the revelation of jesus christ chapters 8:7-11:14 · 266 the revelation of jesus christ chapters...

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The Revelation of Jesus Christ Chapters 8:7-11:14 ~The Second Vision on Earth~

…I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the

bottomless pit

And he opened the bottomless pit...

And in those days shall men seek death And shall not find it;

And shall desire to die, And death shall flee from them

-Revelation 9 verses 1-2; 5

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Revelation Chapters 8:7-11:14 The Second Vision in Heaven

Before reviewing the structure for this vision, it is important to again emphasize the fact that the sixth seal takes us on to the time of the end. When the seventh seal is opened, it takes us back and begins a new series of judgments initiated by the seven Trumpets. After these seven Trumpets are blown they are followed by a seven vials. First of all we have (as we have seen): Revelation 6 & 7

• The first 6 Seals: A summary of Revelation Revelation 8:7-11:14

• Then the Seventh Seal: Contains a description of the Seven Trumpets (ending at 11:14) followed by the Seven Vials (16:1-18:24)

Revelation 16:1-18:24

• When the Seventh Trumpet sounds off it expands into the seven vials All-in-All There are:

• 7 Seals • 7 Trumpets • 7 Vials

As seen from above, the remainder of the apocalypse occurs under the seventh Seal. A careful study of the above and the upcoming structure will help explain our meaning.

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THE STRUCTURE OF THE SECOND VISION ON EARTH

The Seventh Seal


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8:7 The 1st Trumpet. Fire mingled with blood. Third part of Trees and grass burnt up.

8:8-9 The 2nd Trumpet. Burning mountain cast into sea. Third of sea becomes blood.

8:10-11 The 3rd Trumpet. Burning star falls on third part of Rivers ("Wormwood").

8:12-13 The 4th Trumpet. Third part of Sun smitten. Moon and stars darkened.

9:1-12 The 5th Trumpet. (The First WOE). Pit opened. Locusts.

9:13-11:14 The 6th Trumpet. (The Second WOE). The 4 Euphratean Angels loosed. Horsemen.

16:12-16 Vial VI. On the River Euphrates. Euphrates dried up. 3 spirits like Frogs. Armageddon.

16:17—28:24 Vial VII. "It is done." The judgment of Great Babylon

16:1-2 Vial I. (The Third WOE). On the earth. Sores on Worshippers of Beast.

16:4-7 Vial III. On the Rivers. Rivers became blood.

16:8-9 Vial IV. On the Sun. men scorched with fire.

16:10-11 Vial V. On the Throne of the Beast. Kingdom full of darkness.

11:15 -The Seventh Trumpet-

• The Seventh Trumpet, Referenced in 10:7

• The 3rd Woe, References in Revelation 11:14, Consisting of the Seven Vials

16:3 Vial II. On the Sea. Sea became blood.

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THE STRUCTURE OF THE SECOND VISION ON EARTH

Continued

The whole period of this judgment, covered by the Trumpets and Vials, is set forth as follows:

• The 2nd Vision "in Heaven" (8:1-6) consists of the opening of the seventh Seal.

• The 2nd Vision "on Earth" (8: 7- 11:14) consists of the effects of this opening (the first six Trumpets).

• The 3rd Vision "in Heaven" (11:15-19-) consists of the Sounding of the seventh Trumpet.

• The 3rd Vision "on Earth" (11:19) consists of the effects of this sounding.

• In chapter 12 we are taken back to a time period before chapter four.

• The Trumpet and Vial judgments are continuous once they begin. It is only the description of them (not the course of them) which is interrupted, in order to allow for the necessary information given that shows the necessity for them.

• This digression for information begins at 12:1and is carried on to 15:8. Then the description of the Vial Judgments is taken up and continued, giving the results "on Earth" of the sounding of the seventh Trumpet; a representation of which had been given in a few words in 11:19. These Vial Judgments are then continuous from 16:1 – 18:24, which ends their mission, accomplishes their object, and issues in the Revelation of Christ from Heaven in power and great glory (chapter 19).

The study of the above will now begin with the second Vision “on Earth” running from 8:7-11:14.

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Revelation Chapters 8:7 - 11:14 The Second Vision

Warm-up/Review Questions Question 1: What are the effects of 7 Trumpets as each angel sounds off? Note questions, answers, and comments in this space 1st Trumpet________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ 2nd Trumpet________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ 3rd Trumpet________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ 4th Trumpet________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ 5th Trumpet________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ 6th Trumpet________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ 7th Trumpet________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________

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Warm-up/Review Questions Question 2: 1st Vial____________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ 2nd Vial____________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ 3rd Vial____________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ 4th Vial____________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ 5th Vial____________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ 6th Vial____________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ 7th Vial____________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________

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Warm-up/Review Questions Question 3: In the beginning verses of chapter nine, who or what is the star that falls to earth and what is this star given? Note questions, answers, and comments in this space __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ Question 4: What comes out of the bottomless pit in the opening verses in chapter 9? Note questions, answers, and comments in this space __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ Question 4: Why do you suppose men seek to die during the events of chapter 9? Note questions, answers, and comments in this space __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________

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Chapter Read (KJV) Revelation 8 Verses 7-13 7 The first angel sounded,

V and there followed hail V and fire mingled with blood, V and they were cast upon the earth: V and the third part of trees was burnt up, V and all green grass was burnt up.

8 And the second angel sounded,

V and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea: V and the third part of the sea became blood;

9 And the third part of the creatures which were in the sea,

V and had life, died; V and the third part of the ships were destroyed.

10 And the third angel sounded,

V and there fell a great star from heaven, V burning as it were a lamp, V and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, V and upon the fountains of waters;

11 And the name of the star is called Wormwood:

V and the third part of the waters became wormwood; V and many men died of the waters, V because they were made bitter.

12 And the fourth angel sounded,

V and the third part of the sun was smitten, V and the third part of the moon, V and the third part of the stars; V so as the third part of them was darkened, V and the day shone not for a third part of it, V and the night likewise.

13 And I beheld,

V and heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, V saying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe, V to the inhabiters of the earth V by reason of the other voices V of the trumpet V of the three angels, V which are yet to sound!

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Chapter Read (KJV) Revelation 9 Verses 1-10 1 And the fifth angel sounded,

V and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: V and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit.

2 And he opened the bottomless pit;

V and there arose a smoke out of the pit, V as the smoke of a great furnace; V and the sun V and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit.

3 And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth:

V and unto them was given power, V as the scorpions of the earth have power.

4 And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth,

V neither any green thing, V neither any tree; V but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads.

5 And to them it was given that they should not kill them,

V but that they should be tormented five months: V and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man.

6 And in those days shall men seek death,

V and shall not find it; V and shall desire to die, V and death shall flee from them.

7 And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared unto battle;

V and on their heads were as it were crowns like gold, V and their faces were as the faces of men.

8 And they had hair as the hair of women,

V and their teeth were as the teeth of lions. 9 And they had breastplates, as it were breastplates of iron;

V and the sound of their wings V was as the sound of chariots of many horses running to battle.

10 And they had tails like unto scorpions,

V and there were stings in their tails: V and their power was to hurt men five months.

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Chapter Read (KJV) Revelation 9 Verses 11-19 11 And they had a king over them,

V which is the angel of the bottomless pit, V whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, V but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon.

12 One woe is past;

V and, behold, V there come two woes more hereafter.

13 And the sixth angel sounded,

V and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar V which is before God,

14 Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet,

V Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates. 15 And the four angels were loosed,

V which were prepared for an hour, V and a day, V and a month, V and a year, V for to slay the third part of men.

16 And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand:

V and I heard the number of them. 17 And thus I saw the horses in the vision,

V and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, V and of jacinth, V and brimstone: V and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions; V and out of their mouths issued fire V and smoke V and brimstone.

18 By these three was the third part of men killed,

V by the fire, V and by the smoke, V and by the brimstone, V which issued out of their mouths.

19 For their power is in their mouth,

V and in their tails: for their tails were like unto serpents, V and had heads, and with them they do hurt.

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Chapter Read (KJV) Revelation 9 Verses 20-21 20 And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk: 21 Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.

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Chapter Read (KJV) Revelation 10 Verses 1-8 1And I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven,

V clothed with a cloud: V and a rainbow was upon his head, V and his face was as it were the sun, V and his feet as pillars of fire:

2 And he had in his hand a little book open:

V and he set his right foot upon the sea, V and his left foot on the earth,

3 And cried with a loud voice,

V as when a lion roareth: V and when he had cried, V seven thunders uttered their voices.

4 And when the seven thunders had uttered their voices,

V I was about to write: V and I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, V Seal up those things which the seven thunders uttered, V and write them not.

5 And the angel which I saw stand upon the sea

V and upon the earth V lifted up his hand to heaven,

6 And sware by him that liveth for ever and ever,

V who created heaven, and the things that therein are, V and the earth, and the things that therein are, V and the sea, and the things which are therein, V that there should be time no longer:

7 But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel,

V when he shall begin to sound, V the mystery of God should be finished, V as he hath declared to his servants the prophets.

8 And the voice which I heard from heaven spake unto me again, and said,

V Go and take the little book V which is open in the hand of the angel V which standeth upon the sea V and upon the earth.

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Chapter Read (KJV) Revelation 10 Verses 9-11 9And I went unto the angel, and said unto him,

V Give me the little book. V And he said unto me, V Take it, V and eat it up; V and it shall make thy belly bitter, V but it shall be in thy mouth sweet as honey.

10 And I took the little book out of the angel's hand,

V and ate it up; V and it was in my mouth sweet as honey: V and as soon as I had eaten it, V my belly was bitter.

11 And he said unto me,

V Thou must prophesy again V before many peoples, V and nations, V and tongues, V and kings.

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Chapter Read (KJV) Revelation 11 Verses 1-8 1And there was given me a reed like unto a rod:

V and the angel stood, saying, V Rise, and measure the temple of God, V and the altar, V and them that worship therein.

2 But the court which is without the temple leave out,

V and measure it not; V for it is given unto the Gentiles: V and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months.

3 And I will give power unto my two witnesses,

V and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, V clothed in sackcloth.

4 These are the two olive trees,

V and the two candlesticks V standing before the God of the earth.

5 And if any man will hurt them,

V fire proceedeth out of their mouth, V and devoureth their enemies: V and if any man will hurt them, V he must in this manner be killed.

6 These have power to shut heaven,

V that it rain not in the days of their prophecy: V and have power over waters to turn them to blood, V and to smite the earth with all plagues, V as often as they will.

7 And when they shall have finished their testimony,

V the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, V and shall overcome them, V and kill them.

8 And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city,

V which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, V where also our Lord was crucified.

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Chapter Read (KJV) Revelation 11 Verses 9-14 9 And they of the people

V and kindreds V and tongues V and nations V shall see their dead bodies three days and an half, V and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves.

10 And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them,

V and make merry, V and shall send gifts one to another; V because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth.

11 And after three days and an half

V the spirit of life from God entered into them, V and they stood upon their feet; V and great fear fell upon them which saw them.

12 And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them,

V Come up hither. V And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; V and their enemies beheld them.

13 And the same hour was there a great earthquake,

V and the tenth part of the city fell, V and in the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand: V and the remnant were affrighted, V and gave glory to the God of heaven.

14 The second woe is past;

V and, behold, V the third woe cometh quickly.

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Revelation 8 Verse by Verse Verse 7 Revelation 8 KJV 7 The first angel sounded,


NAB 7 The first sounded,

V and there came hail and fire, V mixed with blood, V and they were thrown to the earth; V and a third of the earth was burned up, V and a third of the trees were burned up, V and all the green grass was burned up.

• And there followed hail and fire mingled with blood…the judgments here are similar to those

wrought by God in Egypt. The seventh plague in Egypt was “hail, and fire mingled with the hail” and plants of the earth were smitten.

Exodus 9 22 And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch forth thine hand toward heaven, that there may be hail in all the land of Egypt, upon man, and upon beast, and upon every herb of the field, throughout the land of Egypt. 23 And Moses stretched forth his rod toward heaven: and the LORD sent thunder and hail, and the fire ran along upon the ground; and the LORD rained hail upon the land of Egypt. 24 So there was hail, and fire mingled with the hail, very grievous, such as there was none like it in all the land of Egypt since it became a nation. 25 And the hail smote throughout all the land of Egypt all that was in the field, both man and beast; and the hail smote every herb of the field, and brake every tree of the field. 26 Only in the land of Goshen, where the children of Israel were, was there no hail.

• Here in Revelation blood is mingled with the fire and hail. These are literal plagues, why shouldn’t they be literal judgments which are to come on the earth? In the book of Joel, God has said concerning the events of the day of the Lord:

Joel 2 30 And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.

• God is showing here in His Revelation, how these wonders will unfold.

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Revelation 8 Verse by Verse Verse 7 continued Revelation 8 KJV 7 The first angel sounded,


• The actual execution of the wrath of God begins with the sounding of the 1st Trumpet.

Herein our Lord’s words are to be fulfilled: “For in those days shall be affliction, such as was not from the beginning of the creation which God created unto this time, neither shall be; Mark 13 verse 19.

• The 1st of the 7 angels around the Throne of God blows the trumpet he was given in

Revelation 8 verse 6. What follows is hail and fire mixed with blood was cast upon the earth. As a result one-third of the trees were burnt up, and all the green grass was burnt up. No more, no less, exactly as God states.

• As servants of God, we must hold fast to His stern warning in Revelation 22

Revelation 22 18 For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: 19 And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.

• We prefer to believe God’s own special interpretation of His own judgments in the simplest way i.e. just as He has stated.

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Revelation 8 Verse by Verse Verse 7 continued Revelation 8 KJV 7 The first angel sounded,


Before going further it is important to illustrate the many traditions men attempt to put on God’s Word. Tradition simply defined as man’s opinion, has numerous interpretations of which a few will be given to show the folly of man’s wisdom. Supposed ‘spiritual leaders’ have provided these interpretations: One states the trees are princes and great men, and the grass means men’s power and glory. Another states the 1st Trumpet denotes the wars of Alaric the Goth and Rhadagaisus the vandel against the Western Roman Empire. A third states trees are signified apostles and great doctors; the grass are the common Christians. The majority of interpreters maintain that the results of the 1st Trumpet are not literal. In so doing they envelope God’s word in a void, undoing the miraculous and supernatural, His Divine Providence within which ALL creation is dependent. Ask a child to read the word of God as written in the 1st Trumpet. The child will simply say: God is telling us when the 1st trumpet is blown He will rain down upon the earth hail and fire mingled with blood and one third of the earth’s trees will be destroyed along with all the green grass. Each trumpet is an execution of God’s wrath. It is spiritually important to understand the ‘Word of God’ exactly as it is stated. When the consequences of the trumpet blasts occurs on earth those who have been sealed with God’s word, His plan, will, without doubt, recognize each unprecedented horrific event(s). As our Father God unveils the cataclysmic events that end with our Lord’s 2nd Advent it is the spiritual task of all God’s servants to firmly hold in their mind the details He has graciously presented to us in His Word, knowing Christ’s words: “Behold, I have told you before.” Our prayer is the Lord’s prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane: “O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.”. The ‘cup of the wrath of God’ foretold by our Father through Isaiah Isaiah 51 17 Awake, awake, stand up, O Jerusalem, which hast drunk at the hand of the LORD the cup of his fury; thou hast drunken the dregs of the cup of trembling, and wrung them out.

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Revelation 8 Verse by Verse Verse 8 Revelation 8 KJV 8 And the second angel sounded,


Revelation 8 NAB 8 When the second angel blew his trumpet,

V something like a huge mountain all in flames was cast into the sea. V A third of the sea turned to blood,

• Similarly, as with the 1st Trumpet, a child would read our Father’s prophecy in the 2nd

Trumpet and tell us literally that something that resembles a great mountain of fire was cast into the sea and it turned one third of the oceans to blood. And then one third of the fishes died and one third of the ships that were on the oceans were destroyed.

