Sunday, Nov 18, 2001: “The Book of Revelation: Part Four”

St. Mark’s Adult Education Meeting Summary
“The Book of Revelation:  Part Four”
Sunday, November 18, 2001

 

This morning, Father Mike Kreutzer led us through chapters ten through fourteen of the Book of Revelation.

 

CHAPTER 10:  Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven. He was robed in a cloud, with a rainbow above his head; his face was like the sun, and his legs were like fiery pillars.  He was holding a little scroll, which lay open in his hand. He planted his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land, and he gave a loud shout like the roar of a lion. When he shouted, the voices of the seven thunders spoke.  And when the seven thunders spoke, I was about to write; but I heard a voice from heaven say, “Seal up what the seven thunders have said and do not write it down.”  Then the angel I had seen standing on the sea and on the land raised his right hand to heaven.  And he swore by him who lives for ever and ever, who created the heavens and all that is in them, the earth and all that is in it, and the sea and all that is in it, and said, “There will be no more delay!  But in the days when the seventh angel is about to sound his trumpet, the mystery of God will be accomplished, just as he announced to his servants the prophets.”  Then the voice that I had heard from heaven spoke to me once more: “Go, take the scroll that lies open in the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land.”  So I went to the angel and asked him to give me the little scroll. He said to me, “Take it and eat it. It will turn your stomach sour, but in your mouth it will be as sweet as honey.”  I took the little scroll from the angel’s hand and ate it. It tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it, my stomach turned sour.  Then I was told, “You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, languages and kings.”

        Discussion on Chapter 10:   John is back down on earth again and the scroll is already open (vs. the Lamb opening the previous scroll.).  This will not be revealed yet to everyone and is taking in all of creation.  The seventh and final trumpet has not yet sounded.  Regarding eating the scroll, the sweet turns sour which is similar to the teachings in Ezekiel, chapter three.  It also conveys the idea of making the words part of yourself by the actual eating of the scroll.  Next, the temple of God is measured.  The people do the measuring which is likened to the sealing of the people.  The Gentiles in the outer courts symbolizes the tribulation.  The naming of forty-two months comes from Daniel, chapter seven.  The forty-two months is the same as three and one-half year which is the same as 1,260 days which is the same as seven times six months.  This is the length of time the tribulation will last and is analogous to the time of persecution in Daniel and is repeated over and over. 

 

CHAPTER 11:  After  I was given a reed like a measuring rod and was told, “Go and measure the temple of God and the altar, and count the worshipers there.  But exclude the outer court; do not measure it, because it has been given to the Gentiles. They will trample on the holy city for 42 months.  And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth.”  These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth.  If anyone tries to harm them, fire comes from their mouths and devours their enemies. This is how anyone who wants to harm them must die.  These men have power to shut up the sky so that it will not rain during the time they are prophesying; and they have power to turn the waters into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they want.  Now when they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up from the Abyss will attack them, and overpower and kill them.  Their bodies will lie in the street of the great city, which is figuratively called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified.  For three and a half days men from every people, tribe, language and nation will gaze on their bodies and refuse them burial.  The inhabitants of the earth will gloat over them and will celebrate by sending each other gifts, because these two prophets had tormented those who live on the earth.  But after the three and a half days a breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and terror struck those who saw them.  Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here.” And they went up to heaven in a cloud, while their enemies looked on.  At that very hour there was a severe earthquake and a tenth of the city collapsed. Seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the survivors were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.  The second woe has passed; the third woe is coming soon.  The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, which said: “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign for ever and ever.”  And the twenty-four elders, who were seated on their thrones before God, fell on their faces and worshiped God, saying: “We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, the One who is and who was, because you have taken your great power and have begun to reign.  The nations were angry; and your wrath has come. The time has come for judging the dead, and for rewarding your servants the prophets and your saints and those who reverence your name, both small and great– and for destroying those who destroy the earth.”  Then God’s temple in heaven was opened, and within his temple was seen the ark of his covenant. And there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake and a great hailstorm.

