Revelation 14: the 144,000 & the 3 Angels

In Chapter 13 of Revelation I wrote about the beast from the sea and the beast from the earth; two evil entities who influence Mankind to love and worship themselves as their own god. When satan gets men and women to forsake the One True God, he has them in his hand. It matters not to our enemy whom we worship, for as long as it is not God the Creator, he wins his battles.


In Chapter 14 we see that satan does not win every battle. God has a people who remain faithful to Him. We see Our Savior, the Lamb of God, standing with 144,000 servants of God who have His mark in their foreheads. 144,000 represents 12 X 12, or the 12 fathers of the Jewish faith times the 12 apostles of the Christian faith. This symbolically represents all of God’s people from all of time who have faithfully worshipped Him. The number 1,000 represents a full count, or completion, and indicates the fulfillment of God’s purposes for bringing men into salvation. It is a symbolic number and means the sum total of all who are God’s people.

God has always purposed to have a people for Himself to love and to fellowship with. He chose to embody His good in His people, who are a living testimony against satan’s lies. This testimony overcomes satan’s lies (Rev 12:11). Like a light on a hill top, God’s people shine for all the world to see. Our testimony is unlike the people who worship the beast, whose doubt and sin grow insidiously inside them. Quite the opposite, God’s people walk in the light so that all can see that their works are from God. (Jn 3:21)

Those who have God’s mark in their foreheads follow Jesus wherever He goes. They are submissive to the Holy Spirit, unlike those who “run ahead” (2 Jn 1:9). They are pure, keeping their faith unspotted from the world. Jesus is speaking of spiritual purity in Revelation 13, using the symbolism of not being deviled with women (verse 4) to represent spiritual fidelity towards God. Paul writes that he is “jealous for you with a godly jealousy. I promised you to one husband, to Christ, so that I might present you as a pure virgin to Him.” (2 Cor 11:2) His fear was that “just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ.” (verse 3).

God’s people have no lies in them. It is more than being honest; they do not have satan’s lies in them, because they have overcome all his lies. They are blameless, and believe they are blameless, having washed their robes in the same blood by which they were bought: the blood of the Lamb (Rev 5:9). They have fellowship with the elders and the four living creatures before the throne of God, and have the privilege of learning the new song. How fitting that God’s people should be brought into heavenly worship because of their purity, when Lucifer was discharged from leading heavenly worship because of his sin.

Then we see three of God’s angels and hear their messages. The first angel has the eternal gospel, “Fear God and give Him glory because the hour of His judgment has come. Worship Him who made the heavens and the earth, the sea and the springs of water.” Those who fear and honor God will have a special place with Him in the day of judgment, for He will spare them, and give His discernment to them so that they will overcome all deception (Mal 3:16-18).

The second angel speaks judgment against Babylon, a symbolic city inhabited by insincere Christians. We will read more about Babylon in Revelation 17. The name of this city is also called the great prostitute, a woman who commits adultery with the world. She is the opposite of those who follow Jesus in purity.

The third angel brings condemnation against the worshippers of the beast. It is made plain that anyone who compromises with the spirit of the world, the beast, and worships this life, seeking to be a god unto himself, will lose his eternal life and suffer the punishment of hell. So severe will be the trials on the earth and the oppression of satan on God’s saints that the angel calls for the “patient endurance on the part of the saints who obey God’s commandments and remain faithful to Jesus.” Indeed, the angels are instructed to write “Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.” “Yes,” says the Spirit, “they will rest from their labor, for their deeds will follow them.” Those who die in the Lord will be more blessed than those who continue on the earth for the trials will be severe and the temptations to compromise will be tempting. Indeed, if it were for this life alone we lived we would be the most despised of all men.

Revelation 13: the Beast from the Earth

This morning’s lesson is about the “beast from the earth”, which also is the false prophet (Rev 19:20). In our prior lesson I wrote about the “beast from the sea”, which is a culmination of wrong and evil thinking spiritually influencing mankind from the beginning of time. The first beast, from the sea, is the motivation and influence for the second beast, which is from the earth. Being from the earth signifies being made from the earth, as Adam was (Gen 2:7). This beast represents physical beings, spiritually influenced by evil and wrong thinking. Though God created Adam for fellowship, the “beast from the earth” represents a type of individual who speaks against God’s kingdom (i.e. a false prophet) and all who are His. And though Jesus, the second Adam, is full of God’s Spirit, the “beast of the earth” represents men who are influenced by satan’s spirit (the beast of the sea). As false prophets, they are opposed to the Spirit of God, and therefore are an open door for the “beast from the sea” to physically express itself to all of mankind.

John spoke about the beast from the sea when he wrote about the spirit of the antichrist. He warned Christians to “test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.” (1 Jn 4:1-3). The false prophets do not believe that the Son of God lived in the flesh on this earth, neither do they believe we can live as sons and daughters of God while on this earth. They will compromise holiness for carnality every time.

[Note: just as a “woman” can be used as a type for representing all of Israel or all of the church, the “beast of the earth” represents a type for all false prophets who speak or teach against God’s Spirit. Many illustrations are given in the bible regarding the delineation between the natural man of the earth and the spiritual man of God. In Revelation, the spiritual man is called an “Overcomer”.]

The mind that is in mankind after the fall is naturally opposed to God, having its own form of reasoning and wisdom (1 Cor 2:14). Men who glory in their own thoughts seldom think there is another way to think. They do not realize that they are alienated from God and are enemies in their minds because of their behavior (Col 1:21). Because mankind is created in God’s own image, he has a wonderful mind and great reasoning skills. It is so wonderful in fact that the tendency for the carnal mind is to think he, himself, is his own god.

All that evil needs to succeed on earth is for an individual to think he or she is God or equal to God. This was Lucifer’s sin, and the same sin he is perfecting in men and women who reject the life of God’s Spirit. Satan’s current goal is to get men and women to feel comfortable in their carnal nature (for it is familiar to them) and to become enemies of God’s Spirit, rejecting their God-given identity. God put His treasures inside of us (2 Cor 4:7). The more we discover this, the more we become formed into His nature. Satan wants mankind to believe that all their treasures are inherent, and that God has no part in their identity or their talents.

Because the war of the beast from the earth takes place in the minds of men, we need to remember that scripture warns us that our battles are not against flesh and blood. They are against “the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” (Eph 6:12) Those who have God’s mark in their foreheads have submitted their thinking to God. The can say, with Paul, that their weapons “have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” (2 Cor 10:3-5)

The beast from the earth has two horns, like a lamb. He presents himself with the appearance of being Christ-like in speech and strength. However, when he talks we hear the dragon speaking because his words are blasphemous. He will seem prophetic, and indeed he is the false prophet we read about in Revelation 19:20 “who deceives the inhabitants of the earth with his miracles.” He will cause men to worship their own nature instead of God.

