Compiled notes from home Bible study with Drs. Chuck Missler and Hal Lindsey
Revelation 14
This is the last parenthetical chapter before the Bowl Judgments.
JESUS COMES WITH THE 144,000
During the Tribulation, there will be 3 major evangelical movements:
1. Two witnesses
2. 144,000 witnesses
3. Angel flying over the Earth preaching the Gospel. This is God's final act of Grace, where the Gospel is preached right before it is too late, when Jesus returns and closes the gate
Revelation 14:1
All 144,000 that were sealed (Revelation 7:1) are here. There is none missing.
Psalm 2 is a trialogue between the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. It anticipates the world going to war against God.
There are over 30 psalms that clearly state that Jesus Christ will rule Earth from Mount Zion. Below are just a few examples:
- Psalm 20: Deliverance (of 144,000?)
- Psalm 48: Kings of earth gathered (woman in travail)
- Psalm 74: "Purchased" singers
- Psalm 76: Cutting off kings of earth
- Psalm 102: "Set time" is some
- Psalm 110: Melchizedek; rod to rule; at right hand
- Psalm 132: The Lord has chosen Zion (Verses 13, 14, 17, 18)
- Psalm 133: Israel united
- Psalm 137: Babylon is to be destroyed
- Psalm 146: Trust not in princes; Son of man
- Psalm 149: Vengeance upon nations
Revelation 14:2-3
The 144,000 sang a new song that only they could sing.
Revelation 14:4
"Virgin" -- This speaks not just of the physical condition of the 144,000 but of their condition of the heart (Jeremiah 16:1-4; Matthew 24:19; Ezekiel 16; Ephesians 5:26-27; 2 Corinthians 11:2).
The 144,000
1. Not defiled with women; remained virgins
2. Followed Jesus wherever He went
3. Purchased from mankind
4. Offered as first fruits to God and Jesus
5. Had no lies found in their mouths; they are blameless
The 144,000 were not taken in by the defilement of the world. Their spiritual purity was not taken in by the lie that will characterize this period of time (2 Thessalonians 2:
The non-believers will be taken in by Satan's lie that will be spun by his antichrist).
THE SEVEN ANGELS
The 1st Angel: The Eternal Gospel
He comes with the Eternal Gospel. He will preach the Gospel to all those on earth, informing people they have come to the hour of God's judgment, stressing that God is the Creator of all things.
People of this time will worship the created not the creator. We are already entering this time. Many of us already choose to worship Nature (paganism), astrology, evolution (science) as opposed to opening our eyes and seeing that it is the Creator that deserves all of our worship. Why worship the clay pot when we have direct access to the pot-maker?!
Note that when this angel preaches the Gospel, it is preached under a different light--Fear God. This Gospel is warning of the coming of vengeance. Revelation 15-16, we will see the wrath of God poured out. This is the last call. The Gospel is Good News for God's people, but it's really bad news for earth-dwellers and Satan worshipers.
Missler: The emphasis here is that GOD IS THE CREATOR. The failure to acknowledge that leads to all other problems. The failure to recognize God's Truth results in blindness and be given over to wickedness (Romans 1:20-27).
Other News, Good and Bad
- False gospels: 2 Corinthians 11:4; Galatians 1:6)
- Gabriel announcing the birth of John the Baptist (Luke 1:19)
- Angelic hosts to shepherds (Luke 2:10)
- News of the spiritual growth of the Thessalonian church (1 Thessalonians 3:6)
- 7th Angel: Mystery of God will be finished (Revelation 10:7)
- Preaching of the Kingdom (Matthew 24:14, etc.)
The 2nd Angel: Doom of Babylon
He comes with the doom of Babylon. He announces the fall of Babylon. Babylon is symbolic of the political and religious systems that the Antichrist takes charge of in the last days. Babylon is also symbolic of this world and world values. Babylon is always used in connection with false and idolatrous religion.
The 3rd Angel: Furn for Beast Worshipers
He comes with fury on those who worship the Beast. He announces the destruction of those who bear the mark of the beast.
This is one of the reasons that there is so much emphasis in our studies on the Mark of the Beast and his image. If we take his mark, if we pledge allegiance of him, then we forfeit any opportunity of being saved. This is a heavy, heavy situation. Things are getting down to the wire. Things are really black and white. There is no gray area here.
