III. THE FUTURE (“THE THINGS WHICH SHALL BE HEREAFTER"), PART
2b--6:1-19:21
C. The Second Half of the Tribulation, Part
2--11:14-12:17
3. The seventh trumpet--11:14-19
a. The transition--v.
14
(I)
Second woe ended; third woe comes quickly
(II)
Recall that this same emphasis on the woes was given
(A) Before the fifth trumpet--8:13
(B) Between the fifth and sixth trumpets--9:12
(C) Now that the parenthesis is finished, the process of time
is continued, so that this emphasis is given
again between the sixth (after the parenthesis)
and seventh trumpets.
b. The seventh trumpet
sounded--vv. 15-19
(I)
Constitutes "The Days of the Voice of the Seventh Angel"--Newell,
160 (cf. 10:7)
(II)
Looks forward to the beginning of the millennium, and thus, encompasses
chapters 12-!9
(A) This is one of the reasons for believing that the
2 witnesses prophesy in the last 3 1/2 years of the
tribulation.
(B) Diagrammatically
11:14 . . . . Chapters 11--19 . . . . 11:15-19
(III)
The kingdom of the world is become the kingdom of our Lord.
(A) The word "kingdom" is singular, not plural as in the Authorized
Version (However, this worldly
kingdom is made up of individual kingdoms,
hence the plural.)
(B) This shows that the rulership the earth will be under one
head--the antichrist, before the Lord returns
to assume rulership.
(C) The antichrist's reign is, temporal; the Lord Jesus Christ
reigns forever.
(D) This declaration is anticipatory--the actual event takes
place at the end of the tribulation.
(E) This statement makes clear the end is near.
(F) Causes rejoicing in heaven--"Our Lord taught us to pray,
'Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, as in
heaven, so on earth.' All the hosts of
heaven are waiting today the sounding of this seventh trumpet,
with an eagerness of desire and a holy
consuming longing we can hardly imagine. In utter, absolute
devotedness to their God and to His blessed
government and purposes, they have served through these
ages since rebellion began in heaven, with the
jealous hope, every day, every hour, every moment,
looking for the coming of the day when
God will take over the government of this rebellious earth--
take it over in power; TAKE HIS GREAT POWER AND
REIGN."--Newell, 162-163; all capitals
are his.
(IV)
The worship of the twenty-four elders--vv. 16-18
(A) The raptured church rejoice and worship God.
(B) God addressed
(1) His fully revealed name
(2) Jehovah-Elohim-Shaddai, or Lord God Almighty
(C) The Everliving One
(1) Who art
(2) Who wast
(3) Who art to come
(a) Some say it is not in
original.
(b) The reason for leaving
it out--"This act of taking His great power and reigning
has ended, the
long night
of mystery, where, amid great trials, faith held fast to 'who
art to come.' Now it is in
manifestation, heaven has stepped into a new stage of blessing!
Our God, who is and who
was, is
reigning at last! He has taken His great power."--Newell, 163;
italics are his.
(c) Eternity is no longer
future.
(d) The reason for leaving
it in.
((I)) Manuscript
evidence is divided.
((I)) Though
the taking of His great power and reigning is presented here as being
now, this is
anticipatory, and therefore, does not actually occur at this point;
thus, the phrase "Who art to
come" is legitimate.
(D) The results of taking His power as described by the
elders
(1) The nations angry
(a) One would think that
the nations would rejoice over God's rulership which would bring universal
peace and
prosperity.
(b) But, they are angry "at
heaven's beginning royal interruption" and this anger is unbounded.
(c) The subject of
prophecy
((I)) Psalm
2
((II)) Psalm
83
((III)) Joel
3:9-13
((IV)) Zechariah
14:2-4
(d) Remember what the Lord
said in parable that the Jews said concerning Himself?--Luke
19:12-14
(e) This anger began "with
Cain in Genesis 4. Though a murderer, he utterly resented Jehovah's
interference."--Newell, 164
(f) The history of Israel
((I)) Saul
pursues David, God's elect king
((II)) Absalom
would be a father-killer, before he submits.
