The Stolen Book of Revelation ....and Seven other Amazing Facts / February 2004

Many years ago, I attended a seminar hosted by a local synagogue for the benefit of church pastors in the city. It was my first opportunity to hear a Rabbi share their views on Jesus and the New Testament. The seminar was entitled, "What Jews think about Jesus and the New Testament." In the question and answer period, we were afforded the opportunity to ask questions. My question was about the book of Revelation. The Rabbi’s answer stunned me.

"It’s a stolen book. There is nothing new in the book. All the symbols and distinct prophecies originate from Moses and the Prophets of Israel."

He was right! In a sense the book of Revelation is stolen. All of the relevant prophecies are spoken of or introduced first by the prophets. Students of the Bible are taught many key methods to properly interpret the Scriptures. One of them is to let the Bible interpret the Bible. When you find another passage of Scripture discussing the same element of your study, you must reconcile and consider all passages for a proper conclusion of the matter. Therefore, to understand the book of Revelation, you must reconcile and consider many passages from the Old Testament, and in the specific study of Revelation, the comparison to the Old Testament is extensive. If you have a cross-reference system at the margin in your Bible, just scan it as you skim through the pages of Revelation. Most cross-reference systems will lead you to many passages for further consideration.

To illustrate my point more specifically, consider this topic list and the supporting parallel passages from Moses and the Prophets.

Chapter 1. Yeshua’s reference to being the Alpha and the Omega is what most English Bibles say translating from the Greek. However, this is a Hebrew Messiah talking to a Hebrew prophet. More likely, He spoke Hebrew and said that He was the Aleph and the Tav. The Aleph and Tav is a deeper teaching of God originating in Genesis 1:1. It is the fourth word in the text which is not translated into English. John’s gospel speaks to this directly in John 1:1.

In the beginning [Beresheet] was the Word [the Aleph Tav word is Et], and the Word [Et] was with God [Elohim], and the Word [Et] was God [Elohim]. He was in the beginning [Beresheet] with God.

John 1:1-2

Knowing what Moses said in Genesis 1:1 is critical to understanding what Yeshua said in Revelation 1:8 and John 1:1.

Chapter 1. The Lord’s day referenced in Revelation 1:10 is not about Sunday worship. The Lord’s day is the last day – the Sabbath Day. According to Moses and the Prophets, Sabbath is a picture of the Messiah’s coming kingdom, when He will rest from His labors of dealing with His enemies. Yeshua emphatically stated that He was the Lord of the Sabbath; therefore, the Lord’s day is Sabbath. Yeshua also explained that the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. The same can be said for the kingdom. The kingdom was made for man, the bride of the Messiah, not man for the kingdom.

Chapter 2. Revelation 2:17 speaks to hidden manna, a white stone, and new names written on stone. The story of the manna in the wilderness is critical to understanding this statement. The white stone is a reference to the Urim and Thummin (a subject that is virtually unknown to believers). The name written on the stone is a vintage messianic kingdom prophecy of Zechariah.

Now listen, Joshua the high priest, you and your friends who are sitting in front of you— indeed they are men who are a symbol, for behold, I am going to bring in My servant the Branch. For behold, the stone that I have set before Joshua; on one stone are seven eyes. Behold, I will engrave an inscription on it, declares the Lord of hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day. In that day, declares the Lord of hosts, every one of you will invite his neighbor to sit under his vine and under his fig tree.

Zechariah 3:8-10

The promises to the overcomers (the letters to the seven churches), such as this one, make no sense without the understanding of Moses and the Prophets.

Chapter 2. Revelation 2:14 warns the church at Pergamum that there are those who hold to the teaching of Baalam. Baalam was a prophet who was paid to curse but could only bless. But, he offered something else to Balak that was even more powerful than a curse. It is called the teaching of Baalam and you must understand Moses and the Prophets to even know what the teaching is. The teaching of Baalam is to not listen to the teaching of Moses nor to follow the customs of Moses.

Chapter 4 and 5. Revelation 4 and 5 speaks to the throne of God. The scene is not complete without considering Isaiah’s vision of the throne looking from the top down (Isaiah 6:2) or Ezekiel’s vision of the throne looking from the bottom up (Ezekiel 10:1). The seven Spirits of God spoken of in these chapters are a complete mystery without Isaiah 11. In fact, if you do not have a rudimentary understanding of the temple/tabernacle service, the idea of 24 elders will be an even greater mystery.

