Revelation Chapter 12
1 And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed
with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a
crown of twelve stars:
2 And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained
to be delivered.
3 And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great
red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns
upon his heads.
4 And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and
did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman
which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon
as it was born.
5 And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations
with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and
[to] his throne.
6 And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place
prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two
hundred [and] threescore days.
7 And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought
against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,
8 And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in
heaven.
9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the
Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast
out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
10 And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come
salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the
power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast
down, which accused them before our God day and night.
11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the
word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the
death.
12 Therefore rejoice, [ye] heavens, and ye that dwell in them.
Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil
is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth
that he hath but a short time.
13 And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he
persecuted the woman which brought forth the man [child].
14 And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that
she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is
nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face
of the serpent.
15 And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after
the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the
flood.
16 And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her
mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of
his mouth.
17 And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war
with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God,
and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.
Revelation Chapter 13
1 And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up
out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his
horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.
2 And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet
were as [the feet] of a bear,and his mouth as the mouth of a
lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, an great
authority
3 And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his
deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the
beast.
4 And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast:
and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who [is] like unto the
beast? who is able to make war with him?
5 And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and
blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty [and]
two months.
6 And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme
his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.
7 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to
overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and
tongues, and nations.
8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose
names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from
the foundation of the world.
9 If any man have an ear, let him hear.
10 He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he
that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here
is the patience and the faith of the saints.
11 And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he
had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon.
12 And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him,
and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the
first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.
13 And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down
from heaven on the earth in the sight of men,
14 And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by [the means of]
those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the
beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should
make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and
did live.
15 And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast,
that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as
many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed
16 And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free
and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their
foreheads:
17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark,
or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the
number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his
number [is] Six hundred threescore [and] six.
Revelation Chapter 14
1 And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with
him an hundred forty [and] four thousand, having his Father's
name written in their foreheads.
2 And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters,
and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of
harpers harping with their harps:
3 And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and
before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn
that song but the hundred [and] forty [and] four thousand, which
were redeemed from the earth.
4 These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are
virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he
goeth. These were redeemed from among men, [being] the
firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb.
5 And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without
fault before the throne of God.
6 And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the
everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth,
and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people,
7 Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for
the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made
heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.
8 And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is
fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of
the wine of the wrath of her fornication.
9 And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If
any man worship the beast and his image, and receive [his] mark
in his forehead, or in his hand,
10 The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is
poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and
he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of
the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:
11 And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever:
and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and
his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.
12 Here is the patience of the saints: here [are] they that keep
the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.
13 And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed
[are] the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith
the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their
works do follow them.
14 And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud
[one] sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden
crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle.
15 And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud
voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and
reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of
the earth is ripe.
16 And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the
earth; and the earth was reaped.
17 And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven,
he also having a sharp sickle.
18 And another angel came out from the altar, which had power
over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp
sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the
clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe.
19 And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and
gathered the vine of the earth, and cast [it] into the great
winepress of the wrath of God.
20 And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came
out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space
of a thousand [and] six hundred furlongs.
Revelation Chapter 15
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 beasts 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.
Revelation Chapter 16
1 And I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven
angels, Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God
upon the earth.
2 And the first went, and poured out his vial upon the earth; and
there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the
mark of the beast, and [upon] them which worshipped his image.
3 And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea; and it
became as the blood of a dead [man]: and every living soul died
in the sea.
4 And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and
fountains of waters; and they became blood.
5 And I heard the angel of the waters say, Thou art righteous, O
Lord, which art, and wast, and shalt be, because thou hast judged
thus.
6 For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou
hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy.
7 And I heard another out of the altar say, Even so, Lord God
Almighty, true and righteous [are] thy judgments.
8 And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and
power was given unto him to scorch men with fire.
9 And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name
of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented
not to give him glory.
10 And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the
beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed
their tongues for pain,
11 And blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and
their sores, and repented not of their deeds.
12 And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river
Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of
the kings of the east might be prepared.
13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs [come] out of the
mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out
of the mouth of the false prophet.
14 For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, [which]
go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to
gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.
15 Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed [is] he that watcheth, and
keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.
16 And he gathered them together into a place called in the
Hebrew tongue Armageddon.
17 And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and
there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the
throne, saying, It is done.
18 And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there
was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the
earth, so mighty an earthquake, [and] so great.
19 And the great city was divided into three parts, and the
cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance
before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the
fierceness of his wrath.
20 And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found.
21 And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, [every
stone] about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God
because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was
exceeding great.
Revelation Chapter 17
1 And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven
vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will
shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon
many waters:
2 With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication,
and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the
wine of her fornication.
3 So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I
saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of
blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.
4 And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and
decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden
cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her
fornication:
5 And upon her forehead [was] a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON
THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.
{harlots: or, fornications}
6 And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and
with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I
wondered with great admiration.
7 And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will
tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that
carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns.
8 The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend
out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that
dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in
the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they
behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.
9 And here [is] the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are
seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.
10 And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, [and]
the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a
short space.
11 And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and
is of the seven, and goeth into perdition.
12 And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have
received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour
with the beast.
13 These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength
unto the beast.
14 These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall
overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and
they that are with him [are] called, and chosen, and faithful.
15 And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the
whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and
tongues.
16 And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these
shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and
shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire.
17 For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to
agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of
God shall be fulfilled.
18 And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which
reigneth over the kings of the earth.
Revelation Chapter 18
1 And after these things I saw another angel come down from
heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his
glory.
