III. THE FUTURE (“THE THINGS WHICH SHALL BE HEREAFTER"), PART
2a--6:1-19:21
B. The Great Tribulation, First Half--6:1-8:1
1..General introduction
a. The concern of
this introduction
(I)
Not concerned here with the difference between pre-tribulation, mid-tribulation
and post-tribulation views,
though those differences will be
touched upon
(A) This writer takes the pre-tribulation view-point as being
Scriptural.
(1) Major premise is the literal method of
interpretation.
(2) Thus a dispensational interpretation is
paramount.
(3) The church and Israel are two distinct
groups.
(a) The church is a mystery
unrevealed in the Old Testament.
(b) The church intervenes
within the program of God for Israel because of Israel's rejection
of
Messiah.
(c) NOTE: This is no
way suggests the church would not have been if Israel had received
Jesus as
Messiah.
(d) The church age must be
completed before the resumption of God's program for Israel.
(B) Both the Post-tribulation and Mid-tribulation views deny
in whole or in part this approach and rest
their system on the uncertain allegorical method
of interpretation.
(II)
The chief concern of this introduction is to consider in brief the
doctrine of the tribulation.
b. The terms "Day
of the Lord " and "Day of Christ"
(I)
The Day of Christ
(A) Occurs
(1) 1 Corinthians 1:8
(2) 1 Corinthians 5:5
(3) 2 Corinthians 1:14
(4) Philippians 1:6, 10
(5) Philippians 2:16
(B) Used in reference to the church
(1) Her translation
(2) Her glorification
(3) Her examination for reward
(II)
The Day of the Lord
(A) Covers the period from the beginning of the Great
Tribulation and ends with the fiery judgment before
the beginning of the new heavens and the
new earth
(B) Many passages in both testaments
(C) It is the time of God's dealings with Israel in judgment.
c. The doctrine of
the tribulation
(I)
The nature of it
(A) A period of wrath
(1) Zephaniah 1:15, 18
(2) 1 Thessalonians 1:10; 5:9
(3) Revelation 6:16, 17;11:18;14:10, 19; 15:1,
7; 16:1, 19
(B) A period of judgment--Revelation 14:7; 15:4; 16:5,
7; 19:2
(C) A period of indignation--Isaiah 26:20, 21; 34:1-3
(D) A period of trial--Revelation 3:10
(E) A period of trouble
(1) Jeremiah 30:7
(2) Zephaniah 1:14, 15
(3) Daniel 12:1
(F) A period of destruction
(1) Joel 1:15
(2) 1 Thessalonians 5:3
(G) A period of darkness
(1) Joel 2:2
(2) Amos 5:18
(3) Zephaniah 1:14-18
(H) A period of desolation
(1) Daniel 9:27
(2) Zephaniah 1:14, 15
(I) A period of overturning--Isaiah 24:1-4, 19-21
(J) A period of punishment--Isaiah 24:20,
21
(II)
The source of the tribulation
(A) Some try to avoid the plain teaching of the great
tribulation by referring this to the Devil's wrath
against Christians for their rejection of
antichrist, instead of adhering to the fact that it is God's
wrath
against Israel for rejection of the Messiah.
(B) Now it is true that Satan will show forth his wrath against
Israel for their turning from the Antichrist to
look for Him Whom they pierced.
(C) Still Scripture is abundant in asserting that the tribulation
is a time of the wrath of God.
(D) Satan and humans may be God's instruments, but it is still
God's wrath.
(III)
The purpose of the tribulation
(A) To prepare the nation Israel for her Messiah
(1) Set forth in the Old Testament repeatedly
(a) Deuteronomy 4:30
(b) Jeremiah 30:7
(c) Ezekiel 20:37
(d) Daniel 12:1
(e) Zechariah 13:8, 9
(2) Set forth by Christ in the Olivet Discourse--cf.
Matthew 24:9-26
(3) Set forth in the Book of Revelation
(B) To pour out judgment on unbelieving men and nations because
of godlessness
(1) Jeremiah 25:32, 33
(2) Isaiah 26:21
(3) 2 Thessalonians 2:12
(IV)
The time of the tribulation
(A) Daniel's prophecy of seventy weeks
(1) The importance of the literal method
interpretation
(a) Practically all interpreters
(except liberal) agree to the literal method of interpreting the first
69
weeks.
(b) If this is the
case, the probability of the seventieth week being literal is quite
certain.
