It's the End of the World As We Know It: The Seven Seals, Part 2

In the previous post in this series, we looked at the first six Seals of Revelation 6.  And, while I realize it seems a little strange to cram the first six into one post and THEN spend an entire post on the Seventh Seal, there's a lot going on between Seal Six and Seal Seven.  Moreover, there's a lot of speculation as to what, exactly, is going on during the Seventh Seal.

As a reminder, speculation isn't always bad, but it must always be approached with caution, because speculation can very easily lead to a doctrine that either adds to, or takes away from, the Scriptures.  No bueno.  And while I am no stranger to speculation in this series, I do believe wholeheartedly that speculation must never be based on whatever interpretation we happen to favor, but, rather, our interpretations must arise out of the Scriptures.

Okay, let's get to the Scriptures.  By the time Chapter 7 opens, we have just seen the devastating destruction of the Sixth Seal:  a global earthquake that sends the people and rulers of the earth into hiding:

I watched as he opened the sixth seal.  There was a great earthquake.  The sun turned black like sackcloth made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood red, and the stars in the sky fell to earth, as late figs drop from a fig tree when shaken by a strong wind.  The sky receded like a scroll, rolling up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place. 

Then the kings of the earth, the princes, the generals, the rich, the mighty, and every slave and every free man hid in caves among the rocks of the mountains.  They called to the mountains and rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb!  For the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?" (6:12-17).

But, rather then proceeding to the last seal, as John has done with the previous seals, he takes a moment to write one of the most controversial chapters in the Book of Revelation:

After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth to prevent any wind from blowing on the land or on the sea or on any tree.  Then I saw another angel coming up from the east, having the seal of the living God.  He called out in a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm the land and the sea:  "Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God."  Then I heard the number of those who were sealed:  144,000 from all the tribes of Israel.

From the tribe of Judah 12,000 were sealed,
from the tribe of Reuben 12,000,
from the tribe of Gad 12,000,
from the tribe of Asher 12,000,
from the tribe of Nephtali 12,000,
from the tribe of Manasseh 12,000,
from the tribe of Simeon 12,000,
from the tribe of Levi 12,000,
from the tribe of Issachar 12,000,
from the tribe of Zebulun 12,000,
from the tribe of Joseph 12,000,
from the tribe of Benjamin 12,000 (7:1-8).

On the surface, it's difficult to see what's so controversial about this.  John sees a group of angels "seal" (in this case, for salvation and protection) 144,000 Jews:  12,000 from each of the named tribes.  It's fairly straightforward, especially in light of what happens in Chapter 8.  While we'll look at Chapter 8 in more detail shortly, the gist of it says this:  "Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar . . . Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and hurled it on the earth; and there came peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning and an earthquake" (8:3;5).  This event heralds the coming of the Trumpet Judgments, judgments which burn up the grass, poison the waters, blot out the sun and moon, and so on and so forth.  So in light of Chapter 8, the events of Chapter 7 make sense:  'Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God.'  Then I heard the number of those who were sealed:  144,000 from all the tribes of Israel."

Now, truthfully, I don't see the issue.  Nonetheless, there is great controversy and debate regarding this passage, for many believe that this passage refers, not to Jews, but to Gentiles.  The basic argument is that the "tribes" are not really tribes, because the numbers are too perfect.  Rather, they represent believers from all nations.  On the other hand, according to the Jehovah's Witnesses, the 144,000 refer to the ruling elite of Heaven - the Witnesses who are privileged enough to spend eternity with God - while everyone else who is a JW remains on earth.

But let's stop and take a look at this:  if John meant "all people," why call them "the tribes of Israel," especially considering that he identifies "all people" as "all people" in other passages (e.g., 7:9).  Furthermore, why list each tribe, if the "tribes" aren't meant to be taken as literal tribes?  Lastly, what, exactly, does each tribe represent, if not to be taken literally?  John offers no explanation or interpretation to that effect.  There is, as best I can tell, no reason to suddenly claim that "all the tribes of Israel" means "all nations on earth."  The common sense, straightforward reading of this text states that 144,000 Jews come to faith in Jesus during this period of time.

Furthermore, it states that they are sealed, specifically, to protect them from the judgments that are coming.  Notice the angel's admonition:  "'Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God'" (7:3).  As we'll see in the next post of this series, the coming Trumpet Judgments greatly harm the land, sea, trees, and even people.  So the sealing of 144,000 Jews is in preparation for this great series of judgments that is coming.  Now, after listing the tribes, John notices something that is, frankly, puzzling at first:

After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb.  They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands.  And they cried out in a loud voice:

"Salvation belongs to our God, 
who sits on the throne,
and to the Lamb."