2 And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the
great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of
devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every
unclean and hateful bird.
3 For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her
fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed
fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed
rich through the abundance of her delicacies.
4 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her,
my people, that ye be noparkers of her sins, and that ye receive
not of her plagues.
5 For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered
her iniquities.
6 Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double
according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled fill to
her double.
7 How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so
much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I
sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow.
8 Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and
mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire:
for strong [is] the Lord God who judgeth her.
9 And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and
lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her,
when they shall see the smoke of her burning,
10 Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas,
alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour
is thy judgment come.
11 And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her;
for no man buyeth their merchandise any more:
12 The merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and
of pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and
all thyine wood, and all manner vessels of ivory, and all manner
vessels of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and
marble, {thyine: or, sweet}
13 And cinnamon, and odours, and ointments, and frankincense, and
wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and beasts, and sheep,
and horses, and chariots, and slaves, and souls of men.
14 And the fruits that thy soul lusted after are departed from
thee, and all things which were dainty and goodly are departed
from thee, and thou shalt find them no more at all.
15 The merchants of these things, which were made rich by her,
shall stand afar off for the fear of her torment, weeping and
wailing,
16 And saying, Alas, alas, that great city, that was clothed in
fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold, and
precious stones, and pearls!
17 For in one hour so great riches is come to nought. And every
shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as
many as trade by sea, stood afar off,
18 And cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What
[city is] like unto this great city!
19 And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and
wailing, saying, Alas, alas, that great city, wherein were made
rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness!
for in one hour is she made desolate.
20 Rejoice over her, [thou] heaven, and [ye] holy apostles and
prophets; for God hath avenged you on her.
21 And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and
cast [it] into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that
great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at
all.
22 And the voice of harpers, and musicians, and of pipers, and
trumpeters, shall be heard no more at all in thee; and no
craftsman, of whatsoever craft [he be], shall be found any more
in thee; and the sound of a millstone shall be heard no more at
all in thee;
23 And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee;
and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard
no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of
the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived.
24 And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and
of all that were slain upon the earth.
Revelation Chapter 19
1 And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in
heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and
power, unto the Lord our God:
2 For true and righteous [are] his judgments: for he hath judged
the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her
fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her
hand.
3 And again they said, Alleluia. And her smoke rose up for ever
and ever.
4 And the four and twenty elders and the four beasts fell down
and worshipped God that sat on the throne, saying, Amen;
Alleluia.
5 And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all
ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great.
6 And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as
the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings,
saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.
7 Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the
marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself
ready.
8 And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine
linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness
of saints.
9 And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed [are] they which are
called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto
me, These are the true sayings of God.
10 And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me,
See [thou do it] not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren
that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony
of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.
11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that
sat upon him [was] called Faithful and True, and in righteousness
he doth judge and make war.
12 His eyes [were] as a flame of fire, and on his head [were]
many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he
himself.
13 And he [was] clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his
name is called The Word of God.
14 And the armies [which were] in heaven followed him upon white
horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.
15 And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he
should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of
iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath
of Almighty God.
16 And he hath on [his] vesture and on his thigh a name written,
KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.
17 And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a
loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of
heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of
the great God;
18 That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains,
and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them
that sit on them, and the flesh of all [men, both] free and bond,
both small and great.
19 And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their
armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the
horse, and against his army.
20 And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that
wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had
received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his
image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning
with brimstone.
21 And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon
the horse, which [sword] proceeded out of his mouth: and all the
fowls were filled with their flesh.
Revelation Chapter 20
1 And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the
bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.
2 And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the
Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,
3 And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set
a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till
the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be
loosed a little season.
4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was
given unto them: and [I saw] the souls of them that were beheaded
for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had
not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received
[his] mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they
lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand
years were finished. This [is] the first resurrection
6 Blessed and holy [is] he that hath part in the first
resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they
shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a
thousand years.
7 And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed
out of his prison,
8 And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four
quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to
battle: the number of whom [is] as the sand of the sea.
9 And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the
camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came
down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.
10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of
fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet [are],
and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
11 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from
whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was
found no place for them.
12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the
books were opened: and another book was opened, which is [the
book] of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which
were written in the books, according to their works.
13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and
hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were
judged every man according to their works.
14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is
the second death.
15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was
cast into the lake of fire.
Revelation Chapter 21
1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven
and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from
God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the
tabernacle of God [is] with men, and he will dwell with them, and
they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them,
[and be] their God.
4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there
shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall
there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
5 And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things
new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and
faithful.
6 And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the
beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of
the fountain of the water of life freely.
7 He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his
God, and he shall be my son.
8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and
murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and
all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with
fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
9 And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the
seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me,
saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb's wife.
10 And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high
mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem,
descending out of heaven from God,
11 Having the glory of God: and her light [was] like unto a stone
most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal;
12 And had a wall great and high, [and] had twelve gates, and at
the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are
[the names] of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel:
13 On the east three gates; on the north three gates; on the
south three gates; and on the west three gates.
14 And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them
the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
15 And he that talked with me had a golden reed to measure the
city, and the gates thereof, and the wall thereof.
16 And the city lieth foursquare, and the length is as large as
the breadth: and he measured the city with the reed, twelve
thousand furlongs. The length and the breadth and the height of
it are equal.
17 And he measured the wall thereof, an hundred [and] forty [and]
four cubits, [according to] the measure of a man, that is, of the
angel.
18 And the building of the wall of it was [of] jasper: and the
city [was] pure gold, like unto clear glass.
