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I) [Excerpt Of Biblestudymanuals Commentary On Rev 12:15-17]:
T) [EXPOSITER'S BIBLE COMMENTARY ON REV 12:15-16]:
(Rev 12:15 NASB) "And the serpent
poured water like a river out of his mouth after the woman, so that he might
cause her to be swept away with the flood.
"15-16 The serpent spews a floodlike river of water out of his mouth to engulf and drown the woman. The water imagery seems clear enough. It symbolizes destruction by an enemy (Pss 32:6; 69:1-2; 124:2-5; Nah 1:8) or calamity (Ps 18:4). As the desert earth absorbs the torrent, so the covenant people will be helped by God and preserved from utter destruction (Isa 26:20; 42:15; 43:2; 50:2). The dragon-inspired Egyptians of old were swallowed by the earth: "You stretched out your right hand and the earth swallowed them" (Exod 15:12). In similar fashion, the messianic community will be delivered by God's power. Whatever specific events were happening to Christians in Asia in John's day would not exhaust the continuing significance of the passage."
U) [EXPOSITER'S BIBLE COMMENTARY ON REV 12:17]:
(Rev 12:17) "So the dragon was enraged with the woman, and went off to make war with the rest of her children, who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus."
"17 This attack of Satan against "the rest" of the woman's offspring seems to involve the final attempt to destroy the messianic people of God. Having failed in previous attempts to eliminate them as a whole, the dragon now strikes at individuals who "obey God's commandments and hold to the testimony of Jesus." To "make war" (poiesai polemon) is the identical expression used of the beast's attack on the two witnesses in 11:7 and on the saints in 13:7. Could this possibly correlate the three groups and indicate their common identity under different figures?
Those attacked are called "the rest of her [the woman's] offspring." Some identify this group as Gentile Christians in distinction from the Jewish mother church (Glasson). Others who identify the mother as the nation of Israel see the "rest" as the believing remnant in the Jewish nation who turn to Christ (Walvoord)-view that depends on the prior identification of the woman with the whole nation of Israel. Others have suggested that the woman represents the believing community as a whole, the universal or ideal church composed of both Jews and Gentiles, whereas the "offspring" of the woman represent individuals of the community (Jews and Gentiles) who suffer persecution and martyrdom from the dragon in the pattern of Christ (Swete, Caird, Kiddle). The close identification of the seed of the woman as first of all Jesus and then also those who have become his brethren through faith agrees with other NT teaching (Matt 25:40; Heb 2:11-12). While Satan cannot prevail against the Christian community itself, he can wage war on certain of its members who are called on to witness to their Lord by obedience even unto death, i.e., "those who obey God's commandments and hold to the testimony of Jesus" (Matt 16:18; Rev 11:7; 13:7, 15). The church, then, is paradoxically both invulnerable (the woman) and vulnerable (her children) (cf. Luke 21:16-18)."(Rev 12:16 NASB) But the earth
helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and drank up the river which
the dragon poured out of his mouth.
"12:15-17. Pursuing the woman, the devil as the serpent
originated a flood to sweep her away with the torrent, but the earth swallowed
up the water. Some have taken this as a literal flood, but since Israel could
flee in every direction the contour of the Holy Land does not lend itself to
such a flood. Probably the flood represents Satan's effort to exterminate
Israel. This is thwarted by the rough terrain which provides hiding places. In
some way God assists the Israelites so that they are not completely destroyed,
though Zechariah 13:8 indicates that "two-thirds will be struck down and
perish."
Though only one-third of Israel in the land is thus
preserved (of which the 144,000 of Rev. 7 are a portion), Satan the dragon
continues to war against the rest.
II) [Biblestudymanuals Commentary On Rev 13]:66667777
A) THE END OF THIS AGE AND THE COMMENCEMENT OF THE TRIBULATION PERIOD IS THE RAPTURE - THE CATCHING UP OF THE CHURCH INTO HEAVEN
vi) BELIEVERS WHO ARE ALIVE ON THE EARTH WILL BE RESCUED FROM GOD'S FINAL WORLDWIDE EARTHLY WRATH BY PHYSICAL REMOVAL FROM THE EARTH AND INTO CHRIST'S PRESENCE. GOD'S ETERNAL WRATH IS NOT IN VIEW
(v. 1:10) "and to wait for His Son from heaven, Whom He raised from the dead--Jesus, who. rescues us from the coming wrath." (v. 4:13) "Brothers we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope." =
vi_a) [Compare 1 Thes 1:8-10]:
(v. 8) "Therefore, he who rejects this instruction does not reject man but God, who gives you his Holy Spirit.
(v. 9) For they themselves [believers everywhere] report what kind of reception you gave us [Paul, Silas and Timothy, (v. 1)]. They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God,
(v. 10) and to wait for His Son from heaven, Whom He raised from the dead - Jesus, Who rescues us from the coming wrath."
"Who rescues us from the coming wrath" =
"Ton ..........rhuomenon ..........hEmas appo tEs orgEs tEs erchomenEs."
"The One ..delivering .............us ........from the wrath .......coming."
The wrath in view is not an eternal wrath because it is not so described; rather it is described as an imminent one coming to the earth:
"And to wait
[while on the earth] for His Son from heaven, Whom He raised from the
dead - Jesus, Who rescues us from the coming wrath," (v. 1:10). This
coming wrath is portrayed in 1:10 as that which may occur during the
Thessalonian believers' mortal lifetimes from which our Lord is coming
to rescue those alive on the earth at that time. Believers in mortal
bodies on the earth are therefore to wait to be rescued by Jesus from
this coming wrath evidently to occur on the earth. Neither avoiding nor
being protected from God's temporal wrath while remaining on the earth
nor eternal wrath is what would be described as "being rescued from the
coming wrath" which one would wait for Jesus on the earth to rescue
them from. Eternal Wrath is not described as 'the coming wrath' to the
earth. All those who are destined for Eternal Wrath will be brought
to God's Judgment and subjected to it there. Furthermore, there
have been and will be demonstrations of God's temporal wrath on the
earth which may or may not be avoided by individuals on the earth. None
of these demonstrations however are in view in 1:10 because avoidance
or protection from wrath while remaining on the earth is not the same
thing as having the Lord Jesus come to rescue one from it.
The next notable wrath of God is not His eternal wrath, but His final temporal wrath on the earth. So God's final temporal wrath on the earth which those mortal believers alive at the time will be rescued from is in view.
Notice that the phrase "Who rescues [lit., "The One delivering] us from the coming wrath" is in view as opposed to being 'preserved' or 'protected from' the coming wrath. The word "rescues" has in view a physical removal of believers from the planet as opposed to remaining on it and being protected or preserved while still being exposed to God's wrath as it crashes all around them.
Being rescued from a burning building is not to remain in the building and stay exposed to the flames yet preserved from burning, but to be removed from the building entirely. Scripture describes God's final earthly wrath to consist of anarchy, fires, contamination of water and land, destruction of human, plant and animal life, earthquakes, volcanoes, wars, pestilence - all on a never before experienced worldwide scale from which one could not be rescued without removal from the planet.
Verses 1:8-10 address the sure hope of the rescue from God's final temporal wrath of believers who are alive on earth. From author Paul's perspective, this may or may not occur in the lifetime of the Thessalonian believers addressed by him in this epistle. The word "hope" in 4:13 refers not to "the rest of men" but to believers who will be rescued from the coming worldwide wrath by the Son of God. They wait for the Son of God to come from heaven to rescue them from exposure to that worldwide wrath. This implies a transformation into resurrection bodies and removal of the believers from the planet into Christ's presence until the wrath is over.
V) [1 Thes 4:17-18]:
(v.
17) After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught
up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so
we will be with the Lord forever.
(v.
18) Therefore encourage each other with these words."
"Therefore
encourage each other with these words." = These words which
describe our Lord's coming for His own indeed are encouraging words
especially in the light of the imminency of this grand event:
A) THE COMING OF THE LORD TO CATCH
UP HIS SAINTS IS IMMINENT
[Showers, cont. p. 128-142]:
"In
light of the meaning of the term 'imminent' and the fact that the
next coming of Christ has not happened yet, we can conclude that the
concept of the imminent coming of Christ is that His next coming is
always hanging overhead, is constantly ready to befall or overtake us,
is always close at hand in the sense that it could happen at any
moment. Other things may happen before Christ's coming, but nothing
else must happen before it takes place. If something else must happen
before it can take place, then it is not imminent. The necessity of
something else taking place first destroys the concept of the imminent
coming of Christ.
Because
we do not know exactly when Christ will come, three things are
true. First, we cannot count on a certain amount of time transpiring
before Christ's coming; therefore we should always be prepared for that
event to happen at any moment. Second, we cannot legitimately set a
date for Christ's coming. Third, we cannot legitimately say that
Christ's coming will happen soon. Again, it may happen soon, but it
does not have to in order to be imminent.
Christians should have an expectant attitude toward Christ's coming. Since it is imminent and therefore could happen at any moment, believers should constantly look forward to, look out for, or wait for that event.
(v. 13) "Brothers we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope."
(v. 3) "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
(v. 4) and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade - kept in heaven for you."
[Notice that the inheritance of the new birth, i.e., eternal life is a "living hope" - "that can never perish, spoil or fade - kept in heaven for you"]
"I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life."
[Notice that one can be assured, i.e., have a sure hope of ones eternal destiny simply by affirming what John has written in the bible i.e., those "who believe in the name of the Son of God" may have a sure hope that they have eternal life]
(v. 11) "For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men.
(v. 12) It teaches us to say 'No' to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age,
(v. 13) while we wait for the blessed hope - the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ."
"The blessed hope - the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ" = So the glorious appearing of our Lord for the believer is a blessed hope - no eternal wrath to befall God's child.
"For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ."
So the believer's hope is assuredly one of salvation and never one of falling into eternal wrath.
(v. 9) "I [Jesus, (v. 7)] will make those who are of the synagogue of Satan, who claim to be Jews though they are not, but are liars - I will make them come and fall down at your feet and acknowledge that I have loved you.....
[and
continuing the thought]:
(v. 10a) since you have kept My command to endure patiently.
[Then a new thought begins which refers to the church saints not being subject to the wrath of the Tribulation period]:
(v. 10b) I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth."
Notice that the believer will be kept from the hour of trial giving him a blessed and sure hope for the future and not a fearful one.
Since 1 Thes 5:9 and Rev 3:10 both state that believers of the church age will not be subject to wrath. (And these passages do state that church age believers will not be subject to wrath)
and since Titus 2:13 says:
"While we wait for the blessed hope - the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ" (And it does)
then the doctrine that the church has to go through the tribulation and be decimated by the catastrophes and judgments that occur leaving only a fraction of the world's population surviving with many church age believers martyred is false.
It is difficult to support the concept that the CHURCH AGE believer's "blessed hope" is that of being subject to God's wrath while waiting for the Lord's return, thus having to go through the tribulation until He comes at the end. Believers of the church age await the Lord's return for them when He will meet them in the air BEFORE the tribulation begins, (1 Thes 4:13-18; 2 Thes 2:1-4; 5:1-9). This is what Paul refers to as the "blessed hope" of the church age believer, (Titus 2:13).
a) THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE DAY OF THE LORD IN GENERAL
[Showers, op. cit., pp. 30-39]:
"The Scriptures teach that God created the universe for His own purposes (Rev 4:11). As a result, the heavenly and earthly realms are owned and ruled by God (1 Chr 29:11-12; 2 Chr 20:6; Ps 47:2; 103:19; 135:6; Isa 40:12-26; Jer 10:1, 10; Dan 4:17, 34-35, 37; Acts 17:24; 1 Tim 1:17; Rev 5:13). As the owner and ruler of the earth, God has His own sovereign purpose for world history and, therefore, for specific events within that history (Isa 14:24-27; 19:12; 23:9; 46:8-11; Jer 4:28; 23:20; 26:3; 30:24; 36:3; 49:20; 50:45; 51:29; Lam 2:8; Rom 8:28; 9:11, 17; Eph 1:9-11; 3:10-11; 2 Tim 1:9; 1 Jn 3:8).
In the Scriptures the expression 'the Day of the LORD' (together with other synonymous expressions, such as 'that day,' 'the day of God,' etc.) is strongly related to God's rule of the earth and, therefore, to His sovereign purpose for world history and specific events within that history. The Day of the LORD refers to God's special interventions into the course of world events to judge His enemies, accomplish His purpose for history, and thereby demonstrate who He is - the sovereign God of the universe (Isa 2:10-22; Ezek 13:5, 9, 14, 21, 23; 30:3, 8, 19, 25-26)....
Evidence for this significance of the Day of the LORD is found in past Days of the Lord referred to in the Scriptures. The Bible indicates that there have been several Days of the Lord in the past in which God demonstrated His sovereign rule by raising up several nations to execute His judgment on other nations. He raised up Assyria to judge the northern kingdom of Israel during the 700s B.C. (Amos 5:18, 20), Babylon to judge the southern kingdom of Judah during the 600s and 500s B.C. (Lam 1:12; 2:1, 21-22; Ezek 7:19; 13:5; Zeph 2:2-3), Babylon to judge Egypt and its allies during the 500s B.C. (Jer 46:10; Ezek 30:3), and Medo-Persia to judge Babylon during the 500s B.C. (Isa 13:6, 9)...
In these past Days of the Lord, God used human instruments and activity through war to execute His sovereign purpose against His enemies.
b) THE DAY OF THE LORD IN THE FUTURE
(v. 1) "Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to Him, we ask you, brothers,
["the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to Him" = the coming of the Lord to gather His church up to Him in the heavens in the Rapture which event precedes the Day of the LORD, the Tribulation period]
(v. 2) not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by some prophecy, report or letter supposed to have come from us saying that the Day of the LORD has already come."
"the Day of the LORD" = refers to that particular part of the Day of the LORD beginning with the birth pangs of the Tribulation period.
[Showers, cont.]:
"The Scriptures indicated that the concept of the Day of the LORD is applicable, not only to the past intervention of God in history, but also to the future. Several things in the Bible make this very obvious. First, Isaiah 2:10-22 describes a Day of the LORD that will involve the sixth seal described by the Apostle John in Revelation 6:12-17. Because this sixth seal will take place during the 70th week of Daniel 9, the Day of the LORD that will involve that seal must also take place during that future time period.
Second, Isaiah 34:1-8 and Obadiah 15 describe a Day of the LORD when God will judge all nations or Gentiles of the world. None of the past Days of the Lord involved divine judgment of all the nations. Up to this point in history, there has not been a judgment of all nations during the same time period. In light of this, we can conclude that the Day of the LORD of Isaiah 34 and Obadiah must be future.
Third, Joel 3:1-13 and Zechariah 14:1-3, 12-15 refer to a Day of the LORD that will involve God's judgment of the armies of all the nations of the world, when those armies gather in Israel to wage war against that nation and the city of Jerusalem and when the Messiah comes to war against them. According to Revelation 16:12-16, those armies will not begin to gather until the sixth bowl is poured out during the 70th week of Daniel 9. In addition, Revelation 19:11-21 indicates that Christ will wage war against them when He comes from heaven to earth. This, too, forces the conclusion that the Day of the LORD of Joel 3 and Zechariah 14 is future.
Fourth, in 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11 the Apostle Paul referred to a Day of the LORD that was future beyond the time when he wrote his epistle and that would bring sudden, inescapable destruction upon the unsaved of the world. That Day of the LORD had not taken place before Paul wrote his Thessalonian epistle, and it seems evident that nothing of its nature has transpired since. Thus, the Day of the LORD of 1 Thessalonians 5 is also future."
ii) THE FUTURE DAY OF THE LORD: WRATH THEN BLESSING
[Showers, cont.]:
"The Scriptures indicate that the future Day of the LORD will have at least a twofold nature. First, it will be characterized by darkness and a tremendous outpouring of divine wrath upon the world....
(v. 1) "Blow the trumpet in Zion; sound the alarm on my holy hill. Let all who live in the land tremble, for the Day of the LORD is coming. It is close at hand -
(v. 2) a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness. Like dawn spreading across the mountains a large and mighty army comes, such as never was of old nor ever will be in ages to come."
(v. 18) "Woe to you who long for the Day of the LORD! Why do you long for the Day of the LORD? That Day will be darkness, not light.
(v. 19) It will be as
though a man fled from a lion only to meet a bear, as though he entered
his house and rested his hand on the wall only to have a snake bite
him.
(v. 20) Will not the Day of the LORD be darkness, not light - pitch-dark, without a ray of brightness?"
(v. 14) "Then the angel who was speaking to me said, 'Proclaim this word: This is what the LORD Almighty says: 'I am very jealous for Jerusalem and Zion,
(v. 15) but I am very angry with the nations that feel secure. I was only a little angry, but they added to the calamity.' "
(v. 1) "Now, brothers, about times and dates we do not need to write to you,
(v. 2) for you know very well that the Day of the LORD will come like a thief in the night.
(v. 3) While people are saying, 'Peace and safety,' destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.
(v. 4) But you, brothers, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief.
(v. 5) You are all sons of the light and sons of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness.
(v. 6) So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be alert and self-controlled.
(v. 7) For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night.
(v. 8) But since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet.
(v. 9) For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.
(v. 10) He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with Him.
(v. 11) Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing."
Amos 5:18-20 emphasizes that this will be the total nature of the Day of the LORD for God's enemies. It will bring no divine light or blessing to them. This will be the nature of the Day of the LORD during the 70th week of Daniel.
Second, the Day of the LORD will also be characterized by light, an outpouring of divine blessing, and the administration of God's rule. The Prophet Joel, after talking about the darkening of the sun, moon, and stars and God's Day of the LORD judgment of the armies of the nations gathered in Israel (3:9-16), foretold great divine blessing 'in that day' (vv. 17-21)......
(v. 9) "Proclaim this among the nations: Prepare for war! Rouse the warriors! Let all the fighting men draw near and attack.
(v. 10) Beat your plowshares into swords and your pruning hooks into spears. Let the weakling say, 'I am strong!'
(v. 11) Come quickly, all you nations from every side, and assemble there. Bring down your warriors, O LORD!
(v. 12) Let the nations be roused; let them advance into the Valley of Jehoshaphat, for there I will sit to judge all the nations on every side.
(v. 13) Swing the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Come, trample the grapes, for the winepress is full and the vats overflow - so great is their wickedness!
(v. 14) Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the Day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision.
(v. 15) The sun and moon will be darkened, and the stars no longer shine.
(v. 16) The LORD will roar from Zion and thunder from Jerusalem; the earth and the sky will tremble. But the LORD will be a refuge for His people, a stronghold for the people of Israel.
(v. 17) Then you will know that I, the LORD your God, dwell in Zion, My holy hill. Jerusalem will be holy; never again will foreigners invade her.
[Then final restoration. Full kingdom blessing]:
(v. 18) In that day the mountains will drip new wine, and the hills will flow with milk; all the ravines of Judah will run with water. A fountain will flow out of the LORD's house and will water the valley of acacias.
(v. 19) But Egypt will be desolate, Edom a desert waste, because of violence done to the people of Judah, in whose land they shed innocent blood.
(v. 20 Judah will be inhabited forever and Jerusalem through all generations.
(v. 21) Their blood guilt, which I have not pardoned, I will pardon. The LORD dwells in Zion!"
In addition, the Prophet Zechariah, after discussing the future Day of the LORD, when all nations will war against Jerusalem and the Messiah will come to the earth part of 'that day' will be characterized by darkness, the latter part will be characterized by light (vv. 6-7), great blessing (v. 8), and God's rule over all the earth (v. 9). This will be the nature of the Day of the LORD during the Millennium....
Thus, the Day of the LORD in the future will be at least twofold in nature. Just as each day of creation and the Jewish day consisted of two phases - a time of darkness ('evening') followed by a time of light ('day') [Gen 1:4-6] - so the future Day of the LORD will consist of two phases, a period of darkness (judgment) followed by a period of light (divine rule and blessing).
Since, as noted earlier, the Day of the LORD will demonstrate Who God is, it would seem strange for the God Who is light and in Whom there is no darkness at all (1 Jn 1:5) to have His day consist totally of darkness with no period of light, especially since the present day of Satan and rebellious mankind is characterized by a rule of darkness (Eph 6:12; Col 1:13).
In addition, since, as shall be seen later, the present day of Satan and rebellious mankind involves their rule of the world system, the future Day of the LORD would not truly be His day if it did not involve His rule of the world system during the Millennium. How could the Day of the LORD fully demonstrate Who He is - the sovereign God of the universe - without the sovereign exercise of His rule in visible form over the entire world?"
iii) THE BACKGROUND OF THE FUTURE DAY OF THE LORD
[Showers, cont.]:
"Why has the Holy Spirit chosen to use the expression 'the Day of the LORD' for God's divine interventions into the course of world events to judge His enemies, accomplish His purpose for world history, and demonstrate Who He is - the sovereign God of the universe? Some background is necessary to understand the reason.
After God created mankind, He gave them dominion over everything on planet earth (Gen 1:26, 28; Ps 8:3-9). This indicates that God intended mankind to serve as His representative, administering His rule over the earthly province of His universal domain. In other words, God designed the government of the earth to be a theocracy, a form of government in which He is the sovereign Ruler of the earth; but His rule is administered through an Adam, a human representative.
As a result of Satan's convincing the first Adam to rebel against God and His rule, God's theocratic kingdom rule over the world system was lost (Gen 3). Through Adam's rebellion, Satan usurped the rule of the world system away from God (Lk 4:5-6; Jn 14:30; 1 Jn 5:19). Since that time, Satan and rebellious mankind have been dominating the world system according to their own thoughts and ways (Isa 55:7-9). They have been having their day in the world during which they try to establish and assert their own sovereignty and deity.
In light of what has happened, God's purpose for world history is to glorify Himself by demonstrating that He alone is the sovereign God. To accomplish this purpose, He has determined to have His day in the end times of world history (Isa 2:10-22).
Several times in the past, God has broken into the day of Satan and mankind with the interventions of Days of the Lord that were noted earlier. He did this to accomplish an immediate divine purpose (namely, the disruption, frustration, or destruction of some plan, purpose, or accomplishment of Satan and rebellious mankind), to graphically remind them that God is still the ultimate sovereign over the earth and universe, and to give them a foretaste or forewarning of the ultimate Day of the LORD that will come at the end of world history.
The future Day of the LORD will be far more significant that those days of the past. Its first phase will be a period of unprecedented, concentrated judgment involving the 70th week of Daniel and the coming of Christ after that week. In this phase God, Who throughout most of history has permitted Satan and rebellious mankind to have their day, will suddenly intervene to destroy their rule over the world system, evict them from the earth, and thereby end their day in the world (Isa 42:13-14; Rev 6-19). This phase will be characterized by darkness and an intense outpouring of God's wrath.
The second phase will be a period of divine dominion over the world system. God will intervene to restore and exercise His theocratic-kingdom rule over the world through the last Adam, Jesus Christ (Zech 14:1-9; 1 Cor 15:45, 47; Rev 20:1-6). This phase will be characterized by light and an outpouring of God's blessing.
iv) THE BROAD AND NARROW SENSE OF THE DAY OF THE LORD
[Showers, cont.]:
"We have seen that the Day of the LORD will have a twofold nature and, therefore, two phases [a wrath then a blessing phase]. In addition, we should note that the biblical expression 'the Day of the LORD' has a double sense (broad and narrow) in relationship to the future....
...Just as the word 'day' in Genesis 1:5 has both a broad sense (a 24-hour day)....
"And the evening and the morning were the first day
[...and a narrow sense (the light part of a 24-hour day in contrast with the darkness part]
And God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night."
...so the expression 'the Day of the LORD' has both a broad and a narrow sense in relationship to the future...
The broad sense refers to an extended period of time involving divine interventions related at least to the 70th week of Daniel [of 7 years of God's wrath] and the thousand-year Millennium [of God's blessing].... [A total of 1,007 years from the Rapture point of it's then beginning to the end of the 1,000 year millennial rule and the beginning of Eternity Future]
...The narrow sense refers to one specific day - the day on which Christ will return to the earth from heaven with His angels...."
(v. 29) "Immediately after the distress of those days 'the sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.'
(v. 30) At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory."
(v. 14) "The great day of the LORD is near - near and coming quickly.
Listen! The cry on the day of the LORD will be bitter, the shouting of the warrior there.
(v. 15) That day will be a day of wrath, a day of distress and anguish, a day of trouble and ruin, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness,
(v. 16) a day of trumpet and battle cry against the fortified cities and against the corner towers.
(v. 17) I will bring distress on the people and they will walk like blind men, because they have sinned against the LORD. Their blood will be poured out like dust and their entrails like filth.
(v. 18) "Neither their silver nor their gold will be able to save them on the day of the LORD's wrath. In the fire of His jealousy the whole world will be consumed, for He will make a sudden end of all who live in the earth."
(v. 1) A day of the LORD is coming when our plunder will be divided among you.
(v. 2) I will gather all the nations to Jerusalem to fight against it; the city will be captures, the houses ransacked, and the women raped. Half of the city will go into exile, but the rest of the people will not be taken from the city.
(v. 3) Then the LORD will go out and fight against those nations, as He fights in the day of battle.
(v. 4) On that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west, forming a great valley, with half of the mountain moving north and half moving south.
66667777
(v. 5) You will flee by My mountain valley, for it will extend to Azel. You will flee as you fled from the earthquake in the days of Usaiah king of Judah. Then the LORD my God will come, and the holy ones with Him.
(v. 6) In that day there
will be no light, no cold or frost,
(v. 7) It will be a unique day, without daytime or night time - a day
known to the LORD. When evening comes, there will be light.
(v. 8) On that day living water will flow out from Jerusalem, half to the eastern sea and half to the western sea, in summer and in winter.
(v. 9) The LORD will be king over the whole earth. On that day there will be one LORD, and His name the only name."
v) EVIDENCE FOR THE NARROW SENSE OF THE DAY OF THE LORD
[Showers, cont.]:
"The fact that the Scriptures present a future Day of the LORD that will be narrowed or limited to one specific day is evident from the following combination of facts.
(v. 12) "The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up to prepare the way for the kings of the East.
(v. 13) Then I saw three evil spirits that looked like frogs; they came out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet.
(v. 14) They are spirits of demons performing miraculous signs, and they go out to the kings of the whole world, to gather them for the battle on the great Day of God Almighty.
(v. 15) 'Behold, I come like a thief! [=the Lord's Second Coming, (1 Thes 5:2)] Blessed is he who stays awake and keeps his clothes with him, so that he may not go naked and be shamefully exposed.'
(v. 16) Then they gathered the kings together to the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon."
Revelation 16:12-16 [as quoted above] indicates that the armies of all the nations of the world will not begin to gather in Israel for Armageddon until the sixth bowl is poured out. We should note that the pouring out of the sixth bowl and the resultant gathering of the armies will take place after a significant part of the broad Day of the LORD has already run it course.
