WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN YOU DON'T
HAVE INSTANT UNDERSTANDING?
(1). YOU SHOULD FALL ON YOUR FACE BEFORE GOD and tell Him you realize that
truth is revealed and He alone can unveil the word just as He took the
veil off your eyes and brought you from darkness to light, in His timing.
The Spirit that is in you is the One that searches the deep things of God
and He is the One Who reveals them to us ("For to us God revealed (Ed
note: apokalupto = remove the veil or cover exposing to open
view what was before hidden) them through the Spirit; for the
Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God."1 Cor 2:10) as we compare
Scripture with Scripture.
(2). BECOME THOROUGHLY FAMILIAR WITH THE TEXT so that you will know the
truth for yourself. Kay believes that America is on the verge of God's
judgment and her heart is to see an army of men and women be raised up who
are able to stand as more than conquerors through Him Who loved us.
Jer
12:5 "If you have run with footmen and they have tired you out, Then how
can you compete with horses?...''
(3). LET THE TEXT SPEAK FOR ITSELF. Don't twist the Word to try to make it
fit a specific interpretation that you may have been taught. Many people
put on ''systematic theological'' glasses and therefore look at what they
are taught with these preconceived views (on the millennium, on the
tribulation, etc).
(4). ESTABLISH THE ''GIVENS'' -- those things in Revelation that we can be
absolutely certain about.
(5). DON'T ALTER THE ''GIVENS'' or the OBVIOUS in order to fit some
obscure text. Don't allow the obscure to override the obvious.
(6). LET IT SAY WHAT IT SAYS and don't bring fanciful imagination to the
word of God. Scripture interprets Scripture.
(7). ALWAYS INTERPRET ANY GIVEN PASSAGE IN THE LIGHT OF ITS CONTEXT:
especially the immediate context of the book in which you find the passage
and in the light of the rest of the Scripture. Scripture never contradicts
Scripture.
(8). WAIT ON THE LORD. When you've done all of these things and you still
don't understand, you need to wait on the Lord. But not a passive waiting.
Not waiting for God to ''zap'' you with some instant understanding. Wait
ACTIVELY by continuing to study, to pray (in the Scriptures) and to
meditate or think upon the Scripture.
|
THE ''GIVENS'' IN REVELATION
|
Review:
Click here for chart review
of Revelation 4-10 and Revelation 11-16
When
7th SEAL BROKEN
>
7 TRUMPETS
>
7th BOWL
End of Man's reign
Christ's return to earth
Earth is harvested
7 SEALS:
6 Seals are mentioned in Chapter 6 (Click
here for chart summary)
When was there a change in the book?
Chapter 4 begins the 3rd segment
which begins with a vision of the throne and a vision of the opening of
the scroll with 7 seals, and that the breaking of those 7 seals brings
everything that takes us to the very end, the coming of Jesus Christ in
Chapter 19.
GIVEN The
7 sealed scroll includes the trumpets and the bowls and one
comes out of the other.
GIVEN :
Rev 11:1-13.
a) John is to measures the Temple. Conclusion: There is going to be a literal
temple.
b) Court outside is to be trampled by the nations (Gentiles) and is not to be measured
c) Nations will tread down the court
42 MONTHS = 3 1/2 years
d) There will be a Rebuilt Temple: In 70A.D. it was destroyed by Titus. It
will be rebuilt in Jerusalem.
e) Two Witnesses prophesy for
1260days = 3 1/2 years
f) They belong to Christ
g) WHEN they have finished their testimony, the
Beast out of the Abyss
will kill them (Rev 11:7
"And when they have finished their testimony, the
beast
that comes up OUT OF THE ABYSS will make war with them, and
overcome them and kill them.")
Rev 17:8,11 "The
beast that you saw was and is not, and is about to come up
OUT OF THE ABYSS and to go to destruction. And those who dwell on the
earth will wonder, whose name has not been written in the book of life
from the foundation of the world, when they see the
beast, that
he was and
is not and will come...11 "And the
beast which was and is not, is
himself also an eighth, and is one of the seven, and
he goes
to destruction."
· So this must be the SAME
BEAST in
Rev 17 as the
BEAST that killed the
two witnesses in
Rev 11, just allowing Scripture to
interpret Scripture, letting the text speak for itself.
· 7 mountains are NOT literal mountains but 7 kings (this may not be what
you have been taught)
· This BEAST is going to destruction: He may seem victorious in
Chapter 11
but not in
17:8,11.
Don't forget the
BLESSING from reading, hearing
and heeding this book. If I
going to heed it, first of all I am going to have to believe it and I'm
going to have to believe it the way God says it and I'm going to have to
live in the light of it. So your struggle now is not in vain.
|
THE SEVEN
"BLESSINGS"
FROM READING AND HEEDING |
Rev 1:3
Blessed
is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and
heed the things which are written in it; for the time is near.
Rev 14:13 And I heard a voice from heaven, saying, "Write, 'Blessed
are the dead who die in the Lord from now on!'" "Yes," says the
Spirit, "that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds
follow with them."
