as volcanic eruptions that leave particles in the air as ash, dust, debris, a nuclear fallout or even a full eclipse which occurs when something gets in between earth and the light of the sun.
Black: The sun will be black as sackcloth. Sackcloth is the clothing of mourning because of coming judgment (Isa. 33:9). The prophets wore black and sackcloth when in mourning over sin and calling for repentance (Mt. 11:21; Lk 10:13; Rev. 11:3). The sun will wear the black garments of mourning. This is a parallel to the black horse in the third seal (Rev. 6:5).
Moon: Blood red speaks of death. The moon will wear the garments of blood. This is a parallel to the red horse in the second seal (Rev. 6:4). This supernatural event may include natural events as gases or a lunar eclipse that change the color of the moon's light to look red. A lunar eclipse occurs during a full moon when the earth gets in the way of the light of the sun.
Earthquake: Is mentioned 7 times in Revelation (Rev. 6:12; 8:5; 11:13 [2x], 19; 16:18 [2x]). Four times they are prophesied with the qualifying word great (Rev. 6:12; 11:13; 16:18 [2x]).
Mountains moved: Every mountain and island will be moved out of its place does not imply that they are all destroyed. No one would be able to hide in the mountains if they were all destroyed.
1. The mountain and islands at this time are not annihilated, but moved. Some may move slightly and others may be destroyed. A mountain moving a foot brings much trouble. Some see this as focused on the Mediterranean area highlighted by Daniel (Dan. 7:2-3).
2. There are five earthquakes prophesied in Revelation: At the sixth seal (Rev. 6:12), at the release of the trumpets (Rev. 8:5), at the seventh trumpet (Rev. 11:15, 19), when the Two Witnesses ascend (Rev. 11:13) and at the seventh bowl (Rev. 16:17-21) which is referred to as the most severe earthquake in history (Zech. 14:4-5; Isa. 2:19; 29:6; Hag. 2:6, 7).
Black: The sun will be black as sackcloth. Sackcloth is the clothing of mourning because of coming judgment (Isa. 33:9). The prophets wore black and sackcloth when in mourning over sin and calling for repentance (Mt. 11:21; Lk 10:13; Rev. 11:3). The sun will wear the black garments of mourning. This is a parallel to the black horse in the third seal (Rev. 6:5).
Moon: Blood red speaks of death. The moon will wear the garments of blood. This is a parallel to the red horse in the second seal (Rev. 6:4). This supernatural event may include natural events as gases or a lunar eclipse that change the color of the moon's light to look red. A lunar eclipse occurs during a full moon when the earth gets in the way of the light of the sun.
Earthquake: Is mentioned 7 times in Revelation (Rev. 6:12; 8:5; 11:13 [2x], 19; 16:18 [2x]). Four times they are prophesied with the qualifying word great (Rev. 6:12; 11:13; 16:18 [2x]).
Mountains moved: Every mountain and island will be moved out of its place does not imply that they are all destroyed. No one would be able to hide in the mountains if they were all destroyed.
1. The mountain and islands at this time are not annihilated, but moved. Some may move slightly and others may be destroyed. A mountain moving a foot brings much trouble. Some see this as focused on the Mediterranean area highlighted by Daniel (Dan. 7:2-3).
2. There are five earthquakes prophesied in Revelation: At the sixth seal (Rev. 6:12), at the release of the trumpets (Rev. 8:5), at the seventh trumpet (Rev. 11:15, 19), when the Two Witnesses ascend (Rev. 11:13) and at the seventh bowl (Rev. 16:17-21) which is referred to as the most severe earthquake in history (Zech. 14:4-5; Isa. 2:19; 29:6; Hag. 2:6, 7).
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Hiding from the Terror of God and the Wrath of the Lamb
13 The stars of heaven fell to the earth, as a fig tree drops its late figs…14 Then the sky receded as a scroll when it is rolled up…15 The kings of the earth, the great men…and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and…mountains, 16 and said to the mountains and rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! (Rev. 6:13-17)
A. Sky: The sky will recede (split, divide, move back) as a scroll. God will cause the sky to roll back, thus opening a window to see into heaven so that the worldwide leaders may witness it.