The beast from the earth has the appearance of a fatal wound, which was healed. The fatal wound represents the victory of the Cross. Though God’s purposes for redemption were accomplished through Jesus’ sacrifice, and the ordinances written against us were made null and void, it is not a total victory without our overcoming. Therefore, during the season following Christ’s resurrection God sent His Spirit into the minds and hearts of spiritual men and women to spread His kingdom. The fatality of the wound of the beast appears to be healed because the life of the beast remains. The final and true victory over the spirit and image of the beasts comes only to those overcomers who refuse his thinking. The true Overcomer is that person who submits his/her own mind to the mind of Christ.

The false prophets will become a great influence on the earth because of the authority given to them by the spiritual entity we know as the “beast from the sea”. They will overwhelm men’s minds with their logic and eloquent words. Indeed, it is written “Who is like the beast? Who can make war against him?” (Rev 13:4). Men will find it difficult to resist the thinking that is expressed through the mouths of the false prophets and the works of their hands. The beast of the sea, utilizing those who represent the beast of the earth, will place his mark on the minds and the works of the hands of those who worship him, causing opposition between men who love their carnal nature and those who have God’s mark upon them. The beast’s mark is 666, which is defined as the fully mature and complete number of man as god. This represents the fullness of man’s carnal nature being worshipped instead of God’s nature being worshipped.

The opposition between those who think they are their own god and those who worship the One True God will have the outward manifestation of oppression toward the Overcomers. Those “Christians” who want to “get along” in this world will have to make friends with those carnal individuals who have what they need to survive. In other words, those who “need to buy what the world has to offer” will be put into the position of loving this life, or they won’t survive. They will have to receive the mark of the beast to buy into the systems of this carnal world. This will be a severe trial for those striving to be overcomers. Only those who are willing to war against satan, those who “(do) not love their lives so much as to shrink from death” (Rev 12:11) will overcome him.

The carnal mind will never think it can overcome the beast of the sea because of the words of the beast of the earth through his false prophets. The Spiritual mind will think it can overcome. The Spiritual man will know the power of the sacrifice made for him; the Blood of the Lamb (Rev 12:11). The Spiritual man will lay down his/her life as Jesus did on the cross. But the Overcomer’s faith will seem like foolishness for those who love their own thoughts and worship their carnal nature. The sides taken for the grand battle over the fate of mankind will be determined by the smaller battles won in the individual minds of men and women.

Helen & Dave Kraemer

Revelation 13 - the Beast from the Sea

At the beginning of Revelation 13 we see the dragon standing on the shore of the sea. He has been pursuing the offspring of the woman from Revelation 12. The emergence of the beast from the sea is not a diversion from this story, but a continuation. The beast is a spiritual embodiment, a culmination of all of satan’s evil which opposes what God has birthed on the earth. This beast is further described in Daniel 7 and Revelation 17.

In Revelation 17 we read that the sea is “peoples, multitudes, nations and languages.” (Rev 17:15). There can be no evil embodiment on earth except it affect and find its entitlement in people. From the beginning of Mankind up until the end, evil grows on the earth because evil grows in men. But the opposite is true as well: Good spreads across the earth because good grows in the sons of God. In this chapter of Revelation the Lord is showing a depiction of the evil that has grown because of all the people who have followed wrong thinking and wrong practices. In the second half we see an embodiment of the physical manifestation who will carry satan’s intentions towards his ultimate purpose. Satan’s goal is to end God’s representation on this earth.

The first beast has seven heads and ten horns like the dragon, however, he has ten crowns instead of seven crowns. This indicates that there is a full measure of authority. From Revelation 17 we know that the ten horns are ten kings “who for one hour will receive authority as kings along with the beast.” (Rev 17:12). Horns are indications of speaking forth, therefore these kings will voice their beliefs during this time period. The horns also represent the strength of the kings.

The interpretation of the seven heads also comes from Revelation 17. They are seven kings (Rev 17:10). The Lord is giving us a picture of evil spiritual kingdoms rising, over time. Just as Christians can chart the progress of God’s work from one generation to the next, so satan’s spiritual kingdom also has progressed. Interestingly, the prophet Daniel saw this spiritual beast in his time.

The vision given to Daniel (Dan 7) was actually four beasts whose physical image and natures are incorporated into the first beast in Revelation 13. This beast is a false counterpart to God’s four living creatures described in Revelation 4 and Ezekiel 1. It is interesting that God gave Ezekiel and Daniel, who were close to being contemporaries in physical time, spiritual pictures that are both incorporated into Revelation. The first beast that Daniel saw was like a lion, which had the wings of an eagle. It had the wings torn off, stood on its feet like a man, and had the heart of a man. This represents one who will devour with his words. The eagle’s wings represent the Spirit of Wisdom, which is torn from this spirit, for his words do not give spiritual wisdom, but carnal wisdom from the heart of men. This is satan’s counterpart to the eagle (one face of the four living creatures) who imparts God’s spiritual wisdom to man.

The second beast Daniel saw looked like a bear on its side, having three ribs in its mouth. It was told to eat until it was full. Ribs represent Adam’s rib from where the Lord formed the woman Eve. The union/relationship between God and men is physically represented by marriage (Eph 5:25-27), and this spirit is devouring intimacy/marriage. In a broad sense, the number three represents conformity, showing that it will become common and acceptable for men and women to divorce, or to not marry at all. This is satan’s counterpart to the oxen representation of God’s spiritual creature who imparts God’s spirit of sacrifice to man. The bear devours for itself and represents the spirit of greed and self-indulgence, the opposite of physical and spiritual intimacy.

The third beast Daniel saw looked like a leopard and he had four wings like a bird. He also had four heads and authority to rule as 4 is a symbol of ruling. Bird wings are inferior to eagle’s wings and do not carry one up to the upper heights, so as to see the “big picture”. This spirit is short-sighted, taking action in the moment, concerning itself with maintaining only the immediate authority. This is satan’s counterpart to the face of the lion (another face of the four living creature) who rules through God’s Spirit of Revelation. He has the inherent right to knowledge, whereas the leopard is “spotty” and does not have the ability to understand knowledge and wisdom, therefore, he cannot reach revelation.

The fourth beast from Daniel’s vision was a devourer with large iron teeth. It had ten horns. Another horn came up amongst the ten, uprooting three of them. This horn had the eyes and mouth like a man and spoke boastfully, waging war with the saints and defeating them. He subdues kings and speaks against God, seeking to change set times and laws. It is during the reign of this one that the saints will be oppressed for 3 ½ years. This is a rebellious spirit that opposes all that is from God. This spiritual form is the opposite of the face of the man on the four living creatures. That man confirms “yes and amen” to God’s truth, whereas this beast speaks against God as if in rebellion, just as satan rebelled. From the beginning this spirit of rebellion has been held back until He who restrains Him restrains him no more. The “man of lawlessness” will be revealed and will “oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshipped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God.” (2 Thes 2:3-7). This is what satan tried to do in heaven, and is repeated again in the world through rebellion.