All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures.  They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying:

"Amen!
Praise and glory
and wisdom and thanks and honor
and power and strength
be to our God for ever and ever.
Amen!" 

Then one of the elders asked me, "These in white robes - who are they, and where did they come from?"  

I answered, "Sir, you know."

And he said, "These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb" (7:9-14).

While the passage itself is straightforward, the timing of it is bizarre.  Suddenly, John appears to be at the end of the "Tribulation," at the point where everyone who was not beheaded is now standing in front of the Heavenly Throne of God.  So, is Jesus revealing, through John, that the Tribulation ends with Seal 6?  Wouldn't that, you know, mean that Christ's return happens then?  But if that's the case, then what is the rest of Revelation about, because the Seven Trumpets (8:6-11:15) and the Seven Bowls (15:1-16:21) are very much sequential, not only to the Seven Seals, but to each other - one set of events flows from the previous one. 

Here's my submission to you:  what follows the Seventh Seal is the coming of the Antichrist, and the start of the Tribulation.

"Uhh . . . what?!  That's not what Tim LaHaye teaches!"

Yes, I know.  Remember that we've already looked at the fact that the First Seal does not appear to refer to the Antichrist.  Therefore, there is no reason to believe he's on earth during the first Six Seals.  I freely admit he could be, but that's an assumption, and it has no Scriptural support, just a lot of rampant speculation; we only believe the White Horse Seal is the Antichrist because other people have told us it is.

"But wait!  Didn't we see that the Antichrist doesn't appear until Chapter 13?"

Yes, but Chapters 12 and 13 are, in fact, flashbacks, in much the same way that 7:9-17 is a flash forward.  Remember that the first section of Chapter 12 deals with the birth, life, and Ascension of Jesus (12:1-6).  Then there is a war in heaven that is, from our perspective, still future, but from the timing of what John has seen, is in the past.  This kind of jumping around is not unprecedented.

Most of the prophets were given visions that jumped around.  Ezekiel sees all kinds of things, some of them in contemporary to him, many of them in the near future (relative to him), some of them in the distant future.  Jeremiah, same thing.  Isaiah saw Israel destroyed, which happened during his lifetime, but he also saw the coming Messiah.  Now, certain sections of the prophets are clearly sequential (such as the unfolding of the Seven Trumpets), but different sections can be rearranged into a different order.

Think of it like interlocking building block toys (I don't have permission to use the trade-marked, common-use name).  You may have a block that has three little pegs, each in a row, and you may have a block with four little pegs in a square, but you can move the blocks around to put them in a different order.  Each block is a set thing, but how the blocks are placed together is not.  Make sense (if not, let me know in the comments section!)?

But the second reason is that the beast that comes out of the Abyss is on earth in Chapter 11:  "Now when they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes from the Abyss will attack them" (11:7).  So the Beast is present on earth in Chapter 11, during the trumpet judgments, but John doesn't write about his rise to power and his government/idolatrous religion until Chapters 12 and 13.  Therefore - and this is a surmise - I believe John was given a vision of the end of the Tribulation here, not because that's when it actually ends, but as a means of comfort and reassurance that everything works out for the disciples of Jesus, because they are either killed during this time (see Chapter 13), or they survive, and have the enormous privilege of serving God "day and night in His temple," and of having "He who sits on the throne . . . spread his tent over them" (7:15).  In other words, they get to go camping with God.

Just kidding.  That imagery implies a protection and comfort, as well as a deep and personal dwelling place with God Almighty.  What an awesome, awesome thing.  My point, though, is that the timing of John's vision revealing the end of the Tribulation coincides with the unfolding of the Tribulation in the rest of Chapters 8-11. 
 
There is one other reason I think this may be the case.  Immediately after the heavenly interlude of Chapter 7, John returns to the sequence of events.  Chapter 8 begins:

When he opened the Seventh Seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.  

And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and to them were given seven trumpets.  Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar.  He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all the saints, on the golden altar before the throne.  The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of the saints, went up before God from the angel's hand.  Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and hurled it on the earth; and there came peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning and an earthquake (1-5).