((III)) Ahab
and Jezebel hunted Elijah, when he, by God's authority, takes control of
the
weather.
((IV)) "Why
did Israel slay the prophets of the Lord? Only because they asserted
Jehovah's
Authority!" (Ibid.)
((V))
Nebuchadnezzar's wrath against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the fiery
furnace
and Daniel in the lion's den
((VI))
Haman would destroy not only Mordecai, but all the Jews, for his refusal
to bow down
to him.
(g) The history of
the church age
((I))
Already mentioned was the Jews' attitude toward Jesus.
((II))
Nero's wrath against Paul and the Church--also other Roman persecutions
((III))
Popery's persecution and slaying of many Christians during the days
of their power
((IV))
Hitler's persecution of Jews and Christians
((V))
"Look today at Russia, the anti-God nation. But the denial of God in
Russia is but a hint
of what all nations will shortly display, as we shall find in
Revelation 13."--Ibid. (Remember
that Newell wrote this in 1935; but, really, has Russia change much?)
((VI))
Look at the United States today--Downgrading of the Bible and prayers
in schools;
Supreme Court decisions that make a mockery of law enforcement;
crime on the increase;
riots raging; people demanding rights without responsibility and security
without financial
responsibility and saving; also the attempts to eliminate all references
to God in our country.
((VII))
Newell, 164; italics are his.--"Today men will tolerate a preacher if
he lets them alone.
They can even patronize a preacher who does not touch their wills.
Religion is decent, but
surrender to God is intolerable to the nations of
this world."
((VIII))
They are always saying, "Away with this bloody religion."
(2) God's wrath comes
(a) Newell, 165--"God’s
wrath has been postponed so long that men deny altogether a God
capable
of anger and vengeance."
(b) We hear a great
deal of the love of God--and rightly so, but keep in mind that
the very
chapter
of the Bible which speaks of that love in no uncertain terms
also speaks of God's
wrath.--John 3:18, 36
(c) Newell, 165; italics
are his.--"The 'God' of modernism, Universalism, Russellism,
Spiritism,
Christian
Science, in short, the 'God' the world dreams of, does not exist."
"Men are in a fool's
paradise
who prate of the God of the Bible not being such a one as will
punish sin!"
(3) The judgment of the dead
(a) The Scripture always
divides the dead into two groups (not three as do the Romanists--Saints,
Purgatorers, Hell-bound sinners).
((I))
The righteous
((II))
The unrighteous
(b) The righteous
rewarded--NOTE: There is a subdivision of the righteous.
((I))
Servants--the prophets--Old Testament believers
((II))
Saints--church believers
((III))
Them that fear thy name, small and great--tribulation believers
(c) The unrighteous destroyed
((I))
Only one group here
((II))
Destroyed not in the sense of annihilated
((III))
Newell, 167; italics are his.-- "Man, since the Fall, has been a
destroyer of God's
earth." "It is said there were nine Troys; Homer's Troy
is the second built on the ruins of
the first!"
(V)
The heavenly temple of God opened---v. 19
(A) Notice that this temple is in heaven in contrast with the
one in 11:1.
(B) This passage is to be taken literally, for there is no
indication of symbolism
(2) The ark of His covenant
(a) Remember that the Mosaic
covenant was kept in the ark in the Holiest of all.
(b) Now the Holiest is open.--cf.
Hebrews 10:19-22
(c) This ark is that "which
declares His purposes and His faithfulness."--Newell, 168
(d) NOTE: The ark was
given to Israel as a pattern, not to the Church--the Church has nothing to
do with earthly
temple-worship in spite of the beautiful buildings and apportments
made by
churches here.
Neither does the Church have anything to do with governmental
affairs.
(e) This is not to say that
our church buildings are to look like dumps--there is nothing wrong in a
decently kept
building for worship, but most churches go overboard; likewise, a church
can and
should speak
out on matters of government when it involves the truth of the
Scriptures.
(f) The ark of old
was formerly the place of God's dwelling, but now is connected with
judgment.
(3) The phenomena.
(a) Lightnings, voices, thunders,
earthquakes, and great hail
(b) Speaks of
judgments
(c) cf. Exodus 32:34; 34:10
(d) This judgment is to be
on those on earth; Israel is included, but will yet be God's elect royal
nation.
