Commentary on Revelation Part 2 (No. F066ii)

Revelation Chapters 6-9 RSV

Chapter 6

¹Then I saw the Lamb open one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures call out, as with a voice of thunder, "Come!" ²I looked, and there was a white horse! Its rider had a bow; a crown was given to him, and he came out conquering and to conquer. ³When he opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature call out, "Come!" ⁴And out came another horse, bright red; its rider was permitted to take peace from the earth, so that people would slaughter one another; and he was given a great sword. ⁵When he opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature call out, "Come!" I looked, and there was a black horse! Its rider held a pair of scales in his hand, ⁶and I heard what seemed to be a voice in the midst of the four living creatures saying, "A quart of wheat for a day's pay, and three quarts of barley for a day's pay, but do not damage the olive oil and the wine!" ⁷When he opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature call out, "Come!" ⁸I looked and there was a pale green horse! Its rider's name was Death, and Hades followed with him; they were given authority over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword, famine, and pestilence, and by the wild animals of the earth. ⁹When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slaughtered for the word of God and for the testimony they had given; ¹⁰they cried out with a loud voice, "Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long will it be before you judge and avenge our blood on the inhabitants of the earth?" ¹¹They were each given a white robe and told to rest a little longer, until the number would be complete both of their fellow servants and of their brothers and sisters, who were soon to be killed as they themselves had been killed. ¹²When he opened the sixth seal, I looked, and there came a great earthquake; the sun became black as sackcloth, the full moon became like blood, ¹³and the stars of the sky fell to the earth as the fig tree drops its winter fruit when shaken by a gale. ¹⁴The sky vanished like a scroll rolling itself up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place. ¹⁵Then the kings of the earth and the magnates and the generals and the rich and the powerful, and everyone, slave and free, hid in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains, ¹⁶calling to the mountains and rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the face of the one seated on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb; ¹⁷for the great day of their wrath has come, and who is able to stand?"

Intent of Chapter 6

The Seven Trumpets began with the Seventh Seal and they follow on until Messiah and the Seven Vials of the Wrath of God. There is a sequence of activities that occurs from the Fifth Seal through the Sixth Seal which sees the persecution of the elect both in ancient Israel and then of the church in the wilderness from the persecution of the church and during the false religion of the Holy Roman Empire for the 1260 years of its power from 590 CE to 1850 CE and then again over the Wars of the Twentieth Century and during the Holocaust from 1941-1945 for the 1260 days. The Last Days will also see more killed in the wars of the end and the persecution of the Beast power. At that time on the return of the Messiah after the measurement of the Temple of God, which is the Church of God, and the Judgment of the Witnesses (Rev. Ch. 11) the church will be prepared and resurrected.

From the text The Seven Seals (No. 140) We examine the so-called “Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse” found at Chapter 6.

Verses 1-2: The concept is that the Lamb, Jesus Christ, is opening the seals. The first seal was broken a long time ago. These seals are not opened at the time of the end. This first seal continues to develop all the way through the phases of false religion and through the 2,000 years of the Church, and each seal is exponential. They open and stay open and develop. Each adds to the other. The first seal, called conquest, is actually commenced from false religion. It commenced from the concepts of the Church and those organisations and institutions set up under false religions. Because it is through the difference of opinion that we get division, the greatest dividing factor is the organisational structure of the planet based upon the divisions between Christ and the loyal Host, and Satan and the fallen Host. That division has manifested itself in the planet in the forms of religion – the whole structure of the religions of this planet reflects the wars in the heavens and the competing deities stemming from the demons. Nothing is accidental. Satan has set up a mind-set among the people and the nations.

The concept of the replacement of Satan by Christ is the replacement of the religious structure of this world, its government and its systems, by another system of government. See the paper The Government of God (No. 174).

The Lamb is the one who sets the process in motion by instituting on the planet the true Faith: the word of God. It's not something that was set and then broken down. Satan was and is the Morning Star of this planet. Christ is the one who, having been sacrificed, qualified to overcome and replace Satan as the Morning Star at his second coming. He despatched the truth into the planet through the prophets and patriarchs and finally in person.

The true religion takes hold and people are then marshalled against it by the fallen Host. This will ultimately reflect itself in all the nations marching against Jerusalem at the Advent of Christ in the Last Days. This process of false religion logically follows into the next or second seal of war (vv. 3-4).

The first seal started off with the attacks against the Patriarchs and Israel and then against Christ and the Church. Satan launched an attack on the Church using Gnosticism from its Alexandrian base. He put Gnosticism over the Mystery Cults, and the Roman Curial system, which was a pagan system. There were Cardinals in Rome long before Christ was born and they were dressed in red, and they wore red hats. There were virgins in Rome long before Christ was born, and the virgins were part of the system at the Temple of Vesta. They had a curial system with these Cardinals who were the college of Pontiffs. These religious officials ran the state. It is not a Christian system. That structure became part of this lynch pin of Satan’s false system. They then used the system of the worship of the god Attis which was established in Rome from the 1^st century BCE and part of the Sun and Mystery Cults.

These seals, opened by Christ, are ongoing and they develop, war to pestilence, to famine and then to death. The fourth seal is also an ongoing thing and they compound one another.

So also the religious system established by God through Christ is aimed at the Plan of Salvation (No. 001A) with the plan that man shall become Elohim or Gods (Jn. 10:34-36) (The Elect as Elohim (No. 001)).

See the paper The Pre-Advent Judgment (No. 176).