(v. 9) "Proclaim this among the nations: Prepare for war! Rouse the warriors! Let all the fighting men draw near and attack.
(v. 10) Beat your plowshares into swords and your pruning hooks into spears. Let the weakling say, 'I am strong!'
(v. 11) Come quickly, all you nations from every side, and assemble there. Bring down your warriors, O LORD!
(v. 12) Let the nations be roused; let them advance into the Valley of Jehoshaphat, for there I will sit to judge all the nations on every side.
(v. 13) Swing the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Come, trample the grapes, for the winepress is full and vats overflow - so great is their wickedness!
(v. 14) Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the Day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision.
(v. 15) The sun and moon will be darkened, and the stars no longer shine.
(v. 16) The LORD will roar from Zion and the thunder from Jerusalem; the earth and the sky will tremble. But the LORD will be a refuge for His people, a stronghold for the people of Israel."
(v. 1) "A Day of the LORD is coming when your plunder will be divided among you.
(v. 2) I will gather all the nations to Jerusalem to fight against it; the city will be captured, the houses ransacked, and the women raped. Half of the city will go into exile, but the rest of the people will not be taken from the city.
(v. 3) Then the LORD will go out and fight against those nations, as He fights in the day of the battle.
[Notice: 'day of the battle']
(v. 4) On that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west, forming a great valley, with half of the mountain moving north and half moving south.
(v. 5) You will flee by My mountain valley, for it will extend to Azel. You will flee as you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the LORD my God will come, and all the holy ones with Him."
Second, both Joel 3:9-16 and Zechariah 14:1-5 [quoted above] indicate that after the armies of the nations have gathered in Israel, 'the Day of the LORD cometh' and is 'near.' It is obvious from the language that this Day of the LORD will not take place until after the armies have gathered in Israel.
Since the Day of the LORD of Joel 3 and Zechariah 14 will not take place until after the armies have gathered in Israel, and since the armies will not begin to gather until after a significant part of the broad Day has run its course, another Day of the LORD will be yet to come.
This other Day will be one part of the broad Day of the LORD, but there is a genuine sense in which it will be a complete Day of the LORD on its own, different from the broad Day of the LORD. One difference will be its duration. As noted earlier, the broad Day will cover an extended period of time. By contrast, the Joel 3 and Zechariah 14 Day will be narrow or limited in time. Thus, there will be two future Days of the LORD.
Third, both Joel 3 and Zechariah 14 indicate that their Day of the LORD will be the specific time when the Messiah comes to fight against and destroy the armies gathered in Israel. Revelation 19:11-21 says that time will be when Christ comes from heaven to the earth. Thus, the narrow Day of Joel 3 and Zechariah 14 will be the day on which Christ comes to the earth."
vi) THE GREAT AND TERRIBLE DAY OF THE LORD = THE NARROW DAY OF THE LORD
[Showers, op. cit., pp. 36-37]:
"We should note that Joel 3:14-15 indicates that the sun, moon, and stars will be darkened when the narrow Day of the LORD is near. Those heavenly bodies will be darkened before the narrow Day comes. Joel 2:31 declares that the heavenly bodies will be darkened before 'the great and terrible day of the LORD come.' It is obvious from this that Joel 3 and 2 are referring to the same Day of the LORD. We can conclude, then, that the narrow Day of Joel 3 and Zechariah 14 is to be identified with the great and terrible Day of the LORD - the day on which Christ will come to the earth.....
In light of what we have seen, we should not that the Scriptures apply the expression 'the great and terrible day of the LORD' to the narrow Day, not the broad Day. The implication is that the narrow Day will differ from the rest of the broad Day, not only in duration, but also in significance. Although the earlier part of the judgment phase of the broad Day will involve a great outpouring of divine wrath upon the domain of Satan and mankind, the narrow Day will be the grand climax of that judgment phase. Thus, E. W. Bullinger, when referring to the Day of the LORD of Joel 2:31, said, 'It is called '''the great and terrible day of the LORD,' as though it were the climax of the whole period known as '''the day of the LORD.''' '
Along similar lines, C. F. Keil, when referring to the judgment of the narrow Day of Joel 3, declared, 'It is the last decisive judgment, in which all the single judgments find their end.'
The narrow Day will be the great and terrible Day of the LORD because, in contrast with the earlier part of the judgment phase of the broad Day, the narrow Day will involve the coming of Christ from heaven to the earth. It therefore will do several things. It will expose God's enemies to the actual presence of Christ and the fullness of His divine power and glory, judgment and warfare (Mt 24:29-30; 25:31; Rev 19:11-12, 15). It will bring the angelic armies of heaven against these enemies (Mt 13:40-42, 49-50; 25:31; Rev 19:14). It will end the rule of Satan and rebellious mankind over the world system and evict them from the earth (Mt 13:40-42, 49-50; 25:41, 46; Lk 17:26-37; Rev 19:17-20:3), thus ending their day on earth forever.
Because the narrow Day of the LORD will bring such a decisive, permanent change to the world, the Prophet Joel called the place where the grand climax of God's judgment will fall on Satan and rebellious mankind 'the valley of decision' (3:14).....
vii) SIGNIFICANCE OF THE NARROW VS THE BROAD DAY OF THE LORD
[Showers, cont.]:
"There are at least two significant implications of the fact that there will be both a broad Day of the LORD and a narrow Day of the LORD.
Since, as noted earlier, the narrow Day of Joel 3 and Zechariah 14 will take place after a significant part of the broad Day has already run its course, and since that narrow Day will be the day on which Christ comes to the earth, we can conclude that Christ will come to the earth after a significant part of the broad Day has already run its course, after a major part of God's wrath has been poured out upon the world. It will not take place before or at the beginning of the outpouring of God's wrath upon the world.
Second... the expression 'the great and terrible day of the LORD' of Joel 2:31 refers to the narrow Day when Christ will come to the earth....
The Prophet Malachi (4:5) referred to the same great and terrible Day of the LORD as Joel (Malachi used identically the same Hebrew words and constructions that Joel used for the great and terrible Day of the LORD in 2:31)....
[So] Malachi's great and terrible Day of the LORD is also the narrow Day, the day on which Christ will come after the 70th week [has transpired]....
Malachi declared that God will send Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible Day of the LORD (4:5).
Since Malachi was referring to the narrow Day, we can conclude that he was indicating that God will send Elijah before the narrow Day, not before the broad Day when God begins to pour out His wrath upon the world. In light of the meaning of the great and terrible Day of the LORD, Malachi's declaration leaves room for Elijah to come and minister after the broad Day has begun and, therefore, while the wrath of God is being poured out upon the world."
b) THE DAY OF THE LORD IN THE FUTURE, cont.
(v. 1) "Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to Him [in the Rapture], we ask you, brothers,
(v. 2) not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by some prophecy, report of letter supposed to have come from us saying that the Day of the LORD has already come.
(v. 3) Don't let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the "apostasia" [= standing away] occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction.
(v. 4) He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshipped, so that he sets himself up in God's temple, proclaiming himself to be God"
Paul is answering in this passage whether or not the Tribulation period had already begun. Notice the mention of the deceptive teaching referred to in vv. 2-3 which was falsely attributed to Paul. Paul's answer is 'No, the Tribulation has not yet begun', and he gives two reasons for this in verse 3 - the first being that the "apostasia" has not yet occurred and the second: the man of lawlessness, i.e., the Antichrist has not yet been revealed to the world:
"The day [of God's wrath in the Tribulation period] will not come until 'he apostasia' occurs" =
viii_1) THE DAY OF THE LORD WILL NOT OCCUR UNTIL THE 'APOSTASIA' OCCURS
viii_1_a) DERIVATION & AVAILABLE MEANINGS OF APOSTASIA, APOSTASION
The noun "he apostasia" = in this precise form is a feminine noun. It is used nowhere else in the New Testament, so its meaning must be defined by its context here. It is derived from two Greek words, apo (meaning "away from" ) and stasis (meaning "standing"). It could properly be rendered "standing away" in the sense of a physical departure, rather than falling away from religious convictions in the sense of the English word apostasy.
The noun "he apostasia" comes from the verb aphistemi meaning to go away, depart. It can mean "the falling away" = as in "the apostasy" or "the rebellion", or it can mean "the standing away" as in the Rapture. This word "apostasia" is used in only one other place in the Bible, Acts 21:21. The meaning there is to turn away from, depart from. "He apostasia" has commonly been transliterated as "the apostasy".
"Apostasion" = neuter of a (presumed) adjective from a derivative of afisthmi = something separative, i.e. (specially) divorce:--(writing of) divorcement.
[http://www.zianet.com/maxey/Down7.htm#Apostasion]:
"Apostasion is a compound formed by the joining of two separate Greek words. The preposition apo (from, away from) is added as a prefix to stasis, which means “a standing, a state, existence.” It imparts to the reader the idea of “standing off from” someone or something. When used with reference to the state of marriage, it bespeaks a state of existence in which there is a “standing away from” one another. The “one flesh” state of being between a man and woman is severed; their lives are no longer intertwined; they have parted company, and each stands separately and apart from the other. Generally, apostasion is used in conjunction with the word biblion (scroll, document, certificate), and the resultant phrase is most often translated “certificate of divorce.” It was, thus, an official document signifying the termination of a covenant of marriage between a husband and wife. From a legal perspective, they would thereafter be recognized as existing in a state separate and apart from one another; a state of union was no longer regarded as existing. This particular word appears only 3 times within the pages of the New Testament documents [Matthew 5:31; 19:7; Mark 10:4]. In the Septuagint it can be found in Deuteronomy 24:3,5; Isaiah 50:1; and Jeremiah 3:8."
viii_1_b) BIBLICAL USAGE OF APOSTASIA, APOSTASION
[William W. Combs, "Is Apostasia in 2 Thessalonians 2:3 a reference to the Rapture",http://www.dbts.edu/media/journals/1998/combs.pdf]:
"The translation [of "apostasia" is some versions which is] 'departing' does not give any more credence to the Rapture view since the English word departing can be used in both a spatial and nonspatial sense. In Hebrews 3:12 the KJV says: “Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.” Obviously, this “departing” is not a spatial one....
In the LXX apostasia is found five times: Joshua 22:22; 2 Chronicles 29:19; 33:19; Jeremiah 2:19; 1 Maccabees 2:15. 76 It also occurs seven times in Aquila (Deut 15:9; Judges 19:22; 1 Kgdms 2:12; 10:27; 25:17; Prov 16:27; Nah 1:11), once in Theodotion (3 Kgdms 21:13), and twice in Symmachus (1 Kgdms 1:16; 2:12).77 In every one of these instances from the OT and Apocrypha, the meaning is religious or political defection....
"Apostasia" is only used one other time in the New Testament, in Acts 21:21 ["apostasian"] to describe "forsaking", or "going away from" the teachings of Moses."
"They have been informed that you teach all the Jews who live among the Gentiles to turn away ["apostasian"] from Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children or live according to our customs"
.….Here it is agreed that "apostasian" refers to religious apostasy....
The cognate verb of apostasia, afisthmi, is found fourteen times in the NT. It is used in both a spatial and nonspatial sense. Only three times is it used of religious apostasy (Luke 8:13; 1 Tim 4:1; Heb 3:12). No one questions the fact that the word most often designates a spatial departure. It is found with that meaning throughout all periods of Greek literature....
...As was noted earlier, a major part of the case for understanding apostasia as a spatial departure is its relationship to its cognate verb afisthmi. The argument suggests that the meaning of the verb can also be applied to the noun. .... It is evident, then that the verb aphisteemi [ sic] does have the meaning to depart in the New Testament, in a very general sense which is not specialized as being related to rebellion against God or forsaking the faith. And, since a noun takes it meaning from the verb, the noun, too, may have such a broad connotation."
"Apostasion", another closely related noun appears in Matt 5:31, & 19:7, and Mark 10:4 where it describes a "writing of divorcement", or "papers that separate". Thus we have a spatial departure in view:
(v. 5:31) "It has been said, 'Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.' "
"certificate of divorce" = "apostasion"
(v. 19:7) "Why then," they asked, "did Moses command that a man give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away?"
"They said, "Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce and send her away."
Apostasia" was used in extra Biblical Greek literature to describe political revolt, or a "going away from the establishment" and in the Septuagint (LXX) when the Jews would "go away from God" to worship other gods.
[Combs, Ibid]:
'''Apostasia itself, apparently, first occurs in Greek literature outside the Bible in the first century B.C. Lampe’s lexicon of the patristic period also lists “revolt, defection as the primary meaning of apostasia; however, there is one example given of spatial departure...
This reference to a spatial departure is found in a NT apocryphal work entitled The Assumption of the Virgin. In sections 31–32 we read:
"But the Holy Ghost said to the apostles and the mother of the Lord, 'Behold, the governor has sent a captain of a thousand against you, because the Jews have made a tumult. Go out therefore from Bethlehem, and fear not; for behold, I will bring you by a cloud to Jerusalem…."
The apostles therefore rose up straightaway and went out of the house, bearing the bed of their lady the mother of God, and went forward towards Jerusalem: and immediately, just as the Holy Ghost said, they were lifted up by a cloud and were found at Jerusalem in the house of their lady.'''
Here we clearly have the description of a “rapture” of the apostles and mother of the Lord. The story continues in section 33:
"But when the captain came to Bethlehem and did not find there the mother of the Lord, nor the apostles, he laid hold upon the Bethlehemites… For the captain did not know of the departure of the apostles and the mother of the Lord to Jerusalem."
This “rapture” is now described as a “departure,” the Greek word being apostasia. Here is clear evidence that apostasia can refer to a “rapture”; however, 'The Assumption of the Virgin' can be dated no earlier than the fifth century A.D.'''
"In the LXX apostasia is found five times: Joshua 22:22; 2 Chronicles 29:19; 33:19; Jeremiah 2:19; 1 Maccabees 2:15. 76 It also occurs seven times in Aquila (Deut 15:9; Judges 19:22; 1 Kgdms 2:12; 10:27; 25:17; Prov 16:27; Nah 1:11), once in Theodotion (3 Kgdms 21:13), and twice in Symmachus (1 Kgdms 1:16; 2:12).77 In every one of these instances from the OT and Apocrypha, the meaning is religious or political defection....
...This is probably why this meaning is not found in the standard NT lexicon by Bauer, nor by its predecessor Thayer. The same is true for the Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, The New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology, and the more recent Exegetical Dictionary of the New Testament....
...because of the evidence for such a meaning possibly before the koine period but clearly after it, it cannot be entirely ruled out."
Consider that NT lexicons are limited to the interpretations of theologians relative to particular bible versions. They do not provide all possibilities for each particular word. So it cannot be concluded that apostasia cannot mean spatial departure in the Bible because of it's absence in certain NT lexicons. General koine Greek lexicons which reflect all usages of the word "apostasia" and it's family of words which are available for that word; and the context of each passage must be carefully considered to determine which usage most fits the context.
viii_1_d) CONTEXT IN 2 THES CHAPTER 2 POINTS TO THE RAPTURE
The Greek word "apostasia" in 2 Thess. 2:3 also has the Greek article "the" in front of it in the Greek text, which makes it not a general "going away", or "departure", but "The Departure", a specialevent that the reader is expected to already know about.
In other words, the use of the article "the" with "apostasia" in 2 Thess. 2:3 indicates that Paul expects the Thessalonian Christians to already understand that this is the title of an event, and to already know what it means. Had the Apostle Paul already taught the Thessalonians about an "EVENT" that could be described as a "departure", or "going away"? Absolutely, yes. Paul had already taught the Thessalonian Church about the Catching Away and "departure" of the Church in 1 Thess 4:13-18.
In 2 Thess 2:5, Paul says don’t you remember when I was with you I taught you about these things? I don't see where Paul taught them at all about "a falling away from the truth" in his first letter, but he taught them about the Rapture of the church in five passages in 1st Thessalonians:
Furthermore, Paul refers to the last days as a time when there will be a forsaking of fundamental truths, i.e., an apostasy in other letters; but he has not mentioned that idea in either of the letters to the Thessalonians and these are the first that he wrote to them. Hence, if this specific great worldwide doctrinal defection is what he meant, it is doubtful if the Thessalonians would have understood him.
On the other hand in Paul's previous letter to the Thessalonians he had discussed, at length, a coming physical departure from the earth by all believers when Christ returns to meet them in the air (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18). This standing away from, in context, seems to refer to all the raptured believers standing away from the earth, as they stand before their returning Lord when they meet Him in the heavens. Here, Paul is simply reminding them that the "sudden destruction" that would come upon unbelievers when the Day of the LORD begins could not happen until the rapture - the standing away - from the earth before Christ (Romans 14:10) - had taken place. The entire context, before and after, fits this understanding of the text better than the idea of the apostasy from the faith.
"And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, [even] Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come."
"For what [is] our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? [Are] not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming?"
"To the end he may establish your hearts unblamable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints."
(v. 13) "But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.
(v. 14) For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
(v. 15) For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive [and] remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
(v. 16) For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
(v. 17) Then we which are alive [and] remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
(v. 18) Wherefore comfort one another with these words."
(v. 5:1) But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you.
(v. 2) For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.
(v. 3) For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.
(v. 4) But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.
(v. 5) Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.
(v. 6) Therefore let us not sleep, as [do] others; but let us watch and be sober.
(v. 7) For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night.
(v. 8) But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.
(v. 9) For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,
(v. 10) Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.
" And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and [I pray God] your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ."
viii_1_e) APOSTASY = DEPARTURE FROM A RELIGIOUS FAITH IS NOT IN VIEW
Paul refers to the last days as a time when there will be a forsaking of fundamental truths, i.e., an apostasy in other letters; but he has not mentioned that idea as a particular event to precede the revelation of the man of lawlessness in either of the letters to the Thessalonians; and these are the first letters that he wrote to them. Hence, if this specific great worldwide doctrinal defection is what he meant in 2 Thes 2:3 as a one time historical event after which the man of lawlessness is revealed, it is doubtful if the Thessalonians would have understood him.
Notice below that Paul refers to a general defection of the faith but no particular historical benchmark event:
(v. 1) "The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons.
(v. 2) Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron.
(v. 3) They forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth.
(v. 4) For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving,
(v. 5) because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer."
(v. 1) "But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days.
(v. 2) People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy,
(v. 3) without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good,
(v. 4) treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God -
(v. 5) having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.
(v. 6) They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over weak-willed women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires,
(v. 7) always learning but never able to acknowledge the truth.
(v. 8) Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so also these men oppose the truth--men of depraved minds, who, as far as the faith is concerned, are rejected.
(v. 9) But they will not get very far because, as in the case of those men, their folly will be clear to everyone."
Furthermore, "he apostasia" could not be a single historical benchmark event of apostasy of true believers from the Christian faith because the Rapture evacuates all believers before the "day of the Lord", i.e., the wrath of the Tribulation period. Only believers can apostasize, i.e., depart from the Christian faith. Unbelievers do not have a true Christian faith to depart from until they become believers.
The definite article is significant in that it indicates something that Paul had already told them about. If it is to be then assumed to apply to the final, great religious apostasy at the end of the age we must take into perspective that there has transpired over 1950 years since Paul wrote these lines, numerous great apostasies from the faith; and none of these introduced the Day of the LORD, although persecuted believers in each case might easily have so interpreted them.
Furthermore, there is no passage by Paul that points to a specific, historical, benchmark apostasy from the Christian faith or any faith.
Since a one time event of apostasy is not evident in Scripture that meets the qualifications in 1 Thessalonians and since the definite article is also used to describe the man of sin, the Antichrist, and is in OT passages for the Thessalonians to be aware of and since Paul spoke of the rapture in 1 Thes 4:13-18 then the definite article leans toward the rapture rather than a one time apostasy from the Christian faith.
If Paul had been referring to a "general falling away from the truth", it would have "proved" nothing to the Church at Thessalonica, because there were at the time, and have been and will continue to be, great periods of falling away from the truth throughout the Church Age.
Paul refers to the last days as a time when there will be a forsaking of fundamental truths, i.e., an apostasy in other letters; but he has not mentioned that idea as a particular event to precede the revelation of the man of lawlessness in either of the letters to the Thessalonians; and these are the first letters that he wrote to them. Hence, if this specific great worldwide doctrinal defection is what he meant in 2 Thes 2:3 as a one time historical event after which the man of lawlessness is revealed, it is doubtful if the Thessalonians would have understood him.
Notice below that Paul refers to a general defection of the faith but no particular historical benchmark event:
(v. 1) "The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons.
(v. 2) Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron.
(v. 3) They forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth.
(v. 4) For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving,
(v. 5) because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer."
(v. 1) "But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days.
(v. 2) People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy,
(v. 3) without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good,
(v. 4) treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God -
(v. 5) having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.
(v. 6) They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over weak-willed women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires,
(v. 7) always learning but never able to acknowledge the truth.
(v. 8) Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so also these men oppose the truth--men of depraved minds, who, as far as the faith is concerned, are rejected.
(v. 9) But they will not get very far because, as in the case of those men, their folly will be clear to everyone."
Another kind of worldwide dramatic, benchmark event of apostasy, not from the Christian faith, but from faith in God is prophesied in the Bible. This is an apostasy, not of the Christian faith, for all believers will be caught up before this, but of the rest of humanity who will depart from worship of God to worship of the devil. Such a benchmark historical event of worldwide apostasy will be part of a future series of historical events over a very short period of time as described in Rev 13:4-8 and elsewhere. It includes the revelation of the man of lawlessness and the abomination of desecration in the Temple in Jerusalem linked together with it:
(v. 4) "Men worshiped the dragon because he had given authority to the beast, and they also worshiped the beast and asked, ‘Who is like the beast? Who can make war against him?’
5) The beast was given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies and to exercise his authority for forty-two months.
6) He opened his mouth to blaspheme God, and to slander his name and his dwelling place and those who live in heaven.
7) He was given power to make war against the saints and to conquer them. And he was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation.
8) All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast--all whose names have not been written in the book of life belonging to the Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world."
(v. 11) "Then I saw another beast, coming out of the earth. He had two horns like a lamb, but he spoke like a dragon.
(v. 12) He exercised all the authority of the first beast on his behalf, and made the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed.
(v. 13) And he performed great and miraculous signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven to earth in full view of men.
(v. 14) Because of the signs he was given power to do on behalf of the first beast, he deceived the inhabitants of the earth. He ordered them to set up an image in honor of the beast who was wounded by the sword and yet lived.
(v. 15) He was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that it could speak and cause all who refused to worship the image to be killed."
31) "His armed forces will rise up to desecrate the temple fortress and will abolish the daily sacrifice. Then they will set up the abomination that causes desolation."
[This pictures an event in ancient history by Antiochus Epiphanies - a similar event to be reproduced in the future by the Antichrist, the man of lawlessness - a near and far prophecy]:
(v. 12:11) "From the time that the daily sacrifice is abolished and the abomination that causes desolation is set up, there will be 1,290 days."
(v. 15) "So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination that causes desolation,’ spoken of through the prophet Daniel--let the reader understand --
(v. 16) then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains."
The chronology of this apostasy = worship of the devil and the Antichrist, occurs after the man of lawlessness is revealed or at least simultaneous with it as an intertwined series of events. This does not perfectly fit the context of 2 Thess 2:3 which has the apostasia occurring as one event then the man of lawlessness is revealed. These events are not portrayed as intertwined. Hence, "he apostasia" in 2 Thes 2:3 is best viewed as an event, the Rapture, rather than the apostasy of the world to worshipping the devil.
ix) THE DAY OF THE LORD WILL NOT OCCUR UNTIL THE REVELATION OF THE MAN OF SIN OCCURS
(v. 1) "Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to Him [in the Rapture], we ask you, brothers,
(v. 2) not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by some prophecy, report or letter supposed to have come from us saying that the Day of the LORD has already come.
(v. 3) Don't let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the "apostasia" [=standing away] occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction.
(v. 4) He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshipped, so that he sets himself up in God's temple, proclaiming himself to be God"
"that day will not come until.. the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction." = The revelation to the world of the man of lawlessness, the Antichrist.
[Showers, op. cit., pp. 65-67:
"In order to prove to the Thessalonians that the Day of the LORD had not begun, Paul presented two things that had not yet happened but that must happen before the Day of the LORD can begin....
[First "he apostasia" = "the standing away", the Rapture and then the revelation of the "man of sin" (v. 3)]
Since the revelation of the man of sin is the latter of the two things, it, rather than.. [the Rapture], will take place closer to the beginning of the Day of the LORD. Therefore, when trying to determine when the Day of the LORD will begin, it is more crucial to discern when the man of sin will be revealed than when the apostasy [or 'standing away' of the Rapture] will take place."
[Showers, op. cit., pp. 65-67]:
"Some propose that the revelation of the man of sin will occur in the middle of the 70th week, when he declares himself to be God (Dan 9:27; 11:36-37; 2 Thes 2:4). On the basis of this proposal and Paul's teaching that the Day of the LORD will not come until the man of sin is revealed, some conclude that the Day of the LORD will not start until sometime after the middle of the 70th week.
There is a significant problem with this proposal, however. In the Scriptures, God has revealed other activities of the man of sin that will precede his declaration to be God and reveal who he is at least three and one-half years before that declaration.
First, the man of sin will rise to power as the 11th ruler within the already formed ten-division confederation that will constitute the revived Roman Empire (Dan 7:7-8, 20, 23-24).
Second, as the man of sin rises to power, he will overthrow three of the original ten rulers of the revived Roman Empire (Dan 7:20, 24, 26; Rev 17: 12-13, 16-17).
Fourth, as the dominant ruler of the revived Roman Empire, the man of sin will establish a seven-year covenant of peace with the nation of Israel, and the establishment of the covenant will be the historic starting point of the 70th week (Dan 9:27).
If the man of sin is not to be revealed until the middle of the 70th week, why did God reveal these specific activities that will occur at least three and one-half years before the middle of the 70th week and will make the man of sin clearly identifiable?
Since these divinely foretold activities will reveal who the man of sin is, and since they will be performed by the beginning of the 70th week, we can conclude that the man of sin will be revealed by the beginning of the 70th week.
Since the man of sin will be revealed at the time, and since his revelation is the latter of the two things that must occur before the Day of the LORD can begin, we can conclude two things: The Day of the LORD does not have to wait until sometime after the middle of the 70th week to begin; and the Day of the LORD can begin at the start of the 70th week."
The Apostle Paul also stated in 2 Thes 2:1-12 that the Thessalonians were not in the time of the tribulation in spite of false reports to the contrary. Paul then reaffirmed that they would not go through it by indicating that certain events had not yet occurred which would only be part of that terrible time. Paul's comforting message to the Thessalonians would seem untrustworthy and unbelievable if the Thessalonians who were alive at the time of his letter were not to see their loved ones who already died until after they potentially went through the tribulation (which has always been imminent). This would not then be a comforting message and therefore would not belong in Scripture if the saints were not to be raptured before the time of God's great wrath.
