Verse 1: The Strong Angel.

And a saw another mighty angel come down from heaven, clothed with the cloud: and a rainbow was upon His head, and His face was as it were the sun, and His feet as pillars of fire. Who is this mighty or strong angel? There are many views of the identity of the strong angel. The Greek word used here is heteros which means another of a different kind. This angel is a different kind from the seven other angels blowing the trumpets. These other seven angels are of the same kind. The Greek word is “anlos” which means another of the same kind. When we compare scripture with scripture, we see that this angel is no other person than Christ the Son of God. His face was as it were the sun: this signifies righteousness. And His feet as pillars of fire: this signifies judgement. No other angel has the authority to judge the world. God shall judge the world by Jesus whom He has chosen(Acts 10: 42; 17:31). Besides, this is the same description given of Christ in Rev. 1:13-16. There is a similarity between this angel and the appearance of Jehovah in Eze.1:26-28. The personality with the appearance of a man, who had the likeness of the glory of the Lord is a clear reference to Jesus The Christ, the second person of the Trinity. The appearance of this strong angel is similar also to the appearance of the angel who appeared to Daniel in Dan.10:5&6. The content of the message is the same as that of the angel to Daniel. We shall continue with our proof and identification of this angel as Christ in the next verse. However, it not unusual to refer to God as an angel. There is consensus of opinion amongst biblical scholars that unless the context indicates otherwise, Old Testament reference to the angel of God is a reference to the preincarnate Christ. The Wycliffe Bible Encyclopedia states that the Old Testament reference to the angel of the Lord is a reference to the second person of the Trinity. In some passages, the OT itself makes it clear that angel of the Lord is a divine being, although the person of the Trinity involved may not be specified. When the angel of the Lord appeared to Hagar in the wilderness, she recognized Him as God and was amazed that she has seen God and lived(Gen. 16:7-13). And the angel of the Lord who appeared to Moses is both Lord and God(Exod. 3:1-4).

Verse 2: “And he had in His right hand a little book open: and he set His foot on the sea, and His left (foot) on the earth.” This angel has control of land and water, that is to say the whole world. Jesus The Christ is the only one who has power and authority over the Earth. This angel has in his right hand the little scroll open. It is Christ who opened the large scroll in Rev.5:1-5. It is most probable the He will also open the small scroll. The large scroll contains the judgement of God. The small also contains the judgement of God. It is Jesus The Christ who has power and authority to execute these judgements. The small scroll is indeed the large scroll with some events unfolded. The large scroll completed some events that ended with the close of the 70th seven. The small scroll on the other hand contains events that will occur after the 70th seven is over.

Verse 3: “He cried with a loud voice as (when) a lion roareth: and when He had cried seven thunders uttered their voices.” In the quotation of verse 3 above I deliberately rendered when in brackets, because it does not exist in the original Greek. In the KJV, it is in italics. Jesus The Christ is the lion of the tribe of Judah who only had prevailed to open the scroll. And when he had roared seven thunders uttered their voices.

Revelation is the book of sevens. And seven is the number of perfection or better still completeness. There are seven seals, sevens angels with seven trumpets, seven angels with seven bowls. The dragon has seven heads, and the Beast also has seven heads. The 70th seven is a period of seven years. There are seven Beast empires, and the 8th is one of the seven revived. There are also seven churches and seven benedictions. It not surprising there are seven thunders. In verse 4, the revelator was about to write what the seven thunders uttered when he heard a voice from heaven saying: seal up what the seven thunders uttered and write them not. No reason was given why the revelator was forbidden to write what the seven thunders uttered. Some bible scholars believe these things were revealed later in the seven bowls. It may be true but will not be dogmatic about it.

In verse 5 & 6, the angel who stands on the the Earth and the sea “lifted up His hand to heaven and swore by Him who lives for and ever, who created heaven and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the seas, and the things which are therein, that there should be time no longer.” When God made a promise to Abraham, because He could swear by no greater, he sware by Himself(Heb. 4:13). Our Lord Jesus taught that men should make no oat at all(Matt.5:33-37). This further buttresses the fact that the Strong or Mighty Angel is The Lord Jesus. That there should be times no longer implies that the 6th millennia is complete and the Shabbath of the Lord is about to begin. Adams lease is over. And this is indeed the case: for the 70th seven is complete and God Almighty is about to reclaim His Rule over the Earth.

Verse 7: In the days of the voice of the seventh angle when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God shall be finished as He has declared to His servants the prophets. The completion of the mystery of God is the completion of the spiritual salvation of Israel. This shall be about the third day into the 30-day reclamation period. Come let us return to the Lord….. He will raise us up on the third day and we shall live in His sight(Hosea 6:1,2). What is the mystery of God? The mystery of God has three characteristics: it is something which has always been in the plan of God. It was not revealed in the Old Testament but revealed in the New Testament. And it is always known by divine revelation. The mystery is that the Gentiles who are not physical descendants of Abraham shall be grafted in to be become part of the spiritual children of God(Gal.3:29). In order to accomplish this some Israelites who are the natural line of Abraham were cut out, so some Gentiles who are not part of the natural branches may be grafted in(Rom.11:24). What happened to Israel was a partial hardening due to unbelief. If they abide not in unbelief, they shall be grafted back. This is exactly what happens here. When the times of the Gentiles is completed at the expiry of the 70th seven, some Jews were saved to complete the spiritual kingdom of God. The times of the Gentiles is the 70 seven of years allotted to the Gentiles under which Israel shall be under gentile domination, including the gap of time between the 69th and the 70th seven. Therefore the fullness of the Gentiles is technically the completion of the 70th seven. Thereafter the deliverer shall come to Zion and all Israel shall be saved(Rom.11:25,26), thereby completing the spiritual kingdom of God.

The reason for The return of Jesus to the Earth as the strong angel who roars like a lion is to save the remnant of Israel. When He roars like a lion His sons shall come Him trembling from the west(Hosea 11:10,11). The prophet Hosea uses the same phrase here as John the revelator did: cried out with a loud voice as when a roars(Hosea 10:3).

Verse 7-11: Here the revalator, the beloved Apostle John was commanded by the same voice which spoke to him from heaven earlier on to go and take the small scroll from the hand of the strong angel who stands on the land and the sea, whom we have identified to be Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus the Christ, the second person of the Trinity. He then went to the Lord and said, give me the scroll. And He said unto him, take it and eat it up; it shall make thy belly bitter, it shall be thy mouth sweet as honey. He took the scroll from His hand and ate it up. It was in his mouth as sweet as honey: but as soon as he had eaten it his belly was made bitter. Eating up the scroll implies a voracious appetite. John ate the scroll voraciously. That was why he able to write it down an pass it over to us. We too must have a voracious appetite for the word, to eat it, declare and proclaim it and pass it on to the next generation.

The scroll contained the remaining judgement of God, the bowls, to be poured upon the wicked earth-dwellers, the bitter part, and the renovation of the Earth after the cleansing from the defilement if sin and the institution of the millennial reign of Christ, the son of God, the sweet part. There is a dichotomy here, the bitter and the sweet. The writer has had a similar experience, some 35 years ago, when, in a vision, I ate the whole Bible. It was sweet like buttered bread. But in real life, the outworking has not been particularly pleasant.

