< Revelation chapter 6
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The 144,000 of Israel Sealed
After this, [that is to say, after the first visions of the sixth seal more consequences of opening the sixth seal follow. The chapter has changed, but we are still being shown the nature of the authority that is given to the angels of judgment through the opening of the sixth seal. So far, we have seen that the authority under the sixth seal is to begin full scale judgment in the earth, which will bring about the end of natural history. So now, "after this..." we see a vision of angels involved in the actual commencement of final judgment: ]
I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth that no wind might blow on earth or sea or against any tree.
[The sixth seal has been opened. Authority is given for the final judgment upon the earth to begin to take place. All air currents, all winds, are about to be stopped. As a result, the earth will be made to suffocate even while it is dying of thirst. The four angels who control all of earth's weather are prepared to immediately bring about this judgment on the earth.* It is a moment of great suspense in which it is to be understood with complete clarity that If this judgment goes forward there will be no air currents at all on the earth, therefore no moisture would be able to rise from the oceans to fall upon the continents and their would be no exchange of oxygen with other gases for the maintaining of life.
Suddenly this this scene is interrupted. We remember that there is one more seal to be opened. And for the sake of what is yet to be revealed through the opening of that seal, this total judgment which seems about to be let loose upon the world will be stopped at this point, and, as we will see, the exercise of this authority will be put into other hands.]
Then I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, with the seal of the living God, [in the midst of the opening of the seven seals of the scroll, at the time when the sixth seal has been opened, we hear of another seal, the seal of God], and he called with a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm earth and sea, saying “Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees, until we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.”
[We will see even more clearly later that there is a direct correlation of authority between this seal, the seal of God, which will now be placed upon, or in, the forehead of the servants of God, and the sixth and seventh seal of the scroll which is being unrolled, which is the scroll of the revelation of the world's judgment and Israel's final redemption — the scroll which the Lamb is in the midst of opening.
The relationship between these different seals, those on the scroll and that placed on or in the forehead of those named, is the relationship between what is revealed openly to the world in the Book of the Revelation of Yehoshua HaMashiach (Jesus Christ) and what is concealed from the world within that book and mysteriously revealed through that same book only to the servants of God. This principle will be understood clearly through the revelation of the seven thunders in chapter ten.
We need to be completely clear. All the visions of the sixth seal demonstrating its authority to initiate the final act of judgment, (which we read about in chapter six), are brought together and focused into this one action we are now reading about, (in the first verses of chapter seven), the action of giving authority to the angels in control of the earth's winds to harm the sea by stopping all air currents. While this judgment begins, and is comprehended by threatening to harm the oceans, we are told specifically that it will not only harm the oceans but will harm the whole earth.
Most emphatically, this authority is the authority for complete and absolute judgment. If it is carried out in a way that is unmitigated, as threatened here, no further judgment would or could occur. It does not just threaten to bring death to the oceans of the earth, it threatens to bring death to the whole earth, by bringing death to all the trees of the earth. But suddenly this act of judgment is stopped for the sake of certain servants of God. Who are these servants of God? How and why are they involved in mitigating the judgment that is threatened to come upon the whole earth?]
And I heard the number of the sealed, 144,000, sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel:
[The first thing that is revealed about the servants of God being spoken of is the number of those servants of God who are sealed with the seal of God. This number is 144,000, 72+72x1000. Later, we will see that the number has a symbolic value that is related to the symbolic quality of the Lamb. Immediately here we are told that the first aspect of this symbolic number is that it is a representative number.
The second thing is that this number is said to be representative of the tribes of the sons of Yaakov (whom God called Israel). We are learning that this vision of this select number is representative of the corporate whole of Israel. The corporate whole of Israel is not described as being composed of a simply homogenous collection of individuals but of a deliberately and precisely designed structure of twelve families forming one whole family nation in union with the revelation of the Lamb and of the One who sits upon the throne, as we will see.]
12,000 from the tribe of Judah were sealed,
12,000 from the tribe of Reuben,
[These numbers emphatically highlight the importance that it is Israel as a family nation, precisely designed and described by the sovereign God, which is here being symbolically, representatively sealed with the seal of God. What does it mean, then, that these are souls of Israel and of the twelve tribes of Israel in particular? Are there not more than 12,000 souls in the family tribe of Judah, or the family tribe of Reuben, etc? Yes, there are ultimately many more souls in each tribe than this. But here it is this number that is sealed in order to represent the perfect whole, the corporate structure as chosen and designed by the God of Israel.
And what of those from among the nations which are grafted into the redeemed nation of Israel, as we read in Romans chapter eleven. Are they represented in this vision also? Yes. As we will see, they are also represented. What, then, is the nature of this symbolic representation?
Even though there is a great open revelation made known to us through this numbering and sealing of the tribes, the aspect of a remaining concealment within the revelation is also introduced to us here. It is openly revealed that God sees Israel as a perfect formation of twelve perfectly formed tribes. It remains still concealed in this vision how all souls who will ultimately be saved through the redemption of the house of Israel are represented by this perfectly designed number.
As we continue, we will see more fully what is openly revealed to us by the sealing of the family tribes of Israel in these numbers. But we will also see right away that the question is raised as to how it can be that an equal number from each tribe is sealed when, until now, in accordance with the judgment of the word of God upon Israel, none of the tribes except one has been preserved as a tribe. This question is the first aspect of explicit concealment that remains in the revelation. Other explicit aspects of concealment will also be revealed.
These aspects of concealment revealed in the Scroll (or Book) of The Revelation of Yehoshua HaMashiach (Jesus Christ), which was given to Yochanan (John), ultimately lead to the seven thunders in chapter ten, which Yochanan hears but is forbidden to write down. By reading and hearing the record of the revelation clearly, we will come to understand how that all that is revealed in concealment in the revelation is comprehended in those seven thunders, in what Yochanan heard them say, and in what those sealed with the seal of God in their foreheads, like Yochanan, can also hear them say.]
12,000 from the tribe of Gad,
12,000 from the tribe of Asher,
12,000 from the tribe of Naphtali,
12,000 from the tribe of Manasseh,
[All of the apparently lost tribes of the northern kingdom of Israel are listed. They are shown to be essential to the wholeness of a redeemed Israel. Again, as the readers and hearers of the revelation, at this point, it is not clearly revealed to us, how it can be, and what it means, that an equal number from each tribe is sealed, when only the tribe of Judah has openly been preserved as a tribe in history.
We are nevertheless told that it is the sealing of the equal number of 12,000 from each of these tribes that forestalls the judgment of the immediate absolute death of the planet by asphyxiation. In other words, the corporate wholeness of Israel as the family nation, designed by the God of Israel, is sealed with the seal of God in their foreheads, that is to say, in their understanding, and we are told that it is their being sealed in this way that brings this mitigation of the world's judgment.