Since all believers are saved solely by grace through faith because their Lord Jesus Christ received the wrath that was due to them for their sin then why would the church be further subjected to wrath? So why be subjected to the wrath that is due to the world that has rejected Christ?
If the church is to be purified by going through the tribulation wrath, what about 95% of the church age believers who lived in earlier times and died beforehand and therefore are already in heaven and have missed the Tribulation? Were they that much better Christians than those 'poor' believers who lived at the end of the Church Age and would face catastrophes, disasters, deprivation, fugitive living and martyrdom such as the world has never seen - for the purpose of purification??? I wouldn't wish or preach or pray or impose that on anyone who has been saved by grace and neither does the Bible!!!
(v. 7) " 'Let us rejoice and be glad and give Him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come,
(v. 8) Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her [the Church = the Bride of Christ, (Eph 5:25-32)] to wear.'
(Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of the saints.)"
The Church Age believers will be with our Lord at His Second Coming clothed with part of the rewards they received for their righteous acts - those meted out to them at the Judgment Seat of Christ. Such dispensing of rewards must have occurred while the Church Age believers were with our Lord in heaven after He took them back with Himself to heaven prior to His Second Coming - thus missing the Tribulation on the earth during that time:
"For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad."
(v. 11) "For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.
(v. 12) If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw,
(v. 13) his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man's work.
(v. 14) If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward.
(v. 15) If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames."
Since all Church Age believers have already been rewarded before the Second Coming and are with our Lord coming from heaven at that Second Coming showing evidences of those rewards, ("fine linens"); then the Judgment Seat of Christ must have occurred before the Second Coming - evidently in heaven during the same time period as the earthly Tribulation Period. So the Rapture evidently brings all Church Age believers into heaven before the Tribulation Period begins in order for them to attend the Judgment Seat of Christ.
(v. 6) "An now you know what is holding him [the man of lawlessness] back, so that he may be revealed at the proper time.
(v. 7) For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the One who now holds it back [God the Holy Spirit] will continue to do so till He is taken out of the way."
2 Thes 2:7 quoted above states that the coming of the man of lawlessness will not occur until after what is holding back or restraining sin "is taken out of the way". That Restrainer is the Holy Spirit Who indwells all Church Age believers. The only agent which can restrain sin is God and historically this has been the Holy Spirit's work. Since He is removed and since all Church Age believers are permanently indwelt by the Spirit, then the church must be removed also - in the rapture!
[Robert L. Thomas states, Expositor's Bible Commentary, Vol 11, Zondervan Publishing, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1978, p. 324-5]:
"So he [author Paul] can declare, 'You know what is holding him back.' 'Now' should be connected with 'what is holding him back' to indicate that 'holding back' is a present phenomenon. [i.e, it is evident from the context and directly stipulated in verse 7]. To katechon ('what is holding back') is a neuter title for this restraining force. The word recurs in the masculine in v. 7 where it is translated 'who... holds it back.'
Proposed identifications of to katechon have been multiple. Because of inability to explain the neuter-masculine combination, such suggestions as the preaching of the gospel, the Jewish state, the binding of Satan, the church, Gentile world dominion, and human government are improbable. To identify to katechon with a supernatural force or person hostile to God is difficult in a paragraph such as this because the restrainer is limiting Satan (vv. 7-9), not cooperating with him...
A popular understanding since early times has been that this is a reference to the Roman Empire (neuter) and its ruler (masc.)... Paul had several times benefited from the intervention of the Roman government (Acts 17:6ff; 18:6ff). In other writings he limits the roll of human government ((Rom 13:1, 3)... Though preferable to some other solutions, this explanation is disappointing in several ways. To predict the demise of the Roman Empire (cf. v. 7) is very uncharacteristic of Paul.... Then too, the Roman Emperor sometimes precipitated anti-Christian activities rather than restrained them... Elimination of this solution is sealed when we remember that the Roman Empire has long since ceased to exist, and the appearance of Christ or the lawless one has yet to take place...
It is evident that the restrainer, to accomplish his mission, must have supernatural power to hold back a supernatural enemy (v. 9). God and the outworking of His providence is the natural answer."
[Compare Gen 6:3]:
"Then the LORD said, 'My Spirit will not contend with man forever, for he is mortal; his days will be a hundred and twenty years."
[Compare John 16:7-8]:
(v. 7) "But I [Jesus] tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor [Holy Spirit] will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you.
(v. 8) When He comes, He will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment."
[Compare 1 Jn 4:3-4]:
(v. 3) "but every spirit [relative to that which is behind the teachings of prophets - true or false, (v. 1)] that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.
(v. 4) You, dear children [believers], are from God and have overcome them
[them = the false prophets and their false message which is characterized by the "spirit of the Antichrist", i.e., you dear children are saved unto eternal life],
because the One [Holy Spirit] Who is in you is greater than the one [Satan] who is in the world."
[Notice that the Holy Spirit indwells the believer and thus is key in the protection of the believer from the effects of the "spirit of the Antichrist" via the efforts of false prophets. Thus it is the work of the indwelling Holy Spirit to restrain the spirit of the Antichrist from overcoming believers]
[Robert L. Thomas, cont.]:
"Reference to God is favored by the restrainer's harmony with divine purpose and a divine timetable ('at the proper time,' v. 6)....
Yet to say that God is the restrainer is not quite enough to explain the variation in gender. To one familiar with the Lord Jesus' Upper Room Discourse, as Paul undoubtedly was, fluctuation between neuter and masculine recalls how the Holy Spirit is spoken of. Either gender is appropriate, depending on whether the speaker (or writer) thinks of natural agreement (masc. because of the Spirit's personality) or grammatical (neuter because of the noun pneuma; see John 14:26; 15:26: 16:13, 14)... The special presence of the Spirit as the indweller of saints will terminate abruptly at the parousia [of the Holy Spirit] as it began abruptly at Pentecost [Acts 2:1-21]. Once the body of Christ has been caught away to heaven, the Spirit's ministry will revert back to what he did for believers during the OT period... His function of restraining evil through the body of Christ (John 17:7-11; 1 John 4:4) will cease similarly to the way he terminated his striving in the days of Noah (Gen 6:3). At that point the reins will be removed from lawlessness and the Satanically inspired rebellion will begin. It appears that to katechon ('what is holding back') was well known at Thessalonica as a title for the Holy Spirit on whom the readers had come to depend in their personal attempts to combat lawlessness."
[1 Thess 1:6]:
"You became imitators of us and of the Lord; in spite of severe suffering, you welcomed the message with the joy given by the Holy Spirit."
[Notice that God the Holy Spirit provides information, faith and joy in the face of severe suffering as a result of persecution of the Thessalonian believers - combatting the spirit of the Antichrist, resisting sin in the lives of the Thessalonians]
c) THE 24 ELDERS REPRESENTING THE CHURCH ARE IN HEAVEN BEFORE THE TRIBULATION AND SECOND COMING
If the 24 elders in heaven, (Rev 4-5), represent the church as judged for their divine good for rewards and glorified, then a pretribulation rapture is required because chapters 4 & 5 in Revelation relate to the period before the tribulation & Second Coming.
d) THE WEDDING IN REV 19:7-10 OF OUR LORD & THE CHURCH OCCURS IN HEAVEN BEFORE THE TRIBULATION
(v. 7) " 'Let us rejoice and be glad and give Him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and His bride has made her self ready.
(v. 8) Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear.' (Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of the saints.)
(v. 9) Then the angel said to me, 'Write: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!' And he added 'These are the true words of God.
(v. 10) At this I fell at His feet to worship him. But he said to me, 'Do not do it! I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.' "
The wedding feast announced in Rev 19:7-10 implies that the Groom, Jesus Christ, has already come for His bride, the church, because the feast is on the final stage in the oriental order of marriage and that is portrayed as occurring on earth after the Second Coming during the Millennial Rule. Therefore the church must have been taken out of the earth in order to be in heaven with the Lord before the Tribulation period.
(v. 20) "No longer will there be in it [Jerusalem, (v. 19), i.e., the whole world] an infant who lives but a few days,
Or an old man who does not live out his days;
For the youth will die at the age of one hundred
And the one who does not reach the age of one hundred
Shall be thought accursed.
(v. 21) And they shall build houses and inhabit them; They shall also plant vineyards and eat their fruit.
(v. 22) They shall not build, and another inhabit, They shall not plant, and another eat; for as the lifetime of a tree, so shall be the days of My people, And My chosen ones shall wear out the work of their hands.
(v. 23) They shall not labor in vain, or bear children for calamity; For they are the offspring of those blessed by the LORD, AND THEIR DESCENDANTS WITH THEM.
(v. 24) It will also come to pass that before they call, I will answer and while they are still speaking, I will hear.
(v. 25) The wolf and the lamb shall graze together, and the lion shall eat straw like the ox; and dust shall be the serpent's food. They shall do no evil or harm in all My holy mountain,' says the LORD."
Surviving believers of the tribulation will have to be in their natural bodies in order to live on into the millennium to carry on normal activities of humanity. If all of the tribulation saints were raptured at the time of the Second Coming there would be no one to occupy the earth in mortal bodies and fulfill these prophecies of the millennium because the rest of the earth's inhabitants were unsaved and therefore put to death, leaving only immortal believers in perfect resurrection bodies unable to procreate so a new generation can inhabit the earth.
If the surviving believers of the tribulation period were to be raptured into the air at the Second Coming of our Lord they would have to be supernaturally preserved in their natural bodies throughout this stratospheric rapture journey in order to survive the journey which would bring them into the earth's upper atmosphere. This would have to be so in order to fulfill the prophecy of mortal believers living on the earth during the millennial period. But this begs the question: What would be the point of catching believers up to the heavens and then bringing them immediately back down to the earth with our Lord at the Second Coming to complete His work of judgment? The judgment following Christ's Second Coming when the sheep (saved) will be separated from the goats (unsaved; Ref. Mt 25:31-46) would then be seriously in question as serving any purpose; for the separation of believers from unbelievers would have already taken place via the rapture of the elect before Christ arrived on earth so that the prophesied Judgment of the Nations would be unnecessary.
Since the church is to be with the Lord at His Second Coming, then a Rapture at that time would separate them from unbelievers and then instantly bring them back to earth with the Lord at the Second Coming - defeating the purpose of the judgment/separation of believers from unbelievers on the earth's surface.
The judgment of the people of the nation Israel, when saved Israelites will be separated from unsaved, (Ez 20:34-38), would also be unnecessary if all of the elect - all believers - have already been raptured up beforehand, including believers of the tribulation period, leaving no one except unbelievers on the earth and no further need for an earthly judgment.
(v. 14) "We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in Him."
Just as our Lord died and rose again so God will bring with Jesus to heaven those who have fallen asleep in Him, i.e., believers who have physically died.
Since a believer's spirit and soul go to be with the Lord in heaven immediately following physical death,
(2 Cor 5:8),
and since the physical body is obviously left behind,
then this can only refer to the physical body being resurrected, i.e., being joined with the soul & spirit once more, albeit this time in a perfect and righteous state.
(v. 15) "According to the Lord's own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep."
This Particular coming of our Lord to catch up the saints of the church from Earth in resurrection bodies to bring them into heaven differs from His Second Coming to the Earth to judge men on the earth who remain alive and begin His earthly millennial rule. This rule will occur approximately 7 years after the catching up which is described in 1 Thes 4:13-18 and in the following passage:
(v. 2) "In My Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going to prepare a place for you.
(v. 3) And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back [to earth since that is where the disciples were] and take you to be with Me [to where He went in the first place which could only be heaven] that you also may be where I am [i.e., heaven].
Click here for a detailed study on this passage
in John chapter 14:
(v. 16) "For the Lord Himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God and the dead in Christ will rise first.
(v. 17) After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.
(v. 18) Therefore encourage each other with these words."
"For the Lord Himself will come down from heaven" = "For" = Because = Refers to the previous context of v. 15 which refers to this specific coming of our Lord from where He was seated in heaven at the right hand of God the Father as corroborated in Jn 14:2-3. This is about to be further defined in the rest of verses 16 and 17 as a coming to catch up His church from the face of the earth, both alive and dead in resurrected bodies.
B) THE TRUMPET CALL OF THE RAPTURE VS THE TRUMPET CALL OF THE SECOND COMING
"with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and the trumpet call of God" = Our Lord's coming down from heaven to catch up the saints in the Rapture is immediately preceded by a "loud command, the voice of the archangel" and the "trumpet of God".
(v. 51) "Listen, I tell you a mystery. We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed [into resurrection bodies] -
(v. 52) in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.
(v. 53) For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality."
2) [Compare the trumpet which announces the Second Coming]:
(v. 30) "At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory.
(v. 31) And He will send His angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather His elect from the four winds, from one end of the heaven to the other."
The trumpet of the Second Coming is not the same as the trumpet of 1 Thes 4:17 and the last trumpet call in 1 Cor 15:51-53:
[Showers, op. cit., Chapter Fifteen]:
"We should note that in this passage, (1 Cor 15:51-53), Paul taught that a trumpet will be sounded in conjunction with the resurrection of the bodies of dead church saints and the changing of the bodies of living church saints. In 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 Paul taught that a trumpet will be sounded in conjunction with the resurrection of the bodies of dead church saints and the rapturing of those saints, together with living church saints, from the earth to meet Christ in the air. A comparison of these two passages indicates that Paul was referring to the same event in both. Thus, we can conclude that since 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 is a reference to the Rapture of the church, 1 Corinthians 15:51-52 is also a reference to that Rapture, and both passages refer to the same trumpet. It also means that the trumpet to be sounded in conjunction with the Rapture of the church is 'the last trump' of 1 Corinthians 15:52..."
3) WHAT THE LAST TRUMPET OF 1 CORINTHIANS 15:52 CANNOT MEAN
[Showers, cont.]:
"Any approach to this potential problem must try to discern what Paul meant by 'the last trump.' In this attempt it is necessary to examine what he could not have meant as well as the possibilities of what he did mean.
Foundational to this attempt is the fact that Paul simply referred to the last trump. He did not give the Corinthians any explanation of what that designation meant. This implies that the Corinthians already knew the identification of the last trump. Apparently the last trump related to something in the portions of Scripture they already possessed or had been taught before Paul wrote 1 Corinthians; to something with which they were familiar from their own Greek background or from practices of the Roman Empire in which they lived; or to something from the beliefs and practices of Judaism of which they had knowledge as the result of contact with Jews in their community....
....If one insists on understanding the word 'last' in the expression 'the last trump' to mean that it will be absolutely the final trumpet, after which there will be no more trumpets, then there are certain things that Paul could not have meant by 'the last trump.'
For example, he could not have meant that the seventh trumpet of Revelation 11:15 or all seven trumpets of Revelation collectively are the last trump [of the Rapture to which Paul refers in 1 Cor 15:51]. There is more than one reason for this conclusion.
First, Jesus taught that a trumpet will be sounded in conjunction with His coming with His angels (Mt 24:29-31), and the chronological order of Revelation indicates that that coming will take place sometime after all seven trumpets of Revelation have been sounded. Thus, the trumpet associated with that coming of Christ will be sounded after the seven trumpets.
Second, Zechariah 14:16-19 indicates that the Feast of Tabernacles will be observed each year throughout the Millennium, and the Feast of Tabernacles involves the sounding of trumpets. The Millennium will begin after the seven trumpets of Revelation, meaning that the trumpets of the Feast of Tabernacles during the Millennium will take place after the seven trumpets of Revelation.
Third, the Book of the Revelation, which records God's revelation concerning all seven trumpets, was not written until several decades after Paul wrote 1 Corinthians with his statement about the last trump. As a result, the Corinthians would not have known about the seventh trumpet of Revelation 11:15 or all seven trumpets of Revelation. Thus, they could not have identified the last trump with any or all of those seven trumpets. By contrast, we noted earlier that the Corinthians must have already known the identification of the last trump when they received 1 Corinthians, which means that when Paul wrote about the last trump in 1 Corinthians 15:52, he could not have been referring to any or all of the seven trumpets of Revelation. In conjunction with this, J. R. Caldwell wrote, 'It would have been manifestly absurd for the apostle to refer in a letter to the Corinthian church to prophecies not yet uttered, and to a book not yet written.'
Fourth, Paul could not have meant all seven trumpets (plural) of Revelation collectively because in 1 Corinthians 15:52 and its parallel passage, 1 Thessalonians 4:16, Paul referred to only one trumpet (singular).
If we insist that the last trump of 1 Corinthians 15:52 will be the absolutely final trumpet, after which there will be no more trumpets, Paul could not have been referring to the trumpet that Christ taught will be sounded in conjunction with His coming with His angels after the Tribulation period (Mt 24:29-31) because, as noted above, trumpets will be sounded in conjunction with the Feast of Tabernacles each year throughout the Millennium. Since Christ's coming with His angels will take place before the Millennium begins, there will be many trumpets sounded throughout the Millennium after the trumpet associated with that coming."
In the Jewish customs and traditions, the "last trump" is a Jewish idiom for Rosh Hashanna. And, Paul being a Jew would know precisely what this Jewish idiom meant. Paul knew that his audience would know as well. Therefore, in 1 Corinthians 15:52, when Paul says that we shall not all sleep, but at the "last trump" we shall all be changed, Paul was referring to Rosh Hashanna and not Yom Kippur as most, if not all, non pretribulationists claim.
The phrase "last trump" is a Jewish Idiom for Rosh Hashanna! Which, in Jewish literature, is shown to occur on Tishrei 1. The Second Coming of Jesus Christ, or in other words Yom Kippur, occurs on Tishrei 10. Rosh Hashanna lasts for two days and Yom Kippur lasts for one day. We are forced to see a separation between these two days of 7 days that separate Rosh Hashanna and Yom Kippur!
[This seven days corresponds to the 7 year Tribulation Period of Days of Awe]
There is no way around this! To make this point even more astounding is to take a look at the current month of March. There are 31 days in this month. March 1 is a Saturday and March 10 is a Monday! There is no way that you can mix these two days and say they are the very same day. That is virtually impossible to do, unless, you change the calendar. Conversely, the only way to make Rosh Hashanna and Yom Kippur the very same day is to change the Bible!
Secondly, Rosh Hashanna represents the call for repentance and judgment. Rosh Hashanna is also known as the Unknown Day and Hour Feast.
The words of Jesus in Matthew 24:36 ring a bell on this point of Rosh Hashanna.
[Mt 24:36]:
"No one know about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father."
Thirdly, Rosh Hashanna always occurs before the Days of Awe. In view of end time Bible prophecy events in the New Testament, we should see that the Bible is true and correct and that the Bible supports itself in Scripture interpretation.
Rosh Hashanna has another name: the Day of the Awakening Blast!
In the New Testament, When Paul said that the Dead in Christ shall rise first, he was referring to the dead in Christ who will be awakened in their graves and arise from their graves with the Awakening Blast in 1 Thessalonians 4:16 with the Trump of God.
Then, we, who are alive and remain, are changed at the last trump. The Last trump which ends Rosh Hashanna, not Yom Kippur, (1 Corinthians 15:52).
Then the Days of Awe occur. This is a time of great trouble and distress, (Matthew 24:4-30, Revelation Chapters 6-18). Matthew 24:4-14 represents the first 3 1/2 years of the 70th Week of Daniel. Matthew 24:15-30 represents the last 3 1/2 years of the 70th Week of Daniel. So, We have 7 years of Tribulation. In other words, 7 years of great trouble and distress.
Then, We have the Second Coming of Jesus Christ on the Day of Yom Kippur, (Matthew 24:29-31). This day is initiated by the Shofar of HaGadol (Great Trumpet), which is not the same trumpet as the last trump in 1 Corinthians 15:52.
People, today, who say that the Rapture teaching did not come about until the 1800's do not see the picture of this in the Old Testament. A study of the Torah and Jewish customs and traditions corroborates this.
4) THE LAST TRUMP = THE LAST TRUMP OF A PARTICULAR SERIES OF TRUMPETS
[Showers, cont.]
"It could be that when Paul referred to the last trump, he did not mean that it will be the absolutely final trumpet, after which there will be no more trumpets. In conjunction with this, Henry Alford warned that the meaning of the word 'last' in the expression 'the last trump' should not be pressed too closely as if there were necessarily no trump after it.' Several uses of trumpets in the ancient world, together with the context of Paul's statement in 1 Corinthians 15:52, make possible other meanings of the expression 'the last trump.'
...In ancient times, a trumpet was sounded when God called His people together for an assembly where He was present in a unique sense. An excellent example of this is found in Exodus 19:10-20 when a trumpet sounded to call the people of Israel together around the base of Mount Sinai to meet with God when He came down to that mountain.
It is interesting to note that the Romans had a similar use of the trumpet. A trumpet sounded the classicum, the call that summoned citizens together for an assembly where the emperor was present. Because of its function, the classicum was known as 'the Emperor's trumpet-call.'
The trumpet also was used in ancient times to terrify an enemy or issue a warning of coming danger or judgment. Biblical examples of this use are found in Jeremiah 4:19-21; 6:1; Ezekiel 33:3-6; and Amos 3:6.
Concerning items from the context of 1 Corinthians 15, we should note several things. First, the primary subject of 1 Corinthians 15 is the bodily resurrection of the dead and the defeat of death.
Second, in 1 Corinthians 15, Paul referred to three 'last' things: the last enemy to be destroyed or abolished (death, v. 26), the last Adam (Christ, v. 45), and the last trump (v. 52).
Third, much of 1 Corinthians 15 is characterized by contrasts. Paul contrasted corruption and incorruption, dishonor and glory, weakness and power, the natural body and the spiritual body, earthly and heavenly, mortal and immortality, and the first Adam and the last Adam. Most, if not all, of these contrasts are related to the contrast between physical death and bodily resurrection. For example, in the contrast between the first Adam and the last Adam, Paul emphasized that physical death came through the first Adam, but victory over death by means of bodily resurrection or transformation will come through the last Adam, Christ (vv. 20-22, 45, 54, 57).
Fourth, in 1 Corinthians 15:56 Paul indicated that death is caused by sin (cp. Rom. 5:12-19) and that the strength of death-causing sin was the law that God gave at Mount Sinai (cp. Rom. 4:15; 5:13, 20; 7:7-13)...
...in 1 Corinthians, Paul demonstrated the association between New Testament truth and Israel's seven holy seasons found in Leviticus 23. For example, in 1 Corinthians 5:6-8 Paul associated Christ's death and the sinlessness of His blood offering with Israel's Passover and Feast of Unleavened Bread. In 1 Corinthians 15:20-24 he tied Christ's resurrection to the Feast of Firstfruits.
...Paul [then] in 1 Corinthians 15:50-58 connected the Rapture of the church with the Feast of Trumpets.
[Arnold Fructhenbaum is quoted here, ("A Review of the Pre-Wrath Rapture of the Church"; Tustin, Ca; Ariel Ministeries, p. 58)
'''The "last trump" refers to the Feast of Trumpets and the Jewish practice of blowing trumpets at this feast each year. During the ceremony, there is a series of short trumpet blasts of various lengths, concluding with the longest blast of all, called the tekiah gedolah: the great, or "last trump." Judaism connected this last trump with the resurrection of the dead, and so does Paul. So, Paul's point here is that the Rapture will be the fulfillment of the Feast of Trumpets.'''
...Paul had already taught the Corinthians about the seven holy seasons of Israel before he wrote 1 Corinthians. The fact that Paul referred to several of those seasons in 1 Corinthians without explaining them indicates that the Corinthians already knew about them. Thus, they would have known about this last trump of the Feast of Trumpets and its association with the bodily resurrection of the dead...
...the fulfillment of Israel's seven holy seasons of Leviticus 23 takes place in the order in which those seasons occur. He pointed out that the Feast of Trumpets occurs before the Day of Atonement, Israel's day of affliction of soul and national atonement. He claimed that the Day of Atonement will [Fructhenbaum, cont.]: '''be fulfilled by the seven years of Tribulation, during which Israel will suffer affliction leading to her national repentance and restoration.''' In light of this Tribulation fulfillment of the Day of Atonement.. since the Feast of Trumpets will be fulfilled by the Rapture of the church, the Rapture of the church will occur before the seven year Tribulation period."
(v. 16) "For the Lord Himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God and the dead in Christ will rise first.
(v. 17) After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.
(v. 18) Therefore encourage each other with these words."
[Showers, op. cit. 198-199]:
"In verses 16 and 17 [of 1 Thes 4] Paul taught that when Christ comes from heaven to rapture [=from the Latin 'rapturo' as translated from the original Greek: harpagesometha = shall be caught away] the church, the dead church saints will be resurrected and then caught up together with the living church saints to meet Christ in the air."
"caught up" = "harpagesometha" = "rapturo", (Latin Vulgate) = rapture (English).
[Vine's Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words, W. E. Vine, Fleming H. Revell Co., Old Tappan, N.J., 1981, p. 174]:
"HARPAZO to snatch or catch away, is said of the act of the Spirit of the Lord in regard to Philip in Acts 8:39; of Paul in being caught up to Paradise, 2 Cor 12:2; of the Rapture of the saints at the return of the Lord, 1 Thes 4:17; of the rapture of the man child in the vision of Rev. 12:5. This verb conveys the idea of force suddenly exercised [and in the Bible it is always done by God]."
[Showers, cont.]:
"Three things should be noted concerning the verb translated 'shall be caught up.'
First, the verb means to 'snatch' or 'take away'. In this instance, Paul used it for Christ's snatching up or taking away of church saints from the earth to Himself in the air (v. 17).
Second. sometimes it was used 'of rescue from a threatening danger' (for example, Jude 23).
Third, whenever it was used for divine activity, it was 'always expressing the mighty operation of God.' On this occasion Paul used it for Christ's might act of catching up all church saints from the earth to the air.
In all three of these details, this verb is basically parallel with the verb form translated 'delivered' in 1 Thessalonians 1:10....
(v. 8) "The Lord's message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia - your faith in God has become known everywhere. Therefore we do not need to say anything about it.
(v. 9) for they themselves report what kind of reception you gave us. They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God,
(v. 10) and to wait for His Son from heaven, Whom He raised from the dead - Jesus, Who rescues [i.e., "ruomenon" = part. noun, accus, sing., masc. = the One Who delivers] us from the coming wrath."
[Showers, cont.]:
"...As we noted earlier, that verb form [='caught up' in 1 Thes 4:17] means 'to draw or snatch out to oneself;' it normally referred to deliverance from some evil, or enemy and indicated deliverance by a might act of power.
