Most Important Notes from BIBL 450 {3,771 words}
XVII. Lesson 17 - The Book of Revelation (Chapter 6:1-17)
A. The first set of judgments will be the seven seals, then the seven trumpets, and then the seven vials. Some people think that they are all happening at the same time (concurrently) throughout the seven years of the tribulation. Some people think that they are consecutive. Actually, six seals occur, then the seventh seal opens the seven trumpet judgments, and then the seventh trumpet opens the seven vial judgments. When the seventh trumpet is blown, nothing happens because the vial judgments begin.
B. With the first four seals, white, red, black, and pale horses appear, respectively. The white horse may not be Christ, but it may be a Christ-imitator instead. It is probably the Antichrist. He will be bent on conquest because he will be trying to control the world and overthrow Israel. The sevenieth week in Daniel's prophecy seems to be the tribulation. The Antichrist will enter into a covenant with Israel. The white horse sought a peaceful conquest, but the red horse in Revelation 6:4 probably means a bloody conquest. He is given a great sword, so there will probably be tremendous bloodshed. One-fourth of the earth will be destroyed, well over one billion people. The black horse is symbolic of a severe financial depression or famine. A day's wages will pay for a day's food, which means that there will not be enough money for anything else. Barley is a lesser grain than wheat, too. The cost will be enormous, but the quality will be inferior. The pale horse will represent the deaths that have resulted from the first three horses, which were conquest, warfare, and famine.
C. The fifth seal revealed those that had died for the Word of God and for their testimony. They questioned how long it would be before their deaths would be avenged. They were told to wait a while longer until some more people will be killed for their faith. Some people will be saved during the Tribulation, even though the church is gone. The Holy Spirit will still be on earth even though He will not be here because of indwelled Christians. The fifth seal will be like an imprecatory psalm, where they ask for bad things to happen to God's enemies (compare to Psalm 58:6-11). By asking for judgment, they are trying to show that they are in tune with God. But they will have to wait for His timing.
D. The sixth seal will be an earthquake. Dr. Borland thinks that the earthquake will be destroy industrial factories and other major things. The events of the sixth seal are probably literal. The stars falling could have been something as basic as a meteor shower. During all of the things that happen, God is in control. The first four seals and the sixth seal will be seen by the people on earth, but the fifth seal will not be seen on earth. The fifth seal will be the Tibulation martyrs around the throne of God, and they will ask who can stand in light of all these judgments.
XVIII. Lesson 18 - The Book of Revelation (Chapter 7:1-17)
A. Revelation time-line = the seals, trumpets, and the vials are throughout the seven year tribulation.
1. Revelation 1: the vision of things to come
2. Revelation 2-3: the messages to the seven churches
3. Revelation 6: the seal judgments (throughout the seven year tribulation)
4. Revelation 7 - 144,000 (parenthetical chapter) - these are Jewish people
5. Revelation 8-9: the trumpet judgments (throughout the seven year tribulation)
6. Revelation 10: prepares for Revelation 11 (parenthetical chapter)
7. Revelation 11: the two witnesses
8. Revelation 12: the woman and how God protects them
9. Revelation 13: the two beasts that represent the Antichrist and the False Prophet
10. Revelation 16 - the vial judgments (throughout the seven year tribulation)
B. Some people think that the 144,000 are Christians (the church) that will be protected during the Tribulation, but they are probably actually Jews. They are sealed, which means that they are protected. A seal is a symbol of ownership. The word "church" is not found after the seven letters in Revelation, chapters two and three. The 144,000 are saved Jews. Believing that they are the church would be accepting the non-literal viewpoints. Some reasons that some people accept a non-literal view are: (1) Israel passed away as a nation and as a people of God, (2) only spiritual Israel is part of God's program (Romans 9:6-8), (3) the number twelve thousand is purely symbolic so the whole passage is symbolic, and (4) the twelve listed tribes are out of order and Dan is omitted (I Chronicles 5:1-2 shows that Joseph got the double portion of Israel's inheritance. Normally, Levi was left out. Here, Joseph takes the place of Ephraim, and Levi is included. Dan might have gone into idolatry before the other tribes (Judges 18:1-31)). Dr. Borland does not agree with any of these non-literal views.
1. The church is never called Israel or the children of Israel (Galatians 6:16 says the Israel of God, but that verse is talking about both spiritual and physical Israel (note the comma in the KJV and the NIV).)
2. A spiritual Israel does not automatically need to transfer outside of physical Israel. Being the church is not automatic.