Rev 16:15 ("Behold, I am coming like a thief.
Blessed
is the one who stays awake and keeps his garments, lest he walk
about naked and men see his shame.")
Rev 19:9 And he said to me, "Write, 'Blessed
are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.'" And
he said to me, "These are true words of God."
Rev 20:6 Blessed
and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection; over
these the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God
and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years.
Rev 22:7 "And behold, I am coming quickly.
Blessed
is he who heeds the words of the prophecy of this book."
Rev 22:14 Blessed
are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the
tree of life, and may enter by the gates into the city.
|
Rev 11:7 And when they have finished their testimony, the beast that
comes up out of the abyss will make war with them, and overcome them and
kill them.
· This takes place at the END OF THEIR 31/2 YEARS.
Rev 11:9 And those from the peoples and tribes and tongues and nations
[will] look at their dead bodies for three and a half days, and will not
permit their dead bodies to be laid in a tomb.
· Rev 11:9 used to be thought impossible that it could be taken
literally but not now with satellite phones allowing instantaneous
broadcasts from anywhere in the world.
· Those who DWELL ON THE EARTH will rejoice.
Now WHO KILLED THEM? THE
BEAST killed them and if follows that those who dwell on the earth must be very impressed with the
BEAST.
How will their enemies behold them? This is ''good news'' so the cameras
will be trained on their dead bodies in Jerusalem the moment their dead
bodies come to life and they go up to heaven. Awesome!
Where's the earthquake? Jerusalem because the context tells you.
When does
this take place?
Kay thinks the next verse tells us...
Rev 8:13 And I looked, and I heard an eagle flying in midheaven, 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!"
Four trumpets have been blown. The ''REMAINING'' tells you that the
trumpets are still in order but they are not happening at the same time.
In
Chap9:1-11 you have the 5th Trumpet and in
Rev9:12 it says the ''First woe
is past, behold two woes are still coming after these things.''
Then you
come to
Rev9:13 where the 6th angel sounds
his trumpet.
In
Rev10 we have the angel with
the little book, the 7 peals of thunder John is not allowed to write down
and John taking the little book which when he eats is sweet in his mouth
but bitter in his tummy and then he is told that he must prophecy again
concerning many peoples and nations and tongues and kings. Now he could
have told us after
Rev9:21 that the 2nd Woe is past but he didn't because he
is giving us a GIVEN: he is telling us when
Revelation 11 happens because after
Chapter 11 he says that the
2ND WOE IS PAST.
Now come let us reason together (Isaiah 1:18)...
If after the 6th trumpet the
2nd woe is past,
where do you have to
put the two witnesses
?
a) The two witnesses must go between Trumpets 6 & 7 or right at 6.
b) We also know that the TEMPLE is there but...
c) Jerusalem is trodden by the nations, for 3.5 years
d) These witnesses have completed their testimony at the end of the 6th
trumpet.
e) So from the 6th trumpet on you can go back 3.5 years.
GIVEN
WHAT HAPPENS IN THE 7th TRUMPET:
Rev 11:14-19
Obviously the
7th trumpet comes AFTER the 6th trumpet
It appears that at the 7th TRUMPET God is beginning to reign. He has
always reigned but this is an active reign. The nations are enraged
because it is a definitive intervention by God.
The phrase "time to reward bondservants the prophets & the saints (there is a
separation here) and to those who fear Thy name, the small and the great,
and to destroy those who destroy the earth.
"the time to give their reward
to Thy bond-servants the prophets and to the saints and to those who
fear Thy name, the small and the great (the time of the reward
is separated from the time of the destruction) and to destroy
those who destroy the earth."
What did we study this week?
The destruction of the great city, Babylon.
Next week we will see the destruction of the BEAST. So we see those who
are destroying the earth will be destroyed.
So the 7th trumpet either happens instantaneously or it is a time in which
all the rest of these things are going to be accomplished. We know
that when that 7th trumpet is blown, seven bowls come out of this trumpet
and "the mystery of God is finished".
Revelation 12:
GIVEN
WHEN THE DRAGON IS CAST DOWN:
a) When the woman flees into the wilderness she is there for 3 1/2 YEARS
b) Some say the woman is the church but note that she gives birth to
a male (what is the church always referred to as in the Scriptures? her,
she, bride of Christ, a composite of many members) who is caught up to God
and to His throne. What Male has ever been caught up to God and to His
thrown? Enoch and Elijah went up but there is no mention of a dragon
associated with them.
c) So the male taken up to heaven must be Christ
d) The dragon is clearly Satan, the serpent of old (so he has just defined for us
who it was who came as the the tempter into the garden of Eden)
e) At some point in time the dragon is cast out of heaven and down to the earth
f) Next to
Rev 12:10 (And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying,
"Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and
the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our
brethren has been thrown down, who accuses them before our God day
and night. ) write
Rev 11:15 "The kingdom of the world has
become the kingdom of our Lord, and of His Christ; and He will reign
forever and ever."
|
Revelation 11:15 |
The kingdom of the world
has become the
kingdom of our Lord,
and of His Christ |
|
Revelation 12:10 |
the
kingdom of our God
and the authority of His
Christ have come,
|
So it seems that at the same THE TIME DRAGON IS CAST DOWN, the KINGDOM OF
THIS WORLD has become THE KINGDOM OF OUR LORD AND OF HIS CHRIST.