Chapter 6. The four colored horses of the first four seal judgments are discussed first by Zechariah (chapter 6) as four spirits of heaven that patrol the earth. The fourth horse called death, with it judgments of famine, wild beast, sword, and pestilence are taught by Ezekiel (chapter 14). The fifth seal addresses the martyrs buried beneath the altar. "Buried beneath the altar" is a Hebrew idiom about burial in Israel. It is said that anyone buried in Israel is buried beneath the altar.

Chapter 7. The 144,000 sons of Israel sealed for the great tribulation begs for a proper understanding originating from Moses and the Prophets. Ezekiel 9 speaks to this sealing and explains it in conjunction with the first judgment of God – the judgment that comes on the household of God. The tribulation saints are waiting with palm branches. Zechariah says the first celebration in the Messiah’s kingdom will be the Feast of Tabernacles (Booths). Palm branches are essential to building a proper booth (tabernacle) for the festival.

Chapter 8. The angel that hurls his censor to the earth (Revelation 8:3-5) replicates the actions of Aaron when he took his censor into the people to stop God’s judgment upon Israel in Numbers chapter 16. They had approached God’s altar with contempt. This is also the starting event of the Great Tribulation – the contemptuous act of stopping the daily sacrifice on the altar.

Chapter 9. The fifth trumpet angel foretells of a time of darkness when demons appear on the surface of the earth harassing mankind. The description of the demons and how they are organized is addressed by the prophet Joel in chapter 2. There really is a reason to "blow a trumpet in Zion and sound an alarm on My Holy Mountain."

Chapter 10. The tasty little book of Revelation 10 was also tasted by Ezekiel chapter 2.

Chapter 11. The measuring rod of Revelation 11 which measures the temple, the altar, and the people who worship is a direct reference to the Day of Atonement in Leviticus 16:33. The Day of Atonement is the prophetic picture of the Day of the Lord – the day when God decides who will live and who will die. The key to living is to have your name written in the Lamb’s book of life. Revelation 20:15 says it best.

And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

Revelation 20:15

Chapter 11. The two witnesses of Revelation 11 are a virtual duplication of the ministry for Moses and Aaron before Pharaoh and Egypt. However, Elijah is promised to return before the Lord comes and many believe he will join Moses. One thing is for certain, the children of Israel have set a cup for him every Passover anticipating his future ministry.

Chapter 12. The vision of the sun, moon, and stars in Revelation 12 is the second dream of Joseph in Genesis 37. To this date, we are still waiting for the mothers of Israel to complete their part. Revelation 12 goes on to say how the woman who gave birth (a mother) will fulfill the dream.

Chapter 12. The war in heaven with Michael and the angels of Revelation 12:7 is addressed in Daniel 12:1 when Michael arises. Michael arises from the earth and his guarding station and the restraining of evil against Israel. Paul was referencing this when he spoke of the restrainer being taken out of the way at the start of the tribulation, allowing the emergence of the antimessiah.

And you know what restrains him now, so that in his time he may be revealed. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way. And then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming; that is, the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders,

II Thessalonians 2:6-9

The he who restrains, the one who is taken out of the way is none other than the archangel Michael. When he rises to heaven and throws out Satan, he no longer is able restrain evil here.

Chapter 13. The prophet Daniel has much to say about the seven headed, ten horned beast of Revelation. In particular, the prophet Zechariah explains in some detail how the false shepherd, the antimessiah, comes to power and the two staffs he will carry. One of the two is called "Union." "Union" is the preferred term to reference the European Union which is symbolized by a "woman riding a beast." The other staff is called "Favor" and deals with his influence over others.

Chapter 15. The song of Moses spoken of in Revelation 15 is found in Deuteronomy 32. Moses wrote that song for "that generation" (Deut 29) that would see the end of the ages, the greater exodus and the return of Israel from all nations (Deut 30:1-10), and be that generation that "would not pass away until all things were fulfilled."