Another element of concealment within revelation and revelation within concealment that is introduced here is the arrangement of the list of the tribes. Not only does this arrangement have great significance in its overall structure in relation to the different arrangement of the lists of the tribes given in the Torah, but also the equal inclusion of the family tribe of Levi in its ordered place in this list brings a strong illumination of mystery to this revelation.]
12,000 from the tribe of Simeon,
12,000 from the tribe of Levi,
[The mystery of the design and structure of Israel, as the corporate portion of the family of Adam chosen by the Creator for the redemption of Adam, begins not only with Yaakov's (Jacob's) twelve sons, but with his blessing of his twelve sons just before his death. Among the twelve distinct blessings describing the infrastructure of the house of Israel, Yaakov revealed three most pronounced blessings. One had to do with the moving of the blessing of the firstborn from its place with Reuven (Rueben). This led us to the mystery of the preservation only of the tribe of Yehudah (Judah), and ultimately to the Lion of the tribe of Yehudah, whom we have seen revealed above.
The second of those most pronounced of Yaakov's blessings, as will be seen, had to do with Yosef (Joseph). And a third had to do with Shimon (Simon) and Levi. Shimon and Levi were blessed with the chastisement of being scattered within Israel among the different tribes of Israel. This was the first clear indication that there would be a problem with the preservation of the corporate wholeness of some, if not all, the twelve tribes of Israel. In the case of Levi, it would turn out that this blessing of chastisement, of being scattered in Israel, would be formalized into an institutional form.
Levi was made into the priestly tribe of Israel, where the cohenim, the priests of Israel, could only be taken from the tribe of Levi. Accordingly the Levites could not make their camp in the circle of the camps of the tribes of Israel, nor could they have a territory of their own, for they had to serve all tribes in the camp of the tabernacle, and they had to serve all the tribes in all the territories. Now, how and why this came about was itself a great mystery.
It came about that the tribe of Levi was dispersed in this manner, in accordance with Yaakov's words, only because of the sin of the golden calf, in which the tribe of Levi was without guilt, which resulted in the disqualification of the the firstborn of all the other tribes for the priesthood. Accordingly, the tribe of Levi was not counted, when the tribes were counted by the commandment of God, in the same way that the other tribes were counted.
That the tribe of Levi should here, in the revelation of judgment and the final redemption, be listed and counted in the same manner as the other tribes has great symbolic significance It is a clear testimony to the glory of the Lamb who was slain and to his complete atonement for the sin of the golden calf and all other sins of Israel on a corporate level. In this image of the 144,000 members of the twelve tribes we are seeing a picture of the fulfilled promise that God would make all Israel to be a kingdom of priests. This is entirely a testimony to the Lamb. In order for this glorious testimony to the Lamb, through both Shimon's and Levi's equal inclusion with the other tribes in the perfect corporate representation of Israel and her redemption, one of the other tribes had to be concealed in the revelation.
It could not be that what Yaakov had done in making Yosef into two tribes could be undone. One tribe still had to be "separated from his brothers" to hold, as it were the place of the mystery of Yosef (Joseph) that the tribe of Levi had held before. It is the tribe of Dan that has this honor of holding the place of concealment within the great revelation at this point. This is the first formal concealment in the revelation that we have come to and, as will be seen in due time, it is this that leads directly to the concealment of the seven thunders and what they say which Yochanan hears but is not permitted to write down.]
12,000 from the tribe of Issachar,
12,000 from the tribe of Zebulun,
12,000 from the tribe of Joseph,
12,000 from the tribe of Benjamin were sealed.
[We see that it is addressed by the use of the name Yosef (Joseph) instead of Ephraim in the list why it is that first the tribe of Levi and now the tribe of Dan is set apart in a concealed manner from the other tribes. This is as follows:
Yaakov foresaw by prophetic spirit that one tribe would have to be concealed from among its fellow tribes due to sin, as Yosef was concealed from among his brothers. This is also the reason for the descent into Egypt and the covenant of redemption. Consider the nature of this blemish! If from its foundation there were only eleven fully visible tribes of Israel, the nation of Israel, as a result, would not be sanctified as being corporately whole before the world. Israel's testimony to the name of the true God would be irrevocably, marred. Therefore Yaakov designated the two sons of Yosef as full stature tribes of Israel ahead of time.
For it was certain that, measure for measure, the tribes of Israel, one by one, or all against one, would be separated from there brother tribes until complete repentance was accomplished. This is the mystery of the place and role of Yosef, which mystery Yaakov, by his prophetic authority formalized and instituted in Israel. In the light of this, what is the significance of the tribe of Ephraim not bing referred to by name but as the tribe of Yosef in this list?
The tribe of Ephraim is not being dishonoured because its name is not used, as if Yaakov's action was not undone with regard to the tribe of Manasseh but was undone with regard to the tribe of Ephraim, so that his descendants could not be called by his name but only by the name of Yosef. Rather. The tribe of Ephraim is being honored by being called the tribe of Yosef. Likewise, the tribe of Levi and the tribe of Dan, each of which in their time were set apart from the other tribes for the sake of Yosef were also honoured in this role.
For why was Yosef made into two tribes, even when the full measure of corporate Israel had to be measured through twelve and only twelve tribes? This mystery is at the very heart of the mystery of God which will be revealed in the revelation of the seven thunders, as promised by the oath of the angel in chapter 10 verse 7. Once again, we will see that this is entirely to give a testimony to the glory of the Lamb who was slain.]
After this I looked, [after the 12,000 of each of the twelve tribes of Israel are sealed as one corporate nation another vision is given] and behold a great multitude that no one could number from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb [these surround the formation of the 144,000, which, we will see, are with the Lamb. All who are in this multitude are] clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands [as upon the entrance of Mashiach into Jerusalem], and [they are heard] crying out with a loud voice:
“Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”
And all the angels, [not some but all], were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying,
“Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.”
[In the generation of the shlichim (apostles) of Yehoshua the Messiah it was known that the angels desired to look into the mysteries of Israel's salvation, (1 Peter 1:12). In this vision of the sealing of the minds of the 144,000 of all the twelve tribes of Israel with understanding all the angels, together with the martyrs of the Lamb, see and understand what they have for so long been seeking to understand.
What is it that the number 144,000, as representative of Israel, reveals to them? The number is itself derived from the 12 tribes of Israel. As there are two houses of Israel, there are two mothers of Israel, Leah and Rachel.