(2) When considering this prophecy one observes
(a) A gap between the 69th
and 70th weeks
(b) It covers the death of
Messiah.
(c) It sets forth the destruction
of Jerusalem.
(d) It allows for the church
age.
(3) Then the sevenieth week comes.
(a) The prince of the
people who destroyed Jerusalem makes a covenant with Israel.
(b) In the midst of that
week he breaks it.
(4) The prophecy has to do with Daniel's people,
the Jews.
(5) A sixfold blessing is to result--Daniel
9:24.
(a) Finish up the
transgressions
(b) Make an end of
sins
(c) Make reconciliation for
iniquity
(d) Bring in everlasting
righteousness
(e) Seal up the vision and
prophecy
(f) Anoint the most holy
(6) The first three have reference to the first
advent of Christ.
(7) The second three have specific reference
to the millennial reign.
(8) Clearly the sevenieth week is preparatory
to this reign.
(B) Thus this sevenieth week corresponds to the great tribulation,
and thus it occurs after the church age
and before the millennial reign.
2. The first half of the
tribulation--6:1-8:1
a. First six seals--6:1-17
(I)
NOTE
(A) The seals in actuality cover the whole tribulation period.
(B) The reason is that the seventh seal contains
(1) The trumpets
(2) The vials (bowls)
(C) In turn the seventh trumpet contains the seven vials.
(D) Therefore, "the three groups have the same terminus--the
coming of Christ to reign," even though they
begin at different times.--Osborn
(E) Diagrammatically
(1) SEALS--1 2 3 4 5 6 (. .) 7 . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Second
(2) TRUMPETS--1 2 3 4 5 6 (. .) 7 . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
(3) VIALS (bowls)--1 2 3 4 5 6 (. .) 7 . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Coming
(II)
Notice that Jesus the Lamb opens the seals in heaven in the midst of the
throne.
(III)
Furthermore, notice the four living beings are connected with the first four
seals.
(A) "Connected with the execution of divine judgment"--Newell,
102
(B) "Full of intelligence of the divine
will"--Ibid.
(IV)
The seals themselves
(A) The first seal--vv. 1, 2
(1) The rider on the white horse
(a) Some say this is Christ.
((I)) Newell
takes this position.
((II))
Reasons
((A)) White horse generally signifies holiness.
((B)) He is given a crown.
((C)) "Conquering and to conquer"--complete victory which can only
be true of Christ.
(b) Others maintain it is
the Antichrist.
((I)) This
view is in accord with Daniel 9:26, 27 when the prince of the Roman
empire makes a
covenant with Israel (Note: Newell ignores this.) at the beginning
of the tribulation.
((II)) He
comes in the guise of holiness, thus the white horse.
((III)) Bow
in hand of rider stands for military leadership and distant warfare
(ignored by
Newell).
((IV)) The
fact he is crowned shows that he exercises rulership, and does not of
itself represent
Christ.
((V)) The
phrase "conquering, and to conquer" could be looking at final victory for
this one and
does not again of itself refer to Jesus Christ.
((VI)) Besides
Jesus is holding the book and breaking the seals.
((VII)) Accords
with Matthew 24:5, 24
((A)) The first sign mentioned by Jesus of this time is "false
Christs."
((B)) Christ does appear on a white horse in chapter 19
((C)) "Here is a false Christ counterfeiting even the white horse."
(Source unknown)
((VIII)) The
career of the antichrist may well appear under the seventh trumpet
as Newell says,
but his appearance is at the beginning of the tribulation.
((A)) His beastly character is not revealed till the middle of the
period.
((B)) Here he appears to be the "angel of light," even the Christ.
(B) The second seal--vv. 3, 4
(1) The Red horse represents war and rumors of
war--cf. Matthew 24:6.
(2) Power to take peace from the earth
(a) A sword is used in
hand-to-hand combat.
(b) May be civil warfare
(3) Osborn--"This warfare may result from
antichrist's attempt to conquer the world or from his
attempt to unite the world
and bring world peace--at any rate, it means war."
(C) The third seal--vv. 5, 6
(1) The black horse speaks of famines--Matthew
24:7.
(2) Famines often follow war.
(3) The balance signifies scarcity.
(4) A voice in the midst of the four living
creatures
(a) One of the creatures?
Hardly, for he would have said so.
(b) God's voice, or that
of the Lamb? Possibly
(c) One of the twenty-four
elders? Hardly , for he would have so stated.
