Someone worthy to open the seals. Revelation 6:1-2.

 In chapter five, the Apostle John saw the sealed scroll in the hand of God. He understood the serious nature of the information in the scroll, but NO ONE under the earth, on the earth, or in heaven was worthy to open the scrolls. 

As a follower of Christ, this last statement puzzles me – because I find myself asking, where is Jesus?

John begins to weep as there is none worthy. If there is none worthy, how will we ever find out what is in the scroll? This might lead to another assumption, as there was no one closer to Jesus on earth besides John, and in his vision, he does not see Jesus anywhere.

An elder comes to John, stops him from weeping, and affirms that there is one worthy - the lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David. This description is distinctly speaking of Jesus Christ, and it is so because Jesus alone paid the price for our redemption.

However, when John turns to see his best friend, Jesus, the majestic and conquering lion, he sees a lamb, as if it had been slaughtered.

Is this cause for dismay? Not at all, for He is the Lion of Judah; the Lamb that was slain – the final sacrifice; and, He is God.

Having someone worthy to open the seals, we begin our look into chapter six.

Revelation 6:1 NASB “Then I saw when the Lamb broke one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures saying as with a voice of thunder, "Come."

The opening of this first seal is, according to Dake's commentary, “one of 62 events of Rev. 6:1-20:3 that will be fulfilled during Daniel’s 70th week.”

Daniel's 70th week refers to Daniel 9:26-27, where the Antichrist establishes or makes an existing peace treaty better. The treaty or covenant, made by the Antichrist, is broken halfway through the seven-year treaty period.

[By the way, Israel is NOT mentioned when this peace treaty is made and, therefore may not be the recipient of its benefits.]

Most translations read something like what we see in the NASB version of Daniel 11:23, (After an alliance is made with him he will practice deception, and he will go up and gain power with a small force of people,) but look at how the NIRV [New International Reader's Version] states this same verse, “The king of Syria will make an agreement with that prince. But then he will not keep his word. He will rise to power with the help of only a few people.” 

When I read something like this my first question is, how did the contributors to this translation come to this conclusion? 

If I treated my statement as a question, then the legitimate response is that Daniel 11:23, is a very concise history lesson; a history lesson that is a reference to a future event. Fortunately, God is not random as we are, therefore, we can look at the history of Daniel 11 as a pattern for what is to come and that means that we could be looking for one that is of Assyrian descent to bring about this covenant with the many. (Yes, I changed it from Syrian to Assyrian as the entire region falls under the appropriate category because they are all descendants of Esau and Ishmael.)

The first seal is now broken, and immediately a living creature, who speaks with a voice like thunder, says, come. John is meant to see this.

Revelation 6:2 CJB “I looked, and there in front of me was a white horse; its rider had a bow and was given a crown and he rode off as a conqueror to conquer.”

In most cowboy movies, the rider on the white horse was the good guy,  the hero; that is not the case here. An intriguing piece of information is that Islam also puts their hopes in Revelation 6:2, as they believe that this is the only scripture in the Bible that is valid, as, for them, the rider on the white horse is their Messiah.

To the Jews reading or hearing this talk about the rider on the white horse, it is not something new to them. Zechariah 6:7 speaks of horses similar to what we will soon see. The difference is that the Lord sends those in Zechariah. Their mission is to be revealed at a prescribed time; perhaps that time is now. Zechariah 1:7-11 also speaks of horses similarly colored; they report back to the Lord that all is at rest.

End Page one.

It seems that prophecy is validated in the mind of the Jewish audience through repetition. Seeing as we DO NOT know the entirety of these riders' mission in Zechariah, it leaves a door open to God using them for His purposes, even if it is troublesome.

Dake's commentary declares that this is the Antichrist and gives us seven proofs.

What follows is taken from Dake's commentary, and he provides scriptural references. When I see something like this coming from someone so adept at Eschatology, you might think I could merely take the man's word for it. I have learned otherwise, and therefore, always attempt to validate the information given. Many of the references given DO NOT seem to define what Dake is saying; because of things like what I found with Dake my strong suggestion is to be cautious in your studies and who you pay attention to. Along this line of reasoning, one dear sister that I listen to recently asserted that 1 Thessalonians and 2 Thessalonians are depicting sequential events; she went on to explain that the events in 1 Thessalonians must happen before anything in 2 Thessalonians can happen, and she made a bit of a scene, saying, see! One is named as the first and then the second. I put my head in my hands and said dear Lord help her.

