Archive for Revelation
The Morning Star
“And he that overcometh, and keepeth My works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of My Father. And I will give him the morning star” (Revelation 2: 26-27).
Contrary to the claims of many modern prophecy teachers, the epistles to the seven churches in the Book of Revelation contain conditional promises and warnings, addressed to the professing church during the closing days of the present dispensation. Each church is given a promise, and all but one are threatened with judgment. The epistles are to be read as a unified message to the visible church.
If one would take the time to arrange the promises and the warnings in parallel columns, he would see that the resultant list forms a didactic version of Christ’s parable of the wise and foolish virgins (Matthew 25: 1-13). The wise virgins are promised deliverance from a coming time of trial, whereas the foolish virgins will be cast into “great tribulation.” The deliverance and the punishments are to be levied at the same time.
These facts are exemplified in the above passage, where Christ says that he that endures unto the end will be given power to rule over the nations. The Greek word here translated “end” is “telos.” The same word is found in Matthew 24: 15, where Christ mentions the abomination of desolation as the sign of the telos. The AOD is the image of the beast that will be set up in the middle of Daniel’s 70th week (Daniel 9: 27; 11: 31; 12: 11; Rev. 13: 5).
Consider again what Christ saith unto the churches. Disciples that endure unto the telos will be saved (see Matt. 24: 13). And they will be given power to rule over the nations.
In Revelation 12: 5, John records a vision of a manchild caught up to heaven immediately prior to the 1,260 days that comprise the Great Tribulation, or last half of Daniel’s 70th week. It is said of this manchild that he is to rule all nations with a rod of iron. The identity between Revelation 2: 26 and 12: 5 can hardly be ignored. Compare with Isaiah 66: 7, and you will see that John is depicting a deliverance which takes place prior to the time of travail (Great Tribulation). John is describing the fulfillment of Christ’s promise in Revelation 2: 26!
Our Lord also declares that to them who overcome will be given the morning star. The morning star precedes the rising of the sun. Christ is called the Sun of Righteousness (Malachi 4: 2), and He will arise in a twofold manner: to bring healing to the nation of Israel when He comes the second time (cf. Zech. 12: 10); and to burn up the wicked. He will inaugurate a new day of righteousness (Zech. 14: 6-7), even the Day of the Lord. Christ’s coming as the Sun of Righteousness occurs after the tribulation (Matt. 24: 29).
But before the tribulation, Christ will descend into the lower heavens and become the “morning star” to those who endure unto the telos. They who keep the word of His patience will be kept out of the hour of temptation which will try the entire habitable world (Rev. 3: 10). Those who fail will be cast into the tribulation, to be purified and made white and tried (see Daniel 12: 10; 11: 35). Many of them will fall.
To be delivered out of the hour of temptation it is needful to remain in prayer (Luke 21: 36). For none who have not prayed unto the Son of Man for deliverance will be accounted worthy to attain unto the blessed promise of being caught up to the throne of God before the tribulation. When the telos comes, some will be taken and others left (Matt. 24: 39-41).
The same message is taught in the parable of the wise and foolish virgins. At the midnight cry, those who are prepared go into the wedding chamber, while the unprepared are shut out (Matt. 25: 10). There is a time during which they knock fervently at the door for entrance, but they are refused. This is their hour of trial. Those who withstand Antichrist will be beheaded for their faith (Rev. 20: 4).
As Christ’s coming as ‘morning star’ precedes the full-orbed Millennial day, so Antichrist must also make his appearance around the same time. Antichrist is called the ‘morning star’ in Isaiah 14: 12, for he is Christ’s counterfeit. He will be manifested to the world in the middle of Daniel’s 70th week. His parousia marks the telos, at which the true Morning Star, Jesus Christ the Son of God, will snatch away the faithful ones into heaven.
“I Jesus have sent Mine angel to testify these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star” (Rev. 22: 16).