4. The third parenthesis, part 1--12:1-17
a. The woman, the
Man-child, and the dragon--12:1-17
(I)
The woman--12:1, 2, 4b, 6, 13-17
(A) Her identity
(1) Who this one is clearly is seen when one
realizes that this section of the book deals with the
tribulation.
(2) False interpretations
(a) The Virgin Mary
((I)) The
Romanist view
((II)) This
view states that "the woman is the Virgin Mary, beset by Satan as she bore
the child
Jesus."--Merrill C. Tenney (Source unknown)
((III)) A
parallel between this passage and the birth of Christ does exist.
((A)) The attitude of the dragon waiting to devour the Child
as soon as it is born is parallel to
Herod's attempt to destroy Jesus by killing the babies
of Bethlehem--Matthew 2:16
((B)) The flight of the woman parallels retreat of Joseph
and Mary to Egypt--Matthew 2:14
((IV)) Objection
1--Granting that the Child is Christ does not require one to hold that the
woman is Mary.
((V)) Objection
2--Notice that the woman does not flee into the wilderness until after the
Man-child is caught up to the throne of God--vv. 5, 6. Nowhere
in history, Biblical or
extra-biblical, do we find Mary fleeing into a wilderness (or anywhere
else unless one
allegorizes the wilderness as Egypt) to escape Satanic persecution.
((VI)) This
view does no justice to the 1260 days, nor any of the other details
presented here.
(b) The church
((I)) Held
widely by amillennialists and even by liberals
((II)) This
view states that the mother represents the church--the total professing body
of Christ,
or Christendom. The Man-child represents the overcomers, the
truly regenerate, who are
caught up to heaven. The rest of Christendom goes into
persecution. (Strange indeed that
these same ones reject the rapture.)
((III)) Objection
1--"Israel, not the church, gave birth to Christ." "In no possible
sense did the
church do so. Seiss, generally very helpful, most strenuously
asserts the Woman to be 'the
Church Universal'--whom he calls 'the Mother of us all,' etc.
But this is a Romanish relic,
nothing else. The 'church of all ages' is a pleasant
theological dream, wholly unscriptural.
No wonder Mr. Seiss proceeds to call the Child 'the whole regenerated
purchase of the
Savior's blood,' though how the mother and the Child can
be thus the same company, even
the author's utmost vehemence fails to convince you!"--Newell, 171;
italics are his.
((IV)) Objection
2--While Israel is depicted in Scripture as travailing in birth, the church
is never
so described.
((V)) Objection
3--The true church, in this view, is represented by a man-child, which is
not in
line with the true church described as the Bride of Christ.
((VI)) Objection
4--does not in any way fit into the tribulation period.
(c) God's people of all
ages
((I)) This
view states "that the woman represents 'the totality of God's people
in all ages.' From
the very beginning, they have shared His glory and have carried within
them the seed of
destiny, which of course culminated and found its fullest expression
in the person of Jesus
Christ. The woman, as the vehicle of the Seed represents
those in whom the seed was
preserved, whether the wandering households of the patriarchs,
the nation Israel in the
wilderness, the kingdom of Judah in the land of Palestine,
or the captives in the Exile, all of
whom were devoted to God, glorified by God and were the means of
bringing Christ into
the World." The symbolism goes beyond Israel to include "God’s
people in this age, who
are the means of perpetuating the Church in the world, and in
the years to come, when they
will be the special object of the dragon's wrath and of
God's care."--Tenney
((II)) Objection
1--This view is nothing more than an extension of the previous view,
and
therefore. all objections to it fit here.
((III)) Objection
2--It is evident that this view does not really do any justice to the passage.
(3) The true view
(a) The woman represents
Israel.
(b) This view state that
the "woman is Israel, the 12 stars represent the 12 patriarchs, and the
man-Child
is Christ, who came, 'as concerning the flesh,' of Israel (Rom.
9:5)."--Tenney It is
Israel that
brings forth Christ and is, subsequent to His being caught up to heaven,
persecuted
by Satan.