B. Face: They will cry out to be hidden from His face. We cry out to see His face. The martyrs cried, "Avenge us" and the wicked will cry, "Hide us".
C. Stars: Asteroids and meteor showers hitting the earth. The Greek word for stars used here is “aster” from which we get the word asteroid. An aster refers to any shining mass in the sky, including stars, comets, meteors, asteroids, or any flaming debris, etc.
D. The diameter of the earth is nearly 8,000 miles. Our sun is a small star which is over 800,000 miles in diameter (100 times larger than the earth). One star hitting the earth would destroy it, thus the kings would not flee to the mountains. Stars lost light in the fourth trumpet (Rev. 8:12).
E. Hide: Powerful world leaders are pictured as hiding both from God’s face as well as the asteroids coming on the earth as an expression of Jesus’ wrath. Isaiah prophesied of people hiding in the caves starting in the sixth seal (Isa. 2:10, 21, 19).
F. A meteoroid is much smaller than an asteroid ranging anywhere from a fraction of an inch to 10 yards across weighing a few grams (interplanetary dust) up to 50 tons (Hoba meteorite). Up to 50 meteorites hit the earth daily. However, 70% occur over the ocean with another 25% occurring over uninhabited lands leaving only 1-10 each day that have the potential to be seen.
G. An asteroid capable of global disaster would need to be over a quarter-mile wide. One that large would raise enough dust into the atmosphere to create a "nuclear winter".
H. Meteoroids will bombard the earth as a fig tree losing its figs when strong winds blow on it. John saw men hiding in caves to escape the debris falling from the sky as a part of the wrath of the Lamb. This intensifies later when 100 pound hailstones fall in the seventh bowl (Rev. 16:21).
I. Said to the mountains: Many of these kings and great men will be worshippers of the Antichrist. In my opinion their cry involves the occult (praying in the high places for protection not death).
J. As God guided David’s stone to hit Goliath, so He will guide these stones (meteoroids) to stone the infrastructure of the Antichrist who is the eschatological giant.
K. This is not the Second Coming. At the end of the Armageddon campaign they are emboldened to make war against Jesus instead of hiding from Him in the mountains (Rev. 19:17-21).
A. Sky: The sky will recede (split, divide, move back) as a scroll. God will cause the sky to roll back, thus opening a window to see into heaven so that the worldwide leaders may witness it.
B. Face: They will cry out to be hidden from His face. We cry out to see His face. The martyrs cried, "Avenge us" and the wicked will cry, "Hide us".
C. Stars: Asteroids and meteor showers hitting the earth. The Greek word for stars used here is “aster” from which we get the word asteroid. An aster refers to any shining mass in the sky, including stars, comets, meteors, asteroids, or any flaming debris, etc.
D. The diameter of the earth is nearly 8,000 miles. Our sun is a small star which is over 800,000 miles in diameter (100 times larger than the earth). One star hitting the earth would destroy it, thus the kings would not flee to the mountains. Stars lost light in the fourth trumpet (Rev. 8:12).
E. Hide: Powerful world leaders are pictured as hiding both from God’s face as well as the asteroids coming on the earth as an expression of Jesus’ wrath. Isaiah prophesied of people hiding in the caves starting in the sixth seal (Isa. 2:10, 21, 19).
F. A meteoroid is much smaller than an asteroid ranging anywhere from a fraction of an inch to 10 yards across weighing a few grams (interplanetary dust) up to 50 tons (Hoba meteorite). Up to 50 meteorites hit the earth daily. However, 70% occur over the ocean with another 25% occurring over uninhabited lands leaving only 1-10 each day that have the potential to be seen.
G. An asteroid capable of global disaster would need to be over a quarter-mile wide. One that large would raise enough dust into the atmosphere to create a "nuclear winter".
H. Meteoroids will bombard the earth as a fig tree losing its figs when strong winds blow on it. John saw men hiding in caves to escape the debris falling from the sky as a part of the wrath of the Lamb. This intensifies later when 100 pound hailstones fall in the seventh bowl (Rev. 16:21).
