Zechariah, chapter 1

1: In the eighth month, in the second year of Darius, came the word of the LORD unto Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo the prophet, saying, 2: The LORD hath been sore displeased with your fathers. 3: Therefore say thou unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Turn ye unto me, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will turn unto you, saith the LORD of hosts. 4: Be ye not as your fathers, unto whom the former prophets have cried, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Turn ye now from your evil ways, and from your evil doings: but they did not hear, nor hearken unto me, saith the LORD. 5: Your fathers, where are they? and the prophets, do they live for ever? 6: But my words and my statutes, which I commanded my servants the prophets, did they not take hold of your fathers? and they returned and said, Like as the LORD of hosts thought to do unto us, according to our ways, and according to our doings, so hath he dealt with us. 7: Upon the four and twentieth day of the eleventh month, which is the month Sebat, in the second year of Darius, came the word of the LORD unto Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo the prophet, saying,  8: I saw by night, and behold a man riding upon a red horse, and he stood among the myrtle trees that were in the bottom; and behind him were there red horses, speckled, and white. 9: Then said I, O my lord, what are these? And the angel that talked with me said unto me, I will shew thee what these be. 10: And the man that stood among the myrtle trees answered and said, These are they whom the LORD hath sent to walk to and fro through the earth. 11: And they answered the angel of the LORD that stood among the myrtle trees, and said, We have walked to and fro through the earth, and, behold, all the earth sitteth still, and is at rest. 12: Then the angel of the LORD answered and said, O LORD of hosts, how long wilt thou not have mercy on Jerusalem and on the cities of Judah, against which thou hast had indignation these threescore and ten years? 13: And the LORD answered the angel that talked with me with good words and comfortable words. 14: So the angel that communed with me said unto me, Cry thou, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; I am jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion with a great jealousy. 15: And I am very sore displeased with the heathen that are at ease: for I was but a little displeased, and they helped forward the affliction. 16: Therefore thus saith the LORD; I am returned to Jerusalem with mercies: my house shall be built in it, saith the LORD of hosts, and a line shall be stretched forth upon Jerusalem. 17: Cry yet, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; My cities through prosperity shall yet be spread abroad; and the LORD shall yet comfort Zion, and shall yet choose Jerusalem. 18: Then lifted I up mine eyes, and saw, and behold four horns. 19: And I said unto the angel that talked with me, What be these? And he answered me, These are the horns which have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem. 20: And the LORD shewed me four carpenters. 21: Then said I, What come these to do? And he spake, saying, These are the horns which have scattered Judah, so that no man did lift up his head: but these are come to fray them, to cast out the horns of the Gentiles, which lifted up their horn over the land of Judah to scatter it.

Zechariah, chapter 2

1: I lifted up mine eyes again, and looked, and behold a man with a measuring line in his hand. 2: Then said I, Whither goest thou? And he said unto me, To measure Jerusalem, to see what is the breadth thereof, and what is the length thereof. 3: And, behold, the angel that talked with me went forth, and another angel went out to meet him, 4: And said unto him, Run, speak to this young man, saying, Jerusalem shall be inhabited as towns without walls for the multitude of men and cattle therein:  5: For I, saith the LORD, will be unto her a wall of fire round about, and will be the glory in the midst of her. 6: Ho, ho, come forth, and flee from the land of the north, saith the LORD: for I have spread you abroad as the four winds of the heaven, saith the LORD. 7: Deliver thyself, O Zion, that dwellest with the daughter of Babylon. 8: For thus saith the LORD of hosts; After the glory hath he sent me unto the nations which spoiled you: for he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye. 9: For, behold, I will shake mine hand upon them, and they shall be a spoil to their servants: and ye shall know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me. 10: Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion: for, lo, I come, and I will dwell in the midst of thee, saith the LORD. 11: And many nations shall be joined to the LORD in that day, and shall be my people: and I will dwell in the midst of thee, and thou shalt know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me unto thee. 12: And the LORD shall inherit Judah his portion in the holy land, and shall choose Jerusalem again. 13: Be silent, O all flesh, before the LORD: for he is raised up out of his holy habitation.