19 And the foundations of the wall of the city [were] garnished
with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation [was]
jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the
fourth, an emerald;
20 The fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh,
chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a
chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst.
21 And the twelve gates [were] twelve pearls; every several gate
was of one pearl: and the street of the city [was] pure gold, as
it were transparent glass.
22 And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the
Lamb are the temple of it.
23 And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to
shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb
[is] the light thereof.
24 And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the
light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and
honour into it.
25 And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there
shall be no night there.
26 And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into
it.
27 And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that
defileth, neither [whatsoever] worketh abomination, or [maketh] a
lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life
Revelation Chapter 22
1 And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as
crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.
2 In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the
river, [was there] the tree of life, which bare twelve [manner
of] fruits, [and] yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves
of the tree [were] for the healing of the nations.
3 And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of
the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him:
4 And they shall see his face; and his name [shall be] in their
foreheads.
5 And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle,
neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and
they shall reign for ever and ever.
6 And he said unto me, These sayings [are] faithful and true: and
the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to shew unto his
servants the things which must shortly be done.
7 Behold, I come quickly: blessed [is] he that keepeth the
sayings of the prophecy of this book.
8 And I John saw these things, and heard [them]. And when I had
heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the
angel which shewed me these things.
9 Then saith he unto me, See [thou do it] not: for I am thy
fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them
which keep the sayings of this book: worship God.
10 And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of
this book: for the time is at hand.
11 He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is
filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let
him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy
still.
12 And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward [is] with me, to
give every man according as his work shall be.
13 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and
the last.
14 Blessed [are] they that do his commandments, that they may
have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the
gates into the city.
15 For without [are] dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and
murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.
16 I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things
in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, [and]
the bright and morning star.
17 And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that
heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And
whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.
18 For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the
prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things,
God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:
19 And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of
this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of
life, and out of the holy city, and [from] the things which are
written in this book.
20 He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly.
Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.
21 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ [be] with you all.
Amen.
In Revelation 22:6-9, the Apostle John affirms the truthfulness of the things he saw. He is further told not to seal the information he has been shown concerning the book sealed with seven seals, note verse 10. In verse 11, we see God's attitude to our righteousness, and unrighteousness. Evidently he's not concerned with that, His focus has to do with the things He has written concerning His son. It's certainly not a problem for Him to heal us of our sinfulness. In verse 12, the Lamb directs our attention to the fact that, He is to come, and he brings His reward (the book) with him to give every man according as his work shall be. Evidently we are to be rewarded according to our responses to Him, when he comes to reveal the seals. Verse 14, brings to view briefly the city. In verse 16-21, the Lamb Himself affirms the truthfulness of the Revelation John was instructed to send to the churches. He further extends an open invitation to the Kingdom, and issue a warning not to tamper with this Revelation.
I began this study in Rev 1:9, primarily because Rev 1:1-3, was not in fact written by the Apostle John. Having now grasped an understanding of the text, careful analysis will reveal that these verses are in fact, a summary of the entire book. The statement, the Revelation of Jesus Christ, refers to the information contained in the sealed book. The book is given to the Lamb (Christ) who shows it to His servants, in this case John. It is therefore referred to as, His, Christ's revelation. The Revelation itself, contained in the book, refers to events future to John's day. It is also true that these events concern Christ and His Kingdom here on earth. These events come to pass shortly after the Lamb gets through revealing the seals, not shortly after John's day. The opening of the seals was not to take place until the end of time. The prophet Daniel had spoken expressly on this matter. (Daniel 12:4, 8-10) The Apostle Peter also commented. (I Peter 1:5, 13; note also Amos 3:7; Isaiah 42:9) John was merely notified of these events before hand. He then proceeded, as instructed, to notify the churches. Having access to this information, the followers of Christ today can be forewarned about the event of the opening of the sealed book. This knowledge was designed to prepare the followers of Christ, living in the days the events in the sealed book comes to pass, to cope. It is unfortunate that this truth has been neglected. The seals have indeed been opened, but this generation continues in its ignorance of them. A mere handful of people were present to learn the meaning of the seals. The events themselves are to shortly come to pass. They too will come upon the world unawares, consider Luke 21:20-22, 24-27, 34, 35; cf. Isaiah 2:2- 4; Micah 4:1-3; Zechariah 8:1-3, 20-23; 14:1-12, 16-19; Ezekiel 36: Daniel 2:44; Matthew 5:14; II Peter 3; I Thes 4:14- 5:4. It is no wonder under the sixth seal, the world seeks to hide itself from the one on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb.
The additional verses of Rev 1:4-8, have also been a subject of discussion. Their form follows the usual pattern of the writer introducing himself to his hearers. Additionally they introduce concepts, contained in the body of the Revelation. These are not immediately comprehendable, without some knowledge of what's written in the book. This is largely because, the events referred to are of the realm of the spirit, and being yet future, do not have a bearing in our sensory based consciousness. Since not all the manuscripts have these verses, I felt it useful to leave its discussion till last. In any event, they do not detract from what John wrote regarding his experience on the Isle of Patmos and his subsequent visit to heaven.
Significantly, the coming of the Lamb to reveal the sealed book, and the subsequent fulfillment of the events contained therein, was the hope of the early believers. Consider the Apostle Paul's comment in I Corinthians 1:7. The word translated "coming" in the KJV comes from the Greek word "Apocalypsis" which is generally translated "revelation." The Apostle Paul was aware of the Revelation given to John. (II Corinthians 12:1-5; Hebrews 12:22-25) His usage of this word in I Cor. 1:7, was in reference to the Revelation John received, and not the glorious appearance of Christ. The Apostle Peter also spake in reference to the Revelation received by John. (I Peter 1:4, 5, 13).