I said all this because we are going to examine Dake's seven points.

“Seven proofs that this rider is the antichrist:”

1. “An individual is referred to.” (Rev_6:2) Many translations use the terminology “he that sat,” to describe this rider on the first white horse.

   The terminology “its rider,” as seen in Revelation 6:2, directs us to look for an individual, in contrast to a multi-headed beast, which is representative of kingdoms. See Daniel 7:6-7 for descriptions of some of the beasts.

   Isaiah 41:2 speaks of one from the east. It is obvious to me that it is God who has called this “one.” "Who has aroused one from the east Whom He calls in righteousness to His feet? He delivers up nations before him And subdues kings. He makes them like dust with his sword, As the wind-driven chaff with his bow.” (NASB )

   Since I am looking for at least two witnesses to validate Dakes's assertion, then perhaps Ezekiel 25:4 will help us to understand this individual.

   Ezekiel 25:4 CJB I will let the people from the east take possession of you. They will set up camps and build their homes among you; they will eat your fruit and drink your milk.

   I would think that the people from the East would have a leader. 

   If this is a definition of this rider, the Antichrist, then why would we be looking to the Roman Catholic Church?

2. “he comes on a white horse, imitating Christ and claiming to be Him.” (Rev_6:2; Mat_24:4-5; Joh_5:43; Dan_9:27; Dan_11:37).

   Let me interject something here; it is obvious that he has a bow and he is on a mission, but the passage does not say anything about him claiming to be Christ. If we pursue the parallels in Daniel, then we have a chance at validating the claims that Dake makes.

   Daniel 11 has the strongest correlation to him claiming to be God when it says “he will magnify himself above them all.” The reference is to all gods.

   Daniel 11:36-37 NASB "Then the king will do as he pleases, and he will exalt and magnify himself above every god and will speak monstrous things against the God of gods; and he will prosper until the indignation is finished, for that which is decreed will be done. (37) "He will show no regard for the gods of his fathers or for the desire of women, nor will he show regard for any other god; for he will magnify himself above them all.

   
   

   Notice how the Psalm defines the way the wicked act. All these descriptions fit the man, but they do not exactly say that he will set himself above God.

   Psalms 94:3-4 NASB How long shall the wicked, O LORD, How long shall the wicked exult? (4) They pour forth words, they speak arrogantly; All who do wickedness vaunt themselves.

End Page two.

The (Ultimate Cross-Reference Treasury) states, “This seems to be a representation of the person and dignity of Christ, and the mild and beneficent triumphs of his Gospel ...” 

Unless you pay attention and look at the context, you might be deluded into thinking this is Christ as well.

Revelation 19 gives us a clarifying parallel when it shows us, Jesus upon the white horse coming to close out the seven-years, kill off those who choose to fight with Him, and begin the millennial reign.

It seems like a stretch to say, “he comes on a white horse, imitating Christ and claiming to be Him,” as we do not see an intentional act of imitation. What we do see, is this rider going on a mission in which he goes “out conquering and to conquer.” Revelation 19 on the other hand, speaks of His faithfulness. 

Revelation 19:11 NLT Then I saw heaven opened, and a white horse was standing there. Its rider was named Faithful and True, for he judges fairly and wages a righteous war.

Isaiah 41:2 speaks of a king and it is apparent the God has helped him win his battles.

Isaiah 41:2 NIrV "Who has stirred up a king from the east? Who has helped him win his battles? I hand nations over to him. I bring kings under his control. He turns them into dust with his sword. With his bow, he turns them into straw blowing in the wind.




Keep in mind that scripture tells us that God used Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonian empire, to bring about God's judgment and punishment upon Israel. Jeremiah 21:7 and 22:25 both speak of God giving over Judah into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon and into the hand of the Chaldeans.




Habakkuk 3:8,9 also speaks of a horse and a bow. I point this out because of the prophetic symbolism and familiarity to the Jewish community. 

Habakkuk 3:8-9 NIrV LORD, did your anger burn against the rivers? Were you angry with the streams? Were you angry with the Red Sea? You rode your horses and chariots to overcome it. (9) You got your bow ready to use. You asked for many arrows. Selah You broke up the surface of the earth with rivers.




In Dake's reference to Matthew 24:5 (NASB) , where it tells us, "For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and will mislead many,” there is NO specific reference to who will make this claim. 