As apart of our study on which we are about to embark, I want to give a fair survey of the testimony of these minor prophets. For unless we have some idea of the symbolism, the imagery and the general object that underlies these minor prophets, we shall forget or not use a key to unlock some of the teaching of the book of  Revelation. I am sure that most of us have read Revelation all the way through at least a couple of times. We have to admit that there are illusions that seem to have very little meaning. Simple because we haven't got our alphabet. We must have an alphabet before we can write words. Also, we must have some idea of grammar, of diction, of figures of speech, and rhetoric before we can hope to explain and understand even in our own language. So how much more this book that comes at the end of the cannon. Assuming we read the book (Bible) in the right order. We must begin with Genesis and then go through to Revelation before we can express opinions as to its meanings. But you say, “what a formittable task! We've got to start with Genesis and go right through?”  Even I have a hard time doing that. But strictly speaking, that's what we must do for our selves and should do. We should have an acquaintance of every book in the bible... (And I don't even Know if I do.) before we can attempt to say that the book of Revelation means this or that or the other.

I think the study of the book of Revelation has been be-deviled, if I may use that word. By the idea that the seven churches, that occupy chapters two and three, give you a history of Christendom. But, no commentator agrees as to whether which church belongs to which period except a sort of unanimity of their opinion, as to the Philadelphia church which comes number six and near the end. As that Philadelphian church is a very good church, they give an idea that they belong to that period. And after this came Laodis at the end of the list of churches. Well, I think we have a red herring drawn across our track. When we come to examine these seven churches, you will be shown that every church is tied to the millennial Kingdom. That it is associated to it so intimately, that you can not spread it over two thousand years of Christendom's peculiar church history. But if we come to the book of Revelation with our hearts and our minds fortified with the purpose of the ages that begins with Genesis, that we find the same conflict as with the Pharaoh in Exodus. That is with the same vile and plagues that fell. Why, we are getting ready to consider the plagues that fall in the book of the Revelation.

When we look at Genesis and read in the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. And we have the six days of creation. We're almost anticipating what we are going to read, the former heavens and earth will pass away, and I saw a new heaven and a new earth. When we see man forfeiting the enclosed garden, we are already thinking that a day is coming when they shall have a right to the tree of life and also, there will be the river of water of life in that garden. We will read about the curse of sin, death and sorrow in the first chapters of Revelation and also in the last chapters of the book of Revelation. In the last chapters, it says there shall be no more sin, no more curse, no more death, and even God Himself is to wipe away all tears from all faces. “My you say, here we've got a book that begins to show the purpose is one.” But, we're not going to be side tracked by some of these peculiar views about this church or that church. This is the mighty purpose to the ages, and the wheel has come full circle. When we think of the book of Exodus, Pharaoh is only an anticipation of the great anti Christian beast who says " I know not God". And insist on his people with all the degradation of what made Israel serve in bondage.. Next we have the two witnesses in the book of the Revelation that go and stand before the greater Pharaoh and they cast their, as it were, staff down. They do their miracles for a limited period. Thus, we could go on right through the whole Old Testament, but, there are some things in these minor prophets which impinge very closely on this prophetic book, that is the book of Revelation.

At some point, you should have studied Daniel and realized that the 70 sevens leads us, first of all to the advent of Christ in the past. And then, without much more to be said, focus our attention to the last seven years, when in the midst of it, the anti Christian power will break his covenant with Israel and the time of Jacob's trouble, which lasts three years and half, shall break loose. That's all revealed in the book of the Revelation. There it is. And we go on.

We started looking at this study through the Prophet Zachariah. Let’s continue  looking at this study of Revelation by looking at the book of Zachariah. Just in passing, we have here the Lord revealing a little bit of His heart. He said, "He was very sorely displeased but the heathen, they helped it.”  They helped it on. So, we are reminded that God is not indifferent to the fact that His chosen people have been so chastised by Him. There is another side to this story. Because, even though they have turned against Him, He reminds us, that he that touches you touches the apple of His eye. That is another side. So, the assistance that we have in these two chapters about the restoring of Jerusalem, occurs over and over again. Ultimately Babylon comes in to view. That is north county of Babylon. And I think we can borrow the title of a book that you may have read, and we can say without any measure of being irreverent, that the bible is the tale of two cities. The first city that is leading before us is Babel. It is followed after a few chapters with Salem with Melchizedek, the King of Salem. So the story of the bible is linked with the fate of those two cities. Babel becomes the center from the god of this world has brought forth his awful will, and Jerusalem has suffered for it. Ultimately Jerusalem is to be the very center of the earth, of light, of truth, and grace in God's own restoring love. So we have many things. I suppose, as we are reading the passage that speaks of the four horses and where it says that some were red, some were speckled, and some were white, your thoughts may have gone to the four horses of the book of Revelation. In Revelation the horses are now defined as referring to war, and famine, and pestilence, and death. So, Revelation is supplying you with, as it indicates, answers to the problems you may have met when you look at Zechariah.