Verse 11: And he said unto him, thou shall prophecy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings. Because the revelator ate the word, he had the God given responsibility to declare it to the World, and he did. That is why we have the book of Revelation to read, maul over and heed. When we eat the word, it becomes our responsibility to declare it to the world, no matter what the personal cost may be. Amen.

Avraham Shallom.

The Fifth Trumpet(1-12).

“And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit. And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit. And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power. And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads. And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man. And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them. And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared unto battle; and on their heads were as it were crowns like gold, and their faces were as the faces of men. And they had hair as the hair of women, and their teeth were as the teeth of lions. And they had breastplates, as it were breastplates of iron; and the sound of their wings was as the sound of chariots of many horses running to battle. And they had tails like unto scorpions, and there were stings in their tails: and their power was to hurt men five months. And they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon. One woe is past; and, behold, there come two woes more hereafter.”(Rev.9:1-12).

A Star(1).

When the fifth angel sounded, a star fell from heaven unto the Earth. This is metaphorical. It is not a literal star. Stars are used to describe angels of God as well as saints of God(Job 38:7; Gen.22:17). And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever(Dan.22:3). The star is a supernatural being. The statement that a star fell from heaven is referent to an angel descending from heaven. That this star is an angel is borne out by the fact that a key was given to him. To him indictates personhood. A key cannot be given to a literal star. So, we conclude that this star is angelic being. The rank of this angel we are not told, neither his regalia. The tense of the verbal indicates that the revelator John did not see the angel falling, but saw him after he had already fallen. Jesus our Lord saw Satan falling from heaven(Luk.10:18). Theologically fallen angels represent evil spirits. Is this a fallen angel or an angel of God? Surely this angel is on a divine mission. The key of the bottomless pit was given to him. It is also probable that the angel is a high ranking angel in the service of God Almighty. He is a heavenly policeman, a security agent of sorts. It is unlikely that this key could be given to a fallen angelic being.

The Bottomless Pit(2).

What is the bottomless pit? The bottomless pit is below for the star fell from heaven unto the Earth. It is part of the underworld of the dead. It separated the Hell from Paradise in the OT dispensation(Luk.16:26). It is between Hell and the defunct Paradise. Paradise under the OT dispensation was where the OT saints were kept prior to their being taken to heaven when Our Lord Jesus the Christ rose from the dead(Matt.27:52). Abraham rejoiced to see my day, and he saw it and was glad(John 8:56). That location in the underworld of the dead is now empty. Paradise in the NT dispensation is synonymous with heaven. The term bottomless is a transliteration of abussos(abyss). It occurs nine times in the NT, seven of them in Revelation. It refers to a place of confinement of supernatural beings. It is the confinement chamber for supernatural powers. The demons in the Gadarine demoniac requested that Jesus not command them to depart into the abyss(Luk.8:33). In Matt.8:29, the demon asked Jesus, have you come to torment us before the time? Clearly, the abyss and the place and time of torment are connected. That the demons are aware of future time when they shall be assigned to the abyss is clear. Equally the abyss will be a place of torment for demons. Revelation 20:3 locates the time of confinement of demons to the abyss and the period of their torment in the same to coincide with the millennial reign of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus the Christ. Satan will also be incarcerated in the abyss for 1000 years. This period of confinement will not be a simple restriction of movement. Rev. 11:7 and 17:8 indicate that the beast that killed the two witnesses and persecuted the people of God during the end times ascended from the bottomless pit. The bottomless pit which is also described as a gulf(Luk.16:26) is where the fallen angels who kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation and cohabited with human females and produced humanoids or transhumans are incarcerated. These hybrid humans called nephelim in Hebrew were annihilated in the deluge, and their demonic fathers incarcerated in the bottomless pit(Gen. 6:1-8; Jude1:6). This segment of angels not only sided with Satan in the great rebellion in eternity past before the creation of Adam, and were therefore locked in unrighteousness, after their expulsion from heaven, but also went further to mingle the human and angelic species. God Almighty, the creator of all things made a distinction between human and angelic beings, but these angels assayed to obliterate that distinction. It was a satanic counter strategy to thwart the redemption of mankind. These demons were so vile that they were not suffered to roam the dark void and the starry heavens like Satan and other fallen angels, but were rather imprisoned in the abyss, awaiting the judgment of the great Day of the Lord(Jud.1:6). Pit translates the Greek word phrear. This word is used three times outside Revelation, in the gospels. It refers to a well from which water is drawn(Luk.14:5; John 4:11,12). A key to the shaft of abyss is a literal translation.

The Locusts(3).

And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit. The thick smoke emanating from the abyss was not ordinary smoke, but multitudes of demonic hordes. They were so many and black as Erebus that they darkened the sun and blackened the air. These hordes of demons were so dark and thick they prevented the penetration of the rays of the sun unto the Earth, producing a total eclipse of the sun. Out of the thick smoke emerged locusts upon the Earth. These are not ordinary biological insects called locusts. They are demons with the physiognomy of locusts. They were given power to hurt as the scorpions of the Earth have power.

The Duty Of The Locusts(4-6).

And unto them were given power as the scorpions of the Earth have power. Locusts generally feed on vegetations. These locusts were forbidden by God to do harm to the vegetations of the Earth, but rather commanded by God to hurt those men who have not the seal of God on their foreheads. Theologians call this the passive of divine activity. They were also forbidden by God to kill those who were not God-marked, but rather to torment them for five months. They killed others but were forbidden to die. The righteous did not want to die but was killed. The wicked wants to die but was forbidden death. And their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when stings a man. The venom of a scorpion is poisonous and could kill. But that is very rare. There is a species of scorpion in southern USA whose venom could kill their victims. Mortality from from scorpion sting has been recorded in medical history in that part of the world. But generally scorpion stings are not fatal. Scorpion sting is a bit common in Nigeria but it generally does not lead to death. They could be very painful but usually do not lead to mortality. The writer treated a few in my days of practice of medicine in Nigeria. They usually do well with local anesthetics and analgesics. The writer has been stung by a scorpion and survived without medical treatment, but by no means advocating that. The pain is horrible especially in the early stages after the sting but wears off after a day or two. But it would be a very horrible experience to be stung by scorpions repeatedly without dying. In the immediate period, one can faint and be in shock from scorpion sting. Am sure the Beast and his minions would put screens on their houses and vehicles. But these demons would not be deterred or restrained. They have been prepared for thousands of years by incarceration in the bottomless pit for the judgment of the great day of the Lord( Jud.1:6). Being chained under darkness for thousands of years has made them more vile and wicked than ever. Being loosed, they cannot be restrained by man through the instrumentality of physical barriers insofar as they are spirit beings and cannot be restrained physically. If anyone is stung by scorpion repeatedly, am sure the one would prefer death to life. No wonder these living wicked beast-marked adorers and worshippers of the Dragon-Beast would seek death and desire to die but death will flee from them(6).

The Appearance Of The Locusts(7-10).

