 From 1974 and until he passed away in June of 2005, Frank Caw devoted a considerable amount of time to research and study in Bible prophecy and related philosophical and theological issues. This website is dedicated by his family to his memory and work and is as he presented it at the time of his death. The family of Frank Caw, Jr. would like to thank Tim McHyde of EscapeAllTheseThings.com for hosting his website.
While always insisting on a plain, literal and sensible approach to scriptural exegesis,
he has pieced together many new scriptural insights on a number of extraordinary
prophetic developments that are poised to be fulfilled in our immediate
future!
Thus, it is safe to say that things are not going to happen the way many people think
they will happen.
But, this book will give you the scriptural keys for truly understanding what God has
preordained will happen, and how you can survive the incredible scenario of prophetic
events about to unfold! |
This ministry is dedicated to the loving memory of my
late wife, Debbie, who went to be in the presence of God on October 23, 1997, and who was
so instrumental in helping me to prepare for my ministry during those many long, difficult
years.
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Why Revelation 4 And 5
Portray
Raptured Christians In Heaven
An Ipsos poll says that 25 percent of adults believe it is at least somewhat likely that Jesus Christ will return to Earth in 2007 2008. Of white evangelical Christian adults it's 66%. Want to know why Jesus won't come in 2007 2008, before most find out in Jan 1, 2008 2009? »» Read Featured Article
Revelation 4:1
1 After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter (i.e., after true believers are Raptured to Heaven). (KJV)
The above scripture portrays the saints of God ascending to Heaven at the sound of the beckoning trumpet in a manner reminiscent of the trumpet mentioned in I Thessalonians 4:13-17. This is because John the Revelator acts as a “type” representing believers, a role he often performs throughout Revelation. Please note, also, that critics of the pre-tribulation Rapture truth must explain an alternative meaning for the word “hereafter” if they do not wish to accept the apparent meaning, i.e., “after true believers are Raptured to Heaven near the end of the church age portrayed in the two previous chapters of Revelation.” Furthermore, as proof this scriptural passage truly describes the Rapture of the saints, please observe they are in Heaven immediately afterwards:
Revelation 4
1 After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.
2 And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne.
3 And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald.
4 And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold.
5 And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.
6 And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind.
7 And the first beast was like a lion, and the second beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle.
8 And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.
9 And when those beasts give glory and honour and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever,
10 The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying,
11 Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created. (KJV)
The above chapter describes a visible, majestic, all-powerful Divine personage seated amidst the heavenly splendor and glory of His Divine Throne, attended and worshipped by exotic heavenly creatures, some of whom have lesser thrones surrounding the Divine Throne. Now compare this chapter with the abbreviated parallel description of the same heavenly scene which is offered in the following passage:
Daniel 7:9, 10
9 I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire.
10 A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened. (KJV)
An analysis of Revelation will show that it is concerned primarily with the redemption of the earth. In the Garden of Eden, humanity experienced their moral fall from created perfection, resulting in spiritual separation from God (Gen. 2:17) (Ezek. 18:4), physical mortality (Gen. 3:19), and loss of dominion over the earth (Gen. 3:17-19). Therefore, in order for redemption to be complete, the process must not only include spiritual salvation through Christ, and the translation or resurrection of the body into immortality, but dominion over the earth must be regained from Satan in its entirety, also. Since humanity lost dominion over the earth, it is not surprising to find that we, as Raptured Christian believers, will be involved quite extensively in the implementation of God’s program of redemption for the earth. That honor and privilege is consistent with the fact that we will be joint-rulers with Christ over all of the universe, forever, as the following scriptures attest:
Revelation 5:8-10
8 And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints.
9 And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;
10 And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth. (KJV)
Daniel 7:21, 22, 27
21 I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them;
22 Until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom.
27 And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him. (KJV)
I Corinthians 6:2, 3
2 Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters?
