HEAVENS ACCORDING TO THE BIBLE

HEAVENS ACCORDING TO THE BIBLE

Heaven is not a place reserved only for the people who do good things. Heaven is not a final destination for all kinds of people because it is very good and loving place to allow all people to spend eternity. The spiritual ideas of the old communicated good theology which suggested that everybody will be talking about the blessed heaven but they themselves are not going there. Jesus taught to His followers, “Wide is the gate and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction and many there be which go in there at”(Matthew 7.13). Again Jesus said in contrast, “Narrow is the way which leadeth unto life and few there be that find it” (Matthew 7.14).

The Hebrew word for heaven is “Shamayin.” This particular word has t’s own importance in the Bible especially in the Old Testament because it occurred more than 400 times. As we see the Bible opens with the declaration that “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the Earth” (Genesis 1.1). Both the heaven and the Earth are perfect in the material universe. God created them and they were frequently quoted together in the scriptures. For the purpose of understanding the physical and spiritual universe is paralleled the Earth and the sky to some extent. Heaven is simply defined as the expansion of space over the Earth like a dome. But it is more complex to human eye to comprehend.

According to the Bible there are 3 Heavens. And the first one is atmospheric heaven as the air surrounding the Earth wherein the birds fly. And God said, “Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creatures that have life and fowl that may fly above the Earth in the open firmament of heaven.” (Genesis 1.20).

Next the Bible speaks about the “Terrestrial heavens” as the visible sky where the sun, the moon, and stars appear. And then God said, “Let there be light in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night and let there be signs and seasons and for days and years. God made two lights-the greater light and the lesser light. The greater light would rule the day and the lesser light will rule the night.

It is really surprising to see prophet Moses, though he lived about 1500 years before the birth of Jesus Christ he understood that the heavenly bodies were giving to the Earth, the seasons, days, and years. God seemed to have given to Moses the power of understanding about the heavenly bodies. Then we hear about the third heaven called the “celestial heaven” which must be the

The Everlasting Kingdom of God abode of God Himself. Apostle Paul wrote in this context, “I know a man in Christ abou 14 years ago(whether in the body I cannot tell or whether out of the body I cannot tell as God knows everything as he is Omnicient such a one caught up to the third heaven” (2 Corinthians 12.2). The correct relationship between the heaven and the Earth is very broad and substantial which is not so easy to understand. The most striking point in this regard is that the Earth has little impact on the heaven, whereas the heaven has an absolute and unlimited impact on the Earth.

As a matter of fact, blessings would come down from heaven only from God. In the same way the priest in the holy temple blesses the worshipper. The king blesses his subjects(His people). The father blesses his children always even though they don’t deserve sometimes due to their behavior. And finally the heaven from above blesses the Earth down. In order to understand the uniqueness of heaven, some concepts are quoted below from the Old Testament. Following are some of the opinions of the inspired writers and prophets regarding the greatness of the heaven :

1)The heavens are created by God.

2)The heavens and the Earth are frequently called upon to testify that God

keeps His covenants.

3)Prayer to God is directed upward (towards heaven).

4)God is infinite and the heavens cannot contain Him.

5)Men are continuously warned not to worship the hosts of heaven like the

sun, the moon, the stars, etc.

6)There is no other God in heaven or on the Earth who possesses the greatness

and power of the Lord.

7)The heavens are sometimes shut up (do not give the rain because of sin).

8)The Lord is EL ELYON-the most high God, possessor of the heaven and

Earth.

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showing His handiwork.

18)The Lord judges the Earth from heaven.

19)The Lord of heaven is sovereign in His universe. He does as He pleases.

20)The Lord who dwells in heaven is omnipresent.

21)When the Lord prepared the heavens His son was present.

22)The heavens are higher than the Earth and the Lord’s ways are higher than

our ways.

23)The heavens are the Lord’s throne and the Earth His footstool.

24)The Lord will one day create a new heaven and a new Earth.

25)The God of heaven is the revealer of secrets what we call the past, present,

and future are all known to Him.

26)The God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed.

27)The God of heaven is omnipotent.

28)Men may choose to oppose the God of heaven but they do so at great

peril.