The shapes of the locusts were like horses prepared for battle. On their heads were golden crowns, and their faces are like the faces of men. What horrible creatures? Their hairs were like those of women, and their teeth like those of lions. What a terrible combination. This may be an indication that animals were involved in the satanic hybridization programme in the antediluvian world as also said the Jewish rabbis. They had breastplates of iron, and the sound of their wings was like the sound of many horses running to battle. Their tails were like those of scorpions. They could sting with their tails like scorpions. And they had power to hurt the beast-marked adorers of the Dragon-Beast for five months.

The King Of The Locusts(11).

Their king is the angel of the bottomless pit. That they have a king suggests order and purpose. The appellative king is interesting because the Scriptures accord no such title to Satan. These creatures have a unique purpose which requires a strict discipline, hence their need of a king. Naturally the locusts have no king(Prov.30:27). There is no contradiction here insofar as these horrific locust-like creatures appear only as locusts. The angel of the abyss is king over these horrible locust-like creatures. The grammatical construction here, genitive subjunctive indicates that the angel is over the bottomless pit. It does not indicate he is from the abyss. The name in Hebrew is Abaddon. The phrase in Hebrew is unique to Johannine expression(John 5:2; 19:13, 17,20; 20:6; Rev.16:16). Some of his audience are Jewish. In the OT, Abaddon is the name of the place of the dead(Prov.15:11; Job 26:6; Ps 88:11). It used as poetic parallel to Shoel in Job 14:11 and Prov.15:11; to death in Job 28:22; and to the grave in Ps 88:11. The Septuagint(LXX) translated the Hebrew term Abaddon as apoleia which means destruction. The Apostle Paul labelled the Man of Lawlessness[the Man of Sin, antiChrist, the Son of Destruction(Abaddon), 2 Thess.2:3]. The Lord Jesus called Judas Iscariot the son of perdition(Abaddon). This is the only place in the Script where a particular angel is explicitly identified with the name Destruction or Destroyer. In the wilderness, those who tempted Christ and murmured were destroyed of the serpent and the destroyer(1 Cor.10:8-10). The death of the ten amongst the spies in Num.14 were credited to the destroyer(Heb.11:28). In Egypt, prior to the exodus, the death of the first born was credited to the destroyer(Exod.12:23). God’s punishment of the wicked is always accomplished by the destroyer. In Greek, he is called Apollyon. John also intends a Greek audience amongst his readers. Apollyon is a derivative of the Greek verb “apollunai” which means to destroy. Therefore, the angel of the abyss is the destroyer. It is not Satan but a subordinate angelic being committed to the task of destroying the enemies of God. He is one of Satan’s high ranking demons. He is probably a principality or power of sorts(Eph.3:10). The names in both Greek and Hebrew mean the same thing, destroyer or destruction. He commands these locusts. He tells them what to do. Where did he get his power? From God ?

The First Woe(12).

The last three trumpet judgments are called woes or rather result in woes. They are the most severe of the seven trumpet judgments.

The Sixth Trumpet judgment(13-21).

“And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God, Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates. And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men. And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand: and I heard the number of them. And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone: and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone. By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths. For their power is in their mouth, and in their tails: for their tails were like unto serpents, and had heads, and with them they do hurt. And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk: Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.”(Rev.9:13-21).

Whilst the fifth trumpet judgment tormented its victims without killing them, the sixth trumpet judgment killed a third of the living wicked earth-dwellers who worship and adore the Dragon-beast.

A Voice From The Golden Altar(13,14).

At the sounding of the sixth trumpet the revelator heard a voice from the horns of the golden altar of incense which is before God. Frequently the revelator hears a voice. We assume also that he saw since he was in the spirit and his view unobstructed. The voice must be the voice of the angel of the golden altar of incense where the fifth seal martyrs were kept prior to their glorification. He appears to administer the wrath of God inasmuch as they are divine response in answer to the prayers of the saints calling out for vengeance for their lives which were terminated by the beast-marked adorers and worshippers of the Dragon-Beast. The horns of the altar signal a place of power and authority. So the voice emanating from the horns of the golden altar of incense must be that of a very powerful angel. He is probably higher in rank than the seven angels administering the seven trumpets, insofar as he gives orders to one of the seven angels administering the seven trumpets. This angel was before God. In other words he was acting under the orders of the Almighty. He spoke to the angel who had the sixth trumpet, saying, loose the four Angels which are bound in the great River Euphrates. Obviously the four angels bound in the great River Euphrates are fallen angelic beings called demons. So they are evil spirits. Unlike the angels who did not keep their first estate, we do not know what other acts that these four evil spirits committed that led to their being bound in the Euphrates River other than joining in the great satanic revolt in eternity past. Whatever it was, it is of recent, considering the period of their imprisonment in the great River Euphrates.

The Four Angels Bound In The Great River Euphrates(15).

The voice of the angle emanating from the horns of the golden altar of incense which was before God instructed the angel with the sixth trumpet to loose the four evil spirits incarcerated in the great River Euphrates. These evil angels were prepared for an hour, a day, a month and a year in order for them to slay the third part of the living wicked earth-dwellers and adorers and worshippers of the Dragon-Beast. What is the meaning of a day, a month and a year? Is it literal or its it some kind of a formula? That is difficult to say. In the absence of interpretation somewhere else in the a Scriptures, we presume it is literal. One of the principles of biblical hermeneutics is scripture must interpret scripture.

The Demonic Killing Machines(16-19).

The moment these four horrible creatures were released from their incarceration in the Great River Euphrates, the result was immediate; the raising of armoured divisions amounting to two hundred million soldiers. The revelator described them as cavalries mounted on horsebacks. This is understandable since that was what was known in his day. However these are modern amoured divisions with most sophisticated and latest of modern tanks, equipped with the latest in military laser technology. And I saw the horses in the vision and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone: and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone. These sophisticated killing machines equipped with the latest in modern military technology have the capacity to set ablaze and incinerate their victims. By these three were the third part of man killed, by the fire, smoke and brimstone that issued out of their mouths. Their power was in their mouths and in their tails: for their tails were like serpents, and have heads, and with them they do hurt. These killing machines have the capacity to fire in both directions. This is not fiction. Though films have been produced in Hollywood portraying these machines and their operators, they are available in one form or the other as robots equipped with artificial intelligence(AI). In the event of world war, the U.S. Military and others like Israel, China, Russia, Britain etc can field robotic soldiers and tanks capacable of accomplishing the kind of devastation graphically portrayed in this vision. These monumental killing machines have the capacity to pulverize and annihilate their victims in a matter of seconds.

The Reaction Of The Survivors(20,21).

Inspite of the havoc just wreaked by these killing machines, wiping out a third of all living earth-dwellers, the survivors repented not of the works of their hands that they should not worship demons, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk. As we have pointed out, apart from the enlivened images of the Beast-antiChrist located at strategic places to identify and cause to be killed those who do not have the mark of the sea-beast, the beast-marked adorers were also instructed by the second beast, the enforcer to make images of the beast to keep and worship in their homes. These images though lifeless in and of themselves are demonized. So, as they bowed to these images, they bowed to demons. Apart from blatant idolatry, these living wicked earth-dwellers practised sorceries, murdered the saints of God and those who did not take the mark of the beast, committed sexual immoralities and purloined. As we have pointed out earlier sin is a cicatrizant; it sears the soul and hardens the heart. These men have sinned beyond repentance. No matter the severity of the punishment, they will never repent.