• Higher critics have taken God’s word regarding the 2nd Trumpet and destroyed the

simplicity of His prophecy contained therein.

• One critic states the fiery mountain refers to Satan; the sea means the nations, the dead fish denotes the persecution and slaughter of Christians; and the wrecked ships means the extinction of congregations.

• Another Biblical expositor holds that the sea is the church with its baptismal waters; the

mountain is some great heresy; the blood is the corruption by deadly error; the destruction of fish is the destruction of souls; and the wreck of ships is the overturning of churches.

• There are many similar inane interpretations concocted by man, yet who are we to

believe – God’s Revelation or man’s imagination?

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Revelation 8 Verse by Verse Verse 8 continued

Understanding God’s Word The poorest and humblest reader can understand God’s Word, as the Scripture testifies: Luke 10 21 In that hour Jesus rejoiced in the Spirit and said, “I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight It does not require wide reading to understand God. All that is required is a spiritual understanding, a childlike mind and faith: 1 Corinthians 2: 12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. 13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. Throughout Biblical history there has been a constant universal effort to have us believe that God always means something different from what He says. When the ‘Word of God’ is twisted beyond recognition often the spiritual source can be traced to a fiery dart thrown by Satan, one of his tactics. Henceforth to eliminate the spirit of confusion man’s word will not be used. 12 and 13 above are our guide - our Lord’s words: John 14 26 “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.”

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Revelation 8 Verse by Verse Verse 8 Revelation 8 KJV 8 And the second angel sounded,


• and as it were a great mountain… this passage does not say it was a mountain, but that it was

like one. This shows us that Scripture indicates what should not be taken literally, as well what should be taken literally.

• The word “cast” stands out and points to the origin of these judgments coming from

Heaven and being from God. It is the same word used in both the first and second trumpet.

“The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth:” “And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea:”

• and the third part of the sea became blood… this event may be the result of red tides which are caused by billions of dead micro-organisms poisoning the water-in this circumstance it would be caused by this mass (similar to a mountain) impacting the sea.

Red tide in a brackish lake

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Revelation 8 Verse by Verse Verses 8 & 9 Revelation 8 KJV 8 And the second angel sounded,


9 And the third part of the creatures which were in the sea,


• This plague will be literal, whether its actual blood, a red tide, or some other

phenomenon. Why wouldn’t this be the case? If one of the plagues of Egypt caused the rivers to become blood, why not here also?

Exodus 7 20 And Moses and Aaron did ss the LORD commanded; and he lifted up the rod, and smote the waters that were in the river, in the sight of Pharaoh, and in the sight of his servants; and all the waters that were in the river were turned to blood. 21 And the fish that was in the river died; and the river stank, and the Egyptians could not drink of the water of the river; and there was blood throughout all the land of Egypt. Psalm 105 26 He sent Moses his servant; and Aaron whom he had chosen. 27 They shewed his signs among them, and wonders in the land of Ham… 29 He turned their waters into blood, and slew their fish. Psalm 78 43How he had wrought his signs in Egypt… 44And had turned their rivers into blood; and their floods, that they could not drink.

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Revelation 8 Verse by Verse Verse 9 continued Revelation 8 KJV 9 And the third part of the creatures which were in the sea,


NAB and a third of the creatures which were in the sea and had life, died; and a third of the ships were destroyed. God’s prophecy of His coming judgments that will effect the fish of the seas and the ships is clearly revealed by His prophets Hosea, Zephaniah and Isaiah. Hosea 4 1 Hear the word of the LORD, ye children of Israel: for the LORD hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land. 2 By swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery, they break out, and blood toucheth blood. 3 Therefore shall the land mourn, and every one that dwelleth therein shall languish, with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven; yea, the fishes of the sea also shall be taken away. Zephaniah 1 3 I will consume man and beast; I will consume the fowls of the heaven, and the fishes of the sea, and the stumblingblocks with the wicked; and I will cut off man from off the land, saith the LORD.

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Revelation 8 Verse by Verse Verse 9 continued Revelation 8 KJV 9 And the third part of the creatures which were in the sea,

V and had life, died… Prophecies continued Isaiah 2 16 And upon all the ships of Tarshish, and upon all pleasant pictures. 17 And the loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and the haughtiness of men shall be made low: and the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day. 18 And the idols he shall utterly abolish. 19 And they shall go into the holes of the rocks, and into the caves of the earth, for fear of the LORD, and for the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth.

• The ships of Tarshish in Hebrew refer to large ocean vessels. God’s wrath will be upon ‘pleasant pictures’ meaning the desires of man; what men seek for their pleasure in the world in place of seeking God, simply stated idolatry.

• Verse 19 should be very familiar as it coincides with our Lord’s 2nd Advent and pertains

to those who have taken the mark of the beast and worshipped its image the Sixth Seal.

• A true Biblical spiritual perspective needs to be held within our heart protected by the Helmet of Salvation. Commencing with the 2nd verse in Holy Scripture, and the first prophecy in the Bible (Gen 3:15) the entirety of God’s written word is our path back home to Him in Christ. E.T.A. for all creation Revelation 20 verse 4, the first resurrection, and those in the millennial reign ending with Revelation 20 verses 11 through 15, the ‘great white throne’ judgment.

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Revelation 8 Verse by Verse Verse 10 Revelation 8 KJV 10 And the third angel sounded,


NAB 10 When the third angel blew his trumpet,

V a huge star burning like a torch crashed down from the sky. V It fell on a third of the rivers and the springs.

• A careful examination of the 3rd Trumpet reveals that this heavenly star is mighty in its

effect - great star - and that it fell from heaven. Fell in Greek being the middle voice of primary verb ‘to fly’, or flying. In the first two trumpets the hail and fire mingled with blood and the burning mountain were cast upon the earth meaning thrown with great intensity.

• By definition - a star (as strewn over the sky), literally or figuratively through the idea to

"strew", i.e. spread The effect is spread over one third of the rivers and sources of water.

• We have one special star and are distinctly told it was ‘like a torch’. There is no opportunity to introduce man’s conjecture of a comet or meteor or anything else. Our Lord, the creator of all heavenly bodies, is executing His Divine wrath upon evil mankind through a torch-like object, flying through heaven. As a torch it was burning only at one end and not burning all over as the mountain was in the 2nd Trumpet. There is no parallel in the history of mankind, this star, burning as a torch is Divinely created.

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Revelation 8 Verse by Verse Verse 10 continued Revelation 8 KJV 10 And the third angel sounded,


• The star, falling from heaven, burning as a torch “...fell upon the third part of the rivers,

and upon the fountains of waters;” . Herein we may know God in His omnipotence is targeting one third of the the earth’s water sources. This is similar to the plagues in Egypt wherein “the Egyptians could not drink of the water of the river,”

Exodus 7 18And the fish that is in the river shall die, and the river shall stink; and the Egyptians shall lothe to drink of the water of the river. 19And the LORD spake unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Take thy rod, and stretch out thine hand upon the waters of Egypt, upon their streams, upon their rivers, and upon their ponds, and upon all their pools of water, that they may become blood; and that there may be blood throughout all the land of Egypt, both in vessels of wood, and in vessels of stone. 20And Moses and Aaron did so, as the LORD commanded; and he lifted up the rod, and smote the waters that were in the river, in the sight of Pharaoh, and in the sight of his servants; and all the waters that were in the river were turned to blood. 21And the fish that was in the river died; and the river stank, and the Egyptians could not drink of the water of the river; and there was blood throughout all the land of Egypt. 22And the magicians of Egypt did so with their enchantments: and Pharaoh's heart was hardened, neither did he hearken unto them; as the LORD had said. 23And Pharaoh turned and went into his house, neither did he set his heart to this also. 24And all the Egyptians digged round about the river for water to drink; for they could not drink of the water of the river. • This historical event was real and literal. Why shouldn’t the events outlined here in

Revelation also be literal?

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Revelation 8 Verse by Verse Verse 11 Revelation 8 KJV 11 And the name of the star is called Wormwood:


NAB 11 The star’s name was “Wormwood”

V because a third part of all the water turned to wormwood. V Many people died from this polluted water.

• “And the name of the star is called Wormwood:”...the star is divinely named Wormwood

because of its deadly effects. Wormwood is a plant or shrub whose leaves are used in the manufacture of absinthe a liqueur so toxic that its manufacture is banned in many countries.

• Wormwood is mentioned 8 times in the Bible where it is associated with bitterness, poison,

and death; Deuteronomy 29:18; Proverbs 5:4; Jeremiah 9:15; 23:15; Lamentations 3:15,19; Amos 5:7; 6,12.

• In three of these Scriptures wormwood is connected with poisoned water.

Jeremiah 3 15 Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts concerning the prophets; Behold, I will feed them with wormwood, and make them drink the water of gall: for from the prophets of Jerusalem is profaneness gone forth into all the land.

• No human death was stated in the first 2 Trumpet judgments. In the 3rd Trumpet the consequences are clearly stated: “and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter.” Literally one third of the earths rivers and sources of water, the lakes, reservoirs, wells, will become waters of death, toxic water.

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Revelation 8 Verse by Verse Verse 11 continued Revelation 8 KJV 11 And the name of the star is called Wormwood:


There is a Divine pattern emerging within God’s Divine wrath: one third of the trees destroyed, one third of the oceans turned to blood, one third of the fish die, one third of the ships destroyed, one third of the rivers and sources of water poisoned, and in Revelation 12 verse 4 one third of God’s children were deceived by the dragon, Satan. The exact measurement of destruction should be a clear indication to us that these are not random natural disasters, but divine judgments. Christ revealed these events leading up to His 2nd Advent in Luke. Luke 21 11 And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven. The 1st three Trumpets will cause unimaginable destruction and death to one third of the earth. To say the least, the inhabitants of the earth will be in a state of shock, fear and panic as God’s judgments manifest exactly as He stated. In Christ words: Matthew 24 21 “For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. The 10 plagues of Egypt were a divinely orchestrated reality, (Exodus 7 – 12) they were real and literal as are the Trumpets. Many inane interpretations of these 3 Trumpets created by man’s folly exist. There are consequences of changing the ‘Word of God’ as forewarned at the end of this great book. Revelation 22 18 If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:; 19And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life,

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Revelation 8 Verse by Verse Verses 12-13 12 And the fourth angel sounded,

V and the third part of the sun was smitten, V and the third part of the moon, V and the third part of the stars; V so as the third part of them was darkened, V and the day shone not for a third part of it, V and the night likewise.

13 And I beheld,

V and heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, V saying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe, V to the inhabiters of the earth V by reason of the other voices V of the trumpet V of the three angels, V which are yet to sound!

• The fourth angel sounded…The events taking place here are similar to those noted in Exodus

10: 21 – 23. The temperature drop will cause an effect to the Earth’s biological cycles. Our Lord forewarned us of this in the Gospel of Luke:

Luke 21 25 “There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea.

• This change in temperature is temporary as we shall soon seen in chapter 16: 8-9 when our Lord increases the temperature upon the earth.

• Woe, woe, woe…the repetition emphasizes the severity of these effects. The, three “woes”

signify each of the remaining trumpet blasts (7 trumpets in all).

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THE STRUCTURE OF THE FIFTH TRUMPET

1st Woe

Revelation 9 verses 1-11

Correspondences Verse(s) A1 The Star Fallen to the Earth 1-

B1 The Abyss (The key and the opening) -1,2 B2 The Abyss (The result of the opening) -2 A2 The Locusts Coming Upon the Earth 3-11

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Revelation 9 Verse by Verse Verse 1 Revelation 9 KJV 1 And the fifth angel sounded,


NAB 1 Then the fifth angel sounded,

V and I saw a star from heaven which had fallen to the earth; V and the key of the bottomless pit was given to him.

• and I saw a star - angels are called stars in Job 38:7 and throughout the Old Testament

the term, “host of heaven” means the angles as in 1 Kings 22:19; 2 Chronicles 18:18; Psalm 148:2. It sometimes means the literal stars as in Isaiah 24:4 & Jeremiah 33:22. The star here refers to an angel, namely Satan as the context below will prove.

• The Greek for “saw” means not just to see or to look, but John in Spirit is actually

watching the event(s). However, the event of this star (or angel) falling from Heaven is historical and occurred before John saw it as described in the verses below:

Isaiah 14 12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! Luke 10 18 And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.

• In Luke 10 our Lord is sending seventy disciples two by two, to various cities, prior to His coming into these cities. Their mission was to heal the sick and to ‘witness’ that God’s kingdom was near at hand. His warning in verse 3, ‘Go your ways: behold, I send you forth as lambs among wolves.’

• Christ states their will be cities who will not receive His disciples’ testimony. and in that

case He instructs His disciples to shake the dust of that city off as a testimony against them. Nonetheless inform them that ‘the kingdom of God is come nigh unto you’; the kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ, the King, God’s anointed, was there, among them.

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Revelation 9 Verse by Verse Verse 1 continued Revelation 9 KJV 1 And the fifth angel sounded,


• Luke 10 is an indication that this event will be repeated, it is an explicit historic example, model,

type, ensample of what will take place before our Lord’s 2nd Advent. God’s lambs, His servants, will be called to witness during the tribulation period of the antichrist.

• As our Lord continues His instructions to His disciples in Luke 10 He states in verse 12: ‘But I

say unto you, that it shall be more tolerable ‘in that day’ for Sodom, than for that city.’ ‘In that day’ Christ informs us in verse 14... at the judgment... the day of the Lord.

• Our instructions are the same as that ‘day’ approaches. To heal the sick, in our case the

‘spiritually sick’, Revelation 13:8. The cities, the peoples, the multitude will believe Satan disguised as an ‘angel of light’ is Christ. The Antichrist is performing miracles, establishing a false peace, setting up economic prosperity, deceiving wonderfully with flatteries, establishing a one world religion for his worship, Revelation 13:11-17.

• Our Lord consoles and warns the 70 in Luke 10 verse 16: “He that heareth you heareth

me; and he that despiseth you despiseth me; and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me.”

• In that day, the Lord’s day, prior to Christ’s 2nd Advent during the tribulation period of

the antichrist thisconsolation is equally appropriate to those who have the ‘Seal of God’ in their minds protected by the ‘Helmut of Salvation’. Those who are sent, who wear the Gospel armor will make a stand, God’s brusiers, Daniel 11,30.

• Similarly our Father has given instructions to all the Christian communities that will be

present during the tribulation period of the antichrist in Revelation chapters 2 and 3, the 7 churches. Each set of spiritual imperatives given individually to the churches defines the condition of Christianity that exists during the events of the end time.

• Each admonition to five churches and each blessing to two churches ends with the

exhortation: “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches” Our faith, our spiritual strength comes from ‘hearing the Word of God’ thus our Lord’s words: ‘He that heareth you, heareth me’. The simplest spiritual definition of God’s elect are those who have read His Holy Word, the Bible, and have accepted it.

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Revelation 9 Verse by Verse Verse 1 continued Revelation 9 KJV 1 And the fifth angel sounded,


• And to him was given the key of the bottomless pit…this appears to be the abode of demons as noted in

these verses: Revelation 20 1 And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. 2 And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, 3 And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season. Luke 8 28 when he saw Jesus, he cried out, and fell down before him, and with a loud voice said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God most high? I beseech thee, torment me not. 30 and Jesus asked him, saying, What is thy name? And he said, Legion: because many devils were entered into him. 31 And they besought him that he would not command them to go out into the deep.

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Revelation 9 Verse by Verse Verse 2 Revelation 9 KJV 2 And he opened the bottomless pit;

V and there arose a smoke out of the pit, V as the smoke of a great furnace; V and the sun V and the air were darkened V by reason of the smoke of the pit.

NAB 2 He opened the bottomless pit,

V and smoke went up out of the pit, V like the smoke of a great furnace; V and the sun V and the air were darkened V by the smoke of the pit.

• He opened the bottomless pit…this place is shown by the smoke to be a place of fire.

