The Audience Of Revelation
Revelation is addressed as a letter from John, the author, to seven churches in the province of Asia. These seven churches are each mentioned by name in chapters two and three, along with a personalized message from Jesus.
It is quite likely that there were more than seven churches at the time in what is today the country of Turkey. But seven is a significant number in Revelation: seven seals, seven plagues, seven bowls of wrath, seven-fold Spirit, seven candlesticks, seven churches. So, it is likely that these seven were chosen as representative churches.
The province of Asia was a part of the Roman empire. And, as such, there would have been a lot of pressure to conform to Roman culture, including emperor worship.
There was also pressure from Jewish groups and temptations from other cults with some Christian window dressing. All in all, it was a challenging time for these seven churches.
The temptation to compromise with the culture around them was great. A couple of these churches had refused to do so and were suffering because of it.
Others were struggling with compromise or infection from local cults. And for at least one, the struggle seemed to be over, giving in to the culture and becoming like them.
Who Or What Are The Four Horsemen Of The Apocalypse
The four horsemen are symbolic images found in Revelation 6. They correspond to four prophetic trends Jesus mentioned in the Olivet Prophecy: religious deception, war, famine and pestilence.
First of all, Apocalypse is actually a reference to the book of Revelation .
The Greek word for disclosure or revelation is apokalupsis, spelled apocalypse in English. This term has taken on a different popular meaning beyond its original definition, and Revelation is used instead for the name of the book in modern English Bibles.
So the four horsemen of the Apocalypse are actually the four horsemen of Revelation.
How The Seven Seals In Revelation Are Related To The Last Seven Plagues
The first five seals depict consequences for mankinds sinful behaviors and Satans wrath toward the people of God and mankind in general. The sixth seal announces the soon-to-come wrath of God.
The seventh seal includes the wrath of God, which will be dispensed via seven trumpet plagues and then seven last plagues.
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The Seven Last Plagues In Revelation Are:
First plague: The contents of the first bowl will cause painful sores upon those who had the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image . It appears these painful, open sores will be caused by some sort of skin disease or infection.
Second plague: When this bowl is poured out, the sea will become blood and cause all life in it to die . The death of saltwater marine life will destroy a major food source for millions of people.
Third plague: After the third angel pours out its bowl, the rivers and springs of water will become blood . This plague will destroy freshwater fisheven further impacting the food supply for millions of people.
Fourth plague: The fourth bowl will cause the sun to become so hot as to scorch men with fire .
Fifth plague: This punishment will bring darkness, pains and sores .
Sixth plague: The bowl containing this plague will be poured out on the Euphrates River, causing it to dry up and make land travel easier for the armies of the kings of the earth and of the whole world to assemble at Armageddon . From this location, the assembled armies will then advance toward Jerusalem for a final battle against Jesus Christ .
The Four Horsemen Of The Apocalypse Are The First Four Of Seven Seals
The four horsemen appear only in Revelation chapter 6. Some additional context is needed to understand their identity and meaning.
This book is Jesus Christs revelation to His servants , showing major events that will take place prior to His return to the earth. These events are written under seven distinct seals of a single scroll, which only Christ Himself can open to reveal their contents .
The first six seals are all opened in Revelation 6. The seventh seal is opened in chapter 8 and continues to the end of the book.
The seventh seal represents the Day of the Lord and is actually the main theme of the book. The Day of the Lord is the time of Christs intervention in this world to wrest control from Satans dominion and from the rebellious human rulers under him and to establish the Kingdom of God here on earth.
So the first six seals are all preliminary events that will lead up to the Day of the Lord.
These horsemen represent events that have been ongoing since this prophecy was given and that will intensify in the end times, before the climactic return of Jesus Christ.
With this context in mind, we now look at Revelation 6 where we find six seals disclosing events that will lead up to the end of the worldor, more accurately, the end of this evil age.
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The Seven Last Plagues
1 And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvellous, seven angels having the seven last plagues for in them is filled up the wrath of God. 2 And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God. 3 And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying,Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints. 4 Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee for thy judgments are made manifest. 5 And after that I looked, and, behold, the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened: 6 And the seven angels came out of the temple, having the seven plagues, clothed in pure and white linen, and having their breasts girded with golden girdles. 7 And one of the four living creatures gave unto the seven angels seven golden vials full of the wrath of God, who liveth for ever and ever. 8 And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from his power and no man was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled.