I. Said to the mountains: Many of these kings and great men will be worshippers of the Antichrist. In my opinion their cry involves the occult (praying in the high places for protection not death).
J. As God guided David’s stone to hit Goliath, so He will guide these stones (meteoroids) to stone the infrastructure of the Antichrist who is the eschatological giant.
K. This is not the Second Coming. At the end of the Armageddon campaign they are emboldened to make war against Jesus instead of hiding from Him in the mountains (Rev. 19:17-21).
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
The Wicked Cry Out for Death
A. Hosea prophesied of judgments so severe that Israel would cry for a quick death to end the anguish (Hos. 10:8) and for barrenness (Hos 9:12-14) so their children would be spared anguish.
13 So Ephraim will bring out his children to the murderer. 14 Give them, O LORD-- what will You give? Give them a miscarrying womb and dry breasts! (Hos 9:13-14)
8 The sin of Israel shall be destroyed. The thorn and thistle shall grow on their altars; they shall say to the mountains, "Cover us!" and to the hills, "Fall on us!" (Hos. 10:8)
B. Thorn and thistles grew on Israel’s altars because they were used for idol worship. This speaks of Israel’s destruction when all the people were taken captive by the invading Assyrian in 722 BC.
13 So Ephraim will bring out his children to the murderer. 14 Give them, O LORD-- what will You give? Give them a miscarrying womb and dry breasts! (Hos 9:13-14)
8 The sin of Israel shall be destroyed. The thorn and thistle shall grow on their altars; they shall say to the mountains, "Cover us!" and to the hills, "Fall on us!" (Hos. 10:8)
B. Thorn and thistles grew on Israel’s altars because they were used for idol worship. This speaks of Israel’s destruction when all the people were taken captive by the invading Assyrian in 722 BC.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Sixth Seal: Signs in the Sky Speak of Harvest and Outpouring
A. The shaking of the heavens in the sixth seal is related to the nations coming to Jesus.
6 Thus says the LORD of hosts… "I will shake heaven and earth, the sea and dry land; 7 and I will shake all nations, and they shall come to the Desire (Jesus) of all nations. (Hag. 2:6-7)
B. The sixth seal events were prophesied by Joel in context to the outpouring of the Spirit before Jesus returns. I honor, but do not agree with those who equate the sixth seal with Jesus’ Coming.
28 I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy…31 The sun shall be turned into darkness…before the coming of the great…day of the Lord. (Joel 2:28-31)
29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days (first five seals) the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall…30 Then…they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven (seventh trumpet) with power and great glory. (Mt. 24:29-30)
C. Summary: The sixth seal describes God’s glory being released in context to martyrdom resulting in the shaking of the nations, the outpouring of the Spirit and the great Harvest.
6 Thus says the LORD of hosts… "I will shake heaven and earth, the sea and dry land; 7 and I will shake all nations, and they shall come to the Desire (Jesus) of all nations. (Hag. 2:6-7)
B. The sixth seal events were prophesied by Joel in context to the outpouring of the Spirit before Jesus returns. I honor, but do not agree with those who equate the sixth seal with Jesus’ Coming.
28 I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy…31 The sun shall be turned into darkness…before the coming of the great…day of the Lord. (Joel 2:28-31)
29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days (first five seals) the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall…30 Then…they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven (seventh trumpet) with power and great glory. (Mt. 24:29-30)
C. Summary: The sixth seal describes God’s glory being released in context to martyrdom resulting in the shaking of the nations, the outpouring of the Spirit and the great Harvest.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Response of Unbelievers to Seals
15 The kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains, 16 and said to the mountains and rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the Throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! 17 For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?" (Rev. 6:15-17)
A. John describes those affected from seven categories of society. He emphasizes how leaders will respond. Kings (presidents); (world leaders); great menrich men (financial leaders); military commanders; mighty men (civil leaders); every slave and free man (common class majority).
B. Powerful world leaders are pictured as running for their lives in panic without regard for their dignity as they run to the mountains claiming to hide from a God they said did not exist. Later in the seventh bowl, they decide to fight against Jesus (Rev. 19:17-21).