This is further reinforced by other Scripture references: Revelation 18 9 And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning, 18 and cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What city is like unto this great city! Revelation 19 3 and again they said, Alleluia And her smoke rose up for ever and ever. Point to Ponder: Is the bottomless pit also referred to in Jude 1 verse 6?

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Revelation 9 Verse by Verse Verse 3 Revelation 9 KJV 3 And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth:

V and unto them was given power, V as the scorpions of the earth have power.

NAB 3 Then out of the smoke came locusts upon the earth,

V and power was given them, V as the scorpions of the earth have power.

• Locusts upon the earth…These were no ordinary locusts. Those that came in the plagues of

Egypt were no common locusts either, for we are told Exodus 14 And the locust went up over all the land of Egypt, and rested in all the coasts of Egypt: very grievous were they; before them there were no such locusts as they, neither after them shall be such.

15 For they covered the face of the whole earth, so that the land was darkened; and they did eat every herb of the land, and all the fruit of the trees which the hail had left: and there remained not any green thing in the trees, or in the herbs of the field, through all the land of Egypt.

• Ordinary locusts have "no king" Proverbs 30 27 The locusts have no king, yet go they forth all of them by bands;

• Here in Revelation, these locusts are said to have a king over them and his name is given (verse 11).

Revelation 9 11 and they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon.

• They seem, from their description, to be a kind of Infernal Cherubim. The horse, the man, the lion, and the scorpion are combined in them. They are called locusts, though they are supernatural and, apparently, incapable of being killed. As we continue to study chapter 9 we shall see more.

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Revelation 9 Verse by Verse Verse 4 Revelation 9 KJV 4 And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth,


NAB 4 They were told not to hurt the grass of the earth,

V nor any green thing, V nor any tree, V but only the men who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads.

• It was commanded them (the locusts) that they should not hurt…From the description given of

these locusts we come to realize they are far from ordinary. Common locusts eat up and destroy only vegetation, beyond this they cause no injury.

Exodus 10 5 And they shall cover the face of the earth, that one cannot be able to see the earth: and they shall eat the residue of that which is escaped, which remaineth unto you from the hail, and shall eat every tree which groweth for you out of the field: 12 And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand over the land of Egypt for the locusts, that they may come up upon the land of Egypt, and eat every herb of the land, even all that the hail hath left. 15 For they covered the face of the whole earth, so that the land was darkened; and they did eat every herb of the land, and all the fruit of the trees which the hail had left: and there remained not any green thing in the trees, or in the herbs of the field, through all the land of Egypt.

• They were told not to hurt…the earth…only the men who do not have the seal of God…These locusts from the bottomless pit are designed for a different purpose altogether. Human beings are the object of their assaults.

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Revelation 9 Verse by Verse Verse 4 continued Revelation 9 KJV 4 And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth,


• They were told not to hurt…the earth…only the men who do not have the seal of God…These locusts

from the bottomless pit are designed for a different purpose altogether. Human beings are the object of their assaults. Even though they are destructive beings released from the bottomless pit, they cannot go beyond the power “given” to them. A similar limitation is seen in Ezekiel:

Ezekiel 9 4 and the LORD said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof.

5 And to the others he said in mine hearing, Go ye after him through the city, and smite: let not your eye spare, neither have ye pity:

6 Slay utterly old and young, both maids, and little children, and women: but come not near any man upon whom is the mark; and begin at my sanctuary. Then they began at the ancient men which were before the house.

• In Ezekiel the Glory of the Lord left Jerusalem leaving it unprotected to the siege and destruction by Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel 1). The gradual departure of God’s glory. It begins in the Temple’s most holy place, between the wings of the cherubs on each side of the ark of the covenant over the mercy seat, then leaves through the front door (Ezekiel 9:3; 10:4), later to the East gate by the outer wall (Ezekiel10:18:19) and finally to the Mount of Olives to the East having fully departed (1:22,23). The glory will return in the future kingdom of our Lord and Messiah as mentioned in Ezekiel 43:7.

• Notice how Ezekiel 9 above is similar to the command given to the locust army in Revelation. With God’s spiritual departure removed all protection was gone. It was necessary for the angelic scribe (Angel of the Lord) to mark the righteous who had been faithful to God for preservation. The Mark was the indication of God’s elect all others were subject to death in the siege of Jerusalem.

• Malachi 3:16-18 describes a similar idea. In Israel, the talk of judgment produced fear in the hearts of the true and righteous worshippers of God. They feared they might also be swept away when God’s wrath came. To encourage the righteous, Malachi noted how the Lord had not forgotten those “who fear the Lord and who mediate on His name.

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Revelation 9 Verse by Verse Verse 5 Revelation 9 KJV 5 And to them it was given that they should not kill them,

V but that they should be tormented five months: V and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, V when he striketh a man.

NAB 5 They were not given power to kill them,

V but only to torture them for five months. V And the agony they suffered was like that of the sting of a scorpion V when it strikes a man.

Here is another limitation. Under the second Seal there is no such limit. "Torment" applies in a special manner to demons Matthew 8 29 And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time? Revelation 14 10 The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: 11 And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name. Revelation 20 6 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast

and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

• The duration of this plague is fixed. It is to last "five months." A similar fixed date is given in Numbers 11:19, 20: "a whole month." In 2 Samuel 24:13, also we have "seven years," "three months," and "three days," as the fixed limit of certain judgments. These periods are always taken literally. Why not this? The time limit of these infernal locusts corresponds with that of ordinary locusts, which is five months (from May to September).

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Revelation 9 Verse by Verse Verse 6 Revelation 9 KJV 6 And in those days shall men seek death,


NAB 6 And in those days men will seek death

V and will not find it; V they will long to die, V and death flees from them.

• in those days….these days refer to the five months of the locusts mentioned in verse five.

• Men shall seek death…strangely the effects of this plague do not bring men to seek repentance from

a forgiving God, but rather, they seek death. This is similar to Jeremiah 8. Jeremiah 8 1 At that time, saith the LORD, they shall bring out the bones of the kings of Judah, and the bones of his princes, and the bones of the priests, and the bones of the prophets, and the bones of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, out of their graves: 2 And they shall spread them before the sun, and the moon, and all the host of heaven, whom they have loved, and whom they have served, and after whom they have walked, and whom they have sought, and whom they have worshipped: they shall not be gathered, nor be buried; they shall be for dung upon the face of the earth. 3 And death shall be chosen rather than life by all the residue of them that remain of this evil family, which remain in all the places whither I have driven them, saith the LORD of hosts. 4 Moreover thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the LORD; Shall they fall, and not arise? shall he turn away, and not return? 5 Why then is this people of Jerusalem slidden back by a perpetual backsliding? they hold fast deceit, they refuse to return.

• When Jerusalem came to fall into judgment, its enemies desecrated the graves and removed the bones of former leaders.

• The sun, the moon, the stars…the people of Jerusalem had put their trust in other gods and so the

True God, allowed the bones to be desecrated (as refuse or dung, see 9:22) and spread before the idols they earnestly trusted in to deliver them. Those that survived the siege and attack became exiles and slaves yet they yearned for death over life. Quite similar to this fifth trumpet.

• In verses 4 and 5 the Lord admonishes them for continuing to dwell in evil rather and stubborn

defiance rather than return to the Lord. This incident in Jeremiah draws many parallels to the circumstances described here in the fifth trumpet.

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Revelation 9 Verse by Verse Verse 6 continued Revelation 9 KJV 6 And in those days shall men seek death,


• Men will seek death and shall not find it…the desire to die even by the unimaginable attempts to

commit suicide will be unsuccessful. We are not told how the desire is thwarted. It could be a result or effect of the torment brought on by the locusts.

1 Kings 19 1 And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and withal how he had slain all the prophets with the sword. 2 Then Jezebel sent a messenger unto Elijah, saying, So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I make not thy life as the life of one of them by to morrow about this time. 3 And when he saw that, he arose, and went for his life, and came to Beersheba, which belongeth to Judah, and left his servant there. Israelites believed suicide was an offense to the Lord it was not an option. Being such, Elijah asked the Lord for death because he viewed his situation as hopeless. Similar attitudes were found in Job (Job 6:8-9), Moses (Numbers 11:10-15), Jeremiah (Jeremiah 20:14-18) and Jonah below. Jonah 4 3Therefore now, O LORD, take, I beseech thee, my life from me; for it is better for me to die than to live. 8 And it came to pass, when the sun did arise, that God prepared a vehement east wind; and the sun beat upon the head of Jonah, that he fainted, and wished in himself to die, and said, It is better for me to die than to live.

• All of these cases above were isolated incidents. this one feature of the plague proves that it must be future and literal: for no period in history is known where such a condition of things lasted for "five months." There have always been isolated cases where men have sought death. This is to be universal.

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Revelation 9 Verse by Verse Verses 7 & 8 Revelation 9 KJV 7 And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared unto battle;

V and on their heads were as it were crowns like gold, V and their faces were as the faces of men..

8 And they had hair as the hair of women,

V and their teeth were as the teeth of lions. NAB 7 The appearance of the locusts was like horses prepared for battle;

V and on their heads appeared to be crowns like gold, V and their faces were like the faces of men.

8 They had hair like the hair of women,

V and their teeth were like the teeth of lions.

• And the shapes of the locusts were like…beginning here there are four verses dedicated to the description of the locusts. Therefore, knowing and understanding their description is evidently important. However, in all the descriptors that detail these beings, none give the size of the locusts.

• The locusts were like…The words "like" and "as" are similes and occur nine times in this

description. Thus the figure of speech is saying they are similar to horses or faces of men, not that they were actually these things. In verses 7 and 8 we have the fore-part of these beings described; in verse 9 the middle part; and in verse 10 their hind part. See also Joel chapter 2.

• Their faces were like the faces of men…angelic beings in Scripture are described as human

looking (Genesis 18:2-33). Perhaps this also indicates that these beings are quite rationale in their thinking.

• Hair like women…It’s been said that these are no ordinary locusts. Notwithstanding locusts

are known to have hair (Jeremiah 51:27).

• Teeth were like the teeth of lions…this suggests strength and cruelty a description strikingly similar to the beast of Revelation 13.

Revelation 13 2 And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.

• Joel 1:6 also has two references to lion’s teeth.

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Revelation 9 Verse by Verse Verses 9 & 10 Revelation 9 KJV 9 And they had breastplates, as it were breastplates of iron;

V and the sound of their wings was as the sound of chariots V of many horses running to battle.

10 And they had tails like unto scorpions,

V and there were stings in their tails: V and their power was to hurt men five months.

NAB 9 They had breastplates like breastplates of iron; and the sound of their wings was like the sound of chariots, of many horses rushing to battle.

10 They have tails like scorpions, and stings; and in their tails is their power to hurt men for five months.

• Breastplates of iron…breastplates are intended to protect the vital organs of warriors and to preserve their lives. These creatures are naturally invulnerable and appear to have breastplates similar to iron.

• Here is developed what was only alluded to in verse 5. This discloses their origin, from the bottomless pit. The action, commenced in verse 5, is suspended so that their description might be completed.

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Revelation 9 Verse by Verse Verse 11 Revelation 9 KJV 7 And they had a king over them,


NAB 11 They have as king over them,

V the angel of the abyss; V his name in Hebrew is Abaddon, V and in the Greek he has the name Apollyon.

They had a king over them…here is yet another proof that these are no ordinary locusts, for ordinary locusts have no king over them, but these locust do. Proverbs 30 27 the locusts have no king, yet go they forth all of them by bands; the angel of the abyss…it is beside the point to say that this king is undoubtedly Satan. The description of his name here is evidently important, as it is given in two languages. The meaning of the name is the same in both languages: Destruction. Amazingly the name of the bottomless pit in Hebrew is the same word Abaddon. In the Old Testament it is expressed as a different thing than hell as seen below: Job 26 6 Hell is naked before him, and destruction hath no covering. Job 28 22 Destruction and death say, We have heard the fame thereof with our ears. Psalm 88 11 Shall thy lovingkindness be declared in the grave? or thy faithfulness in destruction? Proverbs 15 11 Hell and destruction are before the LORD: how much more then the hearts of the children of men? Proverbs 27 20 Hell and destruction are never full; so the eyes of man are never satisfied.

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Revelation 9 Verse by Verse Verse 11 continued Revelation 9 KJV 8 And they had a king over them,


• they had a king over them…the angel of the bottomless pit…The name of the pit: Destruction is given

to the angel of the pit: Destroyer. This is by a figure of speech known as Metonymy where the abstract (the pit) is put for the concrete (the destroyer). This destroyer’s name and actions can be found throughout the Old Testament prophets as seen below:

Jeremiah 4 7 The lion is come up from his thicket, and the destroyer of the Gentiles is on his way; he is gone forth from his place to make thy land desolate; and thy cities shall be laid waste, without an inhabitant. Jeremiah 6 26 O daughter of my people, gird thee with sackcloth, and wallow thyself in ashes: make thee mourning, as for an only son, most bitter lamentation: for the spoiler shall suddenly come upon us. Isaiah 16 4 Let mine outcasts dwell with thee, Moab; be thou a covert to them from the face of the spoiler: for the extortioner is at an end, the spoiler ceaseth, the oppressors are consumed out of the land. Daniel 8 24 And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power: and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practise, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people. 25 And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes; but he shall be broken without hand. Daniel 9 26 And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined. Daniel 11 44 But tidings out of the east and out of the north shall trouble him: therefore he shall go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many.

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Revelation 9 Verse by Verse Verse 11 continued Revelation 9 KJV 9 And they had a king over them…

• All of the evidence points to Satan as the destroyer whose name is Abaddon and Apollyon.

• He was seen falling from Heaven Luke 10 18 And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven. Revelation 12 9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

• And the results of his fall are put forth here in the fifth trumpet Revelation 9 1 And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit. 2 And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit.

• After opening the pit, Satan is seen as king over the beings that come forth from it. Thereafter, Satan is seen rising out of the pit in subsequent chapters

Revelation 11 7 And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them. Revelation 17 8 The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast…

• Satan was created as an cherubim angel (Ezekiel 28:14) and therefore the description of him as an angel fallen suits him as Isaiah 14:12 testifies. His true name is Abaddon, Apollyon-a destroyer, for that has always been his business to which he diligently attends to.

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Revelation 9 Verse by Verse Verse 12 Revelation 9 KJV 12 One woe is past; and, behold, there come two woes more hereafter. NAB 12 the first woe is past; behold, two woes are still coming after these things.

• One woe…the first of the final three trumpets. The first woe spoken of in chapter 8:13 was the locust army. Therefore, the two remaining woes come within the sixth and seventh trumpets.

• The first woe is past; behold, there are coming yet two woes after these things…the awful character of

these three Woe-Trumpets is seen from what we learn from the first and that is the mighty forces of heaven and hell are gathering for the final conflict. We have here some of the outpost work, which gives an indication of what is to follow. From Joel 2 we learn that Almighty God Himself will lead on His own great army.

Joel 2 11 Jehovah shall utter his voice before his army; For his camp is very great: For he is strong that executeth his word: For the day of the Lord is great and very terrible; And who can abide it? (Compare with 2 Samuel 5:24)

• On the other hand, Satan, "the angel of the abyss," Abaddon, leads forth his Satanic force to be brought against the King of kings.

• All is clear and simple and plain if we read this as one of a series of literal judgments which

is to take place in the "day of the Lord." As literal and real as were the plagues of Egypt.

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The Sixth Trumpet (or Second Woe) Introduction

The Sixth Trumpet or Second Woe contains more detail than any of the other trumpets. There are thirty-three verses dedicated to its description. Similar to the fifth trumpet it is different than the first four because it is introduced by a “voice. “ In the fifth trumpet it was the voice of “an eagle flying in mid-heaven;” in the sixth trumpet it is the voice “from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God.” This voice, coming from the altar seems to say that we have here the continuation of the answer to the prayers recorded in chapter 6 verse 10:

And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?