God Has Set Aside Exactly 7 Years For Much To Happen
These events will happen quickly and unexpectedly. The world will be taken by surprise.People of the world will be so caught up with the cares of this life that most will neverbother reading the Book or pay attention to the detailed warnings it contains.
This study contains only a small sampling of the prophecies and warnings found in theBible concerning the terrifying events which will someday soon strike and engulf the Earth.God does not wish that any should go through the Great Tribulation and offers an escapeand shelter to all who will draw close to Him, through His Son, Jesus Christ, before thecoming time of trouble. Someday it will be too late to consider His offer.
God promises believing Christians are NOT “appointed”to the coming Day of Wrath …
We are told all those who sincerely repent and place their love and trust in Jesus Christ,the promised Savior, and humbly wait for Him in faith, are not “appointed” to this coming”Day of God’s Wrath” which will one day engulf the whole world.
“And to wait for His Son from Heaven,whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus,who delivers usFROM the wrath to come.”
“For God did NOT appoint us to wrath,but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ ,who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep,we should live together with Him .Therefore comfort each other and edify one another,just as you also are doing.”
Please Remember …
Jesus greatly LOVED us to save us from Hell …
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Will People Be Saved During The Tribulation
All who dwell on the earth will worship him, everyone whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain. If anyone has an ear, let him hear .
The short answer is yes. But those trusting Jesus will pay with their lives. The scene abruptly changes between the sixth and seventh trumpets the Anti-Christ will be killed. He descends to the abyss, is restored to life, and puts to death the two witnesses . Then he marches into the Temple blaspheming the name of the Lord God and His Son Jesus and declares himself to be god and demands all worship him.
God has granted him authority to reign for forty-two months, and together with the false prophet, a statute will be erected. You must bow before the statute, take the mark of this beast, the number 666, on your forehead or in your hand if you want to buy or sell anything. If you refuse you will be beheaded. But those losing their life will be given white robes and hidden under the altar until their number is completed .
Ok So Now Are You Ready For An Apocalypse
Read these stories and let them soak into your bones. And as you do, ask yourself, Am I ready for an apocalypse? An apocalypse will feel uncomfortable and strange. It could lead to the death of things the laying down of perspectives, dreams, or habits youve held onto for a long time. But ultimately, Gods apocalyptic goal is to reorient our lives to what truly matters. God wants humans to live abundant lives full of his wisdom and to rule an ordered world with him. That means an apocalypse is never a bad thing for any of us. An apocalypse is always something God does in our lives to produce good and beautiful results, bringing glory to his name and ultimate good to his people.
As weird as it might sound, an apocalypse is something Gods people should want because Gods people desire to see the world the way God sees it. And really, anything that disrupts daily life has the potential to shake up our way of seeing the world. It can cause us to evaluate how were living according to the ethics of the Kingdom of Jesus.
An apocalypse, whether in the biblical narrative or in our own lives, is often painful but necessary for perspective. Daniels apocalypse made him sick with grief. Isaiah and John were knocked flat by their encounters with the divine. You cant unsee what youve seen in apocalyptic moments, nor should you. None of us should look back on an apocalypse and see that nothing has shifted in our lives.
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The Four Horsemen Of The Apocalypse
- The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse are dramatic and symbolic warnings of the death and destruction to occur at the end of days.
- The four riders represent conquest, the violence of warfare, famine, and widespread death.
- The four horsemen ride on a white, red, black, and pale horse.
As Revelation 6 opens, John sees Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, begin to open the first of seven seals on a scroll. The scroll represents God’s future judgment of people and nations.
Leading up to this point, everything that John saw in Revelation 4 and 5 was taking place in heaventhe worship of God and the Lamb around the throne. But in Revelation 6, John, who is still in heaven, begins to see what will happen on earth at the end of times when God judges the inhabitants of the world.