Chapter 17. The Babylon of Revelation is a woman riding a beast that claims she is the queen of heaven and not a widow. Isaiah chapter 47 has an extensive description including the very liturgical words used by the woman in the Revelation.

Chapter 19. The return of the Messiah on a white horse with His robe dipped in blood is a dramatic scene. The same scene is more complete with the words of Daniel and Isaiah.

I kept looking in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven One like a Son of Man was coming, and He came up to the Ancient of Days and was presented before Him.

Daniel 7:13

Who is this who comes from Edom, with garments of glowing colors from Bozrah, this One who is majestic in His apparel, marching in the greatness of His strength? "It is I who speak in righteousness, mighty to save." Why is Your apparel red, and Your garments like the one who treads in the wine press? "I have trodden the wine trough alone, and from the peoples there was no man with Me. I also trod them in My anger, and trampled them in My wrath; and their lifeblood is sprinkled on My garments, and I stained all My raiment. For the day of vengeance was in My heart, and My year of redemption has come."

Isaiah 63:1-4

Chapter 20. The first resurrection precedes a 1,000 year period, while the resurrection of the dead follows it. Both are addressed by Daniel chapter 12. Based on the information from both Revelation and Daniel, you will conclude that you want to be in the first resurrection.

And many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground will awake, these [the first] to everlasting life, but the others [the second] to disgrace and everlasting contempt.

Daniel 12:2

Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Messiah and will reign with Him for a thousand years.

Revelation 20:6

Chapter 21. The new Jerusalem with its 12 gates and foundation stones is pictured in Revelation 21. It is a picture of a bride adorned for her wedding.

And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband.

Revelation 21:2

But, Isaiah pictures the same place with the bridegroom joining the bride.

For Zion's sake I will not keep silent, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not keep quiet, until her righteousness goes forth like brightness, and her salvation like a torch that is burning. And the nations will see your righteousness, and all kings your glory; and you will be called by a new name, which the mouth of the Lord will designate. You will also be a crown of beauty in the hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem in the hand of your God. It will no longer be said to you, "Forsaken," Nor to your land will it any longer be said, "Desolate"; But you will be called, "My delight is in her," And your land, "Married"; For the Lord delights in you, and to Him your land will be married. For as a young man marries a virgin, so your sons will marry you; and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so your God will rejoice over you.

Isaiah 62:1-5

Behold, the Lord has proclaimed to the end of the earth, say to the daughter of Zion, "Lo, your salvation comes; behold His reward is with Him, and His recompense before Him." And they will call them, "The holy people, the redeemed of the Lord"; and you will be called, "Sought out, a city not forsaken."

Isaiah 62:11-12

Right after this passage is when Isaiah tells us about the One whose robe is dipped in blood.

This list is by no means comprehensive nor complete. This is only a sample of the symbol and content relationship between Revelation and the Old Testament.

The stolen parts of Revelation are not really stolen. The Rabbi’s statement was simply a reaction of how extensive the prophetic Scripture of Revelation is based on the prophets of Israel. If John’s testimony is true (the book of Revelation), then it should be coordinated with previous prophecy. When Isaiah spoke of the Messianic Era (the kingdom), then we should find Revelation addressing that subject with matching precision.

Therefore, we can conclude that any teacher of Revelation that does not address all the prophets of Israel in his interpretation is both short-sighted and failing to address all of the evidence before drawing conclusion. Still further, many specific points made by John are also lost. This loss usually leads to imaginative explanations and tangents of theology and eschatology to fill the vacancies. One of the most obvious mistakes of this type is the teaching that the church will not go through the tribulation; but instead, will be raptured from the earth prior to the event. This teaching is born out the desperate need to find some kind of consolation for the disturbing judgments of God during the tribulation. Instead of understanding the prophecies about the "greater exodus," God’s deliverance modeled after the ancient exodus from Egypt, the church is left with conjuring up an explanation due to their self-imposed separation from Israel.