As I have mentioned above, we can find hundreds of examples of verses in the Old Testament which give the clear picture of heaven. In such description one thing stands out above all: that is it’s absence. It is like a “Neon” light. There is no hint, or hope, dream, aspiration, or speculation that a righteous man or woman of the Old Testament have gone to heaven after death. And also, the concept of heaven as a home with God is not found in the Old Testament Scriptures. However the scriptures will not suggest that the people were without

The Everlasting Kingdom of God hope or withput knowledge. So the most dominating theme of the Old Testament is that of the coming of Messiah who will be a descendant of Abraham and King David. And what this Messiah will do in his second coming-

1)He will deliver man from the curse of sin permanently.

2)He will establish an eternal kingdom on Earth.

3)The kingdom he will establish must be the kingdom of righteousness.

4)His new kingdom shall be plenty of everything.

5)It will be a kingdom wherein the wolf lie down with the lamb.

6)It will be a kingdom where no catastrophic or calamities occur at any

time.

7)It will be a kingdom where every man sit under his own fig tree fully

satisfied and fulfilled.

The blessed hope of the Old Testament believers is not in going to heaven but of a future glorious kingdom ruled by an omnipotent righteous all-knowing king on Earth. As written in the Old Testament, when a man died people simply talked about it and said he went down to the grave (sheol) and what happened to that body afterwards it seemed they were not interested to find out the details.

According to historical background “Job” lived earlier than prophet Moses and his book called “The Book of Job” was the first written one of the bible. And it is testified to the fact “For I know that my redeemer liveth and that he shall stand at the later day (at the end of the age) upon the Earth. And though after my skin warms destroy this body to death, yet in my flesh shall I see God” (Job 19. 25-26). Job believed in resurrection and at the end of the age, prophet Daniel also under divine inspiration gave us the complete description of the course of the world history until the return of Jesus Christ.

And said to His prophet, “But go thou thy way till the end be(till the end of the age) for thou shalt rest(die) and stand in thy lot(be resurrected) at the end of the days”( Daniel 12.13). As Job had his own faith regarding his resurrection, Prophet Daniel also had his own belief that he would be resurrected and enter into the earthly kingdom of Jesus Christ. So, the belief on the part of the Old Testament believers regarding the Messianic kingdom was not a misguided hope.

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In the New Testament the word used for heaven is “Overanoes” and this word is used for about 290 times. From this total it is used 70 times in the gospel of Matthew alone and in the last book called “Revelation” heaven is used for 55 times. So, altogether this word heaven is used in the Holy Bible 690 times. The strong faith of all believers is that they would go to heaven after their death because with that faith only they embraced Christianity.

Their belief is that the body will go into the grave and become dust in course of time and the soul called the immortal part of the body soars higher and higher and finally reaches the presence of the living God in heaven. Then at the time of Christ’s second-coming there will be a resurrection of all those believers who died in faith. The Bible also speaks about the physical body that is kept in the grave which is corruptible and mortal would be resurrected and becomes incorruptible and immortal. Then it will be united with the soul to meet the Lord, God in the clouds.

After we are resurrected, glorified, and meet the Lord in the clouds, we have to think about the next stay. One example is worth mentioned in this connection. A pastor happened to question his own son while he is preaching in his church. He asks his son who is just 6 years old boy whether he wishes to go to heaven after death. Then the boy gives immediate answer to his father’s question. The boy replies that he is not too keen and serious on that subject at that time. The pastor is surprised and stunned at his answer. But he is impatient and asks the boy again to know the impression and understanding of his son about the heaven is one long boring service. Those words show that the pastor must be preaching about heaven more frequently in the church.

It is said sometimes that heaven represented as a place where the redeemed will sit on the clouds and play some music the whole day. And those people who are spiritual minded among us might suggest we will bow and cast our crowns at the feet of our Lord. We should not show any disrespect to heaven because it is more than one glorious on-going church service.

Our heavenly father kept many wonderful things in store for the sake of His children. It is simply like a participation in a kingdom of a perfected one without any blemish or ravages of sin. Heaven is the most precious place for our life and hope. Our treasure is the heaven. Our names are written in the books of heaven. It is not an ordinary place to think about. God has abundantly blessed us with all His heavenly blessings. Of all the gospel writers, it was only Matthew who used the expression “the kingdom of God.”