Lovers of Pleasure More Than Lovers of God
“Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God” (2 Timothy 3: 4).
In the last epistle which Paul the apostle wrote (circa A.D. 68), he warned that at the closing days of the present dispensation there would come perilous times. He predicted not only a time of danger to those who remain steadfast in the truth, but an epoch of unprecedented moral corruption. He went so far as to say that men would be lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God. That is a strong statement.
Christians in America, and indeed throughout the entire world, should realize that we are near the end of our road. Regardless of the loud boasts of progress which we hear daily from religious and secular humanists, humanity is about to undergo a time of trial that is without historical precedent. With a one-world government and micro-chip identification right around the corner, one can scarcely tell what the next day will bring.
The age is unspeakably corrupt – much like the days of Noah and of Lot (Luke 17: 26-30). Although the Holy Spirit reproves the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment (John 16: 7-11), the leaven of malice and wickenedness stealthily increases, and we wonder how long it will be before the Lord opens the floodgates of His indignation upon the world.
After 6,000 years of history, it is clear that mankind is a failure. Humanity has been weighed in the scales, and found wanting. Man has tried every form of government to better his circumstances, and failed. He has utilized every scheme of “self help” available to lift him out of the corruption into which his own heart has plunged him – but to no avail. Only One can save , and that One is rejected by a world which has no place for Him. What awaits now but the day of sentencing, during which Jehovah alone will be exalted, and all mankind abased? Isaiah 2: 11-12. The day will come like a thief upon the world, just as men are saying, “Peace and safety!“ 1 Thess. 5: 2-3.
Among Christians, the “falling away” (2 Thess. 2: 3) has already commenced. Those who keep the word of His patience and remain in fervent prayer will be delivered out of the day of trial, and stand before the Son of Man (Rev. 3: 10; Luke 21: 36). They will be caught up to the throne of God, before the tribulation even begins (Rev. 2: 26-27; 12: 5; cf. Isaiah 66: 7). But those who love the pleasures of this world will be tried in the furnace of affliction. Now is the time for Christians to re-consecrate their lives to Christ, and to renounce all vain pursuits and endeavors. Today is the day of grace. Spend it wisely while you may!
Difficult Questions Answered
Q: Okay, I’m trying to put the basic idea of what happened in the first century into a more simple explantaion so I can understand it better. I’m going to try and type out how I think it works but it’s complicated.
So, Jesus came around to establish His kingdom. Now is that an earthly or heavenly one? Then he was crucified. Was that going to happen whether they accepted him or not because they could have after He died? John the Baptist was supposed to be Elijah but they didn’t accept him either. So, had the Jewish nation accepted him later on due to the preaching of the apostles, he would have come back around 70AD? But they didn’t because they formally rejected Him in 62AD?
So when Revelation says that the time is near and what not, is it referring to the time before the nation rejected Jesus? So was revelation then written before the Jews rejected Jesus? The most likely date I’ve seen spoken about is about 64/65 but does pushing it back 2 or 3 years conflict with anything?
A: Those are some good questions. Well, here is the matter as I see it. Humanly speaking, Christ came to offer the kingdom to Israel. Divinely speaking, He came to die for the sins of the world. The kingdom He offered is that mentioned in Daniel 2: 44, which will break in pieces all other kingdoms (worldly governments) and fill the entire earth. This could not have had respect to the church. The church is a “mystery” which was hidden in God. Therefore, it is not the subject of Old Testament prophecy. It was not revealed until well into the Acts period.
When John the Baptist said, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand,” he meant the kingdom of Messiah on earth. It is this same kingdom which our Lord taught His disciples to pray for in Matt. 6: 10: “The kingdom come, thy will be done, in earth as it is in heaven.”