In a perfectly symmetrical balance 6 tribes would be apportioned to each house. Each of these symmetrically apportioned tribes would contribute their divinely received gifts and attributes to all 12 tribes, in order to magnify the testimony of the 12 tribes to the Lamb and to the One seated upon the throne. This is represented by (6x12)x2, which is 72+72, with is 144. The magnification of this number by 1000 represents its completely redeemed corporate wholeness, as in, "as the stars of heaven, so shall your seed be," that is, multiplied in radiance of light through the perfect corporate wholeness of divine redemption.
The received tradition of the rabbis points to the 72 letters found in each of the three verses of Exodus 14:19-21. These verses read as follows:
14:19 Then the angel of God, who had been going in front of the Israelite camp, moved and went behind them, and the pillar of cloud moved away from in front of them and stood behind them.
יטוַיִּסַּע מַלְאַךְ הָאֱלֹהִים הַהֹלֵךְ לִפְנֵי מַחֲנֵה יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיֵּלֶךְ מֵאַחֲרֵיהֶם וַיִּסַּע עַמּוּד הֶעָנָן מִפְּנֵיהֶם וַיַּעֲמֹד מֵאַחֲרֵיהֶם:
72 Hebrew letters
20 And he came between the camp of Egypt and the camp of Israel, and there were the cloud and the darkness, and it illuminated the night, and one did not draw near the other all night long.
כוַיָּבֹא בֵּין | מַחֲנֵה מִצְרַיִם וּבֵין מַחֲנֵה יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיְהִי הֶעָנָן וְהַחשֶׁךְ וַיָּאֶר אֶת הַלָּיְלָה וְלֹא קָרַב זֶה אֶל זֶה כָּל הַלָּיְלָה:
72 Hebrew letters
21 And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the Lord led the sea with the strong east wind all night, and He made the sea into dry land and the waters split.
כאוַיֵּט משֶׁה אֶת יָדוֹ עַל הַיָּם וַיּוֹלֶךְ יְהֹוָה | אֶת הַיָּם בְּרוּחַ קָדִים עַזָּה כָּל הַלַּיְלָה וַיָּשֶׂם אֶת הַיָּם לֶחָרָבָה וַיִּבָּקְעוּ הַמָּיִם:
72 Hebrew letters
Not only do these three verses speak about the mercy (verse 19) and judgment (verse 20) of the One who sits upon the throne, (his mercy as expressed toward Israel and his judgment as expressed toward Egypt), they also speak (verse 21) of these two opposing attributes working in complimentary opposition with one another to produce the redemption that ultimately reveals the glory of the one true God.
These three verses as a whole can be described in terms of 3 camps of the children of Israel, each camp composed of 4 tribes, (24+24+24, or 72), representing a testimony to these three attributes, the attribute of mercy, the attribute of judgment and the attribute of beauty or divine spiritual balance between mercy and judgment, or, in other words, the divine spiritual symmetry producing rectification. As both Yaakov and Moshe represented the distinct individual attributes of the the sons of Yaakov (Jacob) when they blessed them, so it is to be understood that each tribe, according to these attributes give their testimony to the Lamb and to the One seated upon the throne.
144,000, then, is a number which symbolically represents the redemption of the world in a very precise and specific way. It is through the atonement for Israel, and this is in the exact form that it was designed corporately by God, in judgment and mercy, provided by the Lamb of God, with two or three witnesses (camps of the children of Israel) to give witness to each divine attribute. As a result, for this complete great testimony, 12 tribes are required, and the perfect magnification of that number is 144,000.
Now that the foundation of the revelation has been laid out in this way, we will go on in the opening of the seventh seal to see in full clarity the fullness of the revelation of Yehoshua the Messiah of Israel.
In order that the readers and hearers of this revelation take what has here been revealed to heart, so that they might be truly be counted among the servants of God and go on to hear, with Yochanan, what the seven thunders say, one of the elders steps up to address Yochanan (John).]
Then one of the elders addressed me, saying,
“Who are these clothed in white robes, and from where have they come?”
[Yochanan is addressed in this way because it is time that the servants of God, those to whom this revelation was sent, were beginning to understand it's concealed as well as its revealed meaning.]
I said to him, “Sir, you know.”
[Yochanan responds in this way because, even if he is beginning to understand, he knows that the revelation comes from above and the authority of its interpretation must come from above.]
And he said to me, “These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
[All who keep their faith into the end and do not deny the name of the Lamb and his testimony to the name of the One who sits upon the throne are represented here. Specifically, according to the words that the Mashiach of Israel spoke to those in his gathering at Philadelphia, (Revelation 3), they are represented by the martyrs who come out of a great tribulation, "that will try all the earth" at a certain time at the end of history.]
“Therefore [because they are faithful martyrs] they are before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence [from all efforts of the prosecutor to prosecute them for any of their sins].
They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat.
For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, [he will guide them through the great tribulation because through their faith they already stand with him, protected by his shed blood] before the throne [of the One whose wrath has been poured out, as in the day of the Passover lamb,] and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”
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*Footnote on the four winds
How could it be possible for the four angels of the four winds to literally stop all the winds on the earth? Since winds are created by the relationship of high pressure points and low pressure points in the atmosphere it would seem that it would be necessary for the angels to be able to somehow average the highs and lows of pressure in the atmosphere. Is this something that could even be atmospherically possible? Hurricanes and hurricane winds are the classical example of high and low pressure differences.
We see a threat of more and greater hurricanes coming with global warming. Is it possible that global warming could reach a stage where the opposite effect occurred? Instead of stirring up the atmosphere, could a truly greenhouse effect occur that averaged out temperatures and pressures at a higher level to such an extent that winds more or less ceased? Or some could some scientific/technological experimental attempt to control global warming by seeding the atmosphere with some chemical or other backfire and produce this result?
We don't really need the answers to these questions. It is enough to look at the carbon dioxide levels in our present atmosphere, arising from changes from the time of the Industrial Revolution until now, to realize that it is possible for our atmosphere to be either over-balanced or imbalanced in a way that could "suffocate" all life on the planet. By the use of the word, "suffocate", I do not simply mean literally asphyxiate, "deprive of oxygen, or destroy the oxygen/CO2 ratio. I intend to use the word, "suffocate" in a more general, symbolically generic way to mean "death by choking out the life of the earth," in one way or another.
Sunday, December 11, 2016
Friday, December 2, 2016
Revelation 6 with interpretive notes
Then I saw the [one who appeared as a] Lamb [who had been slain] open the first of the seven seals [and begin to unroll the scroll. All seven seals refer to authority being granted in the revelation. We will see that the first four seals refer to authority, first to govern all judgments concerning the end of history in the earth, second, we will see that these take place specifically in the areas of social relations, livelihood and of the cutting short of life.]