So, thus far, the sequence of events, starting with the First Seal, has been that John sees a spiritual deception move throughout the earth, wars, famines, plagues, and a great earthquake, all things Jesus references as "the birth pangs," and events that happen before the time of the end (see Matthew 24:4-8 and Luke 21:8-11).  John then sees the "sealing" of 144,000 Jews, in order that they may be spared from coming judgment and strife.  He is then given a glimpse of the future in which believers who have "come out of the great tribulation" are serving God, who sits in His temple.  Then the Seventh Seal is opened, and what is revealed is so breathtaking that there is silence in heaven for half-an-hour.  Keep in mind that heaven, up until this point, is anything but silent.  In fact, when anything happens - even judgment - heaven erupts in praise to God.

So whatever was sealed up by the Seventh Seal must be absolutely horrific, something that has never happened before.  There are only two events recorded following the opening of the Seventh Seal:  the start of the Trumpet Judgments, and, prior to that, the censer of fire being hurled to, and doing a great deal of damage to, the earth.  Let's go to Chapter 12 again:

And there was a war in heaven.  Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back.  But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven.  The great dragon was hurled down - that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray.  He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.

Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: 

"Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God,
and the authority of His Christ.
For the accuser of our brothers,
who accuses them before our God day and night,
has been hurled down.
They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb
and by the word of their testimony;
they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.
Therefore rejoice, you heavens
and you who dwell in them!
But woe to the earth and the sea,
because the devil has gone down to you!
He is filled with fury,
because he knows that his time is short."

When the dragon saw that he had been hurled to earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child.  The woman was given the two wings of a great eagle, so that she might fly to the place prepared for her in the desert, where she would be taken care of for a time, times and half a time, out of the serpents reach.  Then from his mouth the serpent spewed water like a river, to overtake the woman and sweep her away with the torrent.  But the earth helped the woman by opening its mouth and swallowing the river that the dragon had spewed out of his mouth.  Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to make war against the rest of her offspring - those who obey God's commandments and hold to the testimony of Jesus.  And the dragon stood on the shore of the sea.

And I saw a beast coming out of the sea (12:7 - 13:1).

So 144,000 Jews are sealed with the Seal of the Living God.  Then the Seventh Seal is open, there is silence in heaven for half-an-hour, then the angels prepare to sound their trumpets, initiating a period of divinely appointed judgments meant to torment mankind.  But prior to sounding the trumpets, an angel hurls a censer full of fire to the earth and causes a great deal of damage.  And where does the fire come from?  The burnt incense on the altar in Heaven, incense that is made up of the prayers of all the saints.  The Trumpets are sounded, one after the other, and during this time, the Beast from the Abyss is first named.

What do we see in Chapter 12?  We see a war in which Satan is hurled to earth because of the "testimony of the saints," and the inhabitants of Heaven grieve for the earth.  Then Satan attempts to wipe Israel off of the earth, but she is supernaturally protected.  So he goes after the Gentile believers, but does so by waiting for the Beast who arises out of the sea.

The Seventh Seal, I now firmly believe, initiates the coming of the Antichrist and the Tribulation.  No, this is not what LaHaye teaches.  Thank God.

Look, I was caught up in the books, too, when they first came out.  Kirk Cameron made a few movies about the books and, though the movies weren't great, they were close to being somewhat passably good.    But then I read the Scriptures and discovered just how much "artistic license" that series took.  And while it isn't completely off-base in every part, there are some serious issues, in terms of ignoring the Scriptures in favor of a particular interpretation.

The fact is, a lot of believers are going to be caught completely off guard because they are expecting events to unfold exactly as portrayed in the books and movies.  Don't be caught off guard; read the Scriptures, and then, when you're done, read them again.  And again.  And again.  But more importantly, don't be caught sleeping.  Don't be caught sitting around, not doing your job.  Our task  is to be His ambassadors, making disciples and bearing fruit.

Because, regardless of when the Tribulation starts, regardless of when the Antichrist rises to power, regardless of the Rapture, the meaning of the silence in heaven, regardless of any of this, people who do not call on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ stand condemned.  Jesus gave us these Scriptures for a reason, and so I do not believe it is profitable to ignore them or shrug our shoulders - that would imply that He gave us useless information and words.  But centering our lives around eschatology at the expense of the Gospel is also not profitable.  Stay alert, be ready, and lead people to Jesus. 

     
   







   

It's The End of the World As We Know It: The New World Order

Former President George H. W. Bush is often credited with coining the term, "New World Order."  This is because of a rather chilling statement he made during multiple speeches.  You can view the video here:

The phrase, however, was not coined by President Bush.  Rather, it has been part of the Great Seal of the United States since 1782, and engraved on the back of our one dollar bill since 1935.  You can see for yourself.  Grab a dollar bill and look on the back.  See the pyramid with the eye floating above it?  Underneath the pyramid is a Latin phrase that reads:  "Novus Ordo Seclorum."  The phrase, literally translated, means "New Order of the Ages," but it refers to a new age of the entire world.  So the interpretation of it (as opposed to the translation) would be "New World Order."