Mount Serbal Southern Sinai Peninsula
In early Christian times, a number of Anchorites settled on Mount Serbal, considering it to be the biblical mountain, and in the 4th century a monastery was constructed at its base. Nevertheless, Josephus had stated that Mount Sinai was “the highest of all the mountains thereabout”, which would imply that Mount Catherine was actually the mountain in question, if Sinai was to be sited on the Sinai peninsula at all.
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Expecting An Apocalyptic Disaster
A February 2020 YouGov poll reported, Nearly three in 10 US adults think its likely that there will be an apocalyptic disaster in their lifetime. What did they think would be the most likely cause of an apocalypse?
- Global pandemic, 19 percent.
- Zombies, 2 percent.
- Alien invasion, 1 percent.
In a 2012 Ipsos poll conducted in 21 countries and involving 16,000 adults, one in seven agreed with the statement the world will come to an end during my lifetime.
While there are many potential global hazards, the world is not destined to end this way.
Biblical And Spiritual Lessons
God is ultimately in charge of the global affairs of nations and people. Despite the dire consequences of the events symbolized by the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, one truth stands clear: their power to destroy is limited.
Scripture says God will limit the area of destruction:
They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth.
Throughout history, God, in his sovereignty, has allowed conquest, warfare, plague, sickness, famine, and death to wreak havoc on humanity, but he has always limited the power of these calamities.
As with many other Bible prophecies, Christians disagree over what will happen in the end times. Different theories exist for the tribulation, rapture, and second coming. Regardless of which version comes to pass, Jesus himself said two things are certain. First, Jesus will appear:
Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
Second, Jesus emphasized that no one, including modern interpreters of Bible prophecy, can foretell precisely when these events will happen:
But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only.
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Revelation Speaks Of Seven Last Plagues That Will Come Upon The Earth At The End Of This Present Age What Are These Plagues And Why Will God Send Them
And there were noises and thunderings and lightnings and there was a great earthquake, such a mighty and great earthquake as had not occurred since men were on the earth .
The end-time prophetic events recorded in the book of Revelation that will occur before and at the time of Christs return to earth are outlined by:
- Seven trumpet plagues.
- Seven last plagues.
The first four seals represent trends and plagues that have been continuing and intensifying through the years to our day.
All of the events from the fifth seal through the seven last plagues will occur in the final 3½ years before Christs return.
After all these plagues in Revelation, Jesus Christ will return to save humanity from self-destruction. Finally, the punishments will produce repentance, and people will turn to our Savior and King. Jesus Christ will bring peace, blessings and a perfect government.
God Sends The Plagues So That All Mankind Will Turn To Him
Some people have the mistaken idea that God is harsh and crueldelighting in making people suffer. But this is most definitely not the reason God will bring these seven last plagues upon mankind.
As our loving Father, God always administers punishment to encourage us to turn from sinful conduct to obedience to His holy and beneficial laws so we can be blessed.
Conveying this principle to ancient Israel, God told the prophet Ezekiel: Say to them, As I live, says the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways! For why should you die, O house of Israel? .
This principle that God explained to ancient Israel is true for all peoplesnot just Israelites. God loves everyone and desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth .
The book of Revelations prophecies about the seven last plagues are terrifying and show there will be massive suffering and destruction around the world in the end times. This will be necessary for God to deal with a sinful and rebellious world. But the good news is this will be a temporary period of time. Afterward, Jesus Christ will return to stop the sufferings of the end time, deal with mankinds sins directly and begin ruling the world with righteousness.
This will result in 1,000 years of peace and prosperity.
To learn more about Gods expectations, we recommend the free downloadable booklet Change Your Life!
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The First Four Trumpets
6 And the seven angels which had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound. 7 The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up. 8 And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea: and the third part of the sea became blood 9 And the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died and the third part of the ships were destroyed. 10 And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters 11 And the name of the star is called Wormwood: and the third part of the waters became wormwood and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter. 12 And the fourth angel sounded, and the third part of the sun was smitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars so as the third part of them was darkened, and the day shone not for a third part of it, and the night likewise. 13 And I beheld, and heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabiters of the earth by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels, which are yet to sound!