The Everlasting Kingdom of God

John the Baptist while giving baptism to different people used to say in his message, “Repent ye, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”(Matthew 3.2). Even the Lord while sending His disciples on missionary work to different places commanded them with the following words, “And as ye go, preach saying the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”(Matthew 10.7).

Jesus Christ, after He was baptized by John the Baptist, got the identification as the promised Messiah. From that time onwards He began to preach in the public as recorded in the bible and in His ministry He said, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Why it is said that the kingdom of heaven is at hand because at present the kingdom of heaven is on Earth. And the people have been reminded of it time and again so that they would repent for their sins.

Wherever Jesus went in His preaching the disciples also followed Him. They began to understand him gradually, what He was preaching about. Then one day the disciples asked Jesus to teach them how to pray. And He told them in the following manner-

“Our Father which art in heaven,

Hallowed be thy name.

Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done in Earth

As it is in heaven………” There is no doubt God’s will is done in heaven perfectly and willingly. On the Earth God’s will is opposed by lost men and a demonic host who always served Satan obediently. As those demonic people have been serving that cunning Satan, are reminded to repent for their wrong choice of such demon, Satan. This is the reason why God is asking us to leave the deceitful Satan and then repent for that. He is asking us to pray as “Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done in Earth as it is in heaven.” The kingdom of which John the Baptist spoke, the kingdom of which the disciples were taught and the kingdom of which the Lord Himself spoke was prophecised in the Old Testament. But it is offered and rejected in the gospels. Postponed in the Epistles and Established in the book of Revelation At Christ’s coming.

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In this connection, Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world.” (John

In the book of Revelation, we can find the wonderful description of heaven by our beloved disciple, John, what he had seen in his vision. So to say, the entire human history John wrote in that book. He wrote “And I Saw a New Heaven and a New Earth for the First Heaven and the First Earth have passed away and there Was No More Sea.” (Revelation 21.1). In his vision the heaven and the Earth were not at all new regarding their origin but they were new only in respect of their quality. John saw the present heaven and Earth which were completely purged or cleaned, regenerated, and maintained in perfect condition.

Apostle John saw the new heaven and the new Earth in their pristine glory and beauty as Adam and Eve had seen in the Garden of Eden, prior to the advent of sin. And as a result of that sin, a curse came upon the entire creation. According to Greek New Testament, there are 2 words properly translated. The first word is “Neos” translated into “New” and time is involved in this reference. We can also say a new (Neos) means a recent one or young one. As we find the reference as new wine it can be called “Neo Wine.” Then we must say it is this years wine from this years crop new in time.

The other Greek word for “new” is (Kainos). This word means new in quality, superior in quality to the old one. In the upper room, the Lord Jesus Christ instituted the new (Kainos) covenant. The covenant which is qualitatively better than the old one called the Mosaic Covenant. Apostle Paul used this word more appropriately. He said and taught in the churches that a believer in Christ is a new (Kainos) creation. What Paul really wanted to say is that the man who became a believer in Christ is far superior in quality to the man who has not believed in Christ. This man is actually in his ungenerated condition in Adam but it is the same person. To say in nutshell there is a gulf of difference between a believer and non-believer.

So when Apostle John wrote about the new heaven and new Earth he

The Everlasting Kingdom of God of new heaven and new Earth, but not to say there were new in time and in origin. As a matter of fact, they were the same heaven and the same Earth that were cleansed and regenerated from the consequences of sin. It is Kainos far superior in quality to the old one’s. There are the present Earth and the present heaven which were purged “during the days of the Lord.” They became new heaven and new Earth when they were touched by the master’s hand.

Dr. Henry Moris, a great commentator on the book of Revelation, said that the new Cosmos (World) is not a novel Cosmos. It is a renewed Cosmos. It is just like the first except that all its age long ravages of decay have been expunged (destroyed) and it is made fresh and new again. After studying all the information given by Apostle John about new heaven and new Earth in his book of Revelation, we can have a clear picture that the new heaven and the new Earth are not blotted out nor swept into nothingness but they are retouched, changed, renovated, cleansed, and brightened. And also they are regenerated from their old disorders and imperfections.

