End-Time Insights

When the seventh seal was opened, a half-hour of “silence” ensued before the seven angels began to sound their “trumpets.” During that interlude, the prayers of the “saints” were heard ascending to the throne of God. Now, when the “seventh trumpet” sounds, “loud voices” declare the triumph of the kingdom and the possession of the nations by the “Lamb” as promised in the second Psalm.

Next, John sees the scroll again, only now it is unsealed and open, signifying the time for his call to prophesy once more to peoples and kings  – Revelation 10:1-11.  The first six trumpet plagues  failed to cause the “ inhabitants of the earth ” to repent. Instead, they only hardened their hearts even more.  Something more is needed to complete “ the mystery of God .” The narrative now takes a new direction. Rather than another plague, John sees the scroll unsealed, then he is commissioned to prophesy to “ nations and kings .”

The sixth trumpet unleashes the demonic horde from beyond the “Euphrates” to afflict the “inhabitants of the earth”  - Revelation 9:13-21.  The blowing of the “ sixth trumpet ” also marks the commencement of the “ second woe .” While the description of the “ plague ” unleashed by the trumpet only continues until the end of chapter 9, the “ second woe ” does not end until the sounding of the “ seventh trumpet ” that will culminate in the final judgment. Presumably, the “ sixth trumpet ” will conclude when the seventh angel blows his trumpet.

The fifth trumpet unleashes the first of “three woes,” and malevolent creatures began to ascend from the Abyss  – Revelation 8:13-9:12.  When the fifth angel blows his trumpet, John sees smoke “ ascending ” from the “ Abyss ,” a place ruled by an “ angel ” associated with “ destruction ,” and the “ Abyss ” becomes prominent in several of subsequent visions. It is the source of entities hostile to the “ Lamb ” and his people, creatures that “ ascend ” to wreak havoc, sometimes on the “ inhabitants of the earth ,” but more often on the “ saints. ”

The fourth trumpet blast causes a partial darkening of the sun, moon, and the stars of heaven over Babylon  - Revelation 8:12.  The darkening of the sun, moon, and stars is based on the ninth Egyptian plague that darkened the land for three days. It also employs imagery from the judicial pronouncement against Pharaoh in the book of  Ezekiel , a judgment carried out by the ancient empire of Babylon. Now, darkness will consume the realm of the “ Great City, Babylon ” - (Ezekiel 32:7-11).

The third trumpet results in a “great star” falling into the sources of freshwater and embittering them  – Revelation 8:10-11.  The third trumpet uses imagery from the first plague of Egypt that polluted the nation’s sources of freshwater. The “ Egyptians could not drink of the water of the river ” because it had turned “ into blood .” In the book of  Revelation , the plague also kills the fish in rivers and streams, and it “ embitters ” a third of the earth’s drinking water.

The second trumpet harms much of the commerce on which human society, the “inhabitants of the earth,” rely  – Revelation 8:8-9.  The second trumpet blast upsets the sea, and thereby disrupts a third of all seaborne commerce. In  Revelation , the “ sea ” is vital to the commerce on which “ Babylon ” depends, and it is the place from which the “ beast ” ascends. This explains why, at the end of the book, no “ sea ” is found in “ New Jerusalem .” In the symbolic world, it is linked to the “ Dragon ” and the “ beast .”

The first trumpet blast unleashes forces that impact agriculture, as its plague is modeled on the seventh plague of Egypt  – Revelation 8:7.  Fire from the “ golden altar ” has been “ cast onto the earth ” in response to the “ prayers of the saints .” This is followed by “ claps of  thunder, voices, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake , ” phenomena that conclude the series of “ seven seals ” and signal the commencement of the “ seven trumpets .” Thus, we find the seven angels poised to sound their trumpets and unleash their “ plagues. ”

An overview of the series of seven trumpets and the several intervening events between the sixth and seventh trumpets – Revelation 8:7-11:19.  The series of “ seven trumpets ” follows the same pattern as that of the “ seven seals .”   Like the first four seals, the first four trumpets form a distinct group, and the last three are marked off from the rest as the “ three woes .”  And like the “ seven seals ,” several events interrupt the series between the sixth and seventh “ trumpets ,” and both series are preceded by the “ prayers of the saints .” 