3 Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life? (KJV)
Revelation 1:5, 6
5 And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,
6 And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. (KJV)
Psalms 149:5-9
5 Let the saints be joyful in glory: let them sing aloud upon their beds.
6 Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a twoedged sword in their hand;
7 To execute vengeance upon the heathen, and punishments upon the people;
8 To bind their kings with chains, and their nobles with fetters of iron;
9 To execute upon them the judgment written: this honour have all his saints. Praise ye the LORD. (KJV)
In Revelation 5:8-10 above, in the phrase, “For Thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by Thy blood,” the English word “us” is translated from the Greek word HEMAS, which means “us,” not from the Greek word AUTOS, which means “them.” Although some of the newer translations translate the word “us” as the word “them,” there is not any apparent justification for doing so except for theological bias. Not wanting to believe in a future reign of Christ on earth with the saints is not sufficient reason for changing the text of the Bible. Only the Codex Alexandrinus manuscript omits the word “us”; all of the other ancient manuscripts have it included. Bible Translations such as the King James Version and Young’s Literal Translation Of The Bible are correct when they render the word as “us” instead of “them.” Therefore, the twenty-four elders and the four beasts, portrayed in this passage of biblical scripture, must represent Christian believers because only saintly believers are redeemed; angels are not. Now compare the following scripture:
Revelation 1:5-6
5 And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,
6 And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. (KJV)
Please note the similarities between the above account and Revelation 4-5 relative to the doxology and the attributes of the creatures who are praising God. A careful reading of Revelation will show that many of the characteristics attributed to Christ and the saints in chapter one are repeated periodically throughout the remainder of Revelation. In fact, sometimes it is the only way possible to identify the “angel” or “creature” in view within a given passage of scripture. On that basis, because it is quite clear in Revelation 1:5-6 that Christians are praising and worshipping God, this most likely is true in Revelation 5:8-10, also. Likewise, since there are no translations which read “them” instead of “us” in Revelation 1:5-6, we probably should read these disputed passages in Revelation 4 and 5 the same way — no matter how many modern translations say otherwise. Therefore, the “twenty-four elders” and the “four beasts” must represent saints, i.e., Christian believers, because only saints are redeemed.
If the “four beasts” and/or the “twenty-four elders” are not saints, then where are the saints? Since we can establish from Scripture that the saints “will judge the world” and “execute upon them the judgment written” (Rev. 5:9-10; Dan. 7:21-22, 27; I Cor. 6:2-3; Rev. 1:5-6; Ps. 149:5-9), they should be in prominent display. But, if the “four beasts” are not groups of saints, then why are they clearly involved so extensively in the execution of judgments upon the earth? (Rev. 6). Moreover, since the scriptural evidence indicates very convincingly that the elders represent the saints, and since their number is 24, we also must conclude that they represent believers from both the Old and New Testament ages — typified by the 12 patriarchs and the 12 apostles. In a similar manner, as parallel support and corroboration for this conclusion, the 12 gates and the 12 foundation stones of the New Jerusalem are named for the 12 tribes from Old Testament times and the 12 apostles from New Testament times.
It is for certain that the “twenty-four elders” represent saints because the same angel who shows John the Revelation vision is also identified as an “elder” and as a saint:
Revelation 1:1
1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John: (KJV)
Revelation 5:5-9
5 And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.
6 And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.
7 And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne.
8 And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints.
9 And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; (KJV)
Revelation 7:13-16
13 And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they?
14 And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
15 Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them.
16 They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more... (KJV)
Revelation 19:9-10
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. (KJV)
Revelation 22:8-9, 16
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...