Another popular commentator, Joseph Seiss, in his commentary on Revelation, wrote something more than 100 years ago. He continued to speak with authority, with eloquence and with considerable insight. He gave the clear picture of the new heaven and the new Earth in his commentary. When God purges the Cosmos by fire and reveals it, the planet Earth becomes qualitatively perfect. After that perfection, they will become a new heaven and a new Earth. The result of that is all nature with anticipation awaits that memorable day so that they would be freed from the curse of sin. And also Apostle Peter mentioned in one of his early sermons. He linked that modification with Christ’s second- coming and called it “The Restitution” or “The Restoration of All Things.”

Once Jesus Christ spoke about that auspicious day with His disciples. He happened to preach “Verily, I say unto you that ye which have followed me in the regeneration when the son of man shall sit in the throne of His glory ye shall also sit upon twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” (Matthew

Apostle Paul also used the same words while he was writing about the believers who were quite different from other people of the society. He clearly pointed out that the believers were the “new birth” (Kainos). Thayer, in his Greek “lexicon” of the New Testament, wrote about the word “regeneration.” It is like giving a signal about glorious change of all things (in heaven and on the

The Everlasting Kingdom of God Earth) for the betterment. It is also like the restoration of the perfect condition of everything that is in existence before the fall of our first parents.

We must have to give some importance to the remarks of the commentators also. When they said the old heaven and the old Earth passed away, and the new heaven and the new Earth have come into existence, we, as Leaders, must honor their statements. John too expressed the same idea in his book of Revelation. Here, the meaning of that Greek verb “pass away” is to come, to pass, come forth, go, pass, Passover, transgress, etc. But one thing is certain: no proper illustration of this verb is given either in the bible or in the classical Greek. And here, in this context, it is spoken of a passing of from corrupted and polluted heaven and Earth into a renovated and perfect heaven and Earth, from this age-to the age to come in future.

The terms used by Apostle Peter describing the annihilation of the present heaven and Earth are sometimes argued at different stages while he was giving the picture of Noahic flood. He said, “Whereby the world that then was being overflowed with water perished.” (2 Peter 3.6).

Peter argued that the same type of fate which is still in store for the Earth. Then the next time it will be the judgement of the Earth by fire rather than with water. Whether it was perished in the days of Noah the correct answer is no. The world is perished; but the Earth remained unchanged. The world is perished; but the eight members of Noah’s family were alive. The world is perished; but the animals representing of all species of life both male and female, were preserved in the ark. Then after the flood water receded, Noah’s family members and all the animals disembarked the ark. And finally God blessed the family of Noah by saying, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the Earth.” (Genesis 9.1).

The heaven and Earth remained after the world perished. Peter also mentioned about the elements in heaven were melting in a firvent heat and the works of Earth being burned up. In the light of some of the realities, Peter rhetorically inspired and said, “Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved what manner of people or persons aught ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness.” (2 Peter 3.11). The translation of the word “dissolved” means to loosen. It was the same that Jesus used when he asked his disciples to bring the colt for the purpose of Palm Sunday and said, “Loose him.” Next, when Jesus was at the tomb of Lazarus after four days of his death…. CHAPTER -14

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CHRONOLOGICAL EVENTS IN REVELATION

As Christians we all know the first four books of the New Testament which are called Gospels which means “Good News” because those four books revealed the true history of Jesus Christ regarding His preaching’s His teachings His miracles and His healing of the sick. He taught many things to His disciples and other people whoever went to Him and finally sacrificed His life as a lamb to purchase salvation to all humanity during His first coming. This is genuinely called the best news available from the Gospels. The Holy Bible contains 66 books and the last one is “The book of Revelation” which means “unveiling” and it is also called by some historians the “Fifth Gospel” why it is called so because it is prophetically revealed the wonderful triumph of Jesus Christ what He will do as the lion of the tribe of Judah at His second coming to consummate our salvation. What all is said about Him has to happen according to prophetic news from the Gospels.

As a matter of fact, without the book of Revelation the Gospels are simply an ongoing graphic account of humanity and their sinful tragic epic defeat. All of us must praise God for inspiring the divine author St. John for writing the book of revelation through visions. It is said the everlasting life is linked with some more things that Christ would accomplish when He comes for the second time to this planet. The first and second comings should be imagined as separate happenings because of the ample gap between the two. Inspite of long gap between both the first one initially depends upon the second and the second depends upon the first. The first coming requires the second coming and it cannot occur without the first.

