May- June 2006 POR 1 POR-2 POR 3 POR 4 POR 5 POR 6 POR 7
The gospel of Christ had been preached to the whole world and the time of God’s Judgment on Israel had come:
1. Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the _________ __________ to preach to those who dwell on the earth—to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people— (Rev.14:6)
2. Saying with a loud voice, “Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of ______ _________ has come; and worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water.” (Rev.14:7)
3. Then I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous: seven angels having the ______ _______ _______ , for in them the wrath of God is complete. (Rev.15:1)
In Revelation we see that after the last seven plagues the wrath of God would be complete. Daniel said that after the power of the Israelites was completely shattered then all the things foretold about their destructions would be complete:
4. Then I heard the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand to heaven, and swore by Him who lives forever, that it shall be for a time, times, and half a time; and when the power of the holy people has been________ _________, all these things shall be ___________ . (Daniel 12:7)
God had told the Israelite nation when He first gave them the Law what He would do to them if they did not keep His commandments.
5. ‘And after all this, if you do not obey Me, but walk contrary to Me, then I also will walk contrary to you in fury; and I, even I, will chastise you ________ _______ for your sins. (Leviticus 26:27-28)
They had rebelled over and over and over again! God had chastened them many times but after Christ had come to earth, had gone back to Heaven and had established His kingdom through the hands of the Apostles, God no longer had any reason to be patient with Israel. The time of their final judgment as a people had come because their Law had been fulfilled in Christ. There was nothing left that could hold back the fury of an angry God.
6. Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the ______ ___ ______ . (Revelation 1:3)
John, the writer of Revelation, said the things He was given by God to write, would come to pass shortly. The time was near. The Book of Revelation was a message for the faithful servants living in the time when God would pour out His wrath on unfaithful Israel.
They were told to obey certain commands from God, because the “time is near”. What were some of the things they were admonished to do? Let’s take a look:
7. Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and _______ your lampstand from its place—unless you ______. (Rev. 2:4-5)
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8. Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be ______ _____ _______, and I will give you the crown of life. (Rev.2:10)
9. But I have a ______ _______ _______ you, because you have there those who hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual immorality. Thus you also have those who hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate. Repent, or else I will come to you quickly and will fight against them with the sword of My mouth (Rev.2:14-16)
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10. Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die, for I have not found your works _______ before God. Remember therefore how you have received and heard; _____ ______ and ______. Therefore if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you... (Rev.3:2-3)
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11. I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be ____; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your __________ may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be ________ and repent. (Rev.3:18-19)
Why is it so difficult for God’s children to stay on the straight and narrow? First the Israelites, the chosen ones, and now in the setting of waiting and watching for the final judgment to come upon the rebellious Israelite nation, Christians, His Bride, His Church for whom He died, were beginning to waver too! There were some amongst His children who did not stray and He gave them instead of a warning a blessing:
12. “I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have _____ ___ ______ , and have not _____ ____ _____ . Indeed I will make those of the synagogue of Satan, who say they are Jews and are not, but lie—indeed I will make them come and worship before your feet, and to know that I have _____ you. (Rev.3:8-9)
13. Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your _____. (Rev. 3:10-11)
14. He who overcomes, I will make him a ______ in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more. I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of _____ ____ , the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God. And I will write on him My new name.(Rev.3:12)
Seven Angels With Seven Last Plagues
15.
Then I saw another sign in heaven, ________ and ________
: seven angels having the seven last plagues, for in them the wrath of
God is complete. (Revelation 15:1)
16. And I saw something like a sea of glass mingled with fire, and those who have the __________ over the beast, over his image and over his mark and over the number of his name, standing on the sea of glass, having harps of God. (Revelation 15:2)
17. They sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying: “ Great and marvelous are Your works, Lord God Almighty! _______ and _______ are Your ways, O King of the saints! (Revelation 15:3)
18.