        Discussion on Chapter 11:   The idea of two witnesses is the similar to the two messiahs mentioned in Deuteronomy where one is political and the other is religious.  The two witnesses may also be alluding to Moses and Elijah.  The beast works for the dragon (who is also called Satan).  The beast symbolically refers to the Roman Empire.  The guest city is Jerusalem which by now is corrupt.  The “true” Israel is now in exile.  The people are celebrating because the prophets are now gone.  The witnesses were overcome, but God calls them to heaven.  The final trumpet is coming soon!  Finally, the seventh angel blows his trumpet.  Songs of praise are now both to the one on the throne as well as to the Lamb.  No more “is to come” since they are now at the end of time.

 

CHAPTER 12:  A great and wondrous sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head.  She was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give birth.  Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on his heads.  His tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth. The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that he might devour her child the moment it was born.  She gave birth to a son, a male child, who will rule all the nations with an iron scepter. And her child was snatched up to God and to his throne.  The woman fled into the desert to a place prepared for her by God, where she might be taken care of for 1,260 days.  And there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back.  But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven.  The great dragon was hurled down–that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.  Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: “Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ. For the accuser of our brothers, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down.  They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.  Therefore rejoice, you heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has gone down to you! He is filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short.”  When the dragon saw that he had been hurled to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child.  The woman was given the two wings of a great eagle, so that she might fly to the place prepared for her in the desert, where she would be taken care of for a time, times and half a time, out of the serpent’s reach.  Then from his mouth the serpent spewed water like a river, to overtake the woman and sweep her away with the torrent.  But the earth helped the woman by opening its mouth and swallowing the river that the dragon had spewed out of his mouth.  Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to make war against the rest of her offspring–those who obey God’s commandments and hold to the testimony of Jesus.

        Discussion on Chapter 12:   The imagery is similar to what Paul used in Ephesians where the church, as is the woman, is the bride of Christ.  The woman giving birth to the messiah is personally rescued by God.  The woman as representing the church will be in battle with the dragon for 1,260 days.  This also compares to the Greek story of the birth of Apollo and was in fact, adopted by John.  Here the term “birth” does not represent an actual birth, but rather refers to the enthronement.  The Lamb is enthroned on the cross where the victory was actually accomplished.  There are often parallels of happenings in heaven as to those happenings on earth.  For example, the story of Michael and his angels fighting the dragon.  In this case, however, it was Satan’s testing of humankind.  There is reference to the blood of the Lamb used to achieve victory over death.  The dragon was thrown to earth and pursued the woman for three and one-half years, but could not obtain victory.  Thus he waged war over the rest of the faithful believers.

 

CHAPTER 13:  And the dragon stood on the shore of the sea. And I saw a beast coming out of the sea. He had ten horns and seven heads, with ten crowns on his horns, and on each head a blasphemous name.  The beast I saw resembled a leopard, but had feet like those of a bear and a mouth like that of a lion. The dragon gave the beast his power and his throne and great authority.  One of the heads of the beast seemed to have had a fatal wound, but the fatal wound had been healed. The whole world was astonished and followed the beast.  Men worshiped the dragon because he had given authority to the beast, and they also worshiped the beast and asked, “Who is like the beast? Who can make war against him?”  The beast was given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies and to exercise his authority for forty-two months.  He opened his mouth to blaspheme God, and to slander his name and his dwelling place and those who live in heaven.  He was given power to make war against the saints and to conquer them. And he was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation.  All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast–all whose names have not been written in the book of life belonging to the Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world.  He who has an ear, let him hear.  If anyone is to go into captivity, into captivity he will go. If anyone is to be killed with the sword, with the sword he will be killed. This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of the saints.  Then I saw another beast, coming out of the earth. He had two horns like a lamb, but he spoke like a dragon.  He exercised all the authority of the first beast on his behalf, and made the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed.  And he performed great and miraculous signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven to earth in full view of men.  Because of the signs he was given power to do on behalf of the first beast, he deceived the inhabitants of the earth. He ordered them to set up an image in honor of the beast who was wounded by the sword and yet lived.  He was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that it could speak and cause all who refused to worship the image to be killed.  He also forced everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead, so that no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of his name.  This calls for wisdom. If anyone has insight, let him calculate the number of the beast, for it is man’s number. His number is 666.