The book of Revelation speaks about the light, joy, victory and eternal blessings at the end of life’s journey. The darkness doom, gloom, defeat are necessary and without defeat we cannot make the way for light, joy, glory, and even eternal blessings. In the same way the son of God had to die on the cross at Calvary for our sins so that He would be resurrected on the third day to conquer death and grave. The son of God must purge the world which is polluted and defiled before it is brought into the Messianic Era. During the period of His second coming people may have to suffer because of famine. It is not a famine for want of bread and other daily necessary things but it is the famine of hearing the word of God by people who are about seven billion on this planet. It is not because of lack of commentators to provide us with up to date inspiration. As a matter of fact, we have more commentators on the book of Revelation than

The Everlasting Kingdom of God most other books from the Bible. First of all, we must congratulate those authors who labored to understand the book of Revelation correctly and write some commentaries. But some other authors who looked at them with different perspective felt they are erroneous and not up to the mark. Another group of commentators pointed out that their contribution was unnecessarily technical.

Some of the authors have brought erroneous prophetic theological baggage with them which is inappropriately influencing them and their interpretations and out of many commentators only a few are able to grip the chronology of the book of Revelation accurately. As a result, many unnecessary attempts have been made on shattering events and discussion from the book. It appears they have done their commentaries looking into their chronological backbone and leave the readers without comprehensive understanding of the Book of Revelation. Nobody can assess correct interpretation without proper understanding of the chronology of the children of God that there is spiritual famine throughout the land. Understanding of unveiling of Christ at the end of age as our victorious conquering king as set faith in the book of Revelation and the period of famine is intensified because the events spoken of in the book are dramatically and rapidly coming into clear focus by the action of men and movements of nations of the present hour of history. The correct understanding of what God has revealed in the book of revelation regarding the last days would fill us with great hope in the present because it shows us we are on the victorious side of history.

It will also enable the generation of believers who enter these days to remain faithful fruitful and triumphant. Some Bible teachers among them and

th some of our best will seek the example of church from Daniel’s 70week ironically called the tribulation period by the pre-tribulation rapture. The problem in this context is inspite of their good intention the result would be that the generations have to face some calamities and those characteristics are clearly depicted in the book of Revelation. To say frankly, the book of Revelation is a gallery of pictures and St. John was a great painter who never handled a brush. The writers who were able to understand the chronological order of the pictures can write something the hidden meaning of it. Let us look into the last chapter of the book wherein human history is depicted. It contained far more than a vague allusion to four horses and the riders of apocalypse of some kind of coming terrible events called Armageddon and if we look into the book diligently and with prayer the spirit of the Lord will give us enough wisdom to understand this so called fifth Gospel.

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The incidents that occurred chronologically in the book are not impossible to comprehend with the grace of our Lord. According to the book fourth chapter Apostle John was summoned by a trumpet into the heaven in his vision. As per the vision the angel took him to a particular place and showed him the throne of God where He is seated. “The Father” is surrounded by beautiful sight, colors, sounds, and high order of angels in their duties. The person (God) seated on the throne is addressed and repeated 3 times as Holy Holy Holy. This three fold proclamation is the method of emphasizing the superlative of Holiness. The one sitting on the throne is also spoken as “Lord God Almighty” who was and who is to come. So what is attributed to Him are omnipotent and eternality. These two are called to His Holiness. The 24 elders sitting around the beautiful and well decorated throne of the Lord were worshipping Him with all their humbleness. They proclaimed with one voice “thou art worthy O Lord to receive glory, honor and power for thou hast created all things and for thy pleasure, they are and were created” (Revelation 4:11). God Almighty created the heaven and the earth for His good and pleasure. He is omnipotent and eternal. He has every right and power to bring the earth and all there in to the consummation as recorded in the book of Revelation.