Conclusion. The threefold parallelism just observed, together with the two things noted in conjunction with the sorrow of the Thessalonian saints*** , prompts the conclusion that 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 and 1:10 refer to the same future event - Christ's coming from heaven to snatch out the church saints from the earth to Himself, thereby preventing them from entering the threatening danger of the Tribulation with its intense outpouring of God's wrath. Thus, both passages refer to the Rapture of the church before God's wrath of the Tribulation begins. Therefore, 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 indicates the church saints will have no relationship to this future wrath of God."
(v. 9) "For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.
(v. 10) He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with Him."
[Showers, cont.]:
"We should note that the language of 1 Thessalonians 5:10-11 is parallel to the Rapture language of 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 in three points.
First, as we say earlier, the language of 5:10 concerning dead church saints living physically with Christ implies physical resurrection for them, and 1 Thessalonians 4:16 specifically refers to the physical resurrection of dead church saints at the Rapture.
Second, 1 Thessalonians 5:10 indicates that living and dead church saints will live together with Christ at the same time and in the same place, and 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 teaches that at the Rapture living and dead church saints will be caught up together at the same time to meet Christ in the same place and, as a result, will always be with Him.
Third, in 1 Thessalonians 5:10 church saints are commanded to continuously comfort and edify one another with the truth of their destiny of living with Christ instead of experiencing the Day of the LORD wrath. In 1 Thessalonians 4:18 church saints are commanded to continuously comfort one another with the truth of their destiny of being raptured to be with Christ.
In addition, we should observe that both 1 Thessalonians passages are parallel to John 14:2-3, which... refers to a future coming of Christ in which He will receive His believers to Himself so that they can be where He is...
Conclusion
In light of the parallelism just observed and the fact that... ...Paul exhorted church saints to be continuously alert [1 Thess 5:6] or on the watch for Christ to come at any moment, it appears that it will be through the Rapture that church saints will experience their destiny of living together with Christ and being saved from the Day of the LORD wrath by being removed from the earth in the Rapture before the wrathful first phase of the broad Day of the LORD begins."
(v. 9) "I [Jesus, (v. 7)] will make those who are of the synagogue of Satan, who claim to be Jews though they are not, but are liars - I will make them come and fall down at your feet and acknowledge that I have loved you
[and continuing the thought]:
(v. 10a) since you have kept My command to endure patiently.
[Then a new thought begins which refers to the church saints not being subject to the wrath of the Tribulation period]:
(v. 10b) I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth."
[Robert Wilkin, (Grace Evangelical Society, Irving, Tx, states in a 8/18/90 email]:
"The verse is not punctuated properly. (The original Greek had no punctuation at all). The words 'because you have kept My command to persevere' are actually the end of verse 9. Jesus has loved them because they kept His command... Verse 10 should begin with the new thought, 'I also will keep you...' The Rapture is guaranteed of all believers. See 1 Thes 5:10."
(v. 17) After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.
(v. 18) Therefore encourage each other with these words."
"Therefore encourage each other with these words." = These words which describe our Lord's coming for His own indeed are encouraging words especially in the light of the imminency of this grand event:
A) THE COMING OF THE LORD TO CATCH UP HIS SAINTS IS IMMINENT
[Showers, cont. p. 128-142]:
"In light of the meaning of the term 'imminent' and the fact that the next coming of Christ has not happened yet, we can conclude that the concept of the imminent coming of Christ is that His next coming is always hanging overhead, is constantly ready to befall or overtake us, is always close at hand in the sense that it could happen at any moment. Other things may happen before Christ's coming, but nothing else must happen before it takes place. If something else must happen before it can take place, then it is not imminent. The necessity of something else taking place first destroys the concept of the imminent coming of Christ.
Because we do not know exactly when Christ will come, three things are true. First, we cannot count on a certain amount of time transpiring before Christ's coming; therefore we should always be prepared for that event to happen at any moment. Second, we cannot legitimately set a date for Christ's coming. Third, we cannot legitimately say that Christ's coming will happen soon. Again, it may happen soon, but it does not have to in order to be imminent.
Christians should have an expectant attitude toward Christ's coming. Since it is imminent and therefore could happen at any moment, believers should constantly look forward to, look out for, or wait for that event.
2) THE NEW TESTAMENT SUPPORTS THE IMMINENT COMING OF CHRIST
[Showers, cont.]:
"Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed."
Notice that believers are in view - believers of the first century church who "eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed", i.e., a concept of our Lord's appearance being eagerly expected at any time being in view.
"Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men's hearts. At that time each will receive His praise from God."
Notice that the Corinthians of the first century church were told to wait till the Lord comes, obviously in their time: an expectation of our Lord coming at anytime, in their time. No other event mentioned as having to occur before this.
(v. 51) "Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed -
(v. 52) in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed."
Notice again Paul's expectation of the possibility that he would not necessarily die before he is changed into an imperishable being, which necessitates a view of imminency of our Lord's return to do just that at anytime within Paul's lifetime - nothing else thus having to happen before that.
"If anyone does not love the Lord - a curse be on him. Maranatha."
[Showers, op. cit., p. 130]:
"The significant part of this statement in relationship to Christ's coming is the term 'Maranatha,' which was one of several 'eschatological statements concerning Christ's coming...within the framework of early Christian tradition.' It was distinctive among these statements because it was an Aramaic expression. It had the form of a petition. The Didache (10.6), an ancient Christian manual of worship, used this petition in statements that were to be made at the end of the communion service. This usage helps to clarify the meaning of this expression, especially in light of Paul's reference to the future coming of Christ in conjunction with the observance of communion:
"For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until He comes."
[Showers, cont.]:
"The term 'Maranatha' consists of three Aramaic words: 'Mar" ('Lord'), 'ana' ('our'), and 'tha' ('come'); thus, the entire term meant 'our Lord, come.' [i.e.,] ....practically equivalent to the expression 'The Lord is at hand'....
The term 'Maranatha' must have expressed a sentiment that the early Church regarded as supremely important, else it would never have been taken over in this way by the Greek-speaking Christians.
It would appear, then, that the fixed usage of the term 'Maranatha' by the early Christians was a witness to their strong belief in the imminent return of Christ. If they knew that Christ could not return at any moment because of other events or a time period that had to transpire first, why did they petition Him in a way that implied that He could come at any moment?"
"But our citizenship is in heaven, and we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ"
[Showers, op. cit., p. 131]:
"The compound word translated 'look for' implies disregard of other things and concentration on one object.'
This implies an imminent event - something that is looked to "eagerly".
"Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near."
The strongest possibility here would be that the Lord's return is imminent rather than He is always present in the lives of believers The latter possibility is certainly an important point to consider in the daily lives of believers; but it is not immediately in view because the context of our Lord's imminent return has just been developed and expounded upon in 3:20-4:1: The fact that a believer is a citizen of heaven and that he awaits our Lord's imminent return such that the believer's transformation into a body that will "be like His glorious body" is immediately in view. This is carried over to the rest of chapter 4 which continues believers to lead righteous lives in view of our Lord's imminent return just presented.
(v. 9b) "They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God,
(v. 10) And to wait for His Son from heaven, Whom He raised from the dead - Jesus, Who rescues us from the coming wrath."
The phrase "to wait for" in this context includes a confidence due to the assumption that those addressed were indeed waiting; and an imminency of such return for the Thessalonians are told to wait for our Lord's return in their life times - otherwise why wait if you will die beforehand? Note that being rescued from the coming wrath is a benefit of this return. More specifically, being rescued from the coming wrath of the Tribulation via being taken out of the scenario where that wrath occurs is supported here, and certainly not ruled out, i.e., the pretrib rapture into heaven.
[Showers, cont.]:
"The Thessalonian believers are pictured as waiting for the return of Christ. The clear implication is that they had a hope of His imminent return [in their lifetimes]. If they had been taught that the Great Tribulation, in whole or in part, must first run its course, it is difficult to see how they would be described as expectantly awaiting Christ's return. Then they should rather have been described as bracing themselves for the Great Tribulation and the painful events connected with it. [Some to be martyred, some protected, some to fall prey to it = all to be subjected to it and experience it in some horrible way, if only to view it firsthand, the horrors, deaths, disease, agonies, murders, treachery, deceit, betrayal, unbridled sin, earthquakes, volcanoes, etc., etc.]"
"Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior, Jesus Christ."
[Showers, cont.]:
"The word translated 'looking' has the sense of 'to await' and is 'used of the subject of Christian expectation.'...
[Note that the word "hope" is translated from the Greek word "Elpida" which means a sure hope, a sure expectation. Such hope is described in this verse as a "blessed" one; one which, by definition, would not have in view the terrible events of the Tribulation such as billions of people dying in violent, diseased or natural disaster deaths; unbridled acts of sin including mass persecution murders and wars such as the world has never seen; unparalleled worldwide natural disasters such as famines, multiple earthquakes, volcanoes, loss of drinking water from corner to corner on the planet, etc. etc.]
In the New Testament hope does not indicate merely what is wished for but what is assured.
Paul described this particular hope as 'blessed.' In the New Testament this word 'refers overwhelmingly to the distinctive religious joy which accrues to man from his share in the salvation of the kingdom of God.'
According to the Greek text, the expression 'the glorious appearing' should be translated 'appearing of the glory.' The full expression 'the appearing of the glory of the great God and our Savior, Jesus Christ' does not refer to some event separate from the blessed hope. Instead, it describes the event that is that hope. Thus, the Christians' hope is the appearing of the divine glory that belongs to God and Christ. Surely Christians will see that glory in Christ when He comes to rapture the church.
In light of these observation, we can conclude that in the context of Titus 1 Paul was saying the following in verse 13: Grace [vv. 11-13] is teaching Christians to live sober, righteous, godly lives in this present age in conjunction with their expectant waiting for the appearing of the divine glory in Christ when He comes to rapture the church. The assurance of that appearing is a source of great joy to Christians because that appearing will bring incredibly happy changes for them, such as the loss of their sin nature and the reception of an immortal body....
Why should Christians always be prepared for Christ's coming, unless that coming could take place at any moment?"
(v. 7) "Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord's coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains.
(v. 8) You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord's coming has drawn near.
(v. 9) Don't grumble against each other, brothers, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing [lit. has stood, perfect tense, i.e., has been standing] at the door!"
[Zane C. Hodges states, ("The Epistle of James", Grace Evangelical Society, Irving, Texas, 1994, pp. 17-18)]:
"James refers to his readers as his brethren, not because they are fellow Jews but because they have been born from above, brought...forth by the word of truth (1:18; cf. Acts 9:30; 10:23, etc.)...
James addresses an audience whom he calls the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad. If we are right in thinking that this epistle was written to Jewish Christians not long after the first persecution of the church in Jerusalem (ca. A.D. 35...), the addressees are the true twelve tribes because their hearts have been circumcised by faith (Col 2:11-12).
In this light, the reference to the readers being scattered abroad (Greek: en te diaspora, 'in the dispersion') does not refer to the Diaspora, i.e., to the dispersion of ethnic Jews all over the Roman world that took place centuries earlier. Instead, it refers to the scattering of Jewish believers in the persecution that followed the martyrdom of Stephen (Acts 8:1)."
[Showers, cont.]:
"The Greek verbs translated ['has drawn near'] (v. 8) and ['stands at the door', lit. 'has stood', i.e., 'has been standing'] (v. 9) are in the perfect tense and indicative mood, meaning that each of these verbs refers to an action that was completed before James wrote his epistle and that continues on in that completed state. The implication is that Christ's coming drew near before James wrote his epistle, and His coming continues to be near. In addition, Christ as judge began to stand before the door before James wrote his epistle, and Christ as judge continues to stand before the door. In other words, Christ's coming was imminent in New Testament times and continues to be imminent. James wanted to impress his readers with the fact that Christ could come through the door at any moment and cause them as Christians to stand before Him at the Judgment Seat of Christ. He could do so today."
"And now, dear children, abide in Him, so that when He appears we may be confident and unashamed before Him at His coming."
John is exhorting his 'dear children', i.e., believers to whom he was ministering, to live faithful lives in the Lord. And he commanded them to do this in the light of our Lord's appearance at His coming - in their lifetimes is a possibility which is in view - so that they may be 'confident and unashamed before Him.' If there were to be events that must occur before this particular Lord's coming such that thousands of years must go by and/or nearly 7 years of unimaginably devastating events - billions dying, often horribly - bodies lying in the streets, blood flowing like rivers do, unparalleled natural disasters, horrifying villainy by mankind to his fellow man, etc. - then this statement would certainly be lacking some kind of qualifying term. But no such statements are in the text, so the possibility of our Lord's return without such notable things must be the foremost possibility of what is meant in this passage.
"I am coming quickly"
"quickly" = "tachu" [not soon]
Considering the immediate audience who would be hearing the message within the time of its writing, imminency is in view because the message would make no sense, nor be truthful to that audience at that time if our Lord was conveying a message that there was no possibility that He could not come in their lifetimes at any time. He said, "I come quickly" to them at that time with no qualifiers that would indicate the necessity of any intervening events or time. This imminency likewise stands throughout the age also in the absence of any qualifiers that would affect future generations.
A) A PRETRIBULATION RAPTURE WAS HELD TO BY AT LEAST SOME BELIEVERS DURING THE EARLY CHURCH AGE
[ http://www.according2prophecy.org/ancient.html ]
Ephraem of Nisibis (306-73) was claimed to have written and delivered a sermon on the subject of the pretribulation rapture. Today it is called Pseudo-Ephraem due to it's unsure authorship. In spite of this, it prompted many during the early church years to consider the pretribulation rapture as biblical in view of the passages referred to.
Once the content was seriously considered in the light of the Scriptures it was accepted by many as biblical. The sermon was copied and widely distributed in Greek, Latin as well as Syriac throughout the early Christian world. It was even corrected and was continued to be distributed and taught throughout the early church period.
Here is an excerpt:
"For all the saints and Elect of God are gathered, prior to the tribulation that is to come, and are taken to the Lord lest they see the confusion that is to overwhelm the world because of our sins."
The word "Pseudo" (Greek for false) is a prefix attached by scholars to the name of a famous historical person or book of the Bible when one writes using that name. Pseudo-Ephraem claims that the sermon was written by Ephraem of Nisibis (306-73), considered to be the greatest figure in the history of the Syrian church, but this in not well enough verified, so it is called Pseudo-Ephraem.
The sermon consists of just under 1500 words, divided into ten sections and has been preserved in four Latin manuscripts. Three of these date from the eighth century and ascribe the sermon to Ephraem. A fourth manuscript from the ninth century, claims not Ephraem, but Isidore of Seville (d. 636) as author. Additionally, there are three subsequent Greek and Syriac versions of the sermon which have raised questions regarding the language of the original manuscript. On the basis of lexical analysis and study of the biblical citations within the sermon with Latin, Greek, and Syriac versions of the Bible, Alexander believed it most probable that the homily was composed in Syriac, translated first into Greek, and then into Latin from the Greek. Regardless of the original language, the vocabulary and style of the extant copies are consistent with the writings of Ephraem and his era. It appears likely that the sermon was written near the time of Ephraem and underwent slight change during subsequent coping.
What is most significant for present-day readers is the fact that the sermon was popular enough to be translated into several languages fairly soon after its composition. The significance of the sermon for us today is that it represents a prophetic view of a pre-trib rapture within the orthodox circles of its day.
The sermon is built around the three themes of the title, On the Last Times, the Antichrist, and the End of the World and proceeds chronologically. The fact that the pre-trib statement occurs in section 2, while the Antichrist and tribulation are developed throughout the middle sections, followed by Christ's second coming to the earth in the final section supports a pre-trib sequence. This characteristic of the sermon fits the first criteria outlined by William Bell, namely "that Christ's second coming was to consist of more than one phase, separated by an interval of years." Thus, phase one is the rapture statement from section 2; the interval of 3 1/2 years, 42 months, and 1,260 days, said to be the tribulation in sections 7 and 8; the second phase of Christ's return is noted in section 10 and said to take place "when the three and a half years have been completed."
1) Section 2 of the sermon begins with a statement about imminency: "We ought to understand thoroughly therefore, my brothers, what is imminent [Latin "immineat"] or overhanging."18 This is similar to the modern pre-trib view of imminency and considering the subsequent rapture statements supports a pre-trib scenario.
2) As I break down the rapture statement, notice the following observations: "All the saints and elect of God are gathered . . ." Gathered where? A later clause says they "are taken to the Lord." Where is the Lord? Earlier in the paragraph the sermon speaks of "the meeting of the Lord Christ, so that he may draw us from the confusion. . ."
Thus the movement is from the earth toward the Lord who is apparently in heaven. Once again, in conformity to a translation scenario found in the pre-trib teaching.
The next phrase says that the gathering takes place "prior to the tribulation that is to come. . ." so we see that the event is pretribulational and the tribulation is future to the time in which Pseudo-Ephraem wrote. The purpose for the gathering was so that they would not "see the confusion that is to overwhelm the world because of their sins." Here we have the purpose of the tribulation judgments stated and that was to be a time of judgment upon the world because of their sin, thus, the church was to be taken out.
3) Finally, the Byzantine scholar Paul Alexander clearly believed that Pseudo-Ephraem was teaching what we call today a pre-trib rapture. According to Alexander, most Byzantine apocalypses were concerned with how Christians would survive the time of severe persecution by Antichrist. The normal approach given by other apocalyptic texts was a shortening of the time to three and a half years, enabling the survival of some Christians.19 Unlike those texts, this sermon has Christians being removed from the time of tribulation. Alexander observed:
It is probably no accident that Pseudo-Ephraem does not mention the shortening of the time intervals for the Antichrist's persecution, for if prior to it the Elect are 'taken to the Lord,' i.e., participate at least in some measure in beatitude, there is no need for further mitigating action on their behalf. The Gathering of the Elect according to Pseudo-Ephraem is an alternative to the shortening of the time intervals.
Conclusion
Regardless of what else the writer of this sermon believed, he did believe that all believers would be removed before the tribulation-a pre-trib rapture view. Thus, we have seen that those who have said that there was no one before 1830 who taught the pre-trib rapture position will have to revise their statements by well over 1,000 years. This statement does not prove the pre-trib position, only the Bible can do that, but it should change many people's historical views on the matter."
B) THE FULFILLMENT OF JOHN'S REVELATION IN THE BOOK OF THE REVELATION
B) NASB REV 13
(Rev 13:1 NASB) "And the dragon
stood on the sand of the seashore. Then I saw a beast coming up out of the sea,
having ten horns and seven heads, and on his horns were ten diadems, and on his
heads were blasphemous names.
(Rev 13:2 NASB) And the beast which
I saw was like a leopard, and his feet were like those of a bear, and his mouth
like the mouth of a lion. And the dragon gave him his power and his throne and
great authority.
(Rev 13:3 NASB) I saw one of his
heads as if it had been slain, and his fatal wound was healed. And the whole
earth was amazed and followed after the beast;
(Rev 13:4 NASB) they worshiped the
dragon because he gave his authority to the beast; and they worshiped the
beast, saying, "Who is like the beast, and who is able to wage war with
him?"
(Rev 13:5 NASB) There was given to
him a mouth speaking arrogant words and blasphemies, and authority to act for
forty-two months was given to him.
(Rev 13:6 NASB) And he opened his
mouth in blasphemies against God, to blaspheme His name and His tabernacle,
that is, those who dwell in heaven.
(Rev 13:7 NASB) It was also given
to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them, and authority over
every tribe and people and tongue and nation was given to him.
(Rev 13:8 NASB) All who dwell on
the earth will worship him, everyone whose name has not been written from the
foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain.
(Rev 13:9 NASB) If anyone has an
ear, let him hear.
(Rev 13:10 NASB) If anyone is
destined for captivity, to captivity he goes; if anyone kills with the sword,
with the sword he must be killed. Here is the perseverance and the faith of the
saints.
(Rev 13:11 NASB) Then I saw another
beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb and he spoke
as a dragon.
(Rev 13:12 NASB) He exercises all
the authority of the first beast in his presence. And he makes the earth and
those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose fatal wound was healed.
(Rev 13:13 NASB) He performs great
signs, so that he even makes fire come down out of heaven to the earth in the
presence of men.
(Rev 13:14 NASB) And he deceives
those who dwell on the earth because of the signs which it was given him to
perform in the presence of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to
make an image to the beast who *had the wound of the sword and has come to
life.
(Rev 13:15 NASB) And it was given
to him to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast
would even speak and cause as many as do not worship the image of the beast to
be killed.
(Rev 13:16 NASB) And he causes all,
the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free men and the
slaves, to be given a mark on their right hand or on their forehead,
(Rev 13:17 NASB) and he provides
that no one will be able to buy or to sell, except the one who has the mark,
either the name of the beast or the number of his name.
(Rev 13:18 NASB) Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for the number is that of a man; and his number is six hundred and sixty-six."
C) [EXPOSITOR'S BIBLE COMMENTARY ON REV 13: INTRODUCTION & 1a]:
(Rev 13:1a NASB) "And the dragon stood on the sand of the seashore."
"2. The two beasts (13:1-18)
This chapter forms part of the theme of the persecution of
God's people John began to develop in chapter 12. Turning from the inner
dynamics of the struggle, chapter 13 shifts to the actual earthly instruments
of this assault—viz., the two dragon-energized beasts. In accord with the
discussion in chapter 12, we may assume that the beast-related activities
constitute the way the dragon carries out his final attempts to wage war on the
seed of the woman (12:17). A contest is going on to seduce the whole world—even
the followers of Jesus—to worship the beast. As Minear shows (I Saw a New
Earth, p. 118), John seeks to emphasize three things about the first beast: he
shows (1) the conspiracy of the dragon with the beast (vv. 3-4); (2) the
universal success of this partnership in deceiving the whole world to worship
them (vv. 3-4, 8); and (3) that the partnership will succeed in a temporary
defeat of the saints of God, thus accomplishing the greatest blasphemy of God
(vv. 6-7a).
Finally, not being able to seduce all the earth alone, the
conspirators summon yet a third figure to their aids—the beast from the earth.
He must remain loyal to his associates and at the same time be sufficiently
similar to the Lamb to entice even the followers of Jesus. He must be able to
perform miraculous signs (semeia) much as the two witnesses did (vv. 11ff.; cf.
13:13 with 11:5). As the battle progresses, the dragon's deception becomes more
and more subtle. Thus the readers are called to discern the criteria that will
enable them to separate the lamblike beast from the Lamb himself (13:11 with
14:1).
Two basic interpretative problems confront the reader. These
have led students of the book to different understandings of this chapter: (1)
The identification of the beast and his associate are they personal or some
other entity'? (2) The time of the beast's rule—is it past, continuous, or
still future? In seeking some satisfactory answers to these questions, it may
be helpful to first set forth the facts about the beast. He (1) rises from the
sea (v. 1); (2) resembles the dragon (v. 1), (3) has composite animal features
(v. 2); (4) is dragon empowered (v. 2); (5) has one head wounded to death but
healed (vv. 3-4, 7b-8); (6) blasphemes God and God's people for forty-two
months (vv. 5-6); (7) makes war against the saints and kills them (vv. 7a, 15);
and (8) gives to those who follow him his "mark,' which is either his name
or his number, 666 (vv. 16-18).
In addition, there are no fewer than a dozen further
references in Revelation to the beast (11:7, 14:9, 11; 15:2, 16:2, 10, 13;
19:19-20, 20:4, 10), excluding the nine references to the scarlet-colored beast
in chapter 17, which should probably be included. These further references
contain no new information, but 11:7 indicates that the beast rises from the
Abyss. Also, 19:19 refers to a coalition of the beast with the "kings of
the earth," and 19:20 describes his final end in the lake of fire.66667777
The history of the interpretation of chapter 13 is far too
extensive for this commentary to cover. As early as the second century, two
different understandings of the Antichrist appeared. Some early interpreters
take the position that the Antichrist will be a person, a world deceiver who
will reign for the last half of Daniel's seventieth week (Dan 7:25). The
Epistle of Barnabas (A.D. 70-100?) warns believers to be alert to the imminent
appearing of "the final stumbling-block," who is identified with the
"little horn" of Daniel 7:24 (4.3-6, 9-10, ANF 1:138-39). The Didache
(early second century?) refers to a "world deceiver [who] will appear in
the guise of God's Son. He will work `signs and wonders' and the earth will
fall into his hands and he will commit outrages such as have never occurred
before" (16.4, in Cyril C. Richardson, ed., Library of Christian Classics,
vol. 1, Early Christian Fathers, [Philadelphia: Westminster, 1953], p. 178).
Justin Martyr (d.165) likewise looked for the appearance in his lifetime of the
Antichrist prophesied by Daniel, who would reign for three and one-half years
according to Daniel 7:25 (Dialogue 32; ANF, 1:210).
Irenaeus (d.202) gives the first extensive discussion of the
Antichrist. He is to be an unrighteous king from the tribe of Dan, the little
horn of Daniel 7:8, who will reign over the earth during the last three and
one-half years of Daniel's seventieth "week" (Dan 9:27). Irenaeus
identifies the Antichrist with the first beast of Revelation 13 and the
"man of sin" ("lawlessness," NIV) of 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4,
who will exalt himself in the Jerusalem temple (rebuilt) (Contra Haereses
5.25.1-5; 5.28.2; 5.30.2; ANF, 1:553, 556-59). This view, with modifications,
is followed by Irenaeus's student Hippolytus (d.235), also by Tertullian
(d.220) and Victorinus (d.304), and in recent times by many commentators,
including Barnhouse, Bruce, Gaebelein, Ladd, Morris, Mounce, Scofield, and
Walvoord. In its favor is the more literal reading of 2 Thessalonians 2:1-10
and the natural understanding of the Antichrist as being the personal
counterpart to the personal Christ.
On the other hand, from the earliest times some interpreters
have understood the Antichrist as a present threat of heresy, depending more on
the concept found in the Johannine Epistles (1 John 2:18, 22; 4:3; 2 John 7).
Thus Polycarp (d.155), said to be a disciple of the apostle John, understands
the Antichrist to be revealed in the docetic heresies of his time (Philippians
7.1; ANF, 1:34). Likewise, Tertullian identifies the many false prophets of
docetism with the Antichrist but sees these teachers as the forerunners of the
future Antichrist, who as the Arch Deceiver will come "in all kinds of
counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders" to mislead those who "have
not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness" (2 Thess 2:9-12)
(Against Marcion 5.16; ANF, 3:463-64).
Luther, Calvin, and other Reformers adopting this general
view identified the beast with the papacy of the Roman Catholic Church. Only
one recent interpreter, Henry Alford, seems to follow the Reformers in their
view. However, other modern commentators adopt the theological heresy
interpretation of the Antichrist (Berkouwer, Minear, Newman). In its favor are
the references to the Antichrist in the Johannine Epistles and the advantage of
seeing the beast as a present threat to the church and not merely as an
eschatological figure of the last time. This view also argues that the 2
Thessalonians 2 passage need not be understood as referring to a single future
individual (see G.C. Berkouwer, The Return of Christ [Grand Rapids: Eerdmans,
1972], pp. 268-71). The issue is difficult to settle with any finality.