Salvation And The Book Of Revelation
In the foregoing chapter, my primary goal has been to introduce the text of the book of Revelation. By laying this basic foundation, it is my hope to bring the mind of the reader to a place, where it can appreciate the book and the issues contained therein. Evidently its focus centers around the subject matter of the sealed book. Having a comprehension of the issues, one is provided with the conceptual frame of reference, against which it may be judged whether or not David did in fact reveal the Seven seals. Further, with this improved awareness, one is also better placed to further understand the purpose of Mt. Carmel and the reasons for the events which occurred there.
There have been many commentators on the text of the book of Revelation. Much attention has been given to its form and structure. Also to the language and symbolism employed in its composition, In spite of all this attention, the meaning of the book has hitherto remained a mystery. The essential question that needs to be asked of all these interpreters is, by what authority do they speak? Having something of an awareness of the issue in Revelation 5: 1-3, we begin to appreciate the significance of this question. First of all, only the Lamb can reveal the book, whoever or whatever he is. Secondly, he does reveal the book. The information contained therein, is shown to His servants. So then, to know the seals you're either a servant of the Lamb, or the Lamb himself.
The confusion that exists among commentators, regarding the meaning of the book, evidently suggests we are dealing with peoples opinions. The book is not amenable to the carnal human consciousness; what is described as, natural religion. It is significant that the Apostle John, spoke of things not yet having a bearing in our human sensory based experiencing. Evidently we would not yet have formed the conceptual tools necessary to comprehend these realities. This has been the heart of the issue of faith. Perhaps also, the reason why the prophet Daniel, recorded that the book would be sealed until the time of the end. (Daniel 12:4, 8-10) The prophet Isaiah, also saw this. (Isaiah 29:10-14) The complexity of the above is further compounded by the fact that John identifies himself as being in the spirit, when he saw these things. (Rev 1:10, & 4:1, 2) What does this mean? Evidently Johns common sense consciousness was unable to cope, with what he saw. In verse 17, John faints. The Apostle Paul had something to say about being in the spirit:
"Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given us of God." (I Corinthians 2:12)
Most definitely we know, the information in the book of Revelation, is given us of God. Paul writes further;
"But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they arefoolishness unto him. Neither can he know them for they are spiritually discerned." (I Corinthians 2:14)
Consider also Romans 8:1-8. The above being true, one has to convert to the consciousness of the mind of the Spirit, without which, comprehending the book of Revelation remains impossible. At least until the events spoken of, meet their fulfillment. When they become a matter of common knowledge, the human mind, via the senses, would then have experienced these realities firsthand.
It is largely for the reasons discussed above, why the meaning of the book of Revelation remains a subject of dispute in the religious arena. Further questions may be raised regarding the presence of God, among these church communities, as being distinct from other such groups not openly professing God.
The term Revelation, denotes the unveiling of some truth by God to man. Such revealed truths are distinguished from 'natural' religion, the content of which being demonstrated by the process of reason. This is the pre-occupation of theological seminaries. There are basically three theories, arising from natural religion, offered as keys to understanding the book of Revelation. After careful analysis of these theories, it will be determined that, none of them have brought us any closer to understanding the meaning of the book of Revelation. Thinking on this subject. in the theological world, is at best speculative. For many the book of Revelation has been altogether abandoned, being regarded as unimportant to our salvation. It's a case of'just accept Jesus, and forget about it.' There is no escaping the fact that, the book of Revelation and our appreciation of salvation is indispensable. It is comparative to that, of God warning the antediluvians before hand of His intentions to destroy the earth with a flood. Those who took heed, became conscious of the way of escape and lived, those who did not perished. Indeed, the prophetic references of Christ' in texts such as Matthew 24, makes such comparisons to the days of Noah. The issues of the Seven Seals relate, not to the salvaging of our bodies, but much more importantly, the soul.
Consider the following. In the Gospel of Luke, Christ made the following statement:
"... Father forgive them for they know not what they do." (Luke 23:34)
Can you imagine what would have happened to the human race, had not Christ uttered these words! Further, what would have happened, had not the Father accepted them. By accepting Christ's statement, God bound Himself to forgive man, as long as he remained in his ignorance. The Father had previously bound Himself by His own word, when he said to Adam, if you eat of the tree you shall surely die. (Genesis 2:15, 16) The flip side of this statement was, if you don't eat of the tree you shall continue to live. Adam did eat of that tree. In so doing he procured to himself and his descendants death. Christ on the other hand, kept the law, yet he died. The law, which is the word of God, became indebted to Him. In lieu of this debt, Christ requested the forgiveness of man. Our probation was further extended. It would be wrong to conclude that this time was allotted to us to do as we please. As a matter of fact, it was for the purpose that man would wise up to the spirit of Christ. In Luke 23: 46, Christ commended His spirit into the hand of the Father. In the book of Revelation, His spirit was to return again to the earth, immediately before His appearing in glory. This was a further effort to communicate itself to man, man having failed of attaining to it himself, in the additional probationary time allotted.