Since 1782.  How about that?  We weren't even officially recognized as a country until 1783 when we signed the treaty with Britain, granting us the status of an independent nation.  Before we were even born as a country, America was being heralded as the harbinger of the New World Order.  Furthermore, in 1935, in the midst of the Great Depression, when America's economic system had all but collapsed, our government decided to put the phrase on our smallest denomination as a daily reminder of what America was supposed to be.

And if you think this sounds sinister, that's because it is.  When we read in the Scriptures about the coming one-world system, it is sinister.  Check out what the book of Revelation has to say about "the Beast" who is to rule this system:

And I saw a beast coming out of the sea.  He had ten horns and seven heads, with ten crowns on his horns, and on each head a blasphemous name. . . One of the heads of the beast seemed to have had a fatal wound, but the fatal wound had been healed.  The whole world was astonished and followed the beast.  Men worshiped the dragon [see 12:1 - 13:1] because he had given authority to the beast, and they also worshiped the beast and asked, "Who is like the beast?  Who can make war against him?"

The beast was given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies and to exercise authority for forty-two months.  He opened his mouth to blaspheme God, and to slander His name and His dwelling place and those who live in heaven.  He was given power to make war against the saints and to conquer them.  And he was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation.  All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast - all whose names have not been written in the book of life belonging to the lamb that was slain from the creation of the world (13:1; 3-8).

So right off the bat, something is up.  This guy - whoever he will be (or is) - died, and then came back to life.

Dude was dead, but he gets back up.  And who gives him this authority and power?  It isn't Jesus, the True Resurrection.  It's Satan.  The Devil.  Lucifer.  Baphomet.  He goes by many names, but the end result is the same:  death and destruction.  His will is to be worshiped, and that is exactly what he institutes, a religion in which everyone on earth worships him:  Men worshiped the dragon, because he had given authority to the beast [and] . . . all inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast.

Therefore, the first thing we see about this New World Order is that it will have one religion, a religion devoted to the worship of Satan and his puppet, "the beast."  There are many people today who are attempting to do away with religion altogether, but this is impossible.  Why?  Because, as human beings, we were created for worship.  Now, obviously, we should worship God, but all of us find numerous other things to worship, and we don't have to be "religious" to worship.  For many atheists, as an example, science is their god.  They believe science will heal our diseases, solve our problems, and give us all of the answers (Shermer, 186-187).

Even those who claim not to believe in God still believe in a god.

And so we will never be able to do away with worship, no matter how hard some may try.  What will happen, instead, is all of the major religions will consolidate into one religion, a religion that worships a resurrected imposter.  And lest we think this time will be a peaceful time of co-existence, notice the end of the passage:  "He was given power to make war against the saints and to conquer them."  Conquer does not mean to win at chess.

We know from elsewhere in the book that he institutes the beheading (20:4) of those who refuse to worship him.  It's like ISIS, but worse, because this isn't a terrorist organization that can be fought and stopped, but a government that has written this behavior into law.  So we know that this New World Order will alter and enforce a Satanic religion, but it will also alter and enforce the world economy.  Check out Revelation 13:11-18:

Then I saw a second beast coming out of the earth.  It had two horns like a lamb, but it spoke like a dragon.  It exercised all the authority of the first beast on its behalf, and made the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed.  And it performed great signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven to the earth in full view of the people.  Because of the signs it was given power to perform on behalf of the first beast, it deceived the inhabitants of the earth.  It ordered them to set up an image in honor of the first beast who was wounded by the sword, and yet lived.  The second beast was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that the image could speak and cause all who refused to worship the image to be killed.  It also forced all people, great and small, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads, so that they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of its name.

This calls for wisdom.  Let the person who has insight calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man.  That number is 666.

Just about everyone is familiar with the number "666," but I'm not going to go into its possible meanings in this post.  What I am going to address is the fact that there is no buying or selling without it.  You want to eat?  You have to use this mark.  Want to run a business?  Use the mark.  Want to pay your mortgage or rent?  Use the mark.  Want to collect someone's mortgage or rent?  Mark.  But here's the deal:  taking the mark is tantamount to worshiping this Satanic ruler.  To take the mark means to buy into the system of the world that is following Satan.