The truth is that the first two foundational doctrinal points upon which the correct understanding of revelation must stand. The most important point is that apostle John saw in his vision the scroll which was kept at the right hand side of God on the throne. This is called the second theological foundational platform upon which it is found in revelation chapter 5. Apostle John reminds all the readers of the book time and again that he saw the book (scroll) on the right hand side of God and father who was sitting on the throne. Though John was watching many things around the throne his attention was drawn towards the scroll only. The scroll has some writings inside and at the back. The historical and archeological information explains us that the scrolls were made up of some anti-lope skins. Those anti-lope skins were made smooth on both sides for the purpose of writing. The scroll John saw was sealed with seven seals. Many scrolls were exhibited in Jerusalem museum and most of them belonged to the first century AD. Among all the scrolls exhibited in that museum there was only one seal belonged to second century BC and it was called the Samaritan scroll. Generally each seal had the combined appearance of a piece twine lid around the scroll outside part of it and over the twine.

Then some paste was applied to keep these scrolls flattened. Before the clay hardened a brief message would be written on the clay itself. If the seal

The Everlasting Kingdom of God breaks it is not possible to conceal the inside. All the seals were put in a line. On the outside of the scroll that is folded round what is in the scroll can be seen only after all the seven seals are broken. As John saw in his vision a strong and powerful angel came and proclaimed with a message regarding the scroll saying “who is worthy” (as the right or authority) to open the book the scroll and to loose the seals thereof (Revelation 5:2). The search for a competent person to open the book was said to be a proposal in scope. The search for such a worthy man would continue in the heaven, on the earth and beneath the earth and no man was found worthy to open the scroll by breaking the seven seals. This initial unsuccessful search for a worthy man caused the old Apostle John to cry uncontrollably and helplessly. If there is no worthy man in the entire universe to break the seal and open the book then everything was lost. The divine author St. John realized this truth finally.

Man was created to be king on the earth. He was supposed to rule the earth with instructions and able guidance from the Almighty God. But due to his disobedience he corrupted the earth and everything there in. so man and all other things on the earth remained in sinful condition. In such helpless position if the scroll was not opened and the contents not known to God’s people then it would be a great loss to the entire humanity. It was so surprising and unexpected that a strong angel warned the old apostle John with a commanding voice “Weep not” it means literally “Stop weeping.” John was weeping helplessly because he must have anticipated some calamity to the entire world if the scroll was not opened by a worthy man. Again the strong angel consoled him with the following words “Behold the lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David hath prevailed to open the book (scroll) and to loose the seven seals thereof” (Revelation 5:5). This opening of the scroll by a worthy man became the greatest need for the humanity at this critical situation. The Jewish nation and Davidic lineage were summoned to provide help for the world. Again John looked at the throne. This time he saw something which he missed at the first time and in his earlier description. Apostle John beheld in the middle, living beasts stood and in the middle of 24 elders a lamb which had been slain having seven horns and seven eyes which were the seven spirits of God sent fourth into the earth (Revelation 5:6-7).

Finally, the kinsman redeemer only the lamb was proved to be worthy to break the seal and open the scroll because He was slain and redeemed us to God by His blood and since we are redeemed we can reign on the earth. In

The Everlasting Kingdom of God fullness of time the lamb is Lord Jesus Christ. He became a man to become our kinsman. Man was created by God to be king on the earth because only a man could redeem a man and his loss of inheritance. So Jesus is worthy to open the scroll as He redeemed us to God only by shedding His precious blood on the cross. As a result the heavenly choir of angels broke into unrestrained praise with the following words “Worthy is the lamb that was slain to receive power and riches, wisdom and strength, honor and glory, and blessing.” And every creature which is in heaven on the earth under the sea such as are in the sea and all that are in them heard “I saying blessing and honor and glory and the power be unto them that sittethe upon the throne (God the Father) and unto the lamb (God the son) forever and ever” (Revelation 5:12-13).