This voice, coming from the “four horns” goes forth to the four corners of the earth. Here in the sixth trumpet we see that the nations cups are overfilled with God’s wrath and the nations are ripe for punishment. The instruments of is anger that were before restrained are let loose upon them.

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THE STRUCTURE OF THE SIXTH TRUMPET

2nd Woe


Correspondences Chapter Verse(s) A1 The Sixth Angel (2nd WOE Trumpet). 9 13-

B1 His Sounding 9 -13- C1 The Voice from the Altar 9 -13 D1 Its Command: Loose the 4 Angels… 9 -14 E1 Execution of Command 9 15

F1 Result: The Horsemen 9 16-21 G1 “Another” mighty angel 10 1-2 H1 His Cry and the Seven Thunders 10 3-4 G2 The Voice from Heaven 10 -4-

H2 Its Command: “Seal Up.” 10 -4 A2 The Angel 10 5 B2 His Oath 10 6-7 C2 The Voice from Heaven 10 8- D2 His Command: “Go and take... 10 -8 E2 Execution of Command 10 9-11 F2 Result: The Two Witnesses. 11 1-14

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Revelation 9 Verse by Verse Verse 13 Revelation 9 KJV 13 And the sixth angel sounded,


NAB 13 Then the sixth angel sounded,


• The sixth angel sounded…not only does this sixth angel blow his trumpet, but he is also to obey

the command which is as follows: Correspondences Chapter Verse(s) A1 Loose the Four Angels 9 14-

B1 Bound 9 -14- C1 Place: Euphrates… 9 -14 A2 The 4 Angels Loosed 9 15- B2 Prepared 9 15- C2 Time “An hour and… 9 -15

• I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar…The altar in the Temple had four projections, one at each corner, and these were called the horns of the altar (Exodus 27:2). Normally a place of mercy, as God responded to His people’s prayers, the altar will resound with a cry for vengeance.

• In the earthly Tabernacle and Temple the golden altar is described as standing before the

veil that is by the ark of the testimony Exodus 30 6 And thou shalt put it before the vail that is by the ark of the testimony, before the mercy seat that is over the testimony, where I will meet with thee. Exodus 40 3 And thou shalt put therein the ark of the testimony and cover the ark with the vail.

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Revelation 9 Verse by Verse Verse 14 Revelation 9 KJV 14 Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet,

V Loose the four angels V which are bound in the great river Euphrates.

NAB 10 one saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet,

V "Release the four angels V who are bound at the great river Euphrates."

bound at the great river Euphrates…One of the four rivers that flowed through the Garden of Eden running northwest to southeast of the Tigris and empties into the Persian Golf after joining the Tigris. The Euphrates is the eastern boundary of the land promised to Abraham and his descendants in Genesis 15. Genesis 15 18 In the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates:

• This is also the area where enemies such as Assyria and Babylon came to invade Israel (Isaiah 8:5-8).

• Starting with the tower of Babel, this region of the planet has been known to have spawned

many of the world’s pagan religions. There may be a connection between Babel and the Abyss, but we do not know. Seeing that Satan’s earlier activities were connected with this region, there must be some appropriate reason why God imprisoned these angels here. Perhaps the area also represents the seat of Satan’s former victory in the Garden of Eden. Scripture does associate the river Euphrates with the coming judgments of the great day.

Jeremiah 46 6 Let not the swift flee away, nor the mighty man escape; they shall stumble, and fall toward the north by the river Euphrates. 7 Who is this that cometh up as a flood, whose waters are moved as the rivers? 8 Egypt riseth up like a flood, and his waters are moved like the rivers; and he saith, I will go up, and will cover the earth; I will destroy the city and the inhabitants thereof. 9 Come up, ye horses; and rage, ye chariots; and let the mighty men come forth; the Ethiopians and the Libyans, that handle the shield; and the Lydians, that handle and bend the bow. 10 For this is the day of the Lord GOD of hosts, a day of vengeance, that he may avenge him of his adversaries: and the sword shall devour, and it shall be satiate and made drunk with their blood: for the Lord GOD of hosts hath a sacrifice in the north country by the river Euphrates.

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Revelation 9 Verse by Verse Verse 15 Revelation 9 KJV 15 And the four angels were loosed,


NAB 15 And the four angels,

V who had been prepared V for the hour V and day V and month V and year, V were released, V so that they would kill a third of mankind

• the four angels…Scripture never refers to holy angels as being bound. These four angels

cannot be identified with any others because they are, “bound.” They are therefore fallen angels. This is another segment of Satan’s force that was bound by God. At a future time Satan himself will also be bound (Revelation 20:2-7). Before that day, a further division of the Satanic forces is to be let loos upon the earth.

• Notice how they do not have the power to release themselves. Instead, they are held back

by God and will be released by him at a specific time, doing only what he allows them to do.

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Revelation 9 Verse by Verse Verse 15 Revelation 9 KJV 15 And the four angels were loosed,

• We are left to no doubt as to how these angels became bound. 2 Peter 2 1 But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. 2 And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. 3 And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not. 4 For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment; 5 And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly; 6 And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly; 7 And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked: 8 (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;) 9 The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:

• In 2 Peter 2 verse 4 we read of these angels being bound. Here in Revelation 9 verse 15 we read of these angels’ release. This is the judgment for which they (four of them at least) are “reserved” and “prepared” or ready.

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Revelation 9 Verse by Verse Verse 15 continued Revelation 9 KJV 15 And the four angels were loosed,

• In Jude 6 we are again told of these bound angels. Jude 1 6 And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.

• Not only are these angels to be judged, but they should be the executors of God’s judgments also. This will all occur in that “Great Day” which we are now studying and learning about in the Revelation of Jesus Christ.

Scripture also mentions other “in-prison spirits” that relate to the topic of being “bound.” 1 Peter 3 18 For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: 19 By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison; 20 Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.

• These are the spirits to whom the Savior's triumph was proclaimed at His resurrection; not for their comfort or blessing, but for the proclamation that the price of Redemption had been paid, and the work done which should hereafter be celebrated as mentioned in Revelation 5 when the worthiness of the Lamb that was slain should be proclaimed, not only to the, “spirits in prison, but to all Creation.

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Revelation 9 Verse by Verse Verse 15 continued Revelation 9 KJV 15 And the four angels were loosed,


• The angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour and a day…As mentioned before, these four

angels, now bound, we are distinctly told are "reserved unto judgment." and this judgment is that of "the great day." They are reserved for the particular appointed moment; the moment of their loosing. There seems to be little doubt as to the meaning of the period of time. It does not imply the duration of the judgment, but the preparation for the particular moment which has been appointed by God. As it is, it denotes the appointed hour of the appointed day of the appointed month of the appointed year. The emphasis on the words "prepared" or "reserved" supports this interpretation.

• God works according to His predetermined plan as seen in Scripture

Matthew 24 36 but of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. Acts 1 6 When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? 7 And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.

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Revelation 9 Verse by Verse Verse 15 continued Revelation 9 KJV 15 And the four angels were loosed…

V …for to slay the third part of men. For to slay the third part of men… God’s reason for these angels release is given: slay a third part of men. Literally one third of all people are killed. The opening of the fourth seal in chapter 6 creates similar consequence wrought upon the earth. Revelation 6 7 And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see. 8 And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.

• When taken together, the rider on the pale horse and the four angels unbound kill over one-half of the people in the world under God’s judgments. Notwithstanding, if God did not set limits on the destruction then no human would be left alive as our Lord Himself testifies:

Matthew 24 22 And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.

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The Army of the Horsemen Revelation 9:16

In the remaining verses of chapter nine we are given a description of these “horsemen.” From this description we can easily see they are not human being of any kind. There is a vast number of them and no difficulty will arise from this as we are told in Scripture that spirits are “legion.” Mark 5 9And he asked him, What is thy name? And he answered, saying, My name is Legion: for we are many. Luke 8 30 And Jesus asked him, saying, What is thy name? And he said, Legion: because many devils were entered into him. 31 And they besought him that he would not command them to go out into the deep. Mark 5 12 And all the devils besought him, saying, Send us into the swine, that we may enter into them. 11 When they came to Jesus, they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons, sitting there, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. Matthew 26 52 Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword. 53 Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels?

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The Structure of the Army of the Horsemen

Revelation 9:16-21 Correspondences Verse(s) A1 Description. Number. Heads and Breastplates 16-17-

B1 Mouths -17- C1 Agency: “Fire” -17 D1 Result: Men Killed 18- C2 Agency: “Fire” -18-

B2 Mouths -18-19 A2 Description: Power. Heads & Tails -19 D2 Result: Men not Killed 20-21

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Revelation 9 Verse by Verse Verse 16 Revelation 9 KJV 12 And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand:

V and I heard the number of them. NAB 16 The number of the armies of the horsemen was two hundred million;

V I heard the number of them.

• The number of the horsemen…and I heard the number of them… John refers to the number twice as the number of these infernal horsemen is quite extensive, but why should we not believe there will be an army of this size? What is it that makes man hesitate to believe God? These, as we have said, are no mere human beings: they are wicked spirits; and Are not these legion and innumerable? As seen from the references on page 390, spirits are “legion.” Below are further references that testify to this Biblical fact:

Daniel 7 10 A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened. Psalm 68 13 The chariots of God are twenty thousand, even thousands of angels: the Lord is among them,

as in Sinai, in the holy place.

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Revelation 9 Verse by Verse Verse 17 Revelation 9 KJV 17 And thus I saw the horses in the vision,

V and them that sat on them, V having breastplates of fire, V and of jacinth, V and brimstone: V and the heads of the horses V were as the heads of lions; V and out of their mouths issued fire V and smoke V and brimstone.

NAB 17 And this is how I saw in the vision the horses

V and those who sat on them: V the riders had breastplates the color of fire V and of hyacinth V and of brimstone; V and the heads of the horses V are like the heads of lions; V and out of their mouths proceed fire V and smoke V and brimstone.

• Verse 17 gives us a description of these supernatural beings. They are not human. They

come from below. We know of nothing like them. When God describes them nothing should be easier than to believe what He says. They need no explanation. This description is given to explain them to us. Isn’t easier to believe they are what God says they and their spirit riders are, than to believe the speculations of man.

• True, the description above (along with many others in Revelation) are quite incredible,

and truly wonderful to conceive and visualize, but that is just what God said the future plagues were to be.

Deuteronomy 28 59 Then the LORD will make thy plagues wonderful, and the plagues of thy seed, even great plagues, and of long continuance, and sore sicknesses, and of long continuance. 62And ye shall be left few in number, whereas ye were as the stars of heaven for multitude; because thou wouldest not obey the voice of the LORD thy God. Exodus 34 10 I will do marvels, such as have not been done in all the earth, nor in any nation: and all the people among which thou art shall see the work of the LORD: for it is a terrible thing that I will do with thee.

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Revelation 9 Verse by Verse Verse 17 continued Revelation 9 KJV 17 And thus I saw the horses in the vision,

V and them that sat on them, V having breastplates of fire, V and of jacinth, V and brimstone: V and the heads of the horses V were as the heads of lions; V and out of their mouths issued fire V and smoke V and brimstone.

• I saw the horses in the vision and them that sat on them…when Israel would trust in the horses of Egypt

they were warned that their riders and horses were “flesh and not spirit” (Isaiah 31:3). Here we have horses that are spirit and not flesh. In Jeremiah the Lord has also said

Jeremiah 8 17 For behold, I will send serpents among you, Vipers which cannot be charmed, And they shall bite you,” says the LORD.

• Out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone…Brimstone is a yellowish, sulfuric rock that is often associated with fire and smoke in Revelation (as seen in the verses below). It is common in the Dead Sea region, when ignited deposits of brimstone melt and produce burning streams and suffocating gas.

Revelation 14 9 And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, 10 The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: Revelation 19 14 And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. Revelation 20 10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

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Revelation 9 Verse by Verse Verses 18 & 19 Revelation 9 KJV 18 By these three

V was the third part of men killed, V by the fire, V and by the smoke, V and by the brimstone, V which issued out of their mouths.

15 For their power

V is in their mouth, V and in their tails: V for their tails were like unto serpents, V and had heads, V and with them they do hurt.

NAB 18 A third of mankind was killed

V by these three plagues, V by the fire V and the smoke V and the brimstone V which proceeded out of their mouths.

19 For the power of the horses

V is in their mouths V and in their tails; V for their tails are like serpents V and have heads, V and with them they do harm.

• Tails are like serpents having heads… the description here indicates these horsemen have the ability to

vent their destructive power in both directions from their front and backsides. Thus they are capable of destroying quicker. Do we know of any natural animal that defends itself in this way?

• The results of this plague which follow the Sixth Trumpet and how mankind responds to it are

given in the remaining two verses of this chapter.

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Revelation 9 Verse by Verse Verse 20 Revelation 9 KJV 20 And the rest of the men

V which were not killed by these plagues V yet repented not of the works of their hands, V that they should not worship devils, V and idols of gold, V and silver, V and brass, V and stone, V and of wood: V which neither can see, V nor hear, V nor walk:

NAB 20 The rest of mankind,

V who were not killed by these plagues, V did not repent of the works of their hands, V so as not to worship demons, V and the idols of gold V and of silver V and of brass V and of stone V and of wood, V which can neither see V nor hear V nor walk;

• and the rest of the men who were not killed by these plagues neither repented of the works of their hands…we are

not told what these works may be, nor do we know what awful form of idolatry is hinted at in these verses. However, the expression, in Scripture, “works of their hands,” always points to idolatry and here, it is idolatry of the grossest kind.

Deuteronomy 4 27 And the LORD shall scatter you among the nations, and ye shall be left few in number among the heathen, whither the LORD shall lead you. 28 And there ye shall serve gods, the work of men's hands, wood and stone, which neither see, nor hear, nor eat, nor smell. 29 But if from thence thou shalt seek the LORD thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul. 30 When thou art in tribulation, and all these things are come upon thee, even in the latter days, if thou turn to the LORD thy God, and shalt be obedient unto his voice; Psalm 135 14 For the LORD will judge his people, and he will repent himself concerning his servants. 15 The idols of the heathen are silver and gold, the work of men's hands.

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Revelation 9 Verse by Verse Verse 20 continued Revelation 9 KJV 20 And the rest of the men

V which were not killed by these plagues V yet repented not of the works of their hands, V that they should not worship devils, V and idols of gold, V and silver, V and brass, V and stone, V and of wood: V which neither can see, V nor hear, V nor walk:

• They still persisted in those sins for which God was administering judgment and

punishments for. The unwillingness to repent despite the plagues is reminiscent of Pharaoh’s attitude towards most of the plagues that came upon Egypt (Exodus 7:22; 9:7). This, of course, does not include those who have the seal of God in their forehead.

Revelation 9 4 And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads. Revelation 7 3…Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.

• This evil is spoken of by Moses in Deuteronomy as recurring, “in the latter days.”

Deuteronomy 31 29 For I know that after my death ye will utterly corrupt yourselves, and turn aside from the way which I have commanded you; and evil will befall you in the latter days; because ye will do evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger through the work of your hands.

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Revelation 9 Verse by Verse Verse 20 continued Revelation 9 KJV 20 And the rest of the men

V which were not killed by these plagues V yet repented not of the works of their hands, V that they should not worship devils,

• …repented not of the works of their hands that they should not worship devils…In Corinthians Paul describes

how demons impersonate the stone and wood idols men make. 1 Corinthians 10 17 For we being many are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread. 18 Behold Israel after the flesh: are not they which eat of the sacrifices partakers of the altar? 19 What say I then? that the idol is anything, or that which is offered in sacrifice to idols is anything? 20 But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils. 21 Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord's table, and of the table of devils. 22 Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? are we stronger than he?