(d) Though uncertain, it
may either be God's voice or that of one of the archangels
(preferred).
(e) The presence of this
voice from the midst adds emphasis to what follows.
(5) A measure of wheat and three measures
of barley for a penny.
(a) The penny
((I))
Denarius
((II)) A day's
wages
(b) The measure here is probably
equivalent to a quart.
(c) Thus, wheat bread would
cost a day's wages.
(d) Three barley loaves would
cost a day's wages
(6) Oil and wine not hurt
(a) These are more costly
and may well be restricted to the rich.
(b) "It seems, that the rich
have their luxuries despite the terrible scarcity among the poor."--Newell,
104 (cf. James
5:1-5)
(c) Some say that modern
methods of agriculture have solved the question of famine, but
yet even
today, many
die of starvation, particularly where wars are existing.
((I)) Some
may say that it is the result of distribution problems.
((II)) This
writer thinks this is nonsense, for not only is the equipment available,
but there is
hardly any part of the world that can't be reached. The
problem is, as always, the sinfulness
of man in either not caring or confiscation of attempts
to relieve such famine.
((III)) Recently
a tsunami devested the far east; many organizations went in for relief
work;
US military personnel were prevented from flying in supplies.
(D) The fourth seal--vv. 7, 8
(1) The pale horse speaks of death--even
his name is "Death."
(2) Hell (Hades) follows him--Hades is the place
of the departed wicked.
(3) The word "pale" means green or
livid.
(4) Pestilences will exist--Matthew 24:7
(5) Plagues and epidemics often follow warfare
and famine.
(6) This one has power (authority) to kill one-fourth
part of the earth.
(a) Sword--while people say
peace
(b) Famine--midst cry of
prosperity and plenty
(c) Pestilence--midst boast
of conquering disease by medical science
(d) Wild animals--midst cries
by hunters of lack of game to pursue
(7) Possibly the Antichrist is represented by
each of these four riders--at least he will take advantage
of the situations depicted
here.
(E) The fifth seal--vv. 9-11
(1) Cf. Matthew 24:9
(2) The souls under the altar
(a) "Slain for the Word of
God and for the testimony which they held" (NOTE: this does not say
they were
slain for the testimony of Jesus Christ--for which John was on the
Isle of Patmos--
cf. Revelation
1:9)
(b) Not the church
((I)) Represented
by the twenty-four elders
((II)) Daniel's
seventh week is the time of Jacob's trouble.
(c) These can only be Jews.
(d) This being the case then
Newell is wrong in saying that they are Old Testament saints from Abel
on.
(e) Which Jews are they?
((I)) Jews
slain during the Great Tribulation proper? (This view has merit, but does
not fit in as
well with Matthew 24).
((II)) In
line with Matthew 24, these may well be Jews who do not go along with the
Antichrist,
and thus are slain for their testimony.
((III)) They
are told to wait, for there will be other Jews who will turn to the Lord
in the last half
of the tribulation.
(f) These are given white
robes--manifested righteousness--and told to rest.
(3) This seal may set forth three things (Newell,
107; italics are his.)
(a) "The patience of
God--'He proceeds slowly and reluctantly from mercy to judgment.'"
(b) "The change in dispensation
evidenced in the character of the prayers of these martyrs for
vengeance."
(c) "The utter wickedness
of the earth which is plainly expected to go on martyring the
full
complement
of God's saints."
(F) The sixth seal--vv. 12-17
(1) The convulsions of nature
(2) Corresponds to Matthew 24:27
(3) Literal or symbolic
(a) "No particular reason
to doubt that these are literal."--Osborn
(b) Newell certainly takes
them literally.
(c) If symbolic
((I))
Earthquake--political, social, and ecclesiastical chaos, that is, "the breaking
down of
authority, breaking up of established institutions." --Osborn
((II)) Sun
darkened--"Source of light eclipsed--rejection of the 'Sun of
Righteousness.'"--
Osborn
((III)) Moon
turned to blood--"Derived light from the sun. When authority of
Light of world is
rejected, all source of government is thrown down, then comes
anarchy and blood-shed."--
Osborn
((IV)) Stars
thrown down
((A)) In first part of Revelation stands church leaders, particularly
pastors
((B)) May represent that "Leaders of apostate churches will leave
all semblance of
Christianity and become leaders of worship of
antichrist."