The church separated themselves a long time ago (big theological mistake) from Israel and have replaced the Messiah’s promises to Israel with the rapture of the church (huge eschatology mistake). Many churchmen are frustrated with the book of Revelation because it does not line up precisely with their theology or eschatology. It has the word "church," but keeps talking about altars, angels, and the sons of Israel. Even more perplexing, the kingdom is not described as being in heaven, nor having a big church in Jerusalem. In fact, it describes a temple (something done away with when the New Covenant came around according to them). You should see the faces of the average Christian when he realizes that the Messiah will be High Priest and officiate over future sacrifices. All of this is very perplexing to churchmen and it demands some kind of explanation. "Dispensations" is the big word used by evangelicals to explain it all away.

If this was all there was to the book of Revelation, a strong relationship to the prophecies of the past, then we would have plenty to study for some time to come. However, there are some other features to Revelation that make it stand out even more. I have included just seven items for purpose of this article. (There are more than seven.)

You might want to buckle you seat belt for this. Many of you are going to read things about this book that you have never heard before.

1. The book of REVELATION is intended for a select group of believers who keep Torah and have a testimony of Yeshua.

The Revelation of Yeshua the Messiah, which God gave Him to show to His bond–servants, the things which must shortly take place; and He sent and communicated it by His angel to His bond–servant John,

Revelation 1:1

The title bond-servant means something in the Bible. In fact, it is a very specific title for a believer that has done something in accordance with the Torah. Paul, John, Peter, Jude, James and other New Testament leaders referred to themselves as bond-servants. It is not a term used for every believer.

In fact, if you will look around today, where are the bond-servants? I hear about Christians. I hear some called Pastors, Evangelists, etc. But, how many brethren do you know that are addressed as bond servant?

The book of Revelation is written to bond-servants to show them things which will shortly take place. If you believe the book is written to you, then you need to be a bond-servant.

The Law of the Bond-Servant is found in Torah. In fact, it is one of the first teachings by Moses after the Lord gave the 10 commandments.

If you buy a Hebrew slave, he shall serve for six years; but on the seventh he shall go out as a free man without payment. If he comes alone, he shall go out alone; if he is the husband of a wife, then his wife shall go out with him. If his master gives him a wife, and she bears him sons or daughters, the wife and her children shall belong to her master, and he shall go out alone. But if the slave plainly says, "I love my master, my wife and my children; I will not go out as a free man," then his master shall bring him to God, then he shall bring him to the door or the doorpost. And his master shall pierce his ear with an awl; and he shall serve him permanently.

Exodus 21:2-6

If your kinsman, a Hebrew man or woman, is sold to you, then he shall serve you six years, but in the seventh year you shall set him free. And when you set him free, you shall not send him away empty–handed. And it shall come about if he says to you, "I will not go out from you," because he loves you and your household, since he fares well with you; then you shall take an awl and pierce it through his ear into the door, and he shall be your servant forever. And also you shall do likewise to your maidservant.

Deuteronomy 15:12-13,16-17

A bond-servant is one who has had their debt paid and is free to go. But instead, they choose for the reason of love to remain in the service of their Master. Very few New Testament teachers understand that this is the dynamic for service to God once we have been redeemed. A bond-servant of Yeshua, like Paul, John, James, Jude, Simon Peter and others took their freedom from sin and death and committed themselves to the service of God for the reason of love. This is the deeper meaning of Yeshua’s new commandment.

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.

John 13:34-35

Yeshua’s new commandment is really an extension on the law of the bond-servant. In addition to the testimony of, "I love my Master; I love my wife and children, my Master has given me," the bond-servants of Yeshua add, "And I love the brethren of my Master. For this reason I will not go out as free man."

By this testimony all men are to know who are the bond-servants of Yeshua the Messiah. I asked earlier; let me ask again. How many bond-servants do you know now? Maybe you know some. They are the ones who have publicly expressed their love of God, love of wife and children, and their love of the brethren. They are the bond-servants of Yeshua. They also follow the commandment given by Moses and the Torah (the teaching). They are the ones the book of Revelation was written to.

Having a testimony of Yeshua and keeping the Torah is the only way you can be a bond-servant. The Law of the bond-servant comes from Torah. Maybe this is why Revelation speaks precisely to this point concerning the tribulation saints.

Here is the perseverance of the saints who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Yeshua.