Avraham Shallom.

Background To The Wrath Of God.

Revelation chapter 6 marks the starting point of the 70th seven of Daniel which corresponds with the signing of the seven-year peace treaty between the many from within Israel and the Man of sin(Dan.9:27). This treaty is dubbed the covenant with Death or agreement with Hell by the prophet Isaiah(Is.28:15). Precisely at the midpoint of the 70th seven, Satan, the great red Dragon is cast down to Earth from his abode in the dark void and starry heavens unto the Earth. He is filled with wrath because he knowest that he has but a short time(Rev.12:7-12). He possesses the sea-beast, gives him his power, seat and great authority(Rev.13:2). The Beast-antiChrist relocates his headquarters to Jerusalem(Dan.11:45), erects a statue of himself in the Holy Of Holies of the rebuilt Jewish temple on Mount Moriah in Jerusalem, and demands worship of all mortals(Matt.24:15; Rev.13:15,16). This is the abomination that maketh desolate spoken of by Daniel the prophet. It marks the starting point of the great tribulation. This is the wrath of Satan directed against the Jews and Christians and any other persons who reject the mark and worship of the Dragon-Beast. At the breaking of the sixth seal, there are earthly and cosmic disturbances which interrupts the great tribulation. The great tribulation is cut short, because if not, no person who rejects the mark and worship of the Dragon-Beast would be alive; for the elect’s sake, those days shall be shortened(Matt.24:22). With the breaking of the sixth seal God Almighty announces to the living wicked earth-dwellers He is about to pour out His wrath on the adorers and worshippers of the Dragon-Beast. At this point all the inhabitants of the Earth shall know that the God of Israel is the one and only true God, and that every other god is false. That He is real: that He made us not we ourselves(Ps.100:3). That evolution is a scientific farce. Then they will hide themselves in the rocks and mountains, calling on the rocks and mountains to fall upon them and to hide them from the face of Him that sitteth on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb; for the great day of His wrath is come and who shall be able to stand( Rev.6:15-17). They will begin to wail and weep(Matt.24:30). But before the wrath of God is poured out on the living wicked dwellers and adorers and worshippers of the Dragon-Beast, God Almighty raptures the elect of God and seals the 144,000 who fled into protective custody in red rose city of Petra and the Judean wilderness when the abomination of desolation was instituted at the rebuilt Jewish temple on Mount Moriah in Jerusalem(Matt. 24:16) as we have seen in Chapter 7. The wrath of God or the wrath of the Lamb begins with the breaking of the seventh seal in Chapter 8. The seventh seal is the only thing that hides the content of the Scroll. The content of the scroll is the eschatological wrath of God. So far there is chronological order in the narrative of the book of Revelation.

The Breaking Of The Seventh Seal (1,2).

AND when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour. And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets.

The situation on the Earth at this time is dire. The sixth seal has darkened the heavens and frozen the Earth. The appearance of the Son Of Man in the heavens has dispelled the darkness and defrost the Earth. The elect are raptured and the 144,000 sealed. The wrath of God is about to begin. The Day of the Lord or the Day of His Wrath is a day of darkness and gloominess(Zeph 1:15). There is no light in it(Amos 5:18-20).

When He broke the seventh seal there was silence in heaven. The breaking of the seventh seal calls for solemnity in heaven because it marks the starting point of the wrath of God. God’s longsuffering(Greek~macrotumia~largeness of heart) has run its course. There would be no more delays, no more postponements, no more tarrying for the wicked to repent. Hence the silence in heaven for half an hour. Every angelic activities stopped. Here John the revelator was relating to the incident in human terms. In heaven, there is no time. The reference to time here is anthropomorphic. In verse 2, seven angels were standing before God. We are not told the names and ranks and regalia of these seven angels. Thy must be of high rank to stand before God the Father, although every angel at one time or the other stands before God. To stand before God means to stand in His presence, to minister to Him, to answer to God. These seem to have a continual ministry in the presence of the Father. They were given seven trumpets. The wrath of God consists of two series of plagues. Each of these two series, consists of seven plagues. The first series of seven plagues are the seven trumpets. The second series of seven plagues are the seven bowls. Each of these plagues is administered by an angel. The seventh seal itself has no judgement of its own but opens into the seven trumpets. So also the seventh trumpet has no judgement of its own but opens into the seven bowls.

The Incense Of Prayers(3-4).

And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel’s hand.

And another angel came and stood at the altar. This is the angel of the altar. He had a golden censer. There was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of the saints upon the golden altar which was before the Throne. This is the same altar we identified as the altar under which the fifth seal martyrs were kept, awaiting the completion of the number of saints to be killed. It is the golden altar of incense which is in the sanctuary or the Holy place. It is from this altar, they cried out to God for vengeance(Rev.6:9-11). This angel probably ministered to the fifth seal martyrs while awaiting vengeance. These souls have now been raptured. They have received their eternal immortal resurrection bodies with other saints at the Rapture(Rev.7:9-17). They are no longer under the altar. They have no more cares, no more worries. Though they are no more calling to God for vengeance. He remembers He has promised to answer. He is the faithful God. He is just and righteous. The prayers of the saints, most especially those of the fifth seal martyrs ascended as aromas to heaven and were stored away. The prayers of these precious souls are now mingled with incense and offered to God at the throne room of the temple in heaven as odours of sweet aromas, sweet smelling savours, sacrifices acceptable, well pleading to God(Phil.4:18). This is appropriate because God is about to answer their prayers. Our righteous prayers are stored away in heaven as aromatic bars in valises, and are offered to God in time of remembrance. When they are mingled with incense and offered to God, He perceives the sweet aromas and answers our prayers. Therefore we should persevere in our prayers though it takes long for Him to answer.

Prelude To The Seven Trumpets(5 & 6).

And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast it into the earth: and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake. And the seven angels which had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound.

In verse 4, the smoke of the incense together with the prayers of the saints ascended before God out of the hand of the angel of the golden altar. What a wonderful and glorious scene in heaven, God Almighty perceiving the aromas of the prayers of His martyred saints as He prepares to punish the living wicked earth-dwellers and adorers and worshippers of the Dragon-Beast. And the angel of the golden altar of incense took the censer, and filled with fire from the altar, and cast it into the Earth: and there were voices, thundering, lightnings and an earthquake. We have seen that thundering and lightnings emanate from heaven when God Almighty is praised and worshipped in loud voices of men and of angels. The effect on Earth is tremendous. There was a horrible earthquake. It is time for God to pour out His wrath upon the Earth. Therefore the seven angels with the seven trumpets prepared themselves to blow the trumpets.

The First Trumpet: One-Third Of Green Vegetations Burnt(7).

The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.