C. Some asteroids can be detected years ahead of time so that nations will know they are coming.
D. Unbelievers will perceive God’s wrath in these signs as they cry to the mountains, "Fall on us and hide us from the wrath of the Lamb!” They run in panic understanding the cosmic disturbances as God’s judgment.
E. We are not told how they conclude this is God’s wrath. The forerunners have been proclaiming it since the opening of the first seal. This is not the Second Coming because at that time, the world leaders will fight Jesus instead of running to hide from Him in the mountains (Rev. 19:17-21).
F. The unbelievers will understand and even announce the coming of the Day of the Lord.
G. Jesus, Peter and Paul taught that the Day of the Lord would come as a thief surprising many (Mt. 24:37-44; 1 Thes. 5:2-4; 2 Pet. 3:10; Rev. 3:3; 16:15).
H. Isaiah prophesied of people hiding in the caves (Isa. 2:10, 21, 19; Hos. 10:8; Lk. 23:30).
10 Enter into the rock, and hide in the dust, from the terror of the LORD and the glory of His majesty…11 The haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day…19 They shall go into the holes of the rocks, and into the caves of the earth, from the terror of the Lord…when He arises to shake the earth mightily. (Isa. 2:10-19)
I. The saints will see and understand in this hour in which Nahum’s prophecy is fulfilled.
A. John describes those affected from seven categories of society. He emphasizes how leaders will respond. Kings (presidents); (world leaders); great menrich men (financial leaders); military commanders; mighty men (civil leaders); every slave and free man (common class majority).
B. Powerful world leaders are pictured as running for their lives in panic without regard for their dignity as they run to the mountains claiming to hide from a God they said did not exist. Later in the seventh bowl, they decide to fight against Jesus (Rev. 19:17-21).
C. Some asteroids can be detected years ahead of time so that nations will know they are coming.
D. Unbelievers will perceive God’s wrath in these signs as they cry to the mountains, "Fall on us and hide us from the wrath of the Lamb!” They run in panic understanding the cosmic disturbances as God’s judgment.
E. We are not told how they conclude this is God’s wrath. The forerunners have been proclaiming it since the opening of the first seal. This is not the Second Coming because at that time, the world leaders will fight Jesus instead of running to hide from Him in the mountains (Rev. 19:17-21).
F. The unbelievers will understand and even announce the coming of the Day of the Lord.
G. Jesus, Peter and Paul taught that the Day of the Lord would come as a thief surprising many (Mt. 24:37-44; 1 Thes. 5:2-4; 2 Pet. 3:10; Rev. 3:3; 16:15).
H. Isaiah prophesied of people hiding in the caves (Isa. 2:10, 21, 19; Hos. 10:8; Lk. 23:30).
10 Enter into the rock, and hide in the dust, from the terror of the LORD and the glory of His majesty…11 The haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day…19 They shall go into the holes of the rocks, and into the caves of the earth, from the terror of the Lord…when He arises to shake the earth mightily. (Isa. 2:10-19)
I. The saints will see and understand in this hour in which Nahum’s prophecy is fulfilled.
Monday, September 14, 2009
Sixth Seal: Cosmic Disturbances and Fear
Earthquake: Is mentioned 7 times in Revelation (Rev. 6:12; 8:5; 11:13 [2x], 19; 16:18 [2x]). Four times they are prophesied with the qualifying word great (Rev. 6:12; 11:13; 16:18 [2x]).
Sun: The darkening of the sun cannot be for a long period or the earth would freeze. What causes this darkening? This will be Jesus’ supernatural work. Yet, it could also include natural events such as volcanic eruptions that leave particles in the air as ash, dust, debris, a nuclear fallout or even a full eclipse which occurs when something gets in between earth and the light of the sun.
The sun will be black as sackcloth. Sackcloth is the clothing of mourning and judgment (Isa. 33:9). The prophets wore black and sackcloth when calling for repentance (Mt. 11:21; Lk 10:13; Rev. 11:3). The sun will one day wear the garments of death and mourning.
Moon: This will be Jesus’ supernatural work. Yet, it could also include natural events as gases or a lunar eclipse that change the color of the moon's light to look red. A lunar eclipse occurs during a full moon when the earth gets in the way of the light of the sun. Blood red speaks of death.