[Immediately] I heard one of the four living creatures command with a voice like thunder, [the first of a series of seven recorded thunders], "Go!"
Then I looked [in a different direction], and there was a white horse [with a rider upon it]! Its rider had a bow, and a victor's crown had been given to him. He went out as a conqueror [having already conquered, ruling, therefore, and waging war with authority] to conquer [what remained to be conquered. This seal is the authority to govern all judgments in the earth.]
Then the lamb opened the second seal. [When he had broken the second seal and rolled out the second section of the scroll], I heard the second living creature [being understood to have the same voice of thunder as the first living creature, (without it needing to be stated) this being the second (here implicitly) recorded thunder in the series], command, "Go!"
And [in response to the command] a second horse went out. It was fiery red, and its rider was given permission to take [social] peace away from the earth [removing the basis of law and order], so that people began to slaughter one another [citizen against citizen, neighbour against neighbour]. So he [the rider on the red horse] was given a large sword [to provoke universal conflict and violence within society. This seal is the authority to govern all specific judgments upon human relations.]
Then he [the Lamb] opened the third seal [and unrolled the third section of the scroll]. I heard then the third beast [again, with a voice of thunder, — the third (implicitly) recorded thunder], command, "Go!"
[Right away] I saw a black horse; it had a rider who had a pair of balances in his hand. I heard a [still thunderous] voice coming from the midst of the four beasts saying, "A [standard] measure of wheat for one cent, and three [standard] measures of barley for one cent; [resulting in most producers being unable to earn a living from their produce], but see that you do not hurt the [price of] oil or wine". [This seal is the authority over all specific judgments in the realm of human livelihood. It is a measured authority, which will be seen to be for the sake of the servants of God.]
When the lamb opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, "Go!"
[Again, immediate following the thunderous command], I looked, and [this time] there was a pale green horse! [Yochanan: It was made known to me that] its rider's name was Death, and Hades [always] followed him. They were given authority over one-fourth of the earth to kill people using wars, famines, plagues, and wild animals [or other natural disasters].
[This seal is the authority over judgments that involve unnaturally cutting human lives short, before repentance has opportunity to be complete. A special measure of this authority must be granted in the time of the great tribulation, but this authority is so great that it has to be precisely measured to allow for the possibility of its being limited, lest no flesh should be saved.
The fourth authority (of the pale horse) was the authority to bring history to an end and therefore had to be a restrained authority, which will prove to be for the sake of God's choice to be gracious to the seed of Abraham. Accordingly, a new form of vision, (not the militant form of horses with riders being sent out), will be seen to be appropriate to represent the opening of the remaining seals and the authority which comes with them.]
[Now then, in a new order of vision we find]: When the Lamb opened the fifth seal,
I saw the [Temple] altar [in heaven]. And [it appeared that there were many] souls under the altar, [because their souls had been accepted as sacrifices in association with the Lamb who was slain, as will be seen. Yochanan: It was made known to me that these were the souls] of those who had been slain for the sake of the word of God and on account of the testimony they had given, [and as soon as I was made to know this]: They [this multitude of souls] cried out in a loud [thunderous] voice,
"Holy and true Sovereign, how long will it be before you judge and make our shed blood the reason for justice to all those living upon the earth?"
[Like in the opening of the first four seals, the opening of the fifth is accompanied with a great loud voice. Here it is the voices of the multitude of souls beneath the altar heard as one loud voice. Again, it is not stated explicitly here that this voice sounds like thunder, but this is understood, as this loud and thunderous voice immediately follows the opening of the seal, as did the thunderous voices of the four living creatures.]
Each of the souls [among the multitude of souls] under the altar was given a white robe, [to signify that their prayers have been heard in the cause of the justification of life, the cause of the Lamb].
They were told to rest a little longer until the number of their fellow servants, their [spiritual] siblings, was completed. For there were still those who would be martyred just as these souls had been.
[For the day and the hour of the appearing of Israel’s Redeemer is known only by the Father, in order that it may be known by all that when eternal justice and mercy are revealed together in the world through Israel’s final redemption it will be due to the judgment of the Father that justice should be revealed in this way. Reference is being made here to Revelation 10:7, as will be seen.
The prayer of the souls under the altar, like that of their Master, the Lamb who was slain, is not that the world should be condemned but that it should be saved, that their blood should be a cause for justice being revealed, but revealed in the form of mercy instead of in the form of eternal condemnation. The authority of the fifth seal is the authority granted to God’s martyrs, (that each of their lives should be heard as prayers), prayers that call upon the attribute of God's sovereignty, for God to transform through His sovereignty the pure wrath of His vengeance upon the world into an act of His sovereign grace toward the world. This authority grants that strict justice and the utter annihilation of the earth would be delayed for the sake of these prayers, in order that strict justice might be mitigated with mercy, (therefore the souls cry, “How long?”). This authority, therefore, grants that this mercy, resulting in the delay of the end of history and ultimately salvation, when it comes, might be understood to have come in answer to the prayers of, and for the sake of, the chosen people of God, here represented by God’s martyrs.
The authority of the sixth seal, (which follows), will be seen to be the authority to set the judgment of strict justice into motion. The authority of the seventh seal will be seen, then, to be like unto this authority of the firth seal. (For the whole of the revelation deals with the tension between justice and mercy and how strict justice is mitigated in the world through mercy for the sake of the Lamb and the chosen people). Explicitly then, the authority of the seventh seal will be seen to be the authority to set into motion the judgments and actions that bring about the revelation of the mystery of the grace of God in and through the complete and final redemption of the chosen people of God.
The authority of the sixth seal, which will now immediately be opened, is, then, the authority to set into motion the acts of strict justice, the acts of God’s wrath. This strict justice, expressed as wrath, will be said not only to be the wrath of the One who sits upon the throne but also the wrath of the Lamb. That is because mercy cannot be shown except where strict justice is first shown, as it is only the mitigation of strict justice. Where strict justice can be a force that results in death and destruction, mercy is a force that can transform death and destruction into life and creation, but only where mercy is able to justify life. Therefore no one was found worthy to open the seals of this scroll containing the secret of God’s grace and mercy toward the world deserving His wrath except the Lamb who was slain. For he alone was able to justify life for the world.
And in the opening of the fifth seal and in the opening of the seventh seal, set in tension within the opening of the sixth seal, it is revealed that at the heart of his justification of life for the world, that enables the Lamb to open the seals, is his giving power to his witnesses, through the testimony of their prayers and confessions and holy works, to have, together with him, the justification of life attributed to them. All of this will be made clear in the events which follow the opening of the seventh seal.