It is ludicrous to think that someone would claim to be Jesus. The more reasonable claim would be for someone to declare that they represent god, which the Mahdi of Islam does.




Revelation 14:14 speaks of the crown.

Revelation 14:14 NLT Then I saw a white cloud, and seated on the cloud was someone like the Son of Man. He had a gold crown on his head and a sharp sickle in his hand.

3. “A bow in symbolic language in connection with man pictures evil designs and conquests (Psa_7:12; Psa_11:2; Psa_37:14; Psa_46:9; Psa_58:7; Jer_49:35). Christ is always symbolized as having a sword, not a bow.” (Rev_1:16; Rev_19:15, Rev_19:21).

Psalm 37 defines the evil designs and conquests. We are experiencing the evil designs and conquests with the advent of the Covid 19 virus and ensuing "Vaccine."


 Psalms 37:14 NLT The wicked draw their swords and string their bows to kill the poor and the oppressed, to slaughter those who do right.

Note how this rider has no arrows; however, the intent to harm is there.




4. “Scripture makes it clear that Satan is the one who gives Antichrist a crown.” (Dan_8:24; Dan_11:38-39; 2Th_2:8-12; Rev_13:2, Rev_13:4).

                                Daniel 8:24a NLT He will become very strong, but not by his own power

End Page three.

Daniel 11 gives us a clue when it says he will honor "a god of fortresses."

Daniel 11:37-39 NASB "He will show no regard for the gods of his fathers or for the desire of women, nor will he show regard for any other god; for he will magnify himself above them all. (38) "But instead, he will honor a god of fortresses, a god whom his fathers did not know; he will honor him with gold, silver, costly stones, and treasures. (39) "He will take action against the strongest of fortresses with the help of a foreign god; he will give great honor to those who acknowledge him and will cause them to rule over the many and will parcel out land for a price.




Fortresses is an English transliteration of the Hebrew word mâ‛ôz. This word is most commonly defined as strength. 

So he is worshiping a god of strength. If this man is a Muslim, then it is no coincidence that Muslims say, Allahu Akbar as the phrase means Allah is greater. 

Couldn't I perceive that they believe that their god is strength?




2 Thessalonians distinctly conveys that it is Satan empowering the one who is coming.

2 Thessalonians 2:8-10 NASB (8) Then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming; (9) that is, the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders, (10) and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved.




If you understand that the Dragon of Revelation 13 is Satan, this verse makes sense.

Revelation 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.

5. “Antichrist is the only person predicted in Scripture as going forth "conquering and to conquer" at this particular time, beginning Daniel’s 70th week....” (Dan_7:7-8, Dan_7:20-21, Dan_7:23-24; Dan_8:23-25; Dan_9:27; Dan_11:36-45; Rev_6:1).

Daniel 7:7 speaks of "the fourth beast." This beast devours, crushes, and tramples down; this describes the Antichrist as well. We have been clinging to Rome and the Catholic church as the fourth beast, in doing that we have prevented ourselves from considering Islam as the fourth beast.

Daniel 7:7-8 NASB "After this I kept looking in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, dreadful and terrifying and extremely strong; and it had large iron teeth. It devoured and crushed and trampled down the remainder with its feet; and it was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns. (8) "While I was contemplating the horns, behold, another horn, a little one, came up among them, and three of the first horns were pulled out by the roots before it; and behold, this horn possessed eyes like the eyes of a man and a mouth uttering great boasts.

This horn that we see in verse eight is the only thing here that identifies a person.

Verse eight, however, speaks of a mouth uttering great boasts. You can't have a mouth without having a body, but this does not mean that the “little horn” and the mouth uttering great boasts are the same person. We are looking for a false prophet as well, and this mouth may well fit that description. I say that, but in reading other translations I can see how this might be a descriptive of the Antichrist.

 

Daniel, desirous to understand the meaning of the fourth beast, just as we all do, prayed for an answer; this is what he received.

Daniel 7:23-25 NASB "Thus he said: 'The fourth beast will be a fourth kingdom on the earth, which will be different from all the other kingdoms and will devour the whole earth and tread it down and crush it. (24) 'As for the ten horns, out of this kingdom ten kings will arise; and another will arise after them, and he will be different from the previous ones and will subdue three kings.

 End Page four.

(25) 'He will speak out against the Most High and wear down the saints of the Highest One, and he will intend to make alterations in times and in law; and they will be given into his hand for a time, times, and half a time.