((V)) Heavens
will depart
((A)) "Ecclesiastical powers of every description" will fail.
"Christendom will be 'rolled up'
as something obsolete."--Osborn.
(4) Fearfulness of mankind
(a) Fearfulness because they
realize that they are being dealt with because of sins.
(b) Try to hid and ask for
death--v. 16
(c) BUT NOTE: NO REPENTANCE
(d) Fear of the wrath
of the Lamb
b. The first
parenthesis--7:1-17
(I)
The 144,000--vv. 1-8
(A) The parentheses
(1) There are three.
(a) First after sixth seal
(b) Second after sixth trumpet
(c) Third after sixth vial,
or bowl
(2) The purpose of these parentheses
(a) To present some vital
fact that is to happen
((I))
Immediately
((II)) Throughout
the period pictured by that which follows
(b) To enlarge upon certain
truths which do not of themselves carry the time period of the
sevenieth
week forward
(3) In no place is the literal method of
interpretation as important as in these parentheses, for departure
from it has lead to all types
of errors of which some will be pointed out as we come to them.
(B) The interval between sixth and seventh seals--vv. 1-3
(1) Has to do with the sealing of the servants
of God
(2) The wind here may well signify the forces
of antichrist being restrained until the sealing is
completed.
(3) Notice the prominent position and activity
of angels.
(a) Revelation 5:2-11
(b) Revelation 8:3-5, 6-11
(c) Revelation 10:7
(d) Revelation 14:18
(e) Revelation 16:5.8
(f) Revelation 19:17
(4) Newell well notes: "These are days of
general skepticism concerning the direct intervention of God
in the physical universe.
Yet a very brief examination of Scripture reveals God's control."
(footnote,110)
(a) Job 1:10
(b) Psalm 104:3
(c) Psalm 148:8
(d) Amos 4:7, 8, 13; 5:8
(e) Matthew 5:45
(5) The holding back here is until the sealing
of these servants of God
(C) The sealed company
(1) As to number
(a) The Scripture says
144,000--12,000 from each tribe.
(b) There is no suggestion
that this is a symbolic number.
(c) Therefore, the numbers
must be taken literally.
(d) True, the number 12.000
is 12 x 10 x 10 x 10, and thus consists of a complete number
representing
election combined with a tripling of another complete number; however,
this is no
indication
that the number is not to be consider literally.
(2) As to who they are
(a) All false ideas are the
result of allegorizing rather than literalizing
(b) The various cults claim
to be the 144,000.
((I)) The
Seventh Day Adventist made this claim. When their number grew to over
twice that
number, then they claimed these were to be their special leaders.
((II)) The
so-called Jehovah Witnesses claimed to be the 144,000. When their
number
exceeded that, then they started to claim that only the overcomers
of their company would
be among them.
((III)) The
Mormons also claimed this sealing.
((IV)) The
British Israelites claim that they are the 144,000.
((V))
Non-dispensationalists and non-literalists try to apply this to the church
in one way or
another, or else they ignore it.
(c) The Scripture plainly
tells us that they are "of all the tribes of the children of
Israel."
((I)) Not
only is this plainly stated
((II)) The
twelve tribes are specified.
((III)) Recall
that "this is the time when God is dealing with Israel."--Osborn
(d) Clearly then the 144,000
are Israelites.
(3) As to the tribes of Israel
(a) 12,000 from each of
the twelve tribes named
((I)) This
is not mere literary repetition.
((II)) Clearly
12,000 persons, not 11,000, not 11,999, nor 12,001, are meant.
((III)) If
the number signify anything besides the precise number, they signify
that God will not
favor one tribe of Israel above another.
(b) Judah is named first.
((I)) The
elect royal tribe from which the Lamb of God comes
((II)) God's
sovereignty not Judah's goodness places him first--cf. Genesis 38.
(c) Reuben
((I)) He is
the first born after the flesh.
((II)) Divine
sovereign choice always comes first, then fleshy position.
(d) Gad and Asher
((I)) Leah's
sons by her handmaid, Zilpah
((II)) The
flesh is not being honored.
(e) Naphtali
((I)) Rachel's
second son by her handmaid, Bilhah.
((II)) Dan,
Rachel's first son by her handmaid, Bilhah, is left out entirely.
((A)) Probably because he was ever a lover of idolatry
((B)) Yet Dan is mentioned first in the dividing of the land
in the millennium.