Like the fourth beast in Daniel’s vision, the beast in Revelation 13 has a mouth that speaks proud and blasphemous words. He, as a spiritual being, makes war against the saints 3 ½ years and has great authority. He is so influential that all those in the world whose names are not written in the Lamb’s book of Life will worship him. This will be the great division between saints and the unbelieving peoples of the world; between those who follow Jesus and are dressed in white, having their lamps trimmed with oil, and those who have been foolish, and soiled their garments with the world. Therefore, because of the harshness of these times, there is a call for the “patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of the saints.” (Rev 13:10).

We see in the first beast in Revelation 13 what satan has formed in Mankind over time. It is spiritual and represents those demons which carry out satan’s purposes. Just as the four living creatures are God’s help to the believers on the earth, so the beast is satan’s influence over those whose minds are darkened. They have not received the seal of God in their forehead and though some of them may go to church, they do not listen to nor obey God. Though the Lord has extended ministry from heaven to all who believe in Jesus, the unbelieving reject His help, feeling a greater identity with their flesh and this present world than Eternal Life and the Kingdom of God. To find out more about the Four Living Creatures in heaven please read the lesson from March on the Lion, Eagle Ox and Man.

Helen & Dave Kraemer

The War in Heaven and on Earth

In the previous lesson I wrote about times and seasons in which God accomplished the birthing of His people who will overcome. They have the Spirit of Prophecy and will be given the rod of iron. Satan sought to devour “the Manchild”, but God caught Him up to the throne where this same Manchild invites us to sit and to rule with Him.

First we will look at the war that occurred in heaven;

Satan is described as the “accuser of the brethren” (Rev 12:10). This is a method by which he weakens Man and positions him to fall. Satan and his demons seek to pollute the minds of men/women with accusations against themselves, their brethren, and God Himself. By their thinking men/women will fall away from serving God, and eventually from salvation itself. In heaven, satan also accused Mankind to God, demanding justice in the form of judgment on those whom he has no mercy, and also lying about the souls of those who love God (i.e. Job 1:6-11). Revelation 12 shows there was a war in heaven against satan and his demons who accuse. Because of Christ’s victory there no longer remains an indictment against God’s true believers, and satan and his demons are cast down to the earth. Satan is also shown as responsible for the fall of 1/3 of all God’s angels (Rev 12:4), all of whom are flung to the earth. [Note: 1/3 is not a literal number, but an indication of a significant portion - furthermore, this indicates how satan’s rebellion lead to other angels’ “fall”] Satan has lost his position from where he can accuse God’s people to God, neither is he in the heavens where He can hear God speak. This loss of position infuriates satan, who then pursues the woman (the Church) and her seed, the overcomers she births.

The war on earth;

The dragon (satan) is described as having “seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on his heads.” (Rev 12:3). Seven is symbolic for perfection, so 7 heads with 7 crowns represent perfect authority. Satan has perfect authority to rule on earth and that authority has not been removed yet. “10” is symbolic for a complete complement of individuals who will speak on the dragon’s behalf, because horns represent both strength and speaking forth. Though Jesus reigns in heaven He has not yet put all His enemies under His feet (1 Cor 15:25), and so satan still roams the earth (Job 1; 1 peter 5:8) like a lion seeking those whom he can devour, looking for those whom he can cause to “fall” with him on the day he “falls from earth”. [Note: We will read about the battles that end satan’s rule on this earth later in Revelation.]

The 10 horns represent physical people who speak on behalf of satan according to each person’s area of authority. We see an illustration of them in the book of Daniel (Dan 7:20) where one horn speaks boastfully: He will “speak against the Most High and oppress His saints and try to change the set times and the laws. The saints will be handed over to him for a time, times and half a time.” (Dan 7:25) The Lord is giving us a glimpse of the war and oppression that Daniel foresaw, and the behavior of the people involved. He also sets the events into the timeframe indicated in Revelation 11 wherein unbelievers trample the holy city (Rev 11:2). Satan’s goal is to set Man up to fail and rebel against God, so as to join him in his ultimate fall from God’s presence. God’s purpose is for us to win this battle, and that is why satan is sequestered to earth with his demons. [Note: the fall in heaven, presented earlier, is given as an illustration of satan’s eventual fall from earth.]

God has set everything in place for overcomers to win their battle with satan. After satan and his demons were confined to the earth we hear that “Salvation and power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of His Christ,” have come (Rev 12:10). God actually sent satan to His own people for furthering his defeat. Though God could listen to satan’s accusations throughout eternity He pre-determined to have the matter of our acceptance into His kingdom settled by Christ’s righteousness, which covers God’s people by His blood. God isn’t sending satan to a weak people that he can defeat, but to those who glory in the Blood of the Lamb, who have His testimony in themselves so that their actions and lives are lead by His voice, the Spirit of Prophecy, and who do not love this life, but love the Lord.

The decisive victory in heaven brings great rejoicing to those who dwell there, but woe to the earth because of satan’s fury. Satan has always been an angry deceitful spirit who misused his authority for his own gain. But now that his opportunity to try to convince God of His people’s unworthiness is over, he will simply try to destroy them. It is no longer a matter of taking back his position in heaven; now satan’s goal is to turn Mankind against God and stir up an open rebellion, just as he did with the angels in heaven.

In order for satan to succeed, he must eliminate his enemies on the earth; those faithful to God and His voice. He pursues the woman (the Church) to destroy her. But she is given the wings of a great eagle “so that she might fly to the place prepared for her in the desert, where she would be taken care of for a time, times and half a time, out of the serpent’s reach’” (Rev 12:14). These wings represent the Spirit of Wisdom I wrote about in the lesson about the 4 living creatures. One creature was “like a flying eagle,” (Rev 4:7). In all the current ministry talk about strategies, there seldom is mention of wisdom. Yet God’s “intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in heavenly realms, according to His eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Eph 3:10-11). She (the Church) will be kept safe from satan through the ministry of Wisdom. God seeks even now to return churches to wisdom, yet many are seeking for physical manifestations of strength. They do not see that their enemy is cunning and that only through God’s wisdom will they be set apart, safe from satan’s devious undermining of God’s voice.
God’s place of refuge for the woman (the Church) is called a desert. [Note: We will learn more about this desert in Revelation 17.] It is void of the water that makes a land able to sustain life, yet the Lord nourishes her. Take note that the flood of water satan sends after her is meant to destroy her. The purpose of his flood is to sweep her away (Rev 12:15). Satan always presents himself as the “answer” at a time of great need. He will flood the land with destructive lessons and prophecies, which will sound good to those not content with God’s provision. This is a parallel to the children of Israel being dependent on manna, God’s nourishment in the wilderness. Those who tire of their dependency on God will be swept away by satan’s falsehoods.