As we go through these minor prophets, we will fine they focused their attention on the coming of Christ. We shall see that the coming of Christ is definitely mentioned with anticipation in Zachariah, and as we look at the book of Revelation in the twelfth chapter, we read these words in verse 10. In Verse 9 it is referring to the time in which we live, “And it shall come to pass in that day that I will seek to destroy all the nations that comes against Jerusalem.” You see, the nations that live round about Jerusalem are agreeing among themselves to destroy that people. But God has written, and His word remains, that the destroying will come from His hand when the time comes. "And I will pour on the house of David and upon the habitants of Jerusalem the spirit of grace and supplication and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced".

That is the one critical thing that must take place before this people can be restored and blessed. “They shall look upon Me,” said the Lord who was dictating this book. They shall look upon me, “Whom they have pierced.” When they do that a nation shall be born in a day. And then you are told in chapter 14 these words that are written concerning that city, Jerusalem, "behold the day of the Lord comeths and thy spoil shall be divided in the midths of thee for I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle". This will happen my friend. They’re plotting it, they’re planning it, and they’re arranging it. They’re getting already, they've tried it several times, and they’ll try it once again. And then it says, " (verse 4) And His feet shall stand in that day upon the Mount of Olives". The book of Acts telling us that when our savior ascended from the Mount of Olives and the disciples stood looking up. Two angels in white said to them, " Ye men of Galilee why stand ye gazing into heaven this same Jesus whom you have seen go in to heaven so will come in like manner". So there is no possibility of spiritualizing the Mount of Olives. And if you were to spiritualize it, have a go at this. It says His feet shall stand on the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and it goes on to tell you that it is so many fur longs. Well, you can not do that, you see. It's on the east, it's that particular place. It belongs to that spot. Next, you are told what is going to happen. Now we will move to the book of Revelation itself, to get some little idea of the general construction of the book as a whole.

You noticed, didn't you, that Zachariah, like John, had and angelic messenger. The angel said to him this.  And the angel said to him that. Wasn't it a lovely little thought that another angel came along and said to the other angel, here you go run and tell him Jerusalem will yet be restored.  Don't you see, how very human it may be, how very much there may be figures, it's all to tell us that in glory it self, among the angels of God, they are not indifferent on what is going on down here with regard to God's people and His purpose. So, the angel was told to run and speak to this young man. Jerusalem will yet be restored. Then if we go on reading Zachariah we find that satan comes forward. The great opponent.  The opposing force against the restoration of that people and the giving of their high priestly place. So, we may read that later on in this subject and get further light on the book of Revelation from Old Testament pictures.

First of all, let’s look at the word Revelation. In the King James Version the title of the book is The Revelation of Saint John the Divine. Well, that's not the title of the book. That's only the title given in our translation. It's not the Revelation "Of" Saint John the Divine. It's the Revelation "Of" Jesus Christ given to Saint John if you would like. Why he is called divine more than Paul or Peter of James, we can't find out, because the folks who wrote it have passed away. But, this word Revelation, we know the Greek word is Apocalypse, because it is so many times used. Don't mix it up with the word apocrypha. The word apocrypha is something that is hidden a way. And the word Apocalypse means taking a vial away. Just the opposite. Unveiling, revealing. Now, do you remember the last chapter of Daniel? Daniel had all those visions, and all those prophecies and he was still pondering in his heart what it could mean. He had not a full answer. And the Lord said, "It's alright Daniel go thy way, seal up the prophecy till the time of the end".