If the Jews had accepted John the Baptist’s mission, the hearts of the children would have been turned to the fathers (and vice versa), and the kingdom established in the first century, after Messiah’s crucifixion and exaltation at the right hand of God. All the prophecies would have occurred within the 40 year time-frame. Nero probably would have destroyed the temple, and his successor (Antichrist) would have made a covenant with the Jews lasting 7 years (Dan. 9: 26). The prophecies concerning the great tribulation would then have been fulfilled in the first century, and Messiah would have returned in A.D. 70 (or sooner).
When in Revelation we read, “The time is at hand,” we must see it as having reference to the then-impending dispensational crisis. Yes, I do believe the book was written about A.D. 60-62, before the Jews formally rejected the kingdom in Acts 28. This dating is based on internal evidence of the book itself, whereas other views rely on tradition. I feel it is the correct view.
Q: “Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand” (Phil. 4: 5).
Paul was in Rome when he wrote this, so why would he say the Lord is near if the Jews had already rejected Him in Acts 28? The rejection seems to have happened early on in Rome and Paul’s trial is already underway. I can’t find a good argument to say that this took place during his stay in prison in that other place before the Jews’ rejection. Paul wouldn’t have been facing the threat of execution before he got to Rome. Also, near doesn’t seem to be able to be used as close by since it’s usually translated as soon or at hand.
A: In this passage, “at hand” is being used in a spatial sense. It could not have been used in a temporal sense, for the second coming was no longer imminent when Paul wrote. My view is supported by Paul’s later prison epistles, in which he advises the younger women to marry and bear children (1 Tim. 5: 14)– something he had previously advised against, for the time was short (see 1 Cor. 7: 29). The parousia is not mentioned in Paul’s prison epistles, for after Acts 28 it was postponed. The hope in this dispensation is not the hope of Israel (the parousia) but the hope of the church (see Phil. 3: 14; Titus 2: 14).
The Millennial Reign: Earthly or Spiritual?
Throughout the centuries, Christians and scholars have disagreed concerning the nature of the Millennial reign. Will it be earthly or heavenly? In this short podcast Brian Simmons touches upon the issues involved, and establishes the earthly nature of the Millennium by examining some key Biblical texts.
Listen now: millennium
Charles H. Welch– Audio Lectures on Revelation
Studies In The Apocalypse (Part 10)
(2: 12) “And to the angel of the church in Pergamos, write; These things saith He that hath the sharp sword with two edges;”
As I see it, the letters sent to the seven churches contain a rundown of conditions then present, which will be more fully developed as the end of the age draws near. Proceeding on this principle of interpretation, we come to Pergamum, a wealthy city famed for its humanistic refinements of arts and letters, science and medicine. At Pergamum was a massive library of 200,000 volumes (i.e., scrolls), and a celebrated temple to Aesculapius, the heathen god of medicine.
According to classical mythology, Aesculapius became so proficient in his art that he even raised the dead. But Pluto, god of the underworld, complained to Zeus that he was losing business. So Zeus smote the healer with a thunderbolt; and from that time he received divine honors. Aesculapius was worshipped as a serpent which was fed in the temple, and considered its divinity. On ancient coins struck by the town, the god appears with a rod encircled by a serpent (the emblem of the medical profession). The original form of the Hippocratic Oath contains an invocation of his name.
Look closely at the conditions described in this letter, and you’ll get a perfect picture of what the world will be like during the dispensation of judgment. Medical science will have reached such a level as to almost raise the dead. And yet for all that, the moral state of mankind will be such as to call for a sword. The sword cuts two ways–to life or to death. They who refuse Jesus Christ’s saving words have one who standeth at the door (James 5: 9); the Judge whose sword will plead with all flesh (Isaiah 66: 16).
(2: 13) “I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, even where Satan’s seat is: and thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith, even in those days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwelleth.”
Again, we see in this epistle that the saints are under great trials. They are not living in ease, but are enduring much suffering for Christ’s name. Their faithfulness during these times of tribulation is commended. This makes us wonder, what will things be like during the 70th week of Daniel? Will we have a recurrence of these very conditions? How many will defect from the faith in that day? Let’s think about these things; for you and I may have to go through these very trials. Will we receive the same words of commendation? Or will be found “salt without savor“:–utterly worthless, and fit to be cast out, and trodden under foot? (Matt. 5: 13).