3. The 144,000 is based on the twelve sons of Israel.
4. In Revelation 14:4, the 144,000 are all male that have not known a woman.
5. In the context of this chapter, they are contrasted with the great multitude in Revelation 7:9-17.
6. The naming of individual tribes would be superfluous if Israel were not in mind.
7. When referring to persons, the word "Israel" is never used except for Jacob or to one of his literal descendants.
8. The New Testament shows Israel as a nation long after the Jews rejected Christ. Paul distinguished between Jews, Gentiles, and the church.
9. The disciples were told that they would literally judge one of the twelve tribes of Israel.
10. Physical Israel will receive spiritual salvation.
11. The church is neither Jewish or Gentile.
C. In Revelation 7:9-11, angels cannot sing about having been redeemed because they have not been. So, they are probably those that were martyred for Christ out of great tribulation - the seven year period (Revelation 7:14). In Revelation 7:12, a sevenfold doxology is given (praise, glory, wisdom, thanks, honor, power, and strength). They washed their robes in blood, and they became white, which is a symbol of salvation. The latter part of Revelation 7:15 is a recurring Old Testament theme where God wants to fellowship with His people. Revelation 7:16 says that the climate in heaven will be just right. One of the judgments on the earth involves tremendous, scorching heat.
D. The day will come when all the tears will be wiped away, and there will be joy in heaven.
XIX. Lesson 19 - The Book of Revelation (Chapter 8:1-13)
A. In Revelation 8:1, the seventh seal is finally broken off the scroll, and then there is silence in heaven for thirty minutes because the people are in awe over all the great judgments. After the seventh seal is opened, seven angels come forth during the time of silence, and each one will be given a trumpet. Each trumpet is played, and with each trumpet causes something to happen. The seventh seal is actually silence and awestruck, but then the seven angels are seen before the throne of God (Revelation 8:2). On the seventh trumpet, seven vial judgments occur. The seven vials are within the seventh trumpet, and the seven trumpets are within the seventh seal.
B. In Revelation 8:3, the golden censer represents the high priest, and it is a New Testament, not Old Testament teaching. The prayers of the saints that are offered up to the Lord. In Revelation 8:5, the angel casts the burning censer to the earth as a preliminary event to the seven trumpets. The first trumpet was reminiscent of what happened at Jericho. The first trumpet caused hail and fire to fall to the earth. One-third of the earth was burned up, one-third of all kinds of trees were destroyed. The second trumpet turned one-third of the sea into blood. The large mass was like a great mountain, but it was not necessarily an actual great mountain. Literal interpreters interpret "blood" as "blood" for the sea because the language was not of a simile. Also, one-third of all the ships in the sea were destroyed (that will also include about one-third of all the oil tankers, so there will be an incredible oil shortage). The sea currently covers about seventy-five percent of the whole earth, and one-third of that will become blood.
C. The third trumpet blew and contaminated (Revelation 16:4 - the third vial is very similar to this trumpet) the lakes and rivers (the fresh water supply). There will be a water shortage. Electricity will be a problem, and there will be an oil shortage.
D. The fourth angel blew the fourth trumpet, and one-third of the stars, sun, and moon were struck and turned dark. At Creation, on day four, when the stars were created, they were already visible because Adam and Eve did not have to wait five billion or more years to see them. The earth spins at one thousand miles per hour, based on a twenty-five thousand mile circumference. If the rotation of the earth were sped up to thirty-seven thousand, five hundred miles per hour, then each day will be sixteen hours and one-third of the light and darkness will be lost.
E. According to Revelation 8:13, the last three trumpets will be supernatural.
XX. Lesson 20 - The Book of Revelation (Chapter 9:1-21)
A. This chapter has trumpets five and six. The star that fell in Revelation 9:1-2 is an angel of the churches, and he is a significant (with authority). From Revelation 12:3-4, Satan apparently took one-third of all the angels with him when he fell. In Revelation 9:3, the smoke darkened the earth, and scorpions came out of the earth. In Revelation 9:4, the 144,000 from Revelation 7:3 have the seal, so they will not be harmed. However, those that become Christians during the Tribulation will die because: (1) they do not have the mark of the beast and (2) they are persecuted by the beast. They will die anyway. Therefore, there is not any reason to believe that they will be protected from the locusts. The locusts torture those without the seal for probably a literal five months (thirty day periods), and there is not any reason to take that as anything except a literal period of time. These locusts have intelligence to recognize the seal, and they are probably demon possessed.
B. In Revelation 9:6-11, the locusts are described. They looked like horses and had faces like men. The face of men meant intelligent. If much has been destroyed by the sixth seal, such as the means of transportation, the electrical plants, the reservoirs, and the industries, then people will be in grave jeopardy. People will have to rummage around daily just for food and water. But when they come out, the locusts will attack them, and they will be stung.