If that
is so then when would that be happening?
The time when the dragon is cast down correlates with the
sounding of the 7th Trumpet, because John states that at both
events we see the kingdom of this world become the kingdom of God.
You may still have questions about the timing of this event and if
you do put a question mark by these events.
Rev 12:6 "And the woman fled
into the wilderness where she had a place prepared by God, so that
there she might be nourished for
one thousand two
hundred and sixty days...11 And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and
because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life
even to death. (What do we learn?
they were being killed)
12 "For this reason, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them.
Woe to
the earth and the sea, because the devil has come down to you, having
great wrath, knowing that he has
ONLY A SHORT TIME." (time
phrase) 13
And
WHEN
(time phrase) the dragon saw that he was thrown down to the earth, he
persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male child. 14 And the two
wings of the great eagle were given to the woman, in order that she might
fly into the wilderness to her place, where she was nourished for a
TIME
AND TIMES AND HALF A TIME, from the presence of the serpent.
When the dragon is cast down to earth, the woman flees in the wilderness
for 3 1/2 years.
GIVEN So we know that after the devil has been cast down there
has to be a 3.5 year time period. If this happens at the 7TH TRUMPET then
you know that from this time on you have 3.5 YEARS left.
Where is the
woman? In the wilderness.
Revelation 13: THE BEAST
The BEAST has been given his power and authority by the dragon.
Rev 13:5 And 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 And it was
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.
GIVEN So the BEAST was given his power for
3.5 years & he will make war on the
saints for 3.5 years and has power to overcome the saints.
When the devil is cast down he has ONLY A
SHORT TIME.
How long is a SHORT
TIME? We know that the dragon gives authority to the beast and we know
that the beast persecutes the saints for 3.5 years and that the woman
flees from the dragon for 3.5 years. Interesting, isn't it?
|
Editorial
Note
Summary of Some "Givens"
Discussed in Revelation Lecture 10 |
|
The Trumpet and Bowl
judgments both come out of the Scroll when the Lamb removes the
Seventh Seal.
GIVENS
associated with
Revelation 11:1-13:
a) The Jewish Temple will be rebuilt.
b) Court outside the Temple will be trampled by the Gentile nations
for 42 months (3 1/2 years, 1260 days)
c) God's two Witnesses prophesy for 1260 days (3 1/2 years, 42
months)
d) When the two witnesses have finished their testimony, the Beast
out of the Abyss will kill them
e) This Beast has the same description of the beast in Rev 17 - both
came up out of the abyss
f) The killing of the 2 witnesses by the Beast takes places at the
end of 1260 days (3.5 years)
g) The two witnesses are killed in Jerusalem
After the 6th trumpet the 2nd woe is past.
The 2 witnesses must be
prophesying either between Trumpets 6 and 7 or right at
Trumpet 6.
GIVENS
associated with
Revelation 12:
a) The woman flees into the wilderness for 1260 days (Rev 12:6)
or "time and times and half a time" (Rev 12:14)
b) The woman is not the church for she gives birth to the
Male Who has to be Christ
c) The dragon is Satan
d) Satan is cast out of heaven to earth at the 7th Trumpet
GIVENS
associated with the
7th Trumpet:
a) God is beginning to reign.
b) Satan is cast down to earth and has only a "short time"
which appears to equate with 3.5 years remaining for him to exert
authority.
c) Seven bowls come out of the 7th trumpet and "the
mystery of God is finished".
d) When the dragon is cast down there is a 3.5 year time period. If
this happens at the 7th Trumpet then you know that from this time on
you have 3.5 years left.
GIVENS
associated with
Revelation 13:
a)
The beast has been given his power and authority by the dragon, so the
beast in
Rev13:1 is not Satan.
b) The beast has authority for 42 months (3.5 years, 1260 days) to
wage war against and overcome the saints
Editorial note: This four part Precept course on Revelation
and the lectures by Kay Arthur build precept upon precept, so do not
become discouraged or frustrated if you can't completely understand
the timing of the various events John describes at this point in
your study. Continue to prayerfully read the book of Revelation,
making special note of the key time phrases and the progression of
events. Compare these events with the charts below. As you
persevere, your Teacher, the Holy Spirit, will begin to unlock the
timing of these glorious events step by step. As He reveals the
truth, then you will be adequately prepared to compare your
understanding with what the commentaries have to say (click
here for a list of commentaries or the Revelation
classified by school of interpretation). If you go to the
commentaries before you have a good "feel" for the timing of events,
you will find a wide variety of interpretations which may leave you
very confused. |
|
Study to show yourself approved unto God.
Instant holiness? No.
Instant
knowledge? No.
But in the process of getting to know God,
God is going to
give you an assurance that will hold you in the difficult days ahead. |