• Spiritism, which continues to grow in popularity and has made rapid strides since the 1920’s is the forerunner of all this. It will surely develop into what is referred to in these verses. Planchette and/or Ouija boards have become household gods and sources of amusement. These systems of idolatry have become so accepted and so commonplace, that they are openly sold as children’s games in virtually every local store of every city. One can find tarot and palm readers as established businesses, open a newspaper to find their supposed destinies and place a quarter in a machine to have it predict a fortune. As these enterprises continue to thrive and establish themselves within our cultures we can conclude many today look to the distortion of astrology, palm reading, horoscopes, crystals, mediums and evil spirits at the present moment as guides. These are, “lying spirits,” (1 Kings 22:19-23) as the Scripture calls them. In Timothy they are called “deceiving spirits” pretending to be whom they are not, and thus gaining a hearing with many. They do speak; and that is the one feature excluded from the Revelation verse above. It says only that they are not able to see, or hear, or walk. Here in verse 21 of this chapter we see the climax, the final full development of what is classed “Spiritualism” which is here referred to, and which calls for the plague of this sixth Trumpet. If Christians, at large, could realize, in only a small degree, the awful nature of the coming judgments and plagues, they would welcome and be thankful for any evidence that exposed the character of Spiritism in their lives and in the societies they now live in.

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Revelation 9 Verse by Verse Verse 21 Revelation 9 KJV 21 Neither repented they of their murders,

V nor of their sorceries, V nor of their fornication, V nor of their thefts.

NAB 21 and they did not repent of their murders

V nor of their sorceries V nor of their immorality V nor of their thefts.

• Neither repented they…of their sorceries (or spiritualism)…these “sorceries” are the

dealings of men with spirit-agencies; accepting the teaching of evil angels and deceiving spirits

1Timothy 4 1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; 2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;

• The word for sorcery occurs here, Revelation 18:23, and Galations 5:20, where it is referred to as “witchcraft.” It is used of the Egyptian sorceries in Exodus 7:22 and of the Babylonian sorceries in Isaiah 47:9 &12. The word "sorcery" is the old French sorcerie, and includes all such things as divination, enchantment, incantation, magic, necromancy, witchcraft, and all things connected with what is called "the black art," culminating in the worship of Satan himself, as prophesied in Revelation 13 and already known as "the black mass." The Greek word is the root of the English word for pharmacy. Drugs in the ancient world were used to dull the senses and induce a mental state that was suitable for religious experiences such as séances, witchcraft, incantations, and cavorting with mediums (Revelation 21:8; 22:15.

• It should be of no wonder why God has so solemnly warned us against these things, and no

wonder such awful judgments are to be visited upon them (Leviticus 19:31; 20:6 & 27; Exodus 22:18; Deuteronomy 18:10; 1 Samuel 28:7; 1 Chronicles 10:13; Isaiah 8:19; Acts 16:16 etc, etc.

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Revelation 9 Verse by Verse Verse 21 continued Revelation 9 KJV 21 Neither repented they of their murders,

V nor of their sorceries, V nor of their fornication, V nor of their thefts.

• Neither repented they…the hardness of these peoples hearts were not moved even as the Lord

described this as the greatest tribulation ever to come and humankind (Matthew 24) or by the awful plagues described here in Revelation. How is it that the hearts of these men were not moved? As Described in the Tyndale scholarly account:

• People don’t usually fall into immorality and evil suddenly-they slip into it a little at a time until,

hardly realizing what has happened, they are irrevocably mired in their wicked ways. Any person who allows sin to take root in his life can find himself in this predicament. Temptation entertained today becomes sin tomorrow, then a habit the next day, then death and separation from God forever.

James 1 15 Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.

• To think you could never become this evil is the first step toward a hard heart.

• To add to this warning we have our Lord’s own Words on the matter: Luke 22 39 and he came out, and went, as he was wont, to the mount of Olives; and his disciples also followed him. 40 And when he was at the place, he said unto them, Pray that ye enter not into temptation.

• On a final note, we can take comfort in knowing our Lord also prays for us to endure through his Grace and Spirit.

Luke 22 And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat:

32 But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren. John 17 15 I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.

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Revelation Chapter 10 “Another Angel”

In verses 13-21 in chapter 9 we considered the sounding of the sixth Angel and the effects upon the earth. Namely the loosing of the four angels from the river Euphrates, the command to slay the third part of man, and the execution of this command by means of releasing the horsemen riders. Here in chapter 10, we now have “Another Angel” introduced in the first four verses. Although this new angel is introduced, keep in mind we are here sill under the effects and consequences of the sixth trumpet. The activities of this angel differ from those of the sixth angel. In Revelation 10 this angel stands on the sea and earth. In one hand he holds an open book with the other hand uplifted towards heaven while he swears by God “that there should be time no longer.. the mystery of God should be finished”. Our Holy Father is sealing our minds with the events leading up to the 2nd Advent of Christ. Our ‘spiritual perspective’ is constantly detailing the questions asked by the disciples to our Lord in Matthew 24:

• when shall these things be? • what shall be the sign of thy coming, • and of the end of the world?’

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The Structure of Revelation 10:1-2

Another Angel

Correspondences Verse(s) A1 His Descent from Heaven 1

B1 His Accessories (Cloud; Rainbow) -1- C1 His Person: (face as the sun) -1 C2 His Person: (feet as pillars of fire) -1 B2 His Accessories (The Little Book) 2-

A2 His Station on the Earth -2

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Revelation 10 Verse by Verse Verse 1 Revelation 10 KJV 1 And I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven,


NAB 1 I saw another strong angel coming down out of heaven,

V clothed with a cloud; V and the rainbow was upon his head, V and his face was like the sun, V and his feet like pillars of fire;

• As we read this verse it is important to remember we are still under the effects and consequences of

the sixth trumpet. It is not until Chapter 11 verse 14 that this trumpet ends and it is announced that this second woe has passed.

Revelation 11 14 The second woe is past; and, behold, the third woe cometh quickly.

• Here in chapter 10 we are continuing with the same prophecy of judgment, but we are introduced to new details connected with that judgment and new subjects and phases of it.

And I saw another mighty angel…this angel is different than the angles who have blown the trumpets. It is “Another” and a “Mighty” one. Since his descent comes about with great majesty many scholars believe this angel to be the Lord Jesus Christ. Additional evidence for this is the manner in which this angel claims dominion over the earth. But the Greek word translated, “another” here means one of the same kind, that is, a created being. The most important feature here is that unlike Christ, this angel comes to Earth before the end of the Great Tribulation. We need to remember that this angelic being represents God and not Himself, just as the activities of all other angels in this book follow the direction and limits which God had instructed of them (see also volume 1 appendix 4).

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Revelation 10 Verse by Verse Verse 1 continued Revelation 10 KJV 1 And I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven,


• Mighty angel come down from Heaven…This angel comes “down from Heaven” as the great

antagonist of the “angel of the abyss,” who comes up from below, and is enveloped in the cloud of the smoke of the pit. This angel carries with Him the high dignity of God. As the cloud in which it descends is generally associated with Divine movements. In addition to the verse below see also (Psalm 18:11; Isaiah 19:1; Ezekiel 1:4; Matthew 24:30; Revelation 1:7)

Psalm 104 1 Bless the LORD, O my soul… 3 Who layeth the beams of his chambers in the waters: who maketh the clouds his chariot: who walketh upon the wings of the wind:

• A Rainbow…this rainbow is also seen in the glory of God’s throne (Revelation 4:3). Since the days of Noah (Genesis 9:12-17) it has been a sign of God’s covenant with Noah and the earth and His faithfulness to the promises He has made.

Matthew 24 35 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away

• His feet as pillars of fire…indicating his firm stance and resolve in executing the role He is

given as an agent for the day of the Lord.

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Revelation 10 Verse by Verse Verse 2 Revelation 10 KJV 2 And he had in his hand a little book open:


NAB 2 and he had in his hand a little book which was open

V He placed his right foot on the sea V and his left on the land;

• a little book open…This seems to point us to chapter five

Revelation 5 1 And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals. 2 And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof?

• The seven sealed scroll is essentially the title deed to the earth. The sealed book has been opened; and indicates there is nothing left that remains, but to sound the seventh trumpet. This is proclaimed in verse 6.

Revelation 10 6 …there should be time no longer

• The little book not sealed discloses new directions. The contents perhaps picks up where the sealed scroll left off describing the different forms and subjects of the judgments to come.

• he set his right foot upon the sea and his left foot on the earth…the setting or planting of his feet on

both sea and land is the formal way of taking possession of both or the expression of the purpose to do so. In Deuteronomy 11 this was shown as a way of taking possession.

Deuteronomy 11 24 Every place whereon the soles of your feet shall tread shall be yours:

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Revelation 10 Verse by Verse Verse 2 continued Revelation 10 KJV 2 And he had in his hand a little book open:


• Again, the open book and the setting of the feet is in Judgment on the earth. This has long

since been pronounced as indicated in John 16:11 and the verse below: John 12 31 Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out.

• A judgment-summons has been issued and described in Revelation 5. And now the execution has commenced. The right of Christ has to execute this judgment was established in chapter five. The planting of the feet in the verse above is the assertion of that right and the expressed determination to enforce it.

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The Structure of the

Angel’s Cry

Revelation 10:3-4

In verses 3 & 4 we have the cry of the angel as set forth in the structure

Correspondences Verse(s) A1 The Occasion “and when… 3-

B1 Action. “Seven thunders uttered… -3 A2 The Occasion “and when… 4-

B2 Action. “I was about to write… -4

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Revelation 10 Verse by Verse Verse 3 Revelation 10 KJV 3 And cried with a loud voice,

V as when a lion roareth: V and when he had cried, V seven thunders uttered their voices.

NAB 3 and he cried out with a loud voice,

V as when a lion roars; V and when he had cried out, V the seven peals of thunder uttered their voices.

• He cried with a loud voice…this was not a cry of distress, pain, or fear, but a shout of power

described, “as when a lion roareth.” Satan and his dominions present themselves in this same fashion as noted in the following verses:

Revelation 9 8 And they (the locust army) had hair as the hair of women, and their teeth were as the teeth of lions. 17And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them…and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions; 1 Peter 5 8 be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

• The similarity in characteristics here is natural. These are supernatural entities with two of them Satan and the angel of 10:1 being both Angelic beings.

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Revelation 10 Verse by Verse Verses 3 & 4 Revelation 10 KJV 3 …and when he had cried,

V seven thunders uttered their voices. 4 And when the seven thunders had uttered their voices,


NAB 3 …and when he had cried out,

V the seven peals of thunder uttered their voices. 4 When the seven peals of thunder had spoken,

V I was about to write; V and I heard a voice from heaven saying, V " Seal up the things which the seven peals of thunder have spoken V and do not write them."

• In the books of Joel and Jeremiah below, we learn that the Old Testament prophets

foretold of this roaring cry which the Lord, by His agents and messengers, will cause to be heard here in Revelation at the appointed time. As we have seen from the verses above, this cry is at once answered by a, “voice from heaven” in verse 4.

Joel 3 16 The LORD also shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake: but the LORD will be the hope of his people, and the strength of the children of Israel. Jeremiah 25 29 I will call for a sword upon all the inhabitants of the earth, saith the LORD of hosts. 30 Therefore prophesy thou against them all these words, and say unto them, The LORD shall roar from on high, and utter his voice from his holy habitation; he shall mightily roar upon his habitation; he shall give a shout, as they that tread the grapes, against all the inhabitants of the earth. 31A noise shall come even to the ends of the earth; for the LORD hath a controversy with the nations, he will plead with all flesh; he will give them that are wicked to the sword, saith the LORD.

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Revelation 10 Verse by Verse Verses 3 & 4 continued Revelation 10 KJV 3 …and when he had cried,

V seven thunders uttered their voices. 4 And when the seven thunders had uttered their voices,


• …the seven thunders had uttered their voices… this is a definite article here, THE seven

thunders. Therefore it points to a specific person(s) or thing. These persons are actually the seven lamps referred to in Revelation 4 below.

Revelation 4 5 And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.

• John heard their voices as thunder and that is exactly what they sounded like. Just as others who have heard voices from Heaven described their speaking in the same way.

John 12 28 Father, glorify thy name. Then came there a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again. 29 The people therefore, that stood by, and heard it, said that it thundered: others said, An angel spake to him.

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Revelation 10 Verse by Verse Verse 4 continued Revelation 10 KJV 4 And when the seven thunders had uttered their voices,


• I was about to write…although the thunderous voices were great in sound, John understood

what they said.

• and I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me…write them not…John is ordered to not disclose what the seven thunders have said. The revealing of this information will come in God’s own time.

Daniel 8 26 And the vision of the evening and the morning which was told is true: wherefore shut thou up the vision; for it shall be for many days.

27And I Daniel fainted, and was sick certain days; afterward I rose up, and did the king's business; and I was astonished at the vision, but none understood it. Daniel 12 8 And I heard, but I understood not: then said I, O my Lord, what shall be the end of these things?

9 And he said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end.

• There may be a deeper meaning to why God commanded the voices of the Seven Thunders to be sealed. Thunder is only an effect. It comes after the action and destruction of lightning. The voices of the seven thunders are quite possibly the after effects of whatever consequences have occurred upon the earth. Therefore, the words of these thunderous voices are of no value…the lightning (consequences) would have already struck.

• In chapter 22 below, John is told not to seal the prophecy of this book.

Revelation 22 10 and he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand.

• Just as in Daniel 12 above, there were certain things God has held back from being unveiled. In Daniel’s case, a whole dispensation of time was to pass before Daniel’s words could be known. Here in John’s time and our own believers are given more clarity and more is opened up to use because, “the season is near.”

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Revelation 10 Verse by Verse Verse 5 Revelation 10 KJV 5 And the angel which I saw stand upon the sea

V and upon the earth V lifted up his hand to heaven,

NAB 5 Then the angel whom I saw standing on the sea

V and on the land V lifted up his right hand to heaven,

• lifted up his hand to heaven…The Greek word for raising the hand here is often used in the

technical sense of raising the hand to take an oath or a solemn vow. Thus the hand is raised to heaven where God dwells and the angel is taking the oath. This oath and this verse parallels the experience of Daniel in the verse below.

Daniel 12 7 And I heard the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven, and sware by him that liveth for ever that it shall be for a time, times, and an half; and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished.

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Revelation 10 Verse by Verse Verse 6

Revelation 10 KJV 6 And sware by him that liveth for ever and ever,

V who created heaven, V and the things that therein are, V and the earth, V and the things that therein are, V and the sea, V and the things which are therein, V that there should be time no longer:

NAB 6 and swore by Him who lives forever and ever,

V WHO CREATED HEAVEN V AND THE THINGS IN IT, V AND THE EARTH AND THE THINGS IN IT, V AND THE SEA V AND THE THINGS IN IT, V that there will be delay no longer,

• there will be delay no longer…the emphasis here is that time will no longer intervene. For

believers or those who mock and have mocked believers as Peter noted in his epistle below:

2 Peter 3 3 Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, 4 And saying, Where is the promise of his coming?..

• The allusion here is still towards those martyrs who cried for vengeance in Revelation 6:10-11. The whole series of Trumpet-judgments is the answer to those prayers. It was said to them that

Revelation 6 KJV 11 …they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellow servants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.

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Revelation 10 Verse by Verse Verse 7 Revelation 10 KJV 6 And sware by him that liveth for ever and ever,

V who created heaven, V and the things that therein are, V and the earth, V and the things that therein are, V and the sea, V and the things which are therein, V that there should be time no longer:

• This angels oath tells us the time for last plagues of the Day of the Lord has come. This is

the time the disciples anticipates in Matthew 24 and Acts 1 below. Matthew 24 3 And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world? Acts 1 6 When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?

• The Prayers of the saints will now be answered as noted in the cry of the Martyrs in Chapter 6 and in the Gospel of Matthew below.

Matthew 6 10 Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

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Revelation 10 Verse by Verse Verse 7 Revelation 10 KJV 7 But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel,

V when he shall begin to sound, V the mystery of God should be finished, V as he hath declared to his servants the prophets.