Third seal, verses 5-6: The end result of pestilence is famine and shortage, and the measuring out of food portions in scarcity. The concept of harming oil and wine has a spiritual significance. The oil is the Holy Spirit; the drink offerings of the Lord are the elect. We are poured out as a drink offering to the Lord. That has a significance of protection of the elect during the entire phase of the Seals. So we were to go through tribulation and martyrdom, but as drink offerings to the Lord for specific religious purposes.

Fourth seal, verses 7-8: This concept develops as a quarter of the Earth is finally subjected to this destruction. It is not just saying that they engage in a war. It builds up until the Last Days. The Trumpets and the Vials show these things will be occurring continually. We know what these sequences of events are. Satan and the demons are trying to stop the implementation of God’s Plan. Scripture is unfolding before our eyes.

The Tribulation under the Fifth Seal has been reorganised as at the Feast of Tabernacles 1993. At that Feast it was effectively re-announced, or re-opened, through the new Papal Encyclical. The elect are facing increasing persecution. The writer Morris West publicly exposed the whole matter of the encyclical. He said that it re-establishes the grounds for the Inquisition.

The Fifth seal was opened when these religious wars were started. However, when the Athanasian system was finally entrenched it started off a group, or sequence of tribulations we understand from biblical prophecy as the 1,260 years. Now that 1,260 years went from 590 CE through to 1850 and marks the end of the Holy Roman Empire, which is now disbanded. However, that Fifth Seal has a latter-day application (see No. 140 above).

Fifth seal, verses 9-11: Persecution is the first of two aspects. Each were given a white robe and told to wait a little longer until the number of their fellow servants and brethren should be complete, who were to be killed as they themselves were killed. The concept is that those people were in two lots. Some of the brethren were slain for the word of God and the witness they had borne and they cried out. So they are waiting. They were under divine protection but they were allowed to die.

The fact is not that they are alive and talking to God, but that their blood cries out while they lie there under the altar waiting for the First Resurrection. Why did they die? It is clear. It was because of the word of God and the witness they bore. We are under divine protection; however, some of the elect have to become martyrs of the Faith in order to serve as witnesses to the world. Already many of the elect have died and many others have died with them. Once false religion is set up, leaving the word of God, and things are re-interpreted, animosities and hatreds follow. Then repression and persecution follow.

We will know when this Tribulation is over because of the finalisation of the heavenly signs.

Sixth seal, verses 12-17: We know that this heralds the end of our tribulation. That is the watershed when we see our redemption is near. Those heavenly signs mark the calling out of the final elements of the 144,000.

From the text of No. 120:

The people who constitute the ecclesia or Church fall into two groups: the inner wheel is that of the 144,000 who are the patriarchs and prophets and the core of the apostles and the elect; the outer wheel is comprised of a simple discrete group who keep the commandments of God and the Testimony of Jesus and who are the main group of the elect.. All of these have the faith of the saints and are baptised into the body of Christ, being of the second harvest of the first-fruits. The two groups are mentioned in Revelation. The first group of the 144,000 is mentioned in Revelation 7. This group is sealed over time. The Earth is protected until this event – the full sealing of the elect – has occurred.

The Earth is then allowed to be destroyed by the very forces set in motion by the fallen Host in their own attitudes and systems.

We see the process from Revelation 7:1-17, where the 144,000 are allocated to the Messianic system.

This group is allocated to the tribes as a special priesthood under the twelve Judges of the twelve tribes. All of the tribes are included in this allocation, as Levi takes its place in the priesthood and Dan merges with Ephraim to make way for Levi. Thus Joseph becomes Dan and Ephraim instead of Ephraim and Manasseh. Manasseh takes an allocation in its own right.

The 144,000 are sealed from on high. They know who they are when they are given the things by which they are distinguished. They are given the seal (7:3) and also a new song (14:3).

Chapter 7

¹After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth so that no wind could blow on earth or sea or against any tree. ²I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, having the seal of the living God, and he called with a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to damage earth and sea, ³saying, "Do not damage the earth or the sea or the trees, until we have marked the servants of our God with a seal on their foreheads." ⁴And I heard the number of those who were sealed, one hundred forty-four thousand, sealed out of every tribe of the people of Israel: ⁵From the tribe of Judah twelve thousand sealed, from the tribe of Reuben twelve thousand, from the tribe of Gad twelve thousand, ⁶from the tribe of Asher twelve thousand, from the tribe of Naphtali twelve thousand, from the tribe of Manasseh twelve thousand, ⁷from the tribe of Simeon twelve thousand, from the tribe of Levi twelve thousand, from the tribe of Issachar twelve thousand, ⁸from the tribe of Zebulun twelve thousand, from the tribe of Joseph twelve thousand, from the tribe of Benjamin twelve thousand sealed. ⁹After this I looked, and there was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, robed in white, with palm branches in their hands. ¹⁰They cried out in a loud voice, saying, "Salvation belongs to our God who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb!" ¹¹And all the angels stood around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, ¹²singing, "Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen." ¹³Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, "Who are these, robed in white, and where have they come from?" ¹⁴I said to him, "Sir, you are the one that knows." Then he said to me, "These are they who have come out of the great ordeal; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. ¹⁵For this reason they are before the throne of God, and worship him day and night within his temple, and the one who is seated on the throne will shelter them. ¹⁶They will hunger no more, and thirst no more; the sun will not strike them, nor any scorching heat; ¹⁷for the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of the water of life, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."