Who shall not fear You, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For You alone are
holy. For all nations shall come and worship before You,
For Your judgments have been __________ .” (Revelation
15:4)
19. After these things I looked, and behold, the temple of the _________ of the
___________ in heaven was opened. And out of the temple came
the seven angels having the seven plagues, clothed in pure bright linen, and
having their chests girded with golden bands. (Revelation 15:5-6)
20. Then one of the four living creatures gave to the seven angels seven golden bowls full of the ______ of God who lives forever and ever. (Revelation 15:7)
21. The temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from His power, and no one was able to enter the temple till the seven plagues of the seven angels were ________ . (Revelation 15:8)
22. Then I heard a loud voice from the temple saying to the seven angels, “Go and pour out the bowls of the _____ of God on the earth.”(Rev. 16:1)
Please read Revelation 16
23. What happened to those who had the mark of the beast?
Symbolism note:
When
we read about beasts in Revelation, what are beasts symbolic for? Please
read the verse from Daniel:
‘Those great beasts, which are four, are four kings which arise out of the earth. (Daniel 7:17)
From this verse we learn that “beast” is symbolic for “king”. Therefore whenever you see a beast referred to in symbolism it is talking about a king.
24. Who is the “One who is, who was and who is to be”?
25. What wicked thing had the Israelites done (see verse 6)?
26. How does this chapter describe the judgments of God?
The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness. (2Thess.2:9-12)
32. Please compare the two verses above and note any similarities.
We continue with questions from Revelation 16
33. How did God say He was coming?
Please read Revelation 18
36. What pertaining to the ungodly city had reached to Heaven?
37. What did God remember?
38. Why did God tell his people to come out of the doomed city?
39. List the plagues that would come to her in one day:
Remember when we read in Leviticus what God said would happen if they did not keep His commandments one of the last plagues would include this:
40. You shall _____ the flesh of your sons, and you shall ____ the flesh of your daughters. (Lev.26:29)
The book of Josephus is a historical account of a man who lived through and witnessed from within, Jerusalem’s destruction as it took place. In the book of Josephus you can find some things recorded there that are definitely prophetic fulfillments of the passage in Leviticus. I will share one story that I found:
Now there was a certain woman that dwelt beyond Jordan, her name was Mary. Her father was Eleazer, of the village Betheub, which signifies the House of Hyssop. She was eminent for her family and her wealth and had fled away to Jerusalem with the rest of the multitude, and was with them besieged therein at this time.
The other effects of this woman had already been seized up; such as I mean as she had brought with her out of Perea, and removed to the city. What she had treasured up besides, as also what food she had contrived to save, had also been carried off by the rapacious guards, who came every day running into her house for that purpose.
This put the poor woman into a very great passion, and by the frequent reproaches and imprecations she cast at the rapacious villains, she had provoked them to anger against her; but none of them, either out of the indignation she had raised against her, or out of the commiseration of her case, would take away her life; and if she found any food, she perceived her labours were for others, and not for herself; and it was now become impossible for her any way to find any more food, while the famine pierced through her very bowels and marrow, when also her passion was fired to a degree beyond the famine itself: nor did she consult with anything but with her passion and the necessity she was in.
She then attempted a most unnatural thing; and snatching up her son, who was a child sucking at her breast, she said, “O thou miserable infant! For whom shall I preserve thee in this war, this famine, this sedition? As to the war with the Romans, if they preserve our lives, we must be slaves! This famine also will destroy us, even before the slavery comes upon us; yet are these seditious rogues more terrible than both the other. Come on; be thou my food, and be thou a fury to these seditious varlets and a byeword to the world, which is all that is now wanting to complete the calamities of us Jews.”
As soon as she said this, she slew her son; and then roasted him and then ate the one half him, and kept the other half by her concealed. Upon this the seditious came in presently, and smelling the horrid scent of this food, they threatened her that they would cut her throat immediately if she did not shew them what food she had gotten ready. She replied, that she had saved a very fine portion of it for them; and withal uncovered what was left of her son. Hereupon they were seized with a horror and amazement of mind, and stood astonished at the sight; when she said to them, “This is mine own son; and what hath been done was mine own doing! Come, eat of this food; for I have eaten of it myself! Do not you pretend to be either more tender than a woman, or more compassionate than a mother; but if you be so scrupulous, and do abominate this my sacrifice, as I have eaten the one half, let the rest be reserved for me also.