• “The fourth beast will be a fourth kingdom on the earth,”

  Unlike the first three empires, this does not have to be sequential, and even if you must insist that we should be looking for the Roman empire, it too was non-sequential. If you consider the Grecian empire's end, it ended under the rule of two generals Ptolemy and Seleucus.

  The Seleucid Empire, which was most anything North of Egypt, encompassed many kingdoms, one of which was the massive Assyrian empire. When you think about the Assyrian empire, think about the Persians or the Islamic world.

  In terms of being different, most conquering kingdoms/empires did not try to change the people's religion; they sought to dominate those captured and do away with their faith if necessary. 

  Daniel 8:23-24 is another reference Dake gives us. This one is quite specific.

  Daniel 8:23-24 NASB "In the latter period of their rule, When the transgressors have run their course, A king will arise, Insolent and skilled in intrigue. (24) "His power will be mighty, but not by his own power, And he will destroy to an extraordinary degree And prosper and perform his will; He will destroy mighty men and the holy people.

  While the terms “going forth, conquering and to conquer,” are not explicitly mentioned, we do have the phrase “destroy to an extraordinary degree.”

  Destroy is the Hebrew word shâchath and means to ruin.

  An extraordinary degree is the Hebrew word pâlâ and means a surpassing action. It does not carry the violence we have come to expect and perfectly fits this global vaccination scheme.

What does Islam do? It forces all captured nations to bow their knee to Allah.

6. “This rider will cause the wars, famines, pestilences, death, and the horrors of the following three seals.” (Rev_6:3-8).

   Revelation 6:3-8 NASB When He broke the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, "Come." (4) And another, a red horse, went out; and to him who sat on it, it was granted to take peace from the earth, and that men would slay one another, and a great sword was given to him. (5) When He broke the third seal, I heard the third living creature saying, "Come." I looked, and behold, a black horse, and he who sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand. (6) And I heard something like a voice in the center of the four living creatures saying, "A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius; and do not damage the oil and the wine." (7) When the Lamb broke the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying, "Come." (8) I looked, and behold, an ashen horse, and he who sat on it had the name Death; and Hades was following with him. Authority was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword and with famine and with pestilence and by the wild beasts of the earth.

   The reference to He is to the Lamb, not the rider on the white horse. Keep in mind, “He” is opening the seals. There are other horses, but these are independent of the white horse rider.

   The rider on the red horse removes peace from the earth.

   The rider on the black horse causes astronomical inflation.

   The rider on the ashen horse has the name Death. This rider has the power to kill with sword, famine, pestilence, and wild beasts of the earth.

   Go back to Revelation 6:2, and you will see this, “he went out conquering and to conquer.” Conquer is the Greek word nikaō and means to subdue.

End page five.

How he subdues people is not defined, although many will see the word bow and say, see, he subdues through archery.

What if this "vaccine" is how he subdues?

7. “If this is not Antichrist, then we do not have him mentioned in Revelation before the middle of the week (Rev_13:1-18). Were that the case, we should have two men going forth to conquer at the beginning of the week—one is clearly pictured in Dan_7:23-24; Dan_8:23-25; Dan_9:27; Dan_11:36-45, and one here. Without these passages in Daniel, the sphere of conquest, the number of nations conquered, the conqueror's identity, his rise to power, and other facts could not be defined. But putting these passages with Rev_6:1-2; Rev_13:1-18; Rev_14:9-11; Rev_16:13-16; Rev_17:1-17; Rev_19:19-20 we have the complete revelation of the one man. If we do not take the one in Daniel and the one here as being identical, then we can know nothing regarding the identity of the white horse rider.”

Allow me to restate this opening assertion that Dake makes; If this rider on the white horse is not the Antichrist, then we DO NOT see him until we get to Revelation 13:1-18.

 42 months is a key to understanding the Antichrist as it is three and one-half years into the time of God's wrath.

Revelation 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.

A logical question, if you have been following the chain of events, is where does the Antichrist go to at this point, or perhaps a better question is, what becomes of him? 

This is where we will take a momentary break, for the next thing I want you to see is Revelation 13:1-18, and I will post this shortly.

A scroll, sealed with seven seals. Rev 5: 1-6

 We previously covered Revelation chapter four, which opened with “after these things.” The terminology is understood by many to mean after the church age, and chapter four ends by describing the 24 elders. Having covered the clues as to who the 24 elders are in the previous study, it is evident that they, at minimum, represent the church.