Intent of Chapter 7

The Seven Seals (No. 140) continue on in Chapter 7: Verses 1-8: The significance is that this does not follow the normal tribes. One tribe is missing, and a tribe is included. Levi is normally not numbered among the tribes but in this passage they are included. The tribe of Dan gives them their inheritance. Dan is not part of the 144,000 as a separate tribe. The tribe of Joseph normally encompasses the tribe of Ephraim and Manasseh. Yet, the tribe of Joseph is mentioned together with Manasseh. Manasseh is mentioned separately to Joseph! Yet Joseph is only ever used as a composite group in previous Scripture. So the tribe of Dan is incorporated into the tribe of Ephraim to form the tribe of Joseph for the allocation of their 12,000 in the Last Days in the 144,000. This is significant. It shows us also that Dan and Ephraim are together as a people in the Last Days. They are mixed in terms of their spiritual inheritance. That should not be overlooked. Also the judgment is given to Dan in accordance with its birthright promise made in Genesis 49:16-18. Dan was judged by its exemplary treatment of Judah in the Second World War.

Verses 9-17: At this time the 144,000 are sealed so that a specific number makes up the government. Under those beings are a great number of people who have been reached. They do not take the mark of the Beast and are put through the Tribulation. Christ does not want people who are half-hearted or afraid. They fear God more than they fear men. They are being prepared in order to deal with that system and sequence, and to help these people and get this Great Multitude through so that the organisation is done by Christ prior to his Advent. Then when Messiah comes, he will deal with the rest of world who have the mark of the Beast and he will subjugate those nations. There is a multitude of them. They do have success in terms of pulling people out but they don't convert nations. There is a multitude that comes to understand. This great multitude is taken over the two millennia of the Churches of God. This point marks the watershed. Then there is silence for half an hour.

The composition of the 144,000 is made up of the series of the sacrifices as determined on a yearly basis over the forty Jubilees. This is addressed separately (see also No. 120).

The next sequence is commenced by the silence in heaven and then the Trumpets are developed sequentially and systematically.

The Trumpets have been developed and opened under Messiah. The assumption has been made that the First Trumpet is not opened or sounded until Messiah gets here after the Resurrection of chapter 7. That is not so as the damage of the thirds of the First, Second and Third Trumpets is started at the heavenly signs that began in the last stages in 1967 at the end of the 2300 evenings and mornings. (cf. Commentary on Daniel Chapter 8:14 and Epilogue (F027viii and F027xiii)).

(cf. The Seven Spirits of God (No. 064)):

Revelation chapter 8 is the eighth division in the culmination of the Plan of God under the authority of Christ. It concerns the Seventh Seal and when that is opened the prayers of the saints are poured out on the altar of God. The twenty-four Elders had responsibility for those prayers. The seven angels of the Seven Churches are then given authority and the trumpets of the power of God to summon and to destroy.

Chapter 8

¹When the Lamb opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. ²And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them. ³Another angel with a golden censer came and stood at the altar; he was given a great quantity of incense to offer with the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar that is before the throne. ⁴And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, rose before God from the hand of the angel. ⁵Then the angel took the censer and filled it with fire from the altar and threw it on the earth; and there were peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake. ⁶Now the seven angels who had the seven trumpets made ready to blow them. ⁷The first angel blew his trumpet, and there came hail and fire, mixed with blood, and they were hurled to the earth; and a third of the earth was burned up, and a third of the trees were burned up, and all green grass was burned up. ⁸The second angel blew his trumpet, and something like a great mountain, burning with fire, was thrown into the sea. ⁹A third of the sea became blood, a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed. ¹⁰The third angel blew his trumpet, and a great star fell from heaven, blazing like a torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water. ¹¹The name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the waters became wormwood, and many died from the water, because it was made bitter. ¹²The fourth angel blew his trumpet, and a third of the sun was struck, and a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of their light was darkened; a third of the day was kept from shining, and likewise the night. ¹³Then I looked, and I heard an eagle crying with a loud voice as it flew in midheaven, "Woe, woe, woe to the inhabitants of the earth, at the blasts of the other trumpets that the three angels are about to blow!”

Intent of Chapter 8

Verses 1-4: The first four verses in this chapter deal with the transmission of power to the elect and the angels of the Seven Churches of God.

Verse 5: The prayers of the saints are given effect and the Seven Spirits of God and the elect of the saints begin to judge the Earth and rule it.

The sixth verse is one of activity but this time the human activity is under the power of the Host, rather than that of mankind acting alone and influenced by Satan cut off from God.

The seventh verse begins the process of the Seventh Seal and the First Trumpet began the intervention of God based on the prayers of the saints.

Verses 7-13: The seven verses follow the structure of the first four of the Seven Trumpets. Thus we are seeing the breakdown of the government of the Earth, but in a sequence of planned action.

The text goes on to deal with the aspects of the rule of the Earth. That is covered in the papers on The Seven Seals (No. 140) and The Seven Trumpets (No. 141) as mentioned above.