After which, those men went out trembling, being never so much affrighted at anything as they were at this, and with some difficulty they left the rest of that meat to the mother. Upon which, the whole city was full of horrid action immediately; and while everybody laid this miserable case before their own eyes, they trembled, as if this unheard-of action had been done by themselves. So those that were thus distressed by the famine were very desirous to die; and those already dead were esteemed happy, because they had not lived long enough to hear or see such miseries.
This sad instance was quickly told to the Romans, some of whom could not believe it, and others pitied the distress which the Jews were under; but there were many of them who were hereby induced to a more bitter hatred than ordinary against our nation; -- but for Caesar, he excused himself before God as to this matter, and said that he had proposed peace and liberty to the Jews, as well as an oblivion of all their former insolent practices; but that they, instead of concord, had chosen sedition; instead of peace, war; and before satiety and abundance, a famine. That they had begun with their own hands to burn down that temple, which we have preserved hitherto; and that therefore they deserved to eat such food as this was. That, however, this horrid action of eating one’s own child, ought to be covered with the overthrow of their very country itself; and men ought not to leave such a city upon the habitable earth to be seen by the sun, wherein mothers are thus fed, although such food be fitter for the fathers than for the mothers to eat of, since it is they that continue still in a state of war against us, after they have undergone such miseries as these. And at the same time that he said this, reflected on the desperate condition these men must be in; nor could he expect that such men could be recovered to sobriety of mind, after they had endured those very sufferings, for the avoiding whereof it only was probable they might have repented.
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41.
‘Alas, alas, that great city, in which all who had ships on the sea became
rich by her wealth! For in one hour she is made _____.’
(Rev.18:19)
42. “Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you holy apostles and prophets, for God has ________ you on her!” (Rev.18:20)
43. Then a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, “Thus with violence the great city Babylon shall be thrown down, and ____ _______ be found anymore. (Rev.18:21)
44. The sound of harpists, musicians, flutists, and trumpeters shall not be heard in you ________. No craftsman of any craft shall be found in you _________, and the sound of a millstone shall not be heard in you ________. (Rev.18:22)
45. The light of a lamp shall not shine in you anymore, and the voice of bridegroom and bride shall not be heard in you anymore. For your merchants were the great men of the earth, for by your sorcery _____ _____ _________ were deceived. (Rev.18:23)
46. And in her was found the blood of ________ and ________, and of all who were slain on the earth.” Rev. 18:24)
47. After these things I heard a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, “Alleluia! ________ and _______ and _______ and _______ belong to the Lord our God! (Revelation 19:1)
48. For true and righteous are His judgments, because He has judged the great harlot who _________ the earth with her fornication; and He has avenged on her the blood of His servants shed by her.” (Revelation 19:2)
49. Again they said, “Alleluia! Her smoke rises up forever and ever!” (Revelation 19:3) And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and ___________ God who sat on the throne, saying, “Amen! Alleluia!” (Revelation 19:4)
50.
Then a voice came from the throne, saying, “Praise our God, all you His
servants and those who _____ Him, both small and
great!”
(Revelation 19:5)
51. And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thunderings, saying, “Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent ________ ! (Revelation 19:6)
52.
Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the _______ of the Lamb has
come, and His wife has made herself _______ .” (Revelation
19:7) And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and
bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. (Revelation
19:8)
53. Then he said to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are those who are _____ to the marriage supper of the Lamb!’” And he said to me, “These are the true sayings of God.” (Revelation 19:9)
54. And I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, “See that you do not do that! I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren who have the testimony of Jesus. _________ ______! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” (Revelation 19:10)
55. Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was
called _______ and ______ , and in righteousness He judges
and makes war. (Revelation 19:11)
56. His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a __________ written that no one knew except Himself. (Revelation 19:12)
57. He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His _______ is called The Word of God. (Revelation 19:13)
58. And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, _______ _______ on white horses. (Revelation 19:14)
59. Now out of His mouth goes a ______ ______ , that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. (Revelation 19:15)
And
He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written:
KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.