However, I will develop chapter 13 more in accord with the theological heresy
view, while recognizing at the same time that Tertullian's position as stated
above is consistent with my position and that the personal future Antichrist
view has strong support. (See also the comments at v.11.)
In modern interpretation, as Minear points out, there is
almost complete agreement that the "wounded head" (v. 3) refers to
the Nero redivivus legend. It will be helpful to have Minear's summary of the
legend before us:
Let us look first, then, at the Neronic legend itself.
Toward the end of his reign Nero's unpopularity among Roman citizens had
assumed high proportions. In 67 and 68 open revolts had broken out against his
authority in Gaul and Spain. At length he had been repudiated by the praetorian
guard and by the Senate. Fleeing from the city, he had taken refuge in a
friend's suburban villa, where he had received word that the Senate had
proclaimed him a public enemy and had approved Galba as his successor. Having
been warned that pursuing soldiers were approaching his hideout, he had cut his
own throat with a sword (June 9, 68). After his death a rumor spread abroad
that he had not actually died but had escaped to Parthia, whence he would soon
return to regain his throne. This rumor circulated most quickly in the eastern
provinces, and assumed strange forms. At one stage, popular expectation
envisaged the return of Nero from Parthia, with a huge army subduing all
opposition:
And to the west shall come the strife of gathering war and
the exile from Rome, brandishing a mighty sword, crossing the Euphrates with
many myriads.
On the basis of this rumor, impostors arose in the east who
assumed the name of Nero in the effort to exploit the legend. There are records
of at least two such claimants. There seems to have been a later stage in the
legend in which Nero's figure has become invested with supernatural status. Now
his return from the abyss with hordes of demons is anticipated as an omen of
the "last days." Among the oracles of the Sibyl we find an extensive
reference to this expectation:
There shall be at the last time about the waning of the
moon, a world convulsing war, deceitful in guilefulness. And there shall come
from the ends of the earth a matricide fleeing and devising sharp-edged plans.
He shall ruin all the earth, and gain all power, and surpass all men in
cunning. That for which he perished he shall seize at once. And he shall
destroy many men and great tyrants, and shall burn all men as none other ever
did (vv.361ff.) (I Saw a New Earth, pp. 248-49.).
This Neronic interpretation presupposes an identification in
John's mind between the sea beast and the Roman Empire, a view espoused in our
day by both preterist and not a few preterist-futurist interpreters of
Revelation (most recently by Mounce, Revelation, pp. 250-51). This in turn
usually assumes that Revelation 17 identifies the seven heads of the beast as
the successive emperors of the Roman Empire. Yet a question concerning the
reliability of this whole Neronic approach must be raised. Minear argues convincingly
that the Nero redivivus view will fit neither the facts of history nor the text
of Revelation 13 and 17 (I Saw a New Earth, pp. 228-60). (See comments at
17:8-9.)
Newman also impressively calls the Nero myth into question.
He argues that Irenaeus, the best source for the Domitian dating of the book,
never refers either to a Domitian persecution as the background for John's
thought or to any Nero-myth interpretation, even though he is attempting to
refute the identification of the number 666 with any Roman emperor. Newman
concludes that Revelation could just as well be viewed as a theological polemic
against some form of Gnosticism than, as popularly held, a political polemic.
Newman also challenges the widely held assumption that all apocalyptic
literature—and especially the Book of Revelation—must be understood as arising
out of some contemporary political crisis for the saints. Little evidence can
be cited for more than a selective and local persecution of Christians under
Domitian's rule (E.T. Merrill, Essays in Early Christian History [London:
Macmillan & Co., 1924], pp. 157-73; F. F. Bruce, New Testament History [New
York: Doubleday, 1972], pp. 412-14; Barclay Newman, The Fallacy of the Domitian
Hypothesis, NTS, 10 [1963], 139-49; G. Edmundson, The Church in Rome in the
First Century [London: Longmans, Green, 1913]).
Likewise rejecting the beast-equals-Rome hypothesis is
Foerster, who points out that rabbinic exegesis up to the first century A.D.
identified the fourth beast of Daniel 7 as Edom-equals-Rome. Since the beast of
Revelation 13 is a composite that unites all the features of the four beasts of
Daniel 7, it therefore cannot be identified with Rome (TDNT, 3:134-35, esp.
n.11). An attempt will be made in this exposition to demonstrate that the Rome
hypothesis is untenable. This leaves the question open as to whether John sees
the Antichrist (or beast) as a person or some more encompassing entity.
1a NIV and most other modern translations include v. 1a as the concluding verse of chapter 12 because a variant Greek reading changes the KJV text "I stood" to "he stood" (i.e., the dragon). The latter reading is favored by a majority of textual scholars, though the KJV text may be the original (see Notes). If "he stood" is the correct reading, the sense would be that the dragon, who has now turned his rage on the children of the woman (12:17), stands on the seashore to summon his next instrument, the beast from the sea. But if the text reads "I stood," the sense is that John receives a new vision (cf. 10:1) as he gazes out over the sea in the same manner as Daniel (7:2)."
C) [EXPOSITOR'S BIBLE COMMENTARY ON REV 13:1b-2]:
(Rev 13:1b NASB) "[(1a) And the dragon
stood on the sand of the seashore.] (1b) Then I saw a beast coming up out of the sea,
having ten horns and seven heads, and on his horns were ten diadems, and on his
heads were blasphemous names.
"1b-2 The beast (therion, "wild beast") has already
been described in 11:7 as rising from the "Abyss" (cf. 17:8). Thus
the sea may symbolize the Abyss, the source of demonic powers that are opposed
to God (cf. 9:1; 20:1-3), rather than "the agitated surface of
unregenerate humanity (cf. Isa 57:20), and especially of the seething caldron
of national and social life" (Swete, p. 158). This view agrees with the OT
images of the sea as the origin of the satanic sea monsters—the dragon
(Tannin), Leviathan ("Coiled One"), and Rahab ("Rager")
(Job 26:12-13; Pss 74:13-14; 87:4; 89:10; Isa 27:1; 51:9; cf. also Ezek
32:6-8). The ancient Hebrews demythologized the sea-monster myths to depict the
victory of the Lord of Israel over the demonic forces of evil that in various
manifestations had sought to destroy the people of God. Thus John later
foresees the final day of Christ's victory when there will "no longer [be]
any sea" or source of demonic opposition to God and his people (21:1).
John describes the beast in words similar to those he used
in 12:3 of the dragon: "He had ten horns and seven heads, with ten crowns
on his horns." There is a slight difference here in the matter of the
crowns, which may represent some change in the dragon's authority. As
previously indicated (cf comments on 12:3), any attempt to identify the heads
or horns as separate kings, kingdoms, etc., should be resisted.
The image of the seven-headed monster is well attested in
ancient Sumerian, Babylonian, and Egyptian texts. A cylinder seal coming from
Tel Asmar (ancient Eshnunna some fifty miles northeast of modern Baghdad),
dating back to about 2500 B. C., shows two divine figures killing a
seven-headed monster with flames arising from its back. Four of its heads are
drooping as if already dead. A spear is in the hand of a figure who is striking
the fourth head (see Alexander Heidel, The Babylonian Genesis [Chicago: University
of Chicago, 1942], pp. 107-14, and figs. 15, 16; E.A. Wallis Budge, The Gods of
the Egyptians [New York: Dover Publications, 1969], 1:278-79).
Cylinder seal from Tell Asmar (in ancient Mesopotamia) dated
c.2500 b.c., showing two gods spearing a four-legged, seven-headed hydra, four
of whose heads hang dead and three still live and show projected fork tongues;
six tongues of flame arise from the monster's back; two worshipers and a star
in the field are also seen. See Revelation 12:3-4; 13:1, 3, 14; 17:3,
8-11."
It may be argued that John's beast from the sea is to be
connected with Leviathan in the OT. See Psalm 74:14, where the
"heads" of the monster are specifically mentioned: "It was you
who crushed the heads of Leviathan." The seven heads and ten horns,
regardless of the imagery used in Daniel or elsewhere, are not to be separately
identified. It is true that Leviathan, Rahab, and the dragon (serpent) in the
cited OT texts have a reference to political powers, such as Egypt and Assyria,
that were threatening Israel. In the minds of the OT writers, however, the
national entities were inseparably identified with the archetypal reality of
the satanic, idolatrous systems represented by the seven-headed monster
(Leviathan, Rahab, and the dragon) so that the beast represented, not the
political power, but the system of evil that found expression in the political
entity (Budge, Gods of the Egyptians, 1:278). The reason this point is so
important is that it helps us see that the beast itself is not to be identified
in its description with any one historical form of its expression or with any
one institutional aspect of its manifestation. In other words, the beast may
appear now as Sodom, Egypt, Rome, or even Jerusalem and may manifest itself as
a political power, an economic power, a religious power, or a heresy (1 John
2:18, 22; 4:3).
In John's mind, the chief enemy is diabolical deception; his
description therefore has theological overtones, not political ones. This
interpretation does not exclude the possibility that there will be a final
climactic appearance of the beast in history in a person; in a political,
religious, or economic system; or in a final totalitarian culture combining all
these. The point is that the beast cannot be limited to either the past or the
future.
John further states that this beast had "on each head a
blasphemous name." This prominent feature is repeated in 17:3 (cf.
13:5-6). Arrogance and blasphemy also characterize the "little horn"
of Daniel's fourth beast (7:8, 11, 20, 25) and the willful king of Daniel
11:36. John alludes to the vision of Daniel but completely transforms it.
In keeping with the Rome hypothesis, many have tried to
identify the blasphemous names with the titles of the emperor:
"Augustus" ("reverend," "to be worshiped") divus
("deified"); "Savior"; dominus ("Lord"). But was
this in John's mind? In 2:9 he refers to the blasphemy "of those who say
they are Jews and are not, " a reference that seems to refer to the fact
that some Jews at Smyrna had spoken against the lawful messianic claims of
Jesus. They may also have charged the Christians with disloyalty to the empire
and thus sided with the pagan officials in persecuting them. Could these Jews
be part also of the blasphemous names? In 13:6 the blasphemies are directed
against God and are further defined: "to blaspheme God, by blaspheming his
name, his temple, those who dwell in heaven" (my translation). Thus the
beast challenges the sovereignty and majesty of God by denying the first
commandment: "You shall have no other gods before me" (Exod 20:3).
Therefore, whatever person or system—whether political, social, economic, or
religious—cooperates with Satan by exalting itself against God's sovereignty
and by setting itself up to destroy the followers of Jesus, or entices them to
become followers of Satan through deception, idolatry, blasphemy, and spiritual
adultery, embodies the beast of Revelation 13.
(Rev 13:1 NASB) "And the dragon
stood on the sand of the seashore. Then I saw a beast coming up out of the sea,
having ten horns and seven heads, and on his horns were ten diadems, and on his
heads were blasphemous names.
"6. The Sixth Personage: The Beast Out Of The Sea (13:1-10)
a. The beast out of the sea introduced (13:1-2)
13:1-2. Chapter 13 presents a most important personage of
the end time—a beast coming out of the sea. His 10 horns and 7 heads, with 10
crowns on his horns, depict the revived Roman Empire, which was also
represented by the fourth beast of Daniel, which also had 10 horns (Dan. 7:7-8;
cf. Rev. 13:3; 17:3, 7). In Revelation 13 and 17 the beast is the world ruler,
whereas in Daniel 7 the little horn on the beast was the world ruler.
The fact that the beast comes out from the sea indicates
that he is a Gentile, for the sea of humanity is involved as his source (cf.
Rev. 17:15).
Many have said that the beast refers to some character in
past history, but the context clearly refers to the final three and one-half
years before Christ's second coming. Under the control of this central ruler in
the Middle East during the Great Tribulation will be 10 nations (cf. Dan. 7:24,
"The 10 horns are 10 kings"). (For discussion of various alternative
views, see Walvoord, Revelation, pp. 198-99.)
In Revelation 13:2 the beast was seen to gather in the
symbolism of the three preceding empires—Greece (a leopard, cf. Dan. 7:6),
Medo-Persia (a bear, cf. Dan. 7:5), and Babylon (a lion, cf. Dan. 7:4). The
power of the beast was derived from Satan himself: the dragon gave the beast
his power and his throne and great authority. This accords with Paul (2 Thes.
2:9) who referred to "the lawless one" (i.e., the Antichrist, this
first beast of Rev. 13) as working "all kinds of counterfeit miracles
[dynamei], signs [sēmeiois], and wonders [terasin]."
(Rev 13:1 NASB) "And the dragon
stood on the sand of the seashore. Then I saw a beast coming up out of the sea,
having ten horns and seven heads, and on his horns were ten diadems, and on his
heads were blasphemous names.
(Rev 13:2 NASB) And the beast which
I saw was like a leopard, and his feet were like those of a bear, and his mouth
like the mouth of a lion. And the dragon gave him his power and his throne and
great authority.
"3 The beast has a fatal wound, but the wound is healed. This
results in great, world-wide influence, acceptance, and worship for both the
beast and the dragon. verse 3 is important and requires careful exegesis
because of the widespread Nero redivivus viewpoint that is read into the
wounded head (see introduction to this chapter). There are a number of features
of John's description that are inconsistent with both the Nero redivivus and
the Roman Empire interpretations. I am indebted for the following arguments to
Newman ("Domitian Hypothesis," pp. 133-39) and to Minear (I Saw a New
Earth, ch. 5).
1. It should be observed that the wounded "head"
of v. 3 is elsewhere in the chapter a wound of the whole beast (vv. 12, 14). A
wound inflicted in a former and rejected emperor is not a wound inflicted on
the whole empire. If the reference is to Nero, it is difficult to see how his
self-inflicted wound could have wounded the whole empire or how the legendary
healing of his throat enhanced the authority of the beast or the dragon's war
against the saints.
2. The "wound" unto death or fatal wound, must be
carefully examined. In the Greek, the word for "wound" is plege,
which everywhere in Revelation means "plague," in fact, a divinely
inflicted judgment (9:18, 20; 11:6; 15:1ff.; 16:9, 21; 18:4, 8; 21:9; 22:18).
Elsewhere in the NT the word is used of "beatings" or official
"floggings" (Luke 10:30; 12:48; Acts 16:23, 33; 2Cor 6:5; 11:23). In
13:14 we find that the beast has the plague of the "sword"
(machaira), which supposedly refers to Nero's dagger. Elsewhere in Revelation
the "sword" (machaira, or rhomphaia) (1) symbolically refers to the
divine judgment of the Messiah (1:16; 2:12, 16; 19:15, 21); (2) is the sword of
the rider on the red horse and equals divine judgment (6:4, 8); and (3) is a sword
used as a weapon against the saints of God (13:10). We are, then, nearer to
John's mind if we see the sword, not as referring to an emperor's death, but as
the symbol of God's wrath that in some event had struck a death blow to the
authority of the beast (and the dragon), yet which had been deceptively covered
up or restored (for a probable antecedent, see Isa 27:1).
3. The correct identification, therefore, of the beast's
enemy will enable us to understand what event John had in mind in the death
blow. Everywhere in the book the only sufficient conqueror of the beast and the
dragon is the slain Lamb, together with his faithful saints (12:11; 19:19-21).
Furthermore, it is the event of the life and especially the crucifixion,
resurrection, and exaltation of Jesus that dealt this death blow to the dragon
and the beast (1:5; 5:9; 12:11). This same thought is paralleled by other NT
teaching (Luke 10:17-24; 11:14-22; John 12:31-33; Col 2:15). Irenaeus suggests
that the wound, so central to the Apocalypse, must be understood as an appeal
to Genesis 3:13ff. (Contra Haereses 5.25-34).
Yet the same paradox found in chapter 12 also appears here
in chapter 13. While the dragon (ch. 12) is, on the one hand, defeated and cast
out of heaven, on the other hand, he still has time and ability to wage a
relentless war against the people of God. Likewise, the beast (ch. 13) has been
dealt a fatal blow by the cross of Christ and yet still has time and ability to
wage war against the saints. He appears to be alive and in full command of the
scene; his blasphemies increase. What the sea beast cannot accomplish, he
commissions the earth beast to do (vv. 11ff.). All three—the dragon, the sea
beast, and the earth beast—though distinguishable, are nevertheless in
collusion to effect the same end: the deception that led the world to worship
the dragon and the sea beast and the destruction of all who oppose them.
It is this description that leads to the fourth reason why
identifying the beast exclusively with any one historical personage or empire
is probably incorrect. In John's description of the beast, there are numerous
parallels with Jesus that should alert the reader to the fact that John is
seeking to establish, not a historical identification, but a theological
characterization (though in this there is no implication against the
historicity of Jesus): Both wielded swords; both had followers on whose foreheads
were inscribed their names (13:16-14:1); both had horns (5:6; 13:1); both were
slain, the same Greek word being used to describe their deaths (sphagizo, vv.
3, 8); both had arisen to new life and authority; and both were given (by
different authorities) power over every nation, tribe, people, and tongue as
well as over the kings of the earth (1:5; 7:9; with 13:7; 17:12). The beast
described here is the great theological counterpart to all that Christ
represents and not the Roman Empire or any of its emperors. So it is easy to
understand why many in the history of the church have identified the beast with
a future, personal Antichrist.
It is curious that in her commentary on Revelation, Ford
refers to Minear's "most challenging argument against this [Nero]
theory" (p. 220) without offering any refutation. She then proceeds,
contrary to Minear's whole thesis, to try her own hand at another historical
identification that is even less convincing than the long succession of
previous ones (see comments on v.11).
While the references in the Johannine literature may be
taken as supporting the view that the Antichrist is manifested in multiple
persons and was a reality present in John's day (1 John 2:18, 22; 4:3; 2 John
7), Paul's description in such personal terms of the coming "man of
lawlessness" (2 Thess 2:3-4, 8-9) has led the majority of ancient and
modern interpreters to adopt the viewpoint that it is a personal Antichrist.
Bavinck believes that the solution to the conflict between Paul and John lies
in seeing John as describing the forerunners (anti-Christian powers in history)
while Paul talks about the day when these powers will be embodied in one
king(dom) of the world, the epitome of apostasy (cited by Berkouwer, Return of
Christ, p. 265). John, however, says that in the false teachers "the
antichrist" was actually present (2 John 7). Berkouwer shows that it is
not necessary to understand Paul's apocalyptic language as describing a
personal Antichrist (ibid., p. 270).
(Rev 13:1 NASB) "And the dragon
stood on the sand of the seashore. Then I saw a beast coming up out of the sea,
having ten horns and seven heads, and on his horns were ten diadems, and on his
heads were blasphemous names.
(Rev 13:2 NASB) And the beast which
I saw was like a leopard, and his feet were like those of a bear, and his mouth
like the mouth of a lion. And the dragon gave him his power and his throne and
great authority.
"B. THE
FATAL WOUND OF THE BEAST (13:3)
13:3. The
seven heads of the beast seem to represent important rulers, and one of them,
probably the seventh, suffered a fatal wound caused by a sword (v. 14), which
was subsequently healed, causing astonishment in the entire world.
Many have
attempted to identify this beast as someone in the past or present who is to
become the final world ruler. Among the suggestions have been Nero, Judas
Iscariot, Mussolini, Hitler, Stalin, Kissinger, and many others; but such men
obviously do not fit the details of this yet-future ruler.
What is the meaning of the fatal wound that is healed? Two possibilities seem to fit this description. Alford, for instance, sees the deadly wound as the destruction of "the Roman pagan Empire" by "the Christian Roman Empire," thus making it a matter of history rather than prophecy (The Greek Testament, 4: 675). The revival of the Roman Empire would then be its miraculous healing. Another plausible explanation is that the final world ruler receives a wound which normally would be fatal but is miraculously healed by Satan. While the resurrection of a dead person seems to be beyond Satan's power, the healing of a wound would be possible for Satan, and this may be the explanation. The important point is that the final world ruler comes into power obviously supported by a supernatural and miraculous deliverance by Satan himself."
G) [EXPOSITOR'S BIBLE COMMENTARY ON REV 13:1-4]:
(Rev 13:1 NASB) "And the dragon
stood on the sand of the seashore. Then I saw a beast coming up out of the sea,
having ten horns and seven heads, and on his horns were ten diadems, and on his
heads were blasphemous names.
(Rev 13:2 NASB) And the beast which
I saw was like a leopard, and his feet were like those of a bear, and his mouth
like the mouth of a lion. And the dragon gave him his power and his throne and
great authority.
"4 The goal of the dragon and the beast in their conspiracy
is to promote the idolatrous worship of themselves. This perversion is further
enhanced by the earth beast (vv. 12, 15). The means of deception varies because
not all mankind is deceived in the same way. People follow and worship the
beast because he is apparently invincible: "Who can make war against
him?" His only real enemy seems to be the saints of Jesus, whom he
effectively destroys (2:10, 13; 12:11; 13:15). But little does he realize that
in the death of the saints the triumph of God appears. As they die, they do so
in identification with the slain Lamb who through the Cross has decisively
conquered the dragon by inflicting on him a truly fatal wound. "Who is
like the beast?" echoes in parody similar references to God himself (Exod
15:11; Mic 7:18)."
H) [EXPOSITOR'S BIBLE COMMENTARY ON REV 13:5-6]:
(Rev 13:5 NASB) "There was given to
him a mouth speaking arrogant words and blasphemies, and authority to act for
forty-two months was given to him.
"5-6 (See comments on v.1.) The period of the beast's authority is given as "forty-two months," the same period already referred to in 11:2-3; 12:6, 13 (see comments at 11:2).
I) [BIBLE KNOWLEDGE COMMENTARY ON REV 13:1-6]:
(Rev 13:1 NASB) "And the dragon
stood on the sand of the seashore. Then I saw a beast coming up out of the sea,
having ten horns and seven heads, and on his horns were ten diadems, and on his
heads were blasphemous names.
(Rev 13:2 NASB) And the beast which
I saw was like a leopard, and his feet were like those of a bear, and his mouth
like the mouth of a lion. And the dragon gave him his power and his throne and
great authority.
(Rev 13:5 NASB) There was given to
him a mouth speaking arrogant words and blasphemies, and authority to act for
forty-two months was given to him.
13:4-6.
The supernatural character of the beast makes him the object of worship along
with Satan, the source of his power. It has always been Satan's purpose to
receive the worship due to God alone, as stated in Isaiah 14:14: "I will
make myself like the Most High." This is Satan's final form of counterfeit
religion in which he assumes the place of God the Father, and the beast or the
world ruler assumes the role of King of kings as a substitute for Christ. This
situation is probably introduced at the beginning of the last three and
one-half years when the Great Tribulation begins.
Recognizing
the supernatural character of Satan and the ruler, the" question is raised, Who
is like the beast? Who can make war against him? (Rev. 13:4) This apparently
explains how the beast could become world ruler without a war. His blasphemous
assumption of the role of God continues for 42 months, during which time he
blasphemes God as well as heaven and those who live in heaven."
J) [EXPOSITOR'S BIBLE COMMENTARY ON REV 13:7]:
(Rev 13:7 NASB) "It was also given to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them, and authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation was given to him."K) [EXPOSITOR'S BIBLE COMMENTARY ON REV 13:8]:
(Rev 13:7 NASB) "It was also given
to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them, and authority over
every tribe and people and tongue and nation was given to him.
"8 John further identifies the worshipers of the beast as
"all whose names have not been written in the book of life belonging to
the Lamb" (for a discussion of the meaning of the "book of
life," see comments at 3:5; also comments at 17:8; at 20:12, at 15; and at
21:27). This contrast further emphasizes the theological nature of the
description of the beast. The beast from the earth represents the idolatrous
system of worship instigated by the dragon to deceive mankind into breaking the
first commandment.
(Rev 13:8 NASB) "All who dwell on
the earth will worship him, everyone whose name has not been written from the
foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain.
(Rev 13:10 NASB) If any one is
destined for captivity, to captivity he goes; if anyone kills with the sword,
with the sword he must be killed. Here is the perseverance and the faith of the
saints."
"9-10 These verses are both important and difficult. This is
the only occurrence in Revelation of the words "he who has an ear, let him
hear" apart from their use in each of the messages to the seven churches
(chs. 2-3). Here they call special attention to the need for obedience to the
exhortation in v. 10b. Kiddle feels that v. 10 is the focal point of the whole
chapter, as it calls on the Christian to display faith and patience in the face
of the divinely permitted predominance of evil (p. 248). Most agree that the
language of v. 10 alludes to Jeremiah 15:2 and 43:11 (LXX 50:11), where the
prophet describes the certainty of divine judgment that will come upon the
rebels in Israel—they will suffer captivity, famine, disease, and death from
the sword. Yet it is difficult to see how Jeremiah's words are appropriate here
in this context of an exhortation for believers to be faithful. John's meaning
must be different—viz., that as the rebels in Jeremiah's day would certainly
encounter the divine judgment, so the faithful to Christ are assured that their
captivity and martyrdom are in God's will. (For the textual problem in v. 10,
see Notes.)
(Rev 13:8 NASB) "All who dwell on
the earth will worship him, everyone whose name has not been written from the
foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain.
(Rev 13:10 NASB) If any one is destined for captivity, to captivity he goes; if anyone kills with the sword, with the sword he must be killed. Here is the perseverance and the faith of the saints."
13:9-10.
In a format similar to the exhortation to the seven churches of Asia Minor
(chaps. 2-3) this passage gave an invitation to individuals who would listen.
The dream of many today, of a universal church and a universal religion, will
be realized in the end time, but it will be satanic and blasphemous instead of
involving worship of the true God. In such a situation, appeal can only be made
to individuals who will turn from it to God. In every age God speaks to those
who will hear, a concept mentioned frequently in the Gospels (Matt. 11:15;
13:9, 43; Mark 4:9, 23; Luke 8:8; 14:35).
In
contrast with the invitation addressed to the seven churches where each
exhortation was addressed "to the church," the mention of churches is
notably absent here. This is another indication that the church has been
raptured before the time of these events. Revelation, instead of being
interpreted as addressed only to first-generation Christians facing
persecution, is better understood as an exhortation to believers in all
generations but especially those who will be living in the end time. Those who
are willing to listen are reminded that their obedience to the Word of God may
result in their captivity or martyrdom (Rev. 13:10), so the exhortation closes,
This calls for patient endurance (hypomonē, "steadfastness,
perseverance"; cf. 14:12) and faithfulness on the part of the saints."
N) [EXPOSITOR'S BIBLE COMMENTARY ON REV 13:11]:
"11 John sees another (allo, "one of a similar
kind") beast rising from the earth. This second beast completes the
triumvirate of evil—the dragon, the sea beast, and the land beast. The land
beast is subservient to the beast from the sea and seems utterly dedicated to
promoting not himself but the wounded beast from the sea. Elsewhere the land
beast is called the "false prophet" (16:13; 19:20; 20:10). As with
the first beast, identification is a problem. That this beast comes from the
land rather than the sea may simply indicate his diversity from the first,
while other references stress their collusion.