Chapter 9

¹And the fifth angel blew his trumpet, and I saw a star that had fallen from heaven to earth, and he was given the key to the shaft of the bottomless pit; ² he opened the shaft of the bottomless pit, and from the shaft rose smoke like the smoke of a great furnace, and the sun and the air were darkened with the smoke from the shaft. ³Then from the smoke came locusts on the earth, and they were given authority like the authority of scorpions of the earth. ⁴They were told not to damage the grass of the earth or any green growth or any tree, but only those people who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads. ⁵They were allowed to torture them for five months, but not to kill them, and their torture was like the torture of a scorpion when it stings someone. ⁶And in those days people will seek death but will not find it; they will long to die, but death will flee from them. ⁷In appearance the locusts were like horses equipped for battle. On their heads were what looked like crowns of gold; their faces were like human faces, ⁸their hair like women's hair, and their teeth like lions' teeth; ⁹they had scales like iron breastplates, and the noise of their wings was like the noise of many chariots with horses rushing into battle. ¹⁰They have tails like scorpions, with stingers, and in their tails is their power to harm people for five months. ¹¹They have as king over them the angel of the bottomless pit; his name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek he is called Apollyon. ¹²The first woe has passed. There are still two woes to come. ¹³Then the sixth angel blew his trumpet, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar before God, ¹⁴saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, "Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates." ¹⁵So the four angels were released, who had been held ready for the hour, the day, the month, and the year, to kill a third of humankind. ¹⁶The number of the troops of cavalry was two hundred million; I heard their number. ¹⁷And this was how I saw the horses in my vision: the riders wore breastplates the color of fire and of sapphire and of sulfur; the heads of the horses were like lions' heads, and fire and smoke and sulfur came out of their mouths. ¹⁸By these three plagues a third of humankind was killed, by the fire and smoke and sulfur coming out of their mouths. ¹⁹For the power of the horses is in their mouths and in their tails; their tails are like serpents, having heads; and with them they inflict harm. ²⁰The rest of humankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands or give up worshiping demons and idols of gold and silver and bronze and stone and wood, which cannot see or hear or walk. ²¹And they did not repent of their murders or their sorceries or their fornication or their thefts.

Intent of Chapter 9

Following the Measuring of the Temple over the Trumpets we then increase to the Fifth Trumpet and then the Wars of the Sixth Trumpet and The Witnesses (including the Two Witnesses) (No. 135). (cf. 9:1-21).

Many people will want to die over this period but they won’t be able to die. The bottomless pit of locusts relates also to the four angels of the bottomless pit who are bound at the Euphrates. Those four angels were there to kill a third of mankind. Here we are dealing with war, aerial operations and chemical weapons. They are dealt with under direction from the demons.

Note from the text that the entire earth is not to be harmed yet but only those who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads. The armies that have these weapons use tanks and helicopter gunships and they use bio-chemical weapons. The angel of the bottomless pit is in command of them and the area they operate from is the Middle East. It is for this reason that the world is concerned that Syria, being governed by the Alawite minority and in alliance with Russia, is quite capable of using these weapons against its own people. The US has recently located more troops in Syria and war with Iran is developing. The bio-chemical war originating from the Middle East will commence the woes of the planet. This is the first Woe.

The notation to the Annotated RSV says that the plague of demonic locusts – which combine the terrors of evil spirits and invading horsemen – are (they say) probably Parthians who come from Iran. There may be some, but overall this is a wrong assertion. The reference is also to a star falling from Heaven, one of the fallen angels, perhaps Satan himself, and then in reference to verse 3 they talk about locusts etc.

These people see that there is a connection between the fallen Angel and the battle of Satan. The demonic Host is not just going to give up. This earth will be taken by force. When Christ comes here it’s going to be by force with armies of angels. That is why the demons are conditioning the planet to believe in Aliens and in UFOs. The demons condition the planet to march against Jesus Christ when he comes to Jerusalem. The world is trained and has been conditioned to see Christ as the enemy. It is a masterpiece of propaganda. Nothing but false messages and false prophecy has been issued under Hollywood and the world system, and to this time we have exposed nothing.

After this five-month period the biochemical wars are to continue as an instrument of the Beast system of the Globalists powers and many die onward during and after the War of the Sixth Trumpet that follows. There are two more to come (vv. 12-19).

Tanks travel in trail with the guns behind. The barrel of the gun has a muzzle brake on it which looks like a snake with a head. Seeing this in vision in the first century, John is trying to describe helicopters and tanks. John had never seen a weapon of this sort. The biggest thing he would have seen was a ballista, which is a Roman catapult. To them these whole concepts were unbelievable or incredible.

So we have the war of the sixth trumpet develop into a conflict of 200,000,000 soldiers. It will extend to kill a third of mankind. That is 2.3 billion people minimum. This conflict expands from the Middle East and goes North and East to the Yemen and then into Iran and Iraq and Kurdistan and then into Afghanistan and Kazakhstan and the other Soviet Republics to the Caucasus. NATO will go into these countries and they will be under command of the four great Morning Stars of the Fallen Host that were confined in the Bottomless Pit for this very time.

Cf. also The Prophecy of Pharaoh’s Broken Arms Part I: (No. 036) and Part II: Wars of the Last Days (No. 036_2).

The Sixth Trumpet

We then see that the rest of mankind does not repent and is faced with the Advent of the Messiah and the vials of the wrath of God (vv. 20-21).

This process is to bring them to repentance. The Witnesses are saying: “Repent! If you do not we will destroy you”. They do not repent; so they were hit with one trumpet then the second etc. and finally the planet groans and they go to war. A third of the world is killed in this war because they do not repent. There won’t be any negotiation with the Witnesses. This is not happening outside of the control of God; it is happening under direction from Jesus Christ through the Two Witnesses. The planet groans under this process, and the war kills a third of mankind. We had the Great War for Civilisation in 1914-18 and it did not kill a third of mankind. That was supposedly the war to end all wars. Yet we were back into it again within 25 years. All this was nothing compared to these wars of the end. A third of the planet dies in the short but terrible conflict. Following this the seven thunders sound which is a process of prophecy.