So the prophecy of Daniel is sealed up to the time of the end. And the book of the Revelation is practically the un-sealing of the book of Daniel so far as it is humanly possible in our present time and understanding. We'll find many references in the book of Revelation,  which hawks back to Daniel and gives it a greater light. Also, a clearer out line. But, if we're going to think that by the time we have studied what we are going to study in the book of the Revelation, we shall know all about it, we shall be terribly disappointed. For it's never been written to know all about it. It's given as a foreshadowing of things to come. It reminds us that God has complete control of the nations as well as the individuals. It focuses our attention on the person and work of Christ as the one who was longed for, and without Him nothing would take place. It encourages us to stand firm on the insistence upon the fact that he that over cometh shall sit with Him in His throne. It uses such figures and such imagery as to leave us still wondering what some of them could imply. It's something to be thankful for that some of these images will never be fully understood by us because they can only be understood when your in the terrible days of there for shadowed. Now, if you say, that I'd rather be there, in the day of the great tribulation, and understand what it means, then to live in the present day and have a hope that takes you beyond it. Well, as they say, there is never accounting for taste. So, if we approach it in that spirit, as far as God will give us we shall be thankful. We will discover that something's have not been

un-veiled to us. As they will be to them in that day.

Now, the first thing is, it begins and it ends. You will notice the general set out of this book. The first chapter, the angel testifies, and his testimony is - He comeths. At the very end,  the angel still testifies, “Lo I come.” And then the additional word, that John was bidden to write, the last verse in the bible of our construction, “even so come Lord Jesus.” There's the promise. There's the desire. There's the meeting with God's people with God's purpose. And they meet in one person. And without that one person, Daniel is an empty book, the Revelation is an empty book, the book of Genesis is an empty book. But with that person, He fills out the first primeval promise, the seed of the woman shall bruise the serpents head and the book of the Revelation shows it will take place. And also the Consequences. You see how simple it is for one angle, however complex it may be from the other. The angel testifies, and he assures us in that first chapter that the time is at hand. When we get to the end of the book we're told all over again. The time is at hand. Now, we know, that a thousand years in God's sight is likened a day that is past. But, we don't happen to be God. And I do not think it is a legitimate translation or interpretation to say that two thousand years, long weary waiting, is the time at hand. Well, look at the generations that have passed away that have read the words “that time is at hand.”  And it never took place for them. Or their children. Or their grand children. No, if these words mean as they seem to mean, that it was evident this book was written in view of the last few days of this present age before the end comes. The time is at hand.

Then he speaks about the seven stars that are in His hand, and when we get to the last chapter He claims to be the bright and morning star. Whatever the stars may stand for, they are but a cluster that gather around Him. And He once again is the pre-eminent one. "I am the bright and morning star". Then the last words " I am the alpha and the omega." You know Greek alphabet takes its name from these words, the names of the two letters Alpha beta, it goes Alpha beta gamma delta. And goes right on to Omega. There are two letter O's in the alphabet. There's the O micron that gives us our word microbe and microscope. That's the little o. And O mega is big O. And Christ says, " I am Alpha and Omega". That's the first and the last. But, Hebrew, would also see this. That Christ was the vowel that made the word "live". I suppose you know that strictly speaking, the original Hebrew of the Old Testament had no vowels. You could read it if you knew the language and you wouldn't make mistakes. But, when it became an unspoken language, some one invented a lot of dots and dashes, which is enough to drive you crazy, to show the gentiles how to read Hebrew. Sometimes, we have an argument on whether it means this or that. Supposing you saw a sentence, RNG TH BLL, would that mean ring the bell. Or would it mean ring the bull? Well, it depends if you are standing outside the door or in a barnyard. Of course the context would tell you. You see,  if you got a book like that, what possibilities of misunderstanding. Christ says," I fill it out" " I give you the essential meaning of every word of God". "I am the Alpha and the Omega". Not only the beginning or the End, I am the vowel that does away with all the conjectural vowel points.

You've got this don't you. The Angel that was speaking to John in the first chapter has not left him. He has shown him all this right away through and brings it right out to the end. It's one book. Not to be divided and so that some belongs to past history, some to this and that. One book with one feature all the time in view.

Then we have chapters two and three. Which are letters sent to seven churches. And they are all in Asia Minor. In the first chapter we read these words. " (Verse 4) “John to the seven churches which are in Asia”. That sounds very much like a correct address, doesn't it?  And when we get to chapter two and three, we find that every one of these churches that are addressed were towns. Or Cities. In Asia Minor. Cities and towns such as Ephesias,  Smyrna,  Pergomos,  Philadelphia, Laodacia.  They were all places on the map. Well, why should we go spiritualize them all the way?  You know,  there is a little company in Jerusalem that doesn’t have a definite relationship with gentile churches. They say, why should we?  We are Messianic Christians. We are Jewish People that believe that Jesus Christ was the true Messiah. And they’re in Jerusalem. And they have their meetings, and they have some things to do with keeping the Sabbaths, but different than our selves. Though they are a little bit of a thorn in the side of the rulers of Israel. Because, while they’re there, they keep the thought going that perhaps they made a mistake in the past. Just a thought, just waiting to see if some time they might get expelled from Jerusalem. Then somebody says, that my grandmother has written to say that there is a nice little place in Smyrna that would just accommodate you lovely. And they migrate to Asia Minor and there starts the seven assemblies at the time of the end. They’re not necessarily started yet. And they are related to Israel because they are called, some shall come in and say, they are Jews, but are not.