NAB 7 but in the days of the voice of the seventh angel,

V when he is about to sound, V then the mystery of God is finished, V as He preached to His servants the prophets.

The oath taken by the angel puts to rest any further idea that this angel is the Lord Jesus Christ when we consider oaths and the truths set forth in Matthew and James below: Matthew 5 NKJV 3“Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform your oaths to the Lord.’ James NKJV 2 But above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath. But let your “Yes” be “Yes,” and your “No,” “No,” lest you fall into judgment.

• The oath that begins in verse 6 is spoken by “another angel.” He is commissioned by God to make this formal announcement which only God Himself could have known and shared for disclosing.

• But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel…this expression implies, “the days” begin with

his sounding. The days of his sounding will commence the final plagues upon the earth. The seven vials (see pages 328-329).

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Revelation 10 KJV

7 But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, V when he shall begin to sound, V the mystery of God should be finished, V as he hath declared to his servants the prophets.

• Then the mystery of God is finished… mystery here is the Greek term meaning “to shut” or “to

close.” Here in this verse it refers to truths that have not been fully revealed. The Old and New Testament reveals many truths about the end times, in Revelation the final mysteries are revealed. There are many things that will be understood only when the events take place.

• At that time the mysteries surrounding the “Day of the Lord” will be fully revealed and the prophecies fulfilled as seen in the Scriptures below.

Ephesians 1 9 Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:

10 That in the dispensation of the fullness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him: Ephesians 3

8 And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:

Revelation 11 15 And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.

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Revelation 10 Verse by Verse Verse 8-10

Revelation 10 KJV 8 And the voice which I heard from heaven

V spake unto me again, and said, V Go and take the little book V which is open in the hand of the angel V which standeth upon the sea V and upon the earth.

9 And I went unto the angel,

V and said unto him, V Give me the little book. V And he said unto me, V Take it, V and eat it up; V and it shall make thy belly bitter, V but it shall be in thy mouth sweet as honey.

10 And I took the little book out of the angel's hand,

V and ate it up; V and it was in my mouth sweet as honey: V and as soon as I had eaten it, V my belly was bitter.

• I took the little book…and ate it up…this event may sound strange, but “Eating is a Hebrew

idiom (a saying) for receiving knowledge. It is similar to an expression we use nowadays of “digesting” something we learned for example, “I understood the lesson, but I haven’t fully digested the meaning.”

• Scripture has many examples that prove this “eating” is an expression for receiving

knowledge.

• Ezekiel ate the roll of the book given to him and it was in his mouth as honey for sweetness (Ezekiel 2:9 & 3:3), but when he went away to prophesize it was to him bitterness (Ezekiel 3:14).

• In John 6, when we examine verses 47 & 48 with 53 and 54 we see that the eating and

drinking of Christ is explained as believing on Him.

• In addition to the above, we have many other examples in Scripture that speak of this inward eating directly and in other ways, including Jeremiah below and 1 Corinthians 12:13; Luke 13:15; Ezekiel 3:10, Deuteronomy 31:26.

Jeremiah 31 But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.

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Revelation 10 Verse by Verse Verse 11 Revelation 10 KJV 11 And he said unto me,

V Thou must prophesy again V before many peoples, V and nations, V and tongues, V and kings.

NAB 11 And they said to me,

V "You must prophesy again V concerning many peoples V and nations V and tongues V and kings."

• You must prophesy again… as mentioned before, “eating” is an idiom for receiving

knowledge. However, if one chooses to see the eating as literal, there is no reason why they should not do so. In either case, the end result is the same. There was sweetness in the assurance that the prayers of the God’s people, who had "cried day and night unto Him," were about to be answered. There was bitterness in the solemn announcements of the awful judgments which were to form that answer.

• These prophesy takes place in John’s description of the seventh trump and the seven vials. However, prophesy here is used in a wider sense and means not thou must prophesy again, but thou must prophesy UPON. Thus prophesy here includes the prophesy of the two witnesses.

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Revelation Chapter 11 The Two Witnesses

As we have seen in the previous chapters, the second vision on earth consisted of six trumpets (see page 329). The layout of these six trumpets is given to us in three parts: Revelation 9:13-21

• The immediate judgments or plagues which follow its sounding Revelation 10: 1-11

• The introduction of “another mighty Angel” descending from Heaven with one foot on the sea and one on the land. His oath and the little book.

Revelation 11: 1-14

• The Two Witnesses These three events are both connected and continuous. In chapter 11 the command “thou shalt prophesy” is fulfilled. Since the term prophesy is used in an abstract way (in its widest sense) it includes and extends the prophesy to the two witnesses. As mentioned before, the descent of the mighty angel from Heaven in chapter 10 is the formal taking possession of the earth in the name of the King of Kings, before His actual occupation takes place. It is the decree before the arrival of the King. This arrival does not take place until chapter 19 although the anticipation of the arrival is celebrated in the next vision which takes place, “in Heaven” (Revelation 9:15).

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In addition to the angels claim, two earthly witnesses are added in making the formal announcement. Their activities link the judgments and men’s sins which are the cause of the judgments. The witness they give confirms the hopes of God’s people who will be in waiting on earth in those days. It will be a sign to them that the end is near, and the interval of delay will last, “no longer.” These descriptors can be summarized as follows:

1. The angel takes possession by planting his feet on the sea and on the earth;

2. John takes possession by measuring out part of the territory occupied; and

3. The Two Witnesses take possession by prophesying in Divine and miraculous power.

Just as, after reading the sixth seal, a description relating to the protection and deliverance of God’s people then on the earth was given, so here, after the sixth trumpet there is a similar description. This is the Holy Spirit’s way of showing, through the Word, that despite all the external destruction that shall go on in those days, there shall be preservation of all that is essential to God’s purposes, and to God’s People. Here, in chapter 11 the first 14 are one whole episode. They complete the sixth trumpet and the second Woe. Afterwards, the seventh Trumpet, which follows, expands into, and consists of the seven Vials of Wrath, which speedily prove what the might Angel of chapter 10 proclaimed, there is no more delay, the vials happen quickly and bring on the second advent of our Lord in Revelation 19.

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All of these judgment scenes are in preparation for the Lord’s return and the ejection of Satan from God’s Earth, over which he has so long held influence. As we continue to exam the Scriptures and study the word inductively, Let us continue to approach it by receiving it and believing it as God’s own interpretation of real events which are yet to take place at that future time. God is here revealing to us some of the “marvels” and “terrible things” which He will do in the Day of the Lord. Therefore, let us leave it as it is, “The Lord’s Day” and not make it “man’s day.” This is what causes the difficulty in studying Revelation combined with the greater difficulty many have in believing God.

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The Structure of Revelation 11:1-14

Correspondences Verse(s) A1 Person. John 1-

B1 What he was to do. To measure -1- C1 Commencement (The Beginning) -1,2- A2 Persons: (The Gentiles) -2- B2 What they were to do. To trample -2-

C2 Continuance: 42 months -2 A3 Persons. The Two Witnesses 3-

B3 What they were to do. To prophesy -3- C3 Continuance: 1,260 days -3 A4 Persons. The Two Olive Trees 4 B4 What they were to do. To inflict judgments. 5,6 C4 Conclusion: “After three days and a half” 7-14 “The second woe is past.”

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Revelation 11 Verse by Verse Verses 1 & 2 Revelation 11 KJV: 1 And there was given me a reed like unto a rod:

V and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, V and the altar, V and them that worship therein.

2 But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not;

V for it is given unto the Gentiles: V and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months

NAB: 1. Someone gave me a measuring rod and said:

V “Come and take the measurements of God’s temple V and altar, V and count those who worship there.

2. Exclude the outer court of the temple, however; do not measure it,

V for it has been handed over to the Gentiles, V who will crush the holy city for forty-two month

The ‘mighty angel’ of Revelation 10, commands John to rise and measure God’s Temple, the altar therein, and to number the worshippers. The outer court is rejected and will be crushed in the onslaught of antichrist, his locust army, “And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.”, active human collusion with Satan posing as Christ, Rev. 13 verse 8. “And there was given me a reed like unto a rod:”... John the Apostle continues to actively participates in God’s visions that unveil the ‘The Revelation of Jesus Christ’: Rev: 1,19 John is commanded by Christ to write; Rev. 4,1 John is told to come up to heaven before God on His Throne; Rev. 5:4-5 John weeps and is consoled by an elder; Rev. 7:13-15 John speaks with an elder identifying the tribulation Saints. As the 6th Trumpet continues John is told by this angel to “Seal up”, Rev. 10,4; and to “Take and eat”, Rev 10,9, and Rev.10,11 to prophesy again. Now in Rev. 11 verse 1 John continues to be active in the vision, he is commanded to “Rise, and measure”...

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Revelation 11 Verse by Verse Verses 1 & 2 continued Revelation 11 KJV: 1 And there was given me a reed like unto a rod:

V and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, V and the altar, V and them that worship therein.

2 But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not;

V for it is given unto the Gentiles: V and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months

• This reed like a rod in Hebrew, shevet, staff also meaning a measuring rod. In Ezekiel

40 verse 3 an angel used the measuring rod for the construction of the millennial Temple. Herein it is used for destruction... it is like a rod which is equivalent to a scepter; the prime root or origin means to beat into shape as foretold within Holy Scripture,

Lamentations 2 7 The Lord hath cast off his altar, he hath abhorred his sanctuary, he hath given up into the hand of the enemy the walls of her palaces; they have made a noise in the house of the LORD, as in the day of a solemn feast. 8 The LORD hath purposed to destroy the wall of the daughter of Zion: he hath stretched out a line, he hath not withdrawn his hand from destroying: therefore he made the rampart and the wall to lament; they languished together.

• Our Lord foretold this destruction in Matthew 24: Matthew 24 1 And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple 2 And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.

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Revelation 11 Verse by Verse Verses 1 & 2 continued Revelation 11 KJV: 1 …rise, and measure the temple of God,

V and the altar, V and them that worship therein.

2 But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not…

• There has been much speculation as to whether there will be a Temple of God in

Jerusalem. The following Scriptures leaves us to no doubt that there will be. 2 Thessalonians 2 1 Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ… 3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; 4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.

• Within this temple, the Antichrist will sit as God- as referenced in the Scripture above.

To add to this atrocity, the Abomination of Desolation will be set up as referenced in the Scriptures below:

Matthew 24 15 When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) 16 Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains: Daniel 9 26 …and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined. 27 And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.

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The Two Witnesses Their Endowment and Testimony

The next 11 verses give an account of Two Witnesses. The mention of these witnesses and their appearance in the Revelation of Jesus Christ is considered to be one of the most solemn and mysterious scenes of the whole book. The particulars of the mission of these Two Witnesses however is given full detail as can be outlined as follows

• Verses 3 & 4 their equipment and endowment

• Verses 5 & 6 their judgments on their enemies and the elements.

• Verses 7-10 their sufferings

• Verses 11-12 their reward

• Verse 13 their Avengement The identity of the Two Witnesses is a matter of uncertainty. Some believe it is the two men who never died: Enoch & Elijah as documented in the following Scriptures- Genesis 5 23 And all the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty and five years: 24 And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him. Luke 3 37 By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God 2 Kings 2 10 And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.

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Some believe the Two Witnesses are Moses and Elijah because their Testimony and activities are peculiarly reminiscent of these two prophets. Like Moses they strike the earth with plagues and similar to Elijah they have the power to keep it from raining. In addition to these commonalities, Moses and Elijah were both present at the Transfiguration. The Transfiguration was a preview of the second coming of our Lord. Mark 9 1 And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That there be some of them that stand here, which shall not taste of death, till they have seen the kingdom of God come with power. 2 And after six days Jesus taketh with him Peter, and James, and John, and leadeth them up into an high mountain apart by themselves: and he was transfigured before them. 3 And his raiment became shining, exceeding white as snow; so as no fuller on earth can white them. 4 And there appeared unto them Elias with Moses: and they were talking with Jesus. Moses and Elijah used supernatural means to bring about change of heart and repentance. Elijah was taken into Heaven (as referenced previously) and Moses was buried by God Himself so that the body would never be found. Deuteronomy 34 5 So Moses the servant of the LORD died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the LORD. 6 And he buried him in a valley in the land of Moab, over against Bethpeor: but no man knoweth of his sepulchre unto this day. 7 And Moses was an hundred and twenty years old when he died: his eye was not dim, nor his natural force abated. Finally, the length of the drought brought on by the witnesses (3 ½ years) is the same length of time as the drought brought by Elijah.

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Notwithstanding all the commonalities between the two witnesses and the prophets of old, we can only speculate on the identity of the Two Witnesses. Just as the disciples asked Christ in curiosity and anticipation Acts 1 6…Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? --And our Lord responded: Acts 1 7…It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. So we also have been told through the Word that it is not for us to know certain things including the identity of the Two Witnesses. The Lord does command us to concern ourselves with other aspects of the Kingdom as he further noted with his disciples Acts 1 8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. Therefore, as it has been continually emphasized throughout the study of this blessed text, we shall study the Word and continue in our watchfulness and profession of testimony. For in the day these events take place, we shall undoubtedly recognize the Two Witnesses whether they be Elijah & Enoch, Moses & Elijah or two other Men of God.

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Revelation 11 Verse by Verse Verse 3 Revelation 11 KJV 3 And I will give power unto my two witnesses,

V and they shall prophesy V a thousand two hundred and threescore days, V clothed in sackcloth.

NAB 3"And I will grant authority to my two witnesses,

V and they will prophesy V for twelve hundred and sixty days, V clothed in sackcloth."

• I will give power unto my two witnesses… it does not say specifically what the Two Witnesses

are endowed with. Whatever it may be they are gifts necessary for carrying forth the mission.

• the Old Testament law requires two witnesses to give testimony as noted in the

references below as well as in Deuteronomy 17:6; John 8:17; Hebrews 10:28. Deuteronomy 19 15 One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin, in any sin that he sinneth: at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall the matter be established. Matthew 18 16 …take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.

• Clothed in sackcloth…this attire expresses penitence, humility, and mourning as indicated in 2 Samuel 3:31; 2 Kings 6:30; 19:1; Esther 4:1; Isaiah 22:12; Jeremiah 6:26; Matthew 11:21 and below.

Genesis 37 34 And Jacob rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his loins, and mourned for his son many days

• The book of Lamentations alludes to the same atrocities that bring the Two Witnesses to wear sackcloth. Namely, the abundance of evil in the world, God’s judgment upon it, and the desecration of the temple and the holy city by the False Messiah.

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Revelation 11 Verse by Verse Verse 3 continued Revelation 11 KJV 3 And I will give power unto my two witnesses,


• A thousand two hundred and threescore days… This is the same time period mentioned

in verse 2 of this chapter -42 months which equal 1,260 days. It is also the same period of time mentioned for the blasphemes of the Beast

Revelation 13 5 and there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.

• The Scripture does not tell us that these events that hold the same period of time happen simultaneously, but it reads as though it does.

• Interestingly, the computation is given in months. Dating time periods in months seems

to refer to judgment. To wit: ~The beginning and duration of the Flood is given in months ~The Plague of Locusts is “five months” ~The blasphemes and persecution of the Beast is reckoned in months

• The period is given in three forms in Revelation.

~Forty-two months — 11:2; 13:5 ~1260 days — 11:3; 12:6 ~A time, times, and a half (3 1/2 years) — 12:14; Daniel 7:25; 12:7 ~The duration of time when Elijah prayed for the Heaven to be shut corresponds with this and is given as “three years and six months (see Luke 4:25 & James 5:17).

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Revelation 11 Verse by Verse Verse 3 continued Revelation 11 KJV 3 And I will give power unto my two witnesses,


• Interestingly, when it comes to the subject of Man, his time is reckoned in days (Genesis

47:9, 28; Psalm 90: 10, 12; Psalm 119:84 etc. etc.) Genesis 47 9 And Jacob said unto Pharaoh, The days of the years of my pilgrimage are an hundred and thirty years: few and evil have the days of the years of my life been, and have not attained unto the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their pilgrimage.