*****

Bullinger’s Notes on Revelation Chs. 6-9 (for KJV)

Chapter 6

Verse 1

saw. App-133.

Lamb. See Revelation 5:6.

seals. Read "seven seals", with texts.

as . . . saying. Read, "one of the four zoa saying as with a voice of thunder".

beasts. See Revelation 4:6.

and see. All the texts omit.

Verse 2

behold. App-133.

he that sat, &c. Not to be identified with the white horse and rider of Revelation 19:11, for here is the beginning of the series of terrible judgments. See Revelation 6:12 and the order of events in Matthew 24:4-28.

on him = thereon. Greek. epi (App-104.) auton.

bow. Greek. toxon. Only here in N.T. Compare Revelation 4:3.

crown. See App-197.

given. The giver not mentioned. See Revelation 13:5, Revelation 13:7. Luke 4:6. 2 Thessalonians 2:3-9.

unto = to.

went. Greek."came", see Revelation 6:1.

conquering, &c. Literally conquering and in order that (Greek. hina) he may conquer. The verb is the same as "overcame" in Revelation 2:7, &c.

Verse 3

had. Omit.

say = saying, Revelation 6:1.

Verse 4

went out. Greek."came forth".

another. App-124.

power. Read "it".

thereon = on him, as Revelation 6:2.

peace = the peace.

earth. App-129.

that = in order that. Greek. hina.

Verse 5

beheld = saw, Revelation 6:1.

lo = behold, Revelation 6:2.

black. Signifying famine. See Lamentations 4:4-8, &c.

pair, &c. = balance.

Verse 6

heard. The texts add "as it were".

voice. Same as noise, Revelation 6:1.

measure. Greek. choenix; . App-51.

penny. App-51. Bread by weight means scarcity (compare Ezekiel 4:10, Ezekiel 4:16, Ezekiel 4:17). A denarius was a day"s wage (Matthew 20:2), and a choenix of corn was a slave"s daily ration, an amount usually purchasable for one-eighth of a denarius.

see. Omit, and read the clause "and hurt thou not" (App-105).

oil . . . wine. By Figure of speech Metalepsis this may point to special protection of the elect in famine times. See Revelation 12:14. Zechariah 13:8. Romans 3:1, Romans 3:2; Romans 9:4, Romans 9:5.

Verse 8

looked = saw, as Revelation 6:1.

pale = livid. Greek. chloros; in Revelation 8:7; Revelation 9:4. Mark 6:39, rendered "green".

and . . . Death. "Literally and the one sitting on (Greek. epano, first occ Matthew 2:9, "over") him, the name to him (is) Death.

Death. By Metonymy (of Effect) (App-6) = pestilence. Famine is invariably followed by pestilence. Here, Death and Hades are personified. Compare Revelation 9:11.

Hell. App-131.

power. App-172.

fourth. See App-10.

beasts = wild beasts. Greek. therion. Occurs thirty-eight times in Rev., thirty-seven of "the beast". And here it may indicate the nations supporting "the beast". See Dan 7 for the Divine description of "the powers" as "wild beasts".

Verse 9

altar. Greek. thusiasterion. First of eight occurances.

souls. See App-110and App-170Compare App-13.

were = had been.

word. App-121.

God. App-98.

testimony. See John 1:7.

Verse 10

loud = great.

voice. As Abel"s blood was said to cry (Genesis 4:10).

Lord. App-98.

holy = the Holy.

true = the True.

judge. App-122.

avenge. See Deuteronomy 32:43. Luke 18:3. A call consistent with the day of judgment, not with the present day of grace.

on. apo. App-104. but the texts read ek.

Verse 11

white robes = a white robe. See Revelation 7:9 and Mark 12:88.

were = was.

every one = each one.

yet for, &c. = yet a little time (Greek. chronos. App-195).

fellowservants. Greek. sundoulos. Occurs only in Matt., Col., and Rev. See App-190.

that should be = that are about to be.

as they were = even as they also (had been).

fulfilled. App-125.

Verse 12

sixth seal. The signs immediately preceding the Advent of Rev 19.
Matthew 24:4-5 (1st. The False Messiah), Revelation 6:1-2
Matthew 24:6-7 (2nd. Wars.) Revelation 6:3-4
Matthew 24:7 (3rd. Famines.) Revelation 6:5-6
Matthew 24:7 (4th. Pestilences.) Revelation 6:7-8)
Matthew 24:8-28 (5th Martyrdoms.) Revelation 6:9-11
Matthew 24:29-30 (6th. Signs in heaven of Advent.) Revelation 6:12-17.

lo. Omit.

was = came to be.

earthquake. Greek. seismos. See Haggai 2:6, Haggai 2:7, Haggai 2:21, Haggai 2:22. Zechariah 14:5. Matthew 8:24. Hebrews 12:26. Compare Psa 46.

moon. The texts add "whole", i.e. the full moon.

as blood. i.e. as to color.

Verse 13

stars, &c. See Revelation 9:1 and compare Daniel 8:10, &c.

heaven. See Revelation 3:12.

mighty = great, as verses: Revelation 6:4, Revelation 6:10, Revelation 6:17.