A survey of the history of interpretation reveals in
general, as with the first beast, two main lines: the beast either represents a
power or a movement, or describes a human being allied with the Antichrist at
the close of the age (cf. Berkouwer, Return of Christ, pp. 260f.). Early
Christian interpreters, such as Irenaeus (second century), who identify the
first beast not with Rome but with a personal Antichrist, find in the second
beast the "armour-bearer" of the first, who employs the demonic
forces to work magic and deceive the inhabitants of the earth (Contra Haereses
5.28.2). Hippolytus (third century) identified the second beast as "the
kingdom of the Antichrist" (Christ and Anti-Christ, ANF, 5:214, par. 48).
Victorinus (late third century) speaks of this beast as the false prophet who
will work magic before the Antichrist. Victorinus then blurs the identification
of the second beast with the first in further remarks (Apocalypse 13.11-13).
Andreas (sixth century) reports that in his day "some say this [second]
beast is the Antichrist, but it seems to others that he is Satan, and his two
horns are the Antichrist and the false prophet" (Swete, p. 166).
Calvin and Luther, as well as other Reformers, drawing on
earlier traditions, were led to identify this beast with the papacy or specific
popes. Berkouwer notes that while the Reformers may have been mistaken as to
their actual identifications, they were right in seeing the beast as a present
threat and not some entity awaiting a yet future manifestation (Return of
Christ, pp. 262-63). Most modern commentators, following the Nero redivivus
view of the first beast, identify this beast as the priesthood of the imperial
cultus (Charles, Commentary on Revelation 1:357). Alford and others would
extend the symbolism to all ages and see in the second beast "the
sacerdotal persecuting power, pagan or Christian," and would call special
attention to the Roman papacy, though by no means limiting it to this
priesthood (Alf, 4:679). While recognizing that no view is without problems,
the following discussion takes the position that the land beast is John's way
of describing the false prophets of the Olivet Discourse (Matt 24:24; Mark
13:22). This identification is consistent with the previously stated view of
the sea beast as describing not just a specific political reality but the
world-wide anti-God system of Satan and its manifestation in periodic,
historical human antichrists. The land beast is the antithesis to the true
prophets of Christ symbolized by the two witnesses in chapter 11 (cf.
Berkouwer, Return of Christ, ch. 9, for a full and helpful discussion of the
whole Antichrist issue). If the thought of a nonpersonal antichrist and false
prophet seems to contradict the verse that describes them as being cast alive
into the lake of fire (19:20), consider that "death" and
"Hades" (nonpersons) are also thrown into the lake of fire (20:14).
(Rev 13:11 NASB) "Then I saw another
beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb and he spoke
as a dragon.
"7. THE
SEVENTH PERSONAGE: THE BEAST OUT OF THE EARTH (13:11-18)
A.
INTRODUCTION OF THE BEAST OUT OF THE EARTH (13:11-12)
13:11-12.
In contrast with the first beast who came "out of the sea" (v. 1),
the second beast came out of the earth. He was similar to the first beast
(thērion, "a beast," was used of both personages). However, while the
first beast was a Gentile, since he came from the entire human race as
symbolized by "the sea" (v. 1), the second beast was a creature of
the earth. Some have taken this as a specific reference to the Promised Land
and have argued that he was therefore a Jew. There is no support for this in
the context as the word for "earth" is the general word referring to
the entire world (gē). Actually his nationality and geographic origin are not
indicated, and he is apparently the one referred to as "the false
prophet" in 19:20 and 20:10. (For a comprehensive discussion of the two
beasts see Alford, The Greek New Testament, 4:678-79.)
The
second beast had two horns like a lamb, but he spoke like a dragon, that is,
like Satan. From this it can be gathered that he was a religious character
whose role was to support the political ruler, the first beast. He had great
authority apparently derived from Satan and the political ruler, and he made
the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, the one whose fatal
wound had been healed.
The false
religious system, which was supported in this way imitated the divine Trinity.
Satan seeks to take the place of God the Father; the first beast assumes the
place of Jesus Christ, the Son, the King of kings; and the second beast, the
false prophet, has a role similar to the Holy Spirit who causes Christians to
worship God. This is Satan's final attempt to substitute a false religion for
true faith in Christ."
(Rev 13:11 NASB) "Then I saw another
beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb and he spoke
as a dragon.
(Rev 13:13 NASB) "He performs great
signs, so that he even makes fire come down out of heaven to the earth in the
presence of men.
(Rev 13:14 NASB) And he deceives
those who dwell on the earth because of the signs which it was given him to
perform in the presence of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to
make an image to the beast who *had the wound of the sword and has come to
life.
"13 One of the strategies the land beast uses to deceive
people into following the first beast is the performance of "miraculous
signs" (semeion; see discussion at 12:1). The ability of the
Satan-inspired prophets to perform deceiving miracles is attested elsewhere in
Revelation and in other parts of the Bible (16:14; 19:20, Deut 13:1-5, Matt
7:22; 24:24; Mark 13:22; 2 Thess 2:9). Distinguishing between the true and
false prophets has always been difficult but not impossible. The followers of Jesus
must be constantly alert to discern the spirits (1 John 4:1-3).
The reference to "fire... from heaven" deserves
brief comment. It could refer to the fire that the prophet Elijah called down
from heaven (1 Kings 18:38) or to the fire coming out of the mouths of the two
witnesses (Rev 11:5). Either reference is preferable to the attempt to see here
some indication of the imperial cult priests of Rome. John may intend a
deliberate contrast between the true witnesses' use of fire and its use by the
false prophets (11:5; cf. Luke 9:54).
A quite elaborate theory was worked out by E. Watson and B. Hamilton that connects the fire of God with the true word of God and the Holy Spirit's witness (such as at Pentecost [Acts 2:3]). The false fire would then be a reference to pseudo-charismatic gifts that create a counterfeit church community whose allegiance is to the Antichrist (cited by Minear, I Saw a New Earth, pp. 124-27). (In regard to "the fire... from heaven," remember the priests Nadab and Abihu, who offered "unauthorized fire" before the Lord, apparently by their own self-will, and received God's judgment in the form of "fire" that "consumed them" [Lev 10:1-2].) In any case, the reference to fire from heaven indicates that no mighty deed is too hard for these false prophets, because they derive their power from the Antichrist and the dragon. Christ's true servants are not to be deceived by even spectacular miracles the false prophets may perform. Such miracles in themselves are no evidence of the Holy Spirit.
14a Here more must be involved than the deceptions of the
imperial priesthood. The quality of the miracles deceives those who follow the
beast—viz., "the inhabitants of the earth." "Deceive"
(planao) is John's term for the activity of false teachers who lead people to
worship gods other than the true and living God (2:20; 12:9; 18:23; 19:20;
20:3, 8, 10; cf. 1 John 2:26; 3:7; 4:6; also Matt 24:11, 24).
14b-15 The second beast orders the setting up of an
"image" (eikon) of the first beast. Elsewhere, the worship of the
first beast, his "image," and his "mark" are inseparable
(14:9, 11; 15:2; 16:2; 19:20; 20:4). The eikon of something is not a mere copy
but partakes in its reality and in fact constitutes its reality (TDNT, 2:389).
Most interpreters, following the Roman-emperor exegesis, readily identify the
image with the statue of Caesar and refer the "breath" and speaking
of the image to the magic and ventriloquism of the imperial priests. But as has
been argued earlier (see comments on vv.1, and on 11), serious questions can be
raised against such an exegesis of John's language, which is much more
theologically descriptive than the Roman hypothesis allows. This is not to deny
that the imperial worship could be included as one form of the beast worship.
But the reality described is much larger and far more transhistorical than the
mere worship of a bust of Caesar. John, however, would not deny that these realities
have their historical manifestations, for in every age the beast kills those
who will not worship his image. In terms reminiscent of the great golden image
Nebuchadnezzar made and commanded every person to worship on the threat of
death (Dan 3:1-11), John describes the world-wide system of idolatry
represented by the first beast and the false prophet(s) who promotes it. John
describes this reality as a blasphemous and idolatrous system that produces a
breach of the first two commandments (Exod 20:3-5).
In speaking about giving "breath" (pneuma) to the
image, John implies the activity of the false prophets in reviving idolatrous
worship, giving it the appearance of vitality, reality, and power. Curiously,
the two witnesses were also said to receive "breath" (pneuma)
(11:11). The idolatrous satanic system has the power of death over those who
worship the true God and the Lamb. The same "image" tried to kill
Daniel and his friends, killed many of the prophets of God, crucified the Lord
Jesus, put to death Stephen (Acts 7:60), James the apostle (Acts 12:1-2), and
Antipas (Rev 2:13). Thus he demonstrated to his followers the apparent healing
of his wounded head. To limit the image to the bust of Caesar or to some future
statue or ventriloquistic device constricts John's deeper meaning and
eliminates the present significance of his language.
(Rev 13:13 NASB) "He performs great
signs, so that he even makes fire come down out of heaven to the earth in the
presence of men.
(Rev 13:14 NASB) And he deceives
those who dwell on the earth because of the signs which it was given him to
perform in the presence of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to
make an image to the beast who *had the wound of the sword and has come to
life.
"B. THE
MIRACLES OF THE BEAST (13:13-15)
13:13-15.
To induce people to worship the first beast, the second beast performs great
and miraculous signs (lit., "great signs," sēmeia megala; cf. "a
great... sign" in 12:1), including fire... from heaven. People sometimes
overlook the fact that, while God can do supernatural things, Satan within
certain limitations can also perform miracles, and he used this power to the
full in this situation to induce people to worship Satan's substitute for
Christ. Accordingly the second beast deceived the inhabitants of the earth.
In
addition to causing fire to come down from heaven, the second beast set up an
image of the first beast. The image was probably set up in the first temple in
Jerusalem which was taken over from the Jews. According to Paul (2 Thes. 2:4)
the first beast actually sat in God's temple at times and received worship
which properly belonged to God. Perhaps the beast's image was placed in the
same temple to provide an object of worship when the beast himself was not
there.
This
image was mentioned frequently (Rev. 13:14-15; 14:9, 11; 15:2; 16:2; 19:20;
20:4). Whether the image was in the form of the world ruler, the first beast,
or merely some object of worship is not clear, but it did seem to symbolize the
power of the first beast.
The fact
that the second beast could give breath to the image of the first beast, even
making it speak, has created problems for expositors, for the Bible does not
seem to indicate that Satan has the power to give life to an inanimate object.
Only God is the Creator. So probably the beast's image is able to give an
impression of breathing and speaking mechanically, like computerized talking
robots today. There might be a combination of natural and supernatural powers
to enable the beast out of the earth to accomplish his purpose. It apparently
was quite convincing to people and induced them to worship the image.
(Rev 13:11 NASB) "Then I saw another
beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb and he spoke
as a dragon.
(Rev 13:13 NASB) "He performs great
signs, so that he even makes fire come down out of heaven to the earth in the
presence of men.
(Rev 13:14 NASB) And he deceives
those who dwell on the earth because of the signs which it was given him to
perform in the presence of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to
make an image to the beast who *had the wound of the sword and has come to
life.
"16 The immediate effect of the worship of the beast involves
receiving a mark on the right hand or forehead. By comparing the other passages
where the beast, image, mark, and name of the beast are mentioned, it seems
clear that the "mark" (charagma) is an equivalent expression to the
"name of the beast" (13:17; 14:11; also 14:9; 15:2; 16:2; 19:20;
20:4), which is also the "number of his name" (13:17; 15:2).
In Greek charagma may refer to a work of art such as a
carved image of a god (Acts 17:29), to any written inscription or document, to
the "bite" of a snake, to a red "seal" (an impress) of the
emperor and other official attestors of documents, or to a "brand" on
camels indicating ownership (TDNT, 9:416; MM, p. 683; Deiss BS, pp. 240-47). No
evidence, however, can be cited from the ancient world where a charagma is
placed on a person, let alone on the "right hand" or on the
"forehead," though a seal (sphragis) was customarily put on slaves
and soldiers. This lack of concrete evidence has led Swete, who is committed to
the Roman-emperor view, to reject any connection between the charagma and a
literal mark of the emperor. He argues that as the servants of God receive on
their foreheads the impress of the divine seal (7:3; 14:1), so the servants of
the beast are marked with the stamp of the beast (p. 170). In other words, the
charagma is not a literal impress seal, certificate, or similar mark of
identification, but it is John's way of symbolically describing authentic
ownership and loyalty. Those who worship the beast have his charagma or brand
of ownership on them, as the followers of Jesus have the brand of God's
possession on them. The fact that the Babylonian Talmud prohibits the Jew from
wearing the tephillim (prayer scroll) on the forehead or on the hand may lie in
the background as to why John uses these two places to describe the idolatrous
mark (Megillah 24b)."
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1 And the dragon
stood on the sand of the seashore. Then I saw a beast coming up out of the sea,
having ten horns and seven heads, and on his horns were ten diadems, and on his
heads were blasphemous names.
2 And the beast which
I saw was like a leopard, and his feet were like those of a bear, and his mouth
like the mouth of a lion. And the dragon gave him his power and his throne and
great authority.
3 I saw one of his
heads as if it had been slain, and his fatal wound was healed. And the whole
earth was amazed and followed after the beast;
4 they worshiped the
dragon because he gave his authority to the beast; and they worshiped the
beast, saying, "Who is like the beast, and who is able to wage war with
him?"
5 There was given to
him a mouth speaking arrogant words and blasphemies, and authority to act for
forty-two months was given to him.
6 And he opened his
mouth in blasphemies against God, to blaspheme His name and His tabernacle,
that is, those who dwell in heaven.
7 It was also given
to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them, and authority over
every tribe and people and tongue and nation was given to him.
8 All who dwell on
the earth will worship him, ever yone whose name has not been written from the
foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain.
9 If anyone has an
ear, let him hear.
10 If anyone is
destined for captivity, to captivity he goes; if anyone kills with the sword,
with the sword he must be killed. Here is the perseverance and the faith of the
saints.
11 Then I saw another
beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb and he spoke
as a dragon.
12 He exercises all
the authority of the first beast in his presence. And he makes the earth and
those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose fatal wound was healed.
13 He performs great
signs, so that he even makes fire come down out of heaven to the earth in the
presence of men.
14 And he deceives
those who dwell on the earth because of the signs which it was given him to
perform in the presence of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to
make an image to the beast who *had the wound of the sword and has come to
life.
15 And it was given
to him to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast
would even speak and cause as many as do not worship the image of the beast to
be killed.
16 And he causes all,
the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free men and the
slaves, to be given a mark on their right hand or on their forehead,
17 and he provides
that no one will be able to buy or to sell, except the one who has the mark,
either the name of the beast or the number of his name.
18 Here is wisdom.
Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for the number
is that of a man; and his number is six hundred and sixty-six.
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EXPOSITOR’S BIBLE COMMENTARY 8888888888888888888888888
B) [EXPOSITOR'S BIBLE COMMENTARY ON REV 13]:
"2. The two beasts (13:1-18)
This chapter forms part of the theme of the persecution of
God's people John began to develop in chapter 12. Turning from the inner
dynamics of the struggle, chapter 13 shifts to the actual earthly instruments
of this assault—viz., the two dragon-energized beasts. In accord with the
discussion in chapter 12, we may assume that the beast-related activities
constitute the way the dragon carries out his final attempts to wage war on the
seed of the woman (12:17). A contest is going on to seduce the whole world—even
the followers of Jesus—to worship the beast. As Minear shows (I Saw a New
Earth, p. 118), John seeks to emphasize three things about the first beast: he
shows (1) the conspiracy of the dragon with the beast (vv. 3-4); (2) the
universal success of this partnership in deceiving the whole world to worship
them (vv. 3-4, 8); and (3) that the partnership will succeed in a temporary
defeat of the saints of God, thus accomplishing the greatest blasphemy of God
(vv. 6-7a).
Finally, not being able to seduce all the earth alone, the
conspirators summon yet a third figure to their aids—the beast from the earth.
He must remain loyal to his associates and at the same time be sufficiently
similar to the Lamb to entice even the followers of Jesus. He must be able to
perform miraculous signs (semeia) much as the two witnesses did (vv. 11ff.; cf.
13:13 with 11:5). As the battle progresses, the dragon's deception becomes more
and more subtle. Thus the readers are called to discern the criteria that will
enable them to separate the lamblike beast from the Lamb himself (13:11 with
14:1).
Two basic interpretative problems confront the reader. These
have led students of the book to different understandings of this chapter: (1)
The identification of the beast and his associate are they personal or some
other entity'? (2) The time of the beast's rule—is it past, continuous, or
still future? In seeking some satisfactory answers to these questions, it may
be helpful to first set forth the facts about the beast. He (1) rises from the
sea (v. 1); (2) resembles the dragon (v. 1), (3) has composite animal features
(v. 2); (4) is dragon empowered (v. 2); (5) has one head wounded to death but
healed (vv. 3-4, 7b-8); (6) blasphemes God and God's people for forty-two
months (vv. 5-6); (7) makes war against the saints and kills them (vv. 7a, 15);
and (8) gives to those who follow him his "mark,' which is either his name
or his number, 666 (vv. 16-18).
In addition, there are no fewer than a dozen further
references in Revelation to the beast (11:7, 14:9, 11; 15:2, 16:2, 10, 13;
19:19-20, 20:4, 10), excluding the nine references to the scarlet-colored beast
in chapter 17, which should probably be included. These further references
contain no new information, but 11:7 indicates that the beast rises from the
Abyss. Also, 19:19 refers to a coalition of the beast with the "kings of
the earth," and 19:20 describes his final end in the lake of fire.
The history of the interpretation of chapter 13 is far too
extensive for this commentary to cover. As early as the second century, two
different understandings of the Antichrist appeared. Some early interpreters
take the position that the Antichrist will be a person, a world deceiver who
will reign for the last half of Daniel's seventieth week (Dan 7:25). The
Epistle of Barnabas (A.D. 70-100?) warns believers to be alert to the imminent
appearing of "the final stumbling-block," who is identified with the
"little horn" of Daniel 7:24 (4.3-6, 9-10, ANF 1:138-39). The Didache
(early second century?) refers to a "world deceiver [who] will appear in
the guise of God's Son. He will work `signs and wonders' and the earth will
fall into his hands and he will commit outrages such as have never occurred
before" (16.4, in Cyril C. Richardson, ed., Library of Christian Classics,
vol. 1, Early Christian Fathers, [Philadelphia: Westminster, 1953], p. 178).
Justin Martyr (d.165) likewise looked for the appearance in his lifetime of the
Antichrist prophesied by Daniel, who would reign for three and one-half years
according to Daniel 7:25 (Dialogue 32; ANF, 1:210).
Irenaeus (d.202) gives the first extensive discussion of the
Antichrist. He is to be an unrighteous king from the tribe of Dan, the little
horn of Daniel 7:8, who will reign over the earth during the last three and
one-half years of Daniel's seventieth "week" (Dan 9:27). Irenaeus
identifies the Antichrist with the first beast of Revelation 13 and the
"man of sin" ("lawlessness," NIV) of 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4,
who will exalt himself in the Jerusalem temple (rebuilt) (Contra Haereses
5.25.1-5; 5.28.2; 5.30.2; ANF, 1:553, 556-59). This view, with modifications,
is followed by Irenaeus's student Hippolytus (d.235), also by Tertullian
(d.220) and Victorinus (d.304), and in recent times by many commentators,
including Barnhouse, Bruce, Gaebelein, Ladd, Morris, Mounce, Scofield, and
Walvoord. In its favor is the more literal reading of 2 Thessalonians 2:1-10
and the natural understanding of the Antichrist as being the personal
counterpart to the personal Christ.
On the other hand, from the earliest times some interpreters
have understood the Antichrist as a present threat of heresy, depending more on
the concept found in the Johannine Epistles (1 John 2:18, 22; 4:3; 2 John 7).
Thus Polycarp (d.155), said to be a disciple of the apostle John, understands
the Antichrist to be revealed in the docetic heresies of his time (Philippians
7.1; ANF, 1:34). Likewise, Tertullian identifies the many false prophets of
docetism with the Antichrist but sees these teachers as the forerunners of the
future Antichrist, who as the Arch Deceiver will come "in all kinds of
counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders" to mislead those who "have
not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness" (2 Thess 2:9-12)
(Against Marcion 5.16; ANF, 3:463-64).
Luther, Calvin, and other Reformers adopting this general
view identified the beast with the papacy of the Roman Catholic Church. Only
one recent interpreter, Henry Alford, seems to follow the Reformers in their
view. However, other modern commentators adopt the theological heresy
interpretation of the Antichrist (Berkouwer, Minear, Newman). In its favor are
the references to the Antichrist in the Johannine Epistles and the advantage of
seeing the beast as a present threat to the church and not merely as an
eschatological figure of the last time. This view also argues that the 2
Thessalonians 2 passage need not be understood as referring to a single future
individual (see G.C. Berkouwer, The Return of Christ [Grand Rapids: Eerdmans,
1972], pp. 268-71). The issue is difficult to settle with any finality.
However, I will develop chapter 13 more in accord with the theological heresy
view, while recognizing at the same time that Tertullian's position as stated
above is consistent with my position and that the personal future Antichrist
view has strong support. (See also the comments at v.11.)
In modern interpretation, as Minear points out, there is
almost complete agreement that the "wounded head" (v. 3) refers to
the Nero redivivus legend. It will be helpful to have Minear's summary of the
legend before us:
Let us look first, then, at the Neronic legend itself.
Toward the end of his reign Nero's unpopularity among Roman citizens had
assumed high proportions. In 67 and 68 open revolts had broken out against his
authority in Gaul and Spain. At length he had been repudiated by the praetorian
guard and by the Senate. Fleeing from the city, he had taken refuge in a
friend's suburban villa, where he had received word that the Senate had
proclaimed him a public enemy and had approved Galba as his successor. Having
been warned that pursuing soldiers were approaching his hideout, he had cut his
own throat with a sword (June 9, 68). After his death a rumor spread abroad
that he had not actually died but had escaped to Parthia, whence he would soon
return to regain his throne. This rumor circulated most quickly in the eastern
provinces, and assumed strange forms. At one stage, popular expectation
envisaged the return of Nero from Parthia, with a huge army subduing all
opposition:
And to the west shall come the strife of gathering war and
the exile from Rome, brandishing a mighty sword, crossing the Euphrates with
many myriads.
On the basis of this rumor, impostors arose in the east who
assumed the name of Nero in the effort to exploit the legend. There are records
of at least two such claimants. There seems to have been a later stage in the
legend in which Nero's figure has become invested with supernatural status. Now
his return from the abyss with hordes of demons is anticipated as an omen of
the "last days." Among the oracles of the Sibyl we find an extensive
reference to this expectation:
There shall be at the last time about the waning of the
moon, a world convulsing war, deceitful in guilefulness. And there shall come
from the ends of the earth a matricide fleeing and devising sharp-edged plans.
He shall ruin all the earth, and gain all power, and surpass all men in
cunning. That for which he perished he shall seize at once. And he shall
destroy many men and great tyrants, and shall burn all men as none other ever
did (vv.361ff.) (I Saw a New Earth, pp. 248-49.).
This Neronic interpretation presupposes an identification in
John's mind between the sea beast and the Roman Empire, a view espoused in our
day by both preterist and not a few preterist-futurist interpreters of
Revelation (most recently by Mounce, Revelation, pp. 250-51). This in turn
usually assumes that Revelation 17 identifies the seven heads of the beast as
the successive emperors of the Roman Empire. Yet a question concerning the
reliability of this whole Neronic approach must be raised. Minear argues convincingly
that the Nero redivivus view will fit neither the facts of history nor the text
of Revelation 13 and 17 (I Saw a New Earth, pp. 228-60). (See comments at
17:8-9.)
Newman also impressively calls the Nero myth into question.
He argues that Irenaeus, the best source for the Domitian dating of the book,
never refers either to a Domitian persecution as the background for John's
thought or to any Nero-myth interpretation, even though he is attempting to
refute the identification of the number 666 with any Roman emperor. Newman
concludes that Revelation could just as well be viewed as a theological polemic
against some form of Gnosticism than, as popularly held, a political polemic.
Newman also challenges the widely held assumption that all apocalyptic
literature—and especially the Book of Revelation—must be understood as arising
out of some contemporary political crisis for the saints. Little evidence can
be cited for more than a selective and local persecution of Christians under
Domitian's rule (E.T. Merrill, Essays in Early Christian History [London:
Macmillan & Co., 1924], pp. 157-73; F. F. Bruce, New Testament History [New
York: Doubleday, 1972], pp. 412-14; Barclay Newman, The Fallacy of the Domitian
Hypothesis, NTS, 10 [1963], 139-49; G. Edmundson, The Church in Rome in the
First Century [London: Longmans, Green, 1913]).
Likewise rejecting the beast-equals-Rome hypothesis is
Foerster, who points out that rabbinic exegesis up to the first century A.D.
identified the fourth beast of Daniel 7 as Edom-equals-Rome. Since the beast of
Revelation 13 is a composite that unites all the features of the four beasts of
Daniel 7, it therefore cannot be identified with Rome (TDNT, 3:134-35, esp.
n.11). An attempt will be made in this exposition to demonstrate that the Rome
hypothesis is untenable. This leaves the question open as to whether John sees
the Antichrist (or beast) as a person or some more encompassing entity.
1a NIV and most other modern translations include v. 1a as
the concluding verse of chapter 12 because a variant Greek reading changes the
KJV text "I stood" to "he stood" (i.e., the dragon). The
latter reading is favored by a majority of textual scholars, though the KJV
text may be the original (see Notes). If "he stood" is the correct
reading, the sense would be that the dragon, who has now turned his rage on the
children of the woman (12:17), stands on the seashore to summon his next
instrument, the beast from the sea. But if the text reads "I stood,"
the sense is that John receives a new vision (cf. 10:1) as he gazes out over
the sea in the same manner as Daniel (7:2).
1b-2 The beast (therion, "wild beast") has already
been described in 11:7 as rising from the "Abyss" (cf. 17:8). Thus
the sea may symbolize the Abyss, the source of demonic powers that are opposed
to God (cf. 9:1; 20:1-3), rather than "the agitated surface of
unregenerate humanity (cf. Isa 57:20), and especially of the seething caldron
of national and social life" (Swete, p. 158). This view agrees with the OT
images of the sea as the origin of the satanic sea monsters—the dragon
(Tannin), Leviathan ("Coiled One"), and Rahab ("Rager")
(Job 26:12-13; Pss 74:13-14; 87:4; 89:10; Isa 27:1; 51:9; cf. also Ezek
32:6-8). The ancient Hebrews demythologized the sea-monster myths to depict the
victory of the Lord of Israel over the demonic forces of evil that in various
manifestations had sought to destroy the people of God. Thus John later
foresees the final day of Christ's victory when there will "no longer [be]
any sea" or source of demonic opposition to God and his people (21:1).