The first angel sounded, there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the Earth. Hail and fire? yeah! But blood? Where did that come from? Is it the blood of the Lamb or the martyred saints? We are not told. The effect was very damaging and devastating on green vegetation. The third part of the trees were burnt up, and every green grass was burnt up. This would lead to the death of animals that are supported by green vegetation. There would be worsening of erosion, deforestation and desertification. Lifestock farmers would be severely affected. This would worsen the famine already caused by the first four seals. Those who do not have the mark of the beast are in hiding. Their food supply must come from whatever they stowed away previously. For the beast-marked adorers and worshippers who depend on daily supplies, starvation would set in. Vegetation provide protection for human and animal life. The loss of vegetation would lead to epidemics of communicable and parasitic diseases. Man exhales carbon and takes in oxygen. The oxygen generated by plants through the process of photosynthesis is given out. With the green vegetation almost gone, the percentage of oxygen in the atmosphere will be drastically reduced. The combustion of green vegetation will result in higher percentage of carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide. This will lead to increase in respiratory diseases. There will be increase in Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Many of these patients will die from pulmonary and cardiac failures. At this time, there will be no functional hospital, no organized medical care what so ever. The Earth will be in a state of utter chaotic confusion.

The Second Trumpet: Pollution Of One-Third Of The Salt Water Sources(8 & 9).

And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea: and the third part of the sea became blood; And the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died; and the third part of the ships were destroyed.

The second trumpet resulted in great mountain burning with fire being cast into the sea. Because of the use of the definite article the, it would mean all seas were affected. It affected a third part of all the seas. A third part of the seas became blood. The third part of the seas would become toxic, killing all forms of life in the seas. The viscosity of blood would not permit sea-going vessels. This would mean the loss of a third of all vessels in the salt water sources, the seas and the oceans with both the crews and the passengers. A huge portion of the world food supply come from the seas and oceans. A third of this supply would be lost. There would be shortages of seafoods.

The Third Trumpet: Wormwood And The Pollution Of One-Third Of The Fresh Water Sources(10,11).

And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters; And the name of the star is called Wormwood: and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter.

When the third angel blew his trumpet, a great star fell from the heavens. Could this be really a star? The sun is one of the smallest stars. It is 93 million miles away from the Earth. If it would get closer, our planet would melt away. If it would get farther we would be frozen to death. John was using the vocabulary of his day and age to communicate biblical truth. It is most probably a meteorite or part of a disintegrated supernova. It was burning like a lamp. It fell upon the third part of the rivers and upon the fountains of waters. The plague targeted a third part of the fresh water sources: rivers, fountains and fresh water lakes. This star or meteorite or whatever it might be has a name. The name is wormwood. Wormwood is an ancient antihelmintic. It is very bitter. It is not known to be toxic except in cases of over dosage. It’s bitterness helps to expel worms from the intestines. However this wormwood Would lead to the pollution of a third of the fresh water sources. The waters themselves became wormwood as a result of the pollution. The water from these sources would become very bitter. And many men died from the waters because they were made bitter. This star called Wormwood will make these bodies water undrinkable. The bitterness here is indicative of its toxicity. This star falling into the fresh water sources would kill all forms of life in these waters both plant and animals due to the toxic nature of this wormwood. The waters would be polluted from decaying organic mater and become very toxic. Besides, vessels, crew and passengers and cargoes in the affected fresh water sources would be lost. Any chemical, biological or nuclear material amongst the cargoes would lead to severe pollution of the fresh water sources. Perhaps this is what is meant by John the revalator, in a layman’s language, by the waters were made bitter.

The Fourth Trumpet: One-Third Of The Sun, Moon, And Stars Darkened(12).

And the fourth angel sounded, and the third part of the sun was smitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars; so as the third part of them was darkened, and the day shone not for a third part of it, and the night likewise.

The fourth trumpet resulted in the darkening of a third part of the sun, moon and stars. It is difficult to understand what kind of changes that would go on the starry heavens that would produce this kind of effect in the sun, moon and stars. It would probably last for a day, about 24 hours or thereabouts; for the day will not not shine for a third part of it and the night likewise. We are not told the effect on the planet Earth and its dwellers. It would be very severe.

The Angelic Announcement(13).

And I beheld and heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, to the inhabited of the earth by reason of the other voice of the trumpet of the three angels, which are yet to sound!

The revelator heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with the loud voice, woe, woe, woe, to the inhabitants of the Earth by reason of the trumpets of the three angels who are yet to blow their trumpets. Some translations read an eagle flying in mid heaven. This would make case for the identity of the angle as one of the four beasts or living creatures with the face of an eagle. We are not told who this horizontal moving angel is, nor his station nor regalia. He is probably a high ranking angel to be committed with such responsibility. The revalator did not say that he saw this angel. It is possible to hear a voice and not see the speaker. In this context, it is most probable that he saw the angel; for he was in the spirit, and nothing was obstructing his view. The angel makes it clear that the living wicked earth-dwellers, the adorers of the Dragon-Beast are the intended victims of the trumpet judgments. They are consistently portrayed in the scroll of Revelation as the enemies of God and the object of His wrath. The last three trumpet judgements are going to be more severe. Therefore they are called the three woes or culminate in the three woes. Their severity is clearly emphasized.

Avraham Shallom.

At the breaking of the sixth seal, the universe is darkened and the Earth frozen. There was no permanent destruction to the Sun, Moon and Stars. There are some that assign permanent destruction to the Sun, Moon and Stars at the breaking of the sixth seal. It is only by ignoring textual details and maximizing similarities between the sixth seal, the fourth trumpet and fourth bowl that one can make a case against limited cessation of light during the breaking of the sixth seal. At the outpouring of the fourth bowl judgment, the Sun scotched men severely with great heat, they blasphemed the name of God who has power over these plagues, and they repented not to give Him glory(Rev.16:8,9). This implies there was no permanent destruction to the Sun, Moon and Stars at the breaking of the sixth seal. Whatever happened at the breaking of the sixth seal was limited in duration. It is the appearance of The Son Of Man in the heavens, the Shekinah, to seal His servants and rescue the saints that would dispel the darkness and defrost the Earth.

The Avenging Angels( 1).

After these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the Earth, holding the four winds of the Earth, that the wind should not blow on the Earth, nor on the sea, nor any tree.

After these things is a phrase and a popular formula that John uses to introduce another unit of vision or material. It indicates a new sequence, but not necessarily a new time factor. There are four angels. We are not told who they are, their rank or regalia. They are avenging angels. They are playing a restraining role now until the servants of God are sealed. Thereafter the Earth shall be reaped. They are certainly amongst the angelic reapers. They hold the four winds of the Earth. They are high ranking and powerful to hold the four winds of the Earth. They are controlling angels. They are positioned at the four corners of the Earth. That means they control the whole Earth. The significance of their position lies in the fact that they control the whole Earth, the Sea and the Trees. The four winds of the Earth indicate the fours cardinal points, East, West, North and South( Jer.49:36; Eze.37:9; Dan.7:2; 8:8 & 11:4). They are holding the four winds in order that the wind would not blow on the whole Earth. This is the purpose of the restraining angels. They are holding back the wind. We are not told why the winds needs to be restrained, but the implication is danger. If the wind is let lose, it would cause great destruction on the Earth. They are going to let it lose anyway, but only after the servants of God has been sealed in their foreheads. Therefore only those who are divinely protected would be safe from the blowing wind.

The Sealing Angel(2 & 3).

And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the Earth and the sea, saying hurt not the Earth, neither the Sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.