Verse 14

departed = parted asunder. See Acts 15:39.

scroll. See Revelation 1:11.

when, &c. = rolling itself up.

moved = removed, as Revelation 2:5.

Verse 15

the kings of the earth. See App-197. As regards the social fabric, the present conditions will exist when the Lord comes.

great men. Greek. megistanea. Only here; Revelation 18:23. Mark 6:21.

men, man = ones, one.

mighty. Greek. ischuros (with the texts). As in Revelation 19:18. Compare App-172.

bondman. App-190.

every. Omit.

Verse 16

said = they say.

Fall, &c. See Hosea 10:8, and compare Luke 23:30.

face. Greek. prosopon. Same word "presence" in 2 Thessalonians 1:9.

wrath. Greek. orge. Only once in N.T. is "wrath" attributed to the Lord; see Mark 3:5. Elsewhere it pertains to God. "Wrath of the Lamb"! Divine love spurned and rejected turning to judicial "wrath" and destruction.

Lamb. In Revelation 5:5 the Lamb-Lion; here, the Lion-Lamb.

Verse 17

great day All preceding judgments lead up to this. See Joel 2:11, Joel 2:31. Zephaniah 1:14. Compare Jude 1:6.

who, &c. This solemn question now to be answered by the sealing of 144,000 specially protected and blessed ones.

shall be = is.

Chapter 7

Verse 1

And. Some texts omit.

after. App-104.

these things. The texts read "this".

saw. App-133.

on (first and fourth occurance) Greek. epi. App-104.

earth. App-129.

holding = holding fast. Greek. krateo. Compare App-172.

four winds. See Jeremiah 49:36. Daniel 7:2; Daniel 8:8; Daniel 11:4. Zechariah 2:6; Zechariah 6:5.

that = in order that. Greek. hina.

on (second and third occurance) Greek. epi. App-104.

nor, nor. Greek. mete. See App-105.

any. App-123. tree. Greek. dendron. Not as in Revelation 2:7.

Verse 2

another. App-124.

east. Literally sunrising.

the = a.

living. App-170.

God. App-98.

loud = great.

Verse 3

neither. Same as nor, Revelation 7:1.

have = shall have, sealed. See App-197. Compare Revelation 9:4; Revelation 14:1; Revelation 22:4, and See Revelation 13:16; Revelation 14:9. This sealing is visible and protects the elect (Matthew 24:31) of Israel during the tribulation, marking them off as worshippers of the true God.

servants. App-190.

in = upon. App-104.

Verse 4

them which were = the.

an hundred, &c. See App-197.

children. App-108.

Verse 5

were sealed. Omit.

twelve. See App-197.

(5-8) These verses: foretell a literal sealing of a literal number of people taken from these tribes of Israel. No Jew now knows for certain his tribe, but the Divine sealers know 144,000 (App-10) are set apart for God"s purposes. Dan and Ephraim are omitted, Levi and Joseph taking their places. For the reason, see Leviticus 24:10-16. Deuteronomy 29:18-21. Judges 18:2-31. 1 Kings 12:26-38. Hosea 4:17. Their restoration to earthly inheritance is shown (Eze 48), the reason being given in Romans 11:29.

Verse 9

After this. As Revelation 1:19.

beheld. As Revelation 7:1 (saw).

lo. App-133.

multitude. These are converts during the great tribulation.

no man = no one. Greek. oudeis.

kindreds. As Revelation 7:4 (tribes).

people = peoples.

stood = were standing.

palms. Greek. phoinix. Only here and John 12:13. Compare the "great hosanna" of the Jews on the last day of "Tabernacles".

Verse 10

cried = they cry.

Salvation. Greek soteria. In Rev. only here, Revelation 12:10; Revelation 19:1.

unto = to.

Verse 11

stood = were standing.

worshipped. App-137.

Verse 12

Amen. See Revelation 1:6.

Blessing, &c. A sevenfold (App-10) ascription. Compare Revelation 5:12, where it is to the Lamb, while here it is to God. Prefix the def. art. to each term.

for . . . ever. See Revelation 1:6.

Verse 13

answered = masked. Figure of speech Idioma. App-6.

What = Who.

Verse 14

Sir. Most texts read "My lord".

knowest. See App-132.

which came = who come.

out of. App-104.

great, &c. = the great, &c. Compare Matthew 24:21. See Jeremiah 30:5-7. Daniel 12:1. Nothing to do with Christ"s sufferings and death on the cross.

have. Omit.

washed. Greek. pluno. Only here. App-136. Septuagint uses in Psalms 51:2, Psalms 51:7 for Hebrew. kabas. These wash "their own robes" the standing of works, not of grace. For latter see 1 Corinthians 6:11.

in = by. i.e. by virtue of, the en being here the efficient cause. App-104. See Revelation 1:5; Revelation 5:9, and App-95, note 2, "washing in blood".

Verse 15

Therefore = For this cause, or On this account. Greek. dia touto.

serve. App-137and App-190

day and night. Hebraism for "continually".

Temple. See Revelation 3:12.

dwell. Greek. skenoo. Here; Revelation 12:12; Revelation 13:6; Revelation 21:3. See John 1:14 and compare Isaiah 4:5, Isaiah 4:6.

among = over. Greek. epi,

Verse 16

neither, neither, nor. Greek. oude, the second occurance followed by me.

light. Greek. pipto. Occ twenty-three times in Rev., always "fall" except here. See Revelation 16:8. Compare Isaiah 30:26.

heat = scorching heat. Greek. kauma. Only here and Revelation 16:9.