In Revelation, wrath refers to the final judicial sentence of God on His enemies. Tribulation is what the church endures .  The “ wrath of God ” is  NOT  synonymous with “ tribulation ,” and it is identical with the “ plagues ” unleashed by the three series of “ seals ,” “ trumpets ,” and “ bowls of fury .” And despite the devastation of these plagues, impenitent men do not repent. “ Wrath ” refers to the sentence of God on His enemies.

At the end of the seventh seal, seven angels prepare to sound their trumpets, unleashing judgment on the “inhabitants of the earth”  – Revelation 8:1-6.  The saints have been “ sealed ,” washed “ in the blood of the Lamb ,” and brought safely through the “ great tribulation .” The full complement of “ witnesses ” has been assembled, and the time has arrived for judgment to be rendered against the “ inhabitants of the earth ” that persecuted the martyrs. Their plea for “ vengeance ” is about to be answered.

One of the twenty-four “elders” interprets the vision of the innumerable saints that stand before the Lamb and the throne  - Revelation 7:13-17.  We have reached the point where the two questions have been answered - How long must the martyrs wait for vindication, and “ who is able to stand ” before the “ wrath of the Lamb ” and he “ who sits on the throne .” Having been sealed, numbered, and assembled, John now sees all the saints “ standing ” before Jesus and his Father in victorious worship.

John next sees an innumerable multitude of men from every nation standing before the Lamb and the Throne  – Revelation 7:9-12.  The saints are “ sealed ” before the unleashing of the “ four winds of the earth ,” then they are assembled for the sojourn to the Promised Land and John “ hears ” their “ number ,” 144,000 “ males ” from the “ twelve tribes of Israel .” Next, he “ sees ” the assembly of the saints as it arrives at its destination, a multitude so vast that “ no man could number them .”

The 144,000 males from the tribes of Israel are numbered and assembled for the journey to the city of New Jerusalem  – Revelation 7:4-8.  The “ servants of God ” have been “ sealed ” against the onslaught of the “ four winds of the earth ,” but now they must be “ numbered ” to ensure that no member of the covenant community is lost in the coming “ tribulation .” The full complement of “ witnesses ” must be assembled to witness the “ day of the wrath of the Lamb. ”

The saints must be “sealed” before the onslaught of the “four winds of the earth”  –  Revelation 7:1-3 .  Before the first four seals and their “ riders ” are unleashed, the “ servants of God ” must be prepared to persevere through the coming trials represented by the first six seal openings. And their “ sealing ” will enable them to “ stand ” before the “ Lamb ” and the “ throne ” on the coming “ day of the wrath of the Lamb ” when the “ sixth seal ” is opened.

The sixth seal ushers in the Day of the Lord, the time of wrath upon the inhabitants of the earth and all the Lamb’s enemies  –  Revelation 6:12-17 .  The opening of the sixth seal causes celestial and terrestrial trauma as the “ day of wrath ” dawns. It is nothing less than the “ great day of the wrath of God and of the Lamb .” Men of every rank panic in terror, but their every attempt to hide from the impending “ wrath ” is in vain. There is no escape, for no one can “ stand ” before the “ Lamb and the throne. ”

The opening of the Fifth Seal revealed the souls of men kept “ underneath ” the Altar, saints who had been slain for their “ Testimony .” They pleaded with God for their vindication and for judgment on the “ Inhabitants of the Earth ” who had persecuted them. They were told to wait for Him to answer their plea until the full “ number ” of their “ fellow servants ” who were going to be slain “ just as they were ” was added to their company.

The fourth seal releases “Death,” and “Hades” follows gathering the dead in its wake  –  Revelation 6:7-8 .  The “victims” harmed by the first three seal openings have not been identified, although details from the tasks assigned to each “ rider ” provide clues. Nothing has been said about the enemies of the “ Lamb ,” or about judgments against the “ inhabitants of the earth .” Moreover, the actions of the “ four riders ” are never labeled “plagues,” “wrath,” or “judgments.”