Well, into what Christian church would any person come today and pretend they were Jewish, unless you are going to spiritualize that away and make the Jew into something else. He speaks of the synagogue of Satan. We don't use the word synagogue today. So, leave it where it is. In Asia. There will be seven assemblies very much connected with the time of the end. Then we get this, as you will discover, that to every one of those churches, in what ever else they may differ, there is one thing that is consistent. Seven times over, “to him that over comeths.” Now that's meeting you at the beginning of the book. All the way through this book at different intervals it comes out. They over came because of the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony and they love not their lives on to the death. Then we see them in the twentieth chapter, those who were in the witness of Jesus, these over comers, at long last, they live and reign with Christ a thousand years. And all the rest of the book of the Revelation is subsidiary. That little group. That little over coming remnant struggling their way through anti Christian persecution. Dying for the truth. Eventually reigning in glory with their Lord. It's the backbone of the book. And all the rest of it.  All the rest of the movements of the nations, the viles, the judgments, the seals, the anti Christian beast breaking the covenant. They’re all there, but its all impinging upon that one little company. Lets be glad we sort of got a friend to lead us through this Labyrinth. Him that over comeths.

We have here, under chapter two and three, a remnant on the earth. The time of tribulation is most obvious because it mentions that tribulation. You shall suffer tribulation be thou faithful onto death and I will give thee the crown of life. That's not an empty word, but means that martyrdom is in the offering. And also the new Jerusalem comes in to view. Among other rewards that is offered to these over comers is that He will write upon them the name of the city of my God that comes down from heaven, the new Jerusalem. That means these people are linked with the very time of the book of the Revelation. Not two thousand years ago to some aspect to the church that has been long been forgotten. At the other end, balancing that, we have not this earth with a remnant on it, but we have a new heavens and a new earth. And not a time of tribulation and suffering in view of a future new Jerusalem. But the blessed words, no more sorrow, no more sin, no more death. And the new Jerusalem is now not something that is future. You now got to wait for, but it's there. And they have a right, and the doors are opened, they walk though the gates and along the golden streets. I don't think they will sing Hebrew spirituals up there, but they will have the same spirit.

I suppose you know why those Hebrews spirituals have got such a pool. They had such a time of it didn't they. Laboring in the fields. Masters that were not kind. All the time they were thinking, oh for the day when we walk them golden streets. Oh then golden slippers. You know, we laugh don't we.  But, this is very very strong in this book. Thier lure, and the gold, and that day when that city shall represent God upon the earth. That will be when Babylon comes in to view at last in 6:17,18,19 and the Hallelujahs go up for the first time in the book of the Revelation. When they can say, Great Babylon has been destroyed. Don't start yelling Hallelujahs for Babylon isn't destroyed yet, but there is going to come a day. And that's how they start in the book.

Then we come into the middle of Revelation. This is quite a section. There are seven groups. There are seven visions that occupy chapter four until we get to chapter 20. And they are in pairs. Something takes place in heaven. Always heaven first. And then something echoes it upon earth. Sometimes the echo is a response in faith, sometimes it's an echo in judgment. Now, I want to leave this and go back to Genesis.

I want you too, in your imagination, try to think of a platform in front us. And at the two ends, we've a flight of steps with seven steps. And a man like Moses is standing on the left. And a man like John is standing over there on the right. Now John, in the book of the Revelation, has between him and the new heaven and the new earth this seven fold series of prophecies yet to be fulfilled. Pairs. Heaven and earth. We come to Moses, and he is looking back. John is looking forward. John is looking forward to a creation that hasn't come and Moses is looking back to a creation, which for the time being, is beyond him. And he has seven steps. That is to say, the six days of creation and the seventh day of rest and in each case it was the evening and the morning. So, just as God could bring before Moses, a creation which took place in the past and show him a preparation that leads down to where he stood to carry it through. So, John at the end, he could look to a new creation that was yet to come with seven fold steps in front of him. And there they stand, at the beginning and the end of the whole story. And in between Moses and Genesis one:one and Revelation with John at the end you've got the rest of the bible and the out working of the purpose of the ages. So there is that element of connection between the two.