((1)) Cf. Ezekiel 48:1, 2
((2)) Oh the marvelous grace of God!
((3)) Dan is thus preserved through the great tribulation
though not publicly sealed. Here
is grace indeed!
(f) Manasseh
((I)) The
younger son of Joseph
((II)) Ephraim
is also left out (See (i) below.).
((A)) The proud tribe--Judges 8 and 12
((B)) Ephraim was also very idolatrous.
((C)) Nevertheless he is in the kingdom-- Ezekiel 48:5
(g) Simeon and Levi
((I)) Called
by Jacob "cruel men"--Genesis 49:5-7
((II)) God's
grace remembers them.
(h) Issachar and Zebulum
((I)) Leah's
fifth and sixth sons
((II)) According
to Matthew 4:12-17 light sprang up from Zebulum and Naphtili.
(i) Joseph
((I)) Strange
indeed since Manasseh was mentioned earlier.
((II)) Possibly
Ephraim is here called Joseph.
(j) Benjamin
((I)) Youngest,
and thus the possible reason for being named last.
((II)) The
smallest of the tribes
((III)) Fallen,
the lowest and almost destroyed tribe--Judges19-21
((IV)) Gave
Israel its first King--Saul
((V)) Gave
us the greatest Apostle--Paul (Romans 11:1)
(II)
The great multitude--7:9-17
(A) Notice that the scene shifts to heaven.
(B) This great multitude is in contrast to the 144,000 Jews.
(1) The sealed company is on earth.
(2) The great multitude in heaven before the
throne.
(3) The sealed company is from the nation
Israel.
(4) The great multitude is from all nations kindreds,
people, and tongues.
(C) This great multitude is redeemed for they have white robes.
(D) They ascribed salvation to God
(E) Their identity
(1) After the ascription of praise by the
angels, the twenty-four elders and the four living beings, one
elder asks John who are these
and from whence did they come.
(2) John replies, "Sir, Thou knowest." (This
shows that the elder's question was rhetorical.)
(3) They are not, in spite of what has
already been said and some say, the church.
(a) The church is represented
by the twenty-four elders.
(b) The church reigns by
sitting on thrones with crowns on their heads; these stand before the
throne with
palms in their hands.
(c) Furthermore, the church
is the body of Christ, and is so related to Him.
(d) The elder's reply is
that "these are they which came out of the tribulation, the great."
(e) These "have washed their
robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb."--further
proof that
these are redeemed. (NOTE: this is the only way any one is ultimately
redeemed
whether Old
Testament saint, church saint, tribulation saint, or millennial saint.)
(f) These serve God and are
sustained by the Lamb of God.
(g) In view of the
statement that these are ones who have come out of the "tribulation,
the great,"
these can only be those non-Israelites who accept Christ during the
tribulation (whether during
the first
half , or second half, or throughout it, does not matter, for John here has
the vision of
this great multitude together with the vision of the
sealed company which interrupts the
chronological
presentation of the tribulation.)
(F) How did these become converted?
(1) Possibly because of the spectacular
happenings as the result of the rapture--this would be
particularly so if this
vision refers only to the first half of the tribulation.
(2) Possibly , and more probable, it is due to
the witness of the 144,000 Jews as they are won to
Christ--these Jews will be
preaching the gospel of the kingdom as done by John the Baptist and
by our Lord at the beginning
of His ministry, and will not be preaching the gospel of grace
as is
done today.
(3) It is also possible that they are won to
Christ through the ministry of the two witnesses.
(G) John may have had a prevision in vv.15-17 of the
millennial blessedness which will extend into the
new heavens and the new earth--cf. chapters 21,
22
c. The seventh seal--8:1
(I)
As the seventh seal is opened there is silence in heaven.
(A) This is the calm before the storm.
(B) Signifies the terrible solemnness of the events to
follow
(C) "All heaven" was "waiting to see what the Son of God
will do next."--Osborn
(II)
The seventh seal introduces the angels with the seven trumpets.
(A) Thus the seven trumpets unfold or develops the presentation
of the seventh seal.
(B) Therefore, the seventh seal includes the rest of Daniel's
seventh week.
(C) The silence adds to importance here of this unfolding.
(III)
Conclusion
(A) The first six seals cover the first half of the week
of seven years, or three and a half years--called by
Jesus "the beginning of sorrows."
(B) The seventh seal introduces the second half of the
seven years--called, in particular, "The Great
Tribulation."