Here another angel is introduced. He is ascending from the East, the rising of the Sun. Again we are not told who he is nor his rank or regalia. But he has the seal of God. He must be a high ranking angel to bear the seal of God. We are not told what this seal looks like; it is not explicitly defined but is God’s seal. We are not told what the sealing is for. But seals generally are for authentication, identification, ownership and protection. It was given the four previously introduced angels to hurt the Earth. Therefore they are avenging angels. But must play a restraining role until the servants of God are sealed in their foreheads. In verse 3, the sealing angel calls on the four avenging angels not to hurt the Earth, the Sea, and the Trees till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads. It is stated explicitly the Earth, the Sea and the Trees are about to be hurt by the wrath of God; this must not be done until the servants of God have been sealed for protection. Why must the Earth itself, the Sea and the Trees be hurt. Is this an undeserved wrath? When Adam fell so did the whole Earth. The whole creation groaneth and travaileth together in pain until….(Rom.8:18-22). The whole creation locked in perpetual fallen state is about to begin its journey to rebirth. Like its redeemer, The Christ, it must suffer before its ultimate freedom. To be cleansed from the defilement of Sin, it must be salted with fire.

The sealing process itself is done by multiple number of angels. This is quite understandable considering the number to be sealed. We do not know the exact number of angels involved. The sealing is to prevent harm. The people sealed are called “sunduloi,” that is slaves or bond-servants. This term is used of believers also. But it is not clear here whether these bond-servants have the same relationship as we have with Christ today.

The 144,000(4-8).

“And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed a hundred and forty and four thousand of the tribes of the children of Israel. Of the tribe of Judah were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Reuben were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Gad were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe Asher were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Naphlatlim were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Menasses were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Simeon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Levi were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Issachar were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Zebulon were sealed twelve thousand. Of true tribe of Joseph were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Benjamin were sealed twelve thousand.”

Of the children of Israel were sealed twelve thousand from each of the twelve tribes. The total is 144,000. Why twelve thousand were chosen from each of the twelve tribes, we are not told. In Hebrew numerology and gematria, 12 can be broken down to 10 and 2. Ten is the number of completeness and 2 is that of unity. Behold how good and pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity. It is like the previous ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aharon’s beard: that went down to the skirts of his garment; as the dew of Hermon; as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the Lord commanded the blessing, even life for evermore(Ps 133:1-3). Two cannot work together except they be agreed(Amos 3:3). Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour. For if they fall, the one will lift his fellow: buth woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up. If one prevail against him, two shall withstand him. If two lie together, they have heat; but how can one be warm alone(Eccl.4:9-22a). It is not good for man to be alone; I will make him a help meet for him( Gen.2:18). Ten itself can be broken down to 7 and 3. Seven is the divine number of perfection and 3 stands for the Trinity and love. Besides, a three fold cord is now easily broken(Eccl.4:12b). Thousand stands for multitude. We do not dare suggest that the number is more than 144,000. But it may be representative, a kind of firstfruits of the children of Israel. In chapter 14, they stand with the Lamb on Mount Zion. They are redeemed from the Earth. They are not defiled with women. They are virgins. They follow the Lamb wherever He goeth. They were the only ones on Earth who could sing the new song sang by the redeemed in Heaven(Rev. 14:1-5). Obviously they are not believers in Jesus as we are today, else would they be raptured with the multitude which no one could number. They were sealed for protection. They were initially secluded in the rose red city of Petra, the Judean wilderness and perhaps in Jerusalem, in cellars and underground basements and bonkers, from where they were rescued, by the Lamb and taken to Mount Zion, where He reclaimed God’s rule over the Earth at the sounding of the 7th trumpet and the surviving remnants of Israel reconciled to God shortly before.

We see that Dan is omitted from the list, and Joseph is included. It is speculated that this is so because Dan was given to idolatry. They forcefully took the idol from the house of Micah(Judges 17). When the kingdom divided after the death Solomon, Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, set his idols in Bethel and Dan(1 Kings 12:25-30). Even in NT times, the whole area of Dan was given to Idolatry. The Greek god of Pan was worshipped in Dan. The shrine is there to this day at Banias at the foot of the the Hermon.

The right of primogeniture belonged Reuben, but he lost it when he engaged in incestus relation with his father’s concubine(Gen.35:22; 49:3-4). Judah, thou art the one thy brethren shall praise(Gen.49:7-12). So leadership went to Judah. But the double portion of the firstborn went to Joseph for his faithfulness(Gen.48:5,15-22). Jacob adopted his two grandchildren, Ephraim and Menasses . What is not clear here is why Joseph is mentioned instead of Ephraim. The double portion of Joseph is in Ephraim and Menasseh. Menasseh is mentioned, and Ephraim replaced with his father Joseph, which I consider somewhat redundant and tautological. But the revelator told us what he heard and saw. Ephraim was probably omitted beacuse of idolatry in the ten northern tribes with which it was synonymous. Levi was included, so also Simeon. Remember their terrible anger in wiping out the people of Shechem, in the matter of their sister Dinah(Gen.34;49:5-7). Their father Jacob promised to scatter them in Israel. But Levi redeemed himself when he killed his brethren when they were joined to idols in Baalpeor(Ex.32:26-28). Nevertheless his inheritance was scattered amongst the other tribes when he received the priesthood instead of the firstborn from every tribe. Simeon never redeemed himself. His inheritance was within the territory of Judah. In the Millennium, in the new land grants, Dan shall be given a portion, so also Simeon. The priests, the sons of Zadok, and the Levites shall haven their portion in the vicinity of the millennial temple in Jerusalem(Eze. 37 & 38).

The Multitude Which No One Could Number(9 & 10).

“After this I beheld, and, lo, a multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindred, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; and cried with a loud voice, saying, salvation to our God who sitteth on the throne, and unto the Lamb.”

After this is a phrase John uses to introduce another unit of vision. In this unit of vision John saw an innumerable multitude. This a metaphor. It indicates that this group of people is a very large crowd. The Greek literally says much or many group. This however does not mean this group cannot be counted. Given time and resources one could count them. Unlike the previous group consisting only of Israelites and a limited number of 144,000, 12,000 from each of the twelve tribes of Israel, this group consists of a large crowd, from all colours and races, tongues and nations, including Jews and Gentiles. The innumerable multitude represents a universal gathering. They stood before the throne. This is a heavenly scene in contrast to the earthly scene of 144,000. They are not arriving; they have already arrived. They are not assembling, they have assembled. This is a finished product. They were clothed in white robes. These earthlings in Heaven have bodies. To survive in Heaven, these bodies must be glorified eternal immortal resurrection bodies. Unlike the fifth seal martyrs under the altar in Heaven, souls without bodies who received white robes later, this innumerate multitude are already clothed in white robes. They have arrived, they have assembled, and they are clothed in white robes. The implication of this should not be lost on anyone. Their job is finished. Their work is over. They have arrived. They are glorified.

They have palm branches in their hands. In the ancient Neareast, palm branches signify, victory, triumph and peace. And this immediately reminds us of Our Lord’s triumphal entry in Jerusalem(John 12:13). In that incident, the multitude waved Palm branches before the Lord saying, Hosannah, blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord. Hosannah means save now please. In contrast to that crowd at the Lord’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem, this great innumerable multitude is not asking God for salvation, neither is God in need of salvation, but rather praising God in recognition of the fact that salvation comes from and belongs to God only. God the Father, and God the Son are the only source of salvation, redemption and victory and peace. Salvation to our God who sitteth on the throne, and unto the Lamb. The praise and worship is toward God the Father, and God the Son, who alone have redeemed humanity. Here the Holy Spirit is not mentioned, but it is understood that praise to one person of the Trinity is praise to all. The Holy Spirit does not praise and worship Himself, but rather directs us to worship the Father and the Son.