(c) Reasons in support of
this view
((I)) This
is the only view that really fits into the prophetic picture of the
Great Tribulation as
presented in Revelation. Keep in mind that chapter 11 was basically
Jewish in nature.
((II)) "The
words 'sun,' 'moon,' and 'stars immediately reminds us of Joseph's
dream, Genesis
37:9 . . . a forecast of Israel, in the last days."--Newell,
170
((III)) This
connection with the solar system shows the earthly character of this
personage, and
therefore, can not speak of the church which
was "chosen before the foundations of the
earth" and is of heavenly origin and character.
((IV)) The
description of being clothed with the sun, the moon under her feet,
and a twelve-star
crown on her head "indicates the subjection of earth to her governmental
glory." --Ibid.
Israel is destined to be a ruling nation under God--and in particular
their Messiah.
((V)) The
nation Israel is described in the Old Testament as a woman travailing in
birth.
((A)) Micah 5:2, 3
((B)) Isaiah 9:6, 7
((C)) Isaiah 54:3; 66:7, 8
((VI)) The
nation Israel gave birth to Christ, not the church.
((A)) Romans 9
((B)) Hebrews 7:14
((C)) Some of the passages previously given.
((VII)) This
woman's real history is on here on earth, not in heaven. The sign is
seen in heaven,
but the experience, or the outworking, is on earth..
((VIII)) The
events pictured here in chapter 12 are precisely those predicted by Old
Testament
(and New Testament) prophets concerning Israel's trouble in the last
days.
((IX)) This
view gives a reasonable and adequate explanation of the 1260 days as
corresponding to the last half of Daniel's seventieth week. No
other view gives a reasonable
explanation, if they give one at all.
(B) Her history
(1) The nation Israel is in pain to be delivered
of the Man-child.
(2) The dragon stands ready to devour the child
as soon as He is delivered.
(3) The Man-child is born Who is to rule all
nations with a rod of iron, and this Child is caught up to
God's throne.
(4) The nation Israel flees into the wilderness
to a prepared place where God sustains her (NOTE THE
GAP OF TIME BETWEEN
VERSE 5 AND VERSE 6).
(5) After the dragon--Satan--is cast out of
heaven, he persecutes the woman (There is nothing in
history that showed Mary
being so persecuted.)
(6) She flees into the wilderness and is nourished
for "a time, and times, and half a time."
(a) Note the parallel to
verse 6
(b) Thus the "time, times
and half a time" (or 3 1/2 times) must equal 1260 days, 42 months, or 3
1/2 years.
(c) Compare
((I)) Daniel
7:19- 27
((II)) Daniel
12:1-13
(II)
The Man-child--12:2, 4b, 13-17
(A) His identity
(1) Two of the views (second and third)
presented as to the identity of the woman say that the
man-child represent overcomers
or true believers among professing Christians.
(a) The objections raised
in connection with the woman apply here.
(b) This view is tied directly
to the idea that the woman is the church or God's people.
(2) The other two views identify the man-child
as Jesus Christ.
(a) Romanists take this view
but for different reasons than we do.
(b) The true view
(3) The reasons for the identification of the
man-child with Jesus Christ
(a) If the view that
the woman is Israel is correct, and this writer is sure it is, then the
Man-child
could only
be Jesus Christ.
(b) Jesus Christ is the only
Person depicted as one Who would "rule all nations with a rod of iron."
((I)) Psalm
2:6-9
((II)) Isaiah
9:6, 7
((III)) Isaiah
11:1-5
((IV)) Isaiah
40:9-11
((V)) Jeremiah
23:5, 6
(c) This one will be caught
up to God; Jesus Christ was so caught up.
(B) His history
(1) His birth is depicted.
(2) The attempt on His life shortly after His
birth is set forth.
(3) The fact of His rulership over all
nations is stated, but the implication of the words "was to rule
(may be better rendered "is
to rule") is that He has not yet begun to rule.
(4) NOTE THE SILENCE CONCERNING HIS DEATH AND
RESURRECTION
(a) Remember John is writing
this, but is doing so by inspiration.