Now we move into Revelation chapter five. After our journey into chapter four, one might think that the focus would remain with the church, or perhaps the elders and some role they might continue to play, but that does not happen because the focus of this book is that it is a revelation of Jesus Christ. We learn of this fact in the opening statement of the Revelation. With that in mind, we continue.

I give you the Complete Jewish Bible version, as it specifically refers to the document as a scroll and NOT a book.

Revelation 5:1 CJB Next I saw in the right hand of the One sitting on the throne a scroll with writing on both sides and sealed with seven seals;

The CJB chooses to show respect for Jehovah by referring to Him as the One. The NASB uses what I have come to see as a standardized capitalization of Him, but insisted on referring to the document as a book.

Revelation 5:1 NASB I (John) saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a book written inside and on the back, sealed up with seven seals.

Using the term “book” is a modern and logical direction as it gives us Gentiles an easy way to visualize this scene. If you felt the need to seal the “book,” why would you need to put seven seals upon it. Merely breaking one seal should give someone access to all aspects, whether you wanted them in there or not. To some degree, a bound book protects the words inside, but NOT on the outside; because of this, the mental imagery doesn't work as this is a scroll, sealed and secured for a specific time and a specific person to open it, by breaking the “wax” seals marked with an official stamp.

The problem with the modern terminology became immediately apparent as I began looking for the term “a book” as a comparative so that I might understand what this book in God's hand, was associated with. (My initial thoughts went to the Great White Throne.)

Revelation 20:12 CJB “And I saw the dead, both great and small, standing in front of the throne. Books were opened; and another book was opened, the Book of Life; and the dead were judged from what was written in the books, according to what they had done.”

We have nothing in Revelation 20:12 to tie this scroll to what we see in Revelation 5:1, but there is a correlation to Ezekiel 2:9-10.

Ezekiel 2:9-10 NASB Then I looked, and behold, a hand was extended to me; and lo, a scroll was in it. When He spread it out before me, it was written on the front and back, and written on it were lamentations, mourning, and woe.

Woes can also be parallelled to Revelation 8:13, which does not speak of a book, however, the information is the same and the result of a seal being opened.

Revelation 8:13 NASB Then I looked, and I heard an eagle flying in mid-heaven, saying with a loud voice, “Woe, woe, woe to those who dwell on the earth, because of the remaining blasts of the trumpet of the three angels who are about to sound!”

We are continuing with chapter five and a question, who is worthy?

Page one.

Revelation 5:2 CJB and I saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?”

• A mighty angel?

This is not a foreign statement to the Jewish community, as they are very familiar with the concept of angels and their power. Daniel, in an explanation from an angel, hears this.

Daniel 10:13 NIrV But the prince of Persia opposed me for 21 days. Then Michael came to help me. He is one of the leaders of the angels. He helped me win the battle over the king of Persia.

The Dake’s Bible, in his side note commentary, states that,

“[the prince of the kingdom of Persia] ...is the satanic prince or ruler of the kingdom of Persia (a fallen angel,) one ruling the kingdom of Persia for Satan who is recognized in Scripture as being the god and ruler of this world, having usurped man’s dominion.”

Dake refers to many passages, but one of the first is Matthew 4:8-9.

Matthew 4:8-9 NLT “Next the devil took him to the peak of a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. (9) “I will give it all to you,” he said, “if you will kneel down and worship me.”

The devil/Lucifer is a fallen angel. He was the prince/ruler of all the angels.

What you need to ask is, how did Satan obtain authority and ownership of the earth?

The answers are out there if you are willing to find them but I am not going into that here. Since an angel, with a simple touch, disabled Jacob, we should never try to exert power over an entity like this without the backing of the Holy Spirit.

• “Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?”

John Gill’s commentary says this is “suggesting, that if there was any such person, that he was desired to come, and do it.”

This is like a teacher asking if anyone has the answer to a question, and NO ONE raises their hand. As I read this, I think it would be only the arrogant who would dare to approach the scrolls. Having been involved in the faith movement, I can picture a few who think their faith would give them the prestige to step forward; however, scripture proves that is NOT the case, as there is only ONE who is worthy, and that is Jesus because of the cross.

Here again, this should evoke other questions in your mind, such as, why is He the only one?

I am not going to into the why’s of Him being worthy, as that would be another six-page study; so suffice it to say that you should look at the events that include and surround the cross. Continuing on.