Revelation 14:12

2. The angel that showed John the REVELATION was a future Tribulation Saint.

The Revelation of Yeshua the Messiah, which God gave Him to show to His bond–servants, the things which must shortly take place; and He sent and communicated it by His angel to His bond–servant John,

Revelation 1:1

The angel that showed John the contents for the book of Revelation is an intriguing part of the book. Most assume that it is Yeshua the Messiah Himself, because the angel speaks and John turns to see Yeshua.

And I turned to see the voice that was speaking with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands; and in the middle of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed in a robe reaching to the feet, and girded across His breast with a golden girdle. And His head and His hair were white like white wool, like snow; and His eyes were like a flame of fire; and His feet were like burnished bronze, when it has been caused to glow in a furnace, and His voice was like the sound of many waters. And in His right hand He held seven stars; and out of His mouth came a sharp two–edged sword; and His face was like the sun shining in its strength. And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as a dead man. And He laid His right hand upon me, saying, "Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last,"

Revelation 1:12-17

John heard a voice and turned to see the Messiah, but the voice was not of the Messiah as you will soon see. This particular voice sounded like a trumpet. This is the Angel that showed John the Revelation.

After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven, and the first voice which I had heard, like the sound of a trumpet speaking with me, said, "Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after these things."

Revelation 4:1

When John saw the Angel, he did fall down to worship as he did with Yeshua, but he was told not to do that.

And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said to me, "Do not do that; I am a fellow servant of yours and your brethren who hold the testimony of Yeshua; worship God. For the testimony of Yeshua is the spirit of prophecy."

Revelation 19:10

The angel is clearly not Yeshua. Instead, the angel says that John is to direct his worship to Yeshua and God. Instead, he declares that he too is a fellow servant, one of the brethren who holds to the testimony of Yeshua.

And he said to me, "These words are faithful and true"; and the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, sent His angel to show to His bond–servants the things which must shortly take place.

Revelation 22:6

Again, John sees the Angel and the purpose of the book is restated.

And I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I heard and saw, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed me these things. And he said to me, "Do not do that; I am a fellow servant of yours and of your brethren the prophets and of those who heed the words of this book; worship God."

Revelation 22:8-9

And once again John makes the mistake of falling down to worship. The Angel also restates who he is. He is a fellow servant like John. He is one of John’s brethren. He is a prophet. And he heeds the words of the book of Revelation. Wait a minute!

The book of Revelation is written into the future to show a group of bond-servants in the last generation the things which must shortly take place. The word angel means messenger; it does not automatically mean that he is one of the seraphim or cherubim. For him to be equal with John, to be a prophet, and to heed the word of the book Revelation, he must be a tribulation saint. He might be one of the 144,000 or one of the two witnesses, or he might just be a regular tribulation saint who is a bond-servant of Yeshua.

This little mystery sounds like a plot out of the "Back to the Future" movie, but it’s not. It’s one of the amazing facts about the book of Revelation.

3. The mysterious symbol for the seven churches of REVELATION is messianic.

As for the mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.

Revelation 1:20

The seven lampstands are a menorah. The menorah is the seven candelabrum that was in the temple. It is a powerful symbol of faith in the God of Israel. The book of Revelation presents the Messiah standing in the midst of the seven lampstands. It further states that the Messiah is in the midst of the seven churches. The menorah is the symbol of those churches.

The modern church of today does not use the symbol of the menorah. They consider that for the most part to be a symbol of Jews or Jewish things. The fact is that the menorah is the lampstand, the light in the sanctuary of the God of Israel. Yeshua, the Messiah, is the God and King of Israel. He is the Lord of the Sabbath. He is the Light of the World. Therefore, equating the menorah with the believers is a very appropriate symbol. However, the modern church has no such symbol. They have chosen other symbols.

Maybe this is part of the reason why the modern church does not care to hear about the book of Revelation nor do they understand it when it is heard. The book is not really about them or for them.

However, there is one very visible group of believers in the world that identifies with and displays a menorah as one of their symbols. They are messianic congregations, and they have re-emerged again in this generation just as they were in the days the book of Revelation was written.

4. The deliverance of the Tribulation Saints will follow the pattern of the exodus from Egypt.

Like an eagle that stirs up its nest, that hovers over its young, He spread His wings and caught them, He carried them on His pinions.