You will recall Christ commended His spirit into the hand of the Father. On his visit to heaven in Revelation 4, John saw in the right hand of the one sitting on the throne, a book Sealed within and on the backside, with Seven Seals. The book contained the revelation (knowledge) of Christ, His spirit. (cf. Revelation 1:1; Luke 23:46) The Apostle Paul describes Christ as, the author and finisher of our faith. (Hebrews 12:1) Peter speaks of those, who have obtained like precious faith. (2Peter 1:1) Christ, being in the flesh, walked the path of righteousness by remaining true and faithful to the will of God. In so doing, he cultured a spirit, giving rise to a mindset of thought perceptions, that he offers to man in place of their own. We inherited from Adam a fallen mind, and a weak and fearful spirit. The spirit which Christ offers is our salvation. The opening of the Sealed book, reveals the things which must come to pass pertaining to Christ. These are God's judgments, about what he intends to do for his son. To understand these judgments, bringing ones thinking into harmony with them, is to be one with the spirit of Christ and of God. One cannot convert to the spirit and will of God without a knowledge of His will.
We see then that, salvation was not given 2,000 years ago. The early church. like the Patriarchs and Prophets of old, received only the promise of salvation. Salvation was to be given in the last times, at the revelation of Christ. Consider the following:
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation, ready to be revealed In the last time
Further:
Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the Revelation of Jesus Christ. (I Peter 1:13)
The Apostle Paul, having also seen Johns experience of going to heaven, brings to view the same thoughts as Peter, note his comment regarding Christ as, the mediator of the new covenant. (Heb 12:24) This is in reference to John' statement regarding the Lamb, his being the only one accounted worthy to loose the Seals off of the book. The book itself, contains the new covenant, the spirit Christ cultured for us, in place of our own. The prophet Daniel also brings to view this subject of the Sealed book, and it being open in the end of time. (Daniel 12:4, 8-10) Those who understand the contents are accounted wise, those who do not, wicked.
So then, Christ's purchase of our salvation required a response on our part. We are required to receive the free gift of His righteousness. This is His spirit, contained in the book sealed with Seven Seals. The accepting of this knowledge converts our way of thinking to God's.
When the spirit of Christ returned to the earth, identified by the teaching of the Seven Seals, God is no longer bound by Christ's statement of Luke 23:34. Judgment can now be executed on sin and sinners. It is required that man have a conscious awareness of this spirit, albeit not all men, since the hearing of it and the acceptance of it, is strictly by choice. The few of us at Mt. Carmel, who received this spirit made this possible. In the Revelation, John records Christ saying He comes as a thief in the night. (Revelation 16:15; cf. 22:12) This event of His coming is the subject matter of Revelation 10-11:13. It is developed further in Matt 24:43. The thief comes to break up the house of the owner. Note this is linked to the seven last plagues of Rev 16. Before the owners house could be broken up, the owner had to be bound, note Mark 3:27. In verse 26, Mark indicates the owners house, and who the strong man and the thief are. Satan took possession of this world, by virtue of Adam's sin. With the Seven Seals now in the earth, both Man and Satan are now bound. This is the cause of the controversy spoken of in Psalms 2, note verses 2 and 3. When the seventh trumpet, of the Seventh Seal sounds, the mystery of God is finished. This world returns back to its rightful owners, God and His Christ.
Being direct recipients of the knowledge of the Seals, when challenged to surrender our position of faith, we were left with no alternative but to defend ourselves. The government over stepped its mark in asking us to surrender our souls to it. The fact that it may not have been aware of the issues, cannot be offered as an excuse. Ignorance no longer constitutes innocence. In truth, the governments action was a late and last ditch effort, to hold on to power. The deaths of those who died at Mt. Carmel merely sealed God's victory. Those of us who remain alive in faith, are an open show of that victory. The kingdom of God, can now be made manifest in the earth, the next event to shortly come to pass. (Daniel 2:44; Isaiah 2:2-4; Micah 4:1-3; Ezekiel 36; Zechariah 8:1-3, 20-23; 14: 1-12, 16-19; Matthew 5:14)
"And I Saw When The Lamb Opened One Of The Seals..."
In this section, I aim to expand on our discussion further by focusing on the Psalms, the subject matter of the First Seal. Before addressing the text itself, it is necessary to clarify what the Psalms are.
There exists this commonly held belief, that the Psalms are songs, written by King David of old and relating to his experience. This is not entirely true. They are in fact the song of the Lamb, spoken of in Revelation 15:13. Although sung by King David, they reflect the experience the Lamb goes through, while in the earth fulfilling His Fathers will. It was the Holy Spirit who inspired King David, to document them for future generations, in accordance with the judgment and the opening of the seals. Being a man after Gods own heart, he was at a place in his experience of appreciating the experience of the Lamb.
Consider what the following commentators had to say. on the subject of the Psalms and their focus. In the Gospel of Luke, Chapter 24, sometime after Christ's' resurrection, he appeared to two despondent followers who were journeying to a village called Emmaus. Christ appeared alongside them and began opening to them the scriptures, note verses 26, 27, 31. In verse 44, Christ made the following comment to the disciples, regarding the Psalms:
"And he said unto them, these are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the Law of Moses, and the Prophets and in the Psalms concerning me."