(b) This omission gives added
weight to our argument that Israel is in view in this passage and not
the church,
for the Old Testament often passed over Messiah's death and rarely spoke
of a
resurrection.
(5) The ascension is mentioned and is important
to show the divine character of this One.
(III)
The dragon --12:3, 4a, 7-13, 15-17
(A) His identity
(1) All views identify this one as Satan.
(2) Chapter12, verse 9 positively identifies
him as that old serpent, the devil and Satan (Incidentally,
this verse is a justification
for identifying the serpent in Genesis 3 as Satan).
(B) His position
(1) Contrary to popular opinion Satan is not
sited beneath the earth on a fire-surrounded throne,
but--until this point in
future history--is actually in heaven.
(2) Also, contrary to popular opinion, until
you reach this point in history, Satan is not described as a
red dragon, but often the
opposite.
(a) Cf. Isaiah 14:12-15
(b) Ezekiel 28:11-19
(c) Jude 8, 9
(3) His position is in heaven, or at least as
access thereto is concerned is seen in Job 1:6, 7; 2:1, 2
(C) His times
(1) The stars of heaven cast to earth
(a) These stars are undoubtedly
angels that fell when Satan rebelled.
((I)) 1 Peter
2:4
((II)) Jude
6
(b) These seem to have fallen
before the woman is to be delivered of the Man-child.
(c) Some hold to what is
called the "Gap Theory" which is the idea that God created the Heavens
and earth
and then subsequently the "earth became formless and void" (Genesis 1:2)
and thus
possibly these
fell at that time.
(d) Others hold (and this
writer concurs) that this concedes too much to the evolution and that there
is really
no definitive passage that indicates the time of their fall.
(2) The time that this dragon stood ready to
devour the Man-child obviously was fulfilled in Herod's
attempt to do away with Jesus.
(3) The time of the war in heaven--v. 7
(a) This cannot be at the
Cross of Calvary.
((I)) Note
that it says in verse 10 that "the accuser of our brethren is cast
out."
((II)) The
only verses that speak of his access to heaven are those given from
Job, but some
others imply it.
((A)) Romans 8:33, 34
((B)) Hebrews 7:25
((C)) 1 John 2:1--One needs an advocate to speak up, but only when
one is accused. Who
is our accuser, but Satan?
(b) Note that this war takes
place in connection with the 1260 days in which the woman flees into
the wilderness
and is fed of God.
(c) Further note from verse
14 that this 1260 days (described as a time, times, and half a time)
takes place
after the war and Satan being cast out of heaven.
(d) Therefore, this event,
this war, occurs in the middle of the tribulation.
(D) His description
(1) A great red dragon
(a) Cf. Isaiah 27:1
(b) Red in color--the color
of murder and blood
(c) His dragon character
is here revealed--"In this is a picture of the hideousness and, horror
that
sin brings."
(Newell, 173)
(d) Newell's footnote, 173
(Italics are his.)--”The dragon figured prominently in ancient and
medieval
mythologies as an embodiment of evil principle. It has been
superstitiously dreaded
and even
worshipped, as in China. It is the imperial emblem. It is commonly
represented as a
large winged
serpent, with a crested head and powerful claws. In classical mythology,
a
dangerous,
often a supernatural serpent." "The Hebrew word tannin or
tannim is rendered by
Greek
drakon in the Septuagint. It seems to refer to any great monster,
either of land or sea, as
in Gen. 1:21;
Job 7:12; Lamentations 4:3." "It is striking that just as inner Buddhism
name its
deity
Sheitan, although not allowing the name to be pronounced because of
dread; so the
dragon was
worshipped under that form and name in Babylon and many other lands. This
shows
how God compels
this world to acknowledge whom they serve! Doubtless Satan hates to
be
portrayed as
a monster with great jaws and claws and serrated tail. But the dragon
legends of
the nations
simply support the Word of God!"
(e) It should be noted that these
religions had some knowledge of the events in the Garden of
Eden, but only
the Bible gives the accurate statement.
(2) Seven heads, ten horns and seven crowns on
his heads
(a) This description of Satan
shows who is really the power behind the beasts depicted in Rev. 13.