C. The last three trumpet judgments are called woes.
D. The sixth trumpet judgement is back in heaven. The horn, in Revelation 9:13, symbolizes power. The four kings will lead two hundred million soldiers. In Revelation 16:12, this judgment is concluded. The kings of the east will come across the Euphrates from the east to the west (could be China, India, Afrghanistan or some other places) to slay one-third (Revelation 9:18) of all humanity. In the fourth (pale rider: one-fourth of all humanity) seal, the earth's population has been reduced by about one billion. In the sixth trumpet judgment, many more (one-third more) are killed.
E. In Revelation 9:20-21, the people would not repent despite all the hard times. Instead, they worshipped the devil. There will be stealing and killing during those days, too. "Magic arts" can also mean drug trafficking (pharmakeia - the use or the administering of drugs, sorcery, magical arts, often found in connection with idolatry and fostered by it).
XXI. Lesson 21 - The Book of Revelation (Chapter 10:1-11:19)
A. A six-point outline of this Book: (1) revelation to John (chapter 1), (2) revelation to the churches (chapters 2-3), (3) retribution by Christ upon the earth (chapters 4-18), (4) rejection of Christ by the world after Satan is released (chapter 19), (5) return of Jesus (chapter 20), and (6) rewards are with Him (chapters 21-22)
B. In Revelation 10:1, angel means messenger. It may or may not be an actual angel. The angel of the Lord in the Old Testament is Christ. Some believe that the one in this chapter could be Christ, but it could have just as easily been a mighty angel. In Daniel 10:5, there was a similar angel, and on that occasion, it was not Jesus because Jesus would not have been held up by anything or anyone. He was there to make a great announcement. John was told not to write this part down, which was unusual given the nature of the rest of the Book.
C. In Revelation 10:6, John wrote that there would not be anymore delay. Some people have concluded that no more time (KJV) means no more clocks, days, weeks, months, and so forth, but that is not correct. This verse means that God is about to start working in a new way. The seven seal, trumpet, and vial judgments run consecutively, not concurrently. In John 17:4, Jesus made a proleptic statement in that He was looking ahead at what He was about to do. He said that He had finished, but He had not really finished. In Revelation 10:7, the angel was speaking in the same sense about the mystery of God. It had not been accomplished, but it was about to be accomplished. God has not really finished with His plan, but at that time, He will be about to finish it.
D. In Revelation 10:8-11, John ate the scroll. It was sweet to eat, but then, it made him sick to his stomach. To the just, God's justice will at first appear sweet. But when they see just how terrible it is, then it will make even God's followers sick.
E. In Revelation 11:1, the Temple will be the third temple of God, and all three will have been in the same place. In the Old Testament, there was Solomon's temple (the first temple about 969BC). It was destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar in 586BC. The second temple was approximately 516BC (not as large or nice as Solomon's temple). Herod beautified that temple in about 19BC or 20BC. That temple was destroyed in about 70AD by the Romans. The third temple will be where the Dome of the Rock now stands. The third temple will be built during the Tribulation.
F. In Revelation 11:3-6, the two witnesses will witness for forty-two months. The Jews still do not trust the Lord Jesus Christ at that time. In Revelation 11:7, they will be overcome by the Antichrist because their work on earth will be done (no one dies until their work on earth is done). What these witnesses do are similar to Elijah (no rain for three and a half years and also fire from heaven twice to destroy Ahab's men) and Moses (water to blood and other plagues). Moses and Elijah also appeared at the Mount of Transfiguration. Some people think Elijah and Enoch because they have never died, but that reasoning is incorrect because people in the Rapture will not die, either. Dr. Borland uses Malachi 4:4-6 to conclude that Elijah is one of the two. That's why people thought that John the Baptist might have been Elijah, but of course, he was not. Revelation 11:10 will be the devil's Christmas because they will be celebrating the death of the two witnesses. Then, the two were raptured up and there was a great earthquake.
G. In Revelation 11:15-19, the seventh trumpet is blown (the third woe). The seventh trumpet starts to move toward the end, and the twenty-four elders were looking ahead. That trumpet causes lightning, thunder, hail, and an earthquake.
XXII. Lesson 22 - The Book of Revelation (Chapter 12:1-17)
A. The parenthetical chapters in Revelation tell what else is going on while the judgments are happening. The seals are in chapter 6, the trumpets are chapters 8 and 9, and the vial judgments are chapter 16. All of the other chapters in-between are parenthetical. The judgments that come upon the earth are similar to a woman about to have a baby.
