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THE BOOK WITH SEVEN SEALS
Daniel 12.4
But as for you Daniel, conceal these words and
seal up the book until the end of time; many will go back
and forth, and knowledge will increase.
Daniel 12:9-10
And he said, Go {your way,} Daniel, for {these}
words are concealed and sealed up until the end time. Many
will be purged, purified and refined; but the wicked will act
wickedly, and none of the wicked will understand, but those who
have insight will understand.
Revelation 5:1
And I saw in the right hand of Him
who sat on the throne
a book written inside and on the back,
sealed up with seven seals.
The specifics in reference to the end time events will not be understood
until the period of the times and seasons during which those events will
take place. The book is sealed until the end time. And although John is
given much amplification as the sealed book is opened in "vision"
form, it will still not be understood completely until it is time for the
events to unfold.
ORIENTATION TO JOHN's VISIONS
The specifics of the "end times" period given to John in The
Revelation should be viewed as "teaching aids" and not actual
historical details. Example: the beast coming up out of the sea is a symbol
used as a teaching aid to communicate the specifics of the international
environment at the time. But when it is time for these events to take place,
there will not be a "BEAST" coming up out of the sea, but a man
out from the Gentile world who controls an 8th world kingdom through the
empowering of Satan. And when it is time for the 70th week to begin and
the events within that week to transpire, there will not be "literal"
seals that must be opened. In fact, the 3rd, 4th and 5th seals all occur
together during the oppressive reign of the man of lawlessness and not
chronologically. In other words, the vision is a present reality for John
about future events. The vision is not future. The symbols of the vision
are not future. The events represented by the symbols are either present
or future depending on the context within the vision.
What John first sees in heaven are symbols of what is going on at the time
of his vision. Any changes in that heavenly scene are based on the future
events symbolized in the vision. So then, the scene in heaven at Rev. 4
and 5 describes the situation in heaven at the time of John's vision; a
situation that does not change until the seals begin to be opened.
The 24 elders of that heavenly scene represent a group that is in heaven
AT THE TIME of the vision, not a group that arrives at some time in the
future. The reason John is transported to heaven in his vision is because
it is the launching pad of all the events about which John will be taught.
John's perspective is from heaven, not because of a rapture idea at Rev.
4:1, but because the end-times program of God is launched from heaven,
and that is the best perspective from which to "vision" the events.
Furthermore, from this "vision" location in heaven, the "future"
events are shown to him as it were on a movie screen and those beings who
are in heaven are observing them as well. The "future" visions
begin in chapter 6 and when the 24 elders and the living creatures are
mentioned again (Rev. 11:16-17 and 19:4) they are shown to be giving a
response to the same thing that John is seeing.
My point is that the 24 elders and the living creatures are not part
of the "future" visions but are in the audience with John as
the future is un-scrolled before them.
See Topic: The 24 Elders
This is a good point to suggest the interpretive view for the book of the
Revelation in the context of a PreWrath rapture. Although there may be
slight differences even among others who hold to a PreWrath position, the
operative factor will be the Golden Rule of Interpretation, for knowledge
of which, I am indebted to D.L. Cooper.
When the plain sense of scripture
makes common sense, seek no other sense;
therefore, take every word
at its primary, ordinary, usual, literal meaning
unless the facts of the immediate context,
studied in the light of related passages
and axiomatic and fundamental truths,
indicate clearly otherwise.
Accordingly, I view the book of The Revelation to be chronological except
in those places where it is clearly indicated to be retrospect. The seals
produce the trumpets and the trumpets the bowls. These do not overlap in
the least but are chronological, beginning with the start of the 70th week
(or slightly before it) and progressing through the 70th week and to the
end of the 30 day period which follows the 70th week.
The book itself obviously begins with the church on the earth prior to
the start of the 70th week and progresses through the Messiah's 1000 year
physical reign on the earth, to the last judgment and into the eternal
state. Throughout, there are chapters that give a retrospect for amplification
and it is imperative to recognize these as retrospective sections in order to retain
the true focus and intent of the vision.
At Rev. 5:1-7, John is given a vision of what will be involved at the time
that God begins His end time program to bring to completion the redemption
of the human race and the judgment of Satan and the fallen angels. The
seals represent the events which God has known all along would happen.