• Our life is lived by days. And the testimony of these Two Witnesses is to be given by days--day by day.

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Revelation 11 KJV 4 These are the two olive trees,


NAB 4 These are the two olive trees

V and the two lampstands V that stand before the Lord of the earth.

• These are the two olive trees… This is not the first mention of olive trees. In the book of

Zechariah chapter 4 he had a vision which also included, “two olive trees.” Zechariah was desirous to know what the two Olive Trees in his vision represented. The angel gave the essence of the meaning to Zechariah and describes the Olive Trees as representations of ZERUBBABEL the prince, and JOSHUA the high priest. Zerubbabel represented the kingly office and Joshua the priestly office. The men held the supreme positions in those offices at that time.

• In Zechariah’s vision the Two Olive Trees represented two individuals, and here in

Revelation the Two Olive Trees also represents two individuals.

• Zechariah’s vision was intended to encourage Zerubbabel and Joshua in their work. Their work was the restoration of Jerusalem, the Temple, and proper worship to God. The efforts of Zerubbabel and Joshua (The Two Lamp stands in Zechariah’s vision) were being attacked by Satan. He was present to resist as noted in the following verses:

Zechariah 3 1 And he shewed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him.

2 And the LORD said unto Satan, The LORD rebuke thee, O Satan; even the LORD that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee…

• The Lord who had chosen Jerusalem was also present to rebuke Satan and gave power to his Two Lamp stands in that historic time. In like manner the Two Witnesses (Lamp stands) of this future time in Revelation Satan will undoubtedly be present and his resistance will reach his full intensity. Therefore, these witnesses will be equipped by God as no other witnesses were before in order for them to carry out their mission.

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Revelation 11 KJV 4 These are the two olive trees,


• the two candle sticks… it has been widely believed that one of these witnesses is Elijah. For

several reasons already mentioned: he was carried away without dying (2 Kings 2), he stood with the Lord on the mount during his transfiguration (Mark 9). A further reason is the mention of Elijah appearing before the Lord’s return in Malachi below:

Malachi 4 Remember ye the law of Moses my servant, which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel, with the statutes and judgments. 5 Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD:

• The Lord Himself endorses this claim in the Scripture below: Matthew 11 13 For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. 14 And if ye will receive it, this is Elias, which was for to come. 15 He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. Matthew 17 10 And his disciples asked him, saying, Why then say the scribes that Elias must first come? 11 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things. 12 But I say unto you, That Elias is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed. Likewise shall also the Son of man suffer of them. 13 Then the disciples understood that he spake unto them of John the Baptist.

• The Lord describes Elijah coming in one sense in the person of John the Baptist who ministered in the “spirit and power” of Elijah (Luke 1:17). If they were willing to receive John’s testimony (as mentioned in verse 14) then the true Elijah would have come.

But again it is necessary to state, God in his blessed counsel has not made it known to us who these witnesses are, so we should not busy our minds with the matter. All that is truly necessary is the knowledge that God will raise up in the days of the False Messiah two witnesses He shall call, them “My Witnesses” and will endow them with powers to carry out their commission.

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The Infliction of Judgments Revelation 11:5-6

Correspondences Verse(s) A1 Injury: “And if any man will hurt them” 5-

B1 Retribution “fire proceedeth out of their mouth -5- A2 Injury: “And if any man will hurt them” -5- B2 Retribution “he must in this manner be killed -5- C1 Power: “These have power” 6 D1 Object: “To shut heaven -6-

E1 Effect: “that it rain not -6-

F1 Time: (total) “In the days of their prophecy” -6-

C2 Power: “and have power -6- D2 Object: “over waters” -6-

E2 Effect: “To turn them into blood” -6-

D3 Object: “and to smite the earth” -6- E3 Effect: “with all plagues” -6-

F2 Time (occasional) “as often as they will” -6

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Revelation 11 Verse by Verse Verse 5 Revelation 11 KJV 5 And if any man will hurt them,

V fire proceedeth out of their mouth, V and devoureth their enemies: V and if any man will hurt them, V he must in this manner be killed.

NAB 5 And if anyone wants to harm them,

V fire flows out of their mouth V and devours their enemies; V so if anyone wants to harm them, V he must be killed in this way.

• Fire proceedeth out of their mouth…this consequence is similar to Elijah calling for fire from Heaven to consume the captians of King Ahaziah who were sent to seize him.

2 Kings 1 9 Then the king (Ahaziah) sent unto him a captain of fifty with his fifty. And he went up to him: and, behold, he sat on the top of an hill. And he spake unto him, Thou man of God, the king hath said, Come down. 10 And Elijah answered and said to the captain of fifty, If I be a man of God, then let fire come down from heaven, and consume thee and thy fifty. And there came down fire from heaven, and consumed him and his fifty.

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Revelation 11 Verse by Verse Verse 6 Revelation 11 KJV 6 These have power to shut heaven,

V that it rain not in the days of their prophecy: V and have power over waters to turn them to blood, V and to smite the earth with all plagues, V as often as they will.

NAB 6 These have the power to shut up the sky,

V so that rain will not fall during the days of their prophesying; V and they have power over the waters to turn them into blood, V and to strike the earth with every plague, V as often as they desire.

• These have the power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy…again we see how

similar the Witnesses are to Both Moses and Elijah. The power to shut heaven is similar to Elijah whose prayer caused it not to rain for 3 ½ years as mentioned below:

James 5 17 Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. 1 Kings 16 33 And Ahab made a grove; and Ahab did more to provoke the LORD God of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel that were before him. 1 Kings 17 1 And Elijah…said unto Ahab, As the LORD God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word. ( See Also Appendix 11).

• they have power over the waters to turn them into blood, and to strike the earth with every plague…turning water into blood and striking the earth with plagues is similar to Moses in the book of Exodus.

Exodus 7 20 And Moses and Aaron did so, as the LORD commanded; and he lifted up the rod, and smote the waters that were in the river, in the sight of Pharaoh, and in the sight of his servants; and all the waters that were in the river were turned to blood. 21 And the fish that was in the river died; and the river stank, and the Egyptians could not drink of the water of the river; and there was blood throughout all the land of Egypt.

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The Completion of the Witnesses’ Testimony

Revelation 11:7-14 The completion of the Two Witnesses Testimony occupies seven verses. Thus, the discussion of it in Scripture emphasizes its importance. In studying these seven verses we see that no harm can befall them until their testimony is complete. They are invulnerable until that moment. This is reminiscent of our Lord. His enemies could not lay hold of Him until His hour had come as noted in the following verses:

John 7 30 Then they sought to take him: but no man laid hands on him, because his hour was not yet come. John 8 16 These words spake Jesus in the treasury, as he taught in the temple: and no man laid hands on

him; for his hour was not yet come. John 12 And Jesus answered them, saying, The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified. John 13 1 Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end. As stated in John 13 above, our Lord knew the completion of His testimony marked the end of His time on earth. It is the same with the Two Witnesses here in Revelation. Three things characterize the end of their testimony:

• Their Sufferings Verses 7-10

• Their Reward Verses 11-12

• Their Avengement Verse 13

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The Completion of the Witnesses’ Testimony

Revelation 11:7-14

Structure

Correspondences Verse(s) A1 Time: “And when they finish testimony” 7-

B1 Death “The beast…” -7 C1 The City. Bodies lie in its street 8-9 E1 Enemies Rejoice 10 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- F1 The spirit from heaven 11- D1 Resurrection -11-

E1 Enemies see -11

F2 The Voice from heaven 12-

C2 The Ascension -12-

E2 Enemies see -12

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A2 Time: “And the same hour…” 13-

B2 Earthquake 7,000 People Killed -13- C2 The City. Tenth part falls -13-

E2 Enemies Slain -13

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Revelation 11 Verse by Verse Verse 7 Revelation 11 KJV 7 And when they shall have finished their testimony,

V the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit V shall make war against them, V and shall overcome them, V and kill them.

NAB 7 When they have finished their testimony,

V the beast that comes up out of the abyss V will make war with them, V and overcome them V and kill them.

• The beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war with them…the following chapter

and verses coincide with this description: Revelation 12 17 And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. Revelation 13 7 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations. Revelation 19 19 And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army. Daniel 7 21 I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them;

• the beast…shall make war with them…this verse reveals to us that The Beast and The Two-Witnesses are on earth at the same time. Therefore, when we read of The Beast’s rise in chapter 13, the two witnesses must be present and, in like manner, The Beast is present here in chapter 11 during the testimony of The Two Witnesses. When we come to chapter 12 we are chronologically taken back and told how the events in history lead up to the crisis in Revelation. ‘

• Throughout the judgment scenes the Beast is on earth. It is against him and those that

follow him that the plagues of the Seals and Trumpets are directed. When reading about the judgments described in chapters 6-11 it is easy to overlook the fact that The Beast is present during the judgments as well as the Witnesses.

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Revelation 11 KJV 8 And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city,


NAB 8 And their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city

V which mystically is called Sodom and Egypt, V where also their Lord was crucified.

• and their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city…refusing to bury an enemy was a way

of showing contempt towards them as referenced in Acts: Acts 14 19 And there came thither certain Jews from Antioch and Iconium, who persuaded the people, and having stoned Paul, drew him out of the city, supposing he had been dead.

• In His laws to the Jews, God forbade this practice Deuteronomy 21 22 And if a man have committed a sin worthy of death, and he be to be put to death, and thou hang him on a tree:

23 His body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but thou shalt in any wise bury him that day; (for he that is hanged is accursed of God;) that thy land be not defiled, which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance.

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Revelation 11 KJV 8 And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city,


• and their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city…this verse regarding the Two-

Witnesses should be read in connection with Psalm 79 as well as Psalm 9 and 10 because these Psalms relate to this very time of trouble.

• Psalm 79 is a Psalm of Asaph, the Levite; Asaph meaning ‘the gatherer of the people’.

Asaph, was the founder of a school of poets and musical composers which was named: ‘The sons of Asaph.’ Through the Holy Spirit Asaph composed Psalms 73 through 83 which deal strictly with God’s Holy Sanctuary. Psalm 79 speaks of “The Enemy in the Sanctuary”. When reading through the Psalm notice how it takes Revelation verse 8 in view and ends with God’s elect gathered around Him in Heaven.

Psalm 79 1 O God, the heathen are come into thine inheritance; thy holy temple have they defiled; they have laid Jerusalem on heaps. 2 The dead bodies of thy servants have they given to be meat unto the fowls of the heaven, the flesh of thy saints unto the beasts of the earth. 3 Their blood have they shed like water round about Jerusalem; and there was none to bury them.

• God, the heathen are come…i.e. the heathen nations have come and encompassed Israel and the Holy City , Jerusalem,

• on heaps…literally travesty and devastation. We are given insight of this in Revelation 11

verse 1 when John is told to measure the Holy of Holies, the inner sanctuary, God’s altar, and those that worship therein. However, the outer court is not measured in verse 2, but kept separate because it and Jerusalem will be given over to the False Messiah and his forces for destruction and oppression.

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Psalm 79: (con’t) 4 We are become a reproach to our neighbors, a scorn and derision to them that are round about us. 5 How long, LORD? wilt thou be angry for ever? shall thy jealousy burn like fire? 6 Pour out thy wrath upon the heathen that have not known thee, and upon the kingdoms that have not called upon thy name. 7 For they have devoured Jacob, and laid waste his dwelling place.

• For they have devoured Jacob…Jacob is representative of Israel...’

• and laid waste his dwelling place… that is to say Jerusalem.

• How long, Lord?...The cry of God’s servants, is the same cry of the martyrs of the 5th Seal: Revelation 6 10 How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?’ Psalm 79:(con’t) 8 O remember not against us former iniquities: let thy tender mercies speedily prevent us: for we are brought very low. 9 Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of thy name: and deliver us, and purge away our sins, for thy name’s sake.

• For thy names sake…Their prayer for themselves during the tribulation period will be similar in type to Psalm 79 and Jeremiah’s plea during the Babylonian captivity, (Jeremiah 14:21) i.e. for Thy Name’s sake. This has always been Israel’s plea from God’s covenant with Abraham unto ‘the Lord’s day’.

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Revelation 11 Verse by Verse Verse 8 continued Psalm 79:(con’t) 10 Wherefore should the heathen say, Where is their God? let him be known among the heathen in our sight by the revenging of the blood of thy servants which is shed. The heathen say, Where is their God?...Psalm 79 compliments the 2nd Epistle of Peter in giving the believer knowledge of how the heathen will reproach Christians now and in this latter time. 2 Peter 3 3 Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts 4 And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. Psalm 79:(con’t) 11 Let the sighing of the prisoner come before thee; according to the greatness of thy power preserve thou those that are appointed to die;

• Prayer for (our) selves during the tribulation period of Antichrist, echoed through the Holy Land and summarized by the 5th Seal...reads ... ‘according to the greatness of thy power preserve(meaning reserve) thou those that are appointed to die;’ (sons of death).

Romans 8 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.(sons of death). Psalm 79:(con’t) 12 And render unto our neighbours sevenfold into their bosom their reproach, wherewith they have reproached thee, O Lord.

• Render unto our neighbors sevenfold… this sevenfold reproach is towards all that take the Mark of the Beast (Revelation 13:8). The sixth seal gives us some hint of the horror those marked will experience on the day of wrath as noted in chapters 6 below:

Revelation 6 16 hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:

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Revelation 11 Verse by Verse Verse 8 continued Psalm 79:(con’t) 13 So we thy people and sheep of thy pasture will give thee thanks for ever: we will shew forth thy praise to all generations.

• Will give thanks for ever…the eternal thanks occurs with those that have come out of the tribulation period as noted in the second vision in Heaven below:

Revelation 7 9 After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; 10 And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which , sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb. 14 …these are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb…

• Psalm 79 begins with a description of those events that will take place during the SECOND VISION ON EARTH. This includes the Satanic force that will encompass Jerusalem.

• Psalm 79 ends with the fulfillment of the SECOND VISION IN HEAVEN i.e. “So we thy

people and sheep of thy pasture will give thee thanks for ever:”

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Revelation 11 Verse by Verse Verse 8 continued Revelation 11 KJV 8 And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city,


• As noted before, Psalms 9 and 10 are also written with this time of trouble in view.

Psalm 9 9 The LORD also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble. 10 And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, LORD, hast not forsaken them that seek thee.

• Psalm 10:1 refers to the time when the “wicked man” oppresses and slays the saints of God.

Psalm 10 1 Why standest thou afar off, O LORD? why hidest thou thyself in times of trouble? 2 The wicked in his pride doth persecute the poor: let them be taken in the devices that they have imagined.

• Where also their Lord was crucified…The Holy Spirit employs the word “spiritually” to Sodom and Gomorrah to describe the state of Jerusalem at that time as both were well-known for their evil. HOWEVER, so zealous and jealous is the Holy Spirit in emphasizing this place is Jerusalem, He leaves no room for allegorical interpretation and emphatically describes the place as, “where our Lord was Crucified.” Notwithstanding, many interpreters attempt to change the setting to suit their own imaginations when a child can understand it.

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Revelation 11 Verse by Verse Verse 9 Revelation 11 KJV 9 And they of the people

V and kindreds V and tongues V and nations V shall see their dead bodies V three days and an half, V and shall not suffer their dead bodies V to be put in graves.

NAB 9 Those from the peoples

V and tribes V and tongues V and nations V will look at their dead bodies for three and a half days, V and will not permit their dead bodies V to be laid in a tomb.

• And they of the people…kindreds, tongues, nations, shall see their dead bodies…the rapid increase in

technology has made this verse easy to understand. When else in history could people from all over the world be able to simultaneously see, in an instant, any event occurring on earth? The latest visual media will undoubtedly broadcast the bodies of these Two-Witnesses to all parts of the earth. This scene will bring about further glory to the Antichrist as people’s will rejoice in his apparent power to destroy the witnesses.