The 4th Angel/Voice: Righteous Dead
He calls those who die in the Lord righteous
This comment is a strange assurance. This assurance is only relevant if the listeners feel they have missed the resurrection. This is the kind of assurance that would make sense if the Rapture has already taken place. This situation is similar to when Paul explained to the Thessalonians about what happens to those who died in Christ (1 Thessalonians 4). There were many who died before Jesus's return, and those who were still alive worried that those who died would "miss out" on God's blessings. Paul thus pointed out that the dead in Christ shall rise first, and those who remain will be caught up. This assurance here implies that there are those who have fears to wonder if they, too, have missed God's blessing. And the assurance is to set those fears at bay, letting them know that as long as you are in Christ, you are in good shape.
5th, 6th, and 7th Angel: The Grape Harvest
Revelation 14:14
"Son of man" stresses Jesus' humanity, a term used by Luke to stress also his humanity.
Appearances of the Cloud = Shekinah = Holy Spirit
- Wilderness (Exodus 13:21-22; 14:19-24)
- Manna (Exodus 16:10)
- Giving of law (Exodus 19:9, 16, 18; 24:15-18)
- 2nd time (Exodus 34:1-5)
- Tabernacle (Exodus 40:34-35)
- Mercy Seat (Numbers 9:16-22)
- 70 elders chosen (Numbers 11:25)
- Filled temple (1 Kings 8:10-11)
- Departs (Ezekiel 9:3, 10:4, 18, 19; 11:22-23)
- Overshadows Mary (Luke 1:35)
- Flocks of Shepherds (Luke 2:9)
- Transfiguration (Matthew 17:5; 1 Peter 1:17-19)
- Ascension (Acts 1:9)
- Rapture (1 Thessalonians 4:17)
- Return (Matthew 24:30; 26; 64; Revelation 1:7; Luke 21:26)
Who will be on the White Cloud? Not just an angel, but THE Angel of God who is also the Son of Man, aka, Jesus Christ. He comes forth to send out Angels 5-7 for the Grape Harvest.
Revelation 14:15
The Greek word "ripe" used here means "over-ripe to a point where the fruit has begun to wither." Thus, this harvest is here is not the harvest that we think of, the harvest of capturing the fruit at its best goodness. This harvest is for the fruit that has become over-ripe.
Revelation 14:16-17
Jeremiah 25:30
Grape harvest, with the red fluid signifying blood, the blood of the nations of earth-dwellers.
Before Jesus sets foot on Mount Zion, He will go to Petra (Bozrah) to save the remnant that had fled there (Isaiah 63:12-14). He comes back in red, not from the blood of his own but the blood of his enemies.
Isaiah 63:3-4
We see that Jesus takes on enemies of Israel Himself. We always think that Jesus comes back with His army for His final battle, but we see here clearly that He does not need our help. His saints come back with Him because they follow God, not because God needs help.
Luke 4
Jesus reads Isaiah 61:1-2 and stops at a comma saying that on that day, He had fulfilled those scriptural passages. He did not finish the rest of the sentence of Isaiah 61:2. He did not talk about "the day of God's vengeance" because He had not come that first time to accomplish that. Jesus' first coming was to save all sinners.
Luke 21
Jesus told His disciples that when Jerusalem is surrounded by armies of their enemies, flee to the mountains. Scholars have pinpointed this to be Petra.
It is important to note that Luke 21:37-38 took place in the Temple, NOT on the Mount of Olives. The Olivet Discourse recorded by Mark and Matthew was a private briefing given to the "inside group" of the disciples (Peter, James, John, and Andrew). Both of these briefings were given to the Jews.
Matthew focuses on what is going to happen AFTER the same group of signs, including the Abomination of Desolation. Luke focuses on what is going to happen BEFORE that group of signs.
Once the Abomination of Desolation occurs, the Jews were instructed to flee to the mountains. This is all prophesied in Isaiah 63.
From Zechariah 14, we assume that when Jesus returns, He comes first to the Mount of Olives. However, He will first make a detour to Bozrah (Petra) to rescue the Jewish remnant that have fled there. The Jews that flee there will petition for His return and will finally acknowledge Jesus as their Messiah. This is all prophesied in Isaiah.
Jesus is not coming back a mild spoken carpenter. He is returning as a warrior with God's wrath and fiery to judge earth-dwellers and Satan worshipers. And this begins at Petra.
From Magiddo to Petra is 1600 furlongs. "Up to the horse's bridle" is 4 ft. This is how much volume of blood that will be shed.
Revelation 14 is just a preamble of the wrath that is going to pour out in Revelation 15 and 16, the Judgments of the Bowls.
No comments:
Post a Comment