(b) Seven heads--perfect wisdom
(c) Ten horns--almost perfect
governmental power
(d) These items will be discussed
later.
(E) His history
(1) Stood ready to devout the Man-child
(2) After the Man-child is caught up to God,
the war in Heaven will take place during the tribulation.
(3) Michael and the angels fight the Dragon (Satan)
and his angels
(a) Cf. Daniel 10:13;12:1
(b) Jude 9
(4) The devil and his angels do not prevail (
Good always triumphs ultimately over evil) , neither is any
place left in heaven for him.
(5) Satan and His angels cast out
(a) He deceives the whole
world--This indicates his present day activity in this church age; here it
refers to
his deception during the Great Tribulation.
(b) He and his angels are
cast to earth.
(c) The song of praise
((I)) Now
is come salvation--No longer is our accuser able to stand before God to accuse
us to
God. "The accusation of the saints by the enemy may be
a mystery to you, but God suffers
it at present, so be patient. And reflect that Satan's accusations
have never availed against
one saint; that they drive the saints to dependence upon God; that
they get rid of his
self-confidence (as with Job and Peter); that they make to shine his
choice of holiness and
God and heaven as against all difficulties, and that faith through
all, highly honors God and
brings about the eventual utter overthrow of the enemy."--cf.
1 Corinthians 6:3 (Newell,179)
((II)) The
great voice in verse 10 may well be the united voice of the redeemed.
((III)) Overcame
Satan by
((A)) The blood of the Lamb--this is the ground of overcoming.
((B)) The Word of their testimony--this is the outward course
of victory over Satan.
((C)) Loving not their lives to death--this is the inward attitude
of victory.
((D)) Who are these?
((1)) Newell (179) says that "the word 'they'of verse
11 seems to indicate that this verse
has to do with such saints as are
still upon earth; although the verb is in the past tense."
((2)) However, Newell does acknowledge, in a footnote,
that it may refer to those in
heaven--certainly the "they" refers
to the "them" of verse 10 which in turn refers to
"our brethren" which may well refer
to those either on earth or in heaven.
((3)) Thus, it could be both.
(d) Rejoicing and woe
((I)) Rejoicing
in heaven
((A)) First because Satan is tossed out for good
((B)) Second because the end is drawing nigh which Christ will set
up His kingdom.
((II)) Woe
to earth
((A)) Because the devil is come down to you--I thought the devil was
here now you might
say; true, but not resident, but only as a wanderer--cf.
Job 1, 2.
((B)) Because the devil has great wrath because of the shortness
of his time--soon he will
be bound for 1000 years. He knows his time is limited.
(6) Upon being cast out of heaven to the
earth, the dragon persecutes the woman.
(a) As long as Satan had
access to God's throne, he was content to allow his human agent, the
antichrist,
to make peace with Israel.
(b) Now that Satan is no
longer accepted in heaven, he knows his time is short so that he pours out
his wrath
upon Israel. This is accomplished by the antichrist breaking the covenant
with Israel
and the setting
up of himself as God in the temple.
(7) When the nation Israel flees into the wilderness
for 3 1/2 years (time, times and half a time) , satanic
inspired armies chase after
her to consume her.
(8) These armies are destroyed
(a) Possibly destroyed by
miraculous cataclysms, as suggested by Newell, such as earthquakes or
mighty sand
storms (which in the past have obliterated a whole army). (cf. Exodus 15:11,
12
and Numbers
16:31ff.)
(b) Possibly, since the flood here
is generally conceived to be armies, the earth is the sheep nations.
(c) This writer is inclined to
the former.
(9) Satan makes war with the remnant of her
seed.
(a) Who is this remnant?
((I)) Not the
church--it is in heaven.
((II)) Remember
that the woman is the nation Israel.
((III)) Her
seed must be Christ (This is based on the context that she bore a Man-child,
and the
general meaning of seed).
((IV)) Remnant
of her Seed are those related in some way to Christ.
((V)) Yet it
cannot be the apostate church, for these keep the commandment of God
(The Law)
and the Testimony of Jesus (The Gospels).
((VI)) Therefore,
it seems that these are the great multitude of Revelation 7.