The Israelites ignored God when He warned them what He would do if they did not keep His commandments. How many today still ignore Him?
60.“When the Son of Man comes in His _____, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His _____. (Matthew 25:31)
61. All the _______ will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. (Matthew 25:32)
62. And He will set the sheep on His ______ hand, but the goats on the _____. (Matthew 25:33)
63. Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, _______ the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: (Matthew 25:34)
64. For __ was hungry and you gave Me food; __ was thirsty and you gave Me drink; __ was a stranger and you took Me in; (Matthew 25:35)
65.
__ was naked and you clothed Me; ___ was sick and you
visited Me; __ was in prison and you came to Me.’ (Matthew 25:36)
66. “Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the __________ _______ prepared for the devil and his angels: (Matthew 25:41)
67. For I was hungry and you gave Me ____ food; I was thirsty and you gave Me _____ drink; (Matthew 25:42)
68.
I was a stranger and you did _____ take Me in, naked and you
did _____ clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did ___ visit Me.’ (Matthew
25:43)
69. “Then they also will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did _____ _______ to You?’ (Matthew 25:44)
70.Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you ____ ____ _____ it to Me.’ (Matthew 25:45)
71. And these will go away into everlasting ______ , but the righteous into eternal ______ .” (Matthew 25:46)
POSTSCRIPT: There are many wild translations of the Book of Revelation. It is a very difficult book to understand. Even trusted scholars disagree on various aspects of Revelation, especially the time of its fulfillment. I had always thought that the setting of Revelation was the destruction of Jerusalem. The other school of thought is that Revelation’s fulfillment took place years after the destruction of Jerusalem. While traveling to Idaho in May, I had time to read from two books I had wanted to read to help me in my understanding of Revelation. I had already completed writing lesson 8 before I had time to read from these two books. One of the books is entitled: A commentary on THE REVELATION in question form by Jim E. Waldron. I highly recommend that you get a copy of this book and read it if you are truly interested in understanding Revelation. He matches history and prophecy (from Daniel as well as Revelation) so well. After I read his book, I now lean toward the idea that the fulfillment of Revelation was the later date. In other words, Jerusalem was destroyed and then something else of significance happened later for which God was preparing His people. What would that be???
Christians were beleaguered by years of persecution since the death of Christ. The Jews hated them and sought to destroy them. After the destruction of Jerusalem the Roman government continued its torture of Christians. There are stories of Christians being used as torches to light an emperor’s garden. Kings loyal to the emperor followed his example and built arenas where gladiators entertained audiences by feeding Christians to lions. God raised up the Roman government to use in His destruction of Jerusalem but it remained after that task was accomplished to continue to menace Christians. Some Christians were becoming discouraged and were leaving the faith. Therefore some think that Revelation was written to encourage Christians to hang on by letting them know that God was going to destroy the Roman government and after that life would be easier for Christians.
So many significant things happened during this period of history. God had created the Roman government to destroy the Jewish system. Christians had come on the scene and their influence “turned the world upside down”. One thing they accomplished was to finally break the influence of idolatry over the people. One Emporor observed that the idol temples were empty because of Christians. When the Roman government was wiped out this also destroyed a lot of the idolatrous influence on the world. Have you ever wondered why the world was so overran by idolatry before Christ and then after Christ that influence died out?
Read what Zechariah said:
“In
that day a fountain shall be opened for the house of David and for the
inhabitants of Jerusalem, for sin and for uncleanness.
2 “It shall be in that day,”
says the LORD of hosts, “that I will cut off the names of the idols
from the land, and they shall no longer be remembered. I will also cause the
prophets and the unclean spirit to depart from the land. (Zech.13:1-2)
This is clearly in reference to the time after the church was established. The fountain that was opened was the fountain which flowed from His side and which cleanses us of our sins. This verse says that in that day the idols would be cut off. Well, now we understand a little better how it actually came about.
I plan to continue studying this fascinating subject, the Revelation. I do not know if I will be brave enough to tackle another series of lessons on it any time soon. I have learned so much from writing this series. Perhaps the most significant thing I have learned is how little I know.