Those who have wisdom will understand that it is a time in which God has separated them out unto Himself for the purpose of victory. In speaking to Daniel, the Lord said, “Many will be purified, made spotless and refined, but the wicked will continue to be wicked. None of the wicked will understand, but those who are wise will understand (Dan. 12:10)”. This is our call to wisdom.

It is the earth (people of the world/the worldly) that swallows up the flood of waters (false words) the dragon sends after the woman. But it does not make the world a more verdant place. The fruit of satan’s false prophecies and lies is barrenness, whereas the rivers God sends onto dry land bring life (Is 32:15). The desert remains dry, a stark contrast to the nourished people of God who reside in it. This enrages the dragon and he wages war with all the rest of those who have the Testimony of Jesus (the Spirit of Prophecy) and who obey God.

dream about the power needed for our ministries

We are looking for a City whose foundation is built by God. Sometimes we get side-tracked and build our own ministries our own way, not yielding to the Master builder for His plan. On 9/1/2006 I had a dream about missing the projected destination of the City of God. In the context of our lessons on Revelation, it is fitting to share this dream as it focuses our eyes on the broader work of the purpose of ministries. It is as follows:

I dreamt I was on a space craft with other people. Right away there was a fire in the right engine, and no one could get off. One lady said “Wouldn’t you know this would happen!” I had an understanding that the fire was due to another girl’s carelessness.

I could then see the space craft from the outside, with its engine on fire, falling. It landed in the front of a long line of cars, some dating back to the 1950’s, which were orbiting around a planet. I could see a city, instead of a planet, with its lights on in the darkness. A man came out from the city, flying without any plane, to a car. He got a child from one of the cars in the orbit line and took him back to the city. I could see other people from the city fly out towards the orbiting cars in the same way. The space craft’s fire had gone out and its people didn’t burn up. It remained in line as if the newest in a long line of vehicles orbiting the city. End

Interpretation – Space craft – a large ministry, with power

Lady who started the fire – foolish virgin

Cars – individual ministries

Old cars dating back to the 50’s – a generation; mine

Orbiting – seeing but not entering in

City – City of God

Man from the City – a person with faith for flying. Sees those appointed to the City and takes them there, as do others.


Word of the Lord – It only takes one foolish person to put a ministry which is headed for God’s glory in orbit, to remain there indefinitely. All the wise planning of its leaders and the skills of those men and women of faith which enable the ministry to fly towards My City can be scuttled by one foolish person. I have given the mission of going to the City to many ministries which have failed. Indeed, if this generation had not seen some men and women who had landed in My City, there would be no one who would take it’s tales of glory back to the rest of My people in order that they might join them there.

I am separating the foolish virgins from the wise so that I will have a people who will see and enter in. It is this time, and it is the work I assigned to the Seed generation. The Seed generation was to tell those yet unborn about the City of God; those mighty and glorious works I do and am still doing. Those virgins who have not defiled themselves with the world and sin are waking from their slumber to find that some are prepared to answer the call, whereas others are not. Some have obeyed My voice and therefore have the oil of holiness. Others have procrastinated and been in unbelief, therefore they did not obey My voice. If a man does not do the works of obedience, he avoids having his works tested. But he will also have no oil in his lamp when he awakes. This is foolishness. There is no more time to go out and do those works of obedience for past words I spoke. In other words, as the wise virgins told the foolish, there is not time to give them the words again that they might begin the process of works, and testing.

Oil is the by-product of olives, which are a fruit, being crushed. If a man will not bear fruit, he cannot have oil. If a man bears fruit but will not be crushed through the trials I bring on him, he will not have oil. Only those who trust Me with all their life, laying their fruit down before the crushing machine, will have oil. These men value the things of God. Foolishness is this; not valuing the things of God, but keeping one’s life intact, though believing. They will know there is a City of God, but will not enter in. Like the Israelites of old, who knew there was a promised land, but did not enter in. The preparation time is ending for the people of God to obey My voice. The Sabbath rest is here. It is a time of magnificence in which My people who enter in will sup with Me at a feast. I will serve them the rarest of meats and finest of fruits. This is spiritually speaking. But those who remain outside will grieve beyond grieving and say “If only I had listened . . . if only I had done what He asked . . . if only I had believed!”

Do not grieve for the foolish virgins who err in their judgment. Grieve for the many souls who have gotten off the track of their projected destination; the City of God. I will call many out of churches and ministries in this hour so that they can arrive in the City and tell others of her glory.” Thus saith the Lord.

Revelation 12 - the Woman and the Man Child

Revelation 12 shows us what time has accomplished according to the plan of God. Though we think that God, on His eternal clock, does not mark time, that is not so. Jesus came at the appointed time, born to redeem Mankind (Gal 4:4). Jerusalem will be trampled until the time of the Gentiles has been completed (Lk 21:24). And, at the fulfillment of the time allotted, God will bring all things together under Christ so that He might be the head (Eph 1:10). God purposes His will to be accomplished by set times, and has seasons for each part of the workings of His plan to take place.


Childbirth represents a process that has a set time of fulfillment wherein God’s purposes are accomplished. Paul referred to this when he told the Galatians that he was in the pains of childbirth until Christ would be formed in them (Gal 4:19). The vision of the woman in labor, bearing a man child, represents the fulfillment of the time appointed to bring God’s will to pass.

Revelation 12 begins with the vision of a woman “clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of 12 stars on her head”. In the Old Testament the Lord has referred to His people as a woman, or bride, and so we see that God’s current people (the Church) are represented by a woman, pregnant with His purposes. She is clothed with the sun, the glory of the Son of God. She stands on the moon. The scriptures tell us that the moon is appointed for seasons (Ps 104:19). The Church stands on the times of the Jews, and could have no footing without them. The Jewish nation held the promises of our faith until the Christians’ time came to be.

The crown represents Eternal Life, and the 12 stars are the Apostles of Christ. It was through revelation from God that the Apostles received knowledge of what the Church should be (Rom 16:25-26; Eph 3:5). And it was through the writings of the prophets of the Old Testament that this mystery was preserved.

At the time in which the woman is ready to bear her child (overcomers, birthed by the Church), the red dragon, satan, is poised to devour him. Satan tries to destroy God’s work before it begins. It would be a great threat to him and his kingdom if the child with the rod of iron were ruling. However, God’s plan is to continue the work of the man child ruling with a rod of iron, from His throne. The strength of victory lies not in the man child, but in the dispersion of the rod of iron to all the seed of the woman. The rod of iron is a reward to the overcomer (Rev 2:27) and resides with Christ (Rev 19:15).

God has purposed for the overcomer to be seated with His Son in His throne (Rev 3:21). Indeed, this is where God’s followers will fellowship with Him, represented as dining with Jesus (Rev 3:20). It is because satan can no longer hear God’s words that He is jealous of God’s people, who can hear them. The seed of the woman have more than the rod of iron; they have the testimony of Jesus, which is the Spirit of Prophecy. God’s people, who have the Spirit of Prophecy, can overcome satan because they hear God.