• For three and a half days…the number, “three in a half” corresponds to the duration of time

the witnesses testified as described in verse 3. Also, the time frame coincides with the testimony of our Lord during His testimonial time on earth as noted in the parable He put forth in the Gospel of Luke:

Luke 13 6 He spake also this parable; A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none. 7 Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground? 8 And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it: 9 And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down.

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The Individual Structure of Verse 10

VERSE 10 Structure

Enemies Rejoice

Correspondences Verse(s) A1 Dwellers on the earth 10-

B1 Rejoicings -10- B2 Torments -10-

A2 Dwellers on the earth -10

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Revelation 11 Verse by Verse Verse 10 Revelation 11 KJV 10 And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them,


NAB 10 And those who dwell on the earth

V will rejoice over them V and celebrate; V and they will send gifts to one another, V because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth.

• Those that dwell upon the earth…this phrase is used 11 times in Revelation and refers to those

upon whom God’s wrath falls it is a technical term for unbelievers. This term occurs 10 times in Revelation. The spiritual consequences to ‘they that dwell upon the earth’ and the ordinate number of times our Holy Father is speaking about ‘them’ impels us to search out each occurrence for its spiritual significance. The spirituality, the mentality, and the actions of all peoples, “those who dwell on the earth” is made known in these verses.

• This revelation gives us specific details that concern our brothers and sisters who will believe Satan is Christ. One important particular that is unveiled is the mass apostasy foretold by our Lord through Paul in 2 Thessalonians

2 Thessalonians 2 3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition. • The unbelievers will have in their ranks innumerable Christians who will be duped by

Antichrist into believing he is Christ. This statement on the surface seems very ridiculous. In truth it is not supposition, for as it is written above: ‘for that day shall not come’, that day meaning the ‘day of the Lord, Christ’s return will not come - ‘except there come a falling away first,’ the falling away are Christians who abandon their faith, the mass apostasy - ‘and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition.’, Satan, the son of perdition, will first appear claiming he is Christ.

• The death of the 2 Witnesses starts a world wide celebration no doubt initiated by

antichrist and his evil entourage out of the bottomless pit. Those who dwell upon the earth are among the celebrants of this short lived party - 3 and 1/2 days later they will be paralyzed by fear when God’s two witnesses are raised to life and ascend into heaven.

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Revelation 11 Verse by Verse Verse 10 continued Revelation 11 KJV 10 And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them,


2 Thessalonians 10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.

11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: 12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

• The spiritual progression that God unveils in His Holy Word, the 10 occurrences of ‘they

that dwell upon the earth’ will be examined in the order they occur. Revelation 6 10And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? • The earth’s inhabitants, unbelievers, are identified as the enemy of God’s ‘set aside ones’,

the 5th Seal martyrs, those who are sealed with His truth Revelation 8 13 And I beheld, and heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabiters of the earth by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels, which are yet to sound! • The earth’s inhabitants, unbelievers, are given a prophetic warning to the severity of God’s

wrath, His judgments that will come upon them.

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Revelation 11 10 And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another, because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth. • The earth’s inhabitants, unbelievers, were tormented by the Gospel, the good news of

God’s word that was proclaimed by His two witnesses. Christ revealed the origins of people who are innately tormented by God’s love for us in the gospel of John

John 8 43 Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word. 44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. 45 And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not. • The ‘Serpent’s seed’, Genesis 3:15. Revelation 2:9 and 3:9, the synagogue of Satan, our

true spiritual enemy. disclosed by our Lord in the ‘Parable of the tares’, Matthew 13.

• The earth’s inhabitants, unbelievers, without doubt, ALL shall worship antichrist believing he is Christ. The exception are those “written in the book of life of the Lamb”. Written when? ... from the foundation of the world, in Greek this noun is katobole, (see Appendix 22). God’s word herein is stated as a certainty of truth called proleptic meaning future prophecy spoken of as if already being fulfilled.

Revelation 13 12 And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. • The earth’s inhabitants, unbelievers,......the ‘one world’ political system is being set up

throughout the world, under the guise of false peace and prosperity, (Dan 8:24-25). This is the ‘first beast’, revealed in Rev. 13:1-10 controlled by Antichrist. It will inherently consist of a spiritually lethal ‘ one world’ religious system whose members are ‘ they that dwell upon the earth.’

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Revelation 13 14 And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live. • The earth’s inhabitants, unbelievers, are deceived by antichrist’s ‘delegated power’, and

through his evil induced miracles: “And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power,...... and practice, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people,.. And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand” Dan 8:2-25.

• Within the 2nd disclosure in verse 14 of the ‘them, that dwell on the earth’ is the beginning of the evil inception of ‘spiritual death’ to unbelievers, Rev. 19 verse 20, ...”them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.”

• In Daniel 3, verses 5 & 6, Nebuchadnezzar set up an image similar to that that the

antichrist commands the unbelievers to make. Therein Nebuchadnezzar commanded all peoples.. “ ye fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king hath set up:”,and those who refused will be incinerated, verse 6: “And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth shall the same hour be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.”

• Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, is a God given historical type, an example or model of

‘end time events’. The antichrist, satan is also known spiritually as the king of Babylon meaning king of confusion. And those who refuse to worship the image set up during the tribulation period of the antichrist will also be put to death.. “and (he will) cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.”, Revelation 13 verse 15.

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Revelation 14 6 And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, • The earth’s inhabitants, unbelievers, have received God’s warning of His wrath that is on

going, 5 Trumpets have been executed with their cataclysmic results. The 6th Trumpet is in progress and the two witnesses have proclaimed the everlasting gospel, to what avail? It torments them, all peoples, earth’s inhabitants. Our Lord specifically informs us in Matthew 24 verse 37 that during the tribulation period of the antichrist the mentality of the peoples of the earth will be like the days of Noah: “And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.”, Genesis 6:5.

Revelation 17 2 With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication. • The earth’s inhabitants, unbelievers, among whom are earthly kings. These are leaders,

rulers of specific nations on earth who are in league with antichrist and their intent is to continue his evil agenda. Fornication in this regard meaning idolatry clearly explained and defined by our Lord through Paul in Colossians 3 verse 5: “Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:”.

• The unbelievers, the leaders and the nations are clearly ascertained by our Lord’s in His blessings to Abraham, Genesis 12 verse 3: “And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee...”

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Revelation 17 8 The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is. • The earth’s inhabitants, unbelievers, ‘shall wonder’ when the truth is unveiled and they

look upon satan who deceived them into believing he is the Christ.

• All that may be said can be said in the expression, ‘how soon do we forget’. Genesis 2 verse 7, how soon do we forget our Father: “And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.” Our first blessing of life, God’s breath into our being, and the love and Godly care He has given us moment to moment throughout our life.

• The final verse of Revelation 4, verse 11, belongs to those whose names are written in the

‘book of life’, those who will actively stand against antichrist and engage him now in spiritual warfare. Knowing his goal is to deceive ‘those who dwell upon the earth’ and our’s is to bring them to Christ.

• Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all

things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.

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Revelation 11 Verse by Verse Verse 10 continued Revelation 11 KJV 10 And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them…

• They that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them…the rejoicing is short lived as the next three verses describe the horror of these same people as the witnesses are raised to life and called up to God. Thus this incident reinforces the words found in Job 20 below:

Job 20 5 …the triumphing of the wicked is short, and the joy of the hypocrite but for a moment…

• They shall send gifts to one another…the joy of the world should come as no shock to the Bible student

when reading this verse or to any Christian as our Lord reminds us in the writings of John, how acceptance of His Word will put one immediately in opposition to the world:

1 John 3 13 Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you. John 17 14 I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 15 I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. 16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.

17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.

18 As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.

• In the above chapter of John, our Lord prays for his disciples as they will carry the message of the King and the Kingdom after our Lord’s departure. It is easy to see, however, an application of this prayer to not only the present day Christian, but especially those Christians that face the future tribulation. Just as the Apostles were a small minority in their preaching, so too, will Christians in the end times be and just as the majority of those the apostles faced looked to destroy them, so too, here as verse 10 above attests to. The reward of a Christian life however, far exceeds the cost of following Christ as Saint Paul testifies:

Romans 8 18 I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. 1 Corinthians 2 9 eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.

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Revelation 11 11 And after three days and an half


NAB 11 But after the three and a half days,

V the breath of life from God came into them, V and they stood on their feet; V and great fear fell upon those who were watching them.

• after three days and a half… the Lord was raised to life in Jerusalem after three days, and

they after a somewhat similar period.

• The spirit of life from God entered into them…and they stood upon their feet…this is through the power of God and not through their own power as Scripture testifies in the verses below

Genesis 2 7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. Job 33 4 The spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life. Ezekiel 37 10 So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army.

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Revelation 11 Verse by Verse Verse 11continued

Revelation 11 11 And after three days and an half

V the spirit of life from God entered into them…

• the spirit of life from God…This is not the first occurrence of God calling forth someone to life. We have a historical example with similarities in the Gospel of John below.

John 11 23Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again.

24 Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.

25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:

26 And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?

• The question put to Martha, “believest thou this?” is a question for every Christian for it is every Christian’s greatest hope. It is only through Christ’s power that Lazurus came out of the grave and in Revelation it is the same with the witnesses. Martha desired to realize the reality of the resurrection as was Paul as he expressed in Philippians.

Philippians 3 10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;

• There are further similarities in the account of Lazarus and the Two Witnesses as we continue

examine John 11 below John 11 41 Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me. 42And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me. 43 And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth.

• Just as our Lord spoke for the sake of those around, so too, in the calling up of the Two Witnesses, the voice from Heaven speaks for those who witness their resurrection as noted in verses 12-13 of Revelation 11.

12 And they heard a great voice from heaven… 13…and the remnant were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven.

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Revelation 11 Verse by Verse Verse 11 continued Revelation 11 11 And after three days and an half


and great fear fell upon them which saw them…The rejoicing is soon turned into fear — great fear. Like Him, too, they ascend up into heaven; but, unlike Him, this follows immediately on their resurrection. This great fear is realized by the unbelievers when they see ‘the finger of God’ resurrecting His two witnesses. The two witnesses’ dead bodies have lain in plain view for 3 and 1/2 days. This is being seen throughout the world and more than likely when ‘the Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; a paralyzing fear fills their unrepentant hearts. The resurrection of the two witnesses is undoubtedly being played and re-played again and again as the world watches. Their partying is dramatically ended by God’s Hand. The unbelievers filled with ‘great fear’ are unveiled in Revelation13:8 “And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him”, for they now know they have been deceived by Antichrist. The reaction of ALL is summarized in the 6th Seal, Revelation 6: 15 And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; 16 And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: 17 For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?

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The Individual Structure of Verse 12

VERSE 12 Structure

Ascension

Correspondences Verse(s) A1 Hearing 12-

B1 Invitation -12- B2 Reception -12-

A2 Seeing -12

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Revelation 11 Verse by Verse Verse 12 Revelation 11 KJV 12 And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them,


NAB 12 And they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them,

V " Come up here " V Then they went up into heaven in the cloud, V and their enemies watched them.

Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them…why ascend to Heaven? Why not witnesses after being resurrected? Even if they were to witness after their resurrection it would be of no value as our Lord Himself asserts in the story of the rich man and Lazarus.

Luke 16 27 Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house: 28 For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment. 29 Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. 30 And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. 31 And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.

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Revelation 11 Verse by Verse Verse 12 continued Revelation 11 KJV 12 And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them,


• And their enemies beheld them… those who cheered their demise will watch in horror as the

Two Witnesses are vindicated. This is similar to the account in Daniel 3 as the enemies of Daniel’s friends beheld them…

Daniel 3 10 Thou, O king, hast made a decree, that every man that shall hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of music, shall fall down and worship the golden image: 11 And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth, that he should be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. 12 There are certain Jews whom thou hast set over the affairs of the province of Babylon, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego; these men, O king, have not regarded thee: they serve not thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up. 19 Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury, and the form of his visage was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego: therefore he spake, and commanded that they should heat the furnace one seven times more than it was wont to be heated. 20 And he commanded the most mighty men that were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace. 27 And the princes, governors, and captains, and the king's counsellors, being gathered together, saw these men, upon whose bodies the fire had no power, nor was an hair of their head singed, neither were their coats changed, nor the smell of fire had passed on them. 28 Then Nebuchadnezzar spake, and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who hath sent his angel, and delivered his servants that trusted in him, and have changed the king's word, and yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any god, except their own God.

• As we have seen throughout Revelation, there are many similarities between the events of this future time and those of the past. It is critical that we look at these historical events as ensamples of what will occur similarly during the tribulation period.

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VERSE 13 Structure

Enemies Slain

Correspondences Verse(s) A1 Killed 13-

B1 Number -13- B2 Remainder -13-

A2 Affrighted -13

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Revelation 11 Verse by Verse Verse 13 Revelation 13 KJV 13 And the same hour was there a great earthquake,


NAB 13And in that hour there was a great earthquake,

V and a tenth of the city fell; V seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, V and the rest were terrified V and gave glory to the God of heaven.

• a tenth part of the city fell…this is the great city Jerusalem as mentioned as inferenced in

verse 8 of this chapter.

• And there was a great earthquake…most likely those who were primarily involved in the destruction of the Two-Witnesses and held their allegiance with the False Messiah. Whoever they may be, their deaths were predetermined by God and a warning similar to the one given by Christ in the Gospel of Luke below

Luke 13 There were present at that season some that told him of the Galilaeans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices.

2And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galilaeans were sinners above all the Galilaeans, because they suffered such things?

3I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.

4Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem?

5 I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.

• and in the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand…the term mean is an idiomatic terms that always refers to people. And the number is literally seven thousand.

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Revelation 11 Verse by Verse Verse 13 continued Revelation 13 KJV 13 And the same hour was there a great earthquake,


• And the rest became affrighted and gave glory to the God of heaven…this is not a true glorifying of

God but is brought about as a result of the terror described in the aforementioned verses. This idiom is well noted in the Gospel accounts below:

Luke 4 13And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season. 14And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about. 15And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all. John 2 23Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover, in the feast day, many believed in his name, when they saw the miracles which he did. 24But Jesus did not commit himself unto them, because he knew all men, 25And needed not that any should testify of man: for he knew what was in man.

• In Luke above we read of Christ, “being glorified of all” but they soon attempted to take the life of the Lord Jesus in verse 29

Luke 4 29And rose up, and thrust him out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast him down headlong. 30But he passing through the midst of them went his way,

• There are countless occurrences of these feign praise and glory throughout Scripture: Joshua 7:9; Psalm 106:12-15; Mark 6:20; Luke 5:26; 17:12-18; 18:43; 23:47; John 9:24; Acts 12:23; 24:25; Romans 4:20 etc.

• The context here clearly shows that God is only glorified because his power is

acknowledged in a crisis. Just as the magicians in Egypt told Pharaoh, “this is the finger of God” (Exodus 8:19). And just as the ungodly admit the same thing everyday… Even the demons acknowledge the Lord Jesus, and confessed His Deity. Here, it is only "the God of Heaven" who is acknowledged; not a covenant God known and loved. Only a God at a distance, unknown and feared.

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Revelation 11 Verse by Verse Verse 14 Revelation 11 KJV 14 The second woe is past;

V and, behold, V the third woe cometh quickly.

NAB 14The second woe is past;

V behold, V the third woe is coming quickly.

• the second woe is past…as noted on pages 390-391 and 425-426 the Second Woe consisted

of the Horsemen and the Two Witnesses. This Second Woe, ends with the earthquake that follows upon the ascension of the Two-Witnesses.

• The introduction of the Two-Witnesses into Scripture was sudden just as the introduction of Elijah in 1 Kings 17:1 was sudden. Despite all the fanciful interpretations that make these witnesses to be something other than two humans, they will one day appear and fulfill their mission. Then the Bible student living in that day will recognize and understand the event in all its simplicity and clearness.

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