Stars: Asteroids and meteor showers hitting the earth. The Greek word for stars used here is “aster” from which we get the word asteroid. An aster refers to any shining mass in the sky, including stars, comets, meteors, asteroids, or any flaming debris, etc.
The diameter of the earth is nearly 8,000 miles. Our sun is a small star which is over 800,000 miles in diameter (100 times larger than the earth). One star hitting the earth would destroy it, thus the kings would not need to flee to the mountains. Stars will still be in the sky in the fourth trumpet (Rev. 8:12). Isaiah prophesied of stars losing their light rather than falling (Isa. 13:10).
As God guided David’s stone to hit Goliath, so He will guide these stones (asteroids) to destroy the Antichrist’s infrastructure. Meteorites will bombard the earth as compared to a fig tree losing its figs when strong winds blow on it.
Sky: The sky will recede (split, divide, move back) as a scroll. God will cause the sky to roll back, thus opening a window to see into heaven so that worldwide leaders may witness it.
Mountains moved: Every mountain and island will be moved out of its place does not imply that they are all destroyed. No one would be able to hide in the mountains if they were all destroyed. There are five specific earthquakes prophesied in Revelation: At the sixth seal (Rev. 6:12), at the release of the trumpets (Rev. 8:5), at the seventh trumpet (Rev. 11:15, 19), when the Two Witnesses ascend to heaven (Rev. 11:13) and at the seventh bowl (Rev. 16:17-21) which is referred to as the most severe earthquake in history (Zech. 14:4-5; Isa. 2:19; 29:6; Hag. 2:6, 7).
Sun: The darkening of the sun cannot be for a long period or the earth would freeze. What causes this darkening? This will be Jesus’ supernatural work. Yet, it could also include natural events such as volcanic eruptions that leave particles in the air as ash, dust, debris, a nuclear fallout or even a full eclipse which occurs when something gets in between earth and the light of the sun.
The sun will be black as sackcloth. Sackcloth is the clothing of mourning and judgment (Isa. 33:9). The prophets wore black and sackcloth when calling for repentance (Mt. 11:21; Lk 10:13; Rev. 11:3). The sun will one day wear the garments of death and mourning.
Moon: This will be Jesus’ supernatural work. Yet, it could also include natural events as gases or a lunar eclipse that change the color of the moon's light to look red. A lunar eclipse occurs during a full moon when the earth gets in the way of the light of the sun. Blood red speaks of death.
Stars: Asteroids and meteor showers hitting the earth. The Greek word for stars used here is “aster” from which we get the word asteroid. An aster refers to any shining mass in the sky, including stars, comets, meteors, asteroids, or any flaming debris, etc.
The diameter of the earth is nearly 8,000 miles. Our sun is a small star which is over 800,000 miles in diameter (100 times larger than the earth). One star hitting the earth would destroy it, thus the kings would not need to flee to the mountains. Stars will still be in the sky in the fourth trumpet (Rev. 8:12). Isaiah prophesied of stars losing their light rather than falling (Isa. 13:10).
As God guided David’s stone to hit Goliath, so He will guide these stones (asteroids) to destroy the Antichrist’s infrastructure. Meteorites will bombard the earth as compared to a fig tree losing its figs when strong winds blow on it.
Sky: The sky will recede (split, divide, move back) as a scroll. God will cause the sky to roll back, thus opening a window to see into heaven so that worldwide leaders may witness it.
Mountains moved: Every mountain and island will be moved out of its place does not imply that they are all destroyed. No one would be able to hide in the mountains if they were all destroyed. There are five specific earthquakes prophesied in Revelation: At the sixth seal (Rev. 6:12), at the release of the trumpets (Rev. 8:5), at the seventh trumpet (Rev. 11:15, 19), when the Two Witnesses ascend to heaven (Rev. 11:13) and at the seventh bowl (Rev. 16:17-21) which is referred to as the most severe earthquake in history (Zech. 14:4-5; Isa. 2:19; 29:6; Hag. 2:6, 7).
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