John describes the beast in words similar to those he used
in 12:3 of the dragon: "He had ten horns and seven heads, with ten crowns
on his horns." There is a slight difference here in the matter of the
crowns, which may represent some change in the dragon's authority. As
previously indicated (cf comments on 12:3), any attempt to identify the heads
or horns as separate kings, kingdoms, etc., should be resisted.
The image of the seven-headed monster is well attested in
ancient Sumerian, Babylonian, and Egyptian texts. A cylinder seal coming from
Tel Asmar (ancient Eshnunna some fifty miles northeast of modern Baghdad),
dating back to about 2500 B. C., shows two divine figures killing a
seven-headed monster with flames arising from its back. Four of its heads are
drooping as if already dead. A spear is in the hand of a figure who is striking
the fourth head (see Alexander Heidel, The Babylonian Genesis [Chicago: University
of Chicago, 1942], pp. 107-14, and figs. 15, 16; E.A. Wallis Budge, The Gods of
the Egyptians [New York: Dover Publications, 1969], 1:278-79).
The Chaos Monster
Cylinder seal from Tell Asmar (in ancient Mesopotamia) dated
c.2500 b.c., showing two gods spearing a four-legged, seven-headed hydra, four
of whose heads hang dead and three still live and show projected fork tongues;
six tongues of flame arise from the monster's back; two worshipers and a star
in the field are also seen. See Revelation 12:3-4; 13:1, 3, 14; 17:3,
8-11.">
It may be argued that John's beast from the sea is to be
connected with Leviathan in the OT. See Psalm 74:14, where the
"heads" of the monster are specifically mentioned: "It was you
who crushed the heads of Leviathan." The seven heads and ten horns,
regardless of the imagery used in Daniel or elsewhere, are not to be separately
identified. It is true that Leviathan, Rahab, and the dragon (serpent) in the
cited OT texts have a reference to political powers, such as Egypt and Assyria,
that were threatening Israel. In the minds of the OT writers, however, the
national entities were inseparably identified with the archetypal reality of
the satanic, idolatrous systems represented by the seven-headed monster
(Leviathan, Rahab, and the dragon) so that the beast represented, not the
political power, but the system of evil that found expression in the political
entity (Budge, Gods of the Egyptians, 1:278). The reason this point is so
important is that it helps us see that the beast itself is not to be identified
in its description with any one historical form of its expression or with any
one institutional aspect of its manifestation. In other words, the beast may
appear now as Sodom, Egypt, Rome, or even Jerusalem and may manifest itself as
a political power, an economic power, a religious power, or a heresy (1 John
2:18, 22; 4:3).
In John's mind, the chief enemy is diabolical deception; his
description therefore has theological overtones, not political ones. This
interpretation does not exclude the possibility that there will be a final
climactic appearance of the beast in history in a person; in a political,
religious, or economic system; or in a final totalitarian culture combining all
these. The point is that the beast cannot be limited to either the past or the
future.
John further states that this beast had "on each head a
blasphemous name." This prominent feature is repeated in 17:3 (cf.
13:5-6). Arrogance and blasphemy also characterize the "little horn"
of Daniel's fourth beast (7:8, 11, 20, 25) and the willful king of Daniel
11:36. John alludes to the vision of Daniel but completely transforms it.
In keeping with the Rome hypothesis, many have tried to
identify the blasphemous names with the titles of the emperor:
"Augustus" ("reverend," "to be worshiped") divus
("deified"); "Savior"; dominus ("Lord"). But was
this in John's mind? In 2:9 he refers to the blasphemy "of those who say
they are Jews and are not, " a reference that seems to refer to the fact
that some Jews at Smyrna had spoken against the lawful messianic claims of
Jesus. They may also have charged the Christians with disloyalty to the empire
and thus sided with the pagan officials in persecuting them. Could these Jews
be part also of the blasphemous names? In 13:6 the blasphemies are directed
against God and are further defined: "to blaspheme God, by blaspheming his
name, his temple, those who dwell in heaven" (my translation). Thus the
beast challenges the sovereignty and majesty of God by denying the first
commandment: "You shall have no other gods before me" (Exod 20:3).
Therefore, whatever person or system—whether political, social, economic, or
religious—cooperates with Satan by exalting itself against God's sovereignty
and by setting itself up to destroy the followers of Jesus, or entices them to
become followers of Satan through deception, idolatry, blasphemy, and spiritual
adultery, embodies the beast of Revelation 13.
The description John gives of the beast from the sea does
not describe a mere human political entity such as Rome. Rather, it describes
in archetypal language the hideous, Satan-backed system of deception and
idolatry that may at any time express itself in human systems of various kinds,
such as Rome. Yet at the same time John also seems to be saying that this
blasphemous, blaspheming, and blasphemy-producing reality will have a final,
intense, and, for the saints, utterly devastating manifestation.
3 The beast has a fatal wound, but the wound is healed. This
results in great, world-wide influence, acceptance, and worship for both the
beast and the dragon. verse 3 is important and requires careful exegesis
because of the widespread Nero redivivus viewpoint that is read into the
wounded head (see introduction to this chapter). There are a number of features
of John's description that are inconsistent with both the Nero redivivus and
the Roman Empire interpretations. I am indebted for the following arguments to
Newman ("Domitian Hypothesis," pp. 133-39) and to Minear (I Saw a New
Earth, ch. 5).
1. It should be observed that the wounded "head"
of v. 3 is elsewhere in the chapter a wound of the whole beast (vv. 12, 14). A
wound inflicted in a former and rejected emperor is not a wound inflicted on
the whole empire. If the reference is to Nero, it is difficult to see how his
self-inflicted wound could have wounded the whole empire or how the legendary
healing of his throat enhanced the authority of the beast or the dragon's war
against the saints.
2. The "wound" unto death or fatal wound, must be
carefully examined. In the Greek, the word for "wound" is plege,
which everywhere in Revelation means "plague," in fact, a divinely
inflicted judgment (9:18, 20; 11:6; 15:1ff.; 16:9, 21; 18:4, 8; 21:9; 22:18).
Elsewhere in the NT the word is used of "beatings" or official
"floggings" (Luke 10:30; 12:48; Acts 16:23, 33; 2Cor 6:5; 11:23). In
13:14 we find that the beast has the plague of the "sword"
(machaira), which supposedly refers to Nero's dagger. Elsewhere in Revelation
the "sword" (machaira, or rhomphaia) (1) symbolically refers to the
divine judgment of the Messiah (1:16; 2:12, 16; 19:15, 21); (2) is the sword of
the rider on the red horse and equals divine judgment (6:4, 8); and (3) is a sword
used as a weapon against the saints of God (13:10). We are, then, nearer to
John's mind if we see the sword, not as referring to an emperor's death, but as
the symbol of God's wrath that in some event had struck a death blow to the
authority of the beast (and the dragon), yet which had been deceptively covered
up or restored (for a probable antecedent, see Isa 27:1).
3. The correct identification, therefore, of the beast's
enemy will enable us to understand what event John had in mind in the death
blow. Everywhere in the book the only sufficient conqueror of the beast and the
dragon is the slain Lamb, together with his faithful saints (12:11; 19:19-21).
Furthermore, it is the event of the life and especially the crucifixion,
resurrection, and exaltation of Jesus that dealt this death blow to the dragon
and the beast (1:5; 5:9; 12:11). This same thought is paralleled by other NT
teaching (Luke 10:17-24; 11:14-22; John 12:31-33; Col 2:15). Irenaeus suggests
that the wound, so central to the Apocalypse, must be understood as an appeal
to Genesis 3:13ff. (Contra Haereses 5.25-34).
Yet the same paradox found in chapter 12 also appears here
in chapter 13. While the dragon (ch. 12) is, on the one hand, defeated and cast
out of heaven, on the other hand, he still has time and ability to wage a
relentless war against the people of God. Likewise, the beast (ch. 13) has been
dealt a fatal blow by the cross of Christ and yet still has time and ability to
wage war against the saints. He appears to be alive and in full command of the
scene; his blasphemies increase. What the sea beast cannot accomplish, he
commissions the earth beast to do (vv. 11ff.). All three—the dragon, the sea
beast, and the earth beast—though distinguishable, are nevertheless in
collusion to effect the same end: the deception that led the world to worship
the dragon and the sea beast and the destruction of all who oppose them.
It is this description that leads to the fourth reason why
identifying the beast exclusively with any one historical personage or empire
is probably incorrect. In John's description of the beast, there are numerous
parallels with Jesus that should alert the reader to the fact that John is
seeking to establish, not a historical identification, but a theological
characterization (though in this there is no implication against the
historicity of Jesus): Both wielded swords; both had followers on whose foreheads
were inscribed their names (13:16-14:1); both had horns (5:6; 13:1); both were
slain, the same Greek word being used to describe their deaths (sphagizo, vv.
3, 8); both had arisen to new life and authority; and both were given (by
different authorities) power over every nation, tribe, people, and tongue as
well as over the kings of the earth (1:5; 7:9; with 13:7; 17:12). The beast
described here is the great theological counterpart to all that Christ
represents and not the Roman Empire or any of its emperors. So it is easy to
understand why many in the history of the church have identified the beast with
a future, personal Antichrist.
It is curious that in her commentary on Revelation, Ford
refers to Minear's "most challenging argument against this [Nero]
theory" (p. 220) without offering any refutation. She then proceeds,
contrary to Minear's whole thesis, to try her own hand at another historical
identification that is even less convincing than the long succession of
previous ones (see comments on v.11).
While the references in the Johannine literature may be
taken as supporting the view that the Antichrist is manifested in multiple
persons and was a reality present in John's day (1 John 2:18, 22; 4:3; 2 John
7), Paul's description in such personal terms of the coming "man of
lawlessness" (2 Thess 2:3-4, 8-9) has led the majority of ancient and
modern interpreters to adopt the viewpoint that it is a personal Antichrist.
Bavinck believes that the solution to the conflict between Paul and John lies
in seeing John as describing the forerunners (anti-Christian powers in history)
while Paul talks about the day when these powers will be embodied in one
king(dom) of the world, the epitome of apostasy (cited by Berkouwer, Return of
Christ, p. 265). John, however, says that in the false teachers "the
antichrist" was actually present (2 John 7). Berkouwer shows that it is
not necessary to understand Paul's apocalyptic language as describing a
personal Antichrist (ibid., p. 270).
But the question must remain open as to whether John in the
Apocalypse points to a single archenemy of the church—whether past or future or
to a transhistorical reality with many human manifestations in history. Thus
the imagery would function similarly with regard to the image of the woman of
chapter 12 or the harlot of chapter 17. If such is the case, this does not mean
that John would have denied the earthly historical manifestations of this
satanic reality; but it would prevent us from limiting the imagery merely to
the Roman Empire or to any other single future political entity.
4 The goal of the dragon and the beast in their conspiracy
is to promote the idolatrous worship of themselves. This perversion is further
enhanced by the earth beast (vv. 12, 15). The means of deception varies because
not all mankind is deceived in the same way. People follow and worship the
beast because he is apparently invincible: "Who can make war against
him?" His only real enemy seems to be the saints of Jesus, whom he
effectively destroys (2:10, 13; 12:11; 13:15). But little does he realize that
in the death of the saints the triumph of God appears. As they die, they do so
in identification with the slain Lamb who through the Cross has decisively
conquered the dragon by inflicting on him a truly fatal wound. "Who is
like the beast?" echoes in parody similar references to God himself (Exod
15:11; Mic 7:18).
5-6 (See comments on v.1.) The period of the beast's
authority is given as "forty-two months," the same period already
referred to in 11:2-3; 12:6, 13 (see comments at 11:2).
7 Here, to "make war," as elsewhere in the
Apocalypse, does not mean to wage a military campaign but refers to hostility
to and destruction of the people of God in whatever manner and through whatever
means the beast may choose (study carefully 2:16; 11:7; 12:7, 17; 16:14; 17:14;
19:11, 19; 20:8; 2Cor 10:4). "To conquer" them refers not to the
subversion of their faith but to the destruction of their physical lives (cf.
Matt 10:28). As in T. S. Eliot's Murder in the Cathedral, (New York: Harcourt,
Brace & Co., 1935), their apparent defeat by the beast and his victory
turns out in reality to be the victory of the saints and the defeat of the
beast (15:2). Messiahlike universal dominion was given the beast by the dragon
(Luke 4:4-7; 1 John 5:19).
8 John further identifies the worshipers of the beast as
"all whose names have not been written in the book of life belonging to
the Lamb" (for a discussion of the meaning of the "book of
life," see comments at 3:5; also comments at 17:8; at 20:12, at 15; and at
21:27). This contrast further emphasizes the theological nature of the
description of the beast. The beast from the earth represents the idolatrous
system of worship instigated by the dragon to deceive mankind into breaking the
first commandment.
It has been debated whether the words "from the
creation of the world" (also 17:8) belong grammatically with "have
not been written" or with "that was slain." In other words, is
it the Lamb who was slain from the creation of the world, or is it the names
that were not recorded in the book of life from the creation of the world? In
Greek, either interpretation is grammatically acceptable. But the reference in
17:8 implies that the word order in the Greek (not the grammar) favors the
latter view and suggests that John is deliberately providing a complementary
thought to 17:8. In the former instance, the emphasis would rest on the decree
in eternity to elect the Son as the redeeming agent for mankind's salvation
(13:8; 1 Peter 1:20); in the latter, stress lies on God's eternal foreknowledge
of a company of people who would participate in the elect Son's redeeming work
(17:8). In any event, the words "from the creation of the world"
cannot be pressed to prove eternal individual election to salvation or
damnation since 3:5 implies that failure of appropriate human response may
remove one's name from the book of life. Therefore, we must allow John's
understanding of predestination to qualify both earlier rabbinic and Qumran as
well as later Christian views. This verse strikes a sharp note of distinction
between the followers of the beast and those of the slain Lamb. It also calls
for faithful commitment and clear discernment of error on the part of the
Lamb's people.
9-10 These verses are both important and difficult. This is
the only occurrence in Revelation of the words "he who has an ear, let him
hear" apart from their use in each of the messages to the seven churches
(chs. 2-3). Here they call special attention to the need for obedience to the
exhortation in v. 10b. Kiddle feels that v. 10 is the focal point of the whole
chapter, as it calls on the Christian to display faith and patience in the face
of the divinely permitted predominance of evil (p. 248). Most agree that the
language of v. 10 alludes to Jeremiah 15:2 and 43:11 (LXX 50:11), where the
prophet describes the certainty of divine judgment that will come upon the
rebels in Israel—they will suffer captivity, famine, disease, and death from
the sword. Yet it is difficult to see how Jeremiah's words are appropriate here
in this context of an exhortation for believers to be faithful. John's meaning
must be different—viz., that as the rebels in Jeremiah's day would certainly
encounter the divine judgment, so the faithful to Christ are assured that their
captivity and martyrdom are in God's will. (For the textual problem in v. 10,
see Notes.)
No completely satisfying resolution of the problems in v. 10
is available. Since the difficult part (10a) is both preceded by (v. 9) and
followed by (v. 10b) appeals to obedience and loyalty, it seems best to stay
with the sense of obedient faithfulness and follow the textual readings that
support it. Charles puts it this way: "The day of persecution is at hand:
the Christians must suffer captivity, exile or death: in calmly facing and
undergoing this final tribulation they are to manifest their endurance and
faithfulness' (Commentary on Revelation, 1:355). Paul's statement is similar:
"Without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you. This is a
sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that you will be saved—and that
by God" (Philippians 1:28). While the DSS reveal that the Essenes held to
an active, violent participation in the final eschatological battle for the
elect, and while the then current Zealot holy-war doctrine advocated violent
revolution, John seems to call believers here to passive resistance against
their enemies. Yet this resistance, which may result in captivity and even
martyrdom, seems to contribute to the eventual defeat of evil (cf. Adela Yarbo
Collins, "The Political Perspective of the Revelation to John," JBL,
96-2 [1977], 241-56).
11 John sees another (allo, "one of a similar
kind") beast rising from the earth. This second beast completes the
triumvirate of evil—the dragon, the sea beast, and the land beast. The land
beast is subservient to the beast from the sea and seems utterly dedicated to
promoting not himself but the wounded beast from the sea. Elsewhere the land
beast is called the "false prophet" (16:13; 19:20; 20:10). As with
the first beast, identification is a problem. That this beast comes from the
land rather than the sea may simply indicate his diversity from the first,
while other references stress their collusion.
A survey of the history of interpretation reveals in
general, as with the first beast, two main lines: the beast either represents a
power or a movement, or describes a human being allied with the Antichrist at
the close of the age (cf. Berkouwer, Return of Christ, pp. 260f.). Early
Christian interpreters, such as Irenaeus (second century), who identify the
first beast not with Rome but with a personal Antichrist, find in the second
beast the "armour-bearer" of the first, who employs the demonic
forces to work magic and deceive the inhabitants of the earth (Contra Haereses
5.28.2). Hippolytus (third century) identified the second beast as "the
kingdom of the Antichrist" (Christ and Anti-Christ, ANF, 5:214, par. 48).
Victorinus (late third century) speaks of this beast as the false prophet who
will work magic before the Antichrist. Victorinus then blurs the identification
of the second beast with the first in further remarks (Apocalypse 13.11-13).
Andreas (sixth century) reports that in his day "some say this [second]
beast is the Antichrist, but it seems to others that he is Satan, and his two
horns are the Antichrist and the false prophet" (Swete, p. 166).
Calvin and Luther, as well as other Reformers, drawing on
earlier traditions, were led to identify this beast with the papacy or specific
popes. Berkouwer notes that while the Reformers may have been mistaken as to
their actual identifications, they were right in seeing the beast as a present
threat and not some entity awaiting a yet future manifestation (Return of
Christ, pp. 262-63). Most modern commentators, following the Nero redivivus
view of the first beast, identify this beast as the priesthood of the imperial
cultus (Charles, Commentary on Revelation 1:357). Alford and others would
extend the symbolism to all ages and see in the second beast "the
sacerdotal persecuting power, pagan or Christian," and would call special
attention to the Roman papacy, though by no means limiting it to this
priesthood (Alf, 4:679). While recognizing that no view is without problems,
the following discussion takes the position that the land beast is John's way
of describing the false prophets of the Olivet Discourse (Matt 24:24; Mark
13:22). This identification is consistent with the previously stated view of
the sea beast as describing not just a specific political reality but the
world-wide anti-God system of Satan and its manifestation in periodic,
historical human antichrists. The land beast is the antithesis to the true
prophets of Christ symbolized by the two witnesses in chapter 11 (cf.
Berkouwer, Return of Christ, ch. 9, for a full and helpful discussion of the
whole Antichrist issue). If the thought of a nonpersonal antichrist and false
prophet seems to contradict the verse that describes them as being cast alive
into the lake of fire (19:20), consider that "death" and
"Hades" (nonpersons) are also thrown into the lake of fire (20:14).
The reference to the "two horns like a lamb" can
be understood as highlighting the beast's imitative role with respect to the
true Lamb in the rest of the book (e.g., 5:6ff.; 13:8; 14:1). Could the two
horns be in contrast to the two witnesses in chapter 11? Since one of the
primary characteristics of this second beast is his deceptive activities (v.
14; 19:20), his appearance as a lamb would contribute to the confusion over the
beast's true identity. If the land beast represents satanic false teaching and false
prophets, their evil is intensified because of its deceptive similarity to the
truth. Even though the beast is like the Lamb, in reality he is evil because
"he [speaks] like a dragon," i.e., he teaches heresy. Jesus gave such
a twofold description of false prophets in the Sermon on the Mount: "Watch
out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they
are ferocious wolves" (Matt 7:15). On the other hand, the lamblikeness may
simply be a reference to the beast's gentle outward manner in contrast to his
true identity as a fierce dragon.
12 The activity of the land beast is repeatedly described as
that of promoting the first beast's worship (v. 14). Could this be the kind of
activity referred to in the reference to the false prophets in Pergamum and
Thyatira seducing the servants of God to idolatry (2:14-15, 20, 24)? NIV misses
a nuance by rendering the Greek enopion ("in behalf of ") as if the
second beast exercised all the authority of the first beast merely as the
latter's representative. The preposition enopion occurs no fewer than thirty-four
times in Revelation and in every instance means "in the presence of "
or "before." The same word is used of the two witnesses in 11:4:
"These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before
[enopion] the Lord of the earth." Kiddle points out how this word in such
a context indicates "prophetic readiness to do the bidding of God, and
with the authority' inalienable from divine communion" (p. 255). As the
antitheses of the two witnesses, the false prophets derive their authority and
ministry from the first beast.
13 One of the strategies the land beast uses to deceive
people into following the first beast is the performance of "miraculous
signs" (semeion; see discussion at 12:1). The ability of the
Satan-inspired prophets to perform deceiving miracles is attested elsewhere in
Revelation and in other parts of the Bible (16:14; 19:20, Deut 13:1-5, Matt
7:22; 24:24; Mark 13:22; 2 Thess 2:9). Distinguishing between the true and
false prophets has always been difficult but not impossible. The followers of Jesus
must be constantly alert to discern the spirits (1 John 4:1-3).
The reference to "fire... from heaven" deserves
brief comment. It could refer to the fire that the prophet Elijah called down
from heaven (1 Kings 18:38) or to the fire coming out of the mouths of the two
witnesses (Rev 11:5). Either reference is preferable to the attempt to see here
some indication of the imperial cult priests of Rome. John may intend a
deliberate contrast between the true witnesses' use of fire and its use by the
false prophets (11:5; cf. Luke 9:54).
A quite elaborate theory was worked out by E. Watson and B.
Hamilton that connects the fire of God with the true word of God and the Holy
Spirit's witness (such as at Pentecost [Acts 2:3]). The false fire would then
be a reference to pseudo-charismatic gifts that create a counterfeit church
community whose allegiance is to the Antichrist (cited by Minear, I Saw a New
Earth, pp. 124-27). (In regard to "the fire... from heaven," remember
the priests Nadab and Abihu, who offered "unauthorized fire" before
the Lord, apparently by their own self-will, and received God's judgment in the
form of "fire" that "consumed them" [Lev 10:1-2].) In any
case, the reference to fire from heaven indicates that no mighty deed is too
hard for these false prophets, because they derive their power from the
Antichrist and the dragon. Christ's true servants are not to be deceived by
even spectacular miracles the false prophets may perform. Such miracles in
themselves are no evidence of the Holy Spirit.
14a Here more must be involved than the deceptions of the
imperial priesthood. The quality of the miracles deceives those who follow the
beast—viz., "the inhabitants of the earth." "Deceive"
(planao) is John's term for the activity of false teachers who lead people to
worship gods other than the true and living God (2:20; 12:9; 18:23; 19:20;
20:3, 8, 10; cf. 1 John 2:26; 3:7; 4:6; also Matt 24:11, 24).
14b-15 The second beast orders the setting up of an
"image" (eikon) of the first beast. Elsewhere, the worship of the
first beast, his "image," and his "mark" are inseparable
(14:9, 11; 15:2; 16:2; 19:20; 20:4). The eikon of something is not a mere copy
but partakes in its reality and in fact constitutes its reality (TDNT, 2:389).
Most interpreters, following the Roman-emperor exegesis, readily identify the
image with the statue of Caesar and refer the "breath" and speaking
of the image to the magic and ventriloquism of the imperial priests. But as has
been argued earlier (see comments on vv.1, and on 11), serious questions can be
raised against such an exegesis of John's language, which is much more
theologically descriptive than the Roman hypothesis allows. This is not to deny
that the imperial worship could be included as one form of the beast worship.
But the reality described is much larger and far more transhistorical than the
mere worship of a bust of Caesar. John, however, would not deny that these realities
have their historical manifestations, for in every age the beast kills those
who will not worship his image. In terms reminiscent of the great golden image
Nebuchadnezzar made and commanded every person to worship on the threat of
death (Dan 3:1-11), John describes the world-wide system of idolatry
represented by the first beast and the false prophet(s) who promotes it. John
describes this reality as a blasphemous and idolatrous system that produces a
breach of the first two commandments (Exod 20:3-5).
In speaking about giving "breath" (pneuma) to the
image, John implies the activity of the false prophets in reviving idolatrous
worship, giving it the appearance of vitality, reality, and power. Curiously,
the two witnesses were also said to receive "breath" (pneuma)
(11:11). The idolatrous satanic system has the power of death over those who
worship the true God and the Lamb. The same "image" tried to kill
Daniel and his friends, killed many of the prophets of God, crucified the Lord
Jesus, put to death Stephen (Acts 7:60), James the apostle (Acts 12:1-2), and
Antipas (Rev 2:13). Thus he demonstrated to his followers the apparent healing
of his wounded head. To limit the image to the bust of Caesar or to some future
statue or ventriloquistic device constricts John's deeper meaning and
eliminates the present significance of his language.
The contemporary phenomenon of the Korean religious leader
Sun Myung Moon and his official interpreter and prophetess, Young Oon Kim,
embody what seems to be a clear example of John's teaching about antichrists
and false prophets (cf. Young Oon Kim, Divine Principle and Its Application
[Washington, D. C.: The Holy Spirit Association for the Unification of World
Christianity, 1969]). Moon is being heralded as the "Lord of the Second
Advent" by Kim and others. His whole stance clearly embodies heresy and
blasphemy and many are being deceived into following him and his teaching (cf.
Harry J. Jaeger, Jr., "By the Light of a Masterly Moon," CT [19
December 1975], 13-16). Moon's idolatrous image receives continual breath by
worship from his followers.
16 The immediate effect of the worship of the beast involves
receiving a mark on the right hand or forehead. By comparing the other passages
where the beast, image, mark, and name of the beast are mentioned, it seems
clear that the "mark" (charagma) is an equivalent expression to the
"name of the beast" (13:17; 14:11; also 14:9; 15:2; 16:2; 19:20;
20:4), which is also the "number of his name" (13:17; 15:2).
In Greek charagma may refer to a work of art such as a
carved image of a god (Acts 17:29), to any written inscription or document, to
the "bite" of a snake, to a red "seal" (an impress) of the
emperor and other official attestors of documents, or to a "brand" on
camels indicating ownership (TDNT, 9:416; MM, p. 683; Deiss BS, pp. 240-47). No
evidence, however, can be cited from the ancient world where a charagma is
placed on a person, let alone on the "right hand" or on the
"forehead," though a seal (sphragis) was customarily put on slaves
and soldiers. This lack of concrete evidence has led Swete, who is committed to
the Roman-emperor view, to reject any connection between the charagma and a
literal mark of the emperor. He argues that as the servants of God receive on
their foreheads the impress of the divine seal (7:3; 14:1), so the servants of
the beast are marked with the stamp of the beast (p. 170). In other words, the
charagma is not a literal impress seal, certificate, or similar mark of
identification, but it is John's way of symbolically describing authentic
ownership and loyalty. Those who worship the beast have his charagma or brand
of ownership on them, as the followers of Jesus have the brand of God's
possession on them. The fact that the Babylonian Talmud prohibits the Jew from
wearing the tephillim (prayer scroll) on the forehead or on the hand may lie in
the background as to why John uses these two places to describe the idolatrous
mark (Megillah 24b).