The opening of the sixth seal, which is the authority to initiate the acts of strict justice, will also be seen to be authority to end all delay to the end of history. The authority to allow for the possibility of delay to the end of history, (which allows for the possibility of mercy), was given under the opening of the fourth seal. The authority that is able to bring about that actual delay and call upon God’s sovereignty to transform strict justice into mercy was granted just now under the opening of the fifth seal. But mercy is an act of God’s sovereign grace and must be revealed to be so upon the basis of strict justice, as said above. Therefore, the opening of the sixth seal will begin with the authority of strict justice to destroy the world. It will then grant the authority to reveal how the sovereignty of God justifies transforming strict justice into mercy.]
Then I saw the lamb open the sixth seal. There was a powerful earthquake. The sun [appeared] clothed [as a mourner] in black mohair sackcloth, turning the full moon as red as blood. [Day was as dark as night and night was as dark as death.]
Stars began to fall from the black sky to the earth like a fig tree drops its fruit when it is shaken by a strong wind.
Then the sky itself vanished like a scroll being rolled up, [as if the prophecies that the present heavens would pass away were about to be fulfilled] and every mountain and continent was moved from its place [as if the whole earth was about to be remade].
Then the kings of the earth, the important people, the generals, the rich, the powerful, as well as common workers and all common citizens [tried to flee the cities] and conceal themselves in underground shelters and among the rocks in the mountains.
[There were multitudes who could not get into underground chambers.] They told the mountains and rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the face of the One who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb.
For the great day of their wrath is come, and who [on earth] is able to face it? Who will survive it? Who would not rather die immediately than live to see the terrors of such wrath?"
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Monday, November 28, 2016
Revelation 5 with interpretive notes
Verse 1
And I saw that in the right hand of the One sitting upon the throne there was a scroll written on the inside and on the outside. The scroll was sealed [at its top, at seven places] with seven seals [so that it could only be unscrolled from one seal to the next, one place to the next, as the seals were broken one by one].
[Notes for verse 1: As will be seen, it is a key to understanding the Book of The Revelation of Yehoshua HaMashiach to recognize that the seven seals are not all in a line on the side of the scroll but are placed at the top of the scroll, sealing off different sections of the scroll. As Yochanan (John) sees the Lamb break the seals one by one, he sees the scroll being unrolled until it is stopped at the next seal. Recognizing this will lead us to understand the great significance of this scroll being "written on the inside and on the outside". It will also be the key to understanding the sequential nature and timing of the Revelation, which is marked by the shofar (trumpet) blasts.]
And I saw that in the right hand of the One sitting upon the throne there was a scroll written on the inside and on the outside. The scroll was sealed [at its top, at seven places] with seven seals [so that it could only be unscrolled from one seal to the next, one place to the next, as the seals were broken one by one].
[Notes for verse 1: As will be seen, it is a key to understanding the Book of The Revelation of Yehoshua HaMashiach to recognize that the seven seals are not all in a line on the side of the scroll but are placed at the top of the scroll, sealing off different sections of the scroll. As Yochanan (John) sees the Lamb break the seals one by one, he sees the scroll being unrolled until it is stopped at the next seal. Recognizing this will lead us to understand the great significance of this scroll being "written on the inside and on the outside". It will also be the key to understanding the sequential nature and timing of the Revelation, which is marked by the shofar (trumpet) blasts.]
Verse 2
A very mighty angel then appeared asking [all creation] with a great voice, "Who is worthy to remove these seals and unroll the scroll?
A very mighty angel then appeared asking [all creation] with a great voice, "Who is worthy to remove these seals and unroll the scroll?
[Notes for verse 2: A very might angel then appeared. With a great voice he asked, "Who is worthy...?" This great angel is described in chapter 10, and is the angel by whom Yehoshua has sent the whole of the Revelation to Yochanan, his servant. The very great voice of the angel and the content of his question make it seem that he can be heard asking this question throughout all of creation.
This scroll, which is about to be opened, will contain all the Revelation from this point forward. In the end, it will be seen that the contents of this scroll carries the whole book of the Revelation, the way that the core contents of a book carries the books covers as well as the title page, contents page, forward, preface, etc. Once the seals of this scroll are, one by one, removed the Revelation of the Messiah of Israel to Jerusalem, to Israel, to all his own, and finally to all nations, begins. The Revelation of the Messiah of Israel from the place he is now concealed in heaven brings with it the eternal Revelation of the One True God and of His Name.]
Verse 3
No one in heaven nor on earth, nor in the underworld, was found who could open the scroll or reveal it contents.
No one in heaven nor on earth, nor in the underworld, was found who could open the scroll or reveal it contents.
Verse 4
And my tears came and my loud weeping, because no one was found who could open the scroll or reveal what was written within it.
And my tears came and my loud weeping, because no one was found who could open the scroll or reveal what was written within it.
My days are a lengthening shadow...
Concerning the literal meaning of this poetic expression, Rashi explains,
At eventide, when the shadows lengthen, and when it becomes dark, they are not recognizable, but progressively disappear.In the experience of his vision Yochanan is experiencing the true end of days. In the end of days there seems to be no end… Out of this agony from the seeming disappearance of the days of Mashiach through his long concealment, like a shadow fading into the evening darkness, even Yochanan cries when it seems no one can be found to open the seals of the Scroll of the Revelation…
Verse 5
Then one of the [twenty four] elders said to me, "Do not continue weeping! For look now and see! The Lion of Judah, [as prophesied by Jacob] the one who is the Root of David, has overcome [sin and death and has endured the great trial of faith], so that he can unroll the scroll, removing [each of] the seven seals [removing each one, one at a time as the unrolling of the scroll takes place.
(Continuing Notes for verse 5:) Why he is called the Root of David and the Lion of Judah will be revealed in the volume of the Scroll of the Revelation itself, just as will the mystery of his concealment and revelation which he unseals.]
Then one of the [twenty four] elders said to me, "Do not continue weeping! For look now and see! The Lion of Judah, [as prophesied by Jacob] the one who is the Root of David, has overcome [sin and death and has endured the great trial of faith], so that he can unroll the scroll, removing [each of] the seven seals [removing each one, one at a time as the unrolling of the scroll takes place.
(Continuing Notes for verse 5:) Why he is called the Root of David and the Lion of Judah will be revealed in the volume of the Scroll of the Revelation itself, just as will the mystery of his concealment and revelation which he unseals.]
Verse 6
[Immediately] then [in the very place where I had seen the seven burning torches] in front of the throne among the four living creatures and the elders I saw a Lamb standing, looking like it had been slain, [and in the place of the seven torches] with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth.