King David of old, had the following to say, in connection with the writing of the Psalms:
"Now these be the last words of David. David the son of Jesse said ,... The Spirit of the Lord spake by me, and his word was in my tongue." (II Samuel 23:1-3)
Note also:
"Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward... " (I Samuel 16:23)
Christ himself had the following to say about David's writing of the Psalms:
"And Jesus answered and said, while he taught in the temple, how say the scribes that Christ is the son of David? For David himself said by the Holy Ghost, the Lord said to my Lord, sit thou on my right hand, tillI make thine enemies thy footstool. David therefore himself calleth him Lord; and whence is he then his son?" (Mark 12:35-37; cf. Psalms 110;Acts 2:34-36)
Consider also, what the Apostle Luke had to say in Acts 2:25-35. Quoting from Psalms 2, and 89, the Apostle Paul made the following comments:
"For unto which of the angels said he at that time, thou art my son, this day have I begotten thee: And again, I will be to him a Father, and he will be to me a son?" (Hebrews 1:5; cf. Palms 2:7; 89:26, 27)
Paul also made it unequivocally clear that, the person spoken of in Psalms 45, is Christ, and not King David of old;
"But unto the son he sayeth, thy throne, O God, is forever and ever:a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of thy kingdom. Thou has loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; Therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows." (Hebrews 1:8-9)
This last reference will be of particular importance as we develop the first Seal. In fact, all the Psalms deal with the subject matter of the first seal. Primarily, they detail the mind of the Lamb, the one riding the horses in Revelation 6: 1-8. (cf. Matthew 10:34-39, with Revelation 6:3, 4) While it would give me much pleasure, in pursuing an in depth review of the Psalms, in the interest of brevity, I shall confine my focus to two examples. These both, clearly amplify the true focus of the Psalms.
The first, Psalm 22, deals with the experience of the Lamb at his crucifixion 2000 years ago. You will recall the utterance Christ made, as he hung on the cross:
"And at the third hour, Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, E-loi, E-loi lama Sa-bach'tha-ni? Which is, being interpreted, my God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" (Mark 15:35)
There was much more to this utterance that, remained as unspoken thoughts, in the mind of Christ. Psalms 22, picks up the story:
Psalm 22
1 To the chief Musician upon Aijeleth Shahar, A Psalm of David.
My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? [why art thou so] far
from helping me, [and from] the words of my roaring?
2 O my God, I cry in the daytime, but thou hearest not; and in
the night season, and am not silent.
3 But thou [art] holy, [O thou] that inhabitest the praises of
Israel.
4 Our fathers trusted in thee: they trusted, and thou didst
deliver them.
5 They cried unto thee, and were delivered: they trusted in thee,
and were not confounded.
6 But I [am] a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised
of the people.
7 All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip,
they shake the head, [saying],
8 He trusted on the LORD [that] he would deliver him: let him
deliver him, seeing he delighted in him.
9 But thou [art] he that took me out of the womb: thou didst make
me hope [when I was] upon my mother's breasts.
10 I was cast upon thee from the womb: thou [art] my God from my
mother's belly.
11 Be not far from me; for trouble [is] near; for [there is] none
to help.
12 Many bulls have compassed me: strong [bulls] of Bashan have
beset me round.
13 They gaped upon me [with] their mouths, [as] a ravening and a
roaring lion.
14 I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint:
my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels.
15 My strength is dried up like a potsherd; and my tongue
cleaveth to my jaws; and thou hast brought me into the dust of
death.
16 For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have
inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet.
17 I may tell all my bones: they look [and] stare upon me.
18 They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my
vesture.
19 But be not thou far from me, O LORD: O my strength, haste thee
to help me.
20 Deliver my soul from the sword; my darling from the power of
the dog.
21 Save me from the lion's mouth: for thou hast heard me from the
horns of the unicorns.
22 I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the
congregation will I praise thee.
23 Ye that fear the LORD, praise him; all ye the seed of Jacob,
glorify him; and fear him, all ye the seed of Israel.
24 For he hath not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the
afflicted; neither hath he hid his face from him; but when he
cried unto him, he heard.
25 My praise [shall be] of thee in the great congregation: I will
pay my vows before them that fear him.
26 The meek shall eat and be satisfied: they shall praise the
LORD that seek him: your heart shall live for ever.
27 All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the
LORD: and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before
thee.
28 For the kingdom [is] the LORD'S: and he [is] the governor
among the nations.
29 All [they that be] fat upon earth shall eat and worship: all
they that go down to the dust shall bow before him: and none can
keep alive his own soul.
30 A seed shall serve him; it shall be accounted to the Lord for
a generation.
31 They shall come, and shall declare his righteousness unto a
people that shall be born, that he hath done [this].
There's a unity of thought in the mind of Christ, revealed here in this Psalm. It helps in affirming the fact that, this Psalm was about the experience of Christ at His crucifixion, 2000 years ago. King David had written about the intimate details of this event, many centuries before. Note verses 1, 7, 8, for their correlation to events surrounding the crucifixion. Compare Mark 14:65; 15:29-32. Consider also Matthew 27:27-32. Verse 9 takes us back to his birth, compare Luke 1:26-35. The experience of his being on the cross is given much detailed attention in verses 14-18, the whole Psalm is written from the position of his being on the cross. Compare Mark 15, particularly verse 24. All the Gospels give some commentary on this scene. They give the fuller external picture of what was taking place during those tragic days and nights. It is through the witness of these historical narratives that we today, have been able to come to something of an awareness of Christ. A reality long witnessed to by the prophetic writings of the ancients.
In the latter part of this Psalm, the mood and focus shifts to the future. Verse 28, speaks of the Kingdom of the Lord and His being the governor among nations. How does this relate to the Christ of the book of Revelation. As the Psalms and the Prophets notified the Jews before hand of Christ's appearance 2,000 years ago, through the testimony of the spirit, so it is today. The Apostle John in writing the book of Revelation, as instructed by the angel of Christ, sought to make us aware of events concerning the opening of the sealed book. The prophet Daniel had already spoken on the subject of the sealed book. (Daniel 12:4, 8-10) Psalms 22:22, 25 speaks of this congregation Christ is to declare the name of the Lord to. What does this mean? When was this to occur? Is there something about this Revelation we have failed to grasp? Who is the spirit of truth of John 16:13-15? What are those many things that Christ had to say that the disciples could not bear then? When were these things to be revealed? It is a fact of reality that in order to appreciate answers, we must appreciate the questions. In our second example, Psalms 40, the Spirit through King David introduces us further, to the experience of the Lamb.
