Revelation Lesson #9 Series

A thorough study of the Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to show his servants things which must shortly come to pass. (Rev. 1:1)

Welcome to our study of the Revelation of Jesus Christ given unto Apostle John.

I am Phillip Smith, your host and fellow servant of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

As we continue our study in the Revelation of Jesus Christ, as given to John, we begin in chapter 8.

As we begin we have opened six of the seven seals around the little scroll which could only be opened by the Lamb who was slain–Jesus Christ. These seals opened the Spirit realm which influences the literal physical realm in which we live.

We witnessed and believe the influences are:

Goodness–righteousness is able to conquer all it may–rider on white horse

Evil–unrighteousness is able to conquer all it may–rider on red horse

Commerce can happen with balanced scales upon the earth–rider on black horse

Death to mankind can occur on the earth and hell–grave will follow–rider on pale horse

Martyrs who were killed for the name and testimony of Christ have been given rest for their labors for a little season. They were given a white robe. They were found to be blameless, pure, sinless.

The call for the judgment–end of time.

In this spirit realm, it has been shown unto John the judgment of God’s chosen people Israel prior to the changing of the law by which Christian man is judged. Old Israel lived under the law given at Mt. Sinai to Moses. They were judged according to that law. Time was given to mark the righteous who lived at that time.

In addition to the righteous under the Law of Moses, there are found all others of every tribe, nation and language in heaven. These are they which came out of a great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Rev. 7:14. They are The Saved. The Great Tribulation is the modern time in which we now live. Mt 24:29-31.

Now we turn to the seventh seal.

Rev. 8:1. 8 And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour.

Here we witness a time schedule. However we have determined time is nothing to God; He does not live on a timetable as we understand time. In eternity, time does not exist. A pause has occurred from the activities around God. It is a very short pause by the indicator for us to understand; about the space of half an hour.

It appears time to God is a duration of an event assigned by God. Here a pause has occurred changing from one event to another. Now is when the next event begins.

As we ponder the meaning of this pause ending the first cluster of ‘seven’(s), we see the spirit world from the ascension of Jesus Christ going back into heaven until the end of ‘time’. (as we know it). We can identify with the ability of righteous spiritual things conquering souls for the righteousness party of good souls. God has also given the leader of evil–unrighteousness–to conquer souls for the unrighteous party of bad souls. There is a universal right for goodness and evil to try to compete for the souls of man. There seems to be an equal opportunity for each wing of society to build its force of souls whether for good or bad. Commerce allows mankind to provide for themselves the necessities of life by purchasing or bartering. This too seems normal in our physical society. Death, physical death is reality in the physical realm. However, in the spiritual realm, before the wedding ceremony for Jesus Christ, a judgment of old Israel, under the Old Law takes place along with the realization of spiritual judgment and placement of the righteous into Heaven for the Christians. The judgment is done in the spiritual realm and we know the separation of those found good from evil will occur. Then the very short pause. Scripture tells us of a wedding appointed to occur between Jesus, the Groom, and the church, the Bride. If we compare the parable of the Ten Virgins waiting for the groom to arrive and this very short pause after the judgment, this might be the identifier for this pause. The bride is waiting for her groom so the wedding ceremony can begin. This ends the cluster of ‘Seven’ Seals around the scroll. This ‘seven’ meaning complete amount, whole, and fullness allows a new ‘seven’ to begin.

Let us study the next cluster of ‘seven’. They are Trumpets. Within these identifiers of trumpets are described the spirit nature as it influences the physical with the wrath of God upon unrighteous man. God uses his servante, angels, to do certain assigned tasks ordered by God. This cluster of “seven”–complete amount, whole–unit is describing God’s wrath upon the earth and man. God did not design the earth to last forever; only a short time.