16 I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches.... (KJV)
Regarding the last two scriptural passages above, evidently John was so overwhelmed by the Revelation shown to him that, twice, he began to worship the “angel” who was showing the vision to him. In each instance, of course, the “angel” told him to stop his worship, immediately, because “I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren.” This angel, who identifies himself as a saint, is also identified as one of the angels who pours out the seven vials of plagues upon the earth. (Rev. 17:1). So, clearly this proves the validity of our interpretation concerning the identity of the angels throughout most of Revelation; the saints will be the ones who will execute judgment upon the earth when it is being “redeemed” through the opening of the Seven Seals. This also confirms that the saints must be Raptured to Heaven before the process of earthly redemption begins; Bible students call this truth the “Pre-Tribulation Rapture.” Then finally, in the above passage, Revelation 5:8, please observe that the four beasts and the twenty-four elders possess “golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints.” Obviously it makes sense that the Raptured Christian believers in Heaven would be the ones most likely to be in possession of their own prayers as they are presented before the Lord.
As further confirmation the twenty-four elders represent Christians, please note that the elders sit on thrones and wear crowns (Rev. 4:4, 10); however, only people, not angels, are promised such rewards:
Revelation 2:10
10 Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life. (KJV)
Revelation 3:20-21
20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. (KJV)
2 Timothy 4:8
8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing. (KJV)
Revelation 1:5-6
5 And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,
6 And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. (KJV)
James 1:12
12 Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. (KJV)
1 Corinthians 9:25
25 And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. (KJV)
1 Peter 5:4
4 And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away. (KJV)
Matthew 19:27-29
27 Then answered Peter and said unto him, Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore?
28 And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
29 And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name’s sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life. (KJV)
Revelation 20:4-6
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. (KJV)
After the saints are Raptured into Heaven, and the Bema Judgment of Christ is completed, believers will be organized into various groups for maximum efficiency, each with a specific function to perform in God’s program of redemption for the earth. In Revelation, they are known as angels, horsemen, twenty-four elders, and four beasts. Although these heavenly creatures might seem very strange and unusual to us, please bear in mind that just as in chapter one of Revelation, similes (not symbols) are used to describe heavenly things. In other words, even though human words may be inadequate to explain extraordinary heavenly experiences and phenomena never seen or felt before by human beings, they are all that John had at his disposal to describe what he saw. Hence there is no symbolism involved in his descriptions; he used earthly words to describe literal things in Heaven. For example, Revelation 5 portrays Christ as both a “Lamb” and a “Lion,” not in the literal or symbolic sense, but as a way of describing His personal attributes or characteristics which are shared in common with the creature or animal in view. Thus, Christ is called a Lamb because, just like the typical sacrificial lamb, He died for the sins of humanity.
In like manner, Christ may be compared to a calf or ox because He was the servant of both God and humanity. Jesus is likened unto a man because He became manifested in human flesh to die for our sins as the perfect sacrifice. He is compared to an eagle because the heavenly places are His lofty habitation. However, the “four beasts,” with the same Christ-like characteristics (i.e., a lion, calf, eagle, and a man), represent Christian believers, not Christ, because “when we see him we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.” (I John 3:2). As additional confirmation of this view, the “eagle” is used throughout the Bible to represent Christian believers:
Luke 17:37
37 And they answered and said unto him, Where, Lord? And he said unto them, Wheresoever the body (Christ; Rev. 5:6) is, thither will the eagles (saints) be gathered together (i.e., Raptured). (KJV)
Matthew 24:28
28 For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together. (KJV)
The word “carcase” in the Greek is PTOMA, and it can be translated as “dead body, corpse, carcase.” Accordingly, in the above two passages, the words “body, dead body, carcase” are all references to Christ Jesus, the “Lamb as it had been slain” (Rev. 5:6). Likewise, the word “eagle” in both of the above scriptural passages is defined by Strong’s Hebrew-Greek Dictionary as follows:
105 aetos (ah-et-os’); from the same as 109; an eagle (from its wind-like flight): KJV-- eagle.