God did not just birth the Redeemer for a set time on the earth; He sent His essence into the believers through His Holy Spirit. Jesus told His disciples “It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you.” (Jn 16:7). The overcomer also receives the morning star (Rev 2:28). We are in the dark until the morning star rises in our hearts, bringing revelation and understanding (2 Pet 1:19). God has “blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ”, and “seated us with Him in heavenly places” (Eph 1:3; 2:6). All of God’s spiritual riches reside in Christ and are given to those who sit in the Throne with Him.

God has not removed satan (the dragon), and the tests and temptations that Jesus had to overcome are still on the earth. These tests and temptations are spiritual, in “the heart”, and enter the mind (2 Cor 10:5). The overcomer needs to be alert and ready for battle (Ephesians 6:14). In the next lesson we will look more closely at the dragon, and his war with the saints.

Revelation 11 - the 2 witnesses, death, and Jesus receives His Kingdom

In the previous lesson I wrote about the Lord having His people measured. At the beginning of the 7th trumpet, God’s purpose for His “church (ecclesia)” will come to an end. Time for His message of salvation to the unsaved is finished. He will have a people for Himself. In the remainder of Revelation chapter 11 we see that God gives His testimony to the people of the earth by sending His two witnesses. After their testimony is finished and they are killed, the 7th trumpet will sound.


Revelation 11 has five main topics; measurement, God’s witness to the world, the enemy, judgment, and Jesus receiving the kingdom of the earth. Looking at each of these separately will help us to understand the remainder of the chapter. I taught about measurement in the previous lesson so today we will begin with God’s witness to the world.

It is God’s principle that, to bring a charge against anyone, there has to be 2 witnesses. The witnesses represent God’s standards and bring report against those who rebel against it. Having witnesses causes a division between right and wrong, error and truth. They precede final judgment. In Revelation 11 the two witnesses are given special powers. They can bring judgment of fire, drought, blood in the water, and plagues to mankind, not unlike the plagues of Egypt in the Old Testament. We see a foreshadowing of this time period in Egypt as a warning for those who resist God at the end of time. Moses and Aaron were two witnesses for God to the Hebrews and Egyptians, and those in Egypt either decided to stay in Egypt, or to leave for the promised land. In the New Testament Egypt represents the world, and the Promised Land represents the Kingdom of God. God’s two witnesses are the witnesses who will cause division, forcing people to choose if they will stay in the world or overcome, going into the Kingdom of God.

The two witnesses can protect themselves against their enemies by sending devouring fire, God’s immediate judgment, upon them. The purpose of God’s two witnesses is to represent God’s words to the last generation. God always brings a witness against those who are about to be judged. This is why true prophets (who prophecy God’s uncensored words) are hated, and false prophets (who prophecy peace and prosperity) are loved. As the time draws near for God’s words to increase on the earth, seeking to restore men to righteousness, we will see a parallel movement of false prophecies that are meant to tickle the ears of men. False prophets will turn the ears of their listeners dull to the point where they will not receive sound doctrine, nor will any prepare for the coming of the Lord. However, the true prophets will represent the Lord in the purity of His testimony, and many will be hated for speaking His truth. Indeed, the two witnesses will be slain by those in the world, both worldly Christians and the unsaved. This is not unlike when Jesus was slain by both Romans and Jews. His witness, crucifixion, and resurrection is paralleled by the two witnesses sent to the final generation.

The enemy is seen as the beast rising out of the abyss to slay the two witnesses, and he sets the atmosphere in which this happens. The beast is controlled by satan. The circumstances that precede the slaying of the witnesses are the release of satan and his demons from the abyss, and the weak state of the Church. The two witnesses prophesy for 1,260 days, which is the same amount of time that the Gentiles trample the holy city. This trampling occurs because many who call themselves Christians are still part of the world, looking from the outer court into God’s temple.

We find another reference to this same time frame in the book of Daniel. It is 3 ½ years, or as an angel told Daniel, “It will be for a time, times, and half a time.” The angel sets the events into this time frame which we also see occurring in Revelation. He continues, “When the power of the holy has been finally broken, all these things will be completed. . . . Many will be purified, made spotless and refined, but the wicked will continue to be wicked. None of the wicked will understand, but those who are wise will understand.” (Dan 12:7-10). Though many will be saved and cleansed, there will come a time when the testimony of Jesus (which is the Spirit of prophecy), the strength of God’s church, is broken. When this happens we will see that men no longer choose righteousness. At that time the lost will grow more wicked, and the overcomers will grow more righteous. So we see that part of what sets the Church up to become weak is a move in favor of false prophets and false prophecies, and the counter move away from God’s truth.

The atmosphere of where the two witnesses’ bodies lay is referred to as “Sodom” and “Egypt”. Their bodies will lie in “the street of the great city, which is figuratively called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified.” The great city is not a physical location, but a spiritual group of people. We will see the Lord use the names of cities in the book of Revelation to represent groups of people. (In Rev 19 the great city is also called Babylon). Both Sodom and Egypt once held God’s people in them. Those cities hosted the light of Christ in the face of His people, but were not converted by that light. It is fitting that the names of these cities should be used to describe the people of the world who do not value God’s testimony through His two witnesses. Sodom represents people who never were destined to inherit God’s kingdom, and forsook His light. They were destroyed by God’s wrath. Egypt represents people who shared God’s favor with His true people for a time, and then ended their fellowship. They were judged by plagues. We often hear that some Christians are like the Jewish nation who “came out of Egypt but never got Egypt out of themselves,” meaning that they are still of the world, and want to return to the world. Because of their union with the world, they then fail to recognize that God is speaking to them.

Remember that, in the beginning of Revelation 11, we are told that the Gentiles trample the “holy city.” Since this term is also used near the end of Revelation we need to understand what the Lord is referring to. The term “Holy City” in Rev 21:2 refers to the New Jerusalem; the city which comes down from heaven . Since the name of the city is written in capitals as the “Holy City” we know that John is seeing the everlasting city that God Himself built (Heb 11:10). However, the holy city (no capitals) mentioned in Revelation 11:2 is the type of that which is to come (Heb 13:14), and is included in the domain of the Church. Rather than being a physical location, it is a spiritual assembly of those who are called to a holy inheritance in Christ.

The next topic is judgment. Though God would rather give mercy than judgment, His judgment serves a purpose. God’s judgment restores righteousness by delineating good from bad, and righteousness from evil (it separates the wheat from the chaff). In Isaiah we hear the Lord pleading with His people “Is it not because I have been long silent that you do not fear Me? I will expose your righteousness and your works, and they will not benefit you.” (Is 57:11b-12a) Religious people have a righteousness of their own (Phil 3:9), that is not from God. Jesus warns us in a short parable that some who do works in His name will come to Him saying that they prophesied, cast out demons, and did miracles in His name. Because they were “evildoers” He did not have a personal relationship with them, and sent them away (Mt 7:22 – 23).