Revelation 5:3-4 NASB And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the book or to look into it. (4) Then I began to weep greatly because no one was found worthy to open the book or to look into it;

This is an intriguing plot. If we have been raptured, then our status, in Him, would perhaps be seen as worthy, but that does not happen. I suppose the practical reasons for not being able to open the seals that go back to a time before time. Jesus’ authority, responsibility, and right to open the seals may well have been established before time began.

Page two.

Dake refers to this statement “no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth” as “Men Conscious in Three Realms.”

The realms then are:

• In heaven.
• On the earth.
• Or under the earth.

According to scripture, is what Dake says a valid assessment?

Those under the earth are those that have died without Christ.

Psalms 9:17 NLT The wicked will go down to the grave. This is the fate of all the nations who ignore God.

Wicked is the Hebrew word râshâ‘ and conveys the meaning of wicked, criminal, hostile to God, or guilty of sin.

Since we don’t know why they did not go up in the rapture, we must leave it to God to sort out what He will do with them, and He does; but for the moment, we understand that they are in Sheol.

Sheol is “the OT designation for the abode of the dead.” (BDB)

Because of Revelation 5:3-5, we know that there is NO ONE in Sheol worthy to break open the seals.

Alright then, what about those on the earth?

Scripture tells us,

“The path of life leads upward for the wise That he may keep away from Sheol below.” Proverbs 15:24 NASB

Pay attention to the wording in Proverbs 15:24. It is the wise who walk the path leading upward; and the wording, "that the wise MAY keep away from Sheol below. I am going to put it this way, even if you are wise, you may potentially get yourself caught in a trap. Some traps will kill you. Many teach, once saved always saved, but doesn't that apply to God's attitude toward us? We are still liable and responsible for the poor choices that we make here on earth.

This response "who rescues us from the wrath to come" is froth with arguments, as some cannot see the church in heaven until the end of the time of wrath (the Great T. This argument commits the church to endure God’s wrath, which is what these seven years are designated. The problem with that presumption is that those who argue for it ignore the fact that Jesus took all of God’s wrath upon Himself.

1 Thessalonians 1:10 NASB (10) and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, that is Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath to come.

This same Jesus bought us out of the slavery and bondage that we were due, thereby, once again escaping God’s wrath.

Ephesians 1:7 NASB In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace

Here in Ephesians 1:7, the word redemption is the Greek word apolutrōsis and means a ransom paid in full. In other words, we were freed from the bondage that was our fate. None of this, however, gives us an escape from the tribulations that are a part of our daily lives as followers of Jesus Christ. Since we know that the number of those who accept Jesus Christ after the rapture will be innumerable, we could conclude that there are still Christians here on earth.

Why not draw from one of these?

Page three.

(I can guarantee that some of you are pointing out that there is a simplistic answer, and there is, but it does not explain the reasons why Jesus is the only answer. Allow patience to work as the answer is provided and will soon be seen.)

We seem to set aside the fact that the age of grace has been removed from the earth along with the church; this removal has nothing to do with the action of the Holy Spirit, as He continues to draw all humanity to God. With grace being gone, all those acknowledging Jesus Christ will have to prove their loyalty through their death. When you think about this process, it makes sense why there is NO ONE worthy, on earth, to open the seals.

So then, the last option is to look for someone in heaven, and apparently, they do, but what an odd statement since we know that Jesus is in heaven, seated on a throne, next to the Father, ever making intercession for us. You have to believe that they looked around and see no one with their hand raised, saying, pick me.

What happens next?

Revelation 5:4-5 NASB Then I began to weep greatly because no one was found worthy to open the book or to look into it; (5) and one of the elders *said to me, “Stop weeping; behold, the Lion that is from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome so as to open the book and its seven seals.”

More so than anyone else, John would be the one who knew Jesus was already here in heaven. Jesus was John’s best friend. In the last hours of Jesus’ life, we find John with his head lying on Jesus’ chest. Try to imagine the significant loss he felt when He saw Jesus die, and the shock he felt, when, upon running to the tomb on the third day, found it open and Jesus was gone. You might think that John would expect to see Jesus strutting out on stage, dressed as a Messianic warrior, declaring that He would open the seals, but that did not happen.

One of the elders consoles John and says, “Stop weeping; behold, the Lion that is from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome so as to open the book and its seven seals.”

Even with this noble description, what does John see?

A lamb, as if it had been slain.