The fact that Jesus opens the seals represents divine timing and permission
for the initiation of these events. The fact that only Jesus can open the
seals indicates that the whole plan centers around His person and work
as initiated and culminated through the incarnation.
And I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a book written
inside and on the back, sealed up with seven seals.
And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, "Who is worthy
to open the book and to break its seals?"
And no one in heaven, or on the earth, or under the earth, was able to
open the book, or to look into it. And I {began} to weep greatly, because
no one was found worthy to open the book, or to look into it; and one of
the elders said to me, "Stop weeping; behold, the Lion that is from
the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome so as to open the book
and its 7 seals."
And I saw between the throne (with the 4 living creatures) and the elders
a Lamb standing, as if slain, having 7 horns and 7 eyes, which are the
7 Spirits of God, sent out into all the earth. And He came, and He took
{it} out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne.
THE CHURCH ON THE EARTH
Rev. 5:8
And when He had taken the book,
the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders
fell down before the Lamb,
having each one a harp, and golden bowls full of incense
which are the prayers of the saints.
It should be obvious that these are the prayers of the saints who are on
the earth before the seals are broken. These are believers who are presently,
at the time of John's vision, on the earth as members of the church. The
description that follows most logically points to the only group of believers
on the earth at the time of John's vision, and matches with the description
of the church that John gives at Rev. 1:6,
And He made us a kingdom, priests to His God and Father - -
Rev. 5:9-10
And they sang a new song, saying,
Worthy are You to take the book, and to break its seals;
for You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood
{men} from every tribe and tongue and people and nation.
And You made them* a kingdom and priests to our God;
(*"them" -So, with the better manuscript evidence at this point.)
This phrase describes the present function of the church
here on earth as found at 1 Pet. 2.9-10,
But you are A CHOSEN RACE,
A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, a PROTECTED PEOPLE,
that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him
who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;
for you once were NOT A PEOPLE,
but now you are THE PEOPLE OF GOD;
you had NOT RECEIVED MERCY, but now you have RECEIVED MERCY.)
Rev. 5:10
"- - - and they* will reign upon the earth."
(*"they" -So, with the better manuscript evidence at this point.)
This describes the future, resurrection function of the church as taught
by Jesus and the apostles. Mt.19.28-29; Lk. 22.29-30; 1 Cor. 6.2;
Rev. 20.6
Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the 1st resurrection;
over these the 2nd death has no power,
but they will be priests of God and of Christ
and will reign with Him for 1000 yrs.
This same group of saints described at Rev. 5:9-10, on the earth, is viewed
again at Rev. 7:9-17 as "standing" in heaven in physical bodies
and having come out of the great tribulation.
Rev. 5:9
And they sang a new song, saying,
Worthy are you to take the book, and to break its seals;
for you were slain, and did purchase for God with your blood
[ones] from every tribe and tongue and people and nation.
Rev. 7:9
After these things I looked, and behold,
a great multitude, which no one could count,
from every nation and {all} tribes and peoples and tongues,
STANDING before the throne and before the Lamb,
clothed in white robes, and palm branches {were} in their hands;
It is therefore, the most sensible, viewing this at the TIME of John's
vision, to see the church on earth at Rev. 5:9-10 where she will continue
to function as priests to God until such time as she is removed from within
the great tribulation and taken to heaven at Rev. 7:9-17.
There is nothing that takes place between the two passages that explains
it in any other way. Notice further how this lines up with what we saw
earlier at Mat. 10:23, ". . you shall not finish going through the
cities of Israel until the Son of Man comes."
Of course, the question remains as to the identity of the
24 elders who are in heaven at the time of John's vision.
Quite simply, the 24 elders represent those believers who have died and
are present with the Lord in heaven at the time of John's vision.
Keep in mind that at the time of the vision, there does exist in heaven
all the believers who had died throughout all of history up to that time.
It is most probable that the 24 elders represent both believers of the
old testament as well as those of the church who have previously died.
The issue at hand is to realize that the 24 elders are a group of believers
who are present in heaven AT THE TIME of John's vision and not a group
who GET to heaven at some future time.
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