B. In Revelation 12:1-2, the woman was Israel. She was clothed with the moon, the sun, and twelve stars. That analogy is very similar to Joseph's second dream in Genesis 37:9-11. In Revelation 12:1-2, Joseph was the twelfth star. The woman is not the church because the church did not bring forth Christ. Israel brought forth Christ, and Christ brought forth the church. In Revelation 12:3, Satan tried to destroy the woman's child. Revelation 12:9 tells about Satan being thrown down to the earth, and that verse also calls him the ancient serpent to verify Genesis 3:1. In Revelation 12:4, he took one-third of all the angels with him to earth. Revelation 12:5 suggests that the child is Jesus, so that would definitely make the woman Israel, not the church. She flees into the desert where she is protected for twelve hundred and sixty days.
C. In Revelation 12:6, the twelve hundred and sixty days is probably literal (note Daniel 7:25 and Daniel 12:7 - time, times, and half a time). The devil will have power for forty-two months (Revelation 13:5) or three and a half years. This time period is part of Daniel's seventieth week, and for three and a half years, everything seems to be alright. The devil is the prince of the power of the air (Isaiah 14:12-16 and Ezekiel 28:13-19 picture what Satan was like). He has probably not been back to heaven since he was first cast out. In Job 1:1-6, presenting themselves before the Lord does not have to mean that they were all in heaven. Satan is not omnipresent. He can only be in one place at a time, but he has a host of angels or demons to help him on earth. Revelation 12:7-9 is past tense (eternity past). In Revelation 12:13, the last half of the Tribulation might be beginning. The devil tried to drown the woman (Israel), literally or figuratively, and he failed. Then, he went after the rest of her offspring (the Jews).
XXIII. Lesson 23 - The Book of Revelation (Chapter 13:1-18)
A. In Revelation 13:1-10, there is a beast from the sea. This beast, with ten horns and seven heads, is tied to Daniel 7:7 (lion, bear, leopard, and terrifying, frightening, and very powerful). The four beasts in Daniel 7:3-7 describe four kingdoms. In Revelation 13:2, the beasts that are mentioned have the characteristics of a leopard, bear, and lion, and that beast seems to be a composite of all the previous kingdoms (Babylon, Mede-Persians, Greece, and Rome). The seven heads probably represent seven mountains where the beast is located. The dragon (Revelation 12:9) is the Antichrist. In Daniel 7:21-25, Revelation 13:7, and II Thessalonians 2:3-4, the beast is able to wage war until times, a time, and half a time. This shows the second half of the Tribulation and will last three and half years or forty-two months (Revelation 13:5). Then, Jesus will return for the Battle of Armageddon. In Revelation 13:6, the Antichrist will speak against God. In Revelation 13:8, those not saved will worship the beast, and he will have power over the saints. That is also consistent with Daniel 7:25.
B. In Revelation 13:11-18, the second beast came out of the earth, and it looks like a lamb but speaks as a dragon. He is deceptive. The second beast directs worship towards the first beast just the Holy Spirit. However, this is the counterfeit (the False Prophet) of the Holy Spirit, not the real thing. The unsaved were deceived. He is also the one that gives the mark of the beast so that people can buy and sell in the marketplace. Peer pressure and the threat of punishment will be great. The number six-six-six is the number of man because man was created on the sixth day. God is seven, man is six, and he falls short of pleasing God.
XXIV. Lesson 24 - The Book of Revelation (Chapter 14:1-20)
A. Revelation 1:19 is the key verse in the whole Book. Revelation, Chapters Seven and Fourteen are about the 144,000 from the twelve tribes of Israel, not from the church. In Revelation 7:9-17, the Jews were brought back into the picture. In Revelation 14:1-2, the setting seems to be in heaven. Jesus is standing on Mount Zion, but that is probably a symbolic Mount Zion in heaven, not the real Mount Zion on earth. Revelation 14:4 again seems to suggest that the 144,000 were all men and that they were put to death by the Antichrist and are in heaven. In Revelation 14:6-7, an angel is flying around in midair, and he seems to be preaching the gospel. In Revelation 14:8, a second angel announces that Babylon has fallen, and in Revelation 14:9-11, a third angel warns people not to worship the Antichrist.
B. According to Dr. Borland, cults never believe in a person being lost forever. Sometimes, they believe in soul-sleep (a type of nonexistence), reincarnation, annihilation, or some other kind of going out of existence. But Revelation 14:9-11 teach everlasting punishment.
C. Dr. Borland thinks that the Battle of Armageddon, talked about in Revelation 14:14-20, is also discussed in Ezekiel, Chapters Thirty-eight and Thirty-Nine. The son of man in Revelation 14:14 is probably Jesus. These verses are a picture of God's judgment on earth. He is trampling on people, and the blood will pile up for about two hundred miles (sixteen hundred stadia).
Tom of Bethany "He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life." (I John 5:12)
Index to Selected Essays And Book Reviews
BIBL 450 - Daniel and Revelation (Lessons 25-30)
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