1 To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. I waited patiently for
the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry.
2 He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry
clay, and set my feet upon a rock,
[and] established my goings.
3 And he hath put a new song in my mouth, [even] praise unto our
God: many shall see [it], and
fear, and shall trust in the LORD.
4 Blessed [is] that man that maketh the LORD his trust, and
respecteth not the proud, nor such
as turn aside to lies.
5 Many, O LORD my God, [are] thy wonderful works [which] thou
hast done, and thy thoughts
[which are] to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto
thee: [if] I would declare and
speak [of them], they are more than can be numbered.
6 Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast
thou opened: burnt offering and sin
offering hast thou not required.
7 Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book [it is]
written of me,
8 I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law [is] within my
heart.
9 I have preached righteousness in the great congregation: lo, I
have not refrained my lips, O
LORD, thou knowest.
10 I have not hid thy righteousness within my heart; I have
declared thy faithfulness and thy
salvation: I have not concealed thy lovingkindness and thy truth
from the great congregation.
11 Withhold not thou thy tender mercies from me, O LORD: let thy
lovingkindness and thy truth
continually preserve me.
12 For innumerable evils have compassed me about: mine iniquities
have taken hold upon me,
so that I am not able to look up; they are more than the hairs of
mine head: therefore my heart faileth me.
13 Be pleased, O LORD, to deliver me: O LORD, make haste to help
me.
14 Let them be ashamed and confounded together that seek after my
soul to destroy it; let them be driven backward and put to shame
that wish me evil.
15 Let them be desolate for a reward of their shame that say unto
me, Aha, aha.
16 Let all those that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee: let
such as love thy salvation say continually, The LORD be
magnified.
17 But I [am] poor and needy; [yet] the Lord thinketh upon me:
thou [art] my help and my deliverer; make no tarrying, O my God.
Note verse 1 and 2, the person of this Psalm waited patiently for the Lord. Evidently he dies and is finally brought up out of a horrible pit. What has this got to do with the resurrection? What about that rock! Who sits on the throne in Revelation 4? Why does John describe him as a jasper and sardine stone? Did Christ go to heaven after his resurrection? Was His spirit commended into the hands of the Father at His crucifixion? Verse 5, speaks of God's thoughts towards us. Could those thoughts possibly be written in a book. Could that book be sealed with seven seals? In any event, the one spoken of in this Psalm is to come, verse 7. Come from where? He continues;
,...in the volume of the book it is written of me,...
Is the seven seals a revelation of Christ? What does the Father give to the Lamb? Note Revelation 1:1. What is Psalm 40:7 really teaching us? In verses 8 and 9, this person has the law of God in his heart, he preaches righteousness to the great congregation. What righteousness and to what congregation? What are God's judgments, are they not right? Is God not righteous in His judgments? Are His judgments not contained in the book, He gives to the Lamb?
Remember the congregation of Psalms 22:22, 25. In verse 11, he asks for mercies from God, note verse 12. His iniquities are more then the hairs of his head. I wonder why is that? Most definitely this is not Christ in His glory. It certainly is not Him as He was 2,000 years ago. But what about this Christ? The one in the volume of the book. Why were there two goats offered during the sanctuary service, on the Day of Atonement? (Leviticus 16:7-26) Both were symbols of Christ. Why did the second of these goats have the iniquities of the people transferred to it? What do these symbols really teach? Who can show us? What did Christ mean in His statement of Matthew 24:28? A carcass is a dead body. Well, we know one thing, there's a sealed book with seven seals, and only the Lamb can reveal it.
In the foregoing we attempted to take a brief look at the Psalms. Clearly they contain information pertinent to our knowledge of Christ. The term Christ is a title, the Greek word for the Hebrew 'Messiah' meaning 'anointed one'. There are many references to a David, future to King David of old. Hosea 3:5, speaks of Him. So does Ezekiel 34, note verses 23 and 25; 37, note verses 24-28. Isaiah 55:3, 4, identifies Him as the one who brings the covenant. He is brought to view in Jeremiah 23, note verses 5 and 6; 30 note verse 9; 33, note verses 15-17, 20, 21;. He is identified as the King to reign in Jerusalem over both the houses of Judah and Israel. Evidently all the tribes are to be united under His reign. In Psalms 89: 20-21, this David is to be made God's firstborn, higher than the kings of the earth. (cf. Revelation 19:16) We know the name David means 'beloved'. King David was the eighth son of Jesse, a man after God's own heart. (Acts 13:21-22) It's hard to find a man, with a heart fashioned after the heart of God. In King David we see a model of Christ. It was largely for this reason he was chosen of heaven to be the one to write the deeper truths concerning the experiences of the Lamb. All the above references are prophetic, they were written after King David had died.
Against the above background, the significance of the Psalms and the first seal, can be considered. Principally, the reason the Lamb alone was the only one considered worthy to reveal the book, is because it contains God's thoughts about Him. Since He is the only one who knows God's thoughts, being one with God, who but He can reveal the book, note John 1:18. God had spoken before hand via King David about Christ. David wrote the thoughts about Christ, communicated to him, in the form of Psalms. It should be clear by now, that the sealed book in heaven is the scriptures on earth.