The Lord also knows that the wicked do not learn in times of His grace. “When your judgments come upon the earth, the people of the world learn righteousness. Though grace is shown to the wicked, they do not learn righteousness; even in a land of uprightness they go on doing evil and regard not the majesty of the Lord.” (Is 26:9-10)

You might ask then, why does God judge His own people? God’s eye is on the preparation of the Bride of Christ, His precious people. It is by His spirit of judgment and His spirit of fire that we are cleansed. (Is 4:4) We have received the baptism of fire, which is the ministry of the Holy Spirit which sanctifies us. Also, “ When we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned with the world.” (1 Cor 11:32) We will read later in Revelation that the Lord does not intend for His own people to suffer His wrath and instructs them to leave before it falls.

Concerning the two witnesses, at the end of their testimony they are killed by the beast. Men hated the two witnesses and to dishonor them, refusing to bury them after their deaths (dishonoring them just as Jesus was dishonored by his death on the cross). However, God will raise them up after 3 ½ days (Just as Jesus’ resurrection was a sign, so too this will be a sign). All who rejoiced in their deaths will then see their resurrection. Then begins judgment, with an earthquake is so severe that it kills 7,000 people (a number indicating a perfect completion of the right amount) for the 7th trumpet is about to sound. The earthquake also destroys 1/10th of the city which the Gentiles are trampling. 1/10 represents a tithe and signifies that these people owe God a debt which He takes through the collapse of 1/10 of their city. (remember - the word “city” means people group). The second woe is passed. This is the judgment of those people who dwell in the world, and those who are in the outer court of the Church. Their destruction causes the survivors to give glory to God. Just as the plagues gave both Egyptians and Hebrews the opportunity to believe in God, this last witness will give both “churched and unchurched” their chance to decide where they will put their trust.

The measuring of God’s people and the testimony and judgment of men precede the sounding of the 7th trumpet. At the end of Revelation 11 the 7th trumpet sounds and God’s mystery is accomplished (Rev 10:7). It is the mystery of Christ and His bride, the church (Ephesians 5:32) At this time, and not before this time, the kingdom of the world becomes the kingdom of our Lord. He will take His great power and begin to reign.  This is the time of the wedding feast.  At this time the Lord will reward His servants the prophets, His saints, and those who reverence His name. But it also is a time for judgment upon those who destroy the earth and those who were not ready for the wedding feast.

We see God’s “ark of the covenant” revealed from heaven at this time. God is revealing His covenant with Man; the promise that His presence will dwell among us. We are reminded that the fulfillment of God’s mystery is not just to give Him a people, but that His purpose has always been to live with them as a husband lives with his wife.

Revelation 11 - Measuring

Revelation 10 was about the ending of the time allotted for men to choose salvation, and the seventh trumpet is ready to sound. In Revelation 11 we read that God is “sizing up” His people by measuring the temple and the altar. The lives and the works of the Christian Church will be evaluated and there will be two faithful stewards of God’s testimony to present His findings.

Peter tells us that we are “like living stones, (and) are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ . . . But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light.” (1 Pet 2:4-5, & 9). There comes a day when we (who assemble together into the “spiritual house”, or temple . . . who offer up our lives as spiritual sacrifices at the “altar”) will be measured.

John is instructed to leave out the court of the Gentiles, and not measure it. Gentiles are the unsaved, those who could not possibly measure up to the stature of the fullness of Christ, for they do not have Him in their lives. We see God’s judgments against the unsaved when afflictions and wars, crime and crises come to the earth. But because the Lord cannot expect them to be “living stones” that fit into His building, the Gentiles are not measured along with the Christians.

The Gentiles “trample” the holy city for 42 months. To trample is to obscure and mar something that is valuable. This term is used in Ezekiel to address the careless polluting of what God had given to His people. “Is it not enough for you to feed on the good pasture? Must you also trample the rest of your pasture with your feet? Is it not enough for you to drink clear water? Must you also muddy the rest with your feet? Must my flock feed on what you have trampled and drink what you have muddied with your feet?” (Ez 34:18-19).

The Gentiles trampling the holy city is an illustration of the powerlessness of the Church. The Old Testament Temple was to be a witness to the unsaved, that they might choose the Lord. That is the reason the Gentiles could gather in the outer court. Now the Church is the witness to the unsaved, and each one of us individually is a part of that witness. And yet, instead of the lost becoming saved, we see here a picture of them abusing the witness.  Therefore the Lord sends His word against those who have hardened their hearts against His people.

Measuring the Church is followed by God’s witness concerning His findings. He has two witnesses who “stand before the Lord of the earth” and give His words to its inhabitants. The Lord tells us in Jeremiah that prophets which stand in His counsel turn people away from evil, restoring them to God (Jer 23:22). However, false prophets speak from their own minds and prophesy peace to those who despise the Lord (Jer 23:16-17). The next lesson will be about God's two witnesses.

Revelation - God believes in us

Before getting into Revelation chapter 11 here is a word of encouragement for the body of Christ:

In Revelation we see the forces behind Man’s struggle to overcome, including our own self-will. God believes in the capabilities of His prized creation to choose Him over sin, the world and the flesh. Satan believes in his own abilities to dissuade Man from following God, and his goal is to destroy the object of God’s affections.


Are we pawns, consigned to the fate of higher powers in a struggle over power? No, we are family . . . God’s family. Just as a father’s aspirations for his children are higher than their own aspirations, God’s purposes for our lives are beyond our comprehension. It takes great faith for us to believe that God sees us as worthy children, ones in which He would invest all the riches of heaven so that we could obtain glory with Him as his family.

In Revelation God is uncovering the hand of our enemy, satan. Every good father imparts his wisdom to his children to keep them safe. So our heavenly Father is making the risk of following satan plain. God believes that, of our own free will we will love Him and follow His advice. He has seen us beforehand, growing in stature, maturing in love and kindness, wisdom and strength of faith. He has gone before us, recording the actions of men of faith so that we would have a trail to follow.

What can we do in these war-torn times of spiritual warfare? Trust in God, and have faith in the goodness of His character. His purposes for us are good, and his love is never failing. We can also acknowledge that satan is a very real enemy, seeking to destroy our lives out of retaliation because he himself is excluded from God’s family. As jealous as God is over our affections, so much is satan envious of our position. Stay alert, and pray, for our enemy is like a roaring lion, seeking whom he can devour (1 Pet 5:8). Amen.

How long will you wait?