Revelation 5:6 NASB And I saw between the throne (with the four living creatures) and the elders a Lamb standing, as if slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God, sent out into all the earth.

On a side note. As a city kid, I never saw horns on a lamb. All that changed one recent year at the county fair, walking around with my grandchildren. We saw a lamb that had massive horns. It was then I remembered a friend, who managed the small farm for his parents, and he told me they cut the horns off when the sheep are young.

A lamb as if had been slain?

I cannot detach myself from the imagery portrayed in the Mel Gibson movie, The Passion, and yet, I believe the brutality was worse than the film depicted. Now we have a lamb as if slain. To slaughter an animal for dinner is a different process than one to be sacrificed, as the throat is slit, and the animal is then hung up and left to bleed out. Indeed, in this case, the lamb is covered in its blood, so much so that there would be no reason to understand how this animal could be standing, but there He is triumphant.

Page four.

Seven horns and seven eyes?

Initially, I wanted to back away from this section as it is bizarre and confusing. The Holy Spirit said to me, those people you lead are looking for answers, so give them an answer. I put aside the doubt and fears, and this is what I heard. 

We are told they are seven Spirits of God, sent out into all the earth. When Jesus left the earth, He said, He would send the comforter – the Holy Spirit. That Spirit of God went into all the earth.

Dr. J. Vernon McGee tells us,

“the Seven horns denote complete power. A horn speaks of power (see Dan. 7-8). He is omnipotent. Seven eyes denote complete knowledge. Christ is omniscient. He is the omnipotent and omniscient God. He moves in the fullness of the Spirit, who is the Spirit of wisdom and understanding.”

To be honest, it is a freakish image, but if that completeness of power and knowledge is all that they mean, it would be enough, for certainly Christ was and is all of those things that Dr. McGee says.

Paul stated that by proclaiming Christ, they sought to present every man to Christ, complete.

Colossians 1:28 NASB We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ.

On the part of Paul and his missionary buddies, this goal was never fully accomplished and still goes on today. So, how could Paul then say, "... you have been made complete in Him." Well, it does not say precisely that; it says that “in Him, you have been made complete.”

Colossians 2:9-10 NASB For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form, (10) and in Him, you have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule and authority;

So being in Him is a mandatory aspect of our completeness.

Dake’s commentary indicates that there are 27 references to lambs in the Revelation. While that is fascinating information, they are not all of Jesus, and here is one that conveys an opposing and deceiving image.

Revelation 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.”

What is newsworthy is how Satan has mimicked God at every turn. God marks those who are His own and Satan, will make it mandatory for people to take a mark to buy or sell anything at some point.

God has the 144,000 sealed with a mark on their foreheads; and what does Satan do? Enforces the mark on the right hand or the forehead.

Revelation 9:4 NASB “They were told not to hurt the grass of the earth, nor any green thing, nor any tree, but only the men who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads.”

The point in time, where buying food is restricted to those who have a seal in their right hand or forehead, is three and one-half years into the time of wrath; and is associated with the Antichrist. On the other hand, we live in a period that, as they used to say on Star Trek, is moving at warp speed, and it feels as though taking a mark through a “harmless” vaccine may happen within months.

For the sake of brevity, I want to end here; however, I am not done.

Because of Jesus' willingness to be beaten, go to the cross, and endure the taunts of Satan as he went down to Sheol, He can stand there, the Lamb as it had been slain, worthy to open the seals.

What is our proof that this happened?

Psalms 16:10 NLT For you will not leave my soul among the dead or allow your holy one to rot in the grave.

Page five.

Let's end on this.

Ephesians 2:13-21 NLT

But now you have been united with Christ Jesus.

Once, you were far away from God, but now you have been brought near to him through the blood of Christ.

For Christ, himself has brought peace to us.

He united Jews and Gentiles into one people when, in his own body on the cross, he broke down the wall of hostility that separated us.

He did this by ending the system of law with its commandments and regulations.

He made peace between Jews and Gentiles by creating in himself one new people from the two groups.

Together as one body, Christ reconciled both groups to God by means of his death on the cross, and our hostility toward each other was put to death.

He brought this Good News of peace to you Gentiles who were far away from him, and peace to the Jews who were near.

Now all of us can come to the Father through the same Holy Spirit because of what Christ has done for us.

So now you Gentiles are no longer strangers and foreigners. You are citizens along with all of God’s holy people. You are members of God’s family.

Together, we are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself.

We are carefully joined together in him, becoming a holy temple for the Lord.