Verse 17

shall = will.

feed = tend, or shepherd. See Revelation 2:27. Micah 5:4.

living, &c. The texts read "fountains of waters of life" (App-170.) See Revelation 21:4. These two verses: refer to Isaiah 49:8-10; Isaiah 25:8. Jeremiah 31:9, Jeremiah 31:10-25. Ezekiel 47:1, Ezekiel 47:12

Chapter 8

Verse 1

had. Omit.

was = came to be.

silence. Greek. sige. Only here and Acts 21:40.

heaven = the heaven. See Revelation 3:12.

the space of. Omit.

Verse 2

saw. App-133.

stood = stand.

God. App-98.

trumpets. Compare Numbers 10:9, &c.

Verse 3

another. App-124.

at. Greek. epi. App-104.

censer. Greek. libanoton. Only here and Revelation 8:5. Figure of speech Metonymy of Adjunct. App-6. See 1 Chronicles 9:29 (Septuagint)

unto = to.

incense. See Revelation 5:8.

that = in order that. Greek. hina.

offer it with. Greek. add (literally give) it to.

prayers. App-134.

saints = the saints. See Acts 9:13.

upon. App-104.

golden altar, &c. Glorious realities in heaven, The small golden altar of the Tabernacle and the larger one of Solomon"s Temple were but copies in miniature. See Hebrews 8:5; Hebrews 9:23, Hebrews 9:24.

Verse 4

smoke. Greek. kapnos. Occurs thirteen times, all in Rev., except Acts 2:19. Except here, always associated with "judgment" or the "pit".

out of. App-104.

Verse 5

And. The seven "ands" give an instance of Figure of speech Polysyndeton. App-6.

filled. Greek. gemizo. Here and Revelation 15:8.

into. App-104.

earth. App-129.

earthquake. See Revelation 6:12. Here apparently a convulsion of earth alone.

Revelation chapters 6 and 7 present the six seals, the sixth carrying on to the end. The seventh seal contains a new series of judgments under the seven trumpets (Revelation 8:7, Revelation 8:11, Revelation 8:14) and the seven vials (Revelation 16:1, Revelation 16:18, Revelation 16:21). The seventh seal thus embraces the period of both trumpets and vials (Revelation 8:7, Revelation 8:18, Revelation 8:24), and is immediately followed by the Apocalypse (Unveiling of "The Word of God": see App-197), the Son of Adam (App-99). The first six trumpets relate to the earth, the seventh to heaven (Revelation 11:15). The seven are divided into four and three, the last three being woe trumpets. The judgments and woes now to be set forth are just as real, as literal, as the judgments predicted and fulfilled in the past history of Israel; Exodus 34:10. Deuteronomy 28:10. Isaiah 11:15, Isaiah 11:16. Micah 7:13-15.

Verse 6

to sound = in order that (Greek. hina) they might sound (Greek. salpizo. First of ten occurences).

Verse 7

angel. Omit.

followed = came to be, as Revelation 8:1.

earth. Add, with all texts, "and the third part of the earth was burnt up".

third part. See App-197.

trees. As in Revelation 7:1, Revelation 7:3; Revelation 9:4.

burnt up. As Revelation 17:16; Revelation 18:8.

green. Greek. chloros. Occurs: Revelation 6:8 (pale); Revelation 9:4. Mark 6:39.

Verse 9

creatures. See Revelation 5:13.

and = which.

life. App-110and App-170. Not only "living souls" (Genesis 2:19) in the waters of the sea, but the "living souls" (Genesis 2:7) on it.

Verse 10

lamp. Greek. lampas. Elsewhere Revelation 4:5. Matthew 25:1-8. John 18:3 (torch). Acts 20:8 (light).

waters. The texts read "the waters".

Verse 11

Wormwood. Greek. apsinthos. Only occurance.

men. App-123. The second occurance is preceded by "the".

Verse 12

sun, moon, stars. The Lord Himself foretold these signs. See Matthew 24:29. Mark 13:24. Luke 21:25, and compare Isaiah 5:30. Jeremiah 4:28. Ezekiel 32:7, Ezekiel 32:8. Joel 2:10, Joel 2:30, Joel 2:31; Joel 3:15. Amos 5:20; Amos 8:9. Zephaniah 1:14-16.

so as = in order that. Greek. hina.

was = should be.

shone not = should not shine (App-106.)

not. App-105.

Verse 13

beheld = saw, as Revelation 8:2.

an = one.

angel. The texts read "eagle". Greek. aetos. Elsewhere, Revelation 4:7; Revelation 12:14. Matthew 24:28. Luke 17:37. Compare Deuteronomy 28:49. 2 Samuel 1:23. Isaiah 40:31. Hosea 8:1. Habakkuk 1:8.

through = in. Greek. en. App-104.

the. . . heaven. Greek. mesouranema. Elsewhere, Revelation 14:6; Revelation 19:17.

loud = great.

to . . . earth = to them dwelling (see Acts 2:6) on (App-104) earth.

by reason of. Greek. ek. App-104.

other. App-124.

yet = about.