[Notes for verse 6: Because the Lamb is seen standing before the throne, in the very place where the seven spirits of God in the form of a menorah has been standing, it is understood that the seven spirits of God have now taken a new form, the form of the seven horns and seven eyes of the Lamb. Why seven horns? Although he is a Lamb having the wounds of one having been slaughtered, he is alive and his power has been magnified sevenfold.
Just as the Shechinah, the Divine Spirit and Presence of Hashem was magnified seven fold in the Exodus, in leading Israel out of Egypt, so now it is also, being incarnate in the Lamb. And the Divine Presence is shown working through the power of the Lamb, symbolized by his seven horns.
The horns of the male sheep are not among the most fearsome of horns but their power is like the power of battering rams. It is as such that they are the foundation of the greatest among horns, the shofar. It is in the symbolism of the shofar that these seven horns, though they are of a lamb, contain the greatest power, that of the seven spirits of God. It is the seven trumpets of judgment of the seven spirits of God, which are to come, that these seven horns represent. There will be Seven Thunders of the deepest revelation to inform Yochanan concerning the truth of the seven spirits of God. When we hear the seven blasts of those seven trumpets in the visions of the Revelation, therefore, we are to remember that within their sound are the seven spirits of God and that the consequence of each blast is the Revelation being watched by the seven eyes of the Lamb.]
[Immediately] then [in the very place where I had seen the seven burning torches] in front of the throne among the four living creatures and the elders I saw a Lamb standing, looking like it had been slain, [and in the place of the seven torches] with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth.
[Notes for verse 6: Because the Lamb is seen standing before the throne, in the very place where the seven spirits of God in the form of a menorah has been standing, it is understood that the seven spirits of God have now taken a new form, the form of the seven horns and seven eyes of the Lamb. Why seven horns? Although he is a Lamb having the wounds of one having been slaughtered, he is alive and his power has been magnified sevenfold.
Just as the Shechinah, the Divine Spirit and Presence of Hashem was magnified seven fold in the Exodus, in leading Israel out of Egypt, so now it is also, being incarnate in the Lamb. And the Divine Presence is shown working through the power of the Lamb, symbolized by his seven horns.
The horns of the male sheep are not among the most fearsome of horns but their power is like the power of battering rams. It is as such that they are the foundation of the greatest among horns, the shofar. It is in the symbolism of the shofar that these seven horns, though they are of a lamb, contain the greatest power, that of the seven spirits of God. It is the seven trumpets of judgment of the seven spirits of God, which are to come, that these seven horns represent. There will be Seven Thunders of the deepest revelation to inform Yochanan concerning the truth of the seven spirits of God. When we hear the seven blasts of those seven trumpets in the visions of the Revelation, therefore, we are to remember that within their sound are the seven spirits of God and that the consequence of each blast is the Revelation being watched by the seven eyes of the Lamb.]
Verse 7
And he went and received the scroll from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne.
[Notes for verse 7: The Lamb who is the Lion of Judah, the Root of David, who was found worthy t open the seals received the scroll from The One who had always held it. As Yehoshua made known to Yochanan/John, the Revelation was given to him, Yehoshua HaMashiach (Jesus Christ) by God, Rev. 1:1.
And he went and received the scroll from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne.
[Notes for verse 7: The Lamb who is the Lion of Judah, the Root of David, who was found worthy t open the seals received the scroll from The One who had always held it. As Yehoshua made known to Yochanan/John, the Revelation was given to him, Yehoshua HaMashiach (Jesus Christ) by God, Rev. 1:1.
Verse 8
When he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each of them held a harp, and a golden censer full of incense, which is [representative of] the prayers of the holy believers.
[Notes for verse 8: In the volume of the Revelation we will learn much more about the Four Living Creatures and about the Twenty-four Elders. For now we can observe that as King David held a harp and composed songs of confession, praise and revelation in the word of God, so the twenty-four elders each hold a harp. As Aaron held a golden censer and entered into the service of Hashem to provide atonement for Israel at the command of Hashem, so the twenty-four elders each hold a censer, to give life to the prayers of all holy believers in the presence of the One who sits upon the throne in the Temple in heaven.
These Twenty-four Elders of Israel have waited from the beginning, through all times and ages of prophecy for this very hour of the unsealing of the Revelation of their Mashiach. As the circle of the greatest elders, they have overseen all.]
When he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each of them held a harp, and a golden censer full of incense, which is [representative of] the prayers of the holy believers.
[Notes for verse 8: In the volume of the Revelation we will learn much more about the Four Living Creatures and about the Twenty-four Elders. For now we can observe that as King David held a harp and composed songs of confession, praise and revelation in the word of God, so the twenty-four elders each hold a harp. As Aaron held a golden censer and entered into the service of Hashem to provide atonement for Israel at the command of Hashem, so the twenty-four elders each hold a censer, to give life to the prayers of all holy believers in the presence of the One who sits upon the throne in the Temple in heaven.
These Twenty-four Elders of Israel have waited from the beginning, through all times and ages of prophecy for this very hour of the unsealing of the Revelation of their Mashiach. As the circle of the greatest elders, they have overseen all.]
Verse 9
And [now] they [the elders] composed a new song [to the Lamb], and sang, "Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed us for God [Israel, and all who are incorporated into Israel] out of [Egypt at the first, and now out of] every tribe and language and people and nation,
Verse 10
and you have made them [whom you have redeemed] a kingdom and priests to our God, and they [who are yours] shall reign [with you] on the earth."
[Notes for verses 9-10: The song of the elders is one of a number of songs sung in heaven celebrating the Revelation of him who is revealed. This song shows that the Good News and the Revelation are one and the same.]
And [now] they [the elders] composed a new song [to the Lamb], and sang, "Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed us for God [Israel, and all who are incorporated into Israel] out of [Egypt at the first, and now out of] every tribe and language and people and nation,
Verse 10
and you have made them [whom you have redeemed] a kingdom and priests to our God, and they [who are yours] shall reign [with you] on the earth."
[Notes for verses 9-10: The song of the elders is one of a number of songs sung in heaven celebrating the Revelation of him who is revealed. This song shows that the Good News and the Revelation are one and the same.]
Verse 11
Then I became aware that around the throne and the living creatures and the elders there were many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands,
Verse 12a
and I heard them saying [all together as] with a [single, immensely] loud voice,
[Notes for verses 11-12a: Until now, the angels have kept themselves in the background to the Lamb, the elders and the four living angelic creatures, and the One seated upon the throne. Now they form one voice to exclaim their agreement with the song of the Twenty-four Elders of Israel.]
