Revelation

Lesson 5-6 w/answersRevelation 8:1 - 9:21

We saw that the white horse with the rider who had a bow, but no arrows, was the Anti-Christ who will take power with words – not arrows, and that following him will be the horse of war, the horse of famine, and the horse of pestilence and death. Realizing that potentially 25% of the earth’s population will be killed with these judgments we calculated that it would require almost 400,000 deaths a day, every day, for seven years for that to occur – and double that amount if most of the deaths are to occur in the second half of the tribulation. With these judgments put on hold until the angel sealed the 144,000 we closed our study by recognizing that untold millions will be won to Christ during the tribulation period as a result of the testimony of the 144,000 – and will be killed for their faith.

Bible

This week the seventh seal is broken and great calamity befalls man. Please read Chapters 8 and 9 as we prepare to see judgment like none other brought upon mankind.

May God bless you as you study His Holy Word this week.

Questions For Our Fifth Week

  1. Using the Bible to interpret the Bible let’s see if we can determine the meanings of some of the most difficult passages in the Bible. Using the scripture references cited (and others if you can find them) write out a short meaning for each of the following symbols (some of these we covered last week):
    1. Trees (Isaiah 10:33)
      1. ANSWER: Men of stature and authority
    2. Green Grass (2 Kings 19:26, Isaiah 37:27, Isaiah 40:6-7, James 1:9-10)
      1. ANSWER: People with little power, people who have a rich and influential lifestyle who think they have power. (In Washington DC we might call these people strap hangers.) See also 1 Peter 1:24.
    3. Third Part (Zechariah 13:9)
      1. ANSWER: In Zechariah we see this means the Jews, the Nation of Israel, God’s chosen ones; with Egypt and Assyria being the other two parts. Using “A Third Part” then can mean a specific nation. Many translators of the “Third Part” in chapters 8 and 9 see that the term is used 12 times, God’s number for Government or Administration and see these chapters referring to God’s judgment on the Western World – the “Rome” of end times and the government associated with the Antichrist.
    4. Mountain (Daniel 2 35, 44-45)
      1. ANSWER: Governments or administrations.
    5. Stars (Joel 2:1-11; see also Revelation 1:20)
      1. ANSWER: Messengers, angels or spirits.
    6. Sea, Waters (Isaiah 8:7-9, 17:12-13, Revelation 17:15)
      1. ANSWER: A powerful invading army, also the uproar of people, the raging of many nations, peoples, multitudes, nations and languages. Normally sea represents a large number of people in a state of agitation, or unrest - unless it's in Heaven where it represents a heavenly transparency. Waters are also agitated, but reflect a nation or nations satanically agitated.
    7. Wormwood (Amos 5:7-12)
      1. ANSWER: Turns justice into bitterness and oppress the righteous and take bribes, and deprive the poor of justice. Thus injustice is equated with “bitterness” by corrupting procedures, institutions and instruments of justice, turning God’s order upside down.
    8. Sun, Moon and Stars (Genesis 37:9, Revelation 12:1, Isaiah 9:6)
      1. ANSWER: Nation of Israel, God’s chosen people, the Jews.
    9. Tails like scorpions (Isaiah 7:4)
      1. ANSWER: Alliances, partnerships, agreements between governments - with a scorpion you are looking it in the eye when it stings you by surprise with it's tail - look for the real enemy or threat to lie with it's allies.
    10. Smoke (Rev 9:2); Since this smoke is coming out of the bottomless pit, and from the smoke come the locusts it appears that II Thessalonians 2:8-12 is the proper interpretation for what smoke is symbolizing.
      1. ANSWER: Delusion, such as never been seen before. People will believe a lie for the truth - smoke clouds their vision.
    11. Locusts (Isaiah 40:22, Nahum 3:15-17, Judges 6:5, 7:12, Jeremiah 46:23, Joel 2:8-10, Proverbs 30:27)
      1. ANSWER: Locusts are represented as an army with no general marching in close order to accomplish their mission. A demonic army using poisonous and deceitful ways (“power as scorpions”). With crowns and faces of men these agents, these demons of Satan will delude and kill mankind with their intelligences, their seeming authority, and their influence in support of the wicked rulers and kings of the day.
  2. How many times in Chapters 8 and 9 does John use the phrase “third part”?
    1. ANSWER: 12, or many, depending on the version you're reading - therefore there must be something significant with it's use so many times in two chapters - see next question.
  3. In chapters 8 and 9 list each verse where the words “like or as it were” is used? (This tells us John is using a symbol.)
    1. ANSWER: Again, many symbols, like a great mountain, a lamp, scorpion's torment, locusts, crowns like gold, men's faces, women's hair, breastplates, sound of chariots, etc. All of which tells us there two chapters are symbolic and should be interpreted as such.
  4. Now, using what you’ve learned write out in your own words an interpretation of the following verses from Chapter 8:
    1. Verse 7
    2. Verse 8
    3. Verse 9 (to help with this verse consider that ships represent travel and commerce - Genesis 49:13, and Revelation 18:19)
    4. Verse 10
    5. Verse 11
    6. Verse 12
  5. Using the symbols you’ve researched earlier what is being depicted in general terms in Chapter 9 verses 1-5?
    1. ANSWER: The casting down of Satan to earth and the release of demons kept prisoner in the bottomless pit for the purpose of being released during these judgments. They will be Satan's agents spreading dilusion and deceit throughout the earth as mankind turns it back on Christ and follows after the Anti Christ and the False Prophet. Only those “sealed” and those saved will be kept from believing in the dilusion of the army.
  6. Can you interpret a general interpretation for the rest of chapter 9? Consider that the breastplate symbolizes protection - in this case it may mean their hearts are set and cannot be changed. What were they judged for - it may help you figure out what's going on - look at the closing verses of the chapter. Can you list what they did NOT repent from? Does it help in your understanding of the chapter?

Have a great week everyone!

Yours in Christ

Wes