So, there is no justification for saying the word “eagle” in Matthew 24:28 can also be translated as the word “vulture,” as some commentaries try to do in a vain effort to explain a difficult passage of scripture. Even more so since the above Greek word, translated as “eagle,” is used in yet another prophetic passage of scripture:
Revelation 8:13
....and heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabiters of the earth.... (KJV)
The word for “angel” in this passage is actually a mistranslation; it should have been translated as the English word “eagle” because it is based on the same Greek word, AETOS, which we saw previously in Matthew 24:28 and Luke 17:37. In fact, many translations acknowledge this point by translating it as such. So, the context for this scripture and other parallel passages all indicate this “eagle” is, in reality, a reference to Christian saints in each instance. That clarification in identity explains the following biblical scripture:
Isaiah 40:31
31 But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. (KJV)
Therefore, in Revelation 8:13, we see eagle Christians warning people on earth that the last three Trumpet-Vial plagues, poised to strike the earth at that future point in time, will be even more severe in their catastrophic impact than the previous plagues. Then in Luke 17:37, we are informed that “eagle Christians” will be Raptured and gathered together wherever Christ, the “Lamb as it had been slain,” may be. Then finally, in Matthew 24:28, Jesus tells us that just prior to His Second Coming with the saints, eagle Christians, i.e., saints, will be gathered around “the dead body,” which as we saw earlier, is Christ, the “Lamb as it had been slain” (Rev. 5:6). So, in all of these prophetic scriptural passages, the word “eagle” is used as a direct reference to Christian believers.
Moreover, because a more accurate translation of the expression “four beasts,” in Revelation 5:8 and elsewhere, would be “four living ones,” or “four living creatures,” we actually have a direct, connective link to a description of Christ, Himself, in Revelation 1:18, where He is described as “he who is living.” Hence we have a precedent for calling Christians “living ones” after they are given the gift of immortality by God. Here is how Young’s Literal Translation renders these two key passages:
Revelation 1:18
18 And he who is living, and I did become dead, and, lo, I am living to the ages of the ages. Amen! and I have the keys of the hades and of the death. (YLT)
Revelation 5:8
8 And when he took the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell before the Lamb, having each one harps and golden vials full of perfumes, which are the prayers of the saints. (YLT)
Furthermore, the four beasts are four groups of saints for additional reasons. First, we should bear in mind that four is the number used by the Bible whenever it is necessary to illustrate that God is dealing with the whole world (e.g., four directions, four seasons, four winds, four world empires in Daniel’s visions, four Gospel accounts, four cherubim in Ezekiel, etc.). Thus, on that basis, it is sensible to infer that the four beasts must be associated with important heavenly activities which involve the whole world in one way or another. In fact, subsequent descriptions of their heavenly activities confirm that they are heavily involved with the redemption of the earth itself. Since this is something that only saints, not angels, could do, these beasts must be groups of saints. Likewise, the four beasts are four large groups of Christian believers because they are “full of eyes,” thus confirming the possibility of their humanity and multiple numbers of individuals within each group.