The third seal releases the rider on the black horse, producing economic hardship  –  Revelation 6:5-6 .  When the “ Lamb ” opens the third “ seal ,” once again, one of the “ four living creatures ” summons its rider, this time on a “ black horse .” Apparently, it represents economic distress and food shortages. As before, his task is declared by one of the four “ living creatures ,” along with limitations on how much damage he may afflict (“ the oil and the wine do not harm ”).

The second rider was sent to “remove peace from the earth” and cause men to “slay one another”   –  Revelation 6:3-4 .  As with the first rider, the second horseman is commanded by one of the four “ living creatures ” to “ go forth .” Although each seal is opened by the “ Lamb ,” the involvement of the “ four living creatures ” emphasizes that heaven remains in firm control over the earthly events represented by each “ rider. ”

The Lamb opened the first seal, releasing the rider with a “bow” and seated on a white horse, “conquering” and to “conquer.”   Immediately after ascending the throne, the “ Lamb ” begins to open the “ seven seals ,” starting with the first four. His right to open the scroll is based on his sacrificial death. But the opening of the seals does not yet reveal the contents of the “ sealed scroll ” itself. Breaking its seals is the preliminary step necessary before the scroll can be unfolded.

The first four seal openings occur under the watchful eyes of the “Lamb” and the “four living creatures” around the “throne”  –  Revelation 6:8 .  Collectively, the four “ riders ” are authorized to kill “ a fourth of the earth .” Each seal is “ opened ” by the “ Lamb ,” and each respective “ rider ” is commanded to ride by one of the “ four living creatures ” that surrounded the “ throne .” The forces unleashed by the first four seals result from the “ Lamb ” breaking open the seven “ seals ” of the scroll.

In many interpretations, the forces unleashed by the breaking of the “ Seven Seals ” are linked to the horrific calamities that unfold on the Earth prior to the coming of Jesus at the end of the age, especially so when the first four seals are opened. Apparently, His patience with humanity exhausted, God pours out plagues on the world in a last-ditch effort to bring men to their knees in repentance.

In Chapter 5, John saw the “ Sealed Scroll ” held tightly in the right hand of the “ One Who Sits on the Throne .” A search was made of the entire creation for someone who was “ worthy ” to open the scroll. Alas, no one was found, and this caused John to begin to weep profusely. If the scroll remained sealed, its contents could not be implemented. However, one of the twenty-four “ elders ” tells John to cease weeping, for the “ lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David overcame .”

In Chapter 5 of  Revelation , John saw the Scroll that was sealed shut with Seven Seals and tightly held in the “ right hand ” of the “ One Who was sitting on the Throne .” He dispatched a “ mighty angel ” to discover whether anyone in the created order was “ worthy ” to take and open the “ Sealed Scroll .” Despite an exhaustive search, at least momentarily, no one “ worthy ” could be found.

The vision of the “ Throne ” is the theological center of the  Book of Revelation  and sets the stage for the visions that follow it. In Chapter 4, John sees the Divine “ Throne ” and the “ One Who Sits on it ” reigning from the center of the Cosmos. In Chapter 5, he sees the “ slain Lamb ” take the scroll “ Sealed with Seven Seals ” from the “ Throne ,” an act followed by all creation declaring the Lamb “ worthy ” to break its seals and open the “ Sealed Scroll .”

In his letter to the “ messenger ” of Laodicea, the Risen “ Son of Man ” is called the “ Beginning of the Creation of God .” In his death and resurrection, he inaugurated the New Creation. In the same sentence, and in the present tense, he also is called the “ Amen, the faithful and true witness ,” appellations applied to him previously in the Book’s prologue.

The church and its “ messenger ” in Laodicea received no words of praise from the Risen “ Son of Man .” Apparently, this congregation was in poor spiritual condition, and the letter indicates apathy had replaced its original zeal for the Lord. The best if not only hope for this church was to become purified like gold is refined in fire, presumably, by undergoing trials, impoverishment, and persecution.

After Jesus finished dictating his letters to the seven “ Assemblies of Asia ,” John saw an “ open door in Heaven ,” and he heard the voice from his first vision summon him to “ come up here .” He then found himself standing before the “Throne sitting in Heaven.” Does this image symbolize the physical removal of the Church from the Earth before the visions of chapters 5 through 22, the so-called ‘Rapture’?