The Angelic Chorus(11 & 12).

And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God, saying, Amen: blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgivings, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen.

Unlike the universal orchestra in chapter 5, the choir increased in reverse geometric progression. First the innumerable multitude, then all the angels, which also happens to be an innumerable multitude. From the outer reaches of the throne to the centre of the throne. The four and twenty elders and then, those closest to the throne, the four beasts. They all worshipped God, saying, Amen. Amen is a Hebrew acrostic meaning, God is a faithful King. They acknowledged His faithfulness, and worshipped Him in a sevenfold doxology, saying, blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen. The sevenfold doxological predicate, preceded by an Amen, concludes with an Amen. The number 7 is the divine number of perfection in Hebrew numerology and gematria. Its use here, as in other places on the scroll of Revelation, indicates the perfected nature of end time events.

The Identity Of The Innumerable Multitude(13 & 14).

And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, what are these who are arrayed in white robes? And whence came they? And I said unto him, sir, thou knowest. And he said unto me, these are they who came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

One of the elders asked the revelator the questions, who are these who are arrayed in white robes, and from where do they come? The questions were asked not in ignorance, but to generate discussion, in order that he the elder might instruct the revelator; for the elder was in the know. The revelator answered, sir, thou knowest. The elder answered the question in reverse order. This is an NT methodology(Matt.24:3-31). The elder began by answering the second question first, from whence do they come? He did not say specifically where they came from, but a specific time is indicated. They came out of the great tribulation. The great tribulation is not a place but a period of time(Mark 13:19). Daniel 12:1 calls it a time of distress. But it is also obvious it took place on Earth. The locale is the whole Earth. It may have been worst in some places on Earth, but it happened all over the Earth. The epicenter is Jerusalem, the capital city of Israel. The question is full of interpretative insights, and whence anticipates a specific location. The innumerable multitude came out of the Great Tribulation. The Great Tribulation took place at a specific time on Earth, but not a specific place. Those or the ones who come out of great tribulation is a Greek substantival participle. This group is not in the process of coming individually but have come as a group. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Overcomers are clothed in white garments(Rev.3:5). The Laodiceans were counseled to purchase raiment so that their nakedness do not appear(Rev.3:18). Not all these arrivals are martyrs. Some did die, but there is no evidence they were all martyred. They have washed their robes and made white in the blood of the Lamb. This answered the first question. The innumerable multitude are those who have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. The blood is the symbol of life. This means that the atoning work of Jesus secured eternal redemption for the innumerable multitude. This pretty well defined the group, believers in Jesus taken to heaven at the Rapture of the saints.

The Blessedness Of The Innumerable Multitude(15-17).

Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve day and night in His temple: and He that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them nor any heat. For the Lamb who is the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.

These innumerable multitude are before the throne of God and serve Him day and night. There is a throne in Heaven where the Father holds court as Sovereign Lord of the universe. In the Millennium, there will be a throne room in the millennial temple on Mount Zion which shall be contiguous with the New Jerusalem. It is likely that it is this temple that is intended here. It may not be necessary to make a distinction between the two, because service to the Son is service to the Father and vice versa. They are before The Lord because of their salvation which they owe to The Lamb. Day and night refers to the unceasing nature and timelessness of praise and worship. They shall join the eternal adorers in Heaven in the praise and worship of God. God’s presence shall dwell amongst them for ever and ever. The removal of physical, environmental, and emotional discomforts implies they are resurrected saints. Wearing glorified eternal immortal resurrection bodies, these saints are no longer subject to the temporal frailties of the mortal body. Living fountains of waters implies the abundant life of the glorified saints.

Avraham Shallom.

The Seven-sealed Scroll: verse 1-5.

Verse 1: I saw on the right hand Him that sat on the Throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals. This is a heavenly scene. Here the revelator was taken to the Throne Room of God Almighty in the Heaven of heavens or the third Heaven. God the Father is seated on His Throne. That God the Father has a throne implies that He is a king. That he is a king implies He has a kingdom. There is the universal kingdom of God, and there is the earthly realm of that universal kingdom. That this Throne is in Heaven implies that it is the universal kingdom of God that is in view. That He is sitting on the throne, implies that He is a sitting King. That He is sitting implies that He is a reigning king. God is and He reigns. In His right hand, there is a book, written within and on the back side. The Greek word translated book here is “biblos” from which the English word bible and its cognates like biblical and biblicist are derived. It is best translated scroll or roll. In the ancient Near East as in the Roman World, documents were written on scrolls made from animal skins or papyrus and then rolled up. They could be written on the inside as well as on the outside. These documents could be marriage or business contracts, agreements between individuals or treaties between nations or the decrees and edicts of kings, nobles and senates. The scroll was sealed with seven seals. When rolled up, the scroll is secured with wires and knotted. These knots may be in a row or arranged haphazardly on the scroll. On these knots were placed wet clay or soft wax and the impression of the insignia of the owner is made and then left to congeal and harden. These knots of clay or wax on which the impression of the insignia of the owner are made are called seals or bullae(singular- bulla). For the purpose of consistency we shall stick to seals. Depending on the size of the scroll, the seals could be as few as one to three or as many as five to seven. The seals indicate ownership and authenticity. They are for identification and protection. Here there are seven seals. In Hebrew numerology and Gematria, seven is the divine number of perfection. It indicates completeness. The scroll with seven seals is the title deed of the Earth. God is the Lord of the Earth which He leased to Adam. It is the scroll of God’s judgement on the Earth which is both eschatological and consummative. It is the perfect judgement because it is divine in origin. God is just and shows no partiality(Deut.32:4; 1 Tim.5:21; Jam.3:17). He is no respecter of persons(Acts 10:31). There is no unrighteousness with Him(Rom.9:14). Let all be liars, but God remaineth true(Rom.3:2).

Verse 2: I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, who is worthy to open the scroll and to loose the seals thereof? A search was made in heaven by the proclamation of the strong angel to find a man worthy to break the seals and the open the scroll. The identity of this strong angel is not revealed. He is probably one of the archangels, perhaps, Gabriel, the bearer of good news. He was sent to Daniel near the expiry of the captivity in Babylon to cause him to understand(Dan.9:20-22). He was sent to the Virgin Mary to inform her of the miraculous conception(Luk.1:26). He was sent to Zachariah the priest concerning the birth of John the Baptist, the herald of His First Advent(Luk.1:19).