Now, we should notice of the way in which these seven visions punctuate the book. First of all we should see a throne in heaven. A throne. The very first vision is at throne. When we get to the end, there is a throne. In the first vision it's the throne of God. In the last, it's the throne of the Lamb. And there are those which share with Him that day in the millennium. And when you listen to the cry of the cherubim, they emphasize creation. Not merely redemption. Or deliverance. Or Jerusalem. But creation.  We’ll have to examine why, when we get to it. But I don't mind telling you at the moment,  that is what you will find. Perhaps you would like to see that this is so. At the end of chapter 4 there are four beasts which will have to be re-translated living creatures, other wise we confuse them with the great beast which is a very different word. These four living creatures cry in verse eight, "Holy Holy Holy Lord God Almighty which was and is and is to come". Then in verse 11 they say," thou art worthy oh Lord to receive glory and honor and power", why? "For thou has created all things and for thy pleasure they are and were created". That's all. Not a word about redemption.

We've got to remember that God is creator. Redemption is part of His program so that the creation that He started and the creation that He will end with shall be attained. Redemption isn't an after thought. God knew the enemy He had. He made His plans and the Apostle Peter tell us that Christ was verily ordained before the foundation of the world as a Lamb without blemish and without spot. That is right before the foundation of the world. And here in the book of the Revelation it is the Lamb of God, that's the title of Christ,  that dominates every other. So, these things are known by God, and prepared, The creation at the beginning, and I think we should be wise if we remembered that is how Genesis begins and that is how the book would have us begin. You start arguing with some one with no faith, no knowledge of God, where do you get. Well you get no where. It's merely a clash of opinions. But if you can get back to the point that we are creatures and we have a creator. We have a maker. You then bring people like ourselves under the conviction that if we have a maker we may have some responsibility.

So, if we may have some responsibility, it may be the reason why were are like we are, what we are, and then we begin to wonder whether we are safe or whether there is a way of salvation and so on. You'll find that when God would convict Job of his own self righteousness and convict Job of God's own righteousness, He never said a single word about redemption to Job. He just staggered him with a little view of the wonder of creation. That's all. You read those last chapters. Job only heard about the creation. He said I've heard of the with the hearing of the ear, but now mine eye seeth thee. I repent, I bore my self,   I am done. I have no righteousness left.”  You say, how did that come about? Well, could creation go on my friend.  Could it last a minute if it were not right. I don't know much about engineering, but I know this, when an engineer does his thing, he has to be right when he puts his square and his compasses on his drawing board other wise the machine will never work. And so within its limits you can not have a creation without righteousness. And if that's the case then that is where we all must begin. That's where we should begin. And now at the end, before you get anything else in the book, the creator, sitting on a throne. Oh, you say, if that's the case all is well ultimately. He has piloted it right through till that moment. And these might beings give Him the glory as the creator.

Next, we have the others things, following immediately after that we have chapter 6. and 7.  And we have the opening of the seals. The sealed book, and the 144 thousand. We shall have to look at the 144 thousand. But you do know that there are some of God's people who make this the Be all, and the end of all of their hopes that they may be numbered among the 144 thousand. What tribe do they want to belong to?  Is it the tribe of Judah, the tribe of Rueben, the tribe of Gad, every one of them is named.  Besides that, it would make them not much of a mathematician, for just look at the 250 million that there are in the United States. You have 144 thousand to distribute just the lot, not considering the rest of the world. God means what He says, 144 thousand of the tribes of Israel. They are the people in the book. The church as we know it, s not there. So everyone else will be disappointed in that day.

Then we have the great tribulation that comes before us in verse 14. “I said on to him sir thou knowest.”  Doesn’t John sound the same as Zachariah. He kept asking questions, and the angel answered him, and with  “these I don't know”, he said. “these are those that come out of the great tribulation and who have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.”  So, there's that great tribulation.