Philadelphia receives no correction. She has remained faithful, and therefore, she will be kept from the “hour of trial”  –  Revelation 3:7-13 .  Philadelphia lay fifty kilometers southeast of Sardis and straddled a major road into the interior, making commerce with the other cities of the province vital to its economy. It was established in 189 B.C. by the king of Pergamos, and later, came under Roman rule when the last king bequeathed the Pergamene kingdom to Rome in 133 B.C.

The city of Sardis was situated approximately sixty kilometers south of Thyatira, near the crossroads between Smyrna and Pergamos, and commerce was vital to its economic and cultural life. Sardis is mentioned in Obadiah, with the name “ Sepharad ” being its Hebrew form (“ They of the captivity of Jerusalem who are in Sepharad shall possess the cities of the South ”).

In the letter to the “ messenger ” in Thyatira, a structural change occurs. In the first three letters, the call to heed the Spirit’s voice preceded the promises to overcomers. From this point forward, it follows the promises and concludes each letter. This serves to emphasize the need to “ hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches ” through the seven letters sent by the risen Son of Man.

Deceivers within the seven congregations are encouraging disciples of Jesus to compromise with the idolatrous rites of pagan society .  One of the chief concerns in the seven letters is with deceivers working in the congregations. While several groups and one individual are named, the net effect of their efforts is to cause believers to “ commit fornication and eat food offered to idols .” In short, to induce idolatry and accommodation to the surrounding pagan society.

Pergamos receives praise for remaining faithful to his name, but correction for tolerating the teachings of Balaam  – Revelation 2:12-17.  P ergamos  is some sixty kilometers to the north of Smyrna and twenty kilometers from the sea. Though not a major commercial center, on occasion, it serves as the seat of the Roman provincial government and the center for the imperial cult. The first temple dedicated to Augustus Caesar in Asia was built at Pergamos, making it “ground zero” for the veneration of the emperor.

The church of Smyrna is only one of two of the seven Asian churches that received no correction, the other being Philadelphia. What set this congregation apart was the level of persecution that it endured because of its “ testimony ,” and its steadfast refusal to “ eat meat offered to idols ” and otherwise compromise with the Greco-Roman culture. Its members stood firm in their refusal to participate in the imperial idolatry of Rome, and consequently, they suffered “ tribulation ” and persecution due to false accusations against them made by Satan’s agents.

The messenger at Ephesus is commended for rejecting false apostles, chastised for leaving his first love, and summoned to do his first works .  In his exhortation to the “ messenger ” at Ephesus, Jesus begins by stressing his intimate knowledge of all the churches. He is “ grasping ” the seven messengers tightly in his right hand, and “ walking ” continuously among the seven assemblies. Therefore, he knows their “ works and labor and endurance ” – ( Revelation 2:1-7 ).

The  Book of Revelation  communicates symbolically, and it  provides several interpretations of its images. For example, it states that the “ Seven Golden Lampstands ” represent seven congregations. Likewise, the “ Seven Stars ” held by the “ one like a Son of Man ” symbolize angels or “ Seven Messengers .” Pictures of the smoke of “ incense ” rising to heaven represent the “ prayers of the saints .” And so on.

The first vision centers on Jesus in his role as the High Priest who oversees the congregations of Asia. The vision begins in Chapter 1 and continues to the end of Chapter 3. It consists of the image of the Risen Christ walking among “ Seven Golden Lampstands ,” and the seven messages that he sends to the seven “ Messengers ” of the Asian congregations.

The visitation of Jesus to the churches of Asia prepares the reader for the visions that follow the seven letters .  In his vision, John sees a glorious figure “ like a Son of Man…in the midst of seven golden lampstands .” In the interpretation, it becomes clear that this is Jesus (“ I was dead, and I am alive forevermore ”), and the “ lampstands ” are identified as the “ seven churches of Asia ” that are under his ever-watchful care.

Through a series of seven beatitudes, Revelation summons believers to faithfulness despite hostility, tribulation, and persecution . The  Book of Revelation  is not a tool of divination for deciphering future mysteries and events. Instead, it is a summons for God’s people to become vigilant, live righteously, and persevere in testimony during persecution and other trials. Its concern is not when certain events will occur, but how the Assembly of God must “ overcome ” and thus arrive at the city of “ New Jerusalem .”