The Greek word translated loose in the KJV is better translated break. In ancient Neareast, seals are broken before the contents of scrolls can be revealed, usually by the owner of the seal or anyone authorized by the owner or the one to whom the document is addressed. In chronological order, the seals are broken first and then the contents are revealed. In verse 3, no man was found worthy, neither on Earth nor in Heaven to open the scroll or to look thereon. If no man was found in Heaven, certainly none would be found on Earth. Angels were not given rulership over the Earth for they have no physical bodies with which to relate with the earth-dwellers; therefore angels have no authority to judge the Earth either. Anyone who broke the seals and opened the scrolls must be an Adam. He must be a man given authority over the Earth, a representative of God. A man who succeeded where Adam failed. A man who had overcome the Devil. A man who had recovered the lost glory of man. A man in whom the Prince of this world had nothing( John 14:30). A man in whom is no sin(1 Pet.2:22; 2 Cor.5:21). In verse 4, the revelator wept much because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon. The situation looked dire and hopeless therefore the Lamentations of the Apostle. If there was no man found to break the seals and to open and read the scrolls, then Satan would rule the World for ever, and man would live in sin for ever though already redeemed by the finished work of Christ on the execution stake on Calvary. That would mean that the work of redemption though completed would not be consummated. But that was not to be. In verse 5, one of the 24 elders about the throne comforted him saying: weep not, behold the lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David, hath prevailed to open the scroll and to break the seven seals thereof. Jesus prevailed because He is the God-Man. He had previously overcome the Devil in His first advent. He conquered sin and death. He rose from the dead triumphant. He ascended into heaven, angels principalities, powers and authorities are being made subject to Him.

The Lamb of God(v.6-10)

Here in verse 6, the description of the Throne Room in Heaven continued. Unlike in the previous five verses where the attention was on the occupier of The Throne and the seven-sealed scroll in His right hand, here the attention shifts to the lamb in the midst of The Throne. When Jesus ascended into heaven, He was seated at the right hand of the Father. But now he is in the midst of The Throne, the four beast and the twenty-four elders standing. He is standing because He is about to vacate His seat at the right hand of the Majesty in the heavens. He is about to relocate to the Earth to take over the rulership of the Earth as the King of kings and Lord of lords. He is about to return to the Earth as a conquering and triumphant Messiah, Messiah Ben David. He stands as a lamb as it had been slain. His identity is not hidden at all. It is not to be confused with those of any other. He is the lamb of God who took away the sin of the world(Jon.1:29). He was slain, but now He is risen. He is alive again. He conquered death. He conquered the devil and his hordes of fallen angelic beings. He conquered the world. He has right to the Title Deed of the Earth. He is about to metamorphose into the Lion of the tribe of Judah from the Lamb of God. He is the son of God. He is the son of Man. He is the kinsman-redeemer, the “goel.” He is the prototype of the heavenly archetypal man. He is of the family and lineage of David. He is The king. He is The priest, after the order of Melchesedec, eternal, endless. He has seven horns. Horns signal authority. The number seven signifies perfection and completeness. He has perfect and complete authority. He is the perfect ruler of the Earth. He has seven eyes which are the seven spirits of God(Is.11:1-9). These are the spirits of power, knowledge, wisdom, understanding, counsel, the fear of the Lord and righteousness. The seven spirits of God empowers Him for the reign of righteousness. He is a dictator but a benign dictator. These spirits are sent forth into all the Earth. During His reign these spirits shall pervade the Earth, therefore, righteousness and justice shall prevail. During His reign, the lion shall eat straw like the ox, and a toddler shall put his finger into the cockatice den; for the Earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea( Is.11:6-9; Hab. 2:15). In verse 7, He approached the Father seated on His throne with the seven- sealed scroll in his right hand. He demanded it. The Father handed it over to Him. This is the moment the whole creation had been waiting for. For the whole creation waiteth and travaileth together in pain until now…..(Rom.8:22). He now has the Title Deed of the Earth. He shall proceed to the Earth to reclaim God’s rule over the Earth and to evict the usurper and his minions from the earth’s premesis.

In verse 8, the four beasts and the four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having everyone of them harps, and golden vials full of odours which are the prayers of the saints. Why fall down before the Lamb, in the presence of the Father, seated upon His Throne? Does anyone have doubt that the Son is God?. Here it is unequivocally shown that the Son is God. He is worshipped by men and angels in the presence of the Father. Was the Father jealous? No. Did He forbid it? No. That is exactly what He wants, that men should honour and worship the Son even as they honour and worship the Father(Jon.5:22,23). He that honours the Son, honours the Father. If any one worships the Son, he worships the Father also. If any man acknowledges the Father, he acknowledges the Son. He that had the Son had the Father. He that had not the Son, had not the Father. These heavenly beings have harps, instrument of music to worship and praise both the Father and the Son. They have vials, full of odours which are the prayers of the saints. The Greek word translated vial is “phiale.” It is not like the modern day vial used in medicine, narrow throated. It is more like a saucer, of which the content can be easily emptied. The prayers of the saints were quickly offered unto God as sweet insence and odours. The writer has had the privilege of experiencing this personally. Not only the prayers of saints ascend to God as incense but their lives generally. They may be aromatous or odoriferous, contingent upon the lifestyle, value system, conversation, or conduct of the saints.

Doxology to The Lamb: The Universal Choir in Session(v.9-14).

Verse 9: And they sung a song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the scroll, and to break the seals thereof: for thou wast slain and redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, tongue, people, and nation. He had the right credentials. Any one who would have taken the seven-sealed scroll from the Father, broken the seals, and opened the scroll to reveal the content, would have previously lived a sinless life on Earth, would have been slain and redeemed fallen humanity from the ravages of sin, the shackles of the law and the powers of darkness. He would have conquered death. He would have risen from the the dead and ascended into Heaven, and held session at the right hand of God the Father, the Majesty in The Heaven. No other being in Heaven fits this bill but J e s u s, the Son of God. Therefore, He is worthy. He is worthy because He came. He was slain. He died. His blood was shed to redeem all mankind. He did not sin, but He died for sinners. He redeemed us unto God the Father. He reconciled us unto Him. He is the mediator of the New Covenant which was established on better promises(Heb.8:6). He deserves our praise and worship. Some older manuscripts read: and hast redeemed them…., implying that the four beasts and the twenty and four elders are not part of redeemed humanity. It may well be true, but it does not make any significant alteration in our theology, whether it were us or them. Fallen humanity is redeemed and the Son of God is glorified. In verse 10, He not only redeemed us but made us kings and priests: we shall reign with Him on Earth. In verse 11, the voice of the four beasts and four twenty elders were joined by the chorus of an innumerable company of angels. The Universal Choir increased in geometric progression: first, the four beasts and the four and twenty elders, then the ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thousands of angels, and finally the whole creation. Verse 12 is the combined and unanimous voice of the four beasts and the four and twenty elders, saying: worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and blessing. In verse 13, the voices of the four beasts, the four and twenty elders, and innumerable number of angels were joined by all creation. What a universal choir, a universal orchestra? And every creature which is in the heavens, and on the Earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying: blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto Him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever. Does any one have doubts that Jesus deserves worship? Here He is worshipped and praised in tandem with Him that sitteth on the Throne, that is, the Father. Here every creature in the whole universe worshipped Him and the Father. Friends and foes, animate and inanimate, the living and the dead, the just and the unjust, great and small, high and low, rich and poor. In verse 14, the four beasts said Amen. And four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped Him that liveth for ever and ever. The doxology did not end, it is an eternal orchestra: for the four beasts and the four and twenty elders continue to worship Him that liveth for and ever. Amen.

Avraham Shallom.