In Rev 6:1-2, the code to the first seal is recorded:
And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, come and see. And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering and to conquer.
The question arises; what was it that John heard , that sounded like the noise of thunder? Who's the one riding the horse, and what, if anything, does the horse represent? This rider, rides a red, black, and pale horse under the second, third and fourth seals. What about that bow! He must have some arrows. Maybe he's intending to fight a war of some sort. Perhaps that's why he goes forth conquering and to conquer. Note also he's given a crown, kings wear crowns. I wonder who gives him this crown and what kingdom is he to rule over?
In our introduction to the Psalms, Psalm 45, begins the link with the first seal. Consider verse 1, very carefully:
My heart is inditing a good matter: I speak of the things which I have made touching the king: my tongue is the pen of a ready writer.
Here the question arises, whose heart is this, inditing a good matter, and what is the matter being indited? Whoever this person is, the matter he's inditing has something to do with a king. As a matter of fact, the King. Further, this person makes things, evidently he is a creator. But what about this King, who is he and why does the one indicting make things for him. Did the king ask him to, or did he do it all by himself? He continues, "My tongue is the pen of a ready writer." What does this mean? Could it be he has written the matter concerning the King? Perhaps in a book, what book? You be the judge. In verse 2 and 3, he speaks further:
Thou art fairer than the children of men: grace is poured into thy lips: therefore God hath blessed thee forever. Gird thy sword upon thy thigh. O most mighty, with thy glory and thy majesty.
Continuing the revelations concerning this king, the maker describes him as fairer than the children of men. Additionally he has grace poured into his lips. What is that? Maybe the king has something to say. In any event, God has blessed him forever. Maybe the one inditing the good matter, who also makes things, might just be God! It could be He sits on a throne with a book in His right hand. What do you think? You will recall, the rider on the white horse under the first seal receives a crown. Under the second seal, he's given a great sword. Verse 3 of Psalms 45, brings to view this sword. Note also the kings glory and majesty. In Revelation 5:7ff, after the Lamb takes the book, he receives "power... honor... and glory,...". Note verse 12. In verse 4, the maker has more to say concerning this king:
And in thy majesty ride prosperously because of truth and meekness; and righteousness and thy right hand shall teach terrible things.
Wait a moment? Ride prosperously! Ride a what? A motorbike! Maybe it's a horse. Maybe it's a white horse, a red one, a black one and a pale one. What do you think? What about all that truth and meekness and righteousness! Why does his right hand teach him terrible things: What's in his right hand? Could it be a book! Maybe it's those arrows he shoots in the heart of his enemies in verse 5. But how can he shoot arrows without a bow? Must be the one he has in Rev 6:2, note verse 5.
Thine arrows are sharp in the heart of the king's enemies; whereby the people fall under thee. What has these arrows got to do with Psalms 127:3-5: Lo, children are an heritage of the lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are the children of the youth. Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate."
Why are the children likened unto arrows in the hand of a mighty man? Who is this mighty man? What's he got to do with the mighty man of Psalms 45:3? Further, why are the arrows so sharp in the heart of the kings enemies? It can be painful to see a baby cry. It's even more painful to see one burned alive, especially when you know you're responsible! Why is the man happy who has his quiver full of these children? I guess it's because they speak to his enemies in the gate. It's kind of like what Psalms 8:2, had to say:
Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger.
Who is the enemy at the gate, the avenger? What gate are we talking about here? Further, what have these children got to do with Isaiah 53:10? It states the suffering servant shall see his seed, what seed? Did Christ have children 2,000 years ago! What does it mean for his soul to be offered for sin? And why are we saved in Christ? What does Zechariah 13:7, really teach? Who is this man equal with God? The shepherd who gets smitten. What about the sheep who get scattered, and those little ones, God turns His hand upon! Who is this King, the mighty one, who rides horses? Note what Christ had to say about him:
Think not that I am come to send peace on earth : I come not to send peace but a sword. (Matthew 10:34; see also verse 35-39)
In Psalms 45:6, the king is referred to as God. In verse 7, he's anointed above his fellows. Who are his fellows? Are we not all children of God! In verse 9, through the rest of the chapter, the King is to be married, and his children reign as princes throughout the earth. Who is this daughter of verse 10, he gets married to? What's all this got to do with Revelation 19:7, and Matthew 22:2-13, the Marriage Supper of the Lamb.
The above represents a brief introduction to the firsts seal. The following are copies of David Koresh's last testament before he died on April 19th at the hands of the government. I believe this to be satisfactory introduction to the seals, for any honest person possessed of understanding, to conclude that, Psalm 45, introduces the first seal. Hitherto, no man has shown otherwise, neither denied it's authenticity. The attack on Mt. Carmel; the deaths of its residents, has procured to this nation a serious sin! The continued persecution of those of us still alive, by this government in its effort to cover its sin, only worsens the guilt. We are not dealing with man's inhumanity to man. This was a direct challenge to the government of God. The residents of Mt. Carmel stood for truth. Our position was a matter of conscientious obligation. It was this government's persistent arrogance, in refusing to listen, that has placed it in its present predicament. Its reluctance to acknowledge and confess this sin, will be the final cause of this nations downfall. Babylon has been snared and taken. There is no escape, what has been done, has been done and cannot be made undone. The truth of the Seven Seals is that stone, that smote the image of Daniel 2. The stone with seven eyes of Zechariah 3:9, and Revelation 5:6,7. The ignorance of the ignorant, no longer qualifies as innocence. The time of accountability is now, the Seals have been opened and received in the earth, albeit by just a few.