"If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives its mark on their forehead or on their hand, they, too, will drink the wine of God's fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of His wrath.  They will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb.  And the smoke of their torment will rise forever and ever.  There will be no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and its image, or for those who receive the mark of its name" (Revelation 14:9-11).

To take the mark means to pursue life on earth to the detriment of your eternity.  It makes Jesus' words in Matthew 6 all the more sobering:  "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and thieves break in and steal.  But rather store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, which neither moth nor rust can destroy, and thieves cannot steal" (19-20). This means that one day you will have to choose:  do you follow Jesus, or everything else?  And, frankly, since you don't know when this is coming, you should probably choose now, rather than wait and see.

The New World Order is being touted as the best possible thing for humanity.  George Bush pushed for it, Bill Clinton pushed for it (Hillary is following suit), George W. Bush pushed for it, the Pope is pushing for it, the last two Popes pushed for it, and Obama is pushing for it, among many other world leaders.  They are promising peace and prosperity, but it is actually going to be enslavement and death.  For those who accept it, it will enslave and eventually kill; for those who reject it, it will bring about a swift death.

Doesn't sound like something we want to institute, does it?  But it is coming.  Now, it's possible that this can be delayed.  There are numerous times where God's judgment was stayed by the repentance and obedience of His people, and the repentance and obedience of those who were not yet His people.  The book of Jonah is a clear example of this:  God sent Jonah to Ninevah in order to preach His coming wrath.  Jonah did (after a slight detour), and Ninevah repented.  God's judgment was delayed as a result.  Here's the deal, though:  I'm not sure whether or not this is a similar case.

Nowhere in the Bible do we see this as a possibility.  Daniel does not mention it, Zechariah and Ezekiel do not mention it, the writings of Paul and Peter do not mention it, Jesus does not mention it, and Revelation does not mention it.  God is God, and He can do what He wants, so it's possible that if His people, who are called by His name, humble themselves and seek Him, He will heal our lands and stay His hand.  It's possible.  But regardless of whether or not He delays, the New World Order will eventually arise, and it will not be the peaceful and prosperous society everyone expects and wants it to be.  Think of a Global Nazi Germany.  But for those who do buy into it, it won't be a happy ending.

So for those of you who are followers of Jesus, pray for healing.  Repent of your sins.  Preach the Gospel.  Introduce as many people to Jesus as you possibly can, because whether or not this comes today, tomorrow, or a thousand years from now, Jesus is the only person Who can truly save the world.  He's already died for it, people just need to trust that.  And if you don't follow Jesus, start.  It's scary stuff here for those who don't know Jesus, but for those of us who do, we have a peace and assurance that nothing on earth can take away.  If you don't know how to follow Jesus, ask me.  Leave a comment below, and I'd love to hear about it and help you on this journey! 

 

It's the End of the World As We Know It

The more I read the Scriptures, the more convinced I am that things are going to get out of hand very, very rapidly.  And since I'm not sure if we'll still be around to explain to everyone what's going on, I figure I'd do a quick series on "The End Times."  Look, things in the Scriptures are a little vague at times, so I'm going to be straight up honest and tell you that a lot of what I'm going to say is debatable.

As just a few examples:

Timing of the Rapture - Debatable
Timing of the Marriage Supper of the Lamb - Debatable
Who Attacks Israel - Debatable
When Whoever it Is that Attacks Israel Actually Attacks Israel - Debatable
The Meaning of the Beast - Debatable
The Meaning of the White Horseman of the Apocalypse - Debatable
Daniel's Timeline - Debatable

Meaning of the Seals/Trumpets/Bowls - Debatable
Meaning of Revelation 2-3 - Debatable

There are other aspects, too, but that's the gist of it.   Now, I'll give you my opinion on the subjects, but I'll also introduce opposing viewpoints, just so you can decide for yourselves.  But remember, with this, as with any other topic in the Bible, the point of it is always God.  It is always His mercy, His majesty, His grace, His power, His wrath, and - the culmination of it all - His love.  I don't want us to get too caught up in the details of eschatology, and miss out on the most important part:  God loves us, even though we don't deserve it.

The purpose of this series, then, is not to philosophize about whether or not Obama is the Antichrist, but to lead people to the real Christ, whether I'm still around when they stumble upon this blog, or not.  And if you disagree with some of my views (or others'), feel free to say so in the comments.  Just keep it polite, please.

The first post will be up soon!

Update 09/21/15
The first post is up now!