17 Those having the charagma ("mark") can
"buy or sell," those without it cannot. This statement apparently
refers to some sort of socio-economic sanctions that would, of course, affect
the social and economic condition of Christians in the world. Earlier, John
alluded to certain such conditions. Smyrna was a greatly persecuted church and
was "poor" (2:9); Philadelphia was of "little strength"
(3:8); those faithful to Christ in the Great Tribulation are seen in heaven as
never again hungering (7:16), while the great harlot grows rich and wallows in
luxury (18:3). Other NT writers also apparently refer to socio-economic
sanctions practiced against Christians (Rom 15:26; Heb 10:34). Such a sanction
was more social than political, imposed not by the government but by the
communities. When governmental Rome took official notice of an illegal
religion, it was always by criminal charges in the courts, not by economic
sanctions (Caird, p. 173).
18 In v. 17, John indicates that the charagma
("mark") is the name of the beast or the number of his name. He now
reveals the number of the beast: "His number is 666." The list of
conjectures concerning the meaning of the number (or its alternates—see Notes)
is almost as long as the list of commentators on the book. Taking their cue
from the words "let him calculate the number of the beast," most of
these interpreters have tried to play the ancient Hebrew game of gematria or,
as it is called by the Greeks, isopsephia. Ancient languages, including Hebrew
and Greek, use standard letters from their alphabets as numerical signs. For
example, α (alpha) in Greek can represent the number one, β (beta) the number
two, ιβ (iota beta) twelve, etc. A series of letters could form a word and at
the same time indicate a number. Gematria took many forms and consisted in
trying to guess the word from the number or trying to connect one word with
another that had the same numerical value. On the walls of Pompeii, there are
some graffiti, dated no later than A.D. 79, that illuminate the practice. One
reads: "Amerimnus thought upon his lady Harmonia for good. The number of
her honorable name is 45 (με [mu epsilon])." The key to the puzzle seems
to be in the word "Harmonia," which was probably not the girl's
actual name but refers to the nine Muses (the goddesses of song and poetry);
and 45 is the sum of all the digits from 1 to 9 (E. M. Blaiklock, The
Archaeology of the New Testament [Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1970], p. 131).
Another runs: "I love her whose number is 545 (φμε [phi mu epsilon])
(Deiss LAE, p. 277). In these cases, the number conceals a name, and the
mystery is perhaps known for certain only by the two lovers themselves.
Similarly, the Jews (esp. Hasidim) used Hebrew alphabetical
numbers to indicate concealed names and mysterious connections with other words
of the same numerical value. For example, the Hebrew word nahas
("serpent") has the same numerical value as the Hebrew word masi|ah
("Messiah") (358). From this it was argued that one of the names of
the Messiah was "serpent." Some suggest that this may relate to
Moses' lifting up the "serpent" in the wilderness (cf. Num 21; John
3:14). (For these and many other examples, see William Barclay, "Great
Themes of the New Testament. Part V. Revelation xiii (continued), ExpT, 70,
[1959], 292-96.)
Thus it is not difficult to understand why most commentators
have understood John's words "Let him calculate the number.... His number
is 666" to be an invitation to the reader to play gematria and discover
the identity of the beast. This interpretation is not new. Irenaeus (second
century) mentions that many names of contemporary persons and entities were
being offered in his day as solutions to this number mystery. Yet he cautioned
against the practice and believed that the name of the Antichrist was deliberately
concealed because he did not exist in John's day. The name would be secret till
the time of his future appearance in the world. Irenaeus expressly refutes the
attempt of many to identify the name with any of the Roman emperors. He feels,
however, that the gematria approach is John's intended meaning but warns the
church against endless speculations (Contra Haereses 29.30).
Irenaeus's fear was not misplaced. Endless speculation is
just what has happened in the history of the interpretation of v. 18, as
Barclay has well documented it ("Great Themes," pp. 295-96). Barclay
himself (following Charles, perhaps) is quite certain that the only possible
solution is to use Hebrew letters, and so he comes up with "Neron
Caesar," which equals 666. This identification is linked with the view
that the Antichrist would be Nero redivivus (see introduction to 13:1). Yet
this use of Hebrew letters requires a spelling for "caesar" that is
not normal for the word (qsr). However, in a publication of an Aramaic document
from the Dead Sea cave at Murabbaat, dated to the second year of the emperor
Nero, the name is spelled nrwn qsr, as required by the theory (BASOR, 170
[April 1963], 65).
More recently the whole line of Nero redivivus
interpretation has been seriously challenged by Minear and others (I Saw a New
Earth, ch. 5; cf. commentary at introduction to 13:1). In the first place, none
of the keywords of v. 18-name, number, man, 666-requires the effort to find an
emperor (or future political dictator) with a name whose letters will add up to
666. The sheer disagreement and confusion created through the years by the
gematria method should have long ago warned the church that it was on the wrong
track. After surveying all the evidence, Ruhle says, "It may be said that
all the solutions proposed are unsatisfactory" (TDNT, 1:464). If John was
seeking to illumine believers so that they could penetrate the deception of the
beast as well as to contrast the beast and his followers with the Lamb and his
followers (14:1ff.), he has clearly failed—that is, if he intends for us to
play the gematria game. How Nero could fit these requirements is, on closer
examination, difficult to see. If some Christians of John's time did succumb to
Caesar worship, it was due less to their being deceived than to their fear of
death. Moreover, several exegetical factors argue strongly for another sense of
John's words.
In the first place, nowhere does John use gematria as a
method. Everywhere, however, he gives symbolic significance to numbers (e.g.,
seven churches, seals, trumpets, and bowls; twenty-four elders; 144,000 sealed;
144 cubits for the New Jerusalem, etc.). Furthermore, in 15:2 the victors have
triumphed over three enemies: the beast, his image, and the number of his name,
which suggests a symbolic significance connected with idolatry and blasphemy
rather than victory over a mere puzzle solution of correctly identifying
someone's name.
John seeks to give "wisdom" (sophia) and
"insight" (nous) to believers as to the true identity of their enemy.
Curiously, while Mounce favors the gematria explanation, citing that it is a
commonly used device in apocalyptic literature and tended to protect the user
against sedition (both assertions made without citing any evidence), he ends
his discussion by conceding in the light of the confusion that "it seems
best to conclude that John intended only his intimate associates to be able to
decipher the number" (Revelation, pp. 264-65). A similar use of nous and
sophia occurs in 17:9, where John calls attention to the identity of the beast
ridden by the harlot. What John seems to be asking for in both cases is divine
discernment and not mathematical ingenuity! Believers need to penetrate the
deception of the beast. John's reference to his number will help them to
recognize his true character and identity.
The statement "it is man's number" (arithmos...
anthropou) further identifies the kind of number the beast represents. Does
John mean that the beast is a man, that he has a human name? In 21:17 John uses
similar words for the angel: "by man's measurement, which the angel was
using." The statement is difficult. How can the measure be both
"man's" and at the same time of an "angel"? Kiddle seems to
sense the peculiarity of the statement in 21:17 and suggests that John is
attempting to call attention to some inner meaning in the number of the size of
the height of the wall in respect to the size of the city. The meaning perhaps
is a mild polemic against first-century tendencies to venerate angels unduly by
stating that both men and angels can understand and enter the future city (see
comments at 21:15-21). In any case, the statement "it is man's
number" alerts the reader to some hidden meaning in 666. From this it may
be concluded that the number of the beast is linked to humanity. Why would it
be necessary for John to emphasize this relationship unless he assumed that his
readers might have understood the beast to be other worldly without any
connection to humanity. Might it be, then, that the statement signifies that
the satanic beast, which is the great enemy of the church, manifests itself in
human form? Thus as the similar phrase in 21:17 linked the angelic and the
human, so here it joins the satanic with the human.
Finally, how are we to understand 666? The best way is to
follow Minear (I Saw a New Earth, ch. 5) and Newman ("Domitian
Hypothesis," pp. 133ff.) and return to one of the most ancient
interpretations, that of Irenaeus. Irenaeus proposed (while still holding to a
personal Antichrist) that the number indicates that the beast is the sum of
"all apostate power," a concentrate of six thousand years of
unrighteousness, wickedness, deception, and false prophecy. He states that
"the digit six, being adhered to throughout, indicates the recapitulations
of that prophecy, taken in its full extent, which occurred at the beginning,
during the intermediate periods, and which shall take place at the end."
Irenaeus also held that the wound of the beast has reference to Genesis 3:13ff.
The Messiah has freed men from this wound by wounding Satan and by giving them
the power to inflict wounds on the beast by overcoming his blasphemy (Contra
Haereses 5.29.30).
The significance of the name of the beast is abundantly
clear in Revelation (12:3; 13:1-6, 14:11, 17:3ff.). Wherever there is
blasphemy, there the beast's name is found. The number 666 is the heaping up of
the number 6. Minear adds, "Because of its contrast with 7 we may be
content with an interpretation which sees in 666 an allusion to incompleteness,
to the demonic parody in the perfection of 7, to the deceptiveness of the
almost-perfect, to the idolatrous blasphemy exemplified by false worshipers, or
to the dramatic moment between the sixth and the seventh items in a vision
cycle (cf. seals, trumpets, bowls, and kings 17:10)" (I Saw a New Earth,
p. 258). This interpretation of 666 as a symbolic number referring to the
unholy trinity of evil or to the human imperfect imitation of God rather than a
cipher of a name is not restricted to Minear. It has been held by a long line
of conservative commentators—A.C. Gaebelein (The Revelation [New York: Our
Hope, 1915]), J.A. Seiss (The Apocalypse [Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1957]), J.F.
Walvoord, T.F. Torrance (The Apocalypse Today [Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1959]),
L. Morris, J. Ellul (The Apocalypse: The Book of Revelation [New York: Seabury,
1977]), and others.
Notes
1 In many critical editions of the Gr. text, the sentence
"And the dragon stood on the shore of the sea" is made v. 18 of ch.
12 rather than v. 1 of ch. 13 following the reading ἐστάθη (estathe, "he
stood") instead of ἐστάθην (estathen, "I stood"). The third
person reading is well supported and may be correct, though the first person
yields good sense and the MS evidence is not such as to eliminate it from
consideration. A single letter in the Gr. text makes the difference.
10 A major textual problem in the last half of this verse
presents a difficulty to understanding its meaning. The problem involves
whether the first reference to the verb ἀποκτείνω (apokteino,
"kill") should be read with the majority as ἀποκτενεῖ (apoktenei,
"will kill," a future indicative) or with A ἀποκτανθῆναι
(apoktanthenai, "be killed," an aorist passive infinitive). KJV, RSV,
Phillips, NASB all follow the first reading and render it "If any one
kills with the sword." Combining this with the last phrase, the latter
part of the verse yields either a warning directed toward Christians for them
not to turn to violence and killing to vindicate themselves or a promise of
requital to believers that their persecutors will be judged by God.
If, on the other hand, we follow the reading of A (preferred
by Bruce M. Metzger [A Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament (New York:
UBS, 1971), p. 750] and Charles [Commentary on Revelation], 1:355), the
translation will be as in NIV (cf. NEB, TEV). This yields the sense that
Christians who are destined by God for death must submit to his will and not
resist the oppressor. It is an appeal to loyalty. In adopting this reading and
sense, Charles points out that the construction in A is the same idiomatic Heb.
as that in 12:7 (where see note) and yields this sense: "If anyone must be
killed with the sword, with the sword he must be killed." Metzger argues
that the majority-text reading reflects an altered text influenced by the
retribution idea found in Matt 26:52: "For all who draw the sword will die
by the sword." No entirely satisfactory solution is available.
11 A curious interpretation of the first and second beasts
is offered by Ford (pp. 227-30). She holds that the first beast is the emperor
Vespasian and peculiarly identifies the second beast tentatively with Flavius
Josephus, the renegade Jew and historian. While Ford's attempt is not without
interesting parallels, it founders chiefly on the fact that she should be the
first to suggest it. On such a premise, how could we explain the fact that
Josephus's writings were not preserved by Jews but by Christians if he were, in
fact, recognized as one of their great enemies?
16 The apocalyptic Pss Sol refers to the "mark of
God" on the righteous and the "mark of destruction" on the
wicked (15.8).
17 When John says "the name of the beast or the number
of his name," the "or" (ἢ [e]) may signify mere
interchangeability so that the name and/or the mark are equivalent (BAG, p.
342).
18 Instead of 666, which is strongly supported, one good MS
and a few lesser witnesses have 616, which is explained as either a scribal
slip or a deliberate alteration to give the numbers necessary for the Gr.
"Caesar god" (Deiss LAE, p. 278, n.3), or "Gaios Caesar"
(Caligula) (Barclay, "Great Themes," p. 296), or the Latin form of
Nero Caesar (Metzger, A Textual Commentary, p. 752). Irenaeus strongly deplored
this 616 reading as heretical and deceptive (Contra Haereses 5.30).
A few MSS read 646 or 747 according to Hoskier (H.C.
Hoskier, Concerning the Text of the Apocalypse, 2 vols. [London: Bernard
Quaritch, 1929], 2:364).
Expositor's Bible Commentary, The - Volume 12: Hebrews
through Revelation.
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6. The Sixth Personage: The Beast Out Of The Sea (13:1-10)
a. The beast out of the sea introduced (13:1-2)
13:1-2. Chapter 13 presents a most important personage of
the end time—a beast coming out of the sea. His 10 horns and 7 heads, with 10
crowns on his horns, depict the revived Roman Empire, which was also
represented by the fourth beast of Daniel, which also had 10 horns (Dan. 7:7-8;
cf. Rev. 13:3; 17:3, 7). In Revelation 13 and 17 the beast is the world ruler,
whereas in Daniel 7 the little horn on the beast was the world ruler.
The fact that the beast comes out from the sea indicates
that he is a Gentile, for the sea of humanity is involved as his source (cf.
Rev. 17:15).
Many have said that the beast refers to some character in
past history, but the context clearly refers to the final three and one-half
years before Christ's second coming. Under the control of this central ruler in
the Middle East during the Great Tribulation will be 10 nations (cf. Dan. 7:24,
"The 10 horns are 10 kings"). (For discussion of various alternative
views, see Walvoord, Revelation, pp. 198-99.)
In Revelation 13:2 the beast was seen to gather in the symbolism of the three preceding empires—Greece (a leopard, cf. Dan. 7:6), Medo-Persia (a bear, cf. Dan. 7:5), and Babylon (a lion, cf. Dan. 7:4). The power of the beast was derived from Satan himself: the dragon gave the beast his power and his throne and great authority. This accords with Paul (2 Thes. 2:9) who referred to "the lawless one" (i.e., the Antichrist, this first beast of Rev. 13) as working "all kinds of counterfeit miracles [dynamei], signs [sēmeiois], and wonders [terasin]."
13) as
working "all kinds of counterfeit miracles [dynamei], signs [sēmeiois],
and wonders [terasin]."
B. THE
FATAL WOUND OF THE BEAST (13:3)
13:3. The
seven heads of the beast seem to represent important rulers, and one of them,
probably the seventh, suffered a fatal wound caused by a sword (v. 14), which
was subsequently healed, causing astonishment in the entire world.
Many have
attempted to identify this beast as someone in the past or present who is to
become the final world ruler. Among the suggestions have been Nero, Judas
Iscariot, Mussolini, Hitler, Stalin, Kissinger, and many others; but such men
obviously do not fit the details of this yet-future ruler.
What is
the meaning of the fatal wound that is healed? Two possibilities seem to fit
this description. Alford, for instance, sees the deadly wound as the
destruction of "the Roman pagan Empire" by "the Christian Roman
Empire," thus making it a matter of history rather than prophecy (The
Greek Testament, 4: 675). The revival of the Roman Empire would then be its
miraculous healing. Another plausible explanation is that the final world ruler
receives a wound which normally would be fatal but is miraculously healed by
Satan. While the resurrection of a dead person seems to be beyond Satan's
power, the healing of a wound would be possible for Satan, and this may be the
explanation. The important point is that the final world ruler comes into power
obviously supported by a supernatural and miraculous deliverance by Satan
himself.
C. THE WORSHIP OF SATAN AND THE BEAST (13:4-6)
13:4-6.
The supernatural character of the beast makes him the object of worship along
with Satan, the source of his power. It has always been Satan's purpose to
receive the worship due to God alone, as stated in Isaiah 14:14: "I will
make myself like the Most High." This is Satan's final form of counterfeit
religion in which he assumes the place of God the Father, and the beast or the
world ruler assumes the role of King of kings as a substitute for Christ. This
situation is probably introduced at the beginning of the last three and
one-half years when the Great Tribulation begins.
Recognizing
the supernatural character of Satan and the ruler, the question is raised, Who
is like the beast? Who can make war against him? (Rev. 13:4) This apparently
explains how the beast could become world ruler without a war. His blasphemous
assumption of the role of God continues for 42 months, during which time he
blasphemes God as well as heaven and those who live in heaven.
D. THE
WORLDWIDE POWER OF THE BEAST (13:7-8)
13:7-8.
The beast becomes a worldwide ruler, for his authority extends over every
tribe, people, language, and nation. As predicted in Daniel 7:23, he does
"devour the whole earth, trampling it down and crushing it."
In
addition to achieving political domination over the entire world, he also
abolishes all other religions and demands that everyone worship him (cf. 2
Thes. 2:4). All inhabitants of the earth worship the beast except for those
whose names are recorded in the book of life. In the expression the Lamb that
was slain from the Creation of the world, the words "from the Creation of
the world" seem, as in the NIV margin, to relate to the time in eternity
past when the names were written in the book of life, rather than to Christ's
crucifixion, since He was not crucified when the world was created. As Paul
wrote, those who were saved were foreordained to salvation before Creation (cf.
Eph. 1:4).
Some hold
that the book of life originally contained the names of every living person to
be born in the world, and that the names of the unsaved get blotted out when
they die. This interpretation stems from Revelation 3:5, where Christ promised
the believers in Sardis that their names would not be erased from the book of
life, and from 22:19, where a person who rejects the messages in the Book of
Revelation is warned that "God will take away from him his share in the
tree of life" (cf. "tree of life" in 2:7 and 22:2, 14 and
"book of life" in 3:5; 17:8; 20:12, 15; 21:27). However, 13:8
probably means simply that those who are saved had their names written in the
book of life in eternity past in anticipation of the death of Christ on the
cross for them and that they will never be erased.
Taken
together, verses 7 and 8 indicate the universal extent of the beast's political
government as well as the final form of satanic religion in the Great
Tribulation. Only those who come to Christ will be delivered from the
condemnation that is involved.
E. THE EXHORTATION TO HEAR (13:9-10)
13:9-10.
In a format similar to the exhortation to the seven churches of Asia Minor
(chaps. 2-3) this passage gave an invitation to individuals who would listen.
The dream of many today, of a universal church and a universal religion, will
be realized in the end time, but it will be satanic and blasphemous instead of
involving worship of the true God. In such a situation, appeal can only be made
to individuals who will turn from it to God. In every age God speaks to those
who will hear, a concept mentioned frequently in the Gospels (Matt. 11:15;
13:9, 43; Mark 4:9, 23; Luke 8:8; 14:35).
In
contrast with the invitation addressed to the seven churches where each
exhortation was addressed "to the church," the mention of churches is
notably absent here. This is another indication that the church has been
raptured before the time of these events. Revelation, instead of being
interpreted as addressed only to first-generation Christians facing
persecution, is better understood as an exhortation to believers in all
generations but especially those who will be living in the end time. Those who
are willing to listen are reminded that their obedience to the Word of God may
result in their captivity or martyrdom (Rev. 13:10), so the exhortation closes,
This calls for patient endurance (hypomonē, "steadfastness,
perseverance"; cf. 14:12) and faithfulness on the part of the sai
A.
INTRODUCTION OF THE BEAST OUT OF THE EARTH (13:11-12)
13:11-12.
In contrast with the first beast who came "out of the sea" (v. 1),
the second beast came out of the earth. He was similar to the first beast
(thērion, "a beast," was used of both personages). However, while the
first beast was a Gentile, since he came from the entire human race as
symbolized by "the sea" (v. 1), the second beast was a creature of
the earth. Some have taken this as a specific reference to the Promised Land
and have argued that he was therefore a Jew. There is no support for this in
the context as the word for "earth" is the general word referring to
the entire world (gē). Actually his nationality and geographic origin are not
indicated, and he is apparently the one referred to as "the false
prophet" in 19:20 and 20:10. (For a comprehensive discussion of the two
beasts see Alford, The Greek New Testament, 4:678-79.)
The
second beast had two horns like a lamb, but he spoke like a dragon, that is,
like Satan. From this it can be gathered that he was a religious character
whose role was to support the political ruler, the first beast. He had great
authority apparently derived from Satan and the political ruler, and he made
the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, the one whose fatal
wound had been healed.
The false
religious system, which was supported in this way imitated the divine Trinity.
Satan seeks to take the place of God the Father; the first beast assumes the
place of Jesus Christ, the Son, the King of kings; and the second beast, the
false prophet, has a role similar to the Holy Spirit who causes Christians to
worship God. This is Satan's final attempt to substitute a false religion for
true faith in Christ.
B. THE
MIRACLES OF THE BEAST (13:13-15)
13:13-15.
To induce people to worship the first beast, the second beast performs great
and miraculous signs (lit., "great signs," sēmeia megala; cf. "a
great... sign" in 12:1), including fire... from heaven. People sometimes
overlook the fact that, while God can do supernatural things, Satan within
certain limitations can also perform miracles, and he used this power to the
full in this situation to induce people to worship Satan's substitute for
Christ. Accordingly the second beast deceived the inhabitants of the earth.
In
addition to causing fire to come down from heaven, the second beast set up an
image of the first beast. The image was probably set up in the first temple in
Jerusalem which was taken over from the Jews. According to Paul (2 Thes. 2:4)
the first beast actually sat in God's temple at times and received worship
which properly belonged to God. Perhaps the beast's image was placed in the
same temple to provide an object of worship when the beast himself was not
there.
This
image was mentioned frequently (Rev. 13:14-15; 14:9, 11; 15:2; 16:2; 19:20;
20:4). Whether the image was in the form of the world ruler, the first beast,
or merely some object of worship is not clear, but it did seem to symbolize the
power of the first beast.
The fact
that the second beast could give breath to the image of the first beast, even
making it speak, has created problems for expositors, for the Bible does not
seem to indicate that Satan has the power to give life to an inanimate object.
Only God is the Creator. So probably the beast's image is able to give an
impression of breathing and speaking mechanically, like computerized talking
robots today. There might be a combination of natural and supernatural powers
to enable the beast out of the earth to accomplish his purpose. It apparently
was quite convincing to people and induced them to worship the image.
The
command to worship the image as well as the first beast was enforced by killing
those who refused to do so. But there was a difference between the decree to
put them to death and its execution. The problem of ferreting out everyone in
the entire earth who would not worship the beast would naturally take time.
Hitler, in his attempt to exterminate the Jews, took many months and never
completed his task. The multitude of martyrs is referred to in 7:9-17.
C. THE
MARK OF THE BEAST (13:16-18)
13:16-18.
Enforcing his control over the human race and encouraging worship of the beast
out of the sea, the second beast required everyone... to receive a mark on his
right hand or on his forehead, and without this evidence that he had worshiped
the beast no one could buy or sell. The need to buy or sell such necessities as
food and clothing would force each person in the entire world to decide whether
to worship the beast or to bear the penalty. Apparently the great majority
worshiped the beast.
There has
been much speculation on the insignia or "mark" of the beast, but it
could be any of several kinds of identification. Countless attempts have been
made to interpret the number 666, usually using the numerical equivalents of
letters in the Hebrew, Greek, or other alphabets. As there probably have been
hundreds of explanations continuing down to the present day, it is obvious that
if the number refers to an individual it is not clear to whom it refers.
Probably
the best interpretation is that the number six is one less than the perfect
number seven, and the threefold repetition of the six would indicate that for
all their pretentions to deity, Satan and the two beasts were just creatures
and not the Creator. That six is man's number is illustrated in many instances
in the Bible, including the fact that man should work six days and rest the
seventh. (For further discussion of the many views cf. Mounce, The Book of
Revelation, pp. 263-65; Smith, A Revelation of Jesus Christ, pp. 206-7; and
Walvoord, Revelation, pp. 209-12.)
The
practice of gematria, the attempt to find hidden meanings in numbers in
Scripture, was prominent in the ancient world. Maybe John had in mind a
particular person whom his close associates would be able to identify.
Literature from the early church fathers, however, reveals the same confusion
and variety of meanings that exist today, so probably it is best to leave this
puzzle unsolved. Probably the safest conclusion is that of Thomas F. Torrance,
"This evil trinity 666 apes the Holy Trinity 777, but always falls short
and fails" (The Apocalypse Today, p. 86).
Chapter
13 is important because it introduces two of the main characters of Revelation:
the beast out of the sea, the world dictator; and the beast out of the earth,
the false prophet and chief supporter of the political ruler. There is no
evidence that either of them is a Jew though some have identified one or the
other as an apostate Jew based on the expression "the God of his
fathers" (Dan. 11:37, KJV). However, the Hebrew word ʾĕlōhm is a general
word for god, quite different from Yahweh, and there is no proof that in Daniel
it refers to the God of Israel. In recent translations it is "gods"
(cf. ASV, NASB, NEB, NIV, and RSV). Thus while it has been popular to consider
either the first or the second ruler of Revelation 13 as an apostate Jew, the
supporting evidence is lacking. Both beasts are probably Gentiles inasmuch as
this will be the final hour of the time of the Gentiles, when Gentiles will
tramp underfoot the city of Jerusalem (Luke 21:24), and both rulers will
persecute Jews as well as believing Gentiles.
Revelation
13, however, gives much insight into the character of the Great Tribulation. It
will be a time of one world government and one world religion, with one world
economic system. Those who will resist the ruler and refuse to worship him will
be subject to execution, and the martyrs may outnumber the believers who
survive. It will be Satan's final and ultimate attempt to cause the world to
worship him and to turn them from the worship of the true God and Jesus Christ
as their Savior.
This
chapter also makes it clear that the postmillennial dream of a world getting
better and better through Christian effort and gospel preaching is not
supported in the Bible. Instead the final form of world religion will be
apostate, satanic, and blasphemous. There are many indications today that the
world is heading in this direction, with the corresponding conclusion that the
coming of the Lord may be near.