Deuteronomy 32:11

Moses, in his second song, reminds us that God’s deliverance out of Egypt was the flight of an eagle with its young. The same word picture is used to describe what will happen to the tribulation saints.

And the two wings of the great eagle were given to the woman, in order that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, where she was nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent.

Revelation 12:14

The pattern of the ancient exodus and how it prophesies to the greater exodus from all nations is prolific and specific. Today, many believers want to go to the promised land. They are hoping that they will get there by a short cut (the rapture). They don’t want to go to any wilderness where there is a lack of the basic necessities such as food and water. Moses explained that Israel did not go by the way of the Philistines (the shorter way); instead, they went by way of the wilderness which is tribulation for us. The Hebrew word for Egpyt is Mitzrayim. Mitzrayim means trials and tribulations. We will come out of trials and tribulations before we go to the promised land (the Messianic kingdom).

The 42 months of the great tribulation also matches the 42 camping places of Israel in the wilderness. This same number of 42 was the number of cities in Israel. The Messiah addressed this number when speaking of the oppression we will endure in the great tribulation.

ut whenever they persecute you in this city, flee to the next; for truly I say to you, you shall not finish going through the cities of Israel, until the Son of Man comes.

Matthew 10:23

The judgments in the book of Revelation are similar to the judgments in the Exodus – they are on the false gods of this world. The prophet Jeremiah made no pretense of this comparison. He stated that the exodus at the end of the ages would be so overwhelming that the word "exodus" would be reserved to the greater exodus from all nations and no longer in reference to Egypt.

"Therefore behold, days are coming," declares the Lord, "when it will no longer be said, ‘As the Lord lives, who brought up the sons of Israel out of the land of Egypt,’ but, ‘As the Lord lives, who brought up the sons of Israel from the land of the north and from all the countries where He had banished them.’ For I will restore them to their own land which I gave to their fathers.

Jeremiah 16:14-15

"Therefore behold, the days are coming," declares the Lord, "when they will no longer say, ‘As the Lord lives, who brought up the sons of Israel from the land of Egypt,’ but, ‘As the Lord lives, who brought up and led back the descendants of the household of Israel from the north land and from all the countries where I had driven them.’ Then they will live on their own soil.

Jeremiah 23:7-8

Therefore, to understand the book of Revelation and it deliverance, you must first understand the story of deliverance from Egypt. Just as Pharaoh forgot Joseph, so the antimessiah will position himself like Pharaoh and will not remember the Son of Joseph, Yeshua the Messiah. This is probably why the book of Revelation is so bold in its imagery; it replicates the message of God to Pharaoh and the Egyptians – "that you might know the LORD." But this time, every knee will bow and proclaim that He is the LORD.

5. The Messiah came the first time fulfilling the Passover, Feast of Unleavened Bread, and the Feast of First Fruits, He will come the second time fulfilling the Feast of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, and the Feast of Tabernacles.

I once heard a famous comedian explain his success as a matter of timing. The same is true of understanding the coming of the Lord – its all about timing. More specifically, it is all about God’s appointed times.

The Messiah several times refused to accept the honor of being the Messiah. Instead, He used to say, "My time is not yet." This was reference to waiting for the particular Passover that He was to enter Jerusalem and offer Himself as the Lamb of God. It is clear that He purposed to show Himself according to the plan of the Appointed Times of God.

In the same way, the Messiah is waiting now for the appropriate year and then He will complete His tasks after the pattern of Trumpets, Atonement, and Tabernacles. Trumpets sound the coming of the King. Atonement references directly to the Day of the Lord, the day of God’s judgment. Tabernacles is the feast of Ingathering when all of God’s saints are gathered together.

This pattern is re-enforced in Revelation by making references to the Day of Atonement and the saints preparing for the feast of Tabernacles. The Great Tribulation will begin in the late winter of a particular year; it will end in late summer, early fall of another year (3 ½ years later). The Biblical festivals do the same. Passover is in early spring and Tabernacles is in early fall. Passover is the beginning of the exodus; Tabernacles commemorates how our ancestors lived in the exodus. The same sequence, the same pattern will be our destiny. The Messiah is central in these events. His second coming will be as precise in fulfilling the prophecies as His first coming was.