As to the identity of Antipas, we have no sure information. Tradition assigns him as a bishop of Pergamos, martyred during the reign of Domitian. The facts are so uncertain, however, that we can only speculate. But this let us grasp this one truth: that during the times depicted in this epistle, martyrdom will be resorted to by the enemies of God. Hence, the city is justly called “the seat of Satan.” Is this synonymous with the “seat of the beast” mentioned in ch. 16: 10? If so, we have an indication that the antitypical city of Pergamos is none other than Mystery Babylon. Famed for its humanistic achievements, it is the epitome of man’s boasted “progress.” As such, it is noted for its hatred of the Christian religion. Let us take a spiritual lesson to heart, and remember that secular humanism has always been, in essence, opposed to the spirit of Christ. It was during an age of “progress” that the flood came upon the old world (Gen. 4: 19-22).
(2: 14) “But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to cast a stumbling-block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication.”
Although the church in Pergamos has remained steadfast during these ordeals, there are some among them who take after the ways of Balaam. We’ll recall that Balaam the son of Beor was a prophet hired by King Balak of Moab to curse the Israelites as they journeyed through the wilderness (Numbers 22: 1-6). God prevented him from cursing Israel. In fact, Balaam, divinely inspired, thrice blessed Israel, to the consternation of Balak, who angrily sent him away (Num. 24: 10-11). But later Balaam, eager for a reward, gave Balak counsel to corrupt the Israelites by sending into their midst the prostitutes of Baal-Peor. With these Israel committed whoredoms, and the wrath of God was kindled (see Numbers 25).
The Divine warning to the church of Pergamos must be read in light of Jude 11 and 2 Peter 2: 1-22, in which it is revealed that during the “last days” (i.e. close of the Gospel dispensation), false teachers will sneak into the church to corrupt the saints of God. Not allowed to curse God’s people, they will attempt to foster in their midst that secret idolatry which will then prevail in the world. The nature of this idolatry is disclosed in 2 Peter 2: 18-19. Under the pretense of Christian liberty, they will “allure through the lusts of flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escpaed from them that live in error.”
This points to a rabid and unprecedented antinomianism; but that is only half the story. During the times of Antichrist, the world will have relapsed to the ancient religions of heathendom, in which fornication was a part of worship. Our minds stagger when we think of the possibility of these conditions occurring in our own age. But anyone who regards the “signs of the times” will acknowledge that the moral fabric of the world has been long deteriorating. If the present trend continues, a revival of ancient heathenistic forms of worship may be the only outcome. Only forty years ago, pornography was illegal. Now it is one of the most popular vices in America. Interest in occultism is spreading wildly, too; and other signs prevalent in our society assure us that the conditions mentioned in the letter to Pergamos are not so improbable as some may think.
The exact methods these disciples of Balaam will use to lure away Christ’s people, is difficult to ascertain. It is doubtful whether they’ll preach their doctrines openly. It is more likely that they’ll target weak disciples and, professing a higher knowledge of divine things, use the doctrines of grace to excuse their unclean and blasphemous practices. It is even possible that they’ll inculcate the doctrine that one can adhere to the heathen religion of the last days, and still be a Christian.
(2: 15) “So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes, which thing I hate.”
This second reference to the Nicolaitanes (see v. 2: 6) makes the above theory almost certain. Concerning the clause, “which thing I hate,” let us note that all of the critical texts read homoios (in like manner), and not ho miso (which I hate). If this translation be followed, then the Nicolaitane heresy is revealed as being the same as that of the Balaamites.