Then I became aware that around the throne and the living creatures and the elders there were many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands,
Verse 12a
and I heard them saying [all together as] with a [single, immensely] loud voice,
[Notes for verses 11-12a: Until now, the angels have kept themselves in the background to the Lamb, the elders and the four living angelic creatures, and the One seated upon the throne. Now they form one voice to exclaim their agreement with the song of the Twenty-four Elders of Israel.]
Verse 12b
"Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to exercise power and bestow abundant blessing and wisdom and ability [while receiving all] honor and glory and reverential adoration!
"Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to exercise power and bestow abundant blessing and wisdom and ability [while receiving all] honor and glory and reverential adoration!
Verse 13
[And to the song of the elders and the chorus of the angels,] I heard every creature in heaven, on earth, under the earth, and in the sea, everything that is in them all, responding, "May [all] praise, honor, glory, and power be acknowledged to belong to the One who sits on the throne and to the Lamb forever and ever!"
[And to the song of the elders and the chorus of the angels,] I heard every creature in heaven, on earth, under the earth, and in the sea, everything that is in them all, responding, "May [all] praise, honor, glory, and power be acknowledged to belong to the One who sits on the throne and to the Lamb forever and ever!"
Verse 14
Then the four living creatures said, "Amen!", and the elders bowed down in worship.
Then the four living creatures said, "Amen!", and the elders bowed down in worship.
[Notes for verse 14: Listening to all, the Four Living Creatures close this great universal chorus of Song and Prayer by saying, "Amen"; the Twenty-four Elders of Israel bow down in awe and silence.]
Summary:
[The New Song composed by the twenty-four elders opens up the vision of Yochanan, and ourselves with him, to see beyond and through the moment when the Lamb takes the Scroll of The Judgment of the Nations out of the hand of the One who sits upon the thrown. With Yochanan we are transported through the news of the New Song beyond place and time, to the very end of the Revelation when all the angels of heaven and all the living creatures on the earth and under the earth and in the sea, every living creature in creation, is filled with the knowledge of the grace and beauty and worthiness with which God has imbued the Lamb and with love for the Lamb. It is from this place beyond place and time beyond time that God gives to Yehoshua this Revelation which (from our perspective) opens in chapter one with a vision of his glory. We will come there, to that place and time where we are found, again when we reach the final chapter of this book.]
This page was updated on September 10, 2007
Friday, November 25, 2016
Revelation 4 with interpretive notes
TABLE OF CONTENTS for this study
This page was last updated September 10, 2017
Verses 1-4
After I saw and heard these things, I saw a door open into heaven. The same voice I had heard speaking to me before like a trumpet [as in the first chapter of the book] said, Come up here! I will show you the things that must take place afterwards.
[Comments for verses 1-4: The revelation of Yehoshua HaMashiach (Jesus Christ), which will come and is come already in measure through the Holy Spirit and through the visions of this Book and in all the Scriptures, actually begins with the unsealing of the great scroll received by the Lamb, as recorded in chapter five. When the great trumpet voice says to Yochanan (John) that he will show him the things that must take place "afterwards", the meaning of "afterwards" here is in reference to Yochanan's personal experience. In reference to the Revelation itself as it is unfolded in heaven it is Yochanan's appearance before the One seated upon the Throne, as recorded next, which sets the stage for the beginning of the Revelation.
Since the time of Mashiach's/Christ's ascension into heaven he has been concealed from Israel and from the whole earth. This book is about that concealment coming to an end — how that is to happen, why there is a concealment and why there is a revelation. The actual Revelation will begin with the Lamb opening the Scroll of The Revelation. After the Revelation is given completely in the form of visions to Yochanan, it is then taken into time in the Spirit and given to Yochanan, "on the Lord's Day, as recorded in chapter one. Receiving then the whole of the Revelation, Yochanan writes down all that he experienced in the Great Revelation vision.
[Comments for verses 1-4: The revelation of Yehoshua HaMashiach (Jesus Christ), which will come and is come already in measure through the Holy Spirit and through the visions of this Book and in all the Scriptures, actually begins with the unsealing of the great scroll received by the Lamb, as recorded in chapter five. When the great trumpet voice says to Yochanan (John) that he will show him the things that must take place "afterwards", the meaning of "afterwards" here is in reference to Yochanan's personal experience. In reference to the Revelation itself as it is unfolded in heaven it is Yochanan's appearance before the One seated upon the Throne, as recorded next, which sets the stage for the beginning of the Revelation.
Since the time of Mashiach's/Christ's ascension into heaven he has been concealed from Israel and from the whole earth. This book is about that concealment coming to an end — how that is to happen, why there is a concealment and why there is a revelation. The actual Revelation will begin with the Lamb opening the Scroll of The Revelation. After the Revelation is given completely in the form of visions to Yochanan, it is then taken into time in the Spirit and given to Yochanan, "on the Lord's Day, as recorded in chapter one. Receiving then the whole of the Revelation, Yochanan writes down all that he experienced in the Great Revelation vision.
Instantly I was in the Spirit, and I saw [a vision of the] One seated on a throne in heaven. The appearance of the One sitting on the throne was like jasper and carnelian stone, while an emerald rainbow circled the throne. Around the throne [of heaven] were twenty four thrones. Twenty four elders sat upon the twenty four thrones, wearing white robes and golden crowns of victory.
[Comments for verses 1-4 continued: While on earth Yochanan's experience began with the vision of the glorified Mashiach/Christ. In heaven his experience began with the vision of the One seated upon the Throne. Yochanan knows himself to be caught up in a vision of the One Upon The Throne, like Ezekiel and Isaiah and other prophets were, and records his experience in dialogue with their experiences as recorded in the Scriptures.
We must begin, then, by understanding that the vision of the One seated upon the throne is a vision received from the beginning among the prophets of Israel. It was seen by all the children of Israel on Mount Sinai. Knowledge of it has been received through the generations in Israel as the tradition of what is called the vision of the Chariot. A most remarkable difference between wha tYochanan experiences here and what is recorded as having been experienced before in visions of the chariot is that the twenty four elders appear here and that there is much action and dialogue that takes place between all present in the vision.
We must begin, then, by understanding that the vision of the One seated upon the throne is a vision received from the beginning among the prophets of Israel. It was seen by all the children of Israel on Mount Sinai. Knowledge of it has been received through the generations in Israel as the tradition of what is called the vision of the Chariot. A most remarkable difference between wha tYochanan experiences here and what is recorded as having been experienced before in visions of the chariot is that the twenty four elders appear here and that there is much action and dialogue that takes place between all present in the vision.