Chapter 9

Verse 1

saw. App-133.

star. The symbol of him who had already become "fallen" before John "saw". Compare Luke 10:18. Isaiah 14:12.

fall = fallen.

from. App-104.

heaven. See Revelation 3:12.

unto. App-104.

earth. App-129.

the . . . pit = the pit (Greek. phrear. Here, Revelation 9:2. Luke 14:5. John 4:11, John 4:12, "well") of the abyss (Greek. abussos. Here, verses: Revelation 2:11; Revelation 11:7; Revelation 17:8; Revelation 20:1, Revelation 20:3. Luke 8:31. Romans 10:7). See App-197.

Verse 2

out of. App-104.

furnace. Compare Revelation 1:15. Indicating a place of fire, but not to be confused with Hades (Sheol) or with Tartarus. Compare Jeremiah 4:23-28, where the judgments are against Judah and the Land. Here, John sees them extended to the whole earth.

by reason of Greek. ek. App-104.

Verse 3

locusts. Greek. akris. Here; Revelation 9:7. Matthew 3:4. Mark 1:6.

unto = to.

power. App-172.

scorpions. Greek. skorpios. Here; verses: Revelation 9:5, Revelation 9:10. Luke 10:19; Luke 11:12. As in Exodus 10:14, these are no ordinary locusts, which "have no king" (Proverbs 30:27). See Revelation 9:11 and compare Joel 2:25. Here "men" are the objects of their power to inflict hurt.

Verse 4

commanded = said.

that . . . not = in order that (Greek. hina). . . not (App-105).

neither. Greek. oude.

but. Greek. ei (App-118) me (App-105).

only. The texts omit.

men. App-123.

in = upon. Greek. epi. App-104.

Verse 5

that . . . not. As in Revelation 9:4.

tormented. Greek. basanizo, literally to test (metals) by the touchstone, then to torture. Occurs: Revelation 11:10; Revelation 12:2 (pained); Revelation 14:10; Revelation 20:10. See Matthew 8:29. Mark 5:7. Luke 8:28. "Torment" is specially connected with demons.

five months. Compare the fixed periods of Numbers 11:19, Numbers 11:20; 2 Samuel 24:13; where the term is taken literally, as it should be here also. The period of locusts is five months: May-September. See Genesis 7:24.

torment. Greek. basanismos. Here; Revelation 14:11; Revelation 18:7, Revelation 10:15. See App-197. The verb, above.

he = it.

Verse 6

seek. As in Romans 2:7.

not. The texts read "in nowise", the strong negative. App-105.

shall flee = fleeth.

Verse 7

shapes = likenesses. See Romans 1:23.

horses. See Joe 2 for similar creatures which (Revelation 2:8) it is impossible to wound or kill.

were. Omit.

Crowns. Greek. stephanos. Occ eight times in Rev., always connected with heavenly purposes except here.

Verse 9

sound. Locusts in flight give out a great sound. These supernatural creatures will appal by the sound of their wings.

Verse 10

had = have.

Verse 11

And. The texts omit.

over. App-104.

in . . . tongue. Greek. Hebraisti.

Abaddon. Hebrew word. The "destruction" of Job 26:6; Job 28:22; Job 31:12. Psalms 88:11. Proverbs 15:11; Proverbs 27:20. Here personified as Abaddon and Apollyon, the "Destroyer". Compare Isaiah 16:4. Jeremiah 4:7; Jeremiah 6:26. Daniel 8:24, Daniel 8:25; Daniel 9:26; Daniel 11:44.

his = a.

Verse 12

One. i.e. the first woe.

and. Omit.

behold. App-133.

more = yet.

hereafter. Greek. meta tauta.

Verse 13

a = one (Revelation 8:13).

four. Omit.

altar. See Revelation 6:9.

Verse 14

in. Greek. epi. App-104.

Euphrates. Connected with the judgments of the great day. See Jeremiah 46:4-10.

Verse 15

were = had been.

for. Greek. eis. App-104.

an = the

hour, day, month, year. A fixed point of time, not a period of duration. The four notes of time being under one article and one preposition show that the occasion is one particular moment appointed by God.

for = in order. Greek. hina.

third part. See Revelation 8:7.

Verse 16

army = armies.

two . . . thousand. Literally two myriads of myriads, a literal number which John heard and recorded. Compare Revelation 7:4. See App-197.

and. Omit.

Verse 17

vision. Greek. horasis. Occurs: Revelation 4:3 and Acts 2:17. Compare App-133.

on. App-104.

of fire. Greek. purinos. Only here.

brimstone. Greek. theiodes. Only here.

brimstone. Greek. theion, six times in Rev., and in Luke 17:29. See App-197.

Verse 18

By. Greek. apo. App-104. as the texts.

three. The texts add "plagues". See App-197.

by. Greek. ek. App-104. The texts omit the last two occurances of ek: (by).

Verse 19

their power. The texts read "the power of the horses".

serpents. Greek. ophis, as in Revelation 12:9, Revelation 12:14, Revelation 12:15; Revelation 20:2. See Jeremiah 8:17.

Verse 20

rest. App-124.

plagues. See note, Revelation 9:18.

repented. App-111.

that . . . not. See Revelation 9:5.

worship. App-137.

devils = demons. A worship which is widespread over the world at this hour, despite the Divine warnings. Distinguished from worship of idols.

idols = the idols. Greek. eidolon. Only occurrence in Rev. Not found in the Gospels.

neither, nor. Greek. oute.

see. App-133. Compare Psalms 115:4-8.

Verse 21

Neither = And . . . not (App-105).

sorceries. Greek. pharmakeia. Occurs: Revelation 18:23. See Galatians 1:5, Galatians 1:20 (witchcraft).

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