Eusebius, in his Ecclesiastical History (III. xxix. 1), states that Nicolaus, accused of jealousy, brought forth his beautiful wife in the midst of the apostles, and gave permission for any who chose to consort with her. This was in accordance with his own convictions that one “ought to abuse the flesh.” His disciples were those who “committed fornication without shame.” The early Gnostic sects taught that the soul alone is saved, and not the body–in other words, that Christ only saves half of the individual. This, of course, renders the deeds of the body inconsequential. How far this heresy is followed by modern adherents of the “Hyper-Preterist” school of thought, let them see to it.
(2: 16) “Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.”
That is to say, the transgressors will be slain when the Lord is revealed from heaven (see ch. 19: 15). The church here addressed is assumed to be alive and on earth at the time of Christ’s second advent. This shuts us up to a futurist interpretation of these inspired predictions. The timing factor “quickly,” tells us that the dispensation of grace has now run out, and that the prophetical clock is ticking once more. As stated previously, the clock stopped ticking in the first century, when the Gospel prevailed among the Gentiles (see Colossians 1: 6). At that time, the judgments, which were to befall the habitable world, and which are inseparably connected with Christ’s coming in glory (Parousia), were postponed, and the city of Jerusalem destroyed instead. Why? Because the Gentiles accepted the “sign of Jonas,” but the Jews didn’t (see Jonah 3: 10).
(2: 17) “He that hath an ear to hear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches: To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.”
To these overcomers who prevail against the errors of false doctrine and the allurements of the flesh, a promise is given that they shall partake of the “hidden manna,” and receive a “white stone” with their names written in it.
What these promises signify is uncertain. The hidden manna probably points us to the antitype of the manna commanded by Moses to be laid up in the Ark of the Testament (Exodus 16: 32-34). Perhaps it involves a more complete communion with Christ than anything we know of here on earth. The white stone may be taken in a literal, as well as in a figurative, sense. But the promise hints that Christians have a heavenly name known only to God. Those who approve themselves as Christ’s disciples will be confessed by Him before the angels of God. And then “we shall know, even as we are known” (1 Cor. 13: 12).
Studies In The Apocalypse (Part 6- Rev. 1: 14- 1: 16)
(1: 14) “His head and His hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and His eyes were as a flame of fire;”
This reminds us of Daniel’s description of the Ancient of Days: “Whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of His head like pure wool: His throne was like the fiery flame, and His wheels as burning fire” (Dan. 7: 9). There Daniel spoke of the purity and splendor of God the Father. Here John reveals the Divinity of Christ. Once before he saw the Lord’s glory, when he and Peter and James stood on the Mount of Transfiguration. Then the fashion of Christ’s countenance was altered, His raiment was white and glistering (Luke 9: 29); and He revealed to His disciples the glory which He had with the Father before the world was (John 17: 5). Now, having ascended to heaven, His Divine glory is again manifested to John.
The whiteness of wool implies purity and cleanness. It signifies that Christ is without sin–that of all men, the Redeemer alone is holy and pure. We too will one day be partakers of the Divine nature (2 Peter 1: 4). At the marriage supper of the Lamb, the saints shall be arrayed in white–that is, shall be cleansed from all sin. While on earth, we are sprinkled with the blood of Christ, that we may attain that heavenly whiteness; that when Christ comes, the church may be presented to Him without spot or blemish (Eph. 5: 27).
“His eyes were as a flame of fire.”–This may denote the judicial scrutiny with which the Lord beholds things on earth. David writes: “The Lord is in His holy temple, the Lord’s throne is in heaven: His eyes behold, His eyelids try the children of men” (Psalm 11: 4). The imagery is parallel to that of Daniel 10: 6.
(1: 15) “And His feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and His voice as the sound of many waters.”
Once again, this description is similar to that furnished by Daniel. Both Daniel and John were chosen to receive visions of transcendent glory. In Daniel 10: 6, we have the key to unlocking John’s vision. Speaking of the man clothed in linen, Daniel writes: “His body also was like the beryl, and his face as the appearance of lightning, and his eyes as lamps of fire, and his arms and his feet like in color to polished brass, and the voice of his words likle the voice of a multitude.”