That there are to be twenty four elders seated upon thrones around the Chariot is a revelation that is given for the first time here in the Book of the Revelation of Yehoshua HaMashiach (Jesus Christ), as prophesied in Psalms 107:32. Like the Tabernacle moved from place to place, the Chariot was before seen to move from place to place; now with the Revelation of Yehoshua HaMashiach it is seen in a vision to have come to rest in one place. It is as if the Temple in Heaven is built in one place by the Throne coming to rest in one place. This is shown at this beginning point in the book of the revelation of Yehoshua HaMashiach, in order that it might be seen that the thrones of the twenty four elders are set up and established around the throne of the One Who Is Above All for the purpose of the twenty four elders of Israel being witnesses to, (from their rightful place), the immediate revelation of the Mashiach and his full redemption of Israel.
"As I looked, thrones were set in place, and the Ancient of Days took his seat. His clothing was as white as snow; the hair of his head was white like wool. His throne was flaming with fire, and its wheels were all ablaze." Daniel 7:9
[To clarify what has been said: In the first chapter of the Book of the Revelation of Yehoshua HaMashiach we are told that God gave the Revelation to him to give to his servants. It is to be understood that God gave it to him in a place outside of time. It is a supernatural place "after which" all that is written in the revelation is complete and "before" the eternal judgment of the world. From that supernatural place outside of time Yehoshua sends this revelation by his angel to Yochanan (John) in time. It is at the point of, and by the action of, the Revelation being given to Yehoshua and from Yehoshua to Yochanan that the twenty four thrones of the elders are set up. Just as Yochanan (John), and we through him, are the audience to the visions of this Revelation, so the twenty four elders are seen to be set up upon their thrones to form a part of the audience of the visions of this revelation, to be its lead witnesses. These things are signified to us by fact that the twenty four elders are said to (already) be "wearing white robes and golden crowns of victory."
That the twenty four elders are the twenty four elders of Israel is itself an aspect of this revelation. Their number corresponds to the twelve tribes of Israel. It corresponds to the number of the tribes of Israel in a manner which is doubled for reasons we will understand later. At this point we can find a clue as to who these twenty four elders are by recognizing that Yochanan's vantage point in seeing all the visions would seem to be from the distance of the circle of the thrones of the twenty four elders itself. Although we are not told explicitly that this is the case, we could easily imagine that Yochanan himself is seeing all that he sees while sitting in, or rising from, one of the twenty four thrones.]
Verses 5-6a
Flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder came from the throne. Directly in front of the throne were seven blazing torches [as in a seven branched menorah] these [lights] were the seven spirits of God [the sevenfold Spirit of God]. Approaching the throne was something like a sea of glass, like clear crystal.
[Comments for verses 5-6a: All that has come and that will come as the visions of this Revelation come from the throne and come in the form of revelations of lightning and thunder. At a distance it is a strike of lightning which creates the thunder. But as the storm of judgment approaches it is the reverse. First thunder comes as a warning. Then lightning strikes home. And then the final thunder comes to announce what has been done.
The Spirit of God is one with a sevenfold manifestation, as when the Shechinah, the form of the Spirit of God as accompanying and dwelling with All Israel, had a sevenfold manifestation as seven pillars of cloud by day and seven pillars of fire by night. Four pillars of the Divine Presence accompanied the tribes of Israel by surrounding them on the East, South, West and North. One pillar of the Divine Presence travelled beneath their feet, one above them, and one in front of them leading their way. As this was done on earth, the seven spirits of God in the sevenfold menorah stood before the One who sat upon the throne in the Temple of heaven. Likewise, it was always so, and is, that, while being present in heaven before the throne, the Divine Presence accompanies Israel on the earth, in the Land of Israel and in exile, though it is not always made so visibly to those who dwell upon the earth.
The sea of glass, like crystal, has reference to the firmament that separated the upper waters from the lower, the heavens from the earth. That divide will be overcome when God reigns upon the earth as he reigns in heaven. This comes with the final Revelation of Israel's Messiah. There is much to be said about the sea of glass, the apparent waters, like clear crystal, approaching the throne. In this approach to the throne is the mystery and secret of the relationship of faith and knowledge, and we must return to this later.]
Verses 6b-11
Adjacent to the the throne in each direction there were[being made as one] four living creatures, all of them having eyes in front and behind. Of the four living creatures, one was like a lion, another like an ox. A third had a face like that of Adam. And the fourth had the head of an eagle [appearing] as though it were in flight. Each of the four living creatures had six wings [making them able to move and carry the throne in every direction, as well as to cover themselves before the throne when still] and [together and individually they] possessed eyes to see in every direction. Day and night [the four living creatures, speaking in the Holy Tongue, they] never cease to say, “Kadosh, kadosh, kadosh Adonai Elohei-Tzva’ot, asher haya v’hoveh v’yavo!" [which translated is, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God of Hosts, who was and who is and who is to come!”
About the Four Living Creatures there is much more to be said and known in the Revelation of Mashiach and for his sake. We must also return to this later.]
About the Four Living Creatures there is much more to be said and known in the Revelation of Mashiach and for his sake. We must also return to this later.]
At those times when the living creatures give glory, honor, and thanks to the One who sits upon the throne, who lives forever and ever, the twenty four elders bow down and worship the One who lives forever and ever.
[The relationship between the Four Living Creatures and the Twenty-Four Elders of Israel will be seen to be a relationship that is entwined in every way.]
They throw their crowns of victory down in front of the throne and say, "You are worthy, our Lord and God, to [be the One recognized to] have[the] glory, honor, and power,[by those who experience salvation]because you created all things; they came into existence and were created because of your will."
[Summary of some points for 6b-11: Preliminary concerning The Four Living Creatures: as said, there is to be much revealed concerning the role of the Four Living Creatures in the revelation of the Mashiach of Israel. The nature of the four creatures represents their attributes, and those attributes are essential attributes through which the One who sits upon the throne rules the world and reveals His Mashiach, first to Israel, then also to the world — in order to bring His throne to rest in the heavens in one place.
Also as I have said, through consideration of the actions of these angelic creatures, and consideration of their relationship with the twenty-four elders, as given in this book, there is much that is meant to be revealed to us. This will come out in the chapters to come. The importance of this point is emphasized here by the statement that it is when the Four Living Creatures bring forth their praise of the One upon the throne that the twenty four elders of Israel follow their lead to offer their praise of the One who sits upon the throne. The praise that The Twenty-four Elders give here is the praise that embodies corporate repentance for Adam. For it was Adam's failure to praise the One upon the throne as being worthy of Adam's faith in Him as the Creator of all things that brought the judgment of death upon the world. Only the twenty four elders of Israel have the place, the ability and the authority to make this confession on behalf of corporate Adam.]
This page was last updated September 10,, 2017
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