        Discussion on Chapter 13:   The dragon becoming a serpent follows the line of ancient mythology where the sea is actually thought of as the dangerous place.  The two beasts perhaps represented the Roman Empire and the leaders of the Roman Empire, especially Nero.  Nero was considered the ultimate evil emperor.  Starting with Augustus, the emperors took on divine names, trying to emulate the gods.   John conveys that the Roman Empire is one of the tools of Satan.  All who are not faithful to God will worship the beast (the Empire).  There is also the idea conveyed that time means nothing and that the Lamb was eternally slain, which follows the teachings of Jeremiah.  The second beast deceived the earth’s inhabitants (could be reference to Nero).  Each inhabitant had to have a mark to show the allegiance to the Emperor.  The beast’s number is 666.  People have tried over the years to show the alpha-numeric relationship to other evil leaders such as Stalin or Hitler.  However, it probably referred to Caesar or Nero.  The number six was the opposite of seven and referred to evil and corruption.

 

CHAPTER 14:  Then I looked, and there before me was the Lamb, standing on Mount Zion, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads.  And I heard a sound from heaven like the roar of rushing waters and like a loud peal of thunder. The sound I heard was like that of harpists playing their harps.  And they sang a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders. No one could learn the song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth.  These are those who did not defile themselves with women, for they kept themselves pure. They follow the Lamb wherever he goes. They were purchased from among men and offered as first fruits to God and the Lamb.  No lie was found in their mouths; they are blameless.  Then I saw another angel flying in midair, and he had the eternal gospel to proclaim to those who live on the earth–to every nation, tribe, language and people.  He said in a loud voice, “Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come. Worship him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea and the springs of water.”  A second angel followed and said, “Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great, which made all the nations drink the maddening wine of her adulteries.”  A third angel followed them and said in a loud voice: “If anyone worships the beast and his image and receives his mark on the forehead or on the hand, he, too, will drink of the wine of God’s fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. He will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb.  And the smoke of their torment rises for ever and ever. There is no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and his image, or for anyone who receives the mark of his name.”  This calls for patient endurance on the part of the saints who obey God’s commandments and remain faithful to Jesus.  Then I heard a voice from heaven say, “Write: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.” “Yes,” says the Spirit, “they will rest from their labor, for their deeds will follow them.”  I looked, and there before me was a white cloud, and seated on the cloud was one “like a son of man” with a crown of gold on his head and a sharp sickle in his hand.  Then another angel came out of the temple and called in a loud voice to him who was sitting on the cloud, “Take your sickle and reap, because the time to reap has come, for the harvest of the earth is ripe.”  So he who was seated on the cloud swung his sickle over the earth, and the earth was harvested.  Another angel came out of the temple in heaven, and he too had a sharp sickle.  Still another angel, who had charge of the fire, came from the altar and called in a loud voice to him who had the sharp sickle, “Take your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of grapes from the earth’s vine, because its grapes are ripe.”  The angel swung his sickle on the earth, gathered its grapes and threw them into the great winepress of God’s wrath.  They were trampled in the winepress outside the city, and blood flowed out of the press, rising as high as the horses’ bridles for a distance of 1,600 stadia.

        Discussion on Chapter 14:    The 144,000 have the mark of the Lamb on their foreheads.  Only this group could hear the sound of the harpists or learn the song.  There is more symbolism about Rome which is often portrayed as Babylon.  The Babylonians had previously destroyed the united Israel in 587 BC.  John is now between heaven and earth where he observes an angel.  The angel is already celebrating he upcoming fall of Rome.  Those who suffered and died for faith are blessed.  These passages are often used at funeral services.  The harvest refers to the final harvest at the end of time.  “Come yea thankful people come” conveys the image of the final harvest at the end of time.  The blood flowed from the wine press referred to the blood of the martyrs with the wine and the blood being symbols for each other.  God separates the faithful from those who worshipped the beast.