As the first foundation we have to understand revelation that the Father has to receive the blessing honor and glory because He created the earth and everything on it then the second foundation is the Son He too has to receive the blessing, honor and glory because He redeemed the fallen creation with His blood. According to ancient Israel a man known as a god is attributed to kinsman or redeemer. He could redeem a family member or lost inheritance, etc. The first requisite qualification for a redeemer is that he must be a kinsman than he must be willing to redeem and then he must have the redemption price. If we consider all the above said points Jesus Christ came as a man to become our kinsman. Jesus was willing to redeem us. He had the redemption price as He shed His own blood. Jesus Christ as a redeemer and kinsman sported to break the seals and open the scroll. He began the process and continued throughout the book of Revelation. In that process the wicked men hypocrates, corrupt nations, counterfeit religion, the antichrist of first prophet including Satan will be banished from the land. This would be done during the day of the Lord. After finishing the preliminary work Jesus would establish His “Golden Age” upon the millennial kingdom.

Jesus Christ would start breaking the seals of the scroll that is mentioned in the sixth chapter of the book of Revelation. After the first four seals were opened there came out four horses with riders on them coming out with galloping speed onto the earth. Those four horses and the four horsemen portrayed as false Christ’s war famine, pestilence, and death. Those four riders started their riding during the first three and a half years which is called the tribulation period. And it is said the “Great tribulation” begins with the breaking of the fifth seal. It is also called “Jacobis tribes,” which would begin at the midpoint of

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th Daniel’s 70 week. The great tribulation is not three one and a half years in duration as popularly taught but it is cut short for the elect before the end of

th 70 week of Daniel with the breaking of the sixth seal. The opening of the sixth seal indicates cosmic destruction like the sun, the moon, etc.. There will be no light of both of them. The stars will fall down from heaven. The sun and the moon will be totally destroyed. The cosmic disturbance and the clear indication of the day of Lord is about to begin. This shows the direct intervention of God into the affairs of man on the earth to give His judgment. At the same time it will be the purging of the earth which was already defiled from the time of man in the Garden of Eden.

The six seals of revelation and the sixth chapter are a clear parallel to Lord’s teaching on His second coming in His “Olivet discourse,” on the Mount of Olives. This Olivet discourse also indicates Christ’s wars, famines, great tribulations cosmic disturbances etc and at this point the rapture of the church will take place as the church is not appointed to the wrath of God. Then it is quite reasonable to assume all details of the seventh seal in these sequences in the seventh chapter but nothing is explained about it. As we find in the sixth chapter the six seals are broken but there is no mention of seventh seal in the seventh chapter instead it is said in this chapter that four angels who are about to hurt the earth commanded to refrain from that action for sometime and after all these things happened John said “I saw four angels standing at the four corners and holding four winds of the earth that means the wind should not blow on the Earth nor on the sea nor any part of the trees. And I John saw another angel ascending from the east holding the seal of the living God and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels to whom the seal was given to hurt the earth. He asked them not to hurt the earth nor the sea, nor the trees till we sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.

As we have seen already the sixth seal indicated cosmic disturbances and God’s wrath to begin. There are a good number of passages in the Old Testament that expressed about the cosmic destruction with God’s wrath and the future day of the Lord. It is clearly pointed out in the book that two things have to happen before the wrath of God. They are –1,44,000 Jews, 12000 from each tribe of the 12 sons of Jacob were to be sealed for protection at the time of the day of our Lord. The believers of the church who were not considered to God’s wrath should have been repented. Therefore, a great multitude from all nations who came out of the tribulations were seen in heaven clothed with white ropes. They were all holding psalms in their hands and shouting salvation

The Everlasting Kingdom of God to our Lord – and unto the lamb (Revelation 7:9-17). After, all these things occurred, there was a pin-drop silence in the heaven. It is said in the eight chapter “And when he had open seventh seal there was a pin drop silence in heaven for about half an hour, is it not really wonderful that there was silence for half an hour in heaven?” Then what kind of silence that must be. We are not left without answer for silence in heaven. One of the Old Testament prophets by name “Zephaniah” wrote “Hold thy peace at the presence of the Lord God for the day of the Lord is at hand.” (Zephaniah 1:7)

So the wrath of God upon the earth will commence with the breaking of the seventh seal. It will be more devastating and dreadful event to imagine and those who were made to maintain silence in heaven must be the angels, the believers who were just raptured in the previous chapter and who were raptured in the eighth in prayer mode. When the seventh seal is opened the trumpet the judgment of God would fall upon the earth. It is the seventh seal that contained seven trumpets and out of seven trumpets emerge seven bowls (vials). The Everlasting Kingdom of GodCHAPTER -15

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