6. The crest of the nation of Israel with a menorah flanked on either side by olive branches is the prophecy of the two witnesses from the book of REVELATION.

The book of Revelation presents two central figures as prophesying for 1260 days during the great tribulation. While it does not say exactly who these two persons are, the example of Moses and Aaron standing before Pharaoh is replicated. However, the most common belief is that the two witnesses are in the spirit of Moses and Elijah. The book of Revelation does not focus on their identities. Instead, what they do and how they do it is the point.

It is therefore striking when one makes the following observation. The seal of the nation of Israel is the symbol of the two witnesses. What does this mean? What role does the modern nation of Israel have to do with the prophecy of Revelation? We will wait and see. But, it is a good example of how the elements of the book of Revelation are present in this generation. What is even more fascinating to me is that others who teach and study the book of Revelation have never made this observation.

7. The modern church of today is discussed being in the tribulation, but it is called BABYLON, MOTHER OF HARLOTS.

I was on a forum panel discussing before an audience the various theories of when the rapture would take place. Three positions were represented: the pretribulation, the pre-wrath rapture, and the post-tribulation position. I was placed at the seat of the post-tribulation position. The forum debate went pretty much as I expected; no one was really willing to take the other point of view. Everyone’s definition of the believers and why God wouldn’t put us through tribulation was a repeat of previously held arguments. However, there was a definite closing to the lengthy discussion.

The brother representing the pretribulation position took the microphone for the last time and offered the following logic. He argued that the church is not mentioned in the book of Revelation after chapter 3 until the Lord returns and the bride makes herself ready. Therefore, the church is not present in the days of the tribulation. I couldn’t let that stand, so I took the microphone and answered his point. The church is spoken of in the book of Revelation while describing the tribulation prior to the Lord’s return. The problem is that many don’t like its title – BABYLON, MOTHER OF HARLOTS. The crowd which had been stoic and thoughtful for three hours erupted in a mixture of shock and cheers. It was the defining moment in the forum.

Let me pose a similar logic question. If the modern church, which is supposed to fulfill the prophecy of the apostasy (a great falling away), is not the religious system called BABYLON, then what other religious organization is headquartered in Rome with a variety of off-shoot (daughters) organizations (Protestant Churches)? Consider this corollary question. The Apostle John who wrote the Revelation saw a lot of interesting things. He saw the throne of God, visions of horsemen, trumpet angels, angels flying, saints and martyrs, even the antimessiah and the false prophet. Yet, when he saw BABYLON, he wondered greatly!!!

And I saw the woman drunk with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the witnesses of Jesus. And when I saw her, I wondered greatly.

Revelation 17:6

Why did he wonder at that? I can think of a lot of things I would have wondered at seeing in Revelation. But, John wondered at the woman. Let me offer this possible explanation. I think that John was amazed at what the church turned into at the end of ages. I think he couldn’t quite grasp how the church could turn away from the Lord, given its beginning he personally knew.

If BABYLON, MOTHER OF HARLOTS is the modern church and is going to go through the tribulation. If there is going to be a great falling away of faith in the modern church, then it would make a lot of sense for God to call for the believers to get out of the church before the plagues of the tribulation fall. Interestingly, this is exactly what God calls for.

And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, "Come out of her, my people, that you may not participate in her sins and that you may not receive of her plagues;"

Revelation 18:4

Where are the saints right now and what is that they need to "come out of?" This is another example of why many churchmen are uncomfortable with teaching the book of Revelation.

Conclusion:

The study of Revelation for most is worse than a mystery with no answers. Besides being befuddling, it is a fearful book. Some brethren don’t believe in the God of Revelation; their definition of God is considerably different. It is no wonder that many churches and brethren simply do not want to hear about the book of Revelation. However, the words of the book are true and those that love the truth will love the book.

If you are interested in studying even more about the book of Revelation, then we have a new study available on CD and cassette tape. But, you need to check your preconceptions before you start your study. There are considerably more than just seven amazing facts about the book. There are, in fact, 57 different sets of sevens in the book.

YAVOH, He is Coming is a monthly newsletter published as an outreach ministry of Lion and Lamb Ministries
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Editor - Monte Judah
Electronic Editor - Ephraim Judah

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