From start to finish, the  Book of Revelation  is addressed to the “ Seven Assemblies of Asia .” These congregations do not fade from the picture in the later sections of the Book. While it may include a larger target audience,  Revelation  is first and foremost a message for those Seven Assemblies, and the significance of its visions cannot be understood apart from them.

The first paragraph of  Revelation  presents us with its purpose, key themes, main characters, how it communicates, and its chronological outlook. The  Book of Revelation  reveals rather than mystifies. It is “ THE prophecy ,” singular, sent to the Assemblies of Jesus to “ show them what things must come to pass ,” a declaration that provides the timeframe of these coming “ things ,” namely, “ Soon .” Above all, it is a revelation about “ Jesus Christ .”

Are  Revelation ’s visions presented in chronological sequence as they unfold? If we assume this is the case, things quickly become untenable as key events are repeated over several visions. For example, the  “ sixth seal ”  culminates in the final day of wrath accompanied by celestial and terrestrial upheaval, yet the same events also occur in the “ seventh trumpet .”

John was exiled to Patmos because of his testimony – A fellow participant in the Tribulation and Perseverance in Jesus.  Patmos is a small island in the Aegean Sea approximately ninety kilometers from the city of Ephesus. It is eleven kilometers long by seven wide, making it one of the smaller islands of the  Sporades , an archipelago off the west coast of Asia Minor. Roman literature from the period identifies this group of islands as a place where political offenders were exiled - ( Tacitus, Ann. iii . 68; iv. 30; v. 71).

The relevance of Revelation for today is lost if we ignore its historical context and read it with incorrect presuppositions . The  Book of Revelation  presents a sweeping picture of the church age that highlights the cosmic “ war ” that is being waged behind the scenes of History with individual “battles” that manifest in the daily struggles of the Assembly. Its visions show God working through the “ Lamb ” to implement His Kingdom, and it begins in the first century with the “ Seven Assemblies of Asia .”

The book of  Revelation  is comprised of a prologue, the vision proper, and an epilogue. The vision falls into four recognizable divisions, and each commences when John finds himself “ in the spirit ” and is transported to a specific location. For example, the first vision begins with John on Patmos where he “ comes to be in spirit ” and sees a vision of the one “ like a son of man .”

The book of  Revelation  is an account of the visions received by John while in exile on the Isle of Patmos - “ on account of the testimony of Jesus .” The document was addressed to first-century Christian congregations located in seven cities of the Roman province of Asia, and most likely, it was penned in the late first century when Domitian was emperor (A.D. 81-96).

In Chapter 3 of Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians, he issues a prayer that concludes the first half of the Letter. In it, he reiterates two requests stated previously. First, for the opportunity to return to Thessalonica to continue ministering to the congregation. Second, for God to increase the Assembly’s love for him and others. The fulfillment of both requests will make the faith of the Thessalonians complete on the day when Jesus “arrives” from Heaven.

Jesus will deal with the “ Lawless One ” at his “ arrival ” or Parousia . In describing this, Paul employs language from Daniel’s vision of the “ little horn speaking great things ,” originally, an image representing the Seleucid ruler who attempted to destroy the Jewish faith and nation through deceit and persecution.

Paul has explained why the “ day of the Lord ” has not commenced. Neither the “ apostasy ” nor the “ revelation of the man of lawlessness ” has occurred. Next, he describes the “ mystery of lawlessness ” that is setting the stage for the “ arrival ” of the “ Lawless One .” He will be unveiled when this “ mystery of lawlessness ” completes its preparatory task.

Two events must occur before the Day of the Lord comes, the Apostasy and the unveiling of the Man of Lawlessness . The men who were spreading false rumors in Thessalonica about the immediate future were deceiving believers by raising false expectations about the imminence of the “ Day of the Lord ” and the “ arrival ” of Jesus when he will gather his saints. Paul warned the church not to be alarmed or deceived by such rumors, especially such reports that claimed (falsely) to be from him or his coworkers.