Chapter 7:9 right through chapter 8. we have this multitude and the seventh seal. You will discover that six seals are broken, then you wait. When the seventh seal is broken, it looks as though it then reveals and opens out to the six trumpets,  although there are seven trumpets. When the seventh trumpet sounds, we've the end of the series. As though one is involved in the other. It is difficult to analyze and set out. But you get the idea. And at the sounding of the seventh trumpet you will notice in chapter 10 and 11 we get these words, : verse 7  “But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished,” .... what mystery? As far as we know, all mysteries. All the mysteries of God that we read of in prophecy, in the gospels, in the epistles, in the Revelation it self, the mystery of God is finished. All out in the open at last.

When? When He is out in the open at last. When the seventh angel sounds what he sounds. Chapter 11 verse 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.” .... that's what is going to happen when the seventh angel sounds. But there is much to be done before we get to the end. It goes back on the story in chapter 12. We have a figure of a woman clothed with the son. The dragon waiting to devour the child that's just been born, and that child, we are told about in verse 5, “And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne”.... we shall see there is a link back to one of the promises in the churches, chapter 2 verse 26  “And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations” .... you see, power over the nations. “And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father. 28: And I will give him the morning star”.... and not only so, but you will find also a link with the throne, “he shall sit with me in my throne,” at the end of chapter 3. verse 21 “To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne” .... when we get to the man child that is born and caught up to rule the nations with a rod of iron and sit in the throne with the Lord, we have got these over coming groups that form a key or a thread that links the chapters together.

When we get to chapter 13, we've have the beast. The final phase of gentile rule. But, the period is limited. It says in verse 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”.... that number has a occurred many ways in the book.  Forty and two months. A time times and half.  1260 days, and this all mean 3 1/2 years, the midst of the week, written in Daniel the ninth chapter.

We have the 144 thousand again in chapter 14. Then we have the six angels. So we have six seals and one seal. Six trumpet and one trumpet. Six angels and one angel. It is all following the same pattern. Then we have the viles poured out upon the earth. At that point the great Babylon comes into view. Babylon is destroyed. The hallelujahs go up. And the marriage of the Lamb is come. We reached the goal of the book of the Revelation. The Millennial kingdom. Which issues a great white throne. Which leads to a  new heavens and a new earth. And then we are back again with the angel testifying and he links the whole of the book as one period. Lets look at the last chapter to see what I mean by that rather strange statement. Notice these words, “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.”

Now how are you going to do that to day? If those plagues are not yet fallen, how can you add to any person today those plagues? You will have to explain it away then, it doesn't mean that.  But if you say it means what it says, then these words are addressed to people who will live in that day.   And it goes on to say further, “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.”    It is assuming that you, if you are addressed like that, you will be living in that time. And it is not addressed to people like ourselves, or people who lived a thousand years ago. You can't say that God could had the plagues of the book of the Revelation to somebody who lived a thousand years ago, when not one of the plagues have fallen yet.   So, the books is a whole. And we want to look at it as a whole. I think we shall understand it as a whole, and understand it in no other way.

We come to a conclusion. We must stop here. All though, we have quoted the words, verse 20,  “He which testifieth these things saith,”.... saith what? What is the verb? All the things he has spoken about.   The beasts.    The false prophet.    The lake of fire.   The great white throne.   The New Jerusalem.   The over comers.  The one thing he says at the last, is what we can fully understand, can't we. “He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly”   Then the word “Amen” comes. I don't know, but there is a feeling, that there is a blend here. There is a very lovely verse in the Old Testament. Which is so written, that you can't understand what it means. You say, what a lovely verse that must be. It says that Moses went into the presence of God to speak with Him. And when he went in to speak with Him. He heard a voice speaking with him. And he spoke with Him. And do you know who spoke?  No, I don't.  So, it doesn't matter.  It meant to say that they were both speaking the one to the other.  He spoke with Him. That is God spoke to Moses. But Moses spoke to God. And here it says, “Amen,  Surely I come quickly. Amen.”   I think the Lord could say that, don't you? I am sure John said it. Perhaps they said it together.

The one thing about the book of Revelation, in spite  of all its miracles, in spite all its plagues, in spite all its abominations. It is the one thing that matters, no matter how much we get tested and tried, at long last, He will come. And when He comes, He brings with Him the solution of the ages. When He comes, the mystery of God is finished. “Surely I come quickly. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.”  Then he brings it to a conclusion. “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.” Grace for the interval. Glory when He comes. The Lord will give both grace and glory.




Chapter 2. The book of Revelation