In the previous lesson I mentioned that the seven thunders spoke "How long will you wait?" Here is the lesson that followed that dream back in March 24th, 2006:

There is a parallel to the warfare we are experiencing. This parallel is found in the wars appointed to the children of Israel upon entering the promised land. Moses received a covenant from the Lord which told the Israelites not to let any of their enemies remain. They were not to co-habitate with the Canaanites nor make a treaty with them (Ex 34:10-16). God instructed the Israelites to break down all their altars, and He would drive the enemies out of the land. If the Israelites did not obey the Lord in doing this, their enemies would become a snare to them, eventually leading the Israelites to prostitute themselves to the gods of their enemies.


One of the consequences of co-habitating with our present enemies is that we begin to look for the good in them. This leads us dangerously close to calling what is evil good (Is 5:20). We can form a belief system which looks for evil circumstances to form us into the image of Christ, and eventually to believe this is God’s perfect will for our lives. If so, why did the sacrifice of Jesus bring us authority over our enemies? Though God does work all things to our good, He does not intend us to believe that all things are His perfect plan.

The Israelites had great success in routing their enemies at first. But when Joshua was preparing to die, he asked the remaining tribes who had not pursued their enemies “How long will you wait before you begin to take possession of the land . . . the Lord has given you?”(Josh 18:3). He encouraged them, saying that their strength was such that “One of you routs a thousand because the Lord your God fights for you” (Josh 23:10). However, he also warned them that the Lord would not rout their enemies, but would leave them in the land, if the Israelites did not obey Him and fight. This eventually happened, and God stopped driving their enemies out. They had made covenants with their enemies (Jud 2:1-3), which resulted in thorns in their sides, and snares.

This story from the book of Joshua parallels the Church taking the kingdoms of the world, which include darkness, infirmity, and calamity. We are to make them the kingdoms of our Lord. God put the works of His hands under Man’s feet (Ps 8:6). Jesus gave us authority over sickness, demons, and more. The issue that He seems to be addressing is compromise; how long will we wait until we take possession of the land?

Jesus is about the business of putting every kingdom in heaven and on earth under His feet (1 Cor 15:27). Lest some think He does this off by Himself somewhere, let us consider the authorities and the gifts He has given us, and that they are for much more than forming us into His image. We are His body, His hands and feet on the earth. He still works through His people.

In Rev 11:15-17 we read about that triumphant moment when the kingdoms of this earth become the kingdoms of the Lord. He has put everything in subjection to Himself so that He may present it all to the Father. This is when the temple in heaven is opened and we see the arc of the covenant (vs 19). The original covenant of subduing the enemies of God and Man (Ex 34:10) is met in the final victory of Jesus and His Church.

Perhaps we have compromised in accepting things which satan has handed us, promising us that they will make us a better Christian. God left the enemies of Israel in the promised land to test them and see if they would obey Him. We have had a long season of testing, even seeing some of our dear saints die. I believe that the Lord will fight with us for our inheritance if we will stand against our enemies, not only in our lives, but for the lives of our brethren. I want to encourage you to develop your spiritual gifts in service to Him, and to stand, having done all. My hope is that His hand will move with healings, deliverances and miracles in our meetings. It is becoming more than hope . . . it is my expectation. Amen.

Revelation 10 - Time is no more

God has given people a space to repent and a warning that this earth will not continue forever. Though there will not be another warning, many do not repent after the calamities which the first six trumpets bring. They do not see that their time of decision has come to an end.


In the beginning of Revelation chapter 10 we see a glorious and mighty angel shout, and the seven thunders speak. On March 24th, 2006 the seven thunders spoke to me in a dream. I saw a man in a white robe standing in the clouds in heaven. He said “How long will you wait?” He was referring to the question Joshua asked the Israelites before he passed away; “How long will you wait before you begin to take possession of the land that the Lord, the God of your fathers, has given you?” (Josh 18:3). At that time the Lord gave me a lesson for the church, which I will post following this lesson on the Sea of Glass.

What does the message “How long will you wait?” have in common with the ending of the time of decision for those who are not yet saved? It is summed up when the next angel in chapter 10 speaks; “There will be no more delay” or “there should be time no longer”(KJV). Time for the lost to turn to Jesus, and time for the saved to overcome their foes and enter into God’s promises, will soon end.

“But in the days when the seventh angel is about to sound his trumpet, the mystery of God will be accomplished, just as He announce to His servants the prophets.” (Rev 10:7) God’s word, through God’s people, will have accomplished that which He sent it out to do, and He will have a people of His own. The next angel speaks to John, handing him a little scroll to eat. The angel says “You must prophesy again, about many peoples, nations, languages and kings.” The prophecies written therein will be given to the end generation, which the word “again” indicates. These are words to His people, and therefore seem sweet to the mouth. God has much to say to prepare His people for the end times. However, we will see in the remaining chapters that not all of God’s people want His words of preparation. God’s true messengers will be rejected, scorned and shunned, making His words become bitter, or “sour” in their stomachs.

Revelation 9 - the 6th Trumpet

The fifth trumpet released satan’s demons from the pit, who afflicted the minds of those not protected by the seal of God. The sixth trumpet releases the contents of the pit, smoke, fire and sulfur, to slay 1/3 of mankind. The power of the demons is in their mouths, wherein the smoke, fire and sulfur reside. Hell has a voice, and it’s heard when demons speak. The number of them, 200 million, tells us that there will be much trouble on the earth.


Men have been admonished to speak wisely, for the power of life and death is in the tongue (Prov 18:21). Our tongues can be set on fire by hell (Jms 3:3-11). These truthes should be heeded, for the Lord is telling us that spoken thoughts can set in motion life or death. This is how satan operates through his demons.

The heads of the horses were lions, representing the devourer (1 Pet 5:8). Unlike the locust-demons released with the sounding of the 5th trumpet, who wounded men with their teeth, the horse-demons released with the sounding of the 6th trumpet devour and kill men. These demons release the thoughts from hell onto men so that men’s physical hands will carry out spiritually wicked deeds. Therefore it is written that those who were not killed “still did not repent of the work of their hands; they did not stop worshiping demons . . .” Those on the earth whom these demons plague worship the demons with their minds, and finally, with their actions, or works. “Nor did they repent of their murders, their magic arts, their sexual immorality or their thefts,” (Rev 9:21). Because men heard and obeyed thoughts from the pit of hell, 1/3 of mankind was killed.

The demon-horses also had snake-like tails that injured men with their bite. This represents the oppressively biting thoughts that spur men into action. They are relentless, seeking an action that will express the evil intentions of hell. Men will feel compelled to do evil, and will have no peace until it is done. When they are not doing evil deeds, they will worship demons and inanimate objects “idols that cannot see or hear or walk,” (Rev 9:20). They have shut their spirits off from the One True God who sees, hears, walks on this earth in His people . . . and who would gladly share His own thoughts with them. But these men have hardened their hearts against repentance and do not seek God. Satan does not need to slay men when he can get men to do his work for him.