Daniel’s vision was preparatory to his being told things that must befall his people in the latter days. John is vouchsafed a similar vision, preparatory to his being told things that are at hand.
The Apocalyptic judgments were at hand when John wrote. But because of the increase of faith and proliferation of the Gospel among all nations, judgment was put off to a later time, and that through the mercy and grace of God (see Genesis 18: 23-32). The wickedness of the world, so prevalent during the days of Domitian, was countebalanced by the power and spread of the gospel. This has resulted in a gracious postponement of Divine judgments which will only take place when the world has sunk into conditions similar to those which brought on the desolations of the old world, and of Sodom and Gomorrha (Luke 17: 26-30).
As we understand it, the predictions made to Daniel contain one of the great keys to interpreting the Apocalypse, for both Daniel and John write of the same events. There is one difference, however, in their repective visions. While both concern the destiny of Israel, John prophesies in light of the knowledge that the church has been grafted into Israel. From what we can tell, Daniel was not aware of this. John’s understanding will of course come into play as we advance further into the book.
“His voice as the sound of many waters.”–This is parallel to Ezekiel’s vision of Messiah’s glorious advent. “And behold, the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the east: and His voice was like the noise of many waters: and the earth shined with His glory” (Ezekiel 43: 2). Ezekiel prophesied the coming of Christ to take up His abode in the temple he had described (Ezek. 40-43). His prediction will be found to bear correspondence with the Apocalyptic visions, in which Christ brings the New Jerusalem down from heaven. Like the prophecies of Daniel 7, Ezekiel’s coming of the Son of Man is understood to be Jesus Christ’s rule and reign over all the kingdoms of the world.
(1: 16) “And He had in His right hand seven stars; and out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword: and His countenance as the sun shineth in his strength.”
The seven stars will be interpreted in v. 20. The mention of a two-edged sword proceeding from the Savior’s mouth is a reference to Isaiah 49: 2: “And He hath made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of His hand hath He hid me, and made me a polished shaft; in His quiver hath He hid me.” The Son of Man has been hidden in the Divine quiver; that is, Christ’s office as Judge of all mankind has not yet been manifested. In the present dispensation of grace, judgment is deferred and mercy held out to all. The Lord is not judging; He is saving (John 12: 47).
But the divine economy will be changed when He returns. The He shall rule all nations with a rod of iron (see Psalm 2: 8-9). The two edged-sword denotes the precepts and commandments of Jesus Christ, in their capacity to convict and condemn transgressors. “He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day” (John 12: 48). Those who obey not the Gospel will be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord (2 Thess. 1: 8), even as Antichrist will be destroyed with the Spirit of His mouth and with the brightness of His coming (2 Thess. 2: 8).
“And His countenance as the sun shineth in his strength.” –This brings to mind the inspired predictions of the prophet Malachi: “But unto you that fear my name, shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in His wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall” (Mal. 4: 2)– a verse understood by Tertullian as pointing to the resurrection of the just. See De Resurrectione Carnis, xxxi. The same sun which burns up the wicked (Mal. 4: 1) shall restore the righteous to life.
Christ is also likened to the sun, for He brings a new dispensation down to men, even the “seventh day,” or perfect Sabbath. The perfection of that day was frustrated by the sin of the First Adam. As sin entered on the sixth day, so Christ was crucified on Friday to take away the sins of the world. Now during this remainer of the sixth day, He stands in the holy place making reconciliation for the sins of His people. This sixth day/age is compared to an evening which is far spent (Romans 13: 12; 1 John 2: 8). It will be succeeded by the perfect day, or antitypical Sabbath. This is the Millennium, otherwise known as the “Day of the Lord,” in contradistinction to “man’s day,” which is rapidly drawing to a close.