“Four Beasts... Six Wings.” Just as the number seven represents or symbolizes completeness in the Bible, so likewise does the number six symbolize humanity. For instance, throughout biblical scriptures, from Genesis to the prophetic book of Revelation, the number seven occurs quite frequently in a context denoting completeness, and in Revelation, examples of this can be seen in the seven churches, seven spirits, seven stars, seven seals, seven vials, seven trumpets. In a similar vein, the number six, in Scripture, represents humanity. In prophetic passages we can see this illustrated by the following examples:
Revelation 4:8
8 And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come. (KJV)
The reason each beast or group of saints has six wings about them resides in the nature of their identity, namely their humanity. Thus, the number six is used as part of a simile in a prophetic passage once again to represent man. This is further demonstrated in Ezekiel’s description of the new, eternal Temple of God which will be built in Jerusalem during the Millennial Reign of Christ Jesus on the earth:
Ezekiel 41:3
3 Then went he inward, and measured the post of the door, two cubits; and the door, six cubits; and the breadth of the door, seven cubits. (KJV)
Ezekiel 41:8
8 I saw also the height of the house round about: the foundations of the side chambers were a full reed of six great cubits. (KJV)
Ezekiel 40:12
12 The space also before the little chambers was one cubit on this side, and the space was one cubit on that side: and the little chambers were six cubits on this side, and six cubits on that side. (KJV)
Ezekiel 41:1
1 Afterward he brought me to the temple, and measured the posts, six cubits broad on the one side, and six cubits broad on the other side, which was the breadth of the tabernacle. (KJV)
Ezekiel 46:1
1 Thus saith the Lord GOD; The gate of the inner court that looketh toward the east shall be shut the six working days; but on the sabbath it shall be opened, and in the day of the new moon it shall be opened. (KJV)
Ezekiel 41:5
5 After he measured the wall of the house, six cubits; and the breadth of every side chamber, four cubits, round about the house on every side. (KJV)
Ezekiel 46:4
4 And the burnt offering that the prince shall offer unto the LORD in the sabbath day shall be six lambs without blemish, and a ram without blemish. (KJV)
Ezekiel 40:5
5 And behold a wall on the outside of the house round about, and in the man’s hand a measuring reed of six cubits long by the cubit and an hand breadth: so he measured the breadth of the building, one reed; and the height, one reed. (KJV)
Ezekiel 46:6
6 And in the day of the new moon it shall be a young bullock without blemish, and six lambs, and a ram: they shall be without blemish. (KJV)
All of the above passages in Ezekiel deal with some aspect of the new temple, or the sacrifices which will be offered there to symbolize and commemorate the finished, substitutionary work of Christ on the cross which enabled redemption from sin for all of humanity. Likewise, even a cursory glance at these scriptures will show that the number six is associated with the temple, repeatedly, in the descriptions, as a way of symbolizing man and his dependency on Divine providence and grace. Thus, we must conclude that the number six is used in the Bible as a way of symbolizing humanity.
The “wings” of the beasts are the wings of “eagle Christians,” as we observed earlier:
Isaiah 40:31
31 But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. (KJV)
“Angels.” The word “angel” comes from the Greek word AGGELOS, meaning “messenger,” and the identity of the messenger is determined by the context. For example:
Revelation 22:8, 9
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. (KJV)
“Lightnings and thunderings and voices.” Several times throughout the book of Revelation, we read about these powerful and mysterious symbolic phenomena. Interestingly, these symbolic manifestations always seem to accompany God’s judgment and wrath as an outward, visible indicator of His righteous anger toward sin and evil.
“Rainbow round about the throne.” God solemnly promised Noah He would never “destroy” ALL “flesh” again. Therefore, His covenant with Noah is valid for “PERPETUAL generations,” and the rainbow, shown to Noah as a sign, is near God’s Heavenly throne during the events of Revelation. Through that display of symbolism, God signifies He will not forget His covenant promise during the forthcoming period of incredibly horrendous judgments upon the earth. (Gen. 9:11-17) (Rev. 4:3).
“Seven Lamps Of Fire.” (Rev. 4:5). “Seven Horns And Seven Eyes.” (Rev. 5:6). All of these manifestations of the Holy Spirit are defined in these same scriptural passages as “the seven spirits of God.” Regarding the seven-fold nature of these manifestations, seven being the number of “completeness,” Isaiah gives us this insight:
Isaiah 11:1-3
1 And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots:
2 And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD;
3 And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the LORD: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears: (KJV)
The seven lamps of fire are like flaming torches, indicating preparation for the battle ahead to redeem and reclaim the earth from Satan. This mission will be accomplished by purging and cleansing the earth with fire through the seven Trumpet-Vial plagues that will be unleashed during the Great Day Of The Lord. At the time of Christ’s First Coming to earth, the manifestation of the Holy Spirit took the form of a dove, indicating the nature of His mission, salvation and forgiveness for all in a dispensation of grace. But now, at the time of His Second Coming, His mission and objectives are entirely different in nature. Now He will make war with His enemies, enemies of all that is truthful and good and beautiful, and in the words of Revelation 11:18, “destroy them which destroy the earth.” Thus, the seven torches are a manifestation of the Holy Spirit that indicate the nature of the work ahead.