Revelation 9 - the Fifth Trumpet

In Revelation chapter 8 we read about judgment being sent onto the earth after the first four trumpets sounded. We are also alerted to the increasing severity of the judgments to come. Though the crises that occur are severe, the fifth trumpet marks the beginning of satan’s fierce onslaught against Man. As the fifth trumpet sounds, the door to the bottomless pit is opened.


Satan’s demons arise from the pit to torment those who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads. The seal of God protects the minds of those who are saved. The demons are able to afflict and torment the minds of the unsaved because of their ability to cause fear; for fear brings torment (1 Jn 4:18). Perfect love casts out fear, therefore the demons cannot touch the minds protected by love.

The Lord profiles these demons as being liars and presenting falsehood. They appear to wear a victor’s crown and have women’s hair, representing strength and the glory of a bride.  A man’s thoughts are the glory of his mind, and the woman is the glory of the man. Ye,t the thoughts these demons bring into the minds of men are false.  The sting of the tail represents falsehood (see Isaiah 9:15). Those who listen to these demons will become unstable in their thoughts because the thoughts that seem wonderful at first will sting them in the end.

The mental instability caused by listening to these demons will not slay men; it will just torment them for five months. The number five is symbolic of service, or serving in one’s intended calling. For a time, many men will serve satan’s demons in their minds by agreeing with evil and accusatory thoughts. The demons ride horses whose wings make sounds like the thunder of horses running to battle. This represents their ability to strike the minds of men with overwhelming fear. The breast plates of iron represent man’s inability to slay them. God’s provision for protection is in the seal He places on the foreheads of those who love Him and their fellow Man. Those who don’t (love Him and their fellow man) have no protection and will suffer torment.

The iron teeth of these demons represent the ability to afflict severe, and possibly incurable wounds. We will see mental illness that does not respond to therapy or medications. We will see increases in suicide and murder, the ultimate mental illness. However, we must remember that in repentance is healing, and in obedience is overcoming.

The king of these demons, the Destroyer, is satan, who comes to “steal and kill and destroy” (Jn 10:10). Jesus offers life to us. Perhaps, like Nebuchadnezzar, some who lose the soundness of their minds will repent, be restored, and will serve God, honoring Him with their lives (see Daniel 4: 36-37).

The demons depicted in Revelation chapter 9 will precede satan, preparing the hearts of the men they torment to become embittered against God. In this way satan seeks to gain the victory over God’s prized creation; Mankind. God offers forgiveness, and those who are formed into His image, forgive. Those who refuse to forgive will be handed over to their tormentors (Mt 18:34-35). Just as the greatest gift a man can receive is forgiveness from God, so the greatest gift he can give is to forgive his fellow man. In this way a man’s heart is protected from hate, and love will prepare him for an eternity with God.

Jesus defined love by living His life as a sacrifice; giving His life as a servant to God and for the benefit of others. So too, if we love as Jesus loved, we will serve God and live so as to benefit others. Those who live this way will have God’s seal of protection on their foreheads.

Revelation 8 - Incense, Fire and Blood

In Revelation chapter 7 we read about God savoring His relationship with His people, and the ½ hour of silence. In chapter 8 we read about the prayers of God’s people. God has been listening to Man’s prayers since the first man Adam, and yet, these prayers move God’s hand in a way none other have, setting off events that were predestined from the beginning of the earth.


Incense was offered with the prayers of the saints. In the Old Testament incense was burned on the coals from the altar and added a sweet fragrance along with the sacrifice. We, the saints of God, offer up a sweet savor through our lives. The life of the overcomer is “the fragrance of the knowledge of Him… for we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing,” (2 Cor 2:14-15).

The saints who sincerely offer their lives as living sacrifices are transformed by the renewing of their minds and are “able to test and approve what God’s will is – His good, pleasing and perfect will,” (Rom 12:2). Their prayers are powerful because they have begun to think like God, and pray according to His purposes. During a time when evil is increasing, the saints pray not only for God’s harvest of souls, but for justice. Looking ahead, we see that during the sounding of the 7th trumpet the elders around the throne say “The time has come for judging the dead, and for rewarding your servants the prophets, and your saints and those who reverence your name, both small and great – and for destroying those who destroy the earth,” (Rev 11:18b). Without God’s judgment, there is no reward. Without Jesus coming to reign in His Kingdom, there is no justice.

It is hard for men, who are afraid of judgment, to pray for justice. When we acknowledge that there is sin in the world, we feel condemned to point it out. It’s as if mentioning the sins of people against God and His people leaves us wide open to be accused ourselves, for we are subject to weakness also. How, then, are the saints of God to pray powerful prayers for justice and for Jesus to establish His rule? It is not because we boast in our perfection that we could pray these prayers; it is because we are covered in the blood of the Lamb. He is the acceptable sacrifice and His blood atones for our sins. Our prayers are heard because of the lives we live, and Jesus’ blood upon us.

The same fire which ignites our lives with the sweet aroma of Christ also purges the dross out of our souls. We are “salted with fire” so that we will not enter into judgment (Mk 9:49). The fire that purifies us is the same fire that is a witness against evil. As the first four trumpets sound, we see this fire released upon the earth.

The blood of the saints slain “because of the Word of God and the testimony they had maintained,” (Rev 6:9) is a legal witness against the ungodly.  From the beginning of time God has avenged the blood of His people (Dt 32:43; Ps 79:10; Rev 16:6) and of innocence slain. Blood cries out to the Lord (Gen 4:10) for His justice. When the 5th seal was opened we heard the martyrs cry out to be avenged for their shed blood. And so the Lord mixes their blood (symbolically) with the hail (a symbol of judgment) and fire.

When the first trumpet sounds, hail and fire mixed with blood were hurled down to the earth causing a third of the vegetation on the earth to burn up. We know that, what God destroys by fire, He will make anew. In writing about the day of the destruction of the heavens and earth by fire, Peter says that we are “looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness,” (2 Pet 3:11-13). Those who love this present life will find it difficult to pray for the new one. However, we are strangers and aliens on this earth who look forward to a heavenly country wherein God has built His City (See Heb 11:8-16). Burning only 1/3 of the earth’s vegetation is a warning to Mankind and an opportunity to repent.

When the second trumpet sounds, something like a huge mountain all ablaze is thrown into the sea. This could be a meteor, and might explain the unstable activity that occurs in the skies, causing the sky itself to appear as if it were a scroll rolled back while the stars began dropping (sixth seal; Rev 6:12-14). We see this celestial crisis repeated during the sounding of the 4th trumpet, dimming the light of day and night.

When the second and third trumpets sound, the seas and rivers are hit. Not only do a third of the living creatures dies, but also a third of humans and their ships are destroyed. The drinking water becomes so bitter (Wormwood) that people die from it. It is, indeed, a very bitter time to be living on the earth. Yet it is not the end.

After the 1st four trumpets sound we hear a message from an eagle; “Woe! Woe! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth, because of the trumpets blasts about to be sounded by the other three angels! (Rev 8:13). We will read about them in the next lesson.