Today, terrorist threats grip the Western world and preoccupy many people's thinking. Many worry about "rogue states" that may posses nuclear bombs and other weapons of mass destruction. Environmentalists predict ravaging ecological disasters and politicians regularly describe what they think lies ahead. Think tanks and analysts seek to point the way to the future, though disagreeing widely in their conclusions. Others wait for dazzling futuristic technology that will finally solve mankind's age-old problems? And to that the best-selling religious novels claim to tell you what the Bible foretells.
The truth about the future of our world is the Bible! The Bible declares that human life is not a purposeless existence caused by blind chance or evolution. We are part of a planned creation, and there is a great purpose being worked out in our world. Although many consider Revelation the most difficult-to-understand book in the Bible, or dismiss its complicated narrative and vivid descriptions as mere allegory, or assume that it recounts past history, it is Almighty God who declares it is his direct revealing to mankind's future. "Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it because the time is near." Now we are in the time of the end which is described as a time when "many will run to and fro, and knowledge will be increased," it is the time to understand the near-future with clarity.
In order to understand Revelation, the reader must understand symbolic writing using signs and metaphor depicting dynamic activity and descriptive terms like "beast' to depict mankind's system of things characterized by different descriptions to reveal both his political and religious character. Therefore, "beast of the sea" and "beast of the earth" portray mankind and his society. "Locusts" depict military, "woman" can also depict the world system of things like Babylon, "Gog and Magog" depict the collective descendants of Cain as nations, to the north of Jerusalem, that rebel against God. Today, these modern descendant nations can be seen as Russia, China, and a multitude of other near-eastern or Asian nations. Also the word "seal" depicts the recorded spiritual and physical condition of mankind and is the legal record of God's judgement. The word "trumpet" is used to give warning, and "plague" is the actual execution (guilty and punished).Numeric values can also have symbolic meaning
2 - conformation or legality as witness
3 - emphasis or intensity (repeat x3 as 666 or "woe")
4 - Divine foursquare or universal
6 - imperfection pertaining to mankind
7 - Divine completeness
10 - physical pertaining to mankind
12 - Divinely instituted organization
24 - Divinely straightened
49, 70, 144, 666, 7000, 6,000, 12,000, 144,000 - multiples can repeat or denote squared and multiplied as too numerous to count.
For example 666 is repetitive to depict a man's name as his imperfect system of things that make up his society (x3 for government, commercial, religion).
144,000 is a Divine number of organized beginnings squared and multiplied a thousand fold (much greater than the early small limited number arrangement of 6,000 or 12,000 for the Levitical priesthood of the Old Testament. The 144,000 represent the starting point of the Creator's first harvest after he has begun his direct intervention in judgement. The second harvest will follow and will be a great multitude that comes out of the Great Tribulation.
7 Seals are a record of God's judgement against mankind's system of things as it grows with ever intensity to meet it's fate during the day of judgement depicted as end-times (Lord's Day).
seal 1 - white horse depicts deception
seal 2 - red horse depicts wars
seal 3 - black horse depicts famines
seal 4 - pale horse depicts pestilence
seal 5 - persecution and tribulation
seal 6 - discloses the Great Tribulation
seal 7 - depicts 7 trumpets announcing the impending Great and Final Tribulation that closes with the transfiguration (what many call the rapture, but don't understand).
trumpet 1 - 1/3 green grass and trees destroyed (people and leaders)
trumpet 2 - 1/3 sea becomes blood, ships, sea-life destroyed (commerce)
trumpet 3 - 1/3 waters turn bitter (society angered)
trumpet 4 - 1/3 sun, moon, stars do not shine (society destroyed)
trumpet 5 - "locust" wield Beast military power (king of North - EU) defeats king of South - Arab Islamic confederation). Revised European "Beast" confederation dominates world (Revised Holy Roman Empire).
trumpet 6 - 200-million man army gathers - king of the East (China), and rumblings from the far north (Russia) threatens EU king of the North.
trumpet 7 - God's Kingdom is proclaimed with transfiguration and his Second Coming. Also, announces the 7 plague execution against remaining evil on earth.
1 - sores afflict those who support system (intense punishing afflictions)2 - sea turns to blood, all creatures die (wicked men destroyed)
3 - river turns to blood (lies/deceptions exposed)
4 - humanity scorched by the sun curses God (intense heat and punishing afflictions)
5 - beast seat of govt is afflicted (EU king of the North attacked by king of the East)
6 - Euphrates River dries up (so king of the East has access to Middle East)
7 - earth is utterly shaken (Jesus defeats the armies of mankind)
Brief Summary
Revelation's first chapter sets the scene, and provides an introduction to the book. The lamp stands represent the seven early churches in Asia Minor that symbolize God's true congregations down through the ages to end-times. God's words testify to those who are lukewarm (Christendom) that he is about to spit them out of his mouth (reject them), and to those who are faithful and true (disciples) who hold the key to the truth that nobody can deny.
Then, the scene is an invitation to see God's throne as he opens the 7 seals and protects the 144,000 from the plagues that are about to follow. The 144,000 reveal a contrast between those who accept the mark of the beast in their "foreheads and hand," and those who do not. The "forehead" means to accept and the "hand" means to participate. Those who participate in mankind's Babylonian system of things (depicted as beast) give their allegiance to Satan.
The vision continues with the opening of the 7th seal where the first 4 trumpets reveal ecological disasters and the 5th and 6th trumpets reveal dramatic unfolding military events.
Then, there is a pause for judgement and the announcing of Two Witnesses in Jerusalem and the revealing of the transfiguration.
The 7th, and last trump, accounts for events after the first resurrection (transfiguration) to the 1000-years of peace. Here are included brief inserts that provide accounts to the historical overview of God's true Congregations as depicted by the Woman and the Dragon, an overview of the Beast system, Triumph and Wrath as the bowls of God's wrath are poured out, and Babylon falls (mankind's system of things is destroyed completely).
God then establish his Kingdom on the earth for a 1000-years of peace. This will be a time to allow all to see the truth and participate in the opportunity to choose either eternal life or death (meaning cease to exist).
What will you or do you choose? "Behold I am coming. Blessed is who keeps the word of the prophecy of this book."
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