Revelation 5
1 And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals.
2 And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof?
3 And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon.
4 And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon.
5 And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.
6 And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.
7 And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne.
8 And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints.
9 And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;
10 And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.
11 And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands;
12 Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.
13 And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.
14 And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever. (KJV)
Revelation 4 and 5 deal with events in Heaven, immediately after the Rapture, when the saints gather around the throne of God as they are organized for the vital task of executing God’s program of redemption, for the earth, which is about to begin. We also observe that in the right hand of God is a small book, sealed with seven seals, which contains the “title deed” to the earth. Furthermore, just as the book contains the “legal” commission to execute God’s redemptive objective for the world, the seals collectively represent the legal procedures which must be followed before realizing that redemptive objective. Not surprisingly, this legal procedure emulates a legal precedent that was established in Mosaic covenant law in ancient Israel. (Lev. 25:23-28) (Jer. 32:6-15). Thus, “redemption” was a legal process whereby inherited property, that had been lost or sold, could always be repurchased and subsequently reclaimed by the rightful heir, or any kinsman or relative of that heir. Then once that lost property was repurchased, a legal instrument of writing was drawn up, with terms and specifications of the transaction written inside the document, and all of the appropriate signatures of witnesses and interested legal parties written and recorded on the backside of the document. Then the legal deed was rolled up and sealed, then delivered to the original owner, i.e., the rightful heir to the property. The rightful heir would then be in the position of reclaiming the land, anytime at his convenience, by breaking the seals of the book or document, and with the opened book as his legal authority, take physical possession of the land, by force, if necessary.
Jesus is the rightful heir to all things, but Satan has been in possession of the earth ever since the moral fall of humanity took place in the Garden of Eden. However, the redemption price for the earth was paid by our kinsman, Christ Jesus, when He died on the cross as the sinless, innocent sacrifice in payment for our sins. Thus, the land has been bought back by Jesus as evidenced by the small book we observe in the right hand of God in Heaven. But Satan, the “lawless one,” acknowledges no law but his own destructive and evil desires, and will not vacate his earthly property willingly or easily. Therefore, it will be necessary to break the seals of the small book that contains the legal title deed to the earth, and then proceed with the authority of the open book to take physical possession by force.
However, the futuristic scene we see vividly portrayed in Heaven is one of panic and consternation when the moment arrives for the seals of the book to be opened. Who is worthy and able to open the seals? Who is able to evict the devil and his evil cohorts from the earth? After all, everyone will have just seen the great war in Heaven that took place when Satan and his angels tried to prevent the Rapture of Christian believers. Neither have they forgotten how difficult it was for Michael and his angels to banish Satan and his evil angels from the heavenlies down to the earth. That is why John wept over this heavenly scene. Who is worthy and able? But, then we observe that Christ Jesus is worthy of breaking the legal seals of the book because He is the only sinless human being Who could die as the innocent sacrifice in payment for the sins of humanity. Then acting as our kinsman and joint-heir, Christ will reclaim physical possession of the earth as the process of redemption begins so that humanity can regain the planet that we, collectively, lost in the Garden of Eden. (Eph. 1:13-14). Since the earth is filled with sin and evil and corruption, however, the earth must first be purged and cleansed of all the evil influences and consequences of sin. Obviously this process will be quite catastrophic in nature as the redemption of earth proceeds with the opening of the seven seals that bind the small book in God’s hand. Even the surrounding heavens will be shaken violently during a very horrific sequence of apocalyptic events that will burn and melt the sinful elements of the earth before finally culminating in the Return of Christ at the Battle of Armageddon to evict Satan and his evil angels.
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Frank L. Caw, Jr.
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