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Getting Started with the Book of Revelation

“For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of
the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait
for it; it will certainly come and will not delay.”

       Habakkuk 2:3


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The Seven Seals

The story of the mysterious book sealed with seven seals is the first apocalyptic prophecy in Revelation. This story not only “stacks” on top of the matrix established by Daniel with perfect harmony, but also adds new information to the matrix, which other prophecies in Revelation will use. Revelation 4-6 is to the book of Revelation what Daniel 2 is to the book of Daniel. Both prophecies establish a foundational sequence of events on which other prophecies build. It is also important to know that Revelation 4-6 amplifies certain events recorded in Daniel 7-9.

The story of the seven seals has several purposes. First, it establishes order. Each seal is opened in chronological order. The first seal was broken in 1798 and the last seal will be broken at the end of the millennium. Next, the information written in the book sealed with seven seals ultimately resolves two problems that began before Earth was created. I conclude, from the evidence presented in Revelation and elsewhere in the Bible that sin began with two clever arguments, which Lucifer brought against the Father and the Son. First, Lucifer claimed that God was not a God of love. Second, He claimed that God used His incredible powers (omnipotence, omniscience and omnipresence) to selfishly maintain control over the universe. Lucifer claimed that God did not offer freedom to His subjects. Lucifer argued that God loved authority and power, and Lucifer summed up God’s tyranny with this evil taunt to the angels, “It’s obey God and live or disobey God and die.”

We should not underestimate the power and sophistry of the devil’s arguments, because they deceived a third of Heaven’s sinless angels. When the seventh seal is opened, and the contents of the book are exposed, God will prove that Lucifer’s first assertion was nothing but a malicious lie. Moreover, God will absolutely prove that Lucifer’s arguments were cleverly disguised to hide his evil motives to gain what belonged to Jesus. The second problem, which the unsealed book will resolve, centers on the humility of God. When the book is unsealed at the end of the thousand years, the universe will finally understand that, if necessary, Jesus was willing to lay down His life forever, so fallen man might have the possibility of salvation.

Because the Father foreknew the rise of sin and the hatred that Lucifer would eventually have for Christ and His followers, He created a simple, but profound, means to dispel all of Lucifer’s lies before Lucifer was created. He wrote a complete account of every created being. He wrote a complete history of life in a book, which contains a complete account of every created being. If this book were opened prematurely, the argument could be made that God manipulated events to occur according to His will. Therefore, the Father sealed the book so that nothing in it could be exposed. Then, the Father commissioned certain angels to serve as recording angels. These angels record everything that is said and done by every living being. In the end, the sealed book will be opened and compared with the records of the angels. Amazingly, the two records will prove to be identical! This astounding evidence will exonerate God of all of Lucifer’s charges. God will prove that He foreknew the outcome of everything before anything was created. More importantly, God will prove that He did not manipulate the decision making power of anyone. His creatures have the power of choice and they are free to obey or rebel against His authority. Last, God will prove that He does not use His awesome powers of omniscience, omnipotence or omnipresence to maintain the throne. Rather, He uses these unlimited powers to insure that the rule of love is eternally enduring. Faith in God always make perfect sense when scene in reverse.

The 144,000

The opening of the fourth seal marks the commencement of the Great Tribulation. Just before the global earthquake that marks the beginning of the Great Tribulation, God will select 144,000 people on earth to do a special work for Him. God will choose and empower these people, like Noah before the flood, and Moses at the time of the Exodus, to speak for Him. These people will be located all over the world and they will be selected from every religious group. In an effort to save the maximum number of people, God will have “believing brothers” speaking to their biological brothers. The awesome power of God will rest on the 144,000, and even though they will have little or no communication with each other, they will proclaim the same terms and conditions of salvation in the clearest of words. Contrary to what most Christians believe, these people will not be biological Jews that suddenly convert to Christianity after a supposedly secret rapture. According to Scripture, these people will be Jews in God’s sight – that is according to the redefinition of Israel that occurs through Jesus. (James 1:1; 2:1; Romans 2:28, 29; Ephesians 2; Galatians 3; Romans 9-11; Revelation 2:9; 3:9) A numberless multitude from all kindreds, tongues and nations will hear the 144,000, receive their testimony and be saved.

The Seven Trumpets

The Great Tribulation will begin with a global earthquake followed by four civilization threatening judgments in quick succession. (Revelation 8:2-12) A quarter of Earth’s population will perish within a few weeks. These horrific events will stun and overwhelm the survivors. Because the current religions of our world are highly antagonistic towards each other, it is almost impossible for people from different religions to discuss the subject of God.  The Moslem cannot understand the Christian’s belief in Jesus. The Jew cannot understand the Catholic mass or the need for Mary’s intercession. The Protestant does not understand the enlightenment of Buddhism, etc. We live in a world that has many views about God, and it is impossible for one man to prove the superiority of his God over that of another man. To make matters worse, there is a great diversity of thought about God within each religious system, and this keeps the world deeply fractured. Can a Catholic, Moslem, Jew, Mormon and Baptist worship the same God together? If so, what would the properties of such a God be?

Jesus will soon awaken the world to the reality of His sovereign authority and dominion as well as the authority of His 144,000 servants (both men and women). He will shatter the religious views of the world with a series of awesome judgments including a meteoric firestorm of burning hail that burns up a third of the trees on Earth, and two civilizations threatening asteroid impacts causing darkness to cover the world for a period of time. These four judgments will destroy more than 1.5 billion people in a few weeks. By showing His authority with overwhelming destructive force, Jesus will gain man’s full attention and temporarily subdue the ongoing hatred, conflicts and wars between nations. When Jesus initiates these four judgments, everyone on Earth will realize that Almighty God is angry. The seven trumpets of Revelation are seven judgments of mercy that will befall Earth, so that Jesus may gain our attention and speak to us with one voice through His servants. The 144,000 will present the terms and conditions for salvation; and the gospel of Christ